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GREAT NEWS FROM MT. ANGEL AND JOHN ROSSI PODCAST

The great news from Mt. Angel comes via the John Rossi Podcast visit to Lou’s Kitchen.
The Kitchen is a big winner in Best of Willamette Valley 2026 claiming the Gold Medal for best all-round restaurant.
When I opened the door the place was packed and buzzing at noon.
One grilled chicken salad and an Arnold Palmer later we retired to the podcast studio to work on stuff and thangs.

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THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE TO WRITING AN EVERYDAY BLOG

An everyday blog is just what it sounds like:
Every. Day.
Like most things worth pursuing, it takes tenacity and creativity to make something worth writing into something worth reading.
No problem, write. Right?
But, there’s more.
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BEER BELLY, BEER GUT, THEN WHAT

I’m working on a beer belly reduction plan, which means what?
Drink less beer, what else?
I was lamenting my loss after meeting a new guy who fixed broken guitar amps in his garage.
Me: I think the signs are lining up to loose my gut.
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BEING USEFUL LIKE ROBERT FULGHUM

This isn’t Robert Fulghum, it’s me being useful in my Robert Fulghum beard which has gone the way of every beard that dared show itself on my face.
He is probably a better beard steward than me. My enthusiasm for grooming an extra pet in the house lasts about six months.
The last dog lived sixteen years; the current dog is going on five.
Am I being useful for them? More than I am to a beard.
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A SECOND LOOK AT “THAT AIN’T RIGHT”

What’s a second look at this garage arrangement tell you?
What’s missing: a fitness area with a treadmill, squat rack, work bench, maybe a couple of cars stacked on a lift, and a designated music area with guitars, drums, and amps all ready to go.
Not to say this garage is lacking anything, but it looks more like a storage unit than a daily use area to build on, play in, and break a sweat.
This is a great set-up for people ready to move. Loading time in three, two, one . . .
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toughen up

MEMORIAL DAY AT THE VA

Memoir: How To Make A Difference On Memorial Day. In the early 80’s a man moved to Portland from New York City. An Oregon man. He moved in with the best girl he’d ever known. Up until then. She was THE ONE, if one ever existed. Up until then. Keep in mind those who think […]

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. […]

WEAPONS FOR HOME DEFENSE: WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

    Home defense begins in the home, but you knew that. The real question of weapons and home defense starts with location, location, location.   I met a Portland man who bought a former crack house. Customers who didn’t get the press report on the crack wire crawled through his windows for a year. […]

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boomer years

1948: BABY BOOM PLUS TWO

Special, or Not Special 1948 Any year that includes a symbol of peace getting shot dead loses luster. Like Martin Luther King in 1968. Gandhi in 1948, got it during a walk to a non-violent prayer in New Delhi. By a fellow Hindu. While he was on a continuing hunger strike against internal violence after […]

FAILING MEMORIES, ENHANCED THOUGHT, BOOMER BRAIN

Failing memories include a list of golden moments that show up online more often than it should. They’re supposed to invoke a better time, but for the wrong reasons. Someone needs to set it straight, but who? Could be you if you saw the television shows first hand, been alive for events, and remember. The […]

THE GOOGLE FACE OF PORTLAND WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING

What Outsiders Don’t See On The Front Page. Live here long enough and you know Portland is more than the next eastside trend, like bewildered 30-somethings riding bikes and having kids. So much more. Stephen Colbert pumps for Powells Books. LeBron James rolls with Nike. Anthony Bourdain shouts out for Pok Pok. They point to […]

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buckle up

PORTLAND BLOGS: TOP TEN ACCORDING TO RANKER.COM

  What’s it take to make the top ten list of Portland blogs. If you read ranker.com, the answer is be a newspaper since Willamette Week and The Portland Mercury top the the list at #1 and #2. I’m not complaining that newspapers and blogs shouldn’t be compared but if it was my list I’m […]

TAKE ME TO UNION STATION AND PUT ME ON A TRAIN

  What is it about train stations, including Portland Union Station, that feel so mournful? The Rolling Stones caught the sorrow with No Expectations. Take me to the station And put me on a train I’ve got no expectations To pass through here again Once I was a rich man Now I am so poor […]

YOU KNOW YOU MADE A WRONG TURN WHEN…

How often do we get warnings when we make the wrong turn? The #oregonstandoff took a wrong turn or two in the past month, but they’re not alone. How to respond when you learn a wrong turn could be a life saver? A wrong turn happens on foot, in cars, relationships. When things go wrong, […]

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