What's a Safety Dance?!

Is what Suzi said to me when I tried to rally some of the 20 people who had braved the blizzard for the Dance Dance Party. It was a great showing considering the city was mostly shut down -and my phone had been buzzing with texts from people saying they weren't going to make it to the party because of the weather. My friend Indy picked us up in her 4 wheel drive and a crew of us headed down to a nearly deserted Seattle. It was good times - sock swap for my teammates who came a little early and dancing for the rest of the time. Lara did a great job DJing and I was thrilled at everyone who braved the weather. Most people wore red - a few dressed up as firemen to put out the fire. The music kept us dancing til about 12:30 a.m. when people started to leave to brave the trip back home. (A link to picture from the party are below - it's like 150 pictures of the 20 of us who were there.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67749380@N00/sets/72157611511430828/

Today the hills of Seattle were converted in to sledding runs, as kids and skiers too advantage of the fact that most of streets were not safe to drive. It was a beautiful morning. I woke up early when Indy, who had stayed over, got up to get ready for the Seahawks game. I called Pygmy and she, Lucie (Pyglette), Lara and I decided to meet for breakfast up on Phinney Ridge. It was a such a beautiful walk though it took forever in this crazy Midwestern-like snow storm. People were out sledding, skiing, walking their dogs. Kids were building little snowmens. Cars were being dug out - and not.

On the way back, we sledded down a hill with Lucie who was just happy to be outside. It started snowing again and didn't stop until 9:30 p.m. It was perfect day to stay home, take a cat nap (with the cats). It stopped snowing around 10 p.m. and we ran to the grocery store to stock up on a couple of things. I was told to use my best judgement getting to work tomorrow... which means... if the bus is running, I'll give it a go. If not, I'm not going to drive my car in just to get it stuck downtown. There is plenty of work to do but I don't want to end up like Megan - walking home 5 miles.

(There are pictures to the snowy adventures below.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67749380@N00/sets/72157611442620247/

Snowpocalypse...

The way they're talking about the weather you would think the world is coming to an end. Or it's just really miserable out considering the entire county as 27 snow plows (I heard on the news) and at least 8 of them are dedicated to Snoqualmie Pass across the Cascades. I called a friend of mine who was out driving and she said, "The roads are fine. They're now worse than they were this morning." And the storm is going so fast that it may not snow be able to stick for long. But I don't blame Seattleites like I use to when I first moved here - I mean who wants to drive down hills that make you uncomfortable even when they're dry on a sunny day? Add a layer of ice and snow and you're playing bumper cars down the hill. Also, when you don't know how to drive on these hills in such weather, why would you? I appreciate people staying home during such weather. That leaves more room for crazy midwesterners.

It's either Jesus or the weather - one of them usually ruins December birthdays...

I was born in a blizzard in West (By God) Virginia on December 20th - 1973. To say I'm use to the snow is an understatement. I was born LOVING the snow. And I was born with it interfering with my celebrations - which is often why I don't often celebrate it. It's either the weather or Jesus and all the parties associated with Jesus and other secular holidays that you tend to skip birthdays. And I don't mind. But my friends want me to do something - which is flattering and fun - but sometimes you run into problems. Pygmy made a funny comment this morning, "You know Michelle, there are really very few snowstorms in Seattle - but oddly since you've been here, we've had one each year." Funny. Ha ha. My first party in Seattle was the "Black OUT Party" - power was out in most of the city - but we still had a party where people came. Last year I just drinks and that was fine. This year I'm throwing a dance dance party and getting a blizzard. Bew.

I have die-hard friends who plan on making it out. It will be a good time even if there are only a few of us to celebrate along with Jesus and the snow.

Snow day #2

Today was day 2 of my snow days. It was, again, delightful to sleep in with kitty friends curled at my feet. It was a sparkly beautiful day. I ran a few errands in the morning, walked down to my favorite shop, Laura Bee, with a coffee in one hand and the other out for balance. The sidewalks were sheets of ice and so I walked on the tree lawns - which everyone else was doing too. After my errands, I went for a swim. But clearly many, many other people had the same idea - it was kind of a zoo in the pool. I came home for a 2 hour conference call on budgets (bleh). Soon after the call ended, the sun was covered by clouds it became super cold in my apartment. Buses slid of the roads (and hung precariously over I-5); my friends make it home in less time; and many people took the day off - keeping the roads relatively clear.

I worked on making "fire" for my "When there is nothing left to burn you have to set yourself on fire" dance dance party. (The theme has to do with surviving two fires and making my own "third time is a charm and completely harmless" fire - dance party.) I am making little candy favors covered in tissue paper to help decorate the space. I'm looking forward to the dance dance party even though it's suppose to start snowing again Saturday night. I know my friends will make it out and "burn the place down."

Disco inferno baby!

*photos of snow friends that I met along my stroll this morning... the fire to keep the party warm.

Finally a snow day!

It was like a snow globe outside my window this morning when I got a call from work saying that we shouldn't be coming in. I let out a cheer and crawled back into bed! Pygmy called me for she wasn't going to work and I made plans to meet up with her later. I eventually got up late - I SO needed today. I needed a day of no plans and nothing to do. No time to fill it up crammed packed. No one expecting me anywhere. Just to relax. And that's all I did. I relaxed. I went out to lunch with Lara and took a stroll around a VERY snowy Ballard. Roads were closed. Sock stores were open. It was a beautiful day. Cold, snowy and nowhere to be. We canceled practice because the roads were so icy and everywhere in the Puget Sound region you need to go up or down a hill to get out of your community. Ballard is pretty even where I live but go more than 500 feet from my apartment and you have steep hills up towards Phinney Ridge or a gradual hill down into the city of Seattle - a killer hill down towards 99 to get to any freeway. And you know, there's like 3 plows in the entire county that aren't working on the pass over the Cascades...

It took Mona 3 hours to go about 3 miles to work this morning. Another friend of mine is stuck at the drug store she works at because it's at the top of a VERY steep hill in Magnolia. (I hate driving this hill on a perfectly clear summer day.) She's most likely going to spend the night at a co-workers house because the buses can't get there and she has to be back at 8:30 a.m. (and it took her about 2.5 hours to get to work this morning.) Yikes.

I had dinner with Pygmy, Jon, Lucie and Lara. Lucie opened some "little people" toys that she wanted. We ate pizza and drank some beers. Heading home, it's COLD - 25 degrees and windy, with ice covered roads. (Ballard got 6" or so, Arlington - 25miles north - got 2'.) Driving at 10 mphs, I was thrilled. And even more thrilled that I was told was told that there would be not work tomorrow too! Two snow days in a row! I'm so excited. How much fun is this?!

photo - a "road closed sign" leading up 65th towards Phinney Ridge...

No snow day.

Not even one flurry fell on Seattle. A "snow shadow" (much like the "rain shadow" that makes Sequim so popular for retired folks) cast by the Olympic Mountains pushed the storm to the North of us - Everett, Marysville, Bellingham - and to the South of us - Tacoma and Olympia. I waited all day - kind of like in middle school - for the teacher to say "you're going home early". But it never happened and two people on staff were out today to stay home with kids whose schools had been closed in anticipation. We didn't have practice because of the roads in Everett.

So disappointing.

But so reminiscent of middle school - waiting for snowy days.

Snow Day!

So at our staff meeting today, the Executive Director said, "We are supposed to have a really snowy night and if it's too bad - we can close the office tomorrow. I want you all to be safe." There was a pause, and then people chimed in, "Oh, I can walk to work.... I have too much to do. I can walk too... as long as the buses are running..." I looked at one of the attorneys across the table and laughed, "We're being offered a snow day and here we are trying to come into work." It was hilarious. Of course, by the end of the day I didn't want there to be work. I would LOVE to have a snow day. So much snow that we have to close the offices and conference call in our meeting... so far there's not a flake falling from the sky. It looks like I'll be going in anyway.

Jet City to change their tryouts from tomorrow night to tonight (and swapping a practice) in anticipation of this terrible storm so I got an unexpected night off! I thought of going to a swim class but instead made dinner, vacuum and watched the "Biggest Looser" - which I really like. (I'm a sap for people changing their lives and taking control of something that often times makes them feel so bad. Plus, as a moderate exercise junkie, I totally understand how great it is to exercise and feel better about yourself.) I'm writing some holidays cards, hanging out with kitties and just having an "anticipated snow night".

So the day will start ok, with freezing rain and snow by the afternoon. It sounds like fun times. I'm looking forward to a snow day... eventually.

Falling off the band wagon....

It's not even "the holidays" yet and I fell off the band wagon lately - I hadn't been to swimming in almost two weeks; I had been eating out a lot because of holiday parties, out of town guests, surprise visits, a late night stresser, a "tasty beverage", left over holiday cookies, Santa Skate, whatever. And then your sugar and salt consumption raises and all you want is sugar and salt and you find yourself not eating your packed lunch but going out for Thai foods - when you have a perfectly good salad that you just packed that morning in the fridge. And you feel it. Blah. Slow, tired, sugar crashing.

So today, I pulled my body out of the mire of "holiday sloth and other yuck" and climbed back on the "I need to eat healthy and treat my body well" wagon. I ate my delicious homemade salad and had a cup of ginger, carrot soup. I made turkey tacos at home tonight and joined Heidi for a swim (after I bossed her into it- she didn't want to go out into the cold. Yes,even Midwesterners think it's cold. When you move to Seattle, you trade in 10 sweaters for a guitar and a recycle bin.) We did go out for a beer afterwards - which is what we do - but it was ok. It was only one - and some humas. I hope I can hang on for a little while - it definitely helps you get thru the holidays.

It feels like Michigan...

Puja mumbled as Mona sped out of the parking lot of the Skate Deck tonight after participating in Santa Skate. We both agreed. It is freezing - hovering in the 20's - it feels more like Michigan than Washington. It's some of the coldest weather we've experienced in decades.

This morning when I got up to go to Rec League, it was freezing with not a single person on the street. It's amazing how the same weather that you experience in Cleveland - which doesn't make you think twice - causes you to change your mind 4 times. Deciding to go, not to go, to go, not to go and in the end you go and only 4 other souls braved the frozen streets and bright, sparkly, cold day to skate. Crazy.

Tonight at the 3rd annual Santa Skate, skaters, friends and family got dressed up, braved the cold and be jolly. We skated, enjoyed a potluck and raised $650+ for a woman's shelter (!). We had a very amusing "white elephant" gift exchange in which my swap was taken - I had hoped to hold on to my first swap (skulls and cross bone ice cube tray and toast band aids!) for the first season of SNL. It's always funny the few gifts that everyone wants -homemade things are always the most coveted. It was a fun evening. Even if it was as cold as Michigan.

A perfect Saturday...

So I called Faye at 7 a.m. to figure out what we were all going to do.... the passes were snowy and required snow tires, chains if you were bigger. There were delays expected. So as a group of 9, we went to 14 Carat to eat breakfast at a more reasonable 9 a.m. deciding to scratch the Leavenworth trip and headed to Snoqualmie Falls - Twin Peaks fame - just in the foothills of the Cascades. We piled into cars (Nick, Faye's husband, curled up to sleep after an evening on at the hospital), Lara, Gavin and I were crammed in the back. It was a fun group of mostly coworkers (Faye, Sara, Gavin, Yuka) and some other friends. It was a beautiful drive as the snow was starting to come down the mountains - above the clouds it was white and below it was still green - kind of like a giant paint roller.

It was chilly but pleasant walk down to the falls. We hung out there for a while before heading over to the town of Snoqualmie which was involved in lumber and hops (yum) in the past. We went into the "Curiosity Shop" which was filled with the crap that "curiosity shops" have been filled with since I was a kid. The strange key change, the paddle and ball, little tchotcke things, all priced up with a 50% sticker on it. We hung out there for awhile laughing then headed over to the Snoqualmie Brewery for a tasty beverage. We headed back to Seattle leaving the snow behind - where it was getting much colder. A quick nap later, we all showed up at the Harvard Exit in Capital Hill to see "Slumdog Millionaire" which was a FANTASTIC movie. I loved it! Lara and I had sushi - yum! - (the rest of the gang headed to parties or went home) and came back to Ballard to big, fat fluffy snow flakes. Gavin texted me his delight in the snow as he headed off to a party. It was truly an perfect Saturday.

First snowstorm of the season....

You would think the Soviets were planning an emanate attack; the auto bail out was going to fail (hmmmm); or it was the first snow storm of the season the way the news stations are acting tonight. (Maybe it was like that when I was growing up - I don't seem to remember.) Tomorrow I'm suppose to go to Leavenworth with some friends for fun winter Bavarian Christmas town (how fun!) However, I'm more concerned with the thousands of other people on the road than I am about my Minnesotan friends who will be driving. It could turn into nothing. (I went camping over Labor Day on the coast - thus sea star tattoos - on a weekend that was supposed to be ALL rain and it was just fine.) It could turn out to be to be quite an adventure. *sigh* I can't wait. Either way, I'm excited for Saturday - for it to finally be the weekend.

BTW - it has been a super mild winter so far.

Wiiiiiiiiil.... what a great day!

Today my work was one of the organizations where you could participate in "Call in Gay" organized by "Impact for Change." One of our colleagues go us signed up right away so that we were the first organization listed on the website. We had 15+ volunteers about 70% who were new the my organization . (The stress in getting ready for the day was rather intense as I was having data problems and my associate was out very sick.) We spent 7 hours handing writing notes to about 2,000 donors and supporters in holiday cards. People were laughing, joking, telling stories, getting out rage. Komo Television came to shoot the event and the Gay City News. It was so much fun - and exhausting. It was great to be a part of such a fun day and a great community event.

I went home wiped out only to head off to Bombers tryouts - yes - I'm trying out for the travel team again for next year. I thought long and hard about it but in the end, I thought I would give it another year and work hard to manage and juggle all of the other expectations I have for myself. Mona Agony picked me up and it was one of those nights I was just "on". Jammers were getting t-ed up and I took them down. I couldn't take out the bigger blockers but I had them completely distracted. My "team" (we called our selves the "environmentalists" because we had the green pennies) was playing great together - we had surprisingly good offense when we needed it and held the jammers most of the the rest of the time with tons of "second efforts". It was one of those nights where you give each other high-fives when you roll off the floor. "Hell yeah" and super fun. What a great way to end a very long and stressful week - thus far!

After practice I checked my phone and Lara texted to say "I got you a wii!" I was like "what?!" Here's the back story: my work "adopted a family" from the YWCA for the holidays. Our chosen family is a single woman who has tween girls. We voluntarily ask staff to donate money to the project. We read the list of things they wanted "pajamas, puzzles, a jacket however we would give up all of our individual gifts if we could get a Wii to play together as a family." Well, I was a huge advocate of the wii seeing it is one of the few things that all the Johnsons can organize around from younger in-laws to a mother in a wheelchair (who often handily beats me at wii bowling.) So Laurie, the volunteer coordinator, and I lobbied for the Wii. Everyone signed on to the idea and then we became the type people who trample people to death. Laurie would spent a couple of hours on the phone trying to find a store with it - Best Buy and Target being the most popular options. (Lara had said she had seen evidence of a Wii at the Fred so we added it to our short list.) We signed up to drive the car various days so that we could make lunch time trips to find one. We called and plotted for the last week. You would have thought it was a Tickle-me-Elmo in the 1990's.

Tonight Lara went to The Fred for some light bulbs and looked in the electronics and said loud enough to her dad's whose in town visiting "oh I guess they don't have them." A store clerk over heard her and said, "Are you looking for the wii? Go to the electronics checkout. I think there is one up there." She went to up there and they had just gotten a shipment! VICTORY! She bought one for me take to work! And I can't even WAIT to take it to work tomorrow and surprise everyone! Especially Laurie - who worked hard all day today to make "Call in Gay" so successful.

Yeah!

Tornadoes...

December is not usually the time you write about tornadoes. You write about the bad-sweater-Throttle-Rocket-holiday-dance-dance-party where you drank a little too much and danced way too hard but had such a good time you'd do it all again. You write about sitting on the floor and sending holiday cards and being completely envious of Honey's card that has a stamp with HER on it (and now you want your own stamps - roller girl stamps - or new-tattoo bee stamps.) In December you write about all of the droves of people downtown who were holiday shopping and the crazies out with their huge "you're going to hell signs" in the midst of barely cheerful, economically stressed crowds. But I want to tell a story about tornadoes.

The Discovery Channel has a series called "storm chasers" and they're a bunch of SUPER nerds chasing tornadoes across the Midwest and south central US - which I've seen about 3 or 4 episodes and the finale is tonight. I've not really been in any tornadoes in my life. When I was a kid, we had one or two touch down in Geauga County. I snuck into the basement in Denver a few times because of tornadoes that came screaming out of the mountains. I was terrified to take showers in the summertime fearing I would be in the shower when a tornado came (and somehow my family would fail to let me know.)

However, in 2000 when I had returned from the Peace Corps, my mother and I were driving across the Midwest heading in to Denver during the early summer. I had been back for maybe two weeks and we were heading to Jen's wedding. We had stopped in Iowa for an evening but had been pretty much been driving less than leisurely to get to Denver quickly.

We were on I-80 in western Nebraska before it turns down into Colorado. My mom had one of her favorite CDs in and we were rocking out through the terrible rain/lightening storm. Then it suddenly stopped raining. It became that eerie quiet - the sky was filled with dust and debris. Just then, I realized that cars were pulling over to the rest stops. There were hardly any cars on the freeway. I ejected the CD and found the lowest frequency on the FM station to grab the public radio station. By this point all of the cars were off the freeway minus us and an 18 wheeler. There was no place to pull off (all the rest stations were full) and yes, a tornado had touched down just north of I-80. I was looking at the map, looking at the town and the distance to the town we had just passed. Maybe 15 miles. Maybe less. I look at my mom and she looked at me. Gun it - one of us mumbled and my mom took off as fast as she could, passing the 18 wheeler. It was very scary.

And the show reminds me of driving in tornadoes... maybe I should tell the story about driving in blizzards... but we would need snow which we don't have - nor do the mountains.

Socks!

I got this pair of socks when I was out with my friends Kristen and Weedy a couple of weeks ago. I was looking for a good excuse to wear them and found one today - I went to a World AIDS Day Luncheon and have a reception tonight (before heading off to a board meeting and practice.) They were only $12 and with a bright green button down and a black skirt - they are absolutely fabulous!

Stone age art and Bees!

There was a cnn.com article today that was about how some anthropologists found some stone age statuettes at some site in Russia. Stone age carvings. One was of a woman. I guess I'm always impressed by things like these. We're very creative animals and have been creating things for a very long time - like it's part of being human - the creating part. It's neat.

I'm thinking my next tattoo might be of bees. Why bees? They can't swim in the ocean? True. Very very true. You have an ocean theme on your body - they wouldn't fit in. True also. But I did have a dream about one side of my body covered in ocean tattoos and the other in mountain tattoos (and I woke up completely freaked out.) My friend Sara Problem got huge bees on her very injured shoulder where she had surgery. They're great bees.

I love the thought of bees - just a few bumblers swarming around - maybe a few on my shoulder, one on my arm. Buzzing. Bees are great. I was allergic to them as a kid but grew out of the allergy. Bees are more than just little stingers - they're an amazing part of our lives and many of us don't even realize it. Without bees, we would only have potatoes and carrots to eat (which is NOT fine by me.) We would be without all of those wonderful flowering fruits (and some things people consider vegetables but are really fruits): tomatoes, melons (water, honey dew, cantaloupe), strawberries, blueberries, bananas, cucumbers, peas, beans, squashes, pears, apples, cranberries, everything beautiful and tasty. Bees make honey. They live in organized colonies. They have a queen. (I like to shop at Laura Bee.) I could go on and on. And we're at this terrifying spot in time - they're dying off in droves because of a terrible autoimmune disease - colony collapse disorder.

Bees bring beautiful things to our lives. We need bees. They're great. That's why I'm thinking of getting bees.

(I'm not thinking of these bees, but Natalie Dee has funny bees.)

How I learned to sew....

I came home from a work event tonight about surrogacy (what a tough issue and there's still no clear answer) spent. I had hoped to get to practice but I was running too late and was too spent to do anything but head home on a raining Tuesday night. I needed to go home and do some things around the apartment, get laundry done, clean-up. (Lara's dad is coming to visit for a few days and I needed to get my crafty mess put away.)

I had purchased a plastic box to put my fabric in - the scraps and various pieces had outgrown the bankers box. I have a smaller thread box that always needs to be sorted after each project. It holds about 30 or 40 spools of thread. A majority of them are from the 1970's and are hand-me-downs from my mother. They're stamped "35 cents" and have old golden labels that are peeling off. A majority are in a varying shade of red. There are others 1970's colors - peach, mint green, pale yellow, pink and plastic black. There are a few brighter colors from my samba days like lily pad green, bright turquoise and metallic thread. An even smaller plastic box holds "sewing stuff" - seam ripper, Velcro circles, hooks and eyes, glue gun, iron cleaner (white wax candle to clean your iron), buttons and zippers. These smaller things were organized earlier in my sewing career.

I learned to sew in 8th grade when I had to take a half year of "home economics" - or at least I learned how to sew a stuff animal and some basic stitches. Then when I called the Peace Corps and tired to join (also in 8th grade) they suggested that I join my local 4-H. Unfortunately, my local 4-H was all about sewing. I didn't want to sew. If I was going to do 4-H I wanted to deal with animals (which I didn't have) or something else - not sewing - which was such a sill, girly thing.

In the midst of our second year of the samba group, I got a call from one of the seamstresses. She said "You having a sewing machine don't you?" I said no, but my mother did. 4 hours later I had a sewing machine and enough fabric to make 4 - 7' penguin puppets for our parade in a week. It was a near miracle. And since then, I've been sewing - tons. I rarely use a pattern and I'll be damned if I can make anything that I can wear to work but I can make penguin puppets, helmet panties, Judy Jetson skirts and other terribly sparkly, glittery, shiny, stretchy useful things.

What happens when you're not paying attention...

I went to "The Fred" (Fred Myers) after swimming with Heidi and Olga (Andrea) tonight. It took me a long time to get into a rhythm (I ate dinner right after work because I was freaking starving) and swimming with turkey dinner in my belly made it a bit hard. The Fred was super quiet comparatively - for any week night. The after Thanksgiving folks weren't there and the regular shoppers were probably home having spent all of their money. Nothing was on sale that had been on sale before. There were some things that made me laugh in this empty - like this woman was in the sock section and her boyfriend was trying to find the watch whose alarm was beeping. As soon as he identified it and turned it off another one went off in a different section of the jewelry section. When I was in the cheese/dairy area, an older man walked by and said "The socks make the outfit" which made me laugh because I was dressed utterly ridiculously.

The Fred is located in the more industrial section of Ballard - down in the docks area - where small industries reside. In this area there are a lot of RVs. People live in these RVs year round. One guy's RV looked like it had been broken into and trashed the other day but looked more or less put back together by tonight. I see a lot of "vehicle homes" in Ballard - vans, trucks, RVs, Winnebago, etc. And you can easily tell that they're homes - stuff to the gills with people's possessions - flags, towels, cardboard - covering the windows. And they all stay in the general area - very rarely moving. I think people can more easily live in cars in more temperate areas like Seattle. There are a lot of "vehicle homes" by the Safeway. (Maybe the police leave people alone in the more industrial section.) But if you're not paying attention, you'd never notice them because they just look like cars parked on the sides of the road...

Today was the 20th Anniversary of "World AIDS Day". And if you weren't paying attention, you would have missed it. It didn't make the front pages of any of my papers. It didn't show up on CNN.com. I was told NRP spoke of it - but I saw no ribbons - or heard any conversation about it. AIDS itself is much older than the day created to foster awareness around it. But what is there to talk about? The news is pretty bleak - though there have been some improvement in antiretroviral drugs - no one is any closer to vaccines or cures. The disease is ranging out of control in some parts of the world, creating orphans, economic stress, and dispair. Are people tired of hearing about it? Is there nothing to be done - besides to keep trying, keep supporting, keep creating awareness? Today was World AIDS Day but even if you were paying attention, you might have missed it.

So Happy, Getting Smacked Around, the Holiday ends...

These past 4 days have been excellent - so much needed rest and relaxation. It takes like two days just to relax and not think about work and the other million things we have going on and actually relax. The you spend Saturday in love with life and not thinking of the petty crap (helps to see a movie like Milk) - Sunday you're back in the saddle and even if you're not ready - you're looking towards Monday. Monday. Monday. But right now, we're not quite there yet.

Today, just to get ready for the rest of the week - I went to Wrecked League practice. This is a "rec" league but joke that they are "wrecked" - too injured, too old, too done to continue derby. That, of course, is not the case at all. They're a great group of gals who just want to play - not scrimmage hard enough to hurt anyone and when the jammer is too tired or wants to call it off (since we only have one time keep) they cry "uncle". It's pretty fun but you do get to work on some of the things you're trying to change or fix and it's pretty easy going for skaters coming back from an injury - or in my case - creating them. I got this nasty bruise/wheel burn while doing a warm up drill - I kicked myself. Yes it hurt.

There's some work to be done for work - there is another scrimmage to go to tonight - there is an apartment to clean up before heading into the next week. But there is also a nap to be taken and a turkey breast to be eaten. It's still Sunday.

Monkey, Sushi & Milk...

My cat Monkey is highly entertaining on a thousand levels. She's sees a dot on the wall and she watches it forever and will go back to it. Anything circular, it's hers to play with from bobbins to milk rings. Lately she's cracked me up because she watches TV and it's pretty hilarious. She's a big fan of the Discovery Channel - whether it is a nature show or Myth Busters. Once she jumped off my lap to get a better view of the sharks on TV. It kind of cracks me up. The other two cats aren't that interested in television and she'll sit there and watch it for an hour. I should probably start limiting her television watching.

Since moving to Seattle, I've fallen for sushi. I have to admit, I wasn't a big fan at first and it had nothing to do with raw fish or anything like that - it more had to do with exposure. I only ever ate at one place in Cleveland Heights and only on special occasions. I ate pretty typical affair. I would get store bought sushi once-in-a-while and believe it or not, Safeway had their own sushi chiefs and it was pretty good. And then I had friends who LOVED sushi start taking me to their favorite places and I became expose to the Dragon Roll, Spider Roll, Black Cod, and a million individual pieces that I can't even name - that I now love sushi. I love going out for sushi (though you have to budget for it) and I've eaten it twice over this Turkey Turkey holiday. Yum.

Last night, Katie, Lara and I went to see Milk - the new film about Harvey Milk. I knew about Harvey Milk - very minimally. I knew he had been the first openly gay elected politician and I knew that he, and a very progressive mayor, were assassinated. The film was great - as both an educational piece, a social justice piece and just completely frustrating. I was frustrating to know that we're still fighting for the same things we were fighting for 30 years ago. It's still the gay community vs. the conservative religious communities. That part was maddening. And just makes you feel like we still have so far to go. Still. Damn it. But he was a pretty charismatic guy who unified a community and in a very short period of time fought an incredible battle and gave more legitimacy to a movement. It was a good film. And it required beers afterward. And humility. Really, when I find myself getting completely frustrated about derby, work, relationships, volunteering - whatever - keep in mind that there are bigger fights out there. Much bigger ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This picture looks a lot like the pictures I use to color in school when I was a kid. I've had a great thanksgiving so far - cooking garlic smashed potatoes, cranberry relish - sewing - decorating my apartment. And I'm soon heading out to Kelly's house for a fabulous dinner and then out dancing. It ranks up there is one of the best days of the year (as long as you don't read the news, check your emails or think about work - all of which I've been able to avoid.)

Gobble Gobble!

Recessionista...

...is what the sign read about reduced price tchotckes at Firefly in Westlake Mall where I had a fake Thai lunch today. It cracked me up - so I had to go in and see what exactly was on sale - and it wasn't anything that I wanted nor was it at a price I couldn't find elsewhere but I enjoyed the good humor.

This short stressful week finally came to an end. After a little nap and PFM practice (which you might remember from my very early derby days) - which I hadn't been back to since I left PFM almost two years ago - I went to favorite grocery store to buy just a couple more things for tomorrow. And probably because I was hungry and the fact that I'm eating Turkey Day at Kelly's house (which means no left overs for me) I had to buy my own turkey. I wanted turkey sandwiches and day old turkey dinners. I became slightly obsessed with it and after walking around the store for 10 minutes pondering it, I ended up with a 12 lb turkey. (They were out of turkey breasts - which would have been so much easier.) I may wake up tomorrow and decide to keep it in the freezer if for a month until Christmas but for now I'm pretty excited about my very own leftovers.

I'm so excited that it's Wednesday. I'm so happy that I have nothing to do tomorrow until I head over to Kelli's. I'm making helmet panties (for another roller derby group), drinking holiday beer, and hanging out with Lara and the kitty friends. It's a pretty great evening.

It's Oh So Quiet...

... which is a very fun song by Bjork. It's also how I would describe the commute into work this morning and the stroll around downtown tonight. There were lights twinkling in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday and just a sprinkle of people. I'm sure it will be much busier for the Thanksgiving Parade and the shopping that follows after it. But right now it's quiet.

And I can't wait until tomorrow.

I can wait to sleep in for Thanksgiving day.

Limits...

After a long day of planning our entire 2009 fundraising season, talking about budget stuff and other things that made my day run from 8 am - 5 p.m. (of non-stop thinking) I headed over to the HIV/AIDS Trail Unit Community Advisory Board meeting. It's funny, after nearly 1.5 years volunteering for this group, I finally feel like I understand what's going on and could actually talk about the complexities of HIV and vaccines. I came home just in time to meet Heidi for a swim - an exhausting swim. I am starting to feel the effects of the "Molly is going to kick your ass" training yesterday and I wanted to swim some of it out today so it wouldn't be so bad tomorrow.

And swimming gave me time to think. (I've gotten the arms and legs down at the same time - now it's just remembering to breath.) I was thinking of all the work I have to do in 2009. I was thinking of the fact that I'm now the Board President of Jet City Rollergirls. I was thinking of other committees I've been asked to join. And skating. And skating on the travel team. And swimming. And getting women elected to office and I was just wondering what I could manage? Years ago, I would have said yes to everything. But I've learned that saying yes to everything spreads the jam too thin on the toast (and making it rather bland). So I'm thinking. What is the number of things I can do and enjoy it - all.

Arm, arm, kick, kick, don't forget to breathe.

Church of Perpetual Rollerderby...

An absolutely beautiful weekend erupted on Saturday morning after a long "dark and stormy night". (I stayed in to rest, clean, do those "homey" things.) All the mountains were visible as there wasn't a cloud in the sky - bright - sparkly and chilly! I had an early hair cut and then headed over to swim class where we got into the back stroke - which I've always enjoyed. There are so many subtleties to swimming that I didn't know, didn't learn or just didn't remember. I headed up to a noontime meeting in Everett, at the Skate Deck and then we headed over for a Carnie baby shower -in a bar. It was pretty damn fun.

Saturday night, XE and I headed to Rat City's Black and Blue Burlesque - it was awesome. There were very sexy traditional pieces; hilarious "skits"; unique, clever and creative ones. I was laughing so hard at some of the performances that I literally had tears in my eyes. It was a great show, very artful and entertaining and from what I understand a journey for so many gals to be able to do this - and to see themselves as sexy and beautiful (which of course they were.) I went to a dance, dance party afterwards for a bit but headed home for yet another long, action packed Sunday.

And it was another beautiful, cold Sunday. I got up early in the morning to attend my "church of perpetual roller derby" by skating with some Carnies and others. At one point I thought, My Sunday morning worship includes 8 wheels, sweating, knocking each other around, and having a good time. But I also realized my whole weekend was perpetual roller derby - and not just Sunday. It's kind of your whole life.

Inspired by the bright sunny day, I caught a ride with Glitter to the Ballard Farmers Market where I bought some "cool veggies" like lettuce and some carrots that far more successful than any of my attempts. I also stopped by at JoAnn's - with an intention to make a fun holiday skirt for me (and one for Glitter) for her holiday party. I also picked up some knitting needles in a size I didn't seem to have to try to get back in the "habit" of knitting. I took a nap, like a cat in the sun, before heading out to cross training with the Pink Pistols (also known as "Molly is going to kick your ass" sessions.) I had dinner with a couple of friends and am off to yet another action packed week - but thankfully a much shorter one. And I can't wait. I can't wait to do some crafty things, eat yummy food and relax.

It was a great weekend - I forgot about the crappy week that had happened. I forgot about the miserable economy that seems brewed in my coffee pot each morning. It was all about "perpetual derby" and great friends.

An aside - I wish I had the capacity for bioluminescence. Wouldn't that be neat?

Why I don't listen to public radio...

I left work pretty upbeat. I mean there are a thousand things to do and the sour economy isn't making my fundraising job fun or easy but I got a lot done and was heading off pretty satisfied. I got picked up and while driving home the radio blare on and on about the auto-industry bail-out which just set me off because I'm completely against it (why don't we extend unemployment benefits for my 15 unemployeed friends and the million others before we go giving out giant blank checks to an industry that ignored its own trends and fought the government on every since regulation - but I'm not in the mood to go into it.) So that got me riled up - which lead to me to call my friend Karen to make sure I wasn't completely irrational (she confirmed that I am not) and then I talked to her husband which just reminded me of the other thinks that are ALSO frustrating... and my older, very conservative brother called me and couldn't believe I was against it (but he didn't quite agree on my reasons he was still surprised) - I guess we can all have something in common.

And now my hard working day has turned into a completely frustrating day - that's what I get for listening to public radio.

Relax... in the dessert

I went swimming alone tonight - with like 40 other people. Pygmy had just come back from Wisconsin and thought she was going to be able make it but in the end was too whooped. I went anyway because work has been so stressful (was in Bellingham all day yesterday) and I am still on that manic upswing from Nationals - I just want to work out and be the strongest and fittest and fastest and most agile derby skater ever. (Don't worry - it will wear off to a normal, even healthy amount of fitness.) So I went. And I worked...on breathing... then kicking... finally with arms. I put it all together and swam for a while but it wasn't that much fun. Then I remembered the thing that Bruce (Carnie Coach) often tells us - just relax. Right. My last few laps were rather fun and it all came together so much more easily. Just relax.

Last year at this time I was in Egypt with Kelly and Lara. It was our 3 day there and we were were probably heading off to pyramids or museums or something around Cairo. It was a the beginning of very fun times. Recently, they found yet another pyramid buried somewhere in the desert that is like a 4,500 years old or something crazy. It's like the 113th pyramid that they've found (busy people - those Egyptians). And it's pretty amazing. The director of antiquities said that it's amazing what they find in the desert.

When I was in the Peace Corps there was a saying that "nothing ever gets lost in the desert." The sands shift around and those things that were buried a hundred years ago or even 20 years ago reveal themselves. And since the desert is particularly dry, many things stay intact - including thousand year old pyramids, bones, civilizations, etc. I always thought it would be interestingto take a giant vacuum and "Hoover the desert" just to see all the secrets it's hiding from the rest of the world. That would be pretty amazing. And humbling too.

Nationals... wow.

This weekend I was at Rollerderby Nationals in Portland. There is so much to write about - how lovely the city is - what a great time I had with the people I stayed with at La Quinta - the amazing derby I saw - Windy City (Chicago) stealing my heart - amazing derby. Absolutely amazing derby.

But I'm whooped and need to get to bed so I'll have to save this conversation for another day - it was awe-inspiring and AMAZING. Truly.

Sometimes...

You just have to take a break from it all and laugh. Natalee Dee.com makes me laugh - often. This is truly one of the reasons I don't like Jelly Beans... you just don't know what flavor you're going to get. You are mystified by the red - or is it pink? Is it cherry or strawberry or watermellon or soda flavored? The brown one could be chocolate or dirt. You just don't know. And though that can be fun - but not if you don't like them enough to appreciate the surprise.

I went swimming with Pygmy last night - and it's getting fun again (it's just hard to coordinate breathing, arms AND legs.) It's definitely getting easier. Then I just vegged out and went to bed. I was spent from my work day - the cold rainy days we've been having and all the gloomy news. Sometimes you just need to veg.

Turns out that it's true....


"You shouldn't eat 30 minutes before swimming or you'll get cramps." And boy, even though I only had 1/2 of a stuffed pepper, I got a stitch in my side that relegated me to the open lane with a blue kick board. It was a good swim but truthfully, at this moment, it's not as much fun to be swimming. I am trying so hard to do it correctly and consequently, I am not relaxed. But it will get better. I am sure.

My day was feeling a little bit "dark" as a I was leaving a tough Monday at work. I couldn't help but read the 1,000s of jobs being lost - and thinking of my friends who are all losing jobs. Pymgy's group at work minus her grant funded job and a few other people (preventative health - dept of health) was laid off. (Lucky for her - her entire department at her last job was let go.) As much as I want to feel optimistic, I've been feeling so stressed out.

Then I got a call from my best guy-friend James - who recently left Cleveland for DC - a year after getting married. He's having a good time - getting to know people - embracing a city that is embracing the new president. It turns out that James graduated from the same high school as Obama (he was in the same class as Obama's sister and him mother and her mother knew each other.) DC is "Obama mad". And we had a good time chatting up the changes in our lives and being excited about the changes yet to come.

It was great to chat with him - and lifted the cloud even just a little bit. There is a lot to be hopeful about. Patience. It's all about being patient. I'll learn how to swim better. We'll have a great president who will lead our country through better times.

It's hard to believe I'm even saying this.

I'm pretty excited about it.

Post Election Blues...

I don't have them - I have plenty of other things to fill all the time I spent doing election stuff - swimming, crafty things, work, swimming, work, some derby, planning a party, work and more work. I also didn't -try - to so invested in this election because of the serious blues I had in 2004. Plus, I just find myself so happy...

However, I do have friends who have the post-election blues. The type of "blues" come with any big event for work, big events in your lift, elections are included. Some of these friends actually did a lot of work for the election and some of them were just so emotionally invested in the elections that now that they are over, they'd don't know to do next. They're sad. They're going to be early or they're finding themselves drinking more than usual (I would chalk that up to celebrating).

And even as I write this, I've spent the weekend getting caught-up on those things that have been neglected (like cleaning) and sleeping. I've taken serious naps both yesterday and today. Perhaps I have post-election blues - though I doubt it. I'm pretty damn happy right now and am ready for the next challenge...

American can always be counted on to do the right thing... after they have exhausted all other possibilities." ~Winston Churchill

Today was a great, relaxing, very-much needed day. I went to swim class this morning and no one showed up in my adult swim group (our class is divided into two groups) so I essentially had a private lesson. It was great. We worked on my arms - which I don't use quite correctly, or if I do I forget to kick my legs. Somehow I've been swimming my whole life - just not that well. By the end, I was kicking, breathing (and breathing out thru my nose), and had my arms mostly correct.

The complete downpour that had welcomed in the morning, had tapered to "just raining" and by the time we left swim lessons, it was bright and sunny with big puffy clouds. Taking advantage of the great weather, Pygmy (whose in the other swim group) and I went for a coffee; strolled around up and down Phinny Ridge (we often got to hang out after swimming) soaking up some sunshine and window shopping - and of course, celebrating the election. (I have had these great dreams about great things coming and just wake up happy.)

After discovering a few new shops, we parted ways and I headed over to my P-Patch to "winterize" the plot (removing dead plants, finally pulling up the tomatoes, clearing our some weeds.) I covered half the patch with leaves which keep the sun from bleaching out the vitamins and other nutrients from the ground. I might try a couple of winter veggies. I love the P-Patch - we just lose steam for each in the fall...

I had a much needed little nap before heading to one of my favorite local shops for a "trunk show" at Laura Bee Designs. I've bought designed purses from Laura Bee and a majority of gifts for friend's birthdays or going home to Cleveland have come from there (at least for those people who would appreciate something from Laura Bee.) Though these gifts, I've exposed other people to Laura Bee and now my friends shop there too (and once-in-a-while I get a gift from there too.) They donated a gift certificate for our auction and the winner of the certificate came in an order a bag and decided to have a holiday party there for her staff (and prepaid for 13 purses) - which is great! That $50 gift certificate was stretched far - raising money for the Law Center, bringing new clients to Laura Bee and giving a boss a "cool" holiday party for her staff. That made me happy.

The rest of the night was watching Shawshank Redemption with Lara whose been home sick for a few days - which is an awesome film that I haven't seen in years. Monkey is sitting on my lap purring... what a great way to end an evening.

Happy, amazed, drunk...

Even where the United States is held in special contempt, like here in this benighted Palestinian coastal strip, the “glorious epic of Barack Obama,” as the leftist French editor Jean Daniels calls it, makes America — the idea as much as the actual place — stand again, perhaps only fleetingly, for limitless possibility. NT Times.

Pygmy and I had a beer after swimming (for only 20 minutes) tonight. She didn't make it out last night to all the celebratory events - so we had to have our own celebration. And there were so many things to celebrate: our candidate winning, the first African American president, our candidate winning, a smart, optimist leader who has our attention, a world who wants to get to know him better, our candidate winning, hope, faith and inspiration restored to a people. We had lots to celebrate.

Today, the whole day, everyone seemed to be a little happier. At my grocery store, and I kid you not, every since stocker said, "Hi! How are are?" .A little old man followed me out the store and tugged on my jacket and said in his Norwegian (Ballard) accent "Congratulations!" I told him how I was so very happy and I had bought celebratory (post election hangover) donuts to take into to work . He told me how happy he was for us.

At work we all talked about where we were, if we ended up being a part of the group partying in the streets in Capital Hill (I was in Capital Hill but missed it - it was awesome), what we thoughts of the issues and other ballot initiatives. Where where you when Ohio was declared? What did you think of Virginia... it happened so quickly...Where you when... did you hear his speech?

I was telling one of my colleagues about all of the world leaders congratulating Obama and wanting to meet with him and work with him on all of the problems in the world. She said like a 5 year old brat, "It's my turn to play with Barack!" Which made me laugh. Of course, who isn't going to want his attention. The shiny new president - with all of his ideas and hopefullness. Isn't it like the sun is shining and rising after such a long gloomy time (as my friend Carol said, an 8 yeard depress). Isn't it amazing how hopeful we are? It's it amazing how hopeful everyone else is for us?

I left the bar last night - drunk - waiving an 18" American flag that I took from the bar decorations. I was so proud (and drunk) to be anAmerican. I was waiving it around, happy, so happy, cars were beeping at me as we walked around the city. I went into a little convenient store and the owner, Lebanese or Indian, I don't remember, asked me if he could have my flag. And I asked him if he voted and he showed me his sticker. And I gave him the flag. And I was really happy - Heidi and I talked about this - about those proud moments of being an American. And how maybe they're going to come back to us in waves. We're going to own more of those moments.

I think I'm just going to keep celebrating all week. I plan go to bed drunk (not from alcohol) every night, and live out this celebration just a little longer.

WOOT.

Oh, the Onion, was hilarious. As usual.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_finally_shitty_enough_to

YES WE CAN!!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Yes we did.

And thank you... to Kathy to who was the subtle outspoken Obama supporter among those who were not; Shanny & Shlymy who worked to make sure the vote in OHIO happened; Weedy who worked to GOTV and so many millions of hours;(I heart you); Rebecca who made it worth it to thousands of volunteers; Lara who decided it was time to make a difference; the other Rebecca, my favorite Rebecca, who as my best friend, always didn't agree but in the end agreed to make it happen; to all the rollergirls who made IT HAPPEN; to all the Roller Girls (mostly Carnies) who bought "Roller Girls for Obama" shirts and wore them ALL OF THE TIME; to my father who, for the first time in thirty years, had someone show up at his door to ask him to vote, who also felt inspired by a candidate- for Obama and he gave them a positive TWO THUMBS UP; to Sandra, who always believed it would happen; to CAROL who called me first - because she knew OHIO would DO IT; to Arson who believed early on; to the thousands who volunteered time, sweat, tears and emotion to believe in a man who BELIEVED IN US; to Nanci and Teri who remembered how hard it was the last time and made sure we succeeded; to my mother who always believe in me and put the importance of voting in my life EARLY on as I stuffed envelopes for the Republican Party... and to Countess who is passing it on to HER CHILDREN, ... to all of those who "reach for their ballots"; to Denise who lost her job but not her HOPE; to Pygmy, who I was wishing was with me the whole night, whose views are tied together with mine like a friendship bracelet from the 80's; to all of those who fought for every single vote: THANK YOU!

ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU.

YES, we did...

We want change...we want change, we want change, we want change...

And it came to us tonight.

Welcome to the next 4 years of your life.

I hope YOU ARE READY to work for it.

I am.

Thank YOU.

YOU.

ARE YOU READY?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

Optimism...

I could tell you about the gazillion of calls I took tonight - ranging from "quit calling me" and "I will do everything in my power to make sure your candidate never makes it to office (yes, f*ing scary)to "I appreciate all of the things you're doing, thank you so much" and "I'm getting my classmates together and we're going to stand on street corners with signs - can you tell me what is legal."

I could tell you about the INSANE number of volunteers we had in the offices this weekend. I could tell you about how hard it is to fundraise right now and how much work I have to do until the year.

I could tell you about being cautiously optimistic - but I'm not there yet.

I could share with you the BEST chili recipe of all time. I've make it three Sundays in a row - that is how freaking fabulous it is. And everyone who eats it thinks its absolutely amazing: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/print/index.php?r=1598 - from meat-eaters to strict vegetarians. (Thanks Rebecca for this magazine subscription!)

I could tell you about the freezing cold rain and the absolute dark that descends upon a "fall back" Seattle. I could tell you about a man who wanted to jump off the Aurora Bridge this morning, snarling traffic and making me an hour later for work. I could tell you how he succeeded in his unfortunate wish.

I could tell you about having a beer after work, after volunteering on this very LONG, Monday, November 3rd. And typing in my blog and playing the Dixie Chick's version of Fleetwood Max's "Landslide" and tell you that I'm not optimistic tonight.

But I think I am.

Just a little.

Monsters playing dodge ball...

Friday after work I joined a bunch of friends for Thriller - the video and the making-of. It came back like it did when I was 10. However the thing I couldn't stop thinking about when I saw it as an adult was "Wow - they did a lot of coke in the 80's" and "I wonder if half of them (dancers) survived the AIDS epidemic." It was a fun walk down memory lane... a bunch of us when out for a few tasty beverages and walking back to my car I noticed monsters playing dodge ball at the Seattle Central College tennis courts. It was pretty funny to see vampires, ghosts, pac man, superman and others jumping around trying to avoid a little orange ball.

Saturday was adult swim classes - which I am doing with my friends Pygmy and Lara. While waiting for the class to check in - I ran into my friend Julie who had moved from Cleveland over a year ago. She had been on the staff of Cleveland Bridge Builders - I went to a going away party for her and we had played phone tag a bunch when she first moved out before giving up... I ran into her two weeks ago at Greenlake! And now we're in the same swim class together. It was fun - only 30 minutes. I got some great feedback to make my kick better and go confirmation about my stoke - on the crawl stroke. Only. So far.

The weekend was also full of Obama/Gregoire volunteering (7 hours each day) - and a very fun Halloween party on Saturday (I did dress up as "The Christmas edition of Judy Jetson") at Glitter's house and a fantastic practice tonight (after our captains ripped off the band-aid and told us to get our acts together.) I'm pretty whooped but pretty happy on this cold, rainy Sunday.

A long, hopefully happy, week lies ahead!

Yes we can repair this world...



... because I can't wait for this election to be over. And the days, weeks and months of advocating for your nominee not because they are the ONLY choice but because they are the RIGHT choice. And though I understand those Blue State v. Red State emails that go around, I can't stand them because I have been that itty bit of blue in a red state; I have been that election protector; I have done that canvassing in my neighborhood of rather disenfranchised people; I have been that person who started and ended the campaign with you in my city; I have been that person that person who was drunk and crying at 4 a.m. discussing what we did wrong even though we hadn't even technically lost; and those emails are discounting all of the work all the progressive people do in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Arizona. And there are lots of us.

I have spent a lot of time volunteering - much like 2004 - but less like 2004. Its an emotional roller coaster - wanting us to win - but waiting. Patience is a virtue. Just not one of mine. Which is why I volunteer - to satisfy the need I have to make a difference - immediately.
So when impatience takes over...

I watch this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY


Or read this hilarious blog.
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/


It's nearing an end. I am an optimist. I voted for an optimist. I'm all about hope. 2009 will be our year.

If bananas could talk...

The ones I've bought lately would probably say "you forgot about me" too. Bananas are super great snacks that curb hunger and give you that little pick-up until you can get your hands on another coffee. After a weekend of events, volunteering, crashing out cold on Sunday, I found another banana - obviously meant to get me thru some part of the weekend - at the bottom of one of my bags - brown, uneaten and too mushy for my likes. The Auction was great (so everyone said) with roller girls sprinkled into my work and a day of volunteering with Obama on Sunday. Yesterday I swam at the Ballard Pool and had a tasty beverage and tonight was more volunteering. There is so much going on and so much to be done... but I need to remember to eat bananas... and take vitamins... and get to bed early enough...

Judy Jetson skirt and my homeless friend...

I made my Judy Jetson skirt tonight for my auction tomorrow (and watch a public television documentary on Ronald Regan who I despised growing up - even as a kid Republican). I made a bunch of them for my teammates who are volunteering for the event and then I made one for myself - circles instead of stars - not quite as disk like.

There is a guy who sells the Real Change (like the Homeless Grapevine) at the corner of Denny and Rt. 99 - which is where I get off to go to work. Lara and I carpool these days between volunteering for Obama, work, derby, etc., I'm driving 1/2 the time (and I really do miss taking the bus) and drop her off sometimes on my way in. He's "our crazy guy". He's definitely mentally ill but sells the newspaper with such enthusiasm that I have to buy one (for $1). He's a super nice guy. He was gone for a week and I was worried about him. It turns out he had been beaten senseless, broken nose and jaw for all of his $500 that he had - his whole life savings. All of his money.

I recently told him about a bank program in Seattle that I had read about in the paper (http://www.everyoneiswelcome.org/) sponsored by the County to get people to put their money in the bank so that things like this don't happen. It's amazing how many people in Seattle (which is probably representative of the rest of the country) don't have bank accounts because of things like banks fees and issues with IDs. He said he would look into it. He said he had enough money to pay the fees for Bank of America (no - go thru the county). I really didn't realize how prohibitive banks were for a lot of people.

I'm glad he's ok.

Qurabby...

When I was in Cote d'Ivoire, I would tell my French friends, once-in-a-while, that so-and-so was being crabby or I was feeling crabby... and my friend Oliver would reply "I don't understand this 'qurabby'? What is this? You mean this?" And would make pincher hands. It would crack me up.

But today I was crabby. My cold came back to haunt me - which encouraged qurabby. Luckily I had a bunch of errands to run for work, dropping off stuff at Board member's offices which meant I got to run around the city on a bright, cold Tuesday - getting fresh air and window shopping. That helps alleviate crabby.

Tonight I took an nap (also good to get rid of crabby) and worked on Judy Jetson skirts for my organizations auction this weekend. Some of my teammates are volunteering to sell raffle tickets (who can resist buying tickets from a roller girl?!) and I promised them a skirt to help with the "future" feel which is the theme of the event. Tomorrow night Glitter and I will sew them together.

When are you coming back to Africa?

Was the question I got today at lunch time when talking to a former Peace Corps volunteer who was now works for the International Partnership for Microbicides and wanted to involve our CAB (community advisory board) in a local trail. Microbicides fascinate me (http://www.ipm-microbicides.org/). I think for once the movement is actually thinking ahead and is working on a vehicle for the product, event if they don't have the product ready. They are taking into consideration women, poverty, access to health care, everything. So I am a fan. And Andy, from the IPM, appreciated my enthusiasm. We also shared many stories about Peace Corps (he served right next door in Guinea and had a Fulbright in Abidjan), being on the "special list" for the airlines, and travel in general. At the end of our meeting, he asked me "so, when are you coming back to Africa?" Yeah. I'm working on it. I just have to take care a few things here first.

Today was a long day at work - Mondays generally are. I was still (and am) disappointed in the game this weekend. I earned the title "bad girl of the game" for all of my penalties. And it just isn't a great feeling. I'm never in the box that much and it made for a rough game - especially when you have only three jammers (you can't jam when you're in the box). So I was feeling bummer about that, trying to get everything done so I can help out with my work event this weekend and had a four hour shift at the Obama campaign after work.

Volunteering was fine (part of "those things I need to change here"). When I got home, I found pieces of legitimate mail - a Halloween card from Rebecca and kids - I love Halloween with Gabriel! (I never got to go with the girls.) And a fabulous surprise from Honey.

What a nice way to end a long Monday.

Fat girls in skinny jeans not allowed in the short stall...

Is one of the ridiculous conversations I had this weekend. It was part of a late night conversation with a gaggle of roller girls on the Southward Ferry heading back to West Seattle. Other conversations included "crazy carrot lady" and getting accosted in the women's bathroom by a drunk middle aged woman. We had a bout this weekend in Port Orchard. The teams were combos from all four of our league's teams. (Our season was technically over and we were spent but enough of us came together to form two hodgepodge team - I was part of the Evil Honeys.) They were both really tight games - total nail biters! With a minute and a half left, I found myself on the jammer line, down by 3 points. I looked over at Audrey playing B3 and sighed - I've found myself in this position 4 too many times this year. It makes for a great game - don't get me wrong - but it makes for a tiring season. (Plus, I would have preferred to win all of them!) The Evil Honeys couldn't pull it off and ended up losing by 3 points. But the ferry ride home was the most fun - and since I was the sober one (bad cold).

One of the skaters crashed on the coach (5 of us had carpooled together with her car) and I laid down at almost 2 a.m. glad to done with our "first official season" but disappointed in how the game ended that night. And it sat with me the rest of the night.

I volunteered at the Obama campaign today. The three hours I was there was totally worth it in that I got two new Americans organized enough to register to vote. They had missed the deadline but some of our canvassers had told them we would help them out and I was the person who helped with that.

I went home for a little cat nap (still have a nasty cold). Then it was off to bowling with the Carnies - as opposed to practice. We had a great time! It was super chill. I managed to take some of my Wii bowling skills and apply them to the real game. There were some suprise winner but it was just fun - eating greasy food and having a beer. We had birthday brownies (for a skater who didn't show up) and the team gave me a card and a very generous gift certificate (for tattoo!) as a thank you for the two seasons of being a captain. It was very sweet. It was totally unexpected and it was the best way to end the season - bowling and drinking beer with my team.

Bew...

So all of that burning-the-candle-on-both-ends caught up with me and I woke up with a sore throat. I called in slick, slept until 11 a.m., went to Target for tasty medicine (and Penny's for a pair of brown pants), and took another nap. I'm getting ready to call it a day. Not terribly sick - just a cold. And you know, tired.

Yippee crazy veggies! (thanks for the reminder Nataliedee)

Dreams...

Perhaps that evokes peace and tranquility. I had two very disturbing dreams last night. Someone in my office said that I have the craziest dreams - but I don't so. I just happen to remember my dreams which is what differentiates me from many other people - the remembering part.

One dream was about getting "laid off" from a job which I really knew I was being fired for being a whistle blower for something. (This stemmed from two stresses - another friend was recently laid off and I just read an article about a whistle blower getting compensation for being illegally fired.) I created some kind of trouble I'm sure. I am a trouble maker on many levels and I wasn't surprised but wanted to make sure the world knew about whatever these issues were...

That dream dissolved into another dream where I was with my whole family - the twins were still just babies. My brothers were there, sister-in-law and parents. We were in some rental and there was a leak in the purple bathroom in the basement (??). But the most upsetting part of the dream is that Darth Vader (yes, from Star Wars) was going to kill me. That wasn't the most upsetting part - the upsetting part was that you didn't really die - you only died for 10 minutes (which was going to be miserable I'm sure) but then you lived forever (kind of like vampire) and I didn't want to live forever (!!). And part of the curse of getting killed by Darth Vader is that you had to kill two other people who would also then live forever. And I didn't want to do that either - because who would you curse to live forever - another family member? A friend? A complete stranger? How do you chose? It was distressing and I was trying to get away - but really how do you get away from Darth Vader? I was watching a guy try to do it and it was like watching a mouse get away from a cat - interesting but pathetic. (Usually at this point I'm able to wake myself up and say, um, Michelle, not real but I just watched this time.)

I woke up later - completely exhausted and stressed out. The apartment was filled with the aroma from the vegetarian chili I had made the night before. I was running around as quickly as a could so that I would be late for work - packing my lunch and dinner to eat at my Obama volunteer shift after work.

What a way to start a long Monday.

(But what a cute picture of Fezzi under warm blankets on a cold rainy Monday.)

Flipping around...

On my way back from practice tonight I was flipping around the radio stations. (My hundred satellite radio has been disabled because of battery/alternator problems I was having.) I ran across Delilah which I've listened to periodically on every single road trips, on my way home from late night jobs, bored with the CDs in my car. Delilah hosts a radio show on the soft rock station and is a show were people call in to tell her about their love life, their problems with their children and other random rather emotional stuff - she dedicates a very sappy song to them. Reads them a poem. Gives them bits of wisdom. Cheeeeeesey. Sometimes I flip to Jack 101 which is modern country, reminding me of my brothers or an Oldies station for the familiarity established in my youth. I've listened to Focus on the Family driving between cities separated by vast amounts of rural Americ where I can't get any of the other stations and am saddened by such hatred and falsities. All these radio stations take me places - these songs and this music. Usually home.

This weekend was much like flipping through the various radio station.... I went to the annual dinner for Washington Women's Lawyers and got to hear Donna Brazile (who replace Elizabeth Edwards who canceled at the last minute) - she was amazing and inspiring. I was completely thrilled to have heard her speak and was motivated to do more. Saturday I went to a Derby Brat's practice - middle school and high school roller girls (some even younger!) who play against other "brat leagues". Trixxie and I teamed up to lead a couple of pairs of derby brats through some drills. They were great and it was so fun to teach what you knew. I raced home to shower and head off to the Obama Campaign where I was trained in GOTV canvassing (which I've already done) and was trained to answer the phones. After 4 hours there, I headed to Kelly Rae's art opening with Kate (Misses Unshine) and then out for some dancing at I Heart Shiva. It was a Bollywood with some great mashing going on. The main reason to go to dance, dance nights like these are to hear what's going on in the music scene in the rest of the world.

This morning I visited my P-Patch which needs to be winterized but the tomatoes won't let me do so just yet - I picked about 40 cherry tomatoes! I headed back to a very hectic campaign offices where I got moved off the phones and worked on signing people in for volunteer shifts and directing them to various offices and activities, ran to Target for things like kitty litter and then off to practice. It was a great practice. I left the Skate Deck, worn out from the weekend, flipping the radio station to find something to listen to, heading home.

That Mean Man...

He was a friend of the family and I've know Frank Miller since I've been alive. He was married to my mother's best friend from Denver, Janelle. He's was Melanie and Joey's dad. He was in the military. He had just finished a 3 week trip around the country visiting family members who were dying - his sisters-in-law has a terrible disease that escapes me now, another sibling had cancer and they visited Janelle's brother who is not ill. They stayed with my parents for the weekend on their way back home last weekend. They attended the funeral Melanie's mother in-law today. And then Frank had a massive heart attack and die this afternoon. He was 60. He was a friend of the family.

When I was a little kid though, I didn't like Frank. He was scary, always seemed angry. We would visit often as Janelle as they were just in Pittsburgh - not that far away. We spent many Thanksgivings there and they had this super fancy cable (just regular cable be we didn't get it in rural Ohio.) I was kind of afraid of Frank as a little kid - but I was just a little kid. What did I know? Of course as I got older I realized he just had this gruff demeanor.

And he wasn't that bad at all.

They say they're addictive...

I made and paid for an appointment right after Labor Day, finally knowing what I wanted to my next tattoo to be. I got it done Monday night. I'm pretty happy with these reluctant creatures.

Look familiar...

My tights...

My new co-worker walked into the kitchen this morning (where I was mixing my yogurt/granola breakfast and brewing coffee) and said "OMG - I love your ti-" as she went to set her gallon coffee cup mug on the table and missed. A gallon of coffee ended up on the floor. I finished her sentence for her "tights. You loved my tights?" Yes. They're great. And they are great tights.

I helped her clean up her coffee.

Cold, raining Monday...

I think Seattle got the memo that they had one weekend to check into Fall. I came home from Boise to cool rainy weather fall weather. (I enjoyed both Boise and Denver - Boise is high dessert, lots of sunshine. Denver was just sunny.) A pot of coffee make enabled me to get thru the Monday.

I like this Nataliedee.com comic. I'm a week from my next hair cut and people have been commenting on how long it is... I'm growing it out so I don't have "derby hair" (read: sweaty helmet hair) and can pull it back into a ponytail or pigtails. It's kind of silly, to grow your hair out just to pull it back. It will last a few months, I'll get sick of it and chop it off again.

Boise, Politics, Surprising Weekend.

This weekend Jet City Rollergirls went to Boise to play Treasure Valley Rollergirls. I flew out Friday after work, taking a 20 minute bus ride to the airport. Most of my teammates took vans - which I was going to do but we had a woman's caucus event that I was going to be at for work so I flew to make it back in time. It was a pretty uneventful Friday - Arson Annie joining me at the hotel later - we chatted and watch 3 episodes of "What Not to Wear" on The Learning Channel before heading to bed.

On Saturday we headed over to the fairgrounds where we met the Treasure Valley Rollergirls, tested out the rumored slippery, polished cement floor (not bad at all!), ate pulled pork sandwiches with the other skates (I hung out with "Violet" who also originally hailed from Cleveland), and skated around, smacking around some of the new skaters who had joined us to help fill in our rosters. It was a great warm up. We stopped by the costume shop back to our hotel - as is mandatory with any group of roller girls - you're always on the lookout for great fishnets, boots, tights, and other fabulous accessories.

The game was fantastic! It was broken up into 3 - 20 minute periods. We were up by 20 some points at the end of the first 20 minutes. We had a pretty good start - I scored some points as jammer and rocked the B3 position. The reffing was frustrating as there were various interpretations of 3.1 WFTDA rules (which regulate our game). The second period we seemingly lost our edge, lost most of our lead and had way too many penalties. But we pulled it together for the third period and everyone stepped it up. It was a thrilling and fantastic game with 1.40 minutes left, Molly Python managed to pull us ahead from our tie and our blockers held their jammer to no points. It was a thrilling and exhilarating game. Audience members came over and thanked us for such a good game. We cleaned up and headed to the after party which was more fun times, playing drinking games and dancing.

Treasure Valley does an incredible job of entertaining their audience in-between the periods and have been the most hospitable host team to-date. We learned plenty of things from them. They were great hosts and I can't wait to have them in Everett.

I pulled myself out of bed in plenty of time to catch an airport shuttle and head home. I made an earlier connecting flight in Portland - thankfully. I needed lunch and a nap so badly before the women's caucus event. I headed off to that and was looking around at the usual suspects. I was slightly disappointed thinking it was going to be preaching to the choir but ended up not being that at all. It was about women in politics: how do we more women elected to office, how do we run for more offices; what resources are out there; what does it mean to have Palin and Clinton in the forefront. It was a very good, though small, meeting of organizers, women who are interested in getting more involved and women who want to make sure their voices are heard. I left very excited and we'll see what comes of it. I volunteered to help make some things happen.

What a fantastic weekend. I was pleasantly surprise by our bout and by the event today. I like surpises like that.

3 victories!!

I usually don't write about work because it's never a good idea to blog about your job... but today was our third victory in a string of cases that are making the world a better place for women, families, everyone. WOOT!!

It's nice to be on the winning side - even if it's just for a little while. At the end of an extraordinary week where sleep has been elusive and hope is slightly deflated - the people are a little nicer, the fruit is a little juicer, and you don't even notice the rain.

Sleepy...

So my days and nights are running into each other and I either have my skate bag in hand or not, mailing in my hands or not, sometimes I find my toothbrush.

Ok. Ok. It's not quite that bad but I'm pretty damn busy just the same (as proof, I'm writing my blog posting at work when I have a few minutes as opposed to later tonight when I'll be struggling to pack and get to bed.) I head to Boise, Idaho for a bout this weekend. I fly back Sunday to work a voting event for the Law Center... then on to the rest of the week. Phew. No much has changed... but I just find myself more tired sometimes. Truly.

My candle burns at both ends;

it will not last the night;

but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends

- it gives a lovely light!

Edna St. Vincent Millay