Saturday, November 7, 2009
Portland on WIF Day 2
Oh Come on, city of Portland! The Skidmore Fountain stop under the Burnside Bridge has got to be one of the busiest on the Max lines and the schedule board is surrounded by a fence. It would only have taken a bit of time and ten feet to have moved it around the kiosk. But maybe more bums would be peeing on it then? Who knows what logic is at work here? And besides that the glass is so scratched up you can't even read the times.
The rain was absolutely horrendous on this afternoon. I bypassed the Skidmore stop on the train because I wanted to see if a friend was playing at Saturday market. It was a very wet miscalculation. I decided to try to get a break from the rain so stepped into Cameron's Books on Third and Stark. I've been going there for almost forty years. It still has that wonderful old musty smell. I found my way to two three and a half foot high stacks of quality movie magazines: Sight and Sound, Moviemaker, American Cinematographer and so forth. I looked at every single one of them and easily found four that fit into the ten dollar budget I gave myself. One has a fifteen page tribute to Sam Peckinpah. It has inspried me to work my way through his and Don Siegel's films sometime soon. Crouching inside the window going through the window at Camerons looking at some old books is something I have done a few times. Powell's used to be more like this in its early years.
When I left Cameron's the rain was coming down even harder. Storm drains were blocked and their floodwaters had to be negotiated. I got to a Max. Never has a 6 block ride been so welcome. My refuge was the reconstituted Virginia Cafe on 10th and Taylor, across from the Multnomah County Library. The place is much the same. The drinks are on special most of the time and the Reuben is among the best in town. I had one with a beer and read about Sam Peckinpah. A guy had to come out and wipe down the floor every ten minutes or so due to very wet patrons. The waitress was awesome and had really decent body art and a great spirit. We are both natives and shared the same attitude about the weather. There is something about the rain. And this town...
I think it is clear by now, I love this town.
On the way home on Max I got so engrossed in Ipod listening to the great organist Shirley Scott ond reading the Willamette Week's 35th Anniversary salute to the things that make Portland Portland. I went all the way out to the Expo Center, which was a major scene this weekend because of the Catlin Gable Rummage Sale. It was no big deal because the reserve train on the end of the line took off within five minutes or so.
Here are my three favorite articles from the Week's anniversary tribute.
Cartoon Look at Blazer hairstyles
We've Come A long ways baby.
Colorful Quotes from Seven Colorful Mayors (1974-2009)
I guess I didn't realize til I read this that there were 20 years where this city was run by either Bud Clark or Vera Katz. I think that is very significant to the history and culture of this city.
Mix Tape
Here one can explore a chronological mix tape. Nostalgia for me knocks off at 1990. I don't really need to be reminded of Harden My Heart either. Weird there is no place for Johnny and the Distractions, Paul Delay or Curtis Salgado. Now that's Portland.
Seeing that The Dharma Bums were on the list in 1991 reminds me of a story from a year or two before that. They lived in NE Portland, right near a friend's sister. Another mutual friend who knew was visiting from out of town. "Where do the bums live?" he asked me. I said more so over down by the where the freeways intersect.
posted by well-executed buffet at 11:50 AM
Comments:
I found a gem of a film I had not seen by Peckinpah last week called "Bring Me the Head of Afredo Garcia" with Warren Oates and a scene with Kris Kristoferson. I was suprised how much I enjoyed this style and ocasional hysterical, but classic lines in the film. I found this film for 4 dollars at a blockbuster going out of business in Portland. If you time it right you can find some deals on old, hard to locate gems for cheap.I am afraid to go in that bookstore and look at old film comments or film mags..I might never leave! I to love Portland, or Vortland as i call it...
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