Category: All (-ish)

Back in August, I went to this concert…

Back in high school, I used to really love music. I spent a lot of time buying records and tapes (never Cd’s) listening to the radio, and I loved going to concerts.

Music is much more removed from my life today. So many things have changed. Clear Channel bought all the stations, concert tickets are about three times what I used to pay, I don’t drive a car anymore, and the car was where I listened to a lot of music. I haven’t seen MTV in years, but last time I watched, four hours went by before I saw a video. I listen to NPR to catch up on news and get Cd’s from the library instead of buying them. But I did love a band called Concrete Blonde and when I saw the former lead singer, Johnette Napolitano was playing at the Noon Tunes this August, I made sure to get myself there.

It was just Johnette and her guitar, but she was great. Her voice is still incredibly powerful. Often she would step back from the mike when she really belted out a note.
This woman brought Johnette a present and kept wanting her to open it. She danced by herself off to the side for the entire concert. I mostly found her a distraction.

Johnette wore those gold heels out to the stage, promptly took them off and played her whole set barefoot. Then she put on her shoes and walked back off stage.
The majority of people at the concert were probably like myself, older and plumper then they were when we first heard those songs. Some people had their kids there, like this woman, who still managed to look hip while taking care of her three. Johnette played some of her own songs, some Concrete Blonde songs, some Coldplay and even the old standard “Smile Though Your Heart is Aching.” The guy next to me was a true fan and sang along with every song she sang, even songs that weren’t hers. She ended with “Joey” and came back for an encore of her own version of “Mercedes Benz” which started, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a biodiesal Mercedes Benz”

Isn’t that what answering machines are for?

One of the messages on the answering machine today was the following:

“Hi this is Justina, I’m sorry I didn’t find you at home. I was just calling to share a comforting thought with you from the Bible. I can try another time. Thank you.”

Um, Justina. Why not just leave the comforting thought on the machine? Then you won’t have to call back. And are you just calling random people in the phone book? And why?

I was oddly charmed and confused by this message. It’s sort of the answering machine version of those prayers to St. Jude that are sometimes in the classified ads.

Where have I been?

Where have I been? I’ve been here, but not here in the blog world. School started. The two weeks leading up to the first day, I had a creeping sense of dread. I enjoy my work, but I didn’t really want school to start again. It turns out, the creeping sense of dread was a correct gut reaction. Since we’ve gone back to school my life has turned into a very “chop wood, carry water” sort of experience. And not it the blissful way Rick Fields imagines.

I go to work. I come home. I cook, clean up, set out clothes for tomorrow and repeat. It doesn’t help that the beginning of school, a time of increased activity, has coincided with a time in my life when I have little energy and am supposed to be resting and healing. So a lot of things have gone out the window. The blogs. Long bike rides. Watching movies. Taking fun classes. Having a clean and tidy house. Answering fun letters that come in the mail adorned with stickers. I just don’t have the energy right now. You should see (or rather not) my kitchen floor. Thank god for slippers.

I’m currently experimenting with a sabbath day. Not so much in the religious sense, but more in the rest sense. I keep thinking of Laura Ingalls Wilder and how Ma and Pa would work hard all week and then, out there on that house on the prairie, far away from any church, do nothing on Sundays. Just rest, while Laura and Mary played quietly with their dolls. I can’t help thinking, that for all their devout spirit, those pioneers on the prairie just needed some rest. And that is the real reason why we are supposed to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

So currently, after I finish going to church and YRUU (the high school youth group at church–I’m an advisor) I come home and sleep for a few hours. I read in bed and then spend the rest of the day doing something like that. Nothing I have to do.

This requires me to get all of my cooking for the week done on Saturday. And everything else too. This is only week two and there are a few kinks to work out, but so far, it’s nice to not have obligations on Sunday afternoon and evening. It seems like I have some space to breathe.

Morning Walk

I went on a short walk this morning. I like walking in the mornings as I can wander about and see what’s going on in the neighborhood. I usually walk very early, before most people are out and about, and I really enjoy that because I can indulge in my very nosy-parker behavior. Early in the morning you might find me with my nose pressed up against a fence so I can see what’s going on in someone’s back yard. Or leaning over a shorter fence trying to figure out what kinds of vegetables people are growing. Today I got started later than usual, so I couldn’t do that.

Today though, I checked out “my” garden lots. I have this idea that it would be fun to buy an empty lot and make the whole thing my garden. This is one of those delusional ideas that isn’t based in the real world because 1) I already have trouble keeping up with the tiny garden I have now and 2)The amount I would spend on the lot would buy me truckloads of fresh, organic produce. Still, a girl likes to dream.

This lot, I initially rejected, because there were two huge Douglas fir trees that made the yard totally shady. However, I noticed last week that the trees were GONE! I could totally have a garden here. This lot is actually for sale and someday I may call the number to find out how much it costs.
This is the other lot that I would love to make into a garden. I envision fruit espaliered along the edges with a lovely gate to go through and then many, many neatly tended garden beds.
This lot isn’t for sale, but I am watching.

And what do you do when you have to chop down your tree? Most people would dig out the stump, but these people made a nice picnic table.

Porch conundrum.

We have this great front porch that we have yet to embrace. One problem is that there is so much to do in every other region of the house, there hasn’t been time to find a way to embrace the porch area. But also, it’s so public. It’s really close to the sidewalk, which is a moderately traveled sidewalk. Kelly and I ate dinner out there, and one guy stopped to talk to us. Which is nice, but also kind of weird, if you don’t really want to chat. Plus, with it bare like it is right now, it isn’t really marked as ours either. The other night, Matt looked outside and people were sitting on our porch. When he stuck his head out the door, their excuse was, “Oh, sorry, we thought this was a business.” He asked them to sit somewhere else.

A few weeks ago, I had a vision of what would help. My idea is to install a 12-inch planter across the whole front of the porch on the inside where those potted plants sit now. Then, attach a fairly open, yet tall lattice to the back. Runner peas and beans could be planted in the planter box and grow up to form a bit of a shield between the public and the private.

When I was on a walk, I saw that someone had already created something like I wanted.

I’m thinking less box and more lattice, and longer, of course, but this is exactly what I have in mind. Perhaps a winter project this will be. 🙂

Ill-health in the family.

My mom is sick right now. She had some complications from diverticulitis and ended up in the ICU and having surgery early Thursday morning. She’s out of ICU and into a normal hospital room right now. Last night we watched Jeopardy and did part of a crossword puzzle. Hopefully, she will be better soon so we can play croquet again.

Midsummer Rain

It’s been raining a lot here this week. Wednesday I thought I could get away with riding my bike to work with just my rain poncho. Then it started to pour and I was soaking wet from the thigh down and the neck up. This was serious, February rain. Though much warmer. It was nice to get to work, towel down my hair, and be snugly inside when the rains came again mid-afternoon and I snapped this picture.

The Night Ride

Kelly and I rode The Night Ride. It started at 9:00 p.m. (much better than the midnight start it used to have.) We started at Union Station, and rode out to North Portland and back. At the end, there were donuts. Mmmmmm. Donuts. It was a 15 mile ride in all, and there were two rest stops, one that was a movie rest stop, with popcorn to eat, and one that was a disco party where they gave out candy. The ride was a fundraiser for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, but the best part was the glow-in-the-dark t-shirt.

Kelly and I at the start. The glow-things around our neck were what we wore in lieu of race numbers.

Mmmmmm. Maple Bars

Mmmmmm. I had two!

The War of the Bumper Stickers

I’ve been watching this war for a year or so now with much amusement. Someone who felt strongly about kids needing both parents decided to print up a bunch of stickers and plaster them all over downtown. Many, many newspaper boxes have these stickers on them. I’m assuming that this person means one father and one mother.

Someone else also feels strongly about the issue. Bit by bit, they cannibalized the original stickers to change the meaning of the originals.

July 6: The Bike Project Day 22

The Bike Project:

In which I attempt to ride all the yellow, green, blue & purple streets on the Bike There Bike Map while increasing strength, stamina, aerobic capacity and exploring Portland’s Nooks and Crannies.

Day 22

Weather: Sunny with a breeze. Wonderful summer.

Ride Average Speed: 11.8
Time: 1:21:14
Distance: 15.94
Best Pace: 2:56/mi
Best Speed: 20.4 mh
Calories: 678
Rest Time: 2:31
Rest Distance: 5.15 ft
Total: 1:23:45
Average Heart Rate: 130

The Ride:
N Lombard & N Denver
Head North on Denver
L to get to bike/ped path that goes by Raceway and golf course
R on N Portland Road
L on Peninsula Crossing Trail
Stay on bike path as it merges with Marine Drive
R at Kelly Point Park
Reverse to come back

Route comments:
This is a great ride if you aren’t in the mood for stoplights. Also, it is almost entirely separated from the general traffic, so it is a good one for families and people less into biking. Also, there is wading at Kelley Point Park.

How did I do?
I wasn’t in any hurry so I wasn’t riding quickly. More accurately, I couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm for any fast riding, despite the fact that I had all of the trails to myself. I am clearly in no-hurry vacation mode. It was about the amount of time I was looking for, though.

Glorious Bicycling Moments/Neat Things:
Portland International Raceway (which we thankfully can’t hear very often from our house) has got something going on as the usually empty parking lot was covered with cars and tents and trailers. The web site had this to report:

“Friday-Saturday-Sunday, July 6-8: 31st Annual Baxter Auto Parts Portland Historic Races The thunder of vintage Trans-Am cars returns to PIR as part of the weekend of more than 200 vintage sports car racing on the road course.”


The sewage treatment facility was a bit stinky today.

I hadn’t been on the bike/ped turnoff to Smith and Bybee Lakes before. It appears to be a road that has been blocked off. Also a parking lot for train cars that aren’t going anywhere at the moment.


Smith and Bybee Lakes are popular with paddlers and there is a new canoe launch. Also, due to a park bond measure passed a few years ago, there has been some signage and art work. Witness the lovely birdhouse trees and carved rocks


After riding through the lake areas the trail rejoins Marine Drive, though there is still a bike path next to the high traffic Marine Drive. Marine drive has acres of industrial areas. I saw manufacturing and distribution for Rodda Paint, Honda, Portland French Bakery and more.

It doesn’t look much like a cute little French Bakery, eh?

The turnoff for Kelley Point Park is suddenly just there and you make the turn. After a brief time pedaling, the sound of the cars on Marine Drive fade and there are tall trees all around.


The path takes you around the point. There are a lot of good access points to the water, but there are no lifeguards and you would be swimming in the river. There are many “No Lifeguards, swim at your own risk” signs.

There was cotton from the cottonwoods all over the path. It’s that time of year.

Coming back, I caught a glimpse of the St. John’s Bridge through the trees.