hearts

Hello again.

Ten reasons I LOVE Portland (in no particular order):

1. Cyclists! Everywhere! Hippies (ew!) on old Schwinns, Chunk 666 (gang), the Alberta Street bike clowns, messengers, tallbikes, threewheelers, zoobombers, freewheels, tandems...you name it.



2. Veganopolis Cafe. I can eat whatever the fuck I want. Yummy. I think I'll go tomorrow.


3. This very strange girl lives here. She's little. She's cute. She has five cats. I love her!


4. Ursula K. Leguin lives here. I think she is a fantastic writer. I had wine and cheese with her once. No, really.

5. There are no scary bugs here. I hail from the south, land of cicadas, scorpions and flying two-inch-long cockroaches, and I have lived near the great lakes, soggy marshland home to man-eating giant mosquitoes. To have neither here is quite a relief.


6. Beautiful people. L.A.? No thanks. New York? Nope. I'm not sure why, but Portland is swarming with gorgeous people of all ethnicities, genders and ages. Svelte androgenous gays, exotic beauties, well-groomed metrosexuals, skinny punk boys AND! There are quite a few lovely SGs here, too: Marie, Stormy, London...just to name a few.


7. Rain is romantic. There are two seasons here: not raining and cold, and raining and cold. I love the rain.


8. Powell's: The largest independent bookstore in the nation. My personal four-story candyland.


9. According to an informal survey, Portland has more strip clubs per square mile than any other U.S. city. Yup.


10. The city is enveloped in green. Trees are everywhere. The climate here can support anything from cacti to tropical plants. In the spring, some parts of town make me feel like I'm in the garden of Eden. A walk through Washington Park (at one of the highest elevations in Portland) makes you feel like you are lost on a distant jungle planet. I keep expecting to meet an ewok. It also has a Zen Garden and a huge Rose Garden. I have spent entire summer days up there just reading in the shade and wandering around.



Okay, update. Here is me, black eye healed. My ribs are still sore. It irritates me that I can't do situps. The insurance agent of the driver who hit me has been very slow in contacting me. I have called her quite a few times, only to get a voicemail message. I'd really like to my ER bill paid and my bicyle repair bill reimbursed. My steel frame was bent, I lost a petal, wheels needed to be trued and the fork is misaligned and will likely have to be replaced completely. It cost me well over one hundred dollars. But I am back on the road, and I refuse to be afraid to ride.
The puppy I found outside of my work has been claimed by his owner at the county animal shelter. I am sad that they found him, because his owner is a well-known neighborhood jackass who chains the little pup in his backyard. However, according to the shelter representative I spoke to, the pup didn't pass the behavioral test, and probably would have been put down had his owner not claimed him. That was unexpected news to hear, since the pup has always been nervous but friendly toward me. If he gets out again, I am taking him home myself.
The sewing projects continue. I just finished putting lace edging and heart buttons on this cute skirt. My grandma would be proud!





Bean says hi.

I continue to feel better and better each day that passes. I am eating well, working out, and takin' care of business. It's been a long week, but I feel like I've made some real progress on goals and projects.

How are YOU? C'mon people.