Memories of a Cousin

My cousin Simone is one of the most beautiful people I know. I don't just mean physically, though she is that (my roommate calls her "the gorgeous one"); she radiates life and does an incredible number of beautiful things. I haven't seen her in years, and I'm determined to change that soon, but for the moment I want to write some memories I have of my poetry-slamming, justice-enthused cousin.
-- I think I was probably about eight or nine, she was seven or eight, and her sister was five or six. The extended family was in Arizona (or maybe Cali?) for a family reunion, which we used to have a lot more than we do now. I was in Simmy and 'Rica's suite in the villa-thing we were staying in, and we decided it would be a fantastic idea to swing from the towel rack as a monkey bar. So Erica swung a bit, but needed our help, so then Simone and I took turns swinging and helping her. And then we decided wouldn't it be so FUN for all of us to swing at the same time. So we all hung on... and the rack fell off the wall. And then we got yelled at in spanish by the cleaning woman and then in english by Aunt Sheila.
--About five years after that we were at another family reunion in Laguna, and the cousins got the whole downstairs to ourselves (the entire extended family was renting a house for a month and then popping in and out). So we set up mattresses and a knitting station and whenever it was time to "sleep" or "rest," we'd go down there and dance around to music or quote Wicked or Pirates. Sometimes adults would walk by--- hold on. I have to describe something. So we were in the basement, but the ceiling of the basement was probably two feet off the ground, and we had these windows at the very top of the walls that were about a foot square and opened up to the outside, but pretty much all you saw were people's feet walking by.--- So when adults walked by, we'd put our faces by the window and say "Halloooo, Poppet" as creepily as we could. We also taught each other songs and soccer cheers and chants. And then when we'd go to the beach Haley and Erica and I would swim and Simone would sit in the sand and chant for us. To this day "Save the Day" and "Man! I feel like a Woman" are Cousin Songs.

There was no point to these memories. I just didn't want to forget them.

Baseball and Bedroom Furniture

Above right field at Safeco Field is a plaque with "Robinson 42" on it, which is of course because the number 42 was retired by all of major league baseball. In fact, it's the only number retired by all of MLB. I discovered today that the Mariners have not retired a single other number, however. Just wait till next year when they can retire Edgar's!
I kept score at the game today, which was excellent fun first because it was a sweet game with none of the good regulars but Lopez and Guti playing and yet we still played awesomely, and second because keeping score is super engaging. Also, they had a bunch of members of the 1969 Seattle Pirates at the game, which was adorable. All these little old men waving and wearing Pirates caps. Also, they had a '69 pirates pitcher and catcher throw out the first pitch. The catcher even wore his cap backwards.

Today I went to Value Village for soccer shorts (which I did find), but I also bought a stool. I walked in, saw the furniture section, remembered I've been needing a stool, saw one, sat on it, liked it, checked the price, brought it to the counter, paid five dollars, and brought it home. I felt pretty awesome (and all that in one run-on sentence!)

A blog by any other name

I've been thinking about what a blog is for. Or what this blog is for. It's not a journal, that comes elsewhere. It's not just for me, though I expect no one to read it. I guess it's for things to share with the world, and also a pensieve of sorts. Poetry, thoughts, observations, questions, memories. Feel free to join in.

I wear contact lenses and Converse shoes

I'm feeling quite healthy at the mo, which probably comes from biking to gasworks and back after sleeping 9 hours. And at gasworks I hung out with Emma, which is healthy for me. I don't even know how else to describe it, but she's just excellently fun and normal and not extreme. And we like a lot of the same things. So I just feel like hanging out with her makes me happy and healthy. Tonight I'm going to a Mariner's game (the Royals better play WILLIE) and then I'll probably lie in bed dealing with the realization that I leave for Minnesota in a week. But it's okay. My friends aren't going to vaporize while I'm gone and it might even be good for me. See how healthy I'm feeling?

Jamie Moyer is 46. That's really old for a baseball player!

i used to suck at being alone. now i just want to be alone all the time.

at the same time, i do like being with my friends. but i've a little overdosed. it was just so nice when i woke up and went to school every day and then dance; i saw all my favorite people all the time without having to work for it. i'm totally willing to work for it now, it's worth it, but it's more tiring for sure.

i could sleep another five days. i didn't sleep much at char's but that was fine since it was so fun. i like other people's houses a lot right now. mine isn't too happy.

it's almost three, and all i've done is work at tilth today. i should get on that.

I'm quite quiet today. I don't feel like talking, but I do feel like listening to other voices.

Today was Liz and tomorrow will be cleat shopping and dentist and Harry Potter and Caroline. These are all good things.

Some stuff is happening, I don't really feel like blogging about it. I thought I'd be sad and upset but I don't feel much of anything. Maybe even a little relief.

Maybe I should spend less time worrying about who I am and more time just doing stuff.

UGH, I'm sitting in my room and people keep coming in and bothering me.

This is what summer should have been like every single year. Waking up at Sylvie's house and saying "let's spend tonight at my house?" and that's that. Staying up half the night talking and giggling.

I do wish that I didn't have to sleep all alone in a bed all the time. Sometimes it's lonely.

today everyone i saw was really kind. the police man smiled at me (even though he was right outside Safeco during a game ---driving by was a BAD idea, btw), the woman at the coffee shop gave me extra ice cream, and Kayla and Jordan have been full of ideas and energy.

i sat by Terry and Sarah at church today, which is always a good idea because they sing these awesome and powerful harmonies.

i'm on bainbridge for three days, just spending time with the girls. Today we painted Ravenclaw and Gryffindor quidditch shirts, ate whatever we felt like, imitated our parents and guessed who the others were pretending to be, made up stories about ourselves and tried to get the others to believe them, and then went for an evening walk down to Point White. It's so beautiful as night is falling; you can see the stars, but you can also see six feet into the water and watch the fish splash and the jellyfish go by. There's something about water that makes me feel calm.

i think my favorite moment from today was swinging on the swingset singing "I Have Confidence" from the Sound of Music as loud as I could while being sprayed with a hose. I want to swing and sing WITH someone sometime!

the world looks pretty beautiful today, and i feel a part of that.

i am going to write poems tomorrow.