to wal-mart for work

I loathe Wal-Mart. Our new house is within a 5 minute bike ride to Wal-Mart and today was the second time I have been there. I don't have a good excuse for the first time other than JoAnn's Fabrics on 82nd sucks and told me (incorrectly) that I could find the crafty thing I was looking for at Wal-Mart, instead of at the craft store where it should have been. However, today I had a good excuse. My office-mate is out on maternity leave and I had to meet a client of hers and that client chose to meet at the Subway in Wal-Mart. I didn't even know that Wal-Marts had Subways. Fortunately, the meeting was quick and I didn't have to be there that long.

What else?
I had two drinks coming to me; one was due to getting a 10,9,8 run in Battle Line right off the bat, and the other was due to skunking Andrew in cribbage. I collected them at the Richmond Bar which was good and strong so I was a bit tipsy. I like it better as the Richmond Bar than I did as the Matchbox but it kind of gets lost in the total face-lift of Division which happened recently. If I lived closer to the Division renovation hotspot, I would easily have a new thing every day but I would also have less money...and probably a drinking problem.

looking forward

I've been in a rut for a bit. That's part of my excuse for not updating my blog. The rut mainly consists of school and work and the rainy weather. However, we had a semi-dry weekend, I'm skipping school this week to watch the election coverage and I got caught up on my work last Thursday so here's a blog update.

Today, I had a great day, working out in the morning, getting a latte around noon at Powells while I read the latest Walking Dead comic, walking around the hood with Arturo and eating vegan milkshakes at Dick's. I also booked the Gearharts beach house for Christmas with Andrew since I'm not going back to Nebraska until my new nephew's born in January. The beach house is what I'm going to be the light at the end of this school quarter's tunnel.

What else?
I thought about going back to update October but for the most part, my new things consisted of new foods or new experiences at my internship. Here are the exceptions and/or the things that stood out.

On Saturday, October 6th, I went to the last night of the PLGFF in which they showed Cloudburst, a lesbian road trip movie with Olympia Dukakis. I can't recommend it enough. Afterwards, Andrew and I went to the afterparty at Crush which was fun but I liked the kickoff party better.

On Sunday the 7th, I watched the Timbers game at Long Haus on a projector in the back porch which has been nicely redone. Also, I joined Bastard and MLE at Ship's Ahoy afterwards for birthday drinks and good conversation.

On Wednesday the 10th, I woke up to the sound of scratching in the drywall behind my bed.

On Thursday the 11th, I met a new guy, the exterminator named Jason.

On Friday the 12th, Xbox and I had a great conversation about the house. Also, I went to see Margaret Cho who awesome as were her opening acts. So so so funny. I also went to Bare Bones bar with Jen, Ashes and Victory and later Justin and MLE. While we were there, we saw Chris Chandler from OCF. When I stopped him to tell him how much V and I enjoyed his library show at the last fair, he sat down with us and chatted for a while.

On Saturday the 13th, Andrew and I went to Brews for New Avenues. My old internship is really good at fundraising and they almost always incorporate booze into it. :)

On Sunday the 14th, I went to the Walking Dead season premiere at the Academy with Jen. It's a series that's really meant to be seen in the theater! Andrew and I also gave Dean a bath!

On Monday the 15th, I downloaded LibreOffice, a freeware version of Micro-shaft. I like it a lot more and I won't go back.

On Saturday the 20th, I took the day to work on my first paper for the term. I finished it in good time. Sophia made vegan chili so we ate that all day and, after I finished my paper, we played a new game which ended up being a D&D game. Yes, I have crossed that threshold.

On Sunday the 21st, Andrew and I went to see Blood Simple, the Cohen Bros first movie. It was great! We also went to Pastrygirl, the bakery/coffeeshop for the first time.

On Thursday the 25th, I biked to Clackamas for work for the first time since my accident (where the top pic comes from).

On Saturday the 27th, I DJ'ed Ashes' 33rd bday party. Since it was his 33rd, it was a Jesus/religious theme. I went as Lot's Wife (a salt shaker). I was one of only four or five people in costume but I still had fun.

On Sunday the 28th, Andrew and I went bar-hopping up Belmont during the afternoon, lightly drinking and snacking while playing cards. We ended up at Hob Nob Grille for the first time where I taught Andrew how to play Backgammon...and he beat me two times. It was also the 10th anniversary of my coming out. 10 years ago, my friend Joe directly asked me if I was gay and he was the first person I said yes to.

On Halloween, I didn't do a thing except go out to eat with Andrew. I really feel that I failed Halloween this year.

On Friday the 2nd, Ashes and I walked to a client's home on NW 23rd as part of my internship. I love working in the same building with him and getting to do breaks together. It was a lovely day for a walk too!

On Saturday the 3rd, Andrew and I went to the Republic downtown where I ordered a new dish. He's never been there and I haven't been there for years. We also went to Seven Psychopaths which sucked so hard.

And that's it. I'll try to update more often and to take more pictures.

part of the recovery process

I'm feeling a bit better since my accident but I'm still hurting. I can't ride my bike due to my tailbone, I can't work-out due to my ribs (which I tried to do yesterday and failed miserably) and I can't really bend over because my back is so torqued. I figured I could fix the back thing by loosening the muscles around it and that meant a massage! :)

I didn't go back to my usual masseur, Jeffrey today because he's all the way up in NE Portland and I'm not biking. Instead, I decided to try Earth Body massage on Belmont. It was great and I think it did help my back some. This evening, it was easier to bend over to pick up Dean's poo so I must be a bit better. :)

What else?
Andrew and I met downtown to eat at Beau-Thai and then go see the swifts. It's a great date activity and it's free. For the first time, I saw hawks appear to try to grab the swifts. It's pretty awesome that so many people gather to see them every year here.

national dog day

Since I gave up my car months ago, I've been meaning to get Dean into the bike cart. Really, he's been doing well walking so it hasn't been an issue to get him to places. Also, Bobby the cat will most likely beat him up if I take him back to Long Haus so there hasn't been a need for him to travel far. However, today was the SouthEast Sunday Parkways and the path passes close to my house. Also, it's National Dog Day (they only get one day?!?!) so I thought today's the best possible day to try to get him to ride in the cart again.

If I had to grade it as a pass or a fail, we barely passed today and that's only because he redeemed himself at the end. He jumped out of the cart maybe 14 or 15 times, nearly injuring himself a few times. I have to say that I think it's the hills. He hates riding up or down a hill. On the flat roads, he was remarkably good. But for the hills, he was frustratingly impossible. Another cyclist recommended getting a Burley cart for him which I will probably do. However, I think that he really just needs to be able to see me so a cargo bike would probably be best but a cart's cheaper. I will make this happen though, one way or another.

What else?
Andrew and I walked around the Hawthorne Street Fair which was delightful. On the walk, we saw this sign which I kind of loved:

the adventure across state lines

Who knew Vancouver could be exciting? Andrew and I had heard about a bike trail in the Couv a week ago from one of his friends. We set on a quest to find it today and had a great time, even in misadventures.

I got a thrill as we rode over the I-5 bridge. The Columbia River is huge and all of the traffic on it made it really loud. However, the bike lane was separated from the vehicle traffic so it was surprisingly calm. We rode in downtown Vancouver for a short while, trying to find the Burnt Bridge Greenway. Once found, there was the momentary thrill as we got to ride through the lush scenery. However, it ended too quickly and too confusingly. I led us on a goat trail path for a bit through the woods which was adventuresome but resulted in a flat tire for me. I bought a tube patch kit not that long ago so I was able to patch it quickly but the patch didn't hold. Andrew volunteered to ride two miles into town to a bike shop to get it fixed. In the meantime, I got to sit on the side of the path by the interstate, listening to a reggae cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band while eating berries. It was surprisingly delightful.

After he returned, we biked for a while longer, trying to find another good bike path that would lead us to Vancouver Lake. We settled for some country roads that dead-ended at the lake and chilled out in the meadow grass pictured above. It was even more delightful even though there were hunters near by firing gun shots periodically.

Biking back proved to be difficult since we wanted to do the 205 bridge instead. Getting to it was complicated but we eventually managed, opting to take a sure road instead of a scenic road. The bridge itself felt like a giant reward since the first mile of it is all downhill.

We concluded the evening with a deserved dinner at the Observatory. It was all good but the Oregano Fry Bread was awesome.

What else?
Yesterday was really chill. I ended up biking around a bit, buying a bottle of Rose for today (my new thing), getting a new tail-light from Corey and another new pair of sunglasses (I broke two pairs of sunglasses this weekend). I ended the day at Andrews, hanging out with our friends Jason and Lauren who introduced me to the reggae which soundtracked my wonderful day today!

four pac men enter, one pac man leaves

Today's new thing was just pure fun. I had to head downtown to deposit the check for my car so I decided to head to Ground Kontrol on the way back. While I was there, I saw they had Pac Man Battle Royale. Sophia had told me about playing this game in Vegas so I immediately let her know that G.K. had it. She said that her and her boyfriend would meet me there. In the meantime, I played three other Pinball games and read some DMZ at Powells while I waited. Out of three pinball games (Simpsons, Lord of the Rings and Star Trek), I liked Star Trek the best. However, it didn't compare to Pac Man Battle Royale!

Also, I used the Ground Kontrol bathrooms for the first time since the renovation. They are now my favorite bathrooms in town.

What else?
On the bike ride down, I took the Eastside Esplanade. A fire boat was spraying water in several direction in the river, including on the waterfront. I had to get to the bank before it closed though so I decided I could ride through the water. I was instantly soaked. It was like the rain not that long ago except it was gross river water. I biked a little extra to dry off.

Before hitting the arcade, we went to Kenny & Zukes for my first visit. I can't say that it was wonderful but it was interesting enough to bring me back some day. I also went to Super Supplements and was pleased to find that they have Dean's glucosamine treats there cheaper than the store.

AND BAM, I'm caught up with my blog!!!!!! I didn't think it would happen again. Fortunately, Monday was REALLY slow at work. :)

eclipsed

There was a solar eclipse today. They say you're not supposed to look directly at it. However, there was just enough cloud cover in Portland to make it safe but still visible. I was unaware of how quickly these things happened. I was biking home from watching a Timbers game at 442 and I looked up to see that it was maybe 40% covered. I biked two more blocks, looked up again and saw the image pictured above. I don't think I've ever looked at a solar eclipse before. Being the superhero geek I am, I was hoping that this would be when I got my superpowers. C'mon telekinesis!

What else?

I went to Knott Park today with Dean to watch Ashes play soccer on his team Pelada against Old Growth, a group sponsored by the Timbers for over 40 people. They played for 120 minutes and the score was 11-0 Pelada. It was fun to watch it, even if it was in the rain.

On Tuesday 5/15, I tried a different kind of the Mac & Cheese at Herb's cart.

On Wednesday 5/16, Andrew and I went to Proof for the first time. They had good drinks and okay food.

On Friday 5/18, I found out that I got a raise! It's only 2% but it's still the first raise I've had in years (due to them paying for my schooling).

On Saturday, 5/19, Andrew and I hung out, walked around and went to A Better Cycle for the first time, just because we were passing by and I needed a new thing for the day.

topher's got a brand new bag

A month ago, I ordered new panniers for my bike. I had a pannier but I didn't care for it that much because the top handle on it broke and even before that, it wasn't convenient to carry. So I shopped around for a bit and wasn't happy with any of the factory made bags. Black Star Bags, which is located with Double Darn custom makes bags so not only could I get the features I want but I could also get them in the colors. Of course that means that the bag was going to have some pink it it.

After I picked them up, I realized that they looked a bit like my client's high school musical backpack but oh well. They're fabulous and I love them. I was hesitant to spend the money on them but I got a considerable tax return this year and I would be supporting a local company and getting something uniquely Topher.

What else?

I notice that most of my posts have been about biking lately. It's just that the weather is getting so nice here and there that it's very pleasant to bike and I usually take more pictures in biking situations. This morning, I decided to get there 20 minutes early so I could make coffee before our morning meeting. In doing so, I was able to bike to work the whole way heading underneath a full rainbow. Less than five minutes after I arrived, we got a nasty downpour. Yay for fabulous timing!

what matters

Last month, a young man was shot due to racism and fear. Thanks to social and independent media, the event has made nationwide headlines and won't go away until answers are given. Today, Portland held it's own rally, discussing the racism involved in the situation and to mourn Trayvon Martin.

Ashes, Victory, Andrew, Dean and I went up to Peninsula Park this morning for the rally. There was a decent amount of people there but, as always, I'm surprised by who wasn't there. I'm surprised that more people in the social work field or school program weren't there. I'm surprised that more of my friends weren't there. I guess I just expect more out of people. However, there are probably many events that I don't attend for one reason or another so I shouldn't get judge-y. I am really glad that Andrew agreed to go with me. If he had said no, I would have accepted it but it would have been a mark against him. It's just that important to me that people stand in support of those organizing events like this even if there was a bit too much religiosity for me.

What else?
We met later for a Timbers game at Blitz and then I biked around for a bit. I went to Hollywood Vintage for the first time to check out their tweed in anticipation of the ride soon.

It was also BlowPony night!! I love love love dancing and Matt Bearaccuda was DJ'ing. I haven't gone to the Bearaccuda dance night before but I definitely will now since I know he'll be there. Erin brought her friend and her boyfriend and his friend. I also hung out with Tim and his friends. I danced long and hard, outlasting all of my friends. I really needed that!

Also, I forgot to note that yesterday I went to the Grilled Cheese Bus on Ankney for the first time and also Stacato Gelato. I thought each was okay but I'm just thankful that I got the bus out of my system. It's been on my to-do list for far too long.

family game time

Playing card games is a tradition in my family. On my mom's side, most of the aunts, uncles and cousins would play poker in the basement for change. They would also play cribbage quite a bit. On my dad's side, we played pitch. Also, my aunt Diane taught my cousins and I how to play hearts so we would frequently play that. I really look forward to seeing my family just because I miss them but the prospect of card games is a wonderful bonus.

For Christmas, Eric and Alyssa bought my the game pictured above: Wizard. It's a game so fun that they actually didn't wrap it and they gave it to me early so we could play when I woke up this morning. It involves a regular deck of cards but there's the addition of four wizards and four jesters. Basically, you try to guess how many hands you can take based upon your cards, the trump suit and how many points the other players think they can take. It's easy when you start playing it and very addictive. Needless to say, we played it a lot!


What else?
We went to Dona Mary's tonight for dinner. It's a Mexican restaurant established in the back of a Mexican Grocery store in Gibbon. The food was okay but the drinks were amazing and amazingly cheap. My favorite was called Paradise. It was amaretto, midori and some other things mixed together. Just sweet enough and refreshing!


On the episode of Dexter where he goes to Kearney, he goes to visit an old acquaintance who works in a hardware store so a couple crucial scenes take place in hardware stores. Today, I went looking for a Christmas present for someone and had to hit several hardware stores in Kearney. I just thought it was a funny coincidence.

ave maria

This is Andrew's cat Maria. I wasn't really expecting to see Andrew before Christmas so I hadn't planned on getting him a gift. However, when he asked me yesterday if we could go out today, I decided that I should at least get him something...for his cat. Andrew and Maria moved to a new apartment this month so I got her a housewarming/Christmas gift. Yeah, I probably should have gotten him something as well but it all worked out because it was a small but thoughtful gift and he didn't get me anything either. I'm glad we don't feel obligated to do that kind of thing. I think that we're both Billy Goats.

What else?
On Monday, 12/19, I went to Stone Cottage for the first time. Sophia has some pink Himalayan rock salt when I moved in and we've gone through all of it. However, I became addicted and had to restock. Stone Cottage is pretty much filling the shoes of Limbo since they went out of business. I rather like it and I'm sure I'll go back for more spices someday.

On Tuesday, 12/20, I bought a bunch of Christmas gifts, going into all sorts of shops that I normally don't frequent. However, I can't say that any of them were particularly new. What was new was the dinner I had by myself at Hedge House. I don't like dining alone, especially in a place like Hedge House which is more of a restaurant than a bar but I was craving their Sockeye Cream Stout.

Tonight, Andrew and I also went to the Sweet Hereafter where I had their Shepard's Pie for the first time. Meh, I'll stick with the Buffalo Sub from now on.

mr whiskers

After the excitement of ZomBcon, we took today to hang out with friends and chill in Seattle. We all went to Highline, a vegan bar on Capitol Hill where they were playing the 80's movie Ghoulies at 11am. Then we went to Espresso Vivace. I also found some big blue fairy wings for Halloween at Metro. However, the best part of the day was waking up at Josie's and spending time with little Mr Whiskers (Ian) while drinking mimosas with Josie, Michael, Jennifer, and Jesse. I love kids, especially around 18 months. Mr Whiskers is in a cute 'monkey see, monkey do' phase where he'd repeat a lot of what I said. He was also petting one of the cats a lot and, when I went to pet it, it lashed out at me. It just got me with one claw but I said Ow and waved my hand around. Mr Whiskers then dropped a plastic toy grasshopper on his hand and repeated Ow while he waved his hands about.  Too precious!

muffin pedi time

Oh Saturday. I got my second pedi ever today. This time, I went with Sophia to Vogue Nail where I not only got a pedi but I got my toes painted a dark silver and I was repeatedly violated by a invasive massage chair. Not that I didn't enjoy it though. ;)

What else?
After our pedicures, we shopped around Hawthorne for a while and went to Classic Collection which appears to be a hat shop that had to incorporate other items into the store to justify the space. I'll most likely buy something there in the near future.

In the evening, I met up with Ashes and Victory to celebrate his birthday. I helped his family celebrate it yesterday as well when we went to his parents' house and I got to meet his new nephew Charlie for the first time. Tonight though, it was bowling, dinner at the Red and Black and then karaoke where I got to sing six songs. That would have been a perfectly satisfying end to a great day but no, some butthole had to ruin it by stealing the front tire off of my bike. I normally only lock the front tire up maybe 15% of the time so I was probably due but it really sucks. Why the hell would someone need just the front tire?  With something like this, it appears to just be thoughtless vandalism. If they were going to steal the whole bike, then I could at least think, "Well maybe that will at least be one more cyclist and maybe they really needed it," but this was just one tire. What a dick! 

sweet hereafter weekend

A few weeks ago, another awesome place opened up near my house. It's a vegan bar! I love this hood. However, a lot of other people do too now. When I went to the Sweet Hereafter for the first time yesterday, there wasn't a lot of people there. It was the same way today when I went back (with Andrew this time instead of Sophia & Justin). However, that was during the day. When I've walked by at night, the place is hopping with people spilling out to the sidewalk. I hope it's a summer/new business/temporary thing. I like my new hood but I like it a little more low-key.

What else?
My date with Andrew was awesome.

Sophia and I brunched today on Hawthorne and shopped around a bit afterwards. I went into Masterpeace for the first time. It's a hemp shop. Surprise, a hemp shop on Hawthorne.

farewell july

This month, I started a new tradition with my best guy & climbed a volcano six times. Today, we walked around new paths on Tabor in the sunset instead of the sunrise so we could say goodbye to a good month.

This month, I was told I was beautiful and I was called Princess.

This month, I picked up the ball and continued the game.

This month, I saw Lt Uhura pull a knife on the alternate Sulu after spending the afternoon relaxing in a park.

This month, I was a jellyfish and I swayed in the woods with the hippies to a jam band.

This month, I said goodbye to two worlds and one friend and made friends out of co-workers.

This month, I worked on living spaces, inside and out.

This month, I sat in the dark and listened to a minstrel tell stories of his ill-begotten year on stage.

This month, I took a lot of pictures of all types and I was proud.

This month was fabulous. The weather cleared up, I was healthy, I was happy and I only hope that it continues...

What else?
This month (today actually), I went to Fat Albert's, the Columbia Outlet and shopping in the downtown H&M for the first time with friends. That and the 6 mile walk around my new favorite park made for a great day. I also tried out a new scalp detoxification technique.

This evening, Dean and I sat down at the summit of the volcano and watched the sunset on this fine day and fine month. Bring on August.

mirror mirror

My whole weekend has been ruled by Star Trek and that's been a pretty awesome way to spend a weekend. Today was wonderful. I hurried up and got to Woodlawn Park early enough so I could get better seats than I had yesterday. While I was there, I opened a bottle of cider, ate some strawberries, read a book and waited for Trek in the Park to do this year's production, Mirror, Mirror. This is how all Sundays should be.

What else?
Afterwards, I came back home and Sophia and I took Dean to Cha Cha Cha's for the first time. He's gotten better about sitting around restaurants while we eat. We also went and explored some other new shops on Hawthorne. It was the perfect evening for it. I can stand the nine to ten months of rain if days like today are the pay-off.

ikea'l you

Box stores are exhausting. Sophia and I went to Ikea today for my first time. We were looking for curtains for our living room and we foolishly thought that Ikea would have something decent. For the record, their curtain selection sucks and just getting to that sucky section was a cumbersome process. Still, it was an adventure and we did end up finding nice light fixtures. Also, I was comparing what I saw there to what I saw at the Whole Nine Yards in Portland and that's not a fair comparison.

The Whole Nine Yards is an awesome fabric and upholstery store. They don't sell curtains but they can make them for you. However, it would be a six-week wait and we were tired of having our living room be completely exposed with no coverings. We plan to continue the hunt for cool curtains but not today. Ikea kicked our asses.

What else?

I ended up doing a lot of new things today:
* Dean and I discovered the Sue Parman field just five or six blocks from our house where he could run around.
* Sophia and I went for brunch at Utopia for the first time. I loved their potato pancakes.
* After striking out at Whole Nine Yards and Ikea, Sophia and I unsuccessfully shopped at the Ross Dress For Less by the Ikea store.
* Ashes, Victory, Sophia, Atomic and I met Justin and Jenn at Bazi Bierbrasserie to watch the Timbers win their first away game since going MLS.

shingles

Crap. I've got shingles. This weekend is the busiest weekend of the year with Pride, Pedalpalooza, potlucks and the World Naked Bike Ride and I have shingles.

Shingles is akin to chicken pox and typically occurs with seniors.  I don't know how I contracted it but I'm distraught.  After hearing the symptoms, my co-worker looked at my rash and quickly diagnosed it as shingles.  She said she had it a few years ago (and she's a few years younger than me).  I went to Urgent Care at Kaiser and they verified that it was shingles.  Fortunately, I caught it in time where it can be treated with anti-viral meds.  Unfortunately, I can't hang around select people, including pregnant women, people who are HIV positive and people who haven't had the chicken pox before.  That's a lot of people so I'm pretty much going to isolate myself for a while....during my favorite weekend of the year.  This isn't fair.

What else?

 They gave me Oxycotin to help with the pain.  I don't know if I've ever had it before but it definitely helped with the pain...and the worry and the self-pity.  I took Dean out for a walk and we ended up going into Buffalo Exchange where they allow you to bring your well-behaved dog in.  Dean was pretty well-behaved and I bought a new shirt so I'd call it a successful outing.

My housemate got off of a 40+ hour long shift today.  She's in architecture and had some deadlines to meet.  After hearing that and the woes of the people at my internship, I truly appreciate my job.

new ways to embarrass old dogs

Yesterday, I took Dean back to the old house for a visit since he has been gone for a week.  He enjoyed seeing everyone again but I think he really missed the carpet.  I watched him go to lay down in carpet and noticed that he walks his front paws down so he can end up in a laying position.  At the new house, he lowers himself slightly and then just sort of throws his hip to the ground with a resounding thud.  He already has hip issues that I don't want him to exacerbate so I sought a solution today.

We went to the Portland Pet Supply store for the first time which is only a few blocks from the new house and I bought him padded socks.  I don't think he likes them but I think he may eventually get used to them.  Once he stopped walking all stupid, he began to walk with more confidence as he finally had some traction in his step.  I still will probably be buying more rugs for the house but I think that socks (or possibly shoes since he's learned how to take his socks off) will help him adjust.

watch out for the banana peels

Class got out early today so I rode up to In Other Words quick to grab a new book that I special ordered (for the 1st time).  On the way, I rode up Williams Avenue where someone had spray painted Mario Kart symbols.  It's just another reason why I love Portland.