I got stuck looking at Steph's stockings, and wondering if she was planning on wearing them with Nicole's shoes

Yes, though not today, b/c I'm at work. (I'm wearing them with a long tweed-ish skirt and fake-croc pumps.)

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these stockings

gleep!

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You don't want to go home, MG. I think you should go to a spa.

What appeals to you (iffen you were the afore mentioned footloose and fancyfree) about the city?

I was born in Corvallis, have family in Oregon and have gone back to Portland periodically through my life. Most recently I went when ex-GF moved up there. She lived within walking distance of Powell's and I just loved the whole neighborhood which has sprung up around it. Cool little record stores and indie comic shops. Also a HUGE porn store that was fun to explore.

Anyway, there was a whole developed neighborhood near there that was filled with cool boutiques and microbreweries and a rep cinema and excellent restaurants and Moonstruck chocolate. All the fun ameniities.

Famously, there are two brothers in Portland who develop interesting buildings into bars and cafes. If you've ever wandered through an underdeveloped, slightly abandoned downtown area with fascinating architecture and thought, "Oh, if I had money I'd make the coolest cafe/bowling alley/bar in that old abandoned speakeasy/ballroom/abandoned theater" - well that's what they've done.

It had really changed dramatically (and for the better) compared to what it had been the last time I'd been in Portland in the late 80s. Back then downtown was completely dead.

The economy is still not great there. During the last recession they had the highest unemployment rate in the country. It was very tough on ex-GF when she moved up, expecting to be able to temp and make a living - not so much. Though I think it's better now.

Culturally, it's sort of like a white middle class Berkeley in many ways. Extremely eco-conscious. But very white compared to SF.

I guess the thing that appealed to my imagination is that it was that while it was on the upswing and there were cool things there, it still had a lot of gaps in it. Does that make sense? It still had a lot of room to grow and the rents were cheap for fantastic old apartments and it sucked up a huge number of musicians from SF during the dotcom boom when they were forced out. It's a nascent bohemia zone.

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Ugh. So much reading to do for work today, and no focus. Must focus!

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You don't want to go home, MG. I think you should go to a spa.

I like the way you think, but I already blew my gift cert. Ok, not blew, it was WELL USED.

ION - My assistant called in today. They have scheduled her surgery for January 31st, followed by chemo. She is officially out until July 1st (for now). le sigh. Well, I'm glad they have a plan in place for her and that the prognosis sounds positive.

Now to figure out how to cover her work without my losing whatever bit of sanity I have left. I hate pushing my management about it cause it then ties to my job issues. I just want to be able to come in, do my work, and not deal with the rest of this crap.

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I guess the thing that appealed to my imagination is that it was that while it was on the upswing and there were cool things there, it still had a lot of gaps in it. Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense. And it's nice to read other people's take on the area and have it match with what I am not exactly expecting because part of the whole up and move somewhere totally fresh is that you don't know what to expect but what I am hoping for and optomistic about.

Whoa. Now *that* was a sentence in need of structure. And grammer. And some punctuation. Welcome to my brain, please fluff the occipital lobe on your way out.

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Those stockings look cool. But barely thigh high. They are cheaters.

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Equal tastes funny. My tea is now undrinkable.

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Cass, Portland sounds so very cool!

{{bt}} You are an amazing man.

I'm going to check back periodically between now and the performance dates (early March), b/c blocks of tickets are often released, for whatever reason.

Definitely keep checking. Things often open up.

And, it's totally worth it. We saw it Tuesday night and woot! Ana Gasteyer is playing Elphaba in Chicago (for another week, anyway), and who knew that she had such incredible singing chops? She seriously SINGS that part.

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these stockings

gleep!

I also bought these stockings, but haven't worn them yet: [link]

Those stockings look cool. But barely thigh high. They are cheaters.

Heh. On me, they're thigh-high. Practically goolie-high, if I wanted.

Also, my mom *always* calls knee-highs "cheaters," and for years I had no idea they were called anything else.

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