Oh What A Beautiful Morning

I've heard it said that if you can see and experience beauty, then sadness and pain has to move.

I took this photo at Greenlake this morning.

What a beautiful day.

Remembering When

It was March of 1996 when this little girl came into my life:

Look at that sweet face.

She was so tiny...

Moving Forward

It's been almost 3 weeks since my precious girl-dog Abbey passed away.

It's been a challenging time, but life moves forward. Dudley and I are doing OK. We hang out together and play "Toys" and have "bone time".

We go for walks and go to the dog park.

Cookies are presented and consumed.

Breakfast and Supper are prepared and ignored. (that's his normal routine)

When it's time for bed, Dudley leads the way and eagerly jumps into bed first.

We go for rides and run errands.

We talk to each other about our days.

Moving forward does not mean Abbey is any less in my heart or my thoughts.

She will always have a place there.

But it is good to move forward.

Goodbye, Sweetheart.

It's been a hard week.

Abbey, who came into my life in 1996, passed away on Tuesday morning. She had been coughing for a couple of weeks, but seemed to be getting better.

She ate normally, she played "Toys" almost every day, including Monday evening.

We cuddled, she came up to me for her usual scratches and pets.

But I guess it was her time.

She was very sick Tuesday morning. I took her to the vet's office--she wanted to go. She jumped into the back seat, I didn't even have to lift her hind legs.

It took a little tug to get her to come out, but she walked into the office, walked (with a little tugging) up on the scale to be weighed.

Immediately after they showed us into the exam room, Abbey collapsed, heaved a big sigh, coughed twice, and died.

The vet didn't even have time to get a syringe of medication to ease her pain.

She's gone now.

I am stunned that I feel so sad. I'm not sleeping well, have had headaches, everything smells weird, and tastes weird. I guess this is real grief.

I know this will pass.

At least I hope it will.

She followed me everywhere.

If I got up in the middle of the night, she woke up and followed me to wherever I walked. She was my constant shadow.

Her little feet always stamped on the floor in joy when I walked in the door after work. She always gave me a dirty look when I gave her a cookie before I left for work. Her fur is everywhere. I am reluctant to clean my car because I'm not ready to get rid of it yet.

That's Abbey smiling in the back seat in early August. I surprised her and Dudley by taking them on a road trip to Bellingham.

We played on the beach at Lariby State Park. She loved the feeling of the cool pebbles on her belly when she laid by the water.

We drove around Bellingham, and, just like we used to do when she was a puppy in Ohio, we stopped at a Dairy Queen, and the pooches shared a small vanilla ice cream.

She was so very happy that day.

This was love. Thank you, Sweetheart. I miss you.

Not Meant to Be

So yesterday, this adorable little guy wandered around the newsroom-- he was the Humane Society's KOMO TV Pet-of-the-Week.

His name is Dorian.

Of course I fell in love. Who wouldn't? All I could think about was how cute that 3-year-old Llasa Apso mix would look with my own 3-year-old Llasa Apso mix, Dudley. (Dorian is also a boy, by the way)

So I scheduled a meet-and-greet for the two little boys for this morning. Unfortunately, Abbey is sick.

She has been coughing a deep, hacking cough for a week, and retches after each spasm. Nothing comes out, but there is clearly something wrong. She also ran away on Tuesday night, and I was an absolute wreck all night and into Wednesday, when I got a call from Seattle Animal Control that she had been found, about a half-mile away, on the OTHER side of Aurora Avenue (a VERY busy street).

I don't want to think about how she crossed that street.

But I can't bring a new dog into the house right now with Abbey having serious issues at age 14.

"sigh".

It's just not meant to be, I guess.

Unacceptable!

Have I become THIS? :

Yesterday was one of the most peaceful, mellow, love-filled days I have had in a long time. I spent it at "Camp Brotherhood" north of Arlington at a retreat for the new church choir I joined 2 weeks ago.

The whole day was filled with music, connecting, laughter, and lots of fun.

I was so excited to meet these nice people and feel accepted by them. The music is great. Our first performance is September 27th.

Then, life came crashing down.

The twenty-somethings who inhabit the rental house next door threw one of their all-night parties again.

But, I was feeling so mellow and relaxed that I didn't call 9-1-1. I didn't yell for them to shut up, even as their noisemaking woke me up at 3:00, 4:00 and 4:30 in the morning.

I thought, "well, they have a right to blow off a little steam".

Then, when I went outside my front gate around 11:30, I found the beer cans and bottles littering my little parking strip. Two of them were across the street working on a car, and I lost my cool.

I started screaming at them. I said "This is Unacceptable! " "You have to move OUT!". And to punctuate my point, I started hurling all the beer cans and bottles back on their yard. For the first time in a very long time, I was so angry that I was shaking.

My street used to be overrun with drugs and prostitution in the 1980's. Then, neighbors and the city worked together to close the under-pass that used to take school children to elementary school by giving them safe passage under Aurora Avenue. It had become a haven for prostitutes and drug dealers and worse.

A few new homes were built on the street, and eventually, the crime went away.

Now, my neighbor across the street has moved a 7-foot-long blue cloth couch onto the front yard.

And today, beer bottles litter the street.

People have worked too hard to return my neighborhood to those who just want a quiet place to sleep and call home.

I don't want to be the screaming old lady who is laughed at by everyone.

But this is unacceptable.

Chillin' With My Homegirl

I've named her Matilda. She's a beautiful old girl, who was donated to Camp Brotherhood near Arlington, Washington.

She and I spent about a half hour together between choir practices today. She sauntered over when I offered her some of my cheddar cheese Goldfish crackers.

Turns out that's a very tasty snack for a cow. Probably because of the cheese, I figure. Tastes like cow, you know?

Dudley, meet Chester. Chester, meet Dudley.

Chester wasn't phased. Dudley kind of forgot about Chester after awhile.

It was an impromptu visit to Anne's place last night that sparked this meeting. You have to know that Dudley is a dog who knows the word "kitty" and searches around frantically every time he hears it.

But for some reason, Dudley kind of recognizes Chester, then promptly ignores him.

That is, until I say "Where's the kitty?". Then Dudley looks around until he finds him, stares at him, threatens him, and then ignores him again.

Kind of like the U.S. relationship with North Korea.

A Most Beautiful Summer

One thing I've noticed as I've returned to Seattle is the fact so many people complain about the weather so often.

Maybe it's just because we long to share a common experience, and the weather is a universally experienced topic.  Because when you think about it, we haven' t had that much to complain about this summer.

Sure there were about 2 1/2 hot hot hot weeks, spaced several weeks apart--but really, our Summer of 2009 was really a SUMMER!.  In fact, it's the most beautiful summer I can remember in 18 summers I've spent in Seattle.

Our sunny days were numerous.  Rainy, chilly days were almost non-existent.  

It was so pleasant that you could count on coming home after work and taking the dogs to the park, without even considering if it might be too wet for them.  When was the last summer THAT happened?

Yes, we had some unbelievably hot days.  Yes, we got above an unheard of 100 degrees on at least two occasions.  But hey, it wasn't humid!  (spoken from someone who spent 7 summers in Cleveland, THAT is something to be appreciated!!!)

I didn't get to go out of town too much-- the above photo is from the Seabeck Conference Center, where I spent a very wonderful, peaceful week in late August.  No air conditioning, and it was very warm.  But, as you can see, it was also very beautiful.

So next summer, when it doesn't seem to get warmer than 65 degrees, and they're calling for yet another rainy day, I will look back on the summer of 2009 with fond memories.  

What will Fall bring?

All Together Now

For the first time in many, many years, I have become a part of a choir.

I was accepted in the Center for Spiritual Living's "Choir of Light" last Sunday, and my first rehearsal with the group is tonight.  Looking forward to it!

I have admired this organization from the audience for several years now, and am always impressed that they have memorized their music, and that their direction and pitch are flawless.

As is very typical for me, I am entering this new situation as it is also in transition.  The man who has directed the "Choir of Light" just resigned, and an interim director is in place, while a new music director moves into the position.  So, in many ways, we'll all be going through something new together.

An advantage for me is that I won't have to worry about changing procedures that have "always been done that way"--they'll ALL be new for everyone.

But more important than any of this, is the fact that I am getting in touch with a part of myself that has been buried for quite a while.  

I have been afraid of singing in public for many years.  Talking is no problem.  I could talk in front of hundreds of thousands of people.  But singing is very different.  For me to connect to music, I must also connect to my heart.  The two are so interlocked that breaking the line makes singing impossible.  And that means I must be very grounded to sing with any power at all.   

Must be time to connect!

Wish me well....

Flash Mob Seattle - Beat It

I wish I was there to see this. I think Flash Mob activities like this are positive and inspire joy. We all need a little more of that!

Cookin' With David Cook

American Idol winner David Cook made a guest appearance into the KOMO Newsradio studios on Wednesday--very nice guy. He was a little road-weary and businesslike when he first sat down with us:


But when we got into the interview, he seemed to be having a very nice time.


Afterwards, he posed for photos, and even horsed around a bit with editor Jeremy Grater.

Don't Give Me Your Attitude!

Once again, Dudley refuses to eat his breakfast.  

Instead, I am greeted by this.

He thinks it's cute.

I think he needs to get over himself already.

Spending Time With The Kids

The dogs have been especially cuddly and sweet today. And this isn't their usual routine.

While they enjoy lazing around whenever possible, anytime I'm here, it's a potential opportunity for a trip to the d-o-g p-a-r-k (yes, I have to spell it around them or they go nuts), a w-a-l-k (another word I have to spell) or a r-i-d-e. (you're starting to see the pattern here).

Today has been different. Abbey started the morning by wanting to come up on the bed, something she hasn't done in months because her arthritis has deteriorated her spine so much that she cannot jump up without me lifting her or pulling her up the little "doggy steps" at the foot of the bed. (she won't go up the doggy steps alone).

She's also been very very sweet, lying close to me, letting me pet her, not fighting with Dudley even though he's up to his usual antics, and playing toys in the hall.

My sweet, sweet girl is having a very good day.

Dudley has also been sweet, but is right now barking as I blog, so that's it for this post. I think a RIDE is in order to the DOG PARK.

(oops, I'm done for now!)

How Can I Watch This Tomorow?

This Explains a LOT

My obsession of late has been watching the first two seasons of AMC's "Mad Men" on DVD. 

My teeny tiny cable package doesn't include this Basic Cable channel, so I wasn't even aware of Mad Men until I found out a former colleague and friend, Matt Riedy, had appeared on an episode of the show.

A little research found "Mad Men" had also taken more than a dozen Emmy awards for writing, acting and production.  Pretty impressive for a little cable TV show.

Just because I wanted to find Matt's episode, I added Mad Men to my Netflix account.  

Boy, am I glad I did!  

 "Mad Men" is more than just an office drama set in 1960-63.  Its' extremely well-written and researched, with just enough historical accuracy to really provide a glimpse into the time my parents were trying to make a go of things.

It explains a LOT.  It explains why there were so many alcoholics back then, it explains why men of my father's era treated women like toss-away pieces of meat, why women were so terribly worried about gaining weight, why double standards between men and women were accepted, even if women didn't like them, why shame and guilt and envy and fear so obsessed the white-collar class that they repressed themselves, and why everybody kept so many secrets.

Sure, it's heightened drama and trumped-up action, but there's enough truth in it to make sense of a lot of things I've wondered about for years.

I was talking about the show to my mother, and mentioned the accuracy, and how the "costumes" were so true.  She laughed at me and asked me to please stop using the word "costumes" because they are "FASHIONS".  I wish I could watch the show with her, to get her take on all of this.

Something that was extremely shocking was that the lead character, Don Draper, allows his 7 or 8 year old daughter to make mixed drinks for him, his wife, and their guests.  But, that's what some kids in "upper class" homes were taught to do back then.  And they were told they were "good girls" for helping Mommy and Daddy entertain.

But what I'm enjoying most of all is the subtle unravelling of the seemingly perfect life of Don Draper and his wife Betty.  Because their psychological undoing is based on secrets they can no longer stuff down with alcohol and affairs, social mores and assumptions.

The truth will come out, and it will significantly change their lives.   

It parallels the sexual revolution, the women's movement, civil rights, and equality in the workplace.  

And, it explains a lot.

Plus it's just darned clever writing and casting!

Dancing at the Ballgame

If you happen to follow anything I do on Facebook or Twitter, this photo is already familiar to you.

I saw this guy at the Mariner's game yesterday, and thought it was such a novel way to scam free tickets--that it was worth a photo on my new iPhone.

The significance of the photo is that it's the first time I've uploaded a photo from a phone to an online site.

Facebook was the site of choice, because I couldn't figure out Twitpic or Blogger from the phone....but that's coming.  

I have a huge learning curve here, but this is a very user-friendly device.  

Yesterday, Facebook.  Tomorrow....the world!

Baby Tigers in the Studio!

What a thrill! I got entirely too close to a couple of baby tigers from the Cougar Mountain Zoo.

It started out cute, but these little guys got kinda close. I was not expecting to be frightened, but, well, I was! Evidence is below:


Terror with Tigers! (but seriously, I wouldn't have missed it for the world!)

Flying High

Well, the first clue that these aren't the Blue Angels is probably their color.

And, the fact that there's 10 of them.   They're the Canadian Snowbirds, Canada's elite military performance troupe.

These 10 2-seat trainer jets fly Canadian and American air shows and other events, and, like the Blue Angels, they give media rides.

Many years ago, on a fluke, I was lucky enough to get one of those rides.

The snowbirds were in Arlington for the annual fly-in, and media types from the Greater Seattle Area had applied weeks in advance to get to take part in the precision press ride.

Not me.  I was sent up to Arlington by KMPS to do a number of interviews with the pilots, but when I arrived, they were in the safety briefing for the lucky 10 media fliers.   So I sat in on the meeting.

The late Paul Brendle of KIRO 710 Traffic was supposed to be flying in the lead plane with Commander Yogi Hugebert, and take command of the media flight.   For some reason, he didn't show up.

Guess who got to ride in the lead plane instead of Paul? 

Yup.  Me.

I quickly signed away my life on legal forms, and was fitted in my flightsuit.  I was given a quick lesson in safety procedures, including how to fire the ejection seat.  

They strapped on a parachute, fitted me in the right-hand seat, and off we went!

All ten of us, flying in formation, took off from Arlington, circled around Mt. Baker in the formation you see above, and performed numerous maneuvers.

Since we were in the lead plane, my pilot's eyes were forward.   But because precision flying requires each plane to stay tight on the left, right or rear of the other planes, the other pilots eyes were on us.  

It was a thrilling, yet surreal experience.  We pulled about 3 G's, got close to 4, and each jet broke away for a short time to do solo maneuvers.  It was THRILLING.  I loved every minute of it.

I remember watching a climbing crew on Mt. Baker, wondering what we looked like from their perspective, and wondering what story they would tell of our sudden appearance.

I also was able to put my Electrovoice 635A microphone inside my helmet, to pick up some of the sound of the pilots talking to each other, and my voice chatting with Commander Hugebert.

As we continued our solo maneuvers, I noticed that many of the other planes had disappeared.  Where had they gone?  Would we re-appear in formation to land?

I found out about 30 minutes later, when we finally did land.  After giving my Commander a HUGE hug of thanks, he told me that 7 of  the 10 planes landed early because their media passengers were feeling ill.

Ironically, the 7 members of the media who landed early were all males.

The three who completed the entire flight were female.  

I remember thinking, as I was flying up there, that it would be OK if something terrible happened and I died at that moment, because I had seen THIS.   Because I had done THIS.  THIS was the be-all and end-all of my life's experiences at that time.

And I also remember driving home in a terrible traffic jam on S-5, and not minding one bit.  The whole world was fine, because I had been THERE. 

It was the singularly most thrilling moment of my life.

All thanks to Paul Brendle.

Not a Wolf

A few days ago I encountered this magnificent beast at the Magnuson Off-Leash Area:

The animal is HUGE. It's head comes up past my waist and I'm 5'10".

But, believe it or not, it's NOT a wolf. It's owner says it's something called a "Native American Indian" dog, and is a mix of four breeds, Husky, Malamute, Chinook and something else I can't remember.

The owner says these dogs are bred to pull sleds, because they have superior speed and endurance.  No, he's not a dog-sled racer--just said he liked the breed.

This is actually the second time I've seen this dog at Magnuson. The first time, he and my little Dudley were enchanted with each other and played so nicely. I had to resist a temptation to run away. It looks so scary.

But his (or her) owner says the dog is very gentle. And I watched it for quite a while. It was very good with other dogs, and as one woman who knew him came up, it jumped up on his hind legs and wrapped his front legs around her shoulders.

Here's another shot showing the dog with a tall woman (the owner of the Standard Poodle in the last photo)

A beautiful animal---but a little unexpected in the dog park!

Too Much Fun in the Heat!

I cooled off by taking the ferry to Bremerton yesterday and encountered a very special dog. 

Everyone in town seemed to know him.  He was hanging out in front of  the fountain at the Hampton Inn and was enjoying himself, much to the delight of everyone there!

Took this little video of the guy, but couldn't figure out who his owner is.

By the way, I've found several other videos of him on YouTube, playing in the same fountain!

Jim Castillo Flies!

I was not about to try this.....but my colleage Jim Castillo is a ROCK STAR!!!

Linking to the Future

....or is it the past?

In the 1980's, as a street reporter in Seattle, I attended too many public meetings, hearings and news conferences to count, regarding the future of transit in the city.

Light rail was brought up all the time, voted on frequently, and was always voted down. People laughed at it, thougth it was, at more than 200-million dollars, a HUGE waste of money.

Then Portland opened its' Max System. San Francisco expanded the MAX system. And Light rail finally made it through.

Last Saturday, I got to do THIS:

Finally, the train was at the station, and I got to get aboard with a few hundred of my closest friends.

I spent hours Saturday riding the train, experiencing the stations first hand, talking to riders, phoning in live reports, and really getting a flavor for the new light rail system.

Then I went back to the radio station and recorded two reports with natural sound, interview clips and me stringing it together.

That sure brought back some memories.  

Good to know I still have the skills, but I'm also glad I don't do this full time.  

But it was kind of a full-circle experience to be able to report this story from the many hearings on light rail, to telling about the many times this was voted down by the public, and finally to be a part of the grand opening.

Death of a Computer

Poor little iBook.

Your computing days are done.

I have loved you so.

Yes....the home of "Dancing Again" has bit the big one. Happy little iBook, my first Mac, and my trusty friend is no more.

That's why I haven't been posting lately. Looking forward to my new computer---whenever that may happen. In the meantime, the posts, I am afraid, will be sporadic.

White plastic lovely.

We've been through so very much.

Have I lost your files?

More from Fort Fisher

Here's where we broadcast on July 3rd, 2009, the little building at the base of the KOMO TV tower on Queen Anne hill.

And our high-tech broadcast set-up included a tiny board used for remote broadcasts, a sort-of-accurate digital clock, (Note the piece of paper with the legal I-D's written on the wall) hand-held microphones, a single telephone line where we could access traffic reports, reporters and live interviews.  

But we had to remember to read copy between each of those elements, so editor Jeremy Grater could call the next report up!  A special shout-out to Travis Mayfield, who provided vital reports on the Fisher Plaza data recovery, and Boom City Fireworks sales!

Here are Herb Weisbaum, Art Sanders and Mark Aucutt, 3 of my partners at Fort Fisher.  I think Art was working from a little wooden stool, with a newspaper (thank God the Seattle Times is still printing!!!)..  Mark Aucutt brought in a lawn chair and had his own little desk, in the form of the black equipment cart.

Kristin Hanes was absolutely amazing.  She had access to the only computer with the Internet.  She was writing and voicing reports, downloading ABC news from the web, running over to the laptop at the control board, downloading it into the system, and then standing by to voice the report she had just written live.

And she made it look so easy.  

Charlie Harger and Nancy Barrick anchored from 10-2 pm and did an outstanding job!  I listened to them as I was writing news at Travis Mayfield's house, and driving in.  They sounded like they were having so much fun, that I couldn't wait for my turn!

So many others were involved that didn't make the photos. Frank Lenzi, Bill Yeend, Manda Factor, Brian Gregory, Jon Repp, Corwin Haeck, Pradeep Hatcher, Ryan Harris, Morris Malakoff, and of course Jon Barret, Gabe Joseph, and the entire engineering staff.    I hope you're all feeling very proud of your accomplishments right now.  

Bottom line;  If I'm ever in a crisis, I want these people by my side.  

They're the BEST!  

What a Day!

This is how it looked this afternoon at the Queen Anne Hill transmitter site when the entire KOMO Newsradio staff brought out their skill sets to make sure we stayed on the air with News, Traffic, Weather, Money news and performed under extraordinary circumstances.

Every show, starting with the 7-midnight show on 7-2-09 through the same show 24 hours later broadcast from either a cell phone, or at the TV transmitter site It was alligator clips, duct tape, basic equipment, ad-libs, limited copy, and one telephone line. One computer had Internet access. One didn't. Editor Jeremy Grater brought a printer in from his home. I brought notebooks and pens and lunch.

And I haven't had so much fun in radio in a very long time.

Gated Community

As promised, Mr. Ho has completed re-building the gate to my front yard.  

Here's what it used to look like from the street:
The weathered look was nice, but the mailbox was tiny and didn't lock. 

Also, you'll notice, it was built to simply stand on the sidewalk and was very rickety.  There was even a little piece of wood shoved underneath one of the posts, to make it more stable.

When I returned home from church Sunday, the new gate was completed:

I'll have to say, I was a little surprised at the size.  It's much taller (by about a foot) than the old gate.  The posts are placed in cement in the ground, so it is very stable.  The wood is also much stronger, so it's pretty hefty.

A locking mailbox has been placed on the side, so there's a little more security there--although I miss the shelf above for small packages etc.

Here's what it used to look like from the inside of my yard:
I do miss the curved gate.  And the top seemed more sweeping with the old design.  But maybe I just have to get used to it.

To me, there's a little more of a "barn door" feel to the new one. 

One revision I would like to make;  The latch is only accessible from the inside.  So you have to reach around with your left hand from the sidewalk, to get into the gate.

I suspect most people won't figure out how to get in, so I'll either have to post a note, or put a new latch on both sides.  

Something else I like a LOT is that the new gate is much closer to the ground.  And the sides are almost flush with the yard.  Very good news for me.  Not such good news for the dogs.

You'll notice Abbey walking away, somewhat dejected, from the side of the gate where she used to stick her nose to get a better glimpse of life on the street.

So, I'm looking for latch ideas.  Got any suggestions? 

The Sun is a Little Dimmer

....Now that Billy Mays is gone.   

We tragically lost this shining light of the infomercial world all too soon.

Billy Mays went to bed Saturday after returning to his Florida McMansion, feeling a little "bumped around" from a hard landing on a jet.   He never woke up.  

How will we know what to buy?  How will we understand the strength of one product versus another?

Does this mean America has lost its' competitive edge in the pitchman sweepstakes?  Will the Australians win?

Who will I be able to trust to sell me my Oxy-Clean?  

And most of all.....who will yell at me now?  

Some things must be seen to be believed.

Thanks for letting me "borrow" this, Jeremy!

And Ryan....thank you for being Ryan.

Where's my Jell-o shot?

Many Lives

As I was walking with a colleague during the Livestrong Challenge yesterday, we got into a conversation about cooking school.  I mentioned that my sister is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.  

She remarked: "How many sisters do you have anyway?" And, it occurred to me that the three of us have lived many different lives in a relatively short period of time.

I have been a radio reporter, anchor, news director, brewery co-owner, tv producer, voiceover talent, actress, bagel seller, college graduate, wife, divorcee, home-owner, public address announcer in Major League Baseball, talk show host, marketing director, writer, and dog owner,most just in the last 15 years.

But I guess we all wear a number of hats in our lives.  Maybe when you reach a certain age, you wonder how you will be remembered.  

All I know is that I don't want to be shoved into a small box, professionally, or literally, after I go.  

This is the 10th anniversary of  my graduation from John Carroll University.  I read my alumni magazine, and see most of my classmates are in their 1st or 2nd jobs, and are having lots and lots of Catholic babies.  

I wish them well, and sometimes, I wonder what life would have been like, if I took amore traditional path, like they have. 

Would I be happier?  Would I be wealthier? Would things feel more stable?

What would be my priorities?  Would I be a good mother?

Who knows?

Oh, the coaster above is one of the tens of thousands we gave away at Western Reserve Brewing.  One thing you learn when you run a brewery is the importance of having LOTS of promotional stuff like coasters, posters, key chains, caps, t-shirts, bottle openers etc. on hand, to promote your product to potential customers.  

Those coasters were used for everything!  They steadied table legs, served as bookmarks, were taped together to make wall-hangings, were used underneath keg tubs sometimes, and came in big stacks of 500.  We had cases and cases of them.

Another time.  Another life.