With a Little Help From My Friend

It's tough to be Far from the Pahk this year, the 100th Birthday of Fenway. I envisioned my 60th  birthday this year to be sitting in the bleachers on June 10th watching the Sox play the Nationals. Alas, that is not to be. The weekend of June 1-3, I will be in Seattle for the Washington State Democratic Convention. The next weekend we have friends coming into town for a family member's graduation.

Then there was the movement last year to have a Class of 70 Turns 60 Birthday Bash on June 30th. Not to mention the Sully Cousin Reunion we cooked up at my Dad's funeral. We Sullivan cousins have such a good time together, it's too bad we usually only see each other for funerals, or so it seems. There are 7 Walthams, 6 Concords (and one departed who will be there in spirit), and 5 Falmouths. Plus assorted spouses, significant others, children of the cousins...it goes on and on. SO, we decided that cold, sad Valentine's Day 2011 that around July 4, 2012 we would have a big cookout on the Cape, like we used to when we were all kids. Fortunately coinciding with my high school class party. So Fenway had to take a back seat to Gayle Avenue, where my cousin Tiba lives in the old homestead. My dear sweet Mama sent me an early birthday present last week: one of the several books to come out on the subject, Fenway Park: A Salute to the Coolest, Cruelest, Longest-Running Major League Baseball Stadium in America, by John Powers and Ron Driscoll, published in association with my dearly beloved Boston Globe.

My buddy Karen, also a Rabid Red Sox Fan For Life, had the great fortune to be at THE 100th birthday party game vs the Yankees. She made sure I felt the love, and now I have a collection of goodies that will make Rabid Red Sox Fan For Life Jill jealous (though my 'shrine' will never have such wonderful things as a ticket and program from the Impossible Dream World Series, the LP, and a bat signed by Bobby Doerr). A box arrived shortly after that game.

 Check it out (eat your heart out Jill). First, two wonderful shirts, one long sleeved, one short. A Rabid Red Sox Fan for Life can never have enough different Red Sox Shirts in her wardrobe.

But wait there's MORE: a replica ticket, a birthday bumpah stickah and commemorative magazine. AND, a very special plastic birthday toast cup complete with sparkling grape juice and instructions NOT to open and drink it before the designated time. Seriously! I'll save it until Karen comes to visit. I'll open some sparkling wine, and she can have the Welches, and we can toast Fenway AND our 60th birthdays from here. Happy Birthday, Fenway Park!
 

 

What Happens When Jaxon Appears on a Webcast

How did this happen?

Our Washington Democrats Executive Director Jaxon Ravens is a very persuasive fellow. This year, he did a live webcast of his How to Become A National Delegate session from the Annual Crab Feed and Grassroots Workshop...which I did not attend because it was far away in Lacey, and I had to be at the airport early the next morning to go to Austin to see Keara. But I did watch the webcast. It was later made into a more polished video production you can see here. Too late now! Better watch it by early 2016 if you want to make a run.

Jaxon made it seem like a possibility. I checked with a few of my favorite Democrats. They all said go for it. So, on the first filing day in April, in the throes of planning the precinct caucuses, I filed the Declaration of Candidacy for a National Delegate position. It wasn't much of a problem getting elected delegate to the County Convention and LD14 Sub Caucus. Then we elected 5 delegates and 2 alternates, a full slate for the Congressional District Caucus, which was held Sunday. Both of our alternates were seated due to absences elsewhere, which was very good for me - 2 more votes!

Now what? I spent Mother's Day creating a flyer and mailing labels for 125 delegates plus alternates. The next day, copies and stamps, folding and sealing, and all the letters were out by 3 pm. Next up was to make a postcard sized handout for the Caucus, and prepare a 2 minute speech. Do you know how little you can say in two minutes? My God, I talk too much. So I recalled Jaxon's advice to keep it focused, and tell people how you are different from the other candidates, so I hit on geography (only candidate from the new kids on the block) and Obama's win by 21 votes in 2008 in our 60-40 red county. County Republicans are still pissed about that.

The five minute speech went down to 3, then 2. I went to bed  early Saturday night...good thing, I woke up at 5 with new thoughts running through my head. I got up a half hour later and rewrote it. Our carpool to Vancouver was full of great conversation, and before I knew it, it was SHOWTIME. We walked into the school through a gauntlet of candidates. Hmmm, I guess I should be here, huh? So I passed out paper to delegates coming in, then made the rounds of tables. So far so good. Then we did our speeches. So far so good. Then the vote and announcements...Woman 1, Man 1, Woman 2, Man 2, no surprises so far in my opinion...then the big surprise....Woman 3 was ME!!!!

The Adventure Begins

Things have been busy around here lately. I just got a smack upside the head from Juanita Jean Herownself to get my fingers tapping. Now I see that Blogspot went and revamped their whole deal. That will teach me to ignore it for so long! But I digress...

The adventure actually began a few months ago, when I visited Juanita Jean for a cut and color. She and I fantasized about a little road trip for our Band., Bitchin Betty and the Sequined Backhoes. Our calendars both had blank spaces the beginning of September, so we threw a dart at the map of the good ole USA and it landed on Charlotte, NC. Why Charlotte? That dart was sending us some kind of message.

So we grabbed her Smarter Than I am Phone, and googled Charlotte September 2012. Lo and behold, some 35,000 people are going there at the same time. Well, Juanita and I figured that Charlotte isn't THAT big a town, so we'd better figure out a way to get hotel rooms. So we went to one of those cheapo hotel websites and every damn room for miles around was already blocked. That left us no other choice. We had to join the party that was already in progress. Imagine our happy hearts that we had joined that party LONG ago, and there was a way to get one of those reservations. We had to run as delegates to the National Convention.

Now it's a good thing we live in different states, because if I had to go up against my friend JJ, well, let's just say I wouldn't have a prayer. It was a long shot for me. I've only lived in WA for 5 years. I've packed a lot into that 5 years, and gotten to know many people in my legislative district and congressional district. But we were redistricted this year into both a new LD and a new CD. And the CD has so many awesome active folks, I really didn't think I had a chance. But JJ was waging her own little campaign, no easy task for her in Texas, so if she could do it, I could at LEAST try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

To be continued....

Goodbye Old Friends

You've been quite a pair, I have to say. Odd looking, but very easy to get along with. From the very first day, you'd go anywhere...from around the block to Coyote Wall to Mt. Hood to Oneonta Gorge, to Bend, to the WA Canadian border, to California, Texas, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Rain or shine. Rocky trail or smooth path, city sidewalk or back country. You did it all. I can't even count all the miles we've walked together.

But there comes a time when you've got to make the break. I tried to make our relationship last a little longer but the fix was temporary. You just couldn't support me the way I needed you to anymore. So today I said goodbye.

RIP Keen Targhee II's, October 2009-April 2012.


Meet the new travelers. In true thrifty New Englander style, I found them on clearance at the local Footwise shoe store in Hood River (where I bought the dearly departed pair). Anyone who knows me gets how excited I am about this. The first pair was NOT on sale, but I figure they cost me $48 a year. I won't tell you how many cheap boots and hiking shoes Lloyd has gone through in that time. If these last as long, they'll be down to about $28 a year. Now THAT's a DEAL!

I do need to be on the lookout for some regular hiking BOOTS for this season. After all, Wilderness Steward training is coming up in a few weeks...

Shake It for a Do Over!

Okay, I know you all played with Etch A Sketches when you were kids. I loved Etch A Sketch. Kids today would scoff. They all have I-pads and such. But now the awesomeness of the Ohio Art product has been knocked down by the former one term Governor of the great state of Massachusetts. Well, people are actually buying them this week, but I'd think again about doing that.

As if it isn't bad enough to think of his campaign manager wiping the slate clean after the primary season by just shaking the screen...Hey, let's start fresh! No flip flops allowed! But THIS is just too juicy. We can't make this stuff up.

For 40 years the Etch a Sketch was produced in Bryan Ohio by the Ohio Art Company. But in 2003 production was moved to China – putting 100 employees out of work in this small town of about 8,000 who had for decades billed itself as the home of the Etch a Sketch.

But WAIT, there's MORE!

There is no evidence Romney’s work at Bain Capital impacted the decisions at the Ohio Art Company, but as Bill Sloat reports, Bain Capital, the buy-out firm founded by Mitt Romney, has sent hundreds of other Ohio jobs to China in similar moves.

Now, it's all just appearances...but you gotta admit...it's quite an amusing coinkydink!

Hey Idaho, I'm Done With Your Potatoes

Add another state to the list of those governed by legislators who have no respect for women. The Idaho senate just passed a bill requiring women to have invasive, expensive, medically unnecessary mandatory ultrasounds before they LEGALLY terminating a pregnancy. The house is expected to follow in their footsteps. But wait, there's MORE!
An Idaho state crisis pregnancy center has invited the lawmakers to witness ultrasounds being performed on women, one from each trimester, to let the fetus speak for itself. Of course, it doesn't matter that more than 90% of abortions are in the first trimester, and most of those are in the first 8 weeks. It makes for a much better show when you throw in the more mature fetuses, don't you think?

Which leads to the most obvious question -- when they perform a first trimester ultrasound, how far along will the woman be? A vast number of abortions would be done at a point in which an abdominal ultrasound would not provide the detail or the heart beat sounds required by law. But what are the odds that the House is going to be shown exactly what goes on during a trans-vaginal ultrasound, especially since that won't provide the instantly recognizable features everyone has grown to expect from the proliferation of 20 week anatomy scan ultrasounds all over the internet?

This is twisted on so many levels, I do not have printable words. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Women can be trusted to make their own decisions about their bodies and health, with the help of their doctors, their families, and their own consciences. Legislators, you are not medical doctors so STAY OUT of our medical business! It might also be good to keep in mind, Women Vote.

Thanks, Juanita Jean, for the graphic!

Update!
May good sense prevail. Pass this at your peril, lawmakers. Sounds like the women in Idaho are watching you!

We All Own This

I've felt all along that there were more gray areas in this story than black and white. This soldier was on his 4th deployment in 10 years. And had a TBI in his 3rd. And the clearance for TBIs has been suspect. And he had problems at home. Can anyone else see a recipe for disaster???? Anyone? I came of age in the Viet Nam era. Our troops lived through unspeakable horrors, many detailed in popular award winning films of the era. We will be watching films of history in the making any moment now. Or we should be. I've seen a few, but they aren't mainstream. They should be. This is on all of us. WTF are we doing here?

I feel ill when I read comments that scream for this man to be left to the angry Afghans. People who have no appreciation for his LONG service. For what he has suffered, and lost. For his wife, kids and family. I feel ill for the families in Afghanistan who have lost their loved ones because one soldier was one step over the line into insanity. Their burden is huge. Their country has been at war for way too long. We in the USA have never fought a war with an invading force on our soil. The Revolutionary War doesn't quite fall into that category.

We all go about our merry ways. Two wars over the last 10 years. We should all be feeling this much more personally than we are. Like the families of soldiers are. Like Afghan families are.

Green Road for St. Patrick's Day?

With all the news flying around lately, my head has been spinning and my brain hurts. Too much to comment on, so little time. I don't need to waste my time piling on to Rush, or making fun of the GOP candidates. Others do it so much better than I. So on this snowy Wednesday in mid March, I came across this gem. Wonder if Jon Stewart will catch it. Get ready for some potty talk!

My great State of Washington has the first authentic Green Road. That's right. Well, maybe not quite a road, more like a path...but hey, size doesn't matter....

The Town of Bellingham used 400 toilets to complete a multi-use interurban trail. Yep. Toilets. Crushed up toilets. Freeman Anthony of the Bellingham PWD had the brainstorm when he got a call from the local housing authority, which was upgrading housing and had a load of porcelain gods to dispose of.

It turns out that hard, glass-like porcelain makes a strong aggregate. And soon 5 tons of toilet became four truckloads of concrete.“When it’s mixed in at 20 percent,” Anthony says. “It acts just like regular concrete.”

But according to Anthony, this formula for what he now calls “poticrete” isn’t the most interesting part of this project.

“The toilets were just one small part of the project,” he says. “We didn’t do your standard ho-hum road. We tried to make a better road and more sustainable road.”

The retrofit project is now chock-full of sustainable elements — low-energy LED street lighting, pedestrian and bike-friendly amenities, porous pavement and bioswales that filter stormwater runoff.

I don't know, Mr. Anthony, I think the toilet ARE the most interesting part! Just think what you could do with Fiesta ware!

RIP Husum Roadside BBQ

I forgot to mention this, as I was caught in the despair of an unfortunate end to the fabulous Super Bowl game the other weekend. It was just too much bad news to deal with at one time. The winter storms took their toll on the MASH tent that had so much potential for good times. The big ice storm, which caused an estimated $2.4 million in damages around Klickitat County, delivered the death blow to the aged canvas.

BBQ John says he'll reopen for the Annual Husum 4th of July Parade, .1K micromarathon and celebration. And he thinks he might do special orders. We'll see. He also said he has to find a 'real job'. It might be a long time before the denizens of Husum enjoy a good Combo again.

Thanks, BBQ John, it was great while it lasted.

Oh NO! Italy Joins the 'War On Relgion'?

A bit of shocking news on page 10 of the Oregonian this morning: Church to Lose Tax Break. Yes, the Italian Government is breaking from its business as usual, that is passing laws that benefit the Catholic Church with little fanfare. It hasn't been in the habit of publicly taking bennies away.

"The government of Prime Minister Mario Monti took that step Wednesday, telling the European Commission that it intends to change Italian law to ensure the Church pays property tax on the parts of its buildings used for commercial ends."

So now the convents that offer B&B services, and the churches that rent space to shops will have to pay their full share of property tax. No small change: estimates range from $650 million to $2.6 billion. And could set off a wave of such changes in tax exemptions across cash strapped Europe. There was no link to it from the O, so here is a Reuters link instead.

Hmmmmmm.