Balanced Eating

Long time friend hiking buddy, Rich, left Estes Park, Colorado and arrived in Portland via Southwest mid last week. We have been long time hiking com-padres, but there has been no hiking since his arrival unless walking farmers markets and grocery stores can be construed as hiking.

Our attempt to "maintain balance" is eating three good meals everyday. With no thought for what effect this eating may have on the numbers on a bathroom scale, there has been no pause -- in eating and Starbucks -- since Rich's arrival.

After my exploring over the past several weeks, Rich joined me for some repeat visits. One of those repeats was to a very sunny day at Cannon Beach for a great lunch and a chat with Stella (friend from Benson, AZ) at Seaside.

Saturday it was downtown Portland. Headed to the Saturday Market to check out the latest in "nobody needs" stuff, there was plenty to choose from. How about taking bicycle parts from chains to spokes and make jewelry. Name of the booth was Bike Bling.

From there we walked the streets to Voodoo Doughnut to see a line from the front door about 50 yards long. Rich nor I have the patience to stand in line. Let alone for doughnuts. Walking away, I noted two gals ready to start eating their doughnut purchases, I asked for a view. Asking if it was worth the long wait, one of the two said "Yes". The other responded with an emphatic "No."

Less than ten short blocks away we were at Powell's Bookstore. Rich was duly impressed and overwhelmed by the selection available. Trying to remember that books are ballast and there are about 15 tree based books that await my reading attention, we exited without more books. Mentioning my fame on the store's marquee, Rich opted out on his opportunity.

Then it was the Beaverton Farmers Market to taste at every booth and have a snack lunch on foot. With purchases of oysters, cookies, bread and blueberries, we headed back to Wandrin Wagon where part of the dinner included oysters on the grill and vine ripened tomatoes. Scrumptious.

Since Rich's arrival, clouds have become a predominant part of the skies. Anticipating a clear day, we headed to Mt. Hood. Not to be. The peak was mostly in light clouds. Along with a wind, it was also a cold day to be standing outside admiring Timberline Lodge. Built with "stimulus" monies of the 1930s, 2010 stimulus money is used for structural maintenance. With stone work and wood carvings, it is another beautiful example of a structure by the CCC in the 1930s.

At mid day, it was a good time to dine in one of the many options at the Timberline Lodge. We chose indoors casual window dining on a bowl of chili.

On the way back to Wandrin Wagon, we stopped at the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery. Along with salmon awaiting to spawn in hatchery tanks, a 400 pound Sturgeon occupies a small pond for visitor viewing.

These fish were for viewing. No eating here.

Never done with eating, today we had sushi for lunch. After our afternoon cocktails, there will be a smorgasbord for dinner after too many stops at high end grocery stores.

Yup. Enjoying life is a matter of balance.... Three balanced meals a day. At least.

From the Driver's Seat

Perhaps I haven't been paying attention or there just haven't been as many vanity license plates. The few that were noticed:

DMBFANS -- which team were they rooting for?

KOZMIC -- not doubt 'cosmic' was taken

BDGR94 -- University of Wisconsin graduate?

Without comment: "WA HAPN"   "POSTIV"  "OH PLEZ"   "WOLVRN"   "PSYCH"

Business names:

PLUMB LEVEL BUILDERS

SIT & SIP  TAVERN

STUDD'S BUILDING SUPPLIES

In the window of a tanning salon: With the warnings about the dangers of tanning beds, the new approach is advertised in this line: "SUNLESS AIRBRUSH TANNING".

A clever pun for a sod farm: WE KEEP ROLLIN' A LAWN

Windows of Adages

Walking in the Bridgeport shopping center (to the Apple store) is this collage of adages on the windows of a store undergoing remodeling. These collages were on every window facing the street.

Searching all corners of the sign for some indication of some "self help shaman", there was nothing. There were no copyrights or indication of creation. Were these from the previous tenant. Or is it a message from the future tenant.The female form is depicted twice, but no male. If not the previous or future tenant, what message is the shopping center management saying about the shopping center, the usual shopper, the creator -- or none of the above.

The positive is that there is nothing there about balance. Oops. Just when you thought you had heard the end of the subject, there it is again. :-)

Buildings To Admire

A favorite walk in the old down towns of cities is admiring the architectural beauty and uniqueness of buildings dating to 60 to 100 years ago. During a recent walk through downtown Portland, there were several examples of those older buildings which I find attractive and humane. Note the architectural details far above the street. Something to admire.

Roger Ebert said it better than I ever could. This is an excerpt from his piece about the subject in Chicago's Sun Times:

"I walk around Chicago, and look up at buildings of variety and charm. I walk into lobbies of untold beauty. I ascend in elevators fit for the gods. Then I walk outside again and see the street defaced by the cruel storefronts of bank branches and mall chains, scornful of beauty. Here I squat! they declare. I am Chase! I am Citibank! I am Payless Shoe Source! I don’t speak to my neighbors. I have no interest in pleasing those who walk by. I occupy square footage at the lowest possible cost. My fixtures can be moved out overnight. I am capital."

There were several examples around downtown Portland which were all about function at lowest cost and nothing else. This is one of those monstrosities:

This cynic concludes that bean counters made the decision to create an ugly building.

No More Balance -- Part Two

Achieving balance in life is a goal. Never attainable. It's like the seal balancing the ball. Got to keep moving to keep that ball in the air.

In the mid 1990s, I started using the tag line "Keep the Balance..." five years before retirement. Taking a leave of absence in 1998, it was eight weeks in Australia. The suspicion about the out of balance US work environment was confirmed. Aussies get four weeks vacation in the first year of employment.

For me, balance was about "work and play". When noted in the media and in resignation statements, it is usually "work and family". Another was hoping to achieve a "spiritual balance". No idea what that means.

The balance tag line should have been dropped when I retired and began to "play" full time.

With the assumption that I had achieved "balance", Boonie commented it was "time for a new challenge". Like "keeping the balance" was an unattainable goal, Wandrin Lloyd's new challenge will likewise be unattainable.

Daryl suggested "serenity". Might work. But the new tag line will have to imply action. And be unattainable. Certainly, serenity is unattainable.

And to Dee: Thanks for the offer to take the rock. I've had second thoughts about the purchase of the "Balance" rock. It was a good idea.

As I have mulled the new challenge, I have started to look at how "balance" may continue to fit within that future "challenge". Different words. More specific words. Lots of thoughts. With the many antonyms for balance and its usage, there will be a solution. And a new tag line. I hope. Is it possible to create a new tag line with "balance" or an antonym that doesn't sound like the old tag line.

Trying to maintain equilibrium...

Perils of Home Ownership

Two a.m. Bodily function calls. Slide out of bed. Cross six feet of floor to step down. What. Water on the floor. Lights on. Sure enough. It's water. Nearby towel soaks up water. Knees on slightly damp floor. Check plumbing for source of leak. Found it. Turn off commode water supply.

Head back to bed. Can't sleep. Water leaks nag for repair. A call to a landlord would resolve this problem. Owning Wandrin Wagon means I have to make the arrangements. Mobile RV repair would be great. Out of bed to find the RV park's handouts to check the ads. Call in the morning.

Back to bed. Can't sleep. Pick up the latest travel adventure book. Eyes are beginning to droop.

Hmmm. Never did take care of that bodily function...


Postscript: Swapping money for services, the leak was fixed. Additionally, all exploring plans were put on hold while waiting for repairs. Home ownership is over rated. A call to a landlord would have been easier and less stressful.

No More Balance

When I adopted the tag line "keep the balance" over ten years ago, it seemed novel. It was the result of travel to Australia where I discovered that there are people who knew how to balance work and play. The Aussies weren't big on the "all work" American motto.

Later I modified that tag line to "Enjoying life is a matter of balance". Soon it appeared on the masthead of my blog and web site. It didn't take long for the concept to became part of my life as it found its way into my speech and editorializing. When others looked to me as the epitome of balance, I knew the concept was in trouble.

Over this past year I've seen the concept of "balance" appearing in resignation speeches, in a 50th birthday interview and a summary of labor negotiations. This morning it was in a book review of "Eat, Pray, Love" (a book I haven't read). Worse yet the word was in quotes.

That's it. Balance is out.

The heck with it. No more trying to achieve balance. The term actually meant something when I was working; attempt to balance work with play. Today, I am not so sure what I am trying to balance.

I'm going back to slavishly mono-minded pursuit of doing nothing. Which is what I do anyway.

Removing the words from my blog and web site is easy. A more serious issue is what to do with this beautifully carved rock.

Beginning today, the only balance in my life will be a positive amount in my checking account. At least I will try to maintain a positive amount by not spending too much.

Top Ten Lists

In the old days when I still had TV and watched the Travel Channel, there was the "Top Ten Beaches", "Top Ten Surfing Places", "Top Ten Casinos", etc. You get the idea.

Who decides this stuff. In the case of Travel Channel, no doubt some of those named "top tens" provided some accommodation of some type. Hey. What did you expect from a cynic.

Which gets me to the real point of this entry. RVings Top Ten was the subject of an entry at Nick's Gypsy Journal Blog. Supposedly you're not a real RVer until you've experienced the top ten on that list. I managed to get eight out of ten without even knowing there was a list.

Never been to an "RV Rally". Sounds like way too many people -- a crowd. The other item I didn't do with an RV was the Alaska Highway -- although it was done on a camping trip the last year I was employed. By my calculation, I've done nine out of ten. Close enough for me -- if I cared.

Looking at the list, it seems that RVing is not about getting away and exploring the natural and scenic world of North America, but going where all the other RVers are hanging out. That sounds like pack mentality.

Boondocking is on that list. To me, boondocking is out in the desert or some national forest without electricity or water and your nearest camping neighbor is at least a 100 yards away. Sorry. But parking on a Wal-Mart parking without electricity does not qualify as boondocking.

Regarding boondocking..... I've been asked if it is safe to boondock out in the desert or national forest. To me it is safer out there than on that Wal-Mart or casino parking lot with its traffic, parking lot lighting and the bad guys easy access to four lane roads.
 
There are no life lists, bucket lists, must sees, etc. in my travels. That makes for a less stressful journey of exploring. A lot easier to keep balance.

Providing Photo Captions

Here was a "twitter" moment, but there were few respondents to a request for a caption for this photo.

To review, my caption was: "It's embarrassing when you get lovey-dovey."

The three submitted captions:

• "You're still the one that can scratch my itch!"
• "Psst! Don't tell anyone I told you this, but..."
• "AWwwwww. Looks like he says to her, if the road ahead gets too rough, Just Lean On Me......"

Probably lots of psychology in reading into photos to create a caption. This looks like one of those areas of study that the university psyche departments have overlooked. What would the responses tell about the person -- gender, personality, age, marital status, etc.

On second thought, let's not study it to provide labels for categories and become part of a faceless group. How about we remain individuals.

Not sure where this blog entry was going, but it is time to post and be gone.

Buy Experiences, Not Things

An impressive arch leads to Portland's China Town. My expectations were of the exotic and some photo ops as I walked the streets.

After that entry arch, it was empty store fronts with few businesses remaining. Some of the area was being claimed for condo towers.

The center of China Town is the Lan Su Chinese Garden. It has a very orderly attention to detail. Picturesque with water falls, water lilies, rock sculptures, and well tailored trees and bushes, there were several photo ops.

The gardens didn't seem very exotic when I noted all the garden employees (or volunteers) were Caucasian. I noted one Asian leading a tour. A second tour leader was Caucasian. At least some of the guests to the garden were Asian.

After the experience of wandering through the garden, I exited through the gift shop and found a rock.

Purchasing that rock was not one of those balanced moments. It was buyer's remorse as I walked down the street realizing I had just bought a "thing".

I seem to have forgotten my own rule: "Buy Experiences, Not Things".