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AMERICAN PIE REVIEW

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buckWith a pink carnation and a pickup truck The song came out in 1971. My older brother had a pickup truck. After he graduated high school it became my pickup truck. But not really.

THE WESTERN WAY + + +

The western way shows a solitary figure on a journey of self-discovery. That was my goal when I started. Just me and the boys and a dog. John, Bill, Stu, and Ruby. I would encase the memory like high-silica ground water does to fallen logs buried in mud. Except my memory would take three weeks, […]

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS FOR NORTH BEND’S FUTURE

Tourist attractions for non-golfers on their way to Bandon? If you’re not golfing, why go to Bandon? When daddy brings the family to town and parks his jet in North Bend before heading for Bandon Dunes, what’s the family do while he’s gone?

BETTER VIEW FOR BETTER TIMES

This better view comes from Front Street in Coos Bay. Better than what? It’s a better view than the parking lot outside my motel door, but I’m not complaining. A ship, a bay, and a dream of discovery. What else would you want?

HOMEWARD BOUND FOR NORTH BEND TOWN

Homeward bound will always be North Bend, Oregon. For me, maybe not you. What feels like a nice memory is more than that. Let’s go with a living testament to the hardworking people who still call it home. Hard working?

ARMY BIRTHDAY? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARMY

The Army birthday is for the oldest branch of military service in America. But you knew this? I didn’t. And I was in the Army.

BOOMER MEDICINE: THEY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE?

Boomer medicine comes in the same variety as everyone else’s: What works. And what doesn’t work. But for boomers there’s an extra additive.

VANISHING POINT: HOW TO REMEMBER PORTLAND

The vanishing point definition: The center spot on a horizon line where parallel lines in the foreground converge. Like a triangle? Maybe. Check a drawing book. The vanishing point for Portland takes another view, and it’s nothing to do with weird or keeping Portland weird. Shocking, don’t you think?

ONE PORTLAND BABY BOOMER DECADE

My Portland baby boomer decade began in 1980. It began when I stepped off the bus after a three day ride from Manhattan. (Hey, B.) For twenty-six year old me it was a life changer. By 1990 I was heading out.

BOOMER MISTAKES TO CLEAN UP

Baby boomer mistakes? What mistakes? In some circles everything boomer related is a mistake. This isn’t that circle. Instead, I’ll look at common mistakes and regrets to avoid. This is for younger generations.