bgrmosaic: What's Important...

What's Important...been thinking about this while fixing my place and website. 

Transit is important to me. Good transit means freedom, access to areas one may not get to see otherwise. I also love the way lines weave around each other, forming routes in transit maps...probably the best reasoning to the focus of lines in my work, draws the eyes around. The transit map on my main website page will be updated soon.

I like knowing how most things work, also being able to fix them, so took on building the bgrmosaic website myself. It has given me a Lot of appreciation for those who stare over HTML codes all day. Can make my way around HTML decent enough so far, will learn CSS in time.

Having a local number is important. Why?. Most people's reaction to a foreign number is not that great, (taken as some telemarketer and ignored). An added extra confusion I've encountered, giving out my NYC cell number, whose area code 917, around Portland, OR, whose cell area code is 971. Enough assumptions of, I gave out the wrong area code, prompted me to get a local number through GoogleVoice, (now on my website).

This Blog will remain a mix of things I'd like to share: transit, travel, mosaics and food. Highlight things that interest me, and hopefully you as well.

Hillsboro, OR: take the trip from PDX

I’ve lived in Portland, OR, two years this December, and have wanted to take the MAX out Hillsboro, OR, (just for the ride, see what’s out there). With a friend, finally went today and glad I did.

Hillsboro, OR is not that far from Portland, (one might get that impression looking at the rail map). The part around Hillsboro Central / SE 3^rd TC and the last stop, Hatfield Government Center, clean, but didn’t look like much; the interesting strip to walk is E Main Street, SE 2^nd to 7^th Streets.

If you love tea and spices, and the potential health benefits of them, there’s a Great priced little shop with a friendly, knowledgeable couple, called Herbs & Tea – www.teasherbs.net.

If you have a day off, bored, want something cheap to do, I’d suggest taking the MAX Blue line out to Hillsboro, OR; walk around the area. 

Sandy Boulevard... Where do ya start?

Sandy Blvd.... so many things can and have been said about this road, cutting across Northeast Portland, OR.

It wasn't easy, for me, to find it's full history all in one website, but some good information about Sandy Blvd. embedded in another story, (more about one of its dangerous intersections).

"Sandy Boulevard is by far one of Portland's oldest transportation landmarks. It was once Portland's only road east from the Willamette River to the Sandy River, which is where it got its name." [from the KATU link above].

That explains (to me) the diagonal route of Sandy Blvd., and I wonder how many thought this road was ripped through Northeast Portland after the grid was established. Whatever you feel about Sandy Blvd., it here, ya learn to live with it, and the weird little cut out triangles, formed bu the grid system that chose to not follow suit.

I cringe when spotting bicyclists on Sandy Blvd. Some bicyclist take the extra wide road as its diagonal path as a good enough excuse to bicycle on it. Have had my guilty moments of bicycling on Sandy Blvd., hey, its a nice diagonal, but  try and keep myself on the roads with bike lanes. One Really has to keep their eyes moving like a chameleon on Sandy, because cars swing on and off this thing with ease, and sometimes anger, frustration and conviction, having to deal with the awkwardness of it.

Even tho I'm a bicyclist, I would decline seeing a bike lane on Sandy Blvd, Unless it could be done safely. Sandy Blvd. is like a calculus equation, with too many damn variable and functions to deal with.

A streetcar back on Sandy Blvd., between downtown and Hollywood District, yea! :). That would spur some dense development there, (probably piss off more motorist and bicyclist tho, meh, Deal with it!). I want to see Portland Streetcar develop around Canter City and close areas; Trimet bus and MAX start to become express through the inner areas, but that's for another blog.

Sometimes wish there was an opposite diagonal road, between MLK/Prescott and Burnside/I-205; maybe a tunnel, to avoid those crazy triangles along Sandy Blvd. It's nice to cut across the city, which Sandy Blvd. allows many to do.

Time will tell the future of Sandy Blvd. Love it, hate it, whatever... makes for some good sunset pictures tho :)

Took this picture one fall afternoon, Sandy Blvd., at 41st Ave.

Putting my loves out here

Into making artwork, traveling around, food & passionate (at times opinionated) about public transit. Putting my loves out here, see where it goes.

I've always been into repurposing stuff, got into beadwork, then mosaics. Website is published, but will post the link when I am fully happy with it, (building a website, to the point one is happy with it, is on going process). 

Tak a lot of pictures as I travel and upload them to Twitpic. Be nice to find a travel buddy, see the Northwest and maybe further with. Send me a note if looking too.

With transit, my interest is more about where it takes people, or could in future. Enjoy discussions about transit. Joined a regional rail advocacy group, AORTA since moving to PDX; like this group a lot. Knowledgeable bunch, points things out without being condescending about it. Make that statement, having been to groups where acronyms, titles, information was tossed out, more to brag than inform, found that off-putting; still feel that in attending national events.

You don't realize how important good transit is, until you leave areas with it. My family moved from an apartment, by main subway station in Brooklyn, NYC, to a house, (which meant a bus ride, 40 blocks to a end of a subway line). Late 1990s, found it quicker, cheaper & freeing to ride my bike. NYCs bike lanes made it easy/fun biking in the city. I moved to Jersey City, NJ in 2005, closer to Manhattan than where I lived in Brooklyn, but a very different from NYC. One takes a chance bicycling on Jersey City roads, along with some angry, ignorant drivers. I learned a lot as a bicyclist there. 

Looking back at Jersey City, NJ makes me appreciate the things Portland, OR has. It also makes it hard for me, hearing some complaints out of others bicyclist in this town. Things could be better, but it's a lot better than other places, all I'm saying. Might join a local bike (advocacy) group, voice my thoughts there, time will tell.

Food, Glorious Food! Butter, Beer & Bacon must be on site at all times :). I'll follow the cookbooks but throw down and sauté on my own when ready too. I Yelp!, and not ashamed of it :). Be nice to find some food buddies, to hang 1on1, or make a little group a 3 or 4. Can send me a note if your looking for company while eating too.

So this is a little about me, in blog form. Feel free to say hello, comment, all good and thanks for reading through.