Yours truly assisting a "choking victim."

Spring is here, which marks a time of new beginnings and fresh starts in your garden, but what if that extended to your relationship status as well as giving you bragging rights because you’re now CPR-certified?

Okay, so maybe that scenario won’t describe your life entirely, but you are in luck if you’re seeking to meet new people in a fun setting where there will be beer, wine, and sweet treats, all while learning a valuable skill. The second CPR for Singles is happening on April 22 at the Ace Hotel and as a participant in the inaugural class held on Valentine’s Day, I highly recommend signing up.

Provided by the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, the class is targeted towards singles aged 25-40 who are looking for a new way to get out and meet people. “[CPR for Singles] is a little less pressure in that you don’t have to walk up to people blind. There’s some common ground in taking the class,” said Lise Harwin, communications director for the Oregon Trail Chapter and one of the masterminds behind the creation of the event.

As I experienced in my class, the next event will offer lots of opportunities to interact with others through partnering exercises. Alas, you’re not allowed to practice mouth-to-mouth on that hot guy or girl in class (there are training mannequins for that), but be sure to get their number and perhaps strive for a post-class “refresher course.”

In addition to the class being held outside the Oregon Trail Chapter’s office building this time, the event has sponsors, including beer from Widmer Brothers Brewing, wine from Sokol Blosser Vineyards, and truffles from Pix Patisserie.

Lise said she’s heard from one participant from the first CPR for Singles class who has been dating someone she met in class for nearly two months. She also witnessed many phone numbers being exchanged following the class.

So, if you’re looking to have a cool “How we met” story, get all the details and register for the next class by visiting the Oregon Trail Chapter’s site. Registration is limited to 40 participants. And stay tuned for GLTBQ events coming later this Spring at the Q Center. There are also plans for 40+ singles classes, pet first aid, and much more, including a comedy CPR class happening this month and again in May at the Blue Monk.

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While some around town may be marking Valentine’s Day by spending quality time with their honey or secretly cursing those who are doing that, I decided to spend the day in a classroom learning CPR.

However, this wasn’t just any regular CPR class. Held in the Oregon Trail Chapter of the Red Cross building in North Portland, I attended the inaugural “CPR for Singles” event. Walking in, I was definitely curious to see just who would show up and how many. I have to admit I thought there would be 40 women in a room looking around at one another and wondering, “Um, where are the guys?”

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The class was a pretty good mix gender and age-wise. Although we were all there to learn the latest information on performing CPR (it’s definitely changed since I was first certified), there were multiple opportunities to chat with people. We also had a rotation of partners during the training that allowed us to talk to even more people.

As a bonus, there was beer and wine provided as well as cookies and chocolates provided from Pix Patisserie. Participants in the class also received two free weeks of membership to the Portland Mercury’s Lovelab personals. After the training session ended, a few folks from the class, including yours truly, and the instructors gathered at Pix for a happy hour.

If this has you intrigued and you want to get re-certified or certified for the first time while having a good time and meeting new people, I highly recommend signing up for the next class scheduled for April 4. You may not find love, but putting yourself out there is half the battle.

I can honestly say this has been one of the best Valentine’s Days I’ve had. So many kudos and thanks to the Oregon Red Cross for organizing this event! I’m also happy to say I scored a perfect 100% on my test. If you happen to attend an OurPDX event and choke or fall unconscious, have no fear, I’m now (re-)certified to help!

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With last weekend marking the end of daylight saving time, looking out the office window at 4PM and knowing it will be dark when you head home once again rears its head.

However, what should also rear its head is being safe when you’re out walking around town. Last night, as I waited for the bus, I noticed way too many people crossing at an unlit crosswalk wearing dark clothing. Buckets of rain + dark + cars/buses + not seen until it’s almost too late cyclists/pedestrians = an accident waiting to happen.

While I understand not everyone wants to sport a bright yellow rainjacket — and I include myself in that population — when it’s dark out, carry some sort of light-reflecting device so drivers and cyclists can see you. For example, I carry a small flashlight. It allows people to see me while allowing me to light the path and avoid huge puddles. (Wearing wet jeans is not fun.)

Also, for you cyclists…please, for the love of Tony Danza, don’t try commuting on a road like N. Williams without any reflector devices in place like I saw last night. Seriously, just take the bus home and be safe.

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As federal officials examine the cause of the train collision that occurred in Los Angeles last Friday, it looks as if they’re pointing to human error as the engineer may have been texting instead of being attentive and stopping at a signal.

I have to wonder what TriMet is doing to ensure the safety of its passengers in the Portland area. On my morning commute into the office, I saw signs of things that could definitely be improved. In boarding the first bus of my commute, there was a woman standing up front blocking the entry when there were available seats throughout the bus.

Why was she standing there the entire time? She was chatting with the driver. I’ve been on more than enough buses to see that lead to the driver missing requested stops from other passengers or slamming on the brakes too hard because they were dangerously close to running a red light. Perhaps she was another TriMet employee, but she wasn’t uniformed, nor did I see a visible badge.

On the other part of my commute, the driver was chatting on his cell phone without an earpiece. Now, he may have had legitimate business to discuss during that call, but both of his hands should be on the wheel. And, of course, if it wasn’t legitimate business being discussed, the call shouldn’t even have happened. It’s called voicemail.

While there are rules that passengers are responsible to know, who’s checking the drivers? I don’t want it to take a fatal accident.

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