In and settled.
April 5, 2004
Well, I’m pretty much all settled into my new place–my sister’s old place–and the place I’ll call home for the time being. It’s not far from my Mom’s house, but it’s in a neighborhood that’s more hospitable to bike riding, and it’s closer to the places I need to go (my bank, my grocery store). It’s also not on top of a big hill that was part of the reason why my Mom’s house wasn’t good for bike riding. If I could stay on top of the hills, it probably would have been OK, but having to come right back up those after you’re done with your ride and heading home is something I never could do. Not for a lack of trying, mind you.
So here I am. My room is a little small, but that’s OK. I had the master bedroom at my Mom’s house, so just about anything’s going to be a step down. This room actually seems smaller than my senior year dorm room at Beloit, but I didn’t have some of the things there I have here, plus I have a bathroom and living room to expand into should I choose to.
The big moving day was Saturday, and my Dad came over to my Mom’s about 9 AM, and the two of us only made three trips over to my sister’s apartment, miraculously enough, though the trip with my futon strapped to the top of the Escape was an interesting one, to say the least. Friday evening my sister and I had made a couple of trips over to her place with my computer and desk, so that when I was setting up on Saturday I had one less thing to worry about. It was very nice of my Dad to help me so much, and I’m pretty sure I tanked him in person, but I’ll do it again. Thanks for all your help, Dad. I couldn’t have done it without you. As we were hauling my bed up the stairs, I told him that in a few weeks when I got my own place we could do all this again. He wasn’t amused.
Oddly enough, I’m finding a place for everything slowly. I still have piled on my floor from things I’m just not certain what to do with quite yet, but things are slowly being put away. I still have a box of clothing in the living room to go into my closet, however. That comes next, just to clear things up out there amidst the empty boxes. My only complaint so far is that when my bed is folded out, it sure cuts down on the amount of floorspace I have, and I end up having to weave around things to get to my door. Maybe I can fix that with an idea I have. Also, I didn’t bring my desk chair over because the damn thing is broken, and I’ve never liked it, in any case. When I lean back, it gives a nice sold CREEEEAK from straining joints, and I guess finally one of the joints gave and a bolt fell out. I remember finding it and wondering what it was to, but it wasn’t until about last week I finally looked at my chair and realized the back was essentially broken. So now I’m using a director’s chair that’s been in my room sine pretty much the second month I lived in that house (it, along with a cordless phone that I believe I still own but hasn’t worked for years, were birthday presents my sophomore year of high school), but hasn’t gotten a whole lot of use. Well instead of buying a new chair immediately, I’ll use this for the time being.
But with my bed not giving me much room, at least I have a reason to “make my bed” every day, no? I can’t walk around otherwise.
Last night I went and picked up my friend Michiko from the airport. Her flight got in at 11:05, and since it was Sunday night, the MAX line’s last train left the airport at 11:35. I could have done it, and we might have been able to make that last train and get home without me having to drive out the the airport, but I didn’t want to chance it. I didn’t know how many bags she had, and I didn’t have the cash for a taxi should we get stranded out there. And I *know* that my sister or my Mom wouldn’t want to drive all the way out there to pick us up should that last train leave without us on it.
So I drove. I decided to take the freeway instead of the city route I usually take. However, I determined that I really didn’t know how to get to the airport on the freeway as I was about halfway there. I figured that I could just hop onto I-5 after going into the city on 26, and then signs would point me towards the airport, but alas, there was one:
Portland Airport
Air Nat’l Guard
Next Right —>
When I got to the next right, I didn’t see any other signs. No mention of the airport, nothing that even looked like it was headed to the airport. So I kept driving, reassured that I’m sure I’d see more signs. Well by the time I reached Jantzen Beach, I knew I was in trouble. Jantzen Beach gets its name because it’s on the banks of the Columbia River. The Columbia River that separates Oregon and Washington. I figured I should get off there, as I saw the “Oregon thanks you!” sign up ahead and the bridge going into Washington. Ooops, too far.
So I got off, turned around, and headed back south on I-5, hoping to see a similar sign pointing to the airport. Nope, not a one. For those who don’t know the geography of Portland (like me, apparently), Portland is known as “Bridgetown” in some circles (or as my favorite Portland-based brewery takes its name, Bridgeport) because the city is cut in two by the Willamette River and has seven bridges spanning the river. The west side of the river is what is what is typically known as “downtown” because all the skyscrapers and tall building are on the west side. The east side is still Portland, but not “downtown” as most people would refer to it, but rather northeast or southeast Portland.
OK, anyway. The airport is on the east side of the river, so I knew I had to be over there. When I went south on I-5, there were no signs and I ended up going back acros the Fremont Bridge to the west side of the Willamette–not where I wanted to be at all. I got on another highway, hoping it would go back across the river, but it turned out to be the one that headed towards the closed-for-renovation St. John’s Bridge. UG. So I had to turn around AGAIN, get BACK on I-5, and go back the way I came, north on I-5 again.
I made sure to get off at the exit thge sign told me to, whether it looked like it headed there or not.
So I was a bit late getting to the airport. It turned out that Michiko’s flight had actually gotten in early, so she’d been waiting for me. Thankfully she called me and I arranged a place to meet so I didn’t have to pay for parking, and as we drove out of the airport we were passed by the last MAX train leaving. Sigh. That would have been much easier. I wasted so much gas getting out there, too. The needle was skimming the last bar before E, and as I discovered several years ago, that last bar is actually the indicator for how much gas you have, not the E itself. When it drops below the bar, you’re dead in the water. S I had to stop and get $5 worth of gas, since that’s pretty much all I had on me. Michiko had offered to bring back some Leinenkugel’s beer for me from her trip, but there was an…incident…she reported, and so a six-pack was all she could offer, and she paid for the gas as a replacement. Thanks, Mich. I owe you one.
I drove back the way I KNEW would get me home, through the city, the way I really hadn’t wanted to go in the first place. But I wouldn’t get lost.
Then this morning, I took her down to Union Station so she could catch an Amtrak bus down to Eugene. Union Station is a place I’ve been to numerous times, know pretty much where it is, but never driven to myself, so I had some fun getting there, too. Took me a bit of circling, but I finally homed in one it. And, as it turns out, $5 worth of gas doesn’t get you as much as it did in the good old days. That $5 after I pick up Michiko got us back to the apartment, down to Union Station this morning, and then me back over to this area. By the time I’d finished grabbing a few things at my Mom’s, the needle was skirting on the line next to the E again. *Sigh* So I had to go to the bank and exchange the $5 worth of quarters I was carrying from my change jar that was originally meant for parking last night and get another $5 worth of gas. This had better last me. So that means that from here to the airport (with a bit of extra driving), back, and then to Union Station and back took me just under a half a tank of gas. Ug. $5 sure doesn’t buy what it used to. I sure hope I have a paycheck soon, because I’ve pretty much run dry on fundage. All the money I have to my name is about $5 in my checking account and whatever’s in my change jar. I owe both my parents some money, and it would be nice if I could carry at least some of my weight around here.
Feel free to use the link on the left to donate money to the Andrew Fund, should the feeling strike you, by the way.
Which brings me to jobs…I do like Martin a lot, and I’ve enjoyed the work I’ve done for him, but I’m just not making enough to do anything but cut back on the amount of food I eat and not be able to do things I enjoy anymore. I talked with Heather (Darrow) the other day and she mentioned getting together again not this weekend, but the next. Normally it’s me pestering her to try and get together again, but I had to say no for the time being since I’m dry and it costs me about $100 each time we get together between gas, food, and lodging. $50 in gas alone, actually. So last week I applied for a job, and I think I’ll begin applying elsewhere, too. I keep hearing about all these new jobs created because the economy is turning around, so I’ll see what I can shake loose.
And so that’s about where I am, right now. Things are a bit tight financially, but I have enough to do to keep my mind off the fact that I’m not able to go out anymore. A full-time job sure would be the ticket, though. Offers will naturally be considered, of course. Anyhow, have a good day, all. I’m sure now that things have settled down, I’ll be able to post more often again. Talk to you all soon.
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