nature of the business

Today I went to the Bridgeport Brewery for the fanciest going-away party I've ever seen for one of the staff of my internship.  I don't interact with him much but he's been at the agency for 12 years which is something to recognize because it's very rare.  It's very common in this industry to have high turnover.  Social services is impacted by the bad job market but it seems like people can't stay in the same field for very often.  I thought my regular job was an oddity in that it has relatively high turnover for the case manager position.  However, in the eight months I have been at my internship, I have seen four case managers leave and two more just announced their impending exit.  That's bad turnover even by my job's standards.

Well, at least I know that if things ever go sour with my current job, I can always turn to my internship for employment opportunities.

What else?
I had to give a speech about two of my clients at my job today in recognition of their 25 and 35 years of service at the company. It went well but one of the guys farted a really long fart after he stood up when they called his name.  I was too busy getting ready to talk about him and didn't notice but he was right in front of the president of the company when he did this.  Also my supervisor who was across the room heard it.  Oh well, that's the nature of my job too.

going back for seconds

I had my second date with Andrew tonight.  I'm not gonna go into it all but it was a new experience for me.  I'm pretty sure that I'll be seeing him again.

aye phone

It's here...

I feel like I just joined some cult that I've been evading for years.  I'm an IPhone person.  It's new and it's not exactly comfortable but but it is impressing me.

What else?
Today I baked chocolate chip peanut butter cookies for my internship for the first time.  It's been a good day.

my cooking revival

Cooking is something that I forget I love.  When I first became vegetarian, I began trying out all of these new recipes out of necessity.  Not being able to eat fast food was one of the strongest excuses I had to go vegetarian.  However, when I moved to Portland, I found that numerous restaurants carried a variety of things I could eat so cooking became less of a necessity.

I have dabbled here and there but usually using some box mixes or pre-packaged veggie meat.  Tonight was all from scratch with no veggie meat required.  I found a recipe for vegan chicken salad but chickpeas are used as the substitute for chicken so it's really just a vegan chickpea salad.  Still, it gave me an excuse to use this masher thing that my sister got me for my birthday and the slap-chop that my mom got me for Christmas, both for the 1st time.

And it was good.  I wouldn't say that it tasted like chicken but it definitely tasted like home-cooking!

What else?
I pulled a big win out the my work hat today.  One of the clients in a different program in our company was banned from working in a store environment after he offended the wrong customer, a wife of a lawyer.  A lawsuit was threatened but later that threat was revoked.  The higher-ups at my work basically indicated that this client would never be returning to a store which would be holding him back quite a bit.  Litigation is a threat that's not taken lightly at work.  Anyway, it was killing me that we sort of failed this guy by setting him up in a situation that he wasn't ready for without the training.  I decided to appeal it to my boss's boss today even though nobody else was concerned about him staying where he was.  She agreed that we could give him a trial in a training store.  Yay!  I feel so good about this!

done with the droid

I've given this damn phone a lot of chances but it's failed me one too many times.  This weekend, it stopped reading my 16gb memory card, stating that the card had been dismounted.  I hadn't moved the phone in between the time when the card was mounted and then dismounted so I knew that it wasn't a user error.  I switched it out with my 8gb memory card which appeared to work for a few days.  However, my phone told me again this morning that the card was dismounted and then had the gall to tell me to stop doing that.

I called Verizon and told them about the issue.  They tried to run me through some trouble-shooting quick fixes which I had already tried.  Then they tried offering to send me another droid.  I told them that I had gone through this before and I wasn't having it again.  I informed them that they would be sending me an Iphone instead of another droid.  If the Iphone had been available back when I originally ordered the droid, I'm pretty sure that I would have went with it.  Now that it is available, I'm not willing to put up with any shit from a droid.

The Verizon rep told me that they couldn't upgrade my phone because I wasn't due for an upgrade until 2012.  I told them that they can make it work because, if they were to send me a new droid, it would be my fifth "new" droid in less than a year, all due to faulty hardware issues.  In the end, I won and I'll be getting my Iphone later on this week.  Yes, it may sound like I was a dick but I worked in customer service long enough to know that the rules and regulations are just suggestions and guidelines for people who don't want to make a fuss.  After four defective phones, I was not above raising a fuss.

my kind of easter eggs

I don't care for holidays but if you're going to celebrate, be original.  Take Tim and Martin's Easter Celebration for example.  They had their first get together at their new apartment and, instead of Easter Eggs, they hid airplane sized bottles of booze!  There were only a few of us at their place but it was nice to be in company with other people who don't have a family nearby to celebrate and who probably wouldn't want to celebrate Easter anyway unless there was booze involved. :)

sun hike

The rain has been relentless lately but this week was a slight relief.  I seriously evaluated everyday this week, seeing if it would be possible for me to call in sick.  Unfortunately, it wasn't.  I went home 'sick' an hour or two several days throughout the week which was a nice relief but it wasn't the same as having a day in the sun.  That's what made today so special.

I had the plan to go hiking with Arturo and it evolved into a group hike which also included Corrina, Lori Ann, her dog Saylor and Kansas.  Kansas is the only dog you can really see in the picture above.  I remember when she was small enough to ride in milk crate on the back of a bike.  I was sad that Dean couldn't make it.  I knew we were planning on hiking up past Multnomah Falls to Wahkeena Falls and back to Multnomah Falls (8 miles) and Dean can't do that strenuous of a walk anymore.  It was nice to have two other dogs along though and nice to be able to chat up the people that went too.

It's going to start raining again tomorrow or maybe tonight.  It's okay though. I got my day in the sun.

What else?
The Portland Timbers are a MLS team now so tickets are a lot more expensive.  However, it's still fun to watch from a bar.  After hiking, I met Ashes, Victory, Atomic, Justin and later Arturo at Blitz in the Ladd to watch the game.  It would have been nicer if we could have got there earlier to watch the game from one of the couches in the bar but it was still great with the drinks not being as expensive as they are in the stadium.  Plus the stadium doesn't have Arnold Palmers with vodka!

andrew

I met a new guy tonight, Andrew.  We met through OKCupid and went for drinks at Nite Lite.  It was nice and I'm pretty sure that I'll see him again.

replacement for rocco's

During vegan pizza month (otherwise known as March), I found out that Rocco's closed it's doors.  While the place was dirty and the pizza wasn't good, I was still saddened by this because it was a landmark for me.  It sat right across the street from Powells and just down the block from the gay ghetto.  I would frequent the place often, especially if I was in the neighborhood and just wanted some cheap and filling food.  I took my parents and my grandma there in 2003 and they weren't exactly impressed.  In hindsight, it was a bad idea but, with IBP shutting down, I'm really feeling the loss for local pizza places with character.  Enter American Dream Pizza.

ADP fits with IBP and Rocco's in that it's not good pizza but it's a colorful place.  ADP looks like it's out of the eighties but I don't know if that's a conscious choice in decor or not.  Ashes and I went there because it's near their soon-to-be house.  It's not that far from me either and I can see myself going there with them on visits.

brunch pizza

Sophia and I brunched at Sizzle Pie where I had egg and jalapeno on a pizza slice (as well as a vegan slice).  Last time I had their pizza, I was less than impressed but today's was delicious, especially the vegan slice.  They also serve a slice with a cracked egg on it but they didn't have that today.  This just ensures that I'll be coming back!

pushing thru a last paper

Today I finished my last paper of the school year.  I have one group assignment left but this was my last independent assignment.  I hung out at Southeast Grind today for five hours in the morning finishing it.

Afterwards, I met up with Justin and Eric at C Bar.  I haven't spent a lot of time talking to Eric before but he's a pretty cool guy so it was nice to chat him and Justin up.  Then my housemates and I went to Crush with BJ and Sara.  Sara used to work with Ashes and me but then moved to Lincoln.  She and her boyfriend are visiting Portland and staying with us.  It's nice to hear that Lincoln is working out for them so well but I still think it'd be fun if they'd move here.

Anyway, this is just a silly post about a silly day but after this hard school year, I can use some silly.

dave's world

Today I crossed the boundaries of my internship into friendships.  I've went out with my co-workers at my internship before but it's always been for a work-related outing.  It's either been holiday parties or retreats.  However, today, it got personal.

Dave was hosting his monthly potluck at his house for his family friends and decided to invite people from his work for the first time.  He invited all of us supervisors from his house but only three of us showed up and one brought her partner.  Other than that, there was Dave and his partner and their two kids and maybe three other couples with four kids divided up between them.  The people were all really cool.  One of the young children identified as he and had a boy's name but wore frilly apron and ruby slippers.

Dave's house is pretty cool too with a beautiful garden and a great chicken run for his chickens.  It's also nicely painted.  Since I've been working on painting with Sophia, I've been very fascinated by people's painting scheme.  It was very cozy and inviting.  Also, at the end of the potluck, the kids put on a performance and we all got an instrument to play with them.  It was sweet and wholesome and fun.  I kind of need more of that in my life.

so-lame, oregon

Alright, I may be an elitist snob but, man, I hate going to Salem.  Not only did I have to go to So-lame today but I had to get to work 45 minutes early to meet two co-workers so we could drive down together and sit through a four hour annual CPR class.  This CPR class hasn't changed a lot in the nine years that I've been with the company but I still have to take it every year.  I could tell the instructor's jokes for him because they haven't changed either.

Normally, I would get to take the class at our office in Portland but it was full last week so they sent me down to Salem.  It wouldn't be so bad but I don't have a lot of time at my desk these days with school and my internship and the fact that I keep bringing new clients into my stores.  Oh well, I guess I should just be grateful that I have a job that trusts me to travel, gives me training and pays for my lunch.

It was a new experience for me going to our Salem offices and it was also new for me to go to Vitas Cafe.  It was a nice vegetarian refuge in Salem.  I used to know people who lived in Salem but commuted daily to Portland for work.  I have nightmares that involve that same scenario.

What else?
I realized today trying to write a paper at a country bar while ordering drinks from a cute bartender will prove to be an unsuccessful endeavor.  I went to Landmark Saloon in SE Portland today because I read they have great Wi-Fi and Thursdays are slower days there.  It's a nice bar but, after an Irish coffee and two stouts, my computer screen started to get real bright and my sentences stopped making sense.  I will most likely be hitting up a coffee shop this weekend to finish my paper.

disturbing the peace

I came into my class this morning with a positive spirit after a nice bike ride, a hot tub soak, a bagel and latte and left with a cloud hanging over me.  Not only have my rose-colored glasses been removed but they were slapped off my face and crushed into tiny shards on the cold concrete.

My teacher began by having us put our chairs into circle which is always foreboding.  It turns out that the teacher said something last week about some former students which could have been perceived as being false information.  A handful of students had caught her misunderstood slip-up and so all of us had to be subjected to a support group type of meeting and I still don't know what the hell it was about.  Anyway, it left me perturbed and not in the right frame of mind to address the next topic.

Our last paper of the year will be a group assignment.  As a class, we are examining a specific problem in the community from several different approaches.  The population we chose is sexually exploited youth.  Portland has a tremendously large legal sex industry, consisting of strip joints, porn shops, adult theaters, etc.  Along with the legal comes the illegal though.  ABC recently did a special on the prostitution industry in Portland, focusing specifically on sexually exploited youth.  It was shocking and disturbing.  Then, we had two of our classmates who work with young girls, many of whom have been a part of this industry.  It was terribly hard to hear their stories and to get a completely different perspective on my fair city.

They named several streets which are tracts for the youth to be bought and sold on.  It's so pervasive that it's mind-blowing.  I'm only grateful that there are people like my two classmates who are out there working to help these youth.  There are so many other populations besides adults with developmental disabilities that I want to work with but I am only one person.  That's what's really bothering me.  I see that the problem is so huge and I don't know what to do about it.

my late local discovery

Since I stopped going to The Pub at End of the Universe, I haven't found a good, local bar.  However, this is kind of a mute point now that I'm moving.  This morning, I biked to Muffin HQ and walked down to Circa 33 to try their brunch with my friend Jess.  I love this place so much that I think it will be my new local hangout.  However, I'm not there yet. 

Justin, Jenn and I decided later on to try the Gladstone Pub which is relatively close to my current house.  I'm surprised that I haven't been there before since I've lived in the neighborhood for seven years but better late than never.  It was nice and I may want to go back but it's just not as comfy for me as I think that my local watering hole should be.  Still, it was fun hanging out.  Afterwards, we all went back to my house and watched Black Swan (intense!) and a IMAX show on beavers.  It was silly fun.  "What are they doing, Ashes??"(I just added that because it will make me laugh later when I forget but stumble upon this post.)

finished product

It's done.  I am so pleased with the final product but I am also just glad that it's done.  I decided to use our fresh pineapple bathroom color for my trim since the trim was already taped.  I didn't want the door to be this bright yellow thing though so I left it white enough though it's surrounded by yellow.  The window trim is also white.  For a final touch, I put on new wooden face plates for the light switch and the two outlets.  Yay!  One step closer to living here.

What else?
My new thing was trying the Southwest Club at Hungry Tiger Too.  While I was leaving the place, I dipped into a recessed pothole which threw my feet off my pedals and I promptly crashed into a sidewalk, skidding on my palms.  Thanks goodness for my biking gloves though.  I'm okay this time.  No cracked ribs or broken skin, just a bruised knee and a disdain for the motorist who sneered at me as I was getting up.

custom-made customer

At bikecraft, I found Double Darn.  I had already bought a hat from another vendor there and then I stumbled upon Double Darn's booth and was more drawn to a black hat they had.  However, I didn't have the cash then so I didn't buy it.  They have a shop in NE Alberta so I thought I would just head up there and get it when I had the cash.  That was back in December.  At the end of last month, I finally made it up there only to discover that Double Darn had moved locations to Hawthorne.

Last week, I went there and ordered a custom-made hat since they didn't have the black one in stock and none of the others fit me right.  This one is perfect.  Plus the seamstress used hot pink thread at my request and now the hat is definitely tailor made for me.

one of these things is not like the other

I went to a training on Measure 11 today at my internship which really got me going and I am absolutely furious.  Not only am I furious with the law but I'm furious with society, with the presenters and with myself for not speaking up during the presentation.

I'm not 100% clear on what Measure 11 encompasses but here's what I got from the training.  In 1994 or 1995, Measure 11 was passed in Oregon in order to scare people away from committing crime.  14 or 16 crimes were originally identified and labeled with stiff mandatory minimum sentences that the judges couldn't alter if a person is found guilty of them.  Other crimes were added a few years later but the original crimes consisted of things like Manslaughter, robbery, assault, rape and sodomy.  Now, I know that sodomy laws were overturned nationally by Lawrence vs Texas so I asked, "Have any of these crimes been taken off of the list since 1995?" and the answer was no.  Confused, I did a quick google search on my Droid and discovered that, yes, sodomy is illegal in Oregon according to Measure 11.

While I was doing this search and throughout the training, we discussed the differences between robbery and theft and even went so far as to demonstrate how theft becomes robbery and were told how to avoid the robbery charge.  The attendees consisted of a lot of staff from my internship but also a good handful of youth who had heard of Measure 11 but were surprised by the explained differences of robbery, assault, burglary, theft, etc.  Meanwhile, sodomy remained on this list in front of everyone along with this insidious crimes.

Walking back from the training with Dave, I expressed my confusion over the legalities of sodomy.  He stated that he remembered another staff member being confused about that and looking it up.  He said that staff member identified the key word in the billing was "non-consensual."  Um, yeah, otherwise it's rape.  Sure enough, when we got back to my internship site, I looked up Measure 11 and did more extensive digging.  All of my basic searches confirmed that sodomy was illegal.  It wasn't until I pulled up the bill and read their definitions of sodomy that I learned the truth.  Sodomy as defined by Measure 11 have three different degrees.  Sodomy in the 1st degree is sodomy with a minor under the age of 16.  Sodomy in the 2nd degree is sodomy with a minor under the age of 12.  Sodomy in the 3rd degree is non-consensual sodomy or sodomy with someone who is considered to be mentally unfit to give their consent.  So basically, they mean statutory rape or just flat-out rape.

I have a couple thoughts on their choice of wording.  First, it's homophobic.  Sodomy may have been illegal when the bill was introduced but the wording wasn't changed when it was declared legal.  I perceive this as a scare tactic by the heterosexist powers that be to 'warn' youth or the uninformed and still closeted about the horrors of the homosexual lifestyle.  Not only is it evil in the eyes of the church but also by the letter of the law.  Fuck them and fuck that.  This is why kids questioning their sexuality kill themselves.  I am so enraged all again just writing this.  Second, rape can't be applied to men.  This is our sexist society comes into play.  Rape is something that happens only to women because of the stigma attached to it, identifying women as being the ones who get victimized.  Hell, I'm surprised they don't just refer to sodomy as assault but that wouldn't carry that homophobic warning.

Anyway, I think I'm going to do something about this.  When I have time, I will make this my campaign.  Sigh, I love getting worked up about stuff like this and challenging the powers that be but, damn, I don't have the time right now!

just another sunday

A good amount of my time and a considerable amount of my thoughts are taken up my painting these days.  The blue of my room is a distinct color and I want to coordinate some of my belongings with it so I'm always thinking paint color.  When I can, I try to get over and paint too.  It's a good thing school is easy this quarter because it does not have my full attention.  Even when I'm in class, I'm looking at the rust orange color on the walls and wondering if I made a mistake with the blue.

Sophia and I painted again today but first we took a long brunch break with Martin and Tim and wandered around Alberta, exploring shops that I have never been too including Healthy Pets Northwest (where I bought Dean a new toy), Back to Eden Bakery, Monograph Bookwerks (pictured above) and Pie Footwear.  I can't say that I wasn't anxious to get back to painting but hey, it's Sophia's house and her timeline.  I have to calm down and just enjoy the ride.

What else?

 We painted the bathroom today and, in taking down the mirror, found a beat-up old hole for the medicine cabinet.  We'll probably leave a surprise back there before we seal it back up but I took the opportunity today to paint a cryptic message.  It's probably be more cryptic if it wasn't in light lemon yellow paint.

taking the biscuit

Today was the second tweed ride for the year. The last ride was all about virtuousness but today was all about the vice. When we say vice, we don't tread lightly. Some people dressed scantily (while still in tweed). We then rode to the railroad tracks and placed bets with a bookie on a wrassling match between a skater and a bike punk. I lost five bucks. Sophia won $2.50. I think my guy would have won if they had gone more than five rounds and had decided not to settle the tie with a thumb wrestling match. Still, I'm amazed by how much I enjoyed it. The photos weren't as good for me as the last ride's were but it was still a jolly good time.