Christmas in Seattle, Day One

I think we may be leaving work early today, so that's cool. However, Joy's not feeling all that well though, so that's like not cool. I hope she feels all better, very soon. Sniffles and sinus problems SUCK.

Christmas in Seattle was a blast. I keep promising myself that it will not be a whole year between visits; this year I fully intend on making good on that. What I'd really like, since Joy wants to visit her brother Brian in Oregon sometime soon, is get it so we can all go to his house, then all three of us drive to Seattle. That, my friend, would be good times. Both Brian and Joy are amazing. My cousin said he'd like me to be there for the Fourth of July. I'd love that.

When I entered Seattle at nighttime on the 22nd, I got the full-on glittering skyline from the south. I knew I'd love that, but I actually found myself getting a little choked up. Down here, I don't exactly feel homesick, but I do miss and very much love my hometown. Anyway, I was amped and needed something to go do before settling in. Near where I was staying was one of my favorite haunts - maybe my number one fave - a fantastic little pub called Fadó. I just love it in there, everyone's friendly and unassuming, it feels fun and comforting. There was a band playing cover tunes, and when I went to go in, the bouncer goes "That'll be a five dollar cover, Miss", and I said "Aw, I'm just going in for a drink and a snack, wow you are so handsome", so the bouncer said, "You just go right ahead, spend your fiver on your drink, sweetie", and I thought, yes, I am home at last. I went in and the sweet waitstaffperson described to me her favorite appetizer when I ordered my beer. It sounded like heaven on Earth, so I ordered it, and it was. Here it is, and I highly recommend you get a Hefeweisen with it when you go:

Chicken Boxty Quesadillas

Our signature boxty potato pancake is richly layered with grilled chicken, melted pepper jack cheese and drizzled with a red chili aioli. Tomato pico, sour cream and salsa on the side.


I listened to the band, watched people, talked to the fun girls at the neighboring table and flirted with my cute, friendly waitress. I savored my food and soaked in the festive comfort of feeling like I belonged (I considered that, that I don't really have a hang-out here in L.A., and I should probably find one) and was really home, safe and warm and cozy in the cold weather. I drained my beer, tipped my waitress with a little extra Christmas cheer, and went to bed down for a long winter's nap.

Tomorrow or Sunday, Day Two.

Christmas Rocked

OMG, I had SUCH a great time! I of course only wished it could have lasted longer.

It's closing in on time to go home (I should have started earlier, :P) but tomorrow I'll tell you the whole story. I just wanted to check in, let you know I got back in one piece, and had a great time with the family.

The Seahawks, on the other hand ... *long, painful sigh.* I'll get to that topic too, and others.

See you tomorrow!

Kevin Quattro!

I read through this guy's blog, and I just really like him. He is a special effects supervisor who is clearly very good at his job - go check out his demo reel. I've linked him on the sidebar.

Check it out, I Vlogged

Happy Monday

I think I might be able to go home after all, I hope so. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm a pretty terrible budgeter, but when something's important, I can often pull it off anyway.

I'm really need to get a good headshot so I can audition for real work and start making some more money! I dream of the day I can both fix my financial quagmire and be really excited about going to work (not that I don't adore working with Joy every day - I couldn't ask for better company. But you know what I mean).

I also want to be able to plan a visit with Tony as soon as possible. I also need a bunch of other important stuff, including way better digs and a car, ASAP.

Speaking of listing stuff I want, here is the official Christmas list I sent to Mom:

1) An iPod Shuffle
2) Or, better yet, this phone
3) Phone cards for talking with Tony in Mexico
4-?) Gift cards to various and assorted retail establishments


In other news, the Hawks have hit a slump. They were upset by the 49ers on Thursday, blowing a second chance to clinch their spot. Please think energetic, winning thoughts for them as they take on the Chargers on Christmas Eve. The Redskins won their game Sunday against the Saints (speaking of upsets)!!! Jeff is probably pretty psyched. It's been a rough season for those guys, and they deserve a break. His ticket was a bust, so he's still ahead by only $0.40 . Meh.

How Do I Top THAT?

I was trying to decide how to follow that most recent post, a result of the most spectacularly great news in my whole life, and thought Jeez, what? The Seahawks? Well that is a happy enough topic, I suppose. Nothing will hold a candle to getting back in touch with Tony, so. I might as well start somewhere.

The Hawks play a must-win tomorrow against the 49ers. I have some natural West Coast love for San Francisco, and I otherwise always cheer them on, but NOT TOMORROW damnit.

Aaaauuggghhh! So tense!

I'd love to see us be on top of our division again and be in contention for the SuperBowl. I'd love my hometown to make a habit of it, actually. Last year was SO exciting, and I felt so proud along with the rest of my tribe, especially Mom, Scott and Noah (an excellent athlete in his own right, thank you very much). There were some seriously questionable (and some outright bad) calls last year, and I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch with the Steelers, but whoever. Unfortunately, they missed an opportunity to clinch the NFC West last Sunday against Arizona, which would have been such a relief, but that's okay. They'll do great tomorrow, and of course we'll love 'em no matter what.

Jeff's Redskins lost their game Sunday. The update on that whole situation is that with the ticket he owed me for the previous week, we won $10. So I'm catching up:

(Jeff $ 14.20)
(Cath $.13.80)

Let's hope (fervently, please!) that he ends up owing me a ticket on Friday morning :)

Hi, Tony!

"If you open your mind for me, you won't rely on open eyes to see."

Those lyrics, from Queensryche's Silent Lucidity are a good example of the kinds of things that Tony and I have in common. In talking with him, I've been rediscovering how connected we are, and that so many of the basic and subtle things that make us who we are, are the very same or remarkably similar.

We are drawn to and fascinated by the same kinds of things, develop similar ways of perceiving them and prioritizing what is truly important about them. We are both philosophical creatures, drawn to grow our minds and look deep into the larger contexts of humanity: its growth and evolution, its passions like spirituality/religions (especially those of the ancients) its hierarchy (government, law, and to some extent, politics), its environment, its history, its mind. He loves the bigger picture, just like his mom.

He loves stargazing - his favorite constellation is Orion, the Hunter. I've always loved that one, but my favorite has always been Casseopoeia. We love the sea (I have always identified as a nautical person) - I can't remember where the conversation went when I asked him whether he likes maps, but he does love geography, and I have a feeling he does. Like maps. :P I think we like to be oriented. In as many ways and at as deep a level as possible. Some people just need to know, like a soul urge, where they are, and where their fellow humans are. It's integral, in the minds of people like us, to who we are, have been and are becoming.

Jeez, and these things are just the tip of the iceberg ... I am so excited and happy to be discovering and rediscovering my neat kid. There are already so many things to talk about here that I'm spilling over with them, and I had a hard time deciding which stuff to talk about first.

I wish I had a picture of him to post here, hopefully that won't be too long in coming ...

Yesterday's conversation with him was the first in twelve years. It was wonderful and happy. I couldn't get to sleep because I was still excited, thinking about him and everything we had said and begun to say, and thinking about stuff for the next conversation, and the future with him. I realized I had my little kid back, just big now, and that I get to talk with him - and hopefully soon, hang out with him (!!!) - for the rest of our lives. We like eachother and love eachother, we are like minded and easy going - I am looking forward to my relationship with him! This is something I am free to do now, things I am free to know for sure and plan for. I can share thoughts and music and ideas with him. I get to know and have everything he'd like to share with me. We can ask eachother anything, and not wonder anymore.

I can tell my kid that I love him, and listen to him tell me he loves me. I can hear him laugh. Welcome home, Tony Baloney Balloon. I LOVE YOU.

A Very Buried Christmas Special

So when you are done reading this post, scroll down and check out the cleverly recast 'trailer' for Mary Poppins. So cool!

I saw this very old Christmas special called Santa Claus is Coming to Town, narrated by the always entertaining Fred Astaire, a few of nights ago. At its beginning, I wondered, have I ever seen this? I don't think so, hmmm. I dropped the thought, setting up to enjoy something unfamiliar and trying to pick out when it was produced. I also like to study these things sort of anthropologically, take the temp of some of society's notions and tendencies back in the day. But somewhere about three quarters of the way through, there was a reference to Rudolph - and I recognized it. So then things started coming back to me .... shyte, it's time to go home and I am not finished!!! I will finish this over the weekend, I promise.

Ugh, should have started earlier. :P

*December 12, 2006 - I'll come back to Christmas Specials in the coming days. If you scroll up, you'll discover I have some really exciting news. I'll probably be psyched to talk about that first for a while. :D*

Editorial Genius:

Lazy Blogger, Jeez

I've almost never blogged on a daily basis, maybe for small stretches here and there, but I should definitely post more frequently than I have been lately. I'll try to step it up. It would definitely help and motivate me if you guys LEFT ME LITTLE NOTES IN THE COMMENTS BOXES!!! I love reading and responding to those, and I'll sometimes get ideas from them for future posts.

Today, please go do this: Light To Unite



I'm not an cause-pusher type of person, but this is effortless, quick, and could do some real good. One of my closest friends has AIDS, so this is close to home for me.

I'm gonna put together another post, one more like my usual little musey essays, before I go home today.

Howdy.

I thought of a whole bunch of things to talk about over the weekend, and now I am drawing a BLANK. Well, while I'm thinking here, I can fall back on yesterday's awesome SEAHAWKS win. I wish I could say it was because they played really well, but they'll pick up next Sunday. The season will be getting exciting pretty soon.

Here is a Seahawks blog I found, looks good so far. If it's great, I'll link it at the sidebar. I know it's just you (4-7, depending :P) guys, but you never know when a fellow Seahawks person will Google for other fans. Maybe they'll find me and find my links useful ...?

The Redskins lost what looked for the first two quarters to be a really promising game for them, so disappointing. Jeff wrote this morning to let me know he'd be getting a ticket for me soon. I sent a far too chatty reply, as I realized the microsecond after I hit 'send'. *Sigh*.

What else, what else? Ah, here's something: I just read this fascinating book called Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, which Joy kindly checked out for me at her school library. It's something you would be fascinated by if you are curious or interested in how we read the world, especially faces. He focusses on rapid cognition, or "thin slicing", and explains that we pick up on and put together (and draw conclusions about) pieces of our reality without knowing or realizing that we are doing so, or how. He slows the process down, explains it and gives examples, and it's some cool shit. Some of his material is stuff we are generally aware of, but go on without giving too much thought to; this book reminds us. It isn't perfect, there are a couple not-too-lengthy chunks I found tedious and/or would have approached or exemplified differently (maybe would have been more careful and specific with some of the composition), but it usually sang very well and right on key. So until I can remember and write down some of the stuff I hand on hand to talk about, I'll recommend Blink.