anti:freeze

Cup & Saucer Cafe, SE Hawthorne, home of the best vegan cornmeal pancakes in Portland

Last weekend, a friend visited from Bellingham, Washington, and we ended up in one of the sparkly red booths at Cup & Saucer. I had not visited SE Hawthorne all winter, and it was liberating to ride across the river on the No. 14, to break out of the downtown grid, even if just for a few hours. (You see, I have a tendency to hibernate in winter, to hide in my small corner of the city. My friends are probably giggling as they read. They know that I hide all year round, and that I fear bridges even more than I fear earthquakes. My psychogeographic explorations sprang from an effort to engage with this city, to push my boundaries.)

inside the Cup and Saucer (note the funky tile and lighting)

An altar of twinkling, electric lights on a lawn just off SE Hawthorne

I set my lomo on a car hood to capture this shot, not thinking about the reflections. I love how they turned out, burning across the hood like a trail of fire.

Bishops barbershop, SE Hawthorne

I love the signs on SE Hawthorne, how they jut out over the sidewalk, competing for attention. At night, I like to pretend I am somewhere else. Descriptions like Nick's Famous Coney Island feed the fantasy. (See it there, in the background?)

Mannequins in the display window of Red Light Clothing Exchange, a vintage clothing store, SE Hawthorne

I am never hip enough for stores like this. Do I want to be?