Afterword / Writing

John Day Fossil Beds, Painted Hills, and Eastern Oregon

We took advantage of the long weekend and did something we’ve been wanting to do since moving to Oregon over a decade ago: visit the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

Around Downtown Hillsboro

Combined a little work and pleasure today and took some photos in and around the courthouse. Downtown Hillsboro keeps getting better, and it feels meaningful to play a small part in that work. Also tried a new food truck serving Detroit style pizza, which made this Michigan native very happy.

Decapped Easter Bunny

As usual, we spent easter at my in-laws’ house in Kalama. It’s usually pretty chaotic, but I do appreciate the effort my kids’ grandparents put into the event. Lots of food, huge Easter egg hunt, yard games. It was also unseasonably warm, which was both amazing and slightly scary.

Rhododendron and Mt. Hood

I finally went skiing on Mt. Hood after living in Oregon for over a decade! In the worst year for snow in a generation! I switched from snowboarding to skiing to same if I'd enjoy it more and I'm glad I did. It was much easier on my body. We rented a place near Rhododendron, a nice little cabin with a fireplace and hot tub. Staying with friends and their kids was an experience I'm not sure we were…

Long Weekend in Alaska

A short but memorable trip to Alaska. This has been a bucket list item I’ve been picking off for 25+ years of road trips and other domestic travel. Following this, I’ve officially visited all 50 states.

Turn, Turn, Turn

It was a busy week full of social events and soccer. My coworker had a BBQ yesterday and I hosted a neighborhood potluck at the park today. I was too busy to take many photos, but it was a good turnout. I’m really trying to organize and build community. It’s the hole in my life I’m trying to change. In the same way, this morning I also went to my second ever Catholic mass. I went alone to the 8…

Wallowa Lake, OR

We piled into the van and headed to Joseph, Oregon for a long weekend in a cabin on Wallowa Lake.

Beach Day at the Oregon Coast

Yesterday we headed over to the coast for the day, which we hadn’t done yet this year. It was 30° cooler at Cannon Beach than it was at home in Portland (100°).

One morning on my commute

I saw this and had to pull over.

San Francisco, CA

Pedal Harder

I spoke to the man on the bike once he got to the top of the hill. He said he was en route to Chehalem Ridge Metro Park.

Tremendous Focus

It’s the prey drive.

Sunday at the Zoo

We went to the zoo with QB’s mom and the kids—early in the day before temps rose to nearly 100°.

Battle Ground Lake, WA

We spent the middle of the week cabin camping with some good friends. It was memorable for me because the kids are at a great age to create some early memories. We swam, fished, paddle boarded, had campfires, cooked good food – and of course plenty of time for the kids to play and ride bikes. I purchased a cheap projector from Amazon, along with a large cloth screen, and pre-downloaded some movies…

A Chance Encounter

A mule on Penny's parents' property.

Pride Weekend in Portland

Our friend, who officiated our wedding, is in town from the Bay Area. We spent some time on Alberta Street this afternoon, shopping the used book stores, eating good food, and enjoying the murals. We made our way down to Kerns afterwards, got some soft serve, and caught a tiny bit of Pride. 🏳️‍🌈

PDX to SFO

The Future of Portland Transit Hangs in the Balance

The Oregonian podcast Beat Check recently shared an episode titled "A Perilous Moment for Portland Mass Transit" in which it highlighted the growing crisis facing TriMet, Portland's regional transit agency, as it grapples with declining ridership, financial strain, and public perception challenges. While crime on the system has dropped since the pandemic, fare evasion has nearly doubling from 15…

Northern California

Some photos of train travel between San Jose and Sacramento.

Stanford, CA

Some photos of my trip to the Bay Area. I walked something like 25,000 steps this day and met up for dinner with my old college roommate. It was a really nice day.

Portland Auditor Releases Progress Report for Residential Infill Project

In 2017, after about a decade in the affordable housing and community development industry, my career took a turn and I landed in a position as a long range planner in the Portland region. One of the very first projects I worked on was codifying and adopting changes related to Oregon Senate Bill 1051 of 2017. SB 1051 required communities with more than 10,000 people to remove certain barriers to…

The Myth of the Walkable Corner Store

For decades, planners have envisioned small, pedestrian-friendly commercial hubs within residential neighborhoods. A local café, a small grocery store, or a retail shop embedded in a walkable area where people can meet their neighbors and run errands without driving. This concept is central to the growing 15-minute city movement, which aims to create neighborhoods where residents can access daily…

The Art Walk

I joined a MeetUp group for urban walkers.

Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Kofstad’s.

Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Kofstad’s.