Waconda Road

Blog Moving Alert

2008-11-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

I've moved my blog. Please send me an email or leave a comment if you'd like to follow along.

Let sleeping dogs.....

2008-10-16T08:38:00.001-07:00

Here's my boy at 6:00 am. He's been out with 'other dad' helping to feed the goats, check the chickens, pee & poo. Then he comes back and crawls back in bed with me.

The Presidential Debate Commission really needs to up it's game. If their going to pre-empt Two & A Half Men (4 U Ace) at least get those guys to talk about something rather then snippets of their stump speeches, or just leave me and Charlie Sheen alone.

I've spent the morning running around picking up payroll and getting the last of the permit stuff done for the new office. I may have made a side trip to Macy's and Barnes & Nobles but that was purely a work thing. Really. I even took my trusty camera along hoping something would pop up that was bloggable as I have nothing today. Unfortunately damp, gray downtown Renton didn't lend itself to anything interesting today.

I stopped by Mom's last night on the way home and she actually tried to deny having left the house yesterday. 'Mother!.....I saw you...' She made some remark about Christmas coming up and 'good' boys and 'bad' boys. Whatever.

I can't believe my fuchsias are still blooming on the front porch. These guys have been going at it since April. I keep thinking it's time to bring them in but they just keep blooming. Odd, we've already had a couple of frosty days.

I best make like I'm earning my keep here. I may be back you never know.

But I'll leave you with this:

Don't kiss your honey,
When your nose is runny,
You make think it's funny,
But it's snot.

XOXOBC

Random Wednesday

2008-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

My bliss at the moment is a Styrofoam clam shell of chicken phad thai - four stars swimming in peanut sauce, side of rice. I'm easy.

I was driving back from the take out place and came to a 4 way stop. I look up across the intersection and see that the driver of the other car is my Mom. We're the only two cars at the intersection. She across town in a area she doesn't normally travel. I'm in my jeep, a car she knows well. I honk. nothing. I honk again. She pulls forward through the intersection and goes by giving me a dirty look. I'm surprised she didn't flip me off. I'll be calling her tonight and asking when she had her eyes checked last.

Jay is having a great time at his refrigeration theory. The instructor is apparently very good. The man comes home at night bouncing off the walls with all the new knowledge they've crammed into his head. It's very cute.

Having the house to myself for a couple of hours in the evening while he's in class is priceless.

Jason, my service tech is taking the course with Jay. He's having a hard time with it as he's not a classroom/lecture/book reading learner. He needs the 'hands on' type of training. I know he's frustrated but I keep telling him to just note the things he gets lost on so we can go back to them later and work them through I need to find some resources on working with folks with learning disabilities.

Mr. Deeds, the latest addition to the goat barn. (The name on his papers is Dirty Deeds, we shortened it) has done his duty. The sexual tension in the barn has dropped off completely. I had to feel a bit sorry for him there for a while. The girls had there own ideas about who should be on top. All three goats are very mellow these last few days. We'll expect the kids to come in March.

I love Banksy.

Talk to me

2008-10-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last night channel 13 had the audacity to pre-empted my favorite mindless weeknight re-run show, Three & a Half Men for some stoopid baseball game. I went channel surfing and ended up on The Rachel Maddox Show on MSNBC. I’ve been a fan of hers for a while but had only ever seen her spots on YouTube and the like, I’d never sat and watched the show. I was surprised to find out that it’s basically the left's version of Fox News. The same type of hyperbolic ‘reporting’ with the same exaggerations and spin, just the opposite side of the political spectrum.

The political parties in this country have done a great job of dividing its citizen is into basically two camps. They divide us to such an extreme that we don’t even talk or listen to each other. I think Senator McCain was truly surprised when participants of his rallies started yelling things like “Terrorist” and “Kill Him”. He shouldn't be surprised. The parties have used divisive politics for years. They have us so neatly divided into different camps that we nearly split 50-50.

We let them get away with it. It only serves their immediate purposes which is to get elected. Lord knows they don’t give a rats ass after that. But what they are fostering is a nation the grows to distrust the ‘other half’ more and more each year. To the point where we don’t even communicate. We just listen to the sound bites and lies and half truths. They’re creating the atmosphere for the political version of ‘The Perfect Storm’.

Where will these politicians be when America becomes so bloated with this misinformation, so untrusting of their fellow countrymen that they can only withdraw to their own ‘safe’ camp?

What we’ll have then will be culture wars. Them against us. Fighting because each side thinks their in the right and that opposing veiws are wrong. They'd rather we fight each other rather then to look at the man behind the curtain pulling the strings.

It’s a ticking time bomb that they've built for their own greedy purposes. Trust me, they won’t have the words or the power to diffuse it.

I had a chat with a friend a few weeks ago. She’s decidedly on the right politically. I am pretty far to the left. While I knew where she stood politically I’d always thought it best to ‘let sleeping dogs lay’ because I value her friendship and I know I can get rather passionate about these things. We chatted via IM for just about an hour. The more we typed, the more I learned that we really aren’t that far apart politically. We found more to agree on then we did to disagree.

All it takes is a little effort to reach out and communicate.

Work?

2008-10-13T11:40:00.001-07:00

Why yes, I should be working. But! I've finally figured out how to get pictures off my cell phone. OK, it's probably not the correct way, emailing them to myself, but it worked!

So now I'll bore you with pics that probably only mean something to me but it's a blog so I'll store them here.

The new office:

It's not much to look at - a pretty standard warehouse building

Two large existing office upstairs - they'll be four new offices downstairs

Jay's butt - This is their new office area - dividing walls aren't up yet

My office, yet to be built is out in the warehouse.

This kinds of neighborhoods have always intrigued me. The poor residential street got sucked up by industry. One of the little houses across the road.

While I was playing with the cell phone camera I found these shots from the Journey/Heart/Cheap Trick concert in July.

Lolli & Angie

Jack, my buddy from high school and his current girlfriend who's name escapes me at the moment.

The Green River Amphitheater.

Ok, back to work...I swear....

Weekend

2008-10-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. It was sunny and clear and almost warm. Jay had his crew down working on the new office on Saturday. We've had issues with the building permit and things are running behind schedule. No surprise there.

Lolli & I spent the day tracking down a pinata and stuff it for a birthday party Saturday night. It was a 40th Birthday party for our friend JP, boyfriend of our childhood friend Lorrie. The pinata turned out to be a perfect choice as it was very much a family type party and the kids had a blast diving for the candy and toys. It was looking like one tough pinata until Birthday boy got the blind fold and decapitated the thing in about three whacks.

We spent Sunday at the office working, well Jay worked and I came by about every hour to lend a hand in between errands. I was able to help Jay get three more walls standing in between my other errands. We should be in there the first weeks of Nov. I'm guessing. I finally got to the art store and got supplies but I only got as far as prepping a canvas. I'll start painting this week. Jay and my service tech are in training classes all week running into the evenings so I'll have some quite time alone to work on it. I will post pics if I can manage something that looks half way decent. I'm sure I'm like anyone else and am my own worst critic.

So, another Monday morning and I'm blogging even though I have a pile of paper work to get through. I had to turn my headlights on when coming to work this morning. Yuk.

Hope you have a great day.

There would be a title here, but Cheryl's using them all.

2008-10-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well that was fun.

Except for:
being late
not getting to the bank before lunch
leaving the bank deposit in my car
in the mall parking lot
for an hour

That wasn't so fun.

Luckily nothing happened and I'm in the clear. Assuming Jay doesn't read this.

We had a nice lunch catching up. L is one of those friends where you pick up right where we left off. We may be quite a bit older but with the exception of her colored hair and my graying temples we look exactly the same. At least that's what we tell each other.

I worked for her husband for about six months between jobs at Thousand Trails and Starbucks. He and his partner were my equipment suppliers & service vendors when I worked in telecomunications. They're still in the business and it was fun to hear stories abut all the other people we worked with way back when. I owe a huge debt to them for teaching me most of what I used to know about telecom.

I've been thinking about painting again. I think I'll go out to the art store after work and get some new oils, brushes and canvas. I loaned my old setup to a friend about a year ago but don't really want that set back. It wasn't in the best shape when I lent it. I feel the urge to squish paint around again. It's a very forgiving media. Jay will be with the guys working on the new office all weekend so that ought to keep me out of trouble.

Boy howdy! I can not seem to write a post lately. I've written and erased about 4 paragraphs in the last half an hour. I think I'll just post this and call it good. Do you ever have the feeling that you have a great post in ya but ya just can't get it out?

Blogging constipation?

I'll be back soon I suspect.

peace out, as the kids say.

2008-10-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

I having the hardest time posting lately. Everything just seems so inconsequential.
It's a bright sunny day, if a bit cool. I'm happy and healthy and have nothing to be snarky about. But then the day is still young. I'm leaving the office in a few minutes to have lunch with my friend Laura. I worked for her husband about 100 years ago and we've remained friends over the years. Her twins that once stood as tall as my hip bone are now out of college and one their own. We haven't caught up in a long time. Maybe something blog worthy will happen and I can while away my afternoon telling you about it.

If not, have a great weekend!

Happiness Is A Warm Puppy

2008-10-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Never fear - this post turns snarky in the end.

The weather people were predicting a big wind storm last night. Nothing was happening before I went to bed. I heard Bear come up stairs shortly after I got in bed to read. He used to sleep with us all the time until he got to be a big boy with a big boy bed downstairs. After about 20 minutes the wind really picked up and started blowing noisily. It's interesting how he could hear or just sense that the storm was coming. He hate the noise the wind makes. I turned off the light and put down my book and settled in. A couple of minutes later he jumped up on the bed and settled at my feet. This morning I woke up and he'd scootched his way up the bed and was laying next to me.

Waking up spooning your dog is a good way to start the day.

There's a cherry tree near the office that no one takes care of. The fruit has fallen around the base of the tree. I was out watching the squirrels playing around it this morning. I realized they were eating the fruit. They're also spinning amazing back flips and wrestling. The fruit must be fermented because those are some inebriated squirrels.

When my Mom was over on Sunday she was complaining about the economy and the stock market and what it's done to their retirement funds. She's P.O.'d because they don't have another 10 years to wait for the market to correct it self. They want to spend that money NOW.

It got me to thinking:
Why are two retired bankers so heavily invested in the stock market? Hello...diversification anyone?

Why did so many people go with ARM's on their mortgages? We were offered those products and said no way. It didn't make good sense. I don't mean to insult anyone but they basically took a gamble and things didn't go their way. I've made bad decisions in life and had to pay the piper. Why is it that we should bail out people who made a bad decision?

Then there are the stories that have been in the local papers about college students who have amassed a lot of debt to get through school. I understand how hard it is to come out of school and into the work force saddled with debt but wasn't it their choice to fund college on credit? What happened to the days were you took the classes you could afford and maybe it took a little longer (and hard work) to get a degree?

This post is turning out snarky and I don't mean to belittle anyone. PLEASE call me out if I am over simpifying here. I just feel like the whole 'give it to me now' 'microwave ready' 'I can't wait another minute' mindset has taken over.

It's official - I'm an old fart, wondering about "kids today"

I think I'll go back home and snuggle my puppy.

2008-10-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

I must have writers block. These days I can't even start a new post with out staring at the blank template for 20 minutes first.

It was a very nice weekend. Jay & Lolli got up early and headed to the Portland area to pick up Dirty Deeds - our new billy goat. I was somewhat surprised when I finally saw him that he didn't look at all like the picture that was sent to Jay (coughbaitandswitchahem) Jay said it was just a misunderstanding and that the picture they sent (pictured here- two posts down) was his son from his fist litter. (?) Well, OK then.

A few of you commented about the smell of goats. I didn't think much of it at the time as our two exisiting goats don't have much of an odor, as far as farm animals go. But once I met Mr. Deeds (his name for now, I think) I found out what you were talking about. MALE goats freaking REAK! Boy howdy! that bad boy's getting a bath once he's 'done his bidness'. Apparently the odor is to attract the females. Urine seems to be his ace in the hole.

Gentlemen: Do not try this at home.

In the end Jay is over the moon about having his new goat so all in all it's worth it.

As I said before, I had better things to do with my Saturday. And that was havng brunch with Fiwa & Mo! We had a great time at Fiwa's place. We blabbed for a couple of hours and ate the great breakfast Fiwa prepared. She even set the plate of sausage near me! Always a bad idea. Yum. I love these two ladies. They are two of the first bloggers I got to know online and the first ones I've met in real life. It is a unique and cool way to start a friendship, already knowing so much about eachother before ever meeting.

The next time we get together will be at my place. I'm not sure when but I'll post it here in case any other local bloggers want to come.

The rest of the weekend was quite except for a wind storm that blew in Saturday afternoon and did some minor damage around the old homestead. My Mom came over Sunday and spent some time with us. We took the dogs for a walk and looked at the new paddock. She's heard me bitch about it enough that she had to see for herself. Of course Mom sides with me and my complaints. God love her!

My office partner broke her foot last Friday and is out of commision this week at least so my work load just doubled. Meaning I should be working and not blogging at work.

Happy Monday all!

2008-10-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the star of our show. Because it is Bear's Farm and it's all about him. He looks all cute and cuddly here but he's soon to yak in the back seat.

This little guy is only weeks old. Amazing.

Alpaca secrets

Yearlings

These animals have the most expressive brown eyes and long eye lashes.

The Alpacas talk in a low throaty voice. Sometimes they bring the pitch up and the end of the call like they're asking a question. Ms. Alpaca farmer told us they are very protective of each other and if one of their pack wanders off or gets into trouble they surround and protect them.

This must be mating activity but you couldn't really tell. They're very casual. You would have thought this guy had his arm draped over a buds shoulder.

A soon-to-be (like any moment now) Alpaca Momma. These poor dears gestate for 340 days, give or take 24 days. When they come up close and look you in the eye they seem to be pleading for help.

The wool spinner and loom. They had a good display about shearing, carding and spinning wool. Lots of wool and wool products (not cheap) to buy.

After the farm we stopped down in the valley to get pumpkins, squash and indian corn.

I got distracted near the corn field. This is the precise moment when Jay hollered at me from the produce stand turning every ones attention to me photographing this guys butt. Oops.

The view of Mt Rainer from the floor of the Green River Valley.

Goatie Love

2008-10-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

I tried to get the Alpaca trip picture posted last night but between fighting for access to the PC and friends dropping by it just didn't happen. By the time I actually sat down to finish added comments and then went to publish the post it failed and I was too tired to start over so I just went to bed.

It's been a bumpy week. After learning that Alpacas were out of our price range Jay become more intent on getting a billy goat. He spent most of his free time this week scouring the internet for breeders who had one for sale. They're hard to come by then you might think.

He also started a new larger paddock for the goats. He's out of control. He staked out an area 40' x 80'. I told him nicely that I didn't want anything that big. He started to build it anyway. I won't bore you with the argument's that we've had since then. In the end I gave up, it's just not worth fighting about. But I'm still a bit P.O.'d.

I had good intentions of following Fiwa & Ginni's lead this week and focus on the positive and perform random acts of kindness for others this week but so far have only gotten bogged down in frustrating arguments. What ever, I'm almost over it and I still have a couple of days to get back on the positive.

Jay did finally find a goat to buy down in Oregon. He's driving down Saturday to pick him up. He asked me if I wanted to go (He's quite excited) luckily I have something better to do!

Here's the new little guy - His name is Dirty Deeds - So far Jay is calling him Mr. Deeds. We'll see.

The breeder tell us he's really good with kids. Jay's hoping we'll have kids by next March.

Our friends N & A stopped by last night. They needed to get out of the house for a while. They recently had thier married daughter, husband and kids move back home to stay. Typical boomerang kid thing. The kids are trying to get back on thier feet and driving N & A nuts in the process. It reminded both of us that in some respect you never really grow up unitl you have your own children.

I will try and get the pictures posted again tonight. Wish me luck!

Farm Boys

2008-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post all morning but have been to tied up watching congress not do anything. Well the bailout failed about 15 minutes ago so I can carry on with life I suppose. I wonder what it all means, if anything, to you and I?

We did go on the farm tour on Saturday. We got up early and drove Lolli down to her daughters house and dropped her off then headed back up the valley to start the tour. I did take pictures and got some really cute ones of the Alpacas but I forgot the camera at home so I'll post them later.

We got to the first farm which claimed to be a Christmas tree and bee keeping farm. My first impression was the Mr. Farmer didn't have indoor plumbing as personal grooming and clean clothes was clearly optional at this farm. We walked around the farm, around various piles of equipment(?) and just plain refuse scattered about the place. We did see three rabbits huddled in very small cages and two goats who lacked fresh water. At this point I was ready to bail but we soldiered on. We walked around for about 15 minutes looking for any interpretive signage, a barn perhaps or anything remotely resembling some sort of farm like, income generating enterprise. We finally did find a large outbuilding that we passed coming in the gate, this was their 'Farm Store'. Inside was a small refrigerated case holding five or six different packages of honey. All of them looked very professionally packaged but none of them had any indication they came from THIS farm. Aside from the honey there was ample space dedicated to Christmas ornaments and other 'crafts' that clearly weren't made anywhere near these parts. A hop, skip and a turn and we were back in the 'parking lot'

Off down the road, and as we made it to the main road we both smelt something smelling exactly like dog do. I quick stop by the side of the road and a shoe check determined it wasn't, as we thought, smeared on to the bottom of a shoe. Hmmm. We get back in the Jeep and on the road and sure enough the smell is stronger then ever. I look in the back seat and see that our faithful companion Bear has been sick in the corner. Poor boy. He wasn't even acting funny so it was a bit of a surprise. We pull over again and did our best to clean it up with a empty Starbucks cup and grass & plant material found by the side of the road. That done we roll down the windows and get back on the road.

Jay's driving and I don't even realise where he's going until he gets near the freeway and starts to head home. I ask him what he's doing and he says simpling enough "heading home". What? We're heading home with out seeing a real farm? I think not. Jay was concerned that the pup wasn't feeling well and that I was too much of a weenie to drive around in a funky smelling car. From the tail action I could see going on in the back sat I knew Bear was still ready to go. Even if he couldn't get out of the car at the farms.

So we set out for the Alpaca farm. This farm was much better with proper paddocks and animals who didn't seem to deserve refugee status. We walked around for a bit then went down near the Alpaca mommies paddock to see the two soon-to-be mommas. Here we met up with a charming, attractive lady who is Ms. Alpaca Farmer. She was very helpful and informative. She spent the rest of our visit there talking about the ins and outs and joys of Alpaca farming. I think she saw us as easy marks. As lovely as these animals are I just don't see anyone getting rich selling Alpaca wool for a living. My sense is that the only way you make Alpaca farming pay is to recruit new Alpaca farmers to the cause. We did learn quite a bit from her. First off I noticed and learned that there are only two 'A''s in Alpaca - not Alapaca which is how I was spelling it, so that's good. Also these poor creature gestate for 340 days.

340 DAYS! - and even at that it's sometimes +24 more days, give or take. Poor dears. The two pregnant dears in the paddock got a very heartfelt "I'm so sorry" from me. No wonder they were a bit testy. Testy is not a normal Alpaca trait from what I saw and learned. They are very curious animals and seem quite intelligent. They are very aware of whats going on with their group or herd and will look out for each other. The do seem to communicate with each other and with people with a throaty kind of lowing. a short lived sound that can be played flat or with a bit of a flip up of pitch at the end as if asking a question. Ms. Alpaca Farmer said they're quite friendly in the way a cat is. They'll come give you a sniff or a rub but only of their own volition. If you try and pet them they move away.

By this time Ms. Alpaca Farmer has sized up the two of us and clearly figured out that Jay is her real mark as he's the one gushing over the animals and talking in sweet near-to-be baby talk to them and telling them how pretty they were. I was off to the side looking at the human shoe sanitation station wondering why it was down here in the Mommy paddock and not at the entrance to the farm. Apparently the Alpaca's in the first three paddocks I wandered though are on their own when it comes any type of "Mad Alpaca" disease. This is what I'm thinking about when I hear Jay finally ask the question that's been playing on his mind for days. "Just how much is an Alpaca?" Ms. AF informs him that a good brooding mare(?) starts at $7,500.00 and can go anywhere up to $75,000.00 for good bloodlines. His monosyllabic response was a very telling "Oh"

We then went up to the farm house and looked at the display on shearing, carding and spinning of Alpaca wool. All very interesting, but it just reinforced my opinion that to make any money at Alpaca farming means becoming a slave either to the beast or a spinning wheel and loom.

All in all it was all very well displayed and educational, especially for Jay. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home scrubbing the back seat of the jeep while Jay plotted his next project, a bigger goat enclosure. Alpaca's taking a back seat in his mind for now, I'm sure.

My Jeep now smells like Pinesol and dog yak, and upper field has little stakes pounded into the ground all over the place. If he thinks I'm giving up half that field to goats he's got another thing coming.

I'll post the pictures when I get home tonight.

A copy of this post and 1 dollar will get you a soft drink from your local grocery store

2008-09-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well I started doing the meme that Summer tagged me with but as I got further into the questions I realised That I'd already done this one So I spent about 7 seconds trying to find it but then I noticed something shiny on my desk and got distracted and forgot what I was doing so I decided that I'd just start a dam post and put it up Lord knows it Friday and nobodys around blogland on Fridays I'm not even really sure why we work on fridays cuz no one really does anything on friday except plan the weekend so we might as well just have that day off too So it doesn't really matter much what I put up here cuz no ones going to read it anyway In fact while I'm at it I might as well put up the silly pic I took down by the lake as I was on my way in to work this morning see I woke up early and Lolli was still sleeping so I decided I might as well just go to work but I didn't want to be too early so I stopped by the lake and watched the joggers (no cute ones this morning) and while I was sitting there I took this picture

Pretty pedestrian isn't it? This is where Boeing assembles all the plane parts that aren't made here anymore They built a Target and a Petco and Cross Dress for Less (aren't I funny) store where those people (used) to work They still work there just not for Boeing anymore This is where they put those parts together before they fly them up to Everett to get their paint jobs Pretty exciting huh I won't tell you to double click the picture to see the airplanes because you all failed miserably in following directions on the last post so there see what you get? So after I did that I turned to the left and took this picture

That's my house over there at the top of the hill where you can't really see it because of the trees but trust me it's over there I could be over there right now with the dog and the cat and the goats and the chickens but no Jay has this whole thing about going to work I'm not sure what his point is but he does seem fairly insistant on the subject So everybody wave Hello house that we can't see So anyway for some reason I took total leave of my senses the other night and printed out the flyer for the South Sound Farmer Harvest Festival Days and put it in front of Jay which was a stupid thing to do because for some reason he took that to mean that I wanted to go on the tour of all the farms in the south sound area so we could go look at pumpkins and corn and have hot cider freshly pressed and I think there are hay rides and such to go on even though I don't really want to ride in a hay wagon I think what really got him going was the farm that have Alpacas and he wants to go see them He thinks I want to go see them too which of course is just silly And even though I've told him he can't have an alpaca until he builds a new goat barn and then a new building for the alpacas but I don't think he was listening at the time so he probably thinks he going to get an alpaca this weekend but between you and me that's just not going to happen So that's what we're going to do on Saturday

Here's another pic I took today it's a sunflower that got a pretty late start I've been watching it leap into life over the last two weeks it grew about a foot a day and bloomed it's big bloom in about 15 minutes while I watched and then it promptly died due to the frost and it won't ever be able to make any seeds so I guess that's one less sunflower in the gene pool

So as you surely have noticed over the past few post grammar is become much more of an option here on Waconda Road and not so much a constant I like writing this way much better and I think it gives you some insight into how my brain works (?) sometimes Of course it really doesn't matter because it's Friday and nobody reads blogs on Fridays so I doubt any one is going to notice anything different at all So I hope you all who haven't read this have a great weekend I have to go now because I'm at work and I'm busy planning my next very important business decision which of course is what the hec am I going to eat for lunch

Carry on

Wednesday Camera Purge

2008-09-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well it's payroll day yet again and I've had a office full of the little monkeys here this morning. Finally have them all on the road. I snapped this pic of the leads when they were in this morning.

Left to right that's Mir on the end, one of Jay's job foremen. Next is Jason, my service tech. He'll be a "lead" tech if we can ever find another service tech to hire under him. Beth Ann, my office mate in the center. Now you have an idea why business partner Al married her. Sorry that must be sexist, she has many other qualities too. Andy, Jay's other foreman is next , looking remarkably good for Andy. He's one of the more slovenly of our 'kids' and needs gentle prodding on grooming from time to time. That's my Hero on the end - cute smiling man that he is. We're missing the youngsters who are already out on the jobsites.

Next up is a poor quality video of the Goatie girls - The small one is Beth, large one is Belle. They went to the Vet this morning for a check up and to have the blood work up needed to get them hooked up with a Billy Goat. They need to be tested for disease before they get to go to someone else's farm for the 'hook up'. Jay took them this morning. He tells me they made quite a stir at our some what urban Vets office. I haven't hit publish yet but it doesn't look like video is loading correctly. Danggit Blogger!.....

This is my latest project. 'Latest' meaning I've only been working on it for three weeks and then only half a**ed at that. Here's the outdoor furniture 'before'

And here's the half way done picture.

The lighting is bad but you can see it's coming out chartreuse yellow/green. The paint I bought was bright sunshiny yellow. That was the look I was going for. My friend Lorrie (not to be confused with Lori/Lolli) came by and said: "yeah, you should have primed them first" - Yeah, I should have. Where the hec were you when I started? - anyway right now I'm counting it as a happy accident and will finish with a few more coats and see how I feel about it. Worse comes to worse I'll primer it and start over. But the color might just work up on the grass.

Here's a random clip of Mt. Rainer on my drive to work. We'll see if the video posts.

In other news...Jay has finally picked up the tools and started a new (small) glass project. I've been wanting him to get back at it so this is a good sign. He spent the weekend cleaning and organizing his shop space and started this peice over the weekend. It's a small one. He made the design himself. I'm just glad he's starting again.

I received a few comments in the past that their aren't many (if any) good pics of me on this blog. I've avoided the camera since I re-entered puberty last year. At least in this pic my face isn't as broken out as it has been. I don't even remember taking this but I know it's recent because I just bought that shirt two weeks ago. So here you go. Me.

This picture will not enlarge if you double click it so don't even try.

***

***

I said not to do that.

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And since were dumping the current pics from the camera today here's a pic of the hens. Doing what they do best. Whatever that is.

And I'll leave you with a pretty sunset. The days are getting shorter so were seeing these less and less. I know it's fall because I've stopped getting my 32 oz Iced Teas in the morning and have switched back to Lattes - I'm currently bouncing off the walls as I type.

Have a great day -

XOBC

oops- I forgot Miss Lilly

Monday

2008-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

We took the day off work on Friday so we'd have the whole day to play before the concert Friday night. We went to see Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey at the Whitewater Amphitheater. We took off early in the afternoon and drove down the back way to get to the venue. We took the long way through the country and went by a lot of old stomping grounds. We started with a party of 16 but only 12 of us actually made it to the concert due to a lot of traffic later in the day and an accident on the main highway to the venue.

It was a good time. I'm not to old to stand a rock concert as long as it's in an outdoor location with plenty of room to get a good ways away from the stage. Cheap trick is a band I listened to a lot in high school now I'm not exactly sure why. They did one or two of their signature numbers that were pretty good. Heart came on next and did a set of their old stuff, which isn't too surprising since they really don't have anything new out. - They rocked and they were as good as always. Next up was Journey which sounded pretty good but their Steve Perry replacement, while good and sounding close to Steve Perry was Ok he just wasn't Steve so it lost something.

It was an interesting crowd of old and young. Some kids (20's somethings) their with their Moms & Dads. People our age trying to be cool. It was a good night and the rain held off for us. We didn't get home till 1:30 AM so i was a late night for us.

Saturday and Sunday were both quiet days. We just did stuff around the house and ate and watched it rain buckets. Good timing on the weathers part.

Work on the office space is coming along. Were hoping to move at the end of Oct. but will have to wait and see how the permiting goes with the city. Hopefully we can get it done and have sometime to go to Cannon Beach in Nov. It's one of my favorite times to go down. The place we stay at has fireplaces in the rooms. We normally stop at Powells Books Store on the way down and load up on books and just hang out inside while it the weather blows outside. Looking forward to that.

Boring post - maybe more later -

Have a great day -

XO B

The Past Will Always Catch Up With You

2008-09-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

My but it's a quite day out here in blog land today. So with out all of you to go and visit I've been forced to resort to random web cruising. I found an interesting story of at Joe.My.God's site today listing the top 10 best and worst places in the world to be gay. Interestingly (at least to me) enough Mykonos, Greece was listed #4 on the best list.

Why is this interesting you ask? Well even though I've been with Jay lo, these 20+ years he isn't my 'first'. That's right, I did have a life before him. The 'Ex' and I were together for a number of years before Jay and I. Alright, truth be told there was just a tiny bit of overlap but that wasn't really my fault. The dude was out of the country more than he was in the country for most of those years.

The Ex, who I still love dearly and who's still a good friend, is a writer. Shortly after we broke up he 'went Hollywood'. It part of the reason we split. He's been down in LA for the last 20 years or so. So far he's produced one indie movie so I'm thinking I was right not to give up my life here to follow him.

Anyway...Back in the days when we we're together he'd take regular writing sabbaticals, in addition to being away working on projects. The nearly annual sabbatical was normally to Mykonos. What I didn't know until today was that Mykonos is basically the gay Disneyland of Europe. Color me ignorant.

So what exactly was he doing on those sabbaticals? An inquiring mind wants to know. He'll be getting a phone call tonight with a liberal ration of S**t.

In other Ex news, or not so new news... The partner of an ex of mine from high school (got that?) called out of the blue a few weeks ago. They are a couple that Jay and I used to socialize with a lot about 4 years ago. They abruptly ended that friendship when Jay and I failed to come to a party of theirs. We've seen them out socially over the years and always got a very chilly reception from them. It's always seem rather petty to us so we just kind of let it go.

So now the partners called say things like: 'Life's to short to let petty things stand in the way...' 'We should get together...'. I agreed with him during the conversation but I keep wondering if it's really a friendship I want to rekindle. I keep going back and forth between: 'We've known each other a very long time' and 'Why start something with people who could be so petty'. Maybe it me that's being petty. It's not like you can have enough friends, right ?

So there you go, another rambling-stream-of-consciousness post.

Which I'm not even going to edit. To hec with grammar...

'The Man' just stopped by the office with work plans so I'm off to the city to the permit office. Yea! - well not so much, but hey it's a ROADTRIP which will make the afternoon pass quicker.

Give someone a smile and a wink today and make them wonder.

XOXOBC

Ponderings

2008-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a thought or feeling just kind of come over you oh so slowly, and that takes a while or it to gel in your head? I've been feeling a bit 'loose at the moorings' lately and I think I've finally figured it out. It's the job. It's not like I don't like my job, lord knows I have it pretty cushy. It's just that at 45, and having done this for a few years I'm wondering if this is really what I want to be doing for, oh say the next decade+.

I like the work and I like what I'm doing but I'm wondering if it's enough. I guess I got used to being the big bread winner. There is a certain power to it. With out it there's a feeling of vulnerability.

The business is good, in fact better than it's ever been. I know this is due in large part to Jay's efforts. In reality this is probably the best way for the two of us to insure our future and hopefully retirement. I'm just feeling like I have less 'power' than I once did.

I think part of what brought this feeling on was the whole office relocation and they way it was done. at the end of the day Jay and his partner are "the bosses" and what we do in the business is their call. What I don't like is the feeling of dependence.

One of the upsides to my career at The Evil Coffee Empire was that I had been there for so long. I was the answer guy to many people including the last couple of bosses I had there. I knew the ins and outs of the business and how to get things done. I knew where all the bodies were buried and that made me a hero sometimes. That's a difficult narcotic to give up.

I also think about the worse case scenarios. What if something happened to Jay and my relationship? (God forbid) What if something happen to Jay and he couldn't work? I think I need to spend some energy making a fall back plan for myself but doing that will be tricky. How do you do that with out making others feel like your not there 100%? It's easy to think it will be OK just by communicating but I have a feeling there would still be underlying feelings that I'm not being a 'team player'.

If you can't tell already I'm thinking this through as I type it. Sometimes this is a great way to get it out.

I don't for a minute miss all the 'challenges' of working in a corporate job. I'm sure I don't even remember how much I hated all the political BS that went with a job like that. Time has it's way of smoothing out the roughest parts of the past in your memory. I had lunch a week or o ago with some of my old cronies and I wasn't surprised that the place is almost exactly like it was when I left, just different people in the senior management roles trying the same crap that has been tried before. It was interesting to sit at lunch and listen to my friends gripe about it. One gut reaction was to say "why the hell are you still there?" but I know some people don't feel they have the choice to leave a good paying job with families to support.

I guess just thinking this is the first step. The next step is maybe just taking baby steps to put some more security around me so I don't feel like I'm not in control. More to ponder...

So that's where my head is this morning.

Moohaa suggested yesterday that I post a Bear pic for lack of anything else to post. She's right. I haven't bored anyone one with 'the light of my life' for a while. I'll see if 'His Nibs' is up for posing when I get home tonight.

Have a good day.
Wash your hands its cold & flu season.
Play nice with others.

B

Nothing

2008-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's monday and I should post something. Soemthing to get that weird little video tamped down. But I've got nothing.

It's a great day weather wise. Jay's off for the day so the office is extra quiet. I've been pondering what to post all morning and still have zip.

So I', here, doing good just maybe a bit brain dead.

I'll come post something interesting when it occurs to me.

Hope your having fun!

Strange Fruit

2008-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

This Didn't Take Long...

2008-09-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Sarah Palin action figure goes on sale today. Accessories include a pistol or Bible-grip hand, a tiara, and several dozen recorded lies. The company also sells some ridiculously buff John McCain, Barack Obama, and Eliot Spitzer dolls. via Joe.My.God

(Apologies to my Republican friends)

Stuff

2008-09-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful late summer day here today. I see other bloggers mentioning the signs of fall coming on and it sounds like were getting off easy so far. I hope it holds out a few more weeks. I'm fine with the coming of fall but I'd like to eek out some more summer first. Seattle is a place where you get all four distinct seasons so there's plenty of time for sweaters and leaf raking.

I got a couple of comments from yesterdays post about going to concerts and feeling too old for them anymore. I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to be thinking when we go. I'm hoping they have Heart as the first band and I can kind of wander off and hear Cheap Trick and Journey from a good distance away. I'm sure it's going to be to loud, to crowded and just two much after a short while but everyone else is jazzed to go so I'll just make the best of it. Most everyone going is my age so hopefully I won't be the only old foggie.

The office move planning is going in fits and starts. We have a one child day care in the office. Our business partners have a grandson that spends his days with us. Grandma takes care of him during the day. We've made allowances to make this work and it works well in the current office. The new office is going to present a number of challenges and I can anticipate it becoming more and more difficult for her to do. She's started to make noise now about not being sure she can do it. Not a big surprise but the timing could be better. We had a load of material delivered to the new space this last weekend and will start the framing for offices this weekend. It's thrown all the plans up in the air. Do we build out an office for each of us and a room for daycare and them have her decide she can't make the commute? I don't want to throw any blame around but I feel like this could have been better thought out. The long range plan is for her to move out of the business so if it comes earlier rather then later I'm fine with that but I'd rather not waste the money.

Speaking of money, our fleet of vans keep racking up the expenses. It's bad enough to pay $100 to fill each with gas but the repairs are all hitting this month. So far it one radiator replacement ($607) one break job ($560) one new set of tires & other work ($600) Jay called me 10 minutes ago saying his on his way to find one of our guys who's broken down on the road--- great... Then he calls back (Jay) as he's run out of gas, way to go champ. Normal crap I suppose but why does it all have to hit in one month?

Seems like more than a few bloggers have been going on hiatus lately. I understand that, we all go through our peaks and valleys. I've been having trouble coming up with much to say lately to. Sometimes I have to remind myself that my posts don't have to be entertaining (I flatter myself thinking any of them are) but just to keep writing is the goal. I blame it on the season. I think were effected by nature more than we know. Things will come full circle, bloggers will come back and I may think of something amusing to write in time. So there ya go, I'm not even going to edit this one and let all the bad grammer stay. Maybe I'll clean it up later, maybe not.

Monday

2008-09-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Quiet weekend here. The first load of lumbar was delivered to the new office. We've started the demo part of the job and will begin the framing next weekend. The war of the windows has settled, peace treaties signed. No concessions on my part. Someone finally 'saw the light'

I went to Second Hand Building Materials on Saturday and spent a good two hours rummaging. I didn't find anything of use for the new office but did find a 50" round glass table top, beveled and about 3/8" thick in perfect shape. My plan is to replace the smaller existing square top on the outdoor table. After getting the new top I decided that the table and wrought iron table base and chairs need a new coat of paint since it's been about a decade sine they were done. I picked out bright sunshine yellow to cover what was forest green thinking they be all bright and shining. I though spray paint would cover the green. Wrong. Their coming out a kinda of chartreuse green which looks a bit odd but may just work after a couple more coats.

We're going to a concert at the White Rock Amphitheater on Sept 19th. The first rock concert I've been to in um, a very, very long time. I think the last show I saw was Elton John and Billy Joel. Eek.

This time we're seeing Cheap Trick, Heart & Journey. - All bands that I liked back in the day. There's about 16 of us going so far. This plan was started back in July at our house party so the same group of folks are going. This is bound to make me feel old.

In local news the Boeing Machinist Union has gone out on strike. Years ago this would be huge news here as the company was so tied to the local economy. Now it's a minor story as most of those jobs have been outsourced. I drive through what was the Boeing Renton Plant every morning going to work. There's about 1/5 of the plant still in operation here as the jobs moved out the property was sold off. It's all being replaced with Targets and Office Max and Petco's. Retail and big box stores wages will replace what once were living wage jobs. One side of the street covered with picket lines and across the street non-union laborers build the new 'workers paradise' watching other people fight to retain pensions, wages and extract work guarantees from big business. It makes me wonder why labor unions are not making more of a comeback.

It's quiet here in the office and I got most of my paperwork done on Friday. I'll have to invent a reason for a road trip today or I'll just spend the day blogging. It's clear and sunny so maybe I can get out and take some pictures to post later.

Hope your having fun today.

B

Get Out Of My Space

2008-09-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Good Ship Office Move is headed for rough water. As previously whined here, I wasn't too happy about the way the whole leasing thing went down. When 'we' were just looking we had an agreement that no decisions would be made until all parties had seen the space and bought off on it. Then before I knew it we were going to see the space and sign the lease. The terms already being decided. I'd say in my own defense that I some what accepted that and didn't make too much of a stink but I'd have to go back and read that post which I'm too lazy to do, so well just have to accept that as my reality for now.

I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm ticked off because Jay is moving full steam ahead and planning (with our business partner) our office space and the features as if it is their own little fiefdom. OK, it is their own little fiefdom on paper but we're in this together, right?

It's more than a bit galling to sit and listen to them in the next office deciding who and what will go where and how the space will work. It would be easier to take if every suggestion wasn't dismissed out of hand. Those two aren't even in the office that much. It my office mate (business partners wife) & I that have to live with these choices. I'm sounding pretty bitter eh? Well just keep in mind I'm holding back.

I'm not surprised or even really that mad. I know this about Jay. Once he gets something into his head, that's it. He's moving to the goal and no one's getting in the way. The problem is he shuts out other opinions and doesn't listen. Not that it's his ego getting in the way. Just his drive. And yes, the phrase "I told you so" will be used.

OK, I'll cop to it. This dude is about to get on my last nerve.

The space where my office and dispatch will be is going to be built out in the warehouse. There aren't any windows near the space. A new one will have to be added. And NO, my dear Jay, a 3' X 3' window isn't going to cut it. It's an office not a bathroom. Oh and by the way - I get to decide where the fricking desk goes, and the door, and I'm picking out my own carpet. Deal with it.

It's just one of many things being decided that are getting under my skin. What really grips me is that when I voice a concern or objection it gets dismissed out of hand. He's not even listening. He's only focused on his agenda. If I were in a more magnanimous mood I might ask for the agenda . But in my current mood I'm more apt to....well never mind.

When I pushed on the window this afternoon I was told it wasn't in the budget. OH PLEASE! - utter nonsense, anything he wants is in the budget. I told him (again) that we should really be looking at Second Hand Building Materials, A local company that salvages building parts for resale.

1) It's green 2) the stuff is in fine shape 3) it's cheaper

His response was he wanted to place the order for building materials TODAY. and he didn't want to go "driving all over the place looking" We have two and a half months of free rent to build out the space. Easy there big fella.

All I wanted was to look at one alternative, not job shop it all over town. You can place your freaking materials order and just leave out a window or two - It's not like Home Depot is going to run out.

Alright - using my blog to spout off about a personal argument isn't a really good idea - but this is what's bugging me today and it's my blog so what the heck I'll post it. This is the closest thing I have to a diary.

I'll bide my time and keep my mouth shut for the most part. I know in the end that the best course is to let them do what they want to do. Get past it and then change it the way I want it down the road.

It's a simple warehouse space with offices. I don't want to live/work in a space with acoustical tiles and fluorescent lighting. In fact, I won't. It's a plain old warehouse that won't have walk in customers or retail space. When I get done at least my space will be funky. There's a lot of cool old stuff down at Second Hand.

Bide your time Bradley, Bide your time.

If you made it this far thanks, but you really should find something better to do with your time.

XOXOBC

Dog Days of Summer

2008-09-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I believe the title to this post is suppose to mean those hot August days where you only feel like laying on the front porch much like a hound dog. That's a bit how I've been feeling the last couple of weeks. It's not the heat that has me hanging my head low but the slow acceptance that the season's coming to an end. I'm just not ready for it. I could complain about the lack of hot days here, and not feeling true summer, but I've never been one to like the hot-hot days. I won't complain about the lack of hot days bring in business as customers A/C units fail. It would have been good for business but it just wouldn't be right to wish that on anyone.

I guess it's just a low level sense of melancholy. I can sense the days getting shorter. The trees are starting to tip their hands about what they've planned for the next few weeks. It reminds me of my sister comment when we were young that she wished she could glue all the leaves on the trees so they wouldn't fall off.

I've been trying to kick my own butt out of this mood. I haven't achieved much in that effort but interesting enough over the past couple of days I keep running into things that remind one of the seasons of the year and the circle of life.

A dear blogger has decided that she has said what she wanted to share and was done blogging. I take this to mean she's moving on to other adventures and new goals, which is great. I hope she stays with us and keeps commenting and visiting. I have my wonderful Afghan she made (that I've already been cuddling in at night) to keep her wonderful smiling attitude near me. Thanks again Happyone.

I got the greatest gift this morning in my email when I logged in at work.

Here's your circle of life kids. Look at this beauty.

Olivia Faith was born to our dear Miss Purdue on Friday. As Mom says...

"Born on Friday 22nd August 2008 at 3:40pm after a short but intense 3 hour labour. No drugs for Mum or Dad!!"

And:

"She is beautiful and I love her despite the fact that she tried to kill me (who says you forget the pain of labour?)"

I'm a first time blog-uncle, how sweet is that? I can't positively tell you how Miss Purdue and I found each other. I'm pretty sure it was one of my afternoons of clicking randomly on "next Blog" on blogger when I came across her site. What a wonderful bit of kismet that was. I'd puff out my chest and hand out cigars if any of you were about. Go send Mum & Dad some love, would ya ?

My Dear Bon, at Bon's Time Out writes about the loss of a dear friend taken too young. A young woman who clearly had so much more to give but ran out of time. Bon's response to this is to take action, which is no surprise to me. I'll love you even more if you click over to Bon's site and support her with some love.

When I hit the post office tonight on the way home from work I noticed an very elderly man in a motorized wheel chair with an oxygen tank on the back of his chair with the tube running to his face. I noticed him because he was in the roadway and it freaked me out a bit. I finished depositing the mail and turned back to look. He seemed to be fighting with something thin and shining caught up in the bushes next to him. I thought it was his tibe so I walked over to asked if he needed help. He replied: "If I could get this f***ing thing outta the bush I could keep movin on" He was trying to get a discarded cassette tape out of the bush by pulling on the loose tape. This guy was out in his chair with a extension gripper cleaning up garbage on his block. I snagged the cassette and put it in his bag. By the time I'd done that I already knew he lived in the blue house on the corner, had lived there since 1972, and his daughter Kelly and her no-good boyfriend could go to hell. His name is Walt. I shook his hand and will watch for him from now on.

So it's the season of change, one I've never had 'in me front pockets'. I'm always resistant to it but rarely disappointed. I'll muddle through and continue to try and kick my rear in gear. If any of you wanna come take a shot, I'd love the company.

New Space

2008-09-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

We signed a lease and took the keys for our new office warehouse space on Friday. The guys have been 'out looking' at property for the past couple weeks. It's not what I would have chosen for us but I'm successfully keeping my yap shut for now. It's a nice big space with about a basketball sized area for warehouse and a two story office build out at the back of the building. More than enough room for us now and the foreseeable future.

On the up side it's about half the distance from home as the current office and the commute will be a breeze. Additionally we'll have enough space for Bear to finally become an office dog. He's going to love getting to go to work with me in the morning and will make my day so much better just to have him around. Nothing like a dog to pet when work is stressing you out. Another good thing is it's only 2 blocks away from a huge park, Fort Dent and the Green River with tons of walking/biking trails and fields to run in.

We've spent the weekend going over the space and measuring and planning. We had one session where we all threw out what we thought we needed as far as building out new offices and the space in general and quickly found that we could exceed our budget with in a matter of minutes and that was just in the cost of the windows and doors. Who needs walls and flooring ?

I'm a little tweeked at the pace 'the boys' are going. They saw the place about a week before they decided it was the spot. I'm told by Jay that it was the closest to meeting our needs that they found and still in our price range. Some how I'm not convinced that due diligence was taken. Past experience tells me that once he's got something in his mind it's pretty much a done deal with no heed to others opinions or any level check with reality. Again, I'm keeping my mouth shut for now but it ain't easy.

I'm not going to sweat it. Things will work out in the end. I've said my piece and now it's time to shut up.

I'd never say "I told you so..."

Or would I ?

Random Childhood Memories

2008-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

1965
We live at the house on Lake Sawyer. Sister and Uncle Bobby are eating dry dog food. Sister holds a caterpillar in one hand. She makes a mistake and looks very surprised as something fuzzy is in her mouth.

My Father flies us in his 6 seater plane to Grandmas. There’s enough room in the back to play with trucks. Grandma waits for us down below standing in front of her sky blue Cadillac, always a new sky blue Cadillac. She waves to us from below as we land on the dirt farm road.

Aunt Donna is on the patio washing laundry. We’re at the chicken farm, the other Grandmas. I stand on the other side of the machine as she pushes the clothes through the rollers. I wait to catch them. She hangs them on the line and I’m in charge of the clothes pins.

Uncle Bobby takes us to collect the chicken eggs. He shows us how to grab the chicken by the neck and fling them across the coop to steal their eggs before they come back and peck us. Grandpa finds us doing this on another day and yells for Bobby.

I’ve just had my bath and Mom has put me in my PJ’s, the ones with feet. It’s a warm evening and I’m at the front window of the split level house. I reach way out the window trying to pick the rose that’s below. I hear a shout and look up and see our neighbor Mick running across the road. I’m falling.

1966
The process server came to the house shortly after Dad came home from work. Mom and Dad argue in the living room. Sister sits on the couch with my mom. I feel sorry for dad and crawl up into his lazy boy chair with him.

Sister and I are playing at the side of the house. We’re looking at mushrooms. Sister invites me to eat one. I eat the toad stool. I get to ride in neighbor Mick’s patrol car to the hospital. Sister’s in trouble. I’m her third victim in as many weeks.

I’m riding in Dad’s pale yellow MG convertible. We pass the Nike Base. I know that’s where the bomb is kept. I know to duck and cover but I don’t know what it means. We pass the grocery store and the large sign at the edge of the parking lot. It says: Nalley’s Potato Chips 29 cents.

We go to our old neighbor’s house, Mick & Jean are having a barbecue. I sneak across the street to go see my Dad. The house is different. The furniture is gone. Only Dad’s lazy boy and a small TV are left. Dad is very sad. Mom comes and finds me and takes me back across the street.

I’m the only one awake in the morning. I go into the kitchen and pull out the drawer to stand on. I take the peanut butter down and eat a big spoonful. I go crawl in bed with Sister. Sister yells out “Mom! He’s got peanut butter breath again!”

1967
We’ve moved to ‘Joe’s house’ Joe lives down the road. It’s just Mom, Sis and I now. My bed has a new blue cover with little white balls on the fringe. I don’t like it. It’s for girls. I get a new spread with guns and cars on it.

The older boys in the neighborhood take my Smokey the Bear away from me. Sister finds him high up in a tree. His hat and belt are missing and he’s leg is nearly ripped off. I cry. A lot. Sister makes new overalls for Smokey because she feels sorry for me.

We’re playing in the woods when I feel something warm on my leg. I look down and there’s a long jagged cut on it. I run screaming to Mom. She wipes up my leg and it’s only a pin prick.

Mom makes matching house coats for sister and herself. She makes them out of blue and purple paisley bath towels. I’m too young to find the humor in it.

1968
Mom has a new husband. It’s D & D’s father. D & D are now my step-sisters. My real Dad has married their mother.

Step dad takes us in his car. He lets me sit in his lap and hold the wheel. I’m driving.

Now we drive to Grandma’s. The one with the chicken farm. Grandma asks us lots of questions about Mom. Other Grandma comes and gets us and takes us back to the farm. She doesn't ask any questions.

Step Dad goes and gets D & D every other weekend. We go with him to see if we can see Dad. He’s never at home.

“Uncle Gary” is killed and we go and stay with Dad and step mom. Dad doesn't talk much. Step mom is surprised I don’t know how to tie my shoes. She shows me how. We watch “The Birds” on TV. I hide behind a pillow when the birds attack.

We move to the ‘new’ house. No one has ever lived there before. There are only two other houses near us. The Mullin’s move in next door but their kids are babies and there’s no one to play with. The other house is the ‘show house’ it has sliding glass doors where the garage doors should be. The rest of the street is bare lots with little poles sticking out of them. Behind our house are woods. Mom cries when they push down the woods and says she’s going to ‘croak’ I have no idea what croaking means.

We drive Step dad to his job at Boeing in the morning. When we’re coming back home Mom hears something on the radio that makes her start crying. She takes a corner too fast and the hubcap comes off the car and rolls into a lawn. She gets the hubcap and comes back in the car and tells us Bobby Kennedy is dead. I don’t know why she’s crying.

1969
The new house has no yard and the dirt is full of rocks. Step dad pulls a large square covered with chicken wire and we throw shovels of dirt on it to sort out the rocks. This process seems to take forever

I’m riding my bike in front of the house. The cement is cool and smooth in the garage and rough and hot on the driveway. We’re called into the house to watch something on TV. It’s still the old TV we had when Mom was married to Dad. We watch the man climb out of the a capsule and down the ladder. He says: “One small step for man….” We go back outside to ride bikes.

The new houses are put up on our street and now a black family has bought one. My mother takes me with her on Halloween to collect money for the March of Dimes. The other moms want to talk about this a lot.

My mother sells Avon and carries a big blue suitcase with a lot of smelly stuff in it. I have to go with her. The ladies are very nice to me and give me cookies. I’d rather go to school with my sister.

My mom takes art classes from my ‘Auntie’ Cherie, who’s not my real aunt but is very nice to me. She wears pants and a scarf on her head and teaches Mom how to make scrawny Japanese flower arrangements and how to paint pictures. She also has a cupboard next to her fireplace where the wood is kept and it’s open to the outside. Sometimes when I open it there’s a chicken inside it.

I whine, there for I am.

2008-08-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

I re-read todays post and felt bad for it. I really don't have any reason to complain. So I have issues with my job, who doesn't? What am I bitching about? I work for my partner/spouse for the love of Pete. How rough could that be? Not at all, really. I guess I needed to write that post so I could come back and read it to make it clear to me. I've got it easy. How quickly I've forgotten what its like to work for someone who really is indifferent to your needs. What the hec am I bitching about?

Thinking about it now, I can see that it really was just my ego. I felt wronged, dammit, and someone (Jay) was going to feel my 'pain'.

Yep, I'm going to have to work on that.

This must be Tuesday

2008-08-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

I had every intention of posting last night. I'd decided to wait till I got home as I didn't have time at work to goof off and blog. I'd even come up with a few good post ideas, none of which I can remember now of course. At about 4:30 the sky turned very dark and the news was saying rain, thunder and lightning with a potential for funnel clouds. I'm not sure if funnel clouds is just a local weather term or if they use it else where, but here it means a almost-but-not-quite tornado. They're pretty cool to see as they almost always stay up in the sky and never touch ground. We do get the odd real live tornado about once a decade down in the valley but it's not something people much think about here.

Anyway, being a cautious lad I decided to high tail it home. The deluge started about 2 minutes after I got in the house. Poor Bear was shaking like a leaf for all the thunder and lighting. I was glad we were home for the pup. We got a ton of rain and then hail enough to cover the grass. Two good and really loud lighting bolts hit nearby. One hit a tree down in the woods behind us and another exploded over the front yard. It was an amazingly loud blast like a bomb. I was just glad it didn't hit one of the two 90 year old Doug Firs that grow feet away from each side of the house. No damage done just shaky nerves and no web access for the rest of the night. Which is interesting because we didn't loose cable TV. Bear was still strung out hours later.

I've been Mr. Cranky-Pants for most of the day. It started out with Jay this morning before we left for work. I'll spare you the boring details but it has to do with decsions the 'owners' make about policy and how it impacts me and the customers. Basically it came down to this: If you are going to change a policy you so wisely created last week to something that impacts the customers that I've already dealt with, you don't get to change your mind and think I'm going to be the one to call the customer back and explain it to them.

Your bed, you lay in it. I ain't doing your dirty work.

Jay seems to think I'm just going to take care of it. Wrong. We haven't spoken about it since. He did call me up and ask me if I wanted to go to lunch with him.

Um, No.

So there - I'm cranky and proud of it.

Lolli & band had thier first show on Sunday. Unfortunatly it was in an amphitheater and it rained. I IM'd with her this morning and she said it went as well as could be, considering the rain. There were some of the faithful who stuck out the performance and all and all she was pleased. So good news there.

I've been working my buns off this morning. It's rare that I'm really busy, but when you forget to do a couple of critical tasks and stuffs going to be late it amazing how busy you can get. I got through that before lunch so it's back to the medium grind for the rest of the afternoon.

Be good, and play well with others.

Friday Housekeeping

2008-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

I'm siting here with my Denny's All-American Slam® breakfast. I'm not sure what is going on with my metabolism lately but I seem to be a bottomless pit. Last night for dinner we had steak, baked potatoes, salad and corn on the cobb. We were all stuffed. 15 minutes later I was back in the kitchen for two cookies. Followed 1/2 half an hour later by a rice krispee treat. An hour after that another rice krispee treat, follow with a bowl of ice cream. Then I woke up hungry a half hour before I have to get up. Hence Denny's.

I've been meme'd three times in the last week or so and since I don't want my meme taggers to think I don't love them, here we go. I may be cheating a bit doing them all in one post but it's blogging right? I can make up my own rules.

The first one came from Hope4Grace (I just looked up and saw that I'd left the 'P' out of Hope, considered leaving it that way, then thought better of it) This funny chica keeps me laughing. Go give her a read and a ration of crap for her shoe buying, pearl wearing, tomboy ways. She also posts pics of her hot husband "The Man" so there's always that to entertain yourself with on her site.

Hope's meme was a short one if I remember right.

OK, wrong. I just went back and looked. The meme is 6 things you never wanted to know about me. (Hope4Grace, I'll be scoping out gruesome meme's to tag you with next)

1) I've never broken a bone, except my toes. (I used to go dancing with a 6' 2" clod in cowboy boots)

2) My second toes are longer than my 'big' toes. It's a family trait

3) In high school I twice dressed up for 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' Once in the gold lame shorts and wrapped head to toe as a mummy and once as 'Rocky' in the 'Floorshow'. Full on corset, fish-nets...the works, on stage in front of the playing movie with the rest of the freaks. I blame undo influence by the BF of the time who dressed as Frank-n-Furter

4) In high school I drove a 1969 4-door Cutlass Oldsmobile. Yeah, I was cool.

5) I spent 6 years working on my vocal range. At my best I could sing parts from second tenor to bass. Now I can only sing baritone.

6) When my first lover died, amongst other things he left me were two 6' Boa Constrictors, Bruce & Linda. They wouldn't eat after the BF died and after sixth months Bruce expired in the glass case we had built into a closet.

I don't 'do' dead things.

Ever.

It was a week before I could finally get someone to come remove it. It had been over 100* that week. After removing the poor thing, the friend that helped me put it in the common dumpster in the enclosed buildings garage. The trash wasn't collected for another week. To say it smelled would be an under statement.

We had to force feed Linda. I'll spare you the details, suffice to say it wasn't pretty.

So there ya go six things you may or may not have ever wanted to know about me.

Next up we have an award/meme from Zirelda.

Ain't she sweet?

The rules are:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

I've never been good with rules. But I will give some shout outs.

1) Ace at Helpdesk Ace- dude, your totally upping my male to female blog buddy ratio. Plus your funny

2) Mo at Mo On The Go- always has an upbeat attitude and a great outlook on life - Love ya Sister!

3) Miss Purdue - who's about to make me a blogger uncle any day now.

4) Kelly at The Moohaa - My moral compass, frequently I ask myself, 'What would Moohaa do...'

5) Tina at Big Cute Beach Girl - Who is missing in action. so this is just a desperate ploy to get her to de-cloak.

6) Jay at Cynical Bastard - because he keeps me in touch with the 10% of me that is straight

And last but not least...

7) My girl at Carolina On My Mind - This is between you and me, and if you tell anyone your a liar and your feet don't match, but we're secretly having an affair.

The next tag came from O.C. at Bears Mountain, since technically she's been blogging a lot longer than me I can't claim that she named her mountain after my Bear but it does mean I have a soft spot in my heart for her. Also I'm on a campaign to get her to move to Seattle.

Look at the preeettyy picture O.C., Mmmmmmm....Seattle....(click to make bigger)

And another award! Yeah me!

A. Attached or single?
Married, as much as possible. 22+ years

B. Best friend?
That bloke I'm married to.

C. Cake or pie?
The way I've been eating it would be safer to just stand aside and let me have both. Favorites include Banana Cream, Pecan Pies, Chocolate cake with a ton of frosting and Carrot cake with a ton of that wonderful cream cheese frosting. To bad I HAVE to go to Safeway on my way home tonight.

D. Day of choice?
Friday - preferably at 5:00 PM - it's just full of opportunity

E. Essential item?
Visa & Mastercard

F. Favorite color?
Cool Cool Blue

G. Gummy bears or worms?
Duh! worms, they're great for the soil.

H. Hometown?
Renton, WA. I was born where K-Mart now stands, and no I wasn't a blue light special.

I. Indulgence?
Not so much, it's my way or the highway.

J. January or July?
July - and I never want to go back to school.

K. Kids?
Just the Furkids and if you don't know them by now this must be your first time here.

L. Life isn’t complete without?
Some time alone with a good book.

M. Marriage date?
March 17th 1986

N. Number of brothers & sisters?
One sister, one half brother, three step-sisters.

O. Oranges or apples?
Apples, hey this is Washington.

P. Phobias?
Not really - worked most of those out.

Q. Quotes?
"No good deed goes unpunished" - Latisha Baldridge

R. Reasons to smile?
No reason not to?

S. Season of choice?
Summer

T. Tag seven peeps!

Go ahead, tag yourself

Train Time

2008-08-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

In my on going effort to break out of ruts, I decided to try Happyone's recipe for Spicy Chicken Cakes last night. It's an easy recipe and turned out great. It's also one of those that I think would be easy to tinker with and take different 'slants' on it. Jay's requested that next time I make it to take it toward the Mexican side. He's not a big fan of horseradish sauce that was in the Aloi sauce. He's picky that way. Cousin Alice thought it was great. Just as dinner was about ready the Early Warning Doggie Device went off alerting us to someone pulling into the drive. Jay's sister and brother in law had stopped by. At dinner time. Hmmm. There seems to be a pattern. Really I don't mind, the more the merrier. Happyones recipe stretched easily for two more servings.

A bit of background on cousin Alice. Alice was born with some physical challenges due to a drug that my Aunt was given during pregnancy. Alice's fingers and face didn't form completely or as most of ours did. She's never let that stop her from anything. As an adult she's undergone numerous surgeries to deal with some of the issues and she's lived with chronic pain most of her life. She's dependant on the state for medical and living expenses.

So, now that you have the back story I'll tell you about last night dinner conversation. During dinner the subject turned to politics. No surprise in my house. The rub is Sis & BIL are both Republicans, we of course are Dem's so there's always a good bit of razzing going on over it. Anyway, at one point Sis decided to put it to her brother that we 'liberals' were ruining the economy with our spend thrift ways and went so far as to say that if we would "throw the riff-raff off the public dole the country would be in a better state." To which Jay replied: "Well who is it that chooses who's riff-raff and who's not" (Yeah Jay!) Not exactly the dinner conversation I'd have preferred in front of my cousin. But maybe I'm being overly sensitive. I suppose it's no harm/no foul, Alice is a smart lady and I'm sure she's heard it all before.

(Edit: I have no idea how the story above ties to the rest of this post. I doesn't. I'm scattered that way,

This morning I took Alice down to the train station to make the next leg of her trip home. The train station reminds me of growing up and 'getting to go' (when I was good) or being 'sent to' (when I was bad) the farm. Alice is from the same side of the family and is another 'heir' to Waconda Road. The train station was always the start of the adventure as I got to go alone. I felt pretty grown up riding all by myself.

My shot of the stations clock tower from this morning.

The old King street Station is being renovated. It was built as the grand terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1901.

Stolen Web Pics

It was modeled after St Mark's Campanile, Venice. Hopefully the exterior will scrub up well and look more like this when it's done:

The station was very ornate when it was built. The city has started to restoring it to it's 'original glory'. I wanted to take pictures, which probably would have got me arrested but the work still ongoing and you can't access those areas. Here's a bit of an idea of what's to come. The 1st picture is the entrance lobby as it is today. The 2nd is the ceiling hidden above the 1960's drop ceiling that will be removed. Lastly the clock tower that may or may not be open to the public. So far it's undecided.

The best part of the trip was the view. Amtrak doesn't run down the I5 corridor and the views are great. You go through sleepy little farm towns with their old train depots down the Green River Valley. Then out toward the Puget Sound through the Nisqually Valley & Delta.

The train then turns south to Olympia and the capital.

Not that you can see this view from the train but...

And on to Portland:

Finally ending in Salem OR and 20 minutes to Waconda Road.

Which apparently doesn't warrant any good pictures on Google Images. I'm just impressed I could find one of the actual train station. Looking just like I remember it. I'm going to have to make this trip again soon. I've made myself homesick again.

I'm not sure if this is a blog post, a travelogue or what. It was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon at work after getting all nostalgic this morning. I do seem to ramble...

So Cousins off headed towards home. Lolli's coming tonight to see us and go to band rehearsal. I'm off to the store to figure out dinner.

I wonder who will show up tonight?

Primary Election Day

2008-08-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

I waited till the last minute this year. I normally get to my mail in ballot ahead of time. I sit down with my voters pamphlet and read it stem to stern. I just seem to have lost track of time this round. I know it's only the primary but I'm a bit of a political junkie.

I already knew who I'd vote for in the big races, Governor etc. but hadn't paid much attention to some of the minor races. I did read the pros & cons on those candidates and made some selections on that basis, but sometimes the candidates are so closely aligned with my politics it comes down to their picture. Would I strike up a conversation with this person while in line at the grocery store? Would I want to have lunch with this person? Do they look 'nice'. Yes, I know...pretty random but at least I voted.

I was somewhat surprised to find a bud of mine that I worked with back in my Starbucks days running for Secretary of State. He was great to work with and had a good work ethic so he got my vote as well as a email saying 'Good for you for getting involved'. I do have strong political opinions, just not the kahonas to put myself out there to run for an office. Besides...those nasty skeletons really do need to stay in the closet.

The actual election will be more interesting. The city and county both have a number of intitiatives that will drive up taxes. Kind of a dumb thing to be trying to get passed with the economy tanking.

"City Council? meet Reality...Reality this is the City Council, clearly you've never met."

Monday - Monday

2008-08-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I heard this story on NPR while driving to work this morning. I love the quote at the end:

An Australian mining town has a shortage of available women, so the mayor offered a solution: recruit ugly women to live there. He told a newspaper the city should attract "beauty-disadvantaged women." The mayor says his comments were "twisted" after women responded furiously. One local woman says local men are more numerous, but not so great. "We've got a saying," she said, "that the odds are good, but the goods are odd."

Jay stayed home from work today. Yes, that's right, the big tough guy who bitches if anyone takes a sick day...is home with a sty in his eye. Not "my whole eye is swelled up and I can't see properly" sty, but a slight inflammation below his left eye. I think he really wants to stay home and put up more blackberry jelly. There's currently 26 pints of the stuff sitting on the counter with another 4 large ziplock bags in the fridge to go through. The berries grow all around us (weeds) and the last few days of warm weather has plumped out the berries and made them really sweet. Bear loves to 'help' pic berries, meaning he's quite skilled and getting his snout into the vines and mooching of a berry with out getting stuck by a thorn. He been eyeing the apple tree intensely waiting for the fruit to drag the tree limbs low enough so he can score an apple. My little chow hound.

I took my Mom out to lunch yesterday for her (69th) birthday. We went to Geraldine's in Columbia City (local neighborhood in Seattle) Heads up locals - this part of town is really re-gentrifying and has some great restaurants as well as the farmers market on Tuesdays. I gave up trying to pick out birthday gifts for Mom years ago. She's one of those people who has everything she wants and or needs, (she's become a professional shopper since retiring) I can't pick out clothes for her and anything else I could think of to get her is just more clutter. Anyway - we browsed quite a few of galleries after lunch and she saw several things she'd like, I kept telling her to pick something out but she wouldn't bite. I'll have to work out Plan 'B'

Cousin Alice flies in tonight. I was hoping to take some time off work to spend the days with her but due to every ones vacation schedules that's not going to work out. My Mom is excited to sub for me and take her round town.

We've had electrical storms the past few nights. Saturday night/Sunday morning was the best. We typically just get flash lightning where the whole sky lights up but on Saturday/Sunday Bear woke me up as he hates storms and clued me into what was going on outside. I got up and watched as lightning bolts dance around the sky. Awesome. There was a bit last night and were suppose to get more today. The clouds are rolling in from the ocean so we'll wait and see.

Hope your Mondays going good.

The Duwamish River & Elliott Bay

2008-08-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

A Perfect Night

A Great Way To End The Week

2008-08-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

This was waiting on the door step when I got home tonight.

Karenicus Afghanitus, now seen it's it natural habitat, my reading chair.

It gets the 'Bear Housekeeping' seal of approval.

Thank you so much Karen. The pics you posted do not do it justice.

I love it. I may just turn up the A/C tonight to snuggle in with it.

TGIF

2008-08-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

I made the Cannelloni last night (I forgot how messy and difficult those sucker are to stuff) and put it into bake. Jay's cousin Kaylor called a bit later and said he & the BF were going to stop by. He has a habit of 'stopping by' around dinner time. Bless him. He's the 'straightest' gay boy I know and doesn't do the domestic scene so his homemade meals are typically at our house when he wants one. As typical he was running about an hour late. I turned down the oven and tried to get dinner to hold. Unforunatly by the time they should up at 8:00 the pasta was a bit rubbery and the sauce more than a bit dried out. The stuffing was still good so we made a meal of that.

After dinner the pooch and I hit the lake. It may have been in the high 80*'s but someone forgot to tell Lake Washington. It's been a cool summer so the lake is still pretty cool. We didn't stay too long. Bear just wasn't that into it but I got some calories worked off. Below is a stolen internet pic of the lake near where I swim. I couldn't take the camera as I didn't want to leave it sitting on the beach while I swam. This would be the side of the lake just down the hill from our house. We can't see it from our place for all the trees. My office is on the far side of the lake, the hill you see on the right.

Interesting (to me) factoid: In 1700 there was a huge earthquake here. The hillside where my office is completely gave way and slide into the lake, forest and all. That forest still stands upright at the bottom of this very deep lake. The depth is one of the reasons it takes the lake almost all summer to warm up. The earthquake was part of Indian lore and also was registered by the Japanesse at the time due to the ensuing Tsunami/Tidal wave there. Recently there's been an effort to go down and harvest the trees down there. Apparently it's so cold down there it still make sense to get the wood after 300 years. Luckily the enviromentalist put the kybosh on that plan.

The hill on the left is Mercer Island (The land of rich people, but not too rich. Bill (Gates) didn't settle there) It also known as The Rock, because um, it's a rock. The whole lake was carved out by a glacier but even it couldn't wear down the rock that makes that island.

Got back to the house in time to snap the sunset pic. The boys were still there and they asked us to come out on thier boat tonight to take a run on the Duwamish River. It's the river that flows down the valley below us and empties into Elliot Bay in downtown. It should be fun and I'll take pics to post. It's pretty industrial in places as town grew up around it but there are a lot of cool, intersting nooks and crannies to explore.

We're starting to get more and more calls this morning complaining about A/C units not working. I've tried to work with a few of them asking if they have cool air coming from thier vents and explaining that most A/C units in this area arn't sized to keep you completely comfortable in 90* heat. We'll come out if you want us to, but I hate to have them waste the money for us to tell them thier units are working as they should. There's only so much they can do. It's only this warm a couple of days a year so it doesn't make sense to sell people big old hurking units they won't use most of the time.

I'm feeling a bit southern this morning, so Y'all have a great weekend!

BC

Tonights Sunset

2008-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Ever Expanding Brad

2008-08-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm turning into a complete pig.

For the past couple of weeks I've been eating anything that doesn't move. I was a bit on the skinny side for my frame so it didn't matter too much but I can tell I'm going to have to ramp up the exercise or it quickly will be out of control. I'm 5' 11" and was about 175 lbs last time I weighed myself. That would be before the current bingeing.

Take today as an example.

Start the day with a glass of cranberry juice and a coffee.

On the way to work stop at the local coffee shack and pick up a 32 ounce iced tea, (2) sugars and (2) lemons.

Stop at Safeway and pick up (1) strawberry Yoplait and (1) 12oz fruit pack.

Mistakenly walk through the bakery and snag (1) box of Hostess raspberry filled powdered donuts.

Get to work and consume yogurt, fruit pack, (2) donuts and (3) fig newtons left over from yesterdays Safeway run.

Process invoicing and billing and get the guys on the road while stuffing my face.

11:00 am - start to consider lunch options while IM'ing w/ fiwa and generally goofing off.

11:30 - Place take out order with local Thai restaurant. (1) Chicken Satay and (1) Tempura Seafood platter (yes, lunch for two. I know, don't say it.)

2:00 - Starbucks run. (1) Venti Coffee Frappuccino. return to office and search for Cannelloni recipes online. Consider garlic bread. (Dinner)

Remember to pick up ice cream while at the store.

So there you have it. I should start taking Bear swimming again in the lake in the evenings. We were so good about it last year I'd better get started while it's still summer.

Warmish today - about 85* which is hot by our standards. A trip to the lake tonight sounds pretty good.

Hope you all having fun out there!

We took the kids for a walk tonight

2008-08-13T19:52:00.001-07:00

Wed-nes-day

2008-08-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

I found no mischief to get into yesterday, yet another sign of advancing years I suppose. I'll have to double my efforts and try again today.

Lolli has had some great news. Her old Band (rock) has reformulated after a few years apart with some new members and some of the old. They had their first rehearsal last night and it sounds like it really went well. She thought highly of the new band leader which is good, and the already have a few gigs lined up. They open for 'The Little River Band' in a few weeks. It will be great to see her back on stage and performing again.

My cousin Alice will be here next Monday to stay with us a few days. She's moving back from Anchorage to Salem to be closer to her mom, my Auntie. It will be good to spend some time with her. This is my paternal side of the family, of the 9 cousins born in our generation only 4 of us survive. My sister and I, Alice and James. My poor Aunties have had more heartache in their lives than anyone deserves. They are great ladies.

My Mom & Matt are back from the lake cabin, I know this because Matt, my stepfather was meeting his golf buddy in my driveway as I left for work this morning. He seems to think our centrally located, large front drive is open for business. I'm going to get one of those metal boxes that you cram dollar bills into at parking lots and some barrels with steel cables and locks.

I was very happy to learn last night that Happyone (bless her) succumbed to my near begging and with the lucky hand of her Kenny drawing my name I won the Afghan she just finished. I am shameless, but I couldn't resist. She used my favorite colors and it has an awesome design. Stop by and take a look (scroll down a bit) and read a blogger who makes me smile everyday. Thanks Happyone!

Another relatively slow day here at the office. I'm thinking I'll take myself to lunch today and go down and eat by the lake. Lake Washington is literally at the end of the street here. I brought my camera so I'll take some pics and post them tonight.

I think I'll wander over and bug fiwa on IM and see what she's up to. Did you see her new layout? Big changes over there at 'Do You Speak Fiwaese'

Have a great day everyone!

BC

Plain Old Tuesday

2008-08-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

I had one of those dreams last night with a cast of thousands, well not literally but I dreamt of people who I had not thought about in some time. I can remember in the dream being excited to see the different people. So today I'm going to try and google some of them and see if I can track anyone down. Surely the dream was for a reason right?

This is a good day to do google searches. I think I have about 15 minutes of paper work to do today and then beyond answering the phone it's pretty much a goof off day. I suppose I could make up some busy work but my natural tendencies to slack will thwart that I'm sure. I'll save the 15 minutes of paper work for when the guys are in the office later today. You know to "look busy".

Jay & Al are hot on the trail of moving the business to a new larger office with more warehouse space. We've been looking in the area of Seattle called SODO which is the industrial area just south of downtown, where most of our customers are. It's a funky mix of a neighborhood. (it's where I took picture of the equipment lift a few weeks back) Most of the heavy industries have moved out of the area as the rents are too high to have large warehouse or manufacturing space that close to downtown. Those old spaces are being converted into office retail space with a funky kinda edge to it. I'm all for moving to this part of town as it's only about 10 minutes from home. Well lately the 'boys' have been looking at spaces down in the Kent Valley. Boring, boring Kent Valley. It once was old truck farms all the way down the valley when I was a boy. Now it's acre upon acre of warehouse. Boring. There are still some of the old farms hanging on but that's about it. I've started my own campaign to squelch this idea. I need to put some work into my battle plan.

The weather today is fair, it's suppose to be about 75* pretty cool for August. It's suppose to warm up later this week so maybe that will get the phones ringing. Thank god for Jay's new install jobs, this summers residential service calls have really been sluggish. With the exception of the more well to do customers people seem to be putting off spending money this year, understandably.

I'll wrap this up here as I don't seem to have anything particularly entertaining to tell you. I'll try to get into some mischief and report back later.

Have a great day !

Still Here

2008-08-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been quite the slug lately haven't I. It's been a quiet week. I've been taking afternoons off from work to get some down time. Everyone at work have neglected to take vacations so there all kind of bunching up for August. I'll be making up the time while everyone else is off.

I haven't been doing much other than a lot of reading and hang outside in the sun. I'm glad I did as the weather got cool and winding this weekend. My Mom's been up at the cabin with my Sis & family so I've spent some afternoons reading on her deck. She's got the prime views of Lake Washington. Bear's been my constant companion and is more than willing to lay in the sun and do nothing with me.

We watched the Olympics opening last night and I was really pretty blown away with the production. I've always found them boring and contrived in past years and was ready to be bored again. Wrong. It was quite the show.

I have been out cruising the malls trying to figure out what to buy to get me wearing something other than t-shirts and sweat coats. So far I've only replaced my sandals ( Once a year weather they need it or not) so not making much headway there. I'm going to have to drag my young girlfriend Cathy out with me to figure this out.

Here's Jay latest project. He's making a Greek folly/ruin which I'm told will be some sort of water feature as well. The columns will be 4-5 feet tall when finished (more middle sections to be added) with pediments over them. I think I'll grow flowering vines up the sides of them. It'll probably be a bit over the top but what the hec. It makes him happy.

We just got back from a trip to Lowes for more concrete. A trip to the book store to stock up and lunch at the local Mexican restaurant, Maya's for lunch. It's a good day to settle in and watch the Olympics and read. It's raining now and grey outside. This week I've torn through "The Worst Hard Times" by Timothy Egans. about the history of the creation of the SW dustbowl in the 1930's - sounds boring but a good read. "Tribute" by Nora Roberts - fluff, but good fluff - Child star trys to reconnect with her dead Hollywood Star grandmother by refurbishing her old home. Last but not least "The Lost Spy" by Andrew Meier. American Communists in the first half of the 29th century and they're connections to Stalin. This ones a bit of a slog and I haven't actually finished it yet. Best taken in chunks and processed slowly, kinda of heavy to read straight through, but the subject is interesting. Today I bought "The Last Queen" (no comments from the peanut gallery) by C.W. Gortner - The story of Queen Juana, daughter of Ferdinand & Isabella. I think I'll start on that after dinner.

Brother-in-law, Pat will be here with the kids for dinner. He's picking up Jay's Sis from the airport. She's arriving back from Moscow after an intensive apartment search. They leave in Sept. for a year and a half job over there. Little Emma's not even 12 and she's already lived in Budapest, Shanghai and Moscow. This will be her second time in Moscow. Lucky kid.

So all in all a pretty boring, if relaxing week. Sorry I've not been around more. I need to go and catch up with you all. Hope your weekend is as mellow as mine.

XOXO

BC

2008-08-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

It was Seafair Week in Seattle this last week. The event culminates in the hydroplane races on Lake Washington.

We can hear the boats racing up here on our hill, but unfortunately can't see them for all the trees. We don’t actually go to the races anymore as the crowds are too big and the races go on for hours. They block off the streets around the lake and parking is a pain and once your there your kind of stuck there till the end.

It’s easier to watch them on TV. There’s a lot of 'hurry up and wait' time between races so it’s easy to still have a good day outside with the radio on and come inside to watch the individual races. We got a lot of yard work done and had fun talking to the neighbors who came up the hill to watch the air show. Obviously I didn't take any of these pics.

We know a business, Beacon Plumbing that we work with and refer a lot of business back and forth. They’re company sponsor a boat and it was considered a contender to win the Gold Cup. They actually did come in first but got caught up a technicality. If you’ve never seen hydroplanes they skim over the water with a jet engine pushing them. Well it’s a jet engine now, when I was a kid they were just hopped up diesel engines.

Anyway, the boats aren't allowed to settle back into the water for more than 5 seconds on the laps proceeding the start of the race. All three boats in the race did settle for over 5 seconds but only Beacon got sighted for it. It's being disputed with everyone posturing to not look like jerks, but they still sound like little boys. I can't be sure but I think this is Beacon's boat

Seafair and the Hydros have been a big thing here all my life. We won the Gold cup from Detroit in like 1959 and got the race moved here then. This was back before Seattle had any professional sports teams so it was our claim to fame and a great source of civic pride. When we were kids we would make hydros out of scrap plywood and tow them behind our bikes down the street.

We could see the Blue angels from up here. They’re not one of Bears favorite things. He’s a sensitive boy and does’nt like the noise. Here's Big Bertha, The Blue Angel's support plane. Those boats below it are tied up to the log boom. One big party out there.

Thanks for all the advice for getting out of a rut. I went to the mall on Saturday thinking I'd pick up some new clothes. I never made it past the parking lot. I'd forgotten we're still in back-to-school shopping season. I'll go back after the kids are in school.

I decided to just stop making any meals that I normally do to challenge my self to try new things. Pioneer Woman's recipe page is a lot of help. Tonight were have Marlboro Man Sandwiches (steak sandwiches)

On the advice of a friend I decided I needed to detox my body so for the past week it's been no booze, coffee etc. 80% veggies & fruit and 20% meat/protein. And tons & tons of water & juice.

Well, it certainly works. Unfortunately the toxins all decide to leave my body through my face! To the point that I didn't even want to be seen in public. But I toughed it out with sunglasses. The red bumps were finally clearing up this morning. No pictures please.

Things They Need a Changin'

2008-07-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in a rut. Nothing too bad, but I need to jazz up my life.

Monday through Friday we both come home at the same times and do the same things. Feed the critters, read the paper, blog a bit. Make dinner, eat, read a bit more. Then get sucked into stupid prime TV. Read a bit more, and off to bed.

I know I’m in a rut because I haven’t even been looking for new recipes to make during the week. I’ve been buying the same things at the grocery store. The menu rotation is getting boring.

I also need to do something about my wardrobe. I live in blue jeans T-shirts and sweat coats when needed. (This week it’s been needed, wind and rain since I got back) The problem finding clothes is that they really don’t make stuff for my age group. I’m a lost child of the 80’s not ready to join the Dockers set (not to offend anyone who wears Dockers, there just not me.) I try new stores but they always seem way too young for me. However I won't be giving up my sandels for anything.

Even this blogs in a rut. (No need to comment otherwise, it’s just my humble opinion) I use to keep a pad hand to write down good blogging material that I see or comes to mind when I’m out and about. You know you always loose that stuff in our head before you get to the key board.

Maybe I’m reacting to the weather. It the last day of July and it should be in the upper 80* Rain & wind and 60*

Bleh.

That’s pretty much all I got. It’s been an uneventful day but I’m all caught up. Except with my blog roll, you know who you are. I’m off to do some catching up.

BC

Hello!

2008-07-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

I had an unexpected trip down to Salem with My Mom this week. My Grandma had a little scare. Everything seems to be fine now. I'll put up a decent post after I've dug out at work.

Sorry for the silence.

BC

Bear Wants You To Date This Man

2008-07-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

Round two on Doug the neighbor. He is straight and single. I got the job thing screwed up. He's applying at Microsoft not working there yet. Graduated college and now studying theology. 37 years old. Not overly hairy. Yes I peeked, no back hair. He would like to be dating. (this took more social finesse than I'm normally capable of) What's not to love?

Don't stay away too long I think I've got bachelor #2 waiting in the wings...

All right I'm totally pimp'in out my neighbor. I must need help.

I'm going to pay for this...

2008-07-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning feeling pretty woozie from all the drugs I took yesterday. Not that I didn't take them on the prescribed schedule. Jay went off to work and i laid back down on the couch. The pain is still there but some how has moved to the other side of my jaw. The really did a number on my jaw joints. I woke up again at 8:00 (garbage day and those truck ain't quite) called to office and Beth Ann told me in no uncertain words to stay home. So I figured what the hec. The office is slow. I have no pressing work to do. So I stayed home yet again, and took the second of the last pain pills. I'll just have to tough it out after their gone by why sit here in pain while I still have them?

Jay's probably going to have a conniption fit but, but, but

Oh hell - it is was it is. He's just going to have to understand. I know his job is 10 times harder than mine and it must be really tough to know I'm just laying around (blogging) but I can't change that. And there was once upon a time when I made the big bucks and he didn't have to work at all for 2 years. I guess I'm just feeling a bit guilty for being a lay-about. If I had big pressing concerns to do at work I'd muster myself and get on it, but I don't. They can forward the phones here to the house if it gets nuts. I can handle that.

OK, pretty boring post so far. I think I'll end it and go read your blogs and then maybe go work in the garden. The pain pill has kicked in and I'm feeling no pain at the moment. I'm sure my body will retaliate later.

Hope your having fun what ever your doing.

Just Say No

2008-07-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've written three posts tonight and thought better of posting them as I'm still in a drug induced state.

I promise to get off the juice and back to normal (?) tomorrow.

I had a very long nap this afternoon with very colorful dreams. Still sorting that out.

No worries. Bear & Lilly have been practically on top of me with their care.

A more cognizant and together 'Brad' tomorrow.

Furkids Yet Again

2008-07-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Beauregard Jefferson Bear

Miss Lilly looking for her Beau Bear

Thank God That's Over

2008-07-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm all drilled & filled. The appointment took much longer than the last one. Something about the difference in doing upper tooth as opposed to a lower one. I learned they have to numb you up more as you have a major nerve running thru your lower jaw.

They Doc and assistant were very good, even with me having as the doc put it "a very strong gag response" There's a gay/blow job joke there but I'll leave it alone as this is a family oriented blog.

One strange thing happened as I was lying there. The music was on and Billy Joel's "Big Shot" came on. It was Dede's and my song. Dede was my girlfriend in high school and beyond. We lost her earlier this year. I posted about it here if your interested. When I went back and read that post I now see I never said it was suicide. The tears started streaming out of my eyes as I was trying to focus on the music and not the drilling. The Doc and assistant got a bit freaked out thinking I was in pain. All I could do with a dental dam and cotton and a wedge in my mouth was point to the speaker and laugh. Thankfully it's just the Endodontist and I'm hoping I won't have to have another root canal anytime soon so they can think me a freak if they want.

Thank you for all your love and concern. I'm a big weenie when it comes to this stuff so it really helped. On the upside I get to be a slacker again today and hang out with Bear. We'll be stalking Doug, the new neighbor later tonight.

XOXOBC

Jay asked for some daytime pics of the fuscia's this morning as he headed out the door.

Night Time

2008-07-22T21:59:00.001-07:00

The Fuchsia and Begonia are doing good. I guess the Geranium needs to go swap with a full sun plant out front for a bit.

I get to stay up late since I'm not due at Dr. Drill & Fill till 8:30.

woot.

yeah, not.

Snarky

2008-07-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Just feeling snarky tonight. It didn't get over 67* today. It's currently about 62* and I'm sitting here in a sweat coat in freakin July. I'm looking forward to root canal #2 in the morning. I'm thinking that's what's making me snarky. I love that word. Snarky Snarky Snarky.

I was just out for a walk with Bear and Miss Lilly. Lilly doesn't know any other furfamily than Bear and is totally in love with him. He stepped on her tail and she turned around and swore at him like a sailor. Pretty dang funny. She's still pouting on the porch and he's in the foyer hiding.

No Doug at the top of the hill. No sun, so understandable. I'll have to get that picture later.

The IRS sent me another 8453-OL form, which I've already sent them. They sent the new form in the mail with MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON IT!, sitting down the hill in the mailbox all day long. Wouldn't you think the government might have picked up on identity theft by now? I'd write my senatoids and congresscritters but they haven't had a chance to respond to my last 27 letters so, in fairness I should let them catch up.

I broke my glasses. Again. This is getting old. It works if I hold my head still while I type.

Other irritants:

Anne Coulter, just in general.

The bee who stung my baby, Bear in the paw yesterday.

Jay, who just this minute walk out the door with out saying a word. Got in my Jeep and drove down the road. I call his cell phone and hear it ring in the kitchen.

Update: I just walked in the kitchen and there's chili on the stove so I'm guessing it was a cornbread emergency and he hadn't time to speak to me - god bless him.

And last, but not least all the weird/heavy/strange stuff that's been going on in this, our little blog circle. It must be a full moon - but can we just cut out the bad stuff?

Enough already.

XOXOBC

Matchmaking

2008-07-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

We have a new neighbor from down the hill. His name is Doug. He likes to bring his camp chair up at sunset and enjoy the view from the top of the hill. We try to make him feel welcome. We've spoken several times. He's moved here to work for Microsoft. He's smart, well read and loves dogs and animals. I'm pretty sure he's straight, (didn't ask) and I know he's not married. He's my age or a bit younger. Good looking with dark brown hair and green eyes and in shape.

This is driving my inner Yenta nuts. I can't tell you how long I've kept a mental list of my straight girlfriends who are looking for boyfriends and/or dates. Typically at least 4 or 5 at any given time.

So here I have a perfectly good straight boy, potential date and I've got scratch, nothing.

So Seattle friends if you have a candidate I'll get a pic of him tomorrow. He loves playing with Bear. We just can't let these lonely straight boys go to waste.

The Bite of Seattle

2008-07-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Lolli, Lorrie, Mark, Stephanie and I went here today. Great food. Great time.

Bear's Farm

2008-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's an idea ? Google where you live and post it on your blog.

Thoughts on Blogging

2008-07-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Blogging is a funny thing. I've been thinking about it for a while now. We definitely all have our own styles. I'm always reticent to post if I don't think I have something interesting or entertaining to write about. But on the other side of the coin I'll put up a picture post when I feel like I should post something and I have nothing really to say. Part of the reason I blog is because I like the attention. As in I find it amazing anyone wants to read or see what I'm doing or thinking. I'm not even that good of a writer. Lord knows my grammar sucks.

On the other hand some of my favorite bloggers write basically summations of their day and really keep it like a journal. I love reading those too. I love to know what you all have been up to today. But my day seems so boring I don't know how to post it. I guess that's ok, again were all individuals and it's reflected in what we post.

Some of my "real life" friends just don't get it. I really care about my blogger friends. They don't understand that you are REAL friends. A few of you I have close enough that I can actually meet, most I can't. But your all very important to me. When one of you are suffering something, be it a day to day annoyance or something really big time, it's as real to me as if you we're my next door neighbor or best friend. I know from your support that you feel the same.

I wonder about how we all practically blog. We all must have our own styles. I open e-mail to see who has commented and read the comment. Open Google Reader to see who has posted. Open my own blog to click your blog and comment. How do you blog ?

I wonder about the randomness of Blogger. Why is it I'm 'remembered' on some blogs and have to enter my blogger user name and password on others. I know it must have to do with the way we initially set up our blogs but I'm just too dang lazy to go read and figure it out.

I wonder why it is I can use the back up arrow to move back from websites but not others? (Jay, Cynical Bastard big red finger pointed at you!) Is it just me ? My computer ?

I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again but this is my second blog, the people I met first time around were fine but the experience pales in comparison with the group I fell in with this time.

I love you all.

2008-07-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Jay wanted pics of the plants on the front porch. I'm so bad and tracking on these things it's best I put them out here on blogger.

The Begonias that would not die

The fountain on the front steps

Poppy

Bear

Belle

Assorted Chickens

This would be a random porch plant. Blame Jay,

The porch. This is what the boy wanted.

A Bear & his bone. Johnnie & Angie passed this on. He's licking it into submission.

Friendship

2008-07-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

It was a good day today. The weather was fair but not overly warm. The phones at work were relatively quite. I did speak to one woman this afternoon who was looking for a product we don't carry. I asked her if she had web access and she laughed and said she was 'much to old to learn such foolishness'. She didn't sound more then ten years older then I. Anyway, it was a quiet afternoon and I had the time so I told her I'd do a bit of digging around on the web and call her back with some info. Took me about two minutes to find it and i called her back. We got to talking and I found out she has lived in the neighborhood I grew up in since 1967. My folks bought into that neighborhood in 1969. Turns out we lived about 7 blocks away and she remembers my mother who was a teller at the local (at the time) Seattle First National Bank, now Bank Of America. (grumble....) I'll have to tell my Mom but I doubt she'll remember, it's a very common name.

So that was the high point of my day. Which is just fine with me. A very mellow day and a very mellow evening.

I was trying to get some pics for Happyone of the Monarch Butterflys mating here in the tress but so far thier to fast for me.

I do love it here.

Lolli's gone home tonight, but no worries there, she'll be back to spoil us soon. She really does spoil us when she's here. She cleans our house and makes dinner and just generally makes life very pleasant. She knows she's not expected to but does it because she wants to. We do love her so. Bear especially, as he's not alone all day.

My bud Jack sent me this today. (See hot Hispanic guy sitting next to my Mom & Jane in last weekend's party pics) It reminds me so much of Big Cute Beach Girl, I swear she must have wrote it. If you've not checked out her site give it a go. She's a very, very funny writer and very lovable.

'True' Friendship...
Enough of that Sissy Crap!

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems
that always sound good,
but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises
that actually speak of true friendship.

You will see no cutesy
little smiley faces on this card -

Just the stone cold truth...

1. When you are sad -- I will
help you get drunk and plot revenge
against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will
try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will
know you are plotting something
that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will
rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will
tell you horrible stories about
how much worse it could be,
until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will
use little words.

7. When you are sick -- I will
tell you to stay the hell away from me until you are well
again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall --
I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

This is my oath....
I pledge it to the end.
'Why?' you may ask.
'Because you're my friend!'

Friendship is like
Peeing your pants:
Everyone can see it,
But only you can
Feel the true warmth.

Send this to 10
Of your closest friends,
Then get depressed
Because you can only think of 4.

Hope you all are feeling this mellow too.

Take Your Bloggers to Work Day

2008-07-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

It was 'lift' day on one of the jobs Jay's been working on. I went down to take lunch to the crew and took some pics. Not the most thrilling subject matter, but this is what we do, well part of it.

Here's a whole lot of money sitting on a truck. 22 units to lift today. The first one went up at 11:30 am. Somebody's going to be late for dinner tonight.

Here's our hero (in blue) doing what he does best. Ordering people around.
This was the second job of the day for the crane crew. They started the first at 3:00am. Fingers crossed they don't peter out on us.

This is the jobsite. This is one of our best customers. They buy old warehouse space buildings in the industrial area near downtown and convert them to office/retail space. They do great work leaving the cool old beams and building quirks in place and make them part of the design.

Here's our business partner Big 'A' attending to the very important strap management. The other two are Jay's M&M team (Mir & Mfon) The A&A (Andy & Adam) team must be on the roof or across the street flirting with the girls in the art supply store. I didn't see them.

Geez guys, four vans on the jobsite? Ever heard of carpooling?

And the first one is off

Are you on the edge of your seat? Exciting huh?

Hopefully Jay or somebody has a hold of that rope.

I noticed this on the way back to the jeep. Somethings I'd rather not know about, thank you.

After all this excitment I got to go to my FAVORITE place. Yup, the permit office. But I did get to read three chapters of my book while sitting there!

Long Monday

2008-07-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling my age today. It was a long one.

Poor little Bear was in the same position when I came home tonight as I left him this morning. Lolli says he only went outside once in all that time. I can relate to the pup. I did my best till 3:00 o clock and had run out of work hours earlier, phone wasn't ringing so I bailed and came home and did some good napping.

I should be in bed now but there's a hoot owl or some sort of owl in the woods down by the creek and I can't tear myself away. We've never had an owl in the years we've been here. Maybe that's why Miss Lilly scooted here buns in here so quickly tonight.

I hope the owl hangs out. That would be cool.

My mom may be able to party like a rockstar, but I can't anymore.

night-night

UPDATE:
Kelli's right, he's pretty dang cute.

My Mother Party's Like a Rockstar

2008-07-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yup. That's her and the Madman and his girlfriend Stephanie.

BEST PARTY EVER.

Great food, great friends, great music. OK, we sounded off key at times.

Mom was here until 1:30 AM so it must have been a good party.

Elora, Caleb, Sammy and Rachi - In the pool Uncle Jay had to buy because he's a big kid too.

Angie, Rachi (Lolli's youngest) & Lolli

Trey & Blake and some Nintendo foolishness.

The Artist & Auntie

Norm, my best buddy from highschool, Angie & Johnnie, Lolli & Roger

Jack, My Mom & Jane

Norm, Lorrie, Angie, Johnnie & Lolli

Johnnie Guitar

Lolli's Oldest, Ex & Grandson.

Somebody broke the puppy.

Drunken People Think They Can Sing On Key - Wrong

2008-07-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Home

2008-07-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

My old home town is really now just a suburb of the city. It’s was a coal producing town at the turn of the last century so unlike most suburbs it’s got it an honest-to-goodness little downtown. When I was a kid, the coal mining was long gone and aerospace was king. Everyone’s father worked at Boeing or Paccar.

In the 1970’s the economy here tanked and many families lost those living wage jobs. My family was luckier than most as my stepdad was an executive and of course kept his job. With that the old little downtown faded. The Woolworth’s and J.C Penny’s were gone. The old Roxy Theater closed (many good memories there) the area just dried up.

By the time I got to high school I was chomping at the bit to get out of this place and move to the big city. As soon as any of us kids had access to cars, that’s where we headed on Friday & Saturday night. If our mothers had known….

As soon as I was able I made my break for it. It was exciting. Living in the “gay ghetto”, and paying way too much for dumpy apartments. The best part was meeting and being exposed to great people I’d never have met at home. It exposed me to a lot of very cool things and some not so cool things.

The years went by and I had some pretty wild times. Stories that make me blush now. After about 7 years I met Jay. We lived on Broadway in the heart of everything. We went clubbing a lot. Partied and played. After a while living like that got old, so we bought a house on the outskirts of the gayborhood. We partied and played less & less and put the energy into remodeling the house. We quickly became very settled homebodies.

I’ve told this story before, but here it’s in context. This is how we first saw our current home. We had gone to a coworker house warming party. There was another guy there that Jay was talking to and they kept kind of looking at each other oddly. I’m not sure how they figured it out but after about 30 minutes they realized they were step-cousin (don’t ask me to even try and explain that one) they we’re looked after by the same shared grandmother when they were kids. Because of they nature of the relationships between their parents they didn’t stay close.

After a few weeks re-meeting cousin, he called us and asked us to come to a party at his place. I was his house for all of about 15 minutes when I told cousin that if he ever wanted to sell I’d buy it.

A few years went by and we continued to remodel our house downtown. We took our sweet time, moving out of the first floor for almost a year. That was interesting. Just as we had nearly completed the house, cousin called saying he was ready to sell and did we still want to buy it.

It was gut wrenching. We had poor Bear on a small city lot. It was like 40’ across and 90’ deep and the house took up a lot of that so he didn’t have much room to play. I loved our old house and we’d barely got to enjoy it, but we knew the possibilities of the new place. It was a tough choice. So we put a too high asking price on the place and after a few weeks a Microsoftie couple bought it for that price. So that was that. We bought the farm, as it were and started the whole remodeling process over.

One of the hardest parts for me was moving back home. Technically we’re still in the city but at the very south end, so I console myself that it is middle ground. The fact that I can pop over to Moms and take care of my honey-do lists in a few minutes is a bonus. And we’ll be there as they get older. And I can still get downtown in about 15 minutes.

I was driving around town this afternoon running work errands and just started to notice that they place has grown on me in the last couple of years. It good old points (unnoticed by me when I was young) are still intact and the new buildings and parks are well done It still has the cohesion of a small town.

It’s going through a lot of changes. They’ve finally torn down the acres and acres of the old factories. In their place they’re building all the chain stores you see everywhere. But that well away from the old downtown. Old downtown is quite revitalized with boutiques and good restaurants and funky stuff you don’t find at every mall from here to Boston.

“Home again, home again” is what I always say when we pull into the drive way after a long trip. It’s kind how I feel today.

P.S: I’m all mended up here. I put off the next root canal for 2 weeks since I’m not in pain. I’m just not ready to go back there yet.

Much of a wimp? Yes.

2008-07-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

I won.

Dammit.

One down one to go

2008-07-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the good thoughts every one.

I had root canal #1 this morning. The did the one that was really hurting. The second one gets done on the 14th. I didn't realize it was a problem till I went into the dentist so it's not painful.

Happyone reports that her husband had a root canal with no meds and no pain! What? If I had the airfare I'd be coming out to see her dentist. The Doc that did the root canal was great but I've never had one pain free. I didn't remember the reaming out the nerve/root part as being so for lack of a better word rough.

Cheryl, it was a two part process because it was infected and they had to knock down the infection before the procedure.

Have we all heard enough about my teeth. Or me being on drugs? Yup - Vicodin this time - I just got home and had a yogurt and popped one of those babies before the Novocaine wears off.

I wish I had something more to tell you but that's been my day.

I promise I won't do another post till I have a genuine subject to post about.

Or I'll get back on here and leave more drugged up drivel.

Now go brush your teeth.

I just had to

2008-07-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

Yankee Doodle Dandy

2008-07-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great time last night watching the fireworks. If you walk to the top of the hill you can see both of the 'big' shows over Elliot Bay and Lake Union. There is bit in the distance so you don't really get the awe factor but there still cool to watch. The private parties up and down the valley make up the other half of the show.

Last night we took some sleeping bags and a bunch of pillows and blankets up the hill and made a great big bed. Lorrie and Blake, and Lolli, Jay and I laid out with the dogs and just watched the show all around us. It was cool to be all snuggled up like one big family.

Lorrie started out 'just chopping up some fruit' which turned into a full on, eggs & bacon breakfast.

Fridays pieces came out of the kiln early this morning. I'm liking the way my bowl turned out. There's yesterdays load firing now and more pieces being done this morning. It's a great way to keep the an 11 year old boy off the Nintendo.

Lolli's cup and saucer.

Finally the tooth pain has slackened to a dull ache. The infection must have been knocked down. I'm glad to be off the stomach turning pain meds. It's funny to be looking forward to a root canal.

4th of July

2008-07-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Lorrie and her son Blake are here with us this afternoon painting ceramics. Last nights painted pieces are in the kiln firing now. I did a bowl that I have high hopes for. I think It's gonna turn out cool.

Lorrie is the blond on the right - not to be confused with Lori (Lolli) on the left. Blake's a great kid and a lot of fun to be around.

Idle Hands...

2008-07-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

That's Jay speaking.

2008-07-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

It's another warm & fuzzy day. I'm bored but probably shouldn't try and write a normal post, so we'll go with more photos, stuff I found around the house to take pics of because I'm getting pretty bored with all this.

This is a Thai bearing cat. Here he's bearing a chain mail ring that was a gift from a friend about a decade ago - seems the rings were all the rage with the circuit boys back then. I wouldn't know. The rings always been on that cats tray.

A Hosta on the front porch. If you look just up from the crotch of the gin bottle were the stem leaves the base you can see the tree I found it buried near. This place was a juke-joint in the 30's and evidence is easy to find.

A Wench, A Brass and a Coliy-ass.

don't hate, I'm still high.

Ah, Hmmm - Hosta seems to have shown up again. Deal.

The Golden Pig. Found in a discount import store and antiqued by me. I like him.

St. Lolli, who's has put up with me for the last 72 hours.

Every. Waking. Moment.

Grandpa's Grandpa

2008-07-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

I was taking the lazy way tonight and trying to make a photo essay kind of post. Blogger seems to be eating my pics. Clearly it couldn't be operator error

This is my Grandfather's Grandfather. My Great-Great-Grandpa Weinhart.

George Washington Weinhart

My Grandfather wrote this biography about him about 20 years ago

Click the picture(s) to enlarge, and hopefully read it.

This is Great-Great Grandma Weinhart book (bible) of etiquette. Many of it's rules were passed down to us in good German fashion.

"Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms" Moses Warren & Co. 1880, Chicago.

*Etiquette Among Neighbors*

"The Parents who allow children to annoy their neighbors, are always a most undesirable people to have in the vicinity"

"The people of a community who will deliberately turn horses, cattle and hogs into the street, entirely disregarding the fact that the animals are liable to do much damage to others, demonstrates a lack of regard for neighbors which is inexcusable"

Hand writing lessons of the day.

*Charming, Beautiful Homes*

"To maintain pleasant relations among neighbors, there are a few things which citizens must avoid. Among these are the following: Never allow children to play upon a neighbors grounds or premises unless they are invited and made perfectly welcome by the neighbor.

Never allow fowl or animals of any kind, which you have control over to trespass upon the premises or rights of other people"

*Errors to be avoided*

"Never eat very fast."
"Never fill the mouth very full."
"Never attempt to speak with your mouth full."
"Never soil the table cloth , if it is possible to avoid it."
"Never introduce disgusting or unpleasant topics for conversation."
"Never pick your teeth or put your hand in your mouth while eating."
"Never call loudly for the waiter, nor attrack attention to yourself by boisterous conduct."

*Kindness to the Erring*

"One morning, when I went to school,
In the long vanished Yesterday,
I found the creek had burst it's banks,
And spilled it's water o'er my way,
The little path was filled with mud;
I tried to cross it on a log;
My foot slipped, and I, helpless, fell
Into a mass of miry bog.

My clothes were pitiful to see;
My hands and face were covered quite,
The children laughed right heartily,
And jeered me when I came in sight.
Sweet Jessie Brown, in snow white dress,
Stood smiling by the teachers desk,
The while he, gravely as he might,
Inquired the secret to my plight."

*Etiquette Among Neighbors*

"To be kind, and to treat politely the persons with whom we are immediately associated, is not all, nor should civility cease with casual intercourse between neighbors, it should go beyond. We should regard the rights of the individual. were all to do so mankind would take a long stride in advance of the present selfish and thoughtless conduct which too often actuates even those who are reputed to be good and respectable."

Can you believe there was a day when that could be said with out laughing?

*Unclassified Laws of Etiquette*

I like this bit.

Never exaggerate.
Never point at another.
Never betray a confidence.
Never wantonly frighten others.
Never leave home with unkind words.
Never neglect to call upon your friends.
Never laugh at the misfortune of others.
Never give a promise that you do not fulfill.
Never speak much of your own performances.
Never fail to be punctual at the time appointed.
Never make yourself the hero of your own story.
Never fail to give a polite answer to a civil question.
Never call attention to the features or form of anyone present.
Never associate with bad company, Have good company, or none.

*Etiquette of the Street*

"Should a lady stop in the street, when meeting a gentleman, it is courtesy for him to stop also. Should his business be urgent he will apologize for not continuing the conversation, and asked to be excused. Should it be desirable to lengthen the interview, and the lady resumes here walk in the midst of conversation, it is courtesy for him to turn and accompany her. should she desire to end this conversation, a slight bow from here will indicate this fact when he should bid her "Good Day" and take his leave."

OK, this post took me about four hours. I guess it kept me off the streets at least.

XOXOBC

Working from home

2008-07-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

I tried to be strong and tough it out without the pain meds overnight. I woke up at about 5:00 am and had to take one. So driving is out and I'm working from home.

Malc's tagged me with a meme but we'll get to that in a moment.

We've had Humming Birds at the fountain by the front steps this summer. Two and three at a time. They've always been a favorite of mine. I've been trying to get pics for the last couple of weeks. I was finally able to get some decent ones. Here's a few of my little green friends.

On to the meme Malc's tagged me with:

Five things I've always wanted:
* A small snug cabin in the woods by a stream with a big river rock fireplace
* A summer to tour the U.K.
* A mortgage burning party (my own)
* A Harley
* A ride in a blimp

Five things I'm currently into:
* Painting ceramics
* Trying to find a billy goat for the 'ladies'
* Old coins and bank notes
* Roses
* Better life through dental care

Five favourite things in my room:
* My bed
* The quilt Great-Grandmother Ross made me when i was a baby.
* My Eastlake style dresser
* Bear's bed
*

It's a very Spartan room.

Five things in my pockets:
* My wallet
* 37 cents
* cell phone
* Hankerchief
* My hands (frequently, but not in a pervy kinda way)

I'm still doped up and currently not in pain. My first drill and fill session is Monday morning at 8:00. I'll be keeping an eye on the pain med supply to make sure I don't run out over the forth.

Apologies in advance if I've left you spacey comments.

Moohaa is my muse

2008-06-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Root Canals, Infection and Percocet
Two of them in my near future
Warm Fuzzy Feeling, Happy Couch

Whine

2008-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Woke up with the mother of all toothaches - and swolen face. Dentist appointment at 11:45 - thank god they can see me.

I broke my glasses yesterday & can't see.

Waiting for the third 'blessing'

Moose & Squirrel

2008-06-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

2008-06-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Bleh

2008-06-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Fiwa clued me into the fact that if you take down a post it still shows in Google Reader. I took this down last night because it was so negative. Also when Jay commented he didn't razz me so I knew it must really be bad and I do love to get razzed by Jay.

Bleh. It's a good word for my day. Woke up with a medium size headache that will only stay at bay with ample Tylenol. Annoying.

The major frustration of the day is my weakest tech. He's a total slacker and coming from me that saying alot. The guys been out sick for most of the month. He's got serious health issues. That wouldn't be so serious if he'd take care of himself. He takes his high blood pressure meds. sporadically and then he's surprised when it puts him into a tail spin. He's on meds for anxiety as well. He's been EKG'd twice in the last two weeks now and the Doc's have found an 'abnormality'. I have no idea what that means.

He's called in a few times this week wanting to go to work as he's running out of money. I've already paid out all his vaca time. He's sounded so whacked out I said there was nothing to do. I don't even want him in our van in that kinda shape. He called yesterday literally in tears because he's broke and wants to work. He was talking like he had a mouthful of marbles. I told him to come in this morning and he could ride with the junior tech and help out. Basically making up work for him.

He no-showed.

I called him at 1/4 after 8:00 and woke him up. He sounded completely strung out. I lost it. I'm not proud of what I said. I want to just go pick up his van because I don't want it in his possession. The problem is he's relative of a family friend of our business partners. We've been down this road so many times it's ridiculous.

If I could find a good replacement I'd insist we fire him. I've been looking online myself and had agencies looking for months (we do HVAC if ANYONE knows ANYONE) no luck so far. I'm just sick of dealing with it.

It's been kinda a shitty day for a few of us. Some of my nearest and dearest bloggers have been having a pretty crappy Thursday as well.

Pity party, table of ?

I got a service call from a cafe that's a tenant of one of our big customers. He called this morning at opening, to say their exhaust fans weren't working. Which would mean they wouldn't be able to stay open. We all eat there frequently and know him well. I pulled Jr. tech. off the job he was on and sent him over. It was fixed in about an hour. The bill came to $112.00. After Jr. left the manager of the cafe called me and asked if he could make payments on the bill. It kinda set me back on my heels. This is a going little concern and he's that strapped ? Things really are getting tight out there. I told him to just open a tab for our guys and let them eat it off. I felt so bad for him.

Alright - that's enough of that. Before I sat down to write this (read: dump this on you dear reader) I was trying to focus on the positive.

I came up the road below our house after work and found the normal gaggle of neighbor kids playing in the street. As collected the mail and newspaper they came running asking if they could come play with the goats and chickens. They are the most beautiful, smiling youngsters. Well mannered and bright. It makes me a bit nervous having them up here with out their folks. I've tried talking to the parents before but their Ethiopian immigrants with limited English. They tend to smile and agree a lot. I don't think they have a clue what I'm saying. I've told the kids no before because I'm concerned about the liability if they got hurt up here. Tonight I needed their bright shiny faces. It did help my spirits a lot.

So maybe that was the ying and yang of the day. I'll just focus on that.

Beauregard Jefferson Bear Blue

2008-06-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Larry Craig and David Vitter co-sponsor Marriage Protection Amendment

2008-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I haven't posted a real post since Tuesday. I promise to shape up here. But this was in the news today and I can't resist posting it.

Two United States Senators implicated in extramarital sexual activity have named themselves as co-sponsors of S. J. RES. 43, dubbed the Marriage Protection Amendment. If ratified, the bill would amend the United States Constitution to state that marriage "shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman."

Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was arrested June 11, 2007 on charges of lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport terminal, is co-sponsoring the amendment along with Sen. David Vitter (R-LA).

Craig, who entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct, was detained and charged for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a male undercover police officer. His arrest and plea became public two months later. At that time, Craig attempted to withdraw his plea and enter a new plea of not guilty. To date, his efforts have been denied by the courts.

In July of 2007, Vitter was identified as a client of a prostitution firm owned by the late Deborah Jeane Palfrey, commonly known as The DC Madam.

With a Democratic controlled Congress it is unlikely the bill will be brought up for a vote in either the Senate or House of Representatives.

A voice mail left for Craig spokesperson Susan Irby went unreturned. Attempts to contact Vitter's press secretary Joel DiGrado were unsuccessful.

I'm off to my FAVORITE place this afternoon. Yes that's right, the city permit office.

Little Things

2008-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new office mate at work. He's not really much help but I thought it would be fun.

This is Ted. The Teddy-Bear hamster. Not the most creative name. But that wasn't my doing. Ted spends his fall, winter and spring months at Renton Park Elementary school in the classroom of our business partners youngest daughter. He'll be spending his summer with me.

He came to stay yesterday and I have to say I wasn't really impressed with our first day together today. He spent his day in his little house sleeping. I think he got up twice. Once to potty and once again to eat. He did give me a sniff and a sideways glance before retreating back to bed. I was waiting for him to do something cute so I could get a good picture. In the end I had to wake him and get him to pose. Not an easy thing to do with a hamster. I really need to spend more time with my new cameras manual. This was taken with the flash on. (?)

I also have a bird house outside my office's back door with a young family inside. Poppa birds quite busy managing the food delivery program. I've tried to peer in and see momma and babies, but don't want to get too close. I can sure hear them. Their little baby peeps are starting to sound like teenage birdie peeps so they should make an appearance soon.

OK, I'm boring myself so I'll end this post. I need to get to work on fiwa's Ipod Shuffle Game. as the deadline is Thursday. If you haven't heard about it (or fiwa) go check click the link and check it out. You have to scroll down because I'm 1) a dork and don't know how to link to a specific post and 2) to lazy right now to figure it out.

So check back for what will be yet another boring post!

BBQ

2008-06-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

The BBQ went well, we all had great time. It was like not a day had gone by for Mark & I - He's the same gregarious, loving man he's always been. He has gotten quite muscular over the years and both Lolli and I are sporting bruises from his hugs. Lolli also is sporting a bite mark. He's a bit over the top.

I was WAY over served and the pics all turned out blurry. Go figure. Mark's girlfriend Stephanie is a lovely woman. They will surely be best buds to us all. I feel really lucky to have caught up with him and them both and to have them back in my life. You can't have enough friends now can you.

Katie, the friend that re-introduced us spent the night as well as Lolli and we all had a fine breakfast this morning.

Mark brought whiskey with him and my head is hurting and my tongue feels like it's wearing a sweater. I've napped all afternoon after taking Lolli and Katie home. We had a great BBQ. I made Kalbi (Korean short ribs) Fruit salad (with papaya) and potato salad. I'd give you a proper recipe but I make it up as I go. But here's the basics for Kalbi. Or at least what I did this time.

Marinade 5 lbs of Baby back ribs in:
9 cups of soy sauce
3 cups water
1 1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons cloves of minced garlic
5 table spoons of roasted sesame seeds
3 cups of green onion - minced
3 tablespoons of sesame oil
4 tablespoon of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of red pepper
1 tablespoon of pepper

Let the ribs marinade over night and grill on the barbie.

Yum.

So I have a new/old best bud. If my head wasn't feeling so thick I'd be wagging my tail. I look forward to seeing them both again soon and catching up more with Mark, we have a lot of life to catch up on - The man's been married and divorced three times since we last met. I'm happy to have him back in my life. How cool is that ?

Angie and her kids came up from Tacoma too. Trey and Sammy are the best kids and love spending time with us up here.

We'll opt for the non-drunken photographer next time.

Sunday Cat Post

2008-06-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

2008-06-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

Lolli And Katie singing

Random bomber flying over head

Miss Lilly in the garden

Dream Analysis Needed

2008-06-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

I've got nothing tonight so I'll share this. I have a pretty active dream life but sometimes only remember snippets. I wonder how much I don't remember. Sometimes they just crack me up.

This is the one that woke me up this morning.

I was standing in the clothing department of the Sear's store on 1st Ave S. in Seattle. (It's the first floor of Starbucks Center where I worked so that parts easy to figure out)

Fiwa is there and sitting at a table in a meeting. In the middle of the sales floor. In the dream I know with out being told that she's in foster care, even though she's an adult. She's meeting with her foster mom and a judge. Which all seems perfectly normal in the dream. It's not just any judge, but Judge Judy. They're talking and talking and I'm looking on and leaning on a rack of sweaters. Fiwa looks over and I mouth to her "Hurry up! Let's go play" Fiwa mouths back "I'm trying"

Then I woke up.

It still cracks me up.

The mind is a strange and wonderful thing.

Any ideas ?

Random Thoughts

2008-06-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Why is it that all the major TV networks can't put out anything but low budget reality shows and rip offs of British sit-coms? What happened to the tradition of All in the family, The Carol Burnett Show, Mary Tyler Moore, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, all those shows who actually employed writers who actually wrote?

Where are the decent movies? I'm not talking 'decent' as in "R' ratings or 'X" ratings, but the ones that draw you in, suck you up and hold ya? Who's making movies like that?

What the hec happened to Broadway? Can we not have a hit not ripped off from a cheap movie? "Legally Blonde, The Opera" - Really? WTH?

I take more pleasure hanging out here with you all rather than paying attention to the the main stream media.

I guess I'm becoming a grouchy old man.

Hey! Get off my lawn!

School Daze

2008-06-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

It seems like my 40's is the time to reconnect with old friends. They just seem to keep cropping up from unsuspected places.

Recently a friend started a new job at the local hospital and started a friendship with one of her co-workers. Apparently they got into a conversation about high school and come to find out her co-worker knows me. Turn out to be one of my best buds from high school who I haven't seen since then. It's really my fault. I kind of pushed a lot of people away when I came out or didn't come out to them out of fear. That's when I moved into the big city and left this life behind. Looking back it was silly of me and kind of sad that I didn't trust them more. Funny how things can come full circle.

This bud was the high school maniac with a heart of gold. A motorcycle driving, black leather coat wearing, lunatic. Always a charmer with the ladies. Well most of the time. We had many crazy adventures, some of which I was lucky to walk away alive. I spoke to him last night on the phone and come to find out he only lives about 10 minutes away from us. He and his girlfriend are coming over for a BBQ on Saturday. I'll be calling and rounding up all the other school mates and inviting them to. I'll invite Mom as well, she was kind of our den mother way back when and she loves seeing them all.

Well it's almost 9:00 am and I'm here blogging at work. I should really be doing payroll. I've brought slacking off to new heights lately.

Hope you all are out there doing something fun.

We take our sleep seriously here. Eggs? not so much.

2008-06-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Relaxed crowd eh?

WTH ?

Here was one hens best effort for the day.

Father's Day

2008-06-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've never seen a purple cow,
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see then be one.

No response.

Tree Tops

2008-06-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

Message to all Bears

2008-06-15T01:43:00.001-07:00

Everything works out in the end.
If it hasn't worked out, it's not the end.

Tuckered out goatie girls after a morning walk

2008-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Bear's Farm

2008-06-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

With the help of one Cynical Bastard I attempt my first youtube upload. Thanks Jay.

Still have to work out how to TAKE decent movies with the new cam, but one step at a time. When you hear me say "Bear!" It's because he's trying to push me over from behind.

Prince Charming

2008-06-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Ex, truely loved by us all, has been playing with his Mac again on a Saturday night. This wordless communication was emailed tonight.

Hmmm.

This was the result of the last Mac-Attack email pic from about 6 months ago.

At least he's consistent.

Love you Bruce.

For Rent

2008-06-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

We found this today near the office. I've been watching some crows harass a couple of robins. I guess we see who won. I wonder why they do that. And then add insult to injury they went and knock their nest out of the tree. Anyway, I thought it quite beautiful and really solid work. It must have tumbled a good 30 feet out of the tree. I'm assuming a crow attacked nest is no longer of any interest to a robin so I decided to bring it inside and let it preserve. It's quite the solid little thing. Poor Mr. Robin must be off somewhere frantically trying to rebuild for the pregnant Mrs.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. I realize now after reading the little pity party that is below, that I need to add a bit of balance. In the end, my mother made the right choice. She got out of a marriage that was too cold for her to endure. We kids got a wonderful stepfather who had a great deal to do with the people we became. I'm not sure how well we would have been otherwise. The fact that she wasn't exactly gracious in the way she did it I can over look. She was 26 at the time, I wouldn't want to be held to account for some of the things I did in my 20's.

In the end I really wrote that post for me. It did it's job by letting me sort things out with all of your help. People in my real life sometimes scoff at blogging, they don't understand. You all add a lot to my day and life.

OK, change of topic before Bette Midler starts to sing "You are the Wind Beneath My Wings" in the back ground.

I often ponder blogging styles, We all have a unique style and approach. One thing I've wonder about is how some bloggers respond to comments on there blogs and some don't. I don't, and I wonder if it seems cold to others that do? I admit I do go back sometimes and look at responses to my comments on your blogs but that's just because I'm a narcissus, needy blogger looking for validation. Sick, I know.

The whole uploading video's is making me feel dumber than ever. But I know it's just my natural sloth-ness. I really need an IT department. I've been spoiled.

If I haven't said it lately, I frequently wonder how I fell into such a great blogger crowd, your all awesome.

Father's Day

2008-06-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

This has always been a difficult holiday for me. My mother and father divorced when I was three. It was an unusual circumstance to say the least. When I was that young my parents had good friends that lived up the street. They socialized together and bowled together and even played bridge. The all lived out of each others pockets when they were in they're twenties.

In 1966 My father was a private pilot having just got out of the service flying out of what would become Seatac Airport. He flew over the local Nike nuke installation and noticed his own car parked near there next to his neighbors in the local lover's lane. Shortly there after both my parents and the neighbors up the road all got divorced, My mother married her lover, the man up the road. The day they married my father asked the ex-wife to marry him. They effectively swapped wives.

Step father and his ex-wife had two daughter that my sister and I had always played with and were friends with. After everyone divorced and remarried we found ourselves step-brother and sisters.

Over the course of the next 12 years my step-father would take us over to our fathers to pick up his girls for the weekend. In all of those years my father was never home at the time we came to pick them up. I took it as a big belt to the gut every time.

From the time I was 3 until I was 18 I met my father twice, each time I had to instigate it. If I didn't contact him it wasn't going to happen.

So here's my dilemma. It's fathers day again and I feel like I should do something to see him. But here I am 45+ and still having to be the one to get us together. I for once would like to see some effort from him but I know it won't happen. I don't want to end up at his funeral with nothing but regrets. The last time I saw him was my half brothers funeral, his only other son. Yet again I had to swallow my pride and go.

So what do you think friends? Should I make the effort again with the possibility of getting no response and being hurt or just walk away and feel guilty ?

Or do I need to adjust my attitude?

Anyone know how to improve the resolution?

2008-06-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

2008-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

2008-06-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

OK, This is boring. But technically it's the first self taken video I've sucessfully posted. I'm not exactly sure why it worked this time but hey, it worked.

The resolution gets pretty bad when it shrinks down - Looks better on my PC.

Momma Nature's having a fit tonight.

Boy-Toy

2008-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Boy and his new toy. Why do lawn mowers have headlights? Do they think we mow in the dark?

I had NOTHING to do with the premature death of this mower. Really.

And just how do you dispose of a riding mower?

Weather Report: 52* all day and then a wind storm for the evening. It's blowing to beat the band and the Bear child is making anxious noises. My fucias are getting spanked.

I'm gonna go grab a fur-kid and hit the couch.

Kuboto Gardens

2008-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00