Bumbershoot

If any of you are around labor day weekend please come with me to Seattle for Bumbershoot. I think they have one of the best line ups ever, if you don't believe me look at the website.
www.bumbershoot.com
It's overwhelming the entertainment options. I can't even decide who I'd want to see the most. I would be happy if I got to hear the Decemberists, Then New Pornographers, Blondie!!!!!!!!!, Kanye West (hey you've already bought the wrist band, you might as well drop in on Kanye), Brett Dennen, Great Big Sea (I cannot pass up a chance to irish dance).
It all sounds fun, but mostly I would be going to see Blondie.
It's $30 for a wristband for a day.
Please someone take me!

parking lots suck

don't it always seem to go,
that you don't know what you've got till it's gone,
they've paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

on the last legs of summer

Today was one of the most summer days/nights I have felt since I got home. I have to say that summer was a little spoiled on the back of a year in Hawaii. You really need a long winter to realize how great the summer is. This summer I don't even think I went swimming, and I always wore shoes.

Well tonight I am savoring the last bit of summer, while feeling like fall is going to be a surprise, I will have to re-climatise. I came down to the beach, happily forgetting any form of foot wear at home. You have to drive barefoot at least once a summer. I brought a giant blanket and (nerd alert) my computer.
I had a long chat with Domi, with the wonderful US cell phone signal that I get down here, then I popped open this sucker, and took advantage of the wireless internet streaming out of all the nearby homes and coffee shops.

The sunset tonight was incredable. One of the best I've seen, possibly ever.
I try to limit my beach times to one expensive piece of electronic equipment, so alas no picture. Think your "youngest aunts shade of lipstick" pink, but only if she was prom queen in the eightys and still displays her crown.

One thing that has been on my mind this week, as I am heading back to school in a couple weeks, is the need for one last adventure. It has been seeping into my head from every commercial, and AmericanEagle tee shirt. I really need a "last" horrah, before the socks have to come on. If I was going with the AE or possibly a cell phone ad idea, I think this means a weekend road trip most likely in a volkswagon van and probably some skinny dipping, and spin the bottle. But then that's what the Christmas ads looks like too...
Rock on summer lovers! If you want to go skinny dipping give me a call.

waiting

Salsa Dancing in Robson Square

Monday Update

Conor is doing really great today. He is having good naps, and getting his tubes taken out. He will be moved out of ICU this afternoon we hope, because he is doing so well.

Pray for Conor

It has been quite the weekend. If you have not heard, I am sorry you are reading it here first, but this is the story.
Friday night as Conor and Laura were sleeping, Conor had a large seizure. He was taken to the hospital where they did a CAT scan and MRI. They discovered a cancerous tumor in his brain.
This morning (Sunday) he went into surgery to have it removed. Before surgery he was in a great mood, and put all of us at ease. He was confident of God's plan for his and Laura's life and very prepared to take this step into surgery.
"I'm only going to be better"
A crowd of friends and relatives are at the hospital, where I now write this.
The surgery started at 9am and went until around 3pm. The surgen was very happy about how it went.
This is the part where I pretend to know something about brain anatomy and tell you exactly what I have overheard.
The tumor is called Glioma and right now, it looks to be "class 1" meaning it is very slow moving, it is possible that he has had it for a long time.
The tumor was in his right tempral lobe and the parietal lobe. Today they removed a large portion of his right tempral lobe. The surgen says that because it is slow moving and he has lived with the tumor for so long, other parts of his brain have probably learned to compensate for the parts of the brain that the tumor has taken over. That is why they could take this part of the brain without worrying about his normal functions being affected.
The part of the tumor that is in the parietal lobe, (in the back of the brain) is untouchable at this point because of the possible effect on his personality.
So....right now he is in the ICU of St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.
Laura was just allowed to go in and see him, and she says that when she saw him he recognized her tryed to sit up. He is slowly waking up from the drugs but he muttered "post-op" which makes us all laugh. But praise the Lord that he's able to speak. Every tiny improvement is a huge relief in this room where we have been on the edges of our seats all day.
Laura wants to thank all of you for your amazing support she feels very loved and cared for, and is totally trusting and relying on God for his plan to unravel.
If you would like to connect with her calling me might be the best plan as I have an American cell phone 808-351-5264. Or if you feel like stopping by, you are absolutely welcomed there have been around 10 people here all day, and Laura is so encouraged seeing friends. St Joseph is right off the Sunset exit of the I5
So that is the late breaking, my friends, who new they would have internet in the waiting room. I'll let you know any other updates when I hear them.
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update 1
I went in and he recognised me, he's amazingly off iv fluids, and sipping water from a straw. He keeps telling us to take his cathater out :) He is falling in and out of sleep. Someone asked if he needs another pillow, he said he needs one all over his body :) He also joked that he feels like a lab rat. But he knows our names and is responding. It's so amazing. And really recovering far quicker then what we expected!!!!! Keep praying, it's working!

hold your horses sharelle!

soon to come....updates on camping, the lynden demolition derby, and so you think you can dance.

a little recognition

So last night, I went to a bbq. My friend Jon Wiser has been a very faithful friend while I was away often would brighten my day with comments. He is moving to Japan for awhile so had a little get together.
I headed over there by myself, sort of being brave, cause I didn't know if I would know anyone else there.
When I walk in, everyone is chilling around the dining table, I was relieved to recognise a few faces. I sit down and start eating some chips when I notice a guy I don't recognise staring at me from across the table. I look back at him like "what?", and he says "...hey mami?"
I was recognised.
Internet fame is mine.
I have never seen this guy, but in the classic friend of a friend way that internet videos work, he had seen my video. He went on to tell me he not only saw it, but watched it many times. "It's entertaining...I enjoy it" he was quoted saying.
Well I was floored and a little embarrassed. Easy to kid about that time you had a video camara and made a little something for the internet, but seeing people that the video has touched, was a unique experience.
That's not the end of the story. Once he admitted to watching the video more then a couple times, at least 4 of the guys at the table admitted to the same.
One guy described it as a "trainwreck in a good way" he just couldn't look away or figure it out. Some even remembered some of the moves, and talked about some of their favorite parts, and how unique me song choice was. Wow. I felt a little like I was the author at an Oprahs book club meeting.
Needless to say I hung out with my fans till after 1 in the morning, I even agreed to a board game. It feels good to be loved.
In case you want to see it again, apparently it's blowing up in some (small) circles. It's not nearly as popular as Jeff's but I just credit his popular song choice.
I'm still a little stunned,
you never forget the feeling the first time you get recognised!

hot times summer in the city

Wednesday fireworks on the streets of Kits, the ghosts came out.

King George

A while ago I was driving towards surrey on King George, past Art and Knapps on the right side, before going over the bridge, there is a fruit stand.
As I was driving, the sign for the fruit stand caught my eye. It said "King George Produce" or something like that. On the sign there were pictures of different fruit and vegetables and then a picture of a fat white guy with a crown. I was stumped.
Everything computed in my brain, the name, the fruit, but the fat guy in a crown I was confused by.
As I continued my drive to Surrey, it dawned on me for, honestly, the first time, that "King George" is not only the street that I have driven on, literally all my life, but it was infact a person. Obviously a significant person, because at some point Surrey bestowed the honor of naming the road from Newton to White Rock after him.
I am intrigued, my best guess is that the "King George" they are refering to, is King George III, he was around in the 1770-1820's.
He was the king in power when the British lost the war for the states.
Apparently he was good looking,(I'm not that impressed with the picture) but he had 15 children with one wife. Anyway he reigned for 60 years, which is a big deal. But in the end he lost his mind and his sight.
I just felt like you south surrey kids should know.

stuntin' and flexin'

In case you were wondering...

Crunk Test