THE OREGON ZOO NEEDS YOUR HELP.

The Need: The Oregon Zoo is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi; during its 50-year history at the current location, key parts of the zoo have become old, out-of-date and worn-out.

The measure will:

• Provide more humane care for elephants, primates, polar bears and hippos by updating four outdated and undersized enclosures with larger, more natural and safer spaces
• Protect animal health and safety by modernizing the zoo’s substandard 45-year-old veterinary clinic
• Increase access to conservation education by providing more space for summer camps, classes and hands-on learning
• Improve water quality by replacing the 1950s-era sewer system, while reducing pollution by separating sewage from storm water and harvesting rain runoff for reuse
• Conserve and reuse water by installing recycling-filtration systems, while replacing leaky, worn-out plumbing and irrigation systems. These changes will save 11 million gallons of water annually.

A citizens’ oversight committee will monitor spending. The projects will be subject to internal audits as well as an annual independent financial audit, which will be published in the local newspaper.

Cost to Homeowners
About $1.40 a month, or $16.80 a year, for the average homeowner in the region. The cost estimate is less than 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value per year for the $125 million general obligation bond. Bonds mature in 21 years or less.

It fits my mood at each second of a song change. It is beautiful, inspiring, creative, wondrous, non-judgemental, moody and feeds me the chocolate cake I so desire when the urge arises, it fits me even on my skinny days where a 5 mile jaunt came with zero sweat just as easily as it met my needs on my fat days when only a mu mu could bring me to a sense of contentment with myself… even if I felt the impetus to have a cigarrette and pabst at my side. I love it and I am in love…

Pandora. You take me to new heights….allowing me to express that being within and emphasize my mood at a moments notice, being a woman that’s your ticket to the promise land and I am in heaven with your embrace.
I truly hope you never go away. All I need to do is type at my fingertips whim what tune, melody, song, charisma I so seek and you bring it alive. Thank you. Which leads me to to the story of another love constricted by the demands of two different lives that evolved from the passon and fame experienced by the one and only Ian Curtis.
So really my love succumbed again to the beauty that was so apparent in the movie Control. Based on Deborah Curtis’s collection of events around her love, Ian Curtis- Lead singer Joy Division. This movie brought me to tears. Ian… he was so young in falling in deep, passionate love with Deborah, even at the time when her immediate intimate interest sprung from Ian’s friend, seeing each other enough there was discovery. They fell for each other. They fell in love. Ian is a compelling character, with such passion, creativity and wanton need to please, to meet the external requirements around him.

Taking his life at 23 with accomplishments equivalent to a 40 year old. There were two parts to Ian, actually two lives. He sought to please those in his lives, but couldn’t meet the demand. There was his commitment to the life he chose at 18 and the life that sprung up around him at 20. The rock star status, the attention the wanton desire he conjured in his audience. I was somewhat seduced by his deep intensity, who couldn’t be it was intoxicating. Here is a very moving article about Ian and Deborah.. it is a must read.

One Ian who was creative and kind and passionate, committed to the one he loved so compellingly, but taken away by the awestruck world in which he was the star. It was so demanding to the point where he had lost “control”. Each piece of a Joy Division song they played throughout was equivalent to the mood and feeling that Ian was feeling, I was simply awestruck.

So, today- Today was a great day. Work is, what it is, I might long for different but overall it’s been great getting close to colleagues and meeting with people and simply doing whatever I can to feel connected and challenged and involved.

2008, it’s anniversary time.

Today, August 21st, marks R’s and I’s 4th year “being married” anniversary. It’s so interesting because time now seems so irrelevent. It’s just time and time will continue and we’ll continue to make our memories and live day to day. It’s significant and wonderful and even just all of the journies we had been through over the year from now. I wouldn’t change anything. I love R, I love our house, our friends…. I love working downtown and really I am blessed.

In Fact:

I met a very cool person today. She’s celebrating her 4th anniversary in Sept. She was married before, which brings me to appreciate how simple my life is. Luckily she said they never had kids in her first marriage and she knew she couldn’t with her previous husband, she knew it wouldn’t work and now, she feels ever so confident with the person she is with now. She’s talking about having kids and I supported her all the way.

Today for me?

As my anniversary gift, Ry surprised the heck outta me with flowers, dark chocolate truffles, garbage already out on the curb and a clean, sparkling kitchen. This is why expectations in marriage should be dumped at the front door. I was floored, cried and surprised, R can simply surprise me with the smallest gesture and I am in heaven. I Got home from walking from the bus stop. Petted Guinness, looked around in awe and thought about how lucky I am.

I opened my bottle of wine, whipped up pasta with mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes and cheese and enjoyed an evening for me on the couch. Eventually I cracked open a delicious dark chocolate truffle… okay maybe it was two of those, planted my big ass on the couch and just relaxed. It was marvelous and R. had this all planned for me even without me knowing it. I am a lucky girl.

So I decided to venture and have a movie adventure.

Tears emerged as I watched “The Girl in the Cafe”

It was….. beautiful and profound.

I LOVE Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald. I loved and appreciated the nuances and wierd ticks of Bill’s character and the simplicity yet extreme complexity between him and Kelly’s charachter (Gina) as they learned about each other. So, yes, it is a bit weird to see him and her in a love scene considering he could be her like father, but fundamentally what was beautiful was the simple need for human interest, compassion, love and just plain company between each other.

Eventually the complexities unfold… you journey with the G8 summit to Reykjavick and there are some serious reflections you encounter in this political world where all human interests of a country are at stake. I balled at the thought, there is so much wrong going on and we don’t hear, don’t know, don’t understand… we lose perspective. What we have…. luxurious from those living in corrupt 3rd world countries with governments clearly more concerned for their wealth versus the people’s livability. It’s incredibly moving in its profundity. I am spoiled and I am lucky.

What I could relate to:
The best association Kelly’s character has to Iceland is Bjork, something I completely relate to. I know that Reykjavik is on my list of places to see in my lifetime, for sure. The only thing is that almost everything has to bet shipped in, because, fundamentally not a lot can grow there. It looks beautiful, full of culture, art, music… I mean one part of this movie was the soundtrack and in fact I typed in “Sugir Ros” in Pandora, because they were in the end of the movie and it has been playing some amazing stuff on my Pandora.

Oh , Pandora, how do I love thee. But Ry, you made my real anniversary compelling, moving and surprising. Thank you.

Dinner at Ciao Vito sounds lovely.

I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby.

There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.
Christopher Morley.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
Michael Jordan.

To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.
Marilyn vos Savant.

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.
Friedrich Engels.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
Henry Ford.

Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.
Earl Nightingale.

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain.

You’re the only one who can make the difference. Whatever your dream is, go for it.
Earvin Magic Johnson.

Oregon Launching First Solar Highway in the US

Oregon is once again taking the lead with renewable energy by installing the country’s first highway solar energy project. The project will consist of a 104 kW solar photovoltaic system that covers 8,000 square feet and produces 112,000 kWh each year. That’s 28% of the energy needed to power the project’s location, the Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 interchange in Tualatin.

Electricity for the interchange will be provided by PGE. The solar panels will come into play by producing electricity during the day, giving the power to the PGE grid, and getting the equivalent amount of power back at night from PGE to power lighting on the highway.

The whole project will literally be Oregon-powered, as companies based in-state will provide materials, design, and installation.

Next year, the Oregon Department of Transportation plans to look at more highway project proposals. Eventually, the department would like to generate 2 million kWh every year with the new projects. They also are looking for proposals that showcase new ways to utilize solar energy, such as solar panels that double as sound walls near highways.

So, Wed I cleaned the house, did laundry and shopping to prepare for the weekend with my sister and father. Thursday, I continued work on the house and more laundry.
My sister came in on Friday by train so I picked her up at 11:30am. We went to lunch at Kells and then I dropped her off at Dosha and returned to work until she made it back to my office by 6pm and after we did more shopping then stopped at home then to the airport to pick up dad.

I hadn’t seen dad since our wedding and I’ve never had a close relationship with him, so I along with my sister had no idea what to expect from this ‘out-of-the- blue’ outreach from him to us.

It was kind of amazing how all of the events over the weekend just worked out, naturally and almost perfectly. After we picked him up we just went to dinner at New Season’s. He looked good, looked healthy and had flown straight from Tampa, Florida, which is close to where he now lives.

I won’t get too detailed, but what I think was good was that I didn’t feel like I had to prove myself nor have him affirm or validate my accomplishments, he really wanted to share his internal spiritual path with my sister and I and I think he sought more affirmation from us than vice versa.

Saturday started early, I picked him up from his hotel at 8am. We stopped at my house, then went to Helser’s for breakfast, which was delicious.

So, with his new aspiration with becoming Reiki master massage therapist accompanied by his new metaphysical fascinatons, he wanted to do some searching for spiritual churches and psychic sources, so yes it was interesting, to say the least.
Finally we found Healing Waters and Sacred Spaces, ironically all the “metaphysical” places he sought were simply mere miles from our house, so driving to find them wasn’t hard at all and after two stops we made it to Healing Waters.
Sis got the first reading then dad scheduled a reading for him and I later that day and again for Sunday. I was kinda confused as to why all the readings, but hey he really wanted to experience as much as possible while here, so what the heck.

After Tracy’s reading, she came out crying which only made me want to cry, but it was good she said. We then headed to Rennaissance books, which I figured dad would really love and he did.

Then I drove and dropped them at Powells, while I went to a friends’ baby shower which was good to go to. I hadn’t seen her in forever, she looked amazing and I saw some people I hadn’t seen in awhile along with Miss AN who helped throw the shower, which was aweful nice. It was short but it was wonderful.
I couldn’t be at the shower much more than an hour, which wasn’t long enough of course, but since dad scheduled our readings, I had to make sure we were back at Healing Waters in time.

My reader was from Australia, she was so sweet, genuine and sincere which made it for a really unique and special experience. Lots was revealed and I was almost in awe of it. It was only a 1/2 an hour and dad had scheduled an hour for me, but really I was happy after the 1/ 2 hour and it was definitely plenty.

So while I was having my reading done, dad was getting a reading done by another spiritualist and Sis was smart and went to the nail place next door for a manicure and pedicure. BRILLIANT.

So, while waiting for dad to be done with his reading, I got a splendid pedicure and sis even picked up the tab. What a nice present that was. Phew, at least we got some sister bonding time, which was nice and needed.
Apparently dad’s reading/ experience was great and so we decided to get dinner by that time, since it was about dinnertime and I did some hmm’s and hawwww’s as to where we should go, so I figured we’d go somewhere along Fremont.

We ended up sitting outside at the Alameda Cafe, where everything was delicious and divine
It was “drink” time and both sis and I needed one or two or three.

She had three cosmo’s and I had two glasses of wine. I guess what was nice was talking about growing up, about gma and gpa and we talked about the readings and dad talked a lot about his journey.

Then, home, couch with the tube showing the Olympics and sis and I got to veg out. It was good.

I cannot believe that my sister will be moving back to Kansas with the Military on Monday the 11th. So this was the perfect weekend to be together, it really worked out well.

Just goes to show that even if family doesn’t see each other very much, we do cherish and make the best of the time when we do have it.

Sunday, we hosted brunch at our house, Ry was a sport and helped cook up bacon, hashbrowns, eggs and toast. It was a good morning together. Then, I dropped sis off at noon at the train station and dad and I went back to Rennaissance books, he had another reading today and then after that he was dropped back at the airport and on his way to Montana. No expectations left behind, only hugs and recognition of our own life’s journies and wished each other luck and that we might see each other again in 4 years.

Short, sweet and just enough time to re-connect and leaving with no expectations behind, just made it that much easier.

Now back to normal life again. Phew!