Went to a show at Showbox SODO last night with several bands playing.  A buddy had a couple tickets because his friend was lead guitar for a band called "Flanagan's Precept."  I couldn't figure the band's name out.  Somebody explained to me that it's an addendum to "Murphy's Law."  Murphy's Law basically states that if anything can go wrong, it will.  Flanagan's Precept states that Murphy was an optimist. 

 

The name seemed kind of appropriate as the lead guitarist broke a string just at the point their set was really clicking along.  It took the other guys a good 5-10 minutes to figure out they should just start jamming while he was repairing his guitar instead of just standing around.  All in all, they were very good though, especially considering it was the band's first-ever show together.  The guitarist kicked some butt and the lead singer warmed up after a couple songs and he could really scream.  Drummer sped things up a little too much on a couple of songs but overall they were pretty tight.  Did a couple of covers by Filter and Incubus, (according to my friend) I wouldn't know, I'm not the music buff but most songs were original.   I'd say worth checking out if you get the chance.  There was some weird cat telling us that he was some sort of producer/talent scout checking them out for a possible contract but then he'd say "oh, I can't really talk about it."  Then he'd keep talking about even though we never asked about it. 

The Seattle Times has run another article on the still to be determined fate of the now famous Discovery Park coyote.  I've yet to see the thing on my frequent walks through the park.  Apparently he's nabbed a pet cat and chased a small dog but dogs are supposed to be on a leash so I don't have a lot of sympathy for that one.  I often see owners with dogs off leash running around the tide flats chasing birds.  I love dogs but they're not allowed on city beaches period.  I suspect the coyote is in Discovery for one reason.  An abundant supply of food, mainly pet rabbits that people dump in the park when they get tired of them.  They seem to think dumping a tame animal in the wild is a humane thing to do.  Guess what happens?  If they survive, they chew up the vegetation causing erosion and destroy the park while breeding like.....well breeding like rabbits.  They don't have much in the way of natural predators there so of course any coyote with half a brain is going to make his way to the park.   I've never seen the coyote but I see rabbits everywhere. 

 

The Navy has set out traps and talked of assigning a sharpshooter to take out the coyote because he's making people nervous.   While they're at it maybe they should shoot all the rabbits and the dogs running loose on the beach....they're more of a nuisence than the coyote.  Of course that will never happen....

 

Here's a link to the Times' article:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004149685_webcoyote28m.html

Funny thing just happened when I went to lunch....well I thought it was amusing.  Went to Subway like I do most of the week and an attractive, corporate type woman walked in right behind me.  The young kid behind the counter says to her "dude, you're my attorney at my probation violation hearing on the 22nd."  She doesn't look amused.  He finishes my sandwich and she steps up to the counter and hands him what I assume is a summons and says to him that he's lucky another attorney at her office knows where he works.  The kid looks at the paper and says, "oh wait, today's the 22nd, oh I completely forgot about my hearing."  Whoops!  Sad thing is, he's one of the better employees at the store....

Wow, unbelievable but true I missed most of the NFL playoff games yesterday because I was watching "27 Dresses" with some friends.   Even the ticket taker had fun teasing me when I stepped up and told her the name of the movie I wanted to watch.  I was outnumbered by women at least seven or eight to one.  You know what?  It was okay, alright I enjoyed the damn movie.  I liked the accurate portrayal of the hysteria that is women planning for weddings.  I thought the movie was hilarious but the women in the crowd were not laughing that much, especially at the moments I found most amusing.  I think they were biting their lips and cringing.   After sacrificing NFL football, you thought I would have been golden, but no.....I was criticized for making to big of a scene about attending the movie and my behavior with the ticket taker apparently embarrassed one of the friends I attended the movie with.  Heck everyone else knew I was just joking around....some people just don't have a sense of humor.

 

Actually I also got to see the final two minutes of the Giants/Packers game and the dramatic overtime game-winning field goal that I'm sure the networks loved now that New York and New England will meet in Superbowl 42.  (I noticed a lot of people have dropped the roman numerals from the superbowl title this year.)  Boston has enough sports success to cheer about lately but I am not ready to root for New York either.  I can't win....

 

Gorgeous sunny day in Seattle but it's not a work holiday for me.  You know the cold doesn't seem so cold when it's sunny and dry out.  Took some photos downtown yesterday and some skyline shots to prove it was sunny today but I forgot my camera cables so I'll post some more shots from the holidays at Kingston on the space today. 

Okay, since I don't plan on running for president in the future I will post these shots very briefly....Unfortunately there is no ice or snow so it doesn't look cold but trust me it was.  Check out the tense neck muscles in the photo.  It was dang cold.  I have no shame I'll put the photos up.  Sadly the guest photographer did not capture the moment where I was actually underwater.  You'll have to take my word for it.  Looks more like an albino whale wading in the water.  Did I mention it was cold?  And I was sober?

Took my camera along to my first Chinese class last night and tried some night shots at a park by Seattle Community College.  First off I'm going to have to get a tripod and second, I'm going to have to read my camera's manual.  Let me correct myself, I'm going to have to FIND the manual, then read it.    I definitely don't have it down yet.  Maybe slightly blurry images can be my signature style.....The sky had some beautiful deep purple hues going on but my shots didn't really reflect that.  Still, I just "run and gun" with my camera, I don't plan ahead or have certain shots in mind.  What I see is what I get and it was dark out.  It was cold but fairly clear out and later I grabbed a burger and vanilla shake at Dick's on lower Queen Anne and then walked around the Seattle Center shooting the Space Needle and Pacific Science Center arches.  So I guess they weren't horrible consider hand held shots with a slow shutter speed.   Hardly anyone out and about last night.  Really quiet and deserted on the Center Grounds, I enjoyed the quiet.  Couldn't resist shooting the Pink Elephant Car Wash sign.  It's a classic!

 

This morning I was working in the garage when a big old raccoon lumbered across my lawn and climbed up on top of my compost bin and laid down hanging his head over one side and his back legs over the other.  He must have had a long night and was exhausted.  It was a funny sight so I ran inside to grab my camera.  When I came back out he got spooked and scrambled off before I could get a decent shot.  He was favoring one hind leg, not walking on it at all.  Must have been a recent injury because he was one fat raccoon.  I guess you don't need four good legs to intimidate cats away from their food dishes or to tip over trash cans.  He was eating enough anyway.  They're always hanging out in my back yard at night but I never see them around during the day. 

 

Went to the chiropractor to get my back "cracked" today.  I thought my neck snapped into two it was cracking so loud.  I was so knotted up and everything has been aching bad.  After some cracking and massage I'm really sore now but feel looser and probably will start feeling better tomorrow.   It's kind of scary when the doc starts yanking and pushing and popping bones back into place.  It's been a year since I've last seen him so it seems he's doing a good job with my spine.

Seems I'm suffering it lately.  Can't come up with anything that seems interesting enough to write about.  Maybe I'm just lazy.   Nothing too exciting happening right now, just trying to survive miserable winter weather.  We did have a nice sunny and warmer day yesterday but now it's grey, gloomy and really cold out again.  Likely going to snow again soon.  Cannot wait for spring.  Lousiest winter I can remember in quite some time.

 

I start my Chinese classes tonight.  Conversational Chinese for beginners....hopefully I learn something.  Curious what the class will be like and will it be young people or seniors in the class?  I'm a little nervous, haven't attended a class in anything for quite awhile and I'm not too fast at picking up languages.  Hate it when the teacher makes you speak in front of everyone.  At my age I should be over that.  Actually I'm most nervous about finding parking and the right building where the classes are being held.  6pm start guarentees bad traffic in downtown Seattle on my 30 mile commute there.  Right now I know four words in Mandarin and I'm probably mispronouncing at least one of those four...

Added some new photos from over the weekend.  Nothing too spectacular but that's not the point.  Point is to take photos each day no matter how mundane.  If I can improve my photography skills and see things I might ordinarily miss, well that's a good thing.  The Seahawks got killed in the NFL playoffs.  42-20 in a snowstorm at Green Bay.  This is after they led 14-0 in the first five minutes of the game.  A friend had a guys and kids only Seahawks party and I took the camera expecting to get some celebration photos.  Too depressing so all I ended up with is a couple shots of the kids with their guinea pig.  The pig did have a diaper on, that was kind of cute.

 

Sunday was gorgeous weather in Seattle but I worked a freelance gig as graphics coordinator on a Fox Sports Net broadcast of the University of Washington's women's basketball game versus USC at Hec Ed.  So I was stuck inside for the nicest day of the year.  That was kind of a bummer but the extra cash is always nice and it was a good crew and fun gig.  Also took my camera and got some shots of arena, TV truck and some other things around Bank of America Arena.  Noticed a ton of signs saying not to do things and I'm adding those to the similar photos from the park.  I'll put them all up soon and just keep adding.  I'm obsessed with shooting signs warning you not to do things....

Todays photos of the day were taken during a morning walk through Discovery Park in Seattle, which is just three blocks from my house in Magnolia.  Very ugly clouds but I didn't get rained on.  Very windy and cold though.  Highlights included seeing three bald eagles and hearing their cries.  I have seen eagles before but never heard that kind of chatter.  Really interesting but they were too high to get any good photos.  I also ran into my friend Dick and his dog Buddy.  I run into them often in the park and walking around Magnolia.  Buddy was very patient and friendly today.  Normally he hates stopping in the middle of his walk.  Dick warned me that Buddy hates goodbyes however.  Sure enough when I bent down and told him goodbye, he started barking like crazy and growling and showing his teeth.  He has major seperation anxiety I guess. 

 

I rounded out the photos with a shot of the pathetic staff turnout for "Blue Friday" where everyone was supposed to wear blue and Seahawks gear.  Last shots are of the young girls and their mothers who are lined up outside of Comcast Arena to buy Jonas Brothers tickets that go on sale tomorrow morning.  I have no idea who the brothers are but I guess they're really popular with 12-year old girls and their mothers.  Luckily it was very warm and totally dry out today but the line was on the NE side of the building so it was in the shade all day.  Of course that means it will be brutally cold out tonight and tickets don't go on sale until 10 am tomorrow.  The catch is it isn't first come, first served.  Everyone in line will receive a numbered wristband and then numbers will be drawn lottery style to see who gets first crack at buying tickets.  You could be first in line and get tickets way back.  This is supposed to prevent people from camping out overnight....hopefully tonight's sold out hockey crowd won't harass them on their way into the Tips game vs. the Seattle Thunderbirds. 

My six month old nephew Brooks got glasses today.  I'll post a couple photos on here along with other famous men who wear glasses.  I didn't know babies that young could wear glasses.  How do they test him?  Better one, or two?  Anyhow it will make it easier for uncle to tell Brooks (named after Brooks Robinson, hall of fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles) apart from his twin brother Miles.  (Named after Jazz great Miles Davis)  How do you keep glasses on a baby?  He'll try and eat them.

Hey something new for the two or three people who are checking in on my blog daily.  Photos of the day.  I will try and take some random photos of everyday stuff and put it up for a couple days.  If I get anything cool, I can leave it up somewhere else.  Today's version is basically me walking to Subway to get a sandwich and then back to work.   Very exciting I know....

Often I can handle big problems but it's the little ones that eat at me.  Banks and insurance companies are really good at getting on my nerves and this week I've been hit with a one-two punch.  First, I lost my KeyBank checkbook.  I guess I lost it a week ago but I was sure it would turn up someplace.  The last time I remember having it was on Tuesday when I responsibly made my Roth IRA deposit.....for 2008, on the first day possible.  Somehow I either left it at Fidelity downtown or dropped it at the Niketown parking lot next door. 

 

Meanwhile, I receive a letter from IATSE (stage workers union, in this case freelancer TV workers) national office saying that I didn't provide them with proof of my other insurance so they are automatically debiting over $800 from my flexible medical spending account.  Well I had provided them with proof but they changed their policy so now you have to show them proof of insurance during every single open enrollment period or they will dock you some green.  They claim they are doing this for my own good, to protect me.  However I know that is BS....it's some pinhead lawyers and accountants figuring out how they can drain off the funds of people who aren't drawing down their accounts fast enough and as an added bonus, won't be using the insurance that they are now paying for.  Kind of like buying a worthess extended warrenty that you never use. 

 

You see I have other insurance so I can use that fund for uncovered expenses like co-payment and premiums for my other insurance.  I also keep the balance up so I have an emergecy fund in case I lose my regular job.  It's my fault because I didn't read all their mailings or the trade magazine (I never read that) but in my defense I had insurance and had provided them with proof and filled out the paperwork.  I just don't read every policy document with the small print.  Plus I wouldn't have thought it could be legal to debit my account without my consent.  I have been told I can show proof of insurance now and possibly get reimbursed for February and March but not January.  That's still almost $300....If I want to appeal that, I have to write the board of directors or governors or something like that.  I won't hold my breath.  Geeze I'm so glad they're looking out for my best interests.  Imagine if they were only trying to seperate me from my money.

 

Okay back to KeyBank.  I call up and tell them I need to have 13 checks cancelled from the book that is missing.  Fine, they say we'll do that but we suggest you immediately close the account and open a new one because your account numbers could be comprimised.  Of course I know this will mean a charge to close the account and another to open a new account which likely will have more favorable bank terms since my account with them had been opened over 20 years ago.  Additionally, I will have to order new checks.  I just got nailed for $100 for the last batch that they had quoted me as being $33.   Well, they had said $33 a box and I ended up with three boxes in the larger box they handed me which I had thought was the $33 box in the first place.  (The same checks would have cost about $24 had I bought them from someone other than the bank.)  They also sent me the most expensive checks when I had specifically requested the least expensive.  To reorder would have been another charge.    I'm steamed enough already but then I log onto their website and notice that I have already been charged another $32 to cancel the 13 checks.  That's almost $2.50 per check!  They never mentioned this fee on the phone but I'm sure it was clearly there in small print in one of their millions of mailings they send out (like the insurance company) to make sure you're so bored and numb by that crap that you won't read the really important stuff when it shows up.  Serenity now!  Serenity now!  I think when I close this account I just might walk across the street and open an account in a different bank....

 

And to think I was worried about some identity thief draining my account.....I think that route would have been cheaper and less aggravating!  Luckily though I received a refund check from the IRS to offset my losses.....a whopping $6.61!  Not a personal record.  I'm pretty sure they once sent me a check for under a dollar.  Those are pretty looking checks though....wonder how much they'd charge me for a three box supply?

Big news conference in one hour to announce that a group of local investors has purchased the Seattle Storm from Clay Bennett's Sonics ownership group.  No names mentioned yet but the move will at least keep the WNBA team in town.  Not too surprising.  OK City wouldn't be a good fit for the WNBA and Bennett never wanted the team.  This relieves him of just dumping the team altogether.  I wish the new owners luck and am curious to see if any of them are that well known.  Rumored that at least one person in the group is female.  A former co-worker from Sonics/Storm days, Susie Jarosch was quoted in a Seattle Times article about the sale.  Turns out Jarosch is a sports agent and represents Storm star Lauren Jackson, arguably the best female player in the world.   

 

Bennett's evil plans are progressing nicely.  He's rid himself of the Storm and the team is losing lots of games, causing fewer fans to come to games and giving the team a great shot at another top lotto pick.  This will make it easier for him to slip out of town due to fan indifference and another star draft pick to market to folks in OKC.

 

In other evil sports owner news, former Sonics owner Howard Shultz has announced that he is once again CEO of Starbucks.  Stock has gotten hammered and they're actually talking about closing stores instead of opening them...

 

The new Storm ownership is a group of four women, including the mandetory Microsoft executives.  I've heard several of the names but nobody too famous.  Their option price is for $10 million; the whole Sonics purchase was for $350 million.  Good luck ladies, nicely done!

What an exciting sports weekend in Seattle!  Seahawks game was unbelievable.  I'm sitting there near the end of the 3rd quarter thinking how there's been no turnovers (didn't say out loud) and wham, Seahawks turn it over.  Thinking about how the Hawks have controlled game and are only up 13-0 and in a matter of minutes it's 14-13 they're behind and Washington is lining up for an easy field goal......that they miss.  Then the Hawks go lights out and Todd Collins is exposed for what he is, a backup QB at best.  Marcus Trufant brought the house down with the interception runback for a touchdown and it only got crazier.  The entire stadium was on its feet for the whole game, all 68,000 of us.  It was almost as loud and intense as the NFC title game against Carolina.  Almost....

 

A co-worker is going to Green Bay this weekend.  Apparently his friend is Matt Hasselbeck's nanny and he hooked her up with six tickets.  Nice!  He says it's supposed to be 20 degrees with the wind chill factor.   In other sports celebrity sightings, hipster tipster RK ran into defensive standout Patrick Kearney men's room at El Gaucho's Saturday night after the game and struck up a conversation with him at the urinal.  I asked RK how he could dine at El Gaucho's when earlier he had told me he was broke and he explained that he was paying with his fantasy football winnings.  Sore subject with me.  I did win one of three leagues that I played in this season but in my only paid league, I got last place beating only the commish, El Nable.  However the league I did win was the friends bragging league and "Smells Like Fish" knocked off Robbie Bennett for the second year in a row despite him loading up his team with Patriots.

 

Later that evening I went to the UW/WSU hoops game at Hec Ed and the Dawgs put up a great fight before choking in the final minutes to let the Cougs escape with a four point win.  They trotted Marv Harshman out for a halftime ceremony in which I think they said they were naming the court after him.  So I guess it's Marv Harshman court at Hec Edmundson Pavillion at Bank of America Arena?  Marv looked about a foot shorter than when he last coached the team.  I was a freshman at the U the year they ran him out and brought in Andy Russo.  Whatever happened to that guy?  I'll have to google him.  I can say this about the arena, whatever it's called.  Smallest aisles in the nation.  My knees were in the back of the guy in front of me.  Pretty pathetic but on par with many of the facilities at the U.  I won't contribute to their damn athletic funds, if you're not in the Tyee Club you won't see any benefits from your donations.  I couldn't move once I got to my seat, I was stuck.  Lousy job of coaching by Lorenzo Romar in the final seconds too.   You have two or three decent shooters so you get the ball to one of your worst shooters and dribblers, Jon Brockman and have him try and dribble and back down low for a spinning jumper in the face of a defender who had already stuffed him bigtime at least three times in the game?  So you go for a tie against the #4 team in the nation instead of the win?  I think Tim Morris scored all 16 of his points in the first half and I don't even know if he shot the ball once in the second half.  The Huskies have no one who can create a shot off the dribble.  Oh they wasted a great opportunity....

I drove 100 miles south yesterday to my hometown to attend the funeral for my high school English teacher.  Church was packed and I saw lots of friends and many former teachers.  It really was more of a happy time, catching up with a lot of people you hadn't seen in a long time and everyone remembering funny or happy stories about Georgina.  Lots of snow there still.  I had to park downtown and have my father pick me up in his 4-wheel drive to get up their hill.  More snow than I've seen there in a long time.  One funny thing about the services.  My parents and neighbors volunteered to copy off and fold all the programs for the service.  It took them several hours and when they were finished, Georgina's daughter noticed a typo in the program.  She knew her mother would never have accepted that and it would be an embarrassment to have such an error in the program for the funeral of an English teacher.  So they re-did the whole thing.

 

It was too dark, cold and wet (plus too much snow) to ride my four-wheeler but I did visit my grandmother at the long term care home.  Grandma is 99-years-young and just recently discovered that she has access to an exercise bicycle at the home.  She can't see so very well so it's easy to understand how she missed it.  Anyway she rides two miles in 12 minutes every day.  She's stepping up the exercise because she's concerned that she's been gaining too much weight.  I told her she better keep on top of that because obesity could cause her serious medical problems later in life.  (she's 99 already!)  Anyway she told me she stepped up the intensity and hit personal records for time and distance, doing 3 miles in 15 minutes the other day.  Good for her!  She still looks forward to each new day and year, even at that advanced age she's still thinking of the future.  Really an inspiration...

 

I got her a blouse for Christmas but it didn't fit right so I told her I'd take it back and exchange it.  I joked that maybe I'd get her a Lofa Tatupu jersey because I had one and so did great grandson Benny.  To my surprise she said she'd like that, she could have a lot of fun wearing it on game days.  She loves to watch football and baseball although she can't stand listening to Dave Neihaus and was glad to see Ron Fairly go.  So she had a good laugh about the name Tatupu and her futile attempts to pronounce it.  She laughed even harder when I told her Lofa was the son of Mosi Tatupu.  Anyway, she wants the Lofa jersey now. 

 

BTW - I have tickets to Saturday's playoff game versus Washington.  In this day and age how can you have a professional sports team in the national capitol called the Redskins?  I don't think i'm being overly sensative saying that name and the Cleveland Indians buck-toothed logo are both racially offensive.

 

After the Hawks game I'm also hoping to take in UW/WSU hoops game at Hec Ed.   Cougs are ranked #4 in the nation, unbelievable.  Hope the Dawgs can knock them off.

So my friend Dave tells me he also did a polar bear swim on New Year's Day.   Yes, he jumped right into the Pacific.  One catch though.....he was in Hawaii, the water was 80 degrees!  I don't think that should count.  Dave also has a funny blog entry about the cable going out in the islands during the University of Hawaii football game the other day.  You can check it out on his blog.  http://mywestsidestory.com/?p=1142

 

Dave writes a lot about running and food, specifically in NYC.  If you're looking for a good burger or trying to find a scenic running route in-city check him out.  He's an interesting dude and much more famous than I am.  He was my boss with the Sonics and also ran the matrix boards at Safeco Field when the Mariners opened that stadium.  We both had crappy jobs at KIRO TV in Seattle in the early 90s but he's managed to rise above that.

 

 

In my mailbox (snail mail) I just received a promotional card from Shoreline Community College advertising their one-day only PIANO SALE!  It's this Sunday from noon to five.  Not that I'll be attending, mind you.  Not sure why they sent me an invite.  What kind of marketing info could someone possibly have on me indicating that I would be a good sales lead to purchase a piano?  I did take piano lessons for a year or two in grade school from Karla Winslow but I really stunk.  I could only play "When the Saints Come Marching In," and "Scarborough Fair" but even that was up for debate.  Now I can just do the little musical thing the scientists played for the aliens in "Close Encounters of The Third Kind."  I can't even play chopsticks....

 

Anyhoooo......as the invitation from Music Department Co-Chair Jeff Junkinsmith Ph. D. informs me, "these pianos have been meticulously maintained and will be sold at far below market value.  (that is my price range, hmmm....) Alumni, faculty, staff and invited guests may preview or purchase any piano at reduced prices - By appointment only."  It must be a great deal if it's by invitation only.  Not just anyone gets invited to a community college used piano sale, you have to know somebody.

 

Credit cards are accepted and financing and delivery are available.  Do they take debit?  Alas, I would have to knock my little house down and build it around the piano.  Let's say you built a piano from scratch in my living room/dining room/entry way, you would have to climb over it to get from one room to the other.  Maybe if it folded out into a futon, might work.

 

Man, it would really impress guests though....maybe after I get the Velvet Elvis paid off.