Adventures of Calamity

2010 - A new Year

2010-01-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over, and it's nice to get back into routine. I started running after work last week. It's no marathon, only about a half out on the treadmill at the gym where I work. I figured rather than sit in traffic on my way home, I would get a little cardio in while the traffic thins out. It's been working out well so far.

Below are some random pics I took when Dad and I went for a drive around town during Christmas.

Downtown Portland

Mount Hood

Mount St Helens

The Portland Train Station

Walking towards the Train Station

Ceiling of the waiting room inside the Train Station

On a side note, I saw Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest at the Living Room Theater last night. What a great movie! Mystery, sexual innuendoes, and violence, what more could you want? I'm not ashamed to admit that I jumped in my seat and grabbed my companions arm several times during the film. Very enjoyable indeed.

Lobby of the Living Room Theater

Oh gee, oh gosh, I'm chilly all the time!

2009-12-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr....it's cold! The temperature dropped suddenly into the low 30's and 20's. It's suppose to be 16 tonight. I hope this doesn't last all winter! Below are more random pics from today.

The view from my dinning room window of the top of Mount Adams.

Going across the Burnside Bridge. The Made in Oregon sign always makes me smile.

Some paperwhites I planted for the holidays.

Week in review

2009-12-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was last Thursday. There was a time during the coffeehouse days that I would cook a big dinner for friends and customers that had no place to go. This year I was one of those people that had no place to go. I don't know many people here and certainly didn't want to cook dinner for myself. A few coworkers mentioned going out to eat as sort of an "anti-Thanksgiving" dinner. As I mentioned in a previous post, we went to the Doug Fir. Surprisingly, all our dinners were DELICIOUS! I had the crunchy trout (my logic was fish would be the total opposite from turkey). Anyhow, it was a memorable meal and I will certainly be going back. Below is a pic from dinner.

Also this week, Portland issued a "BOIL WATER ALERT". Thats right, our water supply was contaminated with the E-coli virus. It was said that the virus was found in the Washington Park reservoir and was most likely caused from fecal matter. Supposedly we could use the shower, but were warned not to get the water in our eyes or mouth. You haven't lived until you've showered in contaminated poop water.

Fortunately the situation only lasted 24 hours and then they issued a statement that it was safe again to drink. That being said, I still haven't had a glass of water yet.

This month is the anniversary of Wiley's passing. I still miss her an awful lot. I have been thinking more and more that it might be time to get another pet. I've been looking at cats, but always catch myself looking for a cat that looks like her or comparing the other cats to her. Perhaps I should get a small dog. I've been considering a pug or an Italian greyhound. Any feedback would be appreciated.

R.I.P Wiley Kat

I put the Christmas tree up today. I was going to buy a real one, but I found a fake pre-lit tree for the same price as a live tree and couldn't resist. I've been getting the apartment ready for the holidays and my cocktail party next week. I heard there is a Christmas Ship Parade on the river and thought it would be fun to have some people over to watch them float by, plus it gives me a reason to make a slippery nog! Mmmmm.....tastey.

The Slippery Nog

Glass to Use

Highball glass

Drink Colour:

Brown

Ingredients

3/4 oz.Irish Cream(Bailey's)
3/4 oz.Schnapps, butterscotch
Fill withEggnog

Mixing Instructions

Combine ingredients in a highball glass. Stir well before serving.

2009-11-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

I woke up to more fog and a beautiful sunrise this morning.

Just some shenanigans

2009-11-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

Below are photos from recent outings in Portland...

Another beautiful Fall day in Portland Mount Hood has plenty of snow already and the ski slopes are open! The weather has been pleasant overall. Yes we get rain, but the temperatures are decent; 50's during the day and 40's at night.

My co-worker Adam and I took Sarah out on the town for her last night in Portland. She left the following morning to Seattle, Washington for the take-over of three more properties added to the Mark-Taylor portfolio.

Mom and I went to the Portland City Grill for dinner and drinks while she was in town. It's on the 30th floor of a high-rise downtown and has awesome views, however it was dark and cloudy outside by the time we arrived. The happy hour prices were great, and so were my drinks.

Mom and I taking a rest after a busy day of shopping along NW 23rd St.

I will be heading to the Doug Fir for Thanksgiving dinner with some co-workers. The food is good....and they have an awesome lounge. There is also a popular venue for indie rock located in the basement.

The Japanese Maple on my patio turned a bright orange this year.

Where has Jeffrey been?

2009-11-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

It has been over 4 months since my last post. So much has happened, it's hard to know where to begin. First of all, I should say that I absolutely love Portland. It's great to live in a real city again. I walk everywhere, or I take the streetcar (which is free downtown). It's been such a pleasure to see the change of seasons. I haven't really experienced it in about 20 years I think. Below is a photo from my balcony.

As well as the color change of Fall, foggy mornings seems to be the norm here. Each morning brings a whole new landscape out my window. Sometimes it's so thick that I can't see the buildings next to me. It's really quite amazing.

Though I am glad to be here, it's been a rough 4 months searching for employment. I had a breakthrough recently thanks to my friend Adam and now find myself employed by Mark-Taylor Residential. I'm an assistant manager at an apartment complex in Hillsboro, which is about a 45 minute drive from my house. After a few weeks, I should be changing properties to Beaverton, which should only be about a 30 minute drive. Regardless, it's nice to be employed again.

So that is a brief update of events here in the Northwest. I'll have more to fill in later. For now though, here are some random pics of the past few months:

On the road again

2009-06-28T17:38:00.001-07:00

My four weeks in Colorado are up, it's time to head to my destination. The time has gone by much quicker than I expected. It's been nice to spend so much time with my folks, but I'm ready to get myself settled into my new home. It 's a 19 hour drive to Portland. I don't actually have to be there until July 2nd, so I'll take my time and enjoy the scenery.

Below are some random photos taken in the last week or two.

Mmmmm....delicious! Who could resist a White Trash Special?

Downtown - Frisco, CO

Coming out of a great dive bar in Dillon, CO - The Pub Down Under

Downtown - South Park, CO

South Park, CO (yes, that is Mr. Hanky under the beads sign)

Camping in South Park, CO

Makin' Bacon

2009-06-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with Mom and Dad at a place in Frisco that Mom had been to before. I don't think either of them noticed the naughty salt and pepper shakers on the table. OINK! Though now that I think about it, Mom did not salt her food as she normally does. Perhaps she did notice after-all.

By the way, it was a delicious lunch.

2009-06-14T18:05:00.001-07:00

Cha-Ching!

2009-06-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

I meet a local guy today and he took me to Central City, Colorado for some afternoon gambling. Central City is an old mining town that went from boom in the 1870's to bust in the 1940's and then to boom again when gambling became legal in Colorado in the 1990's.

Central City circa 1880

Central City Circa 2009

We went to the Golden Mardi Gras Casino and I put $10 in a slot machine. The result was two jackpots totaling $600! I also got a free buffet dinner because I'm a "winner". Normally I would turn my nose up at a buffet, but free is free.

My jackpot!

Silverthorne, Colorado

2009-06-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm at my folks place for the month of June. I wasn't expecting it to be snowy and only get up to 55 degrees on a good day! I didn't pack well for this weather at all. It's also been raining a lot. I suppose this weather is just getting me conditioned for Fall in the Northwest

Everything is online for Portland. I've scheduled to have my utilities turned on in July. I'm just counting down the days now.

Mom and Dad's house in Colorado

View from their front porch

Moving Day

2009-05-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

The house is all packed and ready for the movers in the morning. It's been an exhausting few weeks getting everything lined up. I am so glad it's almost over. After the movers get everything in the morning, my new tenant is coming over at noon to pay rent for the month and pick up the keys. Once that's done I'll hit the road and head for Colorado! It's a 12 hour drive to my folks. I've done it in a day before but have a feeling I'll probably stop in Utah to spend the night.

Next stop....new adventures!

My New Home in Portland

2009-05-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's called the Harrison Tower. It was built in 1965 as Portland's first residential high-rise project by Skidmore Owings and Merrill, architects of the Sears Tower in Chicago. None of the interior mid-century details remain, but it offers spectacular views and has been completely updated for modern living. My one bedroom apartment is on the 17th floor and looks East towards the river and also North overlooking downtown. After apartment hunting for 3 days, it was decided that this was certainly the best deal in town. The unit won't be available until July, so I'll head to Colorado for the month of June and visit my folks. Below are some photos of my future home and new beginning in the Pacific Northwest.

2009-05-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

It's finally happening, I am moving to Portland , OR. After 7 years, the day I've longed for is fast approaching. I have found someone to rent my condo and they want to move in the end of this month. For the past week I have been packing boxes and selling furniture that I really don't want to move.

My friend Loren had a yard sale Saturday and let me bring some things over. We started at 6am and ended a little before noon, I made $125. Not too bad for selling junk. The money will be added to my moving fund.

Just checking out what I've sold.

Loren and his Mom try to avoid having their picture taken. Clearly the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Update

2009-05-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

As soon as I returned from Mexico I flew to Portland to look into that clothing business for sale. After a few days of talking to the owners and going over their numbers (or lack of numbers), I decided it wasn't a wise investment. Cute business, just not the right one for me.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious....neither my parents or I have the swine flu. I guess we left Mexico just in time.

I have made the decision to move to Portland by the end of June. I took my house off the market and am in the process of trying to get it rented. I also plan on selling a lot of my furniture before the big move. I'm excited and nervous about this transition, however I feel it is the right direction for me.

Below are some photos I took while in Portland.

The Park Blocks of Downtown from above

Creepy mannequins I discovered in the loft of my friend Ben's design studio

Portland's Waterfront

Canadian Geese and their goslings

So long, fair well, auf weidersehn, good bye!

2009-04-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

See you next year Mexico!

Depression Era Goodies

2009-04-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I have been collection antiques of all shapes and sizes since college. I brought with me to Mexico a circa 1930 aluminum teaball. I've had this little gem for about 19 years. I'm always entranced looking at the dull silver finish and the details that went into this little piece of kitchenware. I even find the dents that have accumulated over the years interesting.

Sadly, everything made today is meant to be disposable. Will we have any such gems to hand down to the youth of today and would they even appreciate them if we did?

More from Mexcio

2009-04-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dad and I rented a couple wave-runners yesterday and had a blast on the ocean. We were both able to stay on the whole time, however a couple girls that were out there with us ended up getting flipped off of theirs. If any of you ever have the opportunity to ride one of these, do it. It was a blast.

Also, I saw something in the sky that I had never seen before. There was a large rainbow/halo around the sun in the early afternoon. I am assuming it's from water-vapor in the air, but it was really unusual looking. The ring around the sun in the photos below are actual photos and not the result of the camera lens.

I head back home tomorrow. Hopefully since I am flying in the middle of the week the airport in Cancun will be quiet and customs in Phoenix will be quick. I've learned that Saturdays are not the day to fly in or out of Cancun.

2009-04-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. We went down to the beach around 10am to relax. The cabanna boy came over around 11 and we order some cocktails. The margaritas are good here, but lately I've been having a craving for mojitos. Mom and Dad have been drinking Pina Coladas. We also ordered shrimp tacos and chicken quesadillas for lunch. Took a swim in the ocean. The water is great, but it's really rocky when you first get in, and there are also submerged tree stumps too. Once you get out where it's deeper the bottom is all sand. Came back to the room around 2pm, took a nap and then headed into Playa del Carmen for dinner. I bought a couple Cuban cigars and am looking forward to smoking them this week.

On a side note, my friend Ben in Portland contacted me yesterday about an opportunity to purchase a men's boutique clothing store up there. I've been in contact with the owner and have been going over the numbers. It's an exciting proposition, but I'm not yet convinced it would be profitable.

Mexico

2009-04-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

It's in the 90's, breezy and humid...I love it. I arrived in Cancun yesterday afternoon and met up with my parents at the Royal Hacienda. Below is the view from my balcony. I've already had a few cocktails on the beach of course.

SCAM

2009-04-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

I was so excited yesterday, I received my first reply about a job I had applied for on Craigslist! I diligently followed all their instructions for the application process. I clicked on a link to download their "required" browser for the position and was directed to this: CLICK HERE.

WTF! Obviously disappointed, I didn't complete the application.

Arizona

2009-04-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

I'm back in Phoenix. I arrived so early in Vegas yesterday that I decided to drive on through. I made it home at about 8pm last night. My friend Michael was here to greet me and inform me that it was actually Wednesday, and not Thursday as I had thought.

The drive through Nevada was long. It had snowed recently so the landscape was different than when I had come through on my way up. Parts of the desert were completely covered in show, and most of the mountain tops were covered in white.

Hoover Dam was just as busy as the last time I drove through. I was able to get a few shots of the new bridge being constructed above the dam this time.

In all, I drove through 5 States and approximately 3,000 miles on my personal Oregon Trail (Lewis and Clark's was over 8,000). I arrived home with plenty of time to do laundry, relax for a day and then pack again to meet up with my folks in Mexico.

2009-04-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow would keep me from reaching Susanville tonight. Surprisingly, I drove through all three on the way here. I saw goats, sheep and herds of deer on the drive today too. OH, and I pumped my own gas.

I'm heading to Vegas tomorrow. VEGAS BABY, YEEEAH!

On The Road Again

2009-04-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sent my resume out to about a dozen job postings I came across yesterday, no feed back as of yet. I did get an email from a recruiter I contacted, stating they would be going over my resume and getting back to me. I had gotten some good feed back from this company, so I am hopeful something will come of it.

Heading back to Phoenix today. I'll probably make it as far as Susanville, CA again. It's about a 9 hour drive. I will miss the Oregon State law banning me from pumping my own gas. It's been nice having a service attendant greet me and fill the tank while I sit in the car.

2009-04-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

I managed to catch a 24 hour flu yesterday. I noticed that I had a fever in the afternoon, and last night the commode and I became very well aquatinted. Fortunately I think it's over. I've been drinking water all morning to re-hydrate myself. UGH!

I'm leaving Astoria today. I had initially thought that I would drive up through Washington State and maybe check out Seattle, but I think I'll just make the short drive back to Portland instead.

Astoria 2

2009-04-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted! I've been walking up and down steep hills all day, and now I'm completely worn out. After careful consideration I have decided that Astoria is a cute place to visit, but much too small for me to reside in. I am heading back to Portland tomorrow to follow up on a couple leads before heading back to Phoenix. Below are some photos I've taken over the past couple days...

Astoria

2009-04-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm in Astoria for the weekend. It is everything the description I read said it would be. It's VERY charming. Surprisingly too, the weather here is the best I've had while in Oregon. I had been expecting it to be the worst. I checked into the Hotel Elliott. It's a restored 1924 hotel in the middle of downtown.

I've been searching for jobs online since arriving last night, it looks bleak for this area. I plan on getting some input from locals today. I also intend to walk around and take some photos, so the next post should have a lot. In the mean time, I snapped a couple city photos from the roof of the hotel last night. Enjoy!

The Oregon Trail

2009-04-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've been having such a difficult time with the photos of this post, so I apologize for the delay. I'm in Portland. It's cold, gray and rainy...but it's a nice change from Phoenix.

Coos Bay was a little disappointing. It wasn't the seaside town I expected. It was also really cold and wet, so camping was not an option. However, there were some pretty amazing sand dunes located here that stretched for miles up the coast.

Also in Coos Bay was the McCullough Memorial Bridge, completed in 1936. Another art deco gem of Oregon.

Since I arrived so early to my destination I decided to keep driving up the coast. I got up to Florence and cut back inland towards Eugene and spent the night at a little roadside motel called the Broadway Inn. While searching for an internet connection there I came across the funniest wireless account I'd ever seen. Clearly this guy has issues.

Eugene was uninspiring, so in the morning I headed up to Portland and stopped in Salem along the way. Salem is the Capitol of Oregon. The Capitol building is once again in the art deco style and was built circa 1938. It replaced an earlier building from 1876 that was destroyed by fire in 1935. I am unaware of any other art deco capitol buildings in the country, so I think it's pretty unique. I went inside because I was curious about what the dome looked like, and here is it.

There was some interesting public art on the Capitol grounds, but the most interesting to me were these column remnants from the previous structure. I thought it was an interesting way of bridging the gap between buildings.

While in Salem I stopped at a coffeehouse, sent my resume out for a few jobs I saw in the area, and made reservations through Hotwire.com for Portland. I ended up getting a room at the Hotel Vintage Plaza pictured below. The very top of the hotel has a glass mansard roof, and that's where my room is. Interestingly, the building to the left of the Vintage is The Hotel Lucia, which was where I stayed upon my first visit to Portland about 6 or 7 years ago.

After getting checked in, I immediately walked over to Jake's Grill. I discovered it last October on a trip with my friend Loren. They have the best happy hour prices. Items from the menu that normally would be $12 are only $1.95! Oyster shooters...DELICIOUS! On the day I was there the staff was proudly walking around with a rather large Maine Lobster for the purpose of guessing it's weight. Whoever guessed the correct weight got to eat it. It was 5lbs, no lobster for me.

I am heading to Tillamook tomorrow for cheese and then to then Astoria for a night or two.

Day 2

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

I made it to Susanville in about 14 hours yesterday. As I'm sure it's no surprise to those who know me, I took back roads whenever possible. The only problem I encountered was at Hoover Dam. There was a check point I had to go through in order to drive across the dam, which by the way was swarming with tourists. What impressed me the most about the structure was the amount of details that went into it. You just don't see anything like that anymore, not even in the post-modern architecture of the 90's. Perhaps Obama should consider creating a National Architect position to help restore our building arts and give us an image again. On a side note, I love reading bathroom graffiti while traveling. It makes me giggle. Sadly, the only commentary I saw yesterday was about Obama and his Cabinet members in the formerly Red State of Nevada.

Nevada is a desolate place. I drove past former nuclear testing grounds (surprisingly close to Las Vegas), old mining towns on the verge of disappearing and also a strange Army Depot which had thousands of bunkers stretching across the valley. With the exception of Las Vegas, the picture to the right is a good representation of what my entire drive through Nevada looked like.

Today, I am driving on to Coos Bay, Oregon. It should take me about 7 hours. An easy drive. There is a campground on the beach north of the city which is where I will spend the night. Tomorrow's posting most likely will come from a tent.

Day 1

2009-03-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Destination - Susanville, CA.

Everything is packed and ready to go; Ipod, resumes, calling cards and the GPS. This will be the first time that I'll use the GPS and admittedly I am a little excited to see it in action.

The drive will take me through Arizona, Nevada and into California. It is 813 miles and projected to take about 13 hours. I shouldn't have any problem with this, but if I do I'll stop near Reno.

This will be the first time driving through Las Vegas. Not a place I've ever had a desire to go, but it will be nice to check it off the list. My only regret is not driving through it at night, however maybe I'll have the chance on the way back home.

Change We Can Believe In

2009-03-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

The economy is bad, we all know that. But getting laid off twice in 5 months just plain sucks.

Recent events have turned my precariously balanced life completely upside down. I slipped into a depression in October which has taken several months to overcome. I was laid off in November, at which time I also lost my rental income. My beloved companion of 19 years, Wiley Cat, passed away in December. I was fortunate enough to go back to work for a former employer that same month, but as of this week I have been laid off again.

While coming to terms with my recent situation, it was my Mother who suggested I take a road trip to Oregon. I have longed to move to Portland for the past several years. Astoria has recently intrigued me as well because it is the oldest city west of the Rockies, and is described as "hundreds of Victorian homes clinging to steep wooded hillsides and with a revitalized 1920s era downtown". Since I have no current obligations, a road-trip sounded like a great idea.

Along the way, my objectives will be to search for or discover ideas for new employment and hopefully find a new city I would be happy to call home. I know there is a better place for me out there...and gosh darn-it, I'm gonna find it!