Drum roll

Make a mistake, pay the price.

Ray messes up again this week...

This past weekend I was in San Francisco. What a nice break to take. Although my time in Portland so far has been awful swell, I kind of missed some friends and the familiar territory of the Bay Area. I spent most of my time in San Francisco. Saturday a series of missteps caused Jason and I to miss out on tickets to the Spoon show at Cafe du Nord (no hard feelings, Woody). However, we did hear the band warming up downstairs from the street around 6pm, so I figure that's fair.

Later, fresh from our bad luck, we met up with another comrade, Mr. Lee, who drank many bourbons in our company. I am always hot on recruiting new bourbon swilling buddies! Something about that Kentucky limestone produces a great beverage. And then some.



Sunday I continued damage control measures on the apartment and managed to make it back into the city around 6pm. I met Christina in Dolores Park with some tall boys and we proceeded to enjoy the urban scenery. After the beers were expired, we headed to Range where a very delicious meal was enjoyed.

I took the 6:30am flight out of Oakland, back in my work seat in Vancouver, WA by 8:51am.

American Wedding

Have you ever been to American wedding?
Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?
Where is the supply that gonna last three days?
Where is the musicians that got the taste?

-Gogol Bordello, Gypsy Punks

Skate or die

This video was found today by our staff on YouTube. The skate park is a project in construction that the Vancouver Clark Parks and Recreation Dept. is building in east Vancouver. The place is closed because construction is still going on, but skateboarders have been sneaking into the place for the last few weeks after the crews leave.

As you will see, this skate park is going to be extremely popular. The subcontractor, Grindline, is a crew of experienced skaters who now design and build these skateparks in the Pacific Northwest. This skate park cost a pretty penny.

I return

I return to the Bay Area this weekend for some much-deserved socializing and escape from the blistering weather of the Pacific NW. It's been in the 100s here. It reached 104 in Vancouver, WA, where I work, although I didn't notice it too much because I spent all day inside a refrigerator-esque office most of the day.

Later, I ventured up to Brush Prairie, WA to help with a public meeting to discuss with the community a regional trail project we are planning to build through a ton of people's backyards. It went surprisingly well, given that it's a property issue and it was the first time many people had heard it was going to happen.

Today, we hold the same meeting in the rural hamlet of Yacolt, WA. I am prepared to run into many cowboys, truck drivers, and other folks who have been deprived of an urban upbringing.

As for this weekend, it is fully booked. I simply hope no one cancels on me. That would mean spending time wandering around by myself, and I do that too much here in Portland as it is.

Foie Gras PB & J

The evolution of traditional French cuisine has created sentiments of wonder, disdain, delight, and bewilderment in American restaurants advertising "modern" takes on timeless, classic dishes. With Bastille Day awaiting us at the end of the week, this entry highlights one of the things about French culture that never ceases to amuse me - their obsession of what is "French" and what is not. In this case I examine a dish called a "Foie Gras PB&J." Such delight can be found at Le Pigeon, one of Portland's hottest dining destinations.

The fusion of American sensibility and quality French ingredients has resulted in stranger things, of course, but few as delicious or unanticipated. In this experiement of savory and sweet, the goose liver is playing the role of peanut butter. No one forgot the strawberry preserves, either.

Our group of three enjoyed a full meal at Le Pigeon last night. No disappointments. I enjoyed the veal with corn - a braised, generous cut of veal (I rarely eat veal, but I will eat it at restaurants such as this one on occasion) floating on a layer of herb infused corn-studded butter reduction.

For dessert we had the honey cornbread with bacon and maple ice cream. Pork in dessert is certainly a dining fad I am willing to ride out for a while....

Happy 231st

Happy 4th of July. I hope all of you out there will practice safety and not maim yourself or others with fireworks antics. How many people actually leave their homes at mid-afternoon to go stake out a spot along a waterfront or lakeside to watch professional fireworks displays?

Last year, I went to Buena Vista Park in SF to watch fireworks with Adam and his friends. It was nice, save for the beer that got spilled on our sitting area. We were so far away from the origination point of the show that I do not believe we could hear anything. I think that is an aspect of the show that goes unaccounted for. The screamers, whizzers, and array of other sounds are just as part of the holiday pyrotechnic tradition and the colorful and artful visual show that fireworks provide.

In other news, just in time for the holiday, our President commuted the sentence of a man who got in trouble because he did what the President's men told him to do. To add insult to injury, the $250K fine will probably be covered by donations in no time! He probably even has a new job already!

Rip City

In Portland, the big news the last two days is some tall guy from Ohio will play basketball here next fall. Whoooooopppeeeee is what I say. I guess I appreciate the monumentality of the first choice draft pick. However, I feel that the celebration they are having now is far too delayed. It's like finding out you won the lottery and having to wait a period of time to finally announce the amount of the winnings.

Anyway, people are excited about Greg Oden. I suspect most of the excitement and anticipation is what this means for Trailblazers season ticket sales. Apparently, they are up, too.

In other news - foiled UK car bombings, rat movies, iPhones, Putin in Maine, Family Jewels, and roid-rage...It's been a tremendous week!

I miss the Bay Area, but I realize I would be a tad bored there had I stayed this summer. I probably wouldn't have found full time work. My work in Portland (Vancouver) isn't really full time, although I am there 40 hours a week. But at least the tempo is increasing. Next week I will finally have a sizable amount of work to do. For the last three weeks I've only had enough workload to warrant a part-time gig. Hopefully it will continue to pile up. I am weird. I'd rather be overloaded with no end in sight than piddling around with 1 or 2 small scope projects on my snack plate.

Today I have to go to a birthday party for a one-year old. This will be interesting. I still haven't wrapped the book I purchased for Maddy. I better do that now.

Masu (east)

I went to a nice dining establishment tonight. I ate a tremendous amount of sushi and drank interesting lychee-accented libations. I tried something called a lotus roll. The unagi wasn't half bad, either.

And, to top things off, this Japanese restaurant did NOT offer mochi or green tea ice cream for dessert (snooze). In fact, we sampled American cherry pie and oozing chocolate egg rolls with raspberry ice cream.

Try to find THAT in Tokyo....I dare you.

House guest

4415 is graced with the presence of little Matty, a black lab mix. He will stay with us through Sunday when his owner gets back from Vegas.

Vegas, baby. Vegas.





If Matty's eyes look a little trippy, that is my fault. He had major red eye and I sloppily fixed it in Photoshop.

Delinquent

I haven't been my normal self for the last ten days or so. Hardly posting a thing - I guess no one reads this anyway - and being kind of in a dumpy mood. All this, despite the shiny new metal pedals and new brake pads I had installed on my bike. Pictures forthcoming...

Been attempting to resolve my melancholy with visits to EverydayMusic, usually at the late hours of the evening. I love the fact this place is open until midnight each night of the week. It is really a nice feature of this neighborhood. Now if they only had an ajoining bar with a handsome waiter...

Music to follow:

Blitzen Trapper, Wild Mountain Nation
These guys are local to Portland. Their new album got a solid review on Pitchfork.

Going to see Rufus here July 31 - his new album has a couple strong ballads, as usual. I'm going for the older stuff, though. I wonder if we will see his lederhosen?

Has anyone bought the new Clientele album? I'm curious.

In other news, my sister's house is getting A/C tomorrow. Not sure it really needs it, but I guess Mom is ponying up the money for it. You don't say no to Mom.

Slow times

I am convinced that I am possibly not meant to work in a traditional office, ever.

I go stir-crazy by 11am! Part of the problem right now is that the people I work with are too busy to delegate work to me. Today I spent my time putting together an introductory PowerPoint presentation on the county's trail and bikeway systems that can be used with groups like the Kiwanis Club or League of Women Voters. Pretty lame, but at least it kept me busy.

I am thinking that I will propose to go survey the 40 mile trail system in person - meaning I bring my bike to work and go out for an entire day to ride the trails. I actually think they would approve me to do that for TWO days in a row, if I sell it right. I like the idea of exercising on the government's dime...

Other than that, this weekend will be kind of fun. We start off with dinner to celebrate my friend Alexa's 30th. Saturday I will go for drinks and then enjoy the fine talents of the HBRSB. Sunday we journey to my mother's house, to have a Father's Day BBQ for my stepdad and brother (whose kids will be in town from Spokane).

Lots to do. How are you celebrating your father?

Gypsy Blowout

On August 31 an amazing event will occur at The Fillmore in lovely San Francisco.

Arguably the most dynamic and amazing band is playing, the gypsy punks Gogol Bordello. I last saw them in Spring 2006 at Slim's. My concert going experiences up to that point were totally eclipsed by Eugene Hutz's physical dominance, defying theatrics, and spiritual dynamite. The Slavic-derived band is led by accomplished fiddlers, accordianists, guitarists and the pair of devastatingly beautiful drum maidens.

Anyone up for a life changing experience, let me know by next week when the tickets go on sale...otherwise check your local venues for their appearance. Their shows sell out fast.

German cinema, offender crews

Tonight I went to go see a movie at the Fox Tower theaters at 10:10. I little late for a school night, some might say, but for me it was a necessity. A film I have been wanting to see for many months is only in theaters for a short time. I had to see it, otherwise I'd have to wait until late summer of fall to see it on DVD.

The movie was The Lives of Others. It was very good. I'd recently rented Goodbye, Lenin on video, so my head has recently been very engaged in the pre-Glastnost East Germany mindset. Very different movies but similar effect. All the performers in TLOO were outstanding.

Work today was also a new experience. My supervisor, Jane, told me that she wanted me to accompany her to some construction site checks. We visited two neighborhood parks in Vancouver currently in construction and talked to the PM (project manager) about the status of the work. While were were talking with him, I noticed what appeared to be a group of hired day laborers raking the soil for rocks by hand. It looked like pretty onerous work, I tell you what. I noticed they were all wearing various shades of red and pink t-shirts. I assumed nothing.

Soon enough, I heard the PM use the term "O-crew" and saw my colleagues nodding toward a gangly group of dudes hanging out, one leaning on his standard-issue rake. Assuming the worst, I figured they were convicted felons. Soon again, I heard the PM say that they've been doing good work so far, but once they get the playground equipment installed at the park the O-crew will not be coming back - just to be "safe".

From there, I surmised they were indeed felons, but also child sex offendors. Lovely.

There's nothing like an honest day out at the park to meet the trusted workforce, eh?

A Saturday in June with rain.

Having not spent one single significant part of the month of June in Portland since 1997, I kind of forgot about the prevailing weather patterns that exist here. In May it is nice and sunny, as most places are. In June, progress takes a pause and the rain returns. It was 57 degrees and cloudy yesterday, all day, until about 4 when it got sunny for one hour.

I woke up with hopes of a sunny weekend, but it is raining and cold. 56 degrees cold. I am sitting here in my running clothes waiting for a break in the down pour.

And I wait.

Your dedicated City of Vancouver employee

Yesterday I finally accepted the internship at the City of Vancouver's Parks and Recreation Department. Sure, it's not as sexy as some other companies or firms, but it will prove to be challenging and hopefully fruitful.

Here is a short list of the projects they proposed to me:

1. Develop concept designs for potential acquisition properties (land that old or dying people might donate to the district on the condition they like our proposals for)

2. Develop a composite map illustrating annexation and growth boundary changes as they relate to existing boudaries and park districts.

3. Finalize site selection and develop conceptual course designs for a community disc golf facility; work with local disc club to develop partnership guidlines, draft agreement.

4. Develop a conceptual design for a trail linkage system.

5. Develop revised policies and program for Vancouver off leash-facilities, including guidelines for site selection.

On an unrelated note, my "f" key is stuck on my laptop. I suspect a stubborn sesame seed or something lodged under there.

Home sweet not Berkeley!

I am here in Portland. I just got here a few minutes ago. I have some job interview appts. tomorrow so I had to race in here to check the ol' Gmail account. Things look ok, but I didn't schedule enough wiggle room between the appointments. I just put a phone call in to Employer #1 asking if we can move the appt. up an hour. Waiting to hear back on that one....

The drive up was generally uneventful except for about 5 minutes this morning when my car wouldn't go faster than 30 mph (in 3rd gear) on Interstate 5. Sitting overnight in the cool parking lot, I think the Fox didn't expect such a long day on the road again so soon and its internal gears, pumps and gaskets went into hibernation mode. I am not too surprised, something has always been wrong with the fuel injection or pump system. It probably needs a repair or replacement. Luckily the car recovered after only about 5 minutes and I was soon accelerating like normal. That would have made a very long day - driving on the shoulder up I-5 at 30-35mph. Not my idea of swift transport.

Out to wash the car. A little pampering goes a long way with a character like this....

Grants Pass, Holiday Inn Express

Today I left the Bay Area to go to Portland. I intended to leave my apt. in Berkeley before 9am on Tuesday in order to get to Portland before 6pm. That goal, however, was quickly determined unreachable due to the fact I didn't leave Berkeley until nearly 1pm. I'd been out the previous Monday night drinking too much. By the time I got home on that night, all I was prepared to do was head to bed - packing was yet again delayed.

I rolled into Redding, CA a little bit before 4pm today. For some odd reason, I had a notion in my head that Redding was very near the Oregon border. Sadly, I learned it is NOT. In fact, it is at least 3 hours from the damn border! And you have to go up a treacherous mountain range to get to the border. Along the way, there is a town called Weed, CA that I never seemed to actually reach. Twenty odd miles past what I thought was downtown Weed, I ran into the Weed Municipal Airport. I just kept wondering where the hell did Oregon start. Who gives a flying hoot about Weed.

I thought I could make it to Portland in one long stretch, but then I thought about my sad aging vehicle. Since it arrived in Berkeley in Sept. 2005 the thing has essentially been in automobile retirement. Pulling nearly 400 miles today probably stunned it a bit. I decided to pull into a new hotel in Grants Pass, OR to let the little soldier rest a bit.

Arriving in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express, I crossed what I later learned was a family barbeque. A family traveling in several large vehicles and what appeared to be a horse trailer were actually firing up a Weber grill right outside the south entrance. They were also smoking and drinking tall boys of Bud. Nice people - they asked if they could help me with the door as I moved my bicycle off the car bike rack into my room.

I watched some cable television special tonight hosted by Walter Cronkite. The special was about war correspondents in Europe during WW2. Very interesting. BTW, on Saturday I saw a great documentary about the looting of artwork and other masterpieces during WW2, which I highly recommend. Entitled, The Rape of Europa, it is playing in the Bay Area now as part of a film festival.

More from the road tomorrow, hopefully terminating in my arrival to Portland before noon PST.

One mistruth begets another

I have this bad habit of trying to soften news I have to break people by not being completely up front with them. The intention is well-meaning; I simply do not want to make anyone unhappy or uncomfortable if I can help it. While unhappiness in this situation is probably inevitable, I have this idea in my head that delayed unhappiness is the lesser of two evils one should suffer from. However, this line of thinking tends to get me in a little hot water now and then, such as this week.

The lesson I've learned is simple. Be straight with people! You'd think I would know that one by now. Eh....

The shit is getting prepared to hit the proverbial fan. Let's hope it's no big deal and I am concerned over nothing.

Email to the phone piece

Now you don't need a Blackberry or Treo to receive email on your phone....This is a new FREE service I learned about from the NY Times today. I just signed up so I'll let you know how it works.

The service is called Teleflip.

I'm Done. Africa's colleges.

This article made my otherwise cheerful Sunday pretty depressing:

Africa's Storied Colleges, Jammed and Crumbling

The Gates Foundation should address the issue of higher ed in places like Africa...help these places get on their feet. Without some kind of intervention, the next several generations of young Africans will be underserved by their institutions of higher learning. These young people are the ones that stand to benefit the most from quality higher ed like no other group in the world. I've been wondering about this issue for quite a long time. Take a peek at the photo slideshow, too, it's a goodie.

By the way, I am done. DONE. School's out for the summer. My last task was going back to Wurster Hall on Friday night at 10:30 and putting the rest of my studio crap into my car. Where it remains at this very moment.

Today I attended the landscape graduation at Blake Garden where I consumed many dixie cups of champagne. Tomorrow morning, I will attend another quick graduation to see my roommate and Jean Paul graduate...followed by dixie cups of champagne. Then I go to Jiffy Lube. Then I go into the city for diversions.

This week will be a whirlwind of social outings, errands, packing, interviewing, and cramming. In no particular order.

Mess

By Friday COB I have to clean out my spot in the studio. Somehow, between Jan and Feb, I managed to take over another neighboring desk that was empty. So now I have two full desks to clean out. You wouldn't believe the shit I've been finding under all these papers! I just found a $10 bill and some expensive jewelry I thought I lost on a field trip.



One thing to take home from the first year in design school: This work is wasteful (in terms of materials) and not easy to store. It's not like with books, where you can neatly throw them on a shelf. I have a stack of large format posters, 10 pounds of clay, a Mayline, two 36' metal rulers, two grocery bags scrap modeling wood (this shit is expensive, so you save the scraps), a 3'x3' piece of 1/4" plywood and a 42" Borco mat to take back to my apartment. Plus about 5 books. We use those, too, sometimes.

Worthy cause...

Recently, the roller derby ladies of the Bay Area got the boot from Dry Ice. All matches since late March have been cancelled. I hate to say this, but I kind of agree with the Fire Marshall. The facility is nice that it is small, but the way they pile the people in there (and allow then to sit IN the rink guzzling beer where there are only 2 teeny access exits) is just asking for a lawsuit. Not that I'd have it any other way....but I understand.



The Derby Girls are having a fundraiser in their quest to locate a new practice and performance space. Good luck.

Chocolate, textures, glue, Hotmail guy

Here are some things I recently decided I like:


Alter Eco dark chocolate with a dabble of milk chocolate.

Mayang's Texture Library
This site basically makes my life as a computer monkey much easier.

Weldbond Glue
This glue puts Elmer's to shame.

Us over at 3110 Grove Street in Berkeley hosted a rather successful end-of-the-year blow out celebration last Friday. Countless beers were consumed as was a 2.5 liter jug of Maker's Mark. As a Maker's honorary ambassador, I am obligated to serve copious amounts of this special bourbon at any social function I host or help host.

Aside from the good times had from the consumption of Kentucky moonshine, we had an notable guest at our party. The founder of Hotmail, Sabeer Bhatia, showed up at my crummy apartment.


This is Sabeer.

At one point in the evening, someone told me that a rich dude was at my party. Later, I saw some chap I didn't recognize in my kitchen doing yoga poses with some Brazilian ladies who my roommate Pedro invited. I assumed it was the Hotmail guy. Turns out I was right. I later found out my friend Stefan invited Sabeer to our party, so it wasn't like he just showed up unannounced. I wonder if he noticed our dirty carpet...

Haleh Esfandiari

You know the world is a messed up place when someone you used to work with gets sent to an Iranian prison...

Haleh, I hope to all that is holy that Lee Hamilton can get you out of there. If anyone can do it, it is Lee. You are a strong woman but you need help to get out of this one I fear.

My prayers are with you and Shaul.

******************
Tehran Jails Iranian American Scholar After Long House Arrest

By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 9, 2007; Page A12

Iran yesterday detained prominent American academic Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, according to center president and director Lee H. Hamilton and Esfandiari's husband.

Esfandiari, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen who has lived in the United States for more than a quarter-century, has been under virtual house arrest since December, when the government refused to allow her to leave Iran after visiting her 93-year-old mother. Since then, she has been summoned repeatedly for interrogations by intelligence officials about U.S. programs on Iran. In particular, she was questioned about Iran programs at the Wilson Center, one of Washington's most prominent foreign policy think tanks.

Esfandiari was summoned by the intelligence ministry again yesterday but was then taken to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, the sources said.
Esfandiari is one of three "soft hostages," all dual U.S.-Iranian nationals, whose passports have been confiscated by the Iranian government, rendering them unable to leave the country.

The United States has not faced such tension over Americans held in Iran since the 1979-1981 hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days. Until Esfandiari' s detention yesterday, the Wilson Center and her family had sought to avoid publicity in hopes that she would be granted a new passport.

Esfandiari and the other soft hostages appear caught up in an Iranian reaction to the Bush administration's $75 million program to promote democracy in Iran, which was unveiled last year. Tehran has since cracked down on human rights advocates, labor groups and women's rights campaigners, according to human rights activists.
"The government's justification for these actions is usually couched as a response to the State Department's announcement to provide financial support to Iranian civil society and nongovernment organizations," said Hadi Ghaemi of Human Rights Watch. "This has fueled a perception among the Iranian politicians that the U.S. is committed to instigating a 'velvet revolution' in Iran. Ironically, the Iranian Americans who travel to Iran mostly stay away from politics and are not by any means part of the 'regime change' advocates. But they have become pawns in the hands of Iranian government as it charts its strategy in engaging with the U.S."

During her interrogations, Esfandiari was pressured to make false confessions or to falsely implicate the Wilson Center in activities in which it had no role, Hamilton said. Esfandiari was contacted again a few days ago and asked to "cooperate" with intelligence ministry officials, which she refused. On Monday she was told to report to the Ministry of Intelligence again. When she arrived yesterday, she was taken to Evin Prison. It is unclear whether she has been formally charged with any offense.
Hamilton, a former congressman and Iraq Study Group co-chairman, wrote Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Feb. 20 appealing for Esfandiari to be allowed to leave. "I said the Wilson Center did not receive any money from the U.S. government for the purpose of trying to influence or to determine specific policies or direction of the Iranian government," Hamilton said in an interview yesterday. "We've been very transparent about our dealings. . . . We have offered a wide array of viewpoints. That's our role."

In a subsequent conference call with reporters, he added, "The interrogators could have gotten all the information with a few clicks on the Wilson Center Web site."
Hamilton's Iraq Study Group report in December urged the Bush administration to deal with Tehran on the issue of Iraq. "It is our view that in diplomacy, a nation can and should engage its adversaries and enemies to try to resolve conflicts and differences," the report said. "Diplomatic talks should be extensive and substantive." The Wilson Center did not receive a response from the Iranian president's office.

Esfandiari has brought in many scholars and analysts from Tehran to speak at the Wilson Center, one of the few places in Washington to offer a robust range of opinions on Iran. "The irony is, in Washington she faced criticism for bringing in people who were sympathetic to the Iranian government," said Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "By detaining her the Iranian government only eliminates an advocate for diplomacy and strengthens the voices of those in Washington who say the regime is cruel and should not be engaged."

The ordeal for Esfandiari, a Potomac resident married to George Mason University professor Shaul Bakhash, began Dec. 30 when she was on her way to the airport to return to Washington and her taxi was stopped by three men with knives who threatened to kill her. They took her belongings, including her Iranian and U.S. passports. When she tried to get a replacement passport, she was "invited" to an interview with a man from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence. Interrogations continued almost daily for six weeks, up to eight hours a day. She was allowed to return to her mother's home at night.

Iran confiscated the passport of Radio Farda correspondent Parnaz Azima when she arrived in Tehran in January, also to see an ailing mother. She, too, has undergone interrogations and was asked to collaborate with intelligence, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Jeffrey Gedmin. Azima's attorney was told last month that she would have to stay in Iran "two or three years." The third, who does not want to be identified, was refused her passport and right to leave the country for six months.

A fourth American, former FBI agent Robert A. Levinson, disappeared after he flew to Iran's Kish Island in March. Tehran has denied any knowledge of Levinson's location.

Imaginary places...

Today's earthquake

A mere 3.0, but Wurster Hall shook up a little bit over here in Berkeley. That's 10 stories of Cold-War era concrete moving around.



Side note: I find it a little troubling that this is the type of map the USGS web site still uses to notify people of where an earthquake took place. It looks like something from 1973. I don't even thing the bridge interchange is like that anymore and I don't know what the radio tower is.

I'm under 100

For the first time in five years, my LDL cholesterol is under 100. Usually, I run about 120, which causes my doctor a little disdain.

I have nothing to really attribute this point loss to other than the fact that I regularly take a lot of fish and flax oil. I began taking the oil every morning at the request of my eye doctor in January 2006. Taking a mixture of fish, flax and borage oils can help relieve dry eye symptoms, especially in the post-opt period after lasik eye surgery.

Apparently, it can also be correlated to improved circulatory health as well.

Reiteration

Albums to pick up...

Sondre Lerche, Two Way Monologue
Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (unfavorably reviewed by Pitchfork)
Bjork, Volta
Panda Bear, Person Pitch

Photoshop collage

Here is one of the multitude of Photoshop collages I will do over the next two years. God help me.

Kites, jobs (or lack thereof), relocation

Quick updates on the fly:

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 26, 3-6pm at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley there will be an amazing feat of kite flying. Students in our department have organized a great afternoon to make and launch kites. Prizes for person most able to maneuver. It shall be grand and amazing. We're closing the waterfront side of the park for OUR purposes ONLY, which is to drink free beer (hopefully), let loose on the kites, and maybe even play some frisbee when our kites fall apart in the wind. Throw in some cartwheels and photo opts while you're at it. Kind of wish I had a real kite...

No job leads for me yet. I am concerned, yet optimistic. The game plan is to relocate to Portland for the summer unless something comes up down here. I figure I can live for free in Stumptown and I'm ripe for a change of venues, anyway. I will look for some kind of menial service work if all else fails (and it probably will!).

I just at a box of Good & Plenty. Now I will close up shop here at school, and wander down to catch the Door-to-Door shuttle.

Long day, but a good one.

Guilty

I've done this.

Some new clothes, a fundraiser, and Spats

Nothing has been happening on this blog lately, save for a rollerskating ipod-listening Ray Smuckles. My life has been kind of boring lately, just working a lot, and feeling depressed about not having a job. The big job I wanted in Portland I ended up not getting. Not really a huge surprise, but I was actually hopeful about it. So now I have to figure out a backup plan. I wish I had more time to devote to this.

Last weekend I went to crappy Bay Street and bought some clothes. They weren't fun clothes, but just some things that I needed - jeans, sweater, tank top, and pants. I was quite economical in procuring the items. I spent about $250 in 2 hours. I felt good that I got something out of it. Spending time shopping and coming home empty handed is more than frustrating.

Saturday night I am going to a fundraiser in the Haight in the honor of Kaye Bock. She was our graduate advisor who suddenly died in January. People have raised several thousands of dollars since then to create a memorial scholarship in her name to help graduate students entering the city planning program at Berkeley. There are several fundraisers happening over the next few weeks. I have a ton of work to do, but I am going to cut studio and go to this fundraiser. It should be a nice party.

Thursday night some of my classmates took one of the undergrads in our department out to celebrate his 21st birthday. It's kind of strange, but all of us old folks have a great friendship with him, and we were all really happy to take him out to the bars. I think he had a good time, despite the fact we ended up at one of the creepier bars ever, Spats on Shattuck. They have a very precise bartender and a list of some of the weirdest drinks ever. I give them points for detail and presentation. The "Fog-cutter" is such a drink that draws wows. It's a small snifter glass serves on top of a large mug with dry ice in it. It comes to the table billowing fog. What I didn't know about dry ice until last night is that it is actually a heat-expelling reaction. The dry ice gives off heat as it interacts with air. I had no idea about that one.

Inspire

Here is a picture of the lifestyle I lead:



This is what the studio appears like after we've had pretty much three all nighters. Before I took the picture, I removed about 8 beer bottles and pizza crusts from the table in the center.

Two new albums

I've been in studio since Thursday pulling all nighters in anticipation for this Wednesday's final pin up. We are designing some artist's studio spaces that are built out of containers. Yes, freight containers.

During all this worktime, we listen to music together as a group a lot. Today, for I swear no less than an hour, someone was playing possibly every Van Morrison song ever recorded. It was AWFUL. I cannot stand Van Morrison. Listening to him is the worst torture. Anyway, it was during this torture session that I stormed off to Rasputin Music. I needed some new music that I could concentrate on and hopefully turn up over the drone of Brown Eyed Girl. Ugh.

Here is what I settled on, both albums are really quite good:

Willy Mason, If the Ocean Gets Rough
I saw Willy Mason live almost two years ago. I predict he is taking off. Soar-ing.

Stars of Track & Field, Centuries Before Love and War (not sure I understand why it's called this....)

Gee, thanks.

Today I received a check in the mail from the IRS. Strange, seeing that this year I owed money and actually wrote the government a check about a month or so ago for upwards of $3000.

The check just came in a simple window envelope with no note attached (perhaps saying something like "Hey, idiot, you overpaid your taxes. We are graciously cutting a check, but watch it next time....."). But I really do not think I overpaid my taxes. The only thing I think it might be is the Earned Income Tax Credit option. Last year, I filed my taxes, got a small return back, and later received another check in the mail with a note that said they figured out I paid too much. But this check had no such note attached. Just a check for $495. I wondered if it was some check cutting scheme (like the one Bush did in 2001), but I asked around my apartment and none of my roommates had heard that was happening again.

Has anyone else received such checks from the IRS?

Portfolio redux

The title page is still hideous, but here are some of the rest of the pages from aforementioned portfolio.

Glam crack habit

Do any of you out there have a web site addiction that you are even a little shy about telling people about? Sure you do. The usual suspects are suicidegirls, CL, online betting, or online porn. My addiction is the stuff of grocery store checkout lines.

Yes, it's the online version of US magazine. I simply can't get enough. I check this stuff 2-3 times a day. I yearn for new entries. I love all the vicious camera angles and the dirty looks celebrities give me day in, day out.

First I started here.

Now I go here, too.

There is a whole smattering of celebrity blogs out there but these two tend to have the best stories and angle. My professor caught me looking at one of these a while back and I really had nothing to say for myself. These are the kinds of web sites that make celebrity life really the last thing you'd ever want to dabble in.

I've done my work to get a job

This entire past week I've been at the damn computer screen resizing, reformatting, exporting maps, and touching up a bunch of my work from the past year. It's a tedious and tiring process, but as of this minute I am done!

Welcome to portfolio production 101, ladies and gentlemen.



The entire purpose of the portfolio is to impress people you don't know and will likely never even meet. You have to carefully choose your layout and template according to the types of places you are applying to. It's all about selling yourself, and boy, I see myself as just a couple weeks from being moved to the markdown pile. I'm doing this all not for permanent work, but for a mere internship that probably pays piddle-squat. Still, I continue to plod on...

Now I move on to my Computer Applications in Environmental Design midterm, which I was supposed to have started last week. It is due in three days and I have piddle-squat done for it. I put finding summer work before my grade in this class. We will see how that pans out next week.

Movies I watched while performing the portfolio assembly tasks:

The Princess Bride
Match Point
An Inconvenient Truth

I wine, I dine.

This week, despite my aversion to streaks of eating out, I have dined at some rather amazing eating places. Here is the low down. Portland is a gem when it comes to the dining life. There is no restaurant tax, so that saves you about 10% right off the top. The food prices at nice places, however, is about the same you'd pay anywhere in San Francisco.

Genoa, SE Belmont. Legendary establishment in Portland, since probably before I was born.

Andina, Pearl District on Glisan. A new flashy Nuevo-Peruvian Andean cuisine place. It was nice, if a bit too clean and sterile. Good service from a red headed white dude who attempted to use a Latino accent in his menu pronun-cia-ciones.

Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill, NE Alberta near Wilshire Park. Haven't eaten here YET, but I will have by 800pm PST.

A Kia will do me in.

While in Portland this week I am driving a Budget rental car, a Kia Spectra. At first, I thought the car was fine (even nice), but after tonight I have decided the car wants to ruin me somehow.

Problem one began on a rainy evening with family members in the car impatient to get to the restaurant we had 7:30 reservations for. I couldn't get the damn car out of park. The button on the shifter would not fricking BUDGE, no matter how I tried. I tried all the things you are thinking - having the e-brake on/off, putting pressure on the foot break while trying to disengage, turning it on and off and trying again, hitting the dash, etc. Nothing worked and we ended up having to leave the car and taking someone else's. Everyone got wet changing cars and were crabby for the whole ride over to Genoa.

Later I discovered that the only way to get it out of park is to have your damn foot FULLY down on the foot break as hard as possible. It's the only way the button will budge out of park. So I felt a little dumb, but I was willing to give the Kia another try. Tonight, however, was the last damn straw. My whole life almost was obliterated into a million pieces on a very busy road.

It began as I was leaving (another) restaurant. I used the key lock button to open the car, put my foot fully on the break, disengaged it out of park, and began rolling toward home. As soon as I get on the freeway, I notice in my rearview that the fucking trunk door is rising. The trunk is now OPEN and I am on the FREEWAY and my LAPTOP is laying on top of the baggage quite UNSECURED!!!!

If it has fallen out of the trunk, what will I do without this laptop? It's like thinking what you might do without basic bodilly functions you take for granted everyday. You really don't ever want to consider that this MIGHT happen. And most likely, you have done zilch to prepare for such a thing to happen (I recently bought an external backup drive, but I haven't yet put ANYTHING on it, so that doesn't really cut the mustard now does it?).

I belted out a couple Kia-themed expletives and looked for a place to pull over on 26. The layout of this freeway, you might want to know, is NOT a place anyone should EVER pull over if they can possibly avoid it. People die all the time doing the exact same thing I was about to do, which was to exit the Kia and inspect the trunk's contents, resecure it, and be on my way.

You may have gathered that the laptop was still in there when I got out of the car. You are correct, but I swear it was only in there by the pittying grace of God.

I will now only put junk and garbage in that jerry rigged trunk. For God sake, the thing opens up without any notice. What kind of trunk is that?

Maple

These were produced for my plants identification class. Today we had our midterm, which involved a long walk and identifying 30 plants by their scientific and common names. Sadly, Acer palmatum was not part of the selected plant palette.

Update on the rodent: He's been quiet as a, well, mouse. No evidence suggests he is either dead or alive, though.

Mouse

There is a tiny mouse living on the other side of the apartment in Garrett's room. Pedro and Garrett almost caught it in a likewise tiny trap the other night, but it managed to escape after both of them surrounded it in Garrett's room.

I hope to God that thing doesn't migrate over on my turf.

Paper topic change

I recently found this note attached to the sheet I have posted outside my desk for office hours. It is hilarious that she acknowledges slackerhood in a note. I feel like that might be something you mention verbally, but should never make a written record of. Kids...

*************************************************

Hi Rachel -

I've only gotten some sources but haven't organized them in a way that I could present them to you for help. Can I email you with questions tomorrow or Wednesday?

Sorry I'm such a slacker. I'll see ya in class.

Thanks a lot,
May*


*named changed to remain anonymous

Plug

Here is a link to my latest assignment for Computer Applications in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.

Returned to service

Today the evil cast unit was removed. The experience was not something I want to remember. A vibrating saw is used to get it off and they cut right down to your arm. Supposedly, the saw cannot break skin, but all other indicators told me this was the real deal. And I was afraid and would have preferred scissors.



The scratches and red spots are places where the cast was bothering me and where I itched it with the handle of a plastic fork.

Black babies, shoeboxes

This disturbing black baby was encountered at 1820 Harmon Street today. We went there to interview an artist. I sat opposite the little guy and he was creeping me out. This picture doesn't convey his sinister smirk very well.


Malus floribunda, Japanese Flowering Crabapple


Strelitzia reginae, Bird of Paradise


Fun with shoeboxes...

ATV and Sunset Magazine living

Here I am busting around the Sierra Foothills in a sweet all terrain vehicle! Note that I am NOT wearing a safety restraint. Also note that the ATV is actually stationary.




We were on a 47 acre plot of land in the Sierras this Sunday. We took a hike through the manzanita groves.


We ate dinner under this loggia thingy. It was all illuminated by candles in a very Martha Stewart-esque fashion.

Beer and broccoli

I just had an interesting dinner of goji berries, steamed broccoli and carrots, and one Anchor Steam Beer. I feel a little bloated by all these dinner ingredients. Hopefully this will pass soon enough because I have to FTP my GIS (Geographic Information Systems) assigment before the clock strikes 12.

Beer is delicious at school. Second only to bourbon.

My cast is beginning to turn to graveyard dust and is falling apart. I might turn this mother out in a day or two or if I get drunk enough, which ever comes first. My appointment for official removal is Thursday, but that is just hella long off.

Headed to Portland this Friday to surprise my mother at her 60th birthday party. I am supposed to show up at a bowling alley unannounced. I got an Evite from my step dad...apparently the crew is going to Red Robin before bowling to consume vast quantities of calories. At least it won't break the bank. I will hopefully be eating something very delicious and not prepared in a fry daddy.

Another milestone this week: I successfully lectured for 8-10 minutes in front of my LA 130 class. I talked about the landscapes of Mexican Architect Luis Barragan. It went pretty well, partly because I actually prepared and practiced my talk, making sure there was consistency between the verbal presentation and the slides. Today I helped with the midterm exam review session where I spouted off some facts and observations with great ease, surprisingly.

Who have you lectured lately?

Smell

Today I noticed that my cast now officially smells like feet. I thought that since it is a waterproof cast that I would never be bothered with this problem. However, technology is just that, it is not perfect. The cast has been retaining water more and more. It is usually semi-damp in there.

Typing on my computer today, I noticed that it smelled fainly like feet. Immediately, I assumed it was the guy across the studio divider from me. He is Australian and tends to walk around with his feet exposed, so I just blamed the smell on him. I mean, after all, he is Australian. These people come from a lineage of pirates and thieves tossed away by the Crown - it's likely they have poor hygiene, too.

Happy to have found the culprit, I rested my chin on my casted palm and noticed the smell suddenly grew in intensity. I put my nose down in there and really gagged. I can't wait to get this petrie dish off of me. Yuckos.

The Bomb, Survival and YOU.

Today I was in our environmental design library looking for a book with pictures and diagrams on tree houses and yurt-like structures. In the same shelf, an old book caught my eye. Turns out it's a genuine real-deal artifact from the Cold War. I love this stuff! Remember the turtle and "Duck and Cover"?

Published in 1954, the book speaks of quite a different world than we find ourselves in today:

Model student

I am considering copyrighting this...

Limb update

My left wrist is still rightly broken. It's been approximately three weeks since my fall. Cast: adequate condition, takes longer to dry lately than it did last week.

Many x-rays have been taken...two in the last two weeks and another one when I first broke it. Doctor assures me healing process is going fine. When I asked him whether it was ok that the cast is getting loose, he replied something like, "Well, casts don't really secure the limb that well, anyway, so don't worry. They really just are there to remind you to be careful with it." Hmm.

I should be doing push ups in no time, right?

I need to get back to my diagramming...

Yes, that would be mine. Thank you.

I arrived home tonight around 1:42 a.m., arms full of groceries from Safeway, and happened upon a little discovery. Clumsilly ascending the steps to my personal deck entrance, I noticed something very familiar draped over the railing.

Yes, that would be my black bra right there. It's outside. In the parking area. Hung over the stair railing. For me to happen upon it.



Hmm.

Well, I guess I am impressed that someone in this apartment community figured out it was mine. That was nice of them, I think.

This week's plants

This is called Michelia doltsopa - Michelia


Chaenomeles cvs. - Flowering Quince


Phormium tenax - New Zealand Flax


Corylus avellana 'Contorta'- Harry Lauder's Walking Stick

Proper search

You can install greasemonkey to add script that makes your Google search page look a bit different...ala Ray and Roast Beef!