I think I must be blind. I have driven past this intersection of SE 82nd and Stark countless times – aand I honestly don’t remember ever seeing this sign before. This huge grenade on a post declaring “
.” Apparently this is the HQ for Grenade Gloves a sportswear company for snowboarders/skateboarders.
The sign doesn’t really look new – am I I indeed just blind?
Earlier today we watched from our office windows as a parade of policeman clad in what appeared to be full SWAT gear assemble on the roof of the parking garage at 2nd & Jefferson. In the center of the roof is a helipad – that doesn’t appear to get much, if any, use any more. One by one they climbed the stairs and over the railing to the center of the helipad. A few even brought their canine cops with ’em.
It was pretty early in the morning, and none of us had enough coffee yet – so my office was fascinated with the procession. Then they all move to the center of the pad in a very orderly fashion and we see a guy with a camera and a ladder. It was photo shoot time! Maybe it was the lack of caffiene, but a bunch of cops lining up for a class picture just cracked us all up.
Do you think they smiled or did they have their serious faces on?
Do you take class pictures at your job?
Yesterday, when it was sunny, I walked about 2/3rds of the Rose Festival Parade route looking for duct tape. The good news is that people who normally were taping and reserving spots almost 2 weeks before the parade got the message. The bad news is that today, someone used spraypaint to reserve their spot.
According to the City, “The use of duct tape, chalk, paint or unattended personal property, such as lawn chairs, to mark or reserve a spot along the parade route is prohibited. “
Now, I wonder if the Portland Police are going to be out enforcing said ban. It is a $100 fine if you are caught. Will they go out Friday evening/Saturday morning passing out fines? Will they let it slide this first year? Anyone know how to get stats on that?
Oh, and to be honest, this actually may mean Tower as in placement of. But hey, let’s get this party started!
Originally uploaded by dieselboi
Yesterday I saw some maintenance workers in front of a business digging up all of the beautiful yellow and white flowers planted in front of their building. They were just tossing all of the plants into a garbage can, that I assume will just be recycled, it didn’t look like they were being careful enough with the plants for them to be transplanted anywhere.
This morning I drove by the same business and looked – there were new, different flowers planted there.
Now I don’t know much about gardening, so I’m not sure what they are, but the plants that were being dug up and tossed away – looked very much like what we’ve got growing along the boulevard in front of our house. They’re small, ground cover flowers – almost like on a low bush, they’ve been in bloom for quite some time now – and if I remember correctly from last year, will stay in bloom for awhile. We do nothing with them – they just come back every year – and have spread out a bit which is great for where they’re at in our yard.
So is it normal practice for businesses to just dig up perfectly good plants and throw them away so that they can change them out? And then they’ll maybe do the same next year and put back in what was there before because of seasonality? Do the companies that do landscaping and yard work at business every keep those plants and offer them to the public? Maybe they wouldn’t be any good, but it just seems like such a waste to me.
I enjoy wandering around and seeing some of the stickers people put out into the public realm. I hate when I see the same sticker everywhere – I’m talkin’ to you HMS security! Well, some of the best stickers show up in the men’s room.
Not sure what happens in the women’s restroom, but I assume it isn’t as cool. Seen @ Green Dragon in SE.
Another sticker from Portlandville was found in north Portland. I snapped this photo because I found the content interesting. What is more interesting is that in the 48 hrs since my photo has been on Flickr, one of my Flickr friends posted a photo of their sticker find from an alternate location. Someone’s been busy.
In the end, eat more pie.
As I wander around downtown, I am amazed by how many buildings there are that appear to be abandoned or left for dead. And some of these buildings have been this way for years. The one in the photo to the right is on the corner of SW Park and Alder and currently houses p:ear, a mentoring program for Portland’s homeless youth. The other day, I noticed a flyer on the window stating the building will be redeveloped into a boutique hotel. It is a cool building that does need redevelopment or just a good cleaning, but I’m not sure we need another boutique hotel. Honestly, it is too bad we can’t just turn the whole building into a place where homeless youth can stay and use it as a jumping off point for a future off the streets.
I really hope p:ear can get the funding they need to keep open and relocate to their new location. I for one plan on hitting the p:ear gallery soon to see what treasures they have these days. You never know, p:ear could be molding the next big star.
Originally uploaded by dieselboi
Happy Easter. Yep, it is another Christian holiday that has been co-opted for the greater good of Hallmark and corporate candy makers. How did the whole Easter bunny thing come to fruition anyways? And the eggs? A bunny doesn’t lay an egg. Grrr. Well, some church out in Cornelius feels that instead of celebrating Christian Easter by celebrating Jesus rising from the grave, they went the corporate way and are having a good old Easter egg hunt. With 15,000 eggs no less. I can’t believe this number. How many children in Cornelius are going to be out looking for eggs. Even conservatively at 1000 children, that is 150 eggs per kid. I feel that is a bit irresponsible in this day and age to have soooooo many eggs out there being hidden. I’m just so torn on the whole idea that the only way to get people in church is to lure them with an activity that has nothing to do with why the day is being celebrated. Then again, this is America.
Oh, and not to forget the Holiday House. I wasn’t expecting Easter decorations.
Originally uploaded by dieselboi
“just like viagra… we get it up for you”
I have christened this bungalow “Holiday House!” It seems of late they have been taking holiday decorating to the extreme. At Christmas time, they had the lights, yet so did everyone else. When Valentines day rolled around, the house was covered in red hearts. Now with St. Patty’s day just a few days off, they again have brought out the goods. I admire this fortitude and excitement. I wonder if they will go all out for Easter next? Maybe April Fool’s day? Way to go Holiday House!
Originally uploaded by dieselboi
There is a gang of angels downtown and some of them are pretty darn tall. Wow, I guess when you pass the pearly gates, you grow some more….. Actually, they are part of a marketing campaign for Corteo, Cirque De Soleil’s latest adventure down of the SW waterfront. It was fun to see them on this cloudy morning smiling and bounding about. It is my understanding that they will be around most of the day downtown, so go say hi.
