From Here You're On Your Own: Welcome to Portland: Here's your colored britches!

Ummmm....
So, you've seen the IFC's show Portlandia?

Yeah?

Ok.

Yeah. It's a documentary.

I've never seen so many "men" wearing brightly colored pants, outside of a golf course.
Who makes tangerine and lime colored, peg-leg, hipster jeans, and why aren't they in some sort of fashion prison next to the guy who came up with the bright orange hot pants + pantyhose combo?
Are we so close to Canada here in Portland that we've become Francophiles?
And whose in charge of hats over here?
When I was a kid there were two kinds of hats: cowboy and ball. The end.
Now, everyone is proving their specialness with fedoras and bowlers and derbys and newsboys.
Jeezus, just put on a tiara, princess.
I get it. You're VERY Unique.
Just like everyone else who buys their clothes from the same store as you do.
I know. Urban Outfitters is awesome.
Great selection. Low prices.

But seriously.
Tell dad you're gay and get it over with.

(Ms. X is gonna yell at me for that one.)

Actually, I really like Portland. The people are generally very nice. There's great architecture and food. It reminds me of Asheville, NC - same sort of vibe downtown only bigger.
Lots of bridges to ride the bike across, good public transportation, and it's very walkable.I spent most of yesterday just walking thru downtown and had a really nice time.
Powell's Books, Voodoo Donuts, Oregon Leather (Mr. T's jacket needed leather conditioner badly)(it took an entire 12 oz. bottle!), Hot Lips Pizza, India House (chicken vindaloo could be spicier but it was still very good and nice staff), Graeter Art Gallery - all great places where the people were really pleasant to interact with.
There are a ton of "hipsters" here, though.
Seriously, guys. When you see hundreds of dudes wearing the same clothes, sporting the same tattoos, riding the same bikes, looking and acting exactly like you................

http://www.powells.com/?gclid=COSbvbqIvbECFQV6hwodDxYA6A

http://www.indiahouseportland.com/

http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php

http://hotlipspizza.com/

http://www.oregonleatherco.com/

http://www.graeterartgallery.com/

After dinner at India House on Morrison Ave. last night (Friday the 27th) I walked over to Pioneer Park (Portland's Living Room!) for "Flicks on the Bricks".
The park is really nicely done. Shaped like a small amphitheater right in down town.
You can sit just about anywhere in the park and have a pretty reasonable view of the stage.
They had set a big, inflatable movie screen in the park and a few hundred of my closest friends and I watched "Karate Kid" on a cool, north-western evening in downtown Portland.
Good times.