Thing a Day 17- Downtown Concerts

Wednesday, June 30
One of the many awesome things about PDX's summers are the incredible abundance of FREE stuff to do around town. Being as insanely broke as we are this summer, this is a huge plus about living here. You could honestly probably do something around town every single day of the week all summer long and never spend a single dime if you have a bike and a small cooler.

We went to check out Portland Center for the Performing Arts' free outdoor summer concert series
call Music on Main St. We checked out a band we hadn't heard before called Pancake Breakfast and were pleasantly surprised by their wide range of styles throughout the show.

We followed the show up by walking a block to eat a 'picnic' dinner of cold leftover pizza in the park blocks and people watch then hopped the max home. Happiness!

Catching up and diaper quotes

Monday and Tuesday this week were a fail as far a getting Thing a days done. Mostly spent my time at home catching up on all the bills and other random stuff that needed to be updated, checked on or otherwise resolved. Tuesday I went in to the office on campus to work and meet with the new Department head (who seems to be a super rad lady) and I'm stoked to see how this new team moves the Center into Department status.

On another note I took a low res snap shot of my first QUOTES drawing that I did sitting around during art walk last week. It was something my niece realized last year at age 2 and was really excited to share with me. I've got a lot of those that I imagine will make it into the series by the time I'm done.

TaD 16- B-day Kickball and backyard BBQ

Sunday June 27

A great day full of kickball, sunshine, friends, beer, shotgunning, flip cup and some weird wine bag slapping "game" called Slap the Bag where you take the bag of wine out of the box, slap it, then drink it. I didn't understand the point but it was somehow still really funny.Even though today isn't a usual Thing-a-day type day (creating, experiencing, drawing, learning etc). I'm still counting it as one because of it's utter perfection as a laid back time with good friends and it can be hard to get everyone together in one place at the same time.

Tad 14 & 15- Organic Brew Fest

Friday June 25
So being broke (as many of us often are during the summer without financial aid checks to help cover costs) G and I have been trying to get creative with ways to do the cool stuff we want to do. Can't afford all of Portland's many brew festivals? Try volunteering! We signed up and worked a 2-6pm shift, met cool people and learned the finer points of how to work the beer fest system (apparently you should try to get on the first shift of the weekend so that you can try all the unique beers while there are still kegs of it left and also the last shift of the weekend so that you get to attend the after party where the volunteers and brewers kill off what's left of all the tapped kegs from the festival)

We weren't able to stay for too long afterwards because of the need to get home and prepare Cheesy Movie Night at out house. This week was the childhood summertime classic The Sandlot. But mostly people just got really drunk and visited.

TaD 6-13 - art, music, frisbee

Do you ever get so busy that you can't even recall what you did earlier that same week? That explains pretty well my last 9 days.
Last weekend was father's day, spent in Eugene with the parents. I'm sure something happened on Monday but I've been racking my brain to remember and have come out empty handed or minded as it were.

Tuesday June 22
The troops were called out to meet up for an impromptu evening at the park which ended up with a 20 player game of Ultimate Frisbee. Fun, but there's a hell of a lot more running in UF than kickball. At least the way we play.

Wednesday June 23
The troops rally at the venue Mt. Tabor Theater to see friend Gabe's new project Wy' East play.


Thursday June 24
Walked to Alberta Street for the Last Thursday Art Walk. Hung out in the booth with Cassie (selling Honey Bijou jewlery) and Natalie (selling her Budding Homemaker- the cutest aprons you've ever seen)

Thing a day 5- 7am World Cup Soccer

Fri. June 18

Kim was in town and it's a pretty sure bet that her mention of a very early morning get-together to watch the US v. Slovenia some place local (since she was in town) meant she'd actually show up. (Some friends aren't quite what you'd call early birds-including us)

At 6:45am G and I strolled a few blocks down to the R.A.T (Rose and Thistle) because we'd seen they were opening early for games and we hoped this meant the really early games such a this one too. We figured we'd show up, grab a table for anyone else who showed up and maybe have a bloody mary. What we DIDN'T expect was our favorite local spot to be twice as packed as we'd EVER seen it on the busiest friday night, shoulder to shoulder standing room only full of laughing, cheering, jolly drunk, Portlanders. At 7:10am. On a weekday. (it should be noted there were 2 other places on the SAME block showing the game, serving booze who were equally full).

Though my suspicions are that PDXers are more interested in the ability to sit at a bar getting sloshed at 7am than watching international soccer, the reaction to goals made and lost still have me second guessing that sentiment.

Joined later by my sister and friend Rob (both with massive hangovers from cheap wine around the backyard fire the night before) we left the RAT for some after-game breakfast at the Mississipi Marketplace Cart Pod. G and I discovered the cart The Big Egg a few weeks ago and have been dying to introduce the best ever breakfast burrito to other people. (Don't believe me? See what other people have to say about it!)

The beauty of the Mississippi pod is that they are in the paved and covered lot adjoining the bar Prost! at it's outdoor patio. The patio opens out into the cart area and signs at the entrance tell visitors that cart food is welcome if you're drinking. well, DUH! Of course we're drinking!

We got our burritos and Monte Carlos and sat on the patio with giant german biers, enjoying the long awaited sun and outstanding breakfast. By noon, we went our separate ways... presumably to take naps.

Thing a day 4

Wed. June 16

Started going to the gym. I've actually been a part of this gym for quite a while but you know how that seems to always work out with the whole paying even though you're not going because someday you're going to start going on a regular basis... so...yeeeahhhhh.

Anyway, the Lloyd Athletic Club kicks ass. It's super cheap for students,includes membership to 4 area gyms (one with a pool!) has dance inspired aerobics classes such as zumba, racquetball and a bar. And I'm not talking the kind for doing chin-ups!

This is mostly because the kball crew has decided to do a summertime fitness challenge. 3 personal fitness goals in 3 months ending with Portland's Walk for the Cure and possibly a group roadtrip to Cali for In-n-Out, camping and The Price is Right. I'm hoping to merengue off 20 pounds, limber up to splits-capable status and make it through an entire zumba class at full hip-shimmying speed without having a heart-attack.




photo courtesy of Zumba Fitness LLC

Thing a day: 3

Wed. June 16
Saw Cyrus play a show!
Realized that I have friends who are jaw-droppingly talented. Dressed in all white and playing synth, drums, guitar and singing - often all at the same time- he was witty, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable to watch. The only way for my musically limited mind to even try to describe it is maybe Buckethead meets Ween, and after a bluesy one night stand has little black haired bichon-frise pups all over the stage at a megadeath show. I loved it!

Cyrus is also:
a ritual master
a tweeter
a picture taker
on youtube
an artist

Thing-a-day- clean house

So the sun has decided to finally join us. Unfortunately he brought that asshole friend of his, Grass Pollen. Man, I hate that guy! But he's only staying for another week or two so I guess I'll just have to focus my efforts towards more indoorsy type things.
I'm posting all my thing-a-days for the first week here to get you caught up on the shennanigans then I'll try posting every day. (but we all know how well that's worked out in the past:)

Tuesday June 15-
Started Operation Cleaning House. Deep cleaning ever corner, purging every box in storage, tossing most of the useless knick-knacks that have been in drawers, unused for years. Before picture are below and after pictures coming soon! (yes, damnit! because I haven't finished yet!)

Ready, Set... SUMMER!

Seeing as how my To-Do List has projects that have been waiting at least 6 months on it I'm jumping right in to summer break with Thing-a-Day postings. Projects, photography, illustrations, special events, trips, accomplishments... whatever thing it is that I do that day!

DAY 1- Saturday June 12th
The first weekend free in months! Spent it at the beach doing nothing. And by doing nothing, of course, I mean working. Finally getting caught up with the back log of photos from daily goings on!

Penelope's 3rd Birthday Party