Welcome Aboard
Congratulations for making it through an extended metaphor you didn’t ask for, and more importantly, for being an essential crew member of the SS Friendship! I can’t believe the journey I’ve had to get to almost 40 years of life, and it would have been a helluva lot more boring without all of you. Thank you for making my life so fun and so full of incredible memories. I can’t wait to celebrate the whole crew when we’re together in August. You want some details? I guess you can have them now:
RSVP
Are you coming? Let me know! Because this is a celebration of my relationship with you, and I may not have a personal relationship with your partner, I kindly ask that you only bring yourself, unless I have explicitly invited your partner. Thank you for understanding! Kids are welcome, just let me know who I can expect.
Weekend Details
Friday, August 8th
For anyone in town and interested, I’d like to do a hike in the gorge during the day, and I plan to rent a Voicebox room in the evening for private karaoke. If you are interested in karaoke, please let me know, so I know how big of a room to book. I may ask you to contribute a little bit to help pay for this!
The Main Event: Saturday, August 9th
Location: The Side Yard Farm, 4800 NE Simpson St
Program: Here’s how it’s gonna go down: arrive around 3:30-4:00 and be prepared for non-mandatory but encouraged activities - lawn games, mingling, and a series of challenges that, should you choose to accept them, may earn you bespoke and much-coveted prizes. Should you choose not to participate, you will not be chastised, but I will be disappointed in you. After an appropriate amount of fun has been had, I will give a speech that will suffice for a ceremony. Then we’ll have a beautiful dinner, followed by any speeches that people wish to give, and we’ll round the night out with lots of dancing. There will be beer, wine, and cocktails throughout. We need to vacate the space at 9:30, so we’ll see how we’re feeling and go from there.
Dress: I’m not one to impose a dress code, but it sure would be fun if you dressed up. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable and ready for what will likely be a hot summer day. The venue is outdoors. And there will be a photographer!
Parking: You may want to Uber/Lyft (open bar!), but if you choose to drive, there are a few spots right in front where you can park. Once those are full, it’s best to park around the block on Killingsworth, and then walk down 48th, where there’s a side entrance.
Did I forget something? Have more questions? Text me!
Sunday, August 10th
I’m thinking bagels in Laurelhurst park for breakfast, followed by a lazy river day (The Sandy and Sugarpine?). That’s all I got!
Registry
If you would like to reduce your finances as a demonstration of your love for me, please consider donating to one (or more!) of the following organizations:
ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) - provides humanitarian and development aid to the Middle East, specifically the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan.
Donors Choose - a website where teachers can post requests for classroom resources and get projects funded, since the government doesn’t… I use this site, so you can search for me and donate specifically to my projects, or just do a general donation - teachers everywhere need support.
Girls Build - teaches girls 8 - 14 years old the basics of carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, painting, auto and bike mechanics, sheet metal and more. Super cool.
Immigration Counseling Services - Oregon’s oldest independent non-profit law firm advocating for immigrants and refugees in Oregon and southwest Washington.
JOIN - works to support the efforts of individuals and families experiencing houselessness to transition into stable housing.
The Marie Equi Center - Enriching the health of the Trans, Queer, Gender Diverse and Intersex community through trauma informed care, culturally affirming services and social justice advocacy.
Oregon Innocence Project - has a mission to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, train law students, and promote legal reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions.
Planned Parenthood - you know what and why.
...or any organization of your choice that supports people who need it most - immigrants, the queer and trans community, people experiencing houselessness, Palestine, those suffering within the criminal justice system, those without access to reproductive healthcare, etc.
If you simply must do something specifically for me, you may give me the gift of your company and some food/drink. Take me out or have me over! Let’s get something on the calendar!