Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas in Seattle


Well, we did have a snowy time of it the first few days. My parents were biting their collective nails Tuesday the 23rd hoping we'd get there which of course we did just fine although I was ragged from putting up with 5 1/2 hours of Veeka on the plane. Because she would not take a nap. Sigh.
Anyway, we've not done much other than a few quick runs into Seattle although tomorrow (Monday) at 10 a.m. PST I am going to be on the Dave Ross show, a local talk show host, talking about "Quitting Church" and then I am going to be part of a group of 5-6 authors at a mass booksigning at Harvest Logos bookstore up on NE 85th later on in the afternoon. I've tried to rest and get some reading done but Miss Veeka has made sure I don't get a whole lot of time to myself. Although I did get a delicious hour at a masseuse in Bellevue, courtesy of my parents.
So here is Opa and Veeka in the Seattle snow, which is a lot for this time of year and nearly historic in its intensity but seeing as how the holiday could have been a lot worse but was not, I am thankful that all has turned out well.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Appearing in Seattle


Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but I've been down with the galloping crud for the past 2 days. And before that, Veeka was under the weather. Fortunately I had enough sick leave at work to cover it all but it really strained my ability to get ahead at work. So my desk is still piled high with all sorts of stuff.
Let's see....I've been busy writing a Hanukkah piece on a local Jewish woman who heads up the edgy Sixth and I historic synagogue downtown (which is where Veeka and I spent last Friday night singing Hebrew songs), covering the end of a year-long Episcopal trial (the conservatives won all four court judgments which no one expected them to do), having an open house last Sunday to show off my new place and setting up an appearance in Seattle.
Yes, an appearance. Thanks to my mom-the-booker, I'm going to be on the Dave Ross show on KIRO radio 710 (AM I think) at 10 a.m. Monday the 29th. I thought to myself: Why not have a booksigning later on that day? Two secular bookstores told me I was asking too late in the game but an evangelical Christian store, Harvest Logos bookstore on N. 85th St. near Greenwood jumped at the chance. It helped that the owner was Michael Adeney, who I'd known for years (although I know his wife, Miriam, somewhat better) who was willing to order my books rush at the last minute. He also decided to make this a big party. So he's coaxed five other authors: Tom Sine, Gib Martin, Kimberlee Conway, Richard Dahlstrom and Jon Sween to also show up with their books. I've interviewed Tom Sine before (he's a futurist) but it's been years since we talked. The party is at 115 N. 85th St. and the store, I believe, is in a strip mall across the street from a Blockbuster's Video.
Thirty of my books will be on sale at a great discount so please show up if you live in the area. The time: 3-6 p.m.
Some house-sitting friends fly into town this Sunday just to make sure my kitties don't feel neglected while Veeka and I are gone. After a frantic day at work Monday tying up loose ends - poof! - we are off to Seattle. Hopefully the snow and gluck elsewhere in the country won't come anywhere near Washington DC before we leave.
Posted here is a photo of Veeka and me at a Kazakh embassy reception.

Monday, December 8, 2008

As Advent progresses



I am trying to teach Veeka what the Advent wreath is all about and why it's not something you blow out like birthday candles. We do have a Christmas tree up - the first I have had in many years as now I live in a place where there is room.
Getting it into the house was quite the process. After church, I'd picked up a scotch pine and was yanking it out of my car when one of the neighbors leaned out her window and asked if I needed help. Standing there in my nice shoes and stockings and nice coat with this huge tree, I guess I looked forlorn. We hauled the thing into the house, then discovered that the hole I had drilled for the tree stand had gone in wrong, hence my tree leaned like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. So this neighbor sent over her husband who sawed away and hammered and loaned me THEIR old tree stand and finally got the protesting piece of shrubbery up with many needles now on the floor.
I am fine although I have started yet another round of physical therapy because of bad rotator cuff problems I now have from lifting You Know Who. So that is 3 mornings a week. And our little doll has discovered the art of making faces. Look at the two photos with this post carefully. The little minx made one of her faces in one.
Work is fine - am grateful I am not in one of the zillions of newspaper layoffs this month - Gannett, one of the chains, is dumping much of its labor force just before Christmas. Lovely timing.
Book sales are up to 8,721. We just have to offload the next 1,129 and it's 2nd printing time, folks. The publisher still says they are very happy with how the book is doing and they've got plans to put it out in paperback. And for you Seattleites, I've landed a spot on Dave Ross's talk show on Dec. 29 (KIRO) at 10 a.m. as of course I will be in the Emerald City at that point.