Where the Hell Have You Been???

I’ve been getting that alot lately in both my online and real world.

Well I jaunted off to Washington D.C. for a 5 day weekend whirlwind tour over Valentines Day. Wound up taking exactly zero pictures because that is just how I am. When I am somewhere cool or experiencing something…I want to experience and it never occurs to me pull out my camera.

Anyway , the theme of my D.C. weekend was – “You can never go home again…”. Some things are best left in the past and old flames and hometowns are included in that for me. I am Portland. I love Portland. Dearly. And maybe I will find someone to love in this town as well.

The rest of my waking hours have been spent in an insane whirlwind of activity related to the MLS to PDX campaign. This has basically become my full time plus job.

Tuesday was an inspiring day. I took 4 Timbers Army members down to Salem to testify on HB 2531which would provide a small amount of funding for the PGE Park remodel. For all of them it was their first time in the State Capitol and their first time testifying before a legislative committee. It was really inspiring to see it through their eyes as I have spent so much time down there in my professional life that I kinda of just forgot that for Joe Citizen the legislative process can be inspiring and overwhelming and intimidating and boring all at the same time.

In the evening we packed the MLS Task Force meeting for the public testimony hearing. It went really really well. This was the culmination of alot of work on my part as I attempted to coordinate the public comments of about 30 people to ensure we didn’t replicate each other and the points we were making would resonate with the Task Force and public at large. After some of the testimony, Task Force members had tears in their eyes.

Sign Up Sheets – Pro on the left, Anti on the Right

Mission Accomplished

Since Tuesday I have been like a Ferret on Crack organizing for this:

We are trying to get at least a couple hundred folks to gather and make their voices heard. I am going to be appearing on sports radio tonight and tomorrow, KGW Channel 8 tomorrow, OPB for a hour next week and hopefully will be able to pull in some drive time news stations tomorrow rush hour as well.

So if you need to get ahold of me between now and Thursday…send me a text/email with the words MLS in it and I might respond.

All kidding aside, it has been really fun to get back into the saddle of organizing and doing the media thing again. I forgot how much fun it is to work 12 hour days for something you passionately believe in.

6 Year Old Soccer Prodigy

Behold Madin Mohammed from either France or Algeria, not quiet sure which.

This kid is pretty unreal. If you have ever coached 6 year olds or kicked a ball around with them you well know that coordination like this at this age is extremely rare. Now whether he grows up into the “Next Zindane” as some are proclaiming who knows; but it’s fun to watch now.

Hamster on a Piano

Apparently there was quite a youtube phenomenon of a hamster eating popcorn on a piano. Being the old fart that I am… I am late to said phenomenon and now only witness to the hamster songs.

Apparently this song:

Hamster Eating Popcorn on a Piano

became a great hit and the original purveyors of the hamster video that inspired the hamster song became pissed and sued.

They won and the “Hamster on a Piano” dance hall creator had to pull down his video and song.

Here is his response:

Goodbye, Hamster Goodbye!

Aren’t you glad you read my blog?

Long time no Write

Apologies to all who read my blog and have checked back only to find zero entries in the last couple of weeks.

I swore when I started this that I would not be one of those annoying self-indulgent writers who just throws stuff up willy nilly but the truth is that life and the it’s niffling, nagy realities got in the way. Like that? I made up a word – “Niffling”. Let’s just call it a cross between niggling and trifling.

I’ve been going pretty hard trying to make money to pay the bills while still trying to find the space to be creative and to keep pushing myself to create; to not let go of the dream.

I’m going to D.C. (more on that later) in a couple days and I’m trying to wrap a few things up on that front, nail down some meetings and see if I can shake something loose there as well. All quite vague I know but I feel like everything is like that right now. Personally and professionally.

So, I promise as much to myself as to you, that I will get back in the regular habit of posting here. I have missed it. I doubt you have.

So I will leave you with a song by Adele! I discovered her last year and lately have really been listening to her stuff. She won best new artist last night at the Grammys and I couldn’t be happier that she got it instead of those insufferable twits The Jonas Bros. Those fellas are an example of all that is wrong with the music industry I tell ya.

But Adele is what’s right. Soulful, honest, unique voice and unique perspective. And unlike the sad case of Amy Winehouse I predict this is one British songstress who is going to make more than one album.