I was admittedly a bit of a homebody early this week--of course it's easier not to spend money on frivolous things when you stay home, and because most of the things I need to do can be done from home, I haven't had many excuses to go out. It's been relaxing, but I've also been feeling a bit stir crazy. The last couple of days I've been finding some free and cheap things to do around town, all easily accessible without driving.
On Tuesday I spent the day at home, but in the evening I went for a four-mile run around NE and SE Portland. It was a beautiful day, not too hot like last week. It was nice to just get out and experience the area on foot without feeling tempted to stop anyplace for a snack or a drink.
Meanwhile, the Kerns picnic was going on at Oregon Park, just a short walk from my home. I met my friend Tim there in time to catch the second half of Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was projected on a big screen. Afterwards we grabbed a beer at the Laurelthirst Pub where there was free live music.
Yesterday I bought a Trimet day pass and took the 20 downtown. I scored a free sandwich at Lunch 2.o and spent a couple bucks on coffee at Floyd's.
I've been wanting to get some new (as in used, but new to me) clothes for job interviews and such, so I walked over to Buffalo Exchange where I spent two exhausting hours looking for and trying on clothes. I ended up leaving with two items, which cost me $25. I'll have to try some other places another day. I've gotten some recommendations for other shops, most of them not too far from home.
After shopping I was starving. I was tempted to get food downtown, but resisted the temptation and hopped back on the bus. At least I remembered to bring a bottle of water with me.
After making dinner and doing some things around the house I headed back downtown to attend a free show at Berbati's, which my friend Em opened.
I'm amazed at how much less stressful it is to go downtown by bus than by car! I've always thought of my car as something that gave me more freedom, but I'm now realizing how often I avoided going places because I didn't want to deal with driving in traffic or with trying to park. Taking the bus makes it so much easier. It's nice to get to relax and look out the window or to be able to return phone calls and text messages in transit.
A lot of my friends ride their bikes from the east side to downtown. I tried it a couple times a few years ago, but never found a route I felt comfortable with and found the traffic to be pretty intimidating. That's something I'll have to work on. But for now walking and riding the bus are serving me well.
Tonight I'm planning to attend the launch party for a new local publication, which I'm very excited about. Portland Afoot is a guide to getting around the city without a car. I feel very lucky to have yet another great resource to look to as I try to navigate this new lifestyle.
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