Vashon C of C - seriously?

Wednesday, The Little House owner Bettie Edwards commented at a C of C board meeting that she'd been pigeonholed as a "micromanager" and "harrasser" because in recent emails, she tenaciously asked for a budget breakout of the Open House expenditures. What she got was a response that said $X for this, and $X for everything else." Not exactly a breakout right? So when she continued to ask for a REAL breakout, she was marginalized as a nitpicker. During the meeting, defensive replies ensued, and Bettie welcomed anyone to inquire about the email threads; she'd be happy to share.

Guess what? I just read them. Wow.
My summary: Transparency is trumped by arrogance.

I am so embarrassed for a business whose nonprofit tagline reads "For the Greater Good." Last time I checked, nonprofits represent underserved concerns that certainly fall through the cracks in the interest of the greater good. The greater good smacks of "you'll take it, and you'll like it." Kind of like saying "tough shit." So, I guess for Bettie, the email replies she got from this company rep really applied, because on behalf of her nonprofit membership (I'm talking C of C) she certainly didn't get answers, just namecalling.

I, too, am a member of the Chamber. I, too, have a question: since when are members not allowed to see where their money goes, all the way from soup to nuts? This is a nonprofit concern. Every penny must be accounted and categorized for the IRS, so why the heck don't members have the right to see that? Show me the money, baby. I want to know if we're in the red; I want to know if a certain budget is being blown, or is supporting a highly lucrative initiative, so that as member, we can make informed decisions on where to go next.

Bettie, thanks for sticking your neck out. If you'd let me publish the email thread, I do it in a hot second. I am mortified that you were treated that way, embarrassed that we have busybodies posing as professionals (and attempting to condescend with a thinly veiled job title), and that C of C members will never get the transparency they seek. Also, if you've established your own by-laws that say the budget will be done in December, the clock is ticking. Git 'er dun!

Woodpecker in the house!

Only on Vashon.
See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSfpbIBhSgI

I've been slackin'!

So do you forgive me my bad bloggerette trespasses? I sure hope so! Before you know it, I'll have these log entries backdated so well you won't even know I was gone. Just you wait!

Camping in NW Washington

David and I discovered during our Sept vacation that we camp well together, and that all of our REI wedding registry gifts ROCKED. Thank you for those who know who you are. We ate like royalty, having culled delicacies from Hood Canal just prior to our departure; I've never seen so many clams, so easy to collect and so delicious. Those fishing licenses in Washington really pay off. Go get yourself one.

Our travels:
Mora campsite - foresty, lush, great foraging
Kalaloch campsite - a breezy beach bluff, nice beach walks
La Push - fun waves, surfing, the least desirable campsites but...a store nearby. Bring a foldout grill and all fire supplies. Even bring TP for the bathrooms behind the store. You'll need it (and the honeybucket closer to the camp, well, as Jim Carrey once said--"Do NOT go in there!").
Klahowya - it was mosquito city along the river, so we didn't even spend the night. The sites were very pretty on the high bank, though, immersed in a light forest.
Olympic Hot Springs - did you know there are REAL -free- (after park entrance fees) ones you can hike up to in Oly national park? They are no longer maintained but they're still bubbling up--sulphuric, hot, gritty and fun!
Heart of the Hills - pretty. Cozy, lush campsites. Lots of weekend warriors from suburbia camp out here in packs. They are loud. They love their trucks and cars and camping lite. Great hiking for wild mushrooms.
Hobuck by Neah Bay - a big, flat grass field where ya just set up. We got a killer spot in the trees off to the margin. The waves are fun. We watched a Surfrider gathering and lots of folks learning to surf. David was my personal surf coach. The white wash is a bitch to get through on a tank of a longboard. For me, anyway!

We had an amazing time. Can't wait to bring the kids for the next one.

Sound Foods - yum

Valerie's birthday, what a nice evening.
Pictured l-r: me, Beverly, Cynthia, Valerie, Karen, and Carrie. -h

STOV is on fiya!

Kathleen Fitch, m'lady, you have it dialed in with your passion to promote Sustainable Tourism on Vashon. It must have taken hundreds of hours to compile all of the information on your Web site. There are maybe a handful of for-profit businesses on the resource, but for the most part, this is a 100% nature-based site that maps out a lot of features even residents will enjoy.

A stay in the lighthouse keeper's old homes?
A moonlight paddle at Quartermaster?
Moutain biking in Island Center Forest?

I loved the family friendly day trip ideas. We forage with our kids on this island, and it is truly an amazing experience. Fall is all about mushrooms and huckleberries.
Best of all, it's free!

Bravo, Kathleen and STOV. May you get a big bag of money for web design upgrades. Until then, the message is still coming through loud and clear: you've been evangelizing "the mindful tourist" all along. Now I know who originated that term.

Props.

PS - I'm due some link updates on the right table, STOV included. Stay tuned.

Vashon v. Verizon: "Can you hear me now?"

The definition of ineffective: putting in a trouble call with Verizon Wireless.

Let's get something straight. I've been a Verizon customer for about 10 years. TEN! That's because the coverage has been strong and reliable everywhere I go with my evolving cell phones. Living on Vashon's Westside Highway was the first time the coverage was spotty, and even that improved over the past few years. So imagine my surprise when just a few weekends ago, living on the North End, it was nothing but a dropped call fest, call after consecutive call.

When you put in a trouble call, they aggregate your dropped calls over a 30 day cycle and compare that to the national average (but not a 100% drop rate over a 48-hour period!). Still the company deemed my -drops- worthy of a look. Even when I called in the trouble, the call got dropped, fittingly!

Here was the final resolution after patiently waiting. And I quote from my voice mail:

"Hello, Heidi. This is Shelly with Verizon Wireless calling on the trouble ticket that was opened on your behalf. Our network team did conclude their investigation and what they determined is that this is a known "trouble area" so unfortunately you will experience these issues. I do apologize for that. If you have any further questions you may call 1-800-922-0204 and reference ticket number 307929. Thank you for choosing Verizon Wireless and have a nice day."

Known trouble area? That's not what the salespeople tell you when you upgrade your phone (or set up a kid's line, and an aircard) to walk out with $250 in new upgrades. Even the trouble call people stated, upon complaint, this area is fully covered and not one for drop concerns. That is crap! The signal is topped out. I have lived in the same house for several years with nary a problem. My husband is getting the same dropped calls on the North End, he has a different phone AND a different Verizon account. They told me he'd have to call those in too.

Lame. That was a complete waste of my time. Can you hear me now, Verizon?

These are the people in your neighborhood

My friend Karen and I were musing over Wikipedia's Vashon Island people of note. Some of these folks were never on Vashon (cough cough Johnny Depp--since removed), some were, and some are now that I had no idea. The wacky Wikiness of it all is the credibility issue of many hands in the editing pot, and delayed accountability. So...

Here's the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vashon,_Washington
and below posted verbatim:

Vashon Island has been home to many people of note.

Gene Amondson, 2004 Prohibition Party presidential nominee, carver of wooden humans, and Segway rider lived on Vashon.

Jeweler and bellmaker Gordon R. Barnett [1]

Gene "Bean" Baxter of the Kevin and Bean morning show on KROQ, an alternative rock-format radio station in Los Angeles, California, lives on Vashon Island.

Steve Berlin, of the Grammy Award winning band Los Lobos, lived on the island

Alex Borstein, actress noted especially for her work on Fox's MAD TV and as the voice of Family Guy's Lois Griffin, lives on Vashon Island.

Berkeley Breathed, author of the political satire comic strip Bloom County, resided on Vashon for some time. He wrote a children's book based on a bicycle in a tree. The real-life tree, growing around a bicycle, can be seen on the island.[4]

Michael Chabon, writer and 2001 Pulitzer winner lived on Vashon Island.

Karen Cushman, author, who produces fiction for mid-grade and young adult readers. One of her best known titles is the 1996 Newbery Award winning novel, THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE.

Booth Gardner, former Washington state governor, lives on Vashon Island.

Eyvind Kang, modern composer, lives on Vashon Island.

Betty MacDonald once lived on Vashon and used the island as the setting of her book Onions in the Stew.

Zach Mann, reality TV star from MTV's hit show The Real World

T. Martino, Author/artist and wildlife rehabilitator The Wolf the Woman the Wilderness, Horse Nation, Learning from Eagle Living with Coyote, My Name is Cap, Coyote Physics.

Victor Bravo Monchego, Jr., writer, poet, satirist and provocateur lives in a yurt on Maury (Vashon) Island. Author of “The Human Terrain” and the recently declassified, “A CIA Field Guide to Foreign Undergarments: Recognizing the Enemy and Going Native.”

Danny O'Keefe, singer song-writer, known for his song "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues", lives on Vashon Island.

Basil Poledouris, film composer, spent the last four years of his life on Vashon Island, prior to dying in Los Angeles due to complications from cancer.
Austin Post, aerial photographer and glaciologist, lives on Vashon Island.
Susan Powter,(formerly of Vashon) author, motivational speaker, and exercise professional.

John Ratzenberger, who played Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. on the television show Cheers, and also voiced a character in "Toy Story", once lived on and still owns land on connected Maury Island. He also helped to start a school on the island.
Daryl Redeker, guitarist and composer lives on Vashon Island.

Dan Savage, editor of The Stranger and the author of "Savage Love," a syndicated sex advice column, formerly lived on Vashon Island with his partner and adopted son. By his own account, he moved from Vashon because he was unsure that the local public schools would welcome the adopted son of gay partners.

Paul Seibert, author of books, white papers, and articles about strategic planning, growth, branching and architecture for financial institutions. Principle of EHS-Design, Partner in Momentum Construction Company and founding partner of CEO Advisory Group. Paul lives on Vashon.

Ned Sneed [2] Current sneedhaven caretaker and founder of Vashon-Maury Ministry of Cultural Integrity.

Tom Stewart, founder and chairman of Misty Isle Farms [3] and Food Services of America, once lived on the island and moved to Arizona in 2006. Stewart, a prominent regional Republican leader, rekindled the Quartermaster Harbor fireworks show in 1991 after it was discontinued as Vashon Island's traditional local Independence Day celebration in 1989. In 1998, Stewart pled guilty to misdemeanor federal and local election-finance money laundering charges. He had to pay a $5 million fine and serve two months under house arrest, with work release, wearing an electronic ankle bracelet.

J. Tillman, a singer songwriter and drummer of the band Fleet Foxes.
Edith Derby Williams, historian, granddaughter of former US President *Theodore Roosevelt, lived on Vashon Island from the 1960's until her death in 2008.

What's the Big Robot Penis deal?

I think Big Robot Penis on the Vashon Park District community marquee was enough to have it taken down after a very, very short duration of time. So sorry if you missed it! I had a good laugh. Welcome to Vashon, enjoy our Big Robot Penis and all the island has to offer. My "tourist" girlfriend Kassie graciously posed for this photo.

And you thought Urinetown was an attention-getter!

How to move a mini-clutch?

I posed this question on Vashon Poulty's Yahoo forum and only one reply so far--any other advice? We have a day ranger white leghorn who's decided to lay outside rather than the coop; and she's got a collection going and she'll ONLY lay in this flowerpot.

We'd like to move them to the coop. Any wisdom to impart? Is she going to freak out on us? In the morning when we "release the hens!" she books it turbo-style to her little (now revealed) spot. A ha! But now what? We believe all are fertilized by our lil feathered stud in the coop. So....

The teeny weeny egg

I think this was Darcy's first egg...or it was just a dudley....

My husband is a wonderful cook

You may have even enjoyed a meal or two of his already. :)

Off island, over to the aquarium

The Seattle Aquarium is chock full of eager docents. Get on down and check it out.

Kayaks

Kristine Dahms sold us her barely used kayaks, and we LOVE them so much!
David's mom Farah stayed with us for a week and she's here paddling at Dockton. They're super fun. So, does anyone know how long it'll take to paddle from the North End to Blake? I know there are tidal variables and such, but assuming it's a nice day what is that in paddle time?

Coon Trappin!

ahem! to be clear, it's the bucket-o-maggots we note are helping to feed the chickens and not a strung up carcass itself! Did we mention this tip came in the chicken husbandry class offered by Dana Ness, DVM and Cathy Fulton via a VIGA sponsorship? The thoughtful comment at the bottom has some great safety tips and thank you for looking out for us and our birdies! We're covered.<


The raccoons that once ate a handful of our free ranging chickens have lately experienced a bit of a role reversal, thanks to our island friends lending us raccoon traps. They work.

(the date stamp is incorrect on the pix; just took these)

Put one dead raccoon in a five gallon bucket, let flies visit, top it with a lid, drill lots of worm size holes in the bucket botton, let the heat fester the contents, string up that bucket in the coop run and voila...."It's raining worms! Hallelujah it's raining worms, amen...squirmy, white, gross you bet...rainin' til it's soaking weeeeeet!"

I jest with the song, but we seriously did use the concept and the chickens find it as recreational as they do nutritious. Oh, it smells fun-kay.

Chase - You're not MY neighborhood bank

Branding aside, CHASE, you are the lowest form of banking anonymity this side of the Pacific. Don't give me that "Seattle's newest 200-yr-old bank" BS. When I drove by the billboard on 99 today on the way to the office, I yelled out FUUUUUUUCK YOU! There may have also been a finger involved.

Know why? Cuz they dicked me and my credit report yesterday. And there's nobody to turn to, not even the good people working at my Vashon branch at 178th. Fresh from the mailbox was a letter from Chase saying based on information from Experian, they were closing my Chase credit card--which had a ZERO balance, people--and a puny ass $250 limit. Oh, and a f###ing astronomical interest rate...and they wonder why I didn't use it?

The letter cited too many new accounts in a 24-month period as a factor in their decision. I had TWO new accounts--a consumer loan with my credit union, and a Best Buy account for when my computer died. TWO...in two years! Any lates I have are of the "oh, gee, it's just after the mail by date ilk" and I (now) have two credit cards in good standing and the best buy account. So what the hell?

A creditor shutting down an account is often regarded as punitive.
This is the same bank that decided to dock my limit in half six months ago.
And then, just last week, they sent a new card for an account that THIS week they decided to close.
And in my case, it's bullshit.
What is happening to consumer credit?
Why don't you shut down people who don't pay their bills?
Or people who don't have the jobs to pay down their debts?
Or People who don't have money market accounts, checking, savings and more with CHASE...hellooooooo?

I called and pled my case to my local branch peeps as soon as I opened that letter. Their inability to respond leaves me with no choice; Chase, you've left them powerless. You don't even promise to help your consumers when calling that 1-888 number that says "your wait time will be more than 10 minutes" (and what the hell does that mean? an hour?).

So tell ya what, Chase. Since you really don't give a rat's rump, I'll take your $250 and see ya, ohhhh about ten grand. Let's see what happens when 100,000 more people decide to defect in disgust (like me), too. I will take my savings, my kids' savings, my personal checking, my joint checking, my money market account to the bank up the street and you can KEEP YOUR LAME ASS $250 closed mastercard account. And hubbie's coming too! Are ya happy now?

No amount of advertising will compensate for the crappy decision-making coming from Chase's scissor-happy bean counters in New York City. Here's the company's next ad tag line, with my compliments:

"Chase...away customers"

Hello, new bank!

I samba'd at Strawberry

Click the photo to expand this image. Dig the black skirt made by Dova Silks. It was great. Not too many mess-ups on our routine, either! We had a good time out there.

Behold, the WhizBang chicken plucker

Here's hoping my 10-yr-old son, Zach, doesn't read this anytime soon.

Chickens. We've had quite an eventful time with our birds in just our two month run.
Let's see if I can capture this:
May -
6 pullets from McMurray arrive: two buff x's, two R.I. red x starlings, and two white leghorns. They are awesome. The alpha is Lucy, a fiery redhead.

Early June -
3 chickens David traded an on island friend for bees join the flock. They are from a straight run so we don't know the sexes.

Last week of June -
One of the white leghorns (Heather Feather, the Beta bird in the pecking order) is found headless and mangled during the free-range-to-coop roundup. We suspect it was a cat as culprit since her headless body was left open but otherwise unscathed.I imagine a neighbor getting the trophy chicken head from their cat, and screaming in horror. I was bummed. Heather would let me pet her, she was very vocal and also a prolific layer.

We decide to get five more hens in Silverdale from a bird lover: Two silver laced Wyandottes, two Aracaunas, and a Rhode Island red. One night, just three days after adoption, four of the newbies dont come home to roost. With the exception of one, they survived overnight and straggled throughout the next day back to the coop one by one. The RI red was toast, we assume. We heard a raccoon party going on next door that night they went missing.

So now we're down to 12. And then July 5, David calls to tell me "Luke" has died (The kids named her, I know). Luke was from McMurray Hatcher, another red x, and she never was 100% healthy from the beginning. Probably congenital. The night of the fourth, David was nursing her with water and a bulb syringe to get her to drink and perk up to no avail. She died in a box in the living room and David slept next to her on the couch. So now we're down to 11.

Monday, July 6, our crazy gray aracauna goes all dingbatty when it's time to roost. She flees to into the bramble after several of my attempts to round her up. I figure, I'll try again after she's calmed down. Off I go to dance class, and then, poof--there's no chicken when I get back. The next morning, wee early...I see raccoons out my home office window near a shady border of maples and sure enough, we run out to find a litter of feathers and a solitary aracauna chicken foot/leg. So now we're down to 10. Darn. She was a great layer--green eggs, too!

And somewhere in there we'd discovered we had not ONE, but TWO roosters who decided to hit puberty on the same day and suddenly there's a big old humpfest on our back patio. Knowing full well we have just 8 hens, they'll get exhausted with just one rooster chasing them around, so one of these fellas had to go. We picked the one who showed less roosterism and kept "Prescott" a brown leghorn type gent who crows in the morning, and rounds up/dotes on the ladies, and is just a handsome dude.

Which brings us, finally, to yesterday. I'm on the YahooGroup Vashon Poultry and Cathy Fulton invited the gang to take advantage of the "WhizBang Plucker" for a mere donation if we wanted to bring any bird(s). She had quite the set up! There was a killing cone station, then a table for dressing/cleaning which Alex got in there like a biologist in took direction and systematically processed what was our extra rooster. He blew all of us away. The bird came home ready to cook (after 36 hours of refrigeration to let rigor mortis do its thing).

Zach objected to the whole slaughter, mainly because he had named the rooster. He was saying things like, "how would YOU like it if YOU were a pet and your family killed you for dinner?" I replied, "Welcome to the REAL WORLD, Zach!" Anyway, he knew it was imminent, he just doesn't know the deed is done.

Hello, Crockpot!

4th of July 2009

David, the boys and I enjoyed a quick but fun weekend in San Diego for the 4th. Every year in Coronado there's a big, big, parade and huge crowd, followed by a fireworks show at Glorietta Bay in which the droves of tourists descend upon the rolling hills of Coronado Golf Course. Residents typically hang out at the Yacht Club or on their moored boats, away from the riffraff.

I had a blowout with my deteriorating grandmother. She has no "valve" anymore and says really mean things and will NOT STOP TALKING, rather, ranting. Anyway, it ruined part of my 4th and I just said "enough." The kids and I walked to the golf course on our own and enjoyed a cool fireworks show!

We saw lots of our classmates from the CHS class of 1987 during an All Class reunion, and my uncle was in the band that was playing the event, making it even funner! I love going "home" to my other island. In the photo is Zach at the new Vernetti Fountain where the flower lady vends, and me with Meredith Allen Talley, a lifelong pal of mine--taken with my phone during concert in the park on July 5.

The Garden Tour after party

I ran into a former Westside neighbor who's curating a really fun "modernist garden" visual art display in the corridor where Dova Silks and Blooms reside. I know there's a name for that place but I don't know it (just wander in by Blooms and you're there)! Anyway, Jack told me that from 4:30-6p next Sunday (6/28) this will be the wrap-up destination of le tour, with noshes and a live acoustic band complete with mandolin. They're performing gratis, so throw a dollar in the hat, wontcha?

And...if you haven't poked your head into Dova lately, or draped any of the shop's "like buttah" garments on--as I had the pleasure of yesterday in search of my Strawberry Festival samba ensemble (en-samba-l), you must check this place out. Things here are timeless and elegant and artful. I love the little jellyfish-like swaths of silk that trim certain flirty skirts, scarves and tanks. Fun!

BCBG-licious!

It's been at least 18 months and I've been waiting for this day:
My BCBG slacks fit again!

Uh...do you know how much BCBG costs? All this time, those five pairs of pants hung neglected in my closet. The last time I tried one pair on, my thighs weren't having it. I was shocked and depressed, and out like $1000 in hot clothing expenditures. I fought myself to put them on consignment. I'm so glad.

Thank you afro samba dance class and swimming (Dayna)!

Karaoke at the Red Bicycle

Last night, Anjae Ludberg and I ventured over to where friends were gearing up to karaoke at the Red Bicycle. We joined them at the banquette as they flipped through the songlist binder. When Krista Dehnert suggested we go up--and do a RAP SONG--"It takes two," I bit the bait.

There was an 11 year old named Molly who was such an amazing young singer. She sang a song with very adult content about leaving a man who she didn't really love. And ya felt it--even though an 11 yr old was cranking it out.

Krista is a great entertainer on stage, too. And the guy who started it--darn I didn't get his name but what a gritty soulful white dude. When it was our turn, the Rob Base rap song went very well--for two white girls. We killed it and folks were out of their chairs bouncing around and dancing. What I lacked in rap-ability I more than made up for in stage "frontin'," I'm sure my co-rapper will attest.

Oh...the guy in the motorcycle moon boots who sang "I need a hero" complete with pelvic thrusts, lunges and lobbing his leg over the side of the stage--he had us laughing so hard we needed to stretch our abs and facial muscles afterward. I needed a cigarette--and I don't smoke! After that, nothing could top this guy's performance.

I highly recommend you go; it's very entertaining.

Vashon Chamber: spend wisely.

I am a Vashon Chamber member. If there's a way I can help out island businesses, I'm in. People on the island don't know the biz side of my life all that well. They see my mommy side, or my consumer side, but few have any idea of the stuff I work on and HAVE worked on for the past 17 years. What a blessing to have consulted and driven home so many great projects that help businesses go deeper to affect their bottom lines.

My advice for the Vashon Chamber is to spend wisely, not reward members' hard-earned dollars for contracts based on favorites or kiss-ups. There are many meritous businesses on the island, from construction to branding firms who are more than happy to help out the Chamber for a steal and do fine, effective work.

In the marketing world, 10 years back while living in Bremerton doing local and national projects, I took on copywriting with an outfit that turned out to be comprised of real sheisters on projects, and I witnessed them walk away with big bags of money and NO RESULTS for hopeful clients who invested in LAME web promotions. Smoke and mirrors all the way. LAME, I tell ya. It took a near lawsuit to get myself paid out of that experience! And when the copywriter's getting calls from pissed off clients because the Internet vehicle that was supposed to launch big biz didn't deliver, you KNOW it's bad.

Not even two years ago, this same person came to the island acting like a savior on horseback--and by the time I found out who it was from an island merchant, I told her STOP NOW--but it was already too late. And he did the same damn thing to the hardworking merchants of Vashon. Worse yet, an on-island marketer who drank his kool-aid promoted him to the merchants in the first place; I find it really baffling that this person can look merchants in the eye and act like that was okay to do. Pardon my ethos but, I'm willing to bet there was a commission involved.

My hope is that the COC, if it chooses to award contracts (especially relating to marketing), does due diligence, collects references, and fully looks at the work experience to be sure it is relevant to the project needed.

Nobody goofs, nobody gets hurt! Just looking out for y'all. Nuff said.

David's swarming bees

It happens! Nature literally taking its course.
Somewhere on the North End, the bees that split are settling into their new home.

Our first egg!

Guess what?! We got our first egg today. And it was white...which would lead me to believe this came from one of the Pearl White Leghorns. In the lower photo you'll see the egg and a ping pong ball; D put that in there to start the party, so to speak and lo and behold that was the nestbox where the egg was laid. We've got all the birds named now: Alice, Heather (Alex named), Luke, Darth (those came from Zachy), and Lucy and Mel (from D n me). The egg was delicious!

Afro-Brazilian dance class on Vashon

This woman teaches a rockin class! I'm having fun. See that lady in the pink? That's me...okay it's not really me, I'm just kidding ya. I'm not quite that old yet.
Join me!

Just the WAX, mam! (encore)

There is some BAD INFORMATION out there on body waxing, including Brazilian Waxing. I am here to set the record straight, not to be a weirdo or misquoted or misconstrued (although some people would love that). It's not for everyone, but it sure eliminates some hassles. Here goes.

The straight dope is this:
1. It does feel better during mano-a-womano contact.
2. It does look nice (aerially speaking) not having a "crotch fro:" uh, not that I did in the first place!
3. It IS resassuring that some wayward hair doesn't decide to do the "HEY THERE!" peek-a-boo out the side of the bikini.
4. A Brazilian doesn't mean all the hair goes--some B-Waxes can leave a little some-some behind, like a triangle, or a letter shape, a "Hitler" tuft, whatever! It's okay to remind yourself you're a grownup not fulfilling some sicko pervy man's pre-teen fantasy.
5. It is expensive: $50-70 at WaxOn Spa in Seattle depending on the -beavage- (did I just say that?)
6. It does hurt for a brief and fleeting "Phweeep!" Tweezers for the stragglers are a killer
7. It's all out there during the visit--show no shame and let the pros at it.
8. Tip well, these folks are in a place even the Gyno doesn't stay long--and making way less $
9. Wash before visiting. Nuff said.
10. If you hate it, baby it grows back like all the other hair on your bod.

Zach. Dog Bite. Bottom lip torn into two.

There's nothing quite as nauseating and heart-wrenching as seeing your child bleeding and in pain. I feel for the parents out there whose kids have been seriously burned or maimed. This doesn't even come close to that, and yet I still got this horrible panicky feeling when I saw Zach on the clinic table having his bottom, canine-custom-butterflied lip sewn back into one piece. It was a total accident. Zach is a gentle boy who would never provoke a dog. It was just one of those freaky things that went from two kids playing croquet to a sleeping dog suddenly rousing up--maybe having a case of stranger danger? or protecting his young resident--and in a split second creating what the X called a "reverse hairlip" outta Zach's perfect pouty lower lip.

I don't even know the name of the doc/nurse who did it--but she was masterful and Zach just lay there quietly and still, with big tears streaming down his face.

Low tide days!

We geoducked again and hit pay dirt! The only downer was a crotchety old man who took it upon himself to YELL at us for not owning property on the beach upon which we were digging; fronting the very place I rented for some years. Some of the current renters are still friends of mine. Sigh. The WDFW law is dubious and confusing but I contend we were not -technically- at all on his private tidelands. He was about ready to whack me with his cane, if he could head out that far...but he left us alone in time and just WATCHED from his distant stoop. This was a family affair, and no damage was being done. We love the AINA. We even bury our holes and you know darn well the tides gonna wash it into oblivion all the same!

Note to self: When I'm old and crotchety and own waterfront property, I won't yell at nice families trying to celebrate low tide.

The birds have "landed!"

Chickens are here! They're so cool and bizarro. They love their awesome coop. Of course they do...it's the lifestyles of the glamorous hens. Here's a scene from getting them as Mickey at the post office checked em through, and Zach carried them to their new home.