The Good Stuff

Bad Hair

Okay, so this pic says so little but this is about fair play.

Love those glasses.

A Thousand Words

This picture says so much. Let's just start which Who is that guy with the goofy grin? This is circa 1970? I imagine the subject may know the answer.

But what else? He's making pizza. A family ritual. Every Saturday night, followed by Sonny and Cher and The Carol Burnett Show. The way I remember it, though, the crust was my job and the camera was his so I have no idea what happened here. Oh, and did you notice? The pizza was rectangular? Made it on a cookie sheet. Continued that tradition with my kids, too.

Also, the counter top is not red. It used to be red. So, this photo must have been after a very expensive kitchen remodel. I also want to point out the radiator but I can't, really. It's hiding behind the ventilation between the counter top and the stove. See it there? Right behind the toaster?

The Toaster?! That's the toaster. I'm telling you. It's a legend.

See, now? You thought this was about about the guy with the goofy grin. (Love that guy.)

Danny Westneat | Report we've had '78 minutes of summer' hit a nerve | Seattle Times Newspaper

Danny Westneat | Report we've had '78 minutes of summer' hit a nerve | Seattle Times Newspaper

Lady Bug

From Drop Box

Don't Worry, It's Natural

From Drop Box

Last week I saw a sign that read, "Pretty Clean," which was the name of a housecleaning service and I thought that was a pretty good name for a pretty good service.

Before that, I saw one that read, "Fish With Confidence." I really like the idea of confident fish.

Summer

Kudos

A friend of mine wrote this, available on Kindle from Amazon on July 15. Laura and I went to high school together. We were in the same graduating class, cheering on the football and basketball teams with our skillful dance moves at halftimes, taking the Pom Pon squad to Number One at State competition.

Okay, I'm exaggerating, but only slightly.

It's been about 25 years since I last saw Laura in her California home, pregnant with her second daughter. After that we pretty much lost touch with one another, until we reconnected roughly two years ago on Facebook. (See? There's a perfect example of how social networking works.)

That's where she posted about NaNoWriMo which gave me the inspiration to write a novel myself. Laura is my muse, my biggest fan, and the one who gave me my first big break as an author. Okay, still exaggerating, but only slightly.

With her encouragement, I wrote 50,000 words in thirty days and I'm almost halfway through a second draft of what came out of it. She also directed me to On Writing by Stephen King which led to many other books on writing and publishing. Enough to encourage me, at the same time overwhelming me to the point of giving up on the possibility of ever being published.

It's nice to know it can be done and it can be done people who love life, love their families, and love to write.

Congratulations to my friend, Laura! Thank you for your inspiration. I can't wait to read it!

Lilies

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

Turtle alert! Flights delayed at JFK as terrapins cross runway

One tweet explained why the reptiles avoided airport security: 'We go straight to the runway because it takes 5 hours to get out of our shells for the TSA ...and the shell pat down option is too awkward.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2009791/JFK-Turtles-Flights-delays-New-York-airport-mating-turtles.html#ixzz1QoCMSpst

Politics | Colbert gets conditional OK on campaign finance | Seattle Times Newspaper

Politics Colbert gets conditional OK on campaign finance Seattle Times Newspaper

"I don't accept the status quo," he told the crowd, brandishing a portable credit card processing machine. "I do accept Visa, Mastercard or American Express."

Overlook Glen

That’s the name of a housing development that placed an advertisement on the front page of the Seattle P-I’s website. I’m thinking Overlook anything was a bad idea from a marketing prospective. Why would you want Overlook in the name of something you want people to look at? And while iPad wasn’t a sexy name, it was, nevertheless, enthusiastically adopted by popular culture. By the way, if you want to take a look at Overlook, you can win an iPad.

It’s better than Probe, I guess.

But, never – never - should you overlook Glenn.

Drowning Here

Went to the dentist yesterday where they cleaned my teeth with some super-charged water pick that sprayed highly focused water at my gum line. All I could think was I hope she doesn’t slip with that thing and That air hose is useless, stuck to my lower lip. I’ve usually swallowed whatever detritus they were hoping to suck up before they ever get around to it anyway, so what’s the point?

I Just Went to the Library In My Pajamas

I can now check out digital books online from the King County Library System, straight to my phone. From my living room, while drinking coffee, in my pajamas. Sweet. I downloaded The Confession by John Grisham this morning and the process was surprisingly simple and quick and, besides the property taxes imposed on me for the privilege (which I unhesitatingly voted for), it was free. I'm very excited about reading it.

I just finished In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan which was very interesting. I listened to the audio version which was about 6.5 hours long, the perfect length for a weekend road trip. If you liked Super Size Me or Nickel and Dimed, then you might like In Defense of Food. I guarantee it will change the way you look at food (and food-like substances).

(Michael Pollan also wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma which I haven't listened to but is on my list.)

Very Cheesy. Very Funny.

Major Remodel

How to ride naked

Naked cyclists have to adhere to rules too — some pretty darn good ones.

Story and pics at Seattle's Big Blog

Duck!

What did the parrot say to the rubber duck?

Polly wants a quacker.

Deep

A problem cannot be solved by the mind that created it.

-Albert Eistein

17,782 Ducks get in line at Magnuson Park

Rubber ducks make up world's longest row of rubber ducks in Seattle, WA, Sunday, June 5, 2011. Yellow rubber ducks stretched one mile long at Warren G. Magnuson Park.

(Seattle Times, pics)