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PDX WOOD A WELCOME SIGHT

Call it PDX wood, Portland wood, Oregon wood.
Or call it what it is, Douglas Fir from the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua.
And call it a nice wall.
It’s nice in a way, but unfinished looking.
Your call:

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PORTLAND TRAVEL NOTES: THE BOOKENDS

This is the flat spot in the river bank where people used to take a break.
Whether coming up from the Columbia River, or down on the Willamette, this was the original rest stop for paddlers.
Then it grew, grew some more, and for those of us who’ve traded punches on her streets, it’s all grown up.
And it has bookends on the part people think of when they hear the word ‘Portland.’

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY? MAYBE NOT

It could be a case of mistaken identity if you’re in an outfit led by a naked lady and winged horse all clad in gold.
Where’s the plan? What’s the goal? Is it safe?
No one gives a good answer.
Where’s your plan, what’s the goal, is it safe?
If the plan is to paint yourself gold and get a winged horse you might want to take another look.
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TO BE INTERESTING BE INTERESTED

It can’t be just in my individual baby boomer blogger brain, but these guys are famous in every form you see them, hear them, feel them.
I was driving around town, passed through a parking lot, and there they were on the wall looking like an Andy Warhol fever dream.
Were they trying to be interesting?

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COUNTING YEARS, ADDING TIME

Counting years, birthdays, anniversaries, is easy math even for non-math people.
One day you’re logging miles and running races and getting a new t-shirt.
The world is fresh and waiting for what you have to offer so show up and do your best.
Then the race changes, but the task is the same: show up and do your best.

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toughen up

PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, PT3: MILLENNIAL ILLNESS

This graph shows the age of BoomerPDX readers. From a boomer blogger to millennials, I’m glad you read this blog. Not all news is good, but good ideas help open the right doors. I’m as surprised as anyone to see who shows up here, and millennials lead the pack according to Google Analytics. And they […]

GYM MEMORIAL FOR BOOMERS

  The first thing you notice in a new gym is the pecking order. Strong guys group together. Old guys over there. Young men pumping out the reps. Ladies all over the place on every piece of equipment.   Women have the gym all figured out. Guys not so much.   Over time a few […]

PORTLAND STORY THEATER TELLS THE TALE AT WILLAMETTE WRITERS

  Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddy ran the first Willamette Writers meeting of 2018. For all the wishes for a Happy New Year still echoing, their presentation confirmed the idea.   I came in right as they started and found a seat in the back, the last seat open. I start every meeting with high […]

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boomer years

TEACHER ABUSE BAD FOR STUDENT BODY

  How does a seasoned school administrator lose their job by ignoring students? When they decide some student voices are more important than others.   The old saying about a squeaky wheel getting the grease may apply here, but the school official was out of lube. Now they’re out of a job, or will be […]

THE BOOMER END OF THE SPEEDO CHALLENGE

    Any challenge but the Speedo Challenge?   Even without a dashing, single-ski dock start, or the dive team Speedo, the man carried a lethal air. He looked like he could fight death and fear, and win. It made him an icon. Leaping off a houseboat deck rail into thin air with one foot […]

THE PORTLAND DREAM GROWS DARK

  Move to Portland, it’ll be fun they say You’ll learn to love clouds on a sunny day It might be weird but you’ll like that Bring your flannel and a lumberjack hat   Move to Portland and bring your skills The new people know how to find the deals Where food is organic, free […]

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buckle up

PORTLAND’S BOOMER CASTLE ON BROADWAY

You don’t have to go to France to feel the grandeur of a beautiful room. Or a cathedral in Spain for the ornate. Walk into the Benson Hotel on Broadway for the same feeling of WOW. The size is different, but the details are wonderful. For an Old World taste in the New World, this […]

TIME TRAVEL WITH GUITARS TUNED GOOD AND FIRM WOMEN

        Time travel with music happens every second of every day. A song comes across the waves and we’re back in the day we first heard it from the first beat onward.   Unfortunately I never hear the first song I ever played on a guitar.   Down In The Valley isn’t […]

HIKING BABY BOOMER PORTLAND, pt. 2

An incredible part of the city is feeling like you’re never far from the woods. There’s always a clearing, a trail to follow. And it feels safe enough to dive right in there. On a Friday I stopped on SW Terwilliger in between appointments. This is the road on the side of the hill below […]

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