Random Photo of the Day

Sunday at the dog park. Beats going to church in my book. And Ralphie's.

Random Photo of the Day

Here in Portland, we're adding another light rail line along the path of the original Transit Mall, which opened in 1978. The track will run from Union Station on the north all the way to Portland State University on Fifth and Sixth avenues, where the train will share spaces with buses and cars. Over the past weekend, trains were shut down through central Portland to accommodate construction on this intersection, where the new track had to be cut through the existing track from 1986.

What I find most amazing about the project is the speed at which the road- and trackwork is being completed. There are portions in Old Town where the work is already finished, at least at the road level. None of the work to put in stations, overhead power, or the multitude of other work has even been started. I'll get some photos soon of some of the finished brickwork; it's really beautiful and a significant upgrade over the previous road surface, which didn't appear to have been touched since the 70s.

So go read the funny book!

Denis Cooverman has spent his school years (especially the critical pubescent years) sitting behind the exquisite Beth Cooper. Year after year, classroom after classroom, sitting in excruciating love, tumescence and devotion.

His big chance finally comes at graduation, in the guise of his valedictorian speech, where he finally and publicly declares his undying love for you, Beth Cooper. An unwise decision? Yes, in all probability, but it's a decision that is destined to change his entire life -- or at least the rest of graduation night, which is nearly the same thing.

Anyone who has survived adolescence, whether as a geek, a jock, the head cheerleader or a Goth, can find serious, important, life-affirming hysteria in I Love You, Beth Cooper. Larry Doyle, who is apparently young enough to remember the wrenching violations of high school and old enough to view it with amusement instead of agony, is a very funny writer, and Evan Dorkin is a very funny illustrator (each chapter features a new and more ravaged portrait of Denis -- see here ).

So, remember, I don't do book reviews any more. This is your only warning. Go get this book and read it.

Random Photo of the Day

Simple is good. Here's a little snack to nosh on while the gumbo simmers: fresh from Bob & Patty's garden tomato and some Oregon raw milk blue cheese. Mmmmmm. This is a good time of year for food, with summer's bounty still available and the days cool enough to crank up the oven and the stovetop. It isn't quite time to put the grill away for the winter, but things slowly-cooking in cast iron are beginning to call to me. Sausage and chicken gumbo for starters, enhanced by Bob & Patty's bell peppers. Next year, they need to grow some celery!

Chicks Gone Wild!

The chicks are a bit over three weeks old now, and completely transformed. When I first saw them they looked like Easter treats; now they're clearly chickens and the breeds are quite distinct from one another. They also have REALLY BIG FEET. I got to Bob's about 30 minutes after they started their first excursion outdoors and they were really uncertain about the whole idea. They huddled together near the wall at first, peeping like mad, but eventually they began to discover all sorts of things to peck at (mostly looked like dirt to me) and we spotted one snatching a big (maybe too big) bug that landed too close for safety. They have an enormous run to play in, but I imagine it will be a few days before they venture more than a few feet from the coop. More pictures of the chicks here.

Random Photo of the Day

I know that Portland has become a serious bicycle city, but I think this commuter is starting a little early. The bike lock is half the size of the bike and it still has training wheels! Oddly enough, it wasn't parked in front of a day care center, although it was right by a MAX station. Maybe he bikes to the station and then rides the train to his job. I dunno.

Saturday Dining in Eugene

This was the weekend to move my son, Alex, into his Eugene apartment just in time for the Fall term at U of O. Which meant it was also another opportunity to recreate with Ryan and Jenaya! First up was a trip to the bar at El Vaquero, where the art and science of cocktails is in the hands of Jeffrey Morganthaler. We sampled a number of his creations, including a marmalade sour, Pisco sour, Richmond Gimlet, 43 Manhattan and a tomato daquiri. Everything was new and wonderful, with his own components (including the house tonic water) adding distinctive character to everything . . . but my heart belongs to the marmalade sour.

Alex passed on the cocktail hour, which was a big mistake, but joined us for a wonderful dinner downstairs at Marché, where Ryan happens to be the wine buyer. Lots of delicious appetizers, three different wines (I can't keep track; ask Ryan) and superb entreés including the salmon dish pictured here, a couple orders of duck, and Jenaya's paella. Oh, and it looks like we had dessert as well, judging from the photos here.