I have been super busy and also sad that I can’t find my card for my digital camera!
The contractor finally came and poured concrete on the part of the sidewalk that they city made me replace. We thought long and hard about what to write in it. So long that it was very difficult to cut anything into the cement that wasn’t quite wet. I was going to go with “BUREAUCRACY IN ACTION” In reference to what seem like a scheme the city has set up. If you don’t fix the sidewalk they will do and it charge you an arm and a leg. On top of that they start sending your information out to other contractors who will send you a dozen letters about how they can fix your sidewalk.
Anyway, we decided to just go with “MIND THE GAP” Hoping people get the London Underground reference and not think I’m talking about the clothing store. The idea is that maybe people will take notice and not trip over the protruding 3/4 inch rise that our tree roots will end up making as years go on. One of my friends with mobility issues laughed that the city made me fix such a minor problem. Oh well, now it is done!
I am in the middle of a large button order with several small ones that I’m actually contracting Paul to do. But yesterday I followed my horoscope and put pleasure before work. My friend Sam had brought me back a fist full of real vanilla beans so I made sugar cookies with real vanilla. I made frosting with natural coloring: yello Tumeric (it was good!) brown cinnamon, purple blackberry juice from my yard and also just plain vanilla with vanilla bean.
I don’t really like sweets so when I cook them I eat one of two and then have to talk my housemates into eating them. Which is sort of a problem right now because two of our housemates are at camp, one a cook in Massachusetts and the other as a counselor here in Oregon. Which means that Paul and I have the house to ourselves. We are also looking for a new housemates for our empty room which is difficult when two of the people who will be living here can’t meet a new person. Know of anyone looking for a room?
I’m still loving my new kitchen. I am waiting for a few more things to finish it up. I have almost decided to keep the 1940’s base cabinets and get a new counter top and sink. That would make this kitchen remodel complete! Unfortunately countertops are crazy expensive. boo.
My friend James moved to Portland this week. He was one of my closest friends right before I moved to Portland 10 years ago. He was really there for me and has stayed my friend since. We have all sorts of fun discussions so I’m excited to actually live in the same town again. I feel like I’m his personal concierge answering text questions about how far it is from point A to point B and where he can get an omlette downtown. It is cute and I’m stoked that he is so excited to live here.
Ok, I need to get back to work. Here’s some stuff on the internets to look at:
I wrote this scatterbrained article about the Portland Zine Symposium for Last Hours in the UK.
My friend Zach takes neat pictures and he took these one of me up at the Riverhouse last week. We used to work together and he also used to live 2 houses away so we saw eachother a lot. good time. I think we would hang out more I would jsut actually look at my phone every now and then and called back. I really hate the phone.
Alex Wrekk 