Not having been to Portland, I can't chime in with either pros or cons for it. Between SF and LA, I'd say go SF. Better public transport and more, I don't want to say cosmopolitan, but it feels more like a European city to me and I like that about it. Plus, as more than one person has attested, if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes.

My landlord is pretty slow about depositing the rent checks-- he usually does so about the 7th or 8th of the month. On May 10th, I discovered he hadn't cashed mine yet, and had to go ask him about it, since I thought I had probably given him mine, but honestly didn't remember.

He'd forgotten about needing to deposit them.

Oh, Steph. That's too freaking funny. And totally something I would do.

As soon as I discovered it, I had to send these repentant letters, saying "I'm so sorry, I'd appreciate it if you could waive any late fees, here's my payment, grovel grovel grovel."

I vote Portland, because I want to move there. :)

makes plans to start pimping St. Louis as a good place for Buffistas to reside

I feel like a big fat dope...but a happy one.

Almost four years ago, I packed up my apartment, moved in with my parents, then in September, moved to the Boston area. I packed both suitcases with enough clothes to last me till I got to Boston.

I also packed up my favorite jewelry in a ziplock bag, and stuck it in the suitcase.

When I got to Boston, I unpacked everything in my new room, and was devistated, because I had lost my favorite pieces of jewelry.

I just found them. In the suitcase I took to San Francisco. I have no idea how many times I've used that suitcase in the last four years. But, I'm thrilled to have the jewelry back.

Teppy -- that is so something I would do -- which is EXACTLY why I try to pay my bills online as much as possible.

And it's 89 degrees here and it's not even NOON.

What a great surprise, vw! It's like new jewelry that is ALREADY your favorite!

I KNOW!

Most of it is cheap stuff that I just really liked. BUT, it also holds my Tiffany's bracelet that I adore.

Having lived in Portland and LA (but not SF) I can tell you that Portland combines a major small town feel with a fairly urban environment - decent variety of ethnic food, though not up to SF, decent variety of culture - though not up to SF. (Up to the LA I knew, but my LA knowledge is too many decades out of date to useful.) Also - though good on the shopping and resteraunt thing - not anything like as multi-cultural as LA or SF. It has great public transit. It has powells and that is a mega-cool bookstore. Plus a fair number of other indendet bookstores. Not really making a case over SF am I? Advantages over SF - lower cost living, and I'll bet the small town feel is smaller cause it is a smaller city than SF. SF has a much higher numbers of buffistas including JZ and Hecubot and Deborah Grabien as well. I think we have two Portland Buffistas, but have not checked map lately.