Catching up

Catching up

I hope everyone is enjoying a safe, relaxing weekend. I'd say it's beautiful here in Seattle. For any normal person that would be accurate. A little hot for me. I'm partly to blame. Haven't turned on the fan yet.

I went to run some errands this morning but stopped in my tracks. The garbage truck! Hallelujah. I think they missed or delayed a pickup last week, and our dumpster was full, for a long time. I was sitting on a bag and a half. Past experience suggests that when the dumpster gets that full, you're going to find a lot of the contents strewn along the sidewalk.

When I saw the garbage truck and confirmed he was here for the big dumpsters, I raced home (more of a speed walk) and grabbed my garbage. Thank you waste management person - I hope you scored some overtime and made it home in time for a bbq.

Blogging is funny. Once you break your rhythm, it's hard to get it back. I've stopped and started with a few things, so if any of this is a repeat, contact Blog Headquarters and ask for a refund.

Last week was not awesome. Remember that speeding ticket I got? Well, what I thought was the response to my request for a deferral arrived. Spoiler alert - that's not what it was. It was a notice that my license would be suspended in July for failing to address the ticket.

Ughhh.

I have been known to procrastinate, but I don't mess around with Johnny Law. I promptly contacted the court in April asking about options for having that ticket not affect my spotless...or very clean...driving record. The court folks told me how to request a deferral. I went to FedEx, mailed the check and the paperwork, and put my tracking number somewhere I would remember. FedEx didn't successfully deliver the envelope, and I couldn't find the tracking number. It wouldn't have really mattered. I'd have had a receipt saying I sent something to the court.

I called the court in something of a panic. I paid the original fee, a late fee, and a credit card convenience fee. I also sent in some paperwork requesting the deferral. A motion to vacate? Legal terms are weird. The person I spoke to at the court assured me that my payment was logged, thereby ensuring my license won't be suspended. With my luck, that probably means a SWAT team is headed for my apartment as I type.

You never ever ever ever want to be in the databases of the justice system. You start to feel powerless pretty darn fast. (If you're reading this, do a better job of keeping those receipts than I do.)

I watched the finale of Mare of Easttown. Don't worry, no spoilers here. Kate Winslet was fantastic throughout the show. How can someone do that, make you believe you're watching a tough as nails Pennsylvania detective and not the star of Titanic? I wasn't thrilled with the finale. I thought the show was pretty good, but I've got my complaints. (Chuck. will be interested to hear what you thought of it.)

I think Big Journalism might finally be reckoning with its awful record on RussiaGate and the Steele Dossier. I hope it's not too late. I doubt MSNBC will ever reflect on its coverage. Reflection doesn't pay. MSNBC = FOX. They've both made their choices. If you want to see one of the interesting discussions on the topic, Google Isikoff and Barry Meier.

I read a powerful, sad look back on Afghanistan today. Thomas Gibbons-Neff discusses his experiences in Afghanistan as a Marine and as reporter. He has a lot of friends he'll be thinking about today. We and our elected officials keep failing our military, casually tossing them into the cauldron and rewarding them with early boarding on flights. I hope we take care of the Afghans who worked with our military and diplomats. We probably won't.

I'll finish on a happier note. My friends at Cook Weaver are open again for dine-in service. That's wonderful news. I can't imagine the stress they've experienced the past year. Their first night was slow, but things picked up fast. Congratulations Cook Weaver, I can't wait to eat there again.

Cook Weaver Seattle
Cook Weaver, Capitol Hill, Seattle, May 2021.
Cook Weaver Capitol Hill Seattle
Cook Weaver, Capitol Hill, Seattle, May 2021.
Cook Weaver Capitol Hill Seattle
Hi Nile! Cook Weaver, Capitol Hill, Seattle, May 2021.