"It's just we're putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now."

after a weekend
of wanderlust discussions
monday really sucked

world heritage sites
are more fun to contemplate
than project planning

________________
Alternate subject: "Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements."

Bah humbug.

not happy about
christmas music already
can't they wait three days?

At least it was a local shop...

"buy nothing day" fail:
waterproof camera sale
how could i resist?

I can't believe I never thought of this.

things that make my day:
grilled peanut butter sandwich
with bacon, of course

Sorta late Friday five.

Five bands that rounded out November's musicpalooza, in no particular order:

• John Wesley Harding and the King Charles Trio - I would've loved more in his solo acoustic set, but it was really nice to see the other Decemberists get lost in some basic, old school rock. It looked like they were having a blast.
  
• We Were Promised Jetpacks -loud and tight, just like last time. Not loud but pretty amazing here.
  
• Bryan John Appleby - high quality sleepy indie pop. (Check out The Words of the Revelator especially.)
  
• Hey Marseilles - yes, again, and they were brilliant this time too.
• Noah and the Whale - SO. MUCH. FUN.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled evenings in... until December musicpalooza, anyway.

They had me at "starring Ryan Gosling."

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - It was like American Beauty, only funny... and with better cameos.

And don't get me started on "jeggings."

i don't get fashion
when did we stop wearing pants?
can we start again?

He's also very helpful.

things that make my day:
the eastern european
responding, "groovy"

Occupy my soggy socks.

for a rainy town
there are a lot of puddles
drainage 2012!

winter in portland
when i abandon all hope
for a good hair day

I did not write these during a rather irrelevant meeting. I didn't.

best part of my day?
realizing that new zealand
is ten weeks away

funny thing, this life
everything for a reason
noted, Universe

next aventura
follows sixteen months of work
... need to make that twelve

I hope his apology was begrudgingly delivered.

somehow i don't think
that mario batalli
will lose all that much

Halloween is just another day in Portland.

is it a costume
or just a dirty hipster?
really hard to tell

But who won the football game?

one week, no facebook
biggest realization?
don't miss it at all

"You are very likely thinking I’ve lost my mind by now and you may not be terribly far off."

I decided to try these as a reward for some people working really hard this week. It was quite the production, indeed, and I wasn't totally pleased with the results (in my opinion, they were good but not the WOW I had hoped for - but I expected that since I let the dough sit in the refrigerator longer than I'd wanted to).

But, they were gone in 60 seconds and several people requested the recipe. I'd call that a success.

a world of yum

Purchased!

It made my day.

Time out.

highly recommend
good beer(s), good band* and park swings
on a wednesday night

________________
* Black Prairie played free shows every Wednesday this month, and a month ago I was really excited about that. Then life happened and I missed them all. But seeing as how last night was their last show, I finally got organized about it and dragged a friend along. We sat in the back corner where we could hear well enough but avoid the mass of humanity in the other room.

Good music, and Jenny Conlee was actually there which was awesome. But the best moment was during a music break; I was waiting behind Chris Funk at the bar and some woman asked us to move so that she could get water from the jug. Chris politely extended his hand for her glass to help her out, and she cradled the glass and edged around us. He looked at me and said something about her being serious about sanitation.

If you know who either of these people are, then I probably don't have to explain that Chris could have sneezed on my food and I would've happily eaten it. As it was, I could barely crack a smile. I WAS STANDING BEHIND CHRIS FUNK! IN A TINY BAR!

I love Portland.

Oh, and probably another eight on Saturday.

seventy nine in
another eight on Friday
... job security?

Pre-Wednesday three.

Three amazing things I learned about today, in no particular order:

• Trent Reznor is ready to let go of the steering wheel.
• I hope it's a musical.
• Why I will never go to a haunted house, exhibit #9.
  

Need to start paying attention again.

i had no idea
such atrocities occurred
thank you dave eggers

Occupy Portland, Day 15.

tempting... but no thanks

I walk by this park every day on my way from the bus to the office. Sometimes someone is screaming into a megaphone. Other times a drum circle is surrounded by people dancing. Once in a while it's quiet.

The protest signs range from clever ("bros before CEOs!") to angry ("to hell with wall street!") to snarky ("keep shopping, everything is fine!") to I-have-no-idea-how-it-relates ("this is 100% recycled material," "Oregon is killing its senior citizens").

The park smells funny and soon it will start to rain again.

On the up side, a friend was telling me that she was at her (behemoth) bank yesterday and witnessed several people closing their accounts. She then went to take care of some business at her local credit union and changed her mind because the line was out the door.

Baby steps.

Bank changes aside, I haven't quite figured out what actions I need to take in support of all of this. The homeless problem is rampant here and that seems like the obvious place to devote some free time... but this is Portland, where people line up months in advance for volunteer opportunities. And also I'm getting old and complacent so I may just resort to giving money to local shelters and other community-building establishments. I have been shopping and eating local like crazy the last few weeks though.

But whatever the outcome? Sorry, Oakland and Berkeley friends, but our protest has THE BEST acronym. Army with harmony!