12th Leg: Gregory Heights to Hollywood Library

Date of run: March 21, 2014
Time of run: 2:08 pm
Temp: 54 degrees F (feels like 54)
Conditions: Mostly sunny, wind 7 mph, chance of rain 0%
Distance: 2.8 miles out, 2.7 miles back (5.5 miles total)

How do you make running five and a half miles feel like a vacation? Run 14 miles the week before. Oh and what perfect weather too: Not too hot, not too cold, and almost no wind. Happiness!

And, I was running to HOLLYWOOD!



Well no, not that Hollywood, this one:



So, I set off on my grand adventure, sailing south by foot on 72nd, spotting swales and pirates (no comment) along the way, and being careful not to get sucked in by the vacuum store:









Approaching Tillamook Road, I wondered if this Boy Scouts sign meant "Troop 117" in an ironic way (you never know where Portlandia mentality will strike), and gazed longingly at the green of a spring-in-bloom golf course.





And more green: Rose City Park, including frisbee throwers relaxing in the sun and the sign that states "Open to 12:01 AM" which I like because if a sign says "Open to 12:00 AM" the police may hear "But that's not midnight, that's noon!" in order to try to justify some after-dark in-the-park shenanigans.





And a 90-degree turn, to head westward on Tillamook Road. Love these less urban streets in the middle of the city:



One thing about the Hollywood neighborhood: the sidewalks have ramps. Not only helpful for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, but to prevent tripping by runners with tired legs. And these were the best sidewalk ramps I'd ever come across:



Now at the aforementioned Hollywood Library branch, I turned around at the front doors to see a lovely bakery attached to it, complete with an assortment of sugar-free treats. (I didn't stop there. This time, anyway.)



Stepping in, I saw a mid-sized space with rows and rows of bookshelves. But as always, these by-foot trips aren't for reading, so I headed past those to find the CD racks, tucked away in the back, and made my selections: Adele's 21 (something 'mainstream' - let's find out what all the fuss is about), Cymbals Eat Guitars' Lenses Alien (intruiging band name), and Rick Wakeman's Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (guilty pleasure from my teens, like spending time with an old friend...note the English spelling of 'Centre').





CDs in pockets, I headed back out, first north then east on Wistaria Drive (no, not Wisteria Lane where the murder happened). Lovely stonework and flowers along the way, and a bit of gentle incline for some leg strengthening.



Working my way further east and north, I saw more signs of spring and improving weather, including a deck party, and chalk art in a large intersection. I get happy seeing these things!





Nearing the end of my run, as I started to tire and looking for a boost, I saw...the cavalry! Oops no, that's Calvary, as in church. Never mind...



Almost back to the Gregory Heights branch now, I passed a sign for Addie's You and I Travel, which reminded me of a certain lengthy and beautiful song. Yes indeed!



One last sighting before returning to my car: the biggest one I've ever seen...I'll dub it...Moby Swale:



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LAST WEEK'S MUSIC

Apparat, The Devil's Walk

Judging by the cover art and the album title, I was expecting something quite different, but instead this is contemplative, slow building, and grand. And this video is a nice way to show off some found object art installations:




Swans, Children Of God/World Of Skin

This band has had a long (over 30 years) career, and this re-release of material from the late 80's is pretty interesting stuff, finding sonic and spiritual ground somewhere between Dead Can Dance and the more Goth-like tension of Bauhaus/Peter Murphy. Not something I would spend a lot of time listening to these days but could've had an impact in some of my angst-ridden days of young adulthood.

11th Leg: Rockwood to Gregory Heights Library

Date of run: March 14, 2014
Time of run: 2:00 pm
Temp: 57 degrees F ("Feels like 57")
Conditions: Partly cloudy, mostly sunny, wind 7 mph
Distance: 6.9 miles out, 7.2 miles back (14.1 miles total)

"This post is brought to you by the letter K, and the numbers 2 and 4." (See music notes below.)

This was a LONG run. So I didn't. I ran about half of it and walked the rest. Was hoping to run more of that but the old legs weren't up to the task, cramps set in at about 10 miles and I walked back the final 4 miles. Always frustrating when you're trying to get home on time. If only I'd noticed I was going to run out of gas BEFORE I hit the halfway point (Gregory Heights Library), but even if I did, I HATE to bail on a goal-setting quest.



First, a looong run up Burnside Street, to the west, along the Light Rail line and occasional auto traffic, taking in some nice sights like a little league field about ready to get used this spring, and some "graffiti" on a long stone wall reminding me of the town I was in:







At the end of this long straight stretch I noticed a sequence of signs letting me know I was passing through the Gateway district (I think it's a district, and not a community, or township, or...?), a section of Portland that has its own symbol (somewhat reminiscent of McDonalds arches). I then crossed the overpass above I-205 and I-84 highways. Always love these views, watching large volumes of traffic zoom by while I plod along by foot.





On the other side of the big highway, the vibe was much more "neighborhood." Always loved this street name (Brazee): Sounds a little wild, and it's fitting that the sign is a little cockeyed:



Heading north for a couple miles, I arrived at the Gregory Heights Library. Another "cute" little library, welcoming and nicely decorated with hanging umbrellas and lanterns, but again with that locked door. Hmmm. This one had a printed photo attached to it showing where and what the key for it looked like (helpful).







CDs selected (by Apparat and an early release by Swans), I headed back east, this time to the north and east down Sandy, with second look at the busy freeway:





On the long stretch of Sandy Boulevard, I passed two small but serene looking cemeteries, and in keeping with the pioneer theme, a statue of "The Immigrant" as well as a plaque for Immigrant of the Year, to be filled in each year up until 2048 (guess they'll add another one after that). Very nice.







I nominate this for street sign of the year. Great typesetting can really bring in the customers:



As Sandy runs parallel to the airport, I got to see lots of planes coming in for a landing. Also saw some interesting/weird/nice greenery along the way.







As I slowly (painfully) made my way through the last of the 14 miles, passing through the Wilkes East neighborhood, the Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" came on my iPod. Just perfect. (I love in the video where Tina and Chris get old and kiss, and flap their wings fast like birds taking off, about the 3:14 mark. So cool.)





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Last week's CDs:

Eternal Tapestry, Beyond The 4th Door
Great band name, great album title, but my reaction was "I've heard this all before" (per some influences noted in this review). Formless and meandering, I prefer the structure (and yes, repetition) of modern psych practitioners Wooden Shjips. That being said, in the right environment, it has its uses:




Relient K, K Is For Karaoke
This was a happy surprise. I'm not a fan of modern "pop punk" (two words that shouldn't go together) but these guys have been at it for over a decade, and really show their performance chops on this diverse set of cover tunes, including Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun"), They Might Be Giants ("Doctor Worm") and Tears For Fears:




The Doors, Live At The Aquarius Theatre, The Second Performance

I've heard a few Doors live albums, but this one was really good: A complete concert on two discs, including the introduction and between-song chatting. The audience started out quite subdued but was totally won over by the end. Jim was charismatic and explosive, and the band cooked, fully showing why they were such a sensation in their short but spectacular run. No sir, they don't make 'em like this anymore. A great listen.