Cherries...
Washington state is know for many things - apples, Microsoft, Boeing, serial killers, Cascades, Mt. St. Helen's and cherries, to mention a few. My friend at work is working very diligently to get me to like cherries. There are two type grown here- Bing Cherries and Rainier Cherries. Rainier cherries are yellow and red - very tasty, with white insides. Bing are sold all across the country and are dark red, with a red insides, slightly tart.
I don't like cherries that much. When I was a kid I was allergic to "red dye #7" or whatever the red dye that they pulled from the market in the early 80's because it was toxic. When I would eat artificially flavored cheery things I would break out into hives. Thus by association I don't like them. (Oddly though, one of my few memories of my grandmother was her sitting at our kitchen table in West Virginia, smoking a cigarette, taking the pits out of cherries so she could make cherry pies...) But I'm trying to be open to them. I had a friend in the Peace Corps who threatened not to be my friend because I couldn't stand olives. Truly, it was because I had been exposed solely to the little canned black ones that you put on your fingers and made puppets with. I also didn't like salty things. Now I love olives. I found the right olives to love.
So I'm trying to start a new relationship with cherries. It's not as hard as with olives because I love fruit. But it's still one of the last ones I would choose. My friend it trying to move cherries up... from 23 rd on my list to like 8. We'll see how it goes.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Just a quick note...
The Ballard Library has grasses growing on it's roof (intentionally) and has these crazy wind tunnels that make noises as the wind passes through. It's pretty trippy and very cool at the same time.
Oh, and I have finally quit living like a dirty hippie. (Ok, I'm not a hippie nor am I dirty, and all hippies aren't dirty either.) It was ok to me if I said to my friends "go ahead and pull up a box - don't worry - it's full of books, you can sit on it." I put everything away, finished unpacking some odd boxes and finally got some great bedding so at the very least my guests had a nice place to stay... which is what July is for. My friends Robin and Marc come in on Friday on their way thru to Vancouver... Kathy next week and my friend Jen towards the end of the month. Now they all have a chair to sit on - that is if they don't all come at once.
The Ballard Library has grasses growing on it's roof (intentionally) and has these crazy wind tunnels that make noises as the wind passes through. It's pretty trippy and very cool at the same time.
Oh, and I have finally quit living like a dirty hippie. (Ok, I'm not a hippie nor am I dirty, and all hippies aren't dirty either.) It was ok to me if I said to my friends "go ahead and pull up a box - don't worry - it's full of books, you can sit on it." I put everything away, finished unpacking some odd boxes and finally got some great bedding so at the very least my guests had a nice place to stay... which is what July is for. My friends Robin and Marc come in on Friday on their way thru to Vancouver... Kathy next week and my friend Jen towards the end of the month. Now they all have a chair to sit on - that is if they don't all come at once.
I'm meeeeeelting!!!
Ok, so it hasn't been that dramatic but they way people have described the heat for the last few days one would think we're on the edge of hell about to fall in. "I just don't know how I'm going to get thru this day." There were other words used, the bus is a little less enjoyable and the lethargy is pretty high. It's hot. I, of course, think everyone here are wimps because it's barely warm in my opinion and the humidity isn't high enough to break a sweat but it really is a matter of what you're accustomed to. When I came back from Cote d'Ivoire, I was constantly chilled because I was use to 100 degrees with 98% humidity for good stretches of the year. So I can relate - I just think it's funny.
The beautiful weather has lead me to finally start thinking that it's summer. A week ago I was at the bus stop nearly in tears (talk about drama) because it was so cold and I was so sick of being so cold. June had felt like the first week in April for the entire month. I had not concept that yes, strawberries are in because it's the season for them. Yes, people are planning vacations because it's summer. It was June not, April. But until this week I really had no idea.
All of this great weather has lead to great outdoor adventures - more hiking, walking, biking, walks on the beach with friends. However, the water is terribly cold - as the Pacific is in general. We were at Golden Gardens and had to let 10 waves wash over our feet. We could barely stand it as it was like standing it ice water. Other misadventures have to the drowning deaths of 5 people in one week - mostly in a river east of Seattle.
Welcome summer?
Ok, so it hasn't been that dramatic but they way people have described the heat for the last few days one would think we're on the edge of hell about to fall in. "I just don't know how I'm going to get thru this day." There were other words used, the bus is a little less enjoyable and the lethargy is pretty high. It's hot. I, of course, think everyone here are wimps because it's barely warm in my opinion and the humidity isn't high enough to break a sweat but it really is a matter of what you're accustomed to. When I came back from Cote d'Ivoire, I was constantly chilled because I was use to 100 degrees with 98% humidity for good stretches of the year. So I can relate - I just think it's funny.
The beautiful weather has lead me to finally start thinking that it's summer. A week ago I was at the bus stop nearly in tears (talk about drama) because it was so cold and I was so sick of being so cold. June had felt like the first week in April for the entire month. I had not concept that yes, strawberries are in because it's the season for them. Yes, people are planning vacations because it's summer. It was June not, April. But until this week I really had no idea.
All of this great weather has lead to great outdoor adventures - more hiking, walking, biking, walks on the beach with friends. However, the water is terribly cold - as the Pacific is in general. We were at Golden Gardens and had to let 10 waves wash over our feet. We could barely stand it as it was like standing it ice water. Other misadventures have to the drowning deaths of 5 people in one week - mostly in a river east of Seattle.
Welcome summer?
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
There are NAKED PEOPLE climbing on Lenin!
Is what my neighbor standing next to me in the line shouted. We were at the Fremont Solstice Parade-Fremont being a very artsy neighborhood with a fantastic parade, similar to The Cleveland Museum of Art's Parade the Circle. (They have a huge statue of Lenin in the center of the neighborhood and the sign entering the neighborhood says "Welcome to Fremont, center of the Universe.")And yes, it's known for it's nake people. Mostly it's naked bikers (bicycle bikers) who start off the parade and for years were told would be arrested by the police but I think they've given up on that. Speaking of police, some of them were dressed as bright pink - um - clowns? They were blocking of sidewalks, giving very confusing directions to people like me and Pygmy who lost our great seats twice because we kept being told to move. But then, finally, the parade started - with the naked bicyclists. They had great body paint on; there was a NY Times crossword puzzle, Nemo and a Shark who cycled around and around, an earth mother type, suns, moons, pirates, and other fun types. There was a Bubble Man, using mesh plastic utensil racks attached to batmitton rackets, filled the streets with thousands of bubbles.
Samba music filled the street as the first float come by complete with dancers - this was the first of three samba groups! There was a school group playing instruments on a floats, environmental messages from snow enthusiasts; 4 very politically charged floats - most fun being a group of "exterminators" going after "bugs". One bug was a cockroach with W's head and they tried to exterminate him with love but that didn't work so the audience yelled impeach, and a giant Uncle Sam beetle on stilts came by and burred him with a giant peach. There was a group mocking the NSA and a "Day of the Dead" group dancing. There was a gay/lesbian marching band, a zytco band, an India group heavy with male dancers. We were weirded out by some interpretative dance (luckily we hadn't paid $20 at the theater for this confusion); followed by a mock funeral of some famous mystic we didn't know, followed by a caterpillar (directed by more naked people) and another band. There was a pyramid type structure with a pregnant woman statue at the top that opened up to "babies" spilling out into the street. Their huge grotestque heads/masks were reflective of world leaders, basically acting like children, not sharing, hitting, fighting and were only calmed down and called together when "milk" sprayed from the mother statue's breasts. An hour and a half later, the paraded ended with a fantastic Jamaican group under clear sunny skies and the first warm day in ages.
Is what my neighbor standing next to me in the line shouted. We were at the Fremont Solstice Parade-Fremont being a very artsy neighborhood with a fantastic parade, similar to The Cleveland Museum of Art's Parade the Circle. (They have a huge statue of Lenin in the center of the neighborhood and the sign entering the neighborhood says "Welcome to Fremont, center of the Universe.")And yes, it's known for it's nake people. Mostly it's naked bikers (bicycle bikers) who start off the parade and for years were told would be arrested by the police but I think they've given up on that. Speaking of police, some of them were dressed as bright pink - um - clowns? They were blocking of sidewalks, giving very confusing directions to people like me and Pygmy who lost our great seats twice because we kept being told to move. But then, finally, the parade started - with the naked bicyclists. They had great body paint on; there was a NY Times crossword puzzle, Nemo and a Shark who cycled around and around, an earth mother type, suns, moons, pirates, and other fun types. There was a Bubble Man, using mesh plastic utensil racks attached to batmitton rackets, filled the streets with thousands of bubbles.
Samba music filled the street as the first float come by complete with dancers - this was the first of three samba groups! There was a school group playing instruments on a floats, environmental messages from snow enthusiasts; 4 very politically charged floats - most fun being a group of "exterminators" going after "bugs". One bug was a cockroach with W's head and they tried to exterminate him with love but that didn't work so the audience yelled impeach, and a giant Uncle Sam beetle on stilts came by and burred him with a giant peach. There was a group mocking the NSA and a "Day of the Dead" group dancing. There was a gay/lesbian marching band, a zytco band, an India group heavy with male dancers. We were weirded out by some interpretative dance (luckily we hadn't paid $20 at the theater for this confusion); followed by a mock funeral of some famous mystic we didn't know, followed by a caterpillar (directed by more naked people) and another band. There was a pyramid type structure with a pregnant woman statue at the top that opened up to "babies" spilling out into the street. Their huge grotestque heads/masks were reflective of world leaders, basically acting like children, not sharing, hitting, fighting and were only calmed down and called together when "milk" sprayed from the mother statue's breasts. An hour and a half later, the paraded ended with a fantastic Jamaican group under clear sunny skies and the first warm day in ages.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Festival Gypsies and Ferries
While working/volunteering at the Seattle International Film Festival I've run across all of these various people that work at all kinds of different festivals. Aaron goes from the Palm Springs festival, to the Independent Spirit Awards to Seattle. Riley works at Sundance, Tri-Becca and then Seattle. They're called Festival Gypsies and they're a unique group of people. As one of them explained to me "It takes a special person to know how to handle patrons, film goers, sponsors, movie stars, etc. Working at all of these different festivals gives you that opportunity." And there are tons of them! Everything from the tech guys to the venue managers, from the print traffic team to the mechandise people. It so very cool.... It's one of those jobs you wish you had known about when you were 22, fresh out of college and trying to break into the local arts scene.
I took a ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton (on Whidbey Island) yesterday to visit some people for work. It was just beautiful! The Pacific Northwest is astonishing anyway with the mountains on both sides of you as your ferry smoothly speeds across the salty Sound. Whidbey Island itself was wonderful, wooded and full of summer life. It was 10 degrees warmer, not even raining as I sped around the 50 mile long island. It has a very diverse community with an army base to the north and a hippy/arts community in the south (or nowadays, 30 something pajama commuters). It's not paradise as the woman I met with explained. It's got it's own problem with meth labs in the forests, elderly neglect, hugely inflated housing prices, etc. But it has a great arts community and was a perfect day to be hopping around the island. A day trip exploring the forests in the North and sipping wine at an art walk in the South is in order sometime this summer.
While working/volunteering at the Seattle International Film Festival I've run across all of these various people that work at all kinds of different festivals. Aaron goes from the Palm Springs festival, to the Independent Spirit Awards to Seattle. Riley works at Sundance, Tri-Becca and then Seattle. They're called Festival Gypsies and they're a unique group of people. As one of them explained to me "It takes a special person to know how to handle patrons, film goers, sponsors, movie stars, etc. Working at all of these different festivals gives you that opportunity." And there are tons of them! Everything from the tech guys to the venue managers, from the print traffic team to the mechandise people. It so very cool.... It's one of those jobs you wish you had known about when you were 22, fresh out of college and trying to break into the local arts scene.
I took a ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton (on Whidbey Island) yesterday to visit some people for work. It was just beautiful! The Pacific Northwest is astonishing anyway with the mountains on both sides of you as your ferry smoothly speeds across the salty Sound. Whidbey Island itself was wonderful, wooded and full of summer life. It was 10 degrees warmer, not even raining as I sped around the 50 mile long island. It has a very diverse community with an army base to the north and a hippy/arts community in the south (or nowadays, 30 something pajama commuters). It's not paradise as the woman I met with explained. It's got it's own problem with meth labs in the forests, elderly neglect, hugely inflated housing prices, etc. But it has a great arts community and was a perfect day to be hopping around the island. A day trip exploring the forests in the North and sipping wine at an art walk in the South is in order sometime this summer.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
?Habla Espanol - Come See Jesus!
What? Was my first reaction upon seeing the flashing light sign for Hiatt Pontiac on our way from Parkland (Tacoma) heading back to Seattle after Tuesday's Derby practice. Come See Jesus? No, Michelle, Jesus - you know Hey-Zeus. I laughed out loud. That's pretty funny.
Derby and Film. That's all my life seems to be occupied with at this moment. Film because it's the Seattleinternationals Film Festival - still - for 2 more weekends. I'm having a great time volunteering, meeting some cool new people, getting to see some films. However, it took 6 films before I saw a 4 or better (out nof 5). I couldn't believe that the Seattle festival was so bad. I was perplexed - I even walked out of film after I turned to Annika and said, What's this about again? Finally, the series of animated shorts had me laughing and crying brilliant! Then a feature film Something Like Happiness from the Czech Republic was very good. I also came to realize that with my festival pass these past few years to the Cleveland International Film Festival I had a great amount of access. Someone could tell me - this is a great film! And I could dash in and see it. As a volunteer/buying my own tickets/without a pass, I have to plan better and hope to pick the good ones. I picked two. I'm sure I can do better.
And Derby. I've been practicing like a crazy fool these past two weeks. There are rumor of potential tryouts with the Seattle team which I would love to be on. I really like the Tacoma group - they're a great group of woman which I'm not sure I would have had such a great opportunity to get to know them - a ton of punkrocker moms, a military gal, some with kids some without - most withtattooss (myself included). And they're great - it's been so much fun. Skating is fun. And of course, with time, we're all getting so much better.
Which all leads to the things I've neglected in my life... mostly my blog and somehow I'm under the weather again. Hopefully it'll past by like this rain storm.
What? Was my first reaction upon seeing the flashing light sign for Hiatt Pontiac on our way from Parkland (Tacoma) heading back to Seattle after Tuesday's Derby practice. Come See Jesus? No, Michelle, Jesus - you know Hey-Zeus. I laughed out loud. That's pretty funny.
Derby and Film. That's all my life seems to be occupied with at this moment. Film because it's the Seattleinternationals Film Festival - still - for 2 more weekends. I'm having a great time volunteering, meeting some cool new people, getting to see some films. However, it took 6 films before I saw a 4 or better (out nof 5). I couldn't believe that the Seattle festival was so bad. I was perplexed - I even walked out of film after I turned to Annika and said, What's this about again? Finally, the series of animated shorts had me laughing and crying brilliant! Then a feature film Something Like Happiness from the Czech Republic was very good. I also came to realize that with my festival pass these past few years to the Cleveland International Film Festival I had a great amount of access. Someone could tell me - this is a great film! And I could dash in and see it. As a volunteer/buying my own tickets/without a pass, I have to plan better and hope to pick the good ones. I picked two. I'm sure I can do better.
And Derby. I've been practicing like a crazy fool these past two weeks. There are rumor of potential tryouts with the Seattle team which I would love to be on. I really like the Tacoma group - they're a great group of woman which I'm not sure I would have had such a great opportunity to get to know them - a ton of punkrocker moms, a military gal, some with kids some without - most withtattooss (myself included). And they're great - it's been so much fun. Skating is fun. And of course, with time, we're all getting so much better.
Which all leads to the things I've neglected in my life... mostly my blog and somehow I'm under the weather again. Hopefully it'll past by like this rain storm.
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