Category: All (-ish)

End of the Stove

I did a big clean of the outside of the stove, and the cleaning itself went well, but the stove gave off ominous smoke when I turned on the oven light, and then the oven light wouldn’t turn off. Slightly worried, I pulled out the stove and unplugged it. When I plugged it back in, there was another, more ominous, pop and more smoke. I unplugged it and called it a day.

We could have called for a repair, but it’s already been repaired once and we seem to be in the phase of the repair people coming out and telling us we’re better off buying a new unit. I’d rather skip the $150 charge to learn that.

We went to purchase a new oven and were greeted with the question, “Is this an oven you need now, or one that can arrive in two-to-four months?” With our pretty-much-now timeline, we had two choices. After picking one, we also bought a microwave/hood combo to go in the space where it always has seemed like there should be one, and we also bought a new dishwasher.

The new stove is coming in a few days, the new microwave/hood is coming in 1-2 months, and the new dishwasher is coming in four months.

I think it’s pretty great that I made it to my mid-40s without ever experiencing supply chain issues (other than Cabbage Patch Kids).

Soft Serve Attempt No. 1

I wanted dipped soft serve, so we drove across the bridge to the Dairy Queen in Vancouver. The North Portland Dairy Queen that was closest to us closed, so Washington is our closest option.

While waiting in line, I enjoyed watching the owner of this truck make his own parking spot. The DQ has parking lots on both sides of its building, but that wasn’t quite enough for this fellow.

Alas, they were out of dip, so we both got Blizzards. We will have to return another day.

Profane Graffito That Made Me Laugh

Too bad to much time has passed since I took this picture and I can’t find a geotag for it. I have no idea where this was.

Teslas remind me of the man who runs their company. I haven’t gotten around to writing my screed about Elon Musk and I don’t think he deserves enough of my time to really screed it up, so here’s a short version. Basically, he occupies the same part of my brain that Donald Trump does. I think he bloviates, he’s a terrible person who doesn’t stick to his own standards, thinks much too highly of himself, and has no actual effect on my life other than annoying me.

I also hate how both men have hoards of people who think they are amazing and will not hear otherwise. Both dudes are in the way way back of the Amazing line. I’d actually put them in the Lesser Mediocre Realm.

There once was a time when I thought about Donald Trump about once per year. I’d like to go back to that frequency of thought. There was once a point (and not really that long ago) when I asked Matt, “Is there someone named Elon Musk?” because I wasn’t entirely sure.

Anyway, this chalk on wall summed up my mood.

Goodbye to 6546 N. Maryland Avenue

It’s time to bid this house goodbye. Portland Maps tells me it was built in 1941, is just over 3,000 square feet, and has two baths. It’s a pretty little house built in that storybook style right before midcentury took over. There are great examples of this in North Portland between Ainsworth and Rosa Parks. This one is low key, but still there.

Here’s a sunny-day picture I grabbed from Google Maps

This property is being deconstructed, of course, because it’s on a large lot in an area near transit where it makes sense to build multifamily units. As we can see this lot will have two buildings (a cheat by the developer to avoid the affordable housing edict) and have 30 total units and no parking.

The section of land bordered by the Interstate Fred Meyer to the North, Rosa Parks to the South, I-5 to the west and Interstate to the east, is slowly being converted to a solid tract of multifamily units with no parking. As I’ve said before, I think this is a mistake and makes for dangerous street conditions for walking, biking, and driving.

This property also (I think) hits a new milestone for this blog. It sold in March of this year for a cool $1,000,000. It’s last sale was for $399,000 in 2010, and it was an affordable $181,560 in 2001, when I first moved to Portland.

Goodbye little house. I will miss your fairy tale charm.

Fully Loaded in the Costco Parking Lot

Among the many things I hate about going to Costco is parking. I usually park very close to the end of the parking lot. And that gives me a nice long walk and a close-up look at interesting things in the lot such as this RV that was primed for adventure.

At least one of those bikes is an ebike, and it looks like there are at least five (and maybe as many as seven?) types of boards that go in the water. That’s a lot of cash, just riding on the back of the vehicle.

Peggy’s Sunday Brunch Double Feature

The song “Forever Young” came into my life in the spring of 1991, when I was a sophomore in high school, and the seniors were getting ready to wrap up and head off into their futures. I first heard the Alphaville version, and it seemed like a kind of timeless song. With several decades of hindsight, I can tell it wasn’t a terribly old song. It screams early 80s. The internet tells me it’s from 1984.

But it’s the kind of song that does well with covers and I enjoyed both versions that Peggy LaPoint played. And you can listen to them too!

I enjoy when the Sunday Brunch playlist doesn’t have an album cover for the song playing. Hip and obscure.

Habitat for Humanity Homes Built

For the first time in a long time, there isn’t a movable shed sitting in the church parking lot near my house. That must mean that the Habitat for Humanity homes are finished. Now I wonder what will become of the house that sits between the church and the new homes.

Here’s the end product. The second building built is on the left side of the photo.

My First Time Riding Over the Blumenauer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge

As we’ve been driving back and forth to Wednesday square dance lessons, I’ve been watching this bridge’s construction. Tonight, I ride!

But first, a photo!

I took no photos on the way over, but midway there is a gorgeous view of downtown Portland. And it kicks you out close to the convention center and makes for a quick ride home. I’m going to enjoy this new connection to SE Portland.