21st Century Synchronicity

{P}ortland {N}etworks {C}ollide & {A}lign

2011-03-06T22:35:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, my previous career at the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) collided with my current line of work as Portland's Green Building Policy Coordinator. A string of hand-me-down emails from the Mayor's office led to an ecocharette invite for PNCA's green renovation of their historic 511 Building.

In 2007, as I was wrapping up 7 years of teaching Natural Science, PNCA purchased this stately building for the grand total of $1. A sweet US Department of Education deal once the building becomes vacated by it's only tenant, Dubya's Department of Homeland Security. Fast forward to 2011, and PNCA's dream building is finally becoming a reality.

The charette was filled with PNCA faculty, students & staff from my past mixed with green building colleagues from the present. I was pleasantly surprised to find PNCA's commitment to establishing the 511 Building as the cultural center of an EcoDistrict - the next generation of green building at a neighborhood scale AND the primary focus of my current work. From that point forward, a constant string of professional and personal connections have been intertwining with PNCA folks.

At times the coincidences have been exceptionally bizarre. Earlier in the year, I bought online electronic tickets to a Thermals explosion for Bunny & I. On the day of the show, she couldn't make it. Lilly pleaded to fly backup. Too loud, and too late for 'Lil, so I flew solo. Contemplating all the latest cosmic PNCA connections, I rode down to the show wondering whether our stars would align. Sure enough, I arrived to a loooooonnng line, and at the very end there stood a former PNCA maintenance dude + date.

We joked around as the line crept forward. Then he entered the SOLD OUT show while I was stopped by the doorman. Unfortunately, my online order had not registered with the electronic WILL CALL. If I could only access my email on a smart phone, I would pull up the ticket confirmation. But alas, I am dumber than a doornail when it comes to cell phones.

Disillusioned by the night, I unlocked my bike and started heading back home when my intuition wisely reminded me that this PNCA connection was no coincidence. Being a good listener, I turned around and locked back up again. Within minutes I was given entry as one stranger pulled up my email confirmation and another one bought Bunny's ticket. And, The Thermals delivered a non-stop-slam-dance-sweat-fest. What a RELIEF!?!

Last Monday, The Thermals rocked out again with a surprise show at the century-old Oaks Park roller rink. Lilly learned to rollerskate the week before, and we scored a couple of free tickets.

On the last visit to Oaks Park in 2006, I busted my ankle horribly. When the music is booming, I can't help but fly around the rink with little regard for safety. Fortunately, no injuries this time, and we ran into Lilly's former babysitter for a few rounds.

Newlyweds

2011-01-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

On the night of 10.15.10, we headed down to the Portland Art Museum hoping to get hitched to art. Within minutes of searching, I found my Art/Life Partner: a fifth century Chinese Bhudda head that immediately captured my attention with those divine eyes. Still, I like to know all my options and subsequently surveyed each museum floor, only to return back to the beginning with Bhudda. By that time, my real life partner, Bunny, was on board, too. Having married herself in a separate project earlier that day, this was her second ceremony as the good Rev. Ariana wedded us into a 1-year nuptial commitment with Art/Bhudda/Life.

And then a door opened. Being raised agnostic, I was neither attracted nor repelled by religion. Still, I am completely fascinated by strange coincidences and hold a strong belief in being guided by spirit. Several weeks, after our Art/Life marriage, Bunny asked,

"Since our night at the art museum, have you been noticing connections to Bhudda like I have?"

"No," I responded, "but maybe I should raise my awareness."

A few days later, she was in the midst of a rough spell, so I suggested a visit to the Japanese Garden with the kids to be get inspired by the Zen vibe and Fall foliage. En route to the garden, we stopped at a stranger's house who was selling an unusual commuter bike - a no-brainer for only 40 bucks. Moments after the test ride, we stepped into an antique store down the block and unexpectedly entered a showroom full of Chinese Bhuddas. Suddenly everything seemed sacred.

Trees.

Streams.

A sculpture and raked garden titled, Bhudda Herding Cats.

Lilly immersed in a silk screen installation.

Thanks to Lilly, Bhudda joined us for a holiday 'honeymoon' to Maui. While visiting a friend, she commented on the spines of a book series that collectively completes a head. Turns out that these Tezuka graphic novels depict a fictional life of Bhudda. We promptly reserved the series from the library and they arrived a couple days prior to our vacation. Perfect timing since Lilly, age 7, very recently dove into the joy of reading. The graphic novel completely captured her attention and she finished the last book (over 1,000 pages!) on our return flight home.

I was reading the series in Maui, too, and at one point, several of the characters describe our innate connection to nature and a divine ability for some to mind-meld with animals. The next day, we were playing at a beach, when a big, beautiful macaw swooped over us and then landed into the yard of a private home. Lilly followed its flight path and engaged in a conversation with the resident. Turns out that he had lived next door for many years with a Bhuddist monk who passed away. Shortly after, the macaw arrived and started living under his shelter. And soon after that, a mutual friend told him a promise from the monk, "After dying, I will return as a bird to continue teaching to my disciples." The macaw has continued to reside with him for the last 7 years.

Our newlywed life with Bhudda is brimming with sacred art, strange coincidences and spiritual connection to nature.

Mele Haole Haleakala Kalikimaka

2011-01-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

With gracious help from Auntie Shanna, we escaped to Hana on the Winter Solstice for an exceptionally rare overnight date.

Heavenly Hana. Even with its continual rain, this legendary paradise delivers a full dose of romance with every visit. Dining over local fare, the full moon rose from the ocean through silver-lined clouds and swaying palm trees. A beacon of light on this darkest day of the year. We soaked in a moonlit sauna, then returned to our yurt where gentle waves lulled us into a deep slumber.

A constant rain the next morning sent us in search of sun. At the end of a windy side road down to Nihaku, we found sunlight along with giant waves crashing into a jet black shore.

We also randomly ran into a French family that Bunny had met on Baby Beach a few days earlier while I was off on an upcountry bike ride. Being a fellow bicycling fanatic, Bunny encouraged me to contact the French father, but it wasn't until Nihaku that we connected. Within minutes of meeting, a ride was planned the next morning to Haleakala Crater - a climb so grueling that I never would have considered it on my own. The summit was covered by a cold, dense fog, but here's what it looks like on a clear day :~)

And here's some more pic's of our Mele Kalikimaka with the Maui Ohana.

Holyday Ball-Ball Express

2010-12-20T09:07:00.002-08:00

Nearly all my life, I earned the title 'night owl' followed by 'sleepy head' the next morning. This blog itself was born in the wee hours of the night following Superbowl XLIII while anxiously anticipating the late arrival of baby River into the world. But my biological clock shifted gears when I turned 40 over the summer. Suddenly, I can hardly keep my eyes open past midnight and awaken promptly at the crack of dawn.

Even after hosting a late-night holiday party last weekend, I rose early with the sun - a tad hungover and wishing to fall back into the abyss of sleep. Then River woke up, too. Lately all he talks about is 'ball-ball' (football) and 'choo-choo' (trains). This morning was no different. Looking outside, a warm tropical front had blown in a brief respite from weeks of rain & cold. A perfect opportunity for a long ride. So, I packed River on the back of the bike and headed out on a ball-ball & choo-choo adventure.

With our Hawaiian vacation right around the corner, we rode a tailwind out to the airport to watch planes take off. Then caught light rail trains across town to the Springwater Corridor bike path.

Along our return, we happened upon the Holiday Express steam train gearing up at Oaks Park.

News to me, the Oregon Rail Historic Foundation operates annual holiday rides on this relic from a century past. All aboard!

Children of every age entered the passenger cars as River & I were blown away by full-blast horns and high-pressure steam spraying from the mammoth engine. The train chugged away slowly down the tracks and then raced us along the Willamette River.

Our big bike adventure ended at the Hedge House to watch the Steelers eeek out another tight win. River's 1-year-old passion for football is adored by the Pittsburgh fans who congregate here religiously every Sunday during the season.

At the crack of dawn on this last day of Autumn, I woke to a choir of tropical birds. Soon joined by River with his usual request for ball-ball, then Lilly, then Bunny. The family relived the whole Super Bowl XLIII experience on DVD (a special Christmas gift request for Bubby :~) remembering River's last days in utero.

Happy Holydays!

Criss Cross Crusade

2010-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

On the eve of Halloween, Lilly was invited to a costume party where I ran into Tom, an old friend that I hadn't seen in years. Dressed as the Silver Surfer, Tom's costume time warped me back to Portland circa 1997 when we competed in our first and last triathlon: The Aluminum Man. Yep. Aluminum. Not as strong as iron, but more heat tolerant than plastic!

Absent from the party, Tom's 10-year old son was continuing the family studliness down in Astoria attending his new-found passion: Team Bear on Cross Crusade. Around here, this local cyclocross circuit sits somewhere between Burning Man and Tour de France (check out the link to this Halloween race video).

A month earlier, I was leaving Citybikes shop with the finishing touches on an old MB-2 restoration when I ran into Spencer, Cross Crusade Cat A racer. Returning from an Alpenrose race, he looked at the mountain bike and only had one thing to say,

"You gotta race that bike in cyclocross."

A reluctant reply, "Nope, these old bones are too brittle and this classic is going on Craig's List tonight."

And on Craig's List, it sat there...and sat there...and sat there for a month. A couple of bikey fanatics responded, but no sale.

That brings me to Halloween. Bunny's new flower fairy friend invited us to a costume party where Cross Crusade emerged into the conversation AGAIN. Her husband, Vaughn, also races on Team Beer and offered a 30-minute mount-remount-hurdle-carry training session. I took him up on it a week later, and the next morning Lilly wakes up singing the Halloween classic:

Criss cross applesauce

Spider crawling up your back

Cool breeze, tight squeeze

Now you've got the shiveries!

Ok, all signs are GO! So, I corral the kids and bikes into the van headed for the last day of the Cross Crusade season.

Here's Lilly with her kiddie-race game face just before receiving a season-ending wasp sting.

And River is thrilled to find everyone else wants to play in the mud, too!

With all these criss-cross connections, I can see a season of Cross Crusade in our future. I'll hold onto the old MB-2 for good measure.

10.10.10

2010-10-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

In alignment with 2010, tens have been recurring all year long... and October 10 was a thematic pinnacle as Bunny finished her last big wedding design project of the season. One wedding in tens of thousands chosen on this Sunday across the world.

I can't seem to recall 9.9.9. But on the morning of 10.10.10, we watched Tim Burton's latest film, 9, as the rain poured with seemingly no end in sight. Our pumpkin picking plans with Nanners had all but washed away until the clouds finally parted in the afternoon and Bunny finished her wedding flower delivery. We all headed out for a fun-in-the-sun-filled adventure at the quirky country bumpkin Plumper Pumpkin Patch.

A perfect 10!

Equinoxing Under the Autumn Moon

2010-09-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

On the first day of Spring '09, I posted a blog about strange coincidences on the equinox ...not the global equinox, but the actual day when Portland experiences equal parts light and dark. For the arrival of Autumn '10, that day fell on September 25th - a bright, warm & sunny Saturday capping off a solid two weeks of off-and-on rain.

The morning started with the kids on a bikequest to retrieve Lilly's hoodie - left behind the night before at Chapman Elementary School where we witnessed the annual migration of Vaux swifts tornado through Portland. Lilly has blossomed into a superstar bicyclist and rode 10 miles of bike boulevards across town with only one request: a chocolate eclair from St. Honore French Bakery. Compared to the typical American donuclair, their version is 4x smaller, 4x more expensive and 10x tastier. She savored every bite.

I note this start to our journey only because Lilly's eclair-adventure perfectly timed our arrival to the morning's destination: Under the Autumn Moon Festival at the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. As we pulled up on bikes, Lilly's sweet, half-Chinese friend Aria strolled up beside us for an impromptu playdate.

The girls were entranced by dancing dragons while I chased a rambunctious River through random passages. The design of this enchanting garden was inspired by seven ancient gardens in Portland's sister city, Suzchou, Jiangsu Province.

In the world of urban sustainable development, Jiangsu is much like Portland: a national and global leader for pioneering climate protection and green building policies while simultaneously raising quality of life. Last Thursday, I presented Portland's Climate Action Plan to 25 Chinese Mayors, including one from Jiangsu. The American press loves to paint China as this mega-polluter of the 21st century, but in many ways, they are ahead of us on the sustainability curve, plus they can tap their 10,000-yr+ heritage of living in balance with the Earth.

Thoroughly inspired by all things Chinese, I handed the kids off to Bunny in the afternoon and rode out to work our annual BIG! (Build-It-Green!) tour of homes. Many connections with community were crossed over the course of touring 40 miles and 8 homes in 4 hours. I was most impressed by five houses seeking near-zero energy use. If successful, these residents will meet their electricity needs with photovaltaics and heat their homes with waste heat from appliances and their own bodies!

My tour ended at the liquor store to pick up a fifth of single-malt Scotch for my buddy Craig's birthday party later that night. Strangely, through the rows of bottles, I ran into Ruth, who was also celebrating her birthday, and then Jordan, who was also on the BIG! tour. Jordan works for the State Department of Environment Quality researching the environmental impacts of the stuff we buy and recently completed a study on the lifecycle carbon emissions from various home sizes. I hardly know him, but we recently connected to arrange a couple presentations of his research to folks at my bureau.

The coincidences continued as we randomly ran into Jordan and his family at Director's Park yesterday and played in the fountain. As it turns out his wife knows Bunny through admiration of the flower shop. To bring it all full circle, I took the kids out to dinner at Habibi: besides being my favorite Lebanese restaurant in Portland, Habibi is also the title of Craig's five-years-in-the-creating graphic novel. Under the Autumn Moon, we celebrated his 35 years and crowning achievement.

Y2K Time Machine

2010-08-08T05:46:00.001-07:00

With our 10-year anniversary approaching, Bunny and I realized that romantic dates have been few and far between as babysitters were lost to attrition. So, instead of one big anniversary date, we savored three consecutive nights out-on-the-town visiting new restaurants in the midst of an early summer heat wave.

The first night happened on a whim when Bunny randomly noticed Hot Tub Time Machine on the Laurelhurst Theater marquis at 7:30 pm. Desperately in need of comic relief and cooling off, we rushed out the door to catch this comedy, but as it turns out, it already started at 7:10 pm.

Hmmm...now what should we do??? Date Night starts at 7:30 pm? Never heard of it BUT Tina Fey...Steve Carrell...timely title...c'mon WHY NOT!?!

We unexpectedly stepped into this bucket of laughs targeted for an audience of outdated parents. Just what the Love Rx ordered for ol' Ma 'n' Pa! We followed with a late dinner and blazing sunset over the city from the Noble Rot deck.

Our second night was even hotter with a dinner date to Beaker and Flask, 2009 Restaurant of the Year and easily our hands-down favorite new culinary experience in Portland even if the air-conditioning couldn't keep up with their modern bank of windows.

And on the third night, we really heated things up by celebrating 10 years of sweet marriage at Olympic Provisions, voted Portland's Sexiest Restaurant 2010. We had our fill and headed up to another blazing sunset from Council Crest where we had our first kiss 13 years ago. Sharing gifts, recalling old times, and reveling in the heat of the moment...until mosquitoes and a security guard drove us away. Down to the Riverplace to toast 10 years with a Tawny Port. We were engaged here on the banks Willamette waterfront in 1997.

Continuing the celebration, we planned 10 days of camping and cleansing along the Lewis River - our Y2K wedding site. As usual, our plans changed, and we left a day late in the opposite direction - toward Bagby Hot Springs as the heat wave abruptly ended.

20 minutes down the highway toward our summer vacation destination, we found ourselves exhausted from too many dates, a big wedding delivery and cranky kids. At our wick's end, we turned the minivan around - homebound. Lil' was so confounded by her parents fickle decision-making, she vowed to not join us for camping at all. But, our stars aligned as we passed a body double for Grandpa Roger and happened upon some magic at a second-run neighborhood cinema featuring Babies, a family-friendly flick that Bunny had been looking forward to seeing since it's premiere.

Refreshed and ready for adventure, we headed out the next morning for three days of exploring the ancient fairy forest, dipping in chilly swimming holes, and healing in the Hot Springs.

Delirious from 4 days of low-calorie kidney/liver cleansing, we found our figurative Hot Tub Time Machine with a final soak in this transcendent hot tub.

We returned briefly to Portland for provisions, Bunny's Nia class and evening sunset at the historic Pittock Mansion.

Then back to camping and cleansing along Mt. St. Helens and the Lewis River where we found a tent site within audible distance of the Lower Falls.

These pure waters and surrounding enchanted forest have been sacred to humans for thousands of years. Despite the lack of calories, we were filled with joy to celebrate our Earth, marriage and children.

Mostly we moved in slow motion around the campground, but also ventured out: hiking into the crater of Mt. St. Helens' Spirit Lake for a day of divine inspiration, mountain biking along the 27-mile legendary Lewis River single-track fueled by adrenaline, and visiting with Nana and her buddy Jack who joined us for a weekend waterfall walk. Nana nicknamed River "Skeeter" in honor of his camping collection of forehead bites.

After five days fully immersed in the woods, we returned home with a deeper reverence and gratitude for this miracle of life.

Xing Paths

2010-07-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

After three weeks and 300 rides, Pedalpalooza wrapped up last Sunday with the madness of Multnomah County Bike Fair.

I love kicking off the summer with this annual celebration of biking community and zany fun! Fully mobile with River in tow, we rode for a solid four days parading around town, eating bike-themed donuts, splashing in fountains and making music with bells. Video highlights are posted to Bunny's YouTube, and here are some pics:

Every ride cross-pollinates community paths, and on occasion, a cosmic connection surfaces like this story from the stellar bikeportland blog. Pedalpalooza also overlaps with Father's Day. With Goob arriving from D.C., I began fretting over a meaningful gift that could bridge the 3,000-mile distance between us. Fortunately, Pedalpalooza delivered BIG with a noontime bicycle author brown bag that revealed Momentum, a memoir of a father's bike odyssey from Portland to Washington D.C. with his two sons and their grandpa's ashes. Perfect!

For our Father's Day weekend getaway to the coast, I brought bikes for an epic intergenerational beach cruise with Goob and Lilly.

HawkEye

2010-05-31T22:53:00.000-07:00

With a break in the weather, we headed out to the Columbia Gorge on Memorial Day for a memorable walk in the woods.

"Let's count hawks on our way out," Lilly randomly suggests on the drive leaving Portland. 1...2...3...

Yeah sure, why not. A keen eye can always spot a couple hawks circling the Gorge skies. In line with our 2010 wild bird theme, we count 19 hawks in 19 miles!

"What's up with ALL these hawks?!?" Bunny wonders.

"Maybe they're gathering for Starhawk, the good witch who's casting healing Earth spells at Village Building Convergence tomorrow night," I reply in disbelief.

"Let's ALL go!"

Distracted by layers of birdcalls, it's easy to get lost in Oregon's deep green forest. 100 yards from the trailhead, we make a wrong turn and instead of a mellow waterfall walk, we found ourselves hiking up a steep basalt canyon to Nesmith Point (a 4.8-mile, 4,000-foot climb). The realization was made after several miles and Lilly's increasing protests. But, stopping at a viewpoint, we spied a family of hawks riding thermals up the canyon walls directly before us. This was our second random, wonderful wild bird experience this Spring.

The hawk theme and appreciation of random order continued through the evening with Eye of the Hawk brews and South African beats back in town.

And of course, in spiral dance with Starhawk the following night.

The river is deep

the rapids are strong

we're caught in a current

and don't have long.

Pull up our lives

Change is near

Pull together

Love is stronger than fear.

-Starhawk Spiral Dance Chant

Full Circle

2010-05-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

We aimed high for another memorable Memorial Day Weekend STAYcation, but the combination of rain, screaming baby, wedding flower delivery, more screaming, more delivery and more rain has been a real spoiler. Especially compared to last year.

Yet last weekend was a sweet repeat of the Pacific Northwest College of Art annual thesis exhibition. Bunny is their perennial flower designer, and we brought the whole family down for a big dose of cultural inspiration created by the last batch of my former students.

It's been a decade since I started teaching ecology to PNCA art majors. Back then, concepts like sustainability, biophilia and community networks were still fresh to most student vocabularies. Fast forward 10 years...this graduating class is ecoliterate and humanity's inextricable connection to nature is the common thread of their 2010 theses. Coincidentally, one student's mixed-media project fondly referenced the remote wilderness where Bunny and I were married a decade ago, just weeks before becoming a professor.

My tour of PNCA duty was finished in Fall 2007 mentoring a stellar class of interested and engaged students - with the exception of one Beth Nix who repelled all things related to ecological sustainability. I was surprised to find that, much like society, she turned a corner and embraced our civilization's greatest challenge of the 21st Century. Full Circle.

Even WILDerrrrRRR!

2010-05-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Happy National Bike to Work Day! Today was just another cold & soggy commute. But the previous two days were filled with torrential downpours, hail, rainbows, sideways rain, blinding sun, blustery gales, more downpours, etc. Unusually WILD weather and bike commuting for meek & mild Portland.

Surfing the Pedalpalooza calendar, I came across an organization that matches my current fetish for bicycling and all-things-WILD: www.cyclewild.org. Their mission is to reconnect people to nature via overnight bicycling adventures. I've been dreaming of riding to Bagby Hot Springs all winter, and the CycleWILD folks not only host rides to this sacred sanctuary but also provide a map and cue sheets for a bike-friendly route.

Touring by bike is still very foreign to me, but I might join the Reno crew in late June for a night or two of their Portland-to-Reno ride. There happens to be a Pedalpalooza Camping 101 workshop a few days before their ride, so maybe I'll get schooled and tag along.

Reviewing the Pedalpalooza bike madness schedule that fills Portland's parks and bikeways from June 10-26, I came across a couple of locally shot videos that are beyond WILD: Performance, and a local bike blogger joined Wayne Coyne for this Flaming Lips shoo t on Mt. Tabor and Sauvie Island (two of the sweetest riding destinations in Portland). WARNING: Do NOT open this link if you don't want to see naked Portland hippy hipsters acting WILDly!!!

WILD man! WILD!

Where the WILD Things rrrrrrrRRR!

2010-05-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Lilly, River & I were driving by Laurelhurst Park last Wednesday evening when I spied a big pile of little rocks. At first I did a doubletake, then put her in reverse. rrrrrrrRRR!

The kids new exactly what to do:

Climb up the mound as if it were a mountain...

Tumble down with signature stunts....

Laugh uncontrollably...

Repeat endlessly...

The park itself is a legendary respite from City pace, but this random pile of maintenance gravel was a fresh addition that conjured their WILDest spirits.

Meanwhile I noticed a rogue, post-apocalyptic 'artcar' pull-in nearby. Coupling arc welding with a WILDass-hair-brain idea, the owner converted this 1980s Chevy Luv minitruck into a traveling tortoise shell camper.

The rock pile. The zany car. Suddenly I'm craving WILD things like a twitterpated Bambi in Spring. Birdsongs capture my attention bicycling beneath the vernal urban canopy around town. And with a spate of perfect weather, I've been riding to near exhaustion: extended noontime ascents deep into West Hill greenways on Thursday and Friday...out to Far East Portland for a workshop on Saturday...a Sunday morning joyride into the WILDerness of Forest Park...

The morning ride was a near bust as thunderheads threatened most of the City. I switched directions between North or South several times until a freight train finally blocked the Southern passage, leaving only one dry way out - through Portland's NW industrial area. Normally overrun with freight trucks and pollution, no sane bicyclist would ever venture into this eerie wasteland. But on a quiet Sunday morning, there was nary a soul out there.

Much to my surprise, I found a hidden connection to the elusive Saltzmann Road entry into Forest Park. At one point winding up the gravel grade, I heard a rustling in the woods, did a doubletake, and put her in reverse for a gander. Deer? elk? bear? cougar? coyote? Nothing emerged except a flat front tire. And I then realized that my pump was left at home. rrrrrrrRRR!

Rarely noticeable in the City, mosquitoes came swarming in as I patiently waited for a cell phone and pump-wielding Good Samaritan. A redheaded woodpecker provided entertainment until help arrived. With the flat fixed, I cruised through the forest for miles. Besides the mosquitoes and woodpecker, I didn't spot much WILDlife except an occasional mole feigning death in the middle of the dirt road. But the birds sang emphatically and the lush green jungle satiated my thirst for WILDness.

Sunday was capped off with Lilly & I joining our friends Holden, Dylan & Nicole on a Parkways ride. For five Sundays in 2010, over 10 miles of roadways are closed to motor vehicles allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to freely travel between City parks in Portland. The community comes out in hordes supported by a variety of local, indie retailers and entertainers. It's quite the liberating celebration to kick gas-guzzling, oil-spilling cars to the curb in favor of alternate transportation modes.

And it's always great to ride with family friends. Lilly and Holden were best buds in kindergarten. Through our daughters, Dylan and I realized that we both hail from Reno and share a common thrill for Portland's bike culture. Just before our Spring Break vacation to Nevada, he turned me on to the Reno Bike Project and Design Sponge Reno Travel Guide. Through Sunday Parkways, we realized that my friend Greg from 3rd grade is riding from Portland to Reno this summer with Dylan's high school friend, Dan. This wouldn't be completely improbable except that Greg & I are a decade older than Dan & Dylan, and topping it all off, Dylan's mom works with Greg at a high school in Reno.

I phoned Greg from Parkways to share this uncanny connection. "Small World," he laughed and then noted, "But it really isn't a 'small world'. It's a giant, complex world with these strange coincidences." Yep. It is completely WILD that bicycle community networks mysteriously across geographic boundaries regardless of time and space.

On our return home for dinner with Bunny & River, Lilly & I happened across another big pile of rocks - perfect for WILDchild bike stunts. rrrrrrrRRR!

It's ALL Interconnected

2010-04-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

Earth Week started off with the de Ronde van Oeste Portlandia bike ride: a loosely organized 50-mile, 5,000-ft urban climb. The grueling course starts up an old grade through the middle of Forest Park and then follows a series of 'Lion of Flanders' stencils through Portland's West Hills.

Spring SPRUNG in the last couple of weeks, and Portland's historic neighborhoods are electric with blooming colors. I rode with Atom, a fellow bike comrade on the cusp of turning 40 and father of two little children. We rarely hang out, so it was great to catch up on life when our schedules aligned with de Ronde. As a brewer at Dragonfly Chai, he's been mastering a new Mate recipe that I looked forward to sampling.

The following day, Bunny and I had a rare opportunity to escape from the kids for the day, so we bolted for the Gorge and hiked up the short but STEEP Dog Mountain Trail - a little early for the annual mountain meadow wildflower explosion but caught hundreds of blooming Phantom Orchids along the forested trail.

At the summit, we relaxed in the warm sun and soaked up views of the Columbia River and surrounding volcanoes. A perfect Sunday to share reverence for Mother Nature and release any worries into the calm wind.

The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day was one of those funny days in Portland where multiple paths criss-cross in cosmic cadence. I had a hankering for another West Hills climb and planned to meet the family for a picnic at the Audubon Sanctuary in Forest Park.

I love visiting Hazel there, the spotted owl whose eyes pierce my core and transcend the entire universe. I know it sounds exaggerated but her enchanting gaze is a truly wild experience in the City.

On my way out of the office, I ran into Jason, an old acquaintance from Peoples Food Coop and irregular soundman at Holocene. Many years had passed since our last encounter, but I had just seen him working the 4/20 Guidance Counselor show a couple days earlier. We joked around and moments later ran into eachother AGAIN at a Vietnamese sandwich cart. Combined with a series of other community connections, this happenstance got me appreciating how Portland's musicians, artists, foodies and environmentalists are all intertwined together by a common thread of sustainability. A few moments after that, I ran into Darin, another foodie-cycle-friend who's been looking forward to Spring rides together.

Energized by the moment, I climbed up through Washington Park, cruised along Skyline Blvd and flew down Balch Creek Canyon to meet my sweet family in the ancient forest at Audubon. We walked the trails through buds of Spring green and towering Doug Fir giants ending with an interpretive sign describing how the Earth's communities are all interconnected.

The theme of ubiquitous interconnections would continue the next day at Bunny's Studio Nia celebration of Mama Earth. AND, again at today's annual City Repair Earth Day extravaganza where we ran into a bunch of bright-eyed friends and thoroughly enjoyed a fresh brew of Atom's new Mate Chai...It's all INTERCONNECTED!

Sacred Spaces

2010-04-08T00:57:00.000-07:00

On the first day of Spring, I cleaned out the old tub shack for an evening equinox soak. Portland hit its first 70-degree high of the year, and the air was still warm and fragrant. Earlier in the day, I rode out to majestic Crown Point in the Columbia Gorge.

Quite the invigorating start to a vernal season...well, except that this half century left me COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED. Weary and losing balance, I had to catch a passing City bus at the tail end of the ride just to get over the last hill!

Needless to note, the hot tub was a perfect remedy. Releasing into its healing waters, my mind drifted toward sacred spaces:

the Vista House overlooking the Gorge at Crown Point...

our home in Spring...

the "TUB HER" shack in our back yard...

With a Spring Break vacation to Reno just a couple of days away, I began envisioning a sacred spaces tour through my hometown.

When we planned this vacation a few months ago, the main destination was some quality time with our twin nieces before they transform into disengaged teenagers.

Having turned 14 the week before our arrival, I think we caught them just on the cusp. They're still so sweet to their cousin Lilly, enamored with little River, dance and sing with Bunny, and laugh at their Uncle's dumb jokes. We shared many, many fun memories cavorting through historic Virginia City and basking on the sunny shores of Lake Tahoe's Chimney Beach - two of the most mythical and enchanting places in Nevada.

It's been a decade since returning to Reno for a Biggest, Littlest adventure (more recent trips have been mostly spent with family at Lake Tahoe). Much has changed. Still, the places I revered as a child remain the same.

The morning after our arrival, I took the family out to Verdi - a few hundred paces across the California border west of Reno. On nice days, I'd skip high school class(es) and go skinny-dipping in this flume with friends.

We must have ignored the "EXTREME DANGER - NO SWIMMING" signs back then.

Somehow, the weather was always sunnier, warmer and calmer escaping to California, and this morning was no different as we toured the ghosts of Verdi-past.

In the afternoon, we parked on the California Street bluff next to a mini-playground and a series of historic mansions. As a teen, this was my SIT SPOT. Many nights would start and end here smoking Camel Lights - overlooking Reno and the expansive Great Basin beyond. On one occasion a dozen years ago, Bunny and I were enamored by hundreds of hot air balloons lifting into the sky from this vantage.

Dropping down from the bluff, I took the family on a walking tour starting with my Mom's strip-mall yogurt shop where I served

mountains of fro-yo and listened to non-stop-Top-40-Pop during the summers of '84 and '85.

After a satisfying visit to a new cupcakery next door, we stepped into 'ye old barber shop and SURPRISE! We found Bill, my barber who chopped up a decade of new wave hairdos AND is still cutting!

This nostalgic tour continued through Idlewild Park where I recalled childhood stories for Lilly.

And then along the Truckee, into downtown, through Wingfield Park, and back up California. I typically refer to Reno as "Vegas for Seniors" but these sweet neighborhoods all have long, rich histories that date back to the Silver Rushes of the 19th Century.

Later that evening, I brought my brother-in-law's classic Lotus road bike down to the Reno Bike Project to be revived after hanging on his garage hook for the past 25 years. At the Project, I reconnected with Greg, an old friend since 3rd Grade, who is now deeply immersed in their valiant efforts to reclaim the City streets with thousands of resurrected Burning Man bikes.

With help from Greg and Russ, another high school friend and fellow bike geek, the Lotus was back in commission for a crisp ride along the foothills of snowy Mt. Rose.

I'll look forward to sharing a bit of Portland's bike-wrenching culture with Greg this summer when he's planning a tour from Portland to Reno. In addition to becoming bike fanatics in the last few years, our dual lives include 6-year old daughters. On a sunny Saturday, our girls played together for hours at Rancho San Rafael, while Greg, Russ and I rode out to the California border in Verdi.

Despite a host of mechanical problems (good thing Greg & Russ are bike mechanics!), the ride was dreamy along the Truckee River recalling memories of riding in the 1980s with Greg LeMond whizzing by.

The bicycling theme in Reno was punctuated by a coincidental encounter with another old friend, Tyler, at a hip clothing exchange store in the revamped Mid-Town neighborhood. I never really noticed coincidences when I lived in Reno (or even on previous visits). But after seeing a lucky 777 sign on South Virginia Street, I had a distinct feeling that I was in for a blast from the past.

After a few fleeting moments, Tyler directed us to The Hub, a new bike-friendly coffeehouse serving Intelligentsia single-origin espresso and chai just a few steps around the corner.

Suddenly, it felt like we found a piece of Portland right in the middle of Reno.

The next night, I met up with a bunch of old friends at Streya, a friendly bungalow bar whose owners hail from Portland, too. Clarissa, Renee, Val, Xac and Sam are some of the funniest characters that you'll ever meet especially when this crew is all in the same room together. We all laughed HARD - just like the old days.

A few nights later, Bunny and I met up with two other old friends, Shelly and Kenny, to share a couple bottles of fine French wine downtown. With our judgement impaired, we capped the night off with an Awful Awful Burger and an Asskicker Margarita! Not so much fun for Bunny the next morning...

On our last day, we wrapped up this tour of sacred spaces four-wheelin' with Kenny on Cashill, passing through the "way-back" tunnel behind my Mom's old house, and visiting the elementary school playground where I learned to ride a two-wheeler for the first time.

Unforgettable to share these 6-year-old memories with my 6-year-old daughter!

Arriving at the airport, Lil' begged me to show her how to play the slots. Against my better judgement as a responsible parent ;~) ...she picked the machine, and I dropped the quarter.

Sure enough - Lucky 777 hit the Jackpot!

Ding! ding! DinG! Lilly always seems to have a funny coincidence on our family vacations, and this time it was on the return flight where she happened to find a seat next to her 1st grade classmate, Zachary, and brother Max.

I don't recall The Biggest Little City in the World as a friendly sort of place. So, it was refreshing to experience a genuinely sweet side of Reno with these wonderful friends from the past. Reminiscing old times revealed the sacred space shared between friends despite the many years dividing us. Namaste!

FuNnY Videos

2010-03-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

The video side bar has been acting funny, so here's a link to Bunny's Youtube site with family vids and Bubby's fave music vids.

Psychos for Cycles

2010-03-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

I'm cRAzY about cycles. Not just bicycles, but layers of chaotic, interconnected cycles in nature that weave together all the world's systems into a random order.

Yesterday, the City's green building team was riding the Streetcar on our way to an ice cream social across town (YUM!). As we passed Portland State University's meek Systems Science building, I was delighted to see a diagram of adaptive Panarchy cycles stuck to their window. My recent research at PSU focused on applying these adaptive cycles in nature to the design of sustainable climate protection policy. Combined with a couple of scoops of local Coffee Crackle and Kulfi Cardammom ice cream at Cool Moon, this connection to Panarchy at PSU was a sweet cap on a week of social and ecological coincidences.

The week's events all started at the Riverplace near downtown.

13 years ago, Bunny and I were engaged at the end of this dock. This place is SACRED to me. Every weekday on the my ride into the office, I have a morning ritual here: stopping for a moment, soaking up the sunrise over the Willamette River, giving thanks, praying, then taking a deep drink of Portland's ancient forest-filtered water from a Benson Bubbler and dedicating a day of service to the City. With the grey days of Winter phasing out and Spring cycling in, I've been thirsty for feeling more connected to community and this was my intention last week.

On Thursday, I was flipping through a Portland weekly in a waiting room and came across a recommendation for the annual Clowns Without Borders circus the following night. One year ago, I blogged about how this wonderful performance arrived on our radar with nary a day's notice despite recurring only a few blocks from our home. This year was no different.

Later that night, I delivered flowers to the Laurelhurst Theater and caught a second run of Terry Gilliam's Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Being a big fan of Gilliam's prolific catalog of feature films (ever since Time Bandits), I stepped into the theater ready to be transported into a bizarro world. And that's essentially the plot of the film: a traveling circus troupe draws their audience individually into a magic mirror. On the other side, they enter an imaginary world filled with their own personal hallucinations and consequently experience a spiritual reckoning that returns them transformed and enlightened.

Friday was cold and rainy. More Old Man Winter. I'm OVER it! Fortunately, we had Clowns Without Borders to redeem the grey day. Lilly and her best friend, Ruby, were full of glee and River was captivated for over 2 hours. They wandered in and out of their own kindred imaginariums, and we followed endearingly.

On Saturday night, BunZ arranged a date to celebrate our friend Aisha's 40th birthday dessert party. We started with dinner at the new Spints Alehouse in the neighborhood. Within a half hour, my good friend Adrian unexpectedly walked in and joined us for impromptu Bavarian beers at the bar. This might not seem like much of a coincidence, EXCEPT that I've been trying to meet up with him for a couple of months AND he also turns 40 in a couple of weeks. I'm turning 40 this year, too, and find much therapy in watching friends turn that corner with nearly all faculties intact.

After multiple slices of cream pie and social networking conversations at Aisha's (RU Facebook-challenged, too?), Bunny and I headed out to the 'Couv to finally catch Avatar before it leaves 3D theaters.

Of course James Cameron deserves many accolades for ushering in a new age of digital animation technology, but I was more captured by the film's deep ecology ethic and ancient wisdom. Even if it replicates a story that's been told thousands of times from all corners of the Earth, I'm still thoroughly inspired EVERY time I hear that Mother Earth holds a divine plan for humanity as natural resources dwindle and our weather becomes auspiciously weirder.

Sunday was the Grand Finale...I hit the road for an epic bike ride through Forest Park and Sauvie's Island. At one point on this rural island at the confluence of the mighty Columbia and Willamette, I stopped to admire hundreds of Canadian Geese funneling into a field. Then continued on to my destination, Cistus Nursery, to meet Bunny, Lilly and River. Cistus stands out from any other plant nursery around Portland. It's dreamy like the jungle in Avatar: fractal layers of semi-tropical plants and their exotic fragrances fill the air. I found a spot to lounge in the sun and wait for my crew as spring petals floated down from the sky. Upon arrival, we toured the nursery and found a gigantic cala lily that emanates the sweet scent of hard candy.

From Cistus, we headed out to hike the beach at the end of the island. Rare warm, clear and calm days in Spring are the perfect time to walk this beach as the surrounding four volcanic, snow-capped peaks are reflected in the Columbia. Occasionally, massive cargo ships chug on by churning up waves onto the beach and leaving a stream of bunker smoke in the sky.

On our return, we ran into an old colleague from PNCA who remarked that he's never seen so many birds in Sauvie's fields as today. Sure enough on our drive back home, we spotted a flock of geese and pulled off the main road into a field filled with thousands of geese - mostly migrating species that we've never seen around here before. Their orchestrated honking was deafening as hundreds more continued to flock magnetically into this one field. Seriously MIND-BLOWING like the Serengeti. Again, it felt like entering a scene from Avatar's enchanting natural world where the definition of community extends far beyond human boundaries.

I know...I know. It's silly and a bit cuckoo to find coincidences between film and real life. But I did mention that I'm cRaZY about cycles, right? Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Annual...Glacial - I love them all. The first few months of 2010 have recalled many fond memories from Winter last year while reliving cyclical patterns (with a slightly different twist): lunar New Year at The Chinese Garden (on Valentine's), River's birthday celebration followed by a sweet stretch of warm sun (at the beach), and a dreamy early-Spring Columbia Gorge wildflower hike (to Tom McCall Point).

I heART Portland ;~)

2010-02-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine's is always filled with love as Bunny immerses herself into an array of flowers to design incredible sculptures at Starflower. One of her bouquets is currently featured on the cover of Portland Bride & Groom!

She's one part in thousands of Portland artists who celebrate Valentine's with creative expressions. Last night, we went to the Portland LOVE Show opening at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center. On our first date, Bunny and I watched fireworks on the 4th of July (1997!) from the rooftop of this warehouse on the Industrial Eastside. Since that time, Portland's arts scene has continuously thrived. The last decade has been like a Renaissance in this City of Roses (despite the recession).

Much like the live music scene highlighted in my last post, art openings and parties intertwine our community together. In the case of this 5th Annual LOVE Show, 400 local artists contributed drawings, paintings and sculptures dedicated to LOVE! Plus, it's a giant kickass potluck with DJs, bands and a fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank.

BunZ and Lilly were cuttin' the concrete to dance hall beats with our whacky friend Peter, and our long-time Portland friend, Juanita, was showing red velvets at the LOVE Show. She also had an earlier opening at Alma Chocolates down the street from our home. Mmmmmm! Chocolate! Juanita is a sculptor at heart but has mastered velvet painting over the last decade. She also paints on velvet jackets - check out her blog!

Cheers to feeling the love of community!

Rock It Baby!

2010-01-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

For the past 15 and 1/2 years, Portland's thriving live music scene has connected us with community. On any given night, hundreds of performers play their hearts out across town. And often, the music is woven into an enchanting night of chance encounters with friends, strangers and old acquaintances.

In our early years together, Bunny and I would head out to a punk club or party most nights of the week and get inspired by a bunch of Portland's rising pop bands. With the arrival of parenthood in 2003, we gradually faded from this scene. Or at least switched gears from nightlife to a host of all-ages venues where Lilly could join in the fun. But Lil' lost interest in loud music over the last year and when combined with the needs of newborn River, getting out for a night on the town has become an increasingly rare event.

Still, we do make it to live shows every couple of months when the timing's right. Like the night before BunZ birthday, I was hoping to take her out dancing to the nerdy punk beats of Guidance Counselor.

Bunny's rearing to boogie down on any night of the week, but I'm much more rigid and need a mix of retro 80s beats with a modern edge to get my groove on. So I was glad to hear that this new wave dance party band was playing the newly revamped Mississippi Studios. That is until I found out that ALL of our baby sitters were UNAVAILABLE.

But the crazy thing is the very next day we were headed back into town from sledding on Mt Hood, and I received a text from my good old friend Andy (who very recently started drumming for none other than Guidance Counselor):

"Hey! I'm having a house party tonight. Semi-private double birthday dAnce party! You're invited! Guidance Counselor plays at 9:30, dAnce party to follow...Pls COME"

Of course this is a date with destiny, but first we had to return home to a SURPRISE! party for BunZ 36th Birthday.

The surprise party was a blast with around 50 old and new friends celebrating my wonderful wife. By late evening, I scooted everyone out, and we rushed over to Andy's packed basement to dANcE. Pure joy - a perfect ending to a perfect day.

On many occasions, live music has been my salvation from the depths of depression and doubt. In the middle of last week, I had a big meeting with the Mayor's office - attempting to get a climate protection policy back on the Mayor's agenda after many months of being on hold. Despite feeling deeply connected to serving the City since 2007, this past year has really been trying my patience, and lately I often feel frustrated by the perverse politics and bureaucratic red tape that restricts government from being effective.

Later that evening, BunZ fell asleep early with the kids and I found myself alone and wired. Flipping through a weekly, I happened across a rare performance by The Gossip later that same night.

This local act's popularity exploded in the last year with a You Tube vid that's received over 10 million hits. They could easily pack a cavern in Portland, but for this "undercover dance party" they were billed as the opening act anagram "PIE GHOSTS" for only 5 bucks at the intimate Mississippi Studios! Of course the show was sold out far in advance, but nothing stops me once the stars align. Within a couple of minutes lingering outside the venue with The Gossip rocking in the background, the doorman said,

"Hey, are you just looking for one ticket to the show?"

"Yep," I smiled hopefully.

"Well then perfect timing!" he replied, crossing off one last name on the guest list.

The Gossip's edgy dance fever was a perfect remedy for untying the bureaucratic knot in my stomach. They mixed old school punk classics (Talking Heads, Nirvana, Bikini Kill) into their rocking hits, and frontwoman Beth Ditto's comic wit between songs had the audience rolling. Hands down one of the best shows that I've ever seen, plus I ran into my sympathetic friend Wing - the other counter culture champ from the bureau. Once again, I was saved by Rock n Roll.

The week closed out with BunZ and I catching a screening of All Tomorrow's Parties at Portland's annual Reel Music Film Festival and reminiscing two solid decades of being inspired and energized by live music.

HaPpY NeW DEcAdE!

2010-01-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Looking back on the losses of friends and family in the last year, 2009 has been a long and trying year. Yet the longer view of the decade recalls 10 years filled with serendipity and minor miracles. When the new millenium rang in on New Year' Eve 1999, Bunny and I were fresh from living in a van for a year. It was that odyssey that opened my eyes to the strange and systemic connections that bind us all together.

Grateful for the blessing of community, I'm looking forward to the dawn of the new year AND a new decade!

Memorial on Maui

2009-12-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

Six weeks after my uncle's passing, we arrived back in Maui to remember and celebrate his time with us on Earth. Moments after leaving the airport, we bee-lined for Baby Beach to meet Aunt Shanna and dip our feet in the ocean. The wind is relentless, but this beach is perfect for small children as a barrier reef creates a calm pool protected from the crashing waves. My cousins, Aaron and Katheryn, were raised on these shores.

Although well-known to locals, Baby Beach is typically uncrowded. And on the afternoon of our arrival, the beach was desolate except for a couple of beach combers and one small family wading in the pool. Lilly Star, being a social butterfly, suited up and immediately engaged the family. Within a few minutes, we realized that their daughter was a student at Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland last year under the same teacher as Lilly this year. The odds of this happenstance are unfathomable - a perfect community moment in time. As a rainbow revealed itself arcing over Lilly's impromptu play date, I was reminded of my uncle's advice, 'even if you are an introvert, be extroverted because you'll experience more life that way.'

In the days leading up to the memorial, we celebrated my uncle with our Maui family on their Upcountry farm and short excursions to the beach. The mornings were quiet and peaceful, the afternoons were buzzing with preparations, evenings were filled with stories over dinner, and at night, we'd fall asleep to the laughter of my cousins as they selected songs for the dance party.

On the morning of the memorial, a big rainbow stretched across the farm reminding me of Davey's bright and colorful spirit. After a short hike and dip into Twin Falls, the family convened on the farm for the final preparations as guests arrived. The memorial was sweet, endearing and sad all at the same time. Davey was remembered as a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, friend and angel in his community. We ended the night all smiles celebrating his favorite pastime - dancing!

After the celebration, we enjoyed a couple of long, calm beach days with Bunny's cousin Kate in Lahaina, and Aunt Shanna at Makena. Snorkeling in a protected marine reserve, Lilly and I swam with an array of rainbow fish and a sea turtle! On the seashore, River liked chomping on the rocks and sneaking handfuls of sand into his mouth.

On our last day, we said goodbye to family and shared one last moment on the beach remembering my dear Uncle Davey.

Dedication to Davey

2009-12-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

In the few months since my last entry, I felt too drained to blog as my Uncle and two good friends were lost to cancer. Still, the world continues to spin moments of divine inspiration worthy of sharing.

When I started blogging synchronicity in January 2009, Uncle Davey's health was rapidly fading while Bunny and I were expecting our second child at any moment. With the arrival of baby River, blogging was a portal for sharing the enchantment of life with friends and family, especially my uncle who appreciated the serendipitous interconnections that weave through the fabric of community. In countless ways, he revealed how to see "the light" in life and find gratitude for our part in it.

My uncle passed on September 24, 2009, peacefully with his family in Maui. I heard the news the following morning, and on the next day, headed up to Larch Mountain in The Columbia Gorge near sunset. It's one of the old volcanic peaks with a grand view across the Cascades including Mt. St. Helens where Davey liked to visit whenever touring the Pacific Northwest.

Driving on the freeway out of town, a station wagon pulled in front of me with "KAMEHAMEHA" in bold white letters against a black-tinted window and no other identifying features - not even a license plate. I thought of this connection to Hawaii's last king as Davey's guiding spirit and followed this car reverently into the Gorge. Oddly, it pulled off the freeway at my same exit and started climbing up the hill toward Larch Mountain. I trailed behind - grieving and thinking of the many different ways that my uncle's spirit will continue to bring light into this world.

The car finally pulled into a parking lot at the Viewpoint Inn overlooking the Columbia as the sun dipped into the western sky. On my last visit to this historic inn, I was taking the Goob out for a Father's Day dinner and sunset in 2008 - shortly after getting the news of Davey's late-stage prostate cancer. It was the only time that I recall speaking with my Dad at depth about his brother's terminal condition. Since Davey was always committed to strengthening our relationship, I promptly called the Goob. It was a brief but sweet connection as my cell phone ran out of juice. Then I continued driving up the hill - imagining Davey as my passenger all along the way.

At the crest of Larch Mountain, I nestled into a perch and watched the setting sun fade into twilight - recalling many fond memories with Uncle Davey. A small cloud floated up to the mountain at eye level, swirled around for about a half hour and then drifted north toward St. Helens. Stars and the Milky Way slowly appeared in the night sky. I looked out patiently for shooting stars, but instead saw a strobe flash out of the corner of my eye just above the Eastern horizon. My focus was drawn eastward, and it flashed brightly once more. I have no explanation for this strange occurrence, but I like to believe it was a final connection to Davey's spirit before we meet again on the other side of the veil.

In the weeks following Davey's passing, my process for grieving turned toward a treehouse project that started with Lilly Star and the Goob on the aforementioned visit in 2008. Returning to Portland for Father's Day this year, Goob drew up the plans, and then I collected salvaged construction materials throughout the summer. I have little to no construction skills, but my Uncle was a carpenter by profession. With the support of Bunny, I found inspiration to build this project in memory of Davey and his dedication to fatherhood. With a wall of windows facing south, the treehouse is filled with warmth and light. And of course, it radiates with the laughter and joy of children!

Hippy Camp

2009-07-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Lilly attended an array of week-long summer performance camps for a solid month after kindergarten ended: musical theater, acrobat, acting, artcetera. Feeling envious by mid-July, we joined her on a traveling camp through Oregon's hippy roots.

To start, Bunny booked us into a teepee village retreat in the Santiam foothills outside of Eugene. An idyllic setting for a family getaway into nature topped off by two lovely semi-retired owners who whip up massive plates of paella and clay-oven pizzas on summer nights in their outdoor kitchen. Our first teepee experience was more akin to luxury than primitive camping.

The Chief Seattle teepee sits on the banks of a bubbling creek, and within minutes of arriving, Lilly discovered a rusted yet ornate old relic from the upstream mining ghost town of Wendling. After waking from a refreshing night in the teepee, we headed to the annual Oregon Country Fair on the opposite side of Eugene despite an uncommon morning thunderstorm and resulting downpour.

Established 40 years ago on the land of Merry Prankster Hall-of-Famer Ken Kesey, this family-friendly Fair much more resembles a Fairy world than the typical 4-H County aFFair. Vaudeville acts, circuses, musicians, estranged entertainers and hand-crafted artisans are tucked away into an enchanting oak forest where Lilly's been letting her imagination run wild for the past four years.

From Eugene, we headed up the storied McKenzie River to Breitenbush Hot Springs for a little R&R. While the Oregon Country Fair relives the summer of '69 for a single weekend every year, the folks at Breitenbush have been rocking it steady 24/7 since the '70s.

We typically visit these hot springs in Spring or Autumn, but Bunny had a hankering for a midsummer visit. The timing was perfect as a handful of families leaving the Country Fair had the same bright idea. Lilly befriended a few new pals including another Lilly (short for Lillian), and on our last steamy hot summer day, Lillian joined us for a hike up to the volcanic views atop Triangulation Peak. In concordance with their namesake, we passed no less than five species of blooming lillies along the way: Beargrass, Rhododendron, Trillium, Cascade and an intoxicating, fragrant patch of never-before-seen-by-our-eyes traditional lillies smack dab on top of the summit!

Later that night, I got lost in the Milky Way galaxy and healing waters of the Breitenbush Silence pool as the moon rose on the horizon. Maybe it was something in the water, but I think the stars aligned as revelations flowed from the midnight sky.

By the time we returned to Portland, Wubby had acquired three mini-dreadlocks, and we were all long overdue for a heavy duty shower. Cheers to a legacy of Peace & Love!

Let's Ride!

2009-07-06T00:48:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Pedalpalooza wrapped-up after three weeks of non-stop zany events throughout town celebrating the arrival of the summer bicycling season. With Wubby's wobbly head barely filling a little tyke helmet, we limited our participation in Pedalpalooza '09 to a handful of events - including The
Sprockettes' perennial mobile dance pArTaY and Hawt-Pink Hot-Damn B-B-Que.

For three years (and counting), Lilly has immersed herself right into Portland's all-girl-all-hot pink performance troupe. But this year was different as she learned to ride earlier in the week and left her training wheels at home. Also, she was accompanied by Holden,

her daredeevil two-wheeled wonderfriend from kindergarten. Check out the sidebar video of their post-BBQ bike ride at Peninsula Park.

Holden inspired us all - cranking out 4-miles of Sprockette parading and escapading with nary a complaint nor stop.

Holden & Lilly have a great natural chemistry together and feed off eachother's acrobatic routines. After a big dose of Sprockette empowerment, there was no shortage of new stunts choreographed on the playground AND on their long ride home...fortunately sans injury!

Goin' on Vacation

2009-06-29T23:46:00.001-07:00

In Lilly's final kindergarten class, the kids picked fortunes for their future careers. Not surprisingly, her fortune predicted, "You will make a movie."

After class I took Lilly out for sushi where she found a fortune cookie. Her second fortune-of-the-day read, "Now is the right time to go to the coast." Sure enough, we packed up our family wagon the next day and bee-lined for the Mason County coastline.

At the far southern end of the Hood Canal we found a fishermen's cabin with oodles of charm and kitsch, The Changing Tides. Within minutes of arriving, we stepped onto the rickety deck and witnessed a bald eagle dive into the estuary before us and snag a fish from the sparkling water with its massive talons. Moments later, that poor sucker went to heaven and was reincarnated into pure EAGLE matter. As if our journey couldn't get any better, Lilly then found a surprise swimming pool to complement the hot summer day!

To say, this land is "spiritual" is certainly an understatement. The estuary is literally filled with wildlife as the tides push and pull through its brackish waters. The Skokomish Native American Reservation is only a few steps away, and reading through a handbook of old stories from the Hood Canal, we learned of a traditional ancient Skokomish burial site on the far side of the estuary in Potlatch. This revelation touched us deeply as the ashes of Roger, Bunny's father, were spread at Potlatch 14 years ago. Jolly Roger's atoms now ciruclate throughout this sacred land. We ended the night soaking up the sunset and entering our vacation reverently.

The next day was cloudy but perfect for an adventure into the Olympic rainforest. We hiked up Staircase, where Roger would take his family 30 years ago to experience the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.

The rest of the evening was filled with reflections on family set to the backdrop of the majestic Olympic Range.

On our next day of vacation, we hiked down into the Forest Theater where Bunny's family would watch plays in the 1980s. This outdoor theater, set in an ancient rhododendron and fir forest, has been operating continuously since the beginning of the last century. For their 2009 season, we caught

Seussical The Musical - perfect timing since Lilly began reading and writing in kindergarten and recently picked up Dr. Seuss' rhyming tales. She wrote a letter to share with the cast, "Dr. Seuss, Thank You For Teaching Me How To Read. Love, Lilly Star."

Finally, on our last day, we bid farewell to the swarms of bald eagles and a way-cute but not-so-friendly little otter nestled beneath the deck.

And then stretched out the summer sun playing in Olympia, Bunny's hometown. How's that for a trip down the Mason Memory Lane!

Goin' on STAYcation

2009-06-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Since the last round of ankle surgery, life has been lo-key and generally lagging behind on extracurriculars (like bicycling and blogging)... a middle-age test of patience.

Today, we head North to the Puget Sound's Hood Canal to celebrate Lilly's last day of kindergarten with a few days of vacation. We originally planned this trip for Memorial Day weekend. Ever since returning to an office career, I feel much pressure to get out of town during three-day weekends even though the freeways are jam-packed and finding a decent accommodation is a royal pain. So for the Memorial holiday, we wisely decided to go-with-the-flow on a low-carbon STAYcation right here in sunny Stumptown.

Staycation Day 1 - SOUTHEAST PORTLAND.

TGIF started with making pizzas at our neighbors' and a tentative plan to catch the Rose Festival Fireworks at the Waterfront. By the end of the evening, our crew was ready to crash except Lilly and I. At dusk, we found a desolate spot in the SE industrial area to view the skyshow without battling the crowds. Stepping out of the van, we looked across the street and were surprised to find our family friends Mike, Kate, Lucia and Hazel. Lucia and Lilly were in music classes as little tykes and spent the last year in kindergarten together, too. They enjoyed the magic of the moment dancing in the back of the van and marveling at Portland's grandest firework display of the year.

Staycation Day 2 - SOUTHWEST PORTLAND

After a morning filled with house chores, we bussed it downtown with our neighbor Jocey to a screening of The Great Muppet Caper at the Portland Art Museum. Jocey is Lilly's hands-down favorite babysitter and they're hooked on old Muppet Show episodes.

Jocey is also an Art Museum volunteer,

so needless to note, the timing was perfect and the movie was FUNtastic. Lilly loves all the Muppets but we share the same favorite: Animal, the wild and crazy drummer who grunts in place of words and can't be contained by anyone or anything.

From the Art Museum, we stopped by the Central Library for a book exchange and then headed over to The Nines for happy hour. The fancy-schmancy modern lobby level of Portland' first five-star hotel is a wonderfully daylit atrium highlighting the original character of the old Meier & Frank department store. It's also an echo chamber that amplifies the screams of three-month old babies.

Nerve-wracked and still thirsty, we headed to the top floor for fresh air at Skylab's Departure. Despite being ultra-swanky and a bit pretentious, I love this new bar for its rooftop deck and panoramic views of the surrounding area. Outdoors and exposed to the elements, it's a transcendental natural experience smack-dab in the heart of Portland. Plus, we could relax a little as Wubby's cries got lost into the white noise of the City.

Staycation Day 3 - NORTHWEST Portland

More chores in the morning followed by an adventure into the Great Northwest (Portland).

We started with Starflower deliveries to the PNCA graduation ceremonies and sipping lattes from the new Barista microespressohouse in the Pearl District. For lunch, we visited a chic French bakery on Nob Hill where the heavy cream-and-cheese-filled pastry case intstantly transported us into gastronomic paradise. Across the street, we shopped for groceries at the upscale Food Front Coop - as opposed to our normal weekly trip to People's hippy Coop on the opposite side of town. By this time, we were deeply immersed in yuppieville - but, hey we're on Staycation, right?

Returning to PNCA in the afternoon for the annual thesis show, we visited with old friends and admired the art created by the class of '09. Many of the stellar graduating students were in my last Natural Science class at PNCA.

2009 was also the first graduating class from the PNCA Master of Fine Art program (coinciding with the completion of my own Master of Environmental Management degree), and we immersed ourselves into an interactive party machine created by one of the grads - imagine a tornado of multi-colored confetti! It was also a pleasure to reconnect with many of the PNCA faculty and staff - my professional community for seven years.

Last weekend, I had a series of connections to PNCA with a Father/Son theme when Bunny had two flower deliveries ordered for PNCA professors who lost their fathers. I delivered both arrangements and visited with their families. On my way back home, I stopped by the 6th birthday party for Holocene (a music venue where Bunny provided floral designs for many years) and ran into Doug, an old friend from PNCA. He shared a sweet story about a recent road trip with his 82-year old father. And then inside Holocene, the club's owner and I talked about academic sabbaticals, middle-age and a three-week winter trip to India he's planning for his father. With my Dad arriving for Father's Day in a couple of weeks and considering my Uncle's battle against cancer, this series of community connections resonated deeply.

Staycation Day 4 - NORTHEAST Portland

We finished a final round of chores in the morning. A nice benefit of STAYcation is returning to a clean home. Lilly nicknamed our house 'The Happiness Hotel' for the weekend as we realized that vacation is more defined by our perception in the moment rather than arriving into some foreign destination.

On Memorial Day, we headed up to NE Alberta for a Mexican meal at La Bonita. Maybe it was the lard in the frijoles, or the afterglow from three straight days of fiesta, but by Monday we burned out.

As Bunny joked, "We need a VACATION from the staycation."

So, after lunch, we cruised along Marine Park Drive admiring the Columbia River and distant panoramas of the Cascade peaks - eventually napping at Bridal Veil on a sunny patch of grass overlooking the Gorge just east of NE Portland.

The Hills Are Alive!

2009-05-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, we were visiting with another newborn family of four when the father of a four-month-old and four-year-old confided,

"I heard there's a drug that law students take so they can get by on only four hours of sleep. Whatever it is, I want some. Just a few more hours in the day to focus on my lost interests."

I felt no empathy for this weary father because I HAD been getting by on adrenaline for a solid three months. But sure enough, the fourth-month burn out settled in after a week. I was taken down by a flurry of cheesy urps, and working overtime to fight random illnesses migrating from kindergarten. Out for the count and feeling disconnected from EVERYthing, I started bubbin' away my worries with late night snack-a-thons.

I reached out to Bunny with a plea for some personal time in nature, and she complied.

On a summery Sunday morning, we headed out to hike in the Columbia Gorge with our friend KP who recently moved back to town after a decade in San Francisco. This time of the year, Dog Mountain is infamous for its grand displays of wildflowers. The trail is short and sweet, but steep as hell. To keep the pace rolling, Kelly and Bunny belted out spontaneous Gospel rhythms while I carried a sleeping Wub. They also

invented a wacky rule - if you feel like complaining, then start quackin' instead. That's right, like a duck, "Quack! quack! QUAck!" Lilly was a good sport being the only kindegartner krazy enough to challenge the mountain with her first blister and only a few quacks.

Climbing a thousand feet in a mile, we reached the first sun-soaked flower field overlooking panoramic vistas of the Gorge. From this particular spot, the glaciated valley always reminds me of Julie Andrews spinning down color-splashed meadows in the Swiss Alps. Throw in our choir, and literally, the Hills were Alive with the Sound of Music. Wubby was in heaven - a real nature boy!

After eating a scrumptious Hawaiian PB & J (peanut butter, sliced bananas and passionfruit-pineapple jelly from Maui), Bunny & Lilly worked on a wildflower crown while KP & Wubby played in the grass. This was my chance to breakaway for a half-hour speed-hike to the next flower field .

Listening to the soul-searching spells spun by Mogwai (get inspired by these Argentinian images!), I charged up the mountain and found my lost confidence as a husband, father and integral piece of the community puzzle. Inspired by the wisdom of nature, I returned from the mountain recharged, refreshed and ready for the week. Good thing, because I have another round of ankle surgery today, and it drains about all I've got.

I'm not one to follow daily horoscopes, but I stumbled upon the following Cancerian forecast randomly this morning:

Today, all the different elements of your life will come together and be more connected.

Dia De Las Mamias

2009-05-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Great Gaia!

2009-05-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

On our last Sunday in Maui, an island Earth Day celebration was hosted on a local's beach nearby. The North Shore of Maui is much like Portland's inner Eastside: a creative, friendly, conscientious, healthy and resourceful community. When their event permit fell through, the Earth Day organizers got the word out by radio and internet that this year's celebration would be an acoustic, unplugged potluck rather than the usual amplified, food-vendor event. An unplanned, perfect model for any Earth-friendly congregation.

Back in Portland, Earth week was underway with the National League of Cities meeting here under a conference theme of Sustainability.

During the closing panel, Annapolis' warm and fuzzy mayor called for a national climate icon. How about Mel-T the Bear: "Only WE can stop global warming."

On Earth Day, Lilly's school asked everyone to dress in an Earth theme. At first I was a bit dumb-founded as we have no prints of the Earth, but then flipping through her dresser, I found a second-hand sweater covered in butterflies. It was a timely and sweet chance to explain the Butterfly Effect to my daughter.

The following day happened to be "Take Your Child to Work Day," and although Lilly finds my office job to be mundane key-punching and paper-shuffling, this evening I had the opportunity to share the City's newly released Climate Action Plan (check it out!) with our neighborhood association organizers, SE Uplift. They were hosting a family-friendly open house to celebrate a forthcoming Neighborhood Climate Action Planning Guidebook. The guide was developed with a group of urban design grad students from PSU - half of whom were classmates in my final course last Spring. It was a hopeful neighborhood gathering, and I was fortunate to have Bunny & Wubby there, too.

Lilly was my sidekick during the presentation, and at the end, she said, "Daddy, I want you to tell them about 'the Butterfly Attack'."

It was an empowering end to the evening recognizing how one individual's actions can change the entire world.

The next day, I received an email from the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) proposing that we partner on climate action outreach with their splendid courses. I participated in an NWEI discussion course with my engineering firm's green team back in 1995: Deep Ecology. It was the first time that I heard of the Gaia Hypothesis: the earth as a whole living organism that adapts itself to support life just as its ecosystems and organisms evolve over time. From there my fascination with natural cycles, chaos theory and systems thinking began along with a recognition that maybe life's coincidences are not just pure chance, but rather small signals in a complex, interconnected world.

Our Earth week ended with 5-year-old friends and families at the annual City Repair Earth Day celebration at a community park followed by viewing the new film simply titled, "Earth". Later that night, my family was on a neigborhood walk passing by the City Repair office where volunteers were packing up from the big party. One of them, noted that he attended my Climate Action Plan presentation at SE Uplift, and was reassured that a whole city could organize to minimize our global impact by taking BIG steps toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Another volunteer, invited us back for tea in their community cob house. Ain't Gaia Great?

Eh Bradah, How's It?

2009-04-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirlwind after returning from Hawaii in the middle of the night last Sunday and ankle surgery last Tuesday. Plus, the Blazers are in the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. Yeeehaw!

We made the trip to Maui as part of a combined family vacation and visit with my Uncle Daveyboy who's been deep in a battle with prostate and bone cancer since the Holidays. Good news...after facing near defeat in January, he bounced back with the help of chemo therapy. Advantage Daveyboy. Besides an occasional stomach pain and sporadic insomnia, his day-to-day life has returned to a stable state and as he proudly notes "I eat like a horse". I'm not sure if he means sheer caloric quantity or the bales of leafy Mr. Ed veggies (or both), but he looks great thanks to waves of support from family, friends, angels and caregivers.

We also overlapped with The Goob (aka my Pop) visiting his Bradah Daveyboy. The day after arriving, our families spent an afternoon at the uncrowded, wind-protected yet thorn-ridden Malealekelaala (sp?) Beach. It was surreal to watch The Goob and Uncle Daveyboy cradling little Buddy with a beach backdrop and deep azure ocean. Then, out of nowhere, Daveyboy whipped out his Bible and questioned our knowledge of John 3:15 to which Bunny point-blank fired off a concise recitation. We duly noted that Buddy is the only begotten son of Bubby, who is the only begotten son of The Goob.

"Best ye be begettin' before ye get forgotten" - Bubby Reno, 2009.

Bunny christened River (aka Buddy Rio) with a new nickname on Maui: Wubby. An all-too-appropriate name as the tropical weather revealed layers of "wub" as he turned two (months) on Hawaii. Wubby also figured out how to sleep 9 hours at night during the trip. With that kind of sleep, anywhere feels like vacation to newborn parents. But, it certainly helped to have Heavenly Hana smoothies and fresh Ono grilled fish salads just outside our doorstep.

We stayed down the road from Uncle Daveyboy's farm, in the quaint little bustling beach town, Paia. Bunny remembered the charm and good vibe of Paia from our last visit to Maui in 2002 when a 1-month-conceived Lilly Star was going through rapid cell division inside Bunny's belly. Maybe that's why Lilly's a natural Pacific Islander: swims like a fish, gracefully hulas with wavy hands, tans effortlessly, and prefers barefeet. Upon her return, Lilly found the Aloha immediately at the Nalu Kai Lodge. Our low-key 1960s retro accommodation was easiest to enter directly through the middle of the town's primo gelato shoppe.

Most mornings, we'd wake up really slow and then connect with our Maui family (my Uncle, Aunt and cousins plus Bunny's cousin Kate who lives with her daughter, Zoe Paloma, at the other end of the island), but we also had a neighborly coincidence one sunny morning at the Lodge tiki bar.

First Bunny whispers, "Don't look now, but I think that guy in the hammock is our neighbor from across the street back in Portland." Bunny notes familiar faces nearly everywhere she goes, but she's certain that this guy (Ambrosio) is our neighbor, so I encourage her to confirm our destiny.

Meanwhile, Ambrosio's fiance (Melise) is laying on the cordovan watching us watch her groom and thinking, "That little girl looks familiar."

As it turns out, Ambrosio and Melise were living across from our house for the past two years and remembered Lilly Star as the sweet pixie who would always offer raspberry greetings to her neigbors. Somehow, we all ended up at the same 9-unit Hawaiian lodge at the same time, so we celebrated with a big tiki Surf & Turf BBQ family dinner to honor both Daveyboy and our new friends/former neighbors. After marrying on Maui, these lovely newlyweds are off to a honeymoon on the Big Island and new residence in Bavaria. Ausgezeichnet!

My Uncle calls these strange, reassuring coincidences Maui Magic. Believe it baby!

Aloha!

The Power of Community

2009-04-13T01:27:00.000-07:00

The past week has been thoroughly inspiring and powerful, starting with a waterfront ride along the banks of the mighty Columbia last Sunday. I had been hearing about the reknowned Marine Park ride for years, but finally ventured along the I-205 bike path far enough North to reach the river. The stunning vistas of a snow-smothered Mt. Hood were complemented by a warm evening breeze and honking migratory water fowl. Sheer beauty.

Besides reflecting breathtaking landscapes, the Columbia River has been generating most of the Pacific Northwest's power renewably for over 70 years. Lilly and I love the old Woody Guthrie song written for the Bonneville Power Administration dam construction program in the 1930s:

"Roooll On Columbia, Roll On. ROOOOOLL On Columbia, ROLL On. Your power is turning our darkness to dawn, so roll on Columbia roll on."

She's also a big fan of the Busby Berkeley dance routines from the 1930s. We borrowed an awesome compilation of his film sequences from the library shortly after Buddy Rio's birth. If you're not familiar with his mind-bending set designs, check out this primer from the Magnetic Fields Busby Berkeley Dreams. Busby had a gift for visually capturing the modern era's synchronicity necessary to lead us out of the Great Depression with a hopeful determination. Now, here we are again - deep in the waters of economic recession and hopeful that the power of community will float us back to shore.

Each working day last week demonstrated Portland's strength as we collaborate selflessly to serve the greater good of our community. On Monday, the city's foremost green builders gathered in a renovated hall of the old Henry Weinhard's brewery and collectively imagined our nation's first office building designed to achieve the Living Building Challenge.

If the integrated design team is successful, the building's ecological and social benefits will restore habitat and reverse human impacts on global warming all while eliminating utility costs and raising the productivity, health and happiness of the building's occupants.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to present the City of Portland's climate protection steps to a Sunnyside Environmental Middle School Climate Teach-In. The enthusiastic cheers from this eco-crowd reassured me that the responsbility of our children will surely lead us to a stable climate while raising their quality of life to an irreversible standard. Afterwards, I visited Lilly's kindegarten class at Sunnyside where we shared a lego-model of a living house complete with native plant and animal species inhabiting its ecoroof.

On Wednesday, I returned to Weinhard's for a net-zero energy and water technical design sessions for the Living Building ecocharette. Then Thursday, the collaboration continued with the release of a new, local green building standard for small commercial buildings. And finally on Friday, I attended a soft opening for the DaVinci Arts Middle School new music building in our neighborhood -

the nation's first net-zero LEED Platinum freestanding classroom AND a perfectly inspiring intersection between art & science in design. All througout the week, there was a sense of camaraderie and collective accomplishment -- We're all in it together!

The power of Portland's community as we collaboratively bring our sustainable visions to life is nothing short of a design revolution. When shared between like-minded progressive cities, this cultural explosion will surely reinvent how we integrate with our natural systems post-recession.

Spring Smiles!

2009-04-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

After a seemingly neverending stretch of chilly rain, today was the first sunny weekend day of the year near 70 and the neighborhood community came out in droves. Plenty of smiles abound with early Spring blossoms. Returning from an afternoon Stacatto Gelato-break, Bunny and Lilly could hardly walk a block without a fond community reconnection from the long Winter. We are very fortunate to witness our neighborhood emerge from a down-and-out slum into a hip-happenin' hotspot between recessions.

This past week has also been a transition for Buddy Rio from fleeting daydream smiles to a smile-a-thon everyday. It's like a daily present that he shares with whoever is willing to receive his gift. First he gazes right into the eyes of his beholder. Then, once his focused attention is acknowledged, he goes into a series of smiling contortions and giggles. The whole process is reciprocally contagious until his next big urp or diaper change.

Foood Is Goood!

2009-03-28T23:55:00.001-07:00

For the past month, we've been receiving a consistent flow of nutritious and delicious meals from friends. This sweet tradition of nourishing newborn families removes a layer of stress and time commitment that might otherwise drive parents cRAzY. The food tree setup by our family friend Tracy is finally winding down this week in serendipitous fashion: last Monday, Bunny accidentally spilled the last few swigs of precious DragonFly Green Chai Tea supplied by my coworker Valerie (and reserved for yours truly), then seconds later, my DragonFly-Chai-Brewer buddy Atom (who also had a first son/second child a couple of months ago) shows up on our doorstep with a refill of the exact same jar of tea. UnCANny!

Not only are we lucky to have a gracious community of refined

culinary talents but also a bountiful bioregion to boot. These days, food is SEXY in Portland with new farmer's markets and locavore-friendly restaurants popping up in every neighborhood. Beside the exceptional quality of produce and healthy meats, foodie establishments have become a nexus for community connections.

With our home options diminishing, we ventured out to a new neighborhood breakfast joint yesterday, the 410 Cafe. Despite the fizzling economy, this modern greasy spoon was recently opened by Morgan, a dude that art-partied with us back in 2002 and who was also the former chef of the old (and much missed) clarklewis.

After filling up on smoked trout and poached eggs, we headed to Peoples' Food Coop to get our fill of ingredients for future home-cooked meals. I love People's because it's about the peoples as much as the groceries. We shared community with fellow owners including Miles and Paul who had just seen us eating at the 410 Cafe earlier where another People's owner happened to say hello, too.

Replenished and ready for the week, we headed to the Columbia Gorge for our first adventure outside of Portlad since River's birth.

Catherine Creek was just far enough East for a rare dose of Spring-Break-Sunshine and blankets of Grass Widow and Gold Star wildflowers. Lilly requested a visit to the Columbia River last week, and it was so very sweet to share its grandeur together as a family hiking to the top of an unusual basalt volcanic arch. The day ended with dinner in Bingen and dessert in Hood River, both at restaurants highlighting locally grown organic foods.

MMMmmmm

...goood!

Happy (Belated) Equinox!

2009-03-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

My infatuation with strange coincidences began nine years ago when I started teaching and researching the interconnectedness of natural systems and their cycles. The vernal and autumnal equinoxes provided semi-annual opportunities to raise awareness of random connections, small and large, within our social systems. Along the way I realized that Portland's experience of the equinox occurs a couple of days before the actual celebrated global equinox. For instance on this 'first' day of Spring, the sun will rise in Portland at 7:13 am and set at 7:22 pm resulting in an unequal 12 hours and 9 minutes of daylight. I know it sounds like I'm a stickler for details (and I am ), but a pattern of chaotic community alignment has surfaced on the experiential equinox, and this year that vernal day occured on Wednesday of this week rather than today.

Wednesday was a classic Spring day start to finish: sunny, still, warm and fragrant with a general buzz around town. My work day began at the neighborhood coffee house, Crema, where my green building appointment was a no-show. Although this cancellation could have been frustrating, while waiting I happened to read about an upcoming Clowns Without Borders performance on noneother than March 20 (the 'first' day of Spring!). Tonight will be our third year enjoying one of our family's favorite performances in Portland, and every year this poorly advertised event catches our attention last-minute.

During the lunch hour, I was out skateboarding errands around the Pearl District and ran into Pablo, a former message therapist, at Tanner Springs Park. We crossed paths a few months ago, and I later regretted that we didn't exchange contact info, so this time our chance encounter was much appreciated (especially for my future health and well-being). I started skating loops around Tanner Springs Park regularly a few months ago as a therapy for an ankle injury. It's a pretty lonely park with nary a visitor which makes it great for escaping into skating.

But, on my second loop around the park, I ran into our family friends, Sonja and Vinny, soaking up the sun. Visits with those two are always robust with energy and inspiration. Five-year-old Vinny tried riding my board and discovered that wiping out can be half the fun of leraning to skate.

Back at Ecotrust in the afternoon, I ran into Shawn, an enlightened Mathematics professor, and his wife Lori enjoying lunch in the sun. Our brief catching-up quickly evolved into a long, hopeful conversation about the potential for alternative socioeconomic systems that benefit humans and their environments collectively. Back in my teaching days with Shawn, I developed a hypothesis related to the cyclical nature of population growth: the rate of mutually beneficial encounters is inversely proportional to the rate of population growth.

So as population stabilizes (which it is) the frequency of strange coincidences increases exponentially, and hopefully we are just at the tipping point of all this synchronicity stuff.

The sun is rising and Lilly just gleefully shouted, "Mama and Dada, Happy First Day of Spring!", so I better get back to the real world.

The Urper

2009-03-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

Buddy Rio's Cheese Factory continued to be in business all week, but at lease we are figuring out how to minimize the messiness. After seeking parental advice from multiple families, the baby-spit-up factor turns out to be quite common throughout Portland and even has a bonafide medical term: gastroesophageal reflux.

On Wednesday, Dr. Judy shared a much more practical term for Buddy's condition: Urping. Sort of like burping except the esophageal release of a gassy bubble is accompanied by a milky projectile. Also on Wednesday, our 'Share the Road' license plate replacements arrived in the mail from the Department of Motor Vehicles. I asked Lilly to employ her recently-developed phonetic skills to sound out the new license plate ID letters, "Duh-rrr-puh-rrr". That's right folks - somehow the lovely State of Oregon randomly selected four letters explaining River's newborn medical condition.

Although Portland's reputation for rain tends to be exaggerated, this last weekend of Winter was windy and water-logged. Rather than staying holed-up inside the house going stir-crazy with Da Urper, Lilly and I planned an outing to Portland's latest and greatest ode to sustainable recreation: The East Portland Aquatic Center.

This new community pool and water park is housed in the City of Portland's first certified LEED Platinum building under a green building policy administered by my office crew. Ever since opening last month, I've been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to experience the ample daylighting, solar-powered machinery, super energy-efficient water heating, fresh ventilation, and super slick water slide. The experience is much like being in Hawaii with a bunch of little kids screaming with pure joy! We were serendipitously joined by old family friends, Emily and Harry, who shared the same midwives with us six years ago. They made a surprise visit in the morning to meet Baby River which led to an impromptu swim date in the afternoon. The return home was complemented by an arcing rainbow reminding us that even the rainiest of days can have a silver lining. As the Hawaiians say, "No rain, no rainbows."

Wild Feminine

2009-03-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of welcoming Buddy Rio into the world marveling over his mild temperament and sweet disposition, the heavens seemed to be smiling upon us. This little guy would be easy going we thought, and baby-rearing would be a comparitive piece of sweet cake, like a calm stretch of River flowing from bend to bend. Aaaaaahhhh...

However, I returned to work last Monday, and suddenly we hit a spell of raging rapids. Sure, he's Mister Mellow, except when violently spitting up Mama's milk. For two days straight, he was a big ball of fussy cheese as random projectiles resulted in frequent wardrobe changes for everyone involved.

Finally on Wednesday afternoon, there was a slight reprieve as Dr. Judy gave him a tummy adjustment, from rock hard to soft and supple. Afterwards, while refilling his new found belly in the Doc's office, a book on the shelf caught Bunny's eye, Wild Feminine: Finding Power, Spirit, & Joy in the Root of the Female Body.

Lori, the receptionist, raved about the wonders within and promptly passed it on. Then, at Bunny's next appointment, a postpartum check-in, Dr. Mary recommended treatment by a physical therapist located across the street: Tami Kent who also happens to be the author of Wild Feminine! This string of coincidental events is so tightly wound that it all happened over the course of two hours within 10 blocks of one another all in our neighborhood. Bunny walked home refreshed and hopeful.

That evening, little Rio returned to his normal meekiness and after dinner I reminded him, "We're working really hard to help you feel better Buddy." He responded with his first big, wide-eyed grin. Whew! But, the next two days were spent back in the projectile cheese factory. More treatments from Dr. Judy and emphatic burping advice from our postpartum doula were hapless. At one particularly low point, Bunny hit a wall of exhausted and humiliated auto-repeat, "He covered my crotch. He covered..."

By Friday, I came up with a hypothesis and noted an empirical pattern: Buddy laying on his back = Buddy spitting up; Buddy laying on his belly = happy Buddy boy! Problem nearly solved except when he needs a diaper change, or we follow a primal urge to cradle him in our arms. Friday, was also a particularly lovely Spring day (for Winter) as Lilly and I relished a chance to cruise the Springwater Corridor trail returning from a playdate in Sellwood. We stopped our bikes along the banks of the Willamette River for a short break admiring a pair of bald eagles perched on Ross Island as the warm sun set. Once again, a sweet stretch of calm has flowed back into our lives as Buddy Rio charts our next course.

Although sleep-deprived and chore-ridden, we had a lovely family weekend and tonight Jill is planning to attend a Powell's Book reading by none other than the aforementioned Tami Kent! The auspicious timing of this literary event is a blessing in Bunny's birthing recovery.

Gratitude

2009-02-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

The 'puter is back with a repaired right speaker. In concert with a couple of stereo speakers that I wired onto our living room walls yesterday morning, all sounds good in the House of Bubby.

It's been a fine week sans cyberspace with a string of caregiver serendipity. Last Friday, Marilyn midwife came by for a 3-day-post-partum home visit and noted that the last baby she delivered on her birthday (over a decade ago) was also named River. Perhaps her dual River deliveries also coincided with the last planetary alignment 12 years ago. Woo-woo!

Then on Saturday morning, Dr. Stephanie stopped in for a rejuvenating cranial sacral family treatment. When my uncle was here last summer, a German friend gave him a cranial sacral treatment for his cancer resilience and explained a bit of the process: moving around spinal fluid and magnetic fields. Cranial sacral energy balancing remains a mystery to me, but I like its results. On my previous treatment with Dr. Stephanie, I walked out of her office thinking that I should call our friend Scott. It was just before Christmas, and Bunny was looking for holiday sheet music specific to flutes by request of her Sis in Seattle. Being a former music store owner and all-around music afficionado, we figured Scott would know where to start our search. As I pulled away on my bike from the Doc's office, a station wagon nearly ran into me. Sure enough the driver was Scott who led us straight to finding this obscure request. Cosmic!

Finally Sunday afternoon, Vicki, our postpartum doula, assited Bunny with the transition into nursing and reassured her innate mothering capability. She also prescribed a long bike ride to me before inevitably burning out (Bunny has been calling me the Energizer Bubby!). Earlier I had a vision of biking through the forest despite the fact that our mountain bikes have been out of commission for over a decade. Yet just before dusk, the vision came alive, and I found myself riding on a 15-mile trek through Forest Park, at one point, cruising peacefully along a 3-mile stretch of single-track as the city lights flickered on the horizon. Just what the Doc ordered!

Bunny deserves plenty of accollades for carrying and birthing Buddy for the last 10 months, but I am also deeply grateful for our commnity of alternative health professionals who helped all along the way: Dr. Judy's adjustments to the family's alignment, Dr. Mary's inducing accupuncture, Nicola's comforting accupuncture, Dr. Ed's ultrasounds, Cecily's massage, and Sirender's yogi guidance plus Lilly-douling. Combined with our midwives, Dr. Stephanie and Vicki, these folks delivered a happy and healthy pregnancy, birth and son into our lives.

Namaste!

What's Next?

2009-02-19T21:35:00.002-08:00

We enjoy having Unity's Daily Word around for inspiration and reminders of collective spirit. Concurring with the planetary alignment on February 17th, the theme-of-the-day was "Harmony". And, yesterday's "Accomplished" was even more fitting considering the last 10 months of baby-making that Bunny endured bringing River from conception to birth,

"It's finished - a success! Perhaps my dream was to complete an important project, or create a beautiful work of art, or host an outstanding event. Now that it's done, I may ask myself, What's next?"

Indeed, what is next in store for us? TBD. Possibilities seem infinite when adoring a newborn's eyes and mini expressions. For now, a bit of computer maintenance is next on our horizon. In the meantime, here are some pics and You Tube videos of Buddy Rio.

Here At Last!

2009-02-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Bunny's spirits were high with anticipation of meeting Buddy soon. We had a second round of inducing accupuncture in the morning followed by a bagel craving on Hawthorne. Afterwards, we ran into our friend Tali, an Aquarius, who was ecstatic to share the BIG news, "It's all over the internet: tomorrow will be the most incredible day of the year!"

Upon returning home, our googlin' found that February 17th is not only Random Acts of Kindness Day, but also the harmonic convergence of Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Apparently this 12-year planetary alignment bodes well for all things Aquarian, "If ever there were a moment to greet the world with both arms extended, assertively, it's now."

Sure enough, Buddy is here at last! Bunny was a superstar, water-birthing him into the world on February 17, 2009 at 5:02 pm. A 10-pound floating baby boy! He shares an Aquarian birthday with Marilyn Milestone, one of our stellar midwives who also delivered Lilly. As the sun set on this miraculous day, we sang a round of Happy Birthday together with our wonderful delivery crew.

So far, he's Mr. Mellow and winks at each of our voices. But, his cry is somewhere between a cat fight and a caged monkey. Fortunately, these wails are few and far between with a little bit of comfort and tenderness from Mom, Pop & Sis.

Welcome to the world River Van Mason! Little Rio!

Waiting Patiently...

2009-02-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

At the end of January, a Valentine's baby forecast seemed completely improbable, but here we are waiting patiently for Buddy's arrival, 2 weeks and 3 days late. The little guy has given us a few false signs of delivery this week only to snuggle back in to his cozy Mama. We figure that his personality will either be super mellow or just really stubborn. Aquarian or Pisces?

But, today's a little different because we tried inducing naturally this morning. The combination of a healthy ultrasound, encouraging midwives and an accupunturist extraordinairre topped off with a spicy Thai meal have brought on strong contractions this afternoon. Possibly to the point of no return...but, alas, Buddy has a date with destiny, and it's not today.

With high hopes of seeing the little guy before day's end, I ran a batch of last-minute nesting errands while Bunny napped at home contracting with Buddy. I found a couple of reusable cotton diapers at Children's Clothing Exchange, where the owner, Stormy, shared sympathies,

"Has your baby arrived?"

"Nope, but we induced with accupuncture a couple of hours ago."

"My son was three weeks late, and everybody was driving me crazy asking about why he STILL wasn't born yet," she laments.

More accupuncture and another ultrasound scheduled this Monday, which will be officially three weeks late. Sooner or later...

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

2009-02-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, we wondered whether our new born son would be a Rat or an Ox. See, our midwives sometimes referred to a January 25 due date (Asian Rat Year ends) and other times January 26 (Asian Ox Year begins).

On the cusp of the lunar New Year (first new moon, post-winter solstice), we followed a lunch recommendation to Zien Hong Chinese Restaurant. Sitting next to a Latino family who also had an expecting mother, we compared the personality traits of Rats vs. Oxen over salt&pepper shrimp and claypot seafood. Meanwhile, the staff was setting up for the restaurant's family celebration and schooled us on ancient traditions.

From the restaurant, we headed downtown to Portland's Classical Chinese Garden. It was a bright sunny day strolling along the reflecting ponds. For the next two weeks, the garden will be filled with New Year festivities. But today, it was calm and quiet with nary a visitor besides us, AND the Latino family from Zien Hong who became deeper acquaintances with every passing.

At the Tao of Tea house, we shared mooncakes and peppermint/licorice tea, waiting for baby and listening to live Chinese traditional music. After a month of last-minute nesting, it was a sweet time soaking up the sun and relaxing with the family. When the sun set, we said hasta luego to our new friends, and headed home for own Asian New Year dinner celebration.

In Chinese mythology, Rats

are resourceful winners and inventive while Oxen are patient listeners and hard-working. Bunny is an Ox, and I was secretly hoping for another calf. But now that we're two weeks late, a Rat sounds great in retrospect. After all, Ratatouile was a tres bien film a la 2008, and our little guy would be in my arms right now instead of this computer.

We returned to the Chinese Garden two weeks later on another bright, sunny and warmer day. More mooncake. More tea. More family sweetness. But this time, the festivities were rolling with Lion Dances, Shaolin Monks and a variety of vernal performances. China, must be a lot warmer than Oregon, because the New Year is also the official start to Spring. Although 6 more weeks of winter in Portland are imminent, there were a few floral signs of Spring today: blooming forsythia and camilia buds blooming with the sweet scent of saracocca.

The full moon is a day away. Bunny and Buddy are ready and ripe, too.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Happy New Year!)

Gracias Por Viernes

2009-02-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ever since returning to an office job, Friday is my favorite day of the week. Not just because the week is over or the weekend is around the corner, but also it seems like there's more awareness and connectedness between community. Maybe folks are simply out-and-about more as the weekend approaches enabling more opportunities for paths to cross.

Last Friday, the morning started with complimentary Voodoo doughnuts and Trail Head supermicro coffee on the Steel Bridge. Every last Friday of the month, Shift2Bikes hosts these breakies on the Steel and Hawthorne Bridges. Another opportunity for Friday happenstances fostered by Portland community. I arrived just in time to score the last blueberry which I consider to be Voodoo's 'healthy' doughnut because A) it's the littlest, and B) it comes packed with antioxidants.

At midday the sun broke from a dense fog, so I went for a ride up to Council Crest. It's hands-down my favorite ride in town to Portland's highest elevation. Generally there are stupendous views of the surrounding volcanoes from the top, but not this particular Friday since it's socked in fog. Still, it was an inspiring ride because of the 'Pioneer Woman' sculpture that graces the crest. Like most mothers, she's strong as steel but sweeter than pie.

Ooohhhhh, we can't wait to meet our new little guy. Where is he? What's he doing in there?

Come on out mister and greet your new world! Mom and Pop are eagerly awaiting your arrival, so let's not be toooo late.

Later that evening, Bunny was having a reprieve from her Braxton-Hicks contractions, and she encouraged me to adventure out on the town to a concert at the Wonder Ballroom. Our friend Sonja turned us onto Beach House last year about the same time that I received news of my Uncle's terminal cancer. I listened to their album, Devotion, all summer long thinking about dear ole Uncle Davey. When I arrived at the Wonder, the show was SOLD OUT. But fortunately, I ran into a former student (from my professor days) who happily traded her ticket for a ride home. Perfect! After the performance, I checked in with Uncle Davey and a friend who's also deep in the midst of a battle against cancer.

Yep. It's a Dickens of a time here in Portland (as anywhere). Somehow, the small coincidences of daily life keep me present in the moment, grateful for the past, and hopeful for the future.

Yesterday, the morning bike commute began with a chance encounter with JP, the new MFA Chair of Applied Art & Craft at PNCA, and his family who arrived into town last week. JP and I had met on the aforementioned Friday to talk shop about Portland's sustainable development, the state of green building and the subtle cultural differences between our charming neighborhoods. The night before reconnecting, I was thinking about how I needed his email address to forward an academic proposal on the human experience of working and living in green buildings. Then, VOILA! He shows up at my neighborhood cafe of all places, and I happen to catch him from the corner of my eye. The day ended with Bunny and I running into our cartoonist friend Craig outside the grand premiere opening of Coraline at the Schnitz while on our way to watch Slumdog Millionairre, the ultimate film about divine destiny.

Gracias por Viernes!

Finally, (Half) the Wait is Over

2009-02-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, Bunny is expecting our second child at any momemt (type fasterrrr!), and Lilly has been waiting patiently for her own rite of passage. After months of anticipation, the moment has finally arrived.

Yesterday was a hard day. Bunny woke me up at 3 am in the morning, "Bubby, I don't feel so good." At first, I had to break out of a deep slumber, but then, Achtung!, I sprung into action, "What's going on? Should I call the midwives, fill the tub?" Bunny replied softly, "I'm having a hard time sleeping...I'm going back to bed." So, I laid around for another half hour or so counting sheep.

But it's no use, the adrenaline has kicked in, and I'm wired for the rest of the morning. The rest of the day was equally discombobulated and tiring for both of us, despite the unseasonably warm, sunny weather. The new addition to our family was due on January 26th (according to Beth & Marilyn, our midwives), or February 2nd (according to Dr. Ed, the sonagram ND). Yesterday, was February 3rd, and I think we both had enough of this seemingly endless waiting. By evening, Bunny was weepy and my joints were coming apart impatiently.

Then, it happened - Pop! We were all on the couch pouting,

when Lilly extracts her first loose tooth with a single twist. Our frowns turned upside down, and Lilly's holy smiles filled us with joy and glee. Suddenly, she's a bonafide 'big kid' now that her baby teeth are falling out. There's something really BIG about that first tooth despite it's miniature size. It's like she transformed into a more mature, seasoned five-year old and can now righteously demand elderly respect on the kindegarten playground.

After brushing Lilly's remaining teeth, we admired old family photos, reminiscing the arrival of her first baby tooth at nine months. Then off to bed for a better night's rest. Now, if we can just pop out one more...

Steelers!!! What are the odds?

2009-02-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

This morning, our green building staff meeting digressed from hip hop pseudonyms to socio-technological phenomenons like the blogosphere. Generally, I'm a lagger when it comes to anything computer - not because my Gen X pride lacks Gen Y savvy, but rather I like to wait until the pond is full before jumping in. And, well my dears, today I realized that the blogevoir runneth over. My apologies for any clunkiness and unforeseen transgressions as I dive in...

With the exception of the teenage years when football represented a generation of meatheads getting wasted on generic beer and an advertised life, I've been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since 1979. That was the year the Steelers defeated the Cowboys for their third Super Bowl Championship with a magical cast of Allstars: Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Rocky Bleier, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Mean Joe Green, ... I was a scrawny 8-year old living in Reno Nevada, and rural Shenandoah Virginia, finally learning how to throw a spiral.

Fast-forward 30 years to the Steelers winning their sixth Super Bowl at the Hedge House in Portland. I love the Hedge House. In my beersnobbery opinion, they serve the best brews (New Old Lompoc LSD Nitro on tap!), and easily the most delectable pub grub in town. The humble bungalow captures Portland's pioneer charm, and Pix Patisserie next door serves the best post-game treats (just ask my daughter, Lilly). AND, besides being an all-around great place to chill with friends, family and strangers, they are a STEELERS backer bar!

Ok, so yesterday on the Hedge House back porch, amidst a mini-sea of swirling yellow & black terrible towels, Steelers linebacker (and NFL defensive player of the year) James Harrison intercepts the Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner and rolls to a record-setting 100-yard touchdown with zero seconds left in the first half. Needless to say, this spectacle sends my fellow fanatics into a cheering frenzy. Bunny calls from home to join in the bliss. I throw Lilly into the air, and then turn to my nearest neighbor for a whopping High Five.

He screams, "I just got into Portland from Pittsburgh today!"

Literally, he had just flown into downtown Portland that afternoon and someone recommended that he continue his journey to the obscure SE Portland Hedge House for the big game. At halftime, Lou and I shake hands then realize our connection is no small coincidence:

"So why are you in Portland?"

"I'm here for work in the environmental field." Lou responds.

"Same here, what line of work"

"I'm headed to Vancouver B.C. tomorrow," he says, "but first meeting with the City of Portland."

"No kidding, I work for the City of Portland"

"Yeah, I'm meeting with the City to advocate for sustainable development," Lou remarks.

"That's funny, I work for the Office of Sustainable Development!"

He exclaims, "You gotta be kidding! I'm meeting with Alisa tomorrow at 4:30 pm."

"I work in green building with Alisa, too. You're having the quin

tessential Portland tourist experience, RIGHT NOW!"

We're all smiles during the second half - sharing beers, stories, sandwiches and gummy bunnies as the game turns into a nailbiter. Lou has five daughters and is enamored with Lilly as much as she is enamored with his french-fry-filled Pamini Brothers' sandwich (from the Hedge House' game day Steelers menu). Like most folks from Pittsburgh, he's super friendly and values serendiptiy.

I often think of Pittsburgh as the Portland of the East coast. They're both hilly River cities with metropolitan populations around 2 million people and filled with architecture that preserves their relatively long histories as well as open park spaces. More than that, they are Renaissance cities relying on their cultural senses of community and creativity to transform from down-and-out industrial burgs into vibrant Green cities of the future. High quality of life is favored over the Rat Race, as both cities develop with a sustainable focus: light rail transit, bike-friendly commute options, farmer's markets, independent local businesses, honoring diversity, and general compassion for one another. And of course, both cities are just barely big enough to each host a long-time major league team bringing the community together (even if you're not a sports fan): we have our Trail Blazers and they have their Steelers. Right, back to the STEELERS!

After falling behind 20-23, the Steelers muster their fourth quarter guster

and rally for a game winning touchdown drive ending with a perfectly executed pass from Big Ben Roethlisberger to Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Bunny, who's at home watching the game and expecting our second child (and first son) at any moment, texts the baby name, "River Holmes Mason!" The celebration continues through the next day, as Alisa is feeling ill and asks me to sub for her meeting with Lou. Teamwork!

The odds of the Cardinals beating the Steelers: 7 to 1.

The odds of Lou and I crossing paths: at least 4 million to 1.

Synchronicity is the small stuff that keeps hope alive and makes life in Portland enchanting. I can't imagine being anywhere else besides right here, right now, in this magic moment. Well, except maybe Pittsburgh! Stay tuned for more...