Writing snippets.

Drove out to the Badlands again, and parked at a trailhead. Don't know why this frees me up to write, but it does.

I've been writing snippets of description and conversation, without any clear idea of where it will fit into the story. For some strange reason, these Bend stories (that's how I'm thinking about them, the 'Bend stories') are involving social issues.

I'M ONLY HUMAN is talking about animal rights. GARGOYLE IN LOVE, which is about an alien invasion, seems to involve climate change.

It fun to use the same characters as the first book because I feel like I know them, instead of making them up. I get great utility out of being able to go to the actual settings (so far, the high desert, and Bend) to get descriptions.

The plotting conundrum for me, is that I discover the plot by writing and that may not be the most efficient way to do that. But I'm not sure I can do it any other way. As I've said, I usually get about 50 pages in, and then either get blocked, or push my way through. Once I push my way through the block, I usually have a glimmer of the rest of the plot.

Once I get there, the surprises in each chapter are enough to keep me writing.

I've always heard the advice to quickly get started on the next book so that any negativity from the first book won't stop you from continuing. Which is a good idea, I think.

If I keep writing, I should be better in five years.

Should I continue to write even if no one will ever read it?

I think I should. I may get good someday. I can keep trying. Maybe someone will discover me.

Besides, I think it's good for me, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually. I tend to sit around all day and do nothing meaningful if I'm not writing. There is nothing wrong with flexing my creative muscles. All I can do it try to get better.

I'm boxed in at the store. Nothing more I can do without throwing everything into chaos and danger, and at this point -- me being 59 and Linda being 63, I don't see the point of that. I think I need to play out the string. Keep it going. Not try to fix what isn't broken. It's earning us a living, after all these years, and I'm thankful.

But I also take lots of time off. And if I'm going to take lots of time off, I should try to write. I had some success once, and people may put it down, but it's more than they have accomplished.

What surprises me the most, is that I'm only marginally better than when I broke off writing. I may be a bit more mature in my approach, and I've had a few more life experiences, but essentially, my creative depth is about the same, my fictional skills are about the same.

Which actually, when I think about it, isn't all that surprising. I feel pretty much the same inside -- still feel 30 years old, which the same level of creativity.

So I need to pick up the learning curve again. And hope that I can improve dramatically if I do it full time for awhile. I learned an awful lot in the 10 years that I was trying to be a writer the first time. I can probably learn just as much in the next 10 years, if I apply myself.

The first book, actually, I flailed around for a few years, just learning basics, and even 4 years in, I was still going down wrong paths, and finally put together a reading copy about 5 years in. I was learning exponentially.

The next 5 years I also was learning, and making lots of missteps, but simply through the act of writing 6 more books, I learned some things.

In the last 25 years, I've only tinkered with writing. I've thought about what I would need to do the next time I tried to write.

But I'm still somewhat surprised that my skill level isn't much higher than before. My work habits are a bit better. But my creativity isn't that enhanced, nor is my basic fiction writing skill level.

Sure, I've written a blog for 6 years, but that it like having a conversation.

So the way I'm going to look at this is -- it isn't so important what my writing skill level is now. I'll do my best. But I have to hope that if I apply myself, I'll get better. So the question if, how much better can I be in 5 years? In 10 years?

I had to take those 25 years off from writing to make a living. Now I can go back to trying to be a writer.

I need to continue to write through the doubts. I remember when almost no one thought I could do it, finish a book, much less publish one. I kept forging ahead, with less evidence of potential than I have now. Sure, I was young and stupid and what I didn't know didn't hurt me -- but I'm more financially secure now and I'm still feeling the urge to create.

I still feel like I have an epic fantasy still inside me. What I'm writing nowadays is helping me prepare.

Oh, Spartacus.

So the newly freed German gladiator is celebrating a little too much. Spartacus cuts off his face.

He stands there, as his brain wiggles out, and flops squishily to the floor with a wet splat.

Oh, Spartacus. You party pooper.

I can't believe this show exists.

Barsoom rules!

Let Legends Rule.

Have no idea what it means, I just woke up with the phrase running through my head.

**********

Turns out, a lot of the nerd verse is rallyig to the defense of John Carter. Someone mentioned that he thought it was because of the older nerds who went to the movie because we knew what Barsoom was. Lots of writers and cartoonist have come out and said they really like the movie.

Sounds about right.

I'm sorry that I was part of the steady negative drumbeat, even though I always intended to go see it and judge for myself. As I said, I hated the title change: Warlord of Mars, Princess of Mars, or even John Carter of Mars, all would have evoked the wonder of the original pulp.

I'm not the only one who thinks that Disney mismanaged the marketing; it looked way too generic. I didn't know it had been directed by the guy who did Nemo and Wall-E until a few days before it came out.

And I still maintain that it could've been just as good a movie if they had shaved 100 million off the special effects -- then the money its earning would have made it a hit.

I thought it was just as entertaining as Avatar, for instance. Hopefully, it will get some good word of mouth.

**********

Nerd-vana

Has nerd culture gotten so cynical, so spoiled that we don't even recognize a good movie when we see one? I really enjoyed John Carter -- but, sadly, there will probably be no sequel if people ignore it.

I'm not talking about the horrible science-fiction and fantasy movies I had to endure when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, which were either done by Hollywood hacks who didn't understand the genre, or by Hollywood hacks who thought the way to present the material was by making fun of it.

I'm talking about real good faith efforts to faithfully translate onto screen what was in the books, or comics.

The hell with that. Sorry. But I'm pissed that so many opportunities are being lost because fanboys can't get their heads out of their asses to see decent movies, but reward crap like The Transformers.

Rocketeer, Serenity, Watchmen, Bladerunner, Strange Days, Sky Captain, The Golden Compass, and many others I can't remember at the moment. I remember nearly begging people to see Serenity, for instance. (And Firefly before that -- sorry, you just think you saw the original run, but you didn't because nobody did.)

Some, like Bladerunner, have a huge afterlife and effect, but again, if they flop when they first come out there is little chance we'll get another.

You guys just don't know how good you got it.

For Goodness Sakes, go see it.

John Carter.

It was fun, and spectacular, and it had heart.

What's wrong with people?

Saturday suds.

So, in a nutshell, Deschutes County considers itself too good for the applicants who actually applied for the position of county administrator.

Well -- this really ought to attract an even better crop of candidates.

**********

Moebius has died. Anyone who ever saw the original Heavy Metal movie should grieve a little. He also did the production design for Fifth Element. Airtight Garage. A genius.

Some of his material (Incal) finally came back in print recently -- and then seemed to go instantly out of print. argggh.

**********

I go to Reddit now for my daily dose of belly laughs. Usually only takes a few minutes.

Amazing what is caught on camera. I mean, think how weird and funny life is, that this much stuff is online.

***********

I was grocery shopping with Linda (usually not a good idea since our bill usually doubles). I picked out some "Sugar Free" pastries.

My stomach does not like "Sugar Free" pastries. Not at all.

**********

The Hunger Games juggernaut is rumbling our way.

I wonder if all those people I've told over the last three or four years: "Oh, you haven't heard of Hunger Games? Believe me, I may be the first to tell you, but I won't be the last..."

...I wonder if if they remember me saying it?

Probably not.

**********

I was drinking my lemonade, and it was kind of warm but there was still some ice rattling around. Couldn't figure it out.

Finally emptied the container, and there at the bottom was a big chunk of hard milky plastic that broke off from the ice dispenser.

Now I know how I died in another dimension.

No wonder the ice was coming out so slow!

**********

John Carter is trailer proof -- critic proof. Linda and I are going to the noon showing today. I'm letting my 12 year old kid out -- the one who loved "The Long Ships" and "The Vikings."

If you've been reading this blog, you know I've been panning their lousy trailers and their stupid name change.

But now my Underdog rooting wires are being tugged -- since it appears it will be a famous commercial disaster, I just have to go see it.

It's getting about a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but only a 30% rating from "Top Critics" which means, what, a higher rating from other critics -- shall we call them "Nerd Critics.?"

The original books probably wouldn't do well if they were reviewed by current critics, now would they?


**********

Worlds that should have happened.

Got a t-shirt in with the Dire Wolf emblem of the Starks, and the words "Winter is Coming."

I'm thinking how cool it is and then...Wait! The Starks? What a bunch of losers!

I want a Lannister t-shirt. (Well, maybe not the sister-lovin' Lannisters, but the kick-ass short Lannisters.

**********

Silly me. I assumed that Johnny Depp would be the Lone Ranger, not Tonto. He has done the weird makeup thing again. Cool.

So...I'll just get it out there since I assume there will be a lot of this: They couldn't have gotten a real Native American?

Then again, could any Native American play Johnny Depp? I don't think so.

**********

It is just falling dark when I close up at the store at night. Which is quite a change from even a few weeks ago. Another couple of days and it will be full light when I close. Psychologically, it feels very different.

**********

I was talking to a friend about Princess of Mars and how it may have been the first science fiction written in the U.S. (Depending on whether you count Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe and so on...)

I read all these books as a kid, and I loved the adventure. I didn't care about whether the science was accurate or not.

Anyway, I have a Steampunk section at the store, which is next to the Retro-Futuristic section, which is next to the Weird Western section, which is next to the Zombies, Vampires and Werewolf section, and I was talking about how Pulp was mixed in with this and how my store reflects my ongoing interest in this whole world that never happened.

The worlds that were possible and imagined but never really developed, except in fiction.

I was talking about how cool it would be to have a big store, and have little sections devoted to each genre.

For instance, a Steampunk section, maybe with a steam-robot of some kind, and pictures and apparel on the wall, and toys and books.

I actually don't think this "dream" store is possible, mostly because the material isn't available on an ongoing basis.

I think I'll do a blog about this problem of availability later, because it's something that no one thinks about.

Stay the course.

So the store has had a terrific first 7 days of the month. This follows a good February and a very good December. January was flat, but I could easily point at the horrible shopping weather.

Anyway, I sat down a couple of days ago for a five minute Solitaire game. I quickly won, and then won again and again. Every card seemed to slot into the pattern, and I quit finally because I had other things to do.

Next night, I sat down and started losing every game of Solitaire, every card leading nowhere.

The point it -- there was a time that I would have taken the excellent sales of the last 7 days as a sign that I was doing things right and to do more of it.

Whereas now, I'm at least aware that it could be a simple statistical anomaly -- just as 7 horrible days in a row could be a simple statistical anomaly.

The answer, of course, is to wait for more confirmation.

At the beginning of my owning Pegasus Books, we went through an explosive growth stage. So I kept doubling down, putting all the winnings back into the pot. I thought I was pretty nifty. Smart and clever.

Then it all collapsed.

I thought I was pretty stupid.

It was only later, when the dust settled, that I realized that I personally was not responsible for the boom and bust of a fad. But I was responsible for how I handled it.

I survived, which meant I handled it better than most.

So nowadays, I tend to think that I ride the waves up and down, rather than instigate them. Sure -- if I negotiate the changes well and wisely, I'll do well. But mostly, I'm now aware that the ups and downs of business are built in, and that my job is to maintain a steady course.

I think most small business owners make both too many and too little changes.

Too many, in that they over-react to actual change. Too little, in that they under-react to possible change.

My job is to make steady changes based on thinking and planning -- not to wait until things get bad and make panicked changes. Not to jump into a new location, or suddenly add to expenses, or cut expenses, or change what I sell, or any number of drastic changes in the face of changed circumstances.

The idea is to plan ahead, and build in extra margins and alternatives, so that I can easily steer into the new headwinds. I think customers reward steadiness, but you have to prove it first. Excitement is all well and good, and no matter what you do, those waves will start washing over you, both good and bad, and you simply need to deal with them.

Just keep on course, steady at the wheel.

Wednesday Wats.

So the Apple data center in Prineville will be "small" and "essentially run itself."

I know you're probably expecting me to slam it, and the tax incentives it took to get it to come to central Oregon.

But you know what? I think it's a good thing, and could lead to better things. Just as the one data center probably helped lead to this one, we might be able to expect more to come.

Just a couple of days ago, there was talk of hurrying up the improvements to the electrical grid. (Jobs.) Building the center. (Jobs.) Land sales. (Jobs.) There has to be at least some maintenance and security. (Jobs.)

Besides, it's Apple and Google. Put THAT on Prineville's resume....(Steve Jobs...heh.)

I think all this adds up. I look at it like the way I would look at my business. Sometimes you add a product line, for instance, that doesn't immediately add up to much but which by carrying, opens up all kinds of possibilities.

Sure, sometimes it doesn't work. But often it does, so you have to take the chance.

**********

Amazing how fast Linsanity died off.


Also, one of the reasons sports isn't as attractive to me is the lack of any real loyalty. The Colts dropping Peyton Manning, for instance.

I know -- it's not like the players show any loyalty either.

**********

The new Russian company that bought Epic Aircraft. (For baby boomers just the thought of the Russians Are Coming is somewhat boggling.)

They of course tell us that they won't be moving the company away from central Oregon.

**********

"Knopp to Challenge Telfer."

Um. Why?

**********

Had a friend come over and fix a couple of our heaters. He turned off the fuse box thingy, and I couldn't believe how fast the house got cold.

We're just one power failure away from primitive shelters.

For perspectives sake.

Because I own a bookstore and because I'm insatiably curious about books and read online sites like Shelf Awareness and the New York Times Book Review, I'm aware of how many books there are; most of them pretty good, all of them representing hard work and imagination.

Oh, come on, I hear you saying. Pretty good? Well, yeah. Or they wouldn't have been published. Sure there are clunkers, but there is a quality threshold for paid material that I think is nothing to sneeze at.

So it's easy for me to see every other writer as more creative and harder working than me.

Which may or may not be true.

But the point is -- it doesn't matter. I can't let it discourage me. I need to just keep plowing ahead.

Going to sites like Reddit also show how very clever and humorous other people are: I mean, it's intimidating. It's funny how, depending on how you look at things, people -- all those people out there -- are both stupider and smarter than I usually think they are.

Probably just a reflection of how damn many people there are, that a small percent still represents millions of stupid people and millions of smart people, and everyone in-between.

San Diego Con had 60,000 tickets available yesterday -- for an hour. If you were already registered. Yikes.

A drop in the nerd bucket.

I just have to wrap my brain around the sheer mass of people. Like that the 1% would still represent 3.5 million people. Or say the top 10% of creative people would be 35 million people. The top 20% would 70 million people.

That's some competition, eh?

I'm not saying this is a great insight. But it's an observation that I have to remind myself of on a constant basis.

For perspective.

Tuesday tings.

On one hand, I know I'm wasting too much time going to Reddit everyday.

On the other hand, I always get a belly laugh or two. Every time I get a belly laugh, I feel like a week younger, so enough belly laughs...

**********

Huffington Post was making a HUGE deal out of the Limbaugh thing, until people started pointing out that their owners, AOL, were advertising on his show.

Then all the stories started to subside for awhile. (I had an image of a scramble at the Huff Post offices -- "You mean WE advertise on that show?")

Oops.


LATER: I was wrong. AOL dropped Limbaugh along with 18 others so far. (Who's an advertiser and who isn't is a bit murky. Who stays in, will be all in.)

As to my post yesterday, wondering if Limbaugh would have sense enough to back off -- or would try to get cute?

He tried to get cute. It didn't work. He dug the hole deeper, but he still seems arrogant about it all. As of yesterday, I figured it would all blow over, but now?

Only if he shuts up, which I don't think he is capable of doing.

By the way, Colbert had more extended clips of the things Limbaugh was saying and it was sooooooooo much worse than I knew. If anything, the media has been playing it down. If the things he's been quoted as saying were 10's on a scale, he said a whole bunch of things that were 8's and 9's.

I still think he'll weather the storm, but I think he's tarnished. I think he's incapable of understanding that he won't be able to say the same things he used to say...

(I try to use the real name of people I'm talking about -- most of the time. Instead of cute but demeaning nicknames.)

**********

I had a good friend who listened to Limbaugh about a decade ago, and we used to have some good discussions about politics. He left town and we lost touch.

I have to wonder if it would even be possible to have a civil argument nowadays.

Seems like a lot of my friends are conservative. Partly because I'm a pretty conservative guy in personality. Kind of feel like you need to live by a eithical code. Not so much a relativist in my own behavior, or I try not to be.

On the other hand, I like to think when it comes to others that I'm trying to understand them. The weaknesses and bad luck.

I've had some good luck, and I know it.

I think personal behavior is just that, and within your control. I picked up a bit of puritanism from my Mom, I think. Stoic philosophy. My behavior is my behavior.

I think society is complicated, people have baggage dumped on them that isn't their fault, so I'm a liberal when it comes to politics.

**********

a mini-Area 51.

Apparently, my subconscious has been itching to go on the second book. "Gargoyle in Love." (thanks, Bruce.)

This is the part of writing I really like -- the inventing, discovering, first draft part.

I've spent a couple afternoons in the high desert, and I've got this idea of making the basin just beyond Horse Ridge into a mini-Area 51. (My book involves aliens.)

Didn't the D.O.D. have some program out there? Radar? Something like that?

And hasn't there been talk of a experimental site in central Oregon for drones?

Anyway, it's fiction, so I'm making it so...

Popped my cherry (angloma).

I don't tend to run to the Doctor for every little thing.

Really.

I'm of the opinion, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If I feel fine, I'm probably fine. Interestingly, lately I've been reading articles that some of the medical establishment is coming to the same opinion.

In fact, except for a hernia operation 20 years ago, the only reason I've been to a doctor in my adult life was for my meds check; my yearly Lipitor prescription (and even that seems unnecessary to me if nothing else has changed...)

Anyway, for a long time I've had this reddish mole-like thing on my thigh which seems to have gotten bigger and itches once in awhile.

I woke up this morning, and I had scratched at it so much it was bleeding. What was worse, it was no longer just round, but had an irregular shape. I go online and look up the dreaded melonoma. Sure looks suspicious.

So I get dressed and go directly to my doctor's office. The receptionist wants to make an appointment, but I just stand there and ask for five minutes, and so on, and finally she agrees to let the nurse practitioner look me over.

While I'm waiting, they do a blood pressure test and I'm high. "Usually, if anything, I'm low," I say. (Linda says, "Of course your blood pressure was high. I could see it in your face....")

So the practitioner comes in and seems very serious when I describe my symptoms, but the second I show her, she smiles and says, "That's a cherry angloma. Go home and look it up. It's harmless."

Well, I tell you -- that's a stupid way to get a rush of endorphins but that's what I got. Huge relief. I may have been silly, but I'm glad I insisted on a quick answer; I sure wasn't looking forward to waiting for a test.

I go home and look it up, and sure enough -- I can see how I was fooled. A benign skin growth.

One of the possible "complications": "Psychological distress."

Yeah.

In the city, you lose your shadow.

Went out into the high desert yesterday afternoon to do some writing. I'm not sure why the terrain is so conducive to that.

My usual haunts at the Badlands were crowded. I wonder if some events were happening? Or just a beautiful weekend day?

Anyway, went a bit further out to get some solitude. Started driving to the Pine Mountain Observatory, because my new story involves Little Grey Men and that would be a great setting for a scene. The snow and mud was too thick for my car, and I turned back around.

Found a dirt road and just kept following it until I got to a footpath. Walked down it for about half an hour.

It was blue skies (though unfortunately hazy). Warm. A little bit of wind.

And completely quiet. Not a sound, not even a bird.

I poured out my ice drinking container, which was sloshing and clinking. And just soaked up the quiet. 30 minutes from town, and I could have been on the moon.

As I walked back to the car, the sun was setting and my shadow grew longer and longer, and it occurred to me, that in the city you lose your shadow. Artificial light, and short viewpoints, and canyons of buildings and enclosed spaces.

I'm going out there again today, because just at the end of my walk I found an interesting path that wound up into some rock formations.

Defanged?

Even in the benighted 70's, even as a benighted teenager, I knew better than to call any girl a "slut" or a "prostitute."

What interests me about the Limbaugh thing, other than his apparent lack of awareness that the Pill costs the same whether you have a little sex or a lot of sex, is what he does from here.

I think he's managed to dance on the edge for a long time (to me, he's been over the edge many times), but has had either an innate instinct about how far he can go, or has just figured his followers will follow him anywhere. (Which, by the comments I've read, is still true. His advertisers, not so much.)

So...how does he proceed? Does he take a step back, think about what he's saying? Go on as usual and trust in his instincts? Can he even say anything interesting if he has to step back from his usual blowhard persona?

He'll be watched like a hawk for awhile. Has he been defanged? Has his viagra of bile been taken away from him?

I'm not hopeful.

Nothing if not ambitious.

I have an idea of writing a whole series of books set in the mythos I've created.

This first book was about how the world of Faery and the world of humans (Bend!) combining forces to fight off the invasion of the Cthulhu.

The second book will be about a Gargoyle who falls in love with an alien "Grey" and asks Cobb for help in finding the object of his obsession, and how they fight off an alien invasion.

And so on.

I have ideas for werewolves, time-travel, vampires, steampunk, etc. etc.

Of course, first I have to finish the first book.

What happens if no one likes it or reads it?

Well, knowing me, I'll probably go ahead and write the next ones anyway. Or not.

But I'm thinking I probably will.

And I thought a bookstore was hard!

Posting the last "Comings and Goings" and noticing how many high end restaurants have come and gone in the last three years, got me curious.

I made a couple of loops around downtown and counted the eateries that have survived.

If you take out bars (D & D, Corey's, JC's, Summit, Seven, Sidelines, etc.) and coffee shops (Starbucks, Bellatazza, etc) it's a pretty short list.

Alpineglow
Cafe Sintra
Taj Palace
Pizza Mondo
New York Sub
Super Burrito
El Jimador
High Tides
Soba
Blacksmith
Pine Tavern
Bend Brew
Deschutes Brewery
Toomies

So what I notice is: either there is Brew involved, or most of these survivors are what I would term "regular" or "casual" dining. (If I've overlooked anyone, I apologize.)

What's left of "fine" dining, I measure, without the Brew is:

Toomies
Cafe Sintra
Taj Palace
Blacksmith
Pine Tavern
High Tides

I know that the Blacksmith has been going through it's drama, and the Pine Tavern has changed hands.

Then look at the list of "fine" dining that has left:

Volo
Bluefish Bistro
Merenda's
Deep
Little Italy
Bistro Corlese
Ciao Mambo
Cork
Staccato
Giussepe's
Decoy
Bourbon St.
Bond Street Grill
Gatsby's
Tyhpoon!
Bo Restobar

And that is leaving out dozens of bars and casual dining establishments.

And I thought a bookstore was hard!

Downtown Comings and Goings. 3/3/12

Another changeover for another restaurant/bar.

Hola! is taking Tart's place, kitty corner to my store...

You know, when you start thinking about these high end restaurants on a street to street basis, I'm pretty sure that over half of them (just guessing, about 2/3rds of them) have changed hands in the last two & half years. Must be a brutal business.


NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN


Hola!, Bond St., 3/3/12.
Amanda's, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Barrio, Minnesota Ave., 2/12/12.
Rescue Moderne, Harriman, 1/12/12.
Letzer's Deli, Franklin Ave. 2/12/12.
Navidi, Minnesota Ave., 2/9/12.
Mazza, Brooks St. , 2/9/12.
La Magie Bakery, Bond St., 1/6/12
Brother Jon's Ale House, Bond St., 12/10/11.
What Lola Wants, Wall St. , 12/2/11.
Jackalope Grill, 10/12/11.
Gypsy Soul, Wall St. 10/12/11.
Colour N' the City, Tin Pan Alley, 10/12/11.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St., 10/12/11.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 10/12/11.
Ruby, Minnesota Ave., 10, 12/11.
Kariella, Lava Road, 8/24, 11.
Plankers, Wall St., 7/11.
Faveur, Franklin, 7/11.
Dream Pebbles, Minnesota Ave., 6/15/11.
Bend Yogurt Factory, Franklin/Bond, 4/26/11.
High Desert Lotus, Bond St. , 4/4/11.
Tryst, Franklin Ave., 3/11/11. (Formerly Maryjanes, **Moved**).
D'Vine, Wall St. , 2/9/11.
Let it Ride!, Bond St., 1/29/11.
Gatsby's Brasserie Bar, Minnesota Ave., 1/8/11
Tres Jolie, Wall St., 12/20/10.
Caldera Grill, Bond St., 12/7/10
Bond Street Grill, 12/7/10.
Perspective(s), Minnesota Ave., 11/20/10
Toth Art Collective, Bond St. 11/20/10
Boken, Breezeway, 11/20/10
Dalia and Emilia, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Antiquarian Books, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Giddyup, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, Bond St. 4/5/10
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe, 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7. 11/5/09
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09 (**Moved, Wall St.**)
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails

(List begun, Fall, 2008.)

BUSINESSES LEAVING

Tart, Bond St., 3/3/12.
El Caporal West, Franklin Ave., 2/24/12
Bo Restobar, Franklin Ave., 2/9/12.
The Lobby, Bond St. , 2/9/12.
Arts Central, Brooks St., 2/7/12.
Typhoon!, Bond St., 2/5/12.
Gatsby's, Minnesota Ave., 2/5/12
The Dog Patch, Minnesota Av. 1/9/12.
Bend Mapping, Bond St., 1/9/12.
Lotus Moon, Brooks St. 1/9/12 (Moving into Tres Jolie)
Bond Street Grill, Bond St., 11/20/12.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 10/11.
Azu, Wall St., 10/25/11.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Av., 10/11.
Bourbon St., Minnesota Ave. 10/12/11.
Curiosity Shop, Minnesota Ave., 7/11
Luluemon, Bond St., 8/26, 11.
Shear Illusions, Franklin Ave., 7/11.
Crepe Place, Wall St., 7/11.
Pita Pit, Brooks St. , 6/28/11
Smith and Wade Salon, Minnesota, Av. , 6/3/11.
Perspectives, Minnesota Av., 6/1/11
River Bend Art Gallery, Bond St., 5/5/11.
Donner's Flowers, Wall St. 3/11/11. (**Moved out of downtown**)
Maryjanes, Wall St. , 3/11/11. (new name, Tryst, moved to Franklin.).
Di Lusso, Franklin/Bond, 2/9/11.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 1/2/11
Marz Bistro, Minnesota Av., 12/20/10.
The Decoy, Bond St., 12/7/10.
Giuseppe's, Bond St., 12/1/10.
Ina Louise, Minnesota Ave., 11/3/10.
Laughing Girl Studios, 10/21/10
Dolce Vita, Bond St, 10/21/10
Diana's Jewell Box, Minnesota Ave., 10/15/10.
Lola's, Breezeway, 10/8/10.
Oxygen Tattoo, Bond St., 10/3/10.
Great Outdoor Clothing, Wall St., 10/3/10.
Volcano Vineyards, Minnesota Ave., 10/3/10.
Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10 (Moved to Oregon Ave., 8/10/11.)
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro

(List begun, Fall 2008.)

Told you so?

Old Bubble Blogger Bruce Bewert likes to toss a "told you so" every so often from a distance. He split town, but can't seem to get over how dysfunctional Bend it.

When the water "deal" was announced, I wondered if it was a complete capitulation, or some sort of delaying tactic. Apparently, the opponents think the latter.

Still, a delaying tactic seems better than going full speed ahead when you don't have the money.

Speaking of which, today's Bulletin has this headline: "Bend Officials Have Gloomy Outlook For City's Finances."

I'm thinking about making a career change, since according to our Police Chief it looks like I can "steal your stuff and we won't be looking at it unless you get beat up while they steal your stuff." Hey, I'm not into beating people up, but I wouldn't mind taking all their possessions without consequence. Sounds like a deal.

O.K. O.K. I won't bring up all the money we wasted on Juniper Ridge, or the lost opportunities to raise funds while the boom was actually happening.

I'm a little confused by this, though:

"Officials say that until these problems are fixed, both residential and economic growth within Bend will be hindered to the point of stagnation."

So which is it? Are we going to face growth with insufficient infrastructure? What about that first paragraph in the story?:

"Bend officials aren't optimistic about the city's five-year financial outlook, and they aren't banking on a major economic rebound."

Maybe I'm dense, but it seems to me that whatever growth occurs needs to pay for whatever infrastructure improvements need to be made to handle that growth.

No, I suspect the real problem is that our officials let Bend grow beyond what it's infrastructure could handle without installing revenue streams to pay for that growth because it's the same "No Tax" mentality that infests the rest of our country.

I think there is almost zero chance that any tax measure will be approved. So the only other options are higher rates, or reduced services, or longer waits,

So No Tax to you, and keep your doors locked and don't get in a car accident and try not to play with fire.