workin' on the weekend

I never ever work on the weekends. I don't think that I've actually worked one in 8 or 9 years so I was due. It's always been an option at my work but never been s necessity until now. This is a short month since we have Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, & the day after Thanksgiving off. I also have a number of things coming up, both at work & at home so scheduling desk-time has been difficult so I'm here at work on a Sunday.

Working 4 hours alone on a Sunday is the equivalent to getting in a regular week of work for me. I was able just to do turn up my stereo and focus. I don't love that I had to come in but I love that I had the option & that it worked so well. I may do it again soon.

What else?

Right after my short shift, I was able to head down the street to Dig-A-Pony where a friend was playing music & met Andrew & other friends there. I definitely dig the bar & the ambiance. I'll be back!

Yesterday my new thing was drinking mimosas at the Bare Bones Cafe while killing time before meeting friends for brunch. Life is good.

halloween 15

 

Typically for Halloween night, I either have turned the lights off or just put a bowl of candy on the front porch with a sign telling kids to help themselves to one. This year tho, we stuck around and handed out candy to the little ones. I actually enjoyed it. We had maybe 30 or so trick-or-treaters, despite the hard rain. My favorite was a lil 4 or 5 yr old Batgirl. I was afraid we'd have too much candy left over so I said she could take two. She replied, "I'm gonna take three" and then took four. It was cute tho so she got away with it.

We had some friends over and watched It Follows. The movie wasn't great but it was nice just hanging out all casual-like. I'll admit that the holiday bug did start to bite earlier in the week and I thought about getting a costume together but I'm not a fan of the last-minute costume so I held my cool and just played the responsible adult. Next year tho...

What else?

Yesterday, we hit up Hawthorne for drinks, trying the Portland Cider bar for the first time. I had a great honey cider. I enjoyed the atmosphere there and they had a lot of ciders on tap and taster options so I'm sure we'll be back.

This morning, we also tried the Spritely Bean, a comic book store/coffee shop not too far from us on Powell. Again, I love the atmosphere and the drinks were good so we will most likely go back there too. I have to admit that we are blessed with coffee shops within walking distance.

keeping calm

 

The reality that I'm going to be gone from work for 4 weeks in a little more than 2 weeks is setting in and it's starting to freak me out a bit.

Yesterday, I worked over nine hours, just trying to keep my wits about me. I brought Ava into work which really helped. I've gone from pretending she's a service dog in order to get her into places to actually using her at work to keep me calm. Plus it was nice not to have to leave work over lunch to go home and walk her.

Today, I asked Andrew to do Ava-duty so I could have another day to focus on work. Now, I feel better. I think I can do this. I may have to come in on a Saturday before I leave to get everything squared away but I believe that I'm going to be alright.

What else?

On Tuesday, my new thing was presenting an topic to our whole staff at work. I talk a LOT during meetings anyway but this was the first time that I had to inform everybody about a new procedure. I'm not looking to take on a lot more roles like this but sometimes, you just have to step up.

On Wednesday, I scored at least six points muggins on Andrew in cribbage. We agreed a while ago that this would constitute a drink which I will gladly collect this weekend!

Today, I went to Happy Sparrow pictured above and got a potato and cheese kolache which was really delicious. I also went to the office of a provider at work for a client's disciplinary meeting .

modern blessings

I remember seeing the painting of the first pic above a lot in my childhood. It must have been at one of my grandma's because my mom claims it wasn't in our house. Anyway, Andrew and I went to  Roscoe's today and saw the second pic and thought it was very funny. The framed print was only $10 so I bought it. I don't believe I've actually purchased art in a restaurant or bar before. I'm happy with it.

We also tried Triumph Coffee which used to be Three Friends until the owner closed up the shop and my friend Emily reopened it. I'm looking forward to going back there more often!

What else?

We were hanging out at Roscoe's, waiting for the Far from the Madding Crowd matinee. Yesterday, we saw Ant-Man which was awesome and tomorrow, we've got plans with friends to go see Train Wreck. It's been close to 20 years since I've gone to movies back to back like this. With the global climate change, I could see it happening more often though.

diner dreams

I romanticize diners, particularly when they're mentioned in song. Just sitting alone, people watching, waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee. However, when I go out, it's either with someone or with a book so I rarely just sit and think and people-watch. And I don't want to dine alone more often but I do want to be in the moment, instead of escaping into a book.

Last week, I went to Red Square Coffee on my bike ride into work. I used to live right near there and I've been carrying around a punch card for years with nine punches on it, just waiting to finish it off so I went there once and got a coffee to go a few weeks ago and last week, I got my free coffee. The other card I've been carrying around for years is for Common Ground Coffee Shop. I decided to get my ninth punch on that card and indulge in some diner/coffee shop love. It was what I needed. I listened to Eddie Vedder sing the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack and got to take stock of where I was and how I am doing. I need to do that more often.

Yesterday was a bit rough for me, as Tuesdays often are. We had our weekly staff meeting and I again thought about what it would be like just to walk away from it all. It's also my busy month so I have felt a lot of pressure. I desperately needed something new and all I could come up with was ordering the #54 at Pad Thai Kitchen which was tasty but still didn't satisfy my newness need. Breaking my morning routine today to stop and savor the environment was enough to snap me out of my rut and allow me to appreciate my life.

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.

what relationships are made of

Andrew left town this past week for a vacation with his family in Montana. He got back on Friday and we hung out all this weekend, doing fun relationship things. On Saturday, we met for brunch at Circa 33. I had their special which was French Toast encrusted with Cap'n Crunch and filled with goat cheese and berry compote. Then, we went to the PSU Farmer's Market. I'm not sure if I've been there for the Saturday Market before. It's huge! We also stopped into Museum Grounds for coffee and tea.

Today, we went to Ken's Artisan Pizza for dinner and then Safety Not Guaranteed for a movie. It was a fabulous date movie. In fact, I'd say it was a fabulous date weekend. It's times like these where I'm truly grateful to have found a guy that I can be around so naturally and enjoyably.

dyi coffee

I've been working in this building for 1908 days since 1/8/07 (excluding weekends, holidays and vacations). In that time, I've frequented every coffee shop within walking distance but mostly the in-house cafeteria here. Recently, I've found the coffee to be unbearable so I've been frequenting the coffee shops around the area instead. The only benefit to the coffee here is that is only costs 84 cents. Spending anywhere from $2-4 a day on coffee really adds up so I just decided to do it myself today.

Sophia has a crazy amount of french presses at the house. She wisely picks them up whenever she sees them at garage sales. She suggested that I take one to work this weekend so today I grabbed the coffee that I've had in our freezer for months, a carton of soy creamer and the french press. We have a hot water spout here so it was really simple and really good. I was the envy of the office! If I got nothing else accomplished at work today, I would still consider today a victory!

What else?
Matt 'Matilda' Sycamore had a reading for her latest anthology today at Powells entitled, "Why Are Faggots so Afraid of Faggots?" I was initially afraid of going to the reading because I was concerned that I was flaming enough. However, the book doesn't chastise people for not being being overly femme. It just critiques the main-streaming of gay culture and the "battles" that we fight for like marriage and military service while there is still bashings going on and queer youth have to endure abuse after abuse just to wait until 'it gets better.' I'm looking forward to reading it and challenging my own perspectives.

cohabitation

Tonight, Andrew brought up the idea of living with me. It wasn't a proposal to move in together. He was commenting on how he has lived alone for the last few years and has forgotten what it's like to co-habituate like we are doing this extended weekend. He stated that he liked it and I stated that I did too which surprised me because I figured I was more socially inept than that. He thought I was joking but I really wasn't. I've lived with roommates before but never anyone on a romantic level. I'm also an extreme introvert in that I need my time alone to recharge my batteries. However, being with Andrew this weekend hasn't been a big drain on me. I think it helps to have Dean around and also being on vacation and at the beach doesn't hurt. Still, for me, I consider this a positive experiment. I don't have high self-confidence so it's reassuring to know that I'm not as screwed up as I could perceive myself as being.

What else?
We explored Seaside today as well as Astoria again. We did breakfast at an adequate diner named Riley's and coffee at the Seaside Coffee House. I shopped for a dog toy at Beach Dog, we went to the free Shark Museum and the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and we ended up playing cards at a local watering hole called the Bridge Tender Tavern (pictured below). We struck out a few times for dinner so we ended up getting Thai at the Blue Ocean Thai. What a relaxing day.

heal thyself

Today, I took a mental health day (a non-sick sick day) and focused on mental illness by reading the "DSM [diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders] Made Easy." Over the weekend, my teacher emailed out the syllabus for the intensive class which begins this Friday. It's intensive because it's going to last for eight hours on a Friday. I've considered backing out of the class, focusing on my Wednesday class and then just taking an extra class next quarter but I really like the subject matter for this class. In this class, we look at the process behind which people use the DSM to identify conditions that people have. I'm not big on labels but I do love the idea of trying to diagnose someone in hopes that you can then begin to help them.

For the first time, I looked into the DSM which brought some new diagnoses to light and I gave myself a quick diagnosis which I won't be sharing here. I just need to complete my Wednesday class which is about the intervention that is to be used once a diagnosis is given so I can help myself.

What else?
Additionally, I tried the Coconut Milk Mocha at Common Grounds for the first time. It was nice and it gave me the little kick I needed to start wading through such thick material. I will say that I normally begrudge the readings I have to do but this one really interested me. Maybe I am cut out for this work. That, combined with getting to hang out with Dean and listen to trance music in the background while it snowed slightly outside made for a pretty good sick day.

snow luck

Yesterday, Andrew and I hung out and ended up getting caught up in the snow talk, hoping with half of Portland for a good snow. The other half is probably panicked over the idea. This morning, we were pretty disappointed to see that there was only a little bit of flurries that would stop occasionally and nothing was going to stick. Still, it was nice to walk in the flurries from his place to Crema, a coffee shop that I visited for the first time. They have a fabulous pastry selection that will definitely bring me back. While there, we played some more Battle Line. I finally won some games yesterday and today.

goodbye yellow brick road

I get sentimental about books that I've loved. I adored the Wicked Series (although the 3rd book wasn't that great) so it was with hesitation today that I finished the fourth and reputed last book in the series. Wicked is probably one of my favorite fantasy books ever and Son of a Witch was a very fine follow-up. Out of Oz was a good ending to it all, bringing several elements and characters from the series to a satisfying conclusion. I've been close to reading the end for almost a week now but since I started reading the book at Rain or Shine, I decided I would have to finish it there as well. Today was the first day in a while that I had time to sit back and just enjoy some quiet book and coffee time. (I also had their Cardamon Latte for the first time.) It was a nice way to end a relationship with a satisfying series and unique author.

I've read some of the other books by Gregory Macguire and I have to say that I probably won't be picking up anymore. I read two others and tried a third but they just weren't the same as the Wicked novels. However, they were written in a similar enough style so that it was really hard not to compare the story and the characters to the Wicked and thus be disappointed.

Now it's 9:22pm, I'm tired (but caught up on my blog!!! Whoo hoo!!) and I want to read a book while I try to fall asleep. I picked up Warm Bodies in September but I just can't accept a zombie love story. If you have recommendations for me, leave a comment. Maybe I'll just start reading some school books early.

What else?
I also finally caught up with Breaking Bad and finished Season 4. I can't say that it's a series for everyone but it is a very well done show. Written intelligently with awesome acting and memorable camera work.

rain or shine

Since Dean hurt himself earlier in the month, he's been sort of mopey around the house. I don't think it'd be a long shot to say that he's depressed. For the past two weeks, his whole world has been a two block radius of the house. The vet said that's as far as I should take him. Even though they said it was just for two weeks, he's still limping and I don't want to push him.

When I was in junior high/high school, I had my dog Skip. Skip was a funny loyal dog but he's wasn't exactly the smartest dog. He was also terribly afraid of thunderstorms. I became very empathetic to his fear of thunderstorms which previously rarely bothered me. However, they shook me up whenever I was near Skip. I think that the same thing is happening with Dean. His depression is getting to me.

It could also be the seasonal change, the holidays and the lack of walking with Dean that's upsetting me. I love to walk. Anyway, since he's been on the injured list, I've felt the need to stay at home with him more often. Not only has this isolated me from social interaction but it has also kept me in close proximity to depression.

Today, Sophia and X-box hung out of the house and I made my getaway. I ended up at Rain or Shine, an awesome coffee shop a little ways away from me but it is worth the journey. It has great light, a very friendly staff and comfortable chairs and couches. I ordered a coffee latte drink with lemon zest on it. It was an odd combination but it was tasty. Yesterday, I bought the fourth and last book in the Oz series by Gregory Maguire. I didn't care that much for the third book but I loved Wicked and Son of a Witch. This book, Out of Oz, is great so far. I missed Blowpony last night because I wanted to keep reading it (plus none of my friends were interested in going). Today at the coffee shop, I had a very hard time putting it down. I'm glad that this coming Wednesday is the last class for the quarter. I'm looking forward to a winter break full of fluff reading. It's raised my spirits quite a bit. Also, while biking to Rain or Shine, I passed by the above advertisement. It's not Dean but it could be. It's an ad for Kaiser Permanente. I've never had an ad speak to me so aptly.

What else?

Ashes and I hit the sauna and the steam room at 24 Hour Fitness yesterday. It was nice but I don't think I'll be signing up just yet. It has been a fun new thing though.

Justin and I hung out today on my quest to get out of the house. It's been a rather pathetic weekend but it was nice to hang out with him. Jesse then came over to our house and updated our router so our internets work properly now. Hopefully that will improve my outlook as well.

totally addicted to weights

For years, Ashes and I have been hitting this neighborhood gym which is very sub-par in the equipment they have. Occasionally, I visited the PSU gym but I really like having a workout partner. This morning, my partner called me and said that he wanted to visit a 24 hour fitness. We just went to the gym yesterday and I normally only do every other day but, what the hell, why not?

It was weird but not bad. For one thing, it was nice to have working equipment. For another thing, it was nice to have a good selection of weights and available benches so I wasn't forced to increase my weight just because of the lack of 10 lb plates. Also, there was a good amount of hot guys here. :)

We're on a special three day trial pass. If it was closer to my house, I may consider it but I don't want to have to go even further out to work out and I really don't want to have to pay. Maybe I'll think about it when I don't have access to PSU any longer.

What else?

It's Harvest dinner day. Long Haus hosted again this year but it was a small event due to them potentially moving. Sophia and I spent the afternoon drinking mimosas and watching Jackass the Movie. Afterwards, I made my first Tofurky roast which turned out okay. Even though there wasn't that many people at dinner (maybe 14-16), I still ate a lot and enjoyed the company.

Speaking of good food, yesterday I tried Pacific Pie Company for the first time. The cafeteria at my work has been closed all this week due to renovations. After they reopen, they are mostly going to have convenience store food. Therefore, I will be eating out more often and I'm fortunate to have the PPC near my work. I foresee many slices of chocolate bourbon hazelnut pie in my future. Also, today, I had a pumpkin spice latte from Common Grounds for the first time. I think if I would have had these two treats together, I wouldn't have come down from that high for the whole day.

 

my great pumpkin

 

Out of all of the holidays, I gotta say that Halloween is my favorite. Still, I can't say when the last time was that I carved a pumpkin for Halloween. Sophia and I decided to get more festive today so we went to the store, bought pumpkins, carving kits, party snacks, and beer and invited people over to celebrate with us. It's the first party-like gathering we have had at the house since I moved in last June.

It was a light, easy-going evening with music, Apples to Apples, and good friends. Only Sophia's man X-box (that's his nickname) and I carved pumpkins. I chose to do Guy Fawkes. I'm so terribly proud of the pumpkin. It's by far my best. I didn't do so well at Apples to Apples but I had a lot of fun.

What else?

I got my Halloween costume together this morning too. I went to Classic Collections on Hawthorne an bought a new blue hat. I then biked to Sock Dreams in Sellwood and bought some blue striped socks. Afterwards, I ate at the Blue Kangaroo coffee shop for the first time. Finally, I found a blue suit at the Woodstock Goodwill and some glitter at Fred Meyer. I always think that I'll get this costume thing done earlier in the year but it never happens. I'm going to say here and now that I will have next year's ready earlier!

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!

under the influence

Andrew and I have been seeing each other since April. While we only usually see each other every other week, it is still a type of relationship, although I hesitate to use that word. However, I guess I could view it from the stance that I would even have a relationship with the bar guy who likes my book (World War Z) at Zach's Shack or with the lady who works at the coffee cart down the way from my work. Still, this relationship that we have, whatever that may be, has had an influence on me.

I'm constantly giving his media recommendations a try and this weekend, I bought some latex pillows because I really like the ones he bought in the spring. These pillows have been awesome too, giving me two solid nights worth of rest over the last two days. This morning, I tried the beverage pictured above from his recommendation. It looks like a Session beer bottle but it's cold coffee. Normally, I hate cold coffee but this stuff is really really good. And tonight, because he was talking about it, I ordered a 'Death in the Afternoon' at Vintage (with Jennifer and Sophia) which was pretty damn awesome too.

So, I don't really know where this is going. We talked about camping last month but last week he told me he was going camping in early October. Maybe I should invest a little more in this...whatever it is.

a most productive morning of rest

I took this morning off from work in order to reward myself for finishing a particularly trying school year/internship/move.  It was originally intended to be completely relaxing but I had to get stuff together that I was missing since I lost my wallet.  After taking Dean to Common Grounds (a first for both of us), I got a new license, student ID and changed addresses for my credit cards.  Tonight, I booked a flight to Alaska, arranged for a room there and became mayor of Zack's Shack.  Look at me being all industrious!

my man cave

I really hate the term "Man Cave" to describe a den.  I hate gendered terms anyway but Man Cave seems so yuck.  I found it funny that Home Depot yesterday had a selection of colors for Man Caves.  However the selection was only 10 colors deep.  You can't give a straight man a choice between mahogany or sinopia.

The man cave paint selection inspired Sophia to begin calling my future office my man cave.  To me, that still sounds like a gay bar so I guess I can roll with it in that context, as long as I get to put up hot pink curtains.  Plus it's better than calling it the 'weird room' which is what she used to call it.

We painted the cave today.  It looks so good with paint on the walls.  White is such a forgettable color that even a light shade of brown can make a room seem so much more palatable.  I'm so excited to decorate it!

What else?
I'm also excited to just be in the hood.  I went to Red Square for the first time today for coffee.  It's a delightful little shop that I'm glad within walking distance.  I also headed over to Namu, a korean bbq food cart only a few blocks away from the house for a vegan bowl.  I was delighted that I could just walk up, grab a bowl and walk it back to the house for lunch!

holy homework batman

The end of this quarter kind of snuck up on me.  I was glad to see it go but I had to send it off with a paper that I had procrastinated around so today was all about the studying...and comics.

Guapo Comics and Coffee is a nice coffee shop on Foster just south of Holgate.  I've driven by it many times but never stopped in so I decided it would be where I settled in for the day to hash out my paper.  It was nice atmosphere and the employees seemed really nice.  I ordered breakfast and lunch there since I was there so long.  For lunch, I had their Pita Pizza.  The employee asked me what I wanted on it and offered to surprise me.  I told her she could surprise me as long as she didn't put meat on it.  She seemed stoked to have the creative outlet there and I'm sure I got a better lunch for it.

I was less pleased with my paper than with the place but I truly hate theory.  I chose to write on a theory that's more of a practice and less of a theory so I know my teacher will have problems with it.  However, I provided a proper critique of it but demonstrated how it could be applicable.  I don't know.  It's done and I'm on spring break!  Woo-hoo!