pdx?

every once in a while, when i imagine an alternate reality and tap into my inner wannabe-uber-indie-chick, i imagine the charmed life i could be leading in… portland. oregon.

i’ve never been there, but portland has a long-established, thriving music scene. pdx is home to the decemberists, the dandy warhols, the shins (adopted home), modest mouse, quasi, stephen malkmus and the jicks, and cultivated the careers of elliott smith and sleater kinney, among countless others. not too shabby. and it’s got that pacific northwest charm, but the indie cred that prevents the entire populous from wearing birkenstock sandals with wool socks (although, i imagine there are quite a few of those as well, unfortunately).

said alternate universe life includes a little house with a nice, wooden porch that has a swinging bench where friends gather for card nights and imported beer – american beer’s shit and you know it – when the weather’s brisk, but warm enough… and a tiny back garden where i throw bbqs in the summer for all my [unpretentious] indie friends… i also own a beat up car that barely leaves the driveway and a super sweet, but very practical bicycle i drunkenly ride home after gigs, even when it’s a bit snowy… yeah, i daydreamed about that life yesterday, induced by reading a portland-based blog, monitor mix.

i’ve been reading monitor mix on and off for about a year. the npr music and culture blog by carrie brownstein, ex-sleater kinney (oh i miss them), strives to be more ‘descriptive as opposed to merely prescriptive’, but has introduced me to some great music along the way (e.g. yesterday’s blog about telekinesis’s track ‘coast of carolina’ – happy summer to us all!).

i went back today to read the f.a.q. for the blog and found this funny bit that makes me think twice about my portland-based alternate universe fantasy:

“Do I belong here?

Is this really a frequently asked question? Don’t despair. If you had to ask, then the answer is probably ‘no’, but please come back when you have higher self esteem.”

i mean, i’ve never asked that question about my daydreamy non-existent portland life or my real life, so maybe i can or really DO belong in portland… or maybe i belong here…

honestly, who the fuck asks that question?? it’s messin’ with the dream.