February 08, 2006
Gone with the Wind
(Lots of photos today, Dear Readers. May be slow to load.)
Remember this, our lovely, secluded, cool, and breezy Safari Room where we snoozed away the dog days of summer and which was the scene of much silliness and merriment at last summer’s Dulaan Garden Party?
Thanks to a cantankerous storm that blew through last weekend, it now looks like this:
We weep. We wail. We mourn. We rend our garments. We do a slow, tragic dance with veils.
The storm also led directly to an interesting clash between the-person-TMK-is-as-a-result-of-her-upbringing and the-person-Ryan-is-as-a-result-of-her-upbringing. Fortunately for me, because this is my blog, I get to explain my side of the story first and TMK will just have to scramble to get a word in edgewise. I'm likin' how this works.
Ryan’s View of the World
When you live in the exotic climes of South America and Asia, you’re lucky to have electricity. Losing power, commonplace. Losing power for days at a time, commonplace. Living by candlelight, flashlight or Coleman lantern, commonplace. Not being able to bathe for a few days, or having to settle for a wiping off of the limbs with a damp washcloth, commonplace. Being reduced to eating cold food with your fingers, commonplace. Wearing a sarong to stay cool when there’s no air conditioning, commonplace. Having to learn to just make do, commonplace. Losing power—life as usual; par for the course; no big.
TMK’s View of the World
Electricity never, ever goes away. It never has, never will. I worship at the altar of the ever-enduring, all-permanent God of Electricity. If it does ever go away, I will die. Immediately.
Guess which one of us was in for a rude shock last weekend when the same storm that left the Safari Room looking like a dead metal spider left her without power for thirty hours? (Oh, sorry, 29. She counted. Pretty much on the hour, every hour.)
Now, here’s the kicker—all we did was transfer operations to my house where we had plenty of electricity. We had heat, light, food, hot and cold water, and TV for the duration. TMK was never truly physically inconvenienced by the loss of power but, apparently, psychologically she had her knickers in a knot because at Hour 29 she Had Had Enough, and had a little meltdown.
Did I soothe her? Did I reassure her? Did I pat her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay? Did I bring her a Kleenex? Did I bring her some hot tea? Did I tell her to lie down until she felt better? Did I put a cold compress on her forehead?
Nope.
I called her a big baby.
She stared, astonished, at my rude, unsympathetic self…and called me a meanie.
I called her a big baby again.
She called me a meanie again.
Big baby.
Meanie.
Big baby.
Meanie.
By that time, we were laughing too hard to be mad.
And three minutes later, her power came back on* and the crisis was over.
*How did we know the power came back on if we were at my house? Because she called her house and her fax machine answered which it couldna’ unless the power were on.)
Birthday!
Birthday, Day One, Saturday
The Original Plan: A trip an hour north to one of our local outlet malls. What Really Happened: See “Big Baby and Meanie Survive a Power Outage,” above.
Birthday, Day Two, Sunday
High tea at Village Yarns & Teas. I had such a great time doing this last year, I asked TMK if we could do it again. Village Yarns did not disappoint. Rich, flavorful tea, an endless and fun variety of finger foods, lovely presentation, attentive service. It was perfect.
Birthday, Day Three, Monday
Official Birthday Dinner at Outback, Official Birthday Gifts and Official Birthday Kek (as we call it, thanks to Martin Short in “Father of the Bride.”)
To make things interesting, for the last couple of weeks, TMK had been hinting that I had some “mystery gifts” from a “mystery giver” in and among my other presents.
Here, the moment when I found out the mystery giver was Anj!
Here, the surprise in the package on my lap, hand-dyed, hand-spun, hand-knit “typing toasties” (which fit perfectly, by the way, Anj)!
Here, my foot-tall assistant helps me investigate Mystery Gift #2:
The contents of Mystery Gift #2: Two alpaca mugs—one for me, one for TMK—and the fun green, pink and brown yarn on the right (yes, those are the typing toasties on the left; they hadn’t had enough of the limelight).
The further contents of Mystery Gift #2: Lots of fun roving for TMK to experiment with:
Thank you so much for the surprise, Anj, you little schemer, you!
Here, a beautiful gift from my sister, a “chrysanthemum rock” from the Yangtze Valley which will soon be permanently flooded, which just kills me. Thank you, Big Sister!! All the gifts were wonderful.
And lastly, the piece de resistance: I now own an original TMK!
How beautiful is this thing?! And that pendulum--absolutely mesmerizing. And because I can’t help myself--it already has a name, which I think Superman fans will appreciate: Clock Kent.
Madrona Fiber Arts
TMK and I will be down in Tacoma at the Madrona Fiber Arts thingy on Saturday and Sunday. We'll just be hangin' out because I wasn't able to sign up for any classes. If you happen to see two short, round women walking a short, round, red dog through the lobby, please come say "Hi!"
MaryB, we hope to see you there, although it sounds as if you've got a full schedule!!!
Posted by Ryan at February 8, 2006 11:23 AMI have envy that you are going to the Madrona Fiber Arts thingy. I didn't know you could go and just hang out? *ponders*
Fab gifts. The clock is GORGEOUS, and I love the gifts from Anj. Very cool! Happy belated Birthday!
Posted by: perclexed on February 8, 2006 11:36 AMThe yarn is beautiful, and the clock is so good I don't have any worthy words. Have fun at the Fiber Festival, pack some empty bags.
Posted by: Elaine on February 8, 2006 11:40 AMHappy belated birthday, Ryan!
Sorry to hear about TMK's power outage :)
Posted by: Libby on February 8, 2006 11:53 AMYIPPEE!! presents arrived safe and sound and got to be fondled. So glad you enjoyed them (and that they fit!)
Happy Birthday dear.
Posted by: anj on February 8, 2006 11:58 AMChoke - choke - cough.... ack... Oh my gosh I thought I was gonna die laughing about your power outage. I'm you. My husband is TMK. WAY. TOO. FUNNY.
And Happy Birthday to you. :)
Posted by: Laura on February 8, 2006 11:58 AMHappy Birthday! Cool gifts! I love the power outage story.
I'm going to Madrona too; will be there Friday night to hear Stephanie, then Saturday to wander around. Hope to see you there!
Glad you had a good birthday. That clock is awesome!!
Posted by: Mindy on February 8, 2006 12:04 PMI empathize with TMK about the 'lectricity. After Rita we were without for 10.7 days. That sucked. In Louisiana. the end of August. But before I pitied myself too much I thought of the folks in and around New Orleans. Lots of those folks are still (STILL!) without power. or house. or... But what drove me batty was continuing to flip the !#$% light switch every single time I walked into the bathroom.
DAMN! That is one FINE clock!!! It must be chock full o'love. Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Aarlene on February 8, 2006 12:19 PMWhat a beautiful clock! It sounds like a nice birthday all around. I like the spread-out-over-a-couple-of-days aspect.
So, how many times did TMK call her fax line before it answered? *snerk*
Posted by: Patti on February 8, 2006 12:27 PMAlpaca mugs? doesn't the fuzz get stuck in your teeth?
Posted by: Elizabeth D on February 8, 2006 12:30 PMThe sudden visual of "We do a slow, tragic dance with veils"...well, I'm still laughing as I type and will continue for most of the rest of the afternoon.
Having spent chunks of my life in similar planetary oddspots, including happy time last year in the Gobi Desert where the nearest power pole was 17 miles thataway, I gotta say I empathize more with my cuzzin. 'Sides, I always thought the upside of power outages -- that you had to finish ALL the ice cream in the freezer before it simply got wasted -- trumped any minor inconvenience.
So. Loss of electricity? A piffle. But the strange usage in English of "was" and "were"...well, now it's time for me to rend MY garments. Now Ryan, I know you know cuz your momma tol' you so, but nonetheless, 'splain to me why, if "power" is singular, one says "couldna' unless the power 'were' on" instead of "was on". (Also, you'll notice I'm a wild-eyed punctuation radical who wantonly places punctuation outside quotation marks. Why? Cuz it Makes More Sense To Do So.) Finally, does one use "lead" in the past tense, and if so, then explain Led Zeppelin to me.
*pant, pant* Whew. Now I gotta go lie down.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on February 8, 2006 12:44 PMHey, with TMK at Madrona all I can think of is SPINNING. Tell her to bring that wheel and she will have a ball.
Posted by: CarolineF on February 8, 2006 12:50 PMWhat a lovely birthday clock, and the other gifts too!
We had that storm up here before it hit you - it was WILD wasn't it?! Lots of trees, fences, etc blown about.
You do have a way with stories - I'm still chuckling.
What an absolutely gorgeous clock! What wonderful gifts you received! Have fun this weekend!
Posted by: Sheri on February 8, 2006 01:05 PMO what a Wonderful Day when TMK learned to work with wood! Clock Kent is beautiful!!
Covet the alpaca mugs.
Agree with Cuzzin Tom re punctuation outside quote marks.
Want that clock.
Posted by: Childe on February 8, 2006 01:10 PMI was sooooo bummed when my power only went out for 3 hours. I was ready for Pioneer Days with Lantern and all! Instead, all I got was a cold shower and flickering lights for the rest of the day. I WANT A PROPER POWER OUTAGE OR NOTHING AT ALL!
Posted by: Rebecca on February 8, 2006 01:12 PMHappy belated birthday, Ryan! What a great pile o' loot you received. And that clock is awesome, despite what you chose to name it (wink).
We only lost power for about 20 minutes during the wind storm. Thank goodness! The lights I can live without, but the house cools down fast this time of year when the electricity goes and you don't have a back up heat source.
Maybe I'll see you and TMK in Tacoma this weekend, depending on how much time we get during breaks from class. This will be my first time attending the Madrona Fiber Arts retreat, and I was lucky enough to have gotten into the Estonian lace class. Woo-hoo!
Posted by: Denise in Kent, WA on February 8, 2006 01:43 PMPerclexed, our "hanging out" at Madrona will be a little more official than perhaps I made it sound. We did get a hotel room; we won't be just hogging up the lobby chairs, hoping the concierge won't notice. Hee! And, although I won't be in any classes, if nothing else, I/we are going down to see the vendors, and TMK may have some spinning questions if she runs into any spinners that we know, and I most certainly will be working on my Olympics project! See? We're legit!
Lorette, please do trip us up if you see us in Tacoma. If you don't exactly remember what we look like, as I said, the short, red dog will be a dead giveaway. Er, not that the dog will be dead...oh, you know what I mean.
Aarlene, I did try the "New Orleans" and "Pakistan earthquake" tack with TMK. It worked for 28 hours. You know what happened at hour 29.
Patti, you know TMK too well. She called her fax line a lot. In her defense, though, I called it for her a few times, too.
Elizabeth D--"fuzz stuck in your teeth?" Too funny! Reminds me of that line by that comedian (don't remember which one, maybe Steve Martin, maybe Steven Wright) who said he tried to wash his cat but had to stop when the fur stuck to his tongue.
Cuzzin, we've gone over this before. "Were" is the subjunctive. It has nothing to do with a plural or singular subject, it has to do with a theoretical condition as in, "If I were in Maryland, I would thwack you on the head." I am NOT in Maryland, therefore "were." Oh, and punctuation on the inside. Inside. INSIDE!!!
Rebecca, if we had only known, we would have let you stay at TMK's house for the 29 hours, while she and I stayed dry and warm and cozy at my house.
And, yes, Dear Readers, the clock *is* awesome. What you can't tell from the picture is that it is made from cherry (cherry wood?), not oak, 'cuz TMK knows I loathe oak, and the top of the clock has been sanded so much, it's as soft as a baby's butt.
Posted by: Ryan on February 8, 2006 01:49 PMI-I-I-I-I I want the clooooooock. Plleeeeeeeze.
(Sorry, that was Eunny's fault - ever since she mentioned what her boyfriend said about her hat, I haven't been able to get that out of my head.)
Gorgeous. GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS.
And did I say how pretty it is?
TMK, do you sell those?
And did you smack Ryan for naming it Clock Kent? Such a lovely thing needs a lovely name. (Clock of Ages?)
Happy Birthday again, and have fun at the festival this weekend.
I am so excited about the Retreat this weekend--Ryan and TMK, I am thrilled to know you're coming and will definitely look for you! I'm staying over too--two whole nights (Friday and Saturday).
As for the Meanie and Big Baby--all I can say is: life would be nothing without a "Big Baby" to come home to. I know, 'cuz I have a "Big Baby" at my house too. (Sorry TMK, but the similarities between your behavior and David's at times, well, it's just too darn much.)
Hugs, Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on February 8, 2006 02:17 PMRyan - Now THAT's a way to celebrate a birthday! Well done.
TMK - fabulous job on the clock! When's your first TMK Original Spinning Wheel coming out?
Posted by: Rachel H on February 8, 2006 02:32 PMHappy Birthday! I _love_ the clock!
Posted by: melissa on February 8, 2006 11:50 PMClock Kent. Perfect :-)
I am the Big Baby with the internet connection, which is even worse than being a big baby with the electricity.
And it's gonna be pretty damned hard to explain Led Zeppelin...
Posted by: Lee Ann on February 9, 2006 01:14 PMRyan, I'm with you on the subjunctive and the punctuation INSIDE the quotes....but I am so with TMK abut the electricity. We were without power for 3 days after an ice storm in December and I just. about. died. My electronic-age kids were even worse after the novelty wore off...
Posted by: Judy on February 10, 2006 08:06 AMBTW, did you see this?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F09%2F15%2Fwdog15.xml&sSheet=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F09%2F15%2Fixworld.html
(this is perclexed, btw, with a new, knitting blog ID)
Posted by: moiraeknits on February 10, 2006 12:45 PMRemember TMK - spinning wheels work without 'lectricity so all you need is a couple candles or 10. Because you weren't into spinning when I left so I know I've never mentioned to you that I have a 'lectric carder. The possibilities for blending different fibers and colors on it are endless. About the time you're ready to have your first spinning party and assuming you invite me I'll bring the carder and we can have a little blend fest.....too much fun - I'm warning you!!!!
Linda "K"
Posted by: Linda "K" on February 10, 2006 01:51 PMI am SO DAMN glad SOMEONE is standing up for the subjunctive! As Bryan A. Garner, author of my favorite browse-by read A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, says, "they're worth keeping." Final word on the subject as far as I'm concerned.
My buddy Bryan has a lot to say about the issue of punctuation within/without quotation marks. Enough, indeed, to shore up just about any argument. I love my buddy Bryan....
I think your clock is so beautiful!! TMK did such a nice job!! Why will the Yangtze Valley be permanently flooded? All of your gifts are so beautiful! Hope you had fun!
Posted by: Courtney on February 10, 2006 08:21 PMIs Clock Kent made by hand... very handsome in any case. I DO love a gently swinging pendulum. :-)
I know why you survived the nasty collapsing metal spider and electrical outage... BECAUSE YOU HAVE SENSES OF HUMOR. BRAVA to both. And wishes for plenty of 'lectric and hot water and minimal outages of any sort.
Ryan, I'm so sorry that stuff intervened and you weren't able to make it to Tacoma. I hope you're on the mend and that we can meet up next year.
Posted by: Angela on February 16, 2006 05:15 PM