Observed

Death of Tooth 31

December 17, 2008

A tooth that played a key role in chewing more than 49,000 meals and countless snacks died today in Portland. The veteran molar was 45 years old. The death of Tooth 31 came after three weeks of intense medical treatment, including two root canals, antibiotics, and x-rays. “We did everything we could,” said a specialist […]

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Indomitable Will of Plants

December 14, 2008

Even with the onslaught of winter, some flowers refuse to yield to nature. They won’t give in despite the overwhelming forces aligned against them. Yes, I’m granting powers to plants — thinking, free will, emotions — that to our knowledge don’t exist.

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What a Deal

December 11, 2008

Portland’s robust recycle and reuse ethos is stronger than I thought. But the competition for customers may be getting out of hand, judging from this scene: A sign in a vacant lot on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard advertises potted Christmas trees. I see some as I drive past. Next to the trees are […]

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Time Changes

December 10, 2008

I’m busy contemplating how to use the extra one second bestowed upon us at the moment 2008 ends. The addition of a so-called leap second last happened in 2005, not that anyone noticed. But reading about this latest adjustment, I imagine life shifting into slow motion at 23:59:59. What dramas or epiphanies will burst forth […]

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Grocery Aisle Tales

December 9, 2008

I live between two Portland groceries stores a mile apart. But shopping at them feels like visiting different countries. Whole Foods to the north is organic, expensive, and attracts a well-scrubbed crowd. Safeway to the north is cheaper, bigger, and attracts more diverse clientele. Both meet my consumer needs. But during trips to Safeway, I […]

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Storytime Among Strangers

December 7, 2008

A silly idea. That was my first thought when told I had to write on a card something people would be surprised to learn about me. Because I only knew a few people at the pot-luck dinner, anything I wrote would be a surprise except to my wife. I became more intrigued when told not […]

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Sunset of Conspiring Clouds

December 6, 2008

Across the Portland area, people are posting to blogs their photos of today’s sunset. It was breathtaking, and I too have pictures to prove it. For those of us living east of the West Hills, memorable sunsets are rare. This is especially true in December and many months to follow because of the persistent rainy […]

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Weather Obsessed

December 1, 2008

Move to Portland and you’ll immediately encounter people’s obsession with weather. I’ve lived here nine years and joke about the obsession while enthusiastically contributing to it. The climate isn’t extreme, though the contrast between summer and winter is. But the weather obsession is less about reviling cold and rain and more about seeking connection to […]

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Soundtracks to Tragic News

November 28, 2008

Exercising while listening to music and watching tragic news on CNN is a collision of dissonance. Picture the scene: two dozen bodies bouncing along on cardio equipment in front of six health club TVs. I’m on the elliptical machine. Music blaring from my ear buds drowns out all other sound, even my panting breaths. My […]

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Hope and Haircuts

November 20, 2008

Two barbershops, fifty years and three thousand miles apart. At one I had my first haircut without a parent in tow. It was in Florida, and I was a young boy new to the South. The father and son proprietors were Alabama crackers. The only time they spoke more than a few words was when […]

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Some days some things jump out at me. This morning it was signs. I was traveling a familiar route, and three signs looked new to the urban landscape. “Keep Portland Weird!” cried out from the west side of Music Millenium, the only place I buy CDs in person. I knew the store on East Burnside […]

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More Than a Farmers Market

November 15, 2008

A young man played bagpipes while riding a unicycle on one end of the Portland Farmers Market. On the other, protesters decried passage of the anti-gay marriage amendment in California. In between on the Park Blocks amid the produce and other foods was scene after scene that made my Saturday morning. Maybe the brisk bike […]

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Edible Schoolwork

November 10, 2008

Parents like to display schoolwork the kids bring home. At our house we put it in on the dining table and eat it. To be precise, Daniel isn’t our kid. He’s my nephew and twenty-three. But he’s living with my wife and me for now. With increasing frequency he’s bringing home what he prepares at […]

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