wednesday? seriously?

(this charming spotted pony is part of the Portland horse project, in which people attach tiny plastic horses to curbs with horse rings. If you follow the link, be sure to look at the Portland Pony Pictures on the sidebar; there are some very dramatic poses.)

Where has this week gone? I am way behind! It has been hard for me to keep my butt in my chair long enough to write up anything. (sun shining. mind wandering. spring fever imminent.) You know what?  I miss january's blog a day project! I never would have been this far behind back in the halcyon days of JANUARY, when it was rainy and miserable and dark at 2pm.  I am going to have to go to list form. (I love how I make it sound like a list is the method of last resort and not the only thing I would ever do if I thought I could get away with it.)

fun at the library: There was this young guy with tattoos everywhere (including knuckle tattoos: TRUE LOVE) who was ridiculously excited that his book on the history of barbershops was in. He couldn't find his stuff on the shelf (sometimes holds are misfiled or the patron is alphabetically challenged), so I went and got it for him. When I came back to the counter and put his books down he was so happy -- "I've been waiting for this!!" which made me happy because a) it is so random, b) someone else in the system was really excited about the history of barbershops, because my knuckle tattoo guy had to wait.

sometimes you have to adjust your thinking: I went to one of my favorite casual family thai places for work lunch earlier this week. I was originally planning on grabbing a sandwich at the fancy grocery store and going to the park, but it was raining so I decided indoor dining would be better. This place is really good, really cheap and really close to work. Anyway, the first time I went there for work lunch with my book I was seated at one of the small tables along the wall -- no problem, although it was small enough I had to do some rearranging to fit everything and still read. This time the guy took me up to the front and a big table for four. At first I was all hooray! room for my book (it's v. good), but then I became paranoid that this was the next step to making me sit outside; that I was being exiled to the corner. Fortunately sanity returned and I realized that I had the best table in the place! I was facing the window, could see out onto Hawthorne AND I could still eavesdrop on everyone sitting behind me. (they were unfortunately boring, but that's not the restaurant's fault.)

LINKS!

something new every day: Author Marc Acito takes on the challenge of one new thing a day to shake himself out of a rut. I love this idea!

Can you resist?? Werner Herzog and Errol Morris are talking to each other in The Believer. I could listen to those crazy weirdos all day! "Despite all of our efforts to control something, the world is much, much more powerful than us, and more deranged even than us." More deranged even than us, indeed.

sidewalk love: check this out at fluxtumblr. It cheered me tremendously -- I love sidewalk philosophers. (although it seems to be seven signs of love short! maybe it's the first in a series of sidewalk romance epiphanies.)

the fortune cookie to which I aspire: Best Fortune Cooke Ever, via boing boing. I am pleased to say that my fortune cookies have been getting better, although they're not that good yet. After months, perhaps YEARS of "good things come to those who wait. Be patient." and "Acceptance is the key to peace of mind" and other platitudes of patience that made me made me want to stamp my feet (good thing they come wrapped in a cookie), things are starting to look up. Fortune cookies in the last two weeks have included "One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes" (hilarious!); and a rare double fortune in one cookie that informed me 1)"you have a keen sense of humor and bring out the best in others" (lame) and 2)"You would prosper in the field of wacky inventions" (AWESOME!)

portland video: I wish I could remember how I came across this Scout Niblett video; it is lovely, lovely, creepy and sweet. It was filmed in portland and features Will Oldham in a skeleton costume, a bridge (steel bridge?), Sauvie Island and much, much more. Youtube video below, link to high-res version here.