Spring Cleaning Sale!

We're doing an experiment with a Spring Cleaning Garage Sale online! Apologies, but these items are for local folks in Portland, Oregon - unless you want to drive here from Salem or somewhere in the state. Please feel free to reach me through here or my phone # is on each ad on Craig's list.

Here are the items we have for sale:


1.20" Phillips TV $50

3. Glass-Top Dining Table with 4 chairs $50

4. Excellent Condition Rug 6.91' x 5.5' $35

Updated: Found Home for Rescued Tigger

Update: We decided to keep Tigger and it has now been a year since - he has grown into a really lovable kitty, and has really blossomed. We're grateful that no on decided to adopt him…things do have their way of working out don't they?

I made the quick decision to take this 2 year old cat in, while I found him a home. The owner was going to take him to Sauvie Island and “set him free.” Dumping a cat in my book is totally unacceptable, but as the Oregonian pointed out recently, whether it’s the economy, or just because they don’t want or can’t handle the pet - people abandon pets all the time.

We’ve been calling him Tigger, because of his beautiful coat and stripes that run through it, and because he is really a bundle of energy.

When thinking about adopting Tigger, you must be aware of his special needs. He needs to have an owner that will take the time and care needed to re-program him a little. I have no idea what the owner did to cause his odd behavior, but I do know that he was neglected for long periods of time. I was also told that he was punished harshly for bad behavior.

I would keep him, but we just put my own cat of 8 years almost a couple of Friday’s ago. I just don’t feel ready for ownership until I have healed better from losing one of my best friends.

He has been fixed and evidently has all his shots.

Brad Pitt, New Orleans and Change

During the anniversary of Katrina this year, presidential candidates talked about re-building in New Orleans. The President himself visited. Promises were made by President Bush, mainly, "The federal government would learn the lessons of Katrina, we would do what it takes, and we would stay as long as it takes, to help our brothers and sisters build a new Gulf Coast where every citizen feels part of the great promise of America."

Promises are just that, speeches are the same - action has never really followed, nor promises fulfilled. Often, a friend that I met and others tell me, that when you actually go through the neighborhoods, other than the French Quarter - it looks the same as it was three years ago. Nothing has changed.

Currently, though, there has been a swell of change - and the color is pink. The person behind it may be familiar: Brad Pitt. Pitt decided to act rather than sit on the sidelines and complain about the slow process of re-building, and teamed up with green-builder William McDonough. Together they formed Make It Right and The Pink Project.

Make It Right intends to build 150 new houses in the lower Nineth ward. Pitt and company has asked and received help from 13 architect firms, numerous home designs and a lot of help from the American people.

The houses to be built take the storm into consideration, and raise the bar on the rebuilding process. The architects were asked to design a 1,200 sq. ft. house with a budget of $150,000, and the project would help with arranging the financing. One design team opted for a lightweight concrete foundation, anchored by two pylons, so that if another flood came through like Katrina, the house would float.

Find out more at Make It Right

Cheers - Christian Messer