MLK Day

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

We shall overcome some day

Oh, deep in my heart

I do believe

We shall overcome some day.....

As we celebrate MLK's Birthday today don't forget to volunteer in your neighborhood as we were called to do by our newly elected President. I cannot think of better way to celebrate two historic events (MLK Day and Obama's inauguration). Meanwhile, check this out....

What the Hell, Oakland???

So on the first day of this year, in a Oakland Bart station, a young black man was shot and killed execution style by white Bart police officers while lying face down handcuffed. This hideous crime was caught on many cell phones and video cameras.This was bad enough, but those in charge and voted in by the people of Oakland, California, allow the officers involved to walk away and not answer any questions. The officer was not arrested until a week later, after the young man's funeral. Those in charge would not issue a statement of sympathy or apology to the family who attended a city council meeting following the lost of their son. This brought about anger in the community and community protest. Some of the protesters got out of hand but most were just trying to seek justice. What get me is the lack of those officials, who job is dependant upon votes and are sworn in to uphold the law, allowed this officer to walk away and then get angry when the young folks protest got out of hand. I wonder what Martin Luther King, Jr. would think this close to us celebrating his birthday. This is not overcoming a damn thing. As we are on our way to swearing in Obama on Tuesday I hope we remember we still have much work ahead. In the meanwhile...let us pray.

Dear God, Help!

Okay so my father is 70 and I can assume that he would have some medical problems. But when my this week my sister called to tell me that Wo-wa had to have a biopsy, I must admit, I am somewhat worried. While my father is not the most loving or even the most friendly father in the world, he is still the only one I got. I do try hard to understand the man. Sometimes more than others, but mainly I just try to stay out of his hair that way I won't have to deal with expectations he tries to enforce. The real reason for my worried state isn't because this is a cancer scare and that I have to deal with the eventual death of Wo-wa. Nor is it because I don't want him to have to deal with surgery and then chemotherapy or radiation. Not that that is bad enough. No, this is more selfish reason and one I am somewhat reluctant to admit out loud. The problem is Peggy, my wonderful mother. The greatest fear in my life is my father dying before my mother. If you are their child then you would understand.

My mother at best is like being around a perpetual 13 year old. She has to be the center of attention or she will pout and give you the silent treatment (which, honestly, I prefer). My mother also believes that if she is sick then she will get the most attention. Somehow this must be a left over thing from her childhood cause she has been doing this all of my life so why should she give up now. Mom is right now probably trying to figure out if she has prostate cancer and if not how she can get it. Mind you, I could have had a worst mother and I know enough people who do. But still...

If this scenario plays out then all hell will break at 608. I can see my some of my "special" siblings moving in and trying to "take care" of Mom. Most of us are reluctant to see Peggy left alone,with money. If my mother idea of illness is bad then her sense of money is worse. She will give most away to those who promise to pay her back in 30 days and get mad when they don't pay her back. To most of us its a "no-dah" moment. But as many times as she does it she never learns.

She will also buy the dumbest things she sees advertised during her soaps operas breaks, like the snuggle blanket or she will shop at some garage sale and find a "bargain" coffee maker with no heating unit for $20. She can shop the hell out of Payless Shoe store and then get mad when she needs new shoes in two weeks. If you suggest that she shop at Macy's and get decent shoes she will tell you she cannot afford it, never realizing that she spent that amount seven fold by the time she replaces her Bo-go finds.

Also some of my "special" siblings will move in and pilfer the house of all the goods they can find because they hold on to the belief that they deserve something. It always amazes me that some of us feel we are owed something we ourselves didn't work for. Now in the grand scheme of things there isn't much there anyway's, just a  house and maybe a small insurance payoff. We are definitely not the Rockefellers, just one man working mainly and occasionally my mother who only worked late in life. Mind you my mother didn't put much into retirement. There might be some knick-knacks in the attic, but really, we are not talking about much.

So when I called Wo-wa to see what exactly is going on my mother has answered the phone. This is bad. Mom asks why I want to talk to Wo-wa and how come no one asks about her health, after all, she has been dealing with backache for a much longer time. My mother is famous for complaining and rubbing her groin while bent over after getting a cup of morning rock hard coffee (my youngest son, Adam, is still traumatized from this very act after five years). Of course Wo-wa is constantly unavailable or gone, which is amazing seeing as he now only goes to two places if you don't count the bathroom. I cannot believe he is spending this much time at Home Depot.

So all I can do is pray and hope that all is well. If not then I can only hope if things turn crazy, then plan for my trip to 608 and be out before the end of day. Damn.

Lost and Found Hit and Run

It's Sunday. The kind of day when one tends to just bum around town hang out and find the beauty in the city. We did well for the most part. Then day kind of took a weird turn as we were winding down.

Some background:

I used to have an incredible record collection that I cherished until I left home. Somehow I lost most of them and lately have been trying to replace them. Also I thought I was allergic to honey. Come to find out I was just allergic to processed or commercial honey but I can have pure honey.  We needed to get Adam magazines for his trip back to France on Friday. Bob needed to shop for groceries to make his cheesecakes and sweet potato pie. Alexander just wanted to hang out.

At the first stop, I found Loveshine by Con Funk Shun record for $8.32 in a used record store at Pike's Place. Seeing as this is a rarity that has not been in production since early '80's and is only found as an import costing between $30 and $120 and I had been looking for for about six months, this was truly a beautiful find. Hot damn! This was a good day so far.

Second stop, we found a local beekeeper who sold us the most delicious honey ever. I no longer have to double check my honey anymore. She is local and all the honey is pure and there is a overwhelming variety that I can have a different honey every day for six months. Next to the beekeeper, bob found flowers and brought me Tulips (I love fresh flowers). Hot Diggity! So far, so good.

Third stop, Adam took us into a french bakery were we got wonderful fresh and warm pastries right out of the oven. Right on!

Fourth stop, Starbucks headquarters were we discovered they have extended their tea menu with some creative mixed tea. Not bad for a coffee house. Oh yeah!

On our way to the fifth stop, some idiot decided to cross the street against the his light. We almost hit him but we stop right on a dime. So of course this guy decides to hit the driver side window with his hand. What he didn't count on was Bob backing up and me rolling down the window. Now I have a lot of my father's spirit in me. That means when it comes time to fight, its on. So I asked the guy if he was crazy or just a plain asshole. I voted for asshole as he insisted that we were weapons of mass destruction and he states that he could shoot us for trying to run him over. He stated also that he was telling on us and we would hear from him soon. I told him to go right ahead and that I would be looking forward to it. During this exchange Bob was seething and wanting to get a word in edgewise, but could not. Again I am my father's daughter and willing to fight, MS be damned. This exchange lasted about 10 minutes, before Bob got tired and drove off. We get dropped off at the newsstand while Bob goes to look for a parking space. We don't see Bob again for about 45 minutes. I have no proof but I believe he was looking for this man and may have indeed found him. As of now Bob is not talking about it. I am sure I will hear about it 10 years from not. But the day is shot and we are all kinda pissed. Shit!

Last stop, Adam has is magazines and we ran into Whole Foods for more groceries before we came on home. We were all relieved to be in our space and world. Then about an hour after being home it snow again and we realized that we would be snowed in for a couple days again. Goddamnit!

But we ended on a good note: Donovan McNabb and rest of the Eagles kicked the Vikings ass and now Baltimore (really?) is something to watch. Now, I am hopeful about the Superbowl. Yippe!

Happy New Year, Folks!

Woooohhooooo! 2008 is G-O-N-E! Finally! That was one hellva year and I am so glad it's gone. I have cleaned the Condo up brought all my "Good Luck" groceries, put on my best best red underwear and went to the Space Needle and watched the fireworks shoot off in the sky. So this morning I put on some Nancy Wilson, Diana Krall and Shirley Horn, fix dinner and get ready for the Museum of Flight free day. Its going to be a great year. It will be better cause nothing will be as bad as last year and as my mother would say, cause I say so. It will be better cause I cannot think of another reason to not be happy and helpful towards others. I have not made any resolutions except to be a better me. that is all I can do and am looking forward to seeing how all this turns out. You all have one great year! 

Out, Damn Snow, Out!

Ok now I have lived through a lot of crazy things: my parents Friday Night Fights and the make up section that would appear on Sunday afternoons. The many nights of wind shaking the house so much we were either lured to sleep or scared of that Wo-wa's latest "fixed" project was going to finally take us out. I lived in a house with no air conditioning that when it got to 95 degrees we would leave and sit in a bookstore from noon to dusk just to get cool. But to be in a blizzard, in Seattle, before Christmas was just crazy. I live in a new development and everything is sound but this being Seattle I worried that the lights would go out at any minute. That would mean days without heat or cooked food. Damn, I miss my gas stove! The part of the night was knowing that Adam was due in from France that night and Bob had to go out get him from the SeaTac airport. On a regular day with rain and traffic the airport is only 20 minutes away. It took Bob 2 hours. Then we get a call from Adam saying he was rerouted to Spokane. That is 20 minutes away by plane. Shit. As we debated whether Bob should just stay put at the airport and brave the rapids in the morning, Adam calls back to say they were taking off again and would be here in 30 minutes. Once he landed safely we still thought they were staying at the airport, but Bob not one to give up trudged, son, baggage and all, through the storm again and made it home sometime after 2am. That was a full 5 hours after he left to pick up the boy. After which we woke up to snow for the next 4 days. No going outside or driving to the store. The local QFC was out of everything except onions and carrots. This storm prevented all Christmas shopping and cabin fever set in quickly. So as much as I love snow. I would rather have it on my own terms and I pray I never have to see another blizzard again.

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 was the best Christmas so far for me. I didn't celebrate with all the hoopla and expectations as previous Christmas'. Instead we did the anti-Christmas thing this year. because we were snowed in and the streets were too slippery to driven in, we did not have the traditional Christmas. There was no decorations, no gifts to exchange, no traditional dinner. No little Charlie Brown tree or Willis Bragg "I-Need-to-make-up-for-all-the-hell-I-caused-this-year" presents either. The only thing that resembled a cartoon Christmas at all was the snow that refused to stop. So instead we cooked and watched a lot of football. Then we slept and got up and ate. That was it. No obligingly gifts were sent to Sacramento. The mail delivery was not out and about either. I did not have to shop for the old people who have everything, needed nothing but wanted everything. I did not even send those year end greeting cards. We just allowed things to be.  Therefore I was not overwhelmed or worried about anyone not liking my gifts. Perfect. Now if only I can conjure up a snow storm on Mother's Day.......