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OLD PORTLAND, NEW PORTLAND, TODAY PORTLAND WITH MARK ROTHKO

This is a scene of old Portland, a painting by Mark Rothko, hanging in new Portland.
A single bridge, a barren Eastside, a cloudy sky.
Yep, looks like Portland.
Here’s how I know:

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WORKING WITH ART WORKS TO HELP DAVID HOCKNEY WORK BETTER

‘Meet me at the art museum’ is a sure way to discover how art works, starting with the installation.
Don’t have time for a trip to downtown Portland?
Leave it to boomerpdx to fill in the frame.
Sometimes the art work delivers in mysterious ways.
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LIFE CYCLE: TOMATO KING 2026

The life cycle of tomatoes starts with an idea:
‘Let’s do something with the space we’ve got.’
When the space includes a side yard with lots of sun?
Plant that tomato.
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SOCCER, FOOTBALL, AMERICAN WORLD CUP, FINALLY

The American World Cup showed city after city jumping for their teams.
Not so much the American team in the finals and semi-finals, but the good teams.
Why not American soccer? What’s gone wrong to prevent the home team from becoming regulars in the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and the Final Four?
Maybe it’s the branding since college basketball has taken all the cool names.
Maybe it’s that American football is more about passing and running than kicking?
I’ve figured out the problem, and solution.
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THROWBACK BEACH RUN TO SEASIDE

Growing up in a coastal town took the drama out of any beach run.
North Bend was surrounded by Coos Bay with a high tide creeping on Virginia Avenue and sometimes giving 101 a good rinse.
With beaches to the north, south, and west, it was easy to find the right one.
Going to the beach wasn’t so much a plan as it was a possible destination a half hour away from town.
Then we grew up and things got more complicated.
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toughen up

YOU HAVE FEELINGS? DO THEY SAY HAPPY?

  HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE HAPPY You’ve heard it before, whether you’re ten, thirty-four, or seventy-four years old. Balance. Say it like they said, “Plastic,” in The Graduate. Life, or a good life, depends on balance. Think moderation. Most of the time you hear this and nod and agree like the fat man who […]

CANCER STORIES: FEEDING PUBLIC FEAR AND PRIVATE WOE

Things you’ll never know until you get cancer, any cancer:   You’ll either be an object of sympathy, or an antenna of sympathy. Or both.   “Keep up the fight,” or, “You’re a fighter,” or “You look like you’ve got this thing whipped.”   That’s what I heard after running Hood To Coast at 49 […]

Portland Mole Removal

  How many Portland baby boomers remember when they were pregnant, or their significant others were pregnant?   Didn’t the world seem full of pregnant women?   They were everywhere and you were part of it.   Then you had your baby and you didn’t notice as many pregnant women. Instead you saw a million kids. […]

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boomer years

When The Lights Go Down In The City

The Neon Gets Better. On a cold, dark, night, a city asks for caution. Even the familiar takes on an extra foreboding. With others, or walking alone, the sound of footsteps behind you quickens your pace. Empty shadows carry secrets you don’t want to know. Some streets are just not very inviting. Even in the […]

How Teamwork Is Supposed To Work In Real Life

    A team is a temporary group with the same goals. Whether it’s sports, school, work, or family, it’s important to know how teamwork is supposed to work.   The biggest element of teamwork is cooperation, which is in shorter supply than most expect.   For example, in the armed forces all entities compete […]

IN PRAISE OF GOOD DRAINAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR

One of the highlights of Army basic training is a week long camp out. Everyone needs to enjoy the outdoors this way. You learn new skills and meet new friends. New friends come with the other half of the tent you’ll spend the week in…together. It’s called a shelter half. If you can’t get along […]

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buckle up

TWO MARRIED GUYS MAP DATE LIFE

What else would two married guys do? The beauty of public transportation comes with the people you meet. Two old men waited at a Portland bus stop. Late afternoon drizzle fell on the city through fading light. The sun made little effort to split the clouds over the Willamette River. Man 1: It felt like […]

Portland Bird Flip To The Rest Of You

    The Portland bird is one thing, the Portland bird flip a whole ‘nother thing.   If it’s not this, it’s that for Portland. Close to the mountains, close to the beach, and if the pace of new building is any indicator, close to the new neighbors.   Like any city over a certain […]

Lighten Up While You Still Can

    When The Eagles sing Take It Easy, the line that stands out for me is, ‘Lighten up while you still can.’ It’s the same when Jackson Browne and James Taylor sing it.   Baby boomers know how hard it is to lighten up better than anyone. Lighting up too, but that’s another post. […]

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