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May 31, 2006
Soggy ceiling
Ben came home today to find three inches of water soaking the clean laundry in his basket and a bedroom ceiling like a sponge. We're not sure yet whether an upstairs neighbor overflowed the tub or a leak sprung in a pipe somewhere.
When our power went out and we couldn't figure out what to do, it took the landlord about a day and a half to get the lights back on. For that reason, I've moved Ben's saxophone out from under the soggy patch of ceiling. I'm not convinced this will be taken care of before things get worse.
The century-old wood floors are horribly scarred.
Ben and I have decided that when next we move, we're looking for a newer place.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2006
Four-day weekend
I don't gotta work tomorrow. Or Saturday. Or Sunday. Or Monday. Ben too.
The debauchery is already underway. It starts with cheddar and beer flavored potato chips.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2006
Nuclear boom
Although we were tired from too little sleep and an awful end to the previous day, Ben and I pulled each other out of bed this morning for the 40-mile trek to Kalama, Wash.
There, we had reserved a spot at a 6 a.m. Scandinavian heritage party, thanks to my Norwegian ancestry. The fundraiser was being held at a hilltop home which had a clear view of the decommissioned Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. Its cooling tower, in Oregon, across the Columbia River from our perch, was scheduled for 7 a.m. destruction.
Thousands of people clamored to Kalama and other vantage points that early morning looking for a view. The entire street was lined with cars. Below us, pickup trucks had pulled into empty lots. Sail boats and motor boats crowded the river, getting as close as the Coast Guard would allow. Riverfront industrial parking lots -- normally empty on the weekends -- were jammed with trucks and cars and people wrapped in blankets against the chill.
At the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation party, we stood around drinking coffee, eating pastries and occasionally making small talk with strangers until a few minutes before 7 a.m. Then we made our way outside. Everyone did. The house had both upstairs and downstairs balconies. We opted to stand on the grass just below the bottom balcony.
First a warning flare echoed across the Columbia. Then, a minute later, the demolition. It was spectacular, enormous and brief. The echoing boom did not reach us until several seconds after the 500-foot-tall structure buckled in a billow of concrete dust and explosive smoke. Then the smoke and dust slowly drifted south. It started across the river, but strong winds pushed it back to shore. I expect the cloud engulfed some close-in spectators.
Judging by the commentary on this video, I'm pretty sure it was taken by one of the people at our party. I also found this up-close view and this video from a hill somewhere in Oregon.
There's a good article about the whole thing on my old paper's web site.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)
Bye, bye Jazzy
Jazzy jumped up on to her new favorite perch last night -- a hutch that gives her a full view of the computer room -- then fell with a thud and started panting. By the time we arrived at the emergency vet, her heart had stopped beating.
She was a large framed cat, and the veterinarian said that big cats sometimes have heart problems that go undetected. Without a necropsy, we'll never know for sure. But that's probably what killed her -- an invisible flaw in her heart that let her live a full, happy, active life until she died.
Jazzy started out very small when Ben adopted her as a three-week-old kitten seven years ago.
By the time I got to know her, she was a very lean, very tall, very long cat.
She was mischievous, and sometimes quite bad. She was also beautiful and often very sweet.
She liked to hide in cupboards, munch on my hair and Ben's, sit on laps -- especially Ben's, and especially while he was at the computer. She also liked to eat plastic bags, which made her very sick one time. She loved shredding toilet paper, and she loved chasing toys around the house until she deemed them dead, then leaving them in her water dish. She liked to eat dental floss. After we saw a string of floss trailing out of Jazzy's wrong end, Ben and I started flushing it rather than tossing it in the trash for her to dig up.
She was adopted from the Humane Society on Columbia Boulevard, not far from where we live now. Jazzy was the name that the shelter gave her. Ben met her, she played with his finger through the bars in his cage. He went home that day, thought about it, then decided to adopt her.
Mister came into Jazzy's life in the spring of 2003, when Ben and I moved in together. They lived as siblings for three years, although it took them a while to grow accustomed to each other.
They fought viciously at first, then playfully. They liked to sleep on the bed next to each other. They liked to sniff each other's butts and chase each other around the house.
Now Mister is an only cat.
We'll be getting a card with Jazzy's paw prints as a final memento of her life. I put a few photos of her online, but we have dozens more at home.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 11:47 AM | Comments (6)
May 18, 2006
Beach, bikes, booms
So, my recent visitor (who prefers to remain nameless) was here on the hottest May day in recorded Portland history. It was 96 degrees in parts of the city on Monday. The apartment stayed cool, and we stayed in. I was trounced at Scrabble.
We'd gotten our fair share of activity the day before, when we drove out to Cannon Beach and hopped from stone to seaweed covered stone near Haystack Rock.
She's now safely back on her home turf.
Since she left on Wednesday, I've stamped and labeled our wedding invites, with help from Ben. I also got my teeth cleaned, took Mister to the vet, and drooled over some bicycles.
Friday and Saturday I've got to put the invites in the mail, help Ben buy a suit, work on massaging our vows, and finally buy the bike of my dreams.
On Sunday, we're going to a fundraiser for the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation. Why? Because it will give us a prime view of the "Trojan implosion," when the nuclear cooling tower that inpsired Simpsons creator Matt Groening comes crumbling down.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 09:25 PM | Comments (1)
May 14, 2006
Busy weekend
My doctor friend's in town this weekend, and so far we're keeping crazy busy.
Yesterday we hiked 6 or 7 (or more, I'm honestly not sure) miles around and above Multnohmah Falls. It was an intense hike, with lots of steep switchbacks up and down and excellent views of a whole bunch of waterfalls and the Columbia River Gorge.
Then we headed out to a party, where there were local bands and incredibly awesome tribal style belly dancers, all in a Grinnellian's living room. Just about everyone there was super smart and friendly. The keg was filled with a high quality Portland brew (though I limited myself to half a cup, 'cause I was driving).
Today we're thinking about driving up past Woodland to the Ape Caves, though I'm wondering is we should take advantage of surprisingly warm weather and head to the beach instead. First, though, I need to get Mister to a vet to follow-up on his recent urinary tract problems.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:31 AM | Comments (1)
May 11, 2006
Fitness
I've been working out at least four times a week after work, and going for occasional walks as well. I look in the mirror, and I'm not sure if I see anything different. But today I went to the doctor, and I got confirmation that it's worth it.
She put her stethoscope on my chest and said, "You've been working out."
Apparently I have a very healthy heart. Everything else looks good as well. Yay, health! I need to appreciate it while I have it.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2006
Yoga
A couple of days ago, I discovered that we have an entire channel of on demand yoga videos through our cable. Some are intense make-you-sweat workouts -- not exactly what I was looking for -- but others are slow, relaxing and meditative. I've been wanting to do yoga for a while now, but I haven't known where to start. Now I've done two workouts. They leave me feeling refreshed and breathing deep. Yay!
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2006
Talk about the weather
Summer arrives haltingly in Portland. Yesterday, it hit 70 and I went for a walk in a halter-top dress and I soaked up the sun. Today it's chilly, with intermittent drizzle. Still went for a walk, but this time I wore jeans, a sweater and a light jacket.
I'm so excited about June and July. I think they'll both be sunny, warm and beautiful. The days get long, the sun shines a yellow and blue light on the sidewalks. Everything is green. The air is dry, and it's never too terribly hot. I wish I could have Portland summers for 12 months of every year.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)
May 04, 2006
Courtney
I found a short online video about the neighborhood where Ben and I live.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)
How many habits do you have?
As I filed in to the office conference room for the first of four four-hour sessions, I was both skeptical and hopeful. I've always struggled with time management and organization, and lately I've been feeling unmotivated, too. But jargon is the natural enemy of any journalist. It makes me cringe.
That's right, I signed up for a course on "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." It's mandatory for managers at my new job, optional, free and available for the rest of us. I'm skeptical of self-help programs, but this is one of two or three that a pretty wide range of smart people I've met have actually benefitted from. Another good one is supposed to be "Getting Things Done." I bought the book, but couldn't bring myself to finish it.
In our first session, we talked about the first habit: "Be Proactive." Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but "proactive" is my least favorite word of all time. The underlying concept, however, is one I agree with: "Take responsibility for the aspects of your life you have control over, and don't waste your time worrying about things you can't change." Sounds reasonable.
I wonder if the other habits, which include such awful labels as "Synergize" and "Sharpen the saw" are equally reasonable. I hope so. I feel so optimistic.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 06:04 AM | Comments (2)
May 02, 2006
Back in town
I had a really good time hanging out with Ross. Vancouver's an awesome city, and I've been daydreaming about living there ever since I got home. The logistics of visas and international work permits seem a bit daunting, though. Portland's not such a bad alternative.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)