UPDATE and workers doing what they do or the results thereof--Labor Day's on the way, y'all.

UPDATE: At the risk of being repetitive--oh, who cares, right? It's exciting that I slept well again, awoke at 5 a.m. but managed to fall back asleep until the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. I am thankful, y'all. At work today, I found myself becoming exhausted right before 2 p.m. which has not happened on any other day this week. I took a nap in the recliner in the small room with the door that locks and no windows, therefore it it pleasantly dark. I set my phone to go off after 18 minutes. That nap certainly helped. And I am thrilled that tomorrow is Friday, with a three-day weekend between it and next Tuesday when I work from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. again. Thanks for your continued prayers, love, and concern. Chemo Round Three next week.



This morning when I waited for my second bus of the morning commute beside the garden at City Hall, I noticed these two men working on the backstop of the two seats at the bus shelter. I had wanted to sit down but when the one you see holding the jug of liquid said that it might be a strong smell or that the substance they would be removing from the backstop might smell even stronger, I got up and walked away. When he saw me take the photo, he asked, "Are you taking my picture?" I replied, "Yes, I want to know if it's OK with both of you that I put it on my blog, Portland Oregon Daily Photo? I take lots of photos related to TriMet and always brag about it." Both said it would be fine. About the photo, it's sort of amazing how the jug managed to look like I cut out its shape from the background. I wonder why that happened? Sunshine hit it just at the second that the iPhone 6 Plus camera clicked?



Here they are, Dale on the left and Nate on the right, hard at work removing the somewhat worn out protective coating that keeps folks from being able to graffiti the backstop. Neither one of them figured this would be a routine procedure; I think Dale said it usually takes 30 minutes or so to remove and replace it. Something--maybe being in direct sunlight every single time the sun shines--had caused the substance to break down enough that removing it would prove time consuming. Dale guessed it could take up to two hours. They were certainly pleasant, hard-working young men, doing a great job as TriMet employees.



Here's a photo showing the results of someone's work--these beautiful roses in the City Hall garden.



And one more of the rose bush next to the previous one. So beautiful, although I didn't get a whiff of them. Sometimes when I've stood here, the scent has been perfect.



Parts of the garden are used to grow vegetables which go to organizations feeding the needy in Portland. More good results of workers working. Has someone let these collards grow too large? Just curious since I've never grown any kind of greens.



And here's me in my work cube. I'm so happy to be a worker working again, even at four hours per day!



After I got off the last bus home, I headed straight for the Blue Diamond, thinking that although the nap had helped, I need to eat more than the green grapes, raisins, prunes, Ritz crackers, and bits of cheese with water that I'd nibbled on in my cube. First up, this side salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Exactly what I needed at that moment, prepared perfectly by the workers in the kitchen at the Blue Diamond, my neighborhood bar with fine food, always fine food. Some pretty good lemonade, too. Thanks, y'all!



Finally, I finished a little over half of this steak and baked potato, all of the tomato slices. I put the grilled mushrooms and sweet onions on the baked potato--outta sight good! The rest of it is in the frig for next time! Thanks to the workers at the Blue Diamond!

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend and Labor Day itself on Monday.

ESHT 2014 - We jump ahead a bit on October 9 in order to participate in the City Daily Photo Theme Day Post - Workers

Click here for the Monthly Theme Day Gallery at City Daily Photo.


A delicious lunch, prepared and served by the excellent workers at the Buttered Crust in Llangollen, Wales. If my memory serves me, that Vin on the left, James on the right, and Kayte is out of sight in the kitchen. (Two more photos, scroll down a bit, please, to see them. Thanks!)

From their Web site: Welcome to Buttered Crust Cafe, Llangollen

Located in the heart of historic Llangollen, Buttered Crust can be found opposite the main entrance to the large car and coach park on Market Street. Our cafe is open for breakfasts, lunches, snacks and tea & coffee and all visitors are sure to receive a warm and hospitable welcome from the Buttered Crust staff.

At Buttered Crust we are proud to say that our fresh bread, fruit, vegetables and meat are all purchased very locally - all from retailers on Llangollen's own Castle Street. In addition, all of our tea, coffee and hot chocolate is certified Fair Trade.

I can't share the photo of these workers without sharing two others which show the fruits of their labor.



My tasty roll with a foil-wrapped pat of butter waiting to be spread on it. My homemade soup; I'm 99.99% sure it's leek. I know for certain that it totally hit the spot as the beginning dish of lunch at Buttered Crust.



The rest of my totally satisfying lunch, a butter-melting jacket potato and fresh salad. A light, yet filling meal, the perfect lunch to enjoy before walking along the streets of a lovely Welsh village and then getting back on the coach to head for our next stop.

Heading for Labor Day. Workers, working, NE 20th and East Burnside.

July, 2012, while I waited to cross East Burnside, I watched these two men who were almost finished repainting the brown background of the Willoughby Hearing Aids neon sign. The center, left side Hearing Aids sign gives you an idea of just how faded the brown had become. I believe that they repainted the white behind the neon letters, too.
 

After I parked the Zipcar hours later, I took this photo of the finished work before I finished my walk home.

#8, CDP Theme Day, Action Shot(s) related to the work on the circle at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge ramps

It's Theme Day at lots and lots of City Daily Photo Blogs. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants who have posted an Action Shot for your enjoyment and/or edification.

A - Angle of the raised dump truck bed.
C - Circle being reworked for to the fall, 2012 arrival of the Portland Streetcar Eastside Loop.
T -Tamp Tightly like the man with the shovel in the top photo.
I - Interest I have taken in these goings on.
O - One of these days this series of posts will be complete.
N - Not a moment too soon, I'm sure some frequent visitors will testify.

S - Smoothing accomplished by that wheeled contraption in the bottom photo.
H - Hot asphalt.
O - One more sidewalk to finish; take a close look at the bottom photo.
T - Tell me what you think of my ACTION SHOT, please and thank you!

The person closest to the back of the dump truck operated some sort of latch which opens some sort of chute and allows the hot asphalt to stream out onto the street, in a narrow, elongated hump-like shape. Looks to me like the next man is tamping it down with a shovel, tight as he can get it against the new curb on the new sidewalk on the inside of the circle.


Next thing I know, the first-laid asphalt has been rolled over by that wheeled contraption the man is riding and driving. See how smooth it looks up against the curb? You can sort of see the slight dip for the truncated domes matt at the handicap section of the sidewalk, too. Now the wheeled contraption is flattening the asphalt up against the newly formed curb across the street. And asphalt is being dropped out of the dump truck to complete the entire surrounding of that point of curb. There is still no concreted sidewalk completed there, though. Up on the eastbound Hawthorne Bridge ramp you can see two men working with a traffic diversion sign of some sort, so you know that work surely continues at or close to the intersection of SE Hawthorne and SE Grand.

Workers working

Near the building where I work, off and on for months, crews have made holes in the street for various reasons, then filled in the holes and spread asphalt onto them. After work on Friday as I waited for my bus, my first thought was, "I'm glad they're across the street so my bus stop can be open." My second thought was, "I wish they had finished before the rush hour because working like this on a busy multi-lane street seems dangerous."


Lastly I thought, "My goodness, their concentration is impressive." Every time the traffic signal changed at the corner, traffic streamed past.

I took these with my iPhone, something I have yet to master. Still and all, I like the sort of artistic image I got with that first photo.