Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Oregon

Deposit for old rental I don't live at.

wcfields — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:32:28 -0800

I moved into a house with some friends in Los Angeles California, we all split the deposit (shared was $700 each), things got weird and I moved out with the person moving into my room agreeing to pay my share of the deposit. That was a year ago and promises of "in the fall" have now gone silent. What do I do now? Long story short: Roommate started dating ex-boyfriend of my girlfriend and he basically moved in within a week of them dating, so I moved in with my girlfriend and out of the house. The person who moved into my old room said they would pay me my share of the deposit in the fall. In June my girlfriend and I moved to Oregon and now that I've asked a few times with no response what should I do?

I will be visiting LA in a few weeks, should I file a small claims? Am I legally entitled to the person moving in and agreeing (written in email) to pay my share of the deposit (but hasn't) to do so? Legally am I entitled to it from the lease holder or do I need to wait for them to move from that property? The original lease was signed over a year ago in May 2007 and by now has probably reverted to month to month. I was never on the lease.

DC to DUX, can't be that hard, right?

parmanparman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:35 -0800

I moved across the country for a dream job at my alma mater, my job's funding was cut and I am now unemployed. I have no benefits and am losing my place at the end of the month. I don't have a lot of money but I have decided to make a go of Eugene, Oregon. I have applied to some temp places, but what else should I be doing as a professional fundraiser and broadcast journalist to find work and get my life together? I am over the despair but I need major help. I'll try to stay active in the thread. This has been a major heartbreak for me. It feels like I have lost a child.

Got a speeding ticket in Oregon. What options do I have?

Takeyourtime — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:18:44 -0800

Got a speeding ticket in Oregon. What options do I have? I took a trip the other day, first road trip to be exact.

As I was driving through La Grande I got pulled over for going 78 in a 65 MPH zone. It was my fault as I was previously driving in a 75 MPH and didn't notice the speed limit had changed. Plus I was a bit nervous and wasn't really paying attention.

Anyway the fine is $287 dollars (ouch). And of course no doubt an increase in my insurance rates. Now my question is. Is there anything I can do to get this ticket reduced or possibly not have an increase in my insurance?

The last ticket I got was over 10 years ago. My record is very clean. I would be willing to drive to Oregon if need be (I live in Idaho).

I do feel very sorry for what I did and accept full responsibility. I just don't think one honest mistake should cost over $1000 dollars (287 + insurance hike).

I heard there is an option to take driving school. If I do that do I have to pay the full ticket and take the driving school?

Basically if you can tell me my options. Or should I just plead guilty and suffer the consequences?

I got the ticket just 6 days ago.

Also any advise to help me stop beating myself up for this mistake? I can't get over it and its driving me crazy.

Proposing an official name for an Oregon Hiking Trail..how exactly?

naplesyellow — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:17:33 -0800

What procedure would one conceivably follow in order to propose a hiking trail be named for a person in the state of Oregon? A couple of years ago a man who was instrumental in mapping the hiking trails throughout the Columbia Gorge passed away. He had worked for the Forest Service. Many of the hiking trails are identified only by number. One trail in particular was his favorite and some of his friends and family want to propose naming the trail for him. Trouble is, no one has one clue how this type of thing is accomplished. Do we approach it as a formal proposal and submit it to the State of Oregon? or the Forest service? Can we consider it as a petition?

I apologize if this seems a simple question--I have tried googling to no avail. He truly was a wonderful guy and most instrumental in the preservation of the trails. I can help put together a packet to promote the idea..I have no idea if there is a procedure in place to follow. I didn't necessarily want to call the US Forest Service, if any of you already know what direction I should start in. Thanks for your ideas.

Meaning of a sign in Tillamook OR?

dorey_oh — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:16:25 -0800

Posting for my mom (and yes, I know it's a long shot!). "What's the story behind the 'Nathaniel, we will always love you' sign posted on the side of a large utility trailer parked in the Coastal Plaza parking lot in Tillamook, Oregon?"

Where should my family go skiing in the Pacific Northwest this winter?

bluedaisy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:13:15 -0800

Please recommend ski slopes for my family to learn to ski and snowboard in the Pacific Northwest this winter. We live in Portland, Oregon, and this winter my kids want to learn to ski (the 5 year old) and snowboard (the 7 year old). I used to ski but was never very good and haven't gone in many years. I'd like to take a few snowboarding lessons (yes I know this will hurt). My husband loved skiing til he hurt his knee. He's thinking about snowboarding.

We have some time around Christmas. Mt. Hood is super close, but since we have a few days, we can drive somewhere, and stay a few nights, if it'd be better for us.

I'd like to find someplace family-friendly (like maybe with a tube center), with a good kids' learn-to-ski/snowboard school. We don't need much beyond green slopes. We'd like to stay in lodging pretty close to the ski slope (this is flexible). Also, we are not rich.

So, what family-friendly ski resorts/slopes do you recommend?

Also, any advice on how to prep my kids for skiing and snowboarding would be great. They're pretty active kids, and my older one already skateboards.

Finally, if you have injured your knee and now snowboard, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

Winter Vacation in the Pacific Northwest

sideshow — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:40:51 -0800

My wife and I are flying into Medford, Oregon on December 7th and flying home from Seattle, Washington on December 14th. We want to spend a day or two in Seattle. Also, we're stopping in Florence, Oregon to see my aunt. But, besides that, nothing else in planned. What she should we see/do in the Pacific Northwest this winter? A couple places we found that look interesting are Mount Rainer in WA and Crater Lake in OR. Can we get to those places easy in the winter? Not that we plan on summiting Rainer :-), but if you know any good hikes in that area we'd like to hear about them.

We like to do outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, etc, but I'm not sure what we could do since it's winter. We don't mind some rain and mist, but we'd rather not have to hike through snowdrifts. We're flying, so we won't have all of our gear, but we'll have our boots, Camelbacks, jackets, etc. We're comfortable with 5-6 mile hikes.

Also, my wife wants to see some redwoods, so any decent places to go to see some huge trees? I know the best thing to do would be to drive back into California and take the 101 south of Crescent City, but that's the opposite direction of where we want to go.

We've never been to Portland and we plan on checking that place out. Mt Hood is close by, any winter hikes we could do there?

Obviously, the quickest route up north in the 5. I'm assuming the 101 would take a lot longer. Would the 101 make a more scenic drive?

We're from Los Angeles, so the more green, big trees, and rivers, the better.

Where do I find a Nepalese hat in Oregon?

dorey_oh — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:16:15 -0800

I'm looking for a local store that carries Nepalese hats (the kind with ear flaps and a tassle). Found lots on line, but I'd prefer to shop in person for this so I can try a bunch on before picking the pattern. REI appears to carry them, I'd prefer something along the smallish import store style. (Can one really shop local for an import item?) Location - I'm in Oregon, between Salem and Eugene, so recommendations in either city would be fine.

What stereotypes do people hold about Portland, OR?

thinman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:06:11 -0800

What common assumptions and stereotypes do people have regarding the city and residents of Portland, Oregon? And regarding Oregon in general? It'd help to know where respondents are from.

First Dates in Portland Oregon

captainsohler — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:34:46 -0800

In the need of first date ideas, particularly in Portland, Oregon. This would be a good spot to reminisce on first dates that worked; or heck, even disasters, but I am especially interested in active dates--ones that are lacking in the "sitting across from each other while picking at a meal, wondering what to say next" quotient. Extra points for active first date ideas in Portland, OR.

Thanks so much!

music suggestions needed

lanita333 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:13:08 -0800

I desperately need music suggestions for a slide show featuring the Pacific Northwest. It can be anything-- vocals, instrumental etc. Please help.

Looking for a great therapist in Portland, OR.

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:15:08 -0800

Please recommend a therapist in Portland, Oregon. I've been taking medication for a little over a year, prescribed to me by a psychiatric nurse practitioner. The medications have worked wonders, but I've come to the point that I'd like to try therapy. My current psychiatric nurse practitioner doesn't really do therapy, and while he has been very helpful, I don't think he would make a good regular therapist for me. I need to continue taking medicine, but I can keep getting the prescription through the RN, so the therapist need not have prescribing powers.

A few caveats:

-my big issues are depression, anxiety and a general difficulty enjoying/getting through life.

-I'm generally skeptical of therapy and the ability of therapy to really be helpful. Part of the reason for this may be because I had really not-so-great experiences with therapy when I tried it in college. I saw several therapists at student health services and they were just awful - I felt treated like a big inconvenience, more than anything, and their advice was usually, "just take a mental health leave," (I didn't), which was not really helpful advice.

-I'm a male, but I tend to have kind of a hard time talking to other men, to say nothing of discussing deep, personal issues with a man. Thus, I would prefer a female therapist. I would just be more comfortable.

-I have insurance through Providence, if it matters. I live close-in; however, convenience is not a huge deal. I'm willing to make the jaunt if the therapy is worth it.

Thank you all in advance.

Biking in the rain

rabbitrabbit — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:19:51 -0800

Questions about bike gear for the rainy season. I live in the Portland, OR area and I've been biking to work since April. So, I'm about to hit my first rainy season and I would like to arm myself to successfully continue biking at least into the fall and hopefully through winter, too.

SHOES: My main question is about shoes that make biking in the rain not a chore. I have been using toe clips and Converse all-stars this summer, but that will absolutely not work with the rain, so I'm going to need to either get waterproof shoe covers, or buy waterproof shoes. And if I buy waterproof shoes, maybe I ought to just upgrade to clipless pedals and shoes? Also, I think I like the velcro straps so I don't have to deal with laces, but I'm not entirely sure what the pros/cons are there.

JACKET: I have a chartreuse bike jacket that has been good for cooler mornings, and it dries fast so it will be good for early on in the fall, but I am going to eventually need some kind of heavier jacket, I think. But I'm afraid that anything heavier will = more sweat, which I don't want (no shower at work). Is there something warm, waterproof, breathable, AND visible that I can get?

FENDERS: I ride a Specialized Crossroads, so it has the overlap. I kicked out my front fender early on in the summer and haven't yet replaced it because it's been unnecessary so far, but I'm going to need a new front fender or maybe one of those things that attaches to the front tube (not sure what it's called exactly) to deflect water. If I get a new fender, I guess it will need to be super-tough since I don't 100% trust myself not to kick it by accident again. Do those things that attach to the bike instead of the wheel work well, would that be a good option?

What other things do I need to bike in the rain? Waterproof gloves? A helmet liner? Goggles which don't let rain bead up on them? Etc.

I've seen this and I've seen this, and both were helpful though they're a bit old now; is there new stuff out there that is awesome?

Also, any recommendations for a bike shop to buy this stuff at? I've heard River City is good. I would love to be able to try out the clipless pedals before I buy, is there any shop which would let me do that?

I'm a lost little plant, what's my name?

dpcoffin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:20:44 -0800

What's this Plant filter? Seems to be a 2-ft.-tallish volunteer in an abandoned pot on our back deck in southern coastal Oregon, but then again, it might just be something we forgot we planted.
TIA!

Portland, OR restaurant recommendations

ga$money — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:17:32 -0800

Looking for Portland, OR restaurant recommendations (I've read the previous posts on this topic). I've read through the other posts on restaurants and dining in Portland, but they're either fairly old or not specific to what I'm looking for. Mrs. Ga$money and I are going to spend a long weekend in Portland in October for our first year anniversary, and I'm looking for a few good restaurant recommendations, particularly places with exciting newer chefs working with local or seasonal ingredients. I'm definitely not looking for something snooty or where I'm paying for setting and attitude. To give a sense of what I'm talking about, in Seattle it would be the Corson Building, Restaurant Zoe, or one of Tom Douglas's restaurants, but definitely not the Canlis. I'm looking for a night that's memorable because we had great food, not because we bled money pretending we're part of the aristocracy.

Breakfast In Corvallis

metadave — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 10:38:26 -0800

Can anyone tell me of a good place to have breakfast in or around Corvallis, Oregon ? Some place quiet and warm with wood tables, maybe slightly on the natural foods side of dining but not extremely so. I'll be in Corvallis tomorrow morning and I have searched on the web some. So far I have found:

Darrell's
Melmac
Sunnyside Up

But iI can't get much of a feel online for any of these places and of course there may be others that I am missing out on.

I would really appreciate any suggestions that anyone has.
Thank you.

Help my friend get the surgery she needs without going into massive debt!

JaiMahodara — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:12:53 -0800

My friend needs surgery but has no insurance. She thinks she can be covered if she goes on her parent's insurance in another state and has the surgery done there. Is this true? What kind of paper trail can the insurance company find? Health Insurancefilter: Please help me solve this insurance issue for a friend. Sorry about the length...it's complicated.

A couple months ago, my good friend 'D,' currently living in Oregon, had a cyst on her tonsils, which was removed at her own expense as she does not have health insurance (a couple hundred bucks). After leaving the hospital, she came down with a pretty bad staph infection, which is common after a minor surgery as staph tends to thrive in hospitals. Because she doesn't have insurance, she went to several free clinics to get treatment, and was given various diagnoses and antibiotics, etc.

And still, the infection persisted. After the most recent culture, she learned that the infection is MRSA, an extremely antibiotic resistant strain, and poses the risk of death. The doctor believes she needs her tonsils removed, as they may be feeding the virus, and may have to be on an intravenous antibiotic drip. But again, she has no insurance.

However, she thinks she can get on her parents insurance, who live in Florida (she is in her early twenties, and apparently there is a law in Florida that would allow her to do this?), in which case she could have the procedures done in Florida under her parents health insurance, if she claims that her permanent residence is still in Florida.

So here is the trick. She just signed a lease, along with someone else, which goes into effect August 1st. The lease is a sublet in house owned by a man who is leaving the country for the year. Its a pretty informal, personal thing, but he does have paperwork with her signature. She is wondering if the insurance company could somehow find the lease and thereby revoke her claim. Does she need to take her name off the lease? What about the fact that she's been paying Oregon state income tax? Wouldn't the insurance company find that first?

Neither of us know anything about this really, so any advice would be extremely, extremely helpful.

Thank you Hive Mind...you save lives.

Help Me Pick: Tucson or Portland, Oregon For Under $1000/Month

justcorbly — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:05:27 -0800

I'm thinking about relocating to two cities that are wildly different. One city is Portland, OR and the other is Tucson, AZ. Yes, I have visited Portand, and I've visited Tucson and spent considerable time living in Phoenix. I do not intend to buy. So here are questions: What can I rent for no more than $1000 per month? What neighborhoods should I consider? Avoid? Is it realistically possible to live in Portland without a car? By that I mean within a 5-minute walk of groceries and other needed shops, like a pharmacy. Yes, I know it rains a lot in Portland, and that Tucson gets hot and almost never sees rain. Getting rid of the car has been a long-term goal, so that's why Portland is on the list. Otherwise, Arizona holds much more appeal.

What "green job" can I get with these plant science degrees?

bengarland — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:36:25 -0800

I have a BS in Horticulture (UGA) and will soon have an MS in Crop Science (NCSU). I've spent most of my life in school and now I'm nearing the end and need to know: What kind of jobs can these degrees help me get? First, a few caveats:

1) I'm moving to Portland, OR which is full of green jobs, sustainability initiatives, farmer's markets, and all of the wonderful agriculture in the Willamette Valley. Please constrain your suggestions to jobs that would potentially be available there (i.e. Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Milwaukee, etc)

2) I would like a job that is in the city, accessible by bus or MAX. Ideally no more than 4 miles from the end of any transit line (I'm not willing to bike more than that, especially during the rainy season). Something with at least 40% of the time outside, interacting in the community, traveling, etc... I don't want to be stuck in front of a computer all day, every day.

3) I do not want to work for a greenhouse, in landscaping, turfgrass, etc. I'm looking for something more meaningful, related to helping the environment, community, farmers, etc. My ideal job title would be something along the lines of "Director of Agricultural/Environmental Sustainability" for Multnomah County (if that job even exists!).

4) Possibly relevant past experience includes: Worked for several years as a web/graphic designer, ran my own small business, served in the Air Force as a satellite communications technician, worked on organic agriculture projects in Latin America, speak Spanish fairly well.

NOTE: I'm not looking for actual, currently available jobs. Just pointers on what kind of positions I could look for, types of companies (or even specific names) that I should keep an eye on, search terms, etc. I have no idea where to start and/or get my foot in the door.

Thanks in advance for the help. It is a bit overwhelming to find a job when you don't even know what the options are!

We're moving out west!

Fifi Firefox — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:09:17 -0800

Where can we live (in the US) that has both pleasant summers and awesome snowboarding? My boyfriend and I plan to move in the next year or so, and we’re having lots of fun picking out potential dream cities to live in. My Metafilter searches have turned up some great options and several really helpful threads along similar lines, so I thought I’d throw our requirements into the mix.

My boyfriend’s goal in life is to have easy access to awesome snowboarding, and I’m cool with that as long as I can still have summer - I don’t want to be wading though snowdrifts year-round, and I want sunshine and milder temps for at least a couple months. I also want to be in a decent-sized city - nothing huge (or really expensive), but I like being near restaurants, concerts, art/culture, festivals, shopping, bike trails, and so forth. My boyfriend will be attending grad school down the road, so proximity to a university would be nice.

That’s our wish list. So far, we like Denver, Fort Collins, Seattle, and Portland (and we’re open to more suggestions). We also need some help narrowing our choices so we can plan a trip to visit some of these places, so I’m putting the gist of what we’ve found about each city below, and any comments from people who have actually lived there would be helpful.

Denver - Large city so better job prospects (I‘m a graphic designer), weather similar to where we are now (Wisconsin, which actually seems to have harsher winters). Right by Vail, Breckenridge, et al., so obviously the snowboarding would be great. What’s the downside? Is it expensive to live there? (We’ve already nixed Boulder because it seems pricey.)

Fort Collins - Sunny with mild winters, college town, smaller than Denver so less expensive and less traffic. Further from snowboarding - looks like 3-4 hours to the big resorts - but are there smaller hills nearby? Is it kind of sleepy and suburb-y there?

Seattle / Portland - Both look like awesome cities with great culture - what are the differences in size, cost of living, general feel, etc? Seattle has Mount Ranier and Olympic National Park, and Portland is right by Mount Hood - how does the snowboarding / skiing compare to the big Colorado resorts? I’ve read varying reports of the weather in this area, from “it’s always gray and rainy” to “it’s always gorgeous and mild” - what’s the truth?

First, they came for my cherries, and I said nothing...

cheeken — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:26:29 -0800

Help me understand why taking my cherries at the OR-CA border without reimbursement is legal. I was in Oregon for July 4th, and Safeway was having an amazing sale: $1.48/lb for cherries. So, I bought 3 2-pound bags.

I drove, and while I am usually waved through the Oregon-California USDA produce checkpoint just south of the OR-CA border, they were stopping every car this time. I saw a couple cars in front of me and the people wearing USDA vests asked them a question, and then *TOOK THEIR CHERRIES.*

When it was my turn, I wasn't sure if I should lie, since the cherries were in a cardboard box that was visible in the backseat (but closed), and I didn't know what could happen if I did lie.

So, I told the guy I had two bags, pulled out two bags, and he asked me where they were from. I said Safeway, and he then looked at the bags and said that since there was no identification that they were, in fact, from Safeway, he would have to confiscate them. I asked if I could eat a bag, and he allowed me to pull over to the side and eat 2 pounds of cherries, but said I needed to bring back the stems and pits.

So, after this experience, I have a few questions, and google wasn't all that helpful:

1) Is it a legal issue to take cherries across the CA-OR border? I understand the bugs and fruit flies and all that, but I want to know if it's illegal to possess Oregon cherries in California.

2) The USDA runs this produce patrol: what happens if they think I'm lying about my produce? Can they search my car? Fine me? Call the cops? Call the Feds? Call my mom?

3) Since these cherries were rightfully purchased by me and then confiscated, shouldn't I be given restitution? A coupon for 2 pounds of California cherries? A couple dollars? Why isn't this like eminent domain, where they can take your house, but they have to pay you?

In other words, how is it legal (and fair, for that matter) that the USDA took my Freakin' Delicious Cherries of +3 cheapness at the CA-OR border?

Tell me where to camp outside of pdx.

Lutoslawski — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:50:42 -0800

Where should I camp this weekend in Oregon? I've got a three day weekend coming up (friday-sunday), and I HAVE GOT TO GET OUT OF PORTLAND! I'm relatively new to the area, and have not explored too much outside of the city. Where are some great tent camping spots? I'll be traveling with my girlfriend. We are both young and love a good strenuous hike. Things I'm looking for (not an exclusive list, just some thoughts):

-Not too far of a drive (maybe ~2 hrs?)
-Near to the cost
-Maybe some hot springs?
-Relatively secluded and not too "touristy"

I'd also love any info on what I need to know about camping in Oregon. Stay on state park land? Or venture in BLM land? Can I have a fire? Do I need to make a reservation?

Thanks hive mind.

Essential knowledge for Eugene, OR

solipsophistocracy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:45:06 -0800

What do I need to know about living in Eugene, OR? I just moved to Eugene for grad school, and I don't really know anybody yet. I live close to campus, directly to the east, and I don't have a car. I'm hoping that I won't need one, but don't know yet if that's realistic or not.

I have a few specific questions, but would also appreciate any general tips about living in town, recommendations for must see places or rad local businesses to support.

Where should I buy a used bike? Is there a shop that specializes in used bikes/repairs?

Are there any restaurants that I absolutely need to check out?

Is there an awesome tattoo artist here?

Thanks a lot, everybody.

My apologies for the hodgepodge nature of this question.

Microsd card for Garmin

orlin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:12:53 -0800

Can I buy Microsd card for my Gamin 400T for a sandisk or any other microsd card maker? I'm after an inexpensive 4GB card. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks...Orlin

Somebody shoot me...?

Evil Chicken of Doom — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:11:08 -0800

Where can I find a reputable photographer in the Oregon Coast area? I would very much like to have photos done when my significant other comes to visit in a week, but I live in Podunkville and haven't explored the outlying regions well enough to know who's out there.

Are there any studios in the Central Oregon Coast region who are reputable and don't charge an arm and a leg? I'm looking for something above Wal-mart quality, but can't afford to drop several hundred dollars for a photo session, either.

To give you an idea of location, we will be traveling from as far south as Gold Beach, to as far north as Lincoln City, so anywhere somewhat within that range would be optimal. Thank you for your help!