quality of life issues

Who’s this  behind the bar    little miss pixie?

Well hello Gloomy Gus  or is it Mr Grumpy Pants?

Where’d they find this one  where’s Brian?  It is Saturday  isn‘t it?

That’s a lot of hard living lumped into one dried out rhinoceros of a man

That’s a spunky haircut    I bet she’s in a band      or something

Guys like that act as if the world owes them something
but somewhere along the way they stop trying
and start complaining

Gals like that are always the center of attention like lead singers
strutting the attitude and the tattoos      I’ve seen it all before
since her parents were in elementary school

I’ve been pouring beer for years
I should write a book about people in bars      people in general

I’ve been sitting at this bar for years      years
what does it take to get a beer around here?

He’s already giving me   the look
bloodshot eyes blend right into cherry red face

Didn’t she see me pull into the parking lot?
if Brian was here I’d be a pint down by now

I’ve got six tickets up      
but he can’t see past that platypus nose
“Can I get you a beer?”

“IPA”

“Are you hungry? Would you like to see a menu?”

“No”

                                               .

                                                               .

messengers in mirror may be smarter than they appear

Available May 15, 2010... if not sooner. This is not fiction. This is not a joke. This will be on craigslist soon but I’m trying to keep it in the family first. For real. Really. I'm not the manager. I'm not the owner. I'm the soon to be former tenant. 

In some zip codes it could be called a one-bedroom, but I'd call it a large studio. Huge windows recently replaced, high ceilings, wood floors, gas stove, gas heat, clawfoot tub. Classic old world charm. They don't build them like this anymore.  In a solid brick building at 12th & Howell. Not that one. The other one, above the bike shop. 

This second floor unit on the SE corner of the building, gets a lot of sunlight. Spitting distance from Cal Anderson park, restaurants, bars, tattoo shops, bike shops, coffee shops, thrift stores, book stores, art stores, locksmiths, sushi, Chungees, the Hugo House and much much more. Word.. 

There are 5 grocery stores within 5 minutes. Cars are not necessary here but zip cars are stationed nearby.

Call John the manager aka bike shop guy at 206-323-1631 for immediate viewing opportunities.

 your absence
now a presence
you're   still   here
the  sundial  doesn’t  lie
horizontal verticals    come full circle
parallel lines appear to touch
two minutes past noon
nextel time      church bells ring
their same old worn out loop
recording                  echoing
off so many walls         difficult
to isolate the source

Jason Wells photo from Shanghai

I hate looking for parking for longer than it took to drive there
then getting a parking ticket for not having the proper zone permit

I hate paying more for parking than it cost for dinner
I hate $25 early bird specials    and    meters with 15 minute limits
   
I hate car salesmen          and
their rustproof undercoating  new-car-smell charade

I hate the single male driver actuarial profile
fender bender    two estimate    touchup paint
rate hike   insurance premium   monthly payment

I hate the cold morning car won’t start stalls in intersection stress
burning oil   dead battery   gas leak   brake caliper   dragging muffler

I hate leaving home two hours early to try to get to work on time
 
I hate sitting in traffic miles before the on-ramp
then merging into I-5 when it isn’t even moving

I hate the Mercer mess from 5th Avenue to the freeway
I hate hearing frequent traffic updates on KIRO news radio
bottleneck   backed up   bumper to bumper   gridlock

I hate $700 for parts and $2000 for labor

I hate frequent oil changes
I hate blown fuses
I hate car alarms on quiet streets at 3:00am
I hate the tax on rental cars
I hate zip car mini coopers and pt cruisers

I hate trying to hail a cab in the rain when 
I'm on the phone and it’s hard to hold my umbrella and my latte  

I hate it when my umbrella gets inverted and my hair gets wet

I hate rushing to the bus stop then waiting 25 minutes
for a crowded damp h1n1 bus that drops me off eight blocks away
only to wait    to transfer    to another bus

I hate paying for a full tank of gas
the free carwash that comes with it
won’t wash away the hate

One day last week while sitting on a damp metal bench at the Plymouth Pillars dog park well into the twenty-seventh minute of my lunch break,  I noticed that the often overcast sky of Seattle brings out the puce in the cityscape 

Puce (often misspelled as "puse","peuse" or "peuce") is a color that is defined as ranging from reddish-brown to purplish-brown, with the latter being the more widely-accepted definition found in reputable sources. Puce is a shade of red. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) dates the use of "puce" (in couleur puce) from 1787. The first recorded use of puce as a color name in French was in the 1300s. The word comes from French: puce literally means "flea", as the usual flea coloration is either dark reddish-brown or dark purplish-brown; specifically, it is the color of the belly of a flea

     from Wikipedia

there's a little Grinnell everywhere

and whiffs of RAGBRAI wafting on the breeze 

This kg271 Bucket bike made by Madsen Cycles was at 1420 today. With room for two toddlers strapped down in the bucket and another in the ultra-Euro kid holder with faring up front on the bars. This bike kicks ass and is much smarter than a smart car.

Available at Recycled Cycles  or  directly from Madsen

 here's Milkshake,  and he's not standing on Lenora Street,  that's Roubaix

suit on cellphone:

I’m in the lobby…  …I see Starbucks
but your name isn’t on the directory
and the elevators won’t go to 41

overly friendly bike messenger:

Excuse me sir, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I believe you’re in the wrong building.

Your deposition is at 1420 5th, this is 1325 4th and Starbucks is not exactly a reliable landmark in this town.  When you get to 1420, there are three separate Starbucks in the lobby but don’t let that confuse you. Just allow yourself some extra time to find Lane Powell.

Is there anything else I can help you with? 

Have nice day sir, and good luck with your deposition.

counterintuitive counterproductive counterfeit

what would 87 say

why don't you do what you do when you did what you did     Easter Bunny

the cockeyed girl says it best 

baby Brott