EAT, DRINK, SLEEP BRIDGE

On the ride from Portland to Seaside The Kodiak Perspective met two other travelers who were on their way to play bridge, one from Honolulu Hawaii, and one from Chicago Illinois. The game has such a powerful draw that people will travel thousands of miles to play.

Amtrak arrived at Seaside after the first night festivities had started, not that the Perspective was in any condition to play after the trip from Alaska, so after checking in to the Seashore Inn, The Perspective strolled over to the playing site and found Kodiak citizen Stosh enjoying the opening session. We agreed to meet in the morning for a game (9am).

Taking a walk around town reveals that Seaside closes up at 9pm in the off season, finding dinner proved a challange, fortunately there are places with bar menus, and The Perspective enjoyed a bowl of Chowder.

Nine am came early after a nights rest, Stosh and the Perspective enjoyed a session together, playing respectably and earning some "red" points. In a bridge game, points are awarded for playing well enough. At bridge clubs the points are "black" or regular, at tournaments you can get "color" for the strength of the game as well as the number of sessions to earn them.

The early game ends too close to the afternoon start to get away for lunch, so back to back sessions means that your brain is active and engaged for a long period. The Perspective finds a partner and a pair for a team event, but we are knocked out of the competition as are half of the teams entered.

After dinner at Guido's and Vito's, antipasto, the evening session takes its toll on the ageing crowd, as some people are caught napping at the table. The Perspective notices his own lapses, and knows that tomorrow will be easier.

SEGWAY PATROL

The Kodiak hookup did not work out, as CK1 was out playing golf with his dad, so most of the day was spent people watching, reading and napping. The Kodiak Perspective does not feel rested after overnight air travel.

Portland is full of characters, the streets are full of pedestrians even on a weekday, and there is a party attitude. Some of the pastimes The Perspective observed were hacky-sack, hula hoop, musical performed on the street, political activism, and sidewalk chess.

Bicycles are everywhere, chained to posts, on the road, aboard busses and aboard the light rail. This town is very bicycle friendly. There are more makes and models, than the Perspective has seen on organized bicycle tours.

The downtown area is patrolled by cops on Segways, The Perspective even saw one cop navigating the walkway while texting aboard one of these silly machines. Still, one has to feel sorry for these fellows aboard the Segway, especially since they have to wear helmets on a gyroscopically stable platform, only GWB can manage to fall off (he didn't turn the machine on).

TRAVEL WEARY

The Kodiak Perspective left the island for only the second time this year. Kodiak citizens always
ask how one can leave when the weather is so glorious, and indeed Sunday was sunny and warm. The best answer is that you are sure that the planes are flying. When traveling off of the rock, good weather is a plus.

A thank you and shout out to "bridge partner" for a ride to the airport, we left early and had lunch at Java Flats, it was a nice afternoon to sit out on the porch and have a sandwich.

Arranging travel is always an adventure from Kodiak. This trip included a lengthly, 8 hours, layover in Anchor Town. Unable to locate a copy of "Infinite Jest" that the Perspective was hoping to read on the plane, The Perspective instead found a book called "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." Guernsey is an island that fascinates the Perspective since reading "The Book of Ebenezer LePage" about a Guernseyman.

The Perspective arrived in Portland Oregon, his first time in this state, and getting downtown from the airport couldn't be easier. The lite rail is only $2.35, and is free in the downtown area. After a cup of coffee and this post, The Perspective hopes to hook up with another Kodiak Islander on vacation here in Portland before heading out this evening for Seaside.

GOIN GANGSTA

The Kodiak Perspective will be leaving the island for a few weeks. In the past this has meant a hiatus from blog posts, but this time The Perspective will be in touch, traveling with a laptop, and a new gangsta fone. 

A gangsta fone is a throw away mobile devise, no plan, pay as you go, perfect for those who dislike phones, but may need use of one while away. Theses disposable devises are called gangsta cause you use em and toss em so’s you cain’t be caught with the shizzle, dig.

Part of this trip will be spent playing bridge, so the posts may be about the game, or it may be about travel, but there will be posts that is a promise. 

It has been a while since The Perspective has left the island and these ventures out into “civilization” often provide a chance to apply the perspective to the “real world.”

HIT COUNTER TURNS BINARY

OK, the Kodiak Perspective is not nearly as popular as other Kodiak Blogs, but it is fun to know that some people enjoy the musings here.

Today, the hit counter returned to binary, and a palindromic number.

There are 10 types of people in the world:

Those who understand binary. . .

WEDNESDAY BRIDGE

Congratulations to Bill and Susan Oliver, our club director and scorekeeper on a fine game. The Oliver duo have not been playing as much since their retirement. They enjoy travel and family. They are soon off again, but on Wednesday they had their game face on.

Cowboy Cobis made a delicious pan cookie with apricots.

If you are looking for a dark time activity, you might consider joining the Kodiak Bridge Club, Wednesdays at St James the Fisherman Episcopal Church, 421 Thorsheim, at 7:pm.

For more information about the game of bridge, online lessons are available at the ACBL web page. You can also find books at the public library.

BRIDGE BASICS:

Bridge is a partnership game (pinocle, euchre, spades). Players sit at the points of the compass (N, S, E, W).
Partnerships try to figure out how many “tricks” they can take (pinocle, euchre, spades).
At home, best 2 out of 3 wins (rubber).

A SHINY NEW PENNY

You can’t get much for a penny, but it is hard to make change without them. The most stable coin, design wise, is getting a new look for 2009. The Lincoln cent debuted in 1909, one hundred years ago, and has only seen one major design change, from the wheat back to the memorial, and that was 50 years ago.

For 2009 the reverse, coins have an obverse (heads) and a reverse (tails), will depict events in the life of Lincoln. 

All the special coinage of the past ten years has reignited an interest in coin collecting, and made getting change fun. Have you found an Alaska Quarter yet? Have you been looking?

One design that was rejected by the mint was for the Lincoln Navigator, sponsored by Ford.

Sarah Palin Sex Tape

This is a short animated film (nothing explicit).

CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER

A UPS driver told the Kodiak Perspective that UPS has already exceeded last year’s volume of parcel and FEDex is maxing out street time as purchases arrive on the island from internet and catalog shopping due to the distribution of the permanent fund. Parcel volume is also reported to be very heavy at the Kodiak Post Office.

Give people money and they will spend it. At least most of them will. Many live by the adage “A bird in the hand . . .”. Who knows, you might die tomorrow and leave that money unspent. Why wait?

The merchant class thanks you.

ABSENTEE – IN PERSON

The Kodiak Perspective will be out of Kodiak for the next two weeks, and so will miss the election on October 7th. Fortunately there is an easy way to take part in the political process, the absentee – in person vote.

Stop by the Borough Offices anytime between now and the 7th, and you can cast your ballot, thus saving you the trouble of remembering to vote on the given day.

After reading over the election packets sent out by the Borough and the City, the Kodiak Perspective wondered if there was even a reason to go to the polls, there are more positions than candidates. But then he remembered that there is the proposition to bankrupt those in Kodiak who already can barely afford housing.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS: Look at the race in the primary between Andy and Dave. It was settled by 17 votes. Just a handful of voters. So don’t think that your vote is not important, it is.