Nice… i pretend to have a blog, but i post to it in such a random fashion it’s a wonder i still have readers. Right? I’m asking. Anybody?

Ok. Bend. The Santa Fe of Oregon (can’t take credit for that description). Home to the 6th most overvalued real estate in the United States. Everybody in Ashland knows somebody who has gone broke betting on Bend real estate. There are entire housing developments with one or two residents, yet construction continues apace. The large featured photo really speaks to how if feel about Bend… this, by all standards, really nice, dramatic home, sort of lurking (or is it sinking) out on the high desert.

In Bend, people drive just like they drive in the northern suburbs of New York City and Connecticut: fast and as if they’re way more important than anybody else on the road. Maybe driving is a good indicator of socio-economic status.

In Bend, as in Santa Fe, i become a class warrior. I mutter things like “those sunglasses are my mortgage,” and “the people here are like the yards, well maintained by hispanics.” And it all happens against a backdrop of pretty good scenery, lovely weather, and a service-based economy that continues to exist despite itself.

As I finally write about Bend, i’m prepping for 7 days out on the coast. SOU is closed for the whole week of Thanksgiving, so with any luck, i’ll have a big photo extravaganza to share 66 days later.

[slidepress gallery=’bend’]