The first- and second-graders at my school invited me to their Groundhog Day party on Wednesday, and their teacher told them, Now, we’ll have to go get her because you know she’ll forget.

My reputation, it haunts me wherever I go.

Hmmmmmm, what’s this?

That’s right… we went to the Harry Potter exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. (Allegedly they’re going all Star Wars for the next exhibit.) It was very cool except for Bellatrix’s black dress and Umbridge’s pink suit with the kitty-cat pin… well. Both outfits, even without Ms. Lestrange and Dolores inside of ’em terrified me, honestly, yet I couldn’t stop staring at them. And You-Know-Who’s outfit uh-uh, don’t come near me, You-Know-Who. Really good show. They extended the run and it’s there through mid-February, if you’re in that part of the world or can drive there. (We drove. Also, can you believe that even though I am a lifelong Portland girl, this was only the third time I’ve ever been to Seattle? Hahahahaha. No, seriously. They put a stamp on your birth certificate in the hospital, it says PORTLAND ONLY in red. True!) We went to the Seattle Aquarium and saw the river otters and the sea otters and it was Hawaiian day so I could’ve gotten lei’ed but, you know. No thanks. (Allegedly they’re having Octopus Week in February, so be on the look-out for that, if you visit.)

What else? Went to the Pike Place Market and the guys were NOT there throwing the fish around, their stand was closed. No reason was given. I did buy some cool little Buddha statues, and snow globes, and the kids had their fortunes told by an animatronic lady. Hmmm. Yes, in retrospect, it was a good trip, thanks for asking!

If I ever remember what else I was going to blah-blah-blog about I’ll add it later.

xo

wm

ps how cute is that that they’re having a Groundhog Day party and want me to attend? For reals, so cute.

if you happen to get an e-mail from me that looks like this? it is not me, Ave, my friend, it is Sir Spam-A-Lot:

Ave, my friend

Oll A.

However, if you see this poem? That’s right, it’s from me:

“My hat is old, my teeth are gold.
I have a bird I like to hold.
My shoe is off, my foot is cold.
My shoe is off, my foot is cold.
I have a bird I like to hold.
My hat is old, my teeth are gold.
And now my story is all told.”

— Dr. Seuss, “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish”

Good? Happy almost-weekend!

— wm

Excerpted interview with author Sherman Alexie, from 1/5/97 issue of the New York Times Magazine:

A: No. 1, recognize that we are sovereign entities, with absolute political, social and economic rights on our land. No. 2, that’s all I care about. Other than that, leave our culture alone.

Fundraising Congregants: “We need your money. And we need a lot of money. And we’ve almost reached our goal, but we still need some more money.”

Jr. Minister: “Now let’s do peace.”

Sr. Minister: “We know you’re all going through hard times, and don’t have jobs, but we need more money.”

Oh, my jaded, jaded, cynical family.

OK. We have this fancy new phone system now, wherein our voicemail messages on the home phone get e-mailed to Steve’s account and mine, too. Which would be useful and all, I suppose, if they made any cussin’ sense. But they don’t. To wit:

“Hi you guys, honey. Am so married already actually isn’t gonna end at five. It went well. I got one and gonna and like after five. We don’t exactly know when but I’ll call you when we know and I’ll leave a message on your way you guys this cell phone. Okay. Alright well, yeah Marilyn, it’s Bennett. It’s gonna and up like 6 inch of. Bye “

Well, good thing it had my daughter’s cell phone number attached to the message, cuz otherwise (to quote my dear grandfather), that wouldn’t have made no damn sense.

She was saying something along the lines of… the birthday party was fun, the mall was fun, the party is (was) still going on (which explains the “isn’t gonna end at five” part) and… it will end around six. At least that’s what I got out of the message from my husband, once he’d talked with her. Telephone is just like the game “telephone,” it turns out. Only more so, nowadays.

Oh, technology, you’ve made life so much more complex than it already was.

Now for a short round-up:

Reading this week:

From the “suffering caused by the lack of wisdom” section of the Hanh’s mindfulness book:

“In the case of a person, try to see every suffering which that person is undergoing. Begin with the suffering of bodily form (sickness, poverty, physical pain) and then proceed to the suffering caused by feelings (internal conflicts, fear, hatred, jealousy, a tortured conscience). Consider next the suffering caused by perceptions (pessism, dwelling on his problems with a dark and narrow viewpoint).” etc. and then, “Meditate on all these sufferings until your heart fills with compassion like a well of fresh water, and you are able to see that the person suffers because of circumstances and ignorance.” (p. 94.)

I am nowhere near that yet, especially when we’re talking about this, that is.

Cuss.

“The Balanced Mom” (by Bria Simpson) was good, but I just wanted a little more there there, if you know what I mean. Just started “The London Eye Mystery” (by the late Siobhan Dowd), it’s great.

Yeah, and he’s a rat bastard, too. Well, former Governor of Oregon, I could just spit. And all of you who knew about it and looked the other way? You think you’re not guilty? O my God, you are so wrong.

God rest her soul, she deserved a lot better. May she rest in peace.

— wm

updated 2/4/2011 to add:

* These a-holes think they’re funny but they’re not. She’s gone now, isn’t that just hilarious? Ha. Ha. Ha. I could just smack someone, y’know? I can think of about a dozen people, including whoever wrote and edited that, who I would like to slap upside the head.

* Margie Boule did a great job reporting and writing this.

* So did Steve Duin. Thank you both, Margie and Steve.

That’s all for now, but it’s not the last we’re going to hear about it. And that’s a good thing. How can I say this? These times we live in, they are far from perfect. But I am grateful that we are living in new times, modern times, more enlightened times. (I’m saying this with a lot of caution and hesitation, as I write the words.) Times when, maybe? please? people aren’t being allowed to just sweep things under the rug and pretend they didn’t happen.

True? Maybe. And that’s about as optimistic as I’m going to get on this.

— wm

“I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor (1847-1931)

(that’s how i feel about my library work, i am happy to say. xo wm)

“Every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” — Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (b. 1918)

“Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts.” — Leo Rosten, author (1908-1997)