I have a strained muscle or pinched nerve in my back - the worst one in years. Got a massage yesterday but that only helped relieve about half the pain! Also got a little drunk and sat in a hot tub last night, which helped. So I took today off. I work tomorrow but then have four (!!!) days off. Looking forward to it. I'll be doing a little sailing and working aboard Lavengro (come help!) on Lake Union. I'm also really interested in honing my small-boat sailing skills, for when I have my own boat in Mexico. Within 2 years I figure I'll buy a cheap boat in San Diego and sail it to Cortez and live on it primarily, working about 4 months a year to support my habits (eating, sailing, traveling). Retirement plan? Pshaw. I decided long ago that if I'm either too old and infirm or just too infirm to Really Live Life then I'll figure out some inventive way to move on to the Next Plane of Existence. Currently the plan is to do a lot of drugs and sail straight into a level 4 or 5 hurricane. Thanks to Matt in Austin for the idea - he's going to do a lot of crack and meth and ride a jetski into the Gulf of Mexico during a hurricane instead.
So I want to get a lot of experience anchoring, sailing a small boat at night with very few crew (I'm thinking this means longer hours on watch) and just sail theory, repair, etc. I'm taking Adrian's Diesel Engine Theory class this fall and really looking forward to it. If anyone's interested, it's $305 and all day each Saturday in November and Dec 6th. Five Saturdays total. Big lunch included. All very hands-on aboard the Arthur Foss.
There was a plan to visit my dad this weekend, but I can't afford the gas that Jason's XTerra inhales, and while Dad's been pressing me to make these arrangements all summer, and I've been trying like hell to coordinate with my sister for the same weekend off, now he doesn't care because he's back with his wife and he's mad at my sister anyway. I'm going to stay at the KTwins houseboat and tend to Shithead instead. That's their cat. I wanted to help Nanette but besides prepping food, I can't afford to strain my back more. If I work aboard Lavengro I might be able to sand with my right hand, haha. Lame! Oh well. Poor Nanette with this cabin. I think she's been disheartened about the volunteer turnout this past month - I feel confident that everyone loves her and wants to help and be a part of the mountain cabin, but everyone has summer plans for their weekends. I work usually and now I have this stupid back problem. It was total brilliance on her part to get everyone out there in May, before summer truly kicked in. If she hadn't done that, who knows where the cabin would be now. Although, fuck that. She'd probably still have it done. She's seriously motivated in general. It's admirable. When the Mexico thing begins she's going to be even more unstoppable!!
I'm happy today. It's raining, been drizzling off and on for days, but I welcome it. It still gets pretty warm most days. I'm catching up on a lot of tasks that I've put off over the months - the magazine, the calendar, time with friends, tending to my own living space, etc. I'm one of those silly people who puts their heart and soul (aka all my time and energy) into a relationship, and yeah I know that dooms it sometimes. I'm older now, and learning, though. I can see that a balance is necessary. (and then Neko Case pipes in: "I'm holding out... for that teeeeenaaaage feeeeeling").
Did I mention how fun it was to see the movie Mamma Mia? I went alone late one night last week. It was the first time I felt weird going to a movie alone, only because there were ONLY WOMEN with their girlfriends in the theater. Except for the stinky snoring bum who snuck in to take a nap 2 seats from me. Mamma Mia is hilarious. This was my sister's promotion of it that got me to go: "If you're bummed out Kimmie you should go see it instead of Dark Knight. Pierce Brosnan can't sing and Colin Firth can't play guitar for shit and it's funny and an hour after watching them all run around singing you will be asking yourself What the hell are they all doing on this island???"
I highly recommend seeing it in the theater and not waiting for the DVD. A small screen will not do justice to the comic grandiosity - especially during Meryl Streep's little ABBA styled video montage and the choreographed dance scenes with the Greek citizens.
But yeah, I'm happy. I look forward to nurturing relationships with the girlfriends I already have - KTwin1, Lia (see the "Six Feet of Awesomeness" link to the right), Sasha, Polly, Sonja, Gina, Mikey Pru (ok not a girl but we have that kind of relationship) and my favorite new girlfriend - Diana. And of course Nanette. Nanette and I have a sort of Boston Marriage, in my mind. We will always be together working on our similar dreams for the world.
I love Seattle summers. I'm in a coffee shop drinking an americano and some odwallas, it's pouring outside but not too chilly, and the song Conscious Party is playing on the cafe speakers. Oh Ziggy Marley I remember when I used to listen to you. What happened to you? State fairs, probably. What I really want is some Steel Pulse. Anyone got some? The Steel Pulse mixtapes I made when I was 16 are long gone.
2008 Fremont Solstice Parade
The best parade in the country does not allow engine-powered entries (floats or otherwise) and is famous for it's naked bicyclists. Lia, I read your blog and linked to flickr and found this... couldn't resist blogging about the parade with such a great shot to be shared!
Keeping this going
I'm not updating much. No internets time. But I've been housesitting, now at the Ktwins's houseboat, for a few days and they have wifi. Tomorrow night it's back to the boat and then 2 days off with nothing to do. Fisher and I were going to do an overnight sail Friday but he says he doesn't want to now. Too bad I can't tag along with new friends Ben and Gina on their sail to the San Juans. Surely they wouldn't mind me snuggling into the vberth to watch dvds with them, right? Whatever. Jason and Christy will have to get used to it.
So work is going well... the magazine stuff hasn't been progressing much... but things are shaping up for the Women of Maritime calendar, so that's good. I'm going to take a class aboard Arthur Foss in November for five consecutive Saturdays called Diesel Engine Theory. I hope to get my AB and lifeboatman in November as well. Maybe even upgrade to a 200 ton near coastal mate or masters if possible. Alan K. wants to come down and scrape my hull in return for borrowing my boat for a weekend, and that idea is sketchy because I think my "seapoxy" is holding the hull together (barnacles, mussels, abalone, starfish, giant octopus, etc.). Got invited to go sailing for awhile aboard a friend's newly acquired Thunderbird 28 but alas I do like my job and want to keep it until the end of the season. If my boat were in better shape I'd be getting the fuck outta town every weekend EVERY WEEKEND. Maybe it's time I got fixed mine up or bought a better one.
So work is going well... the magazine stuff hasn't been progressing much... but things are shaping up for the Women of Maritime calendar, so that's good. I'm going to take a class aboard Arthur Foss in November for five consecutive Saturdays called Diesel Engine Theory. I hope to get my AB and lifeboatman in November as well. Maybe even upgrade to a 200 ton near coastal mate or masters if possible. Alan K. wants to come down and scrape my hull in return for borrowing my boat for a weekend, and that idea is sketchy because I think my "seapoxy" is holding the hull together (barnacles, mussels, abalone, starfish, giant octopus, etc.). Got invited to go sailing for awhile aboard a friend's newly acquired Thunderbird 28 but alas I do like my job and want to keep it until the end of the season. If my boat were in better shape I'd be getting the fuck outta town every weekend EVERY WEEKEND. Maybe it's time I got fixed mine up or bought a better one.
ginormous!
first thing - i'm pretty sure i coined the term "ginormous" back in 2004. i just heard it on a subway commercial and chances are it will eventually end up in the dictionary. there is the possibility of "ginormous" being born into collective consciousness but that theory is still unconfirmed.
in other important news:
the only reality show that the world is better off having than not having is Trading Spouses.
supernanny is almost worthy of actually being on tv. but i don't have kids and i wouldn't look to a tv show on how to raise them if i did. however trading spouses is such an incredible insight to human nature and family relationships and communication... this show has really touched me the few times i've seen it.
i'm staying at judd and sherri's this week - housesitting. no dog care. just plants. and cable tv.
last weekend i visited tall ships tacoma with brian for a few hours. a few long lost sailor friends were in town and that made the weekend fun.
the fourth of july was a good time, over at the KTwins' houseboat. the night ended with me kicking christy's ass in indian leg wrestling. then fish totally schooled ol' sledge in arm wrestling. our dominance thus established, we retired for the evening. look at her just lying there on the floor. poor thing.
in other important news:
the only reality show that the world is better off having than not having is Trading Spouses.
supernanny is almost worthy of actually being on tv. but i don't have kids and i wouldn't look to a tv show on how to raise them if i did. however trading spouses is such an incredible insight to human nature and family relationships and communication... this show has really touched me the few times i've seen it.
i'm staying at judd and sherri's this week - housesitting. no dog care. just plants. and cable tv.
last weekend i visited tall ships tacoma with brian for a few hours. a few long lost sailor friends were in town and that made the weekend fun.
the fourth of july was a good time, over at the KTwins' houseboat. the night ended with me kicking christy's ass in indian leg wrestling. then fish totally schooled ol' sledge in arm wrestling. our dominance thus established, we retired for the evening. look at her just lying there on the floor. poor thing.
Summer is Relaxing?
Not so much. I'm stressed out, unwashed, tired, and behind in my to-do list. I live in a messy nest of a boat because I was staying at Fish's place for a month. Why organize? I begin another 2-week housesitting gig in a week. Sigh. Fish's mom came into town and I wouldn't even let her look into my boat, it was such a catastrophe in there.
I have exactly 16 hours before I leave for Tall Ships Vic and I STILL haven't done reprints of my first 3 issues to hand out. Plus Jimmy asked me to print out some business cards that say "Union of Western Deckhands." Will Kinkos be able to complete this tonight? Who knows.
I get up at 4am every morning and find stuff in the dark (haven't hooked up the power yet) and bike my ass a mile or two to the nearest bus stop to get the FIRST BUS OF THE DAY in order to be at work on time - driving a little passenger ferry for commuters and tourists. I love the job but the hours are so-so.
So I was going to write more but now I've been called away earlier than expected to Fish's niece's birthday party. ARGH!! Brief rundown of pics: My friend Sasha had a baby and I've missed the whole event because she is in Florida. My friend Bob got MARRIED and Bob please if you see this don't get mad for posting your pic - I'll take it down if you want. Fish and I launched the El Toro finally, Nanette is making amazing progress at the cabin with not enough help from me. And Christy set up a sail-a-thon for kids with disabilities. That's my asscrack and me helping adorable Janna with the main on Fish's boat. LATER!
I have exactly 16 hours before I leave for Tall Ships Vic and I STILL haven't done reprints of my first 3 issues to hand out. Plus Jimmy asked me to print out some business cards that say "Union of Western Deckhands." Will Kinkos be able to complete this tonight? Who knows.
I get up at 4am every morning and find stuff in the dark (haven't hooked up the power yet) and bike my ass a mile or two to the nearest bus stop to get the FIRST BUS OF THE DAY in order to be at work on time - driving a little passenger ferry for commuters and tourists. I love the job but the hours are so-so.
So I was going to write more but now I've been called away earlier than expected to Fish's niece's birthday party. ARGH!! Brief rundown of pics: My friend Sasha had a baby and I've missed the whole event because she is in Florida. My friend Bob got MARRIED and Bob please if you see this don't get mad for posting your pic - I'll take it down if you want. Fish and I launched the El Toro finally, Nanette is making amazing progress at the cabin with not enough help from me. And Christy set up a sail-a-thon for kids with disabilities. That's my asscrack and me helping adorable Janna with the main on Fish's boat. LATER!
Shenanigans in Index & Gaylord
Spankin good times with KTwin1 and Sledge Donutz and Brian C atop his new cabin.
I GOT MY CAMERA BACK! And all is intact. A few Michigan classics I retrieved from my long lost camera...
no interwebs
rarely have time for internettin lately. studying for my MROP like mad. working on the water, playing on the water. no camera but it has been found and should be showing up in the mail soon! trying to figure out how to get up to tall ships vic for at least one night.
PFunk wedding weekend
One of my best friends over the last 8 years got married today. It was beautiful and I cried a few times. I've also felt a teensy bit self pitying because it's just weird to call each other best friends for years, then not be her closest girlfriend at a time like this. Not that I deserved to be Maid of Honor. I couldn't have done all that Jen did, being way out in Seattle, not knowing hardly anyone here, and not being able to afford flights to attend any of her 5 bridal showers nor her 3 bachelorette parties. Much less arrange them, like Jen did. I think if I had a chance to go back and do things differently, I would have attempted to come out for the bachelorette party weekend. During the wedding ceremony, the toasts, and then the next day at Pat's parents house for breakfast, I felt deeply upset that I had missed out on being closer to Pol throughout the prior parties, planning and preparations. At times our differences seem pretty strong - she's a CPA, now married and planning on having a family someday, living in the house Pat built in rural Michigan, mostly hanging out with his large family or her family or all of their Michigan State friends - all from Michigan and all still living there. Most of them married. I'm completely on the other end of the spectrum with my vagabond lifestyle, disconnected family, disinterest in the institution of marriage and the idea of having my own children. But past all that, we get along very well and understand each other for the most part. Both of us, like many of my close girlfriends, have this similar trait that bonds us to other slightly introverted or inexplicably different women. There's lots of women who are touchy feely, like to whoop it up and "go dancing!" and have this really typical gregarious sisterhood that we never truly connected with, so we found other women who were socially similar. I'm not really explaining this well. It's not that we're missing something. It just feels different. Nan, Pol, Sasha and Sone would all understand what I'm saying. Our lifestyle differences are huge but our communication and understanding are spot on. It was hard not spending more intimate time with my friend whom I rarely see. I felt really selfish. And when I said goodbye yesterday morning I felt very sad. We both cried and for a second I felt like I was losing her forever but that's probably not true.
...anyway...
one pic here is of the gifts that were given to the bridesmaids and the other is of her handsome husband Pat, playing pool the night before the wedding. By midnight after the wedding everyone was good and wasted. Actually the groomsmen were pretty sauced during the ceremony I think. Not Pat, though. I was drinking double whiskey sours and lost my camera when we decided to steal golf carts and ride around the resort.
I'm going to post a pic of Andrea's and hopefully she won't mind. Pol looks so happy and this pic really warms my heart.
view from the top
Pol & Pat's friends in Chicago welcomed me into the deluxe apartment downtown after I arrived on the Blue Line from O'hare.
June Trip part Ichi
the flight from seattle to phoenix was one of the best as far as views go. plus i had my whole row of seats to myself, while enjoying the movie chocolat. Here's Mt. Rainier, and windfarms along the Columbia.
Sonja and I met up with Seth, Justin, Harper, Dave and Ian at U&I Lounge in Traverse City for a few drinks.
The next day I rode out to the resort where Polly's getting married. Here's a great shot of Pat's grandma at the rehearsal dinner, holding Sophia - the beautiful baby that her other grandson and his partner recently adopted.
Mister, Have You Seen My Pony?
campfire next to partial cabin! smores!
my dad supervised the whole shebang. nanette and brian made sure all the necessary supplies were retrieved while helping build the cabin too. she even brought a generator just to power the coffee machine! it also powered the miter saw and sawzall.
the tales of Kato the poodle will have to wait. ask me when you see me in person.
my dad supervised the whole shebang. nanette and brian made sure all the necessary supplies were retrieved while helping build the cabin too. she even brought a generator just to power the coffee machine! it also powered the miter saw and sawzall.
the tales of Kato the poodle will have to wait. ask me when you see me in person.
Dig, Kato, Dig!
I'm very limited when it comes to internet time lately :(
But there will be stories to come!
Stay tuned for a fantastical tale of adventure that takes place in a backwoods mountain community, with a terminally ill poodle making an otherwordly leap that may or may not change the fortunes of one of the heroes in the ongoing saga known as all aKIMbo.
Big bonus points if you figure out the ending of this untold story, based only on the title of this post. Yeah Jarad, you're probably the only one I'm talking to.
But there will be stories to come!
Stay tuned for a fantastical tale of adventure that takes place in a backwoods mountain community, with a terminally ill poodle making an otherwordly leap that may or may not change the fortunes of one of the heroes in the ongoing saga known as all aKIMbo.
Big bonus points if you figure out the ending of this untold story, based only on the title of this post. Yeah Jarad, you're probably the only one I'm talking to.
Free Til Tuesday (when my new job starts)
Fish and I went sailing on his boat Friday evening.Saturday, we sanded the El Toro. It had a red hull, white interior, and black foredeck. Under the black paint was blue paint, with white stars! If he kept those colors I'd suggest naming the dink "Scud." You know, in the spirit of naming boats after instruments of war, right?
Sunday Mocha joined Fish and I to meet my dad, Nan, Brian, the Kayak Grrrlz (not the Twins, but even more identifiable by their love of kayaking) Thad, and a nice cell biology student named Jared up in the Cascades. We mixed concrete and measured things. Everyone was really excited about making the cabin happen.
Farrell-thon?
Does anyone else see that Will Farrell in Stranger Than Fiction looks exactly like a young Tom Waits? This movie was great, and the first one I'd seen where he was serious. Months ago, after listening to an interview with him on NPR, I developed new respect for the actor as a person, and this movie supports that feeling. ok but i'm still annoyed by too much Spoon. I can only take them in small doses. I think it's from watching their yawn-inspiring set at Bumbershoot 2 years ago - the heroin chic lead singer's performance made palatable only by David Cross dancing around like a fool during the instrumental parts.
I'm getting my movie fix by staying over a few nights this week at the Kayak Twins' houseboat.
They are delivering a 47' yacht named Bright Ayes to New Jersey from the Bahamas.
Yesterday Fish bought a wooden El Toro sailing dinghy. We're going to fix it up, paint it light blue and maybe name it after me! Orange letters with gold trim!
Nickle just sent me a pic he took of me at Ohana last week. The guys really liked the cyborg eye thing I had going on.
I'm getting my movie fix by staying over a few nights this week at the Kayak Twins' houseboat.
They are delivering a 47' yacht named Bright Ayes to New Jersey from the Bahamas.Yesterday Fish bought a wooden El Toro sailing dinghy. We're going to fix it up, paint it light blue and maybe name it after me! Orange letters with gold trim!
Nickle just sent me a pic he took of me at Ohana last week. The guys really liked the cyborg eye thing I had going on.
Bananas & Boats are OK
The decision to quit my job came about due to a few different factors. Finding a liveaboard slip for my sailboat allowed me to out of my place in Georgetown, which is where the wine warehouse is located. When I moved to Georgetown last fall, thanks to Fluffz hooking me up with his bandmates who owned a nice house there, I went to Craigslist jobs and typed "Georgetown" in the search field and applied to the first decent job that came up. It worked out wonderfully and I was able to ride my bike to and from work every day. Lately I've been searching Craigslist jobs in two ways - "Boats" or "Ballard." The boats search brings up more viable prospects. Let's face it - I'm 34 and although far more capable of office work or any typical non-skilled/tradeswork position requiring special schooling than most office monkeys, my resume doesn't reflect it. My resume reflects what I'm more proud of - boat stuff. In fact my objective even states too truthfully that my passions are equally divided between maritime culture and promoting community. Therefore it's the boat related employers that have responded the most.
I had an interview with WestMarine scheduled. I don't know why... I guess for the discount? I canceled it. There's been a few offers from old employers at the University of Washington as well. The most interesting prospect so far is a position as captain for a small locally owned ferry. Over the last year it became apparent that I was hesitant to work as a captain. Afraid of success, maybe? Insecure about my abilities? I'm not sure. I am sure that I've been disappointed with my lack of ambitious pursuit of a job that I specifically trained for. For the first interview, I did not dress up nor try very hard to impress them. I went to gauge their interest in me and I them. That interview was fun and I answered the questions well enough. They called me back for a 2nd interview and I got excited. Here's where I now go off on a tangent and promote a retail store...
I have no nice clothes. The tattoos and lack of unprofessional clothes/haircuts keep me from working in offices and the usual uptight places. But I wanted to look good for the 2nd interview. I got off work at 2pm and my interview was at 3pm. I walked into the first decent clothing store I passed Banana Republic. My black pants and low heels were in my backpack, but I needed a collared shirt, and couldn't find a plain white one there to save my life. Then this girl offers to help, and we find a perfect shirt, I try it on and she says a large is too big for me and gets a medium. I tell her my situation - interviewing in 20 minutes. She offers to steam the shirt for me and allows me to change in the dressing room I walk out with probably the most expensive shirt I've ever owned ($63) but worth every penny for such great service. Sorry sweatshop kids, Banana Republic has a customer for life.
Three other men were being interviewed at the same time, by different boat captains. My impression was that all of these men had done work in Alaska or in the Merchant Marine. My guess is that they were all more experienced than I. Instantly I felt guilty - what if I get this job because I'm younger and female and all smiles, regardless of my time at the helm, and they remained jobless? Worse yet, what if they had families to support and were out of work due to the shitty economy or not enough fish or physical problems taking them out of the harder jobs/locations/boats? The saltier interviewees wore jeans and alaskan fishing jackets. I arrived in slacks, heels, and a shirt that fit a little too well if I wasn't in the mood to accentuate my femininity. I kind of felt like a joke, or a hypocrite. After all there's a reason I don't own shirts that nice.
That interview went just OK I thought. I walked to the Starbucks next door and changed into my jeans and teeshirt. I figured there was no way I'd get this job with my limited time at the helm. Back on the boat I put the shirt in a plastic ziplock and squeezed all the air out. Owning things of value stresses me out.
Yesterday they called and asked for a final interview. I'm not working now so it was easy to arrange - I considered ironing or drycleaning the nice shirt but instead went for something a little more low key - a $14 outfit from Goodwill consisting of olive corduroys and a USED Banana Republic striped button down. I changed in their dressing room and just took the tags to the counter. Yes I'm gross I didn't even wash them first. They were clean! This interview went much better than the first two. At one point one of the men interviewing me said "You know I have to ask, everyone says 'Have you met Kim? She's great- you have to meet Kim!' but what I'm really concerned about is your availability..." And I thought wow, that's really cool. I guess I did better than I thought at the other interviews. At the end they said they'd call me tomorrow, so it looks promising.
That's it. That's my interview story. Are you still reading? If so, maybe you should think about how you spend your time.
But wait I have movie reviews and a picture.
KNOCKED UP is so well done. So funny. Great script, good acting!
ELIZABETHTOWN is OK. I cried a lot for some odd reason. Actually I cried a lot in Knocked up too (???). My hormones are a little intense this week judging by that and the fill of my bra.
300 is epic in both a cool and sometimes hilarious way.
The first hour of ANCHORMAN is pretty funny. As a person Christina A. seems cool but she's always sucked as an actress. Will Farrell is flawless. Paul Rudd is adorable. I used to confuse him with Campbell Scott for some reason.
oh! and THE JERK is pretty freakin great.
Lastly, here's a picture of my friend Rick's driver's licenses throughout his life. This isn't his finest work, but it's true that he is an artist. Maybe his funniest work in print.
I had an interview with WestMarine scheduled. I don't know why... I guess for the discount? I canceled it. There's been a few offers from old employers at the University of Washington as well. The most interesting prospect so far is a position as captain for a small locally owned ferry. Over the last year it became apparent that I was hesitant to work as a captain. Afraid of success, maybe? Insecure about my abilities? I'm not sure. I am sure that I've been disappointed with my lack of ambitious pursuit of a job that I specifically trained for. For the first interview, I did not dress up nor try very hard to impress them. I went to gauge their interest in me and I them. That interview was fun and I answered the questions well enough. They called me back for a 2nd interview and I got excited. Here's where I now go off on a tangent and promote a retail store...
I have no nice clothes. The tattoos and lack of unprofessional clothes/haircuts keep me from working in offices and the usual uptight places. But I wanted to look good for the 2nd interview. I got off work at 2pm and my interview was at 3pm. I walked into the first decent clothing store I passed Banana Republic. My black pants and low heels were in my backpack, but I needed a collared shirt, and couldn't find a plain white one there to save my life. Then this girl offers to help, and we find a perfect shirt, I try it on and she says a large is too big for me and gets a medium. I tell her my situation - interviewing in 20 minutes. She offers to steam the shirt for me and allows me to change in the dressing room I walk out with probably the most expensive shirt I've ever owned ($63) but worth every penny for such great service. Sorry sweatshop kids, Banana Republic has a customer for life.
Three other men were being interviewed at the same time, by different boat captains. My impression was that all of these men had done work in Alaska or in the Merchant Marine. My guess is that they were all more experienced than I. Instantly I felt guilty - what if I get this job because I'm younger and female and all smiles, regardless of my time at the helm, and they remained jobless? Worse yet, what if they had families to support and were out of work due to the shitty economy or not enough fish or physical problems taking them out of the harder jobs/locations/boats? The saltier interviewees wore jeans and alaskan fishing jackets. I arrived in slacks, heels, and a shirt that fit a little too well if I wasn't in the mood to accentuate my femininity. I kind of felt like a joke, or a hypocrite. After all there's a reason I don't own shirts that nice.
That interview went just OK I thought. I walked to the Starbucks next door and changed into my jeans and teeshirt. I figured there was no way I'd get this job with my limited time at the helm. Back on the boat I put the shirt in a plastic ziplock and squeezed all the air out. Owning things of value stresses me out.
Yesterday they called and asked for a final interview. I'm not working now so it was easy to arrange - I considered ironing or drycleaning the nice shirt but instead went for something a little more low key - a $14 outfit from Goodwill consisting of olive corduroys and a USED Banana Republic striped button down. I changed in their dressing room and just took the tags to the counter. Yes I'm gross I didn't even wash them first. They were clean! This interview went much better than the first two. At one point one of the men interviewing me said "You know I have to ask, everyone says 'Have you met Kim? She's great- you have to meet Kim!' but what I'm really concerned about is your availability..." And I thought wow, that's really cool. I guess I did better than I thought at the other interviews. At the end they said they'd call me tomorrow, so it looks promising.
That's it. That's my interview story. Are you still reading? If so, maybe you should think about how you spend your time.
But wait I have movie reviews and a picture.
KNOCKED UP is so well done. So funny. Great script, good acting!
ELIZABETHTOWN is OK. I cried a lot for some odd reason. Actually I cried a lot in Knocked up too (???). My hormones are a little intense this week judging by that and the fill of my bra.
300 is epic in both a cool and sometimes hilarious way.
The first hour of ANCHORMAN is pretty funny. As a person Christina A. seems cool but she's always sucked as an actress. Will Farrell is flawless. Paul Rudd is adorable. I used to confuse him with Campbell Scott for some reason.
oh! and THE JERK is pretty freakin great.
Lastly, here's a picture of my friend Rick's driver's licenses throughout his life. This isn't his finest work, but it's true that he is an artist. Maybe his funniest work in print.
Down in a hole (in a good way...)
Last night I spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone with Jimmie McManis,* getting updates on all the tallshippy haps. He's on Linx* right now with a guy named Craig as relief captain, whom he loves, and M.Kelick as regular captain. Plus some good and bad eggs from all over on deck. He's only been there a week and there's already trouble. Not caused by him, though. As he put it, it mostly has to do with "VAGINA" (some guys are getting none, some guys are getting more than they agreed to). Anyway, he's on for this summer's west coast events and it'll be great to see everyone up here.
Week in review:
Last Saturday, with the help of Nan, Brian, Fish and KT1, my new home was delivered to a marina in Seattle, where I now live aboard. It wasn't easy. Going west across the Sound was easy, on the smooth-bottomed Newport 30 captained by Brian. Cold, but easy. Comparatively, anyway. We arrived at my boat and rigged the derelict-looking girl with found objects, then back to the Newport for tea and cocoa before beginning a true slog north. Once out of the ferry lane and flukey winds in Eagle Harbor, we found this girl points at... about... 60 degrees? Yeah. To her credit, she needs a rig tune, new sails, and comments were definitely made about how we were carrying our very own Rocky Coastline/Shellfish Restaurant below the waterline. Right off we looked over and saw clusters of mussels bigger than my head. My brilliant idea was to scrape the windward sides with one end of a pole while heeled. Which maybe accomplished sloughing 1/100th of the growth.
At this point we realized that the little critters might actually be helping to keep the rudder and keel attached to my vessel, so we abandoned the sloughing and spent the next 6 hours beating OFF the wind, no sexual innuendo intended. Three hours into it the crew on my boat completely lost morale when we looked across the Sound and saw the Eagle Harbor buoys slightly north of our position. To my credit as captain I did manage to find the most effective trim position - main sheeted fully to WINDWARD and giant genny leading as far aft and tight as she could go. That might give you an idea as too how stretched the mainsl was. The most important thing was that we made it. My crew disappeared before I could blink one eye and I sat there, tired but relieved. Now I sleep aboard and it is cold, but I am happy. That might have something to do with quitting my job too, but it feels really good to wake up at the marina and just be on a boat all the time again.
So I trained the new guy how to deliver wine, and on Friday the boys and I went to Ohana for pupus and blue hawaiians. Saturday night I bartended for a few hours at Old Engine Adrian's "May The Fourth Be With You" party (it was on the 10th this year). That was good fun but I regret not wearing a costume. I didn't even know it was a costume party until earlier that day when I took the time to actually read the bulletin to find the address. Then again, Adrian wasn't even wearing a costume. He was sporting a big shiner courtesy of the dumpster kicking his ass, though. Leah* successfully pulled off a look that artfully combined a 1920's pin-up flapper girl with Raquel Welch's character in One Million Years BC. At 11pm a bearded lady took over my bartending position and a little while later I took off. Adrian had an awesome setup down in Georgetown, with bonfire, stage and shows, smoke machine, stage lights and effects, plenty to drink and even a giant rented steaming hot tub. The party was scheduled to go on until 9am but honestly, I'm not much of a partier. Wish I was sometimes. I've never had much stamina for endless partying.
On Sunday I joined Nan, Brian & Thad at their mountain property east of Seattle. We finished digging 18 holes for the pier block foundation, then after several calls to my father and all of us trying to decide the best way to fill these holes, we set to work laying gravel, rebar, and mixing concrete BY HAND in each hole. It wasn't as hard as it sounds, but that's because we're all sailors and pretty damn tough. To put it in perspective, 18 year old Thad got tired before we did. He and Brian actually had to BEND rebar, using the truck rack. Ever tried to bend rebar? It's not easy. I lasted one or two sticks before I predicted I'd inevitably pull yet another important muscle attached to my neck/spine.
Here's Nan & Brian digging so vigorously that the camera can't even focus.
Thad, me & Brian digging, prepping holes.
Thad and I posing
Self portrait while Nan checks hole depths.
Me carrying sack of cement (80 pounds!). I think I'm clenching my buttcheeks for added strength.
Brian and Thad bending rebar. Brian must be sore today...
Nan making decisions. Check out those beautiful trees!!
For Mother's Day Thad wrote his mom a really loving and eloquent letter, commending her ambition and follow-through on so many daunting tasks over the last few years. He's a great kid and he truly respects his mom. It's nice to be a part of their extended family :)
Similar to the Mexico project, this cabin will at times be available for Nan, Brian, and K.Landen's friends to use. Both places will be offered as guest accommodations based on the "Sweat Equity" you have accrued, depending on availability. Next weekend we'll be mixing and pouring the concrete for the piers, then over Memorial Day Weekend, some of us are camping out while building the ENTIRE CABIN!! Just like an Amish barn-raising, eh? Should be a blast - join us!
.................*names have been misspelled to protect folks from being googled....................
Week in review:
Last Saturday, with the help of Nan, Brian, Fish and KT1, my new home was delivered to a marina in Seattle, where I now live aboard. It wasn't easy. Going west across the Sound was easy, on the smooth-bottomed Newport 30 captained by Brian. Cold, but easy. Comparatively, anyway. We arrived at my boat and rigged the derelict-looking girl with found objects, then back to the Newport for tea and cocoa before beginning a true slog north. Once out of the ferry lane and flukey winds in Eagle Harbor, we found this girl points at... about... 60 degrees? Yeah. To her credit, she needs a rig tune, new sails, and comments were definitely made about how we were carrying our very own Rocky Coastline/Shellfish Restaurant below the waterline. Right off we looked over and saw clusters of mussels bigger than my head. My brilliant idea was to scrape the windward sides with one end of a pole while heeled. Which maybe accomplished sloughing 1/100th of the growth.
At this point we realized that the little critters might actually be helping to keep the rudder and keel attached to my vessel, so we abandoned the sloughing and spent the next 6 hours beating OFF the wind, no sexual innuendo intended. Three hours into it the crew on my boat completely lost morale when we looked across the Sound and saw the Eagle Harbor buoys slightly north of our position. To my credit as captain I did manage to find the most effective trim position - main sheeted fully to WINDWARD and giant genny leading as far aft and tight as she could go. That might give you an idea as too how stretched the mainsl was. The most important thing was that we made it. My crew disappeared before I could blink one eye and I sat there, tired but relieved. Now I sleep aboard and it is cold, but I am happy. That might have something to do with quitting my job too, but it feels really good to wake up at the marina and just be on a boat all the time again.So I trained the new guy how to deliver wine, and on Friday the boys and I went to Ohana for pupus and blue hawaiians. Saturday night I bartended for a few hours at Old Engine Adrian's "May The Fourth Be With You" party (it was on the 10th this year). That was good fun but I regret not wearing a costume. I didn't even know it was a costume party until earlier that day when I took the time to actually read the bulletin to find the address. Then again, Adrian wasn't even wearing a costume. He was sporting a big shiner courtesy of the dumpster kicking his ass, though. Leah* successfully pulled off a look that artfully combined a 1920's pin-up flapper girl with Raquel Welch's character in One Million Years BC. At 11pm a bearded lady took over my bartending position and a little while later I took off. Adrian had an awesome setup down in Georgetown, with bonfire, stage and shows, smoke machine, stage lights and effects, plenty to drink and even a giant rented steaming hot tub. The party was scheduled to go on until 9am but honestly, I'm not much of a partier. Wish I was sometimes. I've never had much stamina for endless partying.
On Sunday I joined Nan, Brian & Thad at their mountain property east of Seattle. We finished digging 18 holes for the pier block foundation, then after several calls to my father and all of us trying to decide the best way to fill these holes, we set to work laying gravel, rebar, and mixing concrete BY HAND in each hole. It wasn't as hard as it sounds, but that's because we're all sailors and pretty damn tough. To put it in perspective, 18 year old Thad got tired before we did. He and Brian actually had to BEND rebar, using the truck rack. Ever tried to bend rebar? It's not easy. I lasted one or two sticks before I predicted I'd inevitably pull yet another important muscle attached to my neck/spine.
Here's Nan & Brian digging so vigorously that the camera can't even focus.
Thad, me & Brian digging, prepping holes.
Thad and I posing
Self portrait while Nan checks hole depths.
Me carrying sack of cement (80 pounds!). I think I'm clenching my buttcheeks for added strength.
Brian and Thad bending rebar. Brian must be sore today...
Nan making decisions. Check out those beautiful trees!!
For Mother's Day Thad wrote his mom a really loving and eloquent letter, commending her ambition and follow-through on so many daunting tasks over the last few years. He's a great kid and he truly respects his mom. It's nice to be a part of their extended family :)Similar to the Mexico project, this cabin will at times be available for Nan, Brian, and K.Landen's friends to use. Both places will be offered as guest accommodations based on the "Sweat Equity" you have accrued, depending on availability. Next weekend we'll be mixing and pouring the concrete for the piers, then over Memorial Day Weekend, some of us are camping out while building the ENTIRE CABIN!! Just like an Amish barn-raising, eh? Should be a blast - join us!
.................*names have been misspelled to protect folks from being googled....................
Things I Should Have Asked
1. What is the police report number for this accident?
2. Why are you lying to me, Mr. Tow Truck Driver, when you say that there is no daily storage fee in the Lincoln Towing yard? Certainly you must know it's $45 per day...
3. (to Lincold Towing dispatcher) At one point is the vehicle declared abandoned?
This would have turned out a lot better if I'd only willingly succumbed to the American Way: Go to College and get a degree. Get a job that pays a lot of money and probably makes me miserable. Rack up tons of debt just in cars, houses, toys, credit cards. Then I could have afforded insurance, and my own car, and been more prepared for getting financially raped by a drunk driver, a cop, and a tow truck driver all in one night!
2. Why are you lying to me, Mr. Tow Truck Driver, when you say that there is no daily storage fee in the Lincoln Towing yard? Certainly you must know it's $45 per day...
3. (to Lincold Towing dispatcher) At one point is the vehicle declared abandoned?
This would have turned out a lot better if I'd only willingly succumbed to the American Way: Go to College and get a degree. Get a job that pays a lot of money and probably makes me miserable. Rack up tons of debt just in cars, houses, toys, credit cards. Then I could have afforded insurance, and my own car, and been more prepared for getting financially raped by a drunk driver, a cop, and a tow truck driver all in one night!
DRIVERS! DON'T HIT ME! PLEASE!
i think this is what it feels like to have been strangled by a giant gorilla while being bodyslammed by a bloat of hippos.
my neck feels really strange. not like spine damage strange, just muscle and tendon strange. swallowing, smiling, and looking up are difficult. as though my neck has been replaced by a thick, short bungee cord. i'm going to make an appointment for the doctor. maybe get some xrays and see if i can finagle some massage therapy.
i probably should not have gone to work today. it can't be smart to be in this condition and maneuvering a hand truck with 8 cases of wine down a cobblestone hill. my coworkers were stressing out about all the usual shit, but that whole face-to-face with mortality thing and feeling physically strained in general made me not care about anything today. i feel pretty safe high up in the Sprinter, and i've always been a more aggressive than passive driver, but right now the thought of getting into a little sedan freaks me out. i was even walking down the street and feeling a bit paranoid (had to walk home from work today! gotta love georgetown - man all those tricks/johns sure make me feel beautiful with their 'compliments') - paranoid because any one of these cars could run red lights, drive up and kill me on the sidewalk, ANYTHING!!! haha. i'll get over it. or just get away.
my neck feels really strange. not like spine damage strange, just muscle and tendon strange. swallowing, smiling, and looking up are difficult. as though my neck has been replaced by a thick, short bungee cord. i'm going to make an appointment for the doctor. maybe get some xrays and see if i can finagle some massage therapy.
i probably should not have gone to work today. it can't be smart to be in this condition and maneuvering a hand truck with 8 cases of wine down a cobblestone hill. my coworkers were stressing out about all the usual shit, but that whole face-to-face with mortality thing and feeling physically strained in general made me not care about anything today. i feel pretty safe high up in the Sprinter, and i've always been a more aggressive than passive driver, but right now the thought of getting into a little sedan freaks me out. i was even walking down the street and feeling a bit paranoid (had to walk home from work today! gotta love georgetown - man all those tricks/johns sure make me feel beautiful with their 'compliments') - paranoid because any one of these cars could run red lights, drive up and kill me on the sidewalk, ANYTHING!!! haha. i'll get over it. or just get away.
the fun never ends!
i sometimes keep a piece of paper where i write a word to remind me of some small event in the day that i might want to blog about later. several things were written on this paper today, but then my happy day ended up in a mildly traumatic event. more on that in a minute...
it sounds like several friends are reading my blog, and a common thing i've always heard about my blog is how i'm "prolific." hopefully readers understand that i like to write but i do it more for myself than for an audience. even if nobody were reading, this would be here. the nice thing about knowing people sometimes read it is that i stay a little more on the positive side and do not focus on arguments with family or boyfriend, or how much i hate certain things. i purposely do not use correct capitalization, and i don't care that i use "i" too much or have run on sentences because i'm not writing some well thought out essay - it's just my brain spewing forth. a typical blog like this takes about 20 minutes tops because i barely think about how each sentence sounds. i just keep rambling on. so new readers, don't worry - you will tire of reading this blog quite quickly and probably forget it exists in the not-too-distant future.
so this is what was on my note:
"my ride is FAT" > a bumper sticker on an SUV in Everett. annoyed by the fact that it wasn't at least spelled "P-H-A-T," i drove past the vehicle, half hoping to see a few really obese people inside. no luck.
"row of milk" > today was my last day ever having to deliver to a big grocery store. these consumer meccas with long long rows of milk, yogurt, whatever... it's disgusting.
"pearl harbor" > so strangely in this same large grocery store there's this 91 year old man sitting next to a table with a sign that says "i remember pearl harbor." he was one of the only people in the store, because it was 8:30 in the morning. i spoke with him - he is one of 5 living survivors that were aboard the Arizona. cute old man trying to sell some little books he wrote. each were about 100 pages and he swore they'd sell for $1000 each on the internet, but he was offering them for $10.
"pol's bday" > i was on the phone with sonja, lamenting how i'd forgotten polly's birthday last week. i go on and on about this and then sonja says "hey i'm not trying to make you feel bad, but my birthday was last saturday." yeah she wasn't kidding. how much do i suck now?
"compliment" > one of the guy shopowners i deliver to said to me "i've been meaning to tell you, you're looking particularly good lately." yes. nice to hear!
"Meyers Briggs" > i suggest everyone take this personality test. i am an "ENFP" aka "The Journalist"
OK after work i went and helped fisher move his boat to a new slip. we had some nice mellow hang out time at the marina. on the way back to georgetown, driving nanette's jeep, i'm stopped about 4 cars back from a light when a car going 40 mph slams me from behind. stunned, i just sit there for a minute. i'd been pushed into the car in front of me, and he pulled off to the right. i pulled off too. the asshole that hit me slowly rolled past, his front end crumpled, then turned right and drove away. i make a habit of memorizing license plates for anything the least bit suspicious and shit, at that moment i wasn't even sure what just happened, but i got his plates: 227 SRM. i smelled gasoline and everyone within yelling distance told me to turn off the jeep right away. 2 hours prior i'd filled the tank and now it was pouring all over the street, right down the waterfront and into the ocean :( no bucket, no absorbent boom or anything - not like anyone keeps those things in their cars anyway.
so the gas keeps flowing out of this gigantic hole in the tank, and this girl in a minivan wearing chucks and a fishnet shirt or something pulls up next to me and asks me if i'm alright and says "ok now you need to pull over and i'm going to help you push your car out of the way. and then you must put a sign on it saying that it's leaking gas, and make sure nobody around here lights a cigarette." i was still a little stunned and my neck hurt and this probably 22 year old girl was like an angel. all i could think was how much all of this was going to cost me, and how the gas was going into the ocean! that is literally ALL i could think. the thought of the cost of this was more immediately traumatic than anything else. we pushed the jeep over and put the sign up and out of nowhere she finds this orange cone and puts it behind the jeep. the guy i was pushed into seemed drunk or something and said he was on the way to the airport and spoke to the cops but then got the hell out of there.
so eventually there's 2 cop cars and a fire truck hosing down the street with fire retardant or something, and telling me they have to flush the jeeps gas tank with water. from the back, the jeep has a bit of a fucked up bumper, and you can see the gas tank all messed up below, but besides that, not much damage. the spare tire cover was a bit torn. i lift the back license plate to open the gas tank and voila! no gas tank cover, no tank spout or anything! the gas tank took the brunt of the crash, and everyone agrees i'm lucky to not have blown up.
during all this, this sweet young guy on rollerblades rolls up with his friends and says "hey! the car that hit you is all messed up and right around the corner! the guy ran off, saying he didn't have time and had to go! i think he went to a bar... he was drunk." but then a train came, and blocked the cops and i from going after the guy. after the tow truck took the jeep away, fisher was there to get me, and we walked over to the perps car. it was a new altima, airbags deployed, but otherwise empty, and the front end was freakin OBLITERATED. that spare tire on the jeep was only nicked but it had obviously pushed the radiator over a FOOT deep into the engine of this car. fisher took some pics with his phone. there was a cop there, and the tow truck was hitching it up.
i was fine, even laughing about how fucked up all of this was, until i got into fisher's car. then i cried over how fucked up all of this was. and how for a moment i was really scared of being in another car accident.
anyway, my neck hurts but i think i'll be ok.
it sounds like several friends are reading my blog, and a common thing i've always heard about my blog is how i'm "prolific." hopefully readers understand that i like to write but i do it more for myself than for an audience. even if nobody were reading, this would be here. the nice thing about knowing people sometimes read it is that i stay a little more on the positive side and do not focus on arguments with family or boyfriend, or how much i hate certain things. i purposely do not use correct capitalization, and i don't care that i use "i" too much or have run on sentences because i'm not writing some well thought out essay - it's just my brain spewing forth. a typical blog like this takes about 20 minutes tops because i barely think about how each sentence sounds. i just keep rambling on. so new readers, don't worry - you will tire of reading this blog quite quickly and probably forget it exists in the not-too-distant future.
so this is what was on my note:
"my ride is FAT" > a bumper sticker on an SUV in Everett. annoyed by the fact that it wasn't at least spelled "P-H-A-T," i drove past the vehicle, half hoping to see a few really obese people inside. no luck.
"row of milk" > today was my last day ever having to deliver to a big grocery store. these consumer meccas with long long rows of milk, yogurt, whatever... it's disgusting.
"pearl harbor" > so strangely in this same large grocery store there's this 91 year old man sitting next to a table with a sign that says "i remember pearl harbor." he was one of the only people in the store, because it was 8:30 in the morning. i spoke with him - he is one of 5 living survivors that were aboard the Arizona. cute old man trying to sell some little books he wrote. each were about 100 pages and he swore they'd sell for $1000 each on the internet, but he was offering them for $10.
"pol's bday" > i was on the phone with sonja, lamenting how i'd forgotten polly's birthday last week. i go on and on about this and then sonja says "hey i'm not trying to make you feel bad, but my birthday was last saturday." yeah she wasn't kidding. how much do i suck now?
"compliment" > one of the guy shopowners i deliver to said to me "i've been meaning to tell you, you're looking particularly good lately." yes. nice to hear!
"Meyers Briggs" > i suggest everyone take this personality test. i am an "ENFP" aka "The Journalist"
OK after work i went and helped fisher move his boat to a new slip. we had some nice mellow hang out time at the marina. on the way back to georgetown, driving nanette's jeep, i'm stopped about 4 cars back from a light when a car going 40 mph slams me from behind. stunned, i just sit there for a minute. i'd been pushed into the car in front of me, and he pulled off to the right. i pulled off too. the asshole that hit me slowly rolled past, his front end crumpled, then turned right and drove away. i make a habit of memorizing license plates for anything the least bit suspicious and shit, at that moment i wasn't even sure what just happened, but i got his plates: 227 SRM. i smelled gasoline and everyone within yelling distance told me to turn off the jeep right away. 2 hours prior i'd filled the tank and now it was pouring all over the street, right down the waterfront and into the ocean :( no bucket, no absorbent boom or anything - not like anyone keeps those things in their cars anyway.
so the gas keeps flowing out of this gigantic hole in the tank, and this girl in a minivan wearing chucks and a fishnet shirt or something pulls up next to me and asks me if i'm alright and says "ok now you need to pull over and i'm going to help you push your car out of the way. and then you must put a sign on it saying that it's leaking gas, and make sure nobody around here lights a cigarette." i was still a little stunned and my neck hurt and this probably 22 year old girl was like an angel. all i could think was how much all of this was going to cost me, and how the gas was going into the ocean! that is literally ALL i could think. the thought of the cost of this was more immediately traumatic than anything else. we pushed the jeep over and put the sign up and out of nowhere she finds this orange cone and puts it behind the jeep. the guy i was pushed into seemed drunk or something and said he was on the way to the airport and spoke to the cops but then got the hell out of there.
so eventually there's 2 cop cars and a fire truck hosing down the street with fire retardant or something, and telling me they have to flush the jeeps gas tank with water. from the back, the jeep has a bit of a fucked up bumper, and you can see the gas tank all messed up below, but besides that, not much damage. the spare tire cover was a bit torn. i lift the back license plate to open the gas tank and voila! no gas tank cover, no tank spout or anything! the gas tank took the brunt of the crash, and everyone agrees i'm lucky to not have blown up.
during all this, this sweet young guy on rollerblades rolls up with his friends and says "hey! the car that hit you is all messed up and right around the corner! the guy ran off, saying he didn't have time and had to go! i think he went to a bar... he was drunk." but then a train came, and blocked the cops and i from going after the guy. after the tow truck took the jeep away, fisher was there to get me, and we walked over to the perps car. it was a new altima, airbags deployed, but otherwise empty, and the front end was freakin OBLITERATED. that spare tire on the jeep was only nicked but it had obviously pushed the radiator over a FOOT deep into the engine of this car. fisher took some pics with his phone. there was a cop there, and the tow truck was hitching it up.
i was fine, even laughing about how fucked up all of this was, until i got into fisher's car. then i cried over how fucked up all of this was. and how for a moment i was really scared of being in another car accident.
anyway, my neck hurts but i think i'll be ok.
