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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2016)
Vendors Page 6 VENDOR PROFILE Untitled Mr. and Mrs. Geist by j.mccurdy BY LEONORA KO all glorious men are gloriously flawed STAFF W RITER an you be homeless and joyful? Mr. and Mrs. Geist would say yes. C They found each other and happiness while on the stree t During this interview, the couple laughed, finished each other’s sentences and described their time together. Answers to puzzles on page 15 rs Á V 1 i 3 i i 1 S i s V È i s 3 s s V d N V 1 d 3 l/M0 v | 3 |3 1 S S T 1 1 V d 3 s V >1 3 3 A a V n a 3 i 9 6 8 L 8 Z 8 9 P Z 6 Z 8 9 9 L 9 6 P 9 8 l> Z 8 9 L L 8 9 Z P k 9 8 9 Z I 8 6 L P 8 L Z 8 P 9 6 L 8 L 8 9 6 L P 2 9 8 L 8 P 9 6 6 8 P 9 9 P 9 8 8 L Z Mr. Geist: We’ve been together for a little over a year, and met in (both chiming) New York City. Mrs. Geist: Which is my favorite city in the world. Mr.: And I grew up on Long Island, and she lived there for over 20 years. And we met in a soup kitchen ... Mrs.: Yes, and fell in love. Mr.: Oh, we’ve got to have that (both laugh). So from there ... Mrs.: I was losing my mind in Manhattan, and then I met him. He was telling me about his travels and where he’s been cross country. ... He was like, “You’re depressed here, why don’t you come with me? Why don’t we have an adventure?” And I was so miserable that (listening to him) I was excited, intrigued. So I said, “All right, let’s d o i t ’” Mr.: So I told her, “You know, while W building a relationship, we could get jobs. You could go to rjjs»S| your job and I could go to j | H | my job and we’ll never ■ see each other, or we could spend all our time together. And that’s pretty J much what we jj did. w To get to know each other, the couple decided to stay in one place for the summer and “sleep under the stars” along Manhattan’s East River. In the fall, Mr. Geist met Mrs. Geist’s Holistic • Seif-Empowerment Physical & Emotional Well-Being Curiosity • Engagement «Choice Street Roots • June 17-23, 2016 family. They stayed at her parents’ house a few weeks, where Mr. Geist did work around the house to help her elderly parents. Mr.: I’m not a bum, I’m actually a ... Mrs.: He’s a handyman type, creative and crafty, and that was really sexy to see (laughs). Are you blushing? Mr.: Yes.... I used to be an industrial bridge painter, sandblasting and (painting) special coatings on mega-steel structures. I used to make $50 an hour, hanging upside- down, doing weird shit on missile launch towers. Mr. Geist worked full time until his father died in 2008. That’s when he decided to drive a van across country. When the van broke down, he started walking. By the time he met Mrs. Geist, he had been to 46 of the lower 48 states and 31 national parks. The couple zig-zagged around the country, taking the bus, hitch-hiking and train-hopping. A shopping cart came in handy when the couple reached Colorado. Mr.: We did get stuck in Denver for three months. Mrs.: Oh, yes. ; Mr.:... with 17-degree weather and 18 inches of snow & 4 and a camping ban - so you’re |to t allowed to have a tent ! Bnywhere in the city. We filled this shopping cart like a bear cave and we hung out with 18 ijnches of snow on #■ us. And we i laughed the SW whole time. ■ * They eventually stayed at a mountain cabin offered by one of the friends they made in the area. Mr.: We didn’t take advantage. We gave back to the people, friends that we’ve had along the way. Cook, work and play fair ball. Barter. And love, you know? No thievery or crime. Mrs.: Actually I do hair, and one of our friends bought me a pair of scissors so that I could cut his hair. Now I have scissors, and I’ve been helping friends that live outside as well. Mr.: Four in the last 10 days right here in Portland. Mrs.: I got a hat for a haircut. I'd rather do that, than say “That’s $5, I’ll make it really cheap.” I’d rather trade. Mr.: And know that she gets $150 for a haircut in New York City. Mrs.: It’s like $150. It’s a lot. It’s overpriced. I mean really. So why not just do it for free? I’m quick. It’s easy. I can do i t I’m licensed. I can help out. Mr. and Mrs. Geist sell Street Roots in Pioneer Square on the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Southwest Yamhill Street. There they have fun entertaining the public and themselves. Mr.: I always wanted to have a hard-core chick that would be able to run with me. All my previous relationships let me down because I’m strong-willed, strong-headed and strong-minded. And this girl, not only can she keep up, b u t... Mrs.: I put him in his place. M r.:... She makes me belly laugh like nobody else has. She brings me b a c k d ow n from this Type A personality and makes me laugh at myself. Mrs.: And I never could have seen myself ever leaving New York and doing this much traveling. So he kind of saved me. I’m totally in love with h im .... Mr.: And I say “Live free or die.” So if the train’s going that way, then we can jump on it and make our way down to Mount Shasta and see the redwoods again. Or maybe cut through the desert this time. Mrs.: Right, we’ll do that. Mr.: Sky’s the lim it Mrs.: Sounds fun. o CENTRAL CITY C O FFEE SMnkuitlk ¡Do-goad,. Sourcing & roasting craft coffee to benefit programs at Central City Concern. 6 9 IN STORES New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front Cooperative Grocery, Green Zebra, Chuck's Produce and Will Leather Goods. AT YOUR OFFICE O ut of Luck? Free Counseling for Gambling Problems "Nothing happens until something moves. Intentergy (888) 391-5059 Interested In serving Central City Coffee at your office? Get in touch with us and we can help you make that happen. 503.226.7387 ON OUR WEBSITE Buy Central City Coffee online and have it shipped directly to you or a friend. SE Portland Office Follow our Facebook page for updates and specials. 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