Yesterday was Hillary and Andi’s mellow day. I walked in nature, we snagged some cheap clothes at a thrift store (including an uber warm jacket for me!). I took some photos of seagulls and ducks walking on ice and some greenery. We ate salad and drank lots of coffee.
Berries of Portland
Laurelhurst Park
Seagulls and ice!
Cold birds
A shady area near the lake
Andi making us some pretty salads
That evening I tried the whole “not drinking” thing and it turned out just fine! We went to see her friend Christian Ives’ art opening at the Clinton Café. I dug his stuff – he had the Picasso technique but with a bit of humor. We talked from about 7pm until midnight about everything from cultural differences around the US, hair styles, astronomy, tattoos, movies and directors, drunk stories, stoned stories, crazy adventures in foreign cities, artists and painters, cults, and most of all baking. Who the hell can jump from subject to subject? We can! I love how the bars here have water coolers and cups for those who want to ‘take it easy’. I find it humorous still that my ‘taking it easy’ night is a Saturday these days.
The chicken instrument
Only in Portland...
Today Chris picked us up and took us to some scenic areas, like Rocky Butte and Pittock Mansion. The wind was ferocious, it must have followed me from Texas.
Mount Hood
Chris the Mountain Man
Yonder!
An awesome storm coming in
Information about the surrounding mountains
Technology and Nature
There's that crazy wind!
Chris and Andi at the Pittock Mansion overlook
Chris + Mansion
Two goofs
Fuscia Girl
Yum!
I love these poles
That's right!
The rest of the evening we hung out and drank some coffee, red beer with olives, pizza, and then headed to the infamous Striparaoke.
Now… that was interesting. I think I lost my boldness or something because I was nervous as hell singing “Love Fool” on stage with a stripper named Jewel climbing a pole half naked with jingling nipple piercings. I got through it though. The bartender was super cool and every time I ordered with a Texas accent he would say “Since you’re from Texas, and everything’s bigger there…” then he poured a huge ass glass of whiskey for me. Ahhhh, good times. I was surprised how un-creepy the place was, considering the seedy joints I’ve heard about in Dallas. It was mostly a bunch of hipsters, some very happy and carefree strippers, and the scariest “no shit’s going to go down here” doormen. Chris sang the super-group Asia, Andi did the Toadies, and the rest of the people in there chose from probably the biggest karaoke selection I have ever seen at any bar anywhere. Rick Astley was sung, Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia” was sung… we left soon since I was getting way too drunk too fast. After visiting Chris at the porn store and having my mind raped by all vices of sexually, we decided to head home. I fell asleep singing to music again, with the sights of boobs and dildos dancing through my head.
Monday, January 19, 2009
We had a slow rise this morning but due to some minor hangovers. I haven’t done much today except cook and eat. We made a trip to Whole Foods and came back with granola, dipping sauce ingredients, and some stuff for my rosemary fingerling potatoes. Now we’re sitting drinking our teas. What to do tonight. Le hmmmmmm?
Health foods
Andi's rock fountain
Woah Nelly!
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
BUBYE BUSH!!!
Andi and I ended up drinking whiskey last night and going for a little walk through the neighborhood then watched The Simpsons with West, her neighbor. We decided that today we would get some champagne and orange juice and make mimosas while watching the Inauguration. I have never watched an Inauguration before, it was kind of magical. Andi woke up at 6:30 entertained by the madness in Washington and I stumbled to Whole Foods to get the champagne. West has the cutest little apartment in the pink house next store with two calico cats and a wonderful spice scent. We sat on her floor and watched the madness. Obama was precious when he slipped on his oath to office.
“And in the joy of a new beginning we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead man, and when white will embrace what is right. Let all those who'll do justice and love mercy say amen.” - The Reverend Doctor Joseph E. Lowery
"Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.” – Elizabeth Alexander (hell yeah, the harmonica!)
Mimosas and the Inaugural Ceremony at 9am
A little tipsy from the drinks, I pose with the hippie bus
Portland Nature
There are chainsaw massacres outside of Texas?
I went for a nice run in the park then Andi and I went to get the dreaded ‘haircuts’. I will call Andi Samson since she had not cut her hair in almost 10 years and has been seriously debating it for over a year now but got the courage today. We went to Bishop’s Barber Shop, a ‘rock n roll’ shop for walk-ins only with free beer and posters all over the wall. Samson’s Delilah was a very nice tri-color haired hipster chick who had New Kids On The Block trading cards. My hairdresser was a nice young redhead man who discussed politics and music with me. Andi’s hair is so gorgeous short… and she kept the cut off part which now resides in a paper bag by the bed. Go Andi!
The 'before' Picture
Haircut!
My minor cut
We did it for Obama!
We headed to Vancouver to meet her Engineer friends at a nice McMenamins overlooking the Columbia river, where the light of a few low-flying airplanes lit up the river and conversations and celebrations over the Inauguration flowed into the night. We decided to go to a Poetry Slam off Alberta where Chris and a few of their friends were. The place was a bar attached to an old church and poetry about love, hate, awkwardness, and everything inbetween echoed through the place. As soon as I sat down in the pew Chris’ lady friend approached me with a knife and told me to carve into the pew. I chickened out and started to drink at a very quick pace. I met a very loud and eccentric young lady who ran the poetry reading who was from Dallas and her boyfriend, the drummer for a few of Chris’ projects. Out back the poets hung out smoking under heat lamps discussing poetic things… and stuff. It was awesome as a passive observer. The strangest sight of the night was seeing a young man dressed in all black leaning over Chris sitting in a pew. He looked like a young minister giving him a lecture. On the contrary, this young man was a complete psycho with a beautiful tongue. He told me I had classic beauty and that proceeded to read into my life and giving me the prophecy that I will find what I want… what I need… my sign would be waking up to the sound of chimes and sun coming in the window. When that happens, I will know what I want in my life. That’s all he said then he disappeared into the night. Wow. In respect to the reference to playing a harmonica in the Inauguration speech, Andi and I busted out our jaw harp and harmonica and played for the small group of people conversing in the bar-church. I came home and I wrote until my hands hurt. So much weird inspirations!
Poetry Slam Time
The poet ladies hanging out in the back
Chillin' in the pews with Andi
Toilet yard
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Andi and I figured we’ve been cooking too much and needed to go to a real breakfast place. We headed to Johnny Ds for good old American food. The place was charming and cheap with checkered floors and tennis balls on the bottom of all the chairs. Andi must have changed her hair at least four times today – Bed Head, Hat Head, Anime hair, Faux Sideburns. It’s great!
Breakfast at Johnny D's
Tennis Ball Socks
Strange neighborhood!
I went on an adventure to the closest grocery store which was about a mile away for baking supplies for cookies. I picked up some free clothes in a box, some rubber chicken instruments, a small jaw harp, and the baking stuff. I got the recipe for the ‘perfect cookie’ and the dough is cooling this evening, ready to be put in the oven tomorrow. On the way back I got lost in the neighborhood and ended up passing an ‘Environmental School’ just getting out of class. I saw a group of parents with bikes waiting out front, a little girl with dyed pink hair running to her father, a self-sustainable farm next to the playground. Am I still in the USA? I passed by Sunnyside Piaza in the last of the week long sun-spree. The paint had faded, I assume, from the snow. I finally found my way back. Tonight Andi and I will be going to the Plan B Bar. I hope all the garlic burps will subside by then.
Wall art on my adventure
Sunnyside Piazza... in the sun!
Sunglasses in sunnyside.
More art...
Until Next Time... Love, Peace and Chickens.
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