Five Years Later

Five years ago yesterday, June 9th, 2002, my dad succumbed to complications related to Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes it actually seems like his passing happened much longer ago, while so often it still feels so recent. -I've come to accept that as a natural mechanism of the heart.

This post is in honor of him; a brilliant, inspirational, hardworking guy who really loved his family. Although my dad and I had a few "disagreements" (wow, amazingly, most of which occurred during my teens and early 20's) he retained a positive outlook for humanity and myself, the son who during those years must have appeared determined to aggravate him in every conceivable way. It's been said that my dad, as a technical engineer had more patience dealing with the predictability of blueprints and machinery than people. That may have been true to some extent but he really did like people. As for his patience, I'm going to relate one of my favorite stories about him...

When I was seven years old, I got one of those AMT model kits of The USS Star Ship Enterprise. It was a very advanced model for a second grader to attempt building. The kit contained lots of small parts and decals that had to be carefully applied. With my dad's expert help, the project took several days but damn, that was such a cool model when it was completed! (My dad had the steady hands of a brain surgeon when it came to model building.) I couldn't wait to show The USS Enterprise off to my friends in the neighborhood. I brought it over to a friend's house, a dweeb named Peter. After taking turns "whooshing" it around his backyard for a bit, we set the model down on a small patio table and went inside to grab some Kool-Aid or whatever.. We ambled back out onto their deck, just in time to see Peter's youngest brother Bradley, (in all fairness, not much older than a toddler) clutching The USS Enterprise in one of his snot encrusted little hands. He let out a shrill noise and hurled it into space. I watched in total horror as THE USS ENTERPRISE smashed into the wooden planks of Peter's outdoor deck and exploded into what looked like a ba-jillion pieces. I vaguely recall combing the deck for sections and fragments, finding plastic parts that were broken/separated in places they weren't meant to be. I knew it was bad. I definitely remember walking home with angry tears in my eyes, carrying THE USS ENTERPRISE in a PAPER BAG! The debris was jangling together like Lego pieces.. Luckily for me, (and The Enterprise Crew) my dad was an "Original Trekker" and he didn't gave me a hard time about the accident. He was up to the seemingly impossible challenge of engineering the repairs. Fortunately the "saucer section" was still mostly intact, but the "deflector dish" and "nacelle struts" had suffered major structural failures. (Cracked plastic.) Dad explained that we could save The Enterprise but due to those cracks it might take "some head scratching." He devised an elaborate structure comprised of little beams and C-clamps that held the ship together while the repairs commenced and the glue dried. It was basically a tiny dry-dock on the dining table! There were a couple of small, plastic braces that were shattered beyond repair but they were located inside of the model, so tiny wooden replacements were hand-fashioned and worked just as well, if not better. Thanks to my dad, the USS Enterprise flew again for some time, safely dangling from a fishing line in my bedroom, alongside the airplane models I later built all by my 'ownself ..

Hey, it was either this story or the one about fixing a crow's broken wing.. or rebuilding a dead carburetor on a ' 69 Toyota, Corona.. or repairing a vintage, Fender Champ .. etc... etc... etc.

Dad, you are loved and missed as ever...

1955

Gratulerer med Syttende Mai!

(Happy Birthday Norway!)

On May 17th in 1814, Norway declared itself an independent nation.
In a historical twist of fate, the Second World War ended in Norway just nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. As a 2nd generation Norwegian, I've always enjoyed celebrating this date. My parents first met each other at the local Sons Of Norway, Norse Hall; (a fortunate happenstance from my perspective.) Norse Hall remains as much a local, cultural fixture as ever and has enjoyed new popularity in recent years. From the outside, the old building looks like it always did, well kept and sturdy, but the lodge now hosts a library, with computer stations and an informative website. The ballroom is very well maintained and the "Oslo Lounge" is a friendly, well-lit establishment, were one can purchase a "Horny Viking" cocktail or a pint of "Erik the Red" beer to wash down an ice-cold shot of "Akvavit." The lodge also offers dance lessons and rents out to conventions, weddings and other special events. For me, every time I come back to Norse Hall is a bit of time travel experience. I still recall those huge New Years Eve parties and of course folk-dancing in the Children's Leikaringen. As a typical guy with two left feet, I have no idea how I ever pulled that off as a kid. Some of those Norwegian folk-dances are quite intricate!

This year for Syttende Mai, it was cool to see such a great turn-out. I brought my friend Chris with me. Even though he's only Swedish, he still enjoyed himself! ;-) The weather couldn't have been better; not too hot or cold. Along with the parade was an assembly of Norwegian "Fjord Horses" and Portland Police. The former was magnificent. The latter group looked a bit restless and bored; understandably.
However, it was nice to see the Local Police assisting the community in this way. They were friendly and professional.

Chris and I first visited the downstairs area, where the "authentic" norse food was being served. By the way, there was NO lutefisk offered on the menu. We both ordered a couple of "varme pølse" (tasty Norwegian hotdogs) before heading back upstairs to check out the parade and hang out in the "Olso Lounge." While there, I had the fortune of catching up with my Norsk language instructor, Mr Tom Bernie, from PSU and meeting some other nice folks, including Vidar, the official Norse Hall web master, who assisted in obtaining some pictures of a beautiful, (Swedish Bunad) ...Tusen takk, Vidar!! ;-)

Beyond this ramble, I'll let the pictures tell some of the rest...

Please click here for MORE PICTURES

The Big Lebowski...

...Is one of my favorite, modern cult/comedy films. A one night only, big-screen presentation took place last Friday night at the McMenamins Bagdad Theater. The film was scheduled to start at 11:00 PM but was delayed to midnight due to the line of movie-goers that stretched down the street and well around the block from the popular brew-pub/theater. My buddy Chris arrived dressed in a bath robe, as did many other patrons. (The theater offered free admission for anyone honoring "The Dude" by wearing a bath robe.) Even though Chris and I were in line by 10:00 PM, we were among those who were standing around the corner. We doubted if we'd even get in to see the film when the line finally began shuffling forward. Luckily the historical Bagdad Theater is a good sized place so we were able to find seats in the balcony. The various McMenamins establishments with movie theaters are unique in that they sell alcoholic beverages to legal ages patrons. One can sit back and sip a beer, a cocktail, glass of wine (and/or munch on pizza) while viewing a movie. -A cool concept for a public venue! Unfortunately for the drinkers that night, the line to the bar was formidable to say the least. Lebowski fanatics craved pitchers of their favorite McMenamins brew -or- "White Russians," the iconic beverage consumed by "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges) throughout the film. Chris and I wisely chose to forgo the booze line during the movie, as we'd have missed most of it otherwise. The audience was rowdy, constantly hooting and hollering through the movie; interacting with their favorite Lebowski dialogues, similar to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" experience. Despite the ruckus and not being able to obtain a beer, all in all it was cool to see this film on the big screen. The beers were later addressed after we left The Bagdad. Chris and I wandered into another establishment right before last call. His nappy bath robe garnered a few bemused stares up until some other similarly dressed Bagdad patrons showed up and explained the background story. I'm confident this was one of the experiences that D.T. would have enjoyed. (Next year, Man!)

Flora & Fauna Part ll

At this time of year at The Pavilion, the annual battle with the foliage commences. Every chlorophyll based life-form explodes into action, determined to engulf the property. The advancing growth is so rapid, it is noticeable on a daily basis. Seemingly if one stands still long enough, listening closely, you can hear the stealthy creeping of bamboo, ivy and blackberry vines among the other numerous invaders.
Armed with the usual weapons, lawnmower, pruners, clippers etc, R.H. and I combine forces against the green enemy. As always, the sweaty skirmishes end in temporary stalemates with both sides regrouping for the next engagements. There are no true winners or losers, yet in the midst of this leafy blitzkrieg, there is beauty on the battlefield...

Flora & Fauna Part l

Some of those who have visited The Pavilion have caught glimpses of the family of raccoons who reside on/around the property.
They congregate up in the trees, as was further verified by D.T. when he discovered their "scatological leavings" a hundred feet up in one of the pines. (One might rightfully wonder why D.T. was scaling the pine tree but that's a story for another post.) Nocturnal by nature, these critters are shy but curious. The younger ones tend to be more active and visible than their elders. Last week I was working late into the early morning hours when I heard the familiar racket of young raccoon siblings bickering outside the window of the home office. To someone who has never heard this before, the sounds are a bit startling; high-pitched squeals and chatters like they're disemboweling each other and fighting over the entrails. Apparently this a harmless, adolescent ritual. (Like mosh pit antics.) Hoping to catch a sight of them, I slipped outside with the digital camera. The sun was just coming up and I spotted three kits up in the tree near the window.
They noticed me right away but allowed me to approach them within just a few feet. Evidently the curiosity went both ways.




The ornithology family also contributes to the bio-diversity of The Pavilion. A couple of these birds have taken up local residence over the last few years. I first heard and spotted one pecking away on tree trunks and even tapping on the aluminum hood of a street lamp! Although they move fast, they really stand out from the usual assembly of crows, jays and robins. After taking this shot, I finally identified the breed on the web as the Northern Flicker.

A Loving Dedication to my Cousin, Paul Jr

I'll never forget that night at the 'old house' on Fremont Street, during the time our families got together. It is my first clear memory of you, being I was just a small kid then. The city light pollution wasn't what it is today so you were able to point out to me, the Milky Way formation and giving names to other wonders in the night sky. We sat on the swing set; a kid intently listening to his older cousin talking about the stars the planets, and the guys who had (then) recently walked on the moon. Over the following years we barely got to spend much time together but you most assuredly left an indelible imprint on my spirit and imagination.

Ad Astra, Cousin Paul ...and thank you.


**To see a great tribute video of Paul, put together by his friends and colleagues, please click H E R E

A Job Well Done... Kinda' Sorta'

Late last week, the new fence along the Northern boundary of The Pavilion was completed! Gaze upon the craftsmanship. Try to imagine if you will, the sense of excitement. Not quite feeling it? Maybe it's the uneven height of the posts and the cross beams? Oh well, for now it beats what it replaced -and most importantly this marvel of woodwork was assembled at no expense to The Pavilion. Maybe it's just me but it seems like $3,000 + for such a short section of basic fencing should have included little hand-carved gargoyles or something... Or at least level posts and beams. Then again, I'm no Bob Vila. ;-)

Patching Up The Borders

The old fence which had finally succumbed to last winter's howling winds is being replaced, courtesy of the guy next door -and a jurisdictional technicality. The fence had originally been constructed on the neighbor's side of the property line; a fortunate arrangement for The Pavilion considering the "three large" that the neighbor dude is cheerfully shelling out for the replacement. It was only last week he'd mentioned to R.H. that he was going to commence with the project, so I was surprised to look out the window two days ago to see this unusual view:


As of today, the contractors are coming along with it pretty well:



It seems ridiculous that a building permit is required just for a fence. Gotta' love the bureaucracy.

Updates to follow.....

A Taste of Spring...

Winter Follies

Last Monday night, the PDX weather reports didn't contain any undue hype or alarming televison graphics. The local talking news-heads were all but visibly yawning over forecasts calling for a bit of precipitation in the early morning hours that could mix with the cold temps and produce snow flurries and/or maybe some freezing rain. They spoke almost off-handedly of "trouble spots" and a "possible slower morning commute." They were correct. -In roughly the same level of accuracy as if someone were to say, "I'm getting a bad vibe about that Enron investment, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

As predicted, the snow flurries began during the early morning hours on Tuesday. They just didn't stop like they were supposed to. Within hours, the city of Portland and all of the outerlying areas were measuring several inches of snow and the 'Banfield Parking Lot' was officially open for business. Continual pleas by various authorities for motorists to stay off the roads went unheeded by many, resulting in scenes like the one depicted below, captured by an amateur photographer above the streets on SW 20th & Salmon.

Other storm-related highlights of the day, presented via the local media included:

- City Calls Out All Crews

- TriMet Blames Forecaster For No Chains

- Sledding Injuries Pile Up At Local Hospitals

- Steel Bridge Snowboarder

- Man Stabs Teen Over Thrown Snowball

Prompted by this unprecedented (yeah right!) weather phenomena, a Flickr Account (photo gallery) has been created in hopes of presenting a gentler side of winter, and life in general as experienced here at The Pavilion. It's designed to be easier on the eyes and virtually free of sarcasm. Click H E R E to view it.

Seasons Greetings & Happy Festivus from The Pavilion

The Day After

Yesterdays forecast was pretty much spot-on.

As predicted, the Oregon coast received hurricane force winds, up to 114 mph. The peak inland gusts were in the 60 + mph range and arrived pretty much on schedule, around 8:30 pm. Today Portland General Electric is reporting 245,000 "customers" lost power during the night. In some areas there was significant damage, mostly involving pine trees falling onto houses. Local news coverage is depicting scenes of homes that were smashed open by tree trunks, slicing clean through their roofs. A truly unsettling sight and an important reminder of the costly hazards posed by tall trees located too close to dwellings. Given that specific factor, today I feel quite fortunate. There was no damage sustained here at The Pavillion. However the power of the wind was definitely felt and left a couple of visible reminders; the basketball hoop with it's weighted base is now lying on it's side near the street curb and a section of fence in the back yard is sagging over. Thankfully the trees here weathered yet another storm without incident...

Batten Down The Hatches (again)

Maybe this blog should be called "PDX Weather Hype."
The latest word has it that there's another big storm a' comin and the news outlets are eagerly responding as per their usual fashion. Unlike the previous dire warnings though, this storm appears to have more potential behind it. Satellite maps show the jet stream furiously T-boning the West coast in conjunction with a low pressure front. Local meteorologists have been comparing the possibly expected wind speeds to those of the December storm back in 1995. That was another event that didn't quite live up to it's predicted ferocity but the metro area did experience some very strong wind gusts that did more than just a little damage. At the peak of that storm, I was standing in the backyard with my video camera rolling and happened to catch a tall, skinny pine tree blow down in a neighbor's adjoining yard. With that in mind, I once again consider those two very tall pine trees here on this property. Although I take these scary forecasts with the appropriate grains of salt and chuckle at the talking heads whipping themselves into a frenzy, a large tree coming down on a house is no ones idea of funny. The fact remains, it's known to happen around here sometimes...

The main brunt of this storm is predicted to arrive sometime around 8:00 PM tonight. Already I'm observing some healthy wind gusts here at The Pavillion. The camera batteries are charged and any interesting developments will be noted here throughout the evening. I'm hoping it won't be anything too interesting...

The Big Chill

Although winter officially begins on December. 21st, it's practically here already. Of course the local news media is hyping an urgent developing story, more commonly known as "The Weather."
This time the spectacular hazards involve cold temperatures and a little snow in the lower elevations. If that weren't bad enough, this stunning "wintry mix" could also include some ice and slick spots on the roads!
It's almost as if the weather reporters have already forgotten the snowstorm of 2003, which blanketed the entire metro area all the way down to sea level. More likely the news peddlers are just resorting to the old practice of freaking people out in order to sell their product.
The fright market must be doing pretty good around here these days, given the vast numbers of new residents who (apparently) aren't the slightest bit familiar with the effects of seasonal rain and snow. Many of them will unwittingly risk lives in the course of figuring it all out. Maybe the "urgent storm bulletins" will help educate some of these new folks about other useful tips along the lines of:

-This is the Pacific Northwest. It rains often and even gets freezing cold here. Just ask a native, if you can still find one.
-Utilize your wardrobe accordingly. Shorts and flip-flops might be uncomfortable for a time.
-Sometimes when the weather gets bad, the power goes out, trees fall down and rivers flood.
-Posted speed limits don't necessarily apply when asphalt becomes wet, or coated with ice.
-No matter what you thought you heard at the dealership, your SUV is subject to the same laws of physics as any other automobile, or even a skateboard for that matter.
-Unsure of how to drive in challenging conditions? Study up or better yet, please do yourself and everyone else a favor by staying home.

For people who don't need any of these reminders, it is wise to consider the presence of those who do; especially when braving the conditions out on the roads. Maybe that "alert" should be added to the local media's "Winter Survival Guide."

Happy Tryptophan Day!

In an all-too-often mixed up country, that's splashed with over-bloated holiday themes, it's important not to lose sight of the fact that there truly is much to give thanks for... All year long.

Big storm a comin!!! (Maybe)

Once again the big four local news outlets are sounding an alarm over a potentially severe weather event on the way. They’ve been known to over-dramatize their weather forecasts before. On December 12th 1995, a storm brewing off the Northern California coast headed into Oregon. Wind speeds approaching those of The Columbus Day Storm were predicted as “likely” within the metro area. This scenario scared the living crap out of anyone old enough to be around during that rare, devastating blow. Portland homeowners scurried to secure anything that wasn’t anchored to the ground, while local news crews were dispatched and visibly eager to cover the destruction, -which never happened. It’s fair to say the same over-zealousness has been applied to numerous snow and ice storm forecasts that melted away to nothing. However tempting it is to discount some of this current forecast as media-driven hyperbole, November hasn’t exactly been a placid month so far and it doesn’t take 50-plus mph winds to do serious damage. The recent, massive rainfalls have over-saturated the ground, which makes for dangerous conditions when combined with tall trees and strong(er) wind gusts. It’s this aspect I don't underestimate, given the two pine trees looming high over The Pavilion.

As of now at 6:00 pm, the local newsies are sticking to their prediction of 50 mph wind gusts in the metro area. The “wind watch” extends between 10:00 pm and early tomorrow morning. There’s no sign of the wind yet, but it’s raining steadily.

The sky opened up and the earth did tremble

Yesterday and last night's rain was noteworthy even to us PNW natives, due to the amount and intensity. No matter how long one has lived in this region, it's a real change after such a dry summer and fall. If the rain wasn't interesting enough, there was an earthquake to talk about. It struck at 9:34 pm and was measured at around 2.6 in magnitude, lasting for several seconds. Evidently it was felt all across the metro area. (I was cat-napping at the time.) The last quake experienced in this immediate area was on January 28th and was a 3.1 in magnitude. (I definitely felt that one where I was at out in Milwaukie.) What's particularly interesting to me is the location of these quakes. Last night's epicenter was supposedly located "near" Southeast 18th and Belmont, while the January 28th event was believed to emanate from a fault line near Laurelhurst Park, (39th & Belmont) which was also the same location as a magnitude 2.7 quake back in June of 2005. There is one other common factor that's interesting to consider. This area is at the base of Mount Tabor, an "extinct" volcanic cinder cone, which stemmed from a network of ancient shield volcanos and lava fields. Just a coincidence? The January quake was said to be "shallow," emanating from 7-9 miles under ground. In any case, this area sure seems active. I wonder what a geologist might say about this. Lastly, it's been quite warm during the night. As of 3:30 am out here in the eastern hinterlands, the rain has subsided and the wind has picked up. The temperature outside The Pavilion is just a hair under 65 degrees. -No, that isn't typical for November.

Welcome to November

What a difference a couple of days makes. Halloween night was one of the chilliest I can recall, yet clear and windy. Last night the rain arrived, with slightly warmer temps. This morning, strong wind gusts came rolling in to compliment the scene. (Some power outages are being reported in the area.) Looking outside at the rain and wind snatching leaves from the trees, makes for a classic portrait of November.

Ode to Halloween past

*Technical difficulties prevented me from posting this on the official day.

I lost my custom-made, prosthetic vampire fangs and my red contact lenses were discarded after eventually dissolving into a saline-based jelly. Nowadays I don't go crazy for All Hallows Eve like I used to, but I still love this holiday and it's fun to relive some memories.

Each year I ask myself, "Is Halloween" a time when some people put on disguises.. or take them off?

The last bachelor pad I resided in, often referred to as "The Powell House" was the ideal place for throwing great Halloween parties. With the tireless help of an enthusiastic best friend, my old roomies and I went to insane lengths to trick the place out for the occasion. The results were better each year. The house (which I learned was recently demolished to accommodate one of those grotesque, cookie-cutter apartment complexes) was perfect for Halloween; a large three story structure with a naturally creepy basement. Supposedly it had been built in the early 1900's so it already possessed part of that special "charm."

The decorative preparations included removing all of the window blinds/curtains and replacing them with tattered sheets and cheese-cloth. All natural lighting was outlawed. Colored bulbs were installed, so there was literally NO room in the house, including the bathroom with a normal, white light source. Barely functioning, *old* TV sets were located on all levels of the house, all showing the same "splatter montage" from a video tape that was painstakingly edited to depict scenes from classic/cult horror films and stuff that was just (as at least one person described) "simply sick and wrong." The television sets were all wired to one VCR via a network of coaxial cable and AV splitters.

The audio presentation was equally elaborate and schizo. My friend and I pre-recorded several hours of music that we felt best expressed "a festive, Halloween mood." -White/Rob Zombie, (of course!) The Doors, Ministry, Alice In Chains, Creedence, Black Sabbath, (of course!) etc, etc. All of it, blasting through large speaker cabinets on the ground floor. Beer was dispensed in the aforementioned creepy basement, with a designated "Beer-Tender" on duty to minimize keg anarchy. (That one approach prevented buttloads of problems we'd experienced during previous Halloween parties at "The Powell House.")

One year, the appropriately unsavory icing on the cake was undoubtedly "Carl, the one-eyed Indian." He was a very large Native American dude who we "hired" to stand guard at the front door to enforce the "No Costume, No Entry" rule. True to his title, Carl literally had only one functioning eye. The other socket contained a dead, white orb that sometimes oozed a clear liquid. Carl needed no costume whatsoever. He was authorized to turn away costume-less dorks *or* hand out a cheap, token "Lone Ranger mask" in the event that a sizeable group wearing costumes showed up, with the one "undressed" person accompanying them. We also provided Carl with an assortment of feathered opera masks for any chicks that showed up sans costume. Carl did an excellent job as a "peace-keeper," along with his primary duty of making sure that *nobody* got in without some sort of disguise. To the best of my knowledge, there were no arguments.

During the last Halloween bash before the rental property was sold, we counted well over two hundred people attending the final Halloween party at "The Powell House." That was similar in size to year 1 when KGON, the local "classic" rock n roll radio station stopped by in their tricked out "KGON Coffin Cruiser." Although the DJ's had other parties to attend, for some reason they didn't make it any further. - Apparently the "designated driver" ran across a chick at our party serving up straight shots including her special "Flaming Dr. Pepper cocktails." By November's early light, that guy was vigorously dry-heaving in the back yard and there were some assorted KGON DJs passed out in uncomfortable positions on the floor in the living room... By then I wasn't at the top of my game either, but I stoked up enough ambition to brew some coffee for myself and the overnight refugees. One of the DJs, clearly the most hung-over and sickest looking of the bunch said to me: "Man, if you ever have another one of these parties... Please don't forget to invite us." Sadly (or not) for him, KGON discontinued their Coffin Cruiser publicity stunt, thereby missing out on the final Halloween bashes at "The Powell House."

Lately I've been reading that many modern Europeans dislike the spread of commercialized, American Halloween traditions. I can't help but think their scorn is a bit ironic given the root customs originated among ancient Celts and various peoples of Northwestern Europe, who later imported them to North America. For those early immigrants arriving in The USA, an introduction to pumpkins must have offered a major leap in pagan/ritual technology, -after centuries of carving Jack O' Lanterns from turnips. Imagine how tedious that must have been!

Happy Samhain to all!

G'bye Indian Summer

So far, October has been mild, but not drastically so for this region. The rain is re-establishing a foot-hold and the nights are getting noticably chilly. Here within The Pavilion, the T-shirts and "lighter wear" are being replaced with heavier garb. R.H. and I are playing the usual "game of chicken," seeing who wimps out first and fires up the furnace. It's already kicked on by itself when the interior temps dropped just below 65 F a couple of nights ago...
The possible longterm effects of Global Warming present a horrifying scenario, but mild winters do mean lower heating bills. Nobody around here wants to (literally) pay for heavy snows, freezes and ice storms. -Not to mention that god-awful East wind that sucks the heat out of here like a blood-starved vampire.
This is the seasonal adjustment period, when it finally sinks in that any sensible person won't be wearing shorts outside for at least the next 4-5 months. Time to stash the electric fans, stock up on firewood and cuddle up to your girl... -Or- spend more time at her place!