rest in power John Lewis

The news of John Lewis' passing is hard to bear.

I watched some of the procession across the Selma bridge, and speeches today by President Obama and others.

Last week I took delivery of all 3 graphic novels in his series, March.

I read them, rapt, in about 48 hours.

Uneducated me hadn't realized how many times he was beaten, mocked, cursed at and reviled in his peaceful efforts to end segregation.

What a loss.

Rest in Power good sir.

pride was a protest

The Cuff Complex--located at 13th and Pike, a few blocks from the embattled east precinct--is hosting a Black Lives Matter memorial wall and historical reminder on its front door.

I love seeing the alignment, the reminders and acknowledgement.

How much communities have to share with one another.

How long this fight has been going on.

*

It reminds me to ask myself every day, what am I doing to make positive systemic change? How can I amplify voices? How can I use my own voice?

change is change

busysmartypants is making some moves this week.

Some temporary, some longer term.

Sleep is elusive. As soon as I yawn and turn out the light, my brain perks up and the neurons start firing.

I get up until another yawn comes. Then the brain.

And so on.

I have been walking more, a couple of hour jaunts, to try and wear out the body.

Last Saturday's chaos and terror stay with me.

What happened to serve and protect?

"Our institutions will save us," people said sagely, after the 2016 election.

White people said this sagely, I'm realizing now.

And our institutions won't, I'm realizing now too.

Only we can save ourselves.

Courage.

neumos

Neumo's murals, July 2020, Seattle

Collateral

I was on my way to peacefully protest this afternoon but made a quick stop at the QFC on Broadway and Pike first.

Maybe 5pm? Suddenly loud booms from up the block near Seattle Central College. Security at the store started hustling people in and out. "Thirty minutes," they yelled. "We're closing."

I walked out onto Broadway. The bike brigade blocked traffic northbound. A plume of pepper spray rolled down the hill and we all started to choke and cough.

*

On 10th and Pine, the 49 bus abandoned its route and turned southbound onto 10th.

It's a chaotic scene with police everywhere and a low flying helicopter drowning out everything but yells and explosions.

After walking to the park and around my neighborhood, stopping to say hi to a neighbor and a puppy, I came home to shower. My lungs hurt.

The streams online don't bode well.

*

Audio from Capitol Hill Seattle, July 25, 2020

quarantini

My alcohol consumption has gone way down in quarantine.
Yes I'm anxious and yet it also feels weird and a little repulsive to chug down a bunch of beers or big glasses of wine, alone, on my couch, watching Netflix or anxiously scrolling through Twitter.
Which means the occasional cocktail hits my teetotaling tastebuds like an alcoholic pleasure bomb.
Add in "drinks-to-go" and it's a winning combination.
The takeout house margarita from Pecado Bueno is tart and salty and limey.
My favorite so far though is this bourbon drink from Canon, packaged up in its own hefty glass bottle, handed over cold and ready for discreet sipping on a sunny late afternoon.

more more conversations we are having

These are terrible times, said a speaker at an anti-deportation rally last summer.

Before covid-19.

And I was going to write, "Before the feds and secret police descended our cities," but that isn't quite correct. They have been in our cities, they have just been rounding up brown people without citizenship papers. Now that it's white people, now that a white mayor of a white city was tear-gassed, it's getting more attention.

*

In any case.

I feel a sense of disbelief at the conversations we are having. I have written about this, and the words and topics and sense of uncertainty continues to evolve, or devolve.

--Is it time to go?

--Where are we on the continuum?

I recently ordered all 3 of John Lewis's graphic novels (rest in power, beautiful soul) and Book 1 recounts his early years desegregating lunch counters and restaurants.

It felt eerily familiar. The slurs. The fear. The violence.The determination.

*

I dreamed last night that I took some time for myself to rest and get some peace, I rented a hotel room and fell into a deep sleep. When I awoke, it was late. My sisters were waiting on me, angry, I was late checking out, and as I ran around picking up my things, I saw that my youngest niece had displayed an array of gorgeous, vintage rhinestone jewelry.

So many treasures and I'd had no idea she had them.

I awoke feeling as though maybe I'm missing something.

I'm just not sure what.

no shirt no shoes no mask no service

Mask Up Ya Whole Face!

how to be an anti-racist

The Prince George library system in Maryland offered an hour-long seminar today with Dr. Ibram X Kendi, on "How to be an Anti-Racist." At one point over 75 000 people awaited the start of the YouTube video.

I appreciated Dr. Kendi's candor and passion. The interviewer was knowledgeable and the ASL interpreter was so enthusiastic I wished I kept up my sign language.

It's not enough in July 2020 to "not be racist" or say "you don't see color" or say garbage like, "I don't care if you're brown, black or purple."

It's not enough.

Our people are dying in the streets.

Our people are being harmed every day by a system that belittles and begrudges them.

White people, we gotta do better.

Listen, learn, do.

a moment of zen

I happened upon these lovely blooms near Ballard the other day.

It was a hot afternoon walk wearing a sweat-soaked mask.

I stopped to sip on turmeric ginger lemonade and take a breath.

A reminder of the brief moments of peace and beauty around us.

art words power life

Walking down 12th Avenue I happened upon this utility box outside of a garage.
I took pictures on all sides. There's a lot of happening here;
Homage.
History.
Education.
Activism.
And links to artists you might want to check out.

@salmakingstuff (this and all below)

@wolfdelux @thekingfroshow @beingjazzbrown @artist_tsehaye @mia.k.visuals @eugeniaalexand @artist_tesfalem_atenaw @artbykenisha

 

@artistfilmon @jayvnize @kehindewiley @tierneycreates @jordancasteel @render.transmute

hard to know part 2 (million)

Back in February I mused about current events and wondered how much I should worry.

Turns out, quite a lot!

Also, I'm glad I didn't know what was to come.

*

A family member messaged me a few days ago about the current standoff among the Seattle mayor, police chief and city council about reallocating funding, and I said, only half joking, We're at war.

I think we are in the middle of several undeclared wars.

--With the federal government, now hiding data about a pandemic that is raging unchecked within many states

--With fellow citizens refusing to do simple things that would safe lives and end the lockdown quicker

--With centuries of systemic racism including in good old liberal Seattle

--With wildly inappropriate funding models for schools, communities, law enforcement, business

--With the guns/god/gays crowd, emboldened and crawling out of the woodwork

*

I could go on but I won't.

I still have a measure of hope, tempered with caution. The roughest days may still be ahead.

We must stay healthy, stay energized, stay positive.

The sustained energy of the daily protests and dialogues encourages me.

Change is possible.

Those whom have benefited the longest will fight the hardest, but we can outlast them.

We will.

uh.....

New signage in a nearby parking lot.

Or should I say, "parkig" lot. Good job folks.

And not just once. Three times.

the discourse

I get very interested when art is adjusted, written on, debated.

It's a form of discourse, no? This seen along Stone Way.

more quarantine scene

We've been doing (or not doing?) this long enough that the art around town is evolving.

I wasn't sure if this was originally covid-19 art but it's funny.

Ren

There's this (I sure hope so, Jazz Alley).

Jazz Alley

And this.

quarantine cuisine

I'm doing my best to support local restaurants during this time of covid19.

While I'm torn about ordering and delivery services--how much profit do they strip away from restaurants? do they mistreat their workers?--sometimes they are the only way to go.

Here's my list of takeout and delivery, so far:

• March
• Qazi's Curry House: always delicious; the malai kofta are succulent and tender
• Kidd Valley: do not recommend, unless they have significantly improved the takeout situation. In March a lot of crowding and unmasked mingling
  
• April
• Pecado Bueno: tasty and friendly with killer to-go house margaritas
  
• Ada's Restaurant and Bar: early on, they weren't great with takeout protocols but maybe the best baklava of my life
  
• Blue Star Cafe and Pub: dependable breakfast food, amazing giant cinnamon roll that will feed a family of five
  
• Araya's Place: the tastiest vegetarian Thai food
  
• Kyoto Teriyaki: I double-order tofu teriyaki so there are always leftovers
  
• El Chupacabra: delicious vegetarian Mexican food but picking it up in white bread Greenwood is a cluster fuck
  
• May
• Chutney's Bistro: it pains me to say it but not as good as they once were. Still, the naan is tasty
  
• Norm's Eatery: reliable bar food including fried pickles
  
• Ayutthaya Thai: love the curry sauces but the pad thai is too bland and fishy
  
• Qazi's Curry House: always good good good
  
• Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge: strong Impossible burger and takeout breakfast can stretch over 3 days. I stood around the first night of protests, fires and curfew, nervously awaiting my dinner alongside a chatty PostMates driver on nearly empty streets
  
• June
• Ian's Pizza (2x): the sauce is zingy and delish, and love the caesar salad
  
• Mirch Masala: strong contender for Indian takeout on the hill
  
• Blue Star Cafe and Pub: as I said, dependable
  
• Kedai Makan: a treat for a family member's birthday
  
• July
• ZapVerr Thai Restaurant and Lounge: mango slivers make the fresh rolls even tastier
  
• Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge: burger game strong
  
• Lupo: maybe the best takeout pizza so far, the aged Asiago cheese made the cacio e pepe pizza and the caesar beyond delicious
  
• Galaxy Rune: vegan burgers, handcut fries -- yes please! Wowza
  
• Veggie Grill: okay it's a chain but sometimes you need buffalo cauliflower and a grain bowl. Yum
  

in family news

We held an online memorial today for a family member who died in May.
Grieving during a pandemic is so strange.
No hurried excursions to the Midwest, no get togethers at my aunt's or grandma's, no hugs or VFW sheet cake or windy graveside vigils.
I enjoy some of the above under different circumstances--the chocolate cake, for instance, and the gatherings. They are all part of the saying goodbye process, and Zoom is a pretty terrible alternative.
Still, one cousin made a video of photos, which we watched together and commented on, we played a word game and shared memories.
I'm left feeling sad still but not comforted.
It's a complicated passing anyway. I guess this is all we get until future notice.

empathy now

From the sidewalk near Velocity Dance Center

people not property

My walk this morning took me through the former CHOP.

The park is still closed, sort of, if you look sketchy or linger too long.

It's beyond infuriating, during a pandemic, and living in an apartment, to also be forbidden from using a public city park.

But, I guess we are beyond infuriated and outraged.

*

Men on ladders were busily unscrewing plywood from the windows of Molly Moons and the Bartell's on Pike. I noticed that Blick's beautiful murals were gone, too.

I said good morning to a couple of folks sitting on the sidewalk near Seattle Central. One was just stretching his legs, bleary eyed, a companion screaming, It's time to wake the fuck up!

*

As I walked back up Pine, the plaintive wail of a horn wafted across the morning. Not a brass horn, but something older, more primal. It sounded like a Viking battle cry. I kept walking.

Two gray-haired women took photos of the Black Lives Matter street mural.

At the corner of Pine and 11th, I passed a grave-faced man wearing a fringed shawl, who carried a long, twisty animal horn.

That was beautiful, I said, and he said Thank you ma'am, and kept walking.

with a heavy heart

Barely 3 days after I wrote about the continuing daily Black Lives Matter protests, including freeway closures, a beautiful soul was killed, mowed down on I-5, and another is still in hospital.

Rest in Power, Summer Taylor.

And speedy healing, Diaz Love.

*

The CHOP feels occupied in a different way, now. With the return of law enforcement to the East Precinct, there are police cars and squads of cops everywhere.

I went out Saturday, not wanted to feel intimidated in my own neighborhood. I felt tense, walking past phalanxes of police all along 12th, Pine, Pike, and Broadway. (And then there were the "patriots.")

Some officers say hello. Some march by without so much as a nod.

It is simply and awfully tense.

*

The park was closed for a few days and even though the "Park Closed" signs are still up, I saw dog walkers and loungers there early this evening.

A couple of residents who lingered too long on Pine were detained for being in the "exclusionary" zone, whatever the hell that is.

*

We've gone from the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone to the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest to -- ?

I miss the art, the conversations, the community, the energy.

We had a shot at being a different kind of city, finding a more human way to connect and experiment and be, and it feels like it's been jerked away.

*

HOWEVER.

I don't miss the chaos at the park.

I don't miss wondering who might get shot tonight.

Surely there's a way for community and security to co-exist.

If anyone is looking for a mission statement, maybe this is it.

48 hours of zipcar finds

For the car-free among us, Zipcar is an unfortunate necessity of life.

I say unfortunate because even though it's on the whole an OK car-by-hour service, it's gotten expensive and the customer support is non-existent. Twice recently I've needed to call Zipcar--once to tell them I was going to be late, once to tell them someone left their house keys in the car--and both times, it was impossible to get through.

Scenario 1 involved waiting on hold for 40 minutes, agreeing via automated menu to a callback which never came, and driving like a bat out of hell to be 1 minute late. Whew. But also, ugh.

Scenario 2 never even got to on hold status. I called a few times, heard 1 or 2 rings, and went to a fast busy signal.

*

Here are the items I've recovered in my two Zipcar rentals in the past two days.

• 2 zipcards (this is what you use to open and close your car)
  
• 1 bucket of quarters and Susan B. Anthony dollars
• some batteries
• someone's house keys

It's impossible to return any of this without talking to Zipcar. I've filed reports online, tweeted @zipcar, called (see above), and finally, given up.

Most everything I've just left in the cars, for the cycle to either repeat itself with the next renter.

Or not, if they choose to ignore the items.

It's an exercise in never solving a problem.

It's 2020.

on a cool whip mission and suddenly, racism

My squeeze and I ran into this crowd yesterday while out running a couple of errands.

What kind of people storm into a city neighborhood, visibly armed, to parade around the park and scream racist insults?

Despite weeks of organizing, they could barely field 2 baseball teams.
And were quickly met with many of us, from protesters at Seattle Central to people like me just trying to pick up some Cool Whip..
These are strange times, and times for all of us to stand up against racism and white supremacy.

Masks around the state

I took a road trip to get some nature and breathe clean air. And, to have a look at the mask sitch. My companion and I masked up, gassed up and hit the road.

• The ferries: B+. All ferry workers masked, most passengers, everyone stayed in their vehicles. Except the obvious plain clothes officer driving an SUV with a blue lives sticker, wearing a blue lives t shirt and camo pants and who got preferential placement on and off the ferry (I had to jam on my brakes so he could exit first)
• Town 1: A-. Most folks
• Gas stop: C-. Several unmasked older folk, glaring defiantly
• Town 2: B+. Mix of masks and no masks. To the 3 lingering at tables inside a coffee shop I mean whyyyyy?! Is free wi fi worth dying for?
• Mexican joint for takeout: A
• Asian joint for takeout: D. The kid taking orders wore a mask but the owner did not. The owner walked close to me, asking me questions and when I asked him not to come closer since he wasn't wearing a mask, he got angry and said he was far enough away and if I didn't like it I shouldn't come back. The kid hustled out and gave me my food and I left, saying to the owner, That wasn't very nice. Once outside, I realized I didn't want the food, so I went back in and put it on the table. The owner said he would give me my money back but I said No thanks, and went across the parking lot to El Sabor. Shaken, I waited for food and saw the kid come outside, looking for me. I went out. He apologized and gave me my money and asked what had happened. I told him. I was not angry. Just incredulous. You're not safe working there, I said to the kid. He said, The owner is a good guy. 

vote for fucks sake

Girlie Press/23rd and Olive

they're back

They're back. It won't be pretty. It already isn't.
Heard on Twitch earlier: 
even Stevie Wonder could have seen this coming.
Follow on:

• Converge Media
• Capitol Hill Seattle
• Alex Garland
• The Stranger

no stopping

The response from my property manager, Redside, regarding my neighbor getting beat up is: they talked it over and decided they don't want the liability of providing security.

Capitalism kills.

There is one drop of dried blood remaining in the building foyer.

I moved the carpet aside so that everyone would see it on their way in and out.

Instead of looking, a blond lady, mask-less, pushed past me with a pinched, "thank you so much" smile.

I stood very still and said, "Do I know you?"

Then my inner passive-aggressive Seattleite spoke up: "Nice mask."

She fled up the stairs.

Out running errands today I saw more neighborhood murals, far outside of CHOP.

And this one. An oldie but a goodie.