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.

by the power of gay skill

The diabetes walk is okay but the AIDS walk is fabulous! So many more people show up and dress up. A lot of costumed people were mythological beings, hence He-Man and She-Ra above! Too AWESOME!

Andrew came with me this year as well as some of my regular friends and co-workers. It was a small group of us in comparison to last year but I liked it more. Dean came again this year and did great!

Also, we went straight to Ashes' soccer game afterwards so Dean got to come there too. The game was fun and Dean got a lot of excitement today although he looks pooped in the picture above. It was great because I'm anticipating being really busy next week and really for the next 9 months as school starts again so I was thrilled to have a great weekend with friends and Dean.

happy fall!

What a beautiful fall day! I got up this morning for the Diabetes walk. My new thing was helping to recruit strangers to walk with us so we would have enough people to satisfy my work and the money they donate. We had a lot of people signed up but people aren't so great about showing up.

Later, Andrew and I took Dean to Mt Tabor and let him roam free-range while we played cards and drank wine. Afterwards, we went to Dove Vivi for awesome pizza but a LONG wait. Still, just an awesome day!

a decade passed

A lot can happen in ten years. Ten years ago, I pulled into Portland with a carload of items and checked into the Economy Motel on Interstate Ave. I was unsure what I was going to do but I knew I was going to make it here even though I didn't have friends, family, a job, a house, money, or even my dog with me.

Now, I'm celebrating with my good friends outside of my home in the street with my dog. I love it when a plan comes together.

I can't say that I always knew that I would make it but I have to say that I was determined. There are many roads, many choices, many chances, and many instances of good fortune that have led me to where I'm at now. This is the reason that I don't believe in regret.If I had made some different choices along they way like coming out of the closet sooner or getting out of Nebraska sooner, my life would be a lot different and I wouldn't want that. I love everything about right now. Well, maybe I would have gone a little slower down that hill last Monday and not wrecked my bike but live and learn.

I'd like to think that I made more positive steps today. Not only did I have a handful of my good friends over to the house today to celebrate my 10 years in Portland but it was also our block party day. Over five years ago, I came to Sophia's first block party here. Last year, there really wasn't a party so I was excited to see that we were having one this year. Chad, one of the neighbors across the street was organizing it. There are two couples across the street who I had never really been introduced to before today but I recognize from seeing them around every single day. Today, I made some cookies for the party and went and introduced myself. I talked to Shannon and Casey for quite a while. I also talked to Matt from down the street and Robert who lives directly across from me. I love this neighborhood and I've only met the neighbors who border us before today. Now it feels more like a community. Now I can wave politely or greet my neighbors with some familiarity without there being this awkwardness of not having been properly introduced. Now, I feel more at home.

Also, Dean was quite at home laying in the middle of the street that was blocked off as long as his bed was there and people were sitting around him. He's so adorable.

What else?
Andrew and I headed to the Belmont Street Fair with Dean today and I bought a tshirt with the design below which I love. It's available at lonelydinosaur.com.

it'll be anarchy

Andrew's going on vacation in a few weeks and I'm going to watch Maria while he's gone. I'd like to be able to hang out with her more but I have my own needy pet at home so I figured I could put those hands together by bringing Dean to Andrew's place to visit now while Andrew's still here. Dean likes cats that don't run from him or attack him and Maria luckily isn't one of either of those. She backed up into the attic and held the stairs by growling at him. Then she slowly creeped into the living room, making his roaming area smaller. Eventually, Dean just sat between Andrew and me. When he tried to get up, Maria would growl and he would sit back down. It reminded me of when Loki used to put Dean in a corner and they lived together successfully for 7 years. I'm not saying that Dean and Maria (and therefore Andrew and I) are going to live together anytime soon.

What else?
We went for a small bike ride down to Sellwood and biked around the Waverly neighborhood which is the oddest little gated community around. It's very suburban and fancy. 

the word of the savage

I typically listen to music when I bike. Some people consider it unsafe but then again, some of those people will talk on their cell phone while they drive so I don't care. Instead of music today, I listened to the Savage Love podcast while biking 40 miles round trip to one of my stores for work. Since 95% of my ride is on bike paths, it's safe and very entertaining. I've never downloaded podcasts onto my phone before since I didn't have the available GBs. However, my new phone has a lot more memory so I have room for delicious new material. Jen mentions Dan Savage enough that I decided I could try his podcast. I think I ended up listening to four of his shows just today while riding around everywhere. I love the idea of not just listening to music (although there is a time for that) but listening and learning at the same time.

The above picture is from a debate that he mentions on his podcasts wherein Brian Brown challenged him to a debate about the word of the bible. Brian Brown got his ass stomped. Watch it here.

What else?
We didn't get a package delivered today but Dean still decided to turn down my bed by evenly pulling down my sheets and quilt halfway down my bed and taking the pillows that I put on a shelf every morning (so he can't get fur all over them) and setting them properly side by side on my bed. Oh, then he took half the shoes out of my closet. What an odd fellow. Because I was a little bewildered by him,  I made him pose for a dog-shaming picture which I submitted to the site.

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:

dog day afternoon

I don't see how parents do it. How do you hold this responsibility constantly? I guess kids are generally smarter than dogs and wouldn't destroy an office and then hide in the closet just because the FedEx guy opened the screen door to put a package in between the doors.

After I saw this, I sort of lost it. I don't mean that I lost my temper but I had lost my patience. It was so initially frustrating (why is he doing this? did i make a mistake moving him over a year ago? can i really support myself and be happy by working out of home so i can at least help keep him from doing this again possibly??) that I knew I should have just excused myself from everything else tonight just to fret over it all and come up with some answers.

Instead, I arrived at my date with Andrew and was just preoccupied.I was bordering on cranky about the fact that I had to deal with it. I had an awesome soup at Blue Moon Lounge downtown while waiting for a Science Pub at the Mission Theater. We went to the theater to discover that they were at capacity. This added disappointment and confusion to my frustration and crankiness and I had to tell Andrew that I was done and I needed to go stew over it all.

It was the best idea because I didn't want to take it out on him and I needed time to think about it and properly process it. I felt bad about leaving tho because I've never left a date before and it just seems rude. Anyway, I did get a chance to ponder it with my beer and hammock and book. I realized I can't be mad at the dog because he's obviously just scared and that's not his fault. I'm not going to pay for therapy so I'll just employ some harm-reduction. I asked everyone to not get packages delivered to the house. I'll ensure that the office and shower doors are each closed properly so he can't go in there if he wants to hide. I'll also leave the bathroom door open so he can choose to go in there and just shut the door if he must hide. I've been home when we've gotten a delivery, unbeknownst to the delivery guy so I know that the delivery guy isn't deliberately frightening him. If I didn't, my first step would be to survail my house to see if he's doing something messed up.

So, yeah, I'm good. Now I just have to make it okay with Andrew tomorrow.

What else?
I finished the Hunger Games series today. I burned through book 1 and book 2 but took my time with 3 because I enjoyed the storytelling and I was a little less ready to let it go. It's a surprisingly radical series that I'd definitely recommend for a fun summer week read. 

doing archeology

Last Friday, our yard finally go the attention that it had been demanding for over a year. Tim's seeing a guy named Shane who is a landscaper. At his birthday party a few weeks ago, Tim introduced Shane to Sophia and they made a plan to take care of the yard. On Friday, he came over before the birthday festivities to work on it and started chopping away at things. Today, he broke ground and ended up finding this coin which dates back to 1910. It's initially jarring because of the swastika but it also includes a number of other symbols of good luck like a horseshoe, four-leaf clover and a wishbone. Obviously since it was dated 1910, it doesn't have Nazi implications. It was just a symbol of good luck. Still, it was pretty neat.

After Shane was finished with the yard, Tim came over and the three of us headed to Zach's for food. I'd met Shane a few times before, starting with Country Fair but it was nice just to sit down and talk to the two of them.

What else?
It was another trying day for Dean. Shane coming over freaked him out initially so he took up the vent in the bathroom and pushed the rugs out. Then he threw his weight against the office door to get it to open up where he knocked over a sack of Bastard's stuff in front of the door to the garage. Then, in the afternoon, the mailman delivered a package so again Dean pushed his way into the office and knocked over a box of Bastard's stuff and tore a hole in the couch cushion. Shane's going to be working on the yard all week so I'll be coming home each day around lunch just to keep the peace.

guard dog

Dean's an awesome awesome loyal dog and smart as a whip but bravery is not among his strengths.

When I got home from work today, I opened the door and he wasn't there to greet me. I looked on my bed and he wasn't there either, nor was he in the office on his pillow or the loveseat. The baby gate was still up in front of Sophia's room so I knew he wasn't in there and his leash was still home so nobody was taking him for a walk. I panicked for a second, calling his name. Then I noticed the bathroom door was closed. I pushed it open against some towels that were laying in front of the door along with an upside down trash can. Dean came running out.

Here's what I assume happened: The mailman came by, approximately at 1:30pm and opened the screen door to drop two packages in between the screen door and the wood door. Dean barked at the mailman as per usual. However, he became frightened when he thought the man in uniform was coming into the house so he ran to the bathroom, pushing the door closed behind him and then barricading himself in with towels and a trashcan. That's my protector.

This is all speculation but it's also the most logical conclusion. (Obviously, I have been watching too much of the BBC show Sherlock.)

What else?
Sophia, Xbox and I tried the relatively new Thai Dish Cuisine near our house. It used to be Thai Thai but it changed owners. Anyway, it has some of the best Pad Thai I have ever had. I love this neighborhood!

Also, I finished the DMZ comic series today. I loved it but not as much as I loved Y: The Last Man. Still, I would recommend it highly to almost anyone.

the road home

I'm back home. It was a long journey but I think I liked it just as much as flying because A) I had my dog & B) I didn't have to put up with airport crap. It's too bad it's really not feasible in the winter because I'd do it all again for Christmas.

Another reason I liked driving was due to the car. This little Focus was fuel efficient and intuitive as far as the controls like cruise control are concerned. When I got in it last week, I was initially concerned because it was so nice and I had declined the additional insurance that they offered, although I did opt for a $7/day minimal insurance offered by the third party agency that set up the rental. However, I managed to return the car without any damages and with 15 minutes to spare before the end of my reservation! Yeah!

I stopped at a few new places (rest stops and gas stations) for my new thing(s), in addition to returning a car to Alamo. While I was a bit concerned with having a deadline of when I had to have the car back, the drive was relatively easy and pretty. Again, I just listened to the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood audio books, making it through the 4th book. The audio books were another reason that the long journey didn't seem so daunting. Maybe I'll do it again next summer!

the bridges

The first picture above is the exact spot where Dean first learned to swim 11 years ago. I kicked a beer can into the river when he was a pup and he jumped in to fetch it. He went under quick and surfaced a second later, splashing around. He looked panicked for a second or two and then I saw the realization wash over him and he started swimming in circles. It was one of my proudest moments as a dog companion.

The second picture is where he really learned to walk off leash. He walked off leash in town here and there when he was young but out on this trail, he really was able to step out several yards in front of me and I was able to trust that he would come back.

The last picture shows the remnants of the bridge. We used to call the trail here "The Bridges" because there were two long well-constructed bridges out here just east of Kearney. A bunch of us who worked at the video store would come out here at night, just to hang out and do something other than go to a party or play video games. Mostly, we would just spook ourselves out and get in a good walk to look at the stars. I guess the first bridge burned down three years ago in a wildfire.

One of the goals with bringing Dean back was to take him back here. He seemed to enjoy it. I had to improvise a bit since the first bridge was burned down. I remembered that Shawn had taken us out there once on an intersecting road. Thanks to google maps, I was able to figure it out quick and make it there so we could at least get to the second bridge. It's weird to think that it's been ten years since I've been here last!

trying to play the cool uncle

In 1994, a group of us from high school went to Lincoln for a state convention. In the evening, our sponsors would usually let us go to a movie independently which also gave them a break. For one Lincoln trip, we all decided to go see Threesome. From the advertisements, it looked like it was going to be along the lines of Reality Bites. However, it was a lot more risque. Mary, a junior who was by far the most religious out of us, was shocked. Still, I think that it was an eye-opening experience for her. Whether it ended up being good or bad though, I don't know.

Yesterday, while we were taking my niece out to dinner for her 16th birthday, she said that she wanted to go see Magic Mike. Her friends had already seen it with their mothers and they all loved it. So, being the good uncle that I am, I figured it was my job to offer to take her to see it. It's about male strippers so it couldn't be all that bad. From the advertisements I've seen, I was expecting something more like Coyote Ugly but with guys. Instead, it was more like Boogie Nights but stripping instead of porn.

I think the first minute or two really shocked Hayleigh and it just kept coming. The stripping/dance sequences were fun but overall the movie was just lackluster and relied too much on vices without a lot of redeeming moments for the characters. Anyway, it really reminded me of watching Mary watch Threesome except I was supposed to be the adult in this situation. Knowing that her friends' mothers sat thru the movie was one of the only things that kept me from telling her we should leave after the second scene.

What else?

Before the movie, Hayleigh and I watched this children's performance group from Africa. It was a cute group of kids raising money for assistance in Africa. Very sweet and pretty talented.

Also, Dean met his cousin Oliver for the first time. There's a considerable age difference between them. Fortunately, Dean's tolerant enough to put up with Oliver jumping at his face to lick him. They're pretty cute together.

must like adventures

If I was to list the traits desirable in a partner, a sense of adventure would definitely rank high. Yesterday, when we walked around the Octopus Tree, I suggested we keep going. On our adventurous hike, I found an even less taken path and it led us to overlook an amazing cliff. Andrew mentioned that he liked my desire to explore. Today, it was his turn.

It rained most of this weekend. Today was our first day of clearish skies. We took Dean on the beach and there was a door in the side of the cliff on the beach. I didn't think much about it but Andrew headed to it and Dean followed. I expected them to have just found a service tunnel (?) or something but then they didn't come back for a while. When I went to find them, I saw that the doorway was manmade tunnel that connected to a more natural tunnel a little less than halfway through the cliff. The tunnel lead to another beach. The other beach wasn't that amazing but the journey was fun. It reminded me of the going through the bookcase at Circa 33. Just fun for the sake of adventure.

What else?
We also decided to try a cafe, Brewin in the Wind for brunch. It was great to find a vegetarian friendly, funky brunch place in little Oceanside!

Also, we had to clean the sheets and linen there and fold them afterwards so we had a lot of time to lay around in the sun on the porch after our beach walk. Sigh, this weekend went too quickly...

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.

door it yourself

Our screen door has been a constant problem since I moved in. The top two hinges were broken so we've had to lift the door up slightly when we close it. I've been trying to fix it for a while now, putting more screws in here and there but it's never lasted. On Friday, Dean ran up to bark at the mailman when the screen door was closed. I wasn't too worried about it but then Dean threw his shoulder into the door and it opened. Fortunately, he came right back. Yesterday, I came home to find the door off of the hinges and leaning against the front porch railing. Now the problem was undeniable and needed to be fixed.

Sophia and I took my first tour of the Rebuilding Center after I measured the door frame. We found several doors that we liked but only one that would fit and had the hinges on the right side of the door. We managed to fit more than half of it in my trunk and Sophia tied it down. When we got it home, I took the old hinges/frame off, took the spacers out of the doorway, and screwed in new holes. The latch wasn't at the right height and wasn't the right width so I had to mess around with that for a little bit but I managed to get it installed. I then bought some white spray paint to take care of the rust color on the mesh pictured above and a few more screws to set the door in properly.

Overall, the door cost $10, the can of paint was $3 and the screws were $1 but the satisfaction of having put a new/old door onto the house (that I like a lot better than the previous door) is priceless.

What else?
To celebrate, I checked out a new comic DMZ from the library and read it on the front porch. I also have a set of solar-powered Christmas lights on the porch so I had a little more light and was able to read past sunset. I'm sooooo ready for summer.

vision issues

I had vision problems today as I just couldn't see myself going into work on a beautiful day like this so I called in sick. I spent most of the day researching and reading for my final paper of the quarter which isn't due for another month but I want to get it out of the way. While I read on the front porch, Dean made a nest in the yard. I wish everyday could be this easy.

What else?
Jesse is going through nutritional therapy training so I opted to be a test subject for him and he gave me my evaluation today. I think that I do pretty well nutritionally but he made some good suggestions that I will follow. Mostly, I've been doing better lately because I gave up coffee everyday a few weeks ago. I started drinking yerba mate which tastes a lot better (so I don't need to add as much sugar) and the "caffeine" buzz is a lot more mellow. Plus I've been able to sleep better so I've been able to cut out the melatonin. Yay for living naturally. Work isn't natural.

It's a complete guilty pleasure that started with boredom and became a good addictive show but the Vampire Diaries finale kind of blew me away yesterday. I don't know why I proudly proclaim that I am a Buffy or Glee fan but for some reason, I keep VD (heh heh) in my closet. It's actually very well written once you get past the first seven episodes of the first season.

On 5/7, I toured a newly constructed store in my company for the first time in order to take one of their clients on a tour of one of my stores. While me and his case manager were heading back to our office, we saw a car stopped at the railroad crossing and the crossing bar slammed down on their hood. Ha ha ha ha.

the romantic in me

A few months ago, I got an e-mail from PSU, saying they were selling discounted tickets to Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo. Going to Cirque Du Soleil has been an item on my to-do list ever since I first heard about them years ago so I decided I would go ahead and get two tickets...in the front row!

It just so happens that I got them for today on the one year anniversary of me and Andrew's first date. It was AMAZING. It's kind of like how I just didn't even bother putting it into words when I saw the ocean for the first time. It's just an event that's hard to describe. However, I'll give it some effort. The costumes immediately caught my eye as amazing. Bugs were the theme for Ovo and bugs never looked so fabulous. The athleticism was equally astounding and it was funny too. After the show, they set off a few air cannons filled with butterfly confetti. I felt a youthful bliss as I reached out and plucked a few of the yellow and orange and gold paper butterflies drifting in front of me.

He leaves town tomorrow for a couple of days so we lucked out that he didn't leave today. I had a Country Fair meeting in the afternoon but I proudly declared that I would be leaving early to celebrate my one year anniversary and I did. We took the MAX out there which made it pretty stress-free. Also, they prohibited photography (which they announced after I got the above picture) so I was able just to sit there without worrying about getting the perfect shot. Afterwards, we took Dean out to Circa 33. It was pretty much the perfect weekend.

Below are some publicity pictures from my favorite parts of the show. The Grasshopper/rock wall was outstanding!

good clean fun

Six months ago, before I went to ZomBcon, I gave Dean a bath, he fell in the tub and he sustained a knee injury which was horrible for both of us. He hasn't had a bath since then and Sophia hasn't said that he stinks at all but he felt dirty to touch. Plus, I got in the mood to clean the house yesterday and quickly surmised that Dean was the dirtiest thing in the place so I took him to Pawsitively Clean for the first time today and Andrew was happy to join us!

I'm a dork but I loved this. If we were characters on an 80s or early 90s sit-com, footage of washing the dog and us laughing while he shook off would be in the opening credits montage. It was a good setup too for Dean. I think he'll be getting a bath more often now.

What else?
On Tuesday, 4/17, Andrew and I ate and drank at the Delta.


On Wednesday, 4/18, I had my interview with next years internship at the county. I think I'll be working in the public guardianship department. It should be interesting although I'm a little nervous about the overwhelming cubicle culture there.

Also, I went to my class and forgot to lock my bike up. I came out of a class after 2.5 hours to find that my bike was still there. That, my friends, is a miracle.
 
On Thursday, 4/19, Jen, Donald, Andrew and I went on our first double date to see Cabin in the Woods. I love Joss Whedon and I'm so glad that he's finally able to demonstrate his full talent, outside of the television realm.

On Friday, 4.20, I went to Salem again to help them interview a case manager to hire down there. While there, I got to eat vegan calamari. They didn't get the shape right but the texture and flavor was close to what I remember.

And today, after the dog bath, we went to a BBQ at Andrew's friends' house where I got to meet more of them. I have a lot of friends so I think that it's important that he does too. It fosters a good sense of independence for each of us.

my lil guy turns 11

Recently, vets got together and made Dean younger. Actually, they made all old dogs (and cats) younger by recalculating how dogs and cats age. Traditionally, people would multiply a dogs age in human years by seven to determine how old they are. Now, they figured that this isn't an accurate portrayal of a dog's age so now it's not a standard measurement but it worked in Dean's favor. Instead of being 77 in dog years, he's now 60! Unfortunately, he did start showing his age more today. He's limping ever so slightly again and he has developed allergies. I've been giving him Benodryl upon the vet's recommendation because he's been sneezing a lot. Maybe when he's better, I'll take him out to do something fun.

For his birthday, I took him to the pet store today to buy him a cookie, a bone and a toy. I love this guy and I wish I could buy him more time with me. I just have to figure out some way to be able to bring him to work daily.

What else?

It's also St Patrick's Day and a Timbers game. Victory and Caroline decided that they wanted to go to the Rose and Thistle, a Scottish pub I've never been to and I'm not sure I'll return to. True, people have different reasons for going to the pub on St Patrick's Day besides to watch the game. However, it was almost impossible to watch or enjoy the game there. It was really loud, we could barely see the TV and the table across the bar from us kept shouting dumbass stuff like, "No Homo" as they posed for pics together. Between them and the guy who came in wearing a Redskins jersey, I was gonna hit someone.

At half-time, I told Ashes, Victory and Caroline that I was ready to go. Instead, we went to check out the back patio where it was quieter, there was a better view of the TV and the people were a lot cooler. There was a long rainbow picnic table that was only half full of people so we asked if we could join them and they said yes. The people were awesome and the view was a lot better. There were still obnoxious drunks there but they were tolerable. If I go back, I will head right to the back patio.

Also, after the game, I met up with Andrew, Sophia, Xbox and Jesse to watch Harold and Maude at the Bagdad. I've recently discovered the movie and I love it. Jesse, Sophia and Andrew also love it so it made for a great night.

Also, yesterday was my last 8 hour class and my last class of the quarter so I have a lot to celebrate!