sorayaleila’s Neighborhood

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It is ridiculous to think that it's 2010, did we really think we could make it? Congratulations to us; one and all! It's a good time to be grateful for whatever it is we've got and to send nice things into the universe.

It's also when people write end-of-the-year resolutions -- which I never do -- so I thought about a few things to do:
 
~Teach our young puppy Chef to stop acting like Parker's backyard hummingbirds named "Bitey and Violence."

~Edit the handycam footage I shot of Christo's The Gates. The working title of my video short is "Orange Valentine."

~Do an oosooji housecleaning, like they do in Japan every new year.

~Hit San Francisco for Nick's 40th Birthday the weekend of Friday February 6th!

2009 was a nasty year for losing pets. It took a lot of them. Let's smile and remember happily the one thing we had for sure: unconditional love from a dog.

Goodbye dear Estro, and Dan and Jen's chihuahua Ernie, and Tricia's frenchie Rosie, and my dad's golden Waffles.

Living with Rory has MOVED here...

Come on over and see what we are up to! We loved Vox but we need more customisable options. Some blog posts have moved, others have not, but this site will remain here for reference. And we may still pop in from time to time!

I'm sitting here trying to write down my new years resloutions and I'm about half way through but my mind keeps wondering. I keep asking myself in my head about the research I have been doing for my trip to the Pacific Northwest. The question that keeps entering my mind is What makes Portland Weird?

It is unofficially the weirdest city in the U.S. and if you don't agree you can aleast agree that it is extremely quirky. I get a long with weird, perhaps because I myself have been described as weird, and I also attract a lot of weirdos. In short I'm a weirdo magnent and it keeps things interesting.

True weirdness is like residue. It's a sludgy pot of  people, culture, ideas, and inspiration that get mixed together and thrown on a wall, the residue from that it was sticks, it's the weird. It is also a state of being, you can be in the weird for a while, being in the weird is where I come up with my best ideas, okay well not all my best ideas come from being in the weird, sometimes they just sound good at the time.

Anyway what makes Portland weird, and more importantly how does it continue to stay weird? It's a lot of effort to stay weird, okay well if you are truely odd its not as difficult as it sounds its just that you have to get those who are not weird to catch on to the idea of weirdness and that can be a task.

I suppose a velevet painting museum, naked hippy cyclists, and a weird mystery hole are the kind of things that one could consider odd but they are more like seeds that have been carried a bit by the wind from the large tree of weird.

I guess it would really have to be the locals that keep the weirdness alive. Inspiring others to create and advance weirdness. Now I know about crazy locals, Key West has some really loopy ones, I was explained that it has to do with the alcohol and the sun. Something about the combination kinda fries their head a bit and twists reality like taffy. I mean where else would you see this in July in 90 plus degree weather but Duval Street in Key West or naked Kevin who is an awesome dancer but has to hide his money in an undisclosed potted plant because he birthday suits don't have pockets and he want to enjoy a few drinks.

I'm hoping to really enter the weird when I hit Portland.  Is it possible to succeed in getting weird? Is this a goal that can be achieved and if it is, does anyone besides me want to?

I want to come back from Portland with a renewed sense of weirdness. Something to put a halt to my daytime 9-5 corporate zombie walk I do each week. Some thing that is really going to kick off some inspiration and creativiness.

I am half way through watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations - Pacific Northwest Episode, but I don't want to retrace his steps, I just want to use it as  a guide to give me ideas advance or enhance my trip. I want my own unique experience.

The other thing I do is write list that I never abide by. I love doing this, the list are for research purpose only, its no fun to get wrapped up in a list you feel you must do in numberical order and finish. It's more of a guide to say, "hey see that place, I wrote it on my list and I know what it's about and since we are here you wanna check it out?"

I'm a feeler, I feel things, I don't do things because I feel I have to or because somebody else thinks it's the "right way" to do things. If I'm leaving for 7 days I pack atleast 12 changes of clothes because I really don't know what I'm going to feel like wearing that day, and what I think I may feel like and what I do, usually don't match up. I don't like to tie myself down, fun to me is about doing things naturally as they come and not forcing them to happen so why would I write an itenirary and stick to it? I noticed sometimes it stresses people out when time is not on their side. "We must do this and in this exact order!" Ummmm why can't you just go with the flow and enjoy and not get your panties in a wad.

I also write travel list iteniraries differently than most, mine sound more like a scavenger hunt than a travel itenerary and everything is open ended because I also like to give some wiggle room.

... but there is one thing I know for certain, I fully intend on helping Portland stay weird.

I've been posting and reading a lot on the chow site this year and have become a regular florida chowhound on the chowhound florida boards. There are some very knowledgable Foodies on the site. One such helpful and knowledgable person is Bob Mervine. I have used a lot of his reviews, advice and comments to guide my way around the florida food scene. He seems pretty elusive and I always wished he would reply to my post, but he never did.

I read a post today and in the post was something that shocked me. It read:

"A few years ago, Bob Mervine was kind enough to answer my post and gave some great suggestions. His lost is deeply felt, I know, by all foodies."

What?! I didn't know he had passed away so I dug around a bit and realized he passed away in 2007. I had been reading old post that are still relevent from back in 2007. Often times old post get dug up when others have new information or just to agree or disagree with the information provided so while it may be at the top of the list, his post were all from 2007 and past. No wonder he never replied to my post, and here I was thinking that perhaps my post were not interesting enough for him to comment on. lol.

It just made me realize that in this age everything we do here in social communities still exist after we pass on. Certainly interesting that I have been taking food advice from a dead man all year.

and no one said anything when I would rely to bob on the boards, they must have just thought I was putting in my two cents but I was actually replying to him. hah.

Rest in Peace Bob, I'll still continue to read you and take your advice.

I wanted to include a resolution for 2010 which is:

 Do something for somebody else

Basically it could be pay it forward, a random act of kindness, volunteer work, whatever you so desire as long as you do something for somebody else. 

I thought this could be a community thing. If everyone did it for twenty ten. we could post our stories. For those who would like to join in, post this,  Also I don't know all of the people on vox, so for those who like this, post it to your vox blog.

Maybe we can get something going, maybe if this catches on we can get it posted to the TIG this time next year.

Perhaps we can create a group for this?

EDIT: I created a group Do Something for somebody else please join

Bad Things on Tuesday

• Still sniffling with a cold 
• It's too cold for Florida right now, It was in the 40's this morning when I was walking my dog
• My toes are frozen. Really they are ice cubes now.
• So cold out this morning I didn't want to get out of bed.
  
• Realizing that I didn't book my hotel room in time for the totally awesome hotel special for our trip to Seattle

Good Things on Tuesday

• Finding out that the Hotel has another totally awesome special that saves me just as much money,
  
• Finally feeling like my cold is going away.
• Getting my music play list for our Seattle/Portland trip ready
  
• My dog snuggling with me under the blanket this morning 
• Getting up in time to take out the trash, with the holidays there was a lot of trash.
• Work being low key and drama free today - (so far)
• Nick coming home tonight from London at around 6:30pm

It's feels like it's been while since I've made a post. Work has been extremely busy. There were more layoffs and now I have more work and more people around checking out what I am doing which means less internet surfing time. This should quite down now that the holidays are in swing and everything should be back to normal after the first of the year.

I have recently decided something though after months, actually a year on vox I have decided I like it and I'm going to stay. I know this place used to be better, more people, the vox team where more active and more helpful back then but it's still a decent place if we the users make it so. I hate to see a post from a neighbor explaining that they are leaving vox and why. There are still plenty of us here though so I have decided to stay.

and with that I am going to reorganize my blog a little bit. It'll be the same but I have added the things on a tuesday group and will be writing some more personal stuff , friends only of course. Some sex talk, bring some sexy back to Fridays. I want to get back to writing what every I feel like without holding anything back. This of course means more friends only post but I will also write about Orlando, and any other topic I find interesting as a public post.

I'll also be posting my New Years Resolutions and the ones I made last year, which ones I accomplished and which ones I didnt. It's something I do every year, last year I didn't post them to hear since I was so new to vox but this year I feel more comfortable.

I really do wish more of my pownce friends would have stayed here, I understand why they didn't. There was a bad taste in their mouth about Six Apart and I understand that, I also understand the nature of the web biz. It's a rough business, anyone that tells you to go into IT, Computer programming, interactive design and digial media entertainment because it is lucrative is fooling themselves. The company I work for has now made layoffs for two years in a row. At any moment we could be told to pack up and leave without much notice. It's just the way things go. No it isn't fair and these are hard working people who do a bang up job but sometimes things just don't work out and you save and salvage what you can. There isn't much else you can do.

So I'll be around and posting more again. I'll leave you with one of my favorite toasts. I believe it's an Irish toast.

"May the roof above us never cave in.
And the friends gathered below never fall out"