Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Scaring the birds

Did you enjoy my disappearing act?   Sorry if you thought I died.  No worries -- I'm fine, family is too, we've just been distracted by a big old house that needs a stupid amount of work.

But rejoice, for Banister Abbey is ours! We signed the closing documents this morning -- at 6:45 a.m. because Alex had non-stop meetings beginning at 8:00 a.m. and lasting until eternity.

Today we finally have keys to a goddamn house (though not THE Goddamn House, for which I still mourn). Our warrior real estate agent, who has been walking this road with us for a year and a half, is either going to miss us terribly or undergo a complex and dangerous procedure to wipe us from her memory.

It's been so long since I posted, I'm hopelessly behind and am going to have to let some really weird stories go.  In an effort to catch up just a little bit, here is an abbreviated version of recent events.  This is a very long post, but you'll likely not hear from me for another week because of the moving so I'm going to throw it all out there.

Prepare yourselves for the razzle dazzle.

 We saw a flying boat


I chaperoned a field trip to the Japanese Garden in the rain.  My group left shivering with wet pants thanks to near-constant puddle jumping.  I am the worst chaperone ever.  

 
 Lucien went to a fair in a wetsuit


 Coco picked up a six pack at the grocery store


We went to a very cold beach up in Edmonds...



..and took a very nice self portrait there


 I went back to our old house.  I have a lot of feelings about that
Another time.


We went to a party.  Alex broke a pint glass...



...so he put a hat on it so no one would know....



Let's see, what else...


Saturday was official Capitol Hill Garage Sale day.  There were sales all over the place.  I scored a set of Fiestaware for cheap, cheap.  I also met a very distraught woman who was trying to finance her divorce through her sale.  I bought all her placemats and napkins and told her everything was going to be all right. 

Lucien may be a hyper little thing but he indulges Coco's need to hold hands every day when walking home from the bus stop.


I went to see a show Saturday night with Seattle Mom and Supermodel Neighbor.  We saw Michael Hurley, famous old folk singer, at a neighborhood music venue which happens to be a bike shop during the day.  It was a hushed show amongst many bicycles.

Seattle Mom and I were supposed to meet Supermodel Neighbor inside.  We got a little worried as we approached the front door, however, because it appeared to be a very subdued show and we were not in a subdued mood.  We became increasingly concerned when we met a hipster outside who dreamily said "Hurley's like a bird sitting in your hand; you don't want to startle him because he might fly away" because Seattle Mom and I are definitely the bird-startling types.

We jumped up and down a few times to expel our rowdiness and went inside.  I liked Michael Hurley very much, especially the song where he repeatedly begged us to stop kicking his dog.  Supermodel Neighbor only had to tell Seattle Mom to "settle down and listen to the music" once.  All in all, a success. 

You could tell it was a real hipster show because they were selling eight-tracks at the front door --



My parents and my sister are on an adventure in New Mexico right now, an adventure which has apparently involved some getaway-style driving and some breaking and entering at Georgia O'Keefe's former ranch.  I'm not sure what the hell they're doing down there, but they appear to be causing trouble, and I wish I was with them.

In other news, Lucien no longer wants to be called "Lucien."  He wants to be called "The Flying Dutchman."  What the hell?

At least we finally got a house.  And what a house it is,
MJ

15 comments:

  1. Huzzah encore! Can't wait to hear about all the weird things you discover whilst renovating Banister Abbey. Be kind to your servants, they may have to help you move a dead body one day.

    "...at a neighborhood music venue which happens to be a bike shop during the day." The casualness with which you say these things cracks me up.

    Good luck with the move. You should be pretty good at them by now.

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  2. Congrats on the house! So happy for you!

    Thanks for sharing the tidbits...Coco with her 6-pack made me laugh! Lucien is such a good big brother :)

    ElleCee

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  3. Happy Happy Joy Joy! A home of your own! Your blog buddies are so thrilled for you. And, I must admit, for ourselves. Although we wish you the best, we also look forward to your moving trials and remodeling tribulations. Bwah ha ha. Keep us posted, needless to say.

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  4. That was NOT nearly long enough to excuse your absence. I am seriously going through withdrawals here. :) But I forgive you because you are one busy woman.

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  5. Con-gra-tu-la-tions!!!
    How wonderful that you got the house, and pretty fast in my opinion.
    We did miss you a lot. Your stories, adventures and mishaps, which you always make out to be so funny!
    Thanks for continuing to share your life, I love your attitude.
    I'm sure Paris must be missing you too!

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  6. Welcome back to blogworld, I really missed you and congrats also on finally getting those keys. What could go wrong now?? Lucien is one of my fav kids and looks like he is going to be a super big brother. Tell Alex the broken glass with the hat made perfect sense to me too! Thanks for my Moxie dose and good luck on the move and cannot wait to hear about that! Kathy in Iowa

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  7. so glad about the house...can't wait for the reno stories...

    the picture of the Flying Dutchman and Mme Cokes holding hands...sooo cute....

    folk singers in a bike shop...wow...you really do live in Seattle don't you?

    Fiesta ware for cheap cheap....I'm jealous...

    have fun with the move kiddo...take pictures!

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  8. Congratulations!! Have fun with the renovating, keep those stories coming!

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  9. Got my MJ fix. Withdrawal isn't easy. All is well with the world now.
    Hmmm...vibrant, dynamic, energetic MJ & SM meet older, subdued, hashed-out hipsters. The words 'incongruous' and 'cognitive dissonance" come to mind. The iPads meet the 8-Track Stereos.
    And Coco, bless her heart, already practicing to become a beer truck driver.
    Nice recovery from the broken glass faux pas. Give it personality with a paper hat. And Its sooo avant garde.
    Just from the pic, I totally loved your old house and see why you pine for it. Your new house should give you a good chance to ezzercize your creativity. Have fun with the new place.

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  10. I've been offline for the past month or so, trying to finish up our house remodel, now I'm enjoying catching up on your blog! Congrats on the new house!! I am so glad you have it and look forward to your stories about the fun times and frustrations with an old house. I can understand why you had to have the house, just the picture of the woodwork alone would make me buy it. We once bought a house because of the front door, in hindsight not the best purchase but we did always love that door. We actually took it with us to the next house, so it was worth it.
    Sending good house renovation vibes your way!
    ~Melanie

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  11. Finally! Congrats on the house!:) So you're moving in right away? You're not gonna stay in the rental while you do renos? Doesn't that drive you crazy? (It would be grounds for divorce in my case as my husband goes berserk everytime we move, even if there are no renos or paint jobs involved... and he's not even the one painting!)

    You went to a show in a bike shop?! Hilarious!:)

    Lucien is a great big brother!:) So sweet!:)

    "Seattle Mom and I are definitely the bird-startling types" - I guess with your and Al's heredity, the Loosh didn't stand a chance...;)

    "I'm not sure what the hell they're doing down there, but they appear to be causing trouble" - I guess with that kind of heredity, you didn't stand a chance either;)

    The Flying Dutchman, eh? Well, KLM and Air France merged, but still... I'm not gonna try to figure that one out.

    Good luck with the move!

    Toodles!

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  12. Awesome about the house. And can you get Coco to pick up a 6-pack for me, too, next time? Merci.

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  13. Oh, by the way, do you know this blog(ger)? She's French and she lives in Seattle (in case the blog title didn't make that abundantly clear) and she seems really cool. I think you ought to invite her out for margaritas and talk some of that French talk together. http://frenchgirlinseattle.blogspot.fr/

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