Portland Dude

Free pancakes at iHOP on February 28, 2012

Ken — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:36:50 +0000

Today is National Pancake Day. Normally this would mean free pancakes at IHOP today. But this year, IHOP will celebrate National Pancake Day a week later. IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer free pancakes next Tuesday, February 28, 2012. For 15 hours (7am to 10pm), each guest can have a free short stack of IHOP’s buttermilk pancakes.

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Free Energy Saver Kits for Oregon and Washington Residents

Ken — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:22:27 +0000

The Energy Trust of Oregon is giving away free Energy Saver Kits to Oregon residential customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas. Washington water heating customers of NW Natural are also eligible for the free kits. Once you complete the short online form, Energy Trust will mail your kit in four to six weeks. I received my kit yesterday (it took about a month).

Check out the Beaver/Duck pumpkin at Lake View Farms

Ken — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:47:06 +0000

I saw this mutant pumpkin at Lake View Farms Pumpkin Patch. I couldn’t resist taking a photo. It would be perfect if it wasn’t for the green and yellow paint. Go Beavers!

Portland Dude : : Geek Dad Blog : : Reviews and Giveaways Blog : : Photo Dad Blog : : iZachy
Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : : FPGA Blog : : Find a Job : : Free Magazines
© 2011 Online Destiny Ltd : : Daddy Forever is a trademark of Online Destiny Ltd

Disney Pixar Cars 2 Tour at Clackamas Town Center

Ken — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:40:14 +0000

Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile are heading to Clackamas Town Center on Monday (October 10, 2011). The Disney Pixar Cars 2 characters will be there from 2pm to 6pm. The Portland Cars 2 event is a part of the Agents on a Mission Tour to promote the upcoming Cars 2 DVD release (November 1st). Other cities include Sacramento, Seattle, Vancouver, Denver, Chicago, and Houston.

Test drive the new Mitsubishi i 100% electric car

Ken — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:31:34 +0000

If you’re interested in electric cars, be sure to check out the Mitsubishi i tour in the Portland area. The cute Mitsubishi i is an all-new 100% electric vehicle. I took a test drive and loved the MiEV. The car will be available by the end of the year on the west coast, but drivers on the east coast won’t be able to get the Mitsubishi i until early 2012.

Tualatin Hills Park Summer Events

Ken — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:34:08 +0000

With all the rain and clouds recently, it’s hard to believe it’s actually summer here. But it is summer. If you live on the west side of the Portland metro area, below are some summer events hosted by Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD). Note: some events require signing up in advance. More info: THPRD events

Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Free For All Program

Ken — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:24:56 +0000

Portland Parks & Recreation is offering a bunch of free, family-friendly activities and events this summer. Their Summer Free For All program includes movies in the park, concerts in the park, playground programs (free lunches for children ages 0-18 at many of their parks), rock climbing walls, open swim, and the Washington Park Summer Festival (August 4-13).

Places to see Fourth of July Fireworks in Portland, Oregon

Ken — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:31:05 +0000

If you’re new to the Portland area, here are the main places to see fireworks on the Fourth of July:

Fort Vancouver
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Eastbank Esplanade (SE Water Ave & Hawthorne Blvd — across from downtown)
Oaks Park
Blue Lake Park

Win a $50 McCormick & Schmick’s Gift Certificate

Ken — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:29:08 +0000

Good morning, Portlanders. Wasn’t the weekend fabulous? Great weather for a change. This morning I just want to write a quick note about the McCormick & Schmick’s Father’s Day Giveaway on my dad blog. If you win, you’ll get a $50 dining certificate to McCormick & Schmick’s. I think it’s also good for Jake’s Grill.

National Doughnut Day – free Krispy Kreme doughnut

Ken — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:42:34 +0000

Today is National Doughnut Day, which means you can get a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme. Yummy! According to their press release, you can get a free doughnut of any variety. No purchase is necessary to get the free doughnut, but it would be hard to eat just one Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Oregonian Weekend Home Delivery for $1

Ken — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:42:54 +0000

The Oregonian is running a special — $1 a week for their weekend package (includes Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays). Naturally, there’s a catch. The special $1 per week price is good for only the first 24 four weeks. After that, you will be billed $2 a week for the next 16 weeks. When that period is over, you will be charged the normal weekend home-delivery rate of $3.25 per week.

Free Comic Book Day in Portland

Ken — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:36:12 +0000

This Saturday, May 7th, is Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic book stores around the world give away comic books for free. The kids and I have never taken part in Free Comic Book Day, so I’m not sure which titles are given away. My guess is that the merchandise will vary by store. Below are some comic books shops in the Portland area that are taking part in Free Comic Book Day (check for stores near you).

Metro Neighborhood Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule

Ken — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:26:09 +0000

Happy Earth Day, Portlanders! Because it’s Earth Day, I decided to publish the schedule of neighborhood household hazardous waste collection events that will take place in the Portland metropolitan area. According to the Metro website, the collection events are designed to serve only about 250 residents. So please wait for an event in your neighborhood before dropping off your hazardous waste (paints, chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, poisons, etc).

If there isn’t an event in your area, don’t drive to an event in another neighborhood. Instead, you should drop off your hazardous waste at the Metro Central Station (6161 NW 61st Ave, Portland, 503-234-3000) or the Metro South Station (2001 Washington St, Oregon City, 503-234-3000). The hazardous waste facilities are open from 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Saturday. There is no fee to drop off hazardous waste from your home.

Recycling, reusing and repairing are the three key strategies for protecting the planet. Online parts make home repair and reuse easy, but recycling is still necessary in some cases. Fortunately you can recycle some items at local retailers with recycling centers:

Best Buy: electronics like TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, audio and video cables, cell phones, etc
Goodwill: computers, computer accessories and some electronics items
Home Depot: batteries and fluorescent bulbs
Ikea: paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, compact fluorescent light bulbs and batteries
Lowe’s: rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), cell phones and plastic shopping bags
Salvation Army: plastics (old wastebaskets, broken Rubbermaid products, large children’s toys), broken jewelry pieces (including the backs of earrings), stuffed animals, cardboard, metal, cell phones, old computers and computer monitors, purses, clothing, shoes, and books
Target: aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges
Walmart: Samsung, Durabrand and Ilo consumer electronics (other brands are recyclable for a fee)

The Metro neighborhood events take place from 9 am to 2 pm. Here is the current Metro neighborhood household hazardous waste collection schedule:

Giveaway: 10 Propel Zero Gift Kits

Ken — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:01:17 +0000

Good morning, readers. Thanks to Propel Zero (Facebook | Twitter), I’m giving ten Propel Zero prize packs on my Portland blog. Each gift kit includes two 20 oz bottles of Propel Zero, a Propel Zero t-shirt and three coupons for a free single-serve Propel Zero in a drawstring backpack. Yeah, I know. With all the rain we get in the Pacific Northwest, why would anyone around here want to win water? Well, for one thing, Propel Zero water tastes a lot better than polluted rain water. Propel Zero comes in several flavors (berry, grape, black cherry, lemon, blueberry pomegranate, kiwi-strawberry, and peach). Another reason you might want to win is because Propel Zero water contains antioxidants and vitamins B, C and E.

You could spend hours at Big Al’s without knowing it

Ken — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:53:14 +0000

We went to Big Al’s in Beaverton last Saturday. I’ve heard of Big Al’s before, but I didn’t know they had a location in Beaverton. I also didn’t know they had an arcade games area upstairs. I thought Big Al’s was a sports bar with a bowling alley. They seem to have something of interest for almost everyone. My favorite area was the glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes. We didn’t actually bowl in the neon room. At $37 an hour, it was too expensive for us. We had little kids with us and a game would have taken over an hour.

John’s Incredible Pizza features games and rides

Ken — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:53:51 +0000

Looks like there’s a new pizza place in town, John’s Incredible Pizza. From their website (I have not been there yet), it looks like John’s Incredible Pizza is a combination of Izzy’s, Chuck E Cheese’s, and Papa’s Pizza. The new restaurant offers a buffet, games, and rides. The games and rides are not free. You have to purchase Fun World Credit for 25 cents each. The games are about one to four credits each. The amusement rides cost ten credits for the Air IncrediBear, ten for the Boogie Bumper Cars, and twelve for the Twister.

Free activities passes for your kids

Ken — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:28:44 +0000

It’s spring break in Oregon. If you’re staying in town with the kids, then you should try getting a free activity pass from the library. At the Multnomah County Library, you can check out a three-day pass to the Portland Children’s Museum. Their family pass admits up to three people. If you live on the west side, the Washington County Cooperative Library Services offer cultural passes to seven places:

What to do in the event of an earthquake or tsunami

Ken — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 02:58:19 +0000

By now, almost everyone should have heard about the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. It’s a very tragic day for the people of Japan and other areas affected by the devastating events. My heart goes out to these people and their family and friends.

While watching TV coverage of the earth quake, I noticed some people were running away. I couldn’t help but wonder why they were they running. It’s not like you can outrun an earthquake. Then I realized some people were running because they were panicking and other people were running to safety. That’s also when I wondered what would I do in the event of an earthquake or tsunami. As some Oregonians know, there are at least two faults below Portland (Portland Hills Fault and East Bank Fault) and a major fault off the Oregon coast (Cascadia subduction zone). Some experts believe the Cascadia fault could create an earthquake with a magnitude 9.0 or greater. The resulting tsunami could drive a wall of water 20-30 feet high.

PortlandWiki is looking for a few good volunteers

Ken — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:55:16 +0000

The volunteers at PortlandWiki are meeting up this Saturday (March 5th) at the Multnomah County Central Library in downtown. In case you didn’t know, PortlandWiki is an online community where Portlandians can share knowledge about the local community (such as favorite hangouts, bands, art galleries, neighborhoods, etc). PortlandWiki welcomes participation from all Portlandians, and anyone else interested in building an outstanding community resource for the Rose City. If you are interested in helping out, they will be meeting from 2pm to 5pm in the U.S. Bank Room (near the main entrance on right as you enter the library). BTW, the PortlandWiki meeting this Saturday will feature refreshments and unique swag.

Oh no, Carl Icahn Makes Offer to Acquire Mentor Graphics

Ken — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:38:33 +0000

Mentor Graphics, a company currently headquartered in Wilsonville, might be acquired by the Icahn Group for $17 per share in cash ($1.73 billion total). Carl Icahn already holds a 14.7% stake in Mentor Graphics. Many years ago, I use to work for Mentor Graphics. It was one of the best company I ever worked at. I would hate to see Mentor go private because when that happens, investors usually lay off a bunch of people, cut other expenses, and sell off assets. For those who don’t know, Mentor Graphics develops and markets software and hardware design tools for engineers.

Here is the letter Carl C. Icahn sent to Mentor’s Board of Directors:

President Obama is Coming to Portland, Expect Traffic Delays

Ken — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:00:55 +0000

President Barack Obama will visit Intel’s Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro on Friday. While at Intel, he will tour Intel’s semiconductor manufacturing plant with Intel CEO Paul Otellini. President Obama will also learn about Intel’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs and Intel’s efforts to better prepare the next generation to compete for high-tech jobs. Sorry, the event is closed to the general public. However, you can enjoy the traffic delays on I-84 and the Sunset Highway. Here is the President’s most likely route:

Are Portland Borders Stores Closing?

Ken — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 22:04:51 +0000

According to the Wall Street Journal, Borders will file for bankruptcy next week. Borders will try to reach agreements with creditors that would keep its stores open during the Chapter 11 restructuring process. The company will also close about a third of its Borders and Waldenbooks stores. Borders has not revealed which stores will be closed, but I have a feeling the company will closed all four of its stores in the Portland metro area (Beaverton, Tigard, Gresham, and Vancouver). I’m basing this feeling mainly on what happened with Mervyns four years ago. As us Portlanders know, Mervyns closed all their stores in Oregon and Washington about 18 months before the company announced it will liquidate its assets and close all its remaining locations.

Make Reservations Online for Valentine’s Day

Ken — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:48:06 +0000

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. If you’re smart, then you have already made reservations at a romantic restaurant. If you’re insane and like waiting in line, then you’ll probably show up a restaurant without a reservation on Valentine’s Day. I’ve done that before and I hated the experience of waiting over an hour for a table. I’ve checked around and as of Wednesday night, there are still openings for Valentine’s Day at the restaurants below (you better hurry if you want to make a reservation).

2011 Chinese New Year Events in Portland

Ken — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:48:42 +0000

Thursday was the start of the Chinese New Year. It’s the year of the rabbit in case you’re wondering. There are probably a lot of Chinese New Year events going around the Portland area. The four big events that I am aware of are taking place in Chinatown, the Oregon Convention Center, and Lan Su Chinese Garden. By the way, if you’re interested in seeing your Chinese zodiac horoscope, head over to my dad blog.

Tanasbourne Target to Carry Fresh Groceries

Ken — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:52:24 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, a bunch of large storage containers magically appeared on the parking lot of the Tanasbourne Target (NW 181st and Evergreen Parkway). My inquiring mind wanted to know what was going on so I launched an investigation. And thanks to my great detective skills (ok, the sign below was helpful), I’ve discovered that our Target is being remodeled for fresh groceries.

Watch Oregon Ducks vs Auburn Tigers Online

Ken — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:53:44 +0000

How annoying. Most of the bowl games this year were only available on cable — including tonight’s Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers football game. If you don’t have cable and don’t want to hang out at a bar, you can watch the BCS National Championship game online at 5:30pm. Thanks to Frontier/Verizon broadband, I’ll be watching the big game on espn3.com. You should check, but I think espn3.com is also available via Comcast but not Qwest in the Pacific Northwest.

JPMorgan Chase Bank Screwing Over Former Washington Mutual Customers

Ken — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:51:41 +0000

I was a Washington Mutual customer until the Feds took over the bank and sold it to JPMorgan Chase. Now I’m not even a JPMorgan Chase Bank customer because they pissed me off by switching me over from free checking to one that requires a $1500 monthly balance to avoid a $12 monthly service fee. Apparently, Chase can legally switch you over to a fee account without your permission. I didn’t even know they we were going to do it until after the fact. When my wife called to complain about the $12, she was told they sent us notification in the October statement. I checked our statements and they are correct. Chase did include a notice on the statement, but I still take issue with this switch for several reasons:

Get Gas Today – Prices Going Up on Saturday

Ken — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 01:31:32 +0000

You better go get gas today or tomorrow because the fuel tax in Oregon is going up by six cents starting this Saturday. A six-cent increase isn’t a lot ($1.20 for a 20-gallon tank), but if you’re going to get gas this weekend you might as well do it before Saturday. Effective January 1st, the Oregon fuels tax will be $0.30 per gallons on gasoline and diesel fuels. If you live in Washington County or Multnomah County, your gas tax is actually a little higher because of the county gas tax. It’s an addition three cents per gallon for Multnomah County and a penny for Washington County. Some cities also have a fuel tax. For instance, Tigard charges another three cents per gallon and Milwaukie charges an additional two cents per gallon.

Portland Dude : : Geek Dad Blog : : Reviews and Giveaways Blog : : Photo Dad Blog : : iZachy
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2010 Black Friday Sales in Portland

Ken — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:01:15 +0000

I’ve put together a list of times and links for Black Friday sales in the Portland, Oregon area. I will continue to update the list when I find new links or hours. Right now, it looks like Walmart is one of the better places to hang out this weekend. Not only do they have good deals, but they are also the only retailer to price match competitors’ Black Friday specials (you have to bring the competitor’s ad).

Is Greg Oden cursed?

Ken — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:19:05 +0000

By now, all Portland Trail Blazers fans should have heard about the basketball team’s latest setback — Greg Oden needs another microfracture surgery and will be out for the entire season…again. He hasn’t even returned from last year’s season-ending injury. When you factor in all the injuries the Blazers has had since Oden was drafted, I can’t help but wonder if Greg Oden is cursed.

(Photo: Oregonian)

Trick-or-Treating at Portland Malls

Ken — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:09:44 +0000

Oh, no! The forecast for Halloween in the Portland area is rain, rain, and more rain. If the forecast comes true, this will be the first wet Halloween around here since our kids were born. What a shame. I was looking forward to taking the toddler on his first trick ‘r treat adventure, but the rain will make Halloween night a miserable one. This year, I’m actually considering taking the kids to a covered mall for Halloween. If you are thinking about trick-or-treating at the mall too, then check out my list below.

Lake View Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze

Ken — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:11:40 +0000

If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch in the Portland area, then you should check out Lake View Farms. We’ve been going to their pumpkin patch annually for six years now. They are located in North Plains, Oregon. The pumpkin patch is free, but it will cost you extra for the pumpkins, boat ride, and train ride. Tickets are $4 each and each ticket includes one ride on the boat and one ride on the train. Pumpkins are about 50 cents for a tiny pumpkin (size of a fist), $2-$3 for a small pumpkin, $4-$8 for medium size, and $10+ for large. Note: you get a one dollar discount for each boat/train ticket (limit one discount ticket per pumpkin).

My kids at Lake View Farms