Remnants

Odd things have been surfacing in the annual haul out the xmas shit!

The tape we made in 1996, of Cynthia's xmas show.

A NYT Sunday magazine from July 14, 1996.

A candy cane with curly pipe cleaner antlers from Mailman Cowboy.

What's the Tipping Point?

Last week, cleaning up the day after David Ossman's Birthday party, I said I'd pick through the garbage bag and take the FORKS home and run 'em through the dish-washer. JB went off... why should we... it's futile...we're going to suffocate beneath people who run their SUV's in first gear so the kids can watch *MOVIES*

We recycle obsessovely, but can't keep up. There's too much glass. I get 2 newspapers, so I feel bad about the pulp. But the On-line, doesn't cut it yet.

Since the disposal system for the Broderick Building is a "No Dumpster" in the Alley and the sacks haven't been taken out yet, I can go still go fish out them forks outta the sack. and they'll be fine after going through the dish-washer!


But, finally, what's the point? What tipped you over? What made you crazy? What made you yell back at the TV? the Radio?





Or, should ya just go wash the Freakin' Forks?

Lights! Power! Lectricity! revisited

Power went out sometime around 3 am Thursday night. We could cope in the morning as the hot water tank is gas and we could run hot water for showers and even get it hot enough for dripping through the coffee pot to produce tepid coffee.

Dan hung out at JSB, waiting on deliveries. Tony and I went downtown to get a radio at Bartell's, and some other "add Hot Water" type meals. Downtown and Capitol Hill were fine. Stop lights work, everything. I decided to call around the closer grocery stores to see where I could get groceries. I hit "bakery" at the Rainier Ave QFC. They were open, but not selling anything that had been refrigerated or frozen. That's good policy from the store branch that actually sold some Mad Cow Hamburger. "well, can I get some Beer?". "No, sorry, that was refrigerated." Maybe I should keep an eye on the dumpster for that bad Beer they're going to have to dispose of...

We got back home and I got the kitchen lit with many of the tea candles from the 50 ct Bartell bag. I snagged groceries at Union St. QFC, were one of my mystery customers is the Vegetable Dude. He came in from Kirkland, no power and trees down everywhere on the Eastside. I glanced at the gourmet cheese cooler and found a Raclette and another Schmantsy Swiss cheese that screamed FONDUE!

Tammy's Sterno Fondue

1/2 lb (or so) Schmantsy Swiss cheese or any Gruyere (if you make this with Cheddar it's Englsh Rarebit)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
white Pepper (or fresh ground black)
1 tablespoon coarse ground Mustard -or- 1 heaping teaspoon dry powder
Some Beer -or- White Wine
maybe a grate or two of nutmeg

Grate the cheez into a bowl and sprinkle/sieve the Cornstarch, pepper, (dry mustard and nutmeg) overtop. stir and toss to coat.

Dump half the Cheez mixture into fondue pot (or old sturdy kettle) and hold over flame, slog in a half cup of beer and the coarse mustard, stir until lumps are gone and it thickens.

Add in the rest of the Cheez, in two handfuls, stirring and thinning between with more Beer/Wine.

Cube up some bread, and anything that needs to be used out of the fridge. Dip to your heart's content.

It was an amusing meal that kept us busy until the lights came on at 9:30. It was gettin Hella cold, So this was a GOOD THING.

Today was spent getting back on track. And then the lights went out again at 4:30pm. Tony was actually the first person to call it in. In our dark despair, we decided to go to Dick's for dinner A-and who should we meet? Fran and Lillian! Dick's: where the desperate meet to eat! The chilly temperatures and bad James Brown Busker forced us back to our respective (warm) cars.

We went to the "Miracle on 34thSt." Radio Show, and got to say Hi! to Nick Morrison afterwards. A lovely production and always good to see Chris "Don't call me JP!" Wedes is still kickin' it.

Eighteen Years Ago

I gave birth to the TONY. My baby Danton has become a full legal human. He's himself and I'm happy. I have no freakin idea what he'll become or DO.

It's time to set him into the winds.

Happy Birthday Tony, my bright baby boy!


Your Mama loves you. Loves you like a rock. Loves you like the Rock of Ages. She loves you.

ALL my good shit

comes from this guy. Bill.
If I could do side bar thingies - He'd be the tops.

http://home.blarg.net/~wayule/blog_cgi/blosxom.cgi

Howling Winds! Lingonberries!

Fran got me some Lingonberry Preserves, So, I had to make Swedish Pancakes tonight. We're huddling below the big winds beneath the aethernets of the day and hoping Cedar branches don't hit the roof.

Lingonberries are one of the best things that grow out of the ground, and when made into Jam, excelsior. Fran got me some at Ikea. I used to go to Ballard for it.

Lights are flickering! Tonight will be exciting: 65 mph winds are predicted for 3 to 4 am.

The winds whistle around and really do HOWL. I'll send now, you might not hear from us till late tomorrow!

Au Revouire! Chums of Chance!

In the mean time go look at this!

No Lights! No Power! No 'Lectricity!

That was the rallying cry back during the 'Noggeration Day '93 storm, when Ms. Muune's daycare needed to decamp to our house. A window had blown in and shattered on the floor. Not a good early child care environment.

Today, because of high winds, 5,000 Seattle Light subscribers were without power. And we were in the middle of it. Dan abandoned JSB about 4:30 and came down to SMB, for the light and 'lectricity. We had to leave by 5, so we drove home IN THE DARK. It was cool until 23rd and Jackson, and then the neighborhood we've lived in for 16 years, is dark. Really Dark.

We have candles. and Flashlights. I'm a farmgirl so I can cope with anything-Hear? But I did ask 2 clerks in their teens if their store carried Kerosene and got such blank stares. Worries me how they will survive.

The boy declared his need for HOT food so we went to our favorite Mexican joint, Jalisco on 15th. Good to see Lydia, grand dame of the restaurant, who was preggers the same time as me, she was glad to see Tony, and surprised at the young man at the table! We managed to make it away without any new cats. By the time we wandered home the lights were up.

We're thankful for Lights! Power! 'Lectricity!

Proudly Waging the War on Xmas

Today I found out some of my advice to authors paid off. It took a confluance of the Port of Seattle deciding not to put up trees with ribbons when asked by a Rabbi to also put up an 8 foot Menorah next to it. Most responses are simply to throw up their hands. and that's understandable- in Retail, we've been whip-sawed by what we're sposed to say to customers who are buying Way More Crap Than WE Can At This Time Of The Year.

We saw an ad on Jesus' General for the War on Xmas, the Official Field Manual and I requested their terms and order info for JSB, and they responded by sending the books without payment, recognizing that their book was timely, and any bookstore who wanted to stock it, WAS A GOOD THING.

Well, my brilliant publicty tips have paid off and they are going to be on Goldies' radio show tonight at 7:15 or 7:30.

Give 'em a listen! They promise to mention us!


Elsewhere, the General shows us the Big Love.

Today was quieter

Just layed low and did a couple errands, so I could swing by the Fire Station. They're very nice and I guess this is something Fire Stations just do for the neighbors. The numbers are much better today, 156/86. And, now I have my very own American Heart Association Blood Pressure Record Card. Something else they do!

A-and when I got home, and checked back in to write this entry, I see that a World Famous Author has been here and commented! Yes, he did! And, if I may say so, he's a pretty cute one too!

Blood! Firemen!

So tonight was pretty exciting too! Long story short: I snorted a bit of liquid and went into a gagging gurgle. In the bathroom, blood exploded out my left nostril. OK, I can self firstaid, I pinch, I tip WAY back and pinch. HARD. Blood continues pouring out. I swallow, gag, panic. Manage to give Dan the new Premera brochure, "find a consulting nurse!", but then gargle, FUCK THAT call 911.
3 minutes later, Nice Firemen show up, ready to comfort me. I snuffle: "Earl workin tonight?" which gets a laugh. They take my blood pressure and mention numbers I've never heard before: 240/120?
what are you usually? I tell them I'm always low, 120/80 kinda stuff. They take it again in 15 minutes. and keep me calm. People-- I was spewing blood outa the front of my face and it wasn't pretty. It was scary enough to call firemen to come into my messy house. I tell the nice firemen I'm the manager of Seattle Mystery, look around, which they do. I said to Dan Tell 'em who wad there yeberday. Dan gets into a long Firesign discuussion with the cute brunette one while i breathed and stopped spewing blood outa the front of my face. I think he was cute. I didn't have my glasses on and said at one point, squinting, I can't see a damn thing, "It's surrealist Firemen in my house!" Brunette replied, "Serraut Firemen!" cute and smart.

Turns out we were told wrong. Pinch real hard but sit up and lean forward. If you pinch and tip WAY BACK like I thought you were sposed to... you swallow bloood and that can cause panic. I can tell you it causes PANIC!!! By the time you read this I've been breathing ok in both nostril, but being gingerly with things.

My blood pressure went down, but they recommend I come to the station and get it checked tomorrow, BY EARL, and then see if it's something to go to the doctor, or just a fluke incident. I'm now breathing ok. But I have a blood soaked towel for souvenier!

I will proudly and gladly pay my taxes, knowing Nice Firemen will show up when I need them for a bloody nose or yankin my ass outa an elevator!


I love Firemen!

I'm Retail. this time of the year is not pretty.

But. some days are crystal.


I have to talk about today. I got to host David Ossman's 70th Birthday Party and I'm still floating! Fans and fanatics came in and then some, Nick Morrison, local dj, wandered in, a meeting place for a lunch date with the Traffic Gal. I asked "you here for the signing?" he eloquently answered "huh? Who?" Turns out our emails are jibberish to his mailbox and he DIDN'T KNOW! Nick is back at KPLU.org and groveling his way back up. It's a cautionary tale, he went for the ssmooooth money jaaazzzzzz. and it turned around and bit him.

I made intros and both David and his wife Judith instantly chimed "you're the one we miss!"

Stories of radio, setting up sets, 2 hour, 4 hour shifts, radio can fool people but the records had to be more in depth, layered. And then Pat asked, did you do the DVD's so us old stoners don't have ta get up and turn it over? David crab-walked off to the S section.agh agh. flip.

But I asked didn't the records always tell you to go do something at the end of each side? and that is left out on the CDs. David thought people who were used to the LPs would stop and go do something an come back. It's a different media than the others. Each has it's own focus. Radio. LP Album. CD. DVD. It's evolution.

And then Nick said this meeting Is Cosmic! Last night he was at MOHAI and will be taking a part in the upcoming xmas play. The whole cast was gathered around and sang a xmas song as a warm up that devolved into GEORGIE PORGIE TIREBITER and everyone knew the words and belted it out! Even ...


wait for it.


JP Patches.

MOHAI Radio Theater
Saturday, Dec. 16th, 7:00pm
Relive the golden age of radio with the nation's only live, regularly scheduled radio drama MOHAI Radio Theatre! Starring EVENING Magazine's John Curley and lots of other local celebrities, and featuring live music and live sound effects (just like it used to be done in the 1930s and 1940s). Reception with cast to follow, with hot cocoa and gingerbread. Broadcast live on KPLU 88.5 FM.
Advanced Tickets available at Brownpapertickets.org: MOHAI Members $10, General $12
Or at the Door for $15
*************************************

It was a day when Nick Morrison was knocked out by David Ossman missing HIM on the radio. And David Ossman was knocked out that JP Patches knew all the words. And everyone was knocked out by Pat Lee's collection. again.
Sometimes your universe lines up. I'm a Patches Pal.

David was saying sometimes they thought their only audience were guys wearing glasses. They didn't know how to attract more audience. Then they saw girls coming to shows. Me and girlfriend said " But we're the girls who wear glasses who HUNG OUT with the guys who wear glasses and we inhaled!"


It's hard out there for a bookseller. But some days shine! Today for one.

We're working on getting copies of The War on Christmas Handbook.