Today we are happy.  Our Spring Collection is available in Apple stores nationwide.  Go and check it out here, or stop by and say hello.  We are on the 2nd floor, suite 203.

This week we have the distinct pleasure of meeting Dogan, the  beautiful Golden Retriever you have probably seen wandering around the  building.  Dogan’s companion is Bethany from Blue Tree Strategies  located on the second floor.  I often walk past their office and see  Dogan chilling out by the glass partition, the remnants of various toys strewn around him.

Dogan is 4 years old and is originally from South Carolina.  He’s a fine Southern Gentleman who enjoys long walks on the beach and frequent  skinny dipping to retrieve balls.  Bethany adopted him from a rescue organization just over two years ago and gave him a wonderful second chance to have a meaningful, fulfilling life.  Together they drove out to Portland about 7 months ago, visiting over 12 states along the way.  His favorite foods are bacon (who doesn’t love bacon??) and cake.  Let them eat cake, I say.

Dogan visiting our office for his interview

Dogan is very lucky to be allowed to sleep on Bethany ’s bed, provided he gets her up on time and provides lots of snuggles.  He, unlike my dog Chica, is very generous with his space and sticks to his half of the bed.

Dogan has a girlfriend (he is such a handsome guy, after all - who could resist him?) Her name is Stevie (as in Nicks?) and she is a  German Shepherd.  I’m sure they make a stunning couple.

Next time you see Dogan, stop and say hi. He is very friendly and loves to meet new people.

This week we are introducing Greta the German Shorthair Pointer.  At the tender age of 3 1/2, Greta presents herself as a very proud lady, as evidenced from her profile picture.  Greta’s companions are Holly and David from DC202 and Greta comes to work with them every day where she gets to hang out with the rest of the DC202 crew - human and canine alike.  She has lots of canine friends in the DC202 office including Suvi, Sid and Tucker (who we will introduce later in this series).  Tucker provides the local ear cleaning service which Greta seems to love.

Greta receiving Tucker's salon services

...and now for the right ear.

Greta’s favorite place to run is the beach and she makes the journey out to the coast often.  She also loves to roam around the area where she lives and, being as she is a pointer - originally bred for hunting, she loves the game of hide and seek.  David hides a tasty morsel somewhere in the grounds behind their house and Greta loves to go hunting for it.  She is also partial to bones and, if there are none to be had, she can often be found with her favorite toy - a ball.   Greta loves to play fetch and can play for hours in Forest Park.

So, next time you pass Greta in the Leftbank hallways, please stop and say hi.

We have all been watching the horrors in Haiti unfold over the past ten days.   Some of us have been doing more than just watching.   Our Leftbank neighbors at Uncommon have been rolling their sleeves up and helping to raise funds for the disaster relief efforts of the Red Cross.  Please visit their website here to find out how you can be a part of this process.  Also, please don’t forget that you can easily donate $10 by texting “Haiti” to 9099 on your cellphone.

The submissions are in… 95 in all.  And you are invited to learn all about them.  Which vision for Portland’s Memorial Coliseum will win the hearts and minds of the Rose Quarter Advisory Committee?  On January 26th, all those who submitted an idea will have an opportunity to present their vision to the general public.  The event will be held at the Coliseum (a mere stone’s throw away) and doors open at 5pm.  For more information and to register for free tickets click here.

I wanted to share some good news with my fellow Leftbankers:

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week (December 2nd, 3rd and 4th) the Leftbank Cafe will be open all day until 8pm with HAPPY HOUR from 5 - 8pm - so come down and join us for some happiness!

We will have an assortment of beer (and Upright, of course) and local wines - with pairing suggestions to go with our wonderful soups.  There will also be a very tasty charcuterie plate that can be paired with just about anything.

And, of course, being as this is happy hour - the prices will make you happy too.

Add one more line to the list of benefits to biking….  50 cent coffee.

In honor of the BTA’s bike commute challenge, the cafe is offering deliriously fresh stumptown coffee for only 50cents to bike commuters all month!     Leftbank has super-ample bike parking and if you’ve yet to see it, the Leftbank cafe is a fine, fine place to take a pause before rolling down the road…    If you already come by regularly, consider this a little pat on the back for living well and treading lightly!

Special thanks to Stumptown for partnering up on this one.           Also, if you’re new to biking in the area, we’ve put together a map (extra thanks to Carl and Greg) to show you the most simple ways to roll in.     If you’re just getting into the commuter thing, the BTA is offering free bike commuter workshops, too.   So think about it - cheap coffee, free workshops, fresh air and bike fun?    Recipe for a fine September, no doubt.

…and in closing, here are a few shots of my coffee getting down with my bike.

see you out there~

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  The best part of my work at Leftbank is crossing paths with innovative, inspired and inspiring people.  Everyday.  The Leftbank community is a steadily growing and delightful assembly of Portlanders, and August brought us a bumper crop. more

You might not know Lloyd TMA (Transportation Management Association), but you’d sure know it if they weren’t there doing what they do. In their own words, they’re “an action-oriented association working with businesses and public agencies in the Lloyd District to improve access and mobility…” TMA’s work to support biking and carpooling, parking management, and alternative work hour programs undoubtedly impacts everyone in the district. Whether living there, spending an afternoon, or passing through on a commute, everyone in the Lloyd District benefits from the work and the vision of TMA.

With the Café open and the building busy all the time now, Leftbank’s doors are open for conversation and connection. Last week a group of TMA board members gathered at Leftbank for just that. I planned to give them a tour of the building, but we started in the brewery and as a group we never made it anywhere else. This was likely due to Alex’s usual generosity with his time and his beer. After some sampling, we headed back up to the Café where the lure of good food in a comfy spot kept everyone around the table all afternoon. No matter. We were happy to have our neighbors over, and I expect I’ll have plenty of opportunities to show them through the building some other time.

a great way to casually and organically discover more about Leftbank is to check out the new Points of Interests signs hanging around the building.

these signs were developed by Leftbank’s own andy powell of gallopowell studio to highlight several particularly sign-worthy spots around the building. they will most likely become a permanent installation (after tweaks to make them more permanent).

for guidance, you can go to the Directional Signage - the floor plan signs that are mounted on pieces of wood (from the Leftbank renovation!) and hanging in front of the tile walls on each floor (see pic above). the Points of Interest are marked by asterisks on these signs.

and, if you want more of the jazz history of the building, check this out.

enjoy the tour!