zaterdag 31 oktober 2015

zaterdag 31 oktober 2015 Up at 6:03. Watch France 24. A spooky trend taking Halloween by storm! Eek! Trumpkins Take Over Halloween.

Put on my new Chucks. Out during a break in the rain. Windy!

Bus #540 to Fred Meyer. Craving my honey roasted peanuts. Walk to downtown. Listen to Wait, Wait! in the WTA Bus Station while waiting for my next bus. The #540 is the scenic route for sure. So is the #525. Ride down Electric Avenue to Bloedel Donovan Park. People trying to celebrate Halloween, but the vampires are getting soaked by the rain. The WTA seems to be the place for the costume party. Back to watch The Outer Limits - The Children Of Spider County.

At last, Alien. To this day, this film continues to be one of the scariest horror films of all time as well as being a fantastic science-fiction epic.

vrijdag 30 oktober 2015

vrijdag 30 oktober 2015 Where You Should Go to Survive the Impending Zombie Apocalypse. Will I survive Trick-Or-Treat with the kids?

Zombie Beach! Let's go! Well... I need to go to work. The kids pile into school early. Excitement is in the air. Costumes. Dress-up. "What are you today?" "I'm a princess." Doggy, dinosaur, Donatello ... We meander the streets for goodies. Wow! The merchants are ready with buckets of candy. Railroad Avenue is cool. Bump into Jedi Knights.

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership has its annual trick-or-treating from 3 to 5 pm Friday. I'm exhausted. Watch MST3K - Bloodlust.

donderdag 29 oktober 2015

donderdag 29 oktober 2015 Watch KOMO News. It seems pretty easy to walk in the rain around here, but in drought stricken L. A., it's a different story. It's raining but you won't get wet.

The leisurely bus to work. The #540 up Woburn. We're short-staffed. We combine the kids for lunch and nap. I hear a gentle tune among the chaos... Thank you, Jason Mraz - Lucky. The dishes seem to pile up. But all in all, we manage. The #331 in a little late. Traffic on Alabama Street. Shop at Haggen. What's on? I get all the news on the weather report. Fix dinner and lunch for tomorrow. It's going to be Halloween. Oy. Watch Young Frankenstein. DO NOT open this door!

woensdag 28 oktober 2015

woensdag 28 oktober 2015 Happy Debate Day! (Sorry that I'm going to miss it.) The debate is officially titled The Republican Presidential Debate: Your Money, Your Vote. Catch up with The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. There's Hillary!

Bus to d'town. Hang out at the Bagelry for a cup of strong coffee. I need the caffeine to keep up the teachers (as well as the kids). Behold! An art project contrived for the adults (not the kids).

The kids have fun squishing and poking the bags taped to the window. I spend nap time with the pre-schoolers while I give Anna a lunch break.I take my lunch over to the library. I find an old favorite in the stacks - The Turning Point.

What a magical afternoon. The kids leave early. Four of us are closing the school while we have only one little child at 5:30. He seemed to like having the place to himself. Shop at Community Food Co-op.  Some young man sits next to me on the bus ride up.  (I usually have a seat to myself.) Relax to the news on France 24.

dinsdag 27 oktober 2015

dinsdag 27 oktober 2015 Up at 2:49. Turn on BBC World Service. It's Sporting Witness. Jackie Robinson - Baseball Pioneer.

Just lie in bed listening to the news. Artificial island. Artificial controversy. China says US warship's Spratly islands passage 'illegal'. Turn on Stephanie Miller. The gang talk about stabby, spooky Ben Carson. Gawker: Ben Carson Has Plenty of Energy, Once Tried to Stab a Guy. Like many teenagers who have done that, he locked himself in the bathroom. The Rude Pundit - Taking Ben Carson Seriously.

Expecting a busy day at work. Watch France 24 when I get home.

maandag 26 oktober 2015

maandag 26 oktober 2015 Up at 5:22. Recommended for me by YouTube. Cenk Uygur - host of the The Young Turks - tells how the Liberals in Canada will make conservative brains explode. Liberals Win Canadian Election Cut income taxes for middle-class Canadians while increasing them for the wealthy. Run deficits for three years to pay for infrastructure spending. Do more to address environmental concerns over the controversial Keystone oil pipeline. Take in more Syrian refugees, and pull out of bombing raids against Islamic State while bolstering training for Iraqi forces. Legalise marijuana. Yes, we Canada! Turn on Stephanie Miller. Voice Deity Jim Ward joins the gang in the Los Angeles Bureau for Maximum Mookage Monday. What are you drinking, Jim?

My first time to bus it to work from 3451 Woburn. Time for a cup of coffee at the Bagelry. We try to organize the kids for a field trip to Hohl Garden & Pet. Up close and personal with the chickens.

Busy day. Only two of us to close the school. Catch the bus home. Watch From Hell It Came.

zondag 25 oktober 2015

zondag 25 oktober 2015 Up at 6:27. Watch Up With Steve. (But it's not Steve.) Texas is bracing for some of its worst flooding in years. NBC's Charles Hadlock reports from Houston.

Texas Braces For Major Flooding. The weather here is pleasant this morning. It's 56° and mostly cloudy for my walk to Barkley Village. I see a few slivers of blue sky. I discover the Railroad Trail. These greenways are everywhere! Love the fresh air!

Catch a #331 to Trader Joe's to get a few things. I bump into Dory in line ahead of me. Back to Apt. 156. A load of laundry. Drop off stuff. Need to explore the trail some more. It's ironic, but I catch a bus back to Barkley Village to take the trail.

Amazing. A bridge for walkers and bikers. It goes over I-5.

I walk up to Memorial Park. I stop to rest and head back to shop at Haggen. Sunday night movie - Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Khan? Who the hell are you? A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile.

zaterdag 24 oktober 2015

zaterdag 24 oktober 2015 Up at 4:42. Watch CBS News Live. How's the weather, America? It's 39° and partly cloudy in Bellingham. Saturday morning movie - The Sixth Sense. That scene, in the beginning, with Vincent sends chills up my spine. You failed me!

Maybe more later. Michael is ready to go down to Seattle with me. The fog makes for some lovely scenery... especially on Lake Samish.

On the way, we listen to KUOW in the car - Weekend Edition Saturday. I admit that my apartment in Seattle is a mess! We sort through the essentials. Futon, clothes, DVDs, food, bathroom stuff... even my desk. Enough for a carload. We pack some stuff for the next trip. Day 6 plays on the way up. We thrilled about Star Wars - The Force Awakens. Listen to The most intriguing clues in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. And we got tickets to see the 3-D on Dec. 17th! It freaks me out a little that we're almost on empty around Mount Vernon (Burlington?). We stop for gas. We make it to my new place. The door is open. We set the boxes inside. Michael takes my table to fix it. (Mr. Handyman.) We shop at Lowes, Goodwill and K-Mart for a few things. Whew! Sip on some Shock Top Belgian White beer. And I finish my movie - The Sixth Sense.

vrijdag 23 oktober 2015

vrijdag 23 oktober 2015 Up at 4:15. Good morning from the man cave. The sofa is short but it's very comfortable. Full of Sci-Fi stuff.

Watch some KOMO News.  All eyes on Hurricane Patricia. Then Stephanie Miller on Free Speech TV. It's Fridays with Fugelsang. Fairly easy-going day at work. Low numbers. I hang out with the pre-schoolers. Art project with watercolors. Beautiful day to play outside. We seem to focus on the clean-up projects. I'm really tired. I'm glad it's Friday. A couple teachers go out for a shopping trip to buy supplies. I get to break down all the boxes to put into the recycling. The kids love to play in the boxes. #525 to the house. Make my own dinner. Watch Gotham - The Last Laugh. Young Bruce Wayne goes on stage for a magic trick, and I get very nervous. "No! Don't do it!"

donderdag 22 oktober 2015

donderdag 22 oktober 2015 Up at 4:23. Turn on BBC News. On Outlook, they do an expose on Athi-Patha Ruga. A South African artist who uses performance, video, textiles, and printmaking to explore notions of utopia and dystopia, material and memory. After breakfast, I turn on Stephanie Miller. They air the audio of the Benghazi testimony live. Hillary Clinton Testifies Before House Benghazi Committee. Steph sez best RBF ever!

When into town early. A cup of coffee at the Bagelry. Nice chat with mom. Into the toddler room. "Whatcha makin?" "Fire!" Ok.

We need a change of scenery. Out to the playground to let off some steam. Four of them are into dramatic play. "The bear is chasing us. We gotta hide in the elevator!" Nice day to lunch outside. A view of Rocket Donuts.

Take the last #512 bus up to the house. Gregg made some beef and vegetable soup for dinner. I'm going to miss these little ready-made dinners after work. When I move into my own place, I'll have to make myself dinner. Settle down to watch Voyager - Faces.

woensdag 21 oktober 2015

woensdag 21 oktober 2015 Happy Back To The Future Day!

Up at 4:00. Watch WLS Chicago News. Back To The Future II gives hope to Cub fans. In the movie, the Chicago Cubs clinch the World Series. But the Cubs must win NLCS Game 4 against New York Mets to stay on the road to the pennant.

Work is brutal. Dinner is made at the house. Thank goodness. Watch American Horror Story - Checking In.

dinsdag 20 oktober 2015

dinsdag 20 oktober 2015 Restless night. Gregg is upstairs wandering around. Check Huffington Canada - TRU-WHOA! Justin Trudeau, head of Canada’s Liberal Party, watched election returns with his family and his mother. I saw this last night on CBC News... the kids playing with their Star Wars light sabers while dad watches the results.

On France 24 - Trudeau heir fulfills great expectations as Liberals triumph in Canada. I walk into work in the middle of a couple of meltdowns. "Stop SCREAMING!" Oy. I teach the kids Drivin' In My Car. They love it! I miss Ralph's World. It's a lovely day to take my lunch to the park. Delilah The Giraffe watches over me.

The afternoon goes easily. Hang out with the pre-schoolers. Long time outside. The toddlers tell me, "Sing song!" Drivin' In My Car... Visit Bruce at #156 and chat for a little bit. Lovely homemade baked beans for dinner. Watch Sleepless In Seattle.

maandag 19 oktober 2015

maandag 19 oktober 2015 Happy Federal Election Day, Canada!

Up at 1:59. Watch France 24 in French. Les éléctions au Canada. According to recent polls, the Liberals lead the Conservatives by almost 9 percentage points. Trudeau heir leads the pack as Canada heads to the polls. Out to work I go.

It's nice to meet the kids out on the playground. A new lunchtime book - Goodnight Goon. "Spooky!"

Back to the house. Watch Deep Space Nine - The Changing Face Of Evil. How's the election, Canada? Justin Trudeau to be prime minister as Liberals surge to majority.

zondag 18 oktober 2015

zondag 18 oktober 2015 Up at 5:55. Turn on BBC News. If you ever wondered... The Inquiry, Is Russia Vulnerable? A weak economy. Declining living standards. A working age population that is deteriorating. President Vladimir Putin's assertive foreign policy may be motivated by “weakness”.

Watch MST3K - San Francisco International... with the lovely and talented Tab Hunter.

Feeling antsy. Take a couple busses up to Sunset Square. Yummy everything bagel at the Safeway bakery. 69 cents. Back to the house. Check out HuffPo - Internet Rejoices After Larry David Nails It As Bernie Sanders. Live (almost) from New York! It's Saturday Night! Bus it up to Barkley to meet Bruce. We chat. Trip back to the house is slow. Bus service is decreased on Sunday nights.

zaterdag 17 oktober 2015

zaterdag 17 oktober 2015 Up at 4:30. Watch Star Trek DS9 - Siege Of AR-558. It always gets me when Billy Mumy's character - Kellin - gets killed by the Jem'Hadar. Such a nice guy.

Head upstairs to watch UP. And an SNL marathon. Donald Trump and Seth Meyers did a Father - Son skit. (2004) Hilarious!

Inside the house for most of the day. A trip to Fred Meyer to get stuff for dinner. Watch Ex Machina again.

vrijdag 16 oktober 2015

vrijdag 16 oktober 2015 It's World Food Day. Up at 5:28. Watch ABC News. UN Chief Marks World Food Day at Expo 2015 World's Fair.

On Good Morning America. Interesting story. The Maines' - 18 - were born identical twin boys and named Jonas and Wyatt. But... Identical Male Twins Become Brother And Sister.

It's Travis' last day on Stephanie Miller. Going to Sirius XM. Wearing a polo shirt. And he has Rainbow Dash! Bless you!

Michael picks me up and we take a tour of the Roosevelt Neighborhood. Back to the house, Irene and I watch Obama's press conference. He totally ducks the question about Joe Biden. Will Joe run? It's still a mystery for today. A #540 to d'town. Visit the library. Pick up a few things at Terra Organic and Natural Foods. Coincidence... a #540 back to the house. Visit Dory's place. The relaxing smell of lavender. She show me around. Oliver the dog who loves to play catch. Back to the house. We watch Big Hero 6.

donderdag 15 oktober 2015

donderdag 15 oktober 2015 Up at 3:30. Watch Comedy Central. It's a special edition of South Park...

Cartman owns up to being fat and decides that driving around on a scooter is his right in Raising The Bar. Fall back asleep until the infomercials blare at me. Turn on... WHAT? Oh, no! The "gig" is up. The Stephanie Miller Show - now Bone-less. Travis Bone is leaving the show.

Gotta get off, gonna get / Have to get off from this ride / Gotta get hold, gonna get / Need to get hold of my pride... Another chilly wait for the bus. Listen to KAFE 104.1 on the ride to work. Children are our future. Kids from Bay View talk with the ISS about life in Space. Wander through The Crown. (It's not the Columbia Tower.)  I need a key for the bathroom. Phooey! It is crazy when I came into the school. Did Bev get them all worked up? Another tour walks through and I am afraid that we are not showing them a quality child care. Kids are upset with such a sudden transition from free play to a circle time. Some stories keep them interested and some of my songs as well. It's a stressful day altogether. Bus to hotel. Watch Heroes Reborn.

woensdag 14 oktober 2015

woensdag 14 oktober 2015 Up at 6:02... Just in time for Stephanie Miller! Everyone sounds thrilled with last night's debate. Bob Cesca of The Bob & Chez Show podcast calls in to recap last night’s Dem debate in Vegas. I found the wizard! Did I win?

It's chilly this morning. A tour comes through the school. Take the kids outside. It's warm in the sunshine. Run, toddlers, run! They want me to read lots of books at lunch. On my lunch break, I head up to the Bellingham Public Library to steal some Wi-Fi.

Watch Bill Press while surfing the web. Mellow afternoon. More outside time. There goes my bus! Miss the #15 by a minute. #331 up to Bellis Fair and walk to the hotel from there. Watch MSNBC. Maddow Praises Dem Debate to Bash GOP Ones: Wasn’t About ‘Calling People Stupid’

dinsdag 13 oktober 2015

dinsdag 13 oktober 2015 Up at 1:11 AM. Oy! Watch The Rachel Maddow Show. Will the "Ferguson Effect" Doom Police Reform? Melissa Harris-Perry points out the facts that contradict the narrative that the Ferguson protests led to a spike in crime, and questions the argument that the police are afraid of a career-ending YouTube moment. Facts dispute 'Ferguson effect' on crime rate. It's the YouTube Effect. Police at the scene... posted for all to see. Black councilman tased by police in city where Sandra Bland was arrested. Jonathan Miller is tased in the back while on his knees. This is so uncalled for! I feel cynical, but let's be grateful that the cop went for the taser instead of his gun. Switch to CNN. People! It's not going to be a WWE brawl! Countdown To The Democratic Debate. Early shift at work. The kids like the barn tent. Outside after snack and diapers. Naps are easy. The kids sleep well. Check the message board at the co-op. A place is available on Texas Street. Call to make arrangements to meet the landlord. Michael and I shop at WinCo. Back to the hotel to watch CNN's coverage of the Democratic debate.

maandag 12 oktober 2015

maandag 12 oktober 2015 Happy Indigenous People's Day!

Up at 4:32. Watch KOMO News. Pumpkin bread in the lobby. Yummy! Turn on Stephanie Miller. The Rude Pundit talks about the horrific mess the House GOP has gotten itself into. #15 to d'town. It's quiet in town. Busy day with the kids, though. The kids enjoy No Fits, Nilson!

Ride back to the hotel. Watch MSNBC and Independence Day on AMC.

zondag 11 oktober 2015

zondag 11 oktober 2015 Sleep while The Walk Dead marathon plays on AMC. Wake up to one of the most gruesome scenes. The Hunters are eating Bob's leg. Gareth gives Bob a quaint speech about survival. Bob goes from sobbing to cackling. Something like: HAHAHAHA. HAHAHA. HAHAHA. "You idiots," he says. I've been bitten, you stupid pricks! I'm tainted meat.

After that, I take some breakfast up to my room. Plan a walk to Trader Joe's. It says that it's a 42-minute walk, but for a 59-year-old with an achy hip... It's 52 minutes.

Weird news on my radio. Northwest Public Radio - 101.4 (Our trusted public radio network serving news and music to Washington, Northeast Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.) Canadians want to build a wall, too — to keep Americans out. Back at #219. Turn on the Green Bay - St. Louis game on CBS... but I'm more interested in this Seahawks face undefeated Bengals in Cincinnati.

So close, and yet, so far! Seahawks fall to Bengals 27-24 in overtime. Walk over to WinCo to pick up some things. Busy, BUSY! I just have a little craving for Pop Tarts... chocolate/peanut butter. On CNN - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Episode: Okinawa S06, E03. Anthony explores the mystifying island of Okinawa from the historical, to the political, the cultural and culinary.  Sugar and soy... and everything coy. Soki (slow-cooked pork).

Yeah!  The Walking Dead - First Time Again. The last episode - Conquer - is a tough one. These people are children, and children like stories.  Go... Tell me more.