just laura

Brownbeard has a blog

and

Charles updated his for the first time in 2 years!

I’m thinking seriously about where I want to travel after I eventually quit my job. Kenya? Around the world? Other? This is all despite the fact that I just got a grant to increase my salary by $11,000. Insane!

For now, I’ve got to pack… I’m going camping this morning and I haven’t put my stuff together yet.

My grandfather, who has been on a slow downhill since his emergency trache in March, had a heart attack while I was camping this weekend at our team retreat. Dr Aldridge indicated that it probably would be several days before we know whether there is any prospect of recovery.

We found out there’s no chance of recovery for Grandpa. He’s suffered permanent brain damage and is unresponsive. My dad is on a flight as we speak to South Dakota to ensure Grandpa’s Living Will is honored and enforced (ie. discontinuation of life support systems when the diagnosis is terminal). Mom and Dad have the information from Grandpa outlining his wishes for services, funeral, and family meals, and they’re starting to make arrangements for the events that will happen sometime soon. One of Grandpa’s suits is being Fed-Exed from Arizona for the burial. There’s no way to know how quickly or slowly he will die once life support is discontinued, but the doctors suspect it’ll be quick considering the most recent EEG results.

I don’t know why I’m crying this much all day considering it’s been heading in this direction for the past few months. I know it’s never easy… no matter how much time you have to prepare for the loss of a loved one.

Last night Caroline and I saw another SIFF film… “5×2″. It’s by the same French director who did “Swimming Pool” and I thought it was a good movie. It starts with a couple’s divorce and tells the story of their relationship from the end to the begining. I thought the lead actress was fantastic and really enjoyed the flick. I also enjoyed hanging with Caroline afterwards and enjoyed finally eating at the new-ish Pomme Frites place in Capital Hill.

Frites: Belgian Fries (at 10th & Pike across from the Comet)

“There aren’t many places in town you can go exclusively for fries. Not only does Frites serve up delicious, thick-cut russet fries in a heavy paper cone in three sizes, they also offer more than a dozen sauces to eat them with: ketchup, curry ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, tartar, ranch, poblano ranch, garlic aioli, homemade pesto mayo, rosemary mayo, and roasted red pepper chipotle. All are homemade, and all are terrific. The first eatery of its kind in Seattle, Frites is located next to Neumo’s and open—club hoppers take note—until 2:30 a.m.”

Today I spent the day at work then did a low key Sunday dinner with the girls. I’m excited to know one of my old team members is going to be in town later this week. (Hopefully I won’t miss him b/c of funeral timing). And that’s it for tonight. I’m now home and ready to pass out from exhaustion…

Dad just had the minister come to Grandpa’s hospital bed and give last rites. The machines are being disconnected as I type. If Grandpa dies tonight like the doctors expect, there are tentative plans for the funeral to be at the end of the week. My aunt and uncle are in Europe right now, so that should give them a few days to find an emergency flight home, and give me a few days to find a cheap flight or maybe drive. Nothing is certain right now.

It’s officially over. According to Grandpa’s wishes, his care was suspended and he passed away 16 quick minutes later. I think I’m going to curl up and try to get my crying self to go to bed. Please think warm thoughts for the whole family and especially for my incredibly brave Dad, the oldest child, who is alone right now in South Dakota after having to honor Grandpa’s living will. I couldn’t imagine anything harder for a child of any age to do for a parent.

Meghan, Vince, and I will all fly out tomorrow morning for the funeral. We’ll fly to the Twin Cities then drive a rental car from there to Parker, SD. Services will be Wednesday night, Friday night, and Saturday. We’ll drive back to MN on Monday morning and fly home that night. If anyone with a decent sized car wants to pick us up on Monday night at 11pm, you’d be my new hero. :)

time to go home and pack for the trip. I have crazy amounts of work to do right now (potentially even more than usual… since I have 12 new employees starting work in a week. eek). I tried to get caught up tonight/this morning before flying out. Hope everyone has a lovely photo meetup and a lovely SIFF weekend. See y’all next week. Take care!

Tuesday – I worked all day and all night. Finally turned in the long overdue grant. Met with funders. Did interviews. Planned orientation.

Wednesday – Left home at 7am, flew from Seattle to Billings, Billings to Salt Lake, Salt Lake to the Twin Cities. Got a rental car. Bought pajamas (since I forgot some and am splitting a room with my cousin and her husband). Ate at Dennys. Slept at the MicroTel Inn (free wi-fi, free breakfast, free local and long distance calls, only $69/night for two queen beds).

Thrusday – Hit the Mall of America for lunch, drove to South Dakota, ate dinner. Everyone feels sick. Uncle Tom booked is a very nice hotel… way nicer than most hotels I was expecting to find a) in Sioux Falls and b) right off the highway. Each bed gets literally seven pillows. And there’s free high speed internet in the rooms. And the pool has two water slides. And there’s a library, and business center, and breakfast, etc. It’s a comfy place to call home since there’s not much else going on in Sioux Falls.

And on that note, I think I’m heading to bed. The rest of the family arrives tomorrow and the Parker services start tomorrow. Hope y’all are well. G’night…

Jane and I have known each other since we were 8 years old :)

Friday morning we headed to South Dakota… land of wide open spaces. This weekend was also land of severe weather alerts, land of rains and flooding, land of tornado warnings, and land of lots of family. Grandpa died a week and a half before his 89th birthday. He was widowed and was in a relationship with Marge (his lady friend/companion) for more than 10 years. One nice thing about this weekend was meeting her family. Many of her clan came in town for the funeral and it was my first time to meet her sons, or their children, or their children (Marge has several great grandkids, as compared to our five cousins, none of whom have kids yet). It was also the first time in almost ten years I saw my grandpa’s brothers Norman and wife Doris or Harold and wife Louise. It was nice to see how many people loved Grandpa, and great to remember all of his accomplishments in life. Mom, Charlie, and Stef are heading back to TX, and Uncle Tom, Dad, and Aunt Kandy are headin to AZ to sort through stuff at Grandpa’s house.

Lucikly, Grandpa’s very detailed side made things easy for the funeral. Grandpa lived a full life and was very clear in his will about how the funeral should go, where it should be held, etc… services in Sturgis where he lived in recent years, services in Parker where he lived most of his life, and a Masonic service (he was very active with the Shiners, Masons, etc). He was also clear that we were supposed to organize a lunch at the church after the burial, and a family dinner later in the evening. We had about 54 people at last night’s dinner… mostly family with a few close friends invited… poeple like Chuck and Gracie and Kenny who’ve been some of Grandpa’s best friends since he was a young man growing up in the depression.

The whole funeral weekend makes me want to (re)write my will. I think I wrote one once in high school, but don’t know if I distributed it to my parents or anyone. Probably just kept it in my diary. There should definitely be a party after I go, maybe at a hotel similar to this one with a giant water slide and two waffle makers. :) Or maybe something entirely different that involves mass amounts of karaoke and margaritas. And lots of talking. And story telling. And laughing at all of the stupid things we did in life, and all of our crazy eccentricies.

BTW, for those interested in reading about something other than death… I’m the proud owner of new body wash from Walgreens, new cute pajamas (since I pulled an overnighter at work and I wasn’t too thorough in my 10 minutes of packing), and a new bathing suit bottom (I lost my bottoms somewhere between MN, WI, NY, NJ, Walla Walla, and Portland… no crazy story there, just a disappearing 1/2 of bathing suit). I’m packing it all up now and getting ready for the drive back to the Twin Cities for the flight home. And that’s where I’m at right now. Hope y’all are well.

PS Caroline and Samantha – I have excited news about Grandpa’s parting gift to me. :) I’ll share later when I don’t need to pack my bags.

After thunderstorms and delays in MN, I’m now home in my own apartment. :)

Let me begin to count the ways…

June

Fremont Fair (tel. 206/633-4409; www.fremontfair.com), Fremont neighborhood. A celebration of the summer solstice with a wacky parade, naked bicyclists, food, arts and crafts, and entertainment in one of Seattle’s favorite neighborhoods. Third weekend in June.

Out to Lunch (tel. 206/623-0340; www.downtownseattle.com). Free lunchtime music concerts in plazas and parks throughout downtown. Early June through early September.

July

Fourth of Jul-Ivar’s fireworks (tel. 206/587-6500; www.ivars.net), Myrtle Edwards Park, north end of Seattle waterfront. Fireworks over Elliott Bay. July 4.

Washington Mutual Family Fourth at Lake Union (tel. 206/281-7788; www.onereel.org), Lake Union. Seattle’s other main Fourth of July fireworks display. July 4.

Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival (tel. 206/382-2628; www.cwb.org), Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union. Featured are wooden boats, both old and new, from all over the Northwest. Races, demonstrations, food, and entertainment. July 4th weekend.

Chinatown/International District Summer Festival (tel. 206/382-1197), International District. Features the music, dancing, arts, and food of Seattle’s Asian district. Second weekend in July.

Bite of Seattle (tel. 425/283-5050; www.biteofseattle.com), Seattle Center. Sample bites from Seattle restaurants, or take in a wine-tasting exhibit. Third weekend in July.

Seafair (tel. 206/728-0123; www.seafair.com). This is the biggest Seattle event of the year, with daily festivities — parades, hydroplane boat races, an air show with the Navy’s Blue Angels, the Torchlight Parade, ethnic festivals, sporting events, and open house on naval ships. Events take place all over Seattle. Early July to early August.

Bellevue Art Museum Fair (tel. 425/519-0770; www.bellevueart.org), Bellevue Square shopping mall, Bellevue. This is the largest arts and fine crafts fair in the Northwest. Last weekend in July.

August

Chief Seattle Days (tel. 360/598-3311), at Suquamish tribal headquarters. Celebration of Northwest Native American culture across Puget Sound from Seattle. Third weekend in August.

September

Bumbershoot, the Seattle Arts Festival (tel. 206/281-7788; www.bumbershoot.org). Seattle’s second most popular festival derives its peculiar name from a British term for an umbrella — an obvious reference to the rainy weather. Lots of rock music and other events pack Seattle’s youthful set into Seattle Center and other venues. You’ll find plenty of arts and crafts on display, too. Labor Day weekend.

I had my once every two year evaluation visit this week… it went very well, there was a bonus and a raise, and I’m exhausted. Meetings from 7am-9pm aren’t easy when you’re functioning on 3 hrs of sleep.

Wed night I left a family event after 7pm and decided to hit the blogger meet up since I was already in the downtown area. It felt like the first one I’d been to in over a year… but I’m not really sure. As always, it was nice to see familiar faces and meet new people. Read more…

Last night was dinner with Maggie, Jim, and Ian. They’re one of the most amazing families I know, with an equally amazing knack of hosting and traveling. It was a good evening!

Tonight I plan to run errands and get myself ready for the most fun day of the whole year (Summer Solstice Parade is tomorrow… yay!!). Hope everyone is well!

I posted a bunch of new pics on www.prettyordinary.com. (And I totally cheated by adding additional pics for the month of May and associating them with previous dates). :)

The weather man said 50% chance of rain with thunder storms and the day started out gray and chilly. I’m super glad it eventually turned sunny, but I think I put on my sunscreen a little too late. I think I have the worst/most noticeable sunburn of my whole life. Or maybe I’m exagerating. But either way I definitely look waaaaaay ridiculous.

Sometimes I can’t believe the crazy, silly, ridiculous things that happen in life. It’s one, great, big adventure. Other days I can’t believe life is always this busy. Happily, yesterday was a fun (and not hectic) day. I met up with a bunch of friends in the morning for the 2005 Fremont Summer Solstice Parade. I saw tons of fantastic naked cyclists up close and personal… always my favorite, most entertaining part of the parade. Caroline and I wandered afterwards through the crowds, saw some art, ate some food, laughed at the art cars, and saw a million of my current team members, not to mention site supervisors, and new recruits for next year’s team. We also saw some really good music… I highly recommend you check out Picoso… they were fantastic! (“Started on the streets of Seattle, Picoso radiates raw energy at shows. Their original music innovates while remaining grounded in the roots of son, salsa and jazz. Come prepared to dance”)

At the end of the night, I hung with Erin and Jessica for a while, took a fantastically relaxing bubble bath, and then went to bed before midnight! (First time in over a month!). Yay! Hope y’all are well! I’ll try to post some parade pictures sometime soon…

• Yesterday I hired a part time person for the office… yay! This makes me so incredibly happy it’s not even funny.
• Next week I’m taking a class at UW to finish my certification in Nonprofit Management. Yay me!
• Happy Solstice Dinner tonight… looking forward to seeing friends.
• Thanks for everyone’s well wishes over the past few weeks about my Grandpa. It’s been too crazy busy to return all of the calls and emails, but I really do appreciate the kind thoughts.
• I’m trying out flickr and will try posting some naked cyclist photos hopefully tomorrow…

I’ve posted my Fremont Solstice Parade photos on flicker.com… feel free to check them out. :) Warning: Photos may contain pictures of naked, painted cyclists.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/catk/tags/solsticeparade/

Local photographers will present Electric, a photo show on the First Thursday in July!
619 Western (at Yesler), 5th floor. Pioneer Square.

Tonight was the first show of the 2005 Summer Nights concert series, which means it was also the first show at the new South Lake Union Park location. I saw Lucinda Williams tonight and was content with the new location. I liked the Pier better… nicer views… but the crowd seemed to like the new locale. Lucinda put on a good show, but the wind kicked in and it got cold much quicker the it ever did at the Pier. I was freezing and tired and was actually happy when she had to end the show at 11pm. I’m now home, I’m exhausted, I’m still cold, and ready for bed. G’night…

I totally want to go one of these days! “Built in 1971, SRO’s Puget Park Drive-In Theatre boasts a 50′x 100′ screen with FM stereo sound and 700 parking stalls. The Drive-in operates from May-September. Double Features – always 2 movies for the price of 1.” Ticket Prices: Adults (12 and older) $7.50. Box office opens at 8:30pm – First show at Dusk. Days of Operation: Open 7 days a week through August.

What’s Playing:
6/24/2005 thru 6/28/2005 Batman Begins (PG-13) Star Wars: Episode III (PG-13)
6/29/2005 thru 7/5/2005 War of the Worlds (PG-13) Batman Begins (PG-13)

I’m trying to do my reading this weekend for my finance and budgeting class and it keeps putting me to sleep, no matter what time I sit down and try to focus. On the bright side, my ongoing procrastination has led me to vacuum the apartment, cook a meal at home, run errands, go to the bank, and hit the farmer’s market. I’ve also organized my CDs, my kitchen pantry, and my bathroom cupboards. :)

Currently listening to my newest CDs: Cat Power (thanks Erin!) and the Postal Service (thanks Marth!)
Currently reading: The Corrections
Currently craving: Mint Chocolate Chip Meringues from Trader Joes

I’ve been to the deserts of New Mexico for a hot air balloon festival that was snowed out. I’ve been to dry Eastern Washington for a hot air balloon festival that was rained out. I’ve been to a third hot air balloon festival that was canceled for wind storms. Seems the timing was never right. And then I made a trip earlier this month to South Dakota for the first time in almost 10 years. My grandpa had moved away but wanted his burial to be near Sioux Falls where he used to live. The two days of services for my grandfather were full of rains, flooding, and even tornado warnings. The next day, once we’d laid Grandpa’s body to rest, the paper announced perfect weather for the Great Plains Hot Air Balloon Race that was happening just 8 miles from our hotel. I woke up at 5am to head out there and the day was already warm and promised perfect blue skies. I was finally in the right place at the right time and got to attend my long awaited hot air balloon festival! I think my grandpa made his own decisions about right time, right place, and everything just happened pretty quickly. He’d been sick this spring and was finally back in his home state, in his own home, had spent time with family for two months solid, and I think he was ready. I don’t doubt he played some role in making it work out as it did that I was there for him and got to see the hot air balloon festival too. After all, he was not only the person to buy me my first camera, he was also the one responsible for packing up the RV and taking me and my brother on road trips as children introducing me to the wonders of travel. We may not have seen eye to eye on everything, but he’ll always hold a very special place in my heart.

Currently listening to: ABBA
Wish I was at: yesterday’s Seattle Pride Parade
Just watched: Before Sunset
Wish I had: a sweetheart and a free gym membership
Avoiding: More budget reading

Last night and tonight, despite crazy busy work + school schedules, I took some time for me. :) Last night I got a massage from very generous Jacob S currently attending massage school (and also came home with fresh veggies from his garden… how fantastic is he??). Tonight I was able to get Samantha, Erin, and Caroline all out to dinner last minute which was quite lovely. Bamboo Garden. Mailbox Gelato. Fascists at the Lenin statue. All kinds of fodder for exciting, energetic conversation that included footed pajamas, skanky plans, 18 year olds, and pasties. (More later on the Lenin drama… I’m hoping Samantha posts since I’m exhausted, out of energy, and somehow left home without my camera). I’m also hoping to make an inappropriate but oh-so-heartfelt t-shirt that says something like “F*ck you and f*uck your fascist daddy too!” However, my memory is pretty pathetic these days so we’ll see if that ever happens. Who does this awful man from Denver think he is coming into my neighborhood to destroy our public art? Social justice my ass. I’ll show you social justice, buddy…

And did I mention how tired I am? Staying up late doing homework? Waking up early to go running at 6am? I’m relatively proud of myself for trying to do work, school, and self care all at one time… but really I’m just in awe of normal people who manage to do it all the time. My hat is off to the folks who put themselves through school or who go back and attend classes in the evening like my dad or the lovely Miss Caroline. I think I’m about burnt out for the night… time for me to fold up my books and go to bed soon.

I’ve got to say, I totally approve of the mohawk craze that’s been sweeping Seattle streets for the past six months. :) Cute, formerly shaggy boys and girls who’ve gone a little clean cut, with a rugged, little wild streak. What fun!