2009 in photos

Kill Your Television - Ned's Atomic Dustbin

Mod Musing from the Pacific Northwest:

*I have been going on about these bikini espresso places, and had to laugh when I caught on the news that a local “Grab and Go” was raided for a sting operation. Seems the girls at Grab and Go were charging for flashing customers and even more for allowing the clientele to touch them. Yep, arrested for prostitution out of a coffee hut. Amusing as heck to me…

*I saw a caterpillar on the road while walking. (Yes I have started walking again and it feels great!) I swear I can not remember the last time I saw a caterpillar-wow to the little things!

*Direct TV shows reruns of Trailer Park Boys!! I am finally getting it, and loving it! I also love that show I spoke of before, the Meatloaf hosted “Rock and a Hard Place” Music trivia answered by musicians- best show evar! LOL! Today- Tommy Tutone vs Ray Parker Jr. and Lisa Lisa vs Da Brat. I saw Sha Na Na on there a few days ago, they were real members from back in the day when they had their TV show. RIP Chico…

*I continue to get snide comments when I am walking my three pups. I bet if it were just two, I would not get the comments. I don’t understand why people feel the need to say something mean about the fact that I love dogs? Some people are nice, don’t get me wrong..I have adorable dogs but the people who pop off, why? I am a good dog owner who picks up after them in parks. And in doggie news, Wicket is ahead of the curve in his recovery..he is doing fantastic. I knew it wasn’t his time yet.. 

*A few after notes on the Polaris Prize:
It was interesting to hear the radio folks saying the next day that F*cked Up winning could push the awards a step back. It did seem to be an interesting problem, as other stations couldn’t even announce the name of the winner. It was so odd how they saved them for last to perform, a food fight breaks out and then this hardcore punk band, stripped down to their underwear wins the award for artist merit. I am willing to guess there are more people who think it was a mistake although I heard some say even if you don’t like hardcore, it is a masterpiece record. I saw F*cked Up while in Toronto for the 6 nights of Plaskett. That was the band Chris Murphy got up and sang punk with. Let’s be truthful, why else would I have seen a punk band? LOL

Jian Ghomeshi not only played with my least favorite band Patrick Watson, he introduced hip hop star K’Naan. I was quite impressed with K’Naan as a person and performer. I was not impressed with Patrick Watson, Jian or no Jian-LOL!

Elliott Brood, Hey Rosetta! And Joel sounded the best live! I don’t understand why Metric couldn’t play full band. I want to see Elliott Brood here in Seattle. We shall see, they are here in 2 weeks. They used cookie sheets and wooden spoons in the audience for percussion.

*Speaking of Hey Rosetta! I knew I like Tim Baker! His first concert was Glass Tiger!! LOL GT for Polaris Prize next year!

*I applied for a lot of radio jobs this week. Maybe I will get one response from them? Oh man, this is yet another of my most difficult challenges of my life. Believing something right will come along is HARD…

*I watched the premier of CSI for the heck of it last night. A lot of the good characters are gone-hello no Grissom? Gil was the reason I ever started watching, William Petersen is a fine actor in my opinion. But I bring this up because I can’t handle shows like that anymore. Plus it had spiders on it last night. My dreams after were nothing but bodies and spiders. Nope, can’t do that or horror films..

*Jon Auer is playing in Phoenix, I am excited for my friends that get to see him! He called from his hotel, so funny..it was in my old hood, where Karen and I always went for Joanns and Cracker Barrel. I am hoping one of my pals will call and let me hear a song from the show. I am sure I will get a show sooner or later living here..He did sayin an interview Serene Dominic did that they want to do another Posies record! Yes to all my fave bands still recording new music!

*Hoping I may get to drive someone to Portland, Oregon tomorrow!??

Leah's take on the Short List nominees of the 2009 Polaris Prize

K’naan – This is the nominee I am least familiar with as I am not a hip-hop fan but I know He got some airplay in the states. He has the reggae thing backing his rhymes. Canada is not known for it’s Hip-Hop. Maybe they aren’t angry enough or have enough attitudes. This is the first hip-hop nominee I recall. It is well done from what I have heard but I highly doubt this will surpass the CanCon Indie superstars nominated.

Malajube – You know, I think Malajube has some pretty good odds. They make French speaking music that is fun to listen to whether you understand the language or not. They have poppy songs, very cool piano use in their arrangements. Sometimes they even add hip-hop flare. They have a decent shot at winning, but they probably won’t. Maybe-because it is in French? (I can say that, I don’t write for anyone!)

Elliott Brood – Hearing strains of this record again recently reminded me how original this band is. You may want to lump them in the Americana category but they are more then that. Yes they, Elliott Brood is a band, not a guy. I think this is a fantastic record, different than anything else that has ever been nominated. There is a dark horse shot here…

Metric – It seems like each year, there is one band nominated that is commercially more successful than the rest. (Ex – The New Pornographers, Stars, or Arcade Fire) It almost feels like it gives some mainstream attention to the rest of the more unknown, indie bands. Metric has a fine record nominated “Fantasies” that is quite varied in styles and instrumentation. Emily Haines has proven she can change up her singing style. It is a fantastic danceable record with 80’s undertones. It is also the most commercial sounding of the nominees. If the Polaris prize is political, Metric will not win. This award appears to be about rewarded the more independent band. Metric is not that band. If Arcade Fire didn’t win for Neon Bible, Metric will not win.

Patrick Watson – Patrick Watson is a band of super young guys who make music that sounds much older than they are. Patrick has an operatic-style voice (think Jeff Buckley only higher) The songs are deep lyrically but quite frankly put me to sleep. Patrick Watson will not win the Polaris prize again. Yes, what they do is unique but this new LP is not that much different than the one they won with 2 years ago.
Hey Rosetta! – There are bands that are good but even better live. I believe this is the case for NFLD’s Hey Rosetta! I was a casual fan of theirs but once I saw them live, I understood all the fuss. Tim Baker is a fantastic song writer; he commanded an audience like Dave Matthews does. The young girls love him; the guys dig the whole band thing with string instruments. I watched a college age crowd bounce with complete adoration for them. I listened to “Into your lungs” on the drive back from seeing Hey Rosetta! Live and it wasn’t quite the same. Oh I would love for them to sneak in and win, I will be rooting for them but I don’t think they have enough clout yet…

Joel Plaskett – There is absolutely no question Joel Plaskett can write a memorable, catchy song full of his self-deprecation, down-home honesty and love for his home Province of Nova Scotia. He went for a concept record once again, this time all about Three. It includes Three records, songs with three word titles and in some cases, three singers-himself with Ana Egge and Rose Cousins. The three CDS each have their own theme. It all works, it shows a different side of Plaskett and should win. But “Ashtray Rock” didn’t win and it should have. I fear Three is too long for the judges to vote for it. Plaskett is certainly the king of Canadian Indie rock but this may not be the record he will win with. I will still be cheering this sweetheart of a fella on!


Fucked Up – Believe it or not, I actually saw this band live, for a Christmas show no less! They do punk rock like all the great ones did. It is not that far from any other pure punk rock record. It was wise on the Polaris Prize nominating committee to recognize this band’s talent. They will not win however.

Great Lake Swimmers – Most everyone who follows this prize thought GLS had it in the bag for their debut record 2 years ago. Patrick Watson later even came out and said GLS should have won! I think there is a soft spot still in the judges for this folky band to win. Do not rule them out Monday night. Their most recent “Lost Channels” is a very, very quiet effort. Too quiet?

Chad Van Gaalen – If you listen to Canadian Independent radio and writers, He should have won two years ago and will win Monday night. His music is unique, I understand that but in the Indie media, he is the second coming of Neil Young. They will award him the Polaris Prize. He will mumble some bizarre thanks and the Indie CanCon world will all be happy he finally got what they all believe he deserved. If he doesn’t, my jaw drops and he becomes the Susan Lucci of the Polaris Prize.

Don't Change - INXS

Last night Karen read me a letter I wrote her in May of 1989. Want to know what the scariest part of it was? 20 years later and I sound the same! I was chattering about bands, life in AZ and our friends. It was insane how little I have changed yet some much transpired in between. My favorite line from it was: “I don’t mind rock radio playing alternative stuff.” OMG, hilarious! I was going on about KUPD playing The Cure. Hahaha!
What I also find interesting about this letter is that when my mom passed away, Dan insisted I changed. What I think may be more true is that I changed (conformed) when I got married and that the real Leah came back. Because I no longer had my mom, I reached back inside and found me. I went back to what I truly enjoyed from crafting to travelling to see bands. What a revelation! Dan had me convinced I changed. Of course, without my mom I was altered but I don’t believe I truly “changed” even though he had me believing I did. I rediscovered ME! In fact, I am a bit disappointed with myself if I compromised who I was for marriage. I have watched so many girlfriends do that for their husbands, I swore I never would but maybe I did. Our demise had more to do with finding our true selves. He did too and then he realized that our true-selves had completely different directions in which we were heading. I think that is why we were both so ok with our divorce. We both knew we only needed each other for that period of time. I sense that is why I am so at peace right now, I finally have returned to 1989 Leah… It explains my desire to move too. The very first thing I realized when I swallowed that the divorce was happening was that I didn’t have to stay in Arizona anymore. Complete peace will come when that job slips into my pocket along with my own place; And when I am entertaining friends again at my own place. That is me.

Randomness:

It dawned on me that I should do a search for diners in Washington! I bet there are some cool ones here!

One thing I don’t necessarily like still from 1989 is my constant need to have a crush. It is lame at 42 because you have too much sensibility to let it just be fun. But trust me, I always have a crush and most of the time, it is not a healthy one.

So remember how I was saying they have these bikini espresso places here in Washington. Well now I drove by a place that proclaimed- No Bikinis! See, I knew some women would object! They have ones labeled Bikini bottoms too- oh brother.. Plus they have city meetings to ban them. Hilarious.

I noticed that out in the country, the convenience stores have fryers so the food in the case is fresher than a place like 7-11 with hot dogs rolling. I am guessing this is because you have longer drives so you eat more “real” food from the gas station? On a drive to Port Angeles I stopped at the absolute nicest convenience store ever. I can’t even describe it but it was nicer than most AJ’s plus it was huge! It was on a reservation near a casino, not sure if that had anything to do with it.

I took the dogs to a “forest” today. It was part of Spanaway city parks. It was very nice but it was the first time I realized I should be more concerned with my safety. I saw an unsavory character heading into this forest then as it wound around a lot of woods, I realized I shouldn’t do everything by myself. I am awkward enough trying to walk three dogs. If someone would have robbed me I would be so easy with the clumsiness of the dogs. I will not be returning there. I need to stick to open dog parks with lots of people. Maybe I am too independent sometimes..

The Polaris Prize is only 2 nights away. I wonder if anyone else gets as excited for this as I do. Next year I will host a party for it! Hahahah! I need to listen to Jian on Monday! Wish he was hosting it again but he is not, Grant Lawrence is again.

I miss being social. This should not be a big surprise. My life was always so packed with activities. It is good to reflect but I need to just hang out with my pals-just laugh and have fun…Thank goodness for the phone. I have gotten some great laughs on the phone since in Washington-you know who you all are! ;)

You know who I have been listening to lately..The Posies.. Must be something about the location?? ;)

I heard the K-os take over show on Iceberg this week. I really like how much of a music fan he is. He is very humble to be around other musicians. He told stories of meeting Moe Berg from TPOH plus his appearance in the Death from Above video. I knew he would play Sloan because I knew he was a fan. He went on about how he thinks Chris Murphy is talented at everything he does. He also played "The Other Man" and hinted to it being about Feist but would not break musician code. Sorry, K-Os, most fans know Chris was the other man who stole her away from which ever BSS guy she was with at the time. The most entertaining story he told was about Sam Roberts. He said he was watching Live 8 and saw Sam sing a new song at the time "Brigde to nowhere" K-OS thought it was a song about him and was bummed out. Then he said he talked to both Peter Elkas (:HEARTBEATS:) and Murray Lightburn of The Dears. They both thought Sam wrote the song about them. As K-OS concluded- we were all so vain, we thought the song was about us. That was funny! Maybe other musicians confide their deep dark secrets to Sam Roberts. Who wouldn't? If it meant a longer chance to stare at that gorgeous man, well? He must have more bromance than Plaskett!

Karen swore I would love the new Mountain Dew Ultra Violet but nope. I had another self discovery! I do not like fruity flavors carbonated. They have to be like kool-aid. Carbonation for me needs to stay in the cola family. Who am I kidding, carbonation needs to stay in the Dr. Pepper family for me-period. Did you know I never drank carbonated drinks until my late 20's. Now there was a habit I should have kept! I had an ex-boyfriend who loved Dr. Pepper. I would sip his everyday and boom- I was hooked! Damn him! LOL!

Did I mention I am seeing Matthew Good in November? I suspect so for the next 2 months until the show!

Bandages - Hot Hot Heat

Ode to DB Sweeney! Found out he is on a TV show called Crash. Glad he is getting work, will have to see the show...

I was super insecure about myself pretty much until I started racing. It stemmed for the constant desire to please people along with the desire for everyone to like me. Plus I was never shapely or particularly cool. I was a successful on-air personality for years but never had a confidence about what I did. It was an odd thing, it was more important for my ego and self-confidence to do well drag racing. It was something I had to put effort into, it was not a natural talent like talking on the radio. My desire to race constantly was because it advanced my confidence. But when I did poorly, it was hard to hide my disappointment. I also credit my ex-husband for making me realize someone could accept me for me. He encouraged me to believe that I was beautiful. I will always credit him for that. I refuse to let those feelings of confidence rescind just because our marriage ended or because I am not racing anymore.

Not finding a job is clawing at that confidence. After the split, I found myself to be stronger than ever. I believe it showed. I was feeling so good about starting a new. I was free from the very difficult situations that came with my marriage. I wore my clothes with a different belief. I had a successful career; I worked hard plus I believed that I would find love again also. I have got to get that sense back. I know it is in me. Yet today, when trying to make a radio demo, I felt like that insecure girl of 25 all over again. It makes me think I should have capitalized on the Best of Phx and local CD release. But I was too insecure to realize those accolades could have moved me beyond where I was in radio. I never had enough confidence to push open bigger doors. My answer when asked what I do best is radio. I know in my heart that it is the one thing in my life that is the most natural. (Along with caring for those I love) So why, why would I not feel the most confident ever in the idea of approaching radio again? It is so subjective, one program director may love ya, and the next finds you lacking energy. I suspect that too much is riding on this so I am pressuring myself beyond belief. Therefore, not sounding natural…

I watched two married folks at dinner tonight look so happy and in love. I can only pray it can happen again. But it will have to be an equal partnership this time. I don’t want it just to have love in my life again. I believe I will repel anything that resembles the difficulties in my marriage. I liked being a wife, I really did. It just has to be completely equal if I ever enter something again.


Music Musings…
The Polaris Prize Gala is this Monday. You know I am counting the days to listen! I will try to write out my evaluation of the ten nominees in my next blog.

Jon Auer is playing in Phoenix next week. I am excited for my friends to see him. Maybe someone will hold up the phone for me to hear some of it! I have been trying to help him get some press in town prior to the show. He is heading by the Blaze too. Of course I will be even more thrilled when I get a show to see here in Seattle. Kinda funny I move to Posieland and Phoenix gets a show before I do…

This lack of money is crimping my concert going desires! In-Flight is playing in Vancouver as is Two Hours Traffic but I can not justify going up there for shows until I have an income. Hence I am looking for jobs closer to BC, so it is easier yet to see all my CanCon bands.

Two shows I am definitely going to: Amy Millan in Seattle-oh yes..I will ball my eyes out when she does “Skinny Boy.” That is a given. My dear pal Andrew purchased 2nd row tickets for Matthew Good Nov 10. I am so excited for both!!! I have wanted to see Matt again so bad and Amy solo is going to be amazing!!!

Listening to some extra Plaskett songs from itunes-good stuff. Plus he has a funny little hip-hop song with Classified. I would love to see him win the Polaris. I just think the Three record is just too long for the judges.

I heard a band I liked on CBC3 last week. They are called Hospital Grade. While poking around the internet, I went to their website. Their latest news? They finished recording a song for the Sloan tribute record. Of course.., Of course… So it turns out indeed there is a tribute record being done. It should be fun a few times, I liked The Posies one but tributes only last a few listens in my opinion.

And finally, good old Kella on Iceberg could not pronounce Nanaimo. (nor could she say Polaris) Give me that girl’s job!!! See I haven’t lost all my self-confidence….LOL

Day Job - Gin Blossoms

Don’t quit your day job unless you have another one signed and sealed! Times are extremely tough; some jobs are getting hundreds of applicants. I have a file full of big rejection letters. Shame on me for being so confident my resume was enough to get myself another gig. I maintain that I have the talent and the skill to kill at any job hired for but I am a job search virgin. Seriously, I never had to do this before. How blessed I have been, I went from job to job by reputation without ever needing to search for one. My interview several weeks ago with UW was my first committee interview ever. I plug away but the internet applications do not substitute for face to face contact. My resume certainly may throw off some educational institutes. I did not have a conventional job so the adviser jobs I apply for are probably thrown out the window. The one job closest to my Cronk job needed a fricking Masters degree. I suspect one needs an insider to assist in getting any interview. I magically dream that someone in a hiring committee sees this resume, says “Look how interesting and different this gal is.” Doubtful considering the amount of calls I have gotten. (That total is 1)

Here is the truth…I am scared and I am running out of money. What I am not out of is optimism. I took a huge leap leaving Arizona. I refuse to believe I made a mistake doing so. I absolutely LOVE Western Washington. I want to be here and I believe somehow I will find a way to make this work. I have my moments of depression, who wouldn’t? I miss having my own home, my chance to be creative, heck I miss my shoes.. ;) I have worn the same set of clothing I packed for the drive to Alaska. But do not read this as a feel sorry for me blog. I am so grateful to have a place to stay with Mary. I never realized it as much as when I drove back from Bellingham. I felt like I had a ‘home’ to return to. Being in this atmosphere has helped heal me. I was a wreck when I left Phoenix…I was worse from the Alaska ordeal. The peace I have been seeking since Dan said he wanted a divorce is happening in Yelm, Washington. I am learning so much about spiritual teachings. The ideal of living in the “now” is appealing to me on so many levels. I believe I will be thoroughly entrenched in bliss once the job search ends. It is such a nagging tap on my shoulder.

I was supposed to start the temp job at the Puyallup Fair this week. At training we were told we would work 12 hours a day for 22 days straight. Add an hour drive both ways for me and it would have been 14 hours a day. I really wanted to do it and was looking forward to the chance to mingle with all sorts of people! And yes I need the money. It just wasn’t going to work. Various reasons from the dogs to not being enough money made it impossible. I wish it could have worked out but it wasn’t meant to be for some reason.

One of those reasons may be the opportunity to meet with a GM at a radio group in Bellingham, WA this past Friday. Once again, my guardian angel of Yelm Mary made a few calls and found the contact for me to email. I have been thinking a lot about Bellingham as an option because of it being between Seattle and Vancouver. I also suspect the rent may be fairly less then Seattle. Mary encouraged me to take the 3 hour drive up and explore. The GM responded quickly to my inquiry, kindly agreeing to meet with me the following day. We had a very nice 45 minute talk about the Phoenix radio market in which he was quite familiar with. He was impressed with the stations I had worked at. It ended with him telling me to do a simple demo for him and he would “see what he could do.” That was more than I was even expecting so I felt empowered again. Empowered that I could do radio again, that I wasn’t too far removed from it to be considered. It was a reminder to myself that I did do major market radio and it could still be recognized as such. It was also an interesting juxtaposition of occupational interview styles. The discussion was much more down to earth. It reminded me that I was never fully part of the educational world. Job or no job, the meeting was important to my self-worth and confidence.

I don’t know what happens when I run out of money. It is the major worry I keep trying to fight. I know I need to keep looking for temporary work. My therapist suggested I advertise dog-sitting. I like that idea! Selling items is also an option. If I move my items into a storage space, I could sell the trailer. And yes, if worst came to worst, I start selling my CDs. It is so hard to explain but I am so calm and happy inside even though I am in the direst circumstances of my life. Oh if we didn’t need money in our lives…

Random music notes:

In the very same day I listened to the new Two Hours Traffic, Amy Millan and Matthew Good. WOW! I still just get so excited for release dates of my favorite artists! At this moment I would say that Matthew Good’s Vancouver will be my LP of the year. We shall see in December ;)

I got in the car to drive to Bellingham and Chris Murphy was co-hosting on CBC3. Naturally I was tickled! I have expressed a zillion times how much I miss his and Jay’s radio show. My favorite giggle of the show was Chris saying who else would host a show like Q than Jian Ghomeshi to which Craig Norris responded “You.” Chris said he tries to get Jian to let him fill in all the time to no avail. Love it! Another giggle was Chris looking at a picture of Sloan and saying “There I am with my old collarbone.”

Elephant Stone is a project from a former member of the High Dials. Big Ah-ha moment. Makes perfect sense now as opposed to them coming out of nowhere.

Andrew and I are plotting to go to Vancouver to see In-Flight Safety in Vancouver at the end of September. (I told Dan to send me money-LOL!) Two Hours Traffic are playing there the same week but I need to choose. I pick In-Flight because I know THT will be back but In-Flight seems to be touring less. Their record came out in Jan and they are just touring on it now… I am now Andrew’s flight partner. It means I fly as if a family member of an airline employee. Of course until I have a job, I won’t really be able to take advantage but I hope it means I can be at CV2 graduation…

(And I had no real good reason to use the adorable picture of Jim Zorn except that NFL starts tomorrow-Go 'Skins and 'Hawks!)

Last Parade - Matthew Good

I love this picture of Matthew Good! His new song was the first thing I heard when I turned the radio on today. Fantastic tune..New CD in October!

There is live mariachi music out my window, I am out in the middle of the country…ok I really can’t get away from AZ (I am sure John thinks that is a racist statement)

I have a lot of random thoughts to blog today. I have had an absolutely wonderful week after one day of pure depression. I am fighting so hard to have less and less of those days where I dwell on what I don’t have or what happened in the past. Live in the moment. Believe in your decisions. The past is gone, no changing it and no need to relive it in my head. No more wishing for things I don’t have, let things happen as they may. All those positive chats need to be present constantly. No more getting those neurons all worked up into frenzy! Yep, if I focus on good, things all flow.

Some things about Washington:

*I saw a store called “Stupid Prices” I should go in and see if it is true. It was next to a dollar store, does that mean it is less than a dollar?

*To attract folks away from Starbucks, many espresso places have bikini-clad girls working the drive thru. A few thoughts come to mind…
a. what about the women customers, where is Jim Zorn to serve me my Chai tea? (Ok maybe most women want that Twilight guy or Brad Pitt)
b. Is this wise? What if she accidentally spills, scalding her body…
c. Is this any different than Hooters, I am sure it offends women. I am indifferent to that but many women find this super degrading.
d. I never saw this in Phoenix where it is warm, I bet these women in Washington are freezing. Oh now I get it…

*They have a lot of these “roundabouts” on their roads. The first time I encountered one was in Halifax. I was pretty sure I was going to die. The ones here in Washington are not as traffic-filled but still scare me. I just don’t think everyone gets the concept, therefore “danger-danger!” Why can’t we just stick to 4-way stops? A traffic light?

* Ivars is a famous seafood place downtown Seattle. Maybe they have always had these but I just noticed they have Ivars fast food joints around the rest of town. It is a small consolation for lack of In ‘n Outs… “Giant Prawns to go pleas!”

*I keep seeing the same people! Even the same cars! The day I got the job at the Puyallup Fair, I was parked next to a cool PT cruiser with flames. Two days later I saw it in the town I am staying in which is a good 30 miles away.

*Grr to a Sheriff who came flying up on my rear while driving. It made me figure I was nailed for speeding. I was waiting for him to pull me over as he tailed me for miles. When we finally came to a second lane, he flew around me like a jack-ass in an import racer. I watched him with other cars after, he was a tailgating Sheriff. JERK!

* I hear the most bizarre noises at night out in the country, Ones that wake me out of a dead sleep. The funniest one wasn’t outside though. Mary’s refrigerator must have demons to shake when it defrosts. Scared me straight out of bed one night! Speaking of beds, when I finally get my own place I am going to get a King size bed. My two hounds take up more room than I do.

*Oh I found a tiny little scam…I heard a women say to a sales clerk that she was from Oregon so they didn’t charge her sales tax. She just had to show her drivers license. Guess who has a driver’s license from a state with no sales tax…. (and no I don’t mean AZ. AZ has plenty of sales tax…)

*Finally if I may make a small suggestion for my bearded male friends, never go apply for a job with a comb stored in your beard….;)

What You Need - INXS

It's Tim Farriss' 52 B-day today!!!

I think I am listening to my favorite record of the year as I type! Before I moved, I heard a single from this band Elephant Stone on The Verge. Oh the single was killer! Then they ended up on the Polaris long list. I searched all three Canadian record stores I got to stop at on the way to Alaska. Only one had a slot for it but no CD. Today, I wised up and looked on itunes…I just never expect obscure little Canadian bands to be on itunes but it was! This is sweet poppy heaven! The vocals are very slightly Jay Ferg sounding..

Also discovered today that I can listen to CBC3 and CBC1 on my iphone! I finally looked into applications for it. I have not cared for the phone because it does not last for a long phone call. Maybe 2 ½ hours at best. I am a long way from my friends; I need long phone calls to keep me socially adept. Hahaha!

Saw Mt. Rainier today, I haven’t seen her in a few weeks. She just towers over everything and is impossible not to stare at! It is so odd how she is just sort of away from any other mountains. John Muir Quote: “Of all the fire mountains which like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest.” Yelm is in the most ideal location to view her perfectly. Blessed I am to be in such a beautiful location!

I have now been turned down for 4 jobs. Maybe I am vain, but I thought I would get to the interview stage sooner than this. My resume is outstanding for education jobs, I know it is. I am not going to slide into self-doubt. I am learning to focus on what I want and making it happen. The tricky part is that my truest desire is to live and work in Canada. So do I focus on that or do I plan on staying in Washington for a while so I can work on manifesting my desire to become Canadian? I will change my citizenship. I don’t think I have ever fully expressed that to anyone but when I voted in the last US election, I prayed it was my last as a US citizen. After Canadian Residency, you can work towards citizenship. And I will.

Last week while poking around careerbuilder.com, I fell into a website I wasn’t even looking for. A website for Canadian radio jobs. Radio gigs open in Halifax. What could I do but try. I was out of my mind trying to be practical. I thought I wasn’t being focused enough, that I shouldn’t even go there. I have been avoiding the radio option. But as my dear friend Andi reminded me, I have a talent that could someday get me to Canada. Not every job skill could get one there. No matter what comes of this, I have to remember that doing radio is my God given talent. I may not love the business of radio but I can do it. I am staying with a dear friend who has a studio, all I can do is put together a real good demo and keep trying. I felt really good about the top 40 demo I did. I always was accused of being too bubbly on alt radio..so maybe top 40 is my gig-LOL! I still feel like I could have done even better had I not been hurried. There were more too, Northern BC, and small town NS stations.

So the question is, what do I focus on? I need to make a few calls this week to find out where the process is at. I also need to go back and check all the Washington schools again for new postings to apply for. I plan to check in with University of Washington’s Comm school as their opening has not posted yet. But what of those other radio jobs? Oh Halifax….I want to be there so bad, for the rest of my life. Is that desire keeping me from getting a job in Washington? I need spiritual guidance. I know the Universe will work for me if I work it.

What else happened this past week?
I like doing yardwork in a nice climate. I think I may even have a garden and flowers myself. Another reason I don’t miss Phoenix.

Della has a yeast infection which has caused her to need special bathes and pills twice daily. She is all dandruff looking and losing hair. I worry, of course. It is probably from the change of area, maybe even the nettles scratching her low-lying belly. She can chase a rabbit though, man she is fast! Jasper seems to love being in the country the most. He was always guarding his yard in Mesa. Now he seems to love to investigate all the acres here. Wicket actually has worried me the most. He seems to have aged from this trip. He is getting slower and looks like his legs ache when he wakes up.

I am listening to Airborne Toxic Event now. Andrew says they are the most Canadian non-Canadian band there is. I like it so far, but I knew I liked the radio tracks.

The new OLP is just that, new OLP. It seems like the last three records have presented this more polished adult rock band instead of the harder alt rock they used to be. But they always have a hooky tune or two per record. I adore their new single so I still buy.

I went to a rubber stamp store last week. Shame, shame…. I only bought one…GUILT!

I got to view the Perseids meteor shower last week. I had just spent time reading about how to live in a joyful state. The timing could be more perfect. They were almost like a dream, in fact when I awoke the next day I wasn’t sure if I really saw all those meteors or not. So weird but so fantastic. Some of them were so brilliant they would take my breath away. I am always in awe of God’s universe.
At that I say goodnight! Here’s to a great week!

"Rearview Mirror" - Pearl Jam

I just added my resume to Career Builder.com and it spit out some recommendations based on my resume! Senior Citizen’s home activities director or Pizza Hut Delivery Driver! I am on my way!!! (Or several jobs in the US Army) Today I applied for a job that demanded an hour long personality test. It was like a facebook quiz but not as fun. It also had two math sections! I skipped the entire math reasoning section. Not surprisingly it stated the fact that I could use some math courses in the evaluation.

I have been pondering if I am a city or a country girl. (Is there a fb quiz for that?) I love being out here in the country while staying with Mary. But admit I miss being closer to the city to head out to a show at a moment’s notice. I know my reaction to an ugly orange spider the other day does not indicate I will be camping anytime soon.

It has been so enjoyable to watch my dogs enjoy the open space. Della spotted her first rabbit recently. I thought she was going to bring it back for me she ran so fast! Jasper’s sight is not so stellar; he has had two bunnies in his path but did not know it.

The job search continues. I am trying to think outside of my box. I have been exploring more general job websites now. I think I have hit all the Universities and colleges in the surrounding areas. (Maybe a few a little farther east also) I got declined for an advising job at University of Washington but it was Adviser Senior. I was pushing it-LOL! UW has new job postings daily so I frequent it. Thanks to a contact with their Communications program, I am awaiting one to apply for. It is working with Grad students. I believe I can work well with any age student. Basically I feel good if I find one or more to apply for a day.

My mind has been in overdrive, especially since we watched “What the Bleep do we know?” I am not sure I have words to properly describe how all the theories work. I just know it has opened my mind, made me think long and hard about how I have been living my life. Most importantly, how I want to see my life in the future. Visualizing what I need feels so good to me. The women I am staying with are absolutely incredible.

Watched the Tinted Windows concert on Direct TV last week. I will tell you one thing; if you looked away you would think Taylor Hanson was Robin Zander singing. They are a tad boring live but the music is so perfectly power pop. Hanson was meant to sing this style of music. Bun E. looked really fit and healthy, I heard once he had back issues. Schlessinger knows how to write a perfect pop song but we knew that already from his penning “That Thing You Do!” (Which we listened to the soundtrack several times up to Alaska and back)

I haven’t blogged yet about what happened to Chris Murphy. Chris was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike. By the grace of God, he only has a broken collarbone. He was thrown from his bike into a parked car. I just felt sick to my stomach hearing this. I certainly sent him my get well quick wishes. Word was that Greg was learning the bass parts so they could still play a big Hali show. I think he could be a great voice for “Don’t drink and drive” in Canada once he recovers.

Dizzy - The Wonder Stuff featuring Vic Reeves

Just random notes today:

This is so simple for some people but I have got to learn to take better care of myself. I was dizzy all day from not taking meds for a while. (It is called broke with no insurance..) I am waiting on a package with my cobra information mailed from the Ex… I almost passed out the night we got into Seattle for the same thing. Today I was just plain annoyed because if I am dizzy, I can’t focus on a computer screen. Mary picked up my meds for now, bless her heart of gold. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be back on track!

* Andrew and I are really into following the Polaris Prize. It is a Canadian music prize of $20,000 to the artist whose record is the best of the year, according to an industry panel of judges. They select a long list of potential records then eliminate it down to the short list of 10 records. We like to try to predict the winner. They air the awards show on CBC3 this Sept 21. I am going to attempt to listen to each record fully before. Of course we have our favorites. Andrew is all for Metric- “Fantasies” to win this year. I believe Plaskett deserves it for “Three.” I even wrote out little odds this year. I will share them soon. My guess to win this year is Chad Van Gaalen for his CD “Soft Airplane.” He lost to Patrick Watson two years ago and I think they will give it to him now.

* It is a well known fact about me; ridiculous things make me burst out in tears. Now I really don’t mean to. It is involuntary most of the time. So please laugh that I burst into tears twice yesterday. First for hearing In-Flight Safety’s “The Coast is Clear” on Iceberg. Then I got sniffles for seeing a young gal driving a gorgeous Chevelle as her daily driver. (In-Flight because it reminds me of my first trip to Halifax and the Chevelle because I used to drive one daily also.)

* Andrew was in Seattle but we didn’t see each other-LOL! He was too busy spending 3 hours at one record store here called EM. I think I better stay away from there for a good long time. Same with the rubber stamp convention here this weekend.

*Unbelievable! John is back in Phoenix as of yesterday. That my friend is a heck of a job that you can manage that amount of time off! I don’t even remember what day we left for Alaska anymore. His fb status was something about the joy of sleeping in your own bed, I bet!! I can’t wait until I can own my own bed again!

*In the Tacoma paper yesterday was an article about what Jim Zorn did for the summer! HEEHEE. It was mainly about training camp starting but it detailed his vacation stops and the books he read. I am just guessing that article did not run in the Arizona Republic.

*I turned the TV on today to find a music trivia game show hosted by Meatloaf. The competition was between Leif Garrett and the Bay City Rollers. One of my favorite singers, Kyle Vincent (In photo above) has been touring with this version of the Rollers. There he was, Kyle on TV. It was fun to watch! Kyle does these Living Room performances where he will come to your house and do a show for you. I had him do one at our home in 2004. I also had him speak to my class about the music industry while he was in town plus play live on The Blaze. Another Phx resident also had him do a show a few years later. He is a wonderful guy with an absolute angelic voice. He was once the vocalist for 80’s band Candy with Gilby Clarke, later of G n R fame.

*On the same channel, The 101, they are showing a concert of Tinted Windows. They are the power pop super group with Bun E Carlos from Cheap Trick, James Iha from the Smashing Pumpkins, Adam Schlessinger of Fountains of Wayne (and wrote “That thing you do”) and vocalist Taylor Hanson. (Yes that Hanson!) I missed it today but it is showing again tomorrow! Can’t wait! Their record is in the running for my favorite of the year!

*I saw a gorgeous shooting star above me tonight reminding me it is all going to work out. I may have gotten my first rejection letter today and been sick but I have the highest of hopes and peace around me!

The Key - Erroll Star

For those of you who may be interested in reading this blog I started back in ’04, you might need a key to terms used often in the Mod Maid language. As with anything, it is best to start from the beginning and attempt to follow. Attempt is the key, a Mod Maid’s mind is tough to decipher sometimes!

Key for terms used on Mod Maid’s Maple Musings blog:

Mod Maid – A nickname given to me at my first college radio station, WQBR at Eastern Michigan University. My on-air name throughout college. Origin of the name comes from the brand name of my 1985 winter jacket. Alliteration of name was used for specialty show playing all Canadian music: Mod Maid’s Mighty Maple Minutes. (at Midnight)

CanCon – Term refers to Canadian radios stations requirements to play a certain percentage of Canadian artists. Canadian Content. I utilize as a term for my favorite music.

The Verge, Iceberg and CBC3 – Satellite radio stations that play all Canadian artists. My sources for hearing my favorite Canadian music and learning new ones.

Andrew – My Canadian music partner in crime… Between the two of us, we own just about every rock-based Canadian artist in some form or another. If neither of us have heard of the artist, they must still be playing in their parent’s basement.

The Blaze – (AKA – KASR/KASC) the campus radio station at Arizona State University. As an undergrad, I was music director and station manager in KASR days. From 2000 to 2008, I was their professional advisor.

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications – My employer at Arizona State University from 2000-2009. The school I have my BA from, 1991.

Cronkite Village (AKA – CV, with year variations-CV1, CV2, CV3, CV4 and now CV5) – A Living Learning community for freshmen students from the Cronkite school. I was charged to form this community and develop it.

Big Red – Nickname for the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS I owned and bracket-raced from 1996-2009.

Dan – The ex-husband. LOL

“Bay Window” – The name of the novel I wrote in 2005-2006. The early portion of this blog is all the emotions I went through writing this novel and editing it.

Patrick and Elise – The main characters in “Bay Window”

Sloan – A favorite Canadian band. After a performance of theirs in 2005 in Tempe, AZ, I was inspired to write “Bay Window” based on all the rock band members I had known and experiences I had lived through in my personal days as an on-air personality in Phoenix radio.
There are also many references in this blog to members Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson (C & J) who once were radio show hosts on CBC3 that I wrote many letters to.

KUKQ, KUPD, KSLX and KZON – Radio stations in Phoenix, Arizona that I once worked for at some point in my radio career. Mary McCann, who has kindly opened her home to me currently, was a colleague at both KUKQ and KZON.

Karen and Nina – My two best friends who I met at Eastern Michigan while working at WQBR.

Blossoms – Gin Blossoms. A band from Tempe, Arizona that were playing clubs while I attended Arizona State University. My life revolved around them during my years at ASU and beyond. I believe I can state I was the first on-air personality to play them and interview them on commercial radio. KASR was also first radio station to play this multi-platinum act. My most prized possession is a Gold record presented to me by the band.

Robin – The lead singer of the Gin Blossoms.

Hopkins – Doug Hopkins, Deceased lead guitarist of the Gin Blossoms.

The Posies – My favorite rock band since 1988. From Bellingham, Washington. I have seen live 16 times, many of which I travelled throughout the country to attend.

Jon Auer – One of two lead vocalist of said favorite band; The Posies. Ken Stringfellow is also Posies lead vocalist. Each have solo careers along with the band they began as teenagers.

NS – Nova Scotia. Mentioned often on blog because of two incredible trips there, fictional location of my novel Bay Window and my desired future home.

AZ – Arizona. The state my parents decided to move to in 1987. I left Eastern Michigan University and transferred to Arizona State University. I lived there for 22 years.

AK – Alaska. The state I moved to for about a month in June/July of 2009. Things did not work out as planned. I retreated to Washington due to, presumably, more career opportunities, more record stores, tons of musical acts playing live in the city of Seattle and because St. John said “I can get you as far as Seattle.”

St. John – A former student and director at the Blaze that has become one of my dearest friends. Inducted into sainthood after agreeing to drive this “crazy broad,” her three dogs and a trailer full of music all the way to Alaska. HE: Re-packed the trailer three times, never allowed me to drive once the entire trip, endured my tears daily, scrubbed an f-ing carpet in Jasper, Alberta, listened to me babble on about Canadian music, didn’t complain about the amount of Kleenex strung through the cabin in Homer when I was sick, didn’t guilt me when I killed my fender on Dino, waited for me to record shop in Canada, drove the horrible roads of the Yukon slow enough so the trailer didn’t bounce too bad, and then…offered to drive me back down to the lower 48 when I decided not to stay in Alaska. That is the definition of a great friend and a saint, ladies and gentlemen….

Dino – Nickname for my GMC Sierra Denali. Did I forget to mention I also had a minor fender bent and broken off in AK also..?

Jasper, Wicket and Brendella – My three dogs I was awarded full custody of. *wink*

Jasper is a mutt, Bassett mix who is a distemper survivor. Named after city in the Canadian rockies of Alberta. He was my parent’s dog. Apprx age: 13

Wicket is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named after the Ewok who befriends Princess Leia in “Return of the Jedi.” He is 7 years old.

Brendella is a black colored Basset Hound. She was named after a manufacturer of drag and ski boats. My parent owned drag racing boats while I was growing up. Most often referred to as “Della,” she is 5 years old.

Lucky Star - Goo Goo Dolls

July 25, 2009

Just finished harvesting strawberries from Mary’s garden! Those were direct orders from her to harvest and eat them while she is at work at KPLU playing jazz music all day.  Found about 20 really red ones that are incredibly sweet.

I have officially been in Washington for a week now. Spent Friday job searching online, I first checked University of Washington (UW) and found two more to apply for. That brings my total at UW to 13 jobs I have applied for. Most have an end date next week so perhaps some interviews will come early August? I spent most of the day on craigslist. That yielded some amusing considerations. I wrote a new cover letter insisting that both advising and radio was the ultimate in customer service. (With my editor’s help – wink) I then applied for front desk clerk at a boutique hotel downtown Seattle. I am a big fan of those hotels that have special flare in each room! I then applied for an attendant on the Victoria Clipper. This is the famed (in my head) boat that goes from Seattle to Victoria, BC. Monday I will return to scouring Universities and Community Colleges in Western Washington.

I had a fantastic last two days! Thursday I met John at Pike Place Market. At first I couldn’t find him..I told him I was the girl in the Sloan shirt-LOL! Then I saw some young dude that vaguely looked like the guy I spent 5 weeks with in a truck with. Hee! The Grizzly Adams beard for Alaska is gone. I guess that means he may finally be getting ready to return to Phoenix. We watched the fish throwers pull out a huge octopus out of a box. Yikes! We ate at my old favorite Athenian where Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner sat in “Sleepless in Seattle”. My mom and I loved that movie so much! John sat in Tom Hanks’ spot. When I was trying to find John, I spotted really cute purse at one of the booths. I am not like most women, I am pretty fussy about purses and don’t have a bazillion of them. While walking by it, I showed it to John. He walked up, looked at that label and said they were his Aunt’s creation! He had told me before his Aunt had a booth there but never even told me what she made. Bizarre coincidence! After a day of tooling around, John had to get back to Port Angeles for dinner his step-mom was making for him. Knowing I am a ferry-loving fool, he suggested I ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island with him and back. It was super crowded as it was rush hour on the boat. It raised my imagination for what it would be like to commute on a boat daily. While I was pleased as punch to be ferry riding, I was pretty sad returning to Seattle knowing it was the last time I would see John for a few months at least.

By missing the rush hour, I made it back to Mary’s in only an hour and ten minutes as opposed to 2 hours the day prior. I-5 is a nightmare when it wants to be. Seattle lesson number 23!

Friday evening, Mary and I set out for Mt. Rainier. She spotted a program in the paper that they were holding called “The Heavens of Paradise.” Paradise is the visitor center area at about 5000ft. They have a gorgeous brand new visitor center and Paradise Inn. Leah’s love of mountains- check, Leah’s love of road trips –check, Leah’s love of lodges –double check and Leah’s love of stargazing- triple check! The road was crazy switchbacks to get there. Narada Falls was a quick stop then we reached the center. Mary and I took a little hike along a path to get a better view of my new favorite volcano, Rainier. Not 50 ft away, a lovely deer having her dinner. We took some pix and relaxed. I stared at the mountain and did some serious praying again that I could find a way to stay in Washington. I would have picked Seattle area had I started out just saying, ok where do I want to move in the United States. I have had a picture of downtown Seattle in my bedroom since the early 90’s. The theme of the talk was wilderness does not just end at the horizon. The talk was inside the lodge. Oh my, I was in awe of the lodge décor. I am a fan of that look. It rivaled Jasper Park Lodge for design and décor! After the talk, we were invited to a “Star Party.” The Tacoma Astronomy club had various sized telescopes set up in the parking lot to allow all of us to gaze into that celestial wilderness. Local Girl Scouts were set up to help celebrate 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy. They helped us built constellation maps. The magnitude of the universe is beyond my comprehension. Looking at millions of other galaxies was mind blowing. I honestly had never looked into a telescope before last night! Mary had a night of shooting stars; she even saw one in a telescope that was not visible to us! I learned so much about Nebula, the Milky Way, Jupiter that was visible and the zillions of stars we can not see with the naked eye. It was fantastic. And more of the peace my body needs right now…

Random music notes:

On the drive Thursday, I heard Superfriendz, Dog Day and Two Hours Traffic on CBC3. THT song “Stuck for the Summer” is apparently the theme song for an MTV show about “band camp.” Yes for one of my bands getting some US airplay!

On Iceberg I heard a double shot of Gowan (random!!) and “It doesn’t really matter” – Platinum Blonde. Of course my distain for DJ Kella on Iceberg increased when she once again talked over the ending of Platinum Blonde. Did they not teach her at her radio school that you don’t talk over COLD endings? URGH!

CBC3 played a band called The Lodge from Halifax. It was killer but it took me a few google searches to find said band because of the generic name. My dear friend Mike has a radio station by the same name!  Turns out The Lodge are former members of The Inbred and friends…of course, Mike O’Neill is involved. Andi, this is info for you dear! ;)
For Andrew: Ten Second Epic has a new single featuring Lights called “Everyday” and I am digging on a band called Contrived.

I Am The Cancer - Sloan

July 22, 2009


I had such a fantastic day I am inspired to return to blogging. Besides, a blog on the “crazy broad” trying to find a new life and job in Washington should be fun read, right? I will post on facebook and return to my blog also.

The day started with an actual hairstyle as I haven’t used a blow dryer or hairspray since my last day at Cronkite. The hair ended up looking 70’s era Kristy McNichols since I had to have most of the two-tone black hairs cut out prior to leaving Phoenix. It was funny looking and made me think about how much I loved the movie “Little Darlings” when I was a young teen. Tatum O’Neal is filming the new Runaways bio pic. See, my hair style may make a comeback when the world sees Kristen Stewart (As Joan Jett!) and Dakota Fanning (As Cherie Currie!) sporting feathered hair!!

The job fair was smaller than I expected. Most of the companies were young male based, like the Army, Navy, CIA and the Edmonton Police. The two Universities represented both informed me their academic adviser-style jobs were sales driven. I have always been aware I am not fit for sales, I would cry every time someone said no! I found humor in the jobs in Alaska that were available. I spent the most time discussing how to become Canadian with the kind fellas from Edmonton. It inspired me to work hard to look into communications jobs in civil service in Canada as they may speed up my goal to get permanent residency. Or convince someone in Canadian radio that I am a one-women Canadian record store…

I went to a small Lutheran school in Michigan. There were 8 students in my graduating class in 8th grade. All the boys at St. Matthews were hardcore football fans. Jimmy, a dolphins fan, Jonathan loved the Cowboys. Being the tomboy in the class, I already loved the NFL and claimed Fran Tarkington and the Vikings as my team. But in 1976, my crush on Tarkington dissipated as I spotted a scrappy lefty who was the quarterback for the new team from Seattle, Washington. That year, our teacher had us write a journal daily. I ended each day with my new daily affirmation: I love Jim Zorn! I collected the articles from the Detroit Free Press every Monday, and then wrote an entire year report on the Seattle Seahawk’s season. They were fun to watch, and as the hormones sparked each year, this girl could not get enough of the duo of Zorn and Steve Largent, his favorite wide receiver. I wrote an A graded short story for Mr. Bond’s creative writing class about said duo! In my second trip to Seattle in 1993, I toured the King Dome. It was only natural that I was overjoyed to travel to Qwest Field in my very first week living in Seattle. I had to find the tour!

I felt like I should have had Cronkite Village with me on the tour! I wasn’t there to see a suite, the field or the press box this time though… I wanted to see the Seahawks history; I wanted to see those players’ photos in that Ring of Honor. The tour guide walked so fast I constantly lagged behind as I tried to photograph all the historic items. I was honestly annoyed that the tour was not focused at all for an actual Seahawks fan. And then, the guide said Zorn was now the coach of the Giants. I cringed at myself; miss know-it-all had to spew “Redskins” to correct him. But come on, the guy is a hero in this town! Get it right! No matter, I was beaming happy as I left the stadium.

My fine host, Mary warned me of the traffic on I-5 after about 3pm. In my truck at 4pm, I tried to decide if I would fight it. As I flipped on my Sirius satellite radio, the guest-DJ take over show on Iceberg was just beginning. The Canadian musician hosting? The one and only Joel Plaskett. SCORE! I will gladly sit in traffic for the next hour! (not to mention, stare at Mt. Rainier while listening!) Oh Joel, he is such a music fan. No question he brought his own stash as he played absolutely nothing Iceberg has ever played. He spoke of his Halifax history, Thrush Hermit tales and his fond memories of seeing Chris Murphy and Jenny Pierce singing “I am the Cancer” live. The show was fantastic! I included the artists Plaskett played below.

Maybe only I find these kinds of connections but as “I am the Cancer” played I started to tear up. In 1993, my first radio job at KUKQ came to a close as the station changed format to all News. By chance, my vacation, a trip to Seattle/Vancouver was planned the week after this surprise event occurred. I considered cancelling my trip but my parents encouraged me to still take the vacation and relax. On that very trip was when I first heard “I am the Cancer” on the radio. It was the song of our trip, as it was in heavy rotation on the alt-radio stations in Seattle and BC. Now I am living in Seattle, staying with a former co-worker from KUKQ and I hear “I am the Cancer” ?! See what I mean? Or is it just me? 

Random notes from today:
Rural Alberta Advantage remind me of Immaculate Machine (No wonder you like them, Andrew!)
I like Lauren Burrows and Lana Gay on CBC3 but not Lisa Christensen
Heard band Green Go today, pretty fun stuff
New Cancon band called Davinport (sorry t, they spell it wrong but you wouldn’t like them)
I am so bad; I bought a Seahawks heart necklace-LOL!
Delicious Blue Cheese hamburger for dinner.
Sleeping puppies all around me!

Tomorrow-Pike Place Market!
Friday – Star Gazing at Mt. Rainier


I love it here  Leah

Plaskett played:
Martha Wainwright
The Constantines
The Nils
Al Tuck
Dave Marsh
The Band
Old Man Luedecke
Joni Mitchell
Sloan
Two Hours Traffic
One track from each of his 3 new records