Once upon a time, in a state shaped like a mitten I worked as a barista in a little cafe called Javasphere to support myself while going to school. One day on a particularly busy day, a customer came up and said “Um, excuse me, but did you know that there’s a cat in here?” Sure enough, a ginger cat was creeping along the wall. I picked him up and set him outside the door. Five minutes later, “Is that your cat?” Again with the cat in the cafe. You have to admit, he was persistent. After about 4-5 runs in with this cat, I called my best friend Heather to have her come and witness the cafe crasher.  

She drove right over (she’s a sucker for pets) and I’m fairly certain he was sitting out front when she pulled up. He looked a little skinny and had no collar, so we were pretty sure that he was a stray (plus, he was clearly very hungry). Heather (in typical H fashion) points out that there is only one way to find out whether he’s a stray, walks over to her car, opens the door and says “Cat, would you like to come home with us?” And I swear that this cat looked at us both, hopped in the car and sat on the back seat. True story.

He made himself at home right away and seemed really mellow, until H took him to the vet and found out he had a respiratory infection. As soon as he recovered from his kitty cold, he made it clear what he liked/disliked. He was very dog-like, trotting around with plastic milk rings and hiding them in secret spots. When our lives changed and H and I ended our adventures as roommates (that is a whole different story!) he went to live with her in Dearborn.

And so, years passed. I’ve seen him often over the years and he’s always part of our conversations. He moved everywhere with H and Brian from Salem, MA where he acquired his best friend (aptly named Spooky) and back to Michigan where he finally settled in a big comfy house on the lake shore.

A week or so ago, Brian told me that H had woken up and found poor little Spooky in their kitchen which was sad enough. Then, yesterday, H texted me to tell me that she was at the vet with Simon and that things didn’t look very good. I sent her a flurry of texts last night, hoping that maybe things were not as grim as they seemed but knowing that he turned 14 this year. And this morning, they took our friend Simon (who was really suffering) to the vet and said goodbye. I just can’t believe it. He’s been such a fixture of all of our lives and a grounding force at that. He’s sort of like a furry touchstone. He’s witnessed so much of H’s life, that it’s difficult to think of him as not around. What’s crazy? He’s been alive for just about the entire time that H and I have been friends. He knew all the secrets

My favorite memory of Simon (besides the finding story) was in Salem. I have always been allergic to cats, but Simon and I have always managed to work it out. Even though H asked him to stay out of the bedroom, he kept sneaking in along the wall to sit at the foot the bed, say hello and rub his cheeks on me. Goodbye Simon. I’ll miss your plaintive meow, your old man grumpiness and your general kitty friendship throughout the years.

Northampton State Hospital, originally uploaded by Kirkbride.

With Halloween only weeks away, I’ve been putting up decorations on the house and planning some of the festivities to come. In keeping with the spooky atmosphere, I ask you, what could be spookier than an abandoned insane asylum?

Awhile back I’d seen a movie called Session 9 which was actually pretty crappy (you can’t expect much from a movie with David Caruso in it) except for the fact that it was filmed in the decaying ruins of Danvers State Insane Asylum in Massachusetts. Just the idea of being there gave me the chills and led me to the eerie and beautiful photography of John Gray. His talent is clearly capturing abandoned buildings and spaces that seem to take on a life of their own in his images.

And if you haven’t given yourself enough of the spooks, head over to Ethan McElroy’s Flickr stream for more fantastic shots of asylums and other architecture including a beautiful set documenting The Great Western Staircase in the New York State Capital Building. Who knew?

Get your spook on

Aah and so here we are again. The absolute best month of the year, Shocktober! Although just to teach me a lesson, Shocktober charged in this year with a sickness that has kept me horizontal for almost a week. My co-workers believe it’s the plague, but I think it might be the worst sinus infection EVER. My sinuses have taken on a life of their own. Despite that, we’ve still managed to usher in the month with a couple of horror movies already and as usual, our Netflix queue is stocked. And I have to say I’m impressed by the fake enthusiasm the husband has managed to muster up. When he inherited this ritual (my best friend and I owned it for years before) Mark was pretty in to it … but over the years (and I do mean years) it’s lost its allure for him. As this year approached, he even said he wasn’t going to participate but at the last minute decided that he would make it work because THAT’S what kind of husband he is.

And so, we’ve managed to watch The Midnight Meat Train, based on a Clive Barker story (from the Books of Blood, I believe) that ended a Barker binge I was on because it was THAT disgusting. Seriously, it made me feel physically ill. The movie was okay for what seemed like a made-for-cable movie and it had Bradley Cooper (of Alias fame) and the silent guy from Gone In Sixty Seconds (yes, I know, it’s a guilty pleasure okay? I have no defense). Tonight it was From Beyond (based on an H.P. Lovecraft story) which was super 80s and so bad it was fun to watch anyway. Who can fault a movie with brain sucking through eye sockets? I also watched Tell Me Something, a well done (though predictable) Korean horror movie with a great soundtrack littered with the likes of Nick Cave and Placebo. And I almost forgot, The Descent was the pre-Shocktober warm up. We also watched Vampyr, which was is a fantastic and legendary horror movie made way back in 1932 and it still manages to be creepy! See, we’re making the first three days count.

Next up? I’ve got Devil’s Backbone from Guillermo Del Toro (of Pan’s Labryinth fame … and weirdly enough the writer for The Hobbit) which is a bit classier than most of the movies we’ll see this month, but we’re not discriminating I saw this movie when it came out and really loved the cinematography. All of the usual suspects will be covered (Prince of Darkness, 28 Days Later, Return of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, The Beyond, etc.). I’m looking forward to watching Dog Soldiers (from the director of The Descent) and the Day of the Dead remake (with Mena Suvari … really?). I’m searching for more to add to the old Netflix queue, so by all means send recommendations my way.

Well wishers blow bubbles to the bride and groom.

The long awaited event finally occurred two weeks ago on a sunny afternoon out on Whidbey Island. My little sister (though, admittedly, not so little anymore) was married to her boyfriend of 2+ years in a small, simple, beautiful ceremony in the garden of the farmhouse they had rented. There was the usual chaos that comes with a wedding (especially since there was lots of help) from figuring out where the food should be placed, to putting together flowers, to realizing that the groom has just been stung several times by bees (another story).

Thankfully, amidst the chaos, my sister and I managed to steal an hour or so of solitude up in her room. I have to say it’s funny how easily we slip into our younger selves. When we were younger, we would spend hours lying in bed together laughing at things that no one else would think were funny. Our father died when I was young (12) and she was clearly younger (6), so we spent a lot of time leaning on each other. My sister is a very private person and has always struggled with talking about deeper feelings, but this is something she has always done with me. And through the years, though we’ve changed and we don’t spend as much time together, the talking and the laughter is something we continue to do. It’s a connection we have that says more than just the topic we’re laughing about. In many ways, it’s an understanding and acknowledgment of how well we know each other.

And so we found ourselves lying in the giant bed together, talking and laughing about the days events and pretending that she wasn’t going to get married in one hour’s time until her friend Jessica (her other bridesmaid) joined us and continued in the laughter. If it hadn’t been for the fact that time was whizzing by, I do believe we would have laid there for hours. Instead, I did her hair and makeup while Jessica and I both fended off random questions and well-meaning photographers (”No, you will not photograph her in her underwear.”). There was quite a bit of running back and forth and a little bit of eyelash application under pressure (which is a lot like parallel parking … if you don’t get it right the first time … it can be the death of you). And suddenly, voila, it was time and we were all standing on the patio waiting for our cue to walk down the aisle. I have to add in that as I walked down with Nathan’s brother, D (who hadn’t seen me all day) had yelled out a very plaintive “Mama!” to the amusement of the guests. 

Sunni and Nathan walk towards their new life.

The ceremony was quick and charming and the reception was filled with dancing, speechmaking (myself included!) and the general enjoyment of celebrating together with family and friends. And now, my sister is officially a married woman!

IMG_3068, originally uploaded by MarianneSp.

I have many a post swimming around in the gray matter, but first things first. Tune out now if you are not interested in yet another post extolling the virtues of BRMC. It’s sickening I know, especially for someone who’s apparently arguably old enough to be a cougar (more about that later).

I digress.

A couple of weeks back, the husband and I hit the town for the first time in a very long time … okay it’s SAD how long it’s been. We picked up our friend Professor Griff and headed down to the ol’ Alibi Room for drinks with friends before walking over to the Showbox. There are few things I enjoy more (these days, at least) than arriving at a show at precisely the time the headlining band comes on stage. Seriously, this is going to sound lame and old (especially when I’ve seen bands like The Flaming Lips as an opener) but I do not have the patience for opening bands. I’ve sat through about a million and I think exactly 5 of them were actually good.

There I go again. I really am turning into an old lady.

Must focus. Oh right, the UBER AWESOME FANTASTIC-NESS of the show! They played much of the latest album (Baby 81), some old favorites (Spread Your Love) and a cover of the Dylan song Visions of Johanna. Their music is sometimes bluesy, sometimes folky and always really raw rock n roll. Robert plays the bass like a lead guitar player (see how I say his name with intimacy like I know him?) which I really love. Their vocals go together in a really interesting way, similar but still distinct and often alternating. They’re definitely one of those bands, I’ll always see (unlike the way I’m failing my long time love, Nick Cave tonight). Sigh.

Oh … on the cougar tip. There was a discussion at work (yes, at work … it gives a good indication of the kind of place it is) about the finer points of what constitutes a cougar. Now, I always thought it was a 40s and up woman … but a gay friend seems to think it starts in the 30s! (Or maybe to gay men, 30 year old women ARE 40 year old women). My straight friends assured me that it’s 40s and up. Whew.

Gray Seattle, originally uploaded by SLV Native.

“Andy … the summer’s over. I never noticed. Did you really think you’d leave so fast.”

This isn’t exactly what it looked like today, in fact there were a few sun breaks, but it wasn’t that far from it. The last couple of days have been rainy as we seemingly move towards the closing of summer. I can’t say that I’m all that sad. I do love the fall and even the winter.

The best thing about both? It’s excellent book weather. While this summer I finished The Other Boleyn Girl (a guilty pleasure read) and Among The Thugs (about the hooligan era of football in England) and the second and third Sandman volumes (excellent!), I’ve put myself in the mood for fall by beginning the Twilight series. On Sunday, I had gotten Twilight from the library and read it all which then prompted a book emergency that required a late afternoon drive to the store to pick up the next book, New Moon. Thank goodness they had the book! I spread that out over a day and a half (by purposefully saving the last chapter for yesterday evening). Now, here I am … having an awful craving for the third in the series of four books.

Set in Forks, WA, it’s just the kind of book that sets the tone for fall reading with descriptions of drizzly, misty days and the lush forests of the Olympic Peninsula. These books definitely combine the allure of the un-dead (that’s right, I said allure!) with experience of being a teenager and all of the feelings that come along with it. I cannot wait to pick up the next book tomorrow. I’ll do my best not to call in sick to hide at Elliott Bay all day reading and sipping coffee!

And now I just need my necklace back and all will be well

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Furia Sound Festival, Cergy-Pontoise, 28/06/2008., originally uploaded by DPC?313.

It’s been a year of no shows due to preoccupation with the boy. We’re finally breaking that with the first show we’ve been to together in ages early next month. I am UBER excited to see Black Rebel Motorcycle at the Showbox again. The last time I saw them I annoyed everyone around me for weeks after going on and on about it. Their musicianship and the raw rock n roll power of their music is totally displayed on stage. I actually squeal when I talk about it.

And speaking of excellent shows, our friend Heff also bought us tickets to see the Black Angels for a Halloween show. How good will that be?

Next on deck? Twilight from Stephanie Meyer in hopes that I can have a little fun and then maybe some Neil Gaiman after that. It’s good to be back on the reading wagon where the only problem is finding what I’ll read next.

Desolate Landscape, originally uploaded by Caro Wallis.

Reading The Road for a book club and I have to admit this is a nice palette cleanser after the decadent, wickedness of The Other Boleyn Girl. This photograph was the first after a search with the keywords ‘desolate landscape’ and nicely encapsulates the feel of the background described.

My relationship with the online world is one of love and hate. There are so many things I love about it … inspiring people, beautiful images, amazing communities of creativity. And then so many things I hate … the idea that there is such an increasing loss of real world connectivity. The potential to miss those small day-to-day interactions that form so many little pleasures in life.

But, that said, I’ve been a reader of Alex the Girl for years and always find myself glad that I visited the site. Her most recent post is a nice little dedication to the doing of things. At first glance, you might think she’s a bit PollyAnna, but don’t be fooled. She’s just made a commitment in her writing to continue to living life in a very present and active way. If you’ve read her long enough, you’ll see she has the same doubts and challenges, but she never seems to be afraid to make mistakes and I love that about her writing.

I even got the scoop on the closing of Olivine, my very favorite boutique. I first heard of the store closing from My Ballard and found out from the owner that though they’ve sold the shop, they are opening a new one in Fremont (otherwise known as the Center of the Universe). It will be occupying the space right next to where the Frankie shoe shop started out (across from Mad Pizza). The new store will be called Show Pony and promises to carry many more handbag and accessory lines than the current store does. In the meantime, the current store will change names and rid itself of all of the beauty products to focus more on clothing. Ah well, another reason to hit Fremont.

And barely as the doors to DiVino could be locked, a new sushi spot has staked its claim on the premium spot. For years and years, Sam’s Sushi was the only spot here to grab sushi and now it will have a hip little competitor.

Ah Ballard, the IT girl of Seattle.

The bad news, despite their sunny yellow flowers they are trying to choke the life out of my lawn.

Case in point, the BBC has three videos plus an interview for your audio visual pleasure. One of them is a performance of Tupelo from The Firstborn is Dead. To tell you the truth, it makes me a little regretful that I passed on tickets for the show this year because the live show is amazing. It’s the kind of show you never want to end and when it’s over you stay around for every bit of encore. Sigh.

The days are finally warm(er) and the boy was finally able to enjoy some time in the pool. As you can see, he’s very busy. Busy digging, busy investigating, busy pointing at just about everything (especially lights and dogs).

To add to the busy-ness, he just started walking. And by just started, I mean he literally started taking steps today! For a few days now, he’s been feeling a bit more daring … practicing moving from the couch to me. It was super exciting to watch the joy on his face when he actually stood on his own and took a few steps. He’s officially moving on to being a toddler. Sniff. I have mixed feelings about that. I’m of course so excited to see his personality grow, to see the kind of little boy he’s becoming. But at the same time, I’m going to miss the baby he was. Being able to hold him with one single arm or swaddle him into a tiny little bundle.

Um, okay, let’s just ignore the sleep deprivation, sore breasts, pumping at work (oh joy of joy), post-partum depression and did I mention SLEEP DEPRIVATION? I think this may be what’s known as the “fog” wherein parents have enough distance (and enough decent sleep) to think that having another baby might be a good idea. Now, don’t get any ideas. We’re not ready for that yet. Let’s suffice to say we’re reflecting on where’s the boy’s been, where we’ve been and where we’re all going together.