Driving home after a pleasant evening with an attractive woman. Ought to be a happy time, or so it seems. And yet there’s regret. Just can’t seem to get out of my head and tell her I like her, that I am attracted to her, that I’d like to kiss her. Same old thing. Determined leaving home, frustrated coming back.
A Hike in England
I still do a little travel writing for the Memphis Flyer, my former employer in my former hometown, and this week I had a report from a hike in the English countryside. Enjoy.
The Four-Train Loop Hike
I had another wonderful Pearl day yesterday: worked all day at home in my sweats, then walked up to OfficeMax and Safeway, and a friend came over for dinner. He took off, and another friend came for dessert — I’m such a social hub — but first we went for a walk.
To this point, I have basically always walked west — that is, into the Pearl. This time we decided to head for the river, crossing a vacant lot at 11th and Overton. This is a doggie leash-free park, and there’s a big sign on the corner, but in a month of living here I never bothered to read the sign. Probably just says “leash-free doggie park,” right?
What is “Peaceful Places in Portland”?
Peaceful Places in Portland is an idea — a quest, even. As I pursue that idea, I shall blog. And when I’ve found about 100 of them, I will make it into a book. That book will be published by Menasha Ridge Press in Fall, 2012. And it won’t be the first.
What’s a peaceful place? Continue reading “What is “Peaceful Places in Portland”?”
I am such a bachelor (with the New Apartment Blues)
I don’t mean that in some kind of “player” way, like I’m chasing the ladies around. But this morning I woke up and rolled out of bed — literally, since it’s just a mattress on the floor — and made coffee in my stovetop expresso thing, since that’s all I have. Walked past the pile of artwork that hasn’t been hung because I don’t have any hooks yet, and made some breakfast. That would be two eggs fried in butter (no butter dish, just a wrapper), in the $3.99 pan I got from Goodwill yesterday, stirred with a garage-sale wooden spoon, then eaten right out of the pan with the same spoon. It’s now 9:45 a.m. and I am still in my sweats.
In the Pearl Groove
I still don’t have the artwork up, and I still don’t have a cook pot with handles, nor enough spoons and forks for three people to eat, but I am getting in the groove, just a bit.
For one thing, I have done laundry, taken out the trash, and annoyed the downstairs neighbor with loud music. And gotten laid, which really makes it official.
An Evening in Florence
Third night of the trip, and I can start to feel the groove settling in. It starts in little moments, like getting a macchiato entirely in Italian, tossing it back, then standing in the doorway for a moment to put my shades back on before plunging back into the river of people. Or find a cool new street to walk down on the way to the hotel. Or starting to figure out which part of town is which: students here, rich folks there, more Arab-sounding folks somewhere else.
Wildflower Story for the Astorian
Every few months I do a story for the Daily Astorian, and this time it was all about places to see wildflowers along the northern Oregon and southern Washington coast. Enjoy!
A Portland Moment
This morning, I delivered self-published books to a New Seasons Market. Then I went in to shop and asked for dried cranberries, which I like in the Bob’s Red Mill hot cereal that I buy at Food Front. A staffer with a pierced nose recommended some local, sustainably-grown cranberries as being “nummy nummy.”
I walked outside with my rain hat on, because it’s about 42 and drizzly. On April 6. By the time I walk across the lot to Peets, which of course is full, no seats available, at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, I have changed into my sunglasses. Continue reading “A Portland Moment”
Portland Breakfast iPhone App
You can now carry around Portland’s breakfast restaurants in your pocket. The Breakfast in Bridgetown App has well over 100 places in it, searchable by category, and also showing your local area with links to breakfasts. From each page, you can call them on the phone, visit their website, and get driving directions and even street-view!
All this for only $1.99.