A Rainy Night in Tacoma BBQing Women

I think I mentioned, in the midst of yesterday's Blogging about my woeful day in Lacey, that I was looking forward to a Large Group of Lovely Women joining us for the evening last night.

The group of incoming females included Jenny and her amusingly dry-witted friend Elise (spelling may be incorrect). Jenny and Elise have a Blog that details some of the travails of their recovering little doggie. Jenny's mom was also here. Along with Jenny's mom's mom. I don't know how old Jenny's mom's mom is. She appeared to possibly be anywhere from 80 something to possibly over 100. What I do know for certain is Jenny's mom's mom fires on all cylinders and laughed at dumb stuff I said.

By the time the BBQ needed to be lit a Texas-worthy downpour was deluging us. So, of course, with me being the house Monkey Boy, I was assigned the task, sans umbrella, of lighting the BBQ and monitoring the cooking meat product. Despite the previous incidents of me slightly burning beef products.

During the course of the evening Kristin's mom, Janet, regaled us with detailed monologues about a wide variety of subjects.

Max & Blue each got a raw bone last night, which they enjoyed in the rain.

At some point in the evening Jenny and Elise verbalized alarm at a sharp bulge pointing out from my midsection. Their speculations as to what was causing the bulge ranged from it being a portable dialysis machine to more sordid speculations. They seemed slightly relieved when they finally got the courage to inquire as to what was causing the odd pointy bulge and I reached into my pants and pulled out a card that I'd stuck into my waistband.

It was the birthday card from my mom and dad that my mom gave me upon their departure for Phoenix, in which, she told me, was a handwritten special request for me. So, last night, despite my mom's prohibition against me opening this until my birthday, my little sister convinced me to go against my mom's wishes and open the card. I must say that my mom's prohibition against the pre-birthday opening was pretty much blown when my mom, asked yesterday, when we called her, well, Kristin called her (the phone doesn't get answered if I show up on the called I.D.), if I'd opened the card yet. I said no, you told me not to open it til my birthday.

So, I opened the card last night. In it was 60 bucks and a note from my mom to take Michele and Kristin and myself out for dinner for my birthday.

All in all, all things considered, yesterday was a good day in Tacoma. Despite getting soaking wet BBQing.

Seven Eleven's New Big...Gulp

Freshing incoming from Don Young regarding drilling for natural gas in the Barnett Shale in the Tarrant County, Fort Worth urban zone.....

Are you one of those people who says, "I'm not against gas drilling in general, but..."?

Then, where DO you think is an OK place to drill?

For those of you who aren't quite sure if you want a gas well in your 'hood or not, come on over to east Fort Worth. We have plenty.

Check out our latest pad site in the pic below. It is directly behind the Seven Eleven store on E. Lancaster Ave. (Hwy. 80) @ Beach St.

Do you think this new addition to our neighborhood enhances our quality of life?

Do you think it will help us attract new businesses and residents?

Would you like to have one in YOUR neighborhood?

Would you feel safe and secure with dozens of them surrounding your neighborhood?

How about a few miles of 24" odorless gas pipelines threading under your streets and a few compressor stations scattered about?

Maybe FW Mayor Mike Moncrief would like one behind the Seven Eleven near his home over on Camp Bowie Blvd.

He was quoted last Thursday as saying, "We protect the quality of life of people who live here, which we are not going to sacrifice."

Gosh, Mr. Mayor, did you tell a little white lie?

FW Gas Drilling Task Force
Public Hearing:
August 11, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
City Council Chambers - City Hall
1000 Throckmorton St.

Public comments are solicited---

(If you get lost, just look for all the Chesapeake, XTO and Devon Energy pickup trucks that take up all the parking spots.)

---Key Issues & talking points:

- Moratoriumis - Trinity Trail System needs protection - Master Plan - Public Health & Safety - Conflict of Interest - Odorless wet gas - Pipelines - Compressor Stations - Stop permitting new gas wells, NOW - Moratorium NOW - Environmental Impact studies NOW - Increase set-back distance - No Confidence in current Task Force - Bring in independent consultants - No confidence in Mayor & Council - Keep minutes of TF meetings - Broadcast & record public hearings

Lulu & Durango Cold & Wet in Lacey

I am getting behind in venting about the various things I'm being subjected to up here in the frigid Arctic zone of the Pacific Northwest.

I had agreed to go to Lacey with Lulu this morning. This was yet one more 6am departure. I've relied on the sun waking me up via the skylight directly above the 2 foot wide army cot I try to sleep on.

But, unbeknownst to me the sun was blocked by thick clouds this morning, thus ruining my alarm clock. I checked the time at 20 til 6 and realized I had a problem. Had to make coffee, drink it, make breakfast, eat it, take a shower and be ready to go in 2o minutes. I tried to call Lulu to stall her. No answer.

At 5 minutes til 6am Lulu calls me to tell me she is outside, ready for me to drive. I told her I needed 5 minutes. I rushed and made it out the door by 6.

It was raining. If the rain continued, in Lacey, we were gonna bail. But, by the time we reached Lacey the dripping stopped and we saw blue sky to the west.

We set up the tent and unpacked. All was well. This was at the Lacey Saturday Market, which occurs once a month. It was a nice location, but a small crowd, likely due to the bad weather.

We had wind gust woes. And then about 1 or so it began to rain. Hard. And then Lulu's first husband showed up on his Harley. I thought if only my sister and her crew would show up maybe I would have an escape. Right about then they showed up.

I escaped, leaving Lulu to fend for herself. I'd done enough. No more could be expected of me.

I was then drug into Olympia to an eating place where I had a Mud Bay Cookie. It was good. Then we went to the World's Largest Bead Store, Shipwreck Beads. This was no Texas Brag. It really is the World's Largest. After what seemed a day, we finally left the beads.

On the way back here, calling my Mom and Dad was discussed. It was suggested if I called they would not answer. So, I called. They did not answer. Then Kristin called and my Mom instantly answered. My feelings should have been hurt, but I'm used to this type treatment.

As we neared Tacoma I was told that my sister and Kristin were having a large group of lovely ladies over for dinner. All with varying degrees of lovlieness. I'm assigned the duty of being the token male.

It's just all too much.

Oh, Good Lord, just as I get relaxed into doing this Blogging thing, I am now being asked to go get a propane tank filled. Or something like that. So, thus ends this Blogging. With me in search of gas.

Pioneer Square Art in the Park Video

Even with a real good night's rest I've still not got the energy to talk about yesterday's shocking realization that my perception of Seattle is so last century. Yesterday, my longest dose of 21st century Seattle was a shock to me. I'm still not sure what to make of it or what I really think of it.

Suffice to say, Seattle used to be easy. Like Fort Worth. The Seattle of my memory was, well, way more modern than the Fort Worth of the present. Fort Worth seems to suffer from way too little planning and aesthetic sensibility, let alone environmental trendiness. Seattle seems to be one huge urban planning experiment. Perhaps gone slightly awry.

Anyway, while I muster the energy to finish making little movies of the video I took yesterday, below is a little video of the event I was in Seattle for, that being Art in the Park at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square.

I wandered all over downtown Seattle, Pike Place, the waterfront, Westlake Center, the bus tunnel. By the time the Gallery Walk occurred at Art in the Park and we were flooded with what looked like a parade of fashion models, my camcorder battery was dead. Darn. I missed getting video of the biggest pair of fake boobs I've ever seen. Walking on the most ridiculous boots I've ever seen outside of Texas. Next time I must conserve my battery power. Or get a back up battery. But then I'd have to figure out how to exchange the battery and since it's been 6 years since I bought my antique camcorder I doubt doing anything with the battery is anything I can figure out.

August 7 in Seattle

I had me a day. Short version. Seattle has drastically changed since I left 9 years ago. For the better? Or worse? I'll wait on that. Til I see the video I took today.

In the meantime, suffice to say, I walked miles today. I was all over downtown Seattle.

I was in Seattle, at Pioneer Square's Occidental Park for Art in the Park. Art in the Park turned out to be the best of this type thing I've been to.

And once more Lulu and I got recognized for our blogs. Apparently we are developing a fan base of rabid loyal readers. Well, Lulu is. I'm just every once in awhile her guest blogger.

That's Art in the Park in the photo, with the Smith Tower hovering above it.

I'm too tired to type more right now. That and my memory will be better by morning. I hope.

Mom & Dad Left Tacoma For Phoenix

We loaded up my Mom and Dad's van with enough raspberry jam to supply the greater Phoenix Metropolitan area, among other things, and said goodbye to them about 8pm.

It was a bittersweet departure. It'd been 2.5 years since I'd seen them. And that time it was for less than 3 hours. This time was longer than 3 hours. More like 2 weeks.

I get the idea they were disappointed I didn't spend more time with them. But then again I spent more time with them in the past 2 weeks than the past 10 years combined. I should have gone to yesterday's 57th Anniversary lunch at Dukes in West Seattle.

But, that was yesterday. Today is today. This afternoon a fresh parental unit arrives, this time solo, mother of Kristin.

The roof is being torn off this house this morning. So, the poodles are going nuts. I let them out in the backyard. I'd not seen them be so funny. Max was jumping up and down like a crazy dog, like he thought he might be able to jump onto the roof and chase off all those guys making so much noise. I had to pick up Max to get him back in the house. Well-mannered Blue followed.

I sit here awaiting the arrival of Lulu. We are going to Pioneer Square, to Occidental Park, for Art in the Park. I only learned this morning that this lasts until 10pm. That's past my bedtime.

It should be an interesting day. Or not.

P.S. I forgot to mention, my little sister took pics of me and Mom and Dad and the poodles this morning before they departed. I didn't have access to that one. But I like the photo above from Saturday, with my Mom and Dad and Spencer Jack and his mommy, Jenny, all laughing.

McDonald's With Mom & Dad

I think I mentioned earlier that today was my Mom and Dad's Anniversary. 57th.

I also mentioned earlier today that I walked back here from Lulu's, passing a McDonald's on the way.

Somehow this led to Mom and Dad wanting to take me to McDonald's tonight. My Dad drove. Kristin came along. I had a Filet-o-Fish Meal Deal. Or something like that. Kristin told me to get this Meal Deal thing so she could have the fries.

The fries were good.

That's Mom and Dad in the photo. Heading into McDonald's. But that's not the McDonald's we went to tonight. The McDonald's in the photo is the one we went to in Dallas in 2001.

When we left McDonald's Kristin directed Dad to the Tacoma waterfront so we could see a Tall Ship from Columbia. That morphed into a tour of part of the Tacoma waterfront I'd not seen before.

Eventually we got back here. A baby and his parents arrived and we all sat outside on the backyard deck and had bubblegum ice cream.

I'm quickly losing my mind here. Each day seems to bring one more, or two, things to feel bad about. Tomorrow I'm at Pioneer Square in Seattle. I'm sure there will be some fresh hell to torment me.

Paris Hilton Presidential Campaign Ad & Lulu

This morning I drove Lulu's Volvo lumber wagon towards Olympia to go to this place called Shipwreck Beads. They had a lot of beads there.

On the way back to Lulu's we had to go to another bead-like store for something else. Pulling into that store's parking lot we almost ran into Frank & Virginia's Volvo lumber wagon. Near as I can tell, all arts and craftsters drive Volvos.

After the near wreck Lulu and I went back to her place where I made 100s of bubble magnets. Some time after noon I became hungry. There was nothing edible in the Lulu pantry. Lulu told me to go McDonald's, but I couldn't take her car because it would cost 3 bucks of gas to get my 2 Dollar Menu burgers. I sort of understood the logic.

Still, it seemed a tad rude after I'd driven her all over hell and back and had made 100s of bubble magnets.

Lulu told me to walk to McDonald's if I was so damn hungry. And that is what I did. Only I somehow walked by the McDonald's and ended up back here. About a 6 mile walk in blistering heat.

Yes, we are having a heat wave here in the Puget Sound zone.

So, I got back here and tried to find something to eat. But leftovers have a very short shelf life here before they get thrown away. I found a potato chip and had that for lunch. I'm stuffed.

Speaking of the heat wave. While making the bubble magnets Lulu had the TV on. We were subjected to a half hour of stupid local news. Including the heat wave. With warnings to not over exert, to drink plenty of water and to seek shade. I neglected to mention that right now, at a bit past 2pm, this blistering heat wave is 76 degrees. In Fort Worth it is 93 right now.

The only interesting thing I saw on Lulu's TV came sometime after The View (what annoying women) and either during the local news or during All My Children. Erica Kane is still on that show. She must be nearing 80 but looks 30.

Anyway, there was a Paris Hilton Presidential Campaign ad that she made after John McCain, or as she calls him, "that old wrinkled dude." I thought the Paris Hilton ad was amusing. You can watch it below.

Happy Mom & Dad & Hiroshima Anniversary

If my math is correct, and it often isn't, today is the 63rd Anniversary of the dropping of an A-Bomb on Hiroshima, hastening the end of WW II.

Six years after the dropping of the first A-Bomb my mom and dad got married. Which makes today, again if my math is correct, mom and dad's 57th Anniversary.

The last time I experienced Hiroshima Day, in person, with mom and dad was in 2001 for their 50th. That event was not actually held on August 6, due to that date being in the middle of the week.

Instead mom and dad's 50th was held on August 11. Which happens to be my birthday. No one, but 2 of my nephews, knew I was going to be up here for mom and dad's 50th. I drove myself north and arrived late for the party.

Precisely one month after mom and dad's 50th Anniversary party the events of 9/11 unfolded. One month after that they were in Texas for their one and only visit.

Today all of my sisters are taking mom and dad out for lunch in West Seattle at a place called Dukes. I don't remember if I was invited or not. I'll be heading towards Olympia today while they are all having fun without me.

I'll try and remember to wish the parental units a Happy Hiroshima Day.

The Pacific Northwest's Severed Feet

Down in Texas I'd been reading about the washing ashore of severed feet in tennis shoes up in British Columbia's Straits of Georgia.

A few days ago a severed foot washed ashore near Port Angeles on the Washington side of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. That's what the body of water between Washington and Vancouver Island is called. Sort of the entry to Puget Sound.

So far, no one has been found who is missing a foot. The police don't know what they are dealing with. The feet are real. But where are they coming from? Some twisted hoax where someone with access to corpses is hacking off a foot prior to burial?

Is there some fresh variant of a Pacific Northwest serial killer out there? Doing the murder of someone who no one notices is missing and then hacking of his or her foot?

Each of the feet have been found inside running type shoes. An expert in ocean currents has said that the feet could have been dumped in one location with the currents delivering them, over time, to far ranging places, as in all the way to Northern California.

All I know for certain is when I'm up here and walking along a Puget Sound beach, if I see a tennis shoe I will not be looking inside to see if there is a foot.