You Can Dance Right Through Your Life

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Pamela

Amazing sky last night

I’ve had this post started for a week. I hope finally posting it will cure my What A Feeling! earworm.

I pick up the bus downtown in front of a nice restaurant.

Several months ago I saw a group of women arrive at the restaurant all dressed in off-the-shoulder t-shirt dresses and tights with leg-warmers and heels.

I went up to them and said, “I recognize the look, what’s the occasion?”

It turns out there is a musical of Flashdance.

Flashdance came out when I was a freshman in college. I sent a note to my college friends about it and we took a guffawing stroll down memory lane.

I dug around in the archives and found the DVD and I decided to watch it last weekend.

Wow. What a terrible movie. I don’t think I’ve seen it since it originally came out.

My recollection is that I liked the movie and the dancing and the music. I admired the protagonist because she was so pretty and confident and thin. And she was following her dreams!

Upon my most recent viewing I thought she was an idiot and the dancing was mostly awful. What was her boss thinking carrying on with an 18 year old? Coincidentally I turned on a crime show and there was a guest star that looked strangely familiar and I realized it was the actor who played the boss.

The movie is just a series of music videos barely held together with a dumb story about a girl who’s welder by day, exotic dancer by night, but her dream is to join a professional dance company. All the women had to do everything wearing a leotard cut up to her hip bones. Even the ice skater.

Very entertaining in a purely nostalgic way.

To conclude, I leave you with some of the poetry of the songtrack:

Locking rhythms to the beat of her heart, changing woman into life
She has danced into the danger zone, when the dancer becomes the dance!

It can cut you like a knife, if the gift becomes a fire!
On a wire between will and what will be!

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Grab That Cash With Both Hands

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Pamela

First of all, when I saved this recipe for stuffed poblano peppers with cashew chipotle sauce I figured I would most likely never get around to trying it. However, we had company this weekend and I gave it a shot and I am here to report that it is terrific and worth the effort. If nothing else just make the sauce and heed the commenters who warn that three chipotles in adobo are very spicy. I just used one. You could also make your life easier and mix a big can of roasted chiles with the rice and pour the sauce over it.

– – –

At the freeway off-ramp where the bus gets off to go to the park-n-ride there is almost always the same couple holding up a sign asking for money. They are young, maybe 20. I tend to frown at them because they have cigarettes and fast food and leave all their trash around.

The other day there was a regular looking woman standing at the off-ramp in the grime and exhaust wearing nice clothes and sandals. She looked like your friendly neighbor who always says hello when she’s out walking her golden retrievers.

She held a sign that said: Don’t give my kids money for heroin.

It breaks my heart to think of all the terrible things that have happened to motivate her to do that.

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Running Through the Pole Beans

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Pamela

I remember writing this ages ago but I guess I never posted it. You can tell it’s old because the tulips are long gone.

I had this endless daily writing streak going that finally ended. It started on October 31, 2011 and it ended on March 26.

To be honest, I wasn’t completely happy about the streak. I tend to operate in life with a bunch of rules so that I don’t end up sitting on the couch eating bags of cookies and just passing the time. But I think absolute rules are unhealthy. Things should always be flexible. I don’t like to be lazy but I don’t have to exercise every day. I feel unproductive if I don’t get up early but it’s okay to sleep in sometimes. I prefer to eat healthful things but a day of drinking chai and eating Cadbury eggs is perfectly acceptable. I like to keep my house in order but I have, maybe one time, gone to bed with dirty dishes still in the sink.

So getting back to the streak, I had intended to end it mindfully rather than just deciding one day that I didn’t feel like writing. Except that I was afraid if I ended it, then I would find more excuses for not doing it. Writing has been something of a grind for the past nine months or so and I’ve tried a number of approaches to get back into it which have mostly failed. I felt the streak was the only thing keeping me from abandoning it completely.

Back in March I had a long day at work and my sweetheart was sick so when I got home I made him some dinner I thought he would like. Then I had to watch the US Men’s National Team play Mexico in a World Cup qualifier.

Then I went to bed and when I woke up at 1:30am I realized I’d never done even one little thing. My rules for the streak were pretty relaxed but I hadn’t even fulfilled the very minimum to check off the box. So good. I don’t have to keep track of that any more.

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Everything is Crappy

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Pamela

Last week Bob bought Cracker Jack at the game.

I used to love Cracker Jack. Remember when it came in a cardboard box? And had a little toy in it? And actual peanuts?

This was a $3 bag of disappointment.

I guessed Fox Mulder.

Yeah, sure the toys were stupid but now it isn’t even a toy. It was this little piece of folded paper. Why bother? And instead of peanuts, there were peanut shards. Bob and I had to fight over all three of them.

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We Have Shower Door

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Pamela

I spent a crazy amount of time seeing if I could do this from my iPhone. Not yet, which is probably a good thing.

How many shower doors do you see? If you see, two, you’re seeing what I’m seeing. There will be some epic showering going on this weekend. I even have coconut scented bath wash to celebrate.

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Bob’s Favorite Shirt

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Pamela

This is Bob’s favorite shirt.

You can tell it’s been his favorite shirt for quite some time.

I think 2 years ago, at Christmas, I looked around online to see if I could find a replacement.

Instead I bought him a bale of Eddie Bauer long sleeved t-shirts – which he loved – but this one is going nowhere.

Even he admits that it’s pretty bad, but it’s his favorite. Can’t argue with that.

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It’s Everything I Wish I Didn’t Know

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Pamela

Hey, check out these little watermelon sproutlets, surging toward the window.

I keep promising myself that I’m not going to write about being busy because, d’oh! Everybody’s busy.

But holy avalanche of documents and activities, this week has been another crazy one. Lots of stuff going on and an unusual blip at the office that has resulted in a bunch of stuff needing to be happen at the same time. On separate occasions, both colleague and I stood in front of our desks and stared down at the piles and said: I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

But, I think we’ve got it under control. (Unless by writing that I just jinxed myself.) I still have plenty to do but all the pieces are in place.

Rainbow of Piquionne (name of our player who scored 4 goals in 45 minutes at this game. Yes, it was awesome to watch.)

On Wednesday my team played the first round of the U.S. Open Cup which is a competition among all the teams in the US Soccer Federation. Last year’s game was an abomination and a forbidden topic.

This year’s game was not. I have never seen my team score 5 goals in one game and I liked it very much. This is separate from Major League Soccer. I’m telling you, soccer is a part time job. The boys have the weekend off for the international break (That’s for competitions among national teams, so above and beyond the league and the US federation. There’s also a regional federation. No, I’m not messing with you.) so we only have a lady team match to go to this weekend.

Here are a couple other updates:

I still don’t have a shower door. I’d tell you all the missteps but it’s too exhausting. The latest snafu is that the glass was the wrong size.

Now they’re saying they can install next Wednesday. Everybody think good thoughts.

Our house is apparently a portal for giant hairy flies. There is always 1 giant hairy fly in the house. It lurks in the kitchen when I’m cooking, the bedroom when I’m trying to sleep or nap, my room when I’m on the computer or on the TV when I’m watching a show. If I follow it around with a fly swatter until I kill it, the next time I go into the kitchen there will be a giant hairy fly. Is there a way to monetize this?

Yesterday I participated in a rally for the Klamath salmon. Coverage here and here.

The power company has agreed to take down the dams but Congress needs to take action to make it happen. An Oregon senator is committed to the cause so the rally was to reiterate that there are still people who want this to happen.

A whole bunch of my family was up from California so it was fun to be with everybody and show our support.

Update on the windowsill sprouts. Look at these pumpkins growing like crazy. it’s warm and dry this weekend so everybody is going to be planted outside. I have a spot out front where historically, the pumpkins have done really well. I also am going to put some in back where I’ve had mixed results. I need to get out there and see what’s going on. It looks like there’s already some stuff bolting and the volunteer sunflowers are still coming on strong.

That’s the update for now.

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The Pumpkins Start Here

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Pamela

I’ve got the viney plants started on the window sill. These are the watermelon. See anything? Neither do I. I don’t have high hopes for the watermelon but I’m going to try again.

Also, I downloaded an app that’s supposed to make my photos prettier. What do you think?

Yeah, this one is definitely blurry, but I only took one because I am in a hurry. Things have kicked back up into insanely busy while simultaneously throwing new and surprising problems my way.

These are the Cinderella pumpkins. They look pretty good.

I had a low tire so I swung by Les Schwab on my way home from work. How long has it been since I sung the praises of Les Schwab? It was 30 minutes before closing. They were fairly busy and the phone ringing. Unfailingly polite – like they it was the highlight of their day looking at my tire. I love that place.

I had a screw in my tire and it’s fixed and I was on my way by 6pm. And one problem, easily solved.

The little tiny sprouts are basil. They get to stay inside. The next one is the single cantaloupe sprout and then more pumpkins.

I still don’t have a shower door. Boo! I haven’t had a decent shower in over a month. I remember writing about the front door knob but can’t find the post. Whatever I did to fix it was only temporary so we need to deal with that. I still don’t have any tomatoes. It goes on and on. I always feel like I’m one day off from getting caught up.

I’m taking off for the weekend. Hopefully it will be blissful sitting around. Also a hotel shower. Yay.

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By Any Other Name

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Pamela

Did I mention we have a lady team?

I’m not completely sold on this iPhone camera yet. But since I am learning to use the phone on the 5 minutes a week schedule, I’m hoping there are some tricks that I haven’t figured out yet.

And sadly, as it turns out, this additional set of home games is the straw that is breaking the camel’s back.

If I had no interest in writing, or my butt size, or how clean my house is, or how weedy my yard is, or how much sleep I get, I could do all this.

Or if I was independently wealthy and didn’t want to work.

But as it turn out, I am having a tough time managing all these games along with all the other things that I would like to accomplish in my life.

I love the team. The goalie is my new girl crush. But I am learning that sometimes it’s okay to skip a game. This includes the U-23 games and at least one exhibition game. Next year when it’s World Cup, it’s going to be crazy.

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Garden Update

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Pamela

We had decent weather in the middle of last month. Bob was kind enough to help me and we were human rototillers, spread a bunch of manure, raked up the soil and were ready for planting.

I went crazy in the seed section and in a burst of enthusiasm, bought a bunch of seed packets. When I got home I found I still had tons of seeds from previous years.

One seed packet has too many seeds for the casual home farmer. I put all the expired seeds into a cup, mixed in a little dirt and then flung over our freshly prepared soil. Then I raked.

What you see here is the results although most of the sprouts are hidden in the shade. I think I have lots of beets and greens. Also, volunteer sunflowers. I’m going to be meaner to the sunflowers this year. Last year I let them have their way and they over-crowded everything else.

That part in the front where the cages are, those are peas. I planted every seed I could find.

I still haven’t put tomatoes in and I have got to get a rosemary bush going. Mine died a couple of years ago and then the replacement died and that is an herb that I actually use on a regular basis. I started the pumpkins inside on the windowsill and I’m trying some melons this year. I don’t think it’s warm enough but it’s fun to try.

For years we had an apple tree pruner. A couple of years ago he had a hip replacement and had to prune late. I wondered it if was a bad idea to let an elder with a recently replaced hip stand on a ladder and prune a tree in my yard.

But he was up for it and it went just fine. Last year he retired and we went prune-less.

We found someone new this year who did a terrific job. We will not have the apple-mageddon that we had last year.

Every once in awhile I get suckered into these variety flower seed packages. The result is either nothing or one single flower that ends up reseeding itself in every nook and cranny for miles. It looks like I finally eradicated the chamomile, which is a shame because I liked that plant. Now I have these orange flowers.

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