Coolest thing all summer

This morning in the park around 6:00am near my home I witnessed a physical battle between these two animals:


Common urban crow. See also, nuisance.


Some exotic falcon or hawk, species unknown.

When I arrived in the park after a run around the neighborhood, I noticed a particularly rowdy mob of crows. Usually, after the weekend picnics and barbecues that happen here, the crows are really obnoxious, jumping around each other, tearing garbage out of the bins, and basically making me want to kill them. This morning they were especially annoying. There must have been twenty of them fighting over a McDonald's 1/4 Pounder with Cheese wrapper. I found an old tennis ball under a tree and decided the moment was ripe for crow harassment. I kicked it at them and then proceeded to charge the moxley bunch, running full speed through them. They got all in an uproar and swooped around, screaming and flapping around like idiots. I continued to chase them around and picked up the trash they'd dragged out into 38th Street (a Dairy Queen bag with fries in it). At that point, I decided I'd had enough of them and started walking back through the park toward my house.

I noticed a non-crow bird in the park on the way past the play equipment. I stopped and decided to watch it for a minute. Non-crows are very unusual in Wilshire Park. Crows here seem to have taken over habitat of all native birds - no warblers, finches, or sparrows. You MIGHT see a robin once in a while but it is rare. In fact, you rarely see anything flying around this area of town that isn't a crow. It's really sad. So when I realized that this non-crow was actually a hawk, I was mesmerized. I looked at it for a while and was wondering what the hawk thought about all these bastard crows. It saw me, but it's attention was elsewhere. I assumed it was eyeing the 3-4 fat little squirrels running around nearby. But I was wrong.

Just like me, that hawk had its heart set on a little crow harassment! It let out one of those cool piercing hawk calls, and then swooped down and attacked a passing crow in mid-air. The crows went crazy. They didn't go after the hawk though, they just went back to their garbage.



I was so proud of the hawk. Maybe it saw me bothering them and got inspired, I don't know. For the next 5 minutes I watched that hawk dive-bomb those crows with a snarling vengeance. It was pissed. It kept letting out these great hawk calls everytime it attacked.

I left the park feeling upbeat but a little worried about the hawk, given that it was outnumbered easily 1:50 out there.

I am not sure exactly what kind of hawk it was, but it kind of looked like something called a Cooper's Hawk.

Sold

I usually sell about one item per year on Ebay. This year it was my sister's Blackberry 8703e device. That thing was snatched up in no less than one hour into the auction. I wonder if I priced it too low? Anyway, $175 has been transferred into my Paypal account and all I gots to do is wrap up the sucker and mail it off. The guy who bought it is named Hussein and he lives in Philadelphia. The ad cost me less than $4 to post, but I had a credit with Ebay.

Today is an exceptionally beautiful Friday. It is about 85F and sunny outside. By 6pm, temperatures will have dropped to a comfortable 77F. My sister and I are planning to bar hop on bikes. I am supposed to meet her at Thatch. From there we go to Vendetta. I am still brainstorming for the final destination.

Death on Grove Street

A woman died in some terrible shooting only about 2-3 blocks from my house in Berkeley. Here's the coverage in the Chronicle. I haven't ever had a tangle with danger although the area has its share of corner liquor stores and questionable street activity. During the busy part of the year, I walk home from campus at 2-3am more often than I should allow myself.

Berry laden

My sister offered to give me her old blackberry (she bought it 7 mo. ago) in exchange for the phone I currently have (standard issue Verizon phone). Seems like a good deal on my end, but I am concerned about the monthly carriage fee. I will have to talk to the Verizon people (ech).

Currently I fork over about $50 including tax for my basic program. I would do the Blackberry if it cost no more than $20 more a month. Something tells me it would be more...

Doings

Bought:
Peter Bjorn and John, Writer's Block
Spoon, Gagagagaga

Consumed:
Everett Street Bistro

Died:
Tammy Faye Messner

Viewed:
Once

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.