Let's face it, my dogs know more about living than I do.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

Today the weather is pretty much perfect. It's in the upper 60's, it's sunny, and it's windy. It's going to get cloudy tomorrow, and then the rain will come back and it'll be Portlandy all over the place. Life has been hectic these last few weeks, hence my lack of posting, so I couldn't resist the urge to leash up the dogs and take them to the nearby dog park.

Bailey, Dexter, and Basil.
We had the whole place to ourselves, so I dropped their leashes and let them go wherever they wanted, while I stood back to take pictures with my phone.


I've always hoped that if we were ever somehow separated, and they ended up in some kind of Incredible Journey situation, they'd have the sense to stay together. I feel pretty confident that Basil could lead them somewhere safe.


Now I just hope he keeps them within sight! Actually, they all moved in the same general direction. Surprisingly, it was Dexter who took the lead most often.


There wasn't a specific destination, they just worked their way around the area, sniffing smells and rolling in the grass. Every once in a while they'd look back to make sure I was nearby. "Are you happy?" I'd ask them, and in reply they'd each gift me with one of those big dog smiles. Then they'd turn around and press on.


I love how whatever they're doing at the time is the most important thing in the universe, whether it's eating, sleeping, playing, barking at a noise, or chasing the cats. Truly living in the moment, nothing else matters. And everything is done full tilt, no half-assing at all. I would do well to adopt that way of living myself.


We made our way back home and all three are passed out as I put this post together. Soft snores mix with the sound of the wind outside. I may take them again later, I'm not sure yet. No matter what we do for the rest of the day, I know they'll have a great time.

And so will I.

What the Occupy Portland movement has taught me about myself.

I like to complain about how I don’t like people, but, as it turns out, I may care more than I realized. Who woulda thunk it? Ha!

My awareness of Occupy Wall Street has been comprised of tweets from my friend Avi, and that’s pretty much it. I have been focused on my own problems lately, one of which is how on earth I’m going to find a job in the next few weeks. Quite fitting, now that I think about it. I pretty much live in my head anyway, occasionally stretching my neck to see what’s up in the “real world” when I remember it’s there.

Today was a free day for me. Nothing needed to be done, and I had a stack of library books, DVDs, and a full DVR to keep myself entertained. I got online to check email and tweets, and that’s how I got swept up in the movement. The Oregonian posted a link to the Livestream broadcast, and when I started watching there were already about 2,000 people gathered. I watched as they organized, grew, and started to move. Estimates placed the numbers around 5,000-6,000 people. Is that incredible or what?

Photo by Ross William Hamilton, the Oregonian. For more pics, go here.
Everyone was represented, from babies to seniors. Even though there were so many people, and even though they were loud as hell, it was a peaceful protest. And the Portland police dept. handled the situation really well. Seriously, the rest of the country should have been taking notes. As my heart swelled with pride, I thought, “Goddamn it, I absolutely love the people here.”

Me? Loving people? Yeah!

I love Portlanders. I love the easygoing lady I buy dog food from. I love the peppy chick working the produce department at the grocery store. I love the scruffy guy who nods at me as we cross paths on the sidewalk. I love the dude who gave me a thumbs up when I let him go ahead of me in traffic. People here are awesome, they really are. And they matter. We all matter. Not just here, but all over the country. Hell, all over the world. It is not fair that the richest 1% of the American population holds the wealth, while the remaining 99% shoulders the debt. Things need to change in a big way. I'm not much of an inspirational speaker, so thankfully many people are more eloquent than I am. Check out Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Portland for updates.

Today’s event added fuel to the fire behind my determination to stay in this area. It isn’t just the weather, the scenery, the vegan scene, the pet-friendliness. It’s the people here, too. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be. I want to stay here and be a part of this community, and I will do anything, within reason, to make that happen.

Sorry, having my Kumbaya moment here. Will return to my usual crankiness soon, promise! Until then… I love you!