Eastertide 2017

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From the Gospel of Luke:

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking spices that they had prepared.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.

The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Wishing my readers a joyous Easter.

Thoughts I’m Thinking

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A few random thoughts that are on my mind today:

1. The Portland Timbers rolled to an emphatic victory beating Minnesota United FC 5-1 on the rainy Friday night season opener. The Timbers scored their first goal early in the game and added another early in the second half. The Loons pulled one back in the 79th minute before Portland blew the doors off at the end. Minnesota conceded a penalty kick in the 82nd minute that the Timbers converted. Portland then scored two more goals in stoppage time. “Let it rain, let it pour; let the Portland Timbers score.”

2. Along with most Portlanders, I’m over this winter. It’s still cold, it’s still raining, and it’s still technically winter, but from the meteorological perspective it’s now spring. I’ll take it. This was the coldest winter in Portland in 38 years. The mean average temperature was 37.1 degrees. Brrrr. We had four snow events in the city, and the official snowfall total was 11.2 inches. It was also the wettest February in Portland history. We had 10.34 inches of rainfall at Portland International Airport last month. Whether we’ve needed sleds or boats to get around town this winter, enough already! Bring on the vitamin D!

3. It’s race season in Alaska. The Iditarod gets underway with Saturday’s ceremonial start in Anchorage, but climate change is affecting the race again. There isn’t enough snowfall on parts of the trail — in Alaska — for Monday’s competitive start to take place in Willow, so the starting line has been moved more than 220 miles north to Fairbanks. This is the second time the race has been moved in three years. Mushers cross the finish line in Nome later this month where it’s definitely still winter. Saturday’s projected high is 14 degrees.

4. Sorry, GOP, but this Russia thing is not going away. The question is will it be a Benghazi, meaning there is nothing there in regard to misconduct, or will it be a Watergate, meaning there’s malfeasance that brings down a presidency? The Magic 8-Ball replies, “Cannot predict now.” Apparently there is too much smoke in Washington to get a clear read on the situation.

5. One of my favorite coastal inns has closed. The Lightkeeper’s Inn Bed and Breakfast in Newport, Oregon is for sale. This gorgeous home features a panoramic view of Yaquina Bay from each of its five bedrooms and the great room. Built in 2007, the 4,457 square foot house sits on a bluff on the west side of the bayfront. The list price is only $798,000. Who wants to be my benefactor on this? Cash or check only, please.

Kickoff Looms

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After a disappointing follow-up to their 2015 championship season, the Portland Timbers kick off the 2017 Major League Soccer campaign with a home game Friday night against expansion side Minnesota United FC. It’s that time of year when fans and supporters around the league feel optimistic about their teams being championship contenders before opponents, injuries and reality have a say.

The Timbers looked good in the preseason, unveiling what is arguably Portland’s best midfield corps in the team’s MLS history. The addition of Sebastián Blanco will pay dividends in the attack as he joins Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri, the team’s other prodigious offensive midfielders. David Guzmán, a defensive midfield acquisition, looked sharp in the early stages of his partnership with club mainstay Diego Chara. With Fanendo Adi as the lone striker at the top of the formation, this team is going to score goals. If preseason games are an indication, the Timbers will play more possession soccer this year as opposed to their recent propensity for playing a direct style.

The unknown is the defense. There is some good news. Jake Gleeson is proven and solid in goal. The fullback positions are also in good shape with Alvas Powell and Vytas Andriuškevičius both able to defend and contribute in the attack. The problem, as it was last year, is with Portland’s centerbacks. Liam Ridgewell is another year older and has a tendency to miss games because of injury. His presumed partner at the position, Gbenga Arokoyo, ruptured his Achilles tendon early in the preseason and is out for the year. The Timbers plan to add a starting-quality player to fill Arokoyo’s position but haven’t signed anyone yet. At the time of this posting, it appears that won’t happen before the season starts — not ideal. It’s likely the team will lean on veteran Lawrence Olum to hold the position for the time being.

The vulnerability of the backline means the Timbers will be less aggressive in the attack when playing on the road. The first test comes on March 12 when the team travels to Los Angeles for a game against the Galaxy. The Timbers never won a road game in league play last year, and the pressure is on to end this streak quickly in 2017.

In the meantime, Friday’s home opener should be a good show of attacking prowess against a team with a giant bullseye on their jerseys — literally. Target is Minnesota United FC’s corporate jersey sponsor, but it’s an unfortunate logo for an expansion team that is going to lose a lot of games this year. Friday night will be a good time for the Timbers’ home fans, but until the defense is strengthened Portland has question marks in regard to how good they’ll be this year. That said, I’m optimistic. It’s finally soccer season again:

See you at Providence Park. Onward Rose City!