Ramblings of a Guttersnipe

Why Washington is the Best State

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 07:46:00 +0000

It was another camping weekend. If you're in the Paxific Northwest you know how amazing the weather was. We drove down to Tacoma to see a friend's daughter's play and then we were off on 410 East. We camped.

There was some genius improvisation on my fellas part he realized he forgot his mesh wire to cook the chicken.

Those are weenie little roasting forks. We ate well. I can take no credit.

We saw a tree.

Then the next drive we went for a drive and spent some time by and in the river and I worked on my sunburn. These pictures don't even come close to capturing how gorgeous the mountains were.

I was told to share

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 04:20:00 +0000

Buuuuuuuddy

Who is Winning at Politics?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 05:45:00 +0000

Lately I've been pondering all the posts on Facebook from my friends who feel very strongly that their political view is The Right political view. I have super liberal friends and super conservative friends. I personally find little joy in discussing politics, and try to avoid sharing my opinion on Facebook, because I am not interested in arguing about it or influencing others. The one exception, from time to time, is things that have to do with the poor, mentally ill, or social justice issues (like blatant racism). To me, those posts I do make are less about politics and more about trying to be a good human being and to explore and learn more about social issues.

I'm not saying that people who post about their political beliefs are doing something wrong. Many of my friends who post are actually passionate about politics. A continued interest in what is going on with our government is healthy for us as voters. I have been trying more the last few years to be better informed. The phenomenon on Facebook that fascinates me are the posts I see that are SO slanted to the right or left it seems a little questionable to me that a person could actually wholly believe it. These posts seem to have the same fervor and fanaticism engrained in them as the feverish pitch we were seeing in posts about the Seahawks at the beginning of the year. Posts that seem to say "my team is the best and we will stomp you."

I am not saying which way I lean. You can probably guess and about a third of you would be right. I don't understand this frenzied the other side is evil message I see from both sides. I know really good people on both ends of the spectrum. I don't understand this need to prove absolute rightness, to the detriment of any kind of discussion where ideas can be exchanged and weighed on their own merit and not just on which platform they fit into. My wish for our country is that we rediscover thoughtful, intelligent debate and deep examination of issues. It baffles me to see both of the two major parties seemingly folding their arms and stomping their feet and saying the only way to play is their way. You are not all eight, politicians. I would like to see a congress of adults trying to do important work instead of getting so mired in blocking the other side from doing anything. The whole thing seems to be perpetuated by a sick and dying media. It would be nice if we still had serious news outlets who reported news based on more than what will get the most clicks. I'm tired of seeing Miley in the headlines of the most prominent news outlets. I'm tired of a congress who never stops campaigning long enough to legislate. I want to live in a Weat Wing kind of world where people in both parties feel morally obligated to get things done, instead of people from both parties spending all their time trying to win some morality competition through grandstanding and finger pointing, not to mention gross exaggeration. And, more simply, I would like to stop seeing posts claiming that Michelle Obama is a man or that every religious person is a bigot. What do those posts accomplish? They're not as funny as you think.

Gone Fishin'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 02:45:00 +0000

Me and my fella went fishing.

And by that I mean he fished and I read my Kindle. Book club book. The Giver. Review to follow.

Camping.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 02:33:00 +0000

This weekend I briefly escaped the city and went camping up in the mountains near North Bend. I took several lovely dunks in the freezing cold river. I have a sunburn now. And bug bites. Why must they always bite my face?

I saw flowers.

And other flowers.

And naturally there was a remote control truck off-roading.

And we cooked chicken with roasting forks (cause we forgot the thing we were going to use).

I think the sun killed my writing brain. I feel like I'm writing with the aggravating lack of depth or interest found in Eragon. Which I hated. Good basic plot. Horrible writing. That concludes my book review.

The Bright Side of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 02:50:00 +0000

I have been struggling to find the bright side of life recently. This is mostly due to my continued state of unemployment. I am fairly weary of trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be learning from this and being told things like Everything happens for a reason and Something is meant to come along for me. I would be quite happy if Something would ACTUALLY come along. That would be awesome. I've had many interviews and am typically told they are very impressed, I am very qualified, and that I was one of their final candidates. Which is great to hear. But not as great as something along the lines of "you're hired." I would like to hear that.

It's been over six months. And you know that unemployment extension congress refused to approve? You now know someone who doesn't know how she will pay rent in future because of it. So thanks childish politicians intent on making the other party wrong by refusing to work together. I'm not voting for any of you again.

Having gotten that little vent out, I shall continue to believe my job is super close to being, well, my job.

Also I now have Always Look on the Bright Side of Life in my head. So that helps.

We're MELTING

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 06:40:00 +0000

It has been HOT here in Seattle. And by hot I mean exceeding 75. We are not equipped to handle this. And by we I mean me. Really, I've been thankful my current abode has not gotten as hot as it could have. Also I love my fan. And views like this.

And this.

We try not to tell people it is so beautiful here so please don't share this post.

Also I'm sure it will rain on the fourth because that's how we celebrate America in Seattle.

There's an App.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 22:54:00 +0000

Turns out there is a blogger app. When I looked like six months ago I didn't see one. This means I can type posts on my phone with two fingers and take pictures and post them straight to my blog! You can anticipate some random posts. But I canform separate paragraphs and that is exciting indeed.

See what I did right there?

This is a picture from my phone.

This is another one.

See, thrilling posts at my fingertips!!!

Reading.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 07:56:00 +0000

This is attempt number three to type this silly post. I am at war with this computer. The one with no enter bar. Said ghost enter bar got stuck and somehow I posted a ginormous empty post. Big black space. Like the space in my heart for this computer right now. And now I'm afraid to press enter. So we're going with the no paragraph format. So... ahem... as I was saying (but keep in mind the first draft was ever so eloquent as all lost drafts are. So if I say something funny here, just know in your heart you would have been piddling in your pajama bottoms had you seen the original. If not for the evil computer)... During my time of unemployment (which commenced January 1st--Happy New Year-- when I was laid off), I have rediscovered that I am, in fact, literate. Growing up, I was always reading. Christmas wishlists generally just had "books" as an item. I did not need to specify. I just loved them all. When I hit college, the whole reading for pleasure thing went out the window. All the sudden there was all this studying to be done. So not so much reading for pleasure. After college, I was a fairly good reader, but the depression thing set in really firmly and for the last three or four years books have not been a thing in my life (except to rack up late fees from unopened books at the library). Darn apathy. But I am pleased to report that during this lovely time of unemployment, outside of the time spent on the job-search thing, I have had quite a bit of time to read some fine literature, and other books too. I just hit save. Just wanted to let you know that at this juncture. Because for the love of all that is good in this world, I will not lose this freaking post again. Since my other thing I'm trying to start doing again is writing (specifically on this blog), I thought that this clearly is the time and place for my very first book review. Unless I've reviewed books on here before. In which case, just kidding. The book I finished earlier this week has been on my mind ever since. I cannot wait for the next in the series. It's one of those book series that people have tagged as "the next Hunger Games." Basically because it's about a distopian world with a protagonist. (People also have called Divergent, which I found deficient "the next Hunger Games." If you haven't read all three books don't even try to argue otherwise. That's all I'm saying.) I loved the way that Brown developed the main character, and led the reader to be invested in the mission he finds himself on. He created an entire world with it's own history, cultures, and customs that were easy to imagine, but wildly different from our world. I love authors who are so complete in their imagining of a new world and their attention to details about why the world is the way it is (for me Harry Potter and Huinger Games both accomplished that well). By the end of the book, I found myself excited to see where the next book starts, and to find out what life looks like in the part of the world the story has moved to. This book has got a nice sci-fi, fantasy feel. This is totally a book that dudes would love as well as us chicks. There is a fair amount of violence in it, and some cussing. For the most part I felt that those elements were used well to develop the story and were not gratuitous (although he has a favorite swear word that I could have done with a little less of, but he probably thought it lent some realism to the character). Basically, I"m super excited to read the next book, and super bummed that it won't come out until 2015. This is an instance where jumping on the bandwagon early can be cause for an annoying amount of waiting. I am pretty confident that the wait will be worth it. (insert paragraph break here, or cuss at the computer. One of those two things). My other pick for books worth your time is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. This story about a chinese boy and his japanese girl friend at the beginning of World War II is sweet, and very interesting from a historical perspective. It's set in Seattle, and you can tell the author took the time to research what things were like at that time. This part of Seattle's history has fascinated me since I learned of Japanese interment camps in middle school. I've always been so amazed at the way we gloss over these types of injustices perpetrated by the government, but also citizens. I love this book for putting very real human perspective on the events of the time. It was a quick read and definitely worth my time.

Hey.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 06:07:00 +0000

So apparently two or three people read this 'cause I've gotten at least three nudges in the last year. Pretty exciting stuff. Sorry guys. Distracted by life changes and whatnot. And by this cat.

Also this computer has no working enter button. Neato formatting, huh? I'm going to try to start posting here more often. I have no job right now, so it should be super easy to find the time...

Deep Thoughts?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 04:44:00 +0000

You know those little meme quote picture things are really popular on myface and pinterest and just everywhere right now... and I've had some really good quotes come my way that make me think, I should totally remember this. And then I pin it. And then I forget it. But, man, it was deep. Today I came across a few that just made me... confused.

1. you can shake the sand from your shoes but not from your soul. (Especially the crevices of your soul. Man, I hate when I get sand stuck there)

2. The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. (This sounds painful. Also like a book I read... about the seven rings of hell)

I'm going to make up deep quotes and post them on pinterest, and see how far they go. I feel this is my opportunity for fame. But then, they may just end up getting attributed to Marilyn Monroe.

Hope and Good Feelings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:05:00 +0000

I have to say with some of the sad, tragic things coming up in the news lately, it's nice when every once in a while, something inspiring happens. I was happy to hear about this. I think most of us are aware of the "church" that pickets funerals in the name of God. This is not the first time I've heard of people talking about trying to counteract the picketers. But this is the first time I have seen a news story reflecting such an overwhelming and compassionate response. What I love about this story is that the gathering was not about telling the "church" what big jerks they are, although I do believe they are big jerks. It was about showing love and support to the family of the fallen soldier. These are people with hearts who identified that this family should not have to suffer heckling or hatred as they grieve the sudden loss of their loved one, and deal with the pain I would imagine comes with that situation. The idea was to honor the man, who haled from their alma mater, by forming a maroon wall. They were to face away from the place the protesters might stand. They were to remain silent.

Of course, the protesters didn't show. I'm sure they heard about the event being organized online. I like to think that this show of support lifted the family up a little bit that day though. And it is so heartening and inspiring to me to see strangers unite for such an amazing act of compassion.

Saturday Therapy.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:11:00 +0000

I'm not usually one of those animal clip youtube watchers, but I want this kitty!

What My Parents Never Had to Tell Me

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:45:00 +0000

The other day I was in the car with my good friend, driving through a rather affluent area near Seattle. We missed a turn and had to find a way to turn around, and my friend remarked that she needed to drive carefully so that she didn't get pulled over. At first, I assumed she was thinking that because we were in an affluent area, they would have more vigilant police who are more likely to ticket. I realized, though, that her concern was something I have never had to think of. My friend, you see, is an African-American woman. Based on her own personal experiences, she has learned over the span of her almost 40 years that there is such a thing as getting pulled over for a DWB. That is, Driving While Black.

Growing up I never really understood the controversy that would bubble up from time to time in the news surrounding incidents where people of color would protest loudly that the police were profiling. I found it unsettling and naively hoped that claims were not founded. The current outcry over the shooting of Trayvon Martin and how Florida police handled it is the perfect example of the type of story that would make me uneasy. As a teenager I would be confused by stories like this, especially if the incident in question happened in Seattle. If it happened somewhere else across the country, sure, I could believe that racism was alive and thriving, in those places. I would have been outraged by Trayvon's story as a young person, much as I am now.

The difference is, now I do believe that things like the tragic shooting of Trayvon can and do happen in my beloved Northwest. From all accounts, Trayvon was a sweet kid. Not perfect, but not out causing trouble by any means. Even though my eyes have been opened just a teensy bit to the racist attitudes and prejudices that exist today, I am flabbergasted that the shooter in the case was not even arrested or charged with anything, even though he admits to shooting young Trayvon. Because he claims it was self defense, he has not been charged. That leads me to ask the very intelligent question, "um, what?" He sees the boy, calls the police, they tell him not to follow the kid, he does anyways, and then claims this 140 lb 6'2" kid started an "altercation" and so he was forced to shoot him in self defense. If you listen to the 911 call, Zimmerman doesn't really report that Trayvon has actually done anything other than walk down the street (although it was raining, which apparently makes this suspicious...). Some neighbors have come forward vehemently stating Zimmerman was in the wrong. The police still seem unmoved. It's a heartbreaking story and I could say quite a bit more, but my point here is, it happens. I do believe this story would be playing out quite a bit differently had it been a white teen. And the lessons children of color are forced to learn from incidents like this are troubling.

As a product of this story, there are all kinds of discussions and news stories bubbling up. One of them was this one by NPR. In the audio story, several people relate their memories of The Talk their parents had with them at a young age about how they should interact with police officers and other people of authority. This story struck a chord with me. I have gained a new understanding of the reality of the necessity parents of children of color feel to have these talks in the last few years. I have talked with women I work with, and who I respect and value, who have related to me specific instances where they, as women of color, and family members have been profiled here in Seattle as well as in other areas. I have observed the sometimes subtle and sometimes blatant difference between the way that everyone from persons of authority to business people interact with me (a white woman), and my friend (a black woman in a more powerful and prestigious position). The reality of these differences is something that my friend has been aware of all her life. For me, it's been a recent awakening to the reality of the difference. If she is pulled over by the police, she thinks about things like where she keeps her hands and the tone of voice she uses. I think about how much it's going to suck if I get a ticket and how it will impact my insurance. I don't think I've ever been refused service anywhere. I've stood with her and witnessed a local businessman decline to give her service when he clearly could have given it. It's all very polite here in the Northwest (at least it has been when I have been present), but it's there. Whether it's conscious or unconscious (and I believe it happens both ways), racism is alive in the Northwest. So I can joke about the possibility of her getting pulled over for a DWB (which I did that day, in an insensitive moment), but the reality is, it happens, and it's not funny.

Important Issues on the News.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:03:00 +0000

I like to ponder the deep things in life. Like this:

Really, I've been thinking hard on this. My thoughts include:

1. What *exactly* is in that video. Her description is odd. What are the girls doing? What was the context? They make it sound like NC-17 stuff.
2. The Police? Really? People are demanding criminal charges? I mean, yeah, the teacher is stupid. Don't show videos you have not reviewed yet, dork. Don't let students YouTube things in class. Duh. But should he be jailed for dumb?
3. Why, when I googled this to see if there was more information out there, was the other thing I found on this high school that some brilliant policeman maced some Tongans for doing a Haka at the end of a High School football game? (warning: watching this video might possibly cause puking or just seizures. Don't watch too hard. But you'll get the idea.)

Way to be culturally competent dude. Six dudes doing a Haka does not equal a riot. Simmer down. Okay, this article says it was fifteen men and boys(seriously wondering based on the video if they suck at counting...) but really, this is silly. The police should take some responsibility and admit they might have used a better method for crowd control in this instance, right? The issue, supposedly, was that they were blocking the exit. So the police department could say, hey, we're gonna do some trainings on this, right? Ummm, not so much. They said "hey, these folks coulda been starting a riot. We didn't know! We never seen a Haka" Are you kidding me? They took a look at a group of Polynesian men moving in unison and chanting in their native tongue, and it looked like a riot? They got some smarts out there in Roosevelt, UT! But, you know, they waited 17 seconds after ordering the men to "make a hole" to allow people out of the stadium. I am STUNNED that the judge thought the officer was justified in thinking he was in "immediate threat to danger."

Moving on from tangent...

4. (remember, I was making a list up there ^^) The mascot for Union High School is the Cougar. (I discovered this in the article about the Haka "riot."). Really, good people of Roosevelt, shouldn't you also be protesting this, along with the obscene Tosh.o clip? Because, as you know, Cougars are just not appropriate.

My Ah Ha Moment with George

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 03:40:00 +0000

I've never really understood protests. It always seemed like such a silly concept to me. Let's go be somewhere that we are possibly not supposed to be, and wait to be arrested. OR, we can get a permit and be allowed to be there, and sit around and think deep thoughts about the issue. That was how protesting always seemed to me in my less mature years. Now that I am so much more mature, I am beginning to get it. This, right here, is the perfect illustration:

video platform video management video solutions video player

Also, siiiigh. ABC is so dramatic. BBC just told it like it was. ABC said they "stormed" the embassy in the article attached to this video. Um, they are standing around surrounded by cameras like they are at a Red Carpet event. Really? Stormed? In one of the other videos, the report described them as being "hauled away." Yes, as you can see, it was brutal. I love the part where the officer with George pauses while he gives statements to a few different reporters. Pretty sure there was more storming by reporters than by George and Co. And then there's BBC, which is all "Hey, George got arrested. Let's talk about Sudan."

But I digress. My point is, I totally get it. Look at how much press this whole Sudan thing is getting. I didn't hear about it because I avidly follow the national and international news. No. I am not that well informed. They do not talk about Sudan on ilovemindlessentertainment.com. No one I am following has pinned it yet on Pinterest. And nothing has gone viral yet on MyFace, so there's no "if you care about the children you will repost this, and show you that you are really my friend and that I don't have to defriend you, PS check your inbox for the secret code that will stop the cancer if you post it in your status" yet. But oh, now that George is involved, there will be, my friends. Because the way I heard about this was because people are posting about George going to jail. And because George Clooney is involved, we might accidentally become aware of a world issue and like have feelings about it and stuff. So apparently part of protesting is to get people's attention and get people talking about things. Who knew, right? I always thought it was so you could be in a club and not bathe and pitch tents at Westlake in Seattle. (My favorite part of that, Be Tee Dub, is the picture of protesters and police fighting over a tent. It's like a Boy Scout camp gone wrong. Fight the Man, occupiers! Don't let them take your nylon tent away!) George has got me thinking about Sudan. This does not sound good. And I'm betting all the Hollywooders will jump on the George bandwagon and there will be fundraisers and telethons and possibly a new song everyone gets together to produce. Or maybe there already have been but now that George has gotten arrested protesting, people like me will finally notice.

Seriously, I'm not mocking. I say, go George. Way to stick up for the vulnerable people of the world and do as much as you can to draw attention to this issue and demand a solution. I hope world leaders get it together and stop the insanity. And I totally respect him more now that I've seen him advocating for the oppressed, and not just as the "playboy" with his newest arm ornament...

IMHO...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:50:00 +0000

It seems like lately there have been a few deaths that have really created a buzz on MyFace. I've been seeing a lot of people posting things like "RIP Famous Person's Name Here." Am I the only person who finds this odd? Growing up it seems like the only place I saw RIP was on Halloween tombstone decorations and cheesy cartoons. I guess it must be because I associate the acronym with things like Casper the Friendly Ghost and October 31st, it seems odd and somehow not very meaningful to say "RIP" to anyone. I guess posting RIP as a MyFace status is up there with having "In Memory" stickers on the back window of your mini van. I don't get it. But it is meaningful to some people. And who am I to criticize their expression, I suppose...

There comes a time...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:09:00 +0000

Am I the only one who has random bouts of nostalgia and looks up youtube videos of oldies but goodies like:

If I am, you are all missing out. What can be better than the moving star-studded chorus in the original We are the World video? If not the part where the chorus goes all a cappella and moving and stuff. Man, those were the days.

And then you can move into watching current stars feeling all "We are the World" and even breaking it down into a little rap. And throwing a little rap in for good measure. Woo!

Thankful on a Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:58:00 +0000

Today I am thankful for friends who love me even when I'm all crazy and weird.

Day 13 of Thankfulness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:08:00 +0000

For Sunday I am thankful for warm blankets and warm food.

Today's Gratitude Message Brought to You By...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:19:00 +0000

The rain. I love it. So much is still green here. and it's all fresh smelling and sweet.

My eye just started to twitch. I think all this gratitude is getting to me.

Thankfulness on a Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:12:00 +0000

I got to see my Alice today. And I get to see my Mad Hatter tomorrow. :)

Gettin' Back Up on the Gratitude Wagon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:44:00 +0000

I totally fell off the gratitude wagon, and I make no apologies. It's been a rough week. Tonight I am thankful for my friend Jenna who keeps me company when I am lonely and distracts me when I feel yucky. :)

Day 7 of Gratitudinosity

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:24:00 +0000

Today I am thankful for flannel sheets and warm socks.

Day Six of Thankfulness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:34:00 +0000

Today I am thankful for days off from work. I want another one. Now. Please.