I already had a basic sketch of when we would be where. Now I know where we will stay in our travels outside of Minneapolis. And I have interesting things marked onto index cards in the towns we will travel through. It’s time to get excited about vacation!
Category: All (-ish)
I always wondered what Trimet worker had that job.
Think about it. Every stop in the metro area has at least a piece of paper saying what routes service the stop and the stop ID number. Bigger stops have a full poster including bus schedules for all routes. Train stops and some transit centers have multiple posters with schedules. Who are the people who are always making sure these are up-to-date? Today, I caught a picture of one of them.
Goodbye to you, inviting lot.
I’ve long enjoyed walking past this lot at 1536 N Schofield St. It’s a little bit overgrown, but has some great mature trees on it. Portland Maps tells me it’s currently owned by the Frank A Morse Family Trust and was purchased for $22,500 in 1997. If I wanted to buy it and keep it a fun little hideaway, I’d have to pony up $210,000. I just ran some mortgage numbers and with a $5000.00 down payment and a 15 year fixed rate mortgage, I would have to pay $1900.00 per month. So I’m guessing this will be a large infill house very soon.
City of Roses Motel. Stucco.
Ooooooooo! I said as I caught my first glimpse of the stucco siding. So pretty! And it will look great against the grey skies of winter. Assuming it ever rains again in Portland, Oregon.
The other thing I have noticed is that all the windows have been installed except for this set. I assume they are leaving them open for easier access.
First writer’s conference.
I spent the weekend at the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville with other writers, discussing craft and learning a lot of things.
Richard Peck was our keynote speaker. He gave us many pearls of wisdom from his long writing career.
Tap Dance Recital? Check.
My last dance recital was in 1990 and we performed two numbers. One was “You’re the One that I Want” from Grease. The other was to a contemporary piece, though I can’t recall which one. Our performance took place at Boise High School’s Auditorium, which was a marvelous, creaking place with backstage filled with dozens of girls in costumes, shrieking, giggling, being all sorts of excited. I did my best to ignore the dance teacher’s son, who was my age, but went to a different school and had started dance one year before me, so was in a different class. He had a harem of girls around him at all times, so I didn’t think I stood a chance, but it was kind of thrilling to have him around. 
This one was much more low-key. We did have outfits, black pants, colored shirts, jean jackets. This time our recital was at a community center gymnasium. We waited in the audience, and moved to the hallway when it came close to our time to perform. Most of the audience chatted throughout the performances, which drove me crazy, but I tried to roll with it. We were one of two adult groups to perform and our tap dance performance to Tracy Chapman’s “You’re the One” was well received. When I came home, Matt had roses for me.
Two moments of squelched guffaws on the train.
This is the main reason I don’t have a farm share.
It’s funny because it’s true.
Three sentence movie review: Mikey and Nicky
The first in my Elaine May marathon* proved to be a worthy candidate for discussion and also lived up to its “a gangster film like no other” tagline. Intense and engrossing, it grabbed me from the beginning and eventually lost me near the end when one of the characters grew too unbearable to care about. It also has one of the most harrowing sex scenes** I’ve seen on film in a very long time.
Cost: free from library. It seems to be a rather obscure movie, so I’m thankful the Multnomah County Library System could hook me up.
Where watched: at home.
*Filmspotting has been saying for more than a year that they would be doing an Elane May marathon. I’ve decided to stop waiting for them and do one of my own. I have very clear childhood memories of both A New Leaf and Ishtar and am looking forward to revisiting them as an adult.
**Especially considering the fact that absolutely nothing was visible. In fact, a long paper could be written about the role of women in this movie that was written and directed by a woman.
poster from: http://www.moviepostershop.com/mikey-and-nicky-movie-poster-1976
Because everyone in Portland has a yoga mat.
From a story in the paper about a group of friends that gets together and regularly has picnics. 
Don’t forget your yoga mat, folks! We know you own one!
Trimet Seat and Memorial Day fun.
I was surprised to see this garish fabric peeking out from behind the purple pleather of the Max train Type 2 car. Was this the original fabric? Cursory Google Image searching did not turn up any evidence. 
Looks like someone is heading to the water for some Memorial Day fun. 
Me? I was headed to a few cemeteries.