Honey, I'm Home!

Well, I'm back from the great big city of LA.

Yes, it was sunny. Yes, it was relaxing, inspiring, enchanting. Yes, it was exotic and different.

But sometimes, there is just no place like home. I had a great time, got a sunburn, and now I'm happy to be back. I celebrated by going to Venti's new basement bar for a delicious Morrocan Chicken dinner and a drink. Did you know they have hard cider on tap? It really hit the spot. And I must say there were a lot more people than I expected to see on a Monday night in Salem. Maybe I need to revise my opinion about weeknight nightlife in Salem. Apparently, its just been hiding out in basements.

It looks like all you blogalicious bloggers have been very busy this last week. I've just been sitting here trying to catch up. Once I do that I think I'll have to comment on some of the interesting things I've read.

More Obsessing about Free Internet in Salem

I know I probably sound a little obsessive about free internet around here. Either that or you all just think I'm really cheap. Which I sort of am. At least about some things.

Here's the thing: I think having internet should be a given in this country. Sort of like free education and indoor plumbing. I would like it to be available wherever I go.

And it's not just about me being cheap and not wanting to pay for it at home. The real thing is that I don't really like to sit at home alone and work. I never have. During college I would do all my studying in the busy part of the library or in a coffee shop. So, even now, when I need to get some work done on my computer I end up going out in public.

Which led me to Venti's Wednesday night. I thought they would have WiFi. Somehow, they just seem hip like that. But no. They don't.

Although, when I asked, the girl behind the counter suggested I sit by the window and maybe I could pick up someone else's.

Sure enough! What do you know, I can get La Perla's internet from Venti's too. They must have a strong modem signal.

So, I'm really starting to think that I should take my computer there and give them my business since I have been using their internet from all over town.

I do eat there regularly, since they have the best tacos and tamales in town, but I should really patronize them more often.

Yum. More tacos. :)

Spring Break!

Although I have come to love Salem and all it has to offer me in my grown-up life, there is one thing still missing. Sunshine. Especially this year. This cold has got to stop. I can't handle it ANYMORE.

Therefore, I have booked a trip to Los Angeles for six days to visit friends and soak up the sun.

I'm sorry, Salem. You try so hard, but some things just aren't you. But don't worry, by the time I get back I'll be so happy to see your uncrowded streets and little dive bars. Your coffee shops that aren't Starbucks and your happy people. I'll love you even more for having left for a short while.

But I must go find some sunshine to recharge my solar soul.

Free Internet in Salem

Okay, so awhile back I wrote a post about coffee shops in town and mentioned their internet access. I think I should do an update on some of the internet spots I use. I don't actually have internet at home. Partly because I'm too lazy to research the best options available in my neighborhood, but mostly because I'm trying to pay off school loans on a teacher's salary. So, I rely on the goodness of merchants in town for supplying free wifi.

Coffee Shops:

• Blue Pepper - Very reliable internet access, plus desktops and a printer if I need to print (for a fee)
• Coffee House Cafe - Never had a problem with access or logging on, but I don't use it often
• The Beanery (Liberty St) - Extremely unreliable service (although you can sometimes access La Perla's internet from across the street in the Reed Opera Bldg if you sit in front of the Beanery).
• The Governor's Cup - Pretty reliable service. If it isn't working they are usually pretty good about resetting it if you ask.

Other Hot Spots:

• Boon's Treasury - Good access. Plus you can get a beer. :)
• Johnny's - Seems like good access, although I've only used it once. Good atmosphere, too.
• La Perla Tapatia (in the Reed Opera House) - Seems like it has a good strong signal. I've actually only ever used it from the sidewalk across the street, but it seems pretty reliable. I guess I'll have to go get a taco with my internet soon!
• Skipper's - I haven't tried it, but I saw a sign for it the other day. Plus they have an endless chowder bowl. Sounds like a winning combination. :)

If you know of any other great spots in Salem for free Wifi, let me know. Especially any outdoor spots for this summer!

(Sorry if you read this when it was halfway posted. I don't know what happened to the rest of my original post. It mysteriously disappeared.)

Happy Hour at Johnny's

I'm a big fan of happy hour. I really enjoy the after work happy hour crowd and the great deals. Fortunately, I have quite a few friends who also enjoy the early evening scene. So, Friday we ended up at Johnny's on Center St.

I was very impressed with their Happy Hour deals. They have half price appetizers and 50 cents off well drinks and draft beers. The drink specials are okay, but the food specials are amazing. They have delicious sweet potato fries! And then we each ordered a deli sandwich. The sandwich offered a choice of breads, lunch meats, cheeses and vegetables. It was quite good and quite filling, along with the sweet potato fries. The fries ended up being $2 and the sandwiches were $3.50.

In addition to the food, the music from the jukebox was really fun. Unfortunately, the free Wii wasn't working, so we couldn't try that out. The staff did try to get it to work for us for quite awhile, though, which was very nice. All in all, we had a really good experience at Johnny's and I think we'll probably go back for Happy Hour sometime soon.

A New Header

I've been playing around with my site and I figured out how to add a cool header. I really like this image, but I had to change some things to make it work right. Let me know how it looks. I'd especially like to know if it goes off the screen on the right hand side for anyone. It looks like it works on my computer, but you just never know. :)

Hope you like the new look!

February Rain

Usually, about this time of year, I start to feel desperate for sunshine. This year it feels oddly right to finally be getting downpour. Not that I don't love the sunny springlike days. I do. I do. But being a native Oregonian, I also enjoy a good rain once in awhile. It feels cleansing.

So, I plan on enjoying this rainy stint, reveling in the wind and wet. At least until I get tired of it and start to crave sunlight again. Then I'll start complaining with the best of them!

Saffron Supply Company

Has anyone noticed that downtown Salem has its own local hardware store. I don't know why I love hardware stores. I always have. I guess maybe it comes from weekend trips to the local True Value Hardware with my dad as a kid. I just love wandering around in them and finding all the interesting and odd little things that they sell.

The funny thing is that I'm not all that handy with hardware, so I don't really know what I would buy at these shops, but I like to look around just in case.

Well, Saffron Supply on Commercial may mostly sell to contractors, but I must say that they have an excellent array of sanding supplies for my little painting projects and a mass of knowledge that surely cannot be exceeded by all the people at the big box hardware stores put together!

Wonderful, Beautiful Salem!

It's one of those days when the sun comes out and reminds us that spring is really going to come again. On those days it's easy to feel a sense of peace and wonder when walking around town. I walked through Riverfront Park and wandered through downtown Salem and I felt it again. The feeling that sometimes comes when the sun is at exactly the right angle and the air is exactly the right temperature. I felt like I was where I belonged. I felt at peace. I felt like I was at home and I reveled in it. I felt pride in the beauty of the parks and streets and trees of my hometown. Everyone I saw looked beautiful. Everything I saw shined with life. I was happy and I was happy to be in Salem.

And that's saying a lot for someone who is a self proclaimed wanderer.

My Thoughts on the Salem Hospital Construction

I have had to go to the hospital a couple of times in the past few months. Not for anything serious or anything. Just visiting people or having bloodwork done or walking through the area on a walk.

What I have noticed is that the construction just keeps going and going. I'm sure there must be progress, but just about the time you notice one building looking a little more finished, you notice that they've torn up half of the lobby of another building. Exactly what is it that they are doing over there?

I also noticed that there are a heck of a lot of people coming and going from the hospital area and saw that a large portion of them are workers. Well, I imagine a lot of patients come and go as well, you just don't see them stream out all at once when shift is over. As I thought about it, I realized what a huge employer Salem Hospital is. And not just a huge employer of hospital staff, but of construction staff. Could they be single-handedly holding up our local economy? It sure looks like it when you head over there on a Tuesday afternoon, that's for sure.

So, although I have no love in my heart for the bizzarely expensive medical care in the country, I do see how having one of the major hospitals in the surrounding areas could definitely be a boon for the city that houses it.

Friday Comedy Night at The Space

FUN!
Comedy in Salem in a small venue. What isn't fun about that?

I love seeing live comedy in a small venue and The Space on Broadway and Belmont is definitely small. But the crowd was packed in. Before the show started they had to bring out more chairs and rearrange the existing seating, just to fit everyone inside.

Ed Forman, from Portland, was the comic of the night. He is a crazy, funny, guy with a spoof talk show that makes fun of our society, our media, and even ourselves. Even though he sometimes goes so far that it becomes slightly uncomfortable, amazingly you still find yourself laughing.

I'll definitely go back for more comedy at The Space. And I'm going to try some of their music offerings as well. For a $5 cover charge, you can hardly go wrong.

It's Winter, People!

Well, it's been a few years since this kind of weather has come our way. It feels more like we're up at Mt. Hood than in downtown Salem, Oregon. I haven't seen anything like this since a Thanksgiving snow storm we had sometime back in the 80's.

Here are some pictures of the Arctic Blast of 2008:)

Little snowmen with ice hats outside my apartment.

Great Mid-Century Vintage Couch

Anybody want to buy a beautiful green mid-century couch? My sister has one for sale. It's in great condition, especially considering it's age. Here are some pics.

It's Christmas Time in the City

I wandered over to the Salem Center Mall during my lunch today. I really wanted to get out of the office and walk a little, but it was bitterly cold outside, so I ended up walking through the mall.

Here's what I noticed.

• There is a new store that sells imported mahogany carved items and hottubs. What??
• The food court still offers free samples. :)
• A lot of old people shop during the day.
• Bath and Body Works has their foaming soap on sale for $3.
• The Salvation Army bellringers are located in the skywalks. And they have instruments this year. A trumpet and a guitar. It made me smile because they both reminded me of my a little of my dad, sitting their with their instruments singing their hearts out and playing Christmas carols. They weren't exactly excellent musicians, but you could see they enjoyed it. Ah, sweet. :)

Kudos to Rite-Aid Pharmacy

Can I just say I love Rite-Aid Pharmacy downtown?

I have been to a couple other pharmacies and they are usually just ok. But this one? This is excellent. Good service, nice people, and they are happy to work with you. A real person even calls you when your prescription is ready.

I must say, I am quite happy with them. :)