KirklandBellevueRedmond.com
I just launched a new site all about the area I live in and love - the East Side of the Seattle Washington area.
It’s called, simply, Kirkland Bellevue Redmond , and it’s at http://KirklandBellevueRedmond.com
I plan to post something there nearly every day - from pictures, to anecdotes, to local deals and steals, businesses opening and closing, pictures, video, cheap gas prices - just anything I come across that I’d like to share about this area that I love.
Today I posted about cheap gas prices and put up a gallery of pictures I took of autumn leaves and the Kirkland Waterfront on Lake Washington Boulevard in Kirkland, Washington.
The Conqueror Worm by Edgar Allan Poe
I love to post this near Hallowe’en:
THE CONQUEROR WORM
Lo! ’tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly-
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Woe!
That motley drama-oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore,
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!-it writhes!-with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And the angels sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out-out are the lights-out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
And the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy “Man,”
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.
- EDGAR ALLAN POE -
All About Charlie
I finally launched a web site all about my son Charlie, who has autism/ASD and ADHD: http://allaboutcharlie.com/
AllAboutCharlie.com is All About Charlie (and a bit about me as well).
Post Traumatic Stress….
I went to kcci.com for the first time in about 4 months, just to see what’s going on. And what is the first god-damned-mother-fucking thing I see?
‘36 counties are now under advisories, watches, or severe weather warnings.”
You know, unless you’re a god-damned farmer and *have* to live in such a place - why the hell would you?
I was traumatized by crap like this when I lived there - normally bad weather doesn’t bother me. But when my child started school and bad weather became a huge factor in whether my child made it home safely or not - or if I had to drive on ice and snow and all that crap - it became a huge factor. Being separated from my child by potentially death-inducing weather traumatized me like you can’t believe.
I am so glad to be away from it. And I don’t think I’ll be visiting Iowa - or KCCI.com - anytime soon…
Well, That Just Sucks Quite A Bit….
What sucks more than a(n apparently former) friend not talking to you at all? That would be a(n apparently former) friend talking to you and being all cold and keeping you at arm’s length and not even saying good bye….
Sorry for whatever I did - Wish you’d just tell me - That just kind of… sucks.
Winter In West Des Moines Iowa 2007 - Reliving The Nightmare
Here is a video I took while driving from Charlie’s daycare to my home in December of 2007. This is what it was like during MOST of the 15 months I lived there, due to what everyone told me was the worst winter there since 1929 or something. HIDEOUS NIGHTMARE FROM HELL!
And this wasn’t even the worst part. This was just one of the first snows that I thought would come and go. I had no idea I would see no relief until the next APRIL. And even then it snowed two or three times in April.
Anyway, one of the most amusing things about this video is the white pick-up truck coming towards me from the other direction with a red snow plow attached to the front of it after I make a right turn. Apparently just about anyone can make money in the winter by attaching a snow plow to the front of their vehicle and scraping out parking lots and things. I found it an iconic testament to the misery of living there…
I’m not sure why, but it seemed like something out of a David Lynch movie or something. Anyway, here is the video:
Charlie Update - Preliminary Diagnosis
Charlie finally had his long-awaited appointment, today, with a neurodevelopmental specialist at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. He said that Charlie is definitely “a very interesting case.”
His preliminary diagnosis is: Mild Autism with ADHD causing his Developmental Disability and Behavior Problems. (Charlie was diagnosed as Developmentally Disbaled, i.e. 25% or more deficient in at least 3 areas of development, approximately 2 years ago by a qualified professional).
An official diagnosis can’t be made until after further tests, which are booked out for MONTHS.
Plan of action? Can’t act until an official diagnosis is made.
In the meantime? I’m still going insane. He still struggles. Donna helps a lot both practically and in moral support. Nicholas is supportive in moral support for me and tries to get me to take some time for myself occasionally.
I personally believe the autism and ADHD caused the Developmental Disability and that his IQ is perfectly fine, if not above-average.
Until more testing is done and I have a plan of action, I guess that is it. I registered AllAboutCharlie.com and plan to document our past, current, future struggles and successes and any progress and new info in the near future. I’ll make an announcement on here when it is up - maybe in a week or so.
Joe Biden Quitting Vice Presidential Candidate Role - Hillary Clinton Taking His Place?
There are rumors all over the place! Possibly October 5th, Joe Biden will step down as Barack Obama’s vice presidential candidate, leaving the spot open for Hillary Clinton - which is the other rumor here. Who would take his place if he did? Rumors LOVE to point to Hillary, of course!
I think it’s probably unlikely, as I think it would come off as a bit sensational and irresponsible. But stranger things have happend. This has been one crazy (and exciting) presidential race! I’m very curious to see what happens.
Which reminds me, I need to mail in my voter’s registration form! In fact, I may walk it in. And get my driver’s license updated with my new address. I don’t want to take any chances. I want to VOTE this year!!!
RELEVANT LINK: Online Voters Registration Form
wow - had to sign in again
Has it really been nearly 20 days since I updated? That’s bad.
My post tonight was going to be about a voice - la vocce. I made a post a very long time ago when diary x was still around called “As soon as you sound like him, give me a call….” Which is a line from a Starsailor song. But was also about how much I’m turned on - intellectually and in all other ways - by a certain tenor of voice. It’s hard to describe - the voices I love all sound different - but they all have this undercurrent of - I don’t know what - that ties them together in away - and attracts me terribly…
Such as Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, James Walsh of Starsailor, David Bowie, Brad Anderson of Dark Energy - and newly, Brian LeBow of LeBow Media Voice Over talent. 
I don’t know what it is about a certain tenor to a male voice that is so attractive to me, but there you have it. Some got it - and some don’t! If you’ve got it, flaunt it - I’m a sucker for it. 
Updating - Twitter Style
Wow - you know it’s been a long time since you updated your blog when you go to the admin screen and have to log in because your blog forgot about you. oops
I’ve been Twittering a lot lately - so blogging in short bursts here.
Charlie had professional assessment - Hears just fine but does not process what he hears in his brain correctly. Any auditory input gets garbled before it can be understood correctly. Additionally has sensory integration problems (which we all know).
Charlie has weekly sensory integration and occupational therapy appointments now.
Charle has an appointment with a neurodevelopmental specialist on October 6th to diagnose what might be going on with him, neurologically - and to possibly rule out suspected autism and ASD - though I strongly suspect a diagnosis of ASD from his symptioms - or at least PDD with learning disability - or auditory block - or something….. I wish I knew……
Charlie started special ed 1st grade today - I really like his teacher so far.
Charlie has behavioral psychologist appointments regularly with a private pschologist.
Charlie has speech therapy through the school district.
I have been working my butt off on Blog Solace (stay tuned for the hosting and the plug-ins packages - it’s about to seriously ROCK!)
I have been working my butt off on some partnership projects I can’t officially take credit for, since I was subcontracted - but it’s been an awesome experience - each of them.
I feel like I’m getting a cold - rah.
I have become throroughly addicted to Twitter and following/being followed by people in same/simliar/complementing lines of work.
I have become even more mad for WordPress, if that’s possible.
Relationship with Nicholas remains steady and rocky and completely over and completely renewed, depending on the time of day or something.
New friendships fall away, sadly, because of just above.
I’m now a CSS Goddess.
Goddess rhymes with WordPress and CSS - especially with the French pronunciation of God-Dess`.
Lately I crave apple pie cheesecake, though I’ve never had it.
I’m tired and should really go to bed.
I have bloggorrhea…..