Entries by TATIANA

Welcome to Chaos !!

Monday, March 4. 2024

Dancer Running For Portland Mayor

Breaking news! A dancer (stripper) is running for Portland mayor. I know what you are thinking......is Tati running for mayor? I guess another dancer beat me to it. A dancer I have actually mentioned in the blog......her name is Liv but her dancer name is Viva Las Vegas.
A couple of years ago (two years ago actually) I went to Hollywood Theatre to watch a documentary about Liv called Thank You For Supporting The Arts. You can read about it here.
https:://fargosisters.com/styx/archives/3392-Thank-You-For-Supporting-The-Arts.html
So now Liv is running for mayor and I am intrigued. I think it is great - the REVOLUTION has arrived! Liv is thinking to put together a team of knowledgeable people to help her run the city. And yes.....Portland is a great city! Yes there are problems but problems have to be dealt with and problems can be resolved.
So it dawned on me.....Liv should put me on one of the teams. Afer all, I have been volunteering downtown Portland for years now. I am totally comfortable in random situations, I strongly believe in helping others, I advocate for animals, I pick other people's trash every day, I believe in transparency connected to leadership and money and I can talk to anybody (it's a dancer thing). So......there must be a spot for me somewhere on a team when, or if Liv becomes the mayor of Portland. Let's make Portland more magical together! Read an interview with Liv in the Willamette Week here.
https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2024/02/27/liv-osthus-stage-name-viva-las-vegas-is-running-for-portland-mayor/

Sunday, March 3. 2024

Today's Yummies

Today's yummies!
Before Pet Pack I stopped at Stumptown and had an oatmilk vanilla latte. A free one at that. Extra exciting cause I have a girl crush (yes!!!) and she works there and she took my order and she talked to me! I have liked her for some time now......she is on the today's yummies list for sure.

Tonight waffles (from IKEA) with raspberry jam and whipped cream. Watching Dateline right now and relaxing.

Tuesday, February 27. 2024

A Couple Of IKEA Visits

I've done a couple of IKEA visits in the last week. On the first I ate by myself and missed everybody in Sweden. It is not easy emotionally to feel torn between two places. Should I live here and then what? Or should I move back to Sweden but how will that go?
I always have the plant or veggie balls and those come with mashed potatoes, brown sauce and lingonberries.
Apple cake. And coffee. If you have an IKEA card (of course I have an IKEA card) you get the coffee for free.
I came across this at IKEA and it made me happy and sad. I often feel happy and sad at the same time......Portland based Daren Todd is collaborating with IKEA and designing small spaces for unhoused people. I don't want anybody to be unhoused, unless by choice. A lot of people are only one rent payment or one unforseen expense away from risking becoming unhoused. Rents all over the country are going up, unaffordable for many. And I speak about the US now.
A few years ago I had nowhere to live. I thought I did, I thought everything was just normal until it wasn't. My life turned upside down in the span of a phonecall. But for a short time I had nowhere to live due to another person's shitty actions.
Lucky for me I have friends, savings and good credit. But many don't. Again, I do not want anybody to be houseless, unless of course by choice.
I believe we all have the right to basic human needs - food, water (clean water preferably), shelter (a safe place to call home) and clothing. Beisdes that we all have the right to rest and sleep.

The living space you see is 96 square feet. (There is a bathroom as well but not visible in the picture).
Thank You Daren and IKEA!

I saw this sign in an antique store a couple of days ago. Bäst av allt är ett eget bo. That is Swedish and means best of all is a home of your own. I agree. Preferably your OWN home, no landlord raising the rent or being difficult. I love spending time at home. Coming home, closing the door to the loud outside, take off my shoes, change into something comfortable, make a cup of tea and get cozy on the couch and then get comfortable in bed. That moment when you burrow down in bed, I love that feeling. If you are lucky you have a pet or a few pets that share the bed and your living space with you.

IKEA knows what's up with those amanitas. Mushrooms hold the answers.

Then I went back to IKEA yesterday with Ann and Molly, it was their first time. They thought thumbs down for the meatballs and potatoes. Like gross to them. OK, like we say in Sweden "smaken är som baken." I mean, it is not a gourmet meal, it is cafeteria style fast food. But beside the food they liked IKEA. What is there not to like? I love IKEA. I should work there. 

I did my volunteer Pet Pack shift yesterday as well. Somebody told me that the shopping carts used to hold and transport people's belongings are called Burnside Cadillacs. Burnside Street is one of the streets in Portland. It was a rather chaotic scene down there yesterday. We gave away all but one of the four pound kibble bags that we prepare for dogs.
I am going down there again on Sunday. The dogs and cats need food and whatever else we have available to give away.

Saturday, February 24. 2024

Another Visit

What a nice day today and yesterday too.
I decided to pay the Iredale shipwreck another visit.

Yesterday's view.

And some sights around town.

 And an empty box of Q-tips. Which somehow coincides with a change in my life or something happening that pertains to me. And yes indeed, I am in the middle of a change. A rather major change. Lots has been happening in the last couple of months.......I was hoping for personal peace in 2024, still hoping for that. I need it badly. Got an extra large Q-tip box to replace the empty one with, do not want any unexpected and unwelcome things to happen for a good while.

Wednesday, February 14. 2024

Poor Flowers

Hello from a cold, windy and rainy Portland. Oh and it is Valentine's Day and another mass shooting took place here in the US and caused grief and trauma......and death. It is going to be a "fun" year moving forward here, it is election year in USA and I am worried that people are going to get completely unhinged, more than they already are. My vote goes to Bernie (Sanders), yes I know he is not running (too bad) but my vote still goes to Bernie. Plus I can't vote here anyways. But I align with affordable health care for all plus other Bernie visions that seem to anger and scare many Americans. 
I talked to my friend Ann the other day and she says she just doesn't care about politics because she feels like it won't matter who she votes for anyways, nothing will change and the world is not safe. I wish I could tell her differently.
I am holding on to hope, I guess. For now. Maybe one day I won't care either.
So Happy Valentine's Day, I guess to you. I saw this art heart at Kulturhuset in Stockholm.

Does anybody feel genuinly bad for all the flowers that go to waste? Like is it really necessary to have all these bouquets? Just buy a fucking plant and water it and watch it grow. I tell everybody, do NOT buy me flowers. Poor flowers. So pretty, just to end up in the trash. Humans suck.

Valentine's Day can be spent in so many more ways than together with that significant other. Like spent with yourself, nothing like luxurious time by yourself. Or in the amazing company of friends and pets. Nothing better than friends and pets in my opinion. Or with your skateboard.

I have no plans this evening. I am doing what I like doing - which is NOTHING or as little as possible. I do not want to be around strangers, don't want to be around noise - I like peace and quiet. I am around loud noise and strangers filling my ears with words and sounds and exhausting my brain when I work. People ask me all the time what kind of music I like to listen to and where I go out. The answer is, I rarely listen to music at home because I am around music so much at work and I do not go out, I go to work. Being at work is like going out. Except I go out in my underwear......A mix of strangers, music, alcohol, chatter and at the end of my night "going out" I count my money. Thank You.
Me being out.

Saturday, February 10. 2024

Shipwreck

There is a shipwreck on the beach here on the Oregon coast. I have been out to it once before but I heard that more of the shipwreck is exposed now so I thought I would take a look at it again. But there was high tide today when I was there.
Maybe another time. This is the Peter Iredale shipwreck and it has been stuck in the sand for over 100 years.

 It is so nice outside today. It feels like spring. I feel restless inside.