That's spelled W-I-N-N-E-R

Do you get irritated when you see signs with an extraneous apostrophe? Does the sight of the words "tommorow," "recieve" or "rasberry" give you cold chills? Then come indulge your inner word-nerd at the Portland Spelling Bee!

Every Monday night, it's a (relatively) wild time at Mississippi Pizza Pub. Come for the pizza and fantastic tiki-inspired drinks by Mark, stay for the spelling and the camaraderie. (That's a Round Two word, BTW.) See how long you can last through six grueling rounds of ever-increasing difficulty... by Round Four, you'll probably be guessing at words you've never even heard before. New spellers are always enthusiastically welcomed, but be sure and get there early to sign up for a spot. And if you should take top prize, you'll enjoy a gift certificate and an official Spelling Bee Champion t-shirt to boot.

After the Bee, stick around for free shows by an ever-changing lineup of local and touring bands. From old-school jazz to new-style folk, there's always something on tap to tickle your eardrums.

The Skinny:
When: Every Monday night; sign up at 6:30 p.m., start spelling at 7:00
Where: Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi Avenue
What: Spelling, pizza and beer (or wine, or mixed drinks)

Wrap it Up on Alberta Street

One of my favorite shopping areas in Northeast Portland is turning up the holiday cheer early this year with this festive kickoff event.

Throughout the Alberta Arts District, 20+ boutiques, galleries and restaurants are teaming up to offer a bevy of special sales (including 20% off everything 5-9 p.m. at Collage, possibly the coolest store in Portland). Holiday lights, carolers, trunk shows and more... sounds like a fantastic way to spend an evening. Plus, 5% of sales from the event will be donated to Sisters of the Road to help brighten the season for some of Portland's less fortunate residents.

Get there early and watch the whole street light up for the season at 5 p.m... a sight guaranteed to warm even a Grinchly heart like mine.

The Skinny:
When: Saturday, November 22, 5-9 p.m.
Where: NE Alberta Street between 12th & 30th Avenues
What: Shopping, music, treats and holiday cheer

What's up, Portland?

Specifically--what's going on in North and inner Northeast Portland?

This blog was inspired by a conversation and a blog post.

The conversation: a discussion with my husband of a recent Leonard Pitts column in which Pitts bemoans the impending death of the newspaper. A sad state of affairs, and one we've been hearing is on the way ever since Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite stepped into their studios and addressed the nation.

"Who's going to pick up the slack?" Jim wanted to know.

"Bloggers," I said.

"But who's going to let people know what's going on locally?"

"Bloggers," I said.

The blog post: Seth Godin suggested that one way to "make money on the Internet" would be:

Connect people who are proximate geographically.
We all know that newspapers are tanking. Yet news, it appears, is on the rise. This paradox is an opportunity. Who is connecting the 10,000 people in your little community/suburb/town/zip code to each other?

And here it is: not a way to make money on the Internet (at least, not at this stage of the game), but a way to connect people living in North and Northeast Portland to each other and to what's going on. Places to go, things to do, shows to see, foods to eat, books to read and every other facet of life that makes living here amid the raindrops and onward-marching gentrification so worthwhile.

So... what's up, Portland? Can't wait to hear what you think.