Sometimes you just color

The next adventure

A few summers ago a former college classmate posted an advertisement about a Rock and Pop summer camp.  I was so excited.  I wanted to go.  I got in touch with him.  It was just for kids. It was a little embarrassing but kind of hilarious.

Last night at 10:00 pm I got a text from the same friend asking if I was free today to fill in for an instructor that couldn't be there. (also a college friend)

It was for the last rehearsal of a group of girls ages 9-11.  Their performance is tomorrow.  While I do have a fairly strong reputation as a music teacher of kids, I knew if he was asking me (the former would be camper) and it was 10:00 at night, he was desperate.  I  could not pass up a teaching adventure.

So from 1:00-3:30 today I taught a preteen girls rock band.  I taught it in a building where I used to teach general music. So first I present the steps I would walk up and down (with equipment- pre-ipod- bag of cds, instruments and a giant boom box) at Woodburn Elementary.

This first one is from the front door- the bottom looking up.

This second one is from the top looking down.

The walls did not have the cool graffiti they have now.  The steps are not standard size in height. They are a little shorter.  It's kind of amazing that I made it out of that job without broken bones.  There was never time for more than one trip so all of the above mentioned supplies were carried in tandem.  It makes me tired just looking at them.

This is the front of one of the rooms where I taught 5th grade. I clearly remember trying to teach the words to the French Christmas carol Trois Grands Roi. I carried an electronic keyboard that day.

This is the other side of the room, the same room I taught rock band in today. The window shades are exactly the same.  I am not.

There was a lot of talk about listening and concentrating which for 5 girls under the age of 12 from 1:00-3:30 pm in an un-air-conditioned summer afternoon was a challenge and an accomplishment. They didn't love me during the repetition but they were pleased with the end results.

They wrote a "protest against parents" song called Feedback.  It was a thrasher style song with three drums an electric guitar and a voice.  The first line is "I know you're the boss of me..." There's another line "who likes broccoli anyway..."

They are also performing a cover of Ed Sheeran's Perfect. It went from falling apart after 8 beats to recovering from any rhythmic jumps after each section.  If you look for PopShop on Facebook, they will be live streaming their performance at 1:00 tomorrow.  It was a trip.

In other news, I'm back in it to win it in food consumption.  The return from vacation shift to overnight oats for breakfast sort of clicked things into place. Yesterday was roasted broccoli in a very General Tso's kind of sauce with sesame seeds. Today was Caprese Portabella's

Before

 After

Probably the most delicious meal I've ever made.

Home Sweet Home

We pulled in around midnight last night.  The dog acted like one of those military reunion dogs.  She was crying even when she was with us.

There have been several posts in the last week concerning the humor in less than perfect public interactions.  For this last vacation post I just want to share a few people who were awesome this week.

The first one is the agent at the hotel (both at the beginning and end of the trip).  She was friendly.  You wanted to do more than just say "hey" and "thanks" so I took to saying "hi honey, we're home" as we returned from outings.  When it was time to drop off the rental, we took the bus from rental place to airport.  The hotel told us to call when we had reached ground transportation.  4 phone calls and 15 minutes later we finally caught the bus and all was well but it was pretty funny and she was pretty patient.

That very first day we ate at a Jack in the Box.  Greathusbandbob shared that this was my first Jack in the Box experience.  The server was so enthusiastic and laughing and smiling that I had to order her favorite just so she would like me more.  What a treat.

Last night was the best.  We were first to get on the parking shuttle after getting home.  We gave him what I thought was our stop number. The bus filled up and another couple was trying to get on in spite of that.  The driver told them there was another bus five minutes behind him and asked them to wait.  They grumbled and pouted and he told them to stop it and he finally let them on, crowding everyone in the back.

He has already collected all of the stop numbers but these last two impatient passengers had to dig around and hold things up to find theirs, slamming their luggage around as they did and announcing it was number 9.

During the drive he sneezed and looked a little startled when I said "bless you."  I guess he's used to feeling invisible.

He dropped us off and I (maybe a little loudly) said "you're stopping at nine last, right?"  He laughed.  We wandered around aimlessly.  He drove away and then drove back, knowing the parking area we needed didn't match the stop where we got off.  He made us get back on the bus and drove us where we needed to go.

Of course returning to the bus was awkward and to ease the uncomfortableness, greathusbandbob said "It's a three hour tour."  The driver said "I'm not Gilligan."  I said "Dear God, I'm glad your not, you're the professor!"  Then I announced that I was Ginger.  Then without blinking an eye he said, "Who are the Howell's?"  It was hilarious.

As he dropped us off he said "If I see you wandering around any more, you're going to have to come home with me."

It was one of those "I'm so tired, that was so nice and hilarious" moments that makes you feel like crying because someone was that helpful.  It was human beings on the planet enjoying life together as equals with no distinctions between age, class, race or otherwise and it was a small piece of experience that will stick with me for some time and make me feel just a little bit more o.k. about the state of the planet.

Dog in the Bed O.G.

This is Walter.  He is O.G. (Old Gangsta). He was the inspiration for my one hit wonder I Gotta Bury my Bone. I’m not surprised if you haven’t heard of it. It mostly ran in dog circles.  He also inspired the as yet incomplete Dog in the Bed and Small Dog in a Big Dog’s Body.

He’s a Great Dane-Lab mix (like Oona) and in his slimmer and younger ears would look like a Dane galloping after the ball in the Lab’s  body.  He is a dear.

Here he is in front of the portable air conditioner son in law brought out to save the day.  Today was the hottest day Seattle has ever seen. Naturally.  I tried to put his bed in front of the air for greater comfort but the pain in his hips makes it too difficult to quickly get to his feet if he has to protect us.

It was a relaxing day of knitting and pajamas until dinnertime. Highlights of dinner-rather than an eloquently written essay I’ll give bullet points.

• A 20 minute wait that was 45 minutes
• An additional hour before food was served (with a small basket of fries to “hold us over.”)
• A burger that was charcoal
• Refills (which this particular restaurant advertises as “their thing”) not forthcoming
• Macaroni and cheese with broccoli served ten minutes after the meal because broccoli was forgotten
• An adult size sprite in a glass for a child (with the waiter saying-I’m not going toahve to mop up later am I?)
• Water pitcher refilling an order of seltzer

And really I’m not complaining.  These are little things, and they happen. But when they happen after the car rental and bakery experience you just have to sigh a little, be glad you’re well fed and think about the ice cream at the house for later.

Edited to add...last night Walter slept on the floor at my bedside.  This morning he asked to go out. He was very subtle but I knew what he wanted.  As he went out the door he looked back as if  inviting me to join him so I did. Before relieving himself he picked up his tennis ball, walked a few yards with it, looked back again and dropped it. Later as I was packing he put his front paws on the bed, unable to get the rear ones up, for a little goodbye.  It’s probably the last time I’ll see him and he just wanted to say thanks for rubbing my itchy eyes.

One More Thing

I thought maybe  it was the 2 1/2 hour car ride that made me a little more impatient. I was third in line at the bakery knowing exactly what I needed.  She was in her late 70’s with red dyed hair, a vibrantly colored flowered shirt and a walking stick.  She asked questions about Every Single Menu Item.  Then placed her order-she wanted the small one for 280 instead of 7.99.  When told there was only one size, the difference between the calories column and the cost column had to be explained in detail with some disagreement as to whether a dollar sign should be placed before the cost of every item.

As this was happening I leaned forward to the exasperated couple in front of me and said I just spent 3 hours in a minivan with intermittently bickering teenagers and may or may not completely lose it at any moment. They said they had just arrived to the west coast after a 5 hour plane trip from Indianapolis.  I said “You win.”

The counter encounter continued.  Order near completion, she leaned over the bakery counter and said “I just have one more question and may want to order a pastry.”  The line has became 4 deep and the manager appeared from the back.  He started counting loaves of bread.  

The cashier reached for the ordered loaf of bread and the customer asks,

“Has that been out all day?”

“Yes.”

“You really should cover it.”

“Do you still want it?”

“Yes.”

The manager is now counting bagels. 

Return to the conversation with the plane passengers.

“We just returned from Victoria B.C. Canada.”  Realizing that my husband was in the car and I was standing alone I joked “me and my imaginary friend” and gestured toward the empty space next to me.

“Hi Bob,” said the traveler.

“That’s His Name!” And laughs helped the time pass as the customer figured out her Panera card.

Money and merchandise finally exchanged, there is a collective sigh of relief in the line.

She begins to step away from the counter and in true Colombo fashion says “one more thing....” (we all breathe deeply in anticipation of summoning just a little more patience.)... “Can you open this bottle for me.  I have arthritis.”

The travelers step forward and now, 25 minutes since I walked into the store,  the manager finished counting baked goods and said “I can help whoever’s next.”

Saturday morning

The trip finished with baby goats at Beacon Hill Children’s Farm.  This really amounts to a pen full of people and baby goats. It is surrounded by a huge park with (wait for it) beautiful gardens.  The painter/author Emily Carr discovered on Friday once called the Park her backyard and raised old English sheep dogs on the property.  I’m glad to have a place to put her in my head.

It seems as though they may come from a long line of goat whisperers.  It was in the picture below that I caught a glimmer of their five and six year old selves.  It was lovely.

This introverted gated needed some time to decompress.  A goat after my own heart. Don’t mind that the sign says Time Out.  Every bad behavior has a cause.

The wait for the border crossing customs was tedious, made more so by one of our passengers flipping out about how and when to purchase our reserved tickets.  The Boy was sad to leave his goat behind. During the Ferry ride back we spotted some orcas spouting water and flipping their tails. And then there was the two hour return trip.  

We left the house of daughter where excitement over the recently acquired dog overshadowed any long goodbyes. We crossed the bridge to s Panera’s in Issaquah where I spent 25 minutes waiting for bagels.  It’s a long story maybe worth its own post later.

Finally arrived at son's  house where knowing how absolutely burning up we were while sleeping all week,  he immediately set up the portable air conditioner in our sleeping room.  He also made sure that fans were delivering cross breezes throughout the house.  It’s the little pieces of thoughtful that mean so much. At first I thought I wanted hotel the last three nights but the change in vibe, appreciation and lack of entitlement in our new digs makes staying here enjoyable.

Later Friday afternoon

The Lilster and I visited the Victoria B.C. Museum of art.  It was small and cute and had interesting pieces. 

There was a video installation of trees in the dark.  Bean bags to lay in.  It inspired the former youth poet laureate Lilster and I waited as she put thoughts to paper.  The artist at work.

There were also Japanese scrolls that caught my eye.  The look in the Master’s eye particularly.  

And finally, Emily Carr is a famous historical figure in Victoria.  I don’t yet know the details.  I purchases two books that she wrote and added illustrations to.  She loved dogs.  She loved trees. She was a painter.  These words were installed near a collection of her paintings.

All of the exhibits combined left me feeling trees and desolate nature. Sparse nature filled Japanese art.  Florid renditions of trees in the forest with acrylic lines that seemed familiar to my own hands and photographs.  One photo triptych showed a stump growing life across time.

Art inspiration of the day.  Instead of "I’m going to paint with water colors" I’m of a mind to say I’m going to try to paint this in watercolors.  I picture a window pane with photos from the government house gardens in each panel.  We'll see. We’ll just see.

Friday afternoon

The big guy and I skipped the concert in the park last night and went to the casino.  We needed a break.  There is a phenomena in dysfunction whereby the main perpetrator is angry all the time.  No one else knows why.  Everyone else takes responsibility trying to make it right.  It may just be alcohol overload.  It could be an unspoken affront. Maybe life didn’t turn out the way s/he thought it should.  Whatever the case, I’ve found it to be quite a trigger.  The good news is I am seeing it for exactly what it is and it is losing its power.  

So in answer to questions in the comments (sunshine), I am having a good time because I try to do that wherever I am.  Sometimes others around me join in, other times I visit the knit store or wander through the gardens to find people who will. Always there is greathusbandbob who rarely lets anyone get him down.

Last night an old man with Jimmy Durante eyes leaned in while I was at a slot machine.  He said “excuse me, is that machine broken?”  I replied "no, I don’t think so.”  He said “It’s just that you seem to be winning.”  Friendly Canadian humor at its finest.

Today was a walking tour through the gardens at the government house.  It was nothing short of spectacular.  Pictures never do these spaces justice.  You’ll just have to allow yourself to step into them.

Thursday

Larissa Brown's shift shawl.  Tonight was to be concert in the park. Greathusbandbob and I may make it Canadian casino night. My susceptibility to bug bites and his susceptibility to allergens as well as a the fish and visitors syndrome means that time apart may be best.

There is as yet unspoken entitlement and resentment under the surface.  Probably worse than it needs to be were it all spoken but the last two big evening gatherings required the limited number of Xanax I have left.  Unspoken tension pretending all is well is the worst.  I hereby denounce it and will continue to do what I can to make sure it’s out of my hula hoop.  Sometimes you just can’t fix second generation dysfunctional.

And then it was Wednesday.

And the big guy can’t catch a break.  He is down for the count with allergies.  Hopefully the Claritin he just took will do the trick but it seems pretty miserable.

This morning I watched the first half of the England/Croatia match then walked to the knitting store.  There were 5 others there and they were delightful. I got to show one of them the easier way to do the provisional cast on with the crochet hook directly on to the knitting needle.

I limited today’s purchases to a ceramic mug and some stitch markers.

On the way home I was nearly attacked by some guard crows. 

By then it was naptime followed by dinner time and a movie. (The Incredibles 2) 

Tuesday adventures

This morning we watched the World Cup semifinals together.  It’s just fun hanging out and watching together.

The gaggle of girls planned and executed a 2:00 tea party with invitations and menus.  We were all scolded for not treating the tea party hostesses with the proper respect and our attitudes adjusted.   I provided the tea and the writing paper for the menus.

I spent much of the morning lounging in the pool. This was followed by a sun sleepy nap.

Th plan was a family outing to see The Incredibles 2 but tickets were sold out.  We made a visit to the inner harbor instead.  Highlights there was a steeet performer that I never saw do anything except ask for money and let us know that it was how she made her living.  After her third request I joined greathusbandbob and skipped the “grand finale” which trapeze artist Lilster said was as unsafe as it gets.  Some wanted dinner others wanted ice cream.  We  split up and went our ways.

The movie has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening.  Planned events now include knitting with others tomorrow at noon and a movie in the evening.  (Tickets  pre-purchased). There is an art museum around the corner and Lily and I will partake likely on Thursday. I also want to walk through the gardens at the government house a block away.

The gardens continue to impress.  I must emphasize that all of the photos are really “oh let’s plant some flowers” pictures and not exclusive.  They are gorgeous all over the place.

The inner harbour

And then I noticed this

Knit morning (as opposed to knit night)

Knotty by Nature is a yarn store one mile from our rental.  There was knit together at 10:30 today. 2:30 tomorrow for spinners. Another knitting at 12:30 on Wednesday. There may have been some purchases.  Support your local fiber palace.  Here I am with the gang.

Larry, me, Karen and Catherine.  Not pictured is the owner Ryan. Who grew up listening to Rickie Lee Jones.  I picked his favorite yarns in the store without even knowing it. The two purchased hand spun yarns were spun by him.  

Not kidding about the gardening.

Greathusbandbob and I made a quick trip for Advil and to locate Willows Beach and were responsible for this drive by shooting.

The morning walk

I’ll be saying this every day- nay every post- I am so thrilled with the lower temperatures and no humidity.  Also a break from MSNBC et al has been a long time coming.

Thrifty food store is about a mile away and was the first walk of the trip.  I got the big guy some blueberries as a reason to go.  I had to ask if they accepted American dollars and I was ashamed of our leadership.  It makes you want to crawl under a rock.

I likely passed 30 people not in cars. Walking, jogging, biking, with their dogs.  Two little ones on scooters informed me that they were going to a birthday party after this.  

There are so many beautiful garden yards.  I didn’t take many pictures because I always end up deleting those.  You can’t take them with you.  I did snag a pic of this nice persons friendly gesture to the world. It’s a cool drink for any passerby dogs.

The government house is less than a block away and the gardens there are spectacular from a distance.  I think tomorrow’s (or this evenings) walk may be there.  Maybe there can be a collage of pictures.

We will likely visit there on Thursday for this-

The first night.

After some lengthy instructions from the manager we finally got into the business of vacation.  In an unusual twist partially because of the perfect  temperature and humidity (or lack thereof) I had zero interest in the grocery store run.  The adult children and eldest gd did the shopping and meal planning.  I was happy to hand over the credit card if it meant I didn’t have to go.  Instead I went into the pool with the gaggle of girls keeping watch on the littlest one.  I even went down the slide.  It was awesome.

I allowed myself a beer and some wine because sometimes greathusbandbob eats apple dumplings.  Just enough to relax properly.  

Some rested as others prepared food.

Dinner was served and many laughs were had.  The main topic evolved around the various accents everyone could do based on Hazels desire for everyone to speak with a British accent all week.  The boy has some mad accent skills. My favorite part of the picture below is the various ways each one is looking at me.  I think a picture says as much about the photographer as it does the subjects.

Dinner was followed by a musical theater cabaret act in the round from the balcony.  There were too many lights and too much action to really snag the vibe but this one does a little bit and shows grandfather conducting from the pit. Should I get an opportunity for a do-over I may try to get shots from across the balconies rather than from the floor.  Maybe I can avoid the light interference,

Our room is definitely the hottest.  People in British Columbia don’t usually need whole house air. It’s gone from oppressive to manageable since the sun went down.  Two rotating fans are keeping things ok as well.  And the truth is I am so happy not to be at the hot, humid, sweaty sandy beach. Hanging out with everyone is not overwhelming thanks to the weather.  This is a place to could go to again.

To the Ferry

Easy ride to the ferry.  We got here way early but it allowed for some laughs.  First and foremost was the chance to gift the beard.

It was absolutely a surprise and a win.

The youngest playing pageant girl-

The gaggle of middle ones-

Me and my favorite-

And the dad and his kids-

Mani-pedi

The adult kids were working today so we got to visit this one for the afternoon. She’s teaching grandfather how to use his cell phone.

Here she is in her younger years playing tour guide if you need a laugh.

The Tour Guide

We met Oona the dog.  She’s a little whiny and very thin but sweet.

The daughter and I went to the nail salon- my toes and fingers are blue. They will match my bathing suit.  Otherwise they will look ridiculous.

The evening ended at an Italian restaurant.  While greathusbandbob and his daughter ate pasta I got a sandwich with eggplant, artichoke heart, tomato, goat cheese and mozzarella on a whole wheat Italian bun.  It was a win and something I will try to duplicate at home. Note to self.  Always go for quality mozzarella.

We had a quick hello with “the boy” (remember last summer?) and his older sister.  Big sis just graduated high school and has a summer job as a camp coach at the Seattle center for circus arts.  She’s the one that was poet laureate last year. Published a book of poetry.  She is awesome.

The caravan leaves the gate at 10:00 am tomorrow. I am of mixed feelings so far. There is some unspoken dysfunctional family drama festering just below the surface.  It would appear we’ve been forced into forgive and forget mode without any real resolution. It makes me very untrusting and takes me to a place in which I am all to familiar. So with uncertainty I will sleep and hope to be able to relax a little more tomorrow.

A Seinfeld episode

It only takes an airport and a plane full of people to remember that deep down I am a misanthrope who is also overwhelmed by the teaming masses.  I will not apologize for my naps. (No one is asking me to for the record.) 

It used to be easy in Seattle.  Get off the plane, get your luggage, walk across the street to the parking garage, pick up the rental car.  Since we’ve been here last they’ve created a rental car center which means standing in line waiting for a bus to drive to the rental car center.  Dragging their luggage behind them... 

The woman at the Hertz rent-a-car place informed us that the larger vehicle we reserved wasn’t available. (Cue Seinfeld. What part of the word reservation don’t you understand?)  she offered us a more expensive car that seated fewer people and we would have to pay the difference in our "upgrade." To be fair, she was a new employee. When she called her manager to find out what to do it was established that it could be somewhat remedied, she just didn’t know how to do it.  

She asked if we wanted GPS.  I love the cars with GPS. It takes out me as the navigator/traffic negotiator.  It prevents bad feelings.  As we left the counter with our less than ideal ride she said, "don’t forget to tell the guy you want the GPS.”  Wait, what?  That’s usually installed in the car.  "No, we have a different fancier system." Hmmm.

We used credit card points to pay for the rental, taken care of several weeks ago.  As we left she said, "and look, you got an upgrade for free.”  Yes, if by upgrade you mean a smaller vehicle that we had a guaranteed price for that we almost didn’t get, yes we did.

To be truthful, at this point I was more incredulous than annoyed.  She was a really sweet girl learning on the job.

We head to parking spot #568 with greathusbandbob pointing to every Hertz spot that had a vehicle bigger than the one we were getting. The Nissan Pathfinder is a tight fit for the big guy and will definitely not hold the number of people we'll have, but we'll make do.

A pre-packed CPAP machine and a three mile hike to the car left us both hot and winded. With the air on, we drive up to the final paperwork gate and say  with all of the best intentions, she told us to remind you we got GPS. “Oh great” says the sarcastic guy in the booth.  As we wait for him to prepare what we were told would be this new advanced system that we were paying an additional $8/day for we noticed that the air conditioning is not working.  When we share this with the Hertz guy in the booth he says, and I quote, “what do you want me to do about it? I don’t know anything about the cars, do you want me to try to turn it on?” 

Well that’s a forward step so crankyman sits in the driver seat and I show him how it works and then show him that it doesn’t.  He asked questions like "what’s this button that says rear climate?  Did you try it?”  Ummm. No.  That determines the air in the back seats. (Which by the way there should be more of).  Just before he gets out of the car he says “that should be colder than that.”  (Breathe in, breathe out.). He hands me a zippered bag with a cell phone that has GPS on it, then says “I’ll call Franco, he knows the cars.  He’ll know how to turn it on.”

Apparently our good cop/bad cop routine is netting gains. For the record, I am never the good cop.

Franco slips into the driver’s seat and I show him how it is supposed to work.  After helping him turn up the fan, he put his hands in front of the vents and said, there now it works. No Franco, it does not.

Meanwhile back at the ranch the good cop is sharing his story, the story at the Hertz checkout, and likely a multitude of other stories.  When you’re playing bad cop, you’re too pissed  to hear anything.  Also at this point I realize the scam of the $8 a day fancy new GPS system and I’m even more pissed.  Crankyman has turned himself around (and I later find out that he’s certain greathusbandbob must have retired as a cop or a fireman) and will do anything to help.

He retells the car too small had to fight for the right price to Franco.  Franco turns to greathusbandbob and says “do you want a bigger car? I can do that.” GPS is returned and removed from the bill, Kia Sedona is offered up and willingly taken. We go forth on our merry way.

Knowing my inability to calmly deal with situations such as these, at one point greathusbandbob tells the guy he’s going to take me to the hotel and bring the car back to get it straightened out.  That’s true love right there.

The traditional start to vacation

Three days ago:

W: When do you need me to do the last load of laundry?
H: How about the morning before we leave?

The morning of the day before we leave:

W:I'm doing the last load of laundry this morning.  Is there anything else you want washed?
H:  I'll toss my fleece jacket down.  That's it.
W: Got it.

The afternoon of the day before we leave:

H: Did you get my green pair of pants?  I want to wear them on the flight.
W: When did you put them in the to be washed pile?
H: Just now.  They were in the basket.
W: No.  I will do a third load.

I can't believe this only happens in this household.  It's amazing that all of those H's have clothes to wear on travel day and that they're not wearing the suit they're to be buried in.

Pre-vacation tangled web

Leaving for the west coast on Thursday.  Top of the packing list- yarn and electronics.

A combination of the two below:

We'll be in Seattle for three days and then will be traveling to Victoria Island B.C. where we will be staying in what is advertised as a "mansion in the city." (we've got someone staying at our house- also we don't have any valuables other than the dog so I'm not too worried about revealing plans).

We didn't plan on staying at a mansion in the city.  There's no beach- a pier, there's a pool (hopefully heated, as the high next week is 70 degrees) There's a yarn store that's a nine minute walk from the house.  Here's a preview from the realtors site.

With a scenic ferry ride to boot- where the names of the cities feel like you're in Australia.