UPDATE and several photos I took on the way home from work Thursday

UPDATE: I slept fine. As Mama used to say every school day morning as she flipped on the overhead light in my bedroom, "Up and at 'em!" That's me, y'all! I did wake up with an allergy/sinus headache, though, so I took something for it. I doubt it will bother me for long. I plan on getting to the bus early again today, just in case I need to rest a bit before beginning work. Thank goodness TriMet considers NE Sandy Blvd. to be the traffic corridor that it truly is and services my bus stop frequently, with two bus lines. It certainly helps me a whole lot!



After work yesterday, I caught the streetcar north to East Burnside and NE Grand Avenue where I waited for one of the two buses that would get me home, either the 12 or the 19. I decided to take a photo of the construction going on at the Burnside Bridgehead--those two buildings going up that have obliterated the view of downtown as you head west towards the Burnside Bridge. For some reason, I'm fascinated with cement mixer pump trucks--I guess there's a truck somewhere at the end of the orange pumps servicing both buildings, one in plain view, the other behind the tree and the old billboard. Take note of the Peter Corvallis box truck, please. More about it later on.



My camera has an exposure compensation button which I decided to use in this photo to learn about it. I wanted to get a photo that allowed us to see the orange cement pump better. Did I add too much here? I think I did, at least for parts of the photo like the sky. By the way, here's why I believe we can't see the cement mixer pump truck. There are several streets at a lower level than the ones we can see in the photo. I've never driven down there or walked down there, but I've seen them from walking on the sidewalk on the bridge. I'll be glad when I'm well enough to explore, even if it might be limited to walking the sidewalk on the bridge above it all--I imagine it will be some time before pedestrians are allowed down there.



Here's a screen shot that gives you a bit of perspective, I hope. There in the lower left corner, I wrote ME because that's where I stood to take these photos. I hope the labels I've written here will help you get an even better perspective of the area. The multi-lane road at the bottom of the screen shot is the Burnside Bridge. Through the label for the tall building, you can see the streets down below the bridgehead--that's what folks call the part of the bridge as it joins the east side of the Willamette. When I ride a bus west across the Willamette over the Burnside Bride, or in any sort of wheeled vehicle, I go along that curve to the right of the label about the orange pump. Those two little blue dots to the right of the empty lot are where I sometimes change to either the streetcar or a bus, heading south.




After work, as I neared the stop where I get off the bus--see the Subway sign--I took this photo when we were stopped at NE 18th and NE Sandy Blvd. I couldn't resist that sky and Dave's lot--he comes into the Blue Diamond now and then, an interesting man who's been in business there for practically my whole life. Seeing those dark skies, you'd think we soon had a down pour. Nope. By the way, the Blue Diamond is beside those leftmost trees up the sidewalk, just past that traffic signal at NE 20th Avenue. I love my neighborhood!




After I got off the bus, I waited at the traffic signal at NE 20th Avenue and took this photo. I cannot resist taking photos of this building--I adore triangle-shaped buildings and am thrilled that I get to see this one often, plus enjoy time in the Blue Diamond which is behind the Halo Salon. While I wait for the light to change, I usually decide whether to walk on the north side of the building, the left side in the photo, or the south side of the building. Depending upon how tired I am, I take the south side which is probably 200 steps shorter and offers one place to rest, at the backdoor of the Blue Diamond. If I'm wanting to get in more steps, I go up the north side of the building--there are three places to rest, if I need them, a pew in front of the Blue Diamond, a bench in front of the Silver Lining pawn shop, and the low wall at the bioswale at the corner where NE Glisan and NE 22nd Avenue intersect a few feet before NE Glisan intersects with NE Sandy Blvd. Like I said, I love my neighborhood! Oh, about the Peter Corvallis truck--while I waited here, in came toward me on the street to the south of the Halo Salon! I couldn't believe that I saw it again in just the short time that it took for me to get from East Burnside and NE Grand on the 19 bus. Oh, one more neat thing--I had the same driver on the 19 on my way to work and on my way home--she recognized me and my hat!

October 28, 2007 - little did I know that I'd live within walking distance of this intersection by the end of January, 2011

I cannot even remember why I was at this intersection on that particular day. I had to have been in a car, stopped at the traffic signal to get this perspective which I am really enjoying. Nowadays, Monday through Friday if I've been to work and am going straight home afterwards, I walk across NE 20th Avenue at this intersection with NE Sandy Blvd. which is the wide street on the left side of the photo. My apartment building is nearby.

The Blue Diamond PDX is in this building, right behind the Halo Salon. It's sign is just visible through the tree trunks on the left, mostly between the second and third tree trunks. On days when I'm exhausted, I walk on the sidewalk to the right because a doorway to my building is closer if I take that edge of the triangle. On days when I've still got plenty of energy, I walk on the sidewalk to the left. If I'm going to the Blue Diamond before I go home, either sidewalk works--the front door is on the left beneath the sign, the back door through the kitchen is on the right. I am blessed to live in this neighborhood. The Blue Diamond is one of the reasons I say that. By the way, when I took this photo, Bev and Steve didn't own it, but Janessa worked there. Small world, for real.

Sunny Saturday! Been to a lecture and walked around taking photos. About to go out again into the sunshine, just as soon as I get this posted!

Walking from The Circuit Bouldering gym just of NE Sandy at NE 18th, on my way home today at 12:46 p.m. I had stopped for a few minutes to visit with Lamont and Leland who were in there bouldering. Lucky for me, they had a few minutes to stop climbing and visit with their little ol' Mom! Lucky for me also to get this photo of the two buses that I ride home from work--the 12 and the 19. That's my usual stop that the 19 is at--it's named NE Sandy and NE Flanders. The 12 is at the traffic signal at NE Sandy and NE 20th. The multi-browns brick building is the triangular one that houses Halo Salon, on the tip, and right behind it, The Blue Diamond PDX, my practically-perfect-in-every-way neighborhood bar. Depending on whim or weather, I can walk either direction at the tip of that triangle to get to my building--there's a side door if I go right, and there's a front door on the street parallel with NE 20th. Often I go to the front door so that I can get in a few more steps.