Saving the World

Just an thought ...

Gone Camping

Or ... how I spent my (extended) 4th of July weekend. Some camping, a lot of wilderness, a little dip in the Umpqua river to cool off from the blazing sun ...
... and back to civilization (though it's arguable which is more civilized) for some baseball, fireworks and family.

Sundial at Solstice

The 3guys took a quick road trip to San Francisco this past weekend. After catching up with friends and taking in some excellent sunny weather in the City by the Bay, we dropped Mike at the airport for a flight back to Denver. Returning to Portland, Kent and Travis made a couple stops to admire Northern California's scenery.
In particular, Redding's Sundial Bridge is a magnificent display of modern architecture. Since we were there on the day after summer solstice, the sundial was perfectly aligned with its time markers (they're set up to be most accurate at the solstice). Not only was our timing perfect to ensure the sundial's accuracy, but a good breeze ensured the skies were crystal clear and pristine blue--a magnificent contrast to the bright white steel of Santiago Calatrava's stunning bridge (similar to his bridge in Sevilla, Spain ... just closer to home).
As controversy swirls about design for a new Willamette River crossing in Portland (and before that, Portland's Aerial Tram), the Sundial Bridge is a great example of how compelling design and architecture can create something much greater than its' basic function. Like San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid or Paris' Eiffel Tower, the Sundial Bridge is a bit of an icon for Redding (hey, it's the only reason Kent and I decided to stop there and spend a couple hours--and a few bucks on lunch and fuel). Even more than any landmark status, the bridge and its surrounding park should be a great source of pride for residents and visitors alike. It's a great gathering place and an excellent photo opportunity. Plus, for architecture and design afficionados, it's a destination. The sum of all of this, even if--or perhaps especially because--it's simply a pedestrian bridge, makes the community more interesting, more diverse and more liveable. And all of this means money for the community. Return on investment, if you care to go there. It brings visitors like Kent and I who stopped for lunch on our trek up I-5; tourists who spend extra time in the city to fit in one more destination; and potential residents (read: tax revenue) who might find the town just a little more desirable as a place to live.
So ... before jump down from my soap box, let this be a shining example of how investment in public spaces and especially investment in design are good investment, not just expensive frivolity.

Sick and Tired

Man, am I sick and tired of listening to lawmakers' bicker over our nation's healthcare system.

I'm sick of hearing about how expensive it will be. As if the cost of bankruptcies forced by out-of-control medical expenses (even for people who do have insurance) don't come back to bite every taxpayer. Or as if the cost of providing emergency care to uninsured patients (who didn't seek earlier treatment because they couldn't afford care or insurance) doesn't eat at the pocketbook of everyone who has insurance. Or as if the cost of paying administrative expenses SIX TIMES that of our European counterparts in order to support for profit insurers, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers (whose profits have soared in recent years) isn't outright robbery from every American's wallet.

I'm sick of hearing about how a "public option" amounts to a government takeover of healthcare. As if offering a government-administered alternative will immediately render private insurance obsolete. And hell, if it does, it's not like the private sector has been doing such a great job offering universal, cost-effective, high-quality and efficient coverage anyhow, so what's the issue here?

I'm sick of complaints that a public health plan will take "decisions out of the hands of doctors and patients" and put them in the hands of Washington bureaucrats. As if these decisions aren't already in the hands of bureaucrats--only now, it's in the hands of insurance company bureaucrats who are getting wealthy off our insurance premiums. And as if we have much say in our insurance anyhow--for most people that's decided by someone in their company's finance department who is simply looking at the company bottom line (and that coverage is subject to change whenever the company finds a better deal). And frankly, if they were so concerned about our wellbeing under a public health plan, why haven't they attacked Medicare and Medicaid. Even if they're not perfect, it's better than nothing! Oh, and don't these same critics have pretty damn good health coverage provided by Washington Bureaucrats!?!

I'm sick of opponents dredging up unfortunate stories of poor care under other countries' public health systems. Honestly, if there were a perfect solution, everyone would have adopted it a long time ago (well, perhaps except for the US--our crackpot legislators and industry lobbyists would still be bickering over some inane facet of the plan).

I'm really sick of Republicans complaining about a lack of bi-partisan cooperation in drafting healthcare legislation. As if they have come up with a better plan since they took control of congress in 1994 (hint: they haven't).

You know what would make me feel better? If we could just get this freaking thing DONE and tell the whining insurance companies that if they don't like it, they can go f- themselves. And while we're at it, we can tell the groaning Republicans concerned about how to pay for it that we're going to save a little cash by making them pay for their own health insurance. And if their prior health issues mean they're denied coverage, well that's just too damn bad now isn't it.

My Big Gay Naked Weekend

What a weekend! I'll spare you much of the commentary, as I'm not feeling as verbose as I often can be, but I've a few photos to help tell the story. Drum roll please (the drummers were a common theme for the weekend) ...
Saturday marked the World Naked Bike Ride, an international effort to highlight the lack of protection cyclists have against motorized vehicles with whom they share the roads. It also highlights two-wheeled transportation as a way to combat our dependency on polluting fossil fuels. From Portland's midnight ride:
Sunday was the day the 3guys showed our pride cheering on the Pride Northwest parade and wandering through the festival at Waterfront Park.
And with that, here it is Monday again and we're back to work ...

You Better Work

Kent's work has gone to the dogs lately ... literally. While putting the finishing touches on the toy bin, he started on an upholstered lounge for the 2k9s.
When Kent finished the hound lounge's upholstery last week, we took an afternoon to photograph it. Zeke and Ulla got to be the supermodels (hence the You Better Work reference); they needed little coercion to stretch out and relax on their new furniture (but slathering some cream cheese on rubber bone did help interest Zeke in the other props!).When it comes to furniture, Ulla plays the role of "good girl." She gets to be a lap dog on the (human) sofa, but only when she's invited. And being the good girl, she hops off the sofa when the humans leave the room (seriously, we never trained her on this, she just picked it up).
With this in mind, it's interesting to watch her on the new hound lounge: she'll plop right down when invited, but as soon as we leave the room, she hops off.Zeke, on the other hand, almost never gets up on the human furniture. We've invited him, but his reaction pretty much says "no thanks." But ... when we brought in the hound lounge, he apparently knew it was for him--he didn't hesitate to make himself at home, invitation or no.
As for the furniture itself, Kent built an alder frame and topped it with a latex foam cushion. The cushion and bolster are covered in easy-to-maintain Sunbrella fabric and the covers for each are removable for cleaning. More info and photos are on Kent's site here and here.

Just Wondering

You know how sometimes there's an extra special occasion that you just can't quite find the right greeting card for? I had one of those yesterday ...

You see, while out on our walk, I had a not-so-Hallmark moment and I'm wondering if anyone has ever seen a card that says something like, "I'm sorry my dog pooped on the sidewalk right in front of your house."

And on the inside, it would say something to the effect of, "And I really wish you hadn't been there watching."

Zeke, of course, proclaims his innocence. *Sigh.*

Toying Around

Just before we dove into some frantic gardening (and hurried irrigation projects before the new veggies dried out), Kent wrapped up another project for the dogs: a mid-century inspired bin for their growing collection of toys.

Of course, the humans benefit from it too--aesthetically, the walnut toy bin is a lot nicer to look at than the galvanized pail previously used as a toy receptacle.

Now, if we could just get the dogs to put their toys back in the bin when they're done ...

Out Standing in the Field

While Kent and I have been laboring away on an oversized garden plot on his parents' property (and Mike has been laboring away at work), the 2k9s get (mostly) free rein in the fenced portion of the parents' five acres.

Zeke is usually content to wander, eat grass and occasionally engage in chase. And nap.

Ulla, on the other hand, loves to run. She routinely goes into a full sprint as soon as her leash comes off. Then, after she's had a brief opportunity to stretch her legs, she chases Kent's parents' dog and the two of them roughhouse until Ulla is so tired she can barely stand (at which point she takes a five-minute nap and they start all over again).

With the field grasses getting taller and the sunny weather finally upon us, the 2k9s are enjoying the warmer, dryer days as much as the 3guys are. And while we got a slightly late start on the garden, the seeds and sprouts are beginning to show their appreciation for the sun and warmth more and more every day. Woo hoo!

New Wood

While I've been busy doing who knows what (if that sounds like a complaint, it's not), Kent's been forging through woodworking and upholstery projects. With the purchase of a commercial sewing machine, Kent has inside projects when he needs to stay warm. Still, I think Kent is mighty happy that the un-heated shop is warming up to a tolerable temperature so he doesn't have to wear gloves and lined coveralls while chiseling and sanding.

Kent's got a couple other projects nearing completion, but a few weeks ago we delivered a pair of recently-finished walnut cabinets. In a funny twist, we ended up delivering them in the pint-sized Honda--we couldn't fit both cabinets through the tailgate of the Jeep.

Kent designed the pair of cabinets to provide some storage and display space for an eclectic modern living room. The cabinet boxes provide straightforward function, but the mid-century inspired bases and solid walnut face and back frames which extend beyond the walls of the cabinet body offer something more interesting to look at than a basic box.

In his typical practical sense, Kent points out that the lip created on the top of the cabinets by the face and back frames would help keep things from sliding off in an earthquake.

More photos on Kent's website ...