So are you bummin’ over the thought of your sushi getting more expensive because of the rice shortage? Or maybe you’ve canceled a summer vacation – like we did – because the cost of flying/driving is just ridiculous? Sucks.

This recession we are in hits everyone differently – and I may whine about the price of airline tickets or fresh salmon, but I’m not worried about feeding myself or my family – and as we all know for a lot of Oregonians that’s a more than real problem. Tomorrow when they deliver your mail – your postal carrier will also be collecting canned goods and other non-perishables as part of the USPS’ Stamp Out Hunger program. We had a plastic bag delivered with our mail yesterday to place food in for our carrier to pick up, but even if you didn’t simply put out canned goods next to your mailbox prior to your mail delivery tomorrow and they will take them.

It’s so easy. If everyone put out even one can of beans or box of macaroni think how many people that would feed.

Moving to Portland was partially to get out of a town I really really really despise, and partially to get to live in a place with an extensive public transportation system. I grew up in California, between the south SF bay area and a town north of Sacramento. As the time I spent there was all pre-driver’s license, I relied heavily on the public transportation there, which in the bay area (at least at the time) was awesome, but was severely lacking 100mi north. VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority) hours were long, the waiting time was little, and I felt safe on the bus and lightrail (in San Jose). One thing about the busses down there was that they were dirty - kids were always putting gum on the backs of seats and most of the windows had become translucent due to the myriad of scratches that had built up over years of wee taggers satiating their need to mark yet another solid with his/her scribble, as well as any other surface.

TriMet vehicles tend to be really clean and comfortable to ride. Sure, there have been a couple of late-night puking sessions on the MAX (not me, thankyouverymuch), those who don’t shower, and once in a while the bus and even the MAX get to capacity, but for the most part, our public transportation is great. The only big problem I have with TriMet currently is the sometimes missing busses (walked a full 2 miles along my path before the 71 went zooming by one day), and the damned machines that never work (but I have a monthly pass, so that’s moot to me for the most part). What do you love/hate about TriMet? Do you actually send requests into their “comment” lines? I might be notorious for letting them know at least once a week that the machine they’ve never fixed at the 60th Ave MAX stop is indeed still broken…

This is slightly old news, for those of you who read the same Portland-centric transportation blogs that I do, but TriMet is giving the buses voices! You read that right - not only will the buses announce their eventual destinations to riders at the stop on an external speaker, but they’re equipping the buses to do the same for major stops inside the buses, much like the MAX and Streetcar do per stop already. The lines taking on the system (powered mostly by GPS) are few for now, but so far I’ve heard the announcements on the 20 and the 75 (per the major stops). As I took my first ride on the 75 yesterday, and as I was preoccupied by my cat being freaked out (it was her first bus ride, full stop, and to the vet, no less), the announcement for the Powell stop, so clearly stated, was incredibly helpful. I know that some drivers speak the stops into their wee microphones as they are approaching, but in my near-year of bus riding here, I’ve only been able to actually hear one of these drivers - and I have excellent hearing. Thanks, TriMet, for improving upon our awesome public transit system! They’re not always on time, but at least I now know where we’re going on the bus.

Anyone who reads blogs knows there are plenty of bloggers out there who rant about something in their neighborhood.  Maybe it is the drug house down the street, the abandoned cars, the neighbor who doesn’t mow their lawn or rowdy teens.  Whatever it is, I always respond in my mind’s voice- “deal with it, you live in the city.”  And yet, I catch myself whining and complaining about similar things.  Oh well, what is one to do.

I have a new complaint though that falls into a different category.  I have learned to deal with the hookers, dealers, abandoned cars and nasty neighbors, but what I’m really ticked off about now is the helicopters.  Yup?  Helicopters!  I remember reading the New York Times a few years ago that there was an uproar about all the commuter helicopters flying in to the city and how the shear amount of them were disturbing residents along the routes from the toney neighborhoods outside the city.  I never would have thought I would complain about helicopter noise in Portland, but here I am.  The helicopters in question are the news choppers covering traffic or an incident.  I doubt Portland has a thriving helicopter commute scene and I usually only notice the helicopter noise because it is constant.  When these pilots what to get a shot of stalled traffic or breaking news, they usually just hover in one spot - usually above my house.  And since I live close to I5 and just north of I405, they are there almost every morning around 6am.  It wakes me up and makes me cranky!

So, if any of the news helicopter pilots are reading this, please find alternate locations to hover.  You have amazing cameras that can zoom, so you don’t have to be right over traffic.  Please, for the sake of my sleep and my family who has to deal with me being cranky, don’t hover over my house.  Ok, rant done.  Back to Thursday.

It you are ever without power for an entire evening - I highly recommend a game of Spongebob Squarepants Monopoly. And margaritas. On the rocks of course - your blender doesn’t work, remember.

No - really.

So because we live in this neighborhood - a silly bird took down our power for more than 10 hours yesterday. It was off when I got home from work - my husband had just checked with PGE and they estimated 7pm for restoration so we decided to head out for dinner. Mexican food and margaritas sounded good, so we headed over to one of our favorite Mexican joints - El Dorado on NE Glisan just west of 82nd. It’s not a fancy place and I’m sure their food is to basic or Americanized for many Portlanders ‘authentic’ taste-buds - but their seafood dishes are stuffed full of fresh ingredients, simply spectacular and their margaritas are to-die-for! Gigantic, tasty, strong and cheap. And the staff is always super friendly. A perfect place to spend a powerless evening.

Once we got home, we discovered we still didn’t have power - so we figured we’d better look for flashlights and candles where there was still enough daylight to do so. Normally after dinner out like that we probably would have ended up watching TV or a movie, or on our computers… but instead we pulled a game out of the credenza… and set up a table full of candles, plastic pineapples and headed into Bikini Bottoms.

Our power didn’t come back on until after we’d gone to bed (well after the second estimate of 9pm) so not only was this a good test for us to be sure that we did have a supply of candles, flashlights with working batteries and a radio with batteries, but I believe I read somewhere that this is “turn off your TV week” - which is something I’m really bad at doing - so it was kind of nice actually that the dumb bird forced us to do so.

I highly recommend it.

Not sure if you saw the article in the O this past weekend, but the Packy Mural down on the Skidmore building in Old Town is being removed as part of the renovation of the building. Mercy Corps was “granted” the building by the PDC and will be remodeling it for their headquarters. Interesting. So, let me understand this correctly, the PDC gave the Mercy Corp the Skidmore Fountain Building in exchange for them remodeling? That is a sweet deal knowing that eventhough Mercy Corp is a non-profit, they still make tons of money for their investors.

The mural was painted in 1990 by North Pacific Sign & Design and has welcomed visitors to Portland’s Saturday Market for the past 17 years. When you drive across the Burnside Bridge into downtown, it is the first thing to welcome you.

I have seen some of the artists designs for the changes to the building and honestly am a little concerned the historic building’s old architecture will be compromised for a more modern look. I may be wrong as I haven’t seen the plans, only artist’s renditions. Still, the Skidmore building has been a destination spot for many Portlanders who went down to Saturday market. I wonder where the Australian import store went? Where will Portlanders get their oilcoats from now on?

DSCN8111.JPG

Originally uploaded by dieselboi

I have been taught by many a Portlander that one can grow anything in Portland’s climate.  We have great soil, plenty of moisture and the perfect temperatures to let anything take root.  In the winter, I love seeing the greens like kale and chard growing in pots around some of the buildings downtown.  I love the different shades of moss growing pretty much everywhere else, including my driveway and sidewalk.  Today, I discovered the holy grail of growth - little trees on a Caddy!

I really hope the city doesn’t force this car to move.  I want to see those little buggers mature.  I will keep you posted on their growth.  Another view.

I’m not really sure if this is serious or not… I drive past it every day, but can’t figure out where it’s pointing to for these “Barber Babes.” I was finally awake enough today to pull over and snap a shot… it makes me giggle every time though.

Sun! Blue Sky! Whoda thunk? That is all I have to say.

Updated…from a fan:

“Yes yes, I rode my bike to work today and the ride home was glorious.”

Thanks Tinymeat.

Sun and blue sky in Puddletown

Originally uploaded by dieselboi

It’s Monday morning, I’ve already been at work for an hour, tomorrow is April and the thermostat says 33 degrees… but I don’t care because I love being in Portland.

I am a casual person - I like dressing up occasionally, but I’m a jeans girl at heart. I have to dress up for work everyday - so on weekends - I like to be comfy. We had tickets to the symphony on Saturday night, so I put on cute jeans, a cute top and cute shoes. It looked nice - but definitely casual. Standing in the lobby before the concert I saw a couple in tuxes, others in jeans, a young couple that looked dressed for prom and I’m pretty sure the fur coat on the woman sitting in front of us was real. And no one cares. Sure - there are a few clubs in town that try to be all “L.A.” and implement dress codes - but they’re ridiculous places anyhow.

I LOVE the fact that in Portland I can go and enjoy the symphony, or any other place in town, and do it the way that I feel appropriate - not the way dictated by someone’s random dress code. And that no one even thinks twice about it!