Marblemount - January 2009

I recently went up north to help out some friends who were living on generator power and wood-burning stove for a week due to serious mudslides. I took some lovely photos; it was so quiet, with the main road blocked, there was almost no traffic. Only the sound of the occasional generator here and there. These are photos taken whilst driving (woo hoo!) or walking around on State Route 20 when there was almost no traffic.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's, folks!

First, flowers from a friend:

Gifted in advance of, and not because of, Valentine's Day - but still, lovely to have some roses here next to the futon. Lovely colors and scents to brighten up the weekend. And nice to have someone think of giving me flowers - thank you!

Next, a box of gifts from a knitting pal - our first anniversary, in fact. We had our first swap VDay last year, and had so much fun (and got on so well) that we've had quarterly swaps ever since. Chocolates, yarn, booze, and a book on lace knitting:


So I spent an hour cruising the internet for knitting patterns for my yarn...okay, more like 2 hours. That's why I recommend Valentine's Day swaps for knitters, single or no. And Gypsygirl, my swap mate, is appreciative of my unemployed status, so I didn't need to spend extravagant amounts on yarn or other goodies. Knowing that I'll be doing swaps during the year allows me to look for mark downs on yarns and books. And then there's the Daiso $1.50 store in downtown Seattle - that place absolutely rocks! Much, much better than American dollar stores, I actually find some useful, crafty things there - and non-crafty, too! See, the Japanese like their cheap stuff from China, too, but they still want quality and a pleasant aesthetic, so you get much nicer things there. And if you're willing to spend $5 you can get some super fun vintage Japanese tunes! Anyway, Gypsygirl still raves about the onion bag I gifted her with back around Halloween, all courtesy of the fine folks at Daiso!

There were many vintage valentines being sent around on Ravelry (don't bother even clicking the link unless you knit or crochet). Some of them had very interesting images, and got me pondering what message they would convey in the 21st century.

I really liked the following image:

But notice the shackle this poor fellow is wearing - an indication of a co-dependent relationship, at the least, if not some sort of serious top-bottom relationship (don't click unless you want TMI).

This must have been intended for the Lawrence Welk generation - lucky for you, I'm too lazy to link this to some really bad accordion music (which I've got in spades).


Here's one for the person concerned with global warming - or hot flashes - or some sort of hemorrhagic fever:


Do you know anyone who's into steroid use? This one's for you, A-Rod!


I hope this little girl got a raise in her allowance:

Mind you, I actually like the Post Office. They're far from perfect, admittedly, but if you've spent as much time arguing with UPS as I have, you'll understand why I like to go postal.

Anyone who has known me for very long knows I appreciate things piratey; and I'm not some poseur who thought they were cool only after Johnny Depp donned his eyeliner. I was a pirate for Halloween a year or two before the first movie came out. However, even I have to wonder exactly what message you're sending your sweetie when you've got a heart (theirs? yours? the last person you got in a bar fight with?) on your dagger.

"Arrrrgh, lassie, them wot don't dates me be the lucky ones," he seems to be saying. You know, I'm going to bet on the bar fight scenario - he's wearing a sword, so I bet he cut his enemy's heart out with his eating knife. What a little terror this laddie is!

For the next one, I'm just going to say "Lumberjack Song" and leave it at that.
Now, now, before you make that joke about Idaho, where men are men and sheep are scared, remember, I'm a knitter - I like wool - I like sheep only in a completely platonic sense. Okay, I do appreciate lamb when cooked nicely, and of course, there are some fine sheep cheeses out there - but they won't let you shear them if they think they'll end up in a curry when you're done.

You're on the Titanic. You're lucky enough to obtain a life preserver and hope like hell that the North Sea (or wherever the hell they were - no, I don't care, I'm not looking it up) doesn't freeze you to death before you're rescued. I'm pretty sure the word 'nice' wouldn't be how you'd describe your life preserver.

Hey, I like kitties. Nothing snide here, just a cute kitty.


In the 21st century, if you use the words "horn" and "butt" in a valentine, you know it's all about teh booty call.

The next one's for you, Noisy:


This last one is just weird. Is it the heart-ball? Is it the kid's big arse? He looks like he could be doing 'roids with A-Rod...I dunno, but it definitely bothers me.

Happy VD, everyone!

Jammie Cam

It's been awhile since there's been a jammy cam posting, so here's today's jammy cam. The flowers are courtesy of this gentleman:

So don't be asking who the current hottie is in my life. If there is one, it's a state secret; if I tell you, I'll have to kill you. And no, it's not Dick Cheney; I am so tempted to make a really crude joke as to why that would be, but I'm going to take the high road.

Anyway, you might be asking where I got enough President Jackson action to purchase flowers. Let's just say a couple of friends were kind enough to contribute some small amount to my well-being. And flowers make me happy. Happy = mental health improvement = improved well-being. Hopefully, the flowers are edible, in case I run out of groceries ;-)

Soon I'll post some photos of the recent powerless week up in Marblemount. They've still got snow up there, and I am sooooooo jealous!

More Snow! More Snow!

With all the flooding the last few days, I'm sure many have forgotten that we had more snow this past Sunday - quite a lot, even if it only lasted for just a few hours. I went out less than two hours after the snow had started falling in earnest and took more photos. When I returned, a friend had left a voice mail that started, "Hey, you must be out playing in the snow!" Indeed, I was - I even went to nearby playground.

More photos of the fencing and gates around my apartment building - I just love the way the snow collects in these spots!


Public transportation brought to a halt by the weather:


More seriously, this was less than two hours accumulation on the intersection closest to my home:


City trash receptacles looks much better with a layer of snow covering them:

The wind was blowing this very sticky snow, so it stuck in some very interesting places, like on the side of this light pole:

And the ubiquitous photos of snow-covered branches, of which here is one:


Cowen Park:

Another interesting place for the snow to stick:

It's no surprise that I don't know where I am half the time...

The park's sundial - it's no surprise I never know when I am, either:

My breath rarely looks this wonderful; in fact, under most conditions, seeing one's breath is a bad sign, not a good sign:

More fence action, folks:


Tired of branches? Try grapevines:




And in the following photo, I caught a snowflake in action:

I have no idea whether there was a nail sticking out, or just a wee splinter of wood, but again, the snow collected in some interesting places:

Dingy U district alleys look so much nicer in the snow.


Fortunately, I've had no chance to take photos of flooding - I consider that to be a good thing, especially since I live on the third floor of my building. Frankly, I'd think you'd prefer the snow to the closed highways and mudslides of the last few days.

Sincerely,
The Committee Who Would Like To Have Another Big Honkin' Snow Storm