Happy New Year!

Newpapers, magazines, websites and a multitude of other media do a "year in review" filled with pictures of people, places and events that shaped moments, memories of the year as it ends. I decided to do the same thing. Michelle's Year in Rewiew:

New Year's Resolutions...

When I was younger, as recently reread in sparsely and inconsistently kept journals, I use to make New Year's Resolutions that were pretty typical of other 15 years olds in America - lose weight, save money, get a boyfriend (get? what?). When I got older, unfortunately, they became more unrealistic like “work on peace in the Middle East”. Then I stopped making them all together because they just set me up for failure – and of all the Seven Deadly Sins, Pride is, by far, my worst one – so I didn’t want to fail.

I’m going back to making New Year’s Resolutions. And I think they’ve been profoundly influenced by living in the Pacific Northwest and all of my dreams about dead fish who wash up on shores of the Hood Canal (and in Spain too!) because of all the dead zones in the ocean. One of my recent theories was to “eat all of the cows!” The logic being that the poop from the cows and people get into the water system and cause algae blooms with eventually die, creating a dead zone and killing the fish, crabs and other reluctant creatures. (Of course, that’s screwy logic – but it made me feel better to say “eat all the cows! Moooo!)

Instead, I’m going to make more practical New Year’s resolutions (and fewer of them) that I feel are actually achievable and will do better things for our planet and community in general. So here I go:

Resolution 1: Not to procure another single bag this year. I’m talking paper/plastic grocery store, Target, department store, etc., bags. I am going to reuse the few paper/plastic/canvas bags that I have and make an honest effort not to acquire a single NEW paper/plastic bag. It’s going to force me to make sure I always have a canvas bag in my car or on my person when I need to shop, but I think I can do it.

Resolution 2: Buy more LOCAL. I’m not necessarily talking organic – which is nice but might have been grown in southern California and shipped all the way up here. Seattle has the great advantage of having lots of farmers’ markets and when I can afford it, I’m going to do my best to buy local.

Resolution 3: Um, I’ve made this one before and I’ll just put it simply: write more.

Skating!

Tonight was "league open skate", hosted by the Rat City Roller Girls here in Seattle. Invited were teams for the neighboring communities: Dock Yard Derby Dames (Tacoma, where I started my love of all this insanity); Jet City Roller Girls (Everett); Oly Rollers (Olympia); Terminal City Roller Girls (Vancouver, BC!), a variety of new refs and of course PFM (not a league, but just the same...) And it was a fantastic time! I was thrilled to see all of the Tacoma gals, whom of course, hold a very dear place in my heart with the trials and frustrations of not only starting your own league but, for me, the insane commute to Tacoma. They're doing extremely well as a league and will be having a exposition bout in January - I can't wait to see!!

The practice was just fun. It was fun because the gals who all participate in this are just great. Everyone is very supportive, offered tips and were very encouraging - which is one of the big reasons I like roller derby and I like being involved - the sisterhood is very important to me. There are never enough positive opportunities for women to work and play together - this is one. Really there are a million reasons I enjoy derby (not to mention skating, the athleticism, team sport, skating, costumes, skating) but the whole sense of support and sisterhood was the one that stuck out the most tonight... plus, you know, you get to skate. Fast.

Dinner, wedding and other things...

I made a turkey dinner on Christmas Day. I must have run to the Safeway grocery store 3 separate times forgetting yet one more thing. First I didn't have broth for the gravy, then I didn't have a meat thermometer, then I didn't have cranberries - and neither did most of the country for that matter for there apparently was a cranberry shortage. I was so excited to make turkey, mash potatoes, gravy, stuffing - the works. I didn't have any leftovers from Thanksgiving and had been craving some good leftover turkey. Mmmmm. I took everything over to Heidi and Jon's where we exchanges gifts and another orphan friend, Lara, joined us for dinner and a couple of games of Balderdash.

Having forgotten to mention that I went to a wedding on Saturday - yes - back to my old hobbies of going to weddings. Jen and Ethan are skater friends with a theatre background. Their ceremony was short and sweet with swing dancing to top off the night.


All and all, I would say it was a very lovely Christmas. Thank You!

Frosty...

Today Lara and I went downtown to help out at Operation Sack Lunch which serves 3 meals a day, seven days a week. It wasn't until I saw the third person dressed in a Seahawks jersey did I realize there was a game today, in Seattle, which just made parking a bit difficult. I figured we were going to do the typical volunteer work - like peel ten pounds of potatoes or wash dishes. We ended up ironing mismatched table clothes only to be told that one of the church ladies was bringing table clothes and center pieces. So we folded them nicely for tomorrow's meal, set the tables and went to help a young college student from Olympia cut cucumbers and carrots for the salad. They were serving quite a feast at Operation Sack Lunch - green beans (fresh), salad, fruit, mashed potatoes, and turkey. We broke down cardboard boxes which pretty much exhausted our tasks - most the tasks because the church group that was suppose to number 3-5 numbered 30 and there was more people than projects. After a couple of hours and an invitation to join them on New Year's day, we headed out into the rain and to the grocery store to get some of our own turkey so that I could make turkey for a couple of my friends who didn't find themselves home for the holidays. . .Tonight we'll be out being festive at other friends' homes.

One of the funniest things at Operation Sack Lunch was the nativity scene. It had Mary, Joseph, a couple camels, the Wisemen and of course, Frosty.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

click here

No power... party on.

The Pacific Northwest has been getting it butt kicked lately with such horrible weather. There was a record amount of rain in November, unseasonal snow after Thanksgiving followed by weeks of constant rain, capped off with a horrible rain/wind storm that has left parts of Seattle and more than 1/2 million other people in the region without power. Gas stations ran out of gas as people panicked to fill up at the only working gas stations (I drove on "e" forever trying to find a place with gas while my errands today.) 4 people died. It's been quite a week.

Heidi and Kelly's house sits in West Seattle where our party was held Friday - without power. I send numerous evite messages to those who had replied saying "the party is still on! We'll grill what we can, plug in the battery powered i-pod, who need electricity to drink beer!" It took me twice as long as ususal to get to Heidi's house after work on Friday (where almost half of our clinics were closed) as traffic lights were out and streets were closed with downed trees. The house was a cold 55 degrees and the sun was setting fast. Heidi got a fire started in the fire place and I quickly cut up apples and other things for fondue dipping. We had a drink and wondered just how many people would show up to our "barrio" - Mexican theme birthday/Christmas party in a dark, blackened out neighborhood.

4o to be exact.

With a blanket down to keep the heat (and people) in the back room, approximately 40 of our friends came over from various parts of the city - some with power (like Ballard, Greenlake) and other neighborhoods without it (Central District, West Seattle). A friend took a bus where the bus driver was particularily concerned that she would find the house. Candles filled the back room with light; people filled it with heat and a general din from laughter, chatter, and food and drink being consumed. We shared stories of being lost trying to find the house in the pitch dark, of not having power, in awe of the crazy weather, of meeting new people as these were two groups that had never met each other before (I being so new to Seattle, Heidi having grown up here.) It was the best holiday party without electricity ever!

It was great to be reminded that we can have a great time without all the conveniences of electricity and just the laughter of friends.

Music

Seattle is full of music, as is Cleveland. A friend of mine joked that when you crossed over the state line someone says "Hi! Welcome to Washington. Here's your guitar." I've surrounded myself often with people who love music, play music, need music. I have made most of my friends, in the past, through dance (dependent on music) and now have friends who play music, spin music or go to "see" music all of the time. Today I was home sick (slept all morning); today was full of music.

I decided to go to Target in the afternoon to get the kitty friends more food. While at a stop light on busy Holman Drive, a young school boy, his backpack heavy, his head wet with rain, was dancing, and I mean dancing at the street corner waiting for the light to change. The white walking man appeared and he danced in and around the lines making up the crosswalk to some incredible internal beat in his head - no earplugs, no radio - just the rain and his own music.

On my way to the gym (which is sometimes a good idea to sweat your cold out), I passed by the public library (which I love) and there was a crowd of people in the community room - moms, kids, dads, older people, younger people, quite a hodge-podge. I stepped in to see what was going on and the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra was playing a Christmas concert. I hung out in the hallway for a very lively (yet very traditional sounding) rendition of Jingle Bell Rock while one of the community crazies was shouting for them to play Ava Maria.

After my very tired workout, I headed to the QFC for some crackers to eat with my can of clam chowder and I could hear Christmas carols. I thought they were coming from a car stopped at a sign but the music remained even when they drove away. I thought it was the bank but that would be odd. Maybe the Norwegian Cultural Center... maybe. I never did find the source but it was everywhere and it actually sounded lovely in the pouring rain.

Details...

* I haven't taken the bus for nearly a month because of the record amount of rain in November, plus snow, dragging on into December. I hit the snooze on the alarm clock and look outside to rain coming down sideways against the windows. I hit the snooze again.

* "News at 11 - it rains in Seattle" was what my friend's 9 year old told her the other day. She was not prepared for that response. She was not prepared for a 9 year old to be so snarky (which of course she learned in school.) She was also not prepared when her same 9 year old found her journal from when she was 19... in the late 70's. What do you tell your 9 year old when she looks at you with those eyes of "oh mommy, what's cocaine?" Oy. Oy.

* I saw Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins (finally!!) and Death Cab for Cutie this weekend at Key Arena. It was a fantastic concert! During one of the songs where one traditionally holds up a lighter in solidarity or empathy for the song, the were patches of blue light everywhere. Cellphones! Cellphones instead of lighters. I loved it.

* But all in all, the stars have collided and the planets are unfortunately aligned as it seems to be a week were I am running into my friends instead of running with them. Hmmm... I need this week to end with the birthday/holiday party with my friend Heidi (in photo - not Pygmy).

*** of course, someone always has it worse...