This is from Alla. She heard my call for pictures of libraries (it’s listed on my profile) and apologized that she didn’t have a picture of a library, but instead sent this girl reading. But I adore this card, so we’re good.
The stamps are interesting too.
It’s a boy-centered story about skaters from the 70s directed by a rock star female director. Thus, a movie that could have been an action bro-fest is still captivating in its execution, but is also overlaid with a depth of feeling I was not at all expecting. When it was over, I wanted more, so I partook in the rare action of watching ALL of the DVD extras* which were also** fun.***
Cost: Free from Netflix
Where watched: at home.
*In which Catherine Hardiwicke was described as a “method director,” a description I loved. The person making the comment talked about how in shooting the surf scenes she was in her wet suit in the water with the actors the whole time.
**Just hearing about how even the skate instructor had to learn on the skinny 70s skateboards was interesting.
***I also spent some time feeling sad for the loss of Heath Ledger. Man, that guy could disappear into a character.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2005/lords_of_dogtown.html
A perfectly fine illustration of a woman who bought a villa in Tuscany and all the interesting, funny and quirky things that happened there. Diane Lane was here usual solid self and everything just clipped along in a good and interesting fashion. Overall, it was the kind of solid Sunday afternoon movie you can watch with your mom and grandmother.
Cost: free from employer-funded Netflix
Where watched: at home.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2003/under_the_tuscan_sun.html
I’ve been having mixed feelings of late about the whole superhero movie thing and so I wasn’t chomping at the bit to see this picture show. However, the questions within the movie kept me engaged and the pace was masterful–I didn’t even notice it’s 2.5 hour run time. Plus, Tom Holland has me excited about Spider-Man again, something I never thought would happen.
Cost: $5.10
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with Matt (who had already watched it on Friday)
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/captain_america_civil_war.html
Wander through a long weekend in the life of a freshman student on his college baseball team. And I do mean wander, as this movie takes a lot of time to really focus in on things.* I started out kind of bored,** but eventually realized I had been smiling for the last 20 minutes; so overall, I rated this as fun to look at and an enjoyable film, despite its shortcomings.**
Cost: $9.25
Where watched: Regal Fox Tower with S. North
*The “Rappers Delight” segment goes on for a very long time. In this clip, they are just getting started. Similarly, there is a lot of disco dancing, scenes long enough that I spent a goodly amount of time wondering what the sessions looked like when the actors were learning the choreography.
**And had ample time to wonder about the slightly awkward looking good looking people Richard Linklater picks for his stand-ins. (Wiley Wiggins as Mitch in Dazed and Confused, Blake Jenner as Jake in this film.) Does Richard Linklater think of himself as awkwardly good looking?
***The aforementioned pace. Plus, the main character’s unending confidence was weird to me. Was he not at all nervous about staring college? Did he never have second doubts about his choices, any of them?
Also. The soundtrack–much more varied than Dazed and Confused–was quite interesting.
poster from:
http://www.impawards.com/2016/everybody_wants_some_ver2.htmlhttp://www.impawards.com/2016/everybody_wants_some.html
(I liked this one better, but felt compelled to lead with the one with the people on it.)
Aside from the fact the raspberries are producing already, I also found a few volunteer potatoes in the compost pile. They were all delicious!
Since January 25, my first day at work, I’ve been pretty darn good about getting off at the Rose Quarter and walking over the Steel Bridge. I think I’ve not done it fewer than five times. One challenge I have with taking the same walk over and over is that things can feel stale. So I try to look for small changes as I walk.
Here is my approach to the bridge. I have a picture of this from 2007 covered in wildflowers. Alas, it’s reverted to grass. She’s a persistent one, that grass. For a two-week period earlier in the year this was covered in Canada geese chomping away. But they moved to another part of their life cycle after some point and the rain eventually washed all their poop off the sidewalk.
I believe this random post used to have more than a No Parking sign on it. But who knows what it was? Regardless, the end of the horizontal post is open and for a period of time (I assume it was nesting time) I would usually see a sparrow perching at the edge of the opening and chirping away.
My first view of downtown
A way to measure peak moss. We have moved through Peak Moss Month (this year: March) and the moss has started to recede. 
My next view of downtown.
This grain silo operation is continually fascinating to me. Sometimes the ships are *poof* suddenly there. And then they sit for a week or more. Why do they sit so long? And why do I mostly never see any sailors on the ships? I once came across the ship being filled, which was quite fun to watch. 
Today we have a barge. I always like barges, probably because I learned the song “Barges” at Girl Scout camp. 
Work is being done on the Steel Bridge. Can you spot the workers?
Another game I’ve been playing is to see when all the slips are filled with boats. At first there were just two, but they’ve been slowly arriving as we have so much nice weather. Also, I really like that condominium complex. Though it’s more geometric than I would choose to build, I think it’s aged well and looks great against the river and the city.
It took several weeks for me to notice that the black sign lights up with the words “stopped vehicles ahead”. And then several more weeks to figure out what triggers it. The train is the trigger. When the Green and Yellow lines make the hard turn to the right at the base of the bridge all traffic must stop, so the sign illuminates.
The beach where a lot of dogs play. I don’t think that beach was there earlier in the year, so I will watch the water level change.
Over the tracks. I often think of Jan when I walk this part, as she lived in for some time in an apartment that is just out of view.
These three semi trucks are parked behind the abandoned fire station house I would like to renovate.
As you can see, homeless people have taken to living in them.
It is easy to get around this fence.
I am quite pleased with the renovation of this building. It sat empty for many of my years living in Portland. There seems to be a gym in the basement. I enjoy wondering if today will be the day I look up to see what gym it is.
The red brick building is the old Blanchet House. When the new Blanchet House was built on the opposite corner of the block, the billboard space became less desirable. So this billboard is slowly being peeled away by the elements. It’s also exposing its signage precursor.
At this point, my camera battery died, so you will have to wait to see other highlights from my walk to work.
When they left the bar, before parting ways in Port Authority, they stood on the corner of Forty-second Street and Seventh Avenue and continued talking; there were between them always an infinite number of subjects to be addressed and dissected, mulled over and mocked and revised.
One of my main motivators for building the catio is that Antares likes the occasional dirt bath. Before he had access to the dirt on the concrete on the catio, he used to roll in his litter box, which just made me feel like a bad cat owner. Now we’re both happy.
From Gerd who lives near Stuttgart. It was 15 degrees Celsius when he wrote.
