A New Year - and women getting balls.

We went to Michigan for the holidays.  My family is outside of Detroit - in Royal Oak and Saline. Besides the obvious joyful benefit of visiting family - I don't to see on their home turf very often - we ate amazing food, had a white christmas (yay!) and took it easy. It is difficult to leave the farm,  I hired three people to keep an eye on things - one took the dog, one cared for the horses, and one housesat the chickens, cats and guinea pigs.
 I love visiting Michigan because houses like mine are EVERYWHERE.  Not so in the Seattle area.  And speaking of my house:  Oh man oh man oh man you have to see what I have been up to. Next post.
But first, because I have not been on here in a while...I will do a bit of venting action.  Because that is what drives visitation to a blog. Complaining!  (I am totally joking here, it is not advised to be negative...but I am nothing if not contrary!)
1. I have a beautiful 17 year old daughter.  It is endlessly unmercifully disgusting to me when men older than I ogle her. And when I say ogle, I mean leer and hit on her.  I want to walk up and say something about their daughters and granddaughters, would they like a man approaching their child the way they are approaching Rose?  
2. I am 48.   I am not in high school.  Women, this is a lecture for you.  If your husband/boyfriend/date is hitting on another woman in front of your face, you need to get pissed at the man involved.  Not the woman. If your man has children with other women and that bothers you, you need to get mad at him for lying and seducing other women, not the other mothers. (This is what I saw when I was a social worker--women physically fighting in front of their kids because they had children by the same man.)  If you don't have the chutzpah to stand up for yourself and tell off your man you need therapy or not to date for a while.... and definitely try not to have kids.   Oh, and you need to have the confidence to realize your partner talking to a female in a crowded room is not a threat to your relationship.   If it is, the above applies again.
I have said this before, and I am sure this is not my last discussion of this topic.  The story: I went out with friends to hear a great blues band.  Knew two of the women there, both had new boyfriends.  Immediately one of the boyfriends began a very outgoing, animated, flirty conversation with me, while I answered to both members of the couple, wanting to include his girlfriend, because it was uncomfortable. I started talking to the women across the table and ignoring him. For the record, the couple was tipsy, and this being Washington state, maybe a bit stoned.  Not sure on that, but there was some sort of inebriation going on.   The woman withdrew more and more, and eventually made out with her man AT THE DINNER TABLE, and then looked over at me.  When she was on the dance floor, she would look over at me and then grope her man. Blech.  Meanwhile, he is trying to catch my eye.  Point one is she is dating a dog of a man. Point two is by the end of the eve she couldn't even make eye contact or talk to me.
 See? I feel much better now.  That stuff happens and it is so frustrating. Oh and this for the men.  If you talk a single woman when your wife or partner is not present... you are not getting away with anything, We are not swooning over you, whether you have a potbelly or abs, age 20 -70.  I personally would never in a kajillion years, freezing hell conditions, melted polar icecaps, zombie apocalypse, have anything to do with an attached man.  That is not really a trust-builder, not the sort of thing to build a solid relationship on.

 I am serious, I am printing up a t-shirt that says:
 Yes, I am friendly.  I am SO NOT FLIRTING with you.
 I speak the same way to men, women,
          and small mammals.

Books and Authors

I have been to a bunch of book readings over the years.  I would get all excited when it was someone I would really like... but one thing I noticed is that frequently they were NOTHING LIKE their book personality.  Based on how they write I would assume they would be a certain way --since I enjoyed the tone of their books.  Ha.  Nope. I actually stopped going to readings because it would ruin the books for me.  Remember Robert Fulghum?  Everything I Needed to Know I Learned In Kindergarten?  It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It?  There was one story of his that had me snorting coffee out of my nose, so inspired by his humor I went to a reading. You know what he did?  He looked up from his book signing and had a conversation with my chest.  Eyes on the front of my shirt. (It should be noted I don't particularly wear tight or low clothing, and there was nothing written on my chest.) You know this man was a church leader of some sort?  That simple gesture on his part ruined his stories for me, which is so stupid, because he is the same person who wrote the stories.  I guess I just didn't think a 60+ man who writes funny stories would be such a dog.  That is my unrealistic expectations coming up against reality.  And I am sure he is a very nice grandfather... just with a bit of traditional sexism thrown in. 

Or when I went to a lecture by author Sue Hubbell.  A Country Year: this was my favorite book for many years.  Turns out she was a bit of a pretentious look-down-your- nose academic. The stories I thought were charming, were actually her barely tolerating the characters in her community, usually the ones with less, either money or education.  I described her as 'east coast", but I mean no offense to my east coast readers, it is just that she had an internalized class system which she talked as if she was above most other community members by sheer virtue of education.  This was when I was younger, and I thought the whole U.S. was like the Pacific NW... egalitarian, fiercely independent, book lovin' (that could have something to do with my mom being a librarian, I think I got a bit skewed in my perception.)   Excruciatingly naive on my part, I know. 
I have always been susceptible to moral judgements on people.  Good, bad, right, wrong. Major character flaw on my part.   There is music I won't listen to because a band member was accused of rape, or walked out on a wife and kids.
For the record, there has also been authors that impressed me way beyond their books.  Ursula K. LeGuin  filled a giant music hall with people, and she was worth it. Sherman Alexie is astounding. Quick witted, hilarious, bluntly direct.
This whole rant is leading somewhere.
1.  I have been cleaning out my books and clothes.  My aunt just sent me Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich.  It is a quick read, light entertainment, and ready for a new home.  Send me an email  that you want it and it is yours.  This is not a contest, basically the first person I hear from gets it. Even though I just ranted my head off about him, I also have two Robert Fulghum's.  He is gently funny... they are books representing a time. Send an email, I will drop one in the mail to you.
2. I always remember the above lessons about authors when reading blogs.  We blog writers may be totally different in person than represented by the written word.  My naval-gazing, every-little-thing, little view of the world is not something I talk about when you meet me. I have met a local blogger that is pretty widely read and she is nothing like her perky effervescent blog.  Blogs for some are marketing devices to make money, and they are marketing themselves.  For the record, I am so obviously not in it for the money.  You have to have non-offensive, non-opinionated, perky postings for that.  Some days I am just too damn cranky.

Pissed Seattle Driving - Ranting Post

Not pissed like drunk, pissed like I get around inattentive unfocused illegal drivers such as those I drove with in Seattle for two hours.
Arghh. Any nostalgia I had for missing Seattle and it's amazing stores filled with junk I don't need, but boy, is it fun to look at; my old breakfast haunt Vera's in Ballard that I have been going to for 26 years and ordering the same thing all that time(it is not even on the menu anymore); or the hyper-eco bicycle backpack wearin' grannies standing in line in front of me at the coffee shop with their 'put-a-bird-on-it' wallets.... all these lovely Seattle moments have been obliterated by flippin' holier than thou must drive under the speed limit in all four lanes of the freeway cars. People! Move your damn car over one rippin' lane. I swear to god you will not be any less of a man, or woman, or whatever to get your car out of the fast lane when you are going 54 mph. I really promise. I think people who drive in the appropriate lane for their speed are HOT. I don't even care that you drive under the speed limit (well, most of the time) if you are in the furthest right lane for your rate of travel. Did you all even read the driver's education book? This may be one of those posts I should count to ten before posting... nah.
Question for Seattle : What the heck are you doing with traffic and your roads? I drove around through Tacoma to get to Seattle this morn, usually a leisurely hour and a half drive which was right on time until I hit Seatac... then the freeway stopped. No problem, I bounced over the highway 99 to take the back way. Absolutely stopped. No problem, I will get off of 99 and go along the waterfront. Stopped dead, me and about 30 semi-tractor trailers that were also not happy. Then, the waterfront road is closed, and we all get back on 99 (except for those semi's who were picking up loads on the waterfront) Geez Louwheezie, it was dadblame impossible to get into the city today. It took me 2.5 hours. I am going to kiss my front door when I get home. Land of quiet and low density and horses and yard that needs weeding. I can also tell my personality is beginning to match my county. I want my calm two lane roads again. Where traffic is (shock) 11 cars waiting for a light to turn. Pic: The only traffic in my neighborhood, the wait for the Sunday ferry back to Seattle. Which actually, looking at this, is a bit daunting and why if I ever have to go to Seattle Sunday afternoon I take the Bremerton or Bainbridge ferry.

Cranky post - Not your elected officials fault

Yesterday I had hay delivered. When the fellow was telling me how much my total was... he added : and $32... for the governor. Today, negotiating on a car, when I was trying to push them on price... the salesman said... well, that $1300 dollars is non-negotiable that goes to Christine. (*Christine Gregoire is our governor) I got politely cranky, and said... actually it does not go to Christine. It goes to our state. Which we are all a part of and includes the road and ferry I would drive this new car on. And also funds things that all our elected officials have decided, no matter what party they belong to and many that were decided long before Christine got into office.
Whether you voted for them or not, they represent all of us. And believe it or not, if you call their office they will not ask your party affiliation, they will help in whatever way they are able. This hatred of politicians is ridiculous. Do you really think they are so much different than yourself? What the hell happened to everyone's civility? So I don't agree with how .000021% of the federal budget (or my state budget, county budget etc) gets spent so I vilify the individuals we elected? And go all wackjob about it? Spewing hate of someone I have never met?
I know I am also reacting to the birth certificate issue with Obama. Good lord people, this is what you have the attention span to care about? Not any of those wars we have stumbled into, not our spiraling debt, but a birth certificate? Arghh.

Movie ratings are screwed up in our country

There is something completely hooey in our rating system. Case in point : went to the Green Hornet two weeks ago. Rated PG-13. Went to the King's Speech tonight. Rated R.
Walked out of the Green Hornet thinking there was a WHOLE lotta violence in smooshed human carnage. No blood splatters, but you see people get smashed and killed. It is somewhat presented as a kids movie, and I saw it with our son and a friend of his. I actually covered their eyes at a part. (they were nonplussed about the whole thing, and humored me)
The King's Speech R rating? Well I imagine it was because he says the word fuck and shit when overcoming his speech impediment. That was it. No skin, no violence other than raised voices.
PG-13? Multiple deaths. Shooting. Sex (implied, not shown). Scantily clad babes moving to the beat and drinkin' alcohol. Drug selling. Hitting. Guns. A gang attacking a woman.
Here is where I get all crazy talkin'.
Why is it okay for our children to become immune or at least comfortable with watching violent acts -- something that they may not ever see or be a part of in their "real life" -- but sexual material and language are taboo? Sex which is vital for our species, and bad language which pretty much everyone will be exposed to in their lifetime...
WTF? Makes me really cranky. I read somewhere that our movies become more violent in times of war. To keep our adrenaline up? To keep us on the aggressive?
As an aside. I loved both movies. The GreenHornet was tapping into my old crazy love of cars. The car is genius. Had a bit of chitty chitty bang bang coupled with the batmobile.
Rose went with me to the Kings Speech. Boy, did she ever NOT want to go. But she was surprised, and loved it. Mr. Firth rocks.

This is how I know I am getting old....

This is how I know I am getting old. To me, this is wrong, on so many levels. From when our kidlets were this age... when the babes have that alert tenseness about their body, it means they are very stimulated... and mine only got that way with people, or their dog. Why am I old? I don't think a kid needs to be in front of a 2d screen that flashes images every one to three seconds. And I know we are becoming more and more digitally oriented.
(The following is exerpted from kidshealth.org)
"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development."
I will bet you cold hard cash this wee baby will have a learning disorder or ADD/ADHD when older. If indeed they pop in a video every time the kid is in the car and this is just not a pic for advertising purposes.

When we carpooled with a group of kids, when we visit relatives, when we drive to somewhere, yeah, I get to hear bickering... but I also get to hear all sorts of other stuff. When they were this age in the car? They would fall asleep, or look at their favorite board book, or chew on something and drool.
Easy is not always better. This would be one of my cranky and feisty posts.

No Complaint Day

Photos: Top:I know the reason this grows on my trees is because the spores of the forest that once stood here 100 years ago still live in the area. Bottom: The trillium are blooming, or they were when I took this pic three weeks ago.

I have no complaints today. Just thought that would drop in a bit of fresh air. I probably shouldn't type anymore, because I will roll into some sort of whine about something. This Sunday in Kitsap County...

my old cat snores,

it was close to 70 degrees,

I sat in a chair outside "doing work due tomorrow" so slowly...,

had a great dinner with the kids made by the soon to-be-ex at his clean place, not my messy place in honor of mother's day,

had nice things said to me by our 14 year old, (who is almost as tall as her dad!)

had sunflowers in a pot given to me by our 10 year old son, (who is under the weather)

and I got stuck behind Bainbridge drivers who drive so retardedly (I know, not a word) slow like 10-15 miles below the speed limit that I almost expressed myself potty-mouth linguistically all the way across that godforsaken island. If I ever live on Bainbridge, you will know I am either a)on serious medication and not aware of my surroundings b)had a brain hemmorhage or traumatic head injury and so again "am not aware of my surroundings or c) I have lived through menopause but with a complete reversal of my personality and hormonal drives and come out the other side a middle-class housewife with an audi, timeshare in Hawaii, white carpets and furniture, botox injections, and a new husband who uses more facial products than I do. Happy days.

Did I mention the father of my beloved children live on Bainbridge? And he loves it?

And that little diatribe is not complaining. Or whining.

Note to readers: (also called the Seattle Disclaimer) The above is only my version of hell. I have never lived with white furniture and will probably not ever be attracted to a metrosexual man, this does not mean that audis or Hawaiian timeshares are evil. (Although... they aren't in the BIBLE) I digress. Damn, those bible teachings are thrilling! I digress again. I love you all. If you embrace the middle class ways as I have been taught to do, such as the experienced joy at a fresh mowed lawn or a fine cup of coffee made by an impertinent coffee puller (oops, I mean barista) it is all good. Marriage is good, homogeneity (?) is fine. Heck, we can even be friends if you live on Bainbridge. But it will be so very hard for me if you drive 15 miles under the speed limit on the highway. But I can do it. I live for the thrill of a good challenge. And my retard comment should have been the 70's 80's version where you drag out the REEEtard. Remember? If you are too young for that reference, or too old, then we can go with "mentally challenged" instead. See, you can take the girl out of Seattle, but not the Seattle PC out of the girl.

Habitat for Humanity - how to put up siding sexily

Quick post.
1. Went for my first session of "how to build a house" so I can volunteer. Actually, just want to have those basic skills, practice them in a safe supervised environment, and then help build a house!
2. This is a specific class "Women Build" , all gals, I guess so we don't get all quiet and female-y around the "take-charge" men.
3. When I went to check in, the front desk gal at Lowes, where the class was being held told me I was early and I should go "look at some pretty flowers" while waiting.
4. The fellow leading the class asked me how old I was in the 80's to use as an example of black mold. (I guarantee my age has nothing to do with the prevalence of black mold in modern housing)
5. I can't stand any of that shit. How old am I? Go look at flowers? Argh.

Zoning changes

As I mentioned before, when buying this house I did every possible type of research to figure out zoning, land-use and projected projects in the area. We are zoned 5-acre rural. I bought waaaay outside of the city limits, since they were going for 'density' in that area. I bought a property with wetlands on it. Protected, yes? I know I have limits placed by county and state regulations as to what I am able to do near it.

Two days ago I got a note in the mail about a public meeting. Why? Because they are going to rezone us rural industrial. Can we say "stressed out and ready for a fight?" Yes, we can say that easily.

Feisty - I apologize now

I can't figure out if having a credit card like this would stop me from spending.... or make me spend more. Since there would be an implication that my spending was condoned from above.
Just for your info - these are called "classic Jesus" and "cool Jesus" I just know whenever I look at the card with cool Jesus I crack up. Is that an iced latte or some sort of fruity drink?
I figured it out. Only "classic" would stop me from spending, since he looks like he is gearing up for a lecture, and that can't be good. Cool J would lead me to overimbibe in iced coffee drinks.



Credit card images courtesy www.datejesus.com

Health Care : something you should know

Did you know that every one of those politicians voting for or against health care get health care for the rest of their life by virtue of their elected office? Seems like a bit-o-hypocrisy going on. And they don't even have to be workin' to receive that benefit.

Health - Aging Woman - Vitamin D, iron, high blood pressure

This is the real post I meant to type, but I got sidetracked by botox thoughts (looks.)
OK, this is girl stuff to give a survey view of health as I age.
1. Approaching menopause. Seem to not have any iron or Vitamin D in my body.
2. Doctor prescribes hormone.
3. Hormone makes me have rockets of insanity and black anger clouds of mother mood.
4. Doc takes me off hormone. Due to - as she writes in her notes - "mood instability" HAHAHA
5. Still missing crucial elements in blood of iron, vitamin D, calcium.
6. Doc prescribes "menopause drug"
7. Feel calmer, can sleep at night and my ten years of ecxema disappear!
8. Still missing iron D calcium.
9. Doctor adds lower dose progesterone only hormone to my routine.
10. Blood pressure skyrockets 192/132 the next day.
11. Blood pressure barely comes down for a week.
12. Doctor prescribes a hypertension Ace inhibitor drug.
13. I am 45.
14. When I picked up the prescription, I told the pharmacist the other two drugs I was on and he said both those can cause blood pressure to go up.
15. Not impressed with medical solution of layering on medications to deal with the symptoms of the previous drugs side effects.
16. Getting my mom, former librarian, to figure out the solution to all this medical inadequacy.
17. Ask me in 6 months, I will probably be off of all this crap. My normal BP is 122/80 or 72. This is ridiculous. I will not be one of those ladies when I am 80 who is on so many medicines they can't keep track... and half the drugs are to counter side effects from other drugs. Drugs people, are not the first thing to go to, they should be the last.

Blogs - Life is a Soap Opera ... Live

It is fun to search through new blogs, or blogs that you all link to. I have found some hilarious blogs that way and great house restoration resource blogs. Recently, one blog I link to has now become involved in a bloggy soap opera. There is a big issue between three .. and part of that tiff appears to be christianity. Two are sisters that each have their own well-done blogs. The other is a rich by marriage (her words) ranch mom that seems to be well-known in certain circles for cooking ( I think. )(2011 addition: I saw her book in the bookstore so she is definitely known for cooking!) The first blog was one of my very favorites due to her sense of humor. I swear to rippin' GOD that her story of being locked in the henhouse with a sick hen under her arm and a mad rooster attacking her is worthy of peeing your pants. She is a woman with a lot of joy, dancing and laughing that I appreciate. Especially since she works and has 4 kids. I can handle the christianity that weaves throughout when it is not shoved as the one and only righteous path to God. (Learn history, please.) And lately, I believe in response to her sister who went from similar life views to (gasp) ATHEISM the formerly joyful gal and hubby have been reduced to some christian frillery. Their posts of late have gotten a bit... shall we say... narrow? Really parents... the first thing you want your beloved children to look for in a life partner is that they be CHRISTIAN? Really? It's fine if someone goes off and hits your amazing daughter... since they are christian? It is fine if your son marries a two-timing skanky lady as long as she is a christian? I do not mean that "only christians do these things," but that humans do these things, exclusive of their particular faith. Weakness of character is not "fixed" by God. Plus, only marrying a christian means 75% of the world population is ruled out right there, and there are some dang wonderful people in the world. But hey, those are all heathens and non-believers going to hell anyway. Technically, wouldn't there be more people in hell than heaven? Does that seem just? Would a just god really send more people to hell than heaven? This is the main problem -- to believe you have to disbelieve in common sense, wisdom, a moral life and humane behavior. Those very things that religion and law should help guide society. (stepping off the soapbox right now)
The now atheist blogger mom attacks the successful published author blogger gal, and the posters to christian mom blog post attacks on her atheist sister. Here are my questions:
1. Why does atheist mom dislike cookbook lady so much (and they have met according to blog tales) My personal theory is that one is perimenopausal and full of feistiness, but hey, that could just be me projecting.
2. Why does love appear to be conditional in Christianity? That is NOT the christianity I grew up with. Hell (and I say that with all sorts of love) I don't think another person's faith mattered when I was a child... only how we personally treated another person. That reflected on our own faith. It was about us and our relationship to god. Not getting up in everyone else's business about their relationship. When did it become such a cranky narrow scope of acceptance?
3. How will this sort of human interaction (online) change our humanity in the longrun?
NOTE: Cranky atheist mom has closed down her blog. All her archives are gone. Hmmm. My mind says the big guns of media have threatened her with libel, since there is a big hollywood movie being made about the gal she so steamingly roasts and they want no holes in the marketing frenzy. Justified or not, personal opinions aside, at what point do we keep our mouths firmly shut of any feisty opinion about another? If something offends me in the world in blogland.... I don't read it!
Second NOTE: Her blog is back up and renamed. And she is pretty cranky and spinning her wheels about it. Not for the faint of heart. People posting (who am I kidding... it is only women posting) on other blogs say they are praying for her. It is odd that somehow when I read those blog comments way over here 9 states away I feel like I am in the smallest town ever sitting around a big kitchen table listening to gossip.
Third NOTE: I took out all blog names and regular names since I was number three on search results for their names in combination. I don't know any of these people, I am not what should pop up when people want to know anything about this. The folly of search engines... people with personal opinions can get valued more than facts. Keep that in mind with political opinions you read online.

Seattle So Far Away - Land Use

For work, which I don't really talk about much, I ended up at a meeting. A public meeting where elected officials and community leaders spoke. Here is a quick reason why I am so SO happy to be gone from the city.

Seattle City Council members do endless work and need to be on three committees each. One of the options is to join the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee. Only, this year, that committee has been renamed to C.O.B.E. , pronounced like Kobe, Japan. This stands for the Committee on the Built Environment. Built environment. Let's take away the language of "land" use and "neighborhood" and "planning" and change it to we are only supervisors of the built environment, which is all Seattle will be... Buildings, pavement, pocket parks not big enough to throw a ball. Things controlled, designed, created by humans. Ya know, I am fairly sure people move here because it is Seattle. Not New York.

The other point: We have in Seattle a giant public area called Seattle Center. (http://www.seattlecenter.com/)

Leftover from the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, it holds the space needle, rides,(recently sold) science center, and our fave... the Center House with theatre, childrens museum and free public programming. We have seen amazing cultural events and fantastic dance contests. Our kids have even performed on stage.

In this same meeting, it was said that Seattle Center's future would be to become like New York's Central Park. No offense meant, but Central Park is surrounded by nothing but a sea of buildings. You can walk away from Seattle Center and still see trees and single story buildings. Guess my old hometown shall become the name first placed on our shores wishfully by the Terry brothers from 1851... New York.

Photo credit: Bumbershoot Event, Seattle Center. Courtesy Christopher Nelson

1962 World's Fair Postcard

History - Seattle Totem or Story Poles

Since I have not been posting with pics since I keep freezing my camera by leaving it in the car I am not currently driving and have a bunch of work photos on there anyway I thought I could cheat and treat you to a bit of history.

The unpainted story pole standing in the pic to the right while the fellow is strapping down a painted totem pole is the first pole EVER in Seattle that tells the story of Seattle. Installed in 2007, and carved by a member of the currently federally unrecognized Duwamish tribe.

Chief Seattle lived in the Duwamish River area, and his mother was duwamish. Unrecognized tribe? A major city is named after a respected indigenous leader of whom some of his descendents are unrecognized by the federal gov't as being duwamish? There is a whole lotta conversation to be had on this, as in, who decides 'what' you are? (i know i am in trouble for using this terminology, ms. facci.) How about you are what you are. If you are born to it, if you are raised it, why would that be contested. Why would someone else define your family of origin whether you are born into it, adopted, extended or married. I am fairly sure we are still a free-choice culture. I notice when money, fiscal rewards or property/casino/fishing rights get involved a whole lot more people have an opinion. Ok, done with my wee venting action.

A story pole differs from a totem pole in that from bottom to top it tells a story of something. A totem is just that, totemic figures/symbols representing a community or tribe.

-The replaced horizontal totem pole that is being strapped down was bug chewed and moved away to the local community museum.

The vertical postcard of the single pole and the Seattle city skyline captures an image of the first totem pole ever placed at this park. This photo looks like a 1950's Seattle. This particular totem pole was created for the tourist trade in the early 1900's. The significance of the totem figures is nada, it was created using popular totemic figures, not necessarily significant to the people that carved it. At the top is a beaver, then bear with a salmon, then orca/killer whale. The faces on the side have to do with the orca being this tribes significant creature. But as I said, this is just tourist trade work..

I notice a serious lack of pollution in this photo. The air is no longer this clean in Seattle. Sigh.

And then there is modern day Seattle all the way at the top. What is sad is I remember when the wee dinky Smith Tower, just a bitty point on the far far right was a BIG BUILDING on the skyline. Now you can barely make it out with all the newer larger pointy things rising in the air. We call one of the buildings downtown the "Ban roll-on" building. If you are downtown, you can figure it out. (And I suppose if you are old enough to remember Ban deodorant.....) See the yellowy haze most visible to the right of the pic? This was probably a nice summer day when we had not had rain in quite a while, so the air is full of crap. Did I say I moved away from this city? Why yes, yes I have. And am happy about that since we have an asthmatic child whose asthma has mysteriously been getting much better.

Modern Seattle photo courtesy http://www.alkibeachwalks.blogspot.com/

Pro-crass-tiny-nation

Photo: Port Gamble

I think I type on here when I am procrastinating. And I am procrastinating.

Today action list. I write these every once in a while so when I am feeling like I am not getting anything done, I can review, and then remember I do get stuff done and to give myself a ripping break.

1. Picked up horse blanket.

2. Dropped off check to bank.

3. Bought new flour and yeast for sourdough making.

4. Pet cat.

5. Called vet for Bey (horse) who tried to colic.

6. Pet dog.

7. Checked on new guinea pig, Flambe.

8. Walked Bey.

9. Blanketed Bey.

10. Warmed water for Bey.

11. Bribed Bey to eat medicine with horse cookies. It did not work.

12. Yelled at Rose for thinking a "c" grade is just fine since it is average. (Don't talk to me about this, I am having be perfect/ be imperfect mother/daughter issues and realize it)

13. Yelled at Wilder for somethingerother. Probably having to do with his homework.

14. Quabbled about my flood bill with the water sucker-upper company. I am doing amazingly well with my terminology this evening.

15. Paid bills.

16. Swept leaves. Dumped 7 loads onto the compost, and still have more leaves. Damn big trees.

17. Plugged generator charger into outlet. 'Tis the season for power outages.

18. Bought things Glittergirl asked me to for her.

19. Had a phone meeting on Non-Profit Facilities while sitting in my car on the side of the road.

20. Caulked windows on south side with nasty toxic smelling clear caulk.

21. Frowned.

Usually these lists make me feel better, this one did not. Criminy, is it the weather? I am a huge grump today.

I think I hear a pirate ship of legos rolling across the floor upstairs. I need to go make someone walk the plank back to bed. Pray for their 10 year old boy soul, will ya?

Me!

This is one of my favorite pictures of me when I was young. Well, there are others but they are totally delusional is terms of they don't look like me. Photos can be deceiving. And then we get to wear make-up to play with the whole perspective. I am currently rounder, shorter, wider, older, longer haired but less of it .. but the out of place hair is accurate. Photoshop is a wonderful thing. And friends that use photoshop on your pictures is a wonderful thing.

Feisty woman venting action - Seattle

See this lovely condominium? The one that has no parking, is on a busy street (3rd Ave NW and Holman in N. Seattle) across the street from a stripper espresso drive-through and drive through oil change station?

See this restored craftsman? On a busy street in the popular Ballard neighborhood, most of these once single family homes have been demolished and flat-fronted, bland, soon-to be dilapidated quickly built multi-use condominium structures have replaced them.

I have loved this house for 21 years. I always envisioned offering to buy it from them when i won the lottery. (Should probably start buying the tickets if I really dream of winning...) I am glad it is still standing, even though the surrounding single family housing with yards, the quaint courtyard apartments of the 30's to 60's are gone and.. what? what is there? Ah yes. Condominiums.

I am just going to say right now I have a love/hate relationship with the city I left behind... Seattle.

Conspiracy Theory - TV

I am old enough to remember when only "rich people" had color tv's. Wait, I think I am old enough that I was around when no one had color televisions. Anyway, here is my conspiracy theory. I thought of it while taking the long route home since the ferries have really really really sucked of late. Like a 3 hour commute to work. Dang tourists. (just kidding, I liked it when I was a tourist over here) Dang me for not planning ahead. Geez, I used to give myself 30 minutes to get to work, now I am happy when I make it in 1.5 hours. (only 20-30 minutes of that is driving, the rest is coffee drinking, emailing, reading or drooling on my car window on the ferry when I doze off) Anyway, back to conspiracies. I read another blog (Buffy) and she posted about her frustrations with her tv workings since we left the world of analog signals. Antennas, converter boxes, etc etc. I read those, and thought, hmmm. good thing I don't have a smantzy tv or watch that much...because she sounds really frustrated.
When I hooked up our tv, and bought the required $45 fancy amplified antenna and then told the tv controller to 'find me some stations, baby', I thought it would be easy as punch. HA. After several tries, and moving the antenna around, and even having my ma hold the antenna up toward the ceiling as high as she could reach while I pushed the remote buttons... Nothing.
Absofrigginlutelynothin. So, let me understand this one. (If you are still reading this, here is the conspiracy part)
1. For me to receive a television signal, I need to BUY cable. I need to pay a company and they will give me some select channels to watch.
2. Or, I need to hook the tv up to my computer, go online, and watch tv shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, TNT etc etc.
Conspiracy = This crap that is entertaining us feeble minded masses and telling us how to look, what to buy, and what is culturally significant (lord knows I follow that to a 'T') is no longer free, no longer unmonitored. If that is so, I shouldn't have to watch any commercials, since we have to pay for cable or internet access. Cable co's and internet providers now will know what we watch, when we watch. Where the heck is the mystery in that? That is why we have an overabundance of copycat shows. What an uncreative greedy bunch. And our lawmakers were fine with this? Load of crap, I say.
I should note that I am in one of my moods. I can feel the feist rising to my ears. It is good the urchins are in Disneyland with their pa. (or, maybe I am secretly sad I am not riding space mountain right now)

House - Heat and Electrical work

1. Victory on the heating front. Got my 500 lb dang oil furnace (I mean durn) dragged unceremoniously down the basement stairs and it is being installed! $1000 bucks. And I bought the "new" one off of craigslist. Can't have propane because it is in the basement, can't have gas because there is no service out here.
But the original 1200 lb. wood/oil furnace was OLD and mightily cracked. See there are huge bonuses to living in an old house. They are not so hermetically sealed that you get carbon monoxide poisoning if your furnace firebox has a 6 inch crack in the side. (in my mind, I am trying to be generous, but only come up with "snaky snaky sellers", hiding behind christianity to soothe your lyin' soul) Whoa, did I say that? I have never learned that forgiveness part of humanity. I will work on it before I die, but probably not with them. Did I mention the boys found more in the wetlands when camping? They pulled out a camper stair set and a computer monitor. Who the %*# puts a computer monitor, gas can, oil can, 20 foot rug, gas grill, motorcycle, truck and car parts "in the bushes" when the garbage truck takes pretty much anything you put out there away for free. Aaah. I think I figured it out. They buried or burned their garbage, not gonna give it to the man when God so graciously gave them these mini three acres to hide it all on! When our well water goes oily, I will know why.
Sorry. Big rant action there.
2. Hmmm on the electrical front. The first quote to do my electrical is $2500. And that is only for a new box, and to update the kitchen. That is it. No living room, dining room, bathrooms, laundry room or any of the bedrooms. So that may mean that this will be a kaboodle of bucks job to finish it all? And I just spent $123 which I felt was a luxury... on base molding for downstairs. Yes, I need it. No, heat is not more important. Why yes, I am lousy at setting priorities, why do you ask?
3. I have been subtley forced into thinking of my plywood painted floors (pics to come!!) and deciding I don't like them and want the wood underneath exposed and refinished. What are the chances that is less than $1K? Yeah, thought so.