Redmond, Washington U.S.A.
Is it that time of year already?
I was at Redmond Town Center this morning, which is an outdoor mall (not a strip mall, a very nice, open-air mall) and all of a sudden this thunderous noise came over the place. It sounded like a jet was about to land on the place. I looked up and 4 Blue Angel jets few over in their lovely, perfect, tight formation!
The sight was amazing, as always, and the sound was like a thumb pressing down on you, holding you to that spot. After they passed, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and that excitement that always washes over me when I watch them each year came over me. And right on top of that was this elation I still feel of “I’m back!”
I missed this place SO MUCH when I was in Iowa. I felt so trapped there and was utterly miserable most of the time. I’m so happy to be back in a place that is so exciting to me, and pretty, and full of possibilities.
The very first time I came to Seattle to visit, it looked like “home” to me. I knew I would live here someday. And I did. And when I first moved here, it was to Redmond, home of Microsoft. There just seemed to be so much excitement, creativity, promise, opportunity here. It was something I could feel in the air and really loved it.
That was about the time I started creating web sites in earnest and making a bit of a living off of them. Then I moved to Carnation (sort of near Redmond) and was unhappy most of the time I lived there. I spent a lot of time back in Redmond, just because that is where “it” was to me. Life and all that I enjoyed about it.
Soon after that I moved back to Redmond and was starting to get happy again. I had stopped doing the web sites for awhile and got a full-time job in nearby Bellevue. I was seeing someone off and on who lived nearby, had Charlie in a daycare that he liked. Life wasn’t perfect - I never had enough money, and I wanted someone in my life on a more regular basis. But I was in a place I enjoyed being, so it was really very tolerable and somewhat enjoyable.
I used to take Charlie on drives and walks all over the Seattle area. Starting in Redmond and driving down to Lake Washington Blvd in Kirkland and up into Bellevue, past Belle Square Mall then turn around and drive the long way back towards Redmond. Sometimes we would see the hot-air ballons from Woodinville landing early mornings in the summer on the weekends. Charlie loved that of course, and so did I. It was so picturesque on that plateau of 124th that spans from Kirkland over to English Hill in Redmond.
Then things got really bad between me and the person I was seeing coinciding with some big changes at work that I didn’t like, and I was looking for a big change. So since I could, I upped and moved to Iowa where I have a lot of relatives and where I had lived until age 13. I thought I would re-acquaint with the place and my relatives and make my life there.
But there were a lot of things I didn’t anticipate. Such as a lack of vibrancy there and life, and how important that had become to me. A lack of access to the arts, and how important that had become to me. A lack of quality food stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s - I had known how important THAT was to me, but had no idea there were no such things in Des Moines, Iowa. Etc.
I also didn’t realize how severe Charlie’s problems were and how miserable that was going to make family get-togethers. I didn’t realize how severe the winters are there and how much I had grown accustomed to being able to do anything I wanted to at any time and not have to worry about the weather any more than “do I need a coat or umbrella today or not?”
And I didn’t realize just how dismal a long winter could be. All the buildings are brick and very closed up, and I always felt like I was in a basement virtually no matter where I was. It was DEPRESSING.
I was only there 15 months, but it really felt like about 3 years. I moved there in February of 2007 and knew for certain I wanted to leave in May of that year. I then was not able to leave until May of 2008 because of my lease and then waiting for good weather to drive home in. “Home” being Washington. 
This post was not meant to be this long and was meant to be about Redmond and not about my leaving/coming back. But that has what it has turned into. Anyway, leaving made me realize that I absolutely love Redmond, Washington - and very specifically Redmond.
I don’t care much for Bellevue, though it’s nice. And I like to visit Seattle for a few hours at a time. And Bothell, where I’m living now, is ok. And most of Kirkland is very nice. But it’s really Redmond that I love.
It’s so pretty, it’s very easy to get around in, in my opinion. The downtown area reminds me very much of what Walnut Creek, California was like in the early 1980s when I lived there. There is a rich vibrancy in the air. It’s fresh, it’s green - it’s hard to describe why I like it so much. I guess it is just “home” to me.
I hope to move there soon after my lease is up here in Bothell. I like the townhome I’m living in but don’t really like my location - I’m just a bit too far away from “everything” up here.
I took some pictures at Redmond Town Center today that I will post later today. It really is a unique little place.
To Paraphrase a Cliche
But not to BE cliche, I’d like to say, “Can’t we all just be adults?”
I’ve avoided conflict, confrontation and “fights” most of my adult life. Pretty much since I went to work and saw how adults deal with other adults. I considered “not fighting” a sign of maturity and balance.
I’ve changed my mind. Sometimes in life you have to fight. In life, you have to fight. And as long as you are fighing WITH strength and withOUT malice, it is not only “ok,” but it’s considered right and necessary.
Like fighting for your child’s right to a proper education and fighting to attend the i.e.p. meetings they’ve asked you to sign off on without actually scheduling…. (I’ve recently learned, unfortunately, first-hand, that this actually happens).
So to fight for what is right is not wrong. I like this video - the music and imagery - and starting at about 45 seconds it shows real fighting in life - fighting with strength, for a good cause, without malice, and with conviction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rXWtfNunc - is actually ok.
Ominous Clouds
The weather is pretty weird outside. If I was in the midwest, I’d swear it was tornado weather. Kind of green and dark and “dense” out there…
“That’s what I call having the ‘Mean Reds’ . . . “
ouch
Obama and Hilary in ‘08?
Oh please, oh please, oh please make it so! I haven’t been this excited about a presidential race since Bill Clinton’s first run for presidency!
I can’t believe we have to wait a whole month to find out!
Update on Charlie’s Schooling
I talked with the Special Ed coordinator at Charlie’s school about a week into his summer school session, and some things have changed for the better.
She said that truly his records had NOT followed him in full (as I suspected), and she did not realize what his requirements were. She was really surprised when she talked to me about just how much accommodation was needed for him and that he had had a one-on-one when in kindergarten in West Des Moines.
She IMMEDIATELY hired a one-on-one for him and made some other accommodations (sensory accommodations, mainly, like a special seat for him and things like that), and he is doing SO well now! I almost always get good reports about his behavior and am now getting reports about his ACADEMIC progress. There were none at all before, and I think that is because he was in time-out the whole time or not participating.
So apparently I need to not assume that each new teacher will have all the info they need. They always act like they do and seem irritated when I “re-iterate.” But obviously it is necessary and critical to his success at school. It’s against my nature, but apparently I need to push the issue (or “advocate”) even if it seems like it will lead to a bit of an argument.
Because it’s becoming clear what Charlie needs, and I am the one who knows his whole history and knows what works for him. So I just need to make it clear in the future each and every time his situation changes or someone new, who is a key person, is introduced into his school life.
In the meantime, he is at school this morning and has promised to be good for his teachers today!
Christian Bale Goes Berzerk?
Wow, last night I made my first ever blog post about Christian Bale ( Christian Bale and The Dark Knight Previews ) and referred to him as a “sweet little underdog” - and I wake up this morning to hear he’s been arrested for assaulting his mother and his sister in England. Of course it’s all “allegedly” at this point, and the police haven’t actually released his name as having been formally charged. But it sounds pretty legit.
I guess one of the things I’ve always admired and liked about him is this very measured control he has that carries to his interviews and how he seems to conduct himself. But he is English, and that is a very English trait - this very measured control which actually masks quite a temper. And when the temper gets released - Look Out. I actually know someone who is English who is just like that, so to me it’s not all that surprising.
I don’t think it makes him a bad person at all and hopefully it was just a misunderstanding or is being blown out of proportion. I hope it doesn’t hurt his career. There are only a few actors I really like, and he’s been at the top of my list lately.
Christian Bale and The Dark Knight previews?
It rocks? Well, so I’ve heard.
My sweet little underdog, Christian Bale, breaking records and making a killing? Well yeah, I always thought he was worthy. My doubt was in the general public- when did THEY become so very hep???
I still haven’t seen it myself, but love Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal. I know Heath Ledger is a major factor. But I never did sit all the way through Brokeback Mountain with him and Jake Gyllenhaal. I don’t remember why - I think time was a factor.
But I guess Heath Ledger is part of it. However, seeing audiences throng to Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine - who are not always on the the A-list - is very satisfying to me, indeed.
And now - I can’t wait to se it! If I can get babysitting…….
Pictures From Today - Bite Of Seattle 2008
Ok, I officially hate every gallery plug-in for WordPress I’ve ever tried. And that is saying a lot because 1) I am in love with WordPress, for the most part and 2) I have tried a LOT of gallery plug-ins, both personally and in my work.
That being said, Here are LINKS to my Flickr galleries (not messing with the gallery plug-ins any more! Life is too short!):
Pictures Of Charlie at Seattle Center
Pictures of Seattle In General
And that being said/shared now, part of the reason we went to Seattle Center today was because they were having the “Bite of Seattle” today. I knew it would be crowded but thought, “How bad could it be, like, REALLY? I’ll just put on my best ‘tolerance’ hat and have a sense of humor and adventure about it, and it will be fine.”
NOT! And it’s not that I couldn’t handle “a crowd.” This wasn’t a crowd. This was a mosh pit. You literally could not MOVE. After taking Charlie on the rides and spending all of his ride tickets, we headed toward the area with the food and the music and the fun.
And it was like being amongst sardines being pushed through a straw. It is rare that I’m really scared I might lose Charlie in a crowd, but that was a very real possibility here.
We made our way, amongst the throngs of food-seekers, through the entrance area with a band playing. Then along a really long corridor of “food.” I kept looking for the bite of Seattle, but all I kept seeing was “fair food.” It was gyros, funnel cakes, corn dogs, lemonade, etc. Where the heck was the food?
Charlie was really hot and hungry by this point, so I stood in line for over 10 minutes to get him an ice cream cone and we pressed on. Then we finally got to the “pavillion” where the real food was. ha - talk about crowded! It was NOT doable, especially with a 6-year-old in tow. We left.
I’m probably the only person who went to the “Bite of Seattle” today and left hungry - not one bite taken! I was not only going to try a couple of things and enjoy the music, I planned to take pictures and maybe some video and write a story about it for Associated Content! No dice!
So we headed back to our car. Which was over a mile away at Westlake Center. Because I had very carefully planned our trip, and parked there planning to take the monorail - which was “out of order” - down for repairs!
So not only did I not eat a thing all day (not that it would hurt me to skip a meal, but I was there for the “Bite Of Seattle”), but I wound up walking 2 miles on top of whatever I walked at the event and taking Charlie on rides.
It’s cool, though. Outside of the annoying 20 minutes we spent TRYING to attend “the bite,” Charlie and I had a GREAT time! The weather was spot-on perfect, with blue skies, temps in the low 70s, warm in the sun and cool in the shade! He had a blast on the rides, and I got a lot of great pics - not just of him, but all around Seattle in the area we wound up in.
So anyway, see above for said pics. And somebody, please, write a decent gallery plug-in for WordPress!
Charlie & Mommy Day
I have a whole bunch of pictures I took today at Seattle Center, so I’m going try something different. I’m going to try one of those plug-ins for WordPress that let’s you post Flickr Galleries. But in the meantime, here is a new picture of Charlie & Me together - It’s so hard to get a good picture of both of us together. The last good one before this was about two years ago!
