Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Happy Halloween!
This weekend was full of holiday revelry as I attended the usual fun pumpkin carving party (honestly just an excuse to drink) where I carved an award-winning Jack-O-Lanterns; went out to hear a friend DJ LT at a private event and then drove LT and Glitter Chicken (Dani's newly acquried name that she doesn't really remember getting) to a very dull party (left after 3 minutes) and temporarily crashing a much more lively one. Dressing up a space age pirate, though the only thing space age was really the fun skirt I sewed specifically for a party, it was great to be tromping around the city for Halloween. Sunday was a gorgeous fall day - much like a mid western one - with big fluffy clouds drifting by a brilliant blue sky. Fat rain drops. Cold wind. Leaves swirling around. It was perfect.
This year will mark the first year that I am not spending Halloween with Rebecca and Gabriel. We started this tradition the year he was born when Rebecca was still in graduate school (crazy, yes). She had class on Halloween night and there wasn't really anyone to take her son around the blog. So Tauntie Shell (me) dressed up as the ocean; took Lady Bug Gabriel and together with mother-in-law we circled the neighborhood for his first Halloween. It was super fun. The following years were much of the same though we all went together - most times I dressed up. There was a house down the street that always took it to the extreme and it was delightful to watch kids get freaked out.
Not only am I missing trick-or-treating with Gabriel and Rebecca but also the new twin girls, Helena and Juliet. And it makes me just a tad bit sad. So I sent Gabriel cookie cutters of a cat, pumpkin, ghost and spider, along with some sprinkles to make holiday cookies. Rebecca told him that he should write me a thank you note. He said "can't we get Tauntie Shell something she would like?" Rebecca said "Like what?" He replied "You should know what she likes."
Tomorrow, I am going to be spending Halloween with Glitter Chicken, LT and maybe some other derby gals. We plan on eating pizza and sitting on the balcony in 32 degree weather (am I in Cleveland?) and throwing candy at the trick-or-treaters.
Not at them.
We plan on aiming for their bags.
This weekend was full of holiday revelry as I attended the usual fun pumpkin carving party (honestly just an excuse to drink) where I carved an award-winning Jack-O-Lanterns; went out to hear a friend DJ LT at a private event and then drove LT and Glitter Chicken (Dani's newly acquried name that she doesn't really remember getting) to a very dull party (left after 3 minutes) and temporarily crashing a much more lively one. Dressing up a space age pirate, though the only thing space age was really the fun skirt I sewed specifically for a party, it was great to be tromping around the city for Halloween. Sunday was a gorgeous fall day - much like a mid western one - with big fluffy clouds drifting by a brilliant blue sky. Fat rain drops. Cold wind. Leaves swirling around. It was perfect.
This year will mark the first year that I am not spending Halloween with Rebecca and Gabriel. We started this tradition the year he was born when Rebecca was still in graduate school (crazy, yes). She had class on Halloween night and there wasn't really anyone to take her son around the blog. So Tauntie Shell (me) dressed up as the ocean; took Lady Bug Gabriel and together with mother-in-law we circled the neighborhood for his first Halloween. It was super fun. The following years were much of the same though we all went together - most times I dressed up. There was a house down the street that always took it to the extreme and it was delightful to watch kids get freaked out.
Not only am I missing trick-or-treating with Gabriel and Rebecca but also the new twin girls, Helena and Juliet. And it makes me just a tad bit sad. So I sent Gabriel cookie cutters of a cat, pumpkin, ghost and spider, along with some sprinkles to make holiday cookies. Rebecca told him that he should write me a thank you note. He said "can't we get Tauntie Shell something she would like?" Rebecca said "Like what?" He replied "You should know what she likes."
Tomorrow, I am going to be spending Halloween with Glitter Chicken, LT and maybe some other derby gals. We plan on eating pizza and sitting on the balcony in 32 degree weather (am I in Cleveland?) and throwing candy at the trick-or-treaters.
Not at them.
We plan on aiming for their bags.
Friday, October 27, 2006
You will soon encounter a string of good luckis what my lunchtime fortune cookie from my cheap Safeway Chinese read. I have taped fortune cookies to a variety of computers, dashboards, book shelves throughout different periods in my life. I think a lot of it has to do with the 5 + years I spent working at Chinese restaurants.... patrons would open up their cookie and read the fortune outload to me, often saying about the numbers at the bottom "If I play these numbers and win the lottery, I'll give you half." (I'm still waiting for that day.) Fortunes are fun and poignant.
I could use some good luck: roller derby tryouts are coming up; I applied for a very competitive writer's retreat program and will find out soon... it's nice to have a little luck in my pocket.
I have to admit, I have the oddest luck. I lost $60 out on the town one very dark winter evening and found a $20 at the bus stop a week later. I pinched my tire on a curb and because Cosco didn't carry the brand they sold me (in Cleveland), they replaced all four for the price of one. I started chatting with a woman in line for the bathrooms and she let me know about derby in Tacoma... luck or chance. Either way, it's a good thing to have some.
And a sense of humor too.
Monday, October 23, 2006
MIAI've been MIA lately. After James' and Heather's visit, I went to Key West, participating in my friend Jen's 40th birthday party. I had never been on a beer/beach vacation and I don't know why because I had so damn much fun. I was crying from laughing so hard. We were all full of one liners and hope to do it again in the future. Given an opportunity, I will expand on the land of shipwrecks and scavengers.
This last weekend was the championship bout for Rat City Roller Girls - tryouts are in three weeks. My life has become work (insane) and derby (even more insane.) This weekend I also had to de-fleas my apartment. I bought a futon/sofa from a friend who had dogs. It took two weeks for them to make kitty-friend's lives miserable (as well as mine) so yesterday was filled with chemicals as I tried to kill them off. Kitty friends had to come to skate practice with me and were baffled, when after 4 hours of sitting in the car, they were allowed to return to the house to find it was their same home.
Today, to round out all of the crazy busyness of the last few weeks, the Chaplin and I did the crossword puzzle at work with a beautiful sun shining into our lunch room.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Your Cool is Upside Down...
Heather and James drove in a bit later than anticipated Friday, ending their week long trip up the west coast starting with a wedding near LA and ending with a promised visit to Seattle. I took off from work around noon to finished setting up their cat-free bedroom where everything had been washed, many times, and vacuumed. (James is very allergic). They eventually found Ballard and without wasting a minute, we headed back into the city for some delicious Vietnameses food at Tamrin Tree in the International District. I then threw into the belly of the city with the Underground Tour while I had a beer at Doc Martin's (of Cleveland fame). We watched the sun go down in a cloudy evening from the top of the Space Needle as the city lit up for a Friday evening.
A gaggle of my good (new) friends gathered at Madame K's Pizza Bistro in Ballard. It was supposed to be a fun mix of my film friends, pre-moving-to-Seattle friends and Derby girls, but it ended up being the derby girls - Danni, Derricka (non derby), Brandi and Lara, with conversations about music, the Midwest, relationships, and food while we drank a couple of beers waiting for our table of 8 (no, 7!) to be ready. Our hour-plus wait resulted in a drunken' Danni and food even more delicious. The plans to listen to music at the Sunset or Tractor were dashed by our tired bodies which called us home.
Saturday was puffy clouds poking around the blue sky, coffee and cupcakes at Cupcake Royale, shopping at the Seattle icon, Sonic Boom Records, and a stroll down to the Ballard fish ladder where Coho were supposed to be jumping the weirs (steps) in droves. Instead they were swimming like crazy next to the boats, and I had never seen anything like that before - a field of fish jumping around - timed - to some inaudible music. Off to Little Chinooks to eat some little fishies and then to Pike Place Market to watch fish be thrown, eat perogies (I passed, not my food) and back home to ready ourselves for the derby party.
Your cool is upside down, James commented to Lara. One of her little barrettes that she received as the winner of "Best Helmet Hair" (along with a giant plastic yellow comb) was reading cool in the wrong direction. The Potential Fresh Meat (PFM) Awards were based on everything except one's derby skills. I managed to snag, to my surprise, Biggest Show-Off. There were also awards for Drama Queen, Best Partier, Best Dressed, Best Bruises, Stinkiest Knee pads and many more. There was a hottub that was briefly visited and abandoned by myself because of large numbers of people in it. I was ready to head off to Capitol Hill with James and Heather, as promised that we would listen to live music if they came to the party, but they found themselves having a good time and we stay until after midnight. James comment as we headed back to the city was "You definitely didn't feel the Seattle Big Chill at that party Michelle."
Heather and James drove in a bit later than anticipated Friday, ending their week long trip up the west coast starting with a wedding near LA and ending with a promised visit to Seattle. I took off from work around noon to finished setting up their cat-free bedroom where everything had been washed, many times, and vacuumed. (James is very allergic). They eventually found Ballard and without wasting a minute, we headed back into the city for some delicious Vietnameses food at Tamrin Tree in the International District. I then threw into the belly of the city with the Underground Tour while I had a beer at Doc Martin's (of Cleveland fame). We watched the sun go down in a cloudy evening from the top of the Space Needle as the city lit up for a Friday evening.
A gaggle of my good (new) friends gathered at Madame K's Pizza Bistro in Ballard. It was supposed to be a fun mix of my film friends, pre-moving-to-Seattle friends and Derby girls, but it ended up being the derby girls - Danni, Derricka (non derby), Brandi and Lara, with conversations about music, the Midwest, relationships, and food while we drank a couple of beers waiting for our table of 8 (no, 7!) to be ready. Our hour-plus wait resulted in a drunken' Danni and food even more delicious. The plans to listen to music at the Sunset or Tractor were dashed by our tired bodies which called us home.
Saturday was puffy clouds poking around the blue sky, coffee and cupcakes at Cupcake Royale, shopping at the Seattle icon, Sonic Boom Records, and a stroll down to the Ballard fish ladder where Coho were supposed to be jumping the weirs (steps) in droves. Instead they were swimming like crazy next to the boats, and I had never seen anything like that before - a field of fish jumping around - timed - to some inaudible music. Off to Little Chinooks to eat some little fishies and then to Pike Place Market to watch fish be thrown, eat perogies (I passed, not my food) and back home to ready ourselves for the derby party.
Your cool is upside down, James commented to Lara. One of her little barrettes that she received as the winner of "Best Helmet Hair" (along with a giant plastic yellow comb) was reading cool in the wrong direction. The Potential Fresh Meat (PFM) Awards were based on everything except one's derby skills. I managed to snag, to my surprise, Biggest Show-Off. There were also awards for Drama Queen, Best Partier, Best Dressed, Best Bruises, Stinkiest Knee pads and many more. There was a hottub that was briefly visited and abandoned by myself because of large numbers of people in it. I was ready to head off to Capitol Hill with James and Heather, as promised that we would listen to live music if they came to the party, but they found themselves having a good time and we stay until after midnight. James comment as we headed back to the city was "You definitely didn't feel the Seattle Big Chill at that party Michelle."
Friday, October 06, 2006
Resolution
from all the apartment drama... I ended up with an eviction notice on my door last Friday - not for me - but for the apartment causing the trouble. It was actually a warning. But it seems to have worked because the place is a little calmer and the old couch is gone. Of course, when I returned from my camping trip my bathtub didn't drain and I thought for sure someone has poured instant cement down the drain (crazy yes, trip I learned from a plumber friend). I had to shower at the gym for a couple days.
Resolution - all my neighbors were mostly appreciated what I did. Though no one really likes to ruffle feathers - ok - that's not true.
from all the apartment drama... I ended up with an eviction notice on my door last Friday - not for me - but for the apartment causing the trouble. It was actually a warning. But it seems to have worked because the place is a little calmer and the old couch is gone. Of course, when I returned from my camping trip my bathtub didn't drain and I thought for sure someone has poured instant cement down the drain (crazy yes, trip I learned from a plumber friend). I had to shower at the gym for a couple days.
Resolution - all my neighbors were mostly appreciated what I did. Though no one really likes to ruffle feathers - ok - that's not true.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Reluctant Creatures...
Pulling up reluctant creatures can kill them, is the warning the brochure we picked up at Rinaldo Beach in La Push read. This past weekend we ventured out for one last trip to the Olympic National Forest before the cool winter set in was a perfect fall weekend with dramatic skies, sunshine and the Pacific Ocean crashing on the shore. We sat on a piece of drift wood the size of my apartment building and I turned to the audience, "Ladies, tonight's show, High Tide with the Pacific Ocean, is one that has been going on for millions of years. For millions of years, this water has crashed against the shore, wooosh, and pulling the pebbles back to it's dark belly, zzzzhhhhhhhh." So for an hour we watched this show. We grilled fish; we drank wine; we walked all over the beach. We celebrated the beginning of autumn and a moment with the ocean. However, with all of our walks and searches, we found no reluctant creatures.
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