2010 Primary: Metro Auditor

May 18, 2010, Oregon Primary Election
Nonpartisan
Metro Auditor
4-year term, $92k salary

[X] Suzanne Flynn

-- League of Women Voters (PDF)

Flynn's campaign website touts an Oregonian article about one of her Metro audits. It sounds to me that Metro is unable to actually show that all of the costs the region spends on land use and transportation is worth it.

The other Oregonian article her campaign cites was her audit of the zoo's construction project. Her audit questions the ability of the zoo to handle the $125M bond that I voted against in 2008.

Gordon in total bliss

When she isn't dramatically meowing at us for attention or ignoring us, Gordon loves to rest her head either on our left shoulder (never the right shoulder) or our laps often making a loud sigh when she finally settles down.

2010 Primary: Portland Auditor

May 18, 2010, Oregon Primary Election
Nonpartisan
City of Portland Auditor
4-year term, $102k salary

[X] LaVonne Griffin-Valade INCUMBENT

PRO: Says she will strengthen Independent Police Review Division.

-- League of Women Voters (PDF)

I voted for her in 2006 for Multnomah County auditor, so I suppose there is no reason why I wouldn't vote for her again.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

Scott's photos:

tulipallee, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Scott's photo of ma and my enormous head:

Norm&JoyceInField2 (1), originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Scott, ma, and I returned to Wooden Shoe Farm last weekend. Our hopes dimmed of having a nice walk through a rural farm when we found the Woodburn I-5 exit backed-up and a heavy traffic along the highway. Like our past visits, the farm was very crowded with a tacky carnival area at the front of the farm. However, once we actually got to the tulip fields, I was once again amazed by the colors. The trip was very much worth it.

2010 Primary: MultCo Auditor

May 18, 2010, Oregon Primary Election
Nonpartisan
Multnomah County Auditor
4 year term, $88k salary

[X] Steve March INCUMBENT

--League of Women Voters (PDF)

Although Steve March narrowly lost the election for this position back in 2006, he apparently was appointed to the position since then. I recall back then that there seemed to be a glut of auditor candidates.

2010 Primary: OR Rep 42nd (Dem)

I'll start my traditional online analysis of the upcoming primary election ballot. It's still a little early. I'll work my way through the ballot beginning with the unopposed candidates.

I have no idea what's going on in the Oregon House. The Democrats are currently the majority. My quick review of the candidates show 34 Democrat incumbents and 23 Republican incumbents are re-running for their office, but I doubt incumbency means much.

Oregon House of Representatives
Quorum = 40 House Rules (PDF)
Majority Caucus
05	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	16	21	22	27	28	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	38	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	52	54	29	51
Republican Caucus
01	02	04	06	07	15	17	18	19	20	23	24	25	26	39	53	56	57	58	59	60	03	37	55

--VoteSmart.org

May 18, 2010, Oregon Primary Election
Democratic Party
Oregon State Representative, 42nd District

[X] Jules Kopel Bailey 1-TERM INCUMBENT (2009-)

Endorsements: Significant contributions to Friends of Jules: $24.7k Oregon Climate PAC $7.2k Oregon League of Conservation Voters PAC $3.7k Oregon League of Conservation Voters PAC $6k Brian Wannamaker/Real estate developer $2.5k Brian G. Wannamaker/Real estate developer $5.3 Oregon Nurse PAC $5k Eric Hennings, Seattle, WA $4k Future PAC, House Builders $4k Donald Washburn, Private Investigator $2.5k Credit Union Legislative Action Fund -- ORESTAR Oregon Education Association Basic Rights Oregon PAC The Oregon Nurses Association Oregon AFL-CIO Planned Parenthood of Oregon NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon SEIU local 503 Oregon Building Trades Council Oregon Council of Police Associations Portland Association of Teachers/TVIP Oregon League of Conservation Voters Joint Council of Teamsters No. 37 CWA 7901 Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens Political Action Committee

--JulesForOregon.com, LWVPDX.org (PDF)

Having just moved to SE Portland last year, I don't know know anything about Bailey -- not that I really track what goes on in the legislature. I'll, of course, support the guy running unopposed.

garden border installed

Scott and I installed edging where our sloped front and side yards fall on the sidewalk. Although we would some day love to install a stone wall, for now we're using a cheap & easy eight-foot treated boards and Frame It All landscape edging kits from Home Depot.

While installing the edging, we discovered parts of our front lawn had taken over as much as a foot of the sidewalk. Scott even unknowingly managed to grow some of his plants in just six-inches of soil on top of the sidewalk.

Several people passing-by and neighbors complimented us on our yard. Someone even described the edging as a picture frame around a painting.

Kitchen cabinets: Phase Two

We reluctantly resumed our kitchen remodel. We've enjoyed are new sink, counter top, dishwasher, and cabinets so much that we haven't been motivated to install the two cabinets above the refrigerator and stove.

Here is the elaborate plan I drafted to show the electrician where we needed the plug:

Fortunately, we had the electrician install the microwave/hood plug at the same time he did the counter top plug. It's not pretty, but I'm glad he did this:

Here is the wallboard. This is actually my first attempt. However, the wall board was too thick and I had to take this down. Unlike the other wall in which the plaster was much thicker than the drywall, on this wall the plaster seemed thinner (or maybe the wallboard I used this time was thicker than what we used on the other wall???). So, I removed this wallboard and cut the lathe and then reinstalled the wallboard. Very messy.

Here is joint compound which I glopped on. Fortunately, this will be hidden behind the cabinets, so we didn't feel the need for it to look perfect.:

Here is where we left off until next weekend:

We'll assemble the cabinets this week. However, before we hang the cabinets on the wall, we'll need to figure out the venting. I'm still researching code and the installation manual, but we plan on running four-inch duct through the two cabinets and out the side of the house. We were tempted to avoid the venting issue use a ventless hood filter like our old apartment, but those vent-less filters don't work well.

Rain Chains Up

Rain Chains Up, originally uploaded by nojam75.

Kitchen cabinets: 95% done!!!

Last night, we finished the last major portion of our kitchen cabinet install. The highlights:

• 0. Design and Buy: We spent months measuring and using IKEA's handy kitchen planner. Our kitchen is a good size room, but every corner has a door or window which prevented designing a L-shaped layout. So, we settled on keeping the kitchen's original layout -- although we have moved the fridge to another wall against a window.
  
  Our original $600 plan ended-up becoming $2,800 plan. We had considered IKEA's VARDE free-standing kitchens which seemed easier, but the sizes didn't work out and had fewer options than the typical AKURUM built-in kitchen we selected. IKEA had a kitchen sale which compelled us to also order the microwave and cabinets for above the fridge/stove wall too. The IKEA Kitchen Planner totaled $2,500, but after the IKEA rep added all the little extras our plan was missing, we were closer to $2,900 before the discount.
  
  Unfortunately the day we ordered the cabinets, I also dislocated my knee cap, so the project was basically delayed a month while I was on crutches.
  
  
• 1. Wall Cabinets: We liked the original old wall cabinets and considered keeping them because they were very large. However, the original cabinets were too tall and would have left us with one foot of clearance above any new base cabinets. Like most original carpentry in our house, we discover the cabinet was merely held in with nails so it was just a matter of pulling them down.
  
  The new cabinets are IKEA AKURUM with STAT White front. We wanted glass doors to match the original hutch on the other wall and considered having all four doors glass, but one of our final design decisions was to change the end doors to solid to hide the contents.
  
  Our only regret is installing the wall cabinets before installing the lighting and top molding. IKEA seems to assume wall cabinets will not be installed near the ceiling. We still need to ponder how we will install the lighting and top molding. I have a plan that involves my sister's petite arms.
  
  
• 2. Base Cabinets Removal: The scariest decision was removing the original cabinets and sink because that was a point of no return. From our prior glimpses under the cabinets, we knew there was missing underlayment beneath the cabinets. Our first carpentry task was installing a 3x5-foot section of underlayment. It was pretty easy. Well, admittedly we had Home Depot cut the board to size, but still it seemed like a major task considering I haven't taking wood shop since 10th grade.
  
  
• 3. Plumbing, Electrical, and Drywall: Originally, we thought we would be without a sink for a week while the plumbing and electrical were installed. Well, moving plumbing connections a couple of feet and installing a couple of outlets was a major project that took weeks to finish -- delayed in part due to Christmas. Instead of just patching a couple of holes, the entire bottom half of the lath and plaster wall had to be replaced which we had not anticipated. We insulated the exterior portion of the wall to protect the plumbing and eventually figured out how to install the wallboard. While our first wall installation is less than perfect, most of it will be covered by the cabinets and eventually tile backer board.
  
  
• 4. Base Cabinets, Sink, Counter Top, and Dishwasher: The base cabinet assembling was as easy as the IKEA instructions stated. The only trick was figuring out that the DOMSJO sink also included the hardware for the base cabinet.
  
  We chose the NUMERAR oak countertops because they were relatively cheap and would match the oak floors in the rest of the house. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to cut the counter top which was delivered in one long piece. Fortunately the DOMSJO sink only requires a straight end cut, so we didn't have to cut a sink hole. My error was not supporting the counter top while cutting. The piece twisted and split at one corner, so we had to rotate the bad edge against the wall. Also not mentioned in the IKEA instructions and not obvious when first unpacking was that the counter top does have a top and bottom side as the bottom side is stamped at one corner. I also discovered that it is well worth buying a high quality circular saw blade instead of using the one that came with the saw.
  
  What we didn't realize with the NUMERAR counter top is that we now need to oil it daily FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.
  
  
• 5. TOE KICK, TOP MOLDING, AND TWEAKS: We still have to install the toe kick and top molding. We also need to adjust one of the base cabinet doors and see if we can fit the dishwasher closer into the cabinet.

FIRST DRAFT