The mortgage refinance is finally fucking over. It actually closed a week ago exactly, after much freaking out and last-minute faxing.

The most wonderful part of this whole thing is that all of my and Frinklin's credit cards are completely paid off.* So satisfying to pull up the various card websites and look at the account balance reading "Balance: $0". I haven't been free of credit card debt since I was 18.

*Please do not remind me that the money has really just been transferred to a mortgage that I'll be paying off for 30 years.

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Frinklin and I attended the Lipizzaner performance at the Tacoma Dome on Friday night. I forgot the camera, so I have no photos, but can link to these great pix posted by ResQdog51 on flickr.

The performance was pretty good. I was disappointed that they didn't perform all of the Airs Above the Ground. The Courbette, which is my favorite, was not included. I'm sure it's an issue of what horses they have available to perform at certain shows, still, I was bummed.

I could have done without the cheesy announcer and his bad jokes, but overall I recommend the show to anyone who loves horses, and especially to those who are dressage enthusiasts.

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I am going to kill my sister. Or someone closer if I canÂ’t hold out until the end of May.

SheÂ’s the one having the big wedding on Memorial Day weekend and causing me to lose my mind because of all the stress. Do you think she cares? No, she does not.*

I was nice and eloped for my wedding. I didnÂ’t even ask her to watch our dogs while we were in Vegas, because we didnÂ’t go to Vegas. We went to the JOP.

But now there is the dress** (and all the accoutrements), the plane tickets (which have not yet been purchased), the finding of a pet sitter to care for the cats (and one long-suffering Cockatiel), and the boarding of the four dogs at two different locations. Add to this one mortgage refinance to finance all this stuff that is taking for-fucking-ever to complete.

In the meantime, our water heater started making a weird, high-pitched noise that my dad thought was a potential pin-hole leak and FrinklinÂ’s dad thought might be caused by having the water temperature set too high. We wracked our brains for two days trying to find the source of the sound, all the while trying not to claw each otherÂ’s eyes out because a constant high-pitched beeping/whining/whistling noise is EXACTLY THE RIGHT SOUND TO DRIVE ONE INTO TOTAL INSANITY. Thank God I was out of the house yesterday for work and Frinklin was upstairs, otherwise the carnage could have been terrible.

We finally broke down and called a professional in (Stop freakin’ - call Beacon! – that’s a little something for the Washington crowd). The expert diagnosis rendered us sane within a matter of moments:

(click to enlarge)

Best. Homeowners. Ever. And it only cost $50! The nice plumber was kind enough to leave us custody of the house, even though we obviously donÂ’t possess the mental capacity to care for it properly.

Now I have to go buy some cat food, because that’s what I do every week – buy lots of expensive, organic, homeopathic pet food. And then I have to clean my house like a fiend to try to make it presentable for the appraiser. And call the pet sitters again. And try to find a descent kennel that still has opening for Memorial Day weekend. And take all the dogs to the vet to update their shots and get fecal exams at least 7 days in advance. And pick up my dress at Nordstroms. And fax new documents to the mortgage broker (because the original ones I sent are too old, because it’s taking a really, really, really f-ing long time for the refi to close. Have I mentioned that?).

Oh, and I should really get on those $400 plane tickets. And I was silly enough to think that my parents would be the only ones going broke paying for this!

*IÂ’m totally kidding and I love my sister with all my shrivled heart.

**Although she knows IÂ’m hating the whole Matron of Honor dress wearing thing.

Posted by: Ensie at 09:29 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Oh, I really, really, really needed that laugh. Thank you. I'm sending good vibes your way ...

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 11, 2007 11:07 AM (TqtxZ)

2 That's likely the best studfinder story I will hear all day. I can recommend Theresa's kennel out in Puyallup. 14720 58th Ave E Puyallup, WA 98375 253-531-2422 http://www.theresaspetcare.com/

Posted by: sparkrobot at May 11, 2007 11:36 AM (66H5I)

3 Thanks spark! There are, I suppose, any number of inappropriate "studfinder" jokes one could insert. We're going with Green Acres in Spanaway for the dog boarding, which was recommended by my mother-in-law. But I will definitely check out Theresa's for any future kenneling needs.

Posted by: ensie at May 11, 2007 12:07 PM (6We+3)

4 Yeah, the studfinder jokes running through my head is part of why I'm still falling off my chair laughing.

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 12, 2007 09:07 AM (pg8e/)

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Normal Saturday errands involve a trip to Comic Book Ink, Target, and Mud Bay.

Yesterday was not a normal Saturday.

Started off the morning with a trip to Comic Book Ink and Atomic Comics for Free Comic Book Day. Then headed to the Tacoma Mall with my Matron (ugh) of Honor dress for my sister's wedding. I've been putting off getting it altered because I didn't have the right shoes or (ahem) undergarments, and you've got to have it all together before measuring for any changes.

Thanks to Lane Bryant (and the BRA6) and Macy's for shoes - I was able to get to Nordstrom today to drop off the dress. It should be ready in a week and only cost $16. Granted, I only need to have the shoulder straps shortened, but it's still a great deal! The bridal shop in Southern California where the dress was purchased estimated $135 for alterations. Yay Nordstrom!

I'll have to post a picture of the dress when I get it back. I was terrified it wouldn't fit or be horrendously ugly in the cranberry color, but it looks great!

After finishing up at the mall we did hit Target for our usual - needing three things and coming out with 20. Then after a brief stop at Lowes (they don't carry the brand of paint we needed), went across the street to Home Depot, where we found the much needed paint to touch up the spots where Perdi has chewed! the !! baseboards!!! (as well as one of the windowsills and the bottom of the built-in dresser!).

Seeing all the flowers at Home Depot inspired me to plant something in the window boxes on our house that have remained empty for almost two years. I wanted to try out the city's Tagro potting soil and buy local if possible, so we dove over to Gardensphere (under construction website here) in Proctor to pick up the supplies.

I highly recommend Gardensphere if you haven't been - the employee who assisted us was extremely helpful, and showed us exactly what we wanted when described. The Tagro was cheap ($4.95 for a good sized bag) and we even found a gorgeous hanging basket in addition to the window box marigolds.

Finally heading for home about 5:30, we found some crazy dogs waiting for us. Frinklin took Perdi to the French Lake Dog Park to blow off some crazy, and a little over an hour later returned home to find:

Topped off the evening with the movie Spider-Man 3, which is getting terrible reviews, but I liked (finally get to see Peter be a little bad, in a goofy, Sam Raimi kind of way, and there is the ever-present Bruce Campbell cameo).

Fell into bed about 1 A.M. - feeling exhausted, but good.

Lots of plans for Sunday as well, but so far haven't managed to get out of pajamas.

UPDATE: Shane, the owner of Atomic Comics, just called to tell me that I won one of their drawings. Two free trade paperbacks! Sweet! One for Frinklin and one for me. Now I just have to narrow it down...

Posted by: Ensie at 01:02 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 I thought that looked like TAGRO potting soil. We just got four bags of potting soil at GardenSphere today as well. Time to transplant those starts!

Posted by: tacomachickadee at May 06, 2007 12:57 PM (pg8e/)

2 It's making the marigolds very happy thus far. Have fun with your gardening!

Posted by: ensie at May 06, 2007 01:27 PM (6We+3)

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In addition to visiting our friends at Comic Book Ink, today is a good day to check out some other South Sound comic book shops:

Atomic Comics in Tacoma
4020 S. Steele St.
Tacoma, WA 98409
253-472-1908
(between Borders and Wendy's)

Spy Comics and Books in Federal Way
1500 South 336th Street
Suite 12-A
Federal Way, Washington 98003
253-874-3084

Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey
4129 Pacific Ave
Lacey, WA 98503
(360) 459-7721

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The Gin Blossoms are coming!

I freakin' LOVED this band when I was 17. I was working as a camp counselor that summer and would listen to them constantly on my drives home. My first concert I went to sans parents was the Spin Doctors (I know), opening acts Cracker and the Gin Blossoms.

So many good concerts (hello, Indigo Girls!) and events (What is this, cake? I've never had cake before...) coming up...so little time (and money!).

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The Dean of Students at Gig Harbor High School reported the "strange" behavior of a student to her parents, prompting them to transfer her to another school. What type of behavior was the girl exhiting? She was kissing another female student.

GIG HARBOR, Wash. -- Restrictions on the use of school security videotape have been tightened after images of two high school students kissing were shown to the parents of one of the girls, officials say.

Keith Nelson, dean of students at Gig Harbor High School, said he saw the students kissing and holding hands in the school's busy commons, checked a surveillance camera and showed the parents the tape because they had asked him a few weeks earlier to alert them to any conduct by their daughter that was out of the ordinary.

They then transferred their daughter to a school outside the Peninsula School District, which lies northwest of Tacoma.

Both girls said their privacy was invaded and denied doing anything wrong. Neither was identified by name in an article published Thursday by The News Tribune of Tacoma.

The kiss amounted to a quick "peck," said the girl who remains at the school, a 17-year-old senior described as the daughter of a News Tribune employee.

"We weren't doing anything inappropriate, nothing anyone else wouldn't do," she said.

Nelson said students could not have any expectation of privacy in a crowded place and maintained that he would have taken the same action had the students kissing been a boy and a girl.

An internal investigation into a complaint from a student -- it was unclear whether the complaint came from one of the girls -- established that Nelson had not violated district policy, Assistant School Superintendent Shannon Wiggs said.

Even so, Principal Greg Schellenberg said, school surveillance videotape may now be used only for security monitoring and discipline for actions such as trespassing, vandalism and fighting.

Kissing and other public displays of affection were at the time and remain violations of school rules, but violators will first be given warnings and will be disciplined only for a second offense, Schellenberg said. In addition, school employees are barred from sharing surveillance video in response to an open-ended parental request.

"It's not our normal practice," Schellenberg said. "It's not going to happen again."

In the case of the kiss, he added, "the same information could have been portrayed to the family without the video."

Nelson said he respected the change in policy but added that he believes his first obligation is to parents.

"They're paying good money for us to make their kids good citizens," he said. "Whatever that means to the parents, I'll do it."

The father of the transferred student spoke on local radio earlier today, stating that they had found, "evidence of homosexual activity, which we believe to be an abomination." He went on to say that his daughter had been "transferred to a school that deals with this sort of thing."

I am totally disgusted with the Dean, the school, and the father of this girl, video or no video. Is it their policy to report heterosexual hand-holding and kissing to parents? I highly doubt it.

And way to go dad - I've been the "abomination" route and it sucks. Parental disappointment can be an incredible burden, and trying to find yourself while someone condemns you to hell for falling for the "wrong" sex doesn't help.

Posted by: Ensie at 09:26 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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The Tacoma Historical Society will be hosting their 14th annual Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour on Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th. Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $20 ($15 for Historical Society members) for access to eight homes.

Tickets are good for both days, but allow only one visit per house. Advance ticket sale locations includ the Tacoma Historical Society Exhibit Center, 747 Broadway; the Pacific Northwest Shop; Stadium Thriftway; Union Avenue, Fircret, and Westgate branches of Columbia Bank. For additional information call 253-472-3738 or visit www.tacomahistory.org.

Not to be outdone, the North Slope Historic District Walking Tour will be held Saturday, May 19th and Sunday, May 20th. Tours will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day and will cover different areas of the North Slope on each day (Saturday uphill, Sunday downhill).

This is a FREE event, to reserve your space contact Marshall McClintock at 253-572-5474 or marshalm@oz.net .

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"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. My kids are sick right now and I need something to bring their fever down. Do you have anything? Maybe 10 or 12 pills?"

"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. Do you have any NyQuill?"

"Hi, can I come in? Thanks. I'm having some money issues right now and need to know if I can borrow $10 to pay for my anxiety meds. I get paid on the 1st or the 3rd."

How do you say no to a neighbor you really don't want to piss off?

Until recently we called this family in the rental across the street "The McCreepys" because, well, they creeped us the fuck out. I did my best to avoid them, although it's hard, since they are often on their porch, drinking *many* beers, and they love our dogs.

A few months ago Mrs. McCreepy saw our mail get stolen. She told me about it, and I thanked her profusely for letting me know. Since then, she will randomly knock on the door, invite herself in, dump all her problems on me, then plays with the dogs and cats for a half hour before asking me for something she needs.

Not only does it really bother me that she invites herself into my house, but I don't care to hear about how her doctor won't prescribe her narcotics, or her kid has lice (ew) and got sent home from school, again (double ew), or even, that her older child's friends are not allowed to bring guns into her house - they have to leave them at home(!!). I'm glad she feels comfortable chatting with me, but I'm really not happy with the apparent level of intimacy that we seem to have instantaneously developed.

And the money borrowing thing. That really bugs. It's not the money itself - I have the $10 she needs - it's the fact that we hardly know each other and she is asking me to loan her cash for a couple of weeks. I know it was probably hard for her to ask, and I know it sucks to need money, but there are places that exist solely to assist with this sort of thing.

And the fact that she has plenty of cigarettes and beer while asking me for money...don't even get me started there.

Help me out - internets. Is this normal and I'm just being touchy? Or can I politely tell her to shove it?

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May 17th and 18th, the Lipizzaner Stallions will be performing their Airs Above the Ground at the Tacoma Dome. These highest level of dressage maneuvers include several natural positions the horses were once trained to perform in battle.

The true story of the flight of the Lipizzaner stallions from their famous riding school in Vienna to safety during WWII was made into a Disney movie, Miracle of the White Stallions, in 1963. One of my favorite childhood authors, Marguerite Henry, wrote the book White Stallion of Lipizza about a baker's son who dreams of becoming a riding master at Vienna's Spanish Court Riding School.

God, I'm horse nerdy.

Sarah, are you in?

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Published in the 4/18/07 Tacoma News Tribune. See it here.

Robert Shirley’s letter regarding dog attacks in his neighborhood unfortunately puts the blame on the wrong party – the dogs. He complains of loose, dangerous dogs, and asks that “aggressive breeds” be banned.

The problem lies not with dogs, but with irresponsible owners. Most cities currently have Animal Control laws in place that allow for the pickup of loose dogs, especially those that are aggressive. Any dog that attacks is impounded.

The idea of banning “aggressive breeds” is a slippery slope. Pit bulls are typically the primary focus of breed specific legislation (BSL). To some, banning the breed that statistically bites or attacks most often makes sense. However, it is only in this decade that Pit bulls have received this dubious distinction. The Center for Disease Control statistics show Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and even Great Danes have topped the list in previously. Labradors, Dauchunds, and Yorkshire Terriers also make an appearance.

BSL does not address the root of the problem - any breed can be made aggressive if mishandled and/or abused. The same dogs that are considered “aggressive breeds” in some areas are celebrated for their sensitivity and intelligence in others. German Shepherds are one of the three breeds used by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

At a time when a large percentage of adoptable shelter dogs are crossbred in some way with Pit bulls, banning “aggressive breeds” from one neighborhood and moving them to another makes no sense. Requiring spaying and neutering and strengthening current dangerous dog laws are better solutions.

Read the unedited version in the extended entry more...

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Congratulations to John Munn, owner of Tacoma's best comic book shop, Comic Book Ink, and his new bride Sarah.

We spent the day at their lovely wedding at the Temple Theatre and wish them many happy years together!

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In my in-box today I received an invitation to the Beautiful Angle Artist's Reception at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle.

Details for the event taken directly from the eVite:

Host: Beautiful Angle
Location: The Gallery that happens to be at the School of Visual Concepts
500 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle, WA
When: Friday, April 27, 7:00pm

Join Beautiful Angle on Friday, April 27 in the unwashed lands of Seattle, WA. For the first time, we'll be showing a complete retrospective of our work outside of our own holy city. We'd love to see a strong contingent of Tacoma folks come up for the reception.

There'll be some free food, a cool crowd, and posters on the wall. It's at one of our favorite non-Tacoma places, Seattle's School of Visual Concepts. SVC and their wonderful letterpress program has long been a supporter of our project.

We'll be giving away a free commemorative poster on the spot. In regards to the displayed work, it's the same old posters, but we've got to say: the messages seem transformed when displayed in a foreign land. You just may look at them with a new perspective.

We hope to see you soon.

Lance Kagey, Tom Llewellyn, and the rest of the Beautiful Angle family

--------------------

Come out and show your support for local Tacoma art!

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What to do on a rainy morning in Tacoma but bake? Today I had the mad desire to whip up some bread, but had not the patience to wait for yeast to rise. If you have a similar yearning and would like to taste a bundle of oatmealy deliciousness, here is the recipe for you:

Irish Oatmeal Bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
1 - 11/2 cups milk

Sift together salt, baking powder and flour in a bowl. Add oatmeal and mix well. Beat the eggs, melted butter, brown sugar (or honey), and one cup of the milk together. Be careful that the eggs are not too cold and the melted butter not too hot or you will scramble the eggs. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet and add enough milk to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out to knead for 1 - 2 minutes. Shape into a round loaf.

Use a heavy, ovenproof plate for baking (or whatever you have at hand that will allow the dough to expand a bit - a cookie sheet will do in a pinch). Grease the plate, then flip the loaf over so that both sides are greased. Cut a shallow gash across the top of the loaf. I like to add butter to the gash - but that's up to you.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

Bread is done when loaf is turned over and a hollow sound can be heard when you "thump" the underside of the bread. Or when it looks done - starting to turn golden brown. Yummy.

Best when straight out of the oven and spread with your favorite jam or jelly.

Posted by: Ensie at 05:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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St. Helens Cafe has started serving new fries.

We went for dinner on Friday night (instead of Thursday - I swear we don't go there every night, Kevin and Cassioposa, regardless of what was indicated at C&R) and were served a smaller, tastier fry. I asked about the switch and was told that these are more distinctive, less, "frozen, straight out of the bag. We are a fish and chips place, after all!" She also told me Friday was the first day they had tried the new fries and people seemed to like them.

The new fries are more shoe-string style. I vote in favor of them.

Anyone else tried the new fries? If not, make it a point to do so.

We also got to experience eating at St. Helens with the garage doors up. It was great!

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At King's Books the other day I was able to pick up my button for Tacoma Reads: The Pact. If you aren't familiar with Tacoma Reads Together, you should be.

Tacoma Reads is a program created after September 11th, 2001. From the Tacoma Public Library website:

In the aftermath of the tragic event of September 11, 2001, Tacoma educator Patrick Erwin sought a way to bring the Tacoma community together to talk about the issues which appeared to keep the community apart. Remembering What if all Seattle read the same book?, a project begun by Seattle’s Nancy Pearl, Erwin met with Mayor Brian Ebersole and others to suggest that perhaps Tacomans should be encouraged to come together to read, reflect upon, and then respond to the ideas and issues raised by one good book – one book which the entire community would be encouraged to read and discuss. In short order, Tacoma Reads Together was born.

The rest of the Tacoma Reads Together history can be found here.

The 2007 Tacoma Reads selection is The Pact by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt. This is the inspiring true story of three young black men from the projects in Newark, New Jersey. All three were chosen to attend University High School, a magnet school in the city. As they bonded together as friends, the three made a pact to graduate, and go on to become doctors. All three succeeded.

I was lucky enough to meet all three doctors at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in 2003. They were the keynote speakers and I was running the books sales for the event. I sold 600 books in less than 2 hours. The line wrapped around the room. Their story wasn't just amazing, they were great speakers, and they stayed afterwards to meet with every single person (1000 people attended the session) who wanted to shake their hands.

There is also a version of The Pact written for younger readers called We Beat the Street.

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1 Altoona's April book is "To Kill A Mockingbird."

Posted by: Eden at April 05, 2007 02:41 PM (BDCWt)

2 I have never read "Mockingbird". I really should. I'm reading "Emma" right now. Considering I work in a bookstore, there are a number of classics I have shamefully ignored.

Posted by: ensie at April 05, 2007 03:20 PM (6We+3)

3 Just skip the unnecessary background that starts on page 2 or 3 or so. It's dry and doesn't have an impact on the story. Then it'll hook ya.

Posted by: Eden at April 06, 2007 06:05 AM (BDCWt)

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I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had joined Book Crossing, a very cool web-based community that allows you to register your books, tag them, and "release" them into the wild for others to find. I've released two books so far, one at the black water and the other at St. Helens Cafe.

Today I was rewarded - someone "caught" the book I released at the black water! Hopefully they will keep the trend going and once finished with Then We Came to the End will set it free in another public location.

You can check out other books that I have released, or are soon to be realeased by clicking the icon here:

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Frinklin is starting a new blog all about the Tacoma Rainiers. No Rhubarb! is under construction right now, but should be fully up and running later this week.

I have a sneaking suspicion this is just to get us to more baseball games this year, but whatever.

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Frinklin and I stopped by King's Books on our way home from the Emerald City ComiCon to visit the Small Press Wayzgoose, which was quite fun.

There was paper-making going on outside and Kings was packed with people admiring the works of numerous talented Washington paper-smiths.

I purchased an incidental relation, a very cool handmade book about an almost unseen piece of furniture. I told the book-maker, Jenny Craig of Notta Pixie Press that it reminded me of Edward Gorey's book The Curious Sofa, in which various people perform "pornographic" acts around a stationary chiase. She informed me that she based it purposefully on that style, which you can see a sample of here.

I also had the opportunity to make my very own Beautiful Angle poster, and meet Lance and Tom in person. The guys said they were up late last night creating a new "Parking in Paradise" poster that is very cool. Hopefully it will be up at their website for purchase shortly.

A few shots from the afternoon, taken on the camera phone.

Handmade paper drying

Notta Pixie Press Table

Jenny Craig of Notta Pixie Press

My very own Beautiful Angle poster

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Bed Races? Inspired by Frida Kahlo?!

Oh, I'm so there.

April 27th - Mark your calendars.

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