Raincharm’s Weblog

Mom has been pushing me for a while now to do a guest entry on her blog, and I naturally have been putting it off.  With her off on the 3-day now though I figured I should give her something thrilling to come home to.

well, maybe not THAT thrilling

She asked me to write about my summer vacation, which should be easy enough seeing as there wasn’t all that much to it.  A 40 hour a week job punctuated by baseball, boys, and booze.  I also slept on occasion but I found that it was rather overrated.

i save it for the school year

It turns out that Seattle is a ridiculously fun city when you’re finally upgraded to that magical horizontal drivers license.  Lots of great bars to see bands or just hang out – bars that are significantly cheaper and more relaxed (translation: Ashlan friendly) than any I have found in Vancouver.  (Damn this expensive and disgustingly image conscious city!)  It also consistently amused me when servers were shocked that “such a new drinker” would have my affinity for dark beers.  Because apparently flavor is just for old people.

and racist toucans

The Mariners didn’t do too well while I was home (First 7 games I saw – all losses) but I had a great time at the games anyways, hanging out with friends and still managing to fall in love with my fair share of players – I prefer the term “consistent” to “predictable”.  Plus BRANYAN!!!! made his triumphant return in July which made me just about delirious with happiness.

my personal messiah

I also played softball in what can only be described as a beer league.  My team was really fun and I even got a few hits!  We also ended the season with a team barbeque at the beach on a spectacularly sunny day, where I learned that volleyball is NOT my sport (short +not into diving does not a v-ball player make). That said, I think I succeeded at proving my aptitude at hamburger and hot dog consumption.  Pretty sure that means my future is set (not the card game – though I totally rock at that too).

this is the first time i've seriously wanted a smart phone

Our vacations were pretty sweet this summer as well.  One to Tennessee (the unflooded side) to visit the boy, and one to Yellowstone and Dylan, Colorado (with not insignificant stops in Helena and Boise along the way).  I’m not gonna go into detail about these trips, except to say that Rey now knows that he is 23 thanks to the sheer amount of cupcakes I frosted that fact onto, and that WE SAW A BEAR.  It was awesome.  Also I took away from these sun-soaked locations that pretty much everywhere outside of Seattle is warmer than Seattle.

blatantly photoshopped. we don't get sunny days.

As great as my summer was and as much as I absolutely did not want to leave my lovely home (and lovelier family) I must admit I’m enjoying being back in Vancouver.  It’s been wonderful seeing all of my friends, and my roomie and I are partying super hardcore.

we play cribbage almost every night before bed. not a joke.

Well mom, there ya go.  My summer in a nutshell.  I was going to thank you for giving me a valid reason to procrastinate from my homework, but I think I’ll go the good daughter route and rather thank you for what you’re doing this weekend (or I suppose by the time you read this – what you did this weekend).  Your efforts are making a difference and are genuinely appreciated by me and by many others.   I hope it went wonderfully and that you didn’t have to use all of your ponchos.

Love, Ashlan

Of course I was late leaving work.
Trying to finish up stuff that is not due until Monday.
But since I am not at work tomorrow – it must be done.
And I tried to squeeze in just a few more tasks.

So here I am – at Shelley’s house.
A ride home – yes, she stayed late for me (only 5:30).
Then dinner – steak, salmon, potatoes and salad – I am sure this is better than what I would have made for myself.
Now – some tea, and then bed.
And a book by the bed – The BFG, by Roald Dahl – one of my favorites.

And then she will get up EARLY to get me to the staring blocks.
They want you there between 5:30 and 6:00 AM.

What more could I ask?

Well, a hat. I have a walking hat, but not a warmish nighttime hat.
Now I have a pink one to wear to ward off the chill.

Friends – what would we do without them.

When you pack for the 3-Day 60-mile walk to find a cure, they request you keep your luggage under 35 pounds.

I packed 3-days of clothes, night clothes, extra pants, toiletries, sleeping bag, sleeping pad (2) (and I don’t have the Cadillac version Jane loaned me last year), and a few other sundries. My bag is less than 25 pounds.  I would really have to work to get another 10 pounds into my bag. But, I assume it can be done.

And so I am packed and ready to go. Figure out what to do tomorrow night at my friend’s house. I think her son has some plans for us. Could be fun. Nervous – a bit. Anxious for it to be underway – definitely.

Thanks to all that have supported me, and this cause – to find a cure for cancer.
Cancer is never very far away.
A friend passed away today. Brain cancer. Too young.

Do you ever have a week when you can not figure out what day it is?
And it was not a week that started with a Monday holiday?

That is how I am feeling this week.
The work week did start a half day late due to taking others to appointments and train stations.
And it will end a day early due to a long walk.

But most of my brain thinks of the walk as a weekend walk, which does not include Friday.

And I am staying elsewhere Thursday night to make it easier to get to the early Friday start.

So I need to pack by Wednesday night, and take it all with me to work on Thursday.
Meaning – finding a ride to work on Thursday – with luggage.
The ride to the alternative dwelling is with a work-mate, so getting from work on Thursday is not so much of a problem.

But it has made my work week seem about only two days long.
Many would find that to be a good thing, but I have more to do than I can accomplish in two days.

Back to packing.

I believe I heard that saying growing up in Michigan, but I know I hear it here in the great Northwest. Today it was true, although I only really experienced 2 weather models.

1.  Sunny and mild (60’s) with high clouds.
2.  Pouring down rain.

Not much in between.

My day started with getting ready for a soccer game (playing).
I took a plastic bag to put my backpack into, and a complete change of clothes. [The change of clothes was for attending the M’s game after the soccer game.]

Not really raining on the drive to the field. But as soon as the game got going, so did the rain. We were soaked. About half time it stopped, and the sun came out. As the second half started I actually thought, “I’m drying out. Not too bad.” (I did not speak it out loud, but apparently even thinking counts for the weather gods.) And then the rain started again, harder than before, and continued until the end of the game.

Ashlan sat in the car in her wet clothes while I changed. It took me a while. I brought the complete change of clothes, but no towel. I am sure many of you have tried to put on a swimsuit when you’re already wet. That was kind of what this was like.

Ashlan then dropped me at Safeco Field, and the sun was out. It stayed out soo long that they opened the roof. And it stayed open until the 8th inning, when the black clouds threatened once again.

Sunny on the way home. Still sunny.

And the Mariner’s won (2-1). A nearby fan that is at many games caught a ball thrown up at the end of an inning. Her first ball ever, and it was a nice, clean, bare handed catch. And Carl caught a ball thrown up at the end of warm-ups in the 8th inning, and was able to give it to his next-door seatmate. A 5 year-old at his 1st game ever. Just a really pleasant afternoon.

?!

I was supposed to get up early today, walk for 3 hours with a friend.
Next up – go to the Wallingford Wurst Festival, and have a wurst or two.
Finally – Mariner’s game in the second tier seats, a place I have never sat.

I got up. Drove to West Seattle. Walked and talked for said 3 hours, probably 8 miles (don’t really know, and don’t know where we went, so I can’t measure).  Check

Came home. After a short bit, set out walking again with Carl, the 1 mile to the Wurst. I had a white with kraut, and a red on a stick. Yum. The Wallingford Wurst is a fund raiser for St. Benedicts school. Angela, one of Carl’s kids, went there last year for pre-kindergarten. That is not why we went to the Wurst. It is just a fun, local, neighborhood event with food, local music, and rides/events for kids. When our kids were smaller they had real carnival rides. Now they have air supported things, and carnival type games that are staffed by St. Bens parents. Good time. And we walked home. Check

For a rainy day, it was sunny. I think it did rain, but that was before the sun came up.

While whiling away the 2 hours between wurst and worst Mariner’s I was wandering through the latest National Geographic. And nodding off. First sitting, then lounging, then lying down. Then I heard Carl saying, “Kevin, do you want to use our second ticket to the game? Jay has checked out.”

And so, I am home. Finished the magazine, and watched a show with Ashlan. Tomorrow – well I should be well-rested.

Mariners? NO

Seahawks? Too early to tell.

Dawgs? Same as Seahawks

Sounders? They are currently middle of the pack

The SEATTLE STORM!

Champions of the WNBA

Woo-hoo!

Yes, “Blonde Moments” would be potentially discriminatory. But there are a few (natural, more or less) blondes in our office that love to talk about them, and they are referenced with respect to people with all manner of hair colors, as well as those devoid of hair.

So here is mine for the day.

Work was really busy today. Just a few moments of “work” that was not in meetings or trying to meet a deadline on one bit. Just hustling from one thing to another. My last work act on the calendar was to be at the Sammamish Sustainability Fair. This is a group of booths attached to the regular Wednesday afternoon/evening farmers market. We had a booth last year, and repeated this year – to talk about water conservation.

We have tons of giveaways; hose nozzles, low flow shower heads, shower timers, water hogs, rain gauges, etc. And we had Wayne Drop, a rather large walking water drop.

So I was going to join Wayne, Janet and another to staff our booth. I had been at another off-site tour, so was joining a bit late. One item to take care of before I left – Call Carl and let him know that a workmate might be dropping by at the M’s game tonight.

From my work phone I called Carl’s cell.
Just as it starts to ring, my cell phone rings and it notes it is Shelley, who is working from home. So I hang up on my Carl call to pick up Shelley’s call. Which has gone to missed call in the meantime. So I hit the call back button. Paddy at the front desk answers, and I ask her if she had tried to transfer Shelley to me. She says no.

So I hang up, and start to call Carl again.
And again, my cell phone rings, with Shelley calling in.
So, without hanging up on the call to Carl I answer the phone.
“Hello. Hello?”

I hear the “Hello” from three perspectives. My own voice and both of the telephones I have to my ear.

Oh yeah, the phone that Carl had all summer is now in my possession, and he has Ashlan’s phone. I have been calling myself.

Blonde.

So, now I call Ashlan’s number and Carl answers.
As I try to tell him about the workmate going to the game, he says, “You mean you didn’t call to ask about the home run that Branyan just hit that landed about 3 rows right over their head?”
“No, I thought it was a night game, not a day game.”

Cuteness bit.
In the background I hear Lillian (4 yrs old) say, “Are you calling my Daddy to tell him to look for me on TV?”

We went to the Mariners Red Sox game last night.
[Actually, there were still more Mariner’s than Red Sox fans in attendance I believe. And most of the Red Sox “fans” are not from Boston or New England.]

You know when there are hundreds or thousands of fans all cheering for players, but somebody just stands out.

The Boston right-fielder last night was Josh Reddick.
In the early innings he threw up a ball to my seat, after the 3rd out.
I did not stand up, but both Carl & Kevin did on either side of me – with mitts outstretched. Kevin is a bit taller than Carl, and he won the prize. I am not sure if they would have even noticed if I stood up, and Kevin could not assure me he would have allowed me to catch the ball if I had.
In any case, that is not really the point.

In the latter innings a woman came down in the bottom half of the inning (Red Sox on the field) and sat a few seats away from us. She started cheering for Josh (not Reddick, Josh). That is not too unusual I am sure, but it was the look in her eyes, and the singular focus on him.

She left after the half of the inning was over, but reappeared in the next section over for the next bottom half of the inning. Same look, same focus.

Kevin thought about telling her who had tossed up the ball that was sitting in his cup-holder. We thought for sure he might be able to make a profit, either for $$ or other favors.

Re-reading this it does not sound like much, but it really was a little creepy at the time. Maybe it was nothing, and she knew him in high school, little league (Georgia?) or who knows. But we think we caught him looking over his shoulder a few times, in her direction. No direct eye contact, just checking out the scenery.

Oh, and the game? Mariners lost 5-1.

8 more home games.
[Carl and some of the groundskeepers have a running dialogue now. “How many more games?” “##!” It has been going on for quite a while now. Ways to keep these dismal seasons interesting.

Ashlan – do your homework, and it will be more interesting!

21 miles is the most I have walked in one day since last August.
It was a reasonable northwest day, high in the mid-60’s, but no rain.
A great group to walk with. It does make the mileage pass more quickly.

Started at 7:30 AMish, finished at 5 PM. Stopped at a restaurant for lunch, and 5 or 6 other potty and catch up breaks. I think I am now ready for the big walk, essentially take yesterday and repeat, and repeat. I chose not to walk today, but rather, to catch up on some other items. Other than the raising money, the biggest thing about doing the 3-day is the time spent training. I think that is the biggest thing that  the participants give, or give up. Time. After these past few years I feel like I should be able to walk at least 5 miles at any time. I should be able to throw down a 10-mile walk without too much fal-de-ral. But for me, over 10 for more than one day in a row requires having your feet hardened and your mind at ease with your abilities. Carl has walked several times with me, short and medium. I think the longest we have done together is probably 13 miles. He can definitely do these, but feels like he is reaching his limit (without really training for more).

One last appeal – if you want to support research to find a cure, for breast cancer and other cancers as well, find the Donate line on the right. Several of the women I walk with are survivors, and the discoveries and treatment changes they have been able to implement in the last decade are impressive. But the research does need to be backed with resources. If you want to learn more, go to Susan G. Komen OK – done with the pitch, because Everyone Deserves a Lifetime.

So, my other things? Sitting in the house past 7 AM for starters. Then I need to catch up on a little Family Arithmetic, sign up for tickets to the Picasso exhibit and then do some work. I am sure a few more things to do will creep in along the way. But, it is nice to spend a weekend day at home.