Meet The Parents

A phone conversation with my brother about our parents meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time this weekend.

Me: Yo.
Ryan: Yes.
Me: So are you nervous about the parental units meeting this weekend? Dude, what are you going to wear?
Ryan: What?
Me: I might just cancel my flight so I can sit in the brush and spy. Maybe throw my voice every now and then.
Ryan: Wait, what?

Heck Yes

I should probably save these picture for a rainy day (like tomorrow), but the thought of a dance party makes me too darn excited not to share pronto. I leave Thursday for the Bahamas and upon my return you bet your bottom dollar I'm clearing out the dinning room table and resurrecting my go too moves.

And if you can't handle this thing I like to call dancing, then you can join my husband on the floor, Count Dracula style.


Be on the look out for a dance party STD (save the date, sicko).

C'est Magnifique

France was grandeur. Finally Kuba got to see first-hand what it is I do. We've traveled abroad together on more than one occasion, but never where I was in the role of the boss. Yes. I was the boss of all bosses during our travels. Rick Ross per say.

Quick recap: We did Paris by foot, metro, bike for five days, then drove to Lyon where we ate non-stop for 48 hours. After our food fest we headed through the Swiss and Italian Alps by motor coach for Montreux, Switzerland where we spent two days on Lake Geneva only to spend a few hours exploring Chateau de Chillon. Our last three days were spent on the French Riviera in Nice and Monaco. I threw down a couple of euros at Monte Carlo in hopes to make it rain with a nice little loot that would allow us to stay in Monaco, FOREVER.

But here I am. Home. Ahhhhh, and it's good to be home. Although someone very sneaky decided to plant a bunch of weeds in my yard. Totally not cool dude. Please, come and pick up your weeds or else...er, or else I'm going to do something REALLY crazy. Like post reward signs all around Phinney, you sick, ruthless weed wacko. I'm so sin-serious.

Hocus Pocus

Can I get a round of applause for BJ?
Seriously, this guy is one multifaceted, remarkable David Blaine knock-off. Somehow he was in TWO places at ONCE!!! It was the strangest thing, being in Paris, on the steps over looking Montmartre when low and behold who do I spot in the crowd? Yep, my very own Loosy contributor, BJ.

You've got some serious explaining to do Mr. Branigan.

Awkward Goodbyes

Well, this is it, Loosy Readers.   This is my last post on this blog.  It's been fun!  Thanks for visiting and leaving comments.  I have a new found respect for what our friend does on these pages.  It's quite hard to consistently publish like she does.  

A few months ago, I had what I consider to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Following is a story that has intense moments, but in true Loosy fashion, has a bit of comic relief at the end. I hope everyone has a great weekend.   And now, the final Jim Branigan Guest Blog Post:

 

I flew back East in June to attend a concert at Radio City Music Hall. It was for one of my favorite bands and the event was an excuse for some of my best friends in New York City to come together and have a big night out together. The concert and following debauchery were a blast. My flight back to Seattle was at 7 AM on Saturday morning, so my plan was to stay out all night and catch a taxi to the airport after everyone went to bed. My friends and I closed the bars down (which is a feat in NYC: Bars stay open until 4 AM) with tequila shots. With about an hour left before I had to catch a cab, my best friend, her husband, and I decided to get some late night food at one of those classic (classy?) New York City all-night diners.

At around 4:45 AM, after gorging on food in a futile attempt to soak up the booze, we left the restaurant and went to find a cab. My friend Dan hailed one cab down, told him where I was heading (into Newark, NJ) and then watched the cabbie shake his head no and drive off. About a minute later, Dan found another cab driver who agreed on the fare and destination. My two friends and I hugged goodbye, still in a bit of an exhausted, drunken haze. I grabbed my backpack and fell into the car hoping to nap for the duration of the 30 minute cab ride. I remember casually noticing that the cab driver looked exhausted and beaten down. I wondered if he was sick.

As we made a U-turn to head south, the cab driver asked me where I was headed on today's flight. I told him that I was flying West to Seattle. He turned around, smiled in excitement and reached out his hand. As I grabbed his hand to shake it, he said, in a heavy Chinese accent, "I lived in Seattle for years! Right on Jackson Street." I smiled in familiarity and told him that this was quite a coincidence. This is the moment when the first hint that this would be a different type of cab ride appeared: The driver didn't let go of my hand. The handshake lingered on for a few more seconds than I expected. I wasn't particularly phased by it; I was too tired after not sleeping for 24 hours to get anxious. I do recall wondering if this cab driver maybe had as many drinks as I had earlier that night. My primary thought was, "Goodbye nap, hello interesting cab ride." I excitedly text messaged my friends who I had just left that the taxi driver was also from Seattle.

After pulling my hand away,  I asked the driver how he liked living in New York City. He said that he missed Seattle, but that it was a great move for his family. He and his wife had two sons and a daughter, now all in their 20's. They felt the move East to New York City from Seattle (about fifteen years ago) was the best thing they could have done for their childrens' futures. That statement reminded me of a English class I took in high school. We read a book about Chinese culture, called The Good Earth. This book referenced many times how important each new generation was for a family. Each family's main goal, more so than in other cultures, is to improve the life of their children at all costs. The resulting pressure on the new generation to succeed can sometimes be overwhelming.


I asked the cab driver if driving a taxi had provided the salary necessary to raise 3 children. He responded that his wife was a successful mathematician and that her income was what kept the family afloat. His next comment changed the tone of the entire ride. "Whatever money I make, I gamble away. I lose it all. My wife's so smart. Not smart enough to leave me, but that's a good thing." I didn't really know how to respond to him. I just quickly said that I'm sorry to hear that he has a gambling problem, but that I understood the temptation. I then added that I also like to gamble (in a twice a year in Vegas type of way.) He looked back again, made a comment about how he loses everything he makes, and then reached out for my hand again. We shook hands again, for a bit longer than our original handshake. He thought we were having a shared moment in gambling addiction sorrow. I went along for the ride, not correcting his false assumption in an effort to show support.

After he turned back around to keep his eyes on the road, I wanted to change the subject. I asked the cab driver about his kids. He became excited and happy again and said that both of his sons are doctors. He added that they were very successful; they both went to Ivy League schools and graduated at the top of their classes. His face beamed with pride as he looked at me through the rear view mirror. I thought of The Good Earth again and recognized that no matter what this man's gambling problems were, the fact that his sons had grown up to be successful had trumped everything. This happy moment was unfortunately short lived.

Before I could ask him about his daughter, the tone of the conversation changed again. "Friend, everything was great, but then tragedy struck my family", he said. "We were so close, and then it all fell apart." I was obviously not expecting to hear this, so I asked him to explain what happened. The next 20 seconds were some of the saddest I've ever experienced.

"My daughter. She was at University of Pennsylvania. Wharton School. She was studying business. She was doing so well. Then, seven weeks before she was graduating, she.. she went to the top of her building and jumped off. She couldn't deal with the stress."

He started crying and talking to himself in angry tones: "She was happy. I thought she was happy. You were happy! Why? Why would you do this? We should've known that something was wrong."

At a loss for words, I just looked at him with empathy. I finally choked out an "I'm so sorry for your loss." For the third time on this trip, he turned around and looked at me to grab my hand. I reached out and held his hand, this time for about twenty seconds. I kept on repeating how sorry I was about his loss. I tried to bring up his sons as much as I could, to remind him about all of the good things in his life. The next few minutes consisted of a combination of talking to me, talking to himself, crying and silence. By this time, I felt like I was consoling a friend instead of a stranger who I was paying to drive me to the airport.

We were now off the highway, driving on the airport's road. The last minute or so of the drive was done in silence. I was starting to gather my things in order to make sure I wouldn't leave anything behind. He asked me what my airline was and he pulled over at my stop. I gave him the cab fare and started to grab my things. He looked at me, grabbed my hand, held it for a bit and then said, "Thank you. When I meet and talk to people like you, I have my daughter back in my life."  Woah.  How does one respond to a statement as heavy as that? I didn't know what to do. I just looked at him, and the following words stumbled out of my mouth: 

"I love you."

He flinched. His eye brows furrowed in a vaguely disapproving curiosity. We awkwardly let go of each other's hands. I got out of the cab, shut the door, and walked away.

Best of Loosy, Part 3

Loosy, who will be returning from Paris very soon, has given us many things through her blog. One of my favorites is her phrase "high-fives".   The notion is that a high-five is a blessing, in any form, that we are appreciative of.   This theme has been the subject of at least a few Loosy posts over the years.

In honor of our jet-setting friend, I'm going to post my high-fives of the week here:

1. Standing 15 feet away from Radiohead as they put on a perfect show.

2. Working from home and getting a ton done on my house (i.e. being here so that other more-skilled people could do their thing)

3.  Having countertops and a kitchen sink for the first time since December, 2007 (See #2)

4.  Accidentally driving by Kuba and Brooke's house last evening and remembering how great it is that they live so close to me.

Here are some of Loosy's one-time high-fives:

High-Fives- Reflect. Recognize. Remember.

What happened to the sure thing?

Living in Seattle during the winter (Mid-October through July 3) has its challenges as we all know.   The dark skies, gray clouds and misty days can get pretty harsh.   Waking up at 7:30 AM in complete darkness is especially trying.  

However, it's all a means to an end.   

Right after the fireworks are over on July 4th, the clouds part and Summer is upon us.  2-3 months of guaranteed sunshine.  The day stays bright until 9 PM. The lush, well-soaked green of the trees fits perfectly in between the contrasting blues of the lakes and cloudless sky. By the time August approaches, we actually forget that it actually rains here most of the year. It's a glorious time to be living here.  

I have a question: 

Why are my shoes soaking wet right now?  

-Jim Branigan

P.S.  I hope it stops raining for the outdoor concert at White River that I'm going to tomorrow night.

Best of Loosy, Part 2

My second choice for the Best of Loosy series is admittedly silly and self-indulgent.  However, it's Friday afternoon;  not exactly the time for sap and heavy emotion.

Below is an ode to my fictional kin: Ms. Laura Branigan.

Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S.  Amanda Mae- did you ever get your $5.00?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Mad Love for Miss Branigan 

Laura Branigan. A One-Hit-Wonder? Maybe. A product of the 80s? Possibly. A thriving artist who never maximized her full potential? Definitely.

Below are the lyrics to one of my top 10 all-time favorite songs. Don't just skim through the text.....embrace the text, thrust your mind and soul into the text...make the text come to life....


Self Control
By Laura Branigan

Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day nothing matters
It's the night time that flatters
In the night, no control
Through the wall something's breaking
Wearing white as you're walkin'
Down the street of my soul

You take my self, you take my self control
You got me livin' only for the night
Before the morning comes, the story's told
You take my self, you take my self control
Another night, another day goes by
I never stop myself to wonder why
You help me to forget to play my role
You take my self, you take my self control

I, I live among the creatures of the night
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
That tomorrow never comes
A safe night, I'm living in the forest of my dream
I know the night is not as it would seem
I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it
That this night will never go

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day nothing matters
It's the night time that flatters,
I live among the creatures of the night
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
That tomorrow never knows
safe night, I'm living in the forest of a dream
I know the night is not as it would seem
I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it
That this night will never go

Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control ... [fade out]

$5 to the first person who can tell me what this song is about. Ready, set, GO!