When Fridays become Mondays…

Working retail can have its benefits.
Like getting a day off in the middle of the week.
A day which I used to go snowboarding with a friend of mine.
We were able to avoid the weekend crowds.
Park up close.
No lift lines.
The park was ours.

But working retail can also have its disadvantages.
Like having a day off in the middle of the week.
I’ve been getting Wednesday and Thursday off lately.
Which hasn’t been all that bad except that having a schedule like this messes with a normal week.
My Wednesday and Thursday become my Saturday and Sunday.
And well my Fridays become my Mondays.

So here I am on a Friday night at the start of my week.
I opened this morning at peets and I’ll open again tomorrow.
That means a 4:30am wake up call.
So I’ll stay in tonight.
Like most “Monday” nights.
I got a good deal on a food chopper at fred meyer and I’ve attempted a few hummas recipes.
I rode my bike over to the Belmont station and picked up a brown ale brewed by a brewery I kind of like.
Played guitar and read.
In bed by ten.
Not bad for a Monday I mean Friday night.

when beggars become choosers…

(I’ve just over steeped my chai tea for the second time.)

Last night mish and I hit up the bagdad restaurant and pub.
Its become our favorite nothing-else-is-open-right-now-and-I’m-really-hungry place to go.
It’s only a couple blocks from our place so we put our shoes and jackets on and headed out the door.
Bagdad sits on the corner of 37th and hawthorne.
Last night also sitting on the corner of 37th and hawthorne is Arthur.
Arthur has been walking along the street of hawthorne much longer than I have.
He carries an old acoustic and will play you a song for spare change.
If tipped he replies very humbly “blessings”.
I don’t know too much about Arthur.
if he has a home, job, family friends.
I know he likes to play a mix of punk and jazz.
He listens to a little bit of everything.
And when tipped he replies “blessings’
Mish and I are now standing on the corner of 37th and hawthorne.
With out even looking up from where he was sitting Arthur asks if we could spare some change for a song.
I told him we were heading into bagdad and I asked him if we could get him something to eat.
He said yes but to my surprise he made a little request when I asked what he would like.
Some hummas maybe or something vegetarian. Just nothing with eggs.
Okay.
I got him the hummas plate.
I was kind of tickled by that.
Only in Portland will the people on the street request a vegetarian meal.
I brought the meal out to him and without looking up he said “blessings”
blessings

so this is the new year...

I think its hard to not make resolutions.
Even if they’re just short and simple or a little vague.
Like saying you’re going to start eating better.
There’s just something about the new year that sort of begs change.
Or improvement.
I’m trying to be more intentional this year.
Intentional with my time.
Intentional with my wife, my walk, my friends.
Intentional with my thoughts.
Intentional at work.

With all that being said we are twelve days into the new year and I’ve finally gotten around to doing a few things I’ve been putting off.
Today I went for a run around the neighborhood.
There was a break in the rain clouds and the sun peeked through so I laced up the running shoes for the first time since we’ve moved to Portland.
Just a quick jog through Laurelhurst park and then back home.
I don’t feel it now but I’ve sure tomorrow will remind me of how long it’s been since I’ve been running.

I also began knitting today.
Mish got me some needles and yarn for Christmas.
If I can figure this out everyone is getting scarves next Christmas.