This week (and last) I've been driving into downtown Seattle to take my kid to "Rock School". It's actually pretty useful to him: he meets famous musicians, learns how to write music, work together as a band, set up sound for live stage music... all things that he enjoys learning. He told me yesterday, the place he spends the day in is the same one that Jimi Hendrix used to hang out and jam in with other musicians, informally. Kewl. :) The big showcase is tomorrow and I'm taking The Girl, and another friend of his to go see the bands perform at the center. Oh yes, you'll have evidence, of course.

Yesterday, traffic was really bad. It took me half an hour to move 1/4 of a mile, possibly less. I don't want to look it up because it will piss me off. So I had some time while sitting in traffic to take photos. With my crappy cell phone camera. :) Enjoy.

You can't read this, but it's a biodeisel station

Ho what?

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Almost to The Needle

My view while I wait for the kid

Ugly ass EMP

EMP: Still Ugly

Sat in this spot forever, so I took a picture

When I started my first vox blog (the one I deleted in a flurry of paranoia), I was winding down a relationship. And the resulting breakup really knocked me off my feet. The intensity of the resulting grief surprised me.

Then a little bit later, my son was diagnosed with his heart disease, and that knocked me off my feet too.

Then a while after that, I learned that I also have the disease (he has it worse). That didn't knock me off my feet, but it made me realize I'm not invincible.

So for the majority of my time on vox, I've been trying to get over and past some things that have knocked me down. I'm a social person by nature, but I've been hiding, recuperating, whatever you want to call it. It's helped, really. And vox has given me a way to get some space to deal.

On the flipside though, I think being hermity has turned me into a bit of a bitch. And not in a fun way, like when people actually deserve it.   

I've learned that I don't suck as a parent as much as I thought I did. I've got some things to work on, for sure, but overall we're doing okay. So far. ;)

I've learned that there are some things still too close to my heart to write about. Or talk about. And that's completely okay.

I've also learned that there are some people in my real life who can drive me to the edge of sanity, simply because I let them. Sometimes when I vox about it, other people know how to put it all in perspective.

I've also learned that I'm a lot stronger in spirit and resolve than I thought. Nothing's killed me so far, inside or out. That's a good thing. Time is still on my side, so far.  

I've also learned there are people out there who are dealing with so much more than me on a daily basis, and with such dignity. It humbles me. It makes me think that there is a level of grace that can be achieved even in the most dire of circumstances.

So maybe that's what vox has given me overall... perspective. People from different walks of life, different backgrounds, experience and ages, have offered me priceless perspective.

Like everyone else on this planet, I'm a work in progress. Extremely fallible to say the least. I will get back to my old self eventually. That was my original goal. I'm on the upswing – I can sense a shifting inside. Which is funny because it makes me relieved more than anything else – I knew I was in there somewhere!

I don't think many of you have met the old gunderson, so we'll see if I have any neighbors left at the end of coming full circle. ;) But in the meantime, thanks for helping me along the way, during what's been a really challenging couple of years. 

I was really geared up to do a lot this weekend and then I had cramps.

Damn that Eve.

We have these things called traffic circles in Seattle neighborhoods. They are large, circular 'bumps in the road' so to speak, to slow down traffic at intersections. Many of them don't have stop signs at every single intersection, but the circles are big enough that you have to slow down and wind around the circle, then move on to the next one.

People in Seattle like to use the circles for gardening, and I guess the city lets them. The guy in the story below was one of them. He's dead now.

See, he put some orange cones up while he watered his plants. Some teenage girls didn't like that and got into a fight with him. So he sprayed them with water. They dumped water on him and pushed him. He pushed back.

Then some other guy got out of his car and punched the old man, and he dropped and hit his head. And now he's died, as a result of his injuries. The girls stayed and talked to police, the guy who punched him took off. They are looking for him now.

First off, I will point out that it was not cool for the old man to push one of the teenage girls. But spraying them with the hose when they were so disrespectful was classic. Since the whole thing started with those little brats, I think they should be charged with something. That man is dead in part because of the trouble they stirred up. I realize it happened in South Seattle, which is not what I would call the safest of neighborhoods, but they should be held accountable in some way.

It's just very sad that it even happened in the first place.

What's up with all these legends showing up around here?

Today, I really did wake up with three little birds upon my door step.

They weren't singing sweet songs of pure melody though.

Sigh. It's been a looooooong week.

OH MY EFFING GAWD. That was a damn good show.

I am WIRED right now. The Foofighters played for 2 1/2 hours. That doesn't count the 2 opening bands either. For a while it sort of felt like Dave's Show and Oh By The Way Here Are The Rest Of The Foos, but when the circle stage descended (surprised everyone), it turned into more of a band performance.

Dave used a total of 5 different guitars, 4 of which I saw. A big blue electric one, a little blue electric one, a big black acoustic one, and then a big black electric one. My kid is cringing because he knew what each one was and told me in detail, but I don't care. :) (Shhh! Don't tell'im I said that!) I want to say it was his daughter who brought out the last one for him, but I don't know how old she is.

My favorite part was that circle stage, that came down from the ceiling, halfway thru the show, that plopped itself down "right in front of the shitty seats!" (Dave's comment!). Half the show was performed there, and it was up close.

Sorry these are so crappy. I forgot my camera.

Here is my view of the main stage (intense, highly played up set):

Main stage: All of 'em

Circle stage: Dave

Foun10

I'm half-tempted to see if I can sell my tix, take the money and run. :) Part of it is because I can't walk very well today. Long, boring story. My medical minutia is incredibly boring, even for me. So I'll be nice and refrain from blogging it. 

But I have to go down to Seattle Center anyway to pick my kid up from Rock School and he's psyched to go to the concert. So, I'll be there, right next to the infamous Key Arena (the excuse the Sonics used to leave town). But if he spends more than 10 minutes texting on that damn cell phone of his, I'm going to throw it into the International Fountain (shown left). I hate that thing.

Maybe if I put more links in my copy, you won't notice what a lame post this is!

Anyway... FooFighters. Tonight. Maybe.

Have you ever broken a bone? If not, what's the worst injury you've sustained?

Hahahahahaha!

Oooch, my sides hurt from laughing too hard.

I've got a bone disease. I had my bones broken for me. By people who spent a lot of time in medical school, and charged a lot of money to do it. But I've got some killer scars. ;)

He was on our kitchen floor. You can't deny it. It's all I could do to keep from drawing 2 little awesome Jimi eyeballs in. He forgot his guitar though, so we lent him our magnet.

Props to The Jimi.*

Jimihendrix

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(*Photo enhanced to truly appreciate its awesomeness.)

:)

What questionS do you hate being asked?

How tall are you?

Why is your son an only child? (But I guess that's better than people assuming they know the reason why.)

Can you get this (gunderson waves arms in air to indicate VERY LARGE PROJECTS) done by Friday?