Behind the Ironic Column

"Does he have anything to do with roses?"  I heard the question from a group of tourists -- addressed to one of their leaders, as I made my way through the Park Blocks in ...

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“Tell him I need a fish head…”   The woman, dressed in the usual jeans and parka dreary-day uniform of Portland, was speaking to her cell phone companion as she made her way through the center of the Park Blocks, dodging the skateboarders.   I was waiting on a bench for my ...

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There was some weak, intermittent sun today -- so I ventured out to the Park Blocks to soak up what little Vitamin D there was.  Several other people had the same idea.  It's the weekend, and at least halfway nice, so no point in staying inside.  As I'm sitting on my ...

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Who cares if it is 37 degrees and windier than I expected.  I’m waiting for the streetcar at 6:45 AM and trying to remember why I agreed to meet for coffee this early.  Of course, I didn’t know then that I’d not get to bed till 3:00 AM, but that’s ...

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In theory, I *should* be practicing my gull identification skills.  They're walking around in the Park blocks and making themselves about as available as it's possible to be.  I like to watch them as they're out for a stroll -- checking on whatever leftovers the lunchtime folks have left, and ...

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A few days ago I overheard a couple talking as they waited for the streetcar.  The original topic of their conversation wasn’t clear, but the final line was “It’s obsessions that run the world.”  They could have been talking about politics, given this election year, or it could have been something ...

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