Extreme camping fail

Two of our past four nights of intended camping here on Vancouver Island have been washed away by (apparently) unseasonably heavy rains. The hilaaarious part, aside from our both nearly going mad, are the “Extreme Fire Hazard” signs posted at all the campgrounds.

We’ve spent more money than we’d intended, and we’ll have a bunch of extra food we won’t be able to eat, but the upshot is we got a few nights in a nice B&B in Sooke, and an extra night in a hotel in Victoria, right by the Legislature Buildings. And we now have a full weekend in Victoria to end our trip; and it’s sunny out…

Portland Timbers Away Games – Pub Guide

Watch the MIGHTY PORTLAND TIMBERS bring the Axe to the Road at the following locations:

Scroll down below the list of bars to see the Timbers away schedule — PTFC has only one away match on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) this season, so bars that are able and willing to show USLLive games will get priority on this list.

***************CONFIRMED VIEWING SPOTS***************

Beulahland Coffee & Alehouse :: 118 NE 28th Ave :: All Ages :: 503.235.2794

They’ve got the posters up and their events calendar is current. Beulahland has a big projection screen for USLLive games and another TV for FSC/FSC, and will be showing every away game.

Rogue Ales Public House :: 1339 NW Flanders St :: 21+ :: 503-222-5910

Rogue is scheduled for all away USLLive games (no FSC)

Cheerful Bullpen :: 1730 SW Taylor St :: 21+ :: (503) 222-3063

The Cheerful Bullpen is officially up and running for all away games. They have a laptop behind the bar hooked up to USL Live, and then they can project that to any number of TVs in the pub except the two HD ones up front.

St. John’s Theater & Pub :: 8203 N. Ivanhoe St :: All Ages :: (503) 283-8520

St John’s Pub is a go for all games except Fridays. See this thread on talktimbers.com for details. Future dates TBD.

Leisure Public House :: 8002 N Lombard St :: 21+ :: (503) 289-7606

Leisure will be able to show the rest of the away games (as of July 17). He has a projector and comfy seating for ~12 and ‘overflow’ seating for many more. See this thread on talktimbers.com for more details.

***********TA FRIENDLY – NO USLLIVE (for now)***********

Bitter End Pub :: 1981 W Burnside St :: 21+ :: 971-222-2000
De facto TA headquarters. No FSC at Bitter End, at least for now (they definitely used to have it, but must have changed service providers because it definitely ain’t there now).

Triple Nickel Pub :: 3646 SE Belmont St :: 21+ :: (503) 234-7215
They have FSC and other soccer channels, but no wi-fi (unless you sit by the front windows and poach bandwidth from Stumptown across the street).

Marathon Taverna :: 1735 W Burnside St :: 21+ :: (503) 224-1341
They have FSC, and I think they do have wi-fi, but not much room for any projector.

*****************AWAY SCHEDULE******************

TIMBERS away schedule (all games shown on USLLive only unless indicated – all times Pacific)

04/25/2009 07:00 PM @Vancouver Whitecaps (L, 1-0)
05/09/2009 04:00 PM @Cleveland City Stars (D, 0-0)
05/22/2009 05:00 PM @Puerto Rico Islanders (D, 1-1)
05/24/2009 03:00 PM @Puerto Rico Islanders (W, 1-2)
06/11/2009 04:00 PM @Carolina RailHawks (D, 0-0)
06/13/2009 04:30 PM @Charleston Battery (D, 1-1)
07/04/2009 05:05 PM @Minnesota Thunder (D, 1-1)
07/11/2009 05:30 PM @Austin Aztex (W, 1-2)
07/17/2009 05:00 PM @Miami FC Blues (D, 1-1)
07/19/2009 03:00 PM @Miami FC Blues (W, 0-3)
08/01/2009 05:05 PM @Minnesota Thunder (D, 1-1)
08/12/2009 04:45 PM @Montreal Impact
08/15/2009 04:35 PM @Rochester Rhinos
08/28/2009 05:00 PM @Charleston Battery (Fox Soccer Channel only)
09/07/2009 04:00 PM @Austin Aztex

******************************************************

Please leave suggestions for other pubs in the comments (including any pubs in North Portland, SW, West Van, Beaverton, etc.), and if you have a local where they know you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with them and be the point of contact.

(this post is intended as a mirror to this thread on talktimbers.com)

On the road again

Here I am in Eugene Oregon, where I will spend the next three days for work. I left home at 5am today and moseyed down the I-5, accompanied by the strains of my iPod and the misty morning views of the Willamette Valley.

I have no laptop, and it’s unlikely there will be wifi or any net access at my hotel anyway; so thank god for my s-m-r-t phone, upon which I am now blogging while I wait for the workday proper to begin.

8:37am – Free truck stop coffee FTW.

10:51am – I have to pee. Breaktimes are infrequent and I worked through the last one. *squirm*

So far this is fun. I don’t get the chance to travel for work very often, so it’s a bit of a treat for me. If I were on the road 15-20 days a month like some of my coworkers, I might feel differently about this.

Starting to daydream about post-work plans: grocery store, liquor store, check in to hotel, find dinner, see if my friend Aram is in town as he said he might be, and if so get a beer with him. Hopefully my room is at least comfortable enough for drinking and reading.

12:11pm – lunch = sandwich. So far all I’ve seen of Eugene is the inside of this building (school district type place). After I get checked in I think I’ll go find the Ninkasi brewpub.

12:17pm – looks like the Ninkasi brewery is about 10 blocks from my hotel…but it’s not a pub! Noooooooooooo!!

2:14pm – fading hard after lunch. Thankfully I’m out of here in less then 2 hrs. I desire libations in the supine position.

6:09pm – At the hotel room now: a faceless friendly place near downtown Eugene. When the nice lady handed me my key and I saw the number I grinned: I’d gotten room # 107. If you know me you know why I nearly burst into song.

After checking in I had to get some food (and liquor) so I hit Freddies (et cet), and in a manic hungry daze I ended up with bananas, yogurt, peanuts, orange juice, club soda (to mix with the Scotch I bought), two bottles of Ninkasi Radiant summer ale (a new one to me, I’ve yet to open one), and some frozen vegetarian chicken nuggets. Upon returning ‘home’ I hastily devoured a couple handfuls of peanuts and a cup of yogurt – no spoon? no problema: just sort of dump the stuff in my mouth, use the fingers, there’s no shame in a hotel kitchenette. The chix nugs were OK (bit rubbery thanks to the microwave).

Now I’m watching the home run derby and feeling like it’ll be an early night for Luke. Sleep beckons, but not before I have a little taste, maybe read a few chapters of the Jasper Fforde book I just started, and maybe dump some more food in my head.

8:09 – I’m depressed to discover no Gideon’s bible in the room. A phone book is the extent of the gratis reading material, which is a poor showing if you ask me.

9:06 – I watched last night’s Colbert Report. Comedy.

I left the channel on and saw the beginning of a stand up show with the guy from king of queens. Opposite of comedy.

Day 2 – 10:34am – eating yogurt without a spoon is fun, so is waking up in a strange room and barking the hell out of my shin on the coffee table. Speaking of coffee, I’m on my 5th or 6th cup of the morning. This just in: caffeine still works.

Found out that I don’t have to work here tomorrow, but can’t cancel the last night of the hotel, meaning I’ll just mosey home in the morning and put in half a day at the office. Tonight my friend Aram will be in town, so we’ll get some beers, have a relaxing night in Duckville.

USA 2 : 0 España

The United States defeated Spain 2-0 today in Bloemfontein, South Africa to advance to the final of the Confederations Cup.  Sure, the tourney as a whole is just a tune-up for next year’s World Cup, but that was Spain’s first team out there today.  Spain, the FIFA #1 ranked team in the world and current European champion, which hadn’t lost since 2006, were shut out by a US team that opened the tourney with losses of 1-3 and 0-3 and struggled just to get results in recent World Cup qualifiers against the likes of El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras.

I was at work during the first half, when Wunderkind Jozy Altidore opened the scoring 26 minutes in with a blast that Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas managed to get a finger on, but went in off the left post.  At halftime I went to a nearby pub and watched the second half, which featured relentless pressure and attack from the Spaniards.  US keeper Tim Howard and his defenders made some incredible saves, coach Bob Bradley bunkered 8 in the box, and they kept Spain off the scoreboard.  Then in the 74th minute Landon Donovan sent in a cross that pinballed off a couple defenders, and Clint Dempsey was there to deftly punch in the second goal.  The US endured another nearly 20 mintues of Spain attack and won 2-0, much to the joy of the 10 or so people watching at the bar with me. [highlights here]

Deuce celebrates his goal.

Incredible.  Frankly incredible.  Definitey one of the biggest wins in the history of US soccer.  I was starting to get worried about their recent form in WC qualifiers, and figured they would be rudely dumped out of this tournament (which looked set to happen after humiliating losses to Italy and Brazil, before they defeated Egypt to advance).  Now I’m looking forward to seeing the lads take on either Brazil or South Africa in the final this Sunday,

A Day of Soccer and Family Fun in the Rose City

Sunday June 28: Timbers, Timbers and more Timbers.

1:00 PM – Portland Timbers U23 vs Vancouver Whitecaps Residency @ PGE Park

• Tickets for this match are $8, and can be bought at the stadium on game day (or from me, if that’s your thing)
• This game is being hosted by the Timbers Army, meaning that all proceeds (after operating costs for the Park are taken care of) will be split 50/50 between the Timbers Army Tifo Fund and a local charity to be determined – in the past we have volunteered and donated to a number of charities, notably Habitat for Humanity and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
• Children under 10 admitted FREE with paying adult.
• Ticket stubs are good for a $2 discount on tickets to the senior game at 5:00 PM (see below)
• Portland Timbers U23 are a youth squad in their first season competing in the Premier Development League. They are currently 3rd in the table, having lost only 2 games this season.

3:00 PM – Potluck BBQ Tailgate @ SW 18th Ave & Salmon St (parking lot between PGE Park and Lincoln High School, behind the Cheerful Bullpen).

• This is like a regular Timbers Army Tailgate, only BETTER. There will be players and coaches from the U23 squad in attendance (plus any senior team players who won’t be on the squad vs Montreal later in the day).
• There will be grills where you can grill your grillable food, and cups for you to imbibe your imbibe. Bring your favorite food/drink/snack, enjoy a kickaround, and soak in the love.
• Tailgates are fun.

5:00 PM – Portland Timbers vs Montreal Impact @ PGE Park

• Tickets are $12 if you buy them on gameday, but they will knock $2 off that price if you buy a ticket to the U23 game earlier in the day (see above).
• The Portland Timbers are currently 4th in the table, only 2 points out of first with 2 games in hand. This is good. We’re having a great season so far, with a great backline and keeper, a vastly improved midfield, and after a slow start offensively the goals are now starting to come (the last game was a 5-1 whooping of Minnesota last Friday). Yay!
• The Montreal Impact are a perennial USL-D1 powerhouse. They are owned by some guy named Joey, subsidized by the government of Quebec, and last weekend they threw a game against Toronto FC, losing 6-1, just to shaft their league rivals Vancouver out of a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. Boo!

Hillbilly Blonde

Hillbilly Blonde

Originally uploaded by totalnerd

I admit, I bought this bottle for the novelty aspect of the label. I don’t normally even like blond ales. But Hillybilly Blonde (from Pale Horse Brewing in Salem, Oregon) is a light crisp ale with a decent aftertaste. Pretty much exactly what I want on a lazy Sunday summer afternoon.

Anatomy of a long Saturday

6:30 am - I wake up, perform ablutions, chug a quart of water, and leave the apartment.

7:00 am - I walk to Beulahland, where I meet some friends to watch the FA Cup final. I have a sesame bagel with cream cheese and tomato and about 5 cups of Stumptown coffee, and Chelsea defeats Everton 2-to-1 (3 beauty goals, but a slightly underwhelming game otherwise).

9:30 am - Audrey and I go to the Portland Farmers Market, where we buy asparagus, onion, bread, strawberries, peas, and lamb kebab meat; we also have a pleasant encounter with my boss.

11:30 am - I join a half dozen other Timbers Army at PGE Park to meet with Portland Timbers manager Gavin Wilkinson, assistant coach Amos Magee & other Timbers front office fellows. Topics discussed are: the June 28 Timbers U23 game being hosted by the Timbers Army; the Timbers vs Burnley friendly in July; and continuing efforts by both the TA and FO to support and cross-market one another. A genial meeting as usual, with everyone in good spirits (dampened somewhat by the impending funeral service for Howie later in the day).

12:30 pm - Dave, Trask and I split a white pie and some Pacificos at Eat Pizza.

1:00 pm - I attend the final funeral service for Timber Howie at PGE Park. About 40 people are in attendance and a few make some very nice remarks about Howie. For the second time in a week I’m in tears. Kurt then scatters Howie’s ashes beneath the stadium in Feral Cat Alley (Howie was a great cat lover, and one of his beloved cats’ ashes are scattered along with his own).

2:00 pm - We have a wake for Howie at Bitter End Pub. Bushmills, vitamin R, and love.

3:30 pm - A few of us walk to Goose Hollow Inn for a pitcher of Hopworks Lager.

5:00 pm - After a stop at the store we walk back to 18th & Salmon to join the Timbers Army tailgate. Wursts, carne asada, bottles of Pliny and Hop Stoopid, and plenty of love (mixed in with some good natured mockery of a Brian’s favorite team).

6:45 pm - I head into PGE Park for the Portland Timbers vs Vancouver Whitecaps match. The Whitecaps keeper trips Johan Claesson in the box in the 6th minute, and should be given a red card; the referee produces only a yellow, but does award a penalty, which Ryan Pore buries in front of a jubilant Woodshed for a 1-0 Timbers lead. George Josten finishes the scoring in the 41st minute with a beautiful run and shot. I had remarked earlier in the evening that I thought Josten was a trickster, a real Dennis the Menace, and that he’d do good things for us this season, and sure enough he doubles the lead.  At halftime a handful of us migrate to section 222, above the visiting Whitecaps supporters, to watch the Timbers attack the goal in the 2nd half; by my count the Timbers miss three very solid goal scoring chances, but still have enough posession and attack to make one hopeful.  Final score 2-nil to the Rose City. [report | report | highlights | highlights | stats]

Ricky, Lendog, Steven & JT

9:30 pm - After a brief walkabout for some fresh air and head clearing, we head to the post-match celebration back at the Bitter End Pub. Many of the ~20 Whitecaps supporters who made the trip are in the pub, and even though there’s some gentle ribbing (“you drove all this way just to see a loss” etc.) there are also camaraderie and shared pints and cheer.  We run into former Timbers GM Jim Taylor at the pub; it is great to see him, and to know that he’s still coming to Timbers games.  The man is a legend and no two ways about it.

11:00 pm - A handful of us end our evening with fried pies and frites at the food cart cluster at 12th & Hawthorne. I eat the BBQ brisket pie, and it is excellent; I get a strawberry pie to take home to Audrey (and upon sampling, it is also excellent).

12:00 am - After checking the web for match reports and highlights, I am off to the land of zzz…

Same Nerd, new URL

Stay tuned as I get the layout settled, etc.; until I figure out how to import my archives, you can read back posts at my old URL.

melvins

moss in the morning

Tye and I saw the Melvins show at Roseland Theater on Sunday night, on their 25th anniversary/Houdini tour (with Melvins 1983 opening). It was the third time I’ve seen them (well…the fourth if you count the time I saw them w/Primus in Ft. Lauderdale, ca. 1994, and waited outside during their set because I thought they were boring…the shame), and while it wasn’t the best show I’ve ever seen there were some lovely moments (including “Joan of Arc” which they’re just starting in the picture).

Next time I’m borrowing Audrey’s new Flip camera so I can record the show and post vids like the one below, from earlier this year in Sydney Australia.

El Masry

After last month’s trip to Vancouver BC, I was complaining about the paucity of kebab places in Portland. The new Egyptian food cart on SW 3rd & Washington, El Masry, isn’t just a kebab place, but they do sell a kofta kebab that’s really good.

Yum:

The woman in the cart let me try their fresh mango juice, which is super pulpy and delicious. I’ll get a cup of it next time I go, when I think I’ll also try the Chicken Shawarma.