I’ve been called cranky more times this week than I have in my whole life. If I wanted to live in a goddamn desert, I would move to Vegas!
Now that we’ve established I’m tired of all the hot weather… How to cope?
I’m pretty good at suffering through the hot days of summer. I have fans, shade trees, work in A/C, etc… But since I’m of the low-income echelon of society, an air-conditioner seems a waste of money for the few days I’d actually need it. A/C costs TEN times the electricity of a fan. (Suddenly I feel better…) But others have A/C, and I’m not shy about using it.
75% of TriMet buses are air-conditioned. That’s three out of four. Thursday I decided to play those odds, squeeze the last few cents out of my bus pass and go for a bus ride. I had a plan, albeit a loosely defined one. An apartment building in Northwest Portland had burned, and I wanted to see which one it was. Back in the day, I lived in or knew folks who lived in most of the apartment buildings between 21st and 23rd. Had to see for myself.
I chose the #17 Holgate/NW 21st bus, in part because one of my favorite bus drivers is on that route. (Hi Teddy Ann!) I found a shady stop with views, watched a couple buses pass by with no Teddy Ann, and decided it was time to get back to the cool. Onto the bus, and off to Northwest Portland.
The #17 cruises down Holgate, crosses the Ross Island Bridge, passes through PSU, downtown and Old Town/Pearl before taking a right on 21st. I made mental notes of changes as we went. I saw the burnt building, it wasn’t the one I thought it was. The changes were small, but noticeable. Swagat has a new sign. Garbanzo’s has left the building, replaced by Laughing Planet. The sign says Swagat still has lunch buffet, where we once sat across from Matt Groening. A great bargain, always hopping.
Joe’s Cellar was busy. Guess the smoking ban hasn’t killed ‘em yet.
Wacky Willie’s is long gone. (Pout.) But there’s a Jack in the Box across the intersection now.
I was glad to see A-Boy plumbing & hardware reopening. It’s a necessity up in that neck of the woods.
Acapulco’s Gold was doing a big business in the early afternoon. It’s always a stop on my infrequent drinking days. Any place I can get a shot of tequila, a glass of beer and leave a dollar tip with five bucks, then walk right outside and catch any of 3-4 bus lines? It’s a booze-hound’s dream, and the clientele is always entertaining. No need for formal wear; flip-flops, never-nude denim cutoffs and Hawaiian shirts are the uniform of Acapulco’s. At least that’s how it used to be.
Montgomery Park is for lease. I’m guessing space inside is for lease, but in this economy one can not be sure. The sign didn’t specify. I once witnessed a taping of Geraldo! there. It’s the building Mr Burns is named after on The Simpsons.
Around the corner and down the hill. The view is a killer. You can see almost to Scappoose. The train yards and beer distribution warehouses eat up the land. It seemed quiet for a Thursday afternoon.
There were signs of life at one spot: Handy Food Mart!
I worked there until about five years ago. (Spent that September 11 working the counter. It was surreal, watching usually hardened men on the edge of tears.) It was a fun place to work. In the daytime, worker drones would flock to the store for made-in-store sandwiches and burgers. After work, the same folk would come in for their evening beers. It was a handy stop on the way to Highway 30, St Johns or other points west. HFM caters to the working man.
After dark, the old building across the parking lot turned into a music rehearsal space. A lot of up and coming indy bands practiced there, and kids I sold PBR to are now popping up in the weekly alternative newspapers and on light poles in the Hawthorne district. A little group called Everclear used to rehearse there, or so the gossip goes. That was before my time.
I’d love catching the bus home late at night. A part of the city that was actually quiet, and you could see the stars. The planet Mars was my friend for a month or so a few years back, its rusty red glow looking down. It wasn’t uncommon to cross paths with raccoons or the occasional coyote. They didn’t want anything to do with me either.
I poked my head into the blissfully air-conditioned store and said hi to Gayle, who keeps the store functional in the daytime. She makes the sandwiches and runs the till, while keeping the drooling worker-types at arm’s length. We caught up on the dirt. Times haven’t been easy. Most of the neighborhood jobs have dried up, and now the formerly 24-hour store closes at 2:30 AM. It opens for breakfast during the weekdays.
Oh, and bring cash. They don’t do plastic, and the ATM is at Montgomery Park. FYI.
After cooling off, (and saying HELL-LO to a bunch of glad-to-see-me former regulars) it was time to reboard the air-conditioned bus back to the ant farm. I took a slow, ice water-fueled mosey to the top of Montgomery Park and caught a window seat on a #15 23rd Ave/Belmont bus. Time to check out what else has closed, and what has survived. In all, a great way to beat the heat on a 100-degree day.
And a hell of a lot cheaper than paying for my own A/C!
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