Back, I guess, and sorta ready...

Well, dear readers, what can I say?  I haven't been blogging (my great capacity for stating the obvious) but I have been noticing some things around my stomping grounds.

Here's the thing: my darling mumsey has cancer and is slowing fading away before our eyes.  It's beyond sad and I've cried a river over it.  I'm not going to add more about that, though, because this is not the venue for sad family stories.  Just know that I have been distracted and busy and not neglecting you intentionally.

BUT!  I do want to get a few little tidbits noted and then I'll try to fill things out later.  To that end, I'll have to resort to bullets.

• Occupy Portland!  Wow!  Have you seen all of those tents downtown?  How hilarious is it that they chose the park between the cop shop and courthouse?  I love it!  And, in true Portland fashion, when it looked like they were going to be in the way for the Portland Marathon, they moved.  And came right back.  We're civilized like that.
• In the same neighborhood, the Edith Green/Wendell Wyatt Federal Building is finally looking like more than a steel skeleton.  There is some steel superstructure going up on the front and the south side is getting some skin.  I'll try to get some pictures.
• In my neighborhood, the Gulch, that derelict brick building on 21st that almost fell into the freeway is being rehabbed.  What?!  Who would put money into that?  I don't know, but they are shoring up the south facing foundation and building a new exterior wall.  Go figure.  Again, pictures would be helpful.
• The Slammer Tavern.  Someone has moved into the apartment above the tavern.  It's been vacant for as long as I can remember and always looked like hell, but now someone is living there.  I drive by on my way home from work and I can't help but stare as I'm stopped at the light (7th and Stark).  Weird, huh?
• South Waterfront and the New Bridge.  The south waterfront is a freaking nightmare.  I don't know why they can't do some of that work at night.  It is hellish down there!  But, watching the progress on the new bridge over the Willamette is interesting.  The new bridge will be just upstream from OMSI and cross over to the yet-to-be-built new complex of education high rises.  OHSU, PSU, and OSU are combining forces and funding and building a shared campus.  The bridge will be adjacent.  The bridge will be for light rail (a new Max line to SE -- yes, Milwaukie), bicycles, and pedestrians.  No cars!  The view from the Hill is pretty good and sometimes I'll pause on the 8th floor and watch the bridge stuff going on.

I feel like there were a couple more things I wanted to make note of, but I can't remember right now.  I'll try to get back here before too much time elapses and update you, but in the meantime, I NEED A CAMERA!  My phone takes the crappiest pictures and my little digital snappy broke so I'm in the market for something easy and cheap.

Oh, and if you were paying attention, I said that on my drive home... sad to say, I'm not riding my bike much right now.  For one thing, it's wet out.  Really wet.  But the bigger issue is that I am working a swing shift and I just don't feel good about riding home in the wet, cold, dark night.  I sure do miss Helen though.  Sigh. But, if we have a break in the weather, I'll be pedaling.

I guess that's all I've got for now.  

The Ol' Number 8

I rode the bus to work today.  No, that is not headline worthy news, it’s just that it’s been a while, a long while, and I noticed something that I thought I would share with you all.  I see that as part of my job.

The route has changed!  Yes, it still goes to the Hill.  But it gets there a different way and I was not prepared for that. 

My guess is that the route change is related to the new Green line Max that goes to PSU.  I think that stirred up a few changes on the downtown transit mall.

So, cut to the chase already! 

Back in the days of yore, the number 8 would come up the transit mall on 5^th, turn right on Jefferson, and left on Broadway (A pointless aside: it used to turn on Clay).  It would pass Portland State and continue up the street, crossing the 405 freeway and slipping downhill two or so blocks to turn right on 6^th (which becomes Terwilliger).

Now, the new route goes up 5^th ALL THE WAY TO THE FREEWAY!  AND THEN ACROSS IT!  I know!  It’s astounding!  After crossing the freeway, the bus bears to the left where 5^th, Broadway and Barbur are all muddled together, and then turns right on Carruthers.  It goes one block and then turns left on 6^th and motors on up the hill.

I realize that this bus route change is insignificant in any measure of, well, anything, but never let it be said that the Portland Report wasn’t staying on top of the insignificant. 

No squirrels or goats were observed on this ride.  Probably because it was dark out.

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