travel win

I do not personally advertise for companies. I don't buy clothes which sport a logo prominently. If I do, I make sure I can cut out the logo while retaining the integrity of clothes. And I don't use social media or blogging to talk about big companies....generally. Little ones, yes. I love promoting small businesses but the big ones can do it themselves.

That being said, I gotta give props to Alaska Air. On my way back from Omaha, they got me to my layover stop about a half an hour early and two complimentary Chardonnays later. Then, I saw that there was another flight going to Portland just an hour early of my scheduled flight and it was leaving in just 30 minutes. As luck would have it, the gates that each were departing from were right next to each other. With Chardonnay-fueled incentive, I decided 'WTF? I'll just ask if I can get on that one." They did some quick typing and got me on it and I had another complimentary Chardonnay to celebrate. Hell yeah, they're my airline of choice from now on.

xmas in january

A few months ago, I used my Alaska AirMiles to buy a free round trip ticket to Omaha. Unfortunately, it couldn't be during the holiday season but we've celebrated Christmas late before so I thought it would be okay. Unfortunately, the weather isn't cooperating so it won't be a full family holiday. My niece can't get away from college for another weekend and the road conditions wouldn't have permitted her or the rest of my sister's family to travel up here anyway. Still, I'm going to try to make the most of it.

I got up early to make my flight, thanks to Andrew taking me to the airport. Since I'm flying all Alaska, we're headed up to Seattle first and then to Omaha. Normally, I would take Frontier to Denver but this was free and a lot better. I've heard that half of the flights to Kearney from Denver get cancelled and I only took a long weekend so I don't have a day or two to lose. During my flight from Seattle to Omaha, I saw the back row in the plane was empty (two seats on each side) so I asked the stewardess if I could move and she allowed it. It made for a nice ride.

My brother picked me up in Omaha and drove me halfway to Gibbon where our parents met us to take over. I forgot that he has limited seating in his car now with two car seats but we managed anyway. When I got home, it was like we picked up right where we left off when I left in October. We watched Wheel of Fortune and an episode of Elementary, drank a bottle of wine, and played a few games of cribbage. My brother's coming back tomorrow with the kids so it will feel a little more festive but I'm cool with it just being a vacation instead of stressing over it being a holiday.

sweet 17

 

Overall, I'd say that Portland has great mass transit. However, the North-South lines tend to be few and far-between. Because of this, I haven't commuted to work via mass-transit only since I started nearly two years ago. Today though I was willing to give it a shot.

Andrew's home sick so that lets me off Ava duty. Since I'm still injured from my bike accident, I decided biking wouldn't be the best way to get in and I'm still leery about my car so I took the bus. There is no close route. If there was a good North-South route anywhere between 60th and 82nd that circumnavigated Tabor, I would be able to get to the MAX line where I could bus in from there but, since there's not, I was forced to go downtown.

The 17 stops a few blocks from my house and less than 1/2 mile from my work. I just have to take it thru SE, SW, NW, and into NE Portland to get there. It took about an hour which makes for a long ride but I was just glad to not have to drive. I'll probably do this more often. There are routes that are less than 10 minutes shorter but I would have to transfer and I'm not on a time-crunch so I think the 17 will be my ride.

What else?

Yesterday, my new thing was using Virtual DJ to extract the audio from a movie. I've got a secret project I'm working on!

travels & tribulations

 

So, things haven't gone so smoothly today but I'm still glad I'm on vacation.

I woke up this morning after probably the worst night at a hotel I've ever had to a dead car. When I exited my car last night, the car started dinging before I locked the door like I hadn't turned off the lights or the key was still in the ignition. I gave it a once over and determined that nothing was amiss. Well, fortunately, my insurance comes with free roadside assistance so I used them to come jump-start my car.

It set Ava and I back a little bit as far as time goes but only 30 minutes so we were fine. We headed into Twin Falls, Idaho for gas and then stopped at this scenic view pictured on the top above quick to let her potty and to take some pictures. While I was holding the phone above the chainlink fence for a pic, I fumbled with it and it fell on the other side of the fence onto a small cliff. I wasn't quite sure how to handle it and thought initially about jumping over fence but could envision myself falling down the canyon and Ava being left alone. I thought about walking around the fence but that would involve walking back on the other side along a small cliff in parts. Then I tried pulling back the bottom of the fence to reach the phone. I ended up pushing the fence forward and reaching it that way.

I stopped again in Snake River Valley scenic overlook and let Ava run around off-leash. It's a beautiful view a lil off the highway with very little traffic. We took a little too much time to enjoy it though because when I got back to my car, the battery was again dead. This meant another hour wait but it was a great view, there was water at the rest stop, and plenty of shade. I was slightly perturbed by being behind my schedule but I came for the adventure and I wasn't going to sweat it.

I didn't want it to keep happening though, especially as I was now going to be going through national forests so I turned back and headed 30 miles the wrong way to Idaho Falls to get it checked out. The awesome folks at Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center figured out it was just a missing washer or something on the battery cable and fixed it free of charge which was awesome because I was in for more expenses.

This delay put me more than three hours behind and there was no way I was going to go through 2 or more national parks at night while already sleepy and roll into a Rodeway Inn in Riverton at 11pm. Instead, I went stopped at Jackson and paid a lot more for a room at the 49er Inn but it was their last room and it's dog-friendly. I purposely tried to not be in Jackson because of the cost and the tourists but this was the hand that I was dealt today. It's still all better than being at work. Adventures!

from garden to grillin

 

When we bought our house last year, we were happy to find that there were large tomatoes already growing in the garden boxes. The house has a watering system on a timer so they were cared for and ready for us when we were ready to move in. Andrew's been working hard to cultivate a garden that produces food and is also functional this year too. For the last several meals that we've made at home, tomatoes have been a prominent ingredient. I daresay that we have too many tomatoes but it's just made me expand my culinary resume to include more tomato-laden recipes.

Today, I made tomato, veggie sausage, and pecorino pasta which also included fresh basil which Andrew got from the garden. Next year, I am going to insist on potatoes and possibly onions because I love pulling food out of the yard. It tastes so much better!

What else?

We went on the people's preview of the Tilikum Crossing. It was cool to be able to cross it but there were WAY too many people. It will be a blast when the hype dies down. Also, today was the BridgePedal so there was an excessive amount of garage cyclists (people that pull their bikes out of their garage a few times a year for big events like this). It was annoying and as goddess as my witness, I will never ever participate in a BridgePedal.

my favorite misadventures

 

I do not like owning a car and I like it even less when my car breaks down. However, my car troubles have often resulted in some of my more unique adventures, leaving me stranded in a place I would most likely not be talking to people I wouldn't have a reason to talk to otherwise.

Today, Andrew came up with a plan to go find a new water hole in which to swim. I'm not big on swimming but I am always up for new things so we did a little bit of research and headed out to Rowland Lake. We had to stop by Target in Fairview on the way out to get some things and while we were leaving there, the power steering went out. Apparently the water pump seized up and shredded the serpentine belt. There was an auto repair shop near by so we coasted into there and found a mechanic to work on it.

We had all of our lazy swimming day supplies with us so we went to the Salish City Ponds so Ava could swim and we could relax. It wasn't a lake but it worked. I think that if we were parents to a human child, they wouldn't have had any idea that our plans had been derailed since we recovered so fast. And, yes, car repairs suck, but we set out for an adventure and we were having one. Andrew pointed out that I was very optimistic about this and I felt that too. Normally, I would be bemoaning it all but what could I do but make the best of it.

A few hours and $353 later, my car was fixed. It was a little late to keep going out to the lake but the Thousand Acre Dog Park was close by and we could swim in the Sandy River so that was our new plan. It worked out great. The water was chill and deep in some parts. If I gotta swim, I'm glad I got to do it with Ava. She's gotten so good at it. Just within the past few weeks, I've really seen that she's developed a liking for swimming.

We also got to see several other dogs. There was an adorable bull terrier who wanted Ava's frisbee and a pug named Biggie Smalls who walked up and sat in my lap. When we were leaving, we took the main path for a bit and then headed off to a smaller path that was more akin to bush-whacking. When we were close to the middle of it, we ran into Biggie and his canine brother, Bruiser the pit pull, and his human. She thought she was heading out but then turned around and walked with us. Biggie was lagging behind with me and, rather than try to stomp down the underbrush for him to step over, I just carried him.

So, it wasn't what we had planned and I was totally fine with that. We can try for Rowland another day but I wouldn't have traded this day for anything.

out of gas

When I was in high school, I ran out of gas for the first time. I had my parents' gas card and no viable income so I was determined to wait until I got to the hometown gas station before filling up and came just a few miles short. I started walking and then a couple I didn't know stopped to pick me up in their truck. It was very nice of them but I was very embarrassed. Since then, I've tried to operate on a 1/4 tank minimum. When it gets to 1/4, I fill it up. I've gotten lax about that here and there but I haven't had any further issues until today.

My new-to-me car has a broken gas gauge. The previous owner said that he would just turn the trip odometer over whenever he filled it up and when it got to around 350 miles, he would refill it. I was driving to meet one of my customers today at her apartment complex in Beaverton and the car started dying. However, the trip odometer only said 240 miles. I managed to restart it a few more times and just get to the light at the top of the hill where I would turn into the apartment complex and it died completely. I put it in neutral and managed to push it to where it coasted down the hill and into "Future Resident Parking." I checked in with the office manager and told her my situation. She said it was fine there and gave me a ride in her golf cart to my meeting spot (there are over 400 apartments in this complex so I appreciated the guidance.

After the meeting, I sent Andrew a text about the situation and he sent something to his brother who gave me the car. The car kept saying to check the gauges but they all looked fine except for the gas gauge was fluctuating. I ended up walking .2 miles up the street to a well-placed gas station and bought a gas can. I brought back a gallon of gas to the car and then drove it back to the gas station to fill it up for another 18 gallons.

So, to wrap up this saga, I learned the hard way that this car gets significantly less mileage in the city than it does on the highway.

giving it forward

I know I just yesterday posted about DIY culture vs the culture of disposability but today I dropped my old car like a hot potato at the door of the Oregon Humane Society. Yes, it still ran but it had issues and I wasn't ready to deal with them. I would have been but then Andrew's brother offered us the Bonneville which is in much better shape. However, since I got the Bonneville for free, I decided to pay it forward and donate the Metro.

After adopting Ava, I get emails periodically from the Oregon Humane Society. The ones that catch my eye are usually advertising cat specials because they came into a plethora of them. We can't take another animal on but I figured giving them my car was a good way to help them out. Yesterday before work, Ava and I went to the DEQ and the DMV and got the new car all set up in my name. Today, getting rid of the Metro was the last thing to do on my list for this holiday weekend so at 12:30, I was free. I went to the gym and then I was really free. I've got two plus days in front of me and not a damn thing on my plate. Plus, I've purged myself of a money pit and extra automobile!

bontiac ponneville

I drove my new car today. It's a lot bigger than the Metro but it runs a lot smoother too. As per usual with me and cars, my first priority was the stereo. I took it to Best Buy where they installed my previous car's stereo and even hooked it up to the controls on the steering wheel.

There are some features I don't like about the car but it was free and I'm very grateful and glad to have it. After I drive it around for a while longer, I'll start to feel more comfortable in it.

moulton falls hike

This weekend, Andrew went to his brother's in Reno to get me a new used car. My Geo Metro is about to break down. The transmission is failing and the brakes don't inspire confidence so it was time for a new car. His brother coincidentally asked him a few weeks ago if he wanted the Pontiac Bonneville that he was getting rid of and he initially turned it down but then asked me. I said sure, why not, and he flew down there this weekend to drive it back for me.

I had just filled the Geo up with gas tho so I had a full tank to use up before donating the car to the Oregon Humane Society so Ava and I took a road trip. We went on the Moulton Falls Hike. It was a quick hike, maybe 5 miles in and out but Ava got to run free for the most part and we made it to a great spot on the river for her to wade through the water. I want to go back sometime with Andrew and just hang out there for an afternoon.

why i bike naked

 

I've had body issues for a while. Actually, I've pretty much always had body issues: too pale, too hairy, too fat in the gut, too skinny in the arms, etc.  I've gone in and out of cycles of what I don't like about my body but there's almost always something. I can think of very few times in my life where I've said that I'm happy with how I look. But that's the aim of the mass media and their advertisers, right? We're not supposed to feel happy with how we look. We're supposed to feel unsatisfied and willing to make purchases to either make ourselves look better or at least feel better.

Within the last several months, I've put on about 10 lbs. I could say that it's muscle but I know I'd just be lying to myself. I blame the car and Ava for needing me to use to the car to get home on my lunch and let her out daily. I blame my apathy and pizza and my relationship for being so comfortable and stable that it's made me lazy and complacent about how I look. I'm glad I don't have to try to impress others to attract them in hopes of finding a mate but I do want to feel better about myself so I bike naked.

Last year, after the World Naked Bike Ride, a friend of mine said that he would have gone but he's been having some body issues. And he's in great shape! I told him that the ride is the best way to help you with body issues and I had to remind myself of that recently in preparation for going on the ride. On the WNBR, you see people of all genders, ages and body types with varying levels of mobility get out there, strip off their clothes (to whatever degree they feel comfortable) and say, "This is who I am!" I saw people heavier than I am, with less muscle than I have. I saw bears hairier than I am. I saw kids and the elderly. And I saw joy and pride in them all. I quickly stopped comparing myself to others and just enjoyed the moment. If they can all be proud of their unique bodies, why can't I? 

Yes, there were some people that looked like Abercrombie models but there was many many more people who did not. And I found most of those people to be attractive because confidence is sexy. It should also be noted that I do not find Abercrombie models to be sexy. I like my fellas older and fuzzier. :)

It was a great ride. The spirits were high and the route was easy. I do wish we hadn't taken Division St but it ended up being okay. Jesse and I were ride buddies so I wasn't alone. The ride ended on the waterfront but we saw people still going back up Salmon and decided to join them. They tapered off here and there and then, around Salmon and 35th, we lost most of them. We rode for a few more blocks and Jesse turned around to go home. I pulled over on the corner of Taylor and Caesar Chavez to get my clothes back on but a naked couple biked up behind me, talking about riding the same way I was going so I biked naked in front of them. They turned away on 50th and Lincoln so I rode just two blocks to 52nd naked on my own before I pulled over to put some clothes on.

Normally, as soon as I've left the ride, I usually put on underwear at least if not get fully dressed but it was hot and I was comfortable naked which is a pretty awesome state to be in.

take me home

 

Today I drove back to Denver International Airport from Nebraska to catch my flight home. My new thing was stopping in a Safeway at Ft Morgan to use their restroom.

The flight back was way better than the flight down. I wish Alaska Airlines flew back to NE. I would get rid of my Frontier card then and just start using them.

When I got back to Portland, I took the MAX down to the Glisan and 60th stop and walked over to Normandale Park where Andrew and Ava were. Andrew saw me walking up and let Ava off leash to come greet me. She jumped and cried like I've never heard her cry before. It was really sweet to know that she missed me so much. Everyone should be able to come home to such a greeting!

rollin' on the river

 

It's been a weird couple of days. I've been getting a lot of texts from my family with varying reports of progress and there's nothing I can do about it so I have a lot of guilt. I'm headed back to Nebraska next weekend on a pre-planned trip and I'll be able to assess for myself what I can do for the family. Until then, all I can do is move along. Today, I did that on a boat.

We've had this boat ride booked for months now. I wasn't sure what to expect. I think that most of the delight for me was just being on the Portland Spirit, floating down the river. I can't believe that I've been in a city that is ruled by riverways for 13 years now and this was my very first time on a boat on the Willamette River!

The Big Gay Boat Ride was my only real Pride experience this year. We skipped the parade in order to stay home with Ava so she wouldn't be kenneled the whole day. The festivities on the boat were great. The drag performers were awesome and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were fabulous as always. I'm hoping to make this a tradition. Andrew and I also talked about possibly getting kayaks! I love that idea. Hopefully that will be another new thing in the not-too-distant future.

What else?

To catch up, on Friday, I had City State Diner make a vegetarian Reuben for me. It's not on their regular menu but it should be because it was delicious!

On Saturday, Andrew and I met friends at Bridgeport for a pre-elopement celebration. It was nice and the chocolate cherry stout was amazing although I should have stopped at just one.

pedalpalooza kickoff ride 2015

They're predicting hot weather from here on out. It's gonna be in the 90s over the weekend and then in the mid-80s after that. While I don't like it any hotter than 72, I am glad that it's going to be nice weather for Pedalpalooza this year! I don't have any plans to attend a lot of rides. Really, it might just be WNBR which is on the last day of Pedalpalooza this year.

I wasn't planning on going to the kickoff ride but our friends Alex and Jude were going and Andrew mentioned going. Then I figured out what to wear and I started to get excited about it. It's the biggest ride of the year following WNBR bike by quite a margin but still, there were hundreds of cyclists in various costumes or street wear. It got slow in parts but spirits were light and it was well organized. We went through the Lone Fir Cemetery (my first as part of a group ride). While I've enjoyed many of the kickoff rides over the years, this was probably one of my favorite as of late because I did it with friends.

Back in the day, we all used to bike. Every one of my close friends had a bike. Very few of us had cars. We would ride to parties and occasionally do Critical Mass rides or Pedalpalooza rides together. I miss that. More bikes, less cars.

weekend at the movies

I don't think I've ever gone to the theater this often, even when my friend was the manager of a theater. Yesterday, Andrew and I went to see Raid on the Rainbow Lounge, an independent documentary on the raid of a gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas in 2009 on the anniversary of the Stonewall Raid. We had met the director the day before at the showing of Gayby and he was happy to hear that we were talking about his film. It was well done and very thorough.

Then today we went to The Falls, a movie about two Mormons on their mission and coming to terms with the fact that they're gay. It was a good drama but I really loved the humorous parts of it. The director and a lot of the cast and crew were there as well since it was made in Portland.

It's really nice being able to see these movies and get in for free. I'm going to have to do something nice for Yvonne who got us the passes.

What else?
My new thing yesterday was eating at J & M. They didn't have much for vegan options but their vegetarian selection (and quality) was good. Plus I just loved the look of the place.

Today, my new thing was hauling a vacuum cleaner and my bike from Long Haus to my house in a car2go. It's good to know that in an emergency or bad weather this winter, I can opt for a car2go with my bike.

getting back on that horse

While transferring buses for work, I stopped by my bike shop yesterday to see if my bike was done. They had originally told me it would be done on Saturday but I was in no hurry to pick it up so I figured it could wait. However, it felt weird to walk by the shop today and not at least stop in. They told me it was ready and started to get it for me but I hesitated and said I'd be back for it later. I didn't return for it that day.

Back in the fall of 1993, I rolled my parent's car. It was a jarring wreck for me and the first time I realized just what damage those big machines are capable of doing. Afterwards, it was months before I drove again. Around six months later, my aunt Jeanne was driving my cousins and me from my grandparent's old farm house to their new one. She pulled over on the side of the country road and told me I was going to drive. She didn't reason with me and she didn't ask, she just told me that this was enough and it was time that I drove again. I always appreciated that.

I felt like I needed that kind of push with my bike. It's only been a little over a week but I have noticed how I pause at cyclists now, wondering how they can be so care-free and if they know that their bike can turn on them and cause them great pain. However, I couldn't leave my bike at the shop forever and I knew that I wouldn't get back on it again for quite some time if I just didn't go for it, like jumping in the deep end of the pool. I just needed to ride again without putting too much weight into the situation.

Fortunately, I found it emotionally easy to do. Once I was back on, it felt so very natural...until my tailbone started to hurt. Physically, I'm not ready for it yet. I left work early today, putting my bike on the bus and heading to the pharmacy to refill my pain pill prescription (for the first time. I've never renewed a prescription.). I hated not being able to ride the bike to the doctor's office but at least I know that emotionally, I'm ready. I just wish my body would hurry and agree with my mind.

momos and masu

Today I met Andrew and Bastard downtown for happy hour at MoMos and then sushi and sake at Masu. It was my first time at both places. They were each decent places for drinks and food but they have distinct downtown vibes about them and I'm definitely a southeasterner.

What else?
I'm also a bus person. Since I've been injured and my bike's in the shop, I've been taking the bus and car2go. I thought taking the bus was just a common experience for anyone who lives in inner Portland but it's a very foreign concept to my co-worker Erin. She and I had to bus to Beaverton this afternoon for a training. It's just odd to see someone who expects the bus driver to give them change.

damage report

This week has primarily been me recovering from Monday's accident. On Tuesday, I went to the doctor to get some pain meds. I saw a new PA, Ms Sellers who took good care of me. She said I may have broken ribs but they couldn't really do anything about it anyway so there's no point in getting x-rays. This is the third instance in which I have broken at least one rib so I'm familiar with not getting x-rayed. They did x-ray my thumb though which was not broken. I got my pain-killers which is what I came for.

I didn't sleep at all on Monday night. I was in too much pain and when I did start to nod off, I would envision my bike tire skidding off the road or hitting a wall. It was terrifying and I absolutely hated it. Therefore, I was not only busted up but also sleep deprived and felt no shame about only working for two hours.

Today, I took my bike in to Seven Corners. Corey gave me an estimate of $160. I need bike insurance. I also tried a new med that the doc recommended.


I'm looking forward to feeling well again one day.

the gang at the game

When we all went to Oneanta, Andrew had mentioned that he had a friend years and years ago who was always taking pictures of all of their friends, almost to an annoying level. However, many years later, he started uploading those pictures and was able to share those moments which all of his friends thought were lost and they were very grateful to be able to relive those times.

Tonight was one of those nights that I knew I'd want to capture. I don't think Jesse has been to a game before and I haven't been to a MLS Timber's game with my friends (except for the reserve games) ever either. Plus it was an awesome game that we won!

I also walked back downtown with Bastard from the game so he got to show me his work at the courthouse while we retrieved his bike.

What else?
On Tuesday, August 28th, I helped Victory haul her art project from PCC to Al's studio and then I helped haul Al's band equipment to Laughing Horse Bookstore where Dominic repaid me for the favors. It was fun just to hang out with everyone and to be able to help.

On Wednesday, August 29th, I ate a the Denny's in Wilsonville and I felt like I needed to shower afterwards. Yes, I'm a food snob but that crap was gross.

On Thursday, August 30th, I contacted people through Craigslist about getting tickets for the game. I also wrapped my brake-line around a pole in the Corridor because I spaced out while listening to the Nerdist podcast (my new favorite podcast). I know I said earlier that it was safe and I will pay a little more attention now. Still, it's an easy fix and Corey fixed it already for me.

I ended up getting onto the Facebook page Timber's Ticket Exchange which was a lot easier than trying to contact and wait for a reply from Craigslist posters.

aftershocks

I overdid it last night. I think it was the Chartreuse or the big stein of beer. Either way, I woke up with a hangover today. I had stuff to do at work though so I couldn't call in sick. However, I made it as easy of a day as possible for me.

For transportation, my job description says that I have to have reliable transportation. One may assume this means I have to have a car. However, a car has never been reliable for me, at least not as reliable as the combination of mass transit and bike which was how I managed today. I biked downtown and took the MAX out to Clackamas where I was able to spend 40 minutes reading Catching Fire, the second Hunger Games book. I'm surprised by how much I like this series.

From there, I biked to Bob's Red Mill for lunch. After that, I biked along Lake Drive and figured it'd be just as easy to bike the rest of the way back to the office as it would be to bus it so that's what I did. Not too bad for a hangover day.

I think I've biked to Bob's before so my new thing today was giving a ladybug a tour of the city and the suburbs while it rested in my bike lock.