Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Making sin out of nothing at all

As I sat down to write this, I glanced outside and saw Widower Peter standing in front of his house across the street.  He walked down to the sidewalk, opened the cover of his water meter, spit in it, then walked away smoking his wonderfully curvy pipe. 

Can anyone tell me why he would do such a thing?  Can't he just spit on someones car -- or try to land his spit on a quickly-moving bug just for a challenge -- or spit up in the air to see who it lands on like us normal people on this side of the street?


Seattle Mom and I went to see the band Stars last week.  There are few things more enjoyable than sitting in a live music venue with a beer in your hand and loud music rattling your bones.  I can't hear anything for days afterwards, which is a bonus considering the volume of my daily life (I'm looking at you, Lucien and Alex and men constantly hammering on my house).

The show went from fun to sexy when I went to the bathroom and saw these signs on the wall --


Let's rephrase so there's no confusion.  What they really mean is this --



Stars is a good band.  I liked them more when they first appeared on my radar nearly a decade ago but they're still worth the time spent.  They seem to align with me politically as well; I lost count how many times they gave Washington props for legalizing both gay marriage and weed on the same day. They called Washingtonians "an inspiration to civilization" for recognizing both those things for what they are -- not scary.



I recapped the show for Contractor God the following morning and in my description expressed relief Seattle Mom and I were not the oldest people at the show.  That's a legitimate concern when you reach your late thirties. 

Contractor God then told me of the time he and a friend, both in their late forties, went to see one of their old favorite British punk bands.  He said it was quite depressing to look around the crowd, realize how old the fanbase had become and admit they were, in fact, their peers. 

Come the first song, the fans tried hard to pogo with the same enthusiasm they'd had twenty-five years earlier.  But after about half a song, everyone hobbled away from the front of the stage rubbing their lower backs to order a beer, put ice packs on their aching muscles and wonder where the years had gone. 

We were at Seattle Mom and Dad's house for dinner recently when Seattle daughter and Lucien brought us a picture they'd drawn together.  I immediately got upset.


"Sin?  SIN??  With arrows pointing at the important bits?  Who is teaching our children their bodies are sinful?  I don't even believe in 'sin,' just use your common sense and don't hurt anybody, duh."

Seattle Mom and I called the children over, concerned about the messages they were receiving from somewhere and wanting to set them straight.  When we asked Seattle Daughter what she meant by "sin," she looked at us like we were dumb and said, "That doesn't say "sin," that says "NICE."

Seattle Mom then remembered Seattle Daughter has a tendency to write words backwards. She actually sounded it out pretty well.  English is hard. 




It's winter, the skies have gotten gray and rainy and most Seattle residents are stir-crazy and itching for change.  But for some reason, I'm currently involved in a full-on love affair with my city.  Everywhere I look, I love things.

Love my Seattle boy running on the waterfront


Love my girl owning that lollipop under the viaduct


Love those brick walls


Love that neighborhood theatre sign


Love the picture Contractor God took from up on our roof


 Love my funny friends

I wasn't born in Seattle and it's far from the most exotic or interesting place I've been, but as my boyfriend, hip-hop artist Macklemore, says about it:

"The skyline is etched in my veins, you can never put that out no matter how hard it rains."


Break it down for the town...

Not really sure where I was going with all that but there it is,
MJ

11 comments:

  1. I sure hope you saved that drawing, can you imagine how much fun it would be to pull that out in about 10 years!
    Are they ever going to be finished with your house?
    As always, enjoyed the read!
    ~Melanie

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    1. You really are blessed to have already lived in two of the world's most beautiful cities. I always said I would only move from Des Moines to live in either Seattle or Albuquerque (icky city but my granbaby lives there!) LOL, Kathy

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    2. Helloooo Melanie and Kathy,

      Definitely saving the drawing. With all this kid puts me through, I'm happy to have any ammunition I can for future retribution.

      Nope, never going to be finished. Never, never, never.

      Kathy, I'm with you. I feel lucky to know both these cities as well as I do. And hey, New Mexico isn't so bad! Love that area of the country, especially the ole Santa Fe and Taos.

      Bye ladies, thanks for stopping by as always!

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  2. going to see the Who next friday (for the thousandth time) so I know all about being the old gubblers at concerts...but hey.that's what hair dye is for...

    speaking for the posse..we need to see updates on all the work being done around the house...mainly because we are nosey.

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    1. Debbie! The Who??? I would love to see The Who. Teenage wasteland, man.

      Maybe I'll update on the house next time. The thought makes me tired but I'll give it a go. So, so much.

      Have fun at the concert -- and remember, no sex in the bathroom, Debbie!

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    2. But sex in the bathroom is mandatory at a who show...

      Love my boys first time i saw them...1974.....!!!

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  3. The kid is right. Sin is nice;) (I thought at first it might be Spanish;))

    How fitting that this post is a kind of Ode to Seattle since your first-year anniversary of becoming a Seattlite again is fast approaching:)

    Oh, and I'm with Debs on the house updates! (Well done, Debs!:))

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  4. Widower Pete's action is a puzzle. I can only think maybe he
    was protesting his high water bills.

    I once went to a White Zombie concert when I was in my forties and was
    definitely the oldest person there but nobody seemed to care.
    I thought the place would be full of snarly anarchists but they were
    very relaxed. I stayed away from the mosh pit. The goth chicks were a groove. Black semi-transparent blouses are a many splendered thing.

    You live in the USA now and there isn't much different between us and
    the Taliban when it comes to sex. If the Dept of Family Services found out the children thought such things were 'nice' they would pay you a visit. (they would have no problem if they thought it was 'sin') so be careful. Here in the midwest the jails are full pot smokers and 18 year old boys who've had relations with their 17 year old girl friend.

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  5. How about when your teenager goes to see The Who, comes home, and says, "They look like Grandpa". He still loves the music though!

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  6. Maybe widower Pete was having one of these?

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xv1tMioGgXI?rel=0

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  7. Funny to read your first blog (in Paris) and then this one.
    I've done the contrary : 2 kids, 1 lover and here we are in Seattle for 2 years.
    Things are weird here for us :)

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