The Buck and Mike Blog

“It never snows in Portland,” everyone told us. “Maybe a light dusting once a year, but that’s it.”

Yeah, right.

Summer Birds	December 14
December 21 Birds	December 22 Birds

Portland

Along with horrid mixes and covers of Christmas carols (the other day I heard the “Silent Night Cha Cha” while shopping in Safeway), the Christmas holidays have always provided special movie and television entertainment. With very few exceptions, the new programming sucks. I mean, really, looking back over about 80 years of broadcasting and even more of moviemaking, how many truly memorable movies can you remember? My short list:

• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Miracle on 34th Street
• A Christmas Story
• Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
• A Christmas Carol (the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge or the 1984 version with George C. Scott as Scrooge
• The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (The Walton’s tear jerker, so sue me)

Yeah, I know, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas with the Kranks, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, The Christmas Box, Santa Claus: The Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Sesame Street Christmas, The Simpsons Christmas, Barney: Night Before Christmas, several versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Mr. Krugar’s Christmas, Christmas Time in South Park, and on and on. How many times can you see Barbie in A Christmas Carol without throwing up?

The Museum of Broadcast Communications has put on YouTube three short animated pieces that we old farts will recognize. I remember seeing them over and over on TV when I was young. Dumb as they are, they evoke warm memories. And warm memories are at the core of Christmas.

Enjoy!

Christmas, The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Suzy Snowflake, Frosty the Snowman, Hardrock, Coco, and Joe: The Three Little Dwarfs

Shopping online for gifts, I have noted some items that we will not be giving to our grandchildren for Christmas this year. Here is a sampling:

Toupees for Bald Babies	Giant Microbes E. coli (Escherichia Coli) Plush Toy
Tasteless T-Shirt (Click picture to read)	The latest craze drink in Europe
Porky Pooper	Baby’s First Lighter
Pee & Poo Plush Dolls - Set	Lil Angel: Baby’s First Box Cutter

So, we were walking down the street, minding our own business, when we happened upon a small pony attached to an iron ring embedded in the curb by a steel cable. What? We chalked it up to yet another eccentric Portland homeowner, one of the reasons we moved here and love our neighborhood. Mike mentioned it over dinner to an old friend who lives in a suburb and she said, “Yeah, it’s a Portland thing.”

So he put on his research beanie and found out that the ponies are, indeed, a Portland Thing. Around the turn of the last century, when most of the streets and curbs were constructed, the city embedded steel rings in the curbs so people could tie up their horses and buggies. Hundreds of them survive. In typical Portland fashion, artist Scott Wayne Indiana thought it was a shame to have all these orphan rings. So The Horse Project was born. Throughout the city, in some of the most unlikely places, you’ll find small horses installed by the owners of the homes and businesses. The photo is the one closest to us. (Click for a larger view)

We have since identified several rings in our neighborhood, so we’re rummaging through the dollar stores looking for ponies that need homes. Expect some midnight pony installations in the near future.

Snow started falling in the early morning hours. I’m glad that yesterday we finished hanging the holiday lights on the eaves of the front of the house.

The first snow of the season is always beautiful. Everything gets quiet, especially when it happens on a weekend. The normal sounds of morning are muffled. Portland doesn’t get that much snow, so everyone hunkers down, lights a fire in the fireplace, and enjoys the view. From inside. I prepared chili for the Crock Pot, so a warm dinner is already taken care of. I’ll bake brownies so the oven warms the house a bit emore. This evening we’ll light a fire in the fireplace and watch a movie.

I ventured outside to snap the house from the street and the backyard flamingos, who did not look particularly happy about the snow. Looking at the forecast (below), they had better get used to it.

Portland

It’s Christmastime and everyone is thinking of gifts to bless their friends and neighbors. A word of caution: don’t give me a Rubik’s Cube.

Invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor Ernő Rubik, the puzzle toy has delighted and frustrated many millions of people. Rubik licensed his invention to Ideal Toys in 1980, and the thing began selling like crazy. As of 2005, more than 300,000,000 had been sold. I encountered the following examples of art and frustration.

I generally enjoy puzzles, but this seems the best way to deal with these things.

Rubik’s Cube Art Work	6-second Rubik’s Cube Solution

Ernő Rubik, Rubik’s Cube

December 10, International Human Rights Day, has been designated Day Without a Gay.

Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to “call in gay” (as opposed to “call in sick”) Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians. Modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants in the past, participants are encouraged to spend the day performing volunteer work and refrain from spending money. The idea is to counteract recent hatred by showing love instead.

Not just gay people are calling in. Many straight same-sex marriage supportes are doing so. We have some friends and relatives who are joining the action.

In 30 states, you can be fired simply for being gay or lesbian. Calling in gay would not be a great idea. Organizers of the action point out that there are still plenty of ways that you can lend a hand and a voice in our fight for gay equality—without missing work. Here are some ways.

Other activists question the wisdom of Day Without a Gay, given the current economic situation in the country. “It’s extra-challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out (as gay) at work, and given the current economic situation and job market,” said Jules Graves, coordinator of the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance. “There is really not any assurance employers would appreciate it for what it is.” Nevertheless, his group is collecting food and non-perishable items to donate to local charity organizations.

Whichever side of the fence you are one, in my opinion it’s never a bad idea to be open about who you are and what you contribute to society. Whether it’s your contributions at work, in the marketplace, or volunteering in the community, gay people are just like everyone else. We participate, produce, consume, pay taxes, and help take care of society. Perhaps Day Without a Gay reminds a few more people of that fact. If so, it’s worth the effort.

Human Rights Day, gay, Day Without a Gay, Colorado Queer Straight Alliance

December 8th is our good friend Dawn Brandvold’s 50th birthday and I was thinking about her this weekend as I worked on my latest project exercising our 3Rs ethic (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

When we moved into our house there was a filthy, beat up old table in the basement. I made a couple of extra leaves so that I could extend it, carefully drilling, glueing, and adding pegs. At first, the Neurotic Perfectionist in me wanted to strip off the old finish, fill the scores of holes, repair the burn marks, and fix the worn edges. The top, especially was a mess, as you can see in the top picture.

I plan to cut fabric on the table, so the top and edges have to be very smooth. As I started to sand, I got to see the marks up close. Rather than viewing them as flaws, I saw them as marks of character. My favorite was a long drip of bright red fingernail polish. (If you click the picture, you can see the nail polish.) I’m sure there was a great story behind it. Why on Earth would I want to take away the character of this classic old piece? So I changed course. As soon as the top was smooth enough to cut the risk of snagging fabrics, I put a coat of rich stain and finish. After it dried, I added another coat, then a third. I finished with three coats of polyurethane. Finally, after four days of work and waiting for drying finishes, it’s done! As you can see in the bottom photo, it retains it character and is absolutely beautiful.

So here is where Dawn’s 50th birthday comes in. No, she is not beaten up around the edges, or covered with burn marks and oil stains. She has weathered her years quite well, as a matter of fact. But when I think back on the 25+ years we have been friends, I am warmed by some wonderful memories. In an attempt to guard her reputation, I won’t share any details. Each experience we have makes its mark on us, and as we revisit the memory later it takes on added warmth and the rich patina that only comes with age and life experience. We have been through good times and tough times. Our families vacationed together. We reinforced each other’s progressive social politics, lamented the rise of the Neocons and social conservatives, and then cheered their recent fall as the country begins a new era of hope. We watched our perfect children grow up to be extraordinary adults. We moved to different states, but always kept in close contact. She is another sister to me, one who will always be there no matter what.

So with every project that gets born on my new old table, with its extraordinary character, I’ll think of the many people who have made their marks on my life and helped me grow. The red fingernail polish, the mark that stands out the most, is for Dawn.

Good friend and Seattle artist Marjorie Masel recently brought to my attention the work of sculptor Jennifer Maestre. Inspired at first by the beauty and danger of sea urchins, her work has since branched out to include other natural and mythological forms. She cuts, drills, and sews together hundreds of colored pencils as if they were beads into fantastical shapes. The pieces draw the viewer in for a closer look, but the sharp pencils remind us that sometimes there is danger in beautiful things.

Click the images to view larger photos and be sure to visit her web site for titles and other details on the pieces: www.jennifermaestre.com.

Marjorie Masel, Jennifer Maestre