Comic City, USA, at the Oregon Historical Society, South Park Blocks, downtown Portland. Total Fun!

Janessa and I rode separate 12 buses downtown Sunday to meet up at noon at the OHS for the public celebration of their new exhibit. Not only a new exhibit, but also costumed representatives from the Portland Superheroes Coalition were on site for photo ops. Sweet!



We hadn't made our way much past the first room of the exhibit when I looked back towards the lobby and saw Hellboy coming toward me. I said, "Janessa, look, it's Hellboy!" She started turning as I said look and got startled because he was so close before she heard Hellboy. (Turns out his stage name is Big Red.) Neat! I then decided to get this photo of Big Red and Metal Man enjoying part of the exhibit. I wanted to text Lamont and Leland so that they could see what cool fun we'd already found, five minutes into the exhibit! Both sons were suitably impressed.



Here we are, sort of in the Batmobile. Right? The Batmobile? Holding speech bubbles!



This was one of four identical yellow swivel chairs. Extremely comfortable, including a tiny headrest pillow. I'm holding my four-panel comic page that I made on a touch screen; it printed quickly, instantly dry. You get to select yourself--your person, your hair, skin, and eye color, some accessories like the eyeglasses. Then you select your story--mine is The Monster at Pittock Mansion. Before the exhibit closes, I want to go back to the exhibit, especially I'd like to do this again. I want to take my DSLR with me, too, so that I can take photos there with it. I'm hoping that Lamont and Leland will go with me. Too bad that they missed the members of the Portland Superheroes Coalition.



Hellboy II Big Baby Gun Movie Prop. What a whopper! And those shells!



Hellboy Right Hand of Doom, also a movie prop.



Read for info about the creator of the next image I photographed.



Since I work at the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, I couldn't resist taking a close up of this one.



When I go back, I'm going to spend some time at this section of the exhibit. I hope it won't be too crowded.



Seeing someone's idea gave me an idea of how to finish it. That's what I want to do when I go back.



Back in the lobby, it's photo op time! Wowza Woman, I cannot find His Stage Name, Me, Wonder Mom, Metal Man!



One more, with the addition of American Man kneeling on the floor, saluting us all! Lamont's response to this photo when I texted it: Oh my! A superhero among superheroes!!!! Isn't that sweet, y'all?



The final photo from Sunday, Janessa, Big Red, and me! He could talk! I have no idea how he made that move to talk! So cool!

From the Oregon Historical Society's Web site: Comic City, USA - August 12 – January 31, 2017

With recent blockbuster smashes featuring superhero legends, the comic book industry has experienced a surge of popular support. While there are many Oregonians picking up a comic book for their first time, the comic industry in Oregon has a long and influential history. Comic City, USA celebrates this history and profiles fifteen of the most iconic artists that have made the industry into the global powerhouse it is today.

Oregon is known globally for its impact on the comics industry, with many artists, writers, and designers living, working, and discovering their inspiration here. Portland and its comic publication industry remain at the forefront of innovation as a central location to several publishers including Dark Horse Comics, Oni Press, and Shadowline, the Image Comics partnering studio. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Oregon had notable comic artists in residence such as Homer Davenport, Carl Barks, and Basil Wolverton, establishing a rich foundation for future cartoon artists. With the founding of Dark Horse in the early 1980s, a new model of comic creativity began to attract additional artists and publishers to Oregon, quickly making it one of the largest centers of comic publication in the United States.

All are invited to a public celebration on Sunday, August 14 from 12pm – 5pm at the Oregon Historical Society. Admission to the exhibit is free, and costumed representatives from the Portland Superheroes Coalition will be on site for photo ops. Artists Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan will also be presenting a free public lecture at 2pm on the evolution of the comic industry from “geek to chic.” (Janessa and I didn't stay for the lecture--we headed for lunch! Then shopping a Finnegan's Toys, Powell's Books, and Storables. Such fine fun!)

With over $579 million in national comic sales in 2015, the popularity of what is known as “The Ninth Art” is only expanding and gaining more recognition. The power of the comic industry in Oregon is undeniable, evidenced in the range of mediums at play and the growing popularity of Rose City Comic Con, which celebrates its fifth anniversary next month.

Comic City, USA highlights fifteen Oregon comic artists, writers, and cartoonists:

Carl Barks John Callahan Homer Davenport Cat Farris Jack Ohman Basil Wolverton Mike Richardson Alex Schomburg Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan Colleen Coover Jan Eliot Dylan Meconis Bill Plympton Joe Sacco Basil Wolverton

In addition to displays on each artist, the exhibition will offer interactive experiences, from a comic book store style living room for flipping through comics, a station where people can design and print their own comic book, and a photo booth complete with superhero inspired props.

This exhibition is designed to share an important part of Oregon history, inspire people who wish to communicate through an artistic medium, and fascinate those who already have an appreciation of this continuously evolving art form. As editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman admitted in an interview, “I really feel like I am doing the work of my career, and I enjoy each day. I started winning awards when I stopped thinking about winning awards. I started liking my work when I listened to my own voice, and not feeling so constrained by the old model. When you like your work, others will probably like it too.”

UPDATE and post Chemo Round Five dining last night

UPDATE: Slept almost eleven hours last night. Amazing! Today I've taken my post-chemo meds, had breakfast of baked frozen Grands buttermilk biscuits and frozen Jimmy Dean sausage links and Twinings English Breakfast tea. Then I got dressed and walked over to Albertina Kerr to enjoy the roses as they continue to bloom before shopping at their thrift shop, AK's Closet, and their gift shop which concentrates on jewelry, AK's Jewel Box--at least I think that's the name. I enjoyed myself and didn't spend too much money! The chemo went straight through yesterday, thanks to figuring out how to use Ativan and close monitoring of my blood pressure so that we didn't have to pause the Taxo--it still took from around 9:20 a.m. until about 3:04 p.m. to empty that bag, then the Carboplatin took 30 minutes after it was hooked up. Finally, after flushing the port in my chest and pulling out the needle, then covering it with a medicated band-aid, we were outta there and leaving the parking garage at 4:10 p.m. Hooray!



Over the last few days, I'd made up my mind that my post-chemo meal would be at my favorite neighborhood spot, the Blue Diamond. Here's what I knew would taste just right to my chemo-impacted taste buds. I ate half the deli turkey sandwich and salt-less tater tots. Yummy! I didn't photograph my treat to myself, two huge scoops of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and two cherries.



Lamont's chicken strips and fries, from the Happy Hour menu. They smelled real good.



Leland's cheeseburger and tater tots. He likes his ketchup straight outta the fridge, nice and cold. I do, too! Thanks, Janessa, for always remembering!



My hand-decorated leftover box! For Halloween, no less! Thanks, Janessa!

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.

Lost my mind for a little while this AM, and I didn't even realize that it had gone, well, I realized the first time in a few minutes, but not the second time till I uploaded these photos

I sat on a bench watching people, waiting until time to meet my friend Janessa this morning at the Hollywood Farmers Market. I rode there on the 12 bus. People watching led to photo taking. I had no idea until after I had taken quite a few photos that I didn't have the camera set properly. Therefore this photo that I took to you show you color-coordinated parents and their children is somewhat of a bust because you can't really see the parent in blue with one of his/her children wearing blue, the significant other in red, the other child in red. You can sort of see the man in blue shirt and shoes holding the hand of his son in DayGlo chartreuse shirt and shoes--they're the ones that caused me to notice the others, how they dressed and all. Best laid plans, and all that, for me anyway.



I realized it in time to get this photo a little girl on her scooter--do you call that thing a scooter? She's pushing the crosswalk button. If it's not time, at this particular location the automated voice hollers, "Wait!" and when it's time to cross, a sort of machine-gun-sound starts up. She had been talking animatedly to the woman, so I suspect that's her mom.



The last photos, which I had no idea that I took, well, this is one of three almost identical ones--they're evidence of the second time I lost my mind this AM. I don't know the lady in the black shoes; she's wearing a top my little Mama would've loved. The person holding the Thrive tote bag with the purple straps is my friend Janessa. I loaned it to her so that she could carry some of her purchases in it home to her apartment. She had filled up her backpack. Kaiser Permanente gave me the Thrive bag when I went to their seminar, Thrive with Cancer. They also gave me the pedometer I've been wearing ever since. I've only managed to erase the count twice since May 19, both times when I leaned into the bar at the Blue Diamond, which is where Janessa works. I'm going to ask her to remind me not to lean in like that 'cause both times it happened after work which meant my whole day's worth of steps went up in thin air before I could record it in my One Line A Day, A Five-Year Memory Book. I sort of remembered the count both times, having checked at some point while I sat there talking and laughing and listening to great live music.

All of what I bought is washed and ready to cook Sunday. I'm looking forward to every single bite!

Change in the neighborhood

March 5, 2011. 2248 N.E. Glisan. Those signs across the front demanded that I take a photo or two.



March 5, 2011. Interesting that the front of that car, that bumper cover or whatever you call it, sort of matches the color of the house. Hmmm. Do you suppose it is Rose Ivory De Vine's vehicle?



May 6, 2015. After hearing from Janessa last week that the house with all the signs about the psychic was gone, I decided to head that way on one of my walks Wednesday. I could see the chain link fence from the corner of Albertina Kerr's front yard, where I shot the photos posted yesterday of the tiny cairn that I built.

Here's some info I found online, about the house having been sold in November, 2014. This 1064 sqft single family home has 2 bedrooms and 1.0 bathrooms. It is located at 2248 NE Glisan St Portland, Oregon. Facts Lot: 4,500 sqft Single Family Built in 1923  Last sold: Nov 2014 for $805,000

And here's something I found online about the plans for the lot where this house stood, as well as the lot next to it to the west, where another house had also stood since 1923.

Proposal: The applicant is proposing mixed use development at this 8,460 square foot site currently developed with two homes. The project will consist of an apartment building with 35 dwelling units and 2 ground floor live/work units. The building will have 7 parking spaces located at the rear of the ground floor and accessed from NE Glisan Street. Mixed use buildings are an allowed use in the CS (Storefront Commercial) zone which has a height limit of 45 feet. The proposal consists of an overall 4 - story building and a partial 5 th floor containing 4 - units located on the front half of the building facing NE Glisan Street. The height of the building measures 54.5 feet to the top of the 5th floor dwelling units. The rear portion of the building measures 43.5 feet to the top of the 4th floor dwelling units. The building is set back a minimum of 3 feet from the side property lines and 11 feet from the rear. The applicant proposes one Adjustment to increase the maximum allowed height from 45 feet to 54.5 feet for the 5th floor dwelling units located on the NE Glisan - facing side of the proposed building. As rationale for the proposed Adjustment, the applicant points to the relation of the site to NE Sandy Boulevard and the Main Street Corridor Overlay Zone which allows residential buildings that front on NE Sandy Boulevard to be up to 65 feet in height.

The following administrative decision was issued on July 22, 2014: Approval of an Adjustment to 33.130.210 to increase the maximum allowed height from 45 feet to 54.5 feet, in substantial conformance with the approved site plans, Exhibits C - 1 through C - 2, signed and dated July 18, 2014, subject to the following conditions: A. As part of the building permit application submittal, each of the 4 required site plans or included as a sheet in the numbered set of plans. The sheet on which this information ap pears must be labeled "ZONING COMPLIANCE PAGE - Case File LU 14 - 157812 AD ." All requirements must be graphically represented on the site plan, landscape, or other required plan and must be labeled "REQUIRED."


A January 27, 2015, article about the sale and proposed plans for these two lots, read when you click here.

A May 1, 2015, article about the demolition of the two homes and plans for these two lots, read when you click here.

An October, 29, 2014, Portland city government Bureau of Development Services' final notice about the appeal of an earlier decision, read when you click here and see the architectural drawings for the building to be erected on the site.

That last link takes you to the most interesting info about what is planned for these two lots which are probably 500 feet from the building where I live--it includes site plan, architectural drawings.



The two houses which have been demolished. The short video that I shot shows what's there now, behind the chain link fence. I wonder what the building will be named.

Smiles all around, Janessa and RoLo, Janessa and Nico, Player Palooza, Feb. 2, 2015

Any doubt in your mind that Janessa had just as much fun as I did at Player Palooza's early-admittance-hour? Check out those starry eyes, y'all. When I said, "RoLo!" and took off walking, she was right there with me, joyfully anticipating getting her photo taken with her favorite Blazer, Robin Lopez. She had her phone with her, so she's got her own photo, plus this one that I took. Yea for Janessa! Yea for RoLo!



Vigilance while taking photos paid off for us because I saw Nicolas Batum being walked with a handler to his appointed station just beyond where we were with Robin, so I quickly directed us there right after I took the photo of Janessa smiling so blissfully, that close to her favorite! We were second and third in line, which saved us an enormous amount of time for the last Blazer I got to have my photo taken with, Wesley Matthews, Ironman! Look back to the blog on March 18 for Wesley and me, on March 19 for Nicolas and me, and on March 20 for Robin and me. Here is the first photo that I took of Janessa with Nico, enjoying a laugh together while someone took a photo for her on her phone.



Here's the photo showing how pleasantly they posed a second later. Sweet, totally sweet! Oh, and how's this for sweetness? While we waited in the long line for Wesley, we talked with two ladies behind us who, as time ticked away, revealed that they had not managed to get a photo with anyone. When it became obvious that time would run out even for them to get a photo with Wesley, Janessa let them ahead of her in the line. She's the real deal, that Janessa!

Portland Trail Blazers' Strength and Conditioning Room, seen at Player Palooza, Feb. 2, 2015

I took enough photos that with all these mirrors, I saw some folks several times, but none more than my sweet friend Janessa! In this one, she's looking up at the posters on top of the wall, I'm guessing. I couldn't get them in this landscape-oriented shot, but she didn't have any trouble enjoying them from where she stood.



These two guys are also in the first photo--see them? Player Palooza means a lot to kids of all ages. I cannot imagine being their age and getting to go behind the scenes, to talk with players and coaches. Flat out wonderful, no matter your age!



Plenty of equipment here. See me in the mirror? Janessa? The boys?



And, there we are again, in the mirror wall! Hmmm. These seem sort of close together to me. Wonder if, now and then, sweat flies off onto others.