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July 9th, 2009
10:32 pm - Thursday evening: The onslaught cometh
My delightful house guests have arrived and are graciously saying nothing about the mess that we call my home. Sophie is earning her keep as live entertainment and court jester. Spanky watches impassively.
Tomorrow I turn 47, the age my dad was when he died of a heart attack. Tomorrow ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) markbourne turns 48 and gets a new heart. There's a symmetry in that that I haven't quite figured out yet. I'm sure something will come by morning. It's going to be an interesting weekend.
And away we go...
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08:06 am - Thursday morning before the onslaught
I'm hungry, thirsty, sleepy and not ready for work. I have too much to do and not enough time. The house still isn't in the shape I wanted it to be in before my guests show up. The only one who's happy right now is Sophie, comfortably ensconced in my lap and purring.
Going to be a busy few days. kateyule and davidlevine arrive this evening. markbourne's surgery is tomorrow, so I'll be at the hospital with e_bourne for the day. Tomorrow evening is matociquala's Clarion party, which I hope to attend assuming all goes well with the surgery. It's also my birthday. And then Saturday there are Plans.
Busy days. Do I want a simpler life? Only in theory. The truth is that my life is far too rich for me to want anything else--though I admit that a quiet day to myself every now and then might not be a bad idea.
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July 7th, 2009
07:38 am - Cleopenguin has found a home!
 Just got word from the Greenwood Collective that Cleopenguin has found a home. Apparently she's being displayed at Artfx Studio Gallery, 420 N. 35th St., Seattle, WA 98103. I'll have to try and get there this weekend to see where and how she's holding court. Word is that she'll be auctioned off on August 14 at the Greenwood Collective.
 The same e-mail brought the news that markbourne and e_bourne's penguin, Ed Astra, is now located at : Greenwood Space Travel, 8414 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103. He'll be auctioned at Piper Village on September 11.
 ladyjestocost and bedii's penguin, Professor Fishmort, is spinning his propeller at Top Ten Toys 104 N. 85th St., Seattle, WA 98103. Auction: Piper Village, September 11.
 chaoselemental's pengie, Professor Herringbone, can be seen at History House
790 N. 34th St., Seattle, WA 98103. Auction: Greenwood Collective, August 14.
Go visit them! Keep them company! Post pictures of yourselves with them!
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July 5th, 2009
09:45 pm - Back from Sweat World...
...or, as it's better known, the Olympic Peninsula. (More on Sweat World in a moment...)
jackwilliambell was graciously loaned the keys to property owned by kate_schaeffer, vondanmcintyre and others for the holiday weekend. Thursday evening, he, his friends Ivy and Jim and their wonderful border collie Rodeo, and I departed for Quilcene, WA (population 591) to said property. There, we settled ourselves into the fabulous yurt, enjoyed the use of the small but well-appointed bath house, and stargazed. We saw a long, bright shooting star--all of us except for JWB, who wanted to see one more than any of us, alas--and soon after, retired to a late but much-needed bedtime.
Friday, after a delicious bacon and polenta breakfast, JWB and I went to Dosewallips State Park, which is comprised of typical grass-lawn park-and-picnic area, a campground and, most interestingly, the Dosewallips River delta. The area is mudflats and salt water marsh. There are well-defined trails that lead to clam beds for clamming, and a platform two flights up where you can read about the ecology of the area and view the pristine landscape. We saw young bald eagles circling above and groused about the lack of benches on the platform. A little later, we picked up JWB's grandson Riley, who would stay with us for the rest of the weekend.
We got back to the yurt as the heat really rose. The later it got, the hotter it got until all we could do was sit in the shade, snooze, chat, read, sing, and relax. Riley briefly went into the yurt, and when he came out, pronounced it "The Sweat Dome" because it really was hot as an oven. As the day and the heat progressed, he decided we were living in Sweat World, and none of us could disagree. The temp came down as it got dark, I made tacos for dinner and afterward served red, white and blue bakery cookies shaped like stars for dessert. The temperature--warmer than Thursday night's frigid temps--was perfect for sleeping in that night.
Saturday was mostly about hiking. After breakfast we enjoyed the lower temps and shade for a while, JWB, Riley and I all drawing. Ultimately I left a portrait of JWB in the guestbook at the camp. Then we were up and out with a packed lunch to see the area. A trail from the campsite leads into the woods--second growth forest with foliage that makes everything even greener than it is, lots of moss, huge ancient tree stumps, and wild flowers: foxglove, prince's pine, cloud flower, oxeye daisies and more (can you tell I brought my field guide?). We followed the trail to a ledge that overlooked the Duckabush River, a beautiful glacier-melt river that rushes down over the rocks past the site. We had lunch at the overlook, then scrambled down to the water's edge. We shucked our shoes, and waded in and out of the icy water, whiling away some of the day's worst heat. Then it was back to camp for more snoozing, chatting, reading and so on. We went back to Dosewallips park for a barbecued steak dinner (topped off with 'Smores!) care of JWB, played with Rodeo, and then got out for a bit to shoot off some fireworks. Then JWB, Riley and I parked near an open area along the banks of Hood Canal to watch fireworks being shot off across the water. Back at camp, JWB and I stayed up late stargazing and talking.
We were up early this morning to JWB's fabulous egg, hashbrown, and bacon breakfast. We cleaned up the site and headed out, parting company with Jim and Ivy. We met Riley's dad for lunch, handed him off, and then spent the afternoon trying to navigate around the worst of the weekend traffic to get home. For fun along the way JWB introduced me to the joys of shopping at a dollar store, and we stopped for the serious fun of tasting wine at the Hoodsport Winery tasting room. Brought back some lovely stuff.
And that was the weekend that was. My ankles have been viciously eaten by insects. I came home with a sweet little knitted hat that was my sleeping cap, a Hood Canal tee shirt, some handcrafted soap, some wine and many pictures. I'm way behind on posting photos, a result of taking hundreds of shots at the Solstice Parade, but I will catch up, and will post links here as I do.
Nice as the campsite was, I can't help enjoying being back with my kitties, preparing to sleep in my own bed again. There's no place like home.
PS: And here's what I missed just a few blocks from my house on Friday night while I was gone: A world-record setting zombie walk and "Thriller" dance.
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July 2nd, 2009
03:20 pm - My last log in for the weekend
Well, I'm off to the Olympic Peninsula for a weekend of camping, birding and whatever else I can manage. Have a lovely 4th everyone--stay safe and have fun!
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07:15 am - It's not Monday, but somehow it feels that way
I was going to go to the office early today since I have to leave early. Ummm...not happening.
Awakened this morning by Sophie trying to nurse on my ear again. Man, that feels so weird. She was also kneeding my head. I don't think I would have minded her kneeding a soft body part, but my skull--unlike a mama cat's belly--has no give. Also? Nursing on my ear = the ultimate fruitless activity. But, if nothing else, it puts me firmly at the top of the hierarchy. And also tells me she's fond of me.
In today's religious news, U.S. nuns face unprovoked Vatican scrutiny. Some would say those outspoken womenfolk provoked the scrutiny just by being all revolutionary, going out into communities to do the work of God rather than staying cloistered away from public view. I wonder what their savior would say.
 The recession hits everyone: One of the last privately-owned photo processing shops in Seattle posted a "We Quit" sign in their window and has been running a clearance sale; they're getting out while they can. Don't know if they're still clearancing or if they've closed, but the "We Quit" sign made me laugh and made me sad at the same time. They'd branched into selling scrapbooking supplies to help business; guess it wasn't enough. Far Fetched, a local import store specializing in furniture from the Far East, is in the last throes of its final clearance before closing. I couldn't afford their stuff, but I loved cruising through to see what awesome stuff they had. FAO Schwartz at Macy's in downtown Seattle is running a clearance because they're closing; bought a spectacular stuffed elephant there--a $30 collectible elephant for $7.00. Today in e-mail, I received a newsletter from Tree of Life Judaica in the Ravenna neighborhood that said, in part, "Save our store! The rent is overdue and the store is in danger of closing." And yesterday, oldmangrumpus reported that Cellophane Square, a great used music and DVD store in the University District, has shut down; its store front is cleaned out.
And lastly, because it must be seen to be believed: Beck guest Scheuer: "The only chance we have as a country right now is" for bin Laden to "detonate a major weapon" in U.S. And these guys wonder why they were so summarily voted out of office. (via jaylake)
It's a heckuva time to be us.
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July 1st, 2009
11:59 pm - Oh, and before I forget...
Here's a picture of me with "Swordplay," that anthology I have a story in. Yay!
I'm telling ya, it's the little things...
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11:38 pm - There's a bear over there...
This evening, the most awesome matociquala, birthday girl marykaykare, and I stormed Fremont. We had delicious conveyor belt sushi complete with fish egg cupcakes. Then I took the awesome and the birthday girl round to see Lenin and the troll.
( Pssst...ebear cavorts with trolls! )
We then tootled over to Fisherman's Terminal to walk along the docks and visit the fishermen's memorial. We saw ducklings, tiny little balls of brown fluff paddling madly to keep up with their parents. We saw Canadian geese. We watched as a blue heron flew over head. We enjoyed the breezes.
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True thing:
scarlettina: The Space Needle was born in 1962, same year as me. She's my twin sister...my taller, slimmer twin sister.
matociquala: Yes, but I don't have to pay to climb all over you.
(Or something like that...)
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We concluded the evening at the waterfront promenade by the Olympic Sculpture Garden, watching the sun set beyond the dark powder-blue Olympic Mountains.
It couldn't have been a lovelier evening. (Well, okay, given marykaykare's car key scare, it could have been a little lovelier, but I'm not interested in quibbling.) And the company was beyond compare.
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June 29th, 2009
09:25 pm - My afternoon with power tools, plus geekery
As previously mentioned, jackwilliambell was out of town this weekend, so I had plenty of time for myself. While I squandered some of it, most of it was spent pretty productively. The house no longer looks like a bomb hit it; Sophie and Spanky and I had quality time together; and then Jack came back this way. He stopped to have lunch with me on his way up to his place, and we agreed that after I finished some final chores at home, I'd head north to his place to work on a project we've been discussing.
The project? A new cat tree for Spanky and Sophie. Jack had lumber, carpet, and power tools for the job, so we spent a satisfying afternoon drilling and measuring and sawing and hammering. We didn't finish the whole thing, but we got the major components assembled. What's left to come is putting those pieces all together and carpeting the thing, not necessarily in that order. It's going to be a stunning piece when it's done, far sturdier and better made than even some of the most expensive cat trees out there. I got to use a bench saw and a power drill and another kind of saw the name of which I can't remember. I told Jack he might have created a monster. He smiled evilly and suggested he might get me a power tool for my birthday. I may be doomed. When the kitty tree is done, of course, there will be pictures. Great afternoon.
On the work side of the balance sheet, as you know, Bob, I've been writing for NCsoft on their game Aion. The job continues to be hugely fun and a great learning experience for me. (I was once taken to task by an interviewer who asked me, when I said a job sounded like fun, if I thought work should be fun. My response was that if I was going to spend at least 40 hours of my life each week working on projects, fun ought to be a component somewhere along the way. She frowned and made notes. I didn't get the job.) The team seems pleased with my work.
Today, I played the game at a level I hadn't before. I created a new character for a group campaign, and because I'm a geek and was so excited about playing, I took a couple of screenshots of my character,a 52nd level Asmodian gladiator, Boudica. (Hey, she's a warrior, what else would I call her?)
( My character, let me show you her )
I said the game was gorgeous, didn't I? Yeah. And now, off to take care of some other stuff....
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June 27th, 2009
10:20 pm - Words from ironymaiden
I have been assigned these words. ironymaiden associates them with me. I must discuss them. Comments welcome. Also, if you want words that I associate with you, well, say the word.
broad: Hm... I'm broad where a broad should be broad? I'm perhaps a little broader than I'd like to be. I suspect I'm a lot more comfortable describing myself as a broad than I'd be were someone else to describe me that way (although I suppose I'd accept "She's a grand old broad" around the time I hit 70). If I used this word to describe myself, it would a probably be defined as a woman who is strong, funny, practical, no nonsense, bawdy, and dependable. At least, I'd hope that's how it would be interpreted. The word has been viewed as a pejorative; I'm takin' it back. It's a compliment.
butterfly: I equate butterflies with emergence. Caterpillars realize their potential when they emerge from their cocoons; it's a beautiful metaphor. I sometimes feel like I'm constantly cocooning and emerging, cocooning and emerging. Maybe that's what life is: a series of rebirths. When we visited the Pacific Science Center recently, selinker observed that if one goes into the Butterfly House in a bad mood, it's simply impossible to leave in that state. One can't help but smile around them. I think that they--and kittens--are the universe's way of reminding us to laugh.
orphan: The first words that occurred to me--no kidding--were Annie, Superman...and me. Interesting company, eh? It's not a word I was ever comfortable using to describe myself. I have been aware that my condition is technically "orphan," i.e., parentless, but I've always felt more the latter than the former, if that makes any sense. And yet, I was not parentless; I had parents. One of the reasons I framed pictures of my parents and put them in the living room was to remind myself that I didn't start in this world alone. But I do miss my parents even now and every day. I was fortunate in being parentless, in that I had my brother, my cousin Ellen, I had friends, and I had an aunt and uncle who loved me for exactly who I was. But the truth is that there are things you share with your parents that you can't really share with anyone else. And sometimes when I want to share one of those things, sharing them with my brother or a friend or a cousin just isn't enough. And that has always been hard. It always will be. A friend said to me once that he didn't think my parents would want me to mourn them and I'm sure he's right. But the hole is there and no other peg will ever fit it.
expat: It's a word that always had this romantic sound about it to me: people living in other countries, experiencing a life different from that at home, adopting those foreign ways. There's no question in my mind: Seattle is a different country than New York City. The people, the habits, the manners and expectations, the way business is done is all different. And I'm reminded every day that I'm Not From Here, whether it's cracking someone up with a broad NY accent (really, it's the easiest way to get a laugh in this town), or being a little more assertive than is generally considered acceptable here, or dressing up a little for work rather than dressing down, as 90% of the folks in this town do. There's no question that I love this place, but New York's in my DNA. I'm a NY expat living in Seattle--it's as true as the day I moved here, truer perhaps after all this time. At the same time, perversely, Seattle's become home and I like the contradiction.
confidante: Someone to whom you tell personal stuff in a trusting way. I'm fortunate to have some true confidantes in my life. I hope they feel that way about me, too.
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06:55 am - Choose your world
I'm really looking forward to going camping over July 4th weekend, but I have to say, I'm frustrated that I'll be missing this. It's happening just a few blocks away from my house and I'd love to be involved! It's not like I haven't professed an enthusiasm for zombies before.
Hey, exiledfromtribe! This looks like your kind of crowd!
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June 26th, 2009
09:50 pm - Ah, the weekend
With, well, no exceptions whatsoever, all of my plans for the weekend have evaporated. They will be remade, I'm sure. jackwilliambell is out of town for the weekend. So I'm left with an entire two days to myself. TWO DAYS!
And I'll be able to get simple things done, like laundry and kitten training and car washing. Bill paying, bathroom cleaning and correspondence. Sounds all hideously dull, right? Between the job and the kitten and learning how to adjust to a new person in my life, I've let the house go to hell and a lot of other stuff with it. This is my chance to clear the psychic noise. I'm really looking forward to it.
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June 25th, 2009
10:00 pm - Icons
What a day it's been. If you'd asked me this morning, I would have said that neither Michael Jackson's nor Farrah Fawcett's deaths would mean anything to me. But both of these figures, for one reason or another, loomed large in my formative years, and I found myself feeling shocked today. Just gobsmacked.
I wasn't a Jackson fan per se, but there's no denying his impact on pop culture or his overwhelming presence during the '70s and '80s. When he took the world by storm as an adult, I have to admit I was happy for him. He was making terrific pop music, he was an electrifying performer, and it looked as though he'd overcome the long shadow of his childhood. When it became apparent that he hadn't--the odd behavior, the multiple plastic surgeries, and the peculiarities around him and children--I just felt bad for him...until I stopped. On the one hand, the life he'd lived must have screwed him up more effectively than anything I can imagine. On the other hand, well, he blew it, crappy childhood or not. It's been said elsewhere: At least his children have a shot at leading a normal life. He wasn't a saint. At the same time, he's left an indelible mark on popular music. And at only 50, he still might have found a way to accomplish more and emerge from the shadow of the Weird and Bad.
Farrah Fawcett was the model against which teenage girls of my generation got measured. As a chubby brunette, I found her popular image the bane of my existence. Brunettes were invisible in the culture after her appearance and I resented her for it. With time and experience, of course, my opinion and perspective changed, mainly because of her more serious acting efforts. I haven't been following her recently, but I understand that her efforts to educate people about cancer may have been the most effective legacy she's left.
These early deaths, premature departures, serve as another reminder of mortality, of course. Tonight, I'm gonna do what a lot of folks are doing: troll YouTube for MJ performances and remember the best parts.
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June 24th, 2009
09:17 pm - Wednesday evening random
I'm sitting on the couch, laptop on my lap, kitten stretched out beside me, snoozing quietly. Tonight's Ghost Hunters marathon is running on the TV. I had high hopes for this evening: laundry, bill paying and so on. I was beat when I got home, and I've pretty much been a slug ever since.
Sophie is following in Spanky's footsteps: I woke this morning to discover her nursing on my earlobe. Spanky, whom I adopted when he was only 4 weeks old (he was a rescue), nursed on the very same earlobe and still does occasionally. The two of them are more willing to be in each other's personal space, though I can't call them friends exactly. Sophie's still intimidated by Spanky, and Spank's not doing anything to discourage that notion. But every day, I see some little shift that gives me hope for them.
Work is going well. I'm doing way more editing than I am writing, which is fine, though I miss being on the other end of the process. I'm hoping that might shift a little as we move into other parts of the game. ::fingers crossed:: In the meanwhile, if you're curious about the game, check out the official site. The game releases in September.
I had jackwilliambell here on Monday night to celebrate his birthday. I made him a big steak dinner with a cherry pie for dessert (his preference over birthday cake). I also gave him a gorgeous tie-dyed tee shirt that he'd developed a crush on this weekend at the Solstice Fair.
We discussed plans for celebrating my birthday, which I haven't really thought much about given other things happening that day. We have some ideas for the day after, given how tied up I expect to be on the day of. We'll see what happens. In a lovely turn, davidlevine and kateyule will be staying with me during that time; can't wait to see them!
Last weekend, I spent a lovely day at the Solstice Parade and Fremont Fair with a group of the usual suspects, plus Jack and his grandson. I took a bazillion pictures that I haven't even downloaded yet. That will come eventually. I got some great stuff.
And lastly, much to my frustration, my On Demand service isn't working; it's annoying only because I missed last Sunday's episode of "True Blood" and I want to catch up. I'll be getting a new cable box on Sunday morning, plus service to address the On Demand issue. We'll see what happens.
And that's the scoop from Chez scarlettina.
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June 23rd, 2009
09:26 am - The fate of public art
The NY Times reports on the fate of one of the cows from CowParade 2000. Whither Cleopenguin in years to come?
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June 22nd, 2009
12:04 pm - Happy things
Happy birthday, jackwilliambell! And many, many more! Yay!
I have finally replaced my car keys--yay!
I have finally vacuumed my house--yay!
I saw Sophie and Spanky touch noses while I was preparing my lunch. Detente may have been achieved! Yay!
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June 21st, 2009
04:02 pm - Happy Father's Day
So many of my friends are fathers. Happy Father's Day to all of you:
bravado111
caryabend
czarsteven
drewshi
eddvick
gryphonrose
irrationalrobot
jackwilliambell
jaylake
livingdeadpan
mforbeck
philfoglio
skaldic
tbclone47
the_monkey_king
You're all awesome parents and I'm so pleased to know each and every one of you. Your kids are the luckiest on the planet.
(And to those of you whose fatherhood is imminent, you're about to join a fine group of men. Go forth and be the fabulous dads I know you'll be, crooked_hill, kenscholes, mrdorbin and southplains.)
PS: If I've left anyone out, well, happy Father's Day to you, too!
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June 19th, 2009
06:42 am - Good Thursday
Had a good day yesterday. Was productive at work (between the bouts of silly). On the way home, I hopped off the bus to pick up stuff at the grocery store and was reminded that Queen Anne holds a farmer's market on Thursday evenings during the summer. There, I procured a lovely loaf of rustic Italian bread, a mongo chocolate chip cookie, and a chunk of sun-dried tomato-and-basil cheese. During this constitutional, I heard from jackwilliambell who was looking for an excuse not to go home and pay bills. I happily obliged.
We had a really nice evening, beginning with dinner at Stell's, the most excellent Greek burger joint around the corner from my place. We talked about plans for Saturday and for his birthday, plans for July 4th weekend and for my birthday as well. We bonded with Miss Sophie (who seems to like JWB better than she likes me, though he's a total marshmallow with her), discussed analogies for Twitter (is it a conversation, is it talking to yourself on a public street hoping--or not caring if--someone responds, etc?), and just had a pleasant evening together.
This morning, I enjoyed some of the bread and cheese for breakfast. The cheese is excellent, mild with a little edge that is delightfully cut by the sweetness of the tomatoes. Posting here has been the challenge it has rapidly become since Sophie descended upon the household. She's learning--albeit slowly--that when I'm online, she has to work for my attention. She has also learned that keyboards are warm and when a kitten is stretched across one, humans cannot help but pay attention to kittens.
Must go pay attention to kitten now.
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June 17th, 2009
06:39 am - Kittens and babies
The ways in which living with a kitten and a baby are similar:
* You're awakened at odd hours of the night...over and over again.
* As a result you are often sleep deprived and yawning at inconvenient moments.
* You're constantly pestered for attention (or attention is constantly required).
* It's nearly impossible to compose a thoughtful e-mail in one sitting.
* Interpreting a vocabulary of cries, peeps and mous is a necessity of survival.
My God, I'm tired.
I love little Miss Sophie. She's adorable and energetic and sweet and vastly entertaining. At the same time, I'm really looking forward to her growing up, being the beautiful cat she will be, and chilling out a little bit.
I suspect Spanky feels the same way.
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June 15th, 2009
03:19 pm - What I'm working on
This past weekend, the company for whom I'm working held a limited beta preview of the game I'm writing for. If you don't play MMOs and you're curious about them, these reviews offer a great entry point. And you get lots of pretty pictures.
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