Portland's Urban Iditarod, seen from the Buick, Leland at the wheel

Grinning, running. Looks like fun. If you look carefully through the blur that is the windshield wiper, you can see that a couple of those guys have red straps in their hands. That means they're the dog team. I guess the guy in the purple shirt is the musher. What role does the inflatable person play? Your guess is as good as mine.


All for one, one for all, get it on down the road. We're on East Burnside, heading west towards the Burnside Bridge, eventually.


Oops! Must have hit a pothole! See the red strap in the hand of the man wearing the red shorts, The man with the red hair appears to have a strap, too.


Now they've made it six blocks--perseverance personified.

I'll post some more soon.

From the Oregonian's Web site:
Metro Portland Running »
Portland Urban Iditarod: 2010 recap
By Kelly Johnson, community blogger
March 13, 2010, 5:34PM

Hundreds of runners and probably quite a few "non-runners" showed up for the 2010 Portland Urban Iditarod. For the third year in a row, I was on a team with a group of friends that I've all met, surprisingly enough, through running.

Because the event starts under the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge, active folks that were out for an actual training run or ride stopped and asked the costumed teams what was going. "It's the Urban Iditarod," people would say, providing basically no useful information to the curious passers-by.

So, here's what it is. Take the Alaskan Iditarod, but replace the sled with a shopping cart and the dogs with runners. Add crazy costumes, turn the "aid stations" into popular bars and clubs, and a lot of people with a sense of humor.

At 11a sharp, the Lead Dog sent participants a text message reading "Grand Cafe," and the masses stampeded up the street, stopping traffic on Grand Avenue and MLK. Drivers snapped photos from their cars as they waited, and soon the party was started in a large parking lot across the street from the Grand Cafe.

Salsa dancers and karoke-ing mushers performed for the crowd as people wandered around to check out the other "sleds." Before long, another text message sent the teams to Grand Central Bowl, just a few blocks away. The next stop was the Doug Fir and Jupiter Hotel, but I made a side trip to Voodoo Doughnuts only a few blocks away at NE 14th and Sandy before rejoining the part.

Each aid station layover was about an hour long, which was a change from previous years. It was really nice to be able to wander around, catch up with friends on other teams, dance a little, order food if you wanted to, and of course, sample the variety of adult beverages. I was a little surprised to see quite a few of the participants smoking ... but then again, I saw someone smoking last year that was running the Prelay ...

Some of the best costumes that I saw included The Last Supper, The Simpsons, Gilligan and the S.S. Minnow, and a variety of underwater themes including mermaids and a man whose whole head was a shark. As usual, there were also a number that were "ripped from the headlines," including the team of UO football players wearing inmate stripes and the Greg Oden cell phone photo team.

And as usual, there were no winners and there were no losers - "just a whole lot of belligerant people," as said by KATU news a few years ago.

Portland Streetcar, stopped at the intersection where 11th changes from NW to SW, as it crosses Burnside.

I couldn't pass up the chance to take this photo. I'm so glad that I got the passing truck, headed west on Burnside. When the light changed, I crossed Burnside and walked down the block to Powells. The South Waterfront is down on the Willamette River.

Mama Update and more of the snow

I finally got it straight, between Leland, Mama and my brain, that the heart doctor wanted her to go see her primary doctor at some point in the next eight weeks so that he could refer her to a vascular surgeon--this is in reference to the subclavian steal syndrome that she suffers from on her right arm primarily. It hurts terribly with the least bit of exertion--just think how your own muscles pain you when you've exerted them into oxygen deprivation, that's what she's got a giant head start on, that sort of pain. So today I called her primary doctor and got the appointment changed from March 1 (Mama and I had totally misunderstood what the doctor had meant, thank goodness for Leland's young mind and memory) to this Friday. Leland's going to take her. While it's not likely that much can be done for her about this, we at least don't want to not try. (What a pitiful sentence. It shows you just how tired I am right now.)

Then I called her lung doctor to try to find out the results of the chest CT scan that she had done on Monday. A nurse practitioner called back in the afternoon--the lung doctor is out until Monday. She said that the only person who had looked at it so far was the radiologist. For that person it showed fluid in her lungs, emphysema in the upper lobes. The fluid is consistent with congestive heart failure, so she talked with one of the other doctors who said to get the heart doctor's heart failure nurse to call me and see if the heart doctor wants to set up an appointment for lab work and then there could be the possibility of altering her meds. Why didn't the heart doctor's people do lab work last Thursday when she was there for her office visit/check up? Duh.

I asked the nurse practitioner about the continuous oxygen and the manner in which Mama should be breathing in and out. I've been suspicious that lately she's not taking deep enough breaths--on Saturday I asked her to take deep breaths with her mouth closed. "Why?" I said I thought it would help. "Do you see people doing that? Breathing through their noses with their mouths shut?" Yes, I said, I believe I do. She started then to take a few deep breaths now and then. For real, the nurse practitioner explained that Mama ought to be taking deep breaths with her mouth closed, then slowly letting it out through pursed lips. It seems this method allows more oxygen to make it into her lungs. The problem is that she cannot remember to do this very often. So I've got my aunt down in Mississippi reminding her--they talk on the cell phone every day. Tomorrow I'm going to talk with my brother and get him in on it. I'll remind her when I talk with her every day, too. Plus I'm going to get Lamont and Leland to do it, too.

She and Duncan are in bed now, Wednesday night, as I sit her typing, breathing through my nose with my mouth shut. She's reading; he's sleeping.

Now for the snow.

These men have been shopping at Fred Meyer on Burnside. I can tell by the paper shopping bags with handles that you see in the hands of two of them. They're walking east, about the cross in front of our bus. Those cars are on Burnside. And you see the McDonald's--our goal, the bus stop alongside it, just out of the photo to the left.


See that 20 bus, To Portland? Our skilled, determined driver did and calmly said, "Maybe that 20 will help us." It did, eventually, once our driver sent strong vibes to that driver who then sort of blocked both west-bound lanes for a few moments so that we could take advantage of an opening in the east-bound traffic flow.


Hooray! We're finally on Burnside, head west up the hill. It would take about half an hour more before I could get off at the top of our street, four blocks away from McDonald's.


Next time, the last of the snow.

Snow fell quickly, creating havoc with the traffic, and a report on Mama

First I shall digress for a few moments, to say thank you to those who visit and comment, as well as those who visit and do not comment. I really appreciate it. My time to blog has diminished as my duties at home have grown. Any more Mama cannot do any of the things she used to do the most of, home things like the dry Swiffer, the wet Swiffer, the carpet sweeper, the laundry, the cooking, the washing of dishes, the dusting. For years she happily did these things most of the time, saving me from having to do them as I worked 40 hours a week, did the grocery shopping, most of the cooking, and some of the other housework. She knew she was contributing and it made her feel good about herself, needed. Now, even with the continuous oxygen, she is out of breath after walking 20-30 feet in the apartment. She's upset, feeling down and somewhat worthless, and scared now and then. I'm trying hard not feel scared all of the time. Please continue to pray for her to regain some stamina. The heart doctor, after last Thursday's visit, didn't change any of her medicines and made an appointment for March 30. Today she had a CT scan of her chest, ordered by the lung doctor. She goes back to her on Jan. 28. I am going to call that woman later this week and try to find out what, if anything, she's learned from it. I can't wait until Jan. 28. Mama needs some help before then, if there is anything that can be done.

Now to the snow.

It must have been around 2:30 p.m. when I noticed it had started to snow. To tell you the truth, I thought, "Yuck!" when I looked out the window at work and saw the grass and the streets turning white. I thought, "Well, maybe it'll quit soon, turn to the predicted rain." Nope. By the time I got on the bus to head home, I believe at least 2-3 inches had fallen on the sidewalks and streets where I walked and waited. The only thing to wonder about really was what sort of traffic jam awaited the homeward bound bus ride. I think it must have taken about an hour to get from the corner of SE Grand and Morrison, over the Morrison Bridge, west on SW Washington, then south onto SW 11th and west onto SW Morrison, to the stop very near PGE Park. It took another 45 minutes to go the next two blocks!

This photo gives a hint or two as to why we went so slowly. Bumper to bumper traffic, headlights facing us as we turned right towards West Burnside. That Burnside with the right-facing SUV on it. That clear space behind the SUV would be the last open space on Burnside that we, including the skilled, determined TriMet bus driver and about 10 of us who stuck out the bus ride, saw for at least 30 minutes.

The 15 bus heading south was on its actual route. The 20 bus, the driver said, had probably been informed by TriMet to turn around here, to not continue west up the ever-steepening Burnside. Well, the 20 is stuck. The hill is steeper here than it seems. I took this photo out the side windows, behind the driver.

Our goal, this stop which is out on Burnside, was oh so close, yet so far, right beside McDonalds. I had plenty of time to take this photo, to not worry about the motion of the bus causing any blur because we were sitting still.


Here's why we sat still. I took this photo out the windshield of the bus. The cars going left to right and right to left are on Burnside, in the middle of the intersection, inching along just in case they could make some progress. Good grief! All they did was jam up the intersection which caused us and the other cars who had to turn left to jam up the intersection behind us--it was a time-consuming mess!

Hot Dog! PBR Serendipity

My camera around my neck to make room in the tote bag for two half gallons of milk, I exited Fred Meyer on NW 20th and walked south, towards Burnside and the bus stop on the corner.

"Oh," I thought, "I'd better turn the camera on. Never know what I'll see."

I looked up as I got closer to the corner. "Like that!" Click. One chance to get the photo before he disappeared on the sidewalk.

"Yes!" I thought when I checked the view screen. "Got it!"


Uncropped.

More icy snow pix, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16

Walking to the bus stop, Dec. 15, so that I could report by 10 a.m.--looking east on NW Everett. Right before I made it to the corner where that person is standing, the bus that I usually catch stopped and then left again. I couldn't trot like I do sometimes--ha, ha--so I turned right and walked over to Burnside, hoping to get a 15 or a 20. I'd end up in the same place, able to catch my second bus for the rest of the trip.

Looking southwest towards Burnside, the street on the left, and towards SW Morrison, the street on the right.

Looking west, at Burnside, as it ascends the hill I mentioned yesterday, the one that the bus most likely didn't continue to climb, instead turning right at the next corner where you can see the front wheel of a vehicle waiting to turn out onto Burnside. Not this bus, though, the bus in yesterday's post. This bus went on up the steep, curvy hill.

Waiting at the bus stop, for the 15 or the 20. She crossed from the other side of Burnside as I did, almost slipping down in her tiny-heeled boots.

Properly dressed for the extremely cold weather. I know, though, that this man and his dog are homeless because I saw them Sunday night on the news, being interviewed about getting into a warming shelter for the night. He said that he and his dog needed to stay together, and the particular shelter they were in allowed pets with their people. The man had a cot, his dog had a kennel. Thank goodness.

Chains on a pickup, headed east on Burnside.

The most odd vehicle I've seen, driving across the icy Walgreens parking lot. And, lo and behold, I think I saw it again today, about 21 hours later, parked in a lot that the 15 bus goes by. Weird.

Still waiting for the bus, a total of about 25 minutes in a blustery, of and on windy situation. Cold. Don't ask me why the tights, mini dress, mini coat, tiny little boots. I don't have a clue and I couldn't bring myself to ask once we were on the bus. I figured I'd embarrass myself with my incredulity being all over my face and in my voice. I did, however, thoroughly understand the way the other woman dressed for the weather. Smart.

I started to get on this 15 after work today, but when I noticed the other 15 right behind it, I knew it would be practically empty, so I waited for it. In about 15 minutes, I got off at Fred Meyer to shop for last minute staples and the stuff that I need for two pot lucks coming up at work, one on Friday, one on next Monday. I'm planning ahead because the forecast is dire. Right now it's 22 in Portland, wind chill is 14. Tomorrow the weather schedule is snow, freezing rain, rain, then more snow. And more snow coming on Saturday. This is in Portland and lots of Washington and Oregon; it is not regular winter weather here.

I got off the bus with the rolling black bag stuffed with groceries and another tote bag, plus two plastic grocery bags. I had to put it all down on the icy sidewalk and take this photo, though, because the sign taped to the pole had shocked me so when I'd first seen it last night. I didn't get off there last night, but rode one more block so that I would be that much closer to the druggist where I had to pick up Mama's prescriptions.

The sign gives me sad news. The stop that I used 99 percent of the time is closing. I understand TriMet's reasoning, though.

How's this for a shot of the ice that Sunday's snow has become? I'm standing at the corner of NW 22nd and Burnside, with my back to Burnside. This sidewalk leads to my apartment building. I made it just fine, thanks to the trusty Yak Trax!

KGW Newschannel 8 is calling this weird winter weather the Arctic Blast. You know how news organizations like to title events. Now the weather man Matt Zafino is saying that we made it to 32 today at the airport. I went out at lunch time, walked to a nearby Goodwill Super Store and thought it felt much warmer than on Monday--thank goodness. He's explaining what causes freezing rain and where the lows will go tomorrow, influencing our weather. Lots of snow forecast for the ski areas. Here in Portland it's supposed to be 15 at 7 am., 31 at noon, 34 at 5 p.m. and from one to four inches of snow. And snow could come again on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday--my goodness!