woensdag 30 juni 2010

woensdag 30 juni 2010 Up at 3:34. Turn on France 24. Noriega, Russian spies, Merkel and her new president... but there's a lot of attention paid to the football hearing. Report - Disgraced French Coach Domenech Faces Lawmakers. He's really looking down. Turn on Hal Sparks. He criticizes John Boehner for certain ass-hat comments. He said that to ensure that there's enough money to pay for the wars, we will require reforming the country's entitlement system. We Can't Have the War AND Social Security - So We Need To Cut Social Security! You know, stopping the wars would be simply unthinkable! Social Security starting at 70? That's crazy! Hal (and I) have noticed a little class war going on in this country. The Republicans seem to want workers to be desperate and disposable, grateful for crumbs. Pasta salad for breakfast. No World Cup today. So, I can keep listening to Hal Sparks. Shower. Walk up Westlake to work. Passing by the Trailblazers & Explorers, I see a little party. Shaving cream icing on plastic Ikea bowls (cakes). How festive!


Breaks for Kathy and Lydia in the Sea Otter room. 10:30 to 12 - Planning time for Patty. Tanja covers for Charmaine. We stay outside for a long time. We migrate from the Small Playground to the Large Playground. They love the transition as well as hanging out with the Wildflowers. The younger kids seem curious about the older kids language skills. Patty sets up lunches for us. Thank you, Patty. I go inside to wash hands and get ready for lunch. 12 - Over to Starfish for Renee's lunch. Most of them are asleep already. Stella is a little stubborn about napping, but she goes to sleep. 1 - Christin's lunch. Basicly, the kids sleep. Sometimes they roll off their mats. 2 - Patty's lunch. The 6 Seahorses sleep. Some noise - that would be Stella - wakes up Evanan. He just wants to sit in my lap. Later, we get out his favorite books. At 2:57, the others wake up spontaneously. Walk home. Chicken chili for a snack. Bike up to Fremont Bridge. Some nice sights on my way up. Nice jump shot.


Bike to work. Post-transition meeting: "What worked?" "What didn't work?" "What would you change?" Ride home. Turn on MSNBC. So, Catagory 2 Hurricane Alex Slams NE Mexico.

Rachel Maddow reports - Hurricane Alex Sets Back Oil Effort. Play movie - The Love Guru.

dinsdag 29 juni 2010

dinsdag 29 juni 2010 Up at 2:12. Turn on France 24. Back to bed to listen. Report - Thousands Protest Austerity Measures In General Strike. This is the 5th general strike in Greece in these few weeks. Demonstrators are in the port town Piraeus to prevent tourists and locals from boarding ferries to Aegean islands. They interview a representative of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party. He says that Greece is “showing better performance on our spending reductions” and has performed “better than our target." The news lulls me back to sleep. Up a few minutes before the alarm. Cheddar cheese - green olive - onion omelet on rice for breakfast. Turn on Hal Sparks. Just listen for an hour. Sorry, Hal. I want to hear the Paraguay vs Japan match. Try to shower before the match starts.

I'm curious about Keisuke Honda. He looks coool and fit. I explore his home town - Settsu, Osaka - with Google Earth. The whole team from Japan looks colorful and talented. It's a draw to the last minute - 0 to 0, but I need to go to work. They're going to over-time, but I can't experience it. Walk up Westlake to work. The Summer Camp kids are going to Rogers Park up on Eastlake. The history of this park goes back to 1895 and was named after Governer John R. Rogers. 15-minute break for Elaine... Then I cover for Renee's planning time and lunch break from 10:15 to 1. I'm with the 6 Starfish. They have gak and pup tents. Austin shows me his fire truck.


We get a little fresh air, lunch and down for naps. 1 - Tanja is subbing for Charmaine. It's her lunch break. I discover a book in Dutch in their library. Baby's Eerste Woordjes.

The Seahorses are conked out. 2 - Patty's lunch. I hear the Summer Campers come back. Toilets flush, faucets running... The kids keep sleeping through the noises. Alex wakes up first. Later, Caitlin and Evanan. Man! Evanan is really obsessive about his Truck Book. "Read, please. Read, please." I read it to him with sound effects. Walk up to Whole Foods to pick up some stuff - Italian lemon soda, guacamole (on sale), chicken and chips. Drop of stuff. Do laundry! Listen to the podcast of The World. The Russian Spy Ring report seems bizarre. Turn on France 24. Bien sur! Wow! There's a 19-year-old German guy who is obsessed with the World Cup... and he films stop-action with Legos. It's so cool!

Finish burrito for dinner. Play movie - X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

maandag 28 juni 2010

maandag 28 juni 2010 Up at 2:25. Turn on France 24. Here's an interesting report about fashion. Report - Men's Summer Fashions For 2011 Get Playful. Back to bed to listen. Asleep. The alarm wakes me up. Turn on Hal Sparks. He's subbing for Steph this week.

Mayan Harvest Bake for breakfast. Shower. Play with Wikipedia. Research Angers, France because tennis player - Nicolas Mahut - is from that city. I feel sorry that he lost at Wimbledon. He worked hard. Turn on Netherlands vs Slovakia match. The Dutch are crafty in their offense. They sneak in the 2nd goal.

Nederland naar kwartfinales! Oranje!

Walking around d'town, I notice a The Stranger news box. It's the Queer Issue.

Streetcar to work. Get my Orca pass from transportation.

Oh, my. We're a little short-staffed. 10 - Breaks starting with Pam... Kenn, Anne and Patty. The groups are outside. It's cloudy but warm. 11 - Charmaine's lunch. Patty and I hang out with the 6 Seahorses on the playground. We're getting thirsty. She gets some water for the kids. I get some, too. I set up lunches while Patty does circle time. 12 - Renee's lunch. Five Starfish finish lunch. Everyone is asleep by 12:20. Austin puts himself to sleep... as most of the Starfish put themselves to sleep. So easy. 1 - Cristin's lunch. Right at 1:59, Stella and Piper wake up crying. Over to Seahorses. 2 - Patty's lunch. I hear Alex. He's complaining in his sleep. Evanan wakes up first. I read his truck book at least 6 times with him. Walk up Westlake. Get my Monday Mondo Burrito at the Taco Del Mar at 908 Stewart Street. Up to M Street Grocery to pick up some stuff. Drop off stuff at my place. Walk up to Cal Anderson Park. I see guys tossing a Frisbee around. Back to my place. Watch KOMO News. Look at that forecast. Are we going to have a summer?

Burrito for dinner. Watch Keith Olbermann. Conk out.

zondag 27 juni 2010

zondag 27 juni 2010 Up at 6:47. Fried egg on rice for breakfast. I'm up early to take on the Germany vs England match. The colors mix me up. I think the Germans are white shirts / black shorts. The English are all red. The referees seem to have missed an English goal.

Thousands Watch At The Fan Mile In Berlin

Downtown for Gay Pride 2010.

I wish that I could live at The Cobb on Fourth Avenue. Nice view of the parade.

zaterdag 26 juni 2010

zaterdag 26 juni 2010 Up at 12:50. Turn on BBC News. Report - Ghana Excitement Ahead Of US Match. Ghana seems very proud of their team. I think that they have the mojo. Fall back to sleep, thankfully. Awake again at 4:50. BBC News is still playing. Switch to France 24. Report - G8 Leaders Seek Common Ground Ahead Of G20 Gathering. Mark Owen - France 24 presenter, journalist, sports specialist, former semi pro footballer, and rugby enthousiast (as his currently injured knee reminds us everyday) gives his views and insight on the World Cup through the eyes of an Englishman (of Welsh and Irish descent) in France - is quite funny about his impressions of the World Cup.

Beef sukiyaki for breakfast. Watch the rest of Jason And The Argonauts.

Shower. Walk up to Whole Foods to get some salad bar. Walk down Westlake to Pike. Up Pike to my place. Over to Michael's place to watch the USA vs Ghana match on KOMO. Michael agrees with me... the Ghanaians look hot in those uniforms.

Gregg is still sleeping but he joins us for the over time game. Lots of over time. I see Bill Clinton and Mick Jagger in the stands. Thanks for the Bloody Marias, Michael. Back to my place. Turn on France 24 to get the France 24 perspective of the match.

Ghana Lift African Hopes With 2 To 1 Win Over The USA

The live blog is active. From Bismark Kofi Kuyole in Ghana: "The USA are in trouble. They can't stand the skill of the Black Stars." Watch Spooks - Traitor's Gate. "While I breathe, I hope." That's me... Thoughts, ponderings, opinions, rants and screeds.

DUM SPIRO SPERO

vrijdag 25 juni 2010

vrijdag 25 juni 2010 Up with alarm. Turn on Stephanie Miller. She can't make it to the show. She flew into L. A. at 4:00 AM. JFK closed its main runway. So, Steph experienced a 3 hour delay. Poor Steph. John Fugelsang subs for her. John has a fascinating interview with Derrick Crowe. He's critical of our country's tendency to wage violence in the world. As a Christian (Episcopalian), Derrick believes the teachings of Jesus bar the use of violence in conflict. This guy just nailed my problem with the woman who called in and argued with Allen Grayson about guns and butter. The intensity of the fear, desperation, anger and almost hatred in her voice that Grayson was going to take away aerospace/ military jobs was amazing. I wonder how anyone can sleep well at night knowing our predator drones are killing children and families in Afghanistan? Why is that okay? Just a complete disconnect. Anyway... Fried egg on rice and black beans for breakfast. Shower. Switch to the World Cup on ESPN Radio. It's Brazil vs Portugal. I like the stadium in Durban, South Africa.

Seven yellow cards in the first half. Ridiculous. The players become very cautious. The match becomes conservative and boring. But everyone is happy when Cristiano Ronaldo gets the ball.

It's a heavy drizzle this morning. Not expected. Walk through the underground walkways in d'town Seattle and over to the streetcar. I see the Trailblazers & Explorers at my station. They're going to Whole Foods for a field trip. They're going to have fun. They'll get a kick out of the statues in front of the store. I hear that Whole Foods treat kids like royalty.

10 to 10:40 - Set up nap mats for Trailblazers & Explorers. I see the same blankets and cuddlies that I've seen for the past 3 or 4 years. 11 - Out the the playground where the Sea Otters are playing. It's time for Pam's lunch. Anne heads in early with 3 of them. I stay outside with the other 4. Yachea has set up the lunch rather early, but it pays off. The Sea Otters are falling to pieces. Lunchtime is their relief, but most of them are too tired to eat. 12 - Anne's lunch. The Sea Otters sleep. I clean up the lunch mess. Pam looks exhausted. She just sits in the rocking chair thinking about life. (Life is work. Death is rest.) 1 - Kenn's lunch. He's subbing for Elaine. The 6 Dolphins sleep. I'm listening to the music... My Monkey Is Missing. It's funny. But Emma wakes up early and screams at me. Oy! Jessica swoops down next to her to calm her down. Emma never goes back to sleep. 2 - Darnell's lunch. The Summer Campers went to the Seattle Center. They're tired. Most of them sleep at nap time, but I get to talk to Zachary. I rub a few backs. Justin, Lucinda and Graham fall asleep for me. I sign out for another pay period. Streetcar to d'town. It's weird. There's a camera crew and a bunch of extra riding and filming on the streetcar. Am I going to be in a streetcar commercial? #71 bus tunnel to Uwaimaya to get some stuff. #41 bus tunnel back to my place. Drop off stuff. Take a walk - zig and zag between the avenues between Pike and Pine. I see that the Fox Sports Grill is showing the USA vs Ghana match tomorrow... 11:30.

Hey Fox Sports Grill! You are exploiting the situation with those expressive beer prices. Me? I'm going to a friend's place to imbibe some Bloody Marias... for free! I have plans to watch the match at Michael's place. There are a lot of tourists in town. Back at my place. Turn on podcast of The World. I barely listen. Too tired. Watch a little France 24. Finish burrito for dinner. Play movie - Jason and the Argonauts with Jason London as Jason.







I can't finish the movie. Night, night.

donderdag 24 juni 2010

donderdag 24 juni 2010 Up at 3:37. Turn on France 24. Report - Russia's On-line Protests. In Russia, the internet has increasingly become the only way for citizens to publicly disagree with the government... with blue buckets. Back to sleep. Alarm goes off. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Face The Grayson is good. He talks about Endless War. I agree with him. It’s why we can’t have nice things! Next year's budget allocates $159,000,000,000 to perpetuate the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. Alan Grayson's Peace Party - A Congressman With Guts. He introduced The War Is Making You Poor Act.

Fried egg on toast for breakfast. Shower. Listen to the World Cup match - Italy vs Slovakia. Everybody is cheering for Slovakia... and they defeat Italy 3 to 2. Arrivederci, Italia.

Walk up Westlake to work. Planning time for Elaine - 10 to 12. I meet the 6 Dolphins on the playground. Kathy covers for Jessica. We're on the playground illegally, but all is well. The Starfish, Seahorses and Dolphins get along well. It's how you deal with overpopulation. We head into the classroom. I notice that the group is high-energy. They want to run around the tables in circles. We take them out to the deck with toy truck and balls... even though some are barefoot. It goes well. Kathy sets up lunches. I bring the kids inside. They're anxious to eat. I eat my Tandoori chicken with them. 12 - Over to Starfish to give Renee a lunch. The kids are going to sleep. Piper sits with me while I rub Austin's back. Piper fights her nap. She seems to be acting manic. Whoa! When Renee comes back, she can't her her either. Christin goes home sick, so we're scrambling to cover for her. Andy comes in at 2:30. "I am Chicken," he says. (Chicken aka Christin.) A little joke in my thought bubble. Chicken... tee hee. And Andy is blonde. I finish Patty's lunch break. Streetcar to d'town. A burrito from Taco Del Mar. Walk a little around d'town. Rainier Square, Union Square, Convention Center, Freeway Park. Back to my place. Play a podcast of The World. Report - World Cup Fever In Haiti. In another report, world leaders are heading to Canada this week for BOTH the G-8 and the G-20 summits. In fact, Suddenly, The Canadian Economy Is The Envy Of The World. Maybe Canada can teach the world a thing or two about dodging financial meltdowns. Switch to France 24. Hundreds of thousands of French workers are taking part in a 24-hour nationwide strike on Thursday to vent their anger at government plans to tackle a budget deficit by raising the retirement age from 60 to 62. Power to the people.

Another swtich... to NOS. I wan to see the report about the Cameroon vs Netherlands match. Report - Nederland wint ook van Kameroen. Dutch striker Robin van Persie is voted the Man of the Match after the Netherlands beat Cameroon 2-1.

I like their weather report - Perfecte Zomer Weer. Watch a little Hardball. Switch to Star Trek - Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.