We have more than a foot of snow here in scenic North Portland, Oregon, where every yard looks like a picture postcard. I cannot speak for the rest of town, as we are unable to go anywhere to see for ourselves. From what I’m seeing on TV, it looks pretty out of hand…

Just kidding. That’s from a couple of years ago. It says Seattle and Queen Anne Hill in comments but I believe it was actually in Portland — isn’t that Civic Stadium there on the right? I taped it, too, cuz they kept playing it in a loop for about two weeks.

Let’s be careful out there.

and it’s… still snowing.

and a wonderful life.

xoxx

wm

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* snowy icky warming freezing raining freezing slipping sliding icy ick.

* we have enough vodka do not fear.

* possibly not enough to last through the weekend, seeing as how this is only… (have no idea what day.) (not too close to the weekend, though.)

* kids happy. Simpsons Christmas, backgammon, Mysterious Benedict Society’s Perilous Journey.

* next batch of chocolate crinkles just coming out of the oven, gotta go.

wet freezy kisses,
wm

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It’s Portland, Ore. So that means we get snow, rain and freezing temps which equal freezing rain.

Yep, land of milk and honey. You should all move here! Do it!

Seriously.

My kids just spent an hour outside, happy as hell, and came inside dripping wet.

It’s… a wonderful life.

xxox

wm

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Well, she’s funny. I was listening to a re-run of Live Wire last night, our friend Ralph Huntley’s programme (I prefer it spelled that way, don’t you? Looks so official) and who should be a special guest but Stacy Bolt?

She read this post and I was crying I was laughing so hard. Great writer, and great radio voice, too. Perfect timing. And she’s a Portlander! Yee-haw.

Live Wire is a funny show — go listen to a podcast. “Variety for the ears, vaudeville for the mind.” (Go look at some pix of Ralph, while you’re at it. He’s the cute one with the mutton chops.)

ttfn,

wm

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Heh heh heh. Just got a note from one of the producers at Oregon Public Broadcasting about… “those moments people have in public when they decide to confront a stranger about behavior they find objectionable. I figure this is something that happens to parents at least once or twice in their parenting careers and thought you might have some interesting stories to share about either being scolded or doing the scolding. (more…)

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From Brother Randy:

I am a Portlander looking to tell North Portland churches that an 11-Neighborhood mission has been launched in North Portland to help those in need of help with rising gas and food prices.

Our organization, Bright Neighbor, has teamed up with the City of Portland to help neighbors better get to know one another, and to create local networks so people can lend out items like lawn mowers, find local babysitters, set up ride sharing, do cooperative gardening, etc.

We have a public meeting about this North Portland project at the Historic Kenton Firehouse this
Thursday evening at 6 PM. If you would like to attend, the event is kid friendly.

Respectfully,

Randy White
Community Project Manager, Bright Neighbor
randy at brightneighbor dot com

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Aw, Steve Clark, you shouldn’t have!

On the Portland Trib dropping to one edition per week:

“We fully expect that there will be those who will criticize our strategy. Through the years, we have routinely been scorned by some, including bloggers who are prone to vitriolic negativity.”

Vitriolic negativity? We are playful around here. C’mon, Steve. We’re just clowning around. (Mostly not for Jesus.) And making fun of the local politicos. And tucking our children away in large wooden shoes. Are we pillars of society? Please discuss amongst yourselves. I have no opinion on that one way or the other, but you know. The devil does make work for idle hands.

Just think, if you were a blogger, you could have just called us all “douches” and moved along to your next post.

kisses,

WM

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Dear Thursday 13ers and Usual Suspects,

Here is a weather update from Portland, Oregon, where it rains most of the time. People somehow cannot deal, in spite of the fact that it always rains. Well, except for (sometimes) part of July, (usually) most of August and (often) into September. And (once in awhile) we get October. The first two weeks in October, at least. Then back to Your Rain Channel.

New Yorkers: “It rains just as much in New York, inch-wise. It’s just all at once.”
me: “I do not think so.”

The weather! It is baffling!

This, in spite of the fact that Oregon, She is Constant. She is Constantly Raining. Except in the desert, where it is drought, and the people, they are all, “Again with the drought? Why does God hate us? We could use some of your Portland rain.” Etc.

Portlanders, they start to think, starting around now (end of January) maybe the rain will let up? Maybe? So our conversations go like this…

1. You think it’s going to keep raining?

2. Wow, it’s raining really hard!

3. It’s not raining that bad.

4. Did the weathermen say snow? Do you think it will really snow? I mean, a lot?

5. Do you think they’ll close the schools?

6. Do you think we’ll get a snow day?

7. Do you think it will be freezing rain, instead of snow?

8. I hate the freezing rain, don’t you? It’s so scary! How the roads get all icy? It’s hard to drive in.

9. It’d be nice to get some sun.

10. Maybe over spring break?

11. Geez, people here really don’t know how to drive in the weather.

12. I mean, I can handle it. But other people really do not know how to drive in the weather.

13. It didn’t rain that much today.

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Eh, it’s like my old roommate told me, after seeing the Mona Lisa on free day at the Louvre: “Talk about your unwashed masses, babe.” Yeah, that’s pretty much Oaks Amusement Park in Southeast Portland on one of the last days of summer before school starts. (Would you like e-mails from Chipper, the park’s mascot? Sign up here!)

I have never particularly liked Oaks. The rides, the cotton candy, the dirty boys who work there, the roller skating. Not my trip. We are ice skaters here, you know that, right? The organ music is enough to give me a screeching migraine. The only good part about Oaks is that we usually go for Salvadorian food after at El Palenque. (If you get the enchiladas or taco salad there, you will be happy. Especially if you get a strawberry margarita, Negra Modelo or horchata, too. But you will be missing out on the fried plantains, black beans and sweet cream, and the loroco pupusas with fresh slaw and salsa. Dear God, I miss living by El Palenque.)

I liked the Willamette River below Oaks Park plenty when I was a teenager. Because, as you probably have already guessed, I was a teenage girl. (more…)

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From Overheard in PDX:

Pottymouth

Little girl in a stroller about 2 1/2, speaking to caretaker:
“Shut the fuck up.”

Caretaker (laughing a bit):
“Hey. I love you”

Little girl:
“Shut the fuck up, shut the FUCK up, shut the FUCK up.” (laughing)

Caretaker (to horrified passengers):
“Oh, ha ha she learned that in daycare. We just ignore it. ”

Little girl (leaning over in stroller and spitting several times on the floor):
“Shut the FUCK up. Shut the FUCK up, Shut the FUCK up”. (Spits on the floor a few more times before continuing her mantra.)

Caretaker: (Calling the father of this child on her cell phone):
“Yeah, she’s saying shut the “F” up, you know, in that cute little voice of hers.”

- Eastbound MAX on way home from work 7/25/07

– Overheard by Dyana, who writes:
(At this point, I am waiting for the girl’s head to rotate 360, and for her to puke pea soup.)

Wacky Mommy says: People, “No” is a complete sentence. Say “no” to children like this. Do not say they have a “cute little voice.” Do not just ignore the behavior. Do not laugh and giggle. Do not say “Gentle!” over and over until I am tempted to throw something at you. Say “no” and head for home.

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