Keeping Portland Weird (Posted 5/15/11)

How do I know it's time to write another blog entry? Because while I'm riding my bike to work, I'm thinking of things to write in the blog. Did I say work? Yes! I am once again a productive member of society! And yes, I can ride my bike (at least part of the way) to work. But I'll get to that later.

Portland has been good to us, and we really like it here. We spent our first month in a motel - the Value Inn Suites, where we had a basic, yet clean two-room suite; a nice view (snow-capped mountains and planes taking off and landing at the nearby airport); and enjoyed free coffee, breakfast, underground parking, HBO and Internet! All for $850 per month! Plus, the frequent police visits and sometimes busts (or at least people leaving in handcuffs) added another level of entertainment. While it wasn't a real home, and the location could have been better, it provided a great base from which to explore the city, find an apartment, and look for work. And we did all that.

The view from our "Suite"

Within a month, we found an apartment in Southeast Portland, in an area called Woodstock. Our neighborhood is pretty charming, has everything we need, and is also convenient to other areas and downtown. As funky as Portland is, Woodstock isn't what one might expect. Most of the pierced and tattooed folks stay closer to the Hawthorne District, which is an easy bike ride - a mile or two away. We've got a two-bedroom unit in a two-unit house, and our neighbors (lovely, quiet ladies) travel a lot; they're currently in England and won't be back until July. Oh, and there's a fireplace and some outdoor space. The only thing that bugs Matthias about it is the wall to wall carpet, but he's happy enough with the kitchen, so it evens out. The question now is who's going to be the first to visit and take advantage of our extra bedroom? Stu? Jen and Brenda? Andrew? Or mom and dad.....?

Matthias at the BBQ and smoker!

And then, the day before we moved to our new apartment, I got a job! I'm working as a grant writer for the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation, which is the fundraising arm of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, and it couldn't be better! When I saw the job on Craigslist, I said to Matthias: "They've got to hire me - it's a perfect fit." Internally, I was saying to myself....if they're not interested, no one will be! Soon enough....on April fools day, no less, I got called for an interview (which I thought for a moment might be a joke) and got hired soon after. It's been absolutely fantastic so far (and I'm not just saying that because my new coworkers are friends on Facebook and therefore have a link to the blog!) Seriously, I'm working with four terrific fundraising professionals who are hardworking but also lots of fun (it reminds me a lot of the development department at PPNYC.) And the organization is awesome - it's a safety net health care provider, with a focus on serving migrant farmworkers. I'm not going to write about that here (since I do that for a living now) but you can find out more on the website and on Facebook (become a fan of Virginia Garcia!! there's my pitch.) Many thanks to Stu, who provided a reference and tips on how to get "Linked in", as well as Keith and Jennifer for the (obviously) solid references! You get first dibs on the second bedroom!

What a warm welcome!

I've already mentioned how awesome the people I work with are - and that goes for most of the people we've come in contact with here. Everyone seems friendly, laid-back, and pretty much happy to be here. Of course, everyone complains about the rain, but they seem to do so with as much pride as resignation (like New Yorkers talk about rude service staff, or Greeks talk about corruption - where would we be without it??) And Portland is adorably quirky - one of our favorite slogans (I'm not sure of the origin) that keeps cropping up on signs and bumpers is: "Keep Portland Weird." I assume it's calling for resistance to the takeover of the town by shopping malls and chain restaurants, which, at least in our area, seems to be working. It was certainly my favorite bumper sticker until I saw: "Keep Portland Beered", which promptly took over first place in my eyes.

And then there's the biking! It's a totally bike-able city, with small, light traffic streets as well as bike lanes on major routes. I do have quite a bit of a commute to work (since we found the apartment before I found the job, and they happen to be on opposite ends of the city), but I can ride my bike downtown and hop on the light rail/street car (called MAX) from there. It's quite pleasant, and it makes me feel like a real Portlander. And, it's giving me some insight into the biking culture here. I did mention that Portlanders are laid-back, right? Well, not when (most of them) ride their bikes! Not only do they have the latest and greatest bikes, accessories, and reflective clothing ("Keep Portland Geared?"), but they all ride to work as if they're trying to beat their time from the day before! Now, when I rode in Berlin, I had one of the better bikes on the road (the one that I brought here) and I basically kept up with people and even passed a few. But here, they make me feel like a granny on my bike - whizzing by me as they make their way to wherever they're going (like a finish line!) But I'm resisting the temptation to try and keep up, instead enjoying my ride through the tree-lined streets, soaking in the atmosphere (and the occasional smell of pot) along the way. It's fun!

These aren't the typical seriously-outfitted bikers, but they did all pass me by!

But it's too far (and too hilly) to ride all the way to work. So, I lock my bike downtown in a parking garage (out of the rain) and take the MAX train for about 40 minutes. That's where I get to catch up on my reading (and proof-reading for work....but only in the mornings!) I joined the local library (right down the street from our place) and started in on all the bestsellers I missed while I was away. I already devoured Eat, Pray, Love (of course, she had me at Eat!) and I'm getting started on the Swedish series with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. So, please send me your recommendations for good reads!

And finally, I can report that Matthias may have also found a job! He starts working maintenance at a golf course on Tuesday (a trial - but we can't imagine why it wouldn't work out.) He says it's his dream job, and we both agree he'll enjoy the outdoor aspect of it (plus the fact that he won't have to work nights.) Keep your fingers crossed for him, and I'll be back with an update in....oh....another few months!