Sunday, September 27, 2015

It's been 10 years

since this blog started. We've passed the actual anniversary.
Craziness

Friday I visited the Pike Street to play tour guide with a friend and his new girlfriend and we went down to the waterfront as well. It was a fun if somewhat a test of my ability not to say things I am thinking. Our friend has 30+ years on his girl. So, ya know...

However, in less fun news, I also visited with an older gal who works in the library where I am the volunteer director. The previous director, an awesome lady, a great mentor, and one of the people whose glowing recommendation got me into the University of Washington library program, passed away two weeks ago. Jo was one of those precious people you just don't ever have enough of in life, and she will be sorely missed. I worked with her for a couple years but my friend worked with her for about 15 years and is really missing Jo. Raw grief is  just heart-wrenching.

Also this last week I interviewed for a job which might be nice to have. The location is a little far but the facility is amazing and the staff is fabulous. I also went to see a friend for some input and prep work for an upcoming job interview and teaching demonstration, AND got to see some of the people I worked with last year, who are lovely. I heard from my former boss and her boss that they have put in good words for me, so I am feeling REALLY really hopeful.

This week I decided to try immersing myself in popular culture by indulging in an total excess of TV watching to see if there are any new shows worth tracking. Here are my reviews so far...
The Muppet show, meh (it wasn't bad but it wasn't really that good either)
Heroes Reborn... hmmm (I am guardedly hopeful and intrigued)
Blind Spot, uh huh (I will probably watch another one)
Minority Report, eeeeeeh (maybe, I don't know)
How to Get Away With Murder, whu...? (I watched the whole last season, and she SOO deserved that Emmy, but I kinda have whiplash from the season 2 opener)

So there ya go!






Tuesday, September 22, 2015

You know what I haven't done in a long while?

Well, posted on this blog, but more to the point for today... one of these!

A- Age: 44 (I remember back when I started this blog, 10 years ago and I was 34, wow, that was a long freaking time ago).
 
B- Biggest Fear: Clowns and carnies (they smell of cabbage and have tiny hands)
 
C- Current Time: 10:35 AM
 
D- Drink you last had:  coffee (iced Americano with a splash of cream to be specific)
 
E- Easiest Person To Talk to: Myself, I'm always there when I need me, I always listen, I always seem to understand what I'm trying to say, I hardly ever interrupt, I often laugh at my jokes, and I  
 

F- Favorite Song: There is never just one but at the top of the list and the rotation changes frequently but maybe at the moment, 
Tear in My Heart by 21 Pilots

Could Have Been Me by The Struts 
Ship to Wreck by Florence + the Machine 
Stop the World I Want to Get Off with You by The Arctic Monkeys
I Am by AWOLNATION
and to be clear— I am talking about the songs, not the videos


G- Ghosts, are they real: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophies, Horatio.
 

H- Hometown: Oak Harbor, Washington
 

I- In love with: Crisp fall mornings that give way to gloriously sunny afternoon
 

J- Jealous Of: People who have a personal assistant. I so need one.
 

K- Killed Someone? Give me a break, like I am going to admit that on the interwebz.
 

L- Last time you cried? Last week when I learned a very sweet library mentor of mine died.
 

M- Middle Name: Artemis, but not in the Greek
 

N- Number of Siblings: 2
 


O- One Wish: Wings that work
 

P- Person who you last called: Mr. Logo
 

Q- Question you're always asked: Why do you know that?
 

R- Reason to smile: Thing One and Thing Two
 

S- Song last sang: The Ghost Inside's  Broken Bell (singing along, to be clear)
 

T- Time you woke up: 7:30 AM
 

U- Underwear Color: black
 

V- Vacation Destination: We're planning to visit Germany
 

W- Worst Habit: Forgetting what I'm doing
 

X- X-Rays you've had: So many, don't walk in front of cars, fall off curbs, get in car crashes, etc. etc.
 

Y- Your favourite food: Things other people made for me
 

Z- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Thursday, September 17, 2015

I love Seattle

So, today I got to spend some time downtown, a bit on my own and a bit with friends. I went to the library (of course) in my free time and then met friends at the Elliot Bay Book Company— actually, I walked there from the Central branch of SPL. It is a nice walk on a gorgeous day but mostly uphill so I was really glad to get a ride back down to Town Hall, which is where we were all going, after dinner, to see Brene Brown.

I love the Brene Brown even though she is a horrible person who tries to convince everyone be vulnerable and real with each other.  Some people just want to watch the world burn. My sister, the social worker, gave me her ticket to the event and so I got to go and hang out with her friends, the social worker Brene Brown groupies. They are the most emotionally supportive fan club EVAH.

As an awesome topper to the evening... I lost my debit card, just before we leave for a trip to Canada, brilliant timing, yes? Mr. Logo and I have accumulated 25 years of togetherness and we have decided the only possible way to celebrate the occasion is to flee the country. The traditional gift is silver I've been told but we both bought each other chocolate, because who the heck wants silver stuff someone will have to dust and polish when you can have delicious chocolatey goodness? Well, we each got that and an upcoming trip on the Victoria Clipper up to Vancouver Island where we will visit the Empress Hotel and have high tea.

Life is good.

Saturday, September 05, 2015

Did you hear my state is burning to the ground?

I am in Spokane currently, visiting friends and family. Not too long ago the air pollution here was so bad from the fires that people were being encouraged to stay indoors.
Today it is drizzly here and although the visibility is not any better than it was when the sky was thick with smoke haze, it smells considerably better.

The middle bit of the state is still aflame but most of the fires on the west side of the state are out.




They tend to call anything west of the Cascade mountains "the coast." This is blatantly inaccurate and inexcusable. Below you see a map of Washington with a highlighted line along the mountains in the middle-ish of the state. To the far left you will see another highlighted area— the actual coast of Washington, where the Pacific ocean meets the land. There is also the Puget Sound, but that is not coastline.
   


Now, the people over here on the east side have a sort of reciprocal complain about us Westies. We tend to call everything on this side of the mountains "Eastern Washington" and the people over here get all all knotted up about that because they insist there is a Central Washington. However, I have to tell you, there is almost nothing of note in the middle of the state (other than Hanford, which we frankly try to ignore) and nothing in particular to demarcate where this supposedly central region ought to be. So They make stuff up and they also can't use geographical terms correctly. We win.