Traditional sighting at Nishinomiya Japanese Garden portends eight more weeks of summer...

Nishinomiya never fails to disappoint. I love the place. Everything Spokane intersects in and struggles with this peaceful oasis. The magic that powers the universe is strong here, but even this cosmological juice occasionally sputters, coughs and ponders, "What the f*ck?"

Like some mythical aquatic dweller it rose and floated toward us:


I'm just glad that the head this once belonged to was no longer attached or in tow.

Out of town Hoopfesters laugh at our Arena's artwork...

Did I catch them laughing at the length of this runner's arms? Or maybe it was his running style?

Maybe it was this? I think so.

I am putting out the challenge! Is there any other city's arena/coliseum artwork that can "top" ours?

Waller Wedding Went Well!

High atop Slate Peak, a right purdy place by Winthrop.

Odds and ends...

ELK DAYS BONUS:
It's kinda hard to tell in this picture, but apparently when the pastor left, his name was lovingly expunged from the marquee. Its erasure only highlighted it.


FACE UPDATE:
Neat scabs. Unfortunately, the main one has formed a brittle Hitler mustache which is now receding. My teeth have firmed up. My lip is almost back to normal.

Had to miss some work simply because of the potential of blood-borne pathogen issues (experimented with face wrapping - REVENGE OF THE INVISIBLE FIREFIGHTER). Having scabs fall off of a Hitler look-alike onto citizens would probably not be the best.

Hanging out with some of your best friends 24 hours at a time is hard to beat. So, I plan on being back next shift - maybe with a Guy Fawkes mask, if necessary.

Hitting the trail...

Took a spill today running on the High Drive upper trail. A rock caught my foot and down I went! I had my cell phone with me, so Sarah picked me up. It was interesting that, as I walked down High Drive - blood dripping, not one single car stopped to see if I was OK. I wouldn't have expected that. After showering, it looks like it's just little cuts and road rash.

ELK DAYS 2009!!!

My wife and I are both from Elk. And as it is often asked, I while provide the answer to the question now in your head - "Yes, our kids are fine."



Candy was thrown into puddles.

But we are a hardy lot.

Elk leads the nation in bovine-human hybrid technology.


Beguiling art was featured.

Look what the Brits stole from Elk! Sir Topham Hat is a fraud.

Is this sign saying what I think it's saying?

As seen at the Rose Garden. Apparently, the SPD budget is getting tighter:

How times have changed!

Under the tracks, over by the Swamp Tavern there is this. Maybe the guy is giving the kid some money. Maybe he has given him a refreshing beverage. Perhaps, he is going to take a beer away from him, with an admonishment. Regardless, he has stopped to interact with this sitting youngster.

Why is this a glimpse into a bygone era?

1. The restful youth still shows some gumption in his garb. He is not wearing pajamas (today's go-getter apparel standard) - I think.
2. The standing man has stopped. That is, he is not whizzing by in his SUV with cellphone in hand dialing 9-1-1.
3. The youngster's hair has a Cthulhu thing going on. Perhaps, it is more zalgo-esque.

Anyhow, Number Two is the biggy. You wouldn't believe the amount of 9-1-1 calls placed by motorists who see a guy sitting on the side of the road, or taking a nap in a car, on a front porch, etc. They usually never stop to see if there really is an emergency. Diesel-suckin' vehicles roll out over and over again to wake the person up, that is if he or she hasn't already moved on.

Some solutions:

1. Charge 25 cents for any 9-1-1 cell phone call. Not too much of a price to pay for a true emergency. Too much to pay for a lark.
2. Limit 9-1-1 calls to three per year, then you pay for the cost of the response. You can protest the charge, if any of the four calls were true emergencies.
3. Call people back to let them know what the "emergency" they called in truly was. You could also let the caller know about the actual emergency response which was delayed because some guy had stopped to tie his shoe. This event roused the caller's vigilance and resources were sent there instead.
4. Official serapes and sombreros for those who prefer to nap in public. When an emergency crew responds they could place these on the sleepers. There could be a sign on them that says, "DO NOT CALL 9-1-1!" Voila, you have converted a person who inspires fear and other negative emotions for the cellphone enthusiast into one that is engaging in a time-honored, charming and photo-worthy siesta. Maybe the caller might even stop to take a picture or chat with the person.

Spokane's South Hill - Home of upscale litterbugs, vandals and miscreants...

Found this. Any other part of town, it would have been an empty bag of Cheetos, not an artisan bread wrapper. I am sure there is an empty Merlot bottle in the hollyhocks.

It's summer and here they come:

X-Box 360 GTA avatar villains - smashing microbrew beer bottles in Manito Park - parents didn't upgrade their cable service. That'll teach 'em.

Doc-Martined panhandler children of surgeons ripping up the rose garden with dad's humvee.

Nordstrom-clothing-clad, sad-eyed hoodlums shuffling down the street with their designer pants falling down and no audience, except for the old lady raking her lawn. She gives them some twine for makeshift suspenders.

Mister Yuke once chronicled these behavioral patterns and rituals of the well-to-do wanksta.

I think I have now assumed the role of grouchy old man - hopefully in an upscale role as well. An unkempt Ed Begley Jr. hepped up on Nyquil and technology?

An inscription found on the bottom of the Costco watermelon -

I thought "Zalgo" may have been the guy's name who picked the melon. Apparently, there's more to "zalgo."

Another reason to fear Mexico?!? First H1N1 and now this?!?!

All I know is I am going to try to work "zalgo" into more conversations.

A new kind of bike lane?

This morning, riding to work I noticed a cyclist riding in the middle of Howard heading north - I mean right down the middle - in between the double yellow lines. He turned on Sharp and then I saw him dong the same thing up Post. Two lanes south. Two lanes north. Him in the middle. Am I missing something? Is this a defacto bike lane? How about on highways? This could open up a whole new world. I mean how much space do you really need for a bike lane? What about oncoming bicyclists?

Where is this? And what is Phase 1?

Hint: It is south of Sprague and east of Division.

UPDATE 6/18/09 - This is on Crestline - north of 57th @ Stone Crest - a housing development. It has a cool looking medieval guard shack at the entry.

Cap'n Juicy - Keepin' it real...

With the Marquee Lounge menacingly on starboard (Cap'n Juicy is headin' toward ye mate), things would be bad enough. Yet to make things worse, looming above and to port is The Onyx Pearl(?), a DAY SPA! Nonetheless, Cap'n Juicy navigates the treacherous Trendy Straits, and does so with relish.

Vegetable garden - check!

When we moved to our home (12 years ago?), the first thing we noticed was a forest of maple saplings - the backyard. After we removed all the little suckers, it was obvious that there wouldn't be enough sunshine for a decent garden. So, we dug up part of the frontyard and stuck it there.

Over the years, Sarah has dug up a lot of the frontyard and has put in many flowers. I've seen many a photographer clicking away on her parking strip wildflower garden on Wall. My vegetable garden always seems to elicit a few questions from walkers. I've given away a lot of stuff too. It's a funny thing. I like weeding, preparing the soil, planting the seeds, etc., but it always seems a little too final to go out and pick the vegetables. So, sometimes, someone wanting some zuchinni is a great incentive to pick.

I am trying a couple of different things this year. One is the grid in the raised bed. I've been reading up on the square foot gardening craze, and I thought that looked like fun. Another is the compost bin you see toward the back of the picture. I've taken the compost out and have put potatoes in there. As they sprout and grow, I will cover them with more straw. From what I've read, we will have a bin full of potatoes in the fall. We'll see!

Wild Turkey Encounter Downtown...

No not the Wild Turkey at the Steelhead Grill.

I was riding home this morning and saw this turkey walking up Howard. After I took all these pictures, I realized that maybe this is not uncommon. I've seen 'em in my neighborhood, in the West Central Neighborhood, and other places not "wild."

I'm reminded of when I captured countless images of canada geese, decades ago, in Alaska. I couldn't believe that there were hundreds of them sitting in a park. Amazing. A few years later, I was knee-deep in canada gooseshit at Gonzaga U. There were more geese in Spokane than pigeons or seagulls. All to say, the pictures featured here will probably seem pretty dorky, pretty fast - maybe even instantaneously.

Inland Empire Century - A fun ride...

The weather in the Tri-cities was great! I only got lost twice. There was some dialogue on the wisdom of riding the cyclocross bicycle for a hundred miles. Hey, it's the fastest bike I have OK?

Jesse lent me a road wheelset, but it just didn't seem right to do that to the Masi. About mile 70, I was kinda wishing I had gone with the road tires and wheels.

I would advance on the climbs. On the descents I held my own, but on the flats I was left behind. Every climb, I would gain all the distance I had lost. Then, down the hill, and the cycle would start over again and again - like a yoyo, yo.

Spring riding is here - I hope...

Had a very nice ride into work yesterday. There are more cyclists showing up on the street. This could be the year when we achieve critical mass (the original def). Have been seeing more and more cyclists on the sidewalk downtown. Not the usual transient bikers, but hipster kids - going fast - darting around pedestrians. Whatup whippersnappers? Get a helmet, slacker, and get the f@#k off the sidewalk.

The closest I ever came to hitting a cyclist with my car was in San Francisco. I was making a left turn across an empty crosswalk when she came out of nowhere zipping along on the sidewalk at 15 MPH to take advantage of the fading "walk" sign. It scared the shit out of me.

A confession: I use a 10-foot section of sidewalk between the Super C and the station's approach when I arrive at work in the morning, but I keep it very slow. Otherwise, I have to go around the block to get to work. Still, I realize that if someone came crawling from the alley and I ran over them in the Super C parking lot, I would totally be at fault.

Just when you thought the awesome festival barricade around the fountain was the best, they've kicked it up a notch to barricade off the middle of the Howard St. bridge. Some concertina wire might be the next beautification step. Homeland Security grant maybe? $$$$!

Bloomsday 09

Great weather for the run this morning. I am happy with my time - 57:38. It's about 40 seconds faster than last year, but almost 10 minutes slower than 20 years ago.  I don't know what the problem is. 

My training this year has been pretty laid back. A typical schedule is: Day 1 - ride bicycle to work, Day 2 - ride home from work, swim one mile, Day 3 - run 5.5 miles fast, Day 4 - ride bicycle 30 miles or so, swim one mile, Day 5 ride to work, Day 6 - ride home from work, swim one mile, Day 7 - run 9 miles slow, Day 8 - ride 20 miles, swim one mile, Day 9 - ride to work, lather, rinse repeat. The swim thing is something new. I am liking it. I don't believe I am training for a triathlon, but you never know. 

Towards the end of Bloomsday, I always get kinda rummy. My face is covered in snot and sweat (usually my sweat and snot). I am very susceptible to weird cognitive/spiritual dissonance at this stage. Today it happened at the 6.5 mile water station. Some fat pre-myocardial-infarction kid (in his 30s?) told me to "run faster." Things got fuzzy after that. 

My GPS watch showed that I ran an extra .1 mile. I think it must have been from all the sideways movements to breach walls of runners. I think this makes Bloomsday a very fun run. 

SpoSwineFluPalooza!

Yesterday was a treat. Many of our calls were from people who had worked themselves into a fine swine flu mindset - thanks to our news media. I suspect, had the news reported the symptoms of H1N1 manifest as broken legs, we would have had ran out of leg splints by lunch.

The swelling news theme music and awesome video effects made me want to join the parade too, but it seemed like a lot of work.

When KXLY showed a map of suspected flu cases in the Inland Empire, there was one red dot on Spokane and another on Coeur d'Alene. They made the dots three times the size of the actual cities themselves. So large were they that they touched and formed a set of red Double-Ds straddling the border.

Yes, this flu is newsworthy and it's great to look for the local angle. But, as I have noticed many times in local reporting, there is an overriding narrative, and once they decide what that's going to be, facts contrary to that predetermined narrative are excluded from the story. It's called "branding" in marketing. It helps simplify the message. It's containable. It's comfortable for the consumer. It is terrible news reporting. In fact, it is terrible story telling. I can't imagine reading a novel or watching a movie that would be so blatantly unnuanced. It's dull. Most importantly, it's not telling the truth.

Case in point. Yesterday, we kept hearing about the death of the child in Texas - how she was SHOPPING AT THE MALL and fell ill. We never heard that this child was from Mexico and was brought to Texas from Mexico for her treatment (and, unfortunately, ultimately to die). What about the 168 dead in Mexico from this flu? Well, a couple of days ago, the number was revised to 12. Not a lot of news around this. Why? Because it doesn't fit the predetermined narrative/branding. And the stories from the local school that was not going to shut down because there was no threat were bizarre. This flu is proving to be about the least deadly and least transmittable of any flu we've seen in years. Now, there's a story. Also there's a story in how all these agencies are seamlessly working together, even if this is a nonevent. It's good practice and great news, and especially welcome after eight years of debacle.

I feel sorry for some of our local reporters. Sometimes when they report a story, they look like they are being held hostage. Other times, they look like they know the story is a joke, and they are doing all they can to keep from laughing. I don't envy all the work and stress these folks have had to endure to get where they are now, only to report on "Office Christmas Party Tips"*

If there were a station that had local news for adults who want to become informed, I would tune in every night. Five minutes for sports. Five minutes for weather and the rest of the time could be spent educating on local politics and issues.

When I was a kid (old man rant), the news sought to educate. We were all thankful that we learned something after watching. Now, I think the "news" has to make people feel secure in their bias and their ignorance, or else viewers will feel angry and turn the channel. Some of us wouldn't. How about you local disgruntled reporters and execs teaming up to give Spokane one-half hour of news every night that is truly news?

*OK. Office Christmas Party Tips. This one was on a few years ago. The "news" story lasted about five minutes. Had graphics. The whole enchilada. What were these tips? 1. Don't drink too much. 2. Dress appropriately. 3. Remember to mingle. I don't think they even had to consult wikipedia for this segment.

Bennidito's last night...

Is there a cheerier lit restaurant in Spokane?