scott_sanford

So I had nothing much to do this Friday and, in retrospect, spent it in the most stereotypically Portland manner I could without a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts. Around noon I listened to Science Friday on NPR. (There are radio stations other than NPR or KBOO, right?) Then, after one of my housemates ranted about environmental issues, I escaped the house and went to the Bagdad Theater to catch the latest X-Men movie in matinee. Afterward I grabbed a snack at the aggressively decorative and alternative Roxy downtown, to tide me over through a presentation at Powell's about queer and counterculture themes in superhero comics - this being Portland, the room was full of nerds who actually wanted to chat about that for two hours.

My whole day has been a sequence of landmarks and Portlandia skits.

I was getting on the MAX (local light rail system) downtown early this evening, boarding at Pioneer Courthouse Square where there was some kind of Native American music and dance thing happening, along with various other folks including a few attendees still in garb. A few stops later a fellow in a nice shirt, tie, and slacks was waiting for the MAX; when the door opened he grabbed his skateboard and hopped on. Someone made a comment on the tie & skateboard combination and I agreed, "That's Portland for you." It turned out the couple behind me were visiting from Pittsburgh, and apparently skateboarding office workers and leather-fringed Indians are not common sights there.

Some days my city makes me smile.