Zipcar Trip to Ikea, Home Goods, Dress Barn and Fred Meyer, and a couple of sights to see in my neighborhood.

Saturday, believe it or not, I decided to forego seeing the Porsches in Cars in the Park. I got myself a Zipcar and did some errands instead.


The Zipcar of the day, a Toyota Prius named "Plush," a hybrid hatchback. I only had to walk four tenths of a mile to get to the car--not bad at all, especially since the closer one, only one tenth of a mile away, showed up on Zipcar's Web page as unavailable when I searched for a car to reserve.


This was my first ever trip to Ikea all by myself, no son along to keep me on task, following the arrows on the floor, and not missing any details of the Ikea experience.


Here's what I got at Ikea, five additional Branas baskets for my Expedit bookcase, six more Ribba picture ledges, one table-top ironing board, one Antonius over-the-door hanging rack which just might work when I have Milton and Kay here in a few weeks, and one Lajban drying rack, which just might work if the other one doesn't. No one likes or needs or deserves a somewhat soggy bath towel.


See the C reflected in the back window? That's how I found the car again--I parked in a space near the C because I figured I could easily remember cool and/or crazy, both terms that have been applied to me, now and then.


At Home Goods, a store I had never previously shopped, I found one more over-the-door rack with an attached shelf, plus the cutest paisley fit&fresh Retro Chiller Bag which includes a lunch POD with reusable chiller pack (their capitalizations). That's the bottom of it that you see here. I figured out how to attach it to a strap on my backpack! Next I drove over and parked in front of the Dress Barn where I lucked out and found three tops, two on sale, one not but still comfortable and affordable. No photos of the Dress Barn plastic bag--I know you are thrilled at that turn of events!


I extended my Zipcar reservation by using the app on my iPhone, drove home and unloaded the back of the car, ate a quick lunch of tuna salad and saltines, accompanied by a small Mt. Dew in a can. Then I drove to the Hollywood Fred Meyer and shopped for groceries, etc. Once I had made my purchases, I filled the two rolling black bags in the anteroom, grocery cart area, exited for the Zipcar with the Northern and the Brawny and one of the bags in the grocery cart, pushing the other rolling black bag. That silver sliver you see beneath my rolling black bags and the bag of Brawny is the removable thing that you attach somehow to the inside of the back of the car so that what you have in the back of the car is out of sight--it goes up and down with the opening and shutting of the hatch. Of course, someone who drove the car prior to me had taken it loose, I am not sure how to attach it, nor did I really need it. One of these days I may have to figure it out, but not yesterday.


I unloaded everything with 15 minutes to spare, drove the Prius "Plush" to its home, and walked back to my apartment. As I crossed the street, something shiny inside the open door caught my eye. I walked in and talked for a few moments to the nicest woman inside the Tip Top Cleaners , locally owned and operated, on the corner of East Burnside and SE 20th Avenue. The sidewalk you can see is along NE 22nd Avenue, heading north. That's my path between the apartment the "Plush," the Zipcar Prius.


"These mosaics are great! Did y'all do them yourselves?" "I did," she replied, smiling. "This is Mt. Hood!" I exclaimed. The lady replied, "My Mama thought I was going too slow, so she put some things at the bottom (to finish it), but that's the thing with mosaics (it didn't hurt it)!" I agreed with her and asked if I could take some pictures for my blog. She gave the OK. The pieces of mirror on the sides of Mt. Hood had reflected the sunshine, catching my eye as I walked by on the sidewalk.


The other counter says, "Welcome." I wish I had thought to ask if she worked on the mosaics elsewhere or here on the base of the counters. I will stop by again some time and ask.


As I left, I told her how much I enjoyed their neon sign, a comment that garnered me another big smile. Then I took this photo and continued on my way, for a few steps.


Then I stopped, looked at the sign painted on the window, glanced back south on the sidewalk and decided to take this photo. See the white car in the distance, about to come out of the side street?


That side street is where "Plush" lives. The closer white car in on East Burnside."Plush" at home, behind the 76 station.


A close-up of the sign on the window. I really like how the outline paint's color closely matches the color of the neon at the bottom of the arrow. Besides going back to ask about the process followed in making the mosaics, I need to get back over there after dark and take a few photos of the neon sign. Then I'll share them with you.


In the meantime, here's the same photo as above, altered at Picnik with the effect known as Lomo-ish.


Another couple of steps and I couldn't resist this oh-so-professional-looking Alterations, expertly painted across the three windows which such confidence in its ability to make someone notice what it says.


One final colorful local place caught my eye as I walked by, Spunky Monkey Coffee Roasters .