Dear Portland,

I love you.

For a variety of reasons. We are focusing only on one today.

About a month after I arrived here I got a parking ticket. I was downtown for an interview with the temp agency. I had pulled into a spot, paid, and was going to put the sticker on my car, when a city truck pulled up and a city worker got out with a "Loading Zone" sign. He put the sign near the back of my car. I asked him if my car was ok where it was. He said yes, it was fine. So I left and went to my interview. I returned an hour or so later to find a $60 ticket on my car. I was so very, very angry. My only options were to pay the fine, go to court and risk having to pay the fine plus court costs, or pay the fine but attach a letter contesting it. I chose option 3. I waited until right before it was due, of course, and by then I didn't even have time to find a printer to print a letter, so I hand wrote it. Ridiculous, I know. I thought I had a snowball's chance in you know where of getting my fine dropped, but regardless, I wanted them to know that I would have moved my car if the city worker had told me I needed to. It's not as if I would willingly park in a spot where I would get a ticket. I was there trying to find a job! I explained all of that in the handwritten letter. The worst part was that I had to pay the fine at the same time as contesting, not knowing what would happen.
I kind of forgot about that incident, because other things have been on my mind, until today. Today I got a $60 check in the mail! The check stub said my case had been dismissed! Yipee!!
Lessons learned-stand up when you know you are right, and handwritten letters are accepted by government offices.

Thank you Portland. It is much appreciated.

Love,
Liza

In other news, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom!

And one last bit of news: You might have noticed that I have not been mentioning many movies lately. I decided that since I watch so many, I am not going to give you a review of each of them. I am keeping the review cliff notes on the side bar, but unless I really really like something, or really really hate something, I am not going to post here about it. If it's just ok, it will only go on the sidebar. All that to say that I highly recommend the movie Management. It was quite enjoyable, except for Jennifer Anniston's hair, which was terrible.

That is all. Goodnight.