Rainbow - Must be Shamrock Shake time

Strange but true. When we were coming back from Rose's piano we saw this lovely vision of brightness in a crappy weather day. But look... look where the end of the rainbow rests. McDonald's. McDonald's was enveloped in the wide array of rainbow tints, all lovely and glowing.

Seattle Viaduct

The Seattle waterfront has a two-level freeway running next to and above it.
Sometimes when things have always been there (ya know, within your own lifetime) you get used to seeing it and cannot imagine anything else.

The unfortunate truth is that this is duplicate to the freeway in San Francisco that pancaked and fell during the 1989 earthquake. Seattle has been ignoring this fact and dealing with it at the same time. Local news reports after the SF earthquake reported--the Seattle viaduct is NOT like the San Francisco viaduct -- and then proceeded to tell us it is not long for this world and sinking and placed weight restrictions on it. See, the freeway is built upon fill. That fill is supported by wood pilings that date back to early Seattle. When where I was standing in the photo was water and docks. And those pilings have been chewed by piling eating worms. So those pilings really are not supporting the pillars any longer. Hence, the freeway sinking. Hence, the metal supports added in pic #1. I think all that temp work to shore it up was over 14 million. Here is the possible replacement that our governor,

Gregoire, and our former mayor, Nickels were in a pissing match about. Well now Seattle has a new mayor, god help that city, McGinn, such a perfect Seattle can't make a decision, let's make sure we all feel good about it, let's have absolutely no leadership experience or budget handling experience but get people to vote for us because we are not the other guy, let's have endless pointless expensive time wasting meetings about it and then still not make a decision Mayor McGinn. I don't know what his opinion is about it other than he may want half the lanes dedicated to walkers and bikers... which the day I see semi trucks from the waterfront hauling cargo all across the US by bicycle is the day I will stop drinking coffee. This simulation of the viaduct replacement by tunnel under Seattle is brilliant. I did not add the simulated viaduct in an earthquake that is also on youtube... that is the sort of thing that makes people paranoid. (And I think my car was represented in there...) but you can google that in your own time. I will not contribute to american paranoia. Except through my own children.

Under Seattle by car.... : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgtOTMJt-AI (note, I can't get this to work, if it works for you, let me know)

Seattle views

The first image is a view of the historic Smith Tower on the right --the smaller pointed-hat topped building all alone. This building - for over 50 years the tallest building west of the Mississippi - is now barely seen compared to the rest of the citys highrise towers. This pic is deceptive, since my camera and perspective make all those towers seem about th same height. The large black tower in the center, tallest in Seattle, was evacuated on 9/11 since the country was flipping out. Justifiably.

The Smith tower has a room you can rent at the top of it with a 360 degree view of Seattle and Puget Sound. The cement structure below is the viaduct, an elevated freeway that runs above the Seattle waterfront and doomed in an earthquake. It is closed this weekend for measuring... since it is sinking and unstable. I used to not drive on it except under duress, or when late. Now I drive on it since it is the fastest route to the ferry.

I have accepted my mortality.

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.

Chuckles the Hamster

Rose got a hamster. Wilder has a guinea pig. And for that matter, so do I. The hamsters name is Chuck, Wilder's pig is Flambe, and mine is Gwenolyn or Guinevere depending on her mood.
Pics to follow.
Gwen is somewhat camel-looking and very rotund.
Flambe is slight and tri colored, very sweet.
Chuck is abso-rippin'-lutely the cutest thing on the planet. The one thing I said I was not getting in the house was vermin in a cage...rodentia in the house... and now I have three. I am such a sucker.

TV - Being Erica

Since moving to the boonlands, we don't have tv reception. I refuse to pay for cable, since TV IS SUPPOSED TO BE FREE THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO ENDURE COMMERCIALS. Okay, off that bender.
So we watch tv on the computer on hulu. We have found some fantastic shows. Rose and I watch "Being Erica" a canadian produced show. Geez Louisey we love this show. AND I feel like I have a mini-therapy session every episode. Who needs therapy? You just watch this show and learn from Dr. Tom. Who I have a minor crush on. Sigh.

Images Courtesy imdb.com

Random - and yet again -Procrastination

I have book material due to a publisher on Tuesday. This Tuesday the 16th. So what am I doing? Writing about how I am not working on that. Writing about how I cannot write on that topic but somehow can blather on about procrastinating on not doing what I 'should' be doing. Talked with Ma this morning for two hours. She doesn't know it yet but I am coming out to Michigan when she has her second hip done. I am not sure I helped with the first hip, but I felt alot better being there since I knew she was fine. And she was seriously drugged up. I am not sure the kids along was a help.... but they had a blast, too. Talked to my aunt and uncle this week. They are snowbirds and head down to Fla. every winter. Except this winter was 'winter' down there, not the usual balmy insect-infested sand in your underwear Florida. They told me they saw a plane crash in the Gulf of Florida. That was wierd news. How being near tragedy is almost like seeing a movie star. There was almost gushing going on. I got the blow-by-blow of every detail.
I know when I saw the Coast Guard accident off of Vashon Island that killed a young man, I was probably gushing. It is so out-of-the-ordinary.. and both these times there was really no reason for the deaths. They were both accidents that came out of 'showing off' - one with a Coast Guard boat, one with a former military training jet that was doing tricks too close to the water. What a sad way to pass to the other side.
Still procrastinating.

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.

Bubba and the Big Manure Haul

So at some point in the past gal pal and I dug and built the barn back into shape. Well, when I got sick this winter I let things slllliiiiiidddddeeeeee and the barn was not scooped out religiously as I had been doing it.
And, that *&%t builds up. And up. So I posted a piece of paper at the local feed store for someone to come out and shovel those stalls and move it to the compost bin. And that is when Bubba called. He called 14 year-old Rose "ma'am" on the phone and that tickled her. He has a new baby, no further than an 8th grade education due to dyslexia and is a rodeo man and horse trainer.
I actually thought he had somehow hit cement he shoveled that barn so smooth. (I have never seen it like that) AND the man never broke a sweat. Makes me feel old. I break a sweat just looking at the manure fork and wheelbarrow. Love the cleaned out barn, however! He even swept my porch. Wow.

House - Knob and Tube Wiring

Is this really happening, do I get to delete something from my house repair to-do list? Why yes, yes I do.
We have a light that I wrote about that we supposedly repaired. Well, we didn't. It still shot the bulbs out of the socket like little glass jets. I had it with whatever electrical mess was going on upstairs and had money in the savings account so called the handy dandy electrician. My kids sleep up there, and I am not fretting about possible snafus in the wiring system that could be dangerous. The electrical co. is the same who rewired the main part of the house and put in a new electrical box. When I talked to the 'bidder guy' who comes out to quote a job, he told me that they just did a house like ours with knob and tube and it was $8K. That is NOT how much I had in the savings account. So we talked a bit, and he said he could send my original two electricians out, Greg and Jim for $700 a day and they could figure out what was going on. Greg and Jim came out yesterday and when they were leaving at 3:30 they said "We replaced all the knob and tube and questionable outlets and fixtures." So the price to upgrade the upstairs went from $8000 to $700. I gave them cheesecake and a loaf of fresh bread. I think that worked out in my favor.

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.

Botox leads to Neanderthal forehead

I don't mind looking older and get a kick out of all the products on the drugstore shelves that promise to "bring back a younger you." HA. I actually like the worn in laugh lines and the cranky furrowed thing between my eyebrows. It shows that a) I laugh alot and b) I frown alot. I think the frown thing is a vanity since I am supposed to wear glasses and I have taken up squinting instead. (Like right now, I am somewhat squinting at the screen) And, geez, I have a 10 year old and a 14 year old... if I did not have a frown line how would I ever influence them with my steely-eyed mother squint? ??
Since I feel way younger than I look... and I act way younger than I should... I like the veneer of maturity my aged skin and body lets me wear. You can't stop aging, you can't stop death. It really freaks me out to see the neanderthal forehead men and women are willing to wear for the privilege of botox shots. Have y'all noticed your head gets all poochy in the brow region? Not a good look. But again, this is ONLY MY OPINION. Whatever makes you feel outstanding is well worth it. We have too many low self esteem people out there. Do what works for ya! Just don't expect me not to silently think to myself "Neanderthal" when you walk by. Here is a gal that has to squinch her face to get the lines to show she is so toxicized... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLork5-Tan4

Welsummer Chickens Part 2

The welsummer chickens we waited for all last summer at our feedstore arrived and grew up. Three of the six disappeared through various minifarm mishaps. Don't make me type them out loud, even though I was not bonded to them like our old handraised biddies, it still wells my heart.
Overall welsummer report :
They are loud. It cracks me up when they give the big warning hooty henny warning when I am walking across the yard. So I tell them "Shhhhhhhhhhhh ! You girls are making a racket !" and they immediately close their beaks. Smart birds.
They are talkative, they fly better than any of our previous chickens, and lay beautiful dark brown speckled eggs. Our 4.5' foot fence will not contain them and I need to clip their wings if I want them coop and yard bound. I am glad we did not have these in the city, the neighbors would not have liked hearing their incessant fussing. The wyandottes and orpingtons do not make such a ruckus.
Next on our chicken acquisition list is to get the wyandottes again. Our one hen, Lainey, would set the pace for egg laying with the rest of them and we were buried in eggs from just three girls. We have 6 hens now, and there seems to be a couple dud chickens in there for eggs.
Oh -- and only get a golden polish hen if you need humor in your chickenyard. That girl is the dumbest all around creature I have met in a long time. Plus, she just looks rediculous with her fancy tophat of feathers and a total slacker in the egg laying arena.

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.

Ferry Riding Guide - Bainbridge to Seattle run

Photo : Arriving Seattle from Winslow... I mean Bainbridge.

Photo : Bainbridge cars unloading. The ferry worker in the bright vest has the city exit lane blocked to let 3-6 end of shift employees escape from the staff parking lot. It adds 1/2 mile to 200 other cars commute, however since they are diverted south past the main city center. U-turns are not legal in this city.

Since riding these big white beasts of sea burden is a requirement to get to my job, I thought I should summarize what you may experience on the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferry Service. This edition shall focus on the Bainbridge Island - Seattle run.
1. The Bainbridge Island run used to be called the Seattle - Winslow run. Do not ask old timers about the name change. They get ruffled feathers and may start spitting when they speak vehemently. Suffice it to say Bainbridge Island is the Bellevue of Kitsap County, except without the highrise buildings. Very caucasian, very middle to upper middle class incomes with Midwest middle-class sensibilities. Many people that aren't comfortable with Seattle due to its DIVERSITY (oh do the research on this, Seattle is also very white) are fully comfortable with this island. So small town living next to the big city of Seattle.
2. The ferry ride takes about 35 minutes. To keep your transit time about 35 minutes, you want your car to be in the center lanes of the boat. Not that you get to decide this. They load the boat in order, and pay attention to weight distribution.
In general, car loading is a first on, first off philosophy. It can differ however, depending on your ferry captain and what they tell their main parking floor staff.
3. You can wave or nod at these workers when driving on or off. For the most part they are a happier bunch than Any Other Boat. I have been told by Bainbridgers that "they take care of their ferry workers" at holidays and such, so supposedly have the nicest boats, nicest employees, yada yada etc. From talking to employees I know that the Bainbridge Islanders have the most clout in the ferry system and other run ferry riders (in particular Bremerton) complain that Bainbridge gets preferential treatment. Bainbridge folks know who "know who to talk to" or they have whiny hissy fits (as only a Seattle-area person can do) about some Bainbridge ferry run issue. Consequently, you may miss that you need to get off the boat...they do not announce in person when the boat arrives at Bainbridge. Residents near the ferry dock complained of the ferry announcement as the ferry pulled into harbor. Many times you will get a recording (which my kids have memorized...)When a Bainbridge ferry breaks down, it takes a Bremerton run ferry to keep its schedule. Bremerton is then down a ferry.
4. Bainbridge comes directly out of Seattle, so can be a mightily loaded boat of walk-ons and cars. In summer it is tourist-filled. Vehicles tend to be more expensive on this run. The generic high end seattle suburb cars - volvo, lexus, acura, sport cars. You will hear the captain or whoever gets on the PA tell the mercedes owner of the blue/silver/black one to turn off their alarm. Work vehicles tend to be for bakeries or trucks that don't look like they work at all. (Unless you see our big white dirty truck on the ferry!)

5. When arriving or departing Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge... the ferry veers very close to the shore to get around some submerged rocks. Do not freak out that the boat is going in the wrong direction even if it appears to be turning away from where you think it should be going. Trust your captain. These waters have been plied by ferries for over 120 years. They know what they are doing. There is only one ferry accident with fatalities.. and that was in 1906 with a teeny commuter steamship.

6. TIP for impatient drivers : How they unload the boat (And I know this because I am one of those drivers and this made me crazy so I asked every dang ferry what their strategy is)

Center two lanes fully offloaded. Center far lanes fully unloaded.

Outside lower level lanes, except they let one car go from the inside lane for clearance issues. Can't trust people to know the size of their cars!

Inside lower level lanes.

Upper level outside lanes, then upper level inside lanes.

Keep an eye on the ferry worker, don't speed on or off the boat.
7. How to be a "Regular Commuter on the Bainbridge Ferry" :
Turn your lights off when driving on or off. Don't blind the employees.

Keep your car alarm off. The ferry movement sets them off and you will be publicly humiliated by the ferry workers over the PA.

Move your damn car as close as possible to the car in front of you. You may be smooshing enough room to fit another car on the boat.
You can open the newspaper recycle bins and take the daily paper out to read.
Coffee is $1 in your own cup any size except hondo. Even if you just have a paper cup. Otherwise $2.50.
Do Not make-out, pick your nose, change clothes, have sex, let your dog defecate or pee on the boat deck, throw things overboard, play your music loud in your car. Not only will the person sitting in the car behind, next to, or in front of you see or experience, but the ferry workers can watch on camera.
And no running upstairs, the ferry staff will get on the PA and tell you to stop.

The Free Market economy does not create Good Cities

that's it.

Bathroom Update - Tear out and Prayin'

Photo: Totally unrelated to the bathroom tear-out job other than these chicks lived in the bathtub for a month.

So I broke down and decided to get some bids to tear out the rest of the bathroom so we can put it back together with all the stuff sitting in the garage. I have been sitting on it for 3 months, doin' nothing, so it is time to bring the big guns in. Or the people who would tear out in 3 hours what I seem to not be able to find time to do.

The first quote was a gal and her dad. They drove up in a minivan, much like mine, but newer and not white. After quoting the job ($250) they hopped in their car. It would not start. I gave them gas since they were on E. It would not start. I hooked up jumper cables. It would not start. I called my neighbor who can fix anything, but talked to his wife since he was at work and she said she would say a prayer for us. I actually love the whole 'say a prayer' thing, it seems like such an easy way to reach out into the ether for random help. And let me tell ya, our neighbor has been saying many prayers for us (but that would be another story.)
OK, so neighbor is saying a prayer over the non-starting car and I say thank you and hang up the phone. Walk outside and the car starts. I love that shit. Called the neighbor back and told her that her prayer did the trick, she said no, it was the "Lord's Work" Well god bless that man. I will say a prayer for him.

The final part of that story is that about 10 minutes later I got a call from these two and am asked if I found a wallet somewhere at my house. Sigh. I don't think it was their day. Can someone say a prayer for them?

Valentines Day - 1st Day of Frog Love

I was seriously beginning to worry that something had happened to the frogs around here. Last February there was a loud raucous party of singing frogs for a couple months, this year I was only hearing three. One of them seems to be under my window and has finally mastered the fine art of tuneful frog burps.
Well, come February 14th and hoila(!)... symphony of frogs. So glad to hear them, and so glad this house has double pane windows. They sing LOUD.

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