Oh the places I've been

I've been in the City of Roses for over a week now.  With no job and plenty of time on my hands I've been able to do a lot of exploring and discovering.  Through exploring I've already developed a couple of favorites, where the locals are starting to become familiar faces instead of colorfully and well dressed blurs.  So here goes a list of the places I've been to and enjoyed (in no particular order).  

1. Stumptown Coffee on 3rd and Pine-A very young hip coffee joint with amazing coffee they roast themselves -yum

2. Cameron's Books and Magazines - According to the signs the place has been around for over 100 years.  Its piled with older books and magazines in a wonderfully chaotic organization.  Good prices too

3. Cargo - A fun and colorful import store in the pearl district full of antique and imitation antique furniture and nick knacks

4. The Multnomah County Library - Just a beautiful library with an amazing staircase and the largest collections of children's books I've ever seen.

5. Waterfront Park - For a brief time of panic I was worried about living in a place without immediate access to the open wilderness and water, then I found this park and new I'd be okay. 

6. Powell's Books - Last but not least, the city of books that takes up an entire city block and still have books left over for a few other stores scattered around Portland.  

Also check out Guidance Counselor and New Bloods to Portland bands I'm liking a lot right now.  (Ian from Guidance Counselor works at Stumptown and is pretty funny)

That's about all I can think of for now.  There's so much, I can't imagine ever being able to see it all.  

Best wishes to all and hope life is treating you well. 

signing out as pc

Well that's all I can think of right now, but I know there is a buc

Just Moved

A little less than a week ago, I moved from Sitka, Alaska to Portland, Oregon.  Two people have already commented on how the move is about finding a new me.   I think its just about finding me.  I'm pretty sure I'm only as new as I ever was or going to be.  What is new is the way I go about presenting, identifying and taking care of me.  

Right now I'm sitting in my new sparsely furnished antique apartment listening to the sound of chainsaws and fire trucks and smelling the lingering smell of smoke from the fire that happened two houses over while I was out.  Thank the good lord, or whatever is, for it being two houses over.  I thought it might of been mine.  There were a lot of fire trucks, that first appeared three to four blocks away.  

There are a lot of homeless people in this city.  Even more it seems from a few moments ago.  I can't help but think how selfish we, people, can be.  I was just walking home from buying rug for the kitchen, thinking about how I spent too much, while walking by people living out of carts and coming home to a neighbor whose lost of a home only to thank a figure who may or may not exist for thinking well enough of me to avoid burning my things.  

I'm here to write.  I hope I do.  I have not a job yet, have dipped too far into my savings but have been undeniable busy.   I've met up with former professors, who were wonderful, comedic and delightfully interesting to be around.  I ran into a friend, who was in town for the weekend and spent a day with her (Cerissa) and met with an Ex-boyfriend (Peter) whom should remain a good friend but, agreed upon by both parties, at a distance.  Other random things I've done include: cleaning every square inch of the new apartment (except for the bathroom, that comes last) gone to the Byways cafe featured on Diners, Drive ins, and Dives, got whistled at and called beautiful by complete strangers and have received the best haircut I've ever had.  

I think I'm well on my way to discovering the new parts of the original me, but there is still so much more to do.  More to come as the days go by.  .  .