For those of you who read yesterday’s “famous” post, I hope you understand that I wasn’t downplaying others’ contributions to The Article. Tooting my own horn (and conversely making fun of myself) is a right I reserve on this here blog. But, let me take a moment to congratulate everyone who is making the CyanPDX a great example of the power of social media marketing (here’s lookin’ at you, Justin Kistner and Ian Johnson).

Let me state the obvious: Great article, huh? Laura Oppenheimer is an impressive note-taker and listener. I’m so happy with how she represented what Jed and I had to say. In years past I’ve been interviewed by the media, and the resulting write-ups were disheartening because my words had been bent. I’ll never forget when a paper in Anderson, South Carolina took my “female empowerment” statement and turned it into “Girl Power”. Thinking about that still makes me involuntarily roll my eyes.

Anyway, thanks, Laura. And thanks, Kiernan, for arranging the interview.

Keep an eye out for the Sunday edition of The Oregonian! Unless something crazy happens in the business world today, the front page of the Business section should feature a story about my and Jed’s soon-to-be-new abode, CyanPDX. We were interviewed for the story, so you know the article will be SO compelling. No photos of us though, which is good because I’m badly in need of root touch-up.

I won’t take up a whole lot of space with details about the building itself, the state of Portland’s housing market, or the importance of walking the eco-friendly talk. Laura Oppenheimer will do a better job of that in her article. BUT! I’ll show you what I’ve been up to in my free time since putting down a deposit on our new abode:

I used a downloaded PDF and GIMP to play with the new apartment’s floor plan. It was fun, but it wasn’t as easy as it could of been had I used Skitch. Sure, GIMP is a fantastic open source photo editing software, but what I did above wasn’t exactly heavyweight stuff. After you watch this video, you’ll see what I mean:

Sold? Maybe in the coming weeks we’ll have a Super Skitcher contest or something…

When Pawly was still with us, you could say “Get the kitty!” and she knew exactly what to do. Whether outside or around the house, she’d find one and then move him with her nose or herd him back to where she started. There were many occasions when a found cat would shoot through the back door, Pawly strolling triumphantly behind. “Get the kitty!” was a handy command at dinner time or when somebody disappeared after a storm. Of course, she didn’t do it because she liked the cats particularly well. As far as she was concerned, those sneaky bags of bones and claws were scratching, meowing pains in her furry ass.

The above story doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the point of this post. I just felt a wave of nostalgia while looking through photos of Jeremy. When Jed and I move to the CyanPDX in May, Jeremy and I will be reunited (thanks, Mom!) after 5 years of living in different homes.

To prepare for him, I’ve been planning and shopping. And boy, have I found some awesome products!

Two examples:

1. Nobody likes cleaning cat litter. It smells. It’s dusty. Germy. The Roll’n Clean Litter Box by Omega Paw seems to take most of the pain out of the most hated of duties. It has great reviews and even comes in a larger size for the big boys.
2. We all know that cats freak out if you change their surroundings. Being territorial animals, they can start doing annoying things like marking or shredding furniture when introduced to a new place. Potential solution? Feliway comforting products for stressed felines. Worth a shot.

And finally, if you’re into all things Cat (which I totally am) then moderncat.net is to cat lovers like apartmenttherapy.com is to home decor lovers. Did you know that etsy.com is a great place to shop for cat stuff? I didn’t either!

Pawly would probably roll her doggy eyeballs if she knew I was fussing so much over Jeremy. Then again, she got her share.

Accepting the fact that we are building an extension of our society on the World Wide Web, I think it’s important to remember that the same social rules should apply. When I meet you on the street, I don’t give you a fake name when I shake your hand. If I’m spoken to (and I actually hear what is said) I try to respond. I keep rude thoughts to myself. There aren’t any ready-to-share racy photos of me handy in my purse. And? I damn well don’t publicize my personal problems for all to read.

Here is what I’m getting at: It is HIGHLY inappropriate to blog, tweet, update your FaceBook status or Whatever with statements or woe-is-mes about troubles you are having with your loved ones.

When I have a disagreement with Jed, I don’t walk out my front door and shout “My husband made me CRY!” for all to hear.

Tacky. Not to mention damaging to the relationship.

So, dear internet friends, I apologize that you will not get to read any juicy family gossip on this here blog. That’s because my parents taught me to respect my loved ones’ privacy and to RESPECT MYSELF by keeping Certain matters private. Meaning, between me and that Certain person. I do so in “real life” and thus I do so on the internet.

A suggestion: Next time you type something in the box that gives you pause, before clicking “Publish” consider the good old-fashioned paper version. Diaries can be burned. Blogs are archived. If you say it on the internet, you CANNOT TAKE IT BACK. Humiliation and betrayal are very real, whether done over digital or analog channels.

Your throat is scratchy and you’re feeling like a cold might be overtaking your system. But then a bug in your ear compels you to grab the thermometer out of the first aid box. Crap–Temperature slightly elevated. You don’t panic and settle in with a cup of tea and some TV time before dozing off for the night. But the next morning the soreness is worse, you’ve got a bit of a headache, and the mercury is still showing a mild fever…

What do you do?

Let me make this easy on you: GO TO THE DOCTOR

Skeptics, I hear you. The only reason why I decided to make the trip to ZoomCare (doing justice to how much I love them will require an entirely different post) last Thursday was the fact that a coworker of mine was diagnosed with pneumonia two weeks ago. I’d ridden that horse in early 2008 and it was a trip I NEVER want to repeat. So last week I was proactive and zipped to the doctor’s office. While there, I learned that the flu can be diagnosed pretty accurately via a Rapid Test that the doctor administers in the office. Ten minutes later and BAM we knew I had the flu.

So, great. The flu. Now what? Stock up on facial tissue and get the ol’ barf bucket ready? Nope. If the flu is diagnosed within the first 48 hours, the doctor has the option to prescribe an anti-viral medication to help dampen the symptoms. It’s not a cure, you’re still going to be on the couch for about five days, but it’s SOMETHING. And looking back on the past six days of my life, I can say totally worth trying. The doctor actually put me on two anti-virals because the strain of influenza going around seems to be especially resistant, so it was kind of a bummer swallowing two pills twice a day with a nasty sore throat. But the discomfort was worthwhile, as my flu symptoms were thereafter limited to weakness, sinus pressure treatable with ibuprofen, and runny nose/sneezing. No puke, no chills, no sweats, no aches, no wanting to DIE for days in a row–Worth it, don’t you think?

Let me reiterate that it’s not a miracle. I still missed three days of work. My motivation behind sharing this story lies in the fact that everyone I’ve told since returning to the office yesterday did not know that these diagnosis and treatment options were available. So, in the name of love (you know I heart you, my dear readers) I share the story with you. Hope it helps!

My friend, Ben Friedle (@fart4art), is having his first art show on Wednesday, March 4th.

It’s a big deal. Here’s why:

Ben has been painting for years. One of the first paintings he ever did, titled “Ugly Fish”, has hung above my and Jed’s bed ever since the very beginning of our relationship. When I first saw the little monstrosity I knew this guy had something. But, it’s taken like, A DECADE for someone to finally convince him to display his works publicly. Sidenote: When I told Ben that I liked his painting, he was flabbergasted and told me to throw it away. He’s that humble.

Also, Ben isn’t the kind of artist who sits around and waits for the ideas to come to him. He goes out and finds them. Ben and his wife, Christina, use the public library more than anyone I know. They check out all sorts of media: Music albums, movies nobody has ever heard of, books about textiles and books about art and books about places and books about about about… Then they gobble it all up and take it all back and bring home even MORE music and movies and books. These people are like ShamWows for knowledge. What I’m getting at here is that Ben Friedle’s paintings have meaning that has been sought, processed, planned, and painstakingly interwoven into every brush stroke.

So finally it is happening: The Opening. I encourage you to come and see the gorgeous paintings and meet the person behind it all. And meet his amazing and vibrant wife, Christina. And his insane friends, who are too numerous to name. Fun will be had, songs will inevitably be sung, and you’ll be one of the first witnesses to an event that has been a long time in coming. Bring your wallet, too, because you’re going to want to take one of the pieces home with you.

Where:
La Merde Lounge – 301 SE Morrison St.
Portland, Oregon – Get Directions

When:
Wednesday, March 4th 2009  7pm – 10pm

More:
Fart4Art.com
MontagePortland.com
Upcoming.org