9th Leg: Troutdale to Gresham Library

Date of run: March 1, 2014
Time of run: 4:25 pm
Temp: 34 degrees F (feels like 21)
Conditions: Cloudy, light rain, gusty winds 24 mph
Distance: 2.8 miles out, 3.1 miles back (5.9 miles total)

Nice little run, about 3 miles each way and most flat, but oh! What cold and wind in my face! The "feels like 21" was brutal for awhile, until I got going and warmed up a bit. The view out of the Troutdale Library wasn't quite as nice as last week, either. Gray and dreary.





And so I headed for Gresham (pretty darn close by foot, it turns out), passing through side streets of what could be Anytown, USA.



I came across across this "repurposing" of an old McDonald's play structure. Here's what it looks like from over the fence, and then what it looks like when the rickety fence gives way and you fall forward into the yard while taking a picture:





A bit of trivia: Did you know that Ted Cassidy, who played Lurch on the original TV show The Addams Family, was also the voice of Officer Big Mac in TV commercials of the 80s? (I didn't). My favorite scene of his though has to be as Logan, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Approaching Gresham I saw this storefront for a travel agency. Didn't know they still existed? Good for them.



And into Historic Downtown Gresham. Not to get too cynical, but I couldn't help but notice that immediately behind the nice sign was a small strip mall of laundromats and such. Not exactly quaint, but hey it's just the edge of town...



Another funny thing was this church...wait, not a church...a Music Venue. Well, in my world, music can act as a spiritual place, so why not? If I find myself in Gresham some night without a run to do, I might just go in there and enjoy some music and food:



As I came to the Gresham Library, I thought momentarily that I was seeing double. Two identical entrances on two sides:



I picked one and went inside, and found a large inviting space, similar to the Midland floor plan. Only one floor, but very spacious, with lots of desks and tables for sitting, either in the open or privately, like the college study desks I remember.





I perused the CD section, and made a funny discovery: Six (!) copies of Wilco's The Whole Love. That's a record (so to speak) for me, for copies in one location. And I didn't check out one of them (sorry Wilco). I did however find two intriguing releases, again noting that the first reason I picked them up was due to the distinctive cover art. It may be smaller than on old LPs, but cover art still performs one of its functions very well: It grabs my attention and gets me to listen further. And so I checked out: Musiq Soulchild's MusiqInTheMagic (neo-soul) and Wooden Shjips Dos (neo-psych/acid rock). OK, some diversity in my listening this week!





And so, CDs in back pockets, I headed back out toward Troutdale. Some sights along the way: An industrial building with an address that I swear is "bob" upside down, not 909, and a deserted Chinese restaurant that must have been quite majestic in its heyday. What can be made of it now? Anyone for Thai?





As the skies cleared somewhat, I made my way back, and arrived at the Troutdale edge-of-town sign. More humble than Gresham's, but perhaps more fitting:



And back to the Troutdale Library, now just past closing hours. As I was sweaty, and yet quickly freezing as I cooled off, I ducked into the shelter of a nearby Safeway, and treated myself to a guilt-free chocolate croissant and decaf coffee. Ahhh, the payoff of a challenging run completed...


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Last week's CDs from Troutdale Library:

Those Dancing Days, Daydreams And Nightmares
At first listen I thought this was typical big label American product. I thought, "Surely this is a vocalist with some hot-shot session musicians from L.A." But I was WAY off. They are Swedes who play high quality pop/rock. This track is great, propulsive rock, a touch of Devo synths & keyboards (nice!), with truly insane drumming, very fun:



A little more YouTube searching confirms that this band is not only talented; they are adorable. (Want more proof? Here you go.)

Matthias Hellberg, High In The Lowlands
A solo album by a former member of Swedish rockers Hellacopters, this guy is the very definition of world weary. A very Neil Young-ish, Bob Dylan-ish vibe. (Will somebody please tell me what's going on with the lobster in this video?)



Pavement, Quarantine The Past: The Best of Pavement
In the mid-90's I tried to dig these guys, and did, a little bit. Very clever, sloppy by design, anti-corporate rock. I'd heard all their albums back in the day but hadn't listened to them for quite a while, so this 'best of' compilation CD was something new to me. Nice to revisit. I wonder if I'll ever see singer/guitarist Stephen Malkmus around, now that he lives in Portland? (I picked this song/video, because it's random and fun, but also because they name-check Rush's Geddy Lee in the lyrics.)