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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Leaving for Buenos Aires: First and Last Taste of Autumn
At 9 a.m., the day I left for Buenos Aires, John from the furniture shop arrived at my door to pick up some furniture. I was doing all the last minute things and sort of freaking out. He said, “Now I want you to do something. Starting right now as soon as I shut this door I want you to begin writing a journal.” I said, “I’ve been doing that since 1987 actually.” He was very nice and said that if I needed anything at all, he would send it immediately. He listed a bunch of things and even mentioned money. Wow. He barely knows me. I would miss Seattle and the kindhearted people I'd come in contact with.
Leaving Seattle and Kennan, Lauren, Gillian, Adam, and Briana & coworkers was difficult. Fitting the manatee in the suitcase was hard, and so was parting with Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. Oh, and Cafe Vivace! (I don't have a pic of Top Pot Donuts!)
A year review in photos: 2008
To review 2008Pictures are as follows:
1. Canada: Victoria, B.C.
2. Chinese New Year, Seattle
3. Vancouver, B.C. - beach
4. Patrice - keeping order in the court
5. Bird Cage Art - Asian Art Museum
6. Hiking in Seattle
7. Lake Union's houseboats
8. International District
For more from Canada and Oregon go to my travel blog!
A year review in photos: 2007
Thought I'd do a recap of my two wonderful years in Seattle.Here are some photo moments of 2007!
1. Meeting Richard Sherman, Disney composer (Mary Poppins & others)
2. Olympic Sculpture Park talking to Mom on the phone.
3. Tulip Fields at Mt. Vernon, WA
4. Hiking at Mt. Rainier with Diane
5. The Arboretum, Seattle
6. Mt. Rainier from Kerry Park, Seattle
7.Owl: Reminds me of Life, Reminds me of Death, Reminds me of Kennan's kookiness
8. The lawns of Capitol Hill - shaggy dog
9. Winter nights out of focus
10.Rainy Capitol Hill: Colors Duo, no I didn't dress this way everyday
11.Starbucks cures the Damp
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Jenna's visit
Jenna and Luke visited me the last week in August. We had a splendid time. Here are some highlights.
Uwijamaya, Kerry Park, Chief Seattle & Espresso Vivace.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
My collected works
One day I started a list in my planner with stories I’ve ever written because I had no way of keeping track. Things are on floppy disks or filed away somewhere in my parents’ basement. Why not post my list online now so I won’t lose it?
VERY EARLY WORKS
“My Monster Friend.” (first grade) – probably at the pinnacle of my illustrating abilities. Excerpt: “I have a monster friend. His name is Jenna.”
“The Doll.” (second grade) – Excerpt: “My sister got water in her nose and in her mouth. Then Mr. Rogers was able to go to the moon.”
“Raider’s of the Lost Jenna” (third grade) – my first parody. Jenna gets saved from a bat cave by an octopus named Ollie.
“Shag: The Last Buffalo” (fourth grade) – booklet devoted to my first crush on an animal.
"My 4th grade journal" - Short stories included "The Day the Principal got his finger stuck in the loudspeaker and Johnny at the Rug", "Patricia Anne and the Broom Thief", and "Baby Bear and the 3 Goldilockses." Dan didn’t get it. He said he’d heard it before. I said “that’s because it’s a parody of The Three Bears." He asked me when I wrote it, and I said I WAS NINE YEARS OLD. Then he understood.
“Tea for Two” (fifth grade) – my week of eating fast food with popular celebs from 1988. Posted here on Facebook in all its glory!
Nellie and the Counselor (sixth grade, on home video) – first musical. Starred Jenna in her Brownie uniform (the year she lost her ability to sing like Shirley Temple – oh well), Lisa as the little girl with No Lines who Gives the Plot Away in the First Second, and my dad as the monotone narrator who would really rather be drinking a beer.
Nellie and the Terrific Surprise (7th grade, on home video) – next attempt at staging of the musical above. Was filmed in front of a live studio audience (a priest!) and contained songs I stole from Jenna’s 2nd grade music class. (Once Dan watched it on tape and asked me if it was about the Holy Spirit. No, it was about Nellie who is forced to pick pawpaws by a witch who learns an important life lesson from Three Wise Monkeys).
Our Excellent Newspaper (1991-1993) – Newspaper written by Baldwin sisters chronicling their summer adventures, from the “baton class weather report” to quotes of the day (“People who don’t like candy cigarettes are nuts” – Jenna). Bill and Ted (bogus, most triumphant) lingo is used throughout and none of us had seen the movies.
“A New Lincoln School” (8th Grade) – Essay published in the local newspaper on why New London needed a new Lincoln Elementary. Was written in 1992 and in 1993 my sisters were able to enroll at the new school. All because of me and this excerpt here probably: "I went to Lincoln School and I know what is right for all of the future leaders of America." ALL of the future leaders. (How did I know THAT?)
A Christmas Carol (1993, on home video) – Literal reworking of Mickey’s Christmas Carol. I forced Jenna to learn the part of Scrooge (which should’ve come naturally) but the only way she would rehearse was if I let her lay on the floor the whole time.
“Renaissance Poem.” (1994) – This poem has gone down in history as Jenna’s most beloved in which I effortlessly captured the period of rebirth by rhyming Botticelli with Medici, da Vinci, and Brunelleschi. During Jenna’s sophomore year when she was FINALLY given that same assignment for history class, she wrote the exact same poem only way better. Her last line was: “I CAN FLY!” Which had nothing to do with anything else in the poem and did not rhyme with Erasmus or Machiavelli.
My Letter to Tom Petty (1995) – I wrote a very awful fan letter to Tom Petty which I am so glad I never mailed.
"Dear Tom Petty, I just wanted to tell you how much you have inspired me through your music. One time you were on the radio and I went to get the boom box to tape your radio concert but my Mom had stepped on the record button while she was cleaning and it was broken but then at the last second THE RECORD BUTTON WENT DOWN and it changed my life, Mr. Petty."
Stay tuned for the next installment!
VERY EARLY WORKS
“My Monster Friend.” (first grade) – probably at the pinnacle of my illustrating abilities. Excerpt: “I have a monster friend. His name is Jenna.”
“The Doll.” (second grade) – Excerpt: “My sister got water in her nose and in her mouth. Then Mr. Rogers was able to go to the moon.”
“Raider’s of the Lost Jenna” (third grade) – my first parody. Jenna gets saved from a bat cave by an octopus named Ollie.
“Shag: The Last Buffalo” (fourth grade) – booklet devoted to my first crush on an animal.
"My 4th grade journal" - Short stories included "The Day the Principal got his finger stuck in the loudspeaker and Johnny at the Rug", "Patricia Anne and the Broom Thief", and "Baby Bear and the 3 Goldilockses." Dan didn’t get it. He said he’d heard it before. I said “that’s because it’s a parody of The Three Bears." He asked me when I wrote it, and I said I WAS NINE YEARS OLD. Then he understood.
“Tea for Two” (fifth grade) – my week of eating fast food with popular celebs from 1988. Posted here on Facebook in all its glory!
Nellie and the Counselor (sixth grade, on home video) – first musical. Starred Jenna in her Brownie uniform (the year she lost her ability to sing like Shirley Temple – oh well), Lisa as the little girl with No Lines who Gives the Plot Away in the First Second, and my dad as the monotone narrator who would really rather be drinking a beer.
Nellie and the Terrific Surprise (7th grade, on home video) – next attempt at staging of the musical above. Was filmed in front of a live studio audience (a priest!) and contained songs I stole from Jenna’s 2nd grade music class. (Once Dan watched it on tape and asked me if it was about the Holy Spirit. No, it was about Nellie who is forced to pick pawpaws by a witch who learns an important life lesson from Three Wise Monkeys).
Our Excellent Newspaper (1991-1993) – Newspaper written by Baldwin sisters chronicling their summer adventures, from the “baton class weather report” to quotes of the day (“People who don’t like candy cigarettes are nuts” – Jenna). Bill and Ted (bogus, most triumphant) lingo is used throughout and none of us had seen the movies.
“A New Lincoln School” (8th Grade) – Essay published in the local newspaper on why New London needed a new Lincoln Elementary. Was written in 1992 and in 1993 my sisters were able to enroll at the new school. All because of me and this excerpt here probably: "I went to Lincoln School and I know what is right for all of the future leaders of America." ALL of the future leaders. (How did I know THAT?)
A Christmas Carol (1993, on home video) – Literal reworking of Mickey’s Christmas Carol. I forced Jenna to learn the part of Scrooge (which should’ve come naturally) but the only way she would rehearse was if I let her lay on the floor the whole time.
“Renaissance Poem.” (1994) – This poem has gone down in history as Jenna’s most beloved in which I effortlessly captured the period of rebirth by rhyming Botticelli with Medici, da Vinci, and Brunelleschi. During Jenna’s sophomore year when she was FINALLY given that same assignment for history class, she wrote the exact same poem only way better. Her last line was: “I CAN FLY!” Which had nothing to do with anything else in the poem and did not rhyme with Erasmus or Machiavelli.
My Letter to Tom Petty (1995) – I wrote a very awful fan letter to Tom Petty which I am so glad I never mailed.
"Dear Tom Petty, I just wanted to tell you how much you have inspired me through your music. One time you were on the radio and I went to get the boom box to tape your radio concert but my Mom had stepped on the record button while she was cleaning and it was broken but then at the last second THE RECORD BUTTON WENT DOWN and it changed my life, Mr. Petty."
Stay tuned for the next installment!
"My Monster Jenna" drawing (1984) An insect with a top hat and cane.
Beloved Hairy Beast
Picture Jenna as Scrooge and me as Mickey.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Gasworks Park
Gasworks Park - Definitely one the weirdest parks.It's on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingford neighborhood. Gas Works park contains remnants of the sole remaining coal gasification plant in the US.
The park also offers a great view of Lake Union and the Downtown that I rarely get to see. I work right under the space needle and live on the hill to the left.
Flowering asparagus in the moonlight.
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About Me
- Big Arms
- The blog documenting my time on the west coast, 2007-8 is named after the first time I wore a short sleeved shirt when I was little and upon seeing my arms I freaked out and yelled "Big Arms, Big Arms!" I would like to befriend a swan with Mom and we would ride it into the sunset.