Do I have to Throw a Temper Tantrum??

EDIT--- GOOD NEWS----click! says It's A Go!!!!!

I have to wait for an appt.....so I guess whining coupled with perseverance will prevail.....
I wanted to stay with click! since I've been a cable internet customer since almost day 1...since the system went Go !!!! I love my utility company......I was so surprised to have such a big issue here...it's always been such smooth sailing.......to get things done, utility-wise.

3 weeks ago I called Harbornet to move my click! acct. downtown.....inside the World's Most Wired City........click! now says they can only run wires for me through the neighbor's wall.......huh? and he isn't returning their calls.
so......click! can not run wires to 712 Broadway but thru the walls of a non-Riley business????
That's the last in the Episode of Will Funkoma ever get cable internet???
Stay tuned!!
I really don't understand what the hangup is.....I can think of several ways to run wires. Methinks no one wants to run any new wires since the Big Remodel is coming to Broadway..........
Do I have to do all the work here? Why do I have to keep calling and calling..... .........Maybe I should blow up city hall in protest......it's only 2 blocks away......(kidding-- homeland security...)
Any bloggie-friends got some super secret numbers to call........
Can anyone give me a sane reason why Steve had wires running all over the bldg, and I am having some trouble here????

I am sarcastic.....you know that...but I'm actually very nice and just want my damn cable internet installed.
Next week, I'm calling Comcastic.........

The Lonely Blogger - Folksingers in Hell

so you blog, eh? Wish you had your own Tacoma-Centric theme song?
David Fewster has answered your call of anguish.....we know you labor in the dark....clickity everyday.....and BONUS.....he homages our beloved Exit133.......It does not get any cooler..any more Tacoma than that......
Clicky the YouTube linky and listen to David sing.....and his daughter Hannah blog.....with whiteout.....it's all very chiaroscuro.......

David Fewster and song partner Heidi Fosner are the most exciting and gritty...Tacoma doomish-cheerleaders.....if you love Tacoma, you can not call your self, your bad self a real life Tacoman or Tacomawoman.....or Tacomakid until you've listened to Folksingers In Hell.....
Just as you love Teddy and bro Leonard Haggerty, artists and karaoke entrepreneurs....extraordinaire.....who have brought Tacoma to life in scratch paper and song.......these folks are the real deal........
No faux-urban pioneers....you know.......the kind that are more Fit than Grit......
Folksingers In Hell are not Sanitized For Your Protection!
Though mostly child-safe......
And Fewster and Heidi sing of our dysfunctional families, drug rehab blues..sans ciggies...at St. Joes..........
So get busy......
Do you truck up to Frost Park to see/be/do The Big Chalk Off every Friday noonish?
I bet you do....
So don't be a Tacoma poseur....
This is the real thing.....Like Girl Trouble........
You chose Tacoma because it isn't pretentious and the real estate prices are doable....
Folksingers In Hell and Fewster and Spawn are both unpretentious and quite doable!!!
Maybe you saw them at First Night 2008.........
Maybe you saw them at the recent Train Fest.......
So see them now....Leave a comment.... Support the Local Arts..
GO LOCAL....
.....brought to your attention by.......a ......Tacoma blog.....

Girl Trouble + My Spawn = Sweet Sweet Love

If you "get" Tacoma, then Girl Trouble is your fave band.....and, I get braggin' rights on my oldest child dancing for Girl Trouble, when Jan and Neko were
GT's Go Go Girls!!!


Jan wrote me this the other day:

OK, so you are always braggin on me dancing with GT..check this out. I am at about 2:48..dancing with Neko.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOrILYGV6dE

January
**********************************************
So click the link to youtube and listen and watch.....My Hometown

Course Neko, big fat Star, won't return Jan's phone calls.....yeesh!
But GT will !

Law Fetish + Mars + Naked Cowboy

Tacoma business (well, you know...) Mars Candy Company is being sued by a Naked Cowboy.....(well, you know...) and my Law Fetish (well, you know...) combined for this silly Tacoma-centric story.......(well, you know...)


ewwww Alert......I don't find this guy attractive in the least......but here he is......


Mars Candy, makers and pushers of sugar (the Dentist's best friend!!) was begun in T Town in 1911...the makers of Mars Bar, Milky Way, M&M's, Twix, Skittles and Snickers,
is being sued by Time Square's Naked Cowboy , Robert Burck. He stands around in his underwear with a guitar covering the covered up nasty bits, wearing a white cowboy hat, cowboy boots and sings. Now he's singing Foul !!
Mars' ad agency created an M&M ad with a disgusting M&M mimicking Mr. Burck on a billboard in Times Square. Mmmm, dude will settle for a few millions, me thinks. That will buy a lot of tighty whities.....I hope.

Mmmm. Maybe downtown Tacoma's Pac Ave Prison Yard Square....needs something like this! It's Tacoma, It's art, It's a spectacle. Perhaps Hume or Blue is available....

Mars company is opposing more energy development in Montana, is not a friend of PETA, and had an ad that upset the gays. Oh, let's not forget Sugar.
Sugar is bad. I almost never eat any. Some say that makes me bitter, sour and unAmerican. So be it!
I feel great when I don't eat it. I feel cruddy when I do. No cupcakes for me. Mmmm, maybe just a bite!

I Semi-French Kissed The Helm....

Because I love them so........tho sometimes the art laughs at me.....but we are in couples therapy and it will all be fine......And that is as good a reason as you need to attend the Fundraising Event they will hold soon. Date tba.......

Random Events during my huge move. I haven't seen my children or my grandchildren for a long time and I miss them so much. I wish I could Jeannie blink and get the rest of my stuff moved....but alas...I am not a Genie.....I am a Queen.

When Murphi was here Mark and Murry and I went to Masa to see him and stuff. Well, he (Murphi) is such a damn Rock Staaar, that we didn't get much face time with him. I did get to hug him hugely in his cashmere Izod sweater. NY is so lucky and Tacoma is poorer for his move away, but it is best for him. Perhaps someday our boy can come home.........

I'd never been to Masa.....I'm sorry, but fancy fancy restaurants in Tacoma make me giggle...but you know what I think about Prentiousness!!
I will call you out on that Each and Every time I smell it.....so knock it off!
Masa Smelled Good !!!! Once I found out the band was friends of Murphi (fom) they suddenly improved !
Masa smells like BBQ'd Spaniards and Axe Body Spray.

With Best Friends and Partners, we went to dinner at Harbor Lights to celebrate 11 Years of Glam Marriage ..........And Harbor Lights used to be our Comfort Restaurant......No More!!!!!!
Anthony's has slowly squeezed all CHARM out of H L......it was such a f'n GENERIC seafood restaurant experience, Mark and I won't be back to eat......
boring food, cut corners everywhere, the quality was OK, but boring boring boring boring.
And I am so PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS...
Where do people get off thinking they have to "IMPROVE" everything??? Some things are fine the way they are. I expect that NEXT they will ditch the fabulous Kitschy sign in favor of BORING CORPORATE GENERIC sign.

I don't share with you where my personal private favorite places to go and have fun and drinks.......but 2 words.......Flying Boots on 38th.......

Bye for now. I don't have new pics, I don't even know where my camera is right now....I misplaced it!!

Come and visit us in our new digs..
712 Broadway, Baby!!!

Here There Everywhere....

on ebay.......

60s Mod


50s Catalina swim suit





70s Koi Shaheen dress





50s Full Skirt Party Day dress

Oh man am I busy...Gobs of new stuff coming ...

to the new shop downtown.....
I have several vintage men's western shirts and T shirts...
Men's vintage is hard to find since men tend to wear their clothes till they fall apart !
But I grab it when I find it hidden in people's closets. I love to see the glint in the eyes of guys when they spy the racks of Man Stuff...sunglasses, vintage vinyl, stereo and music equipment...

And the ladies.....well, I have several tons of that ! I will be buying more designer fashion, both recent and vintage....
Next on ebay will be a 60s sculptural white Shannon Rodgers for Jerry Silverman dress, a 50s NOS black Catalina boy leg swimsuit...a Liberty Tana print blouse...

the small rack of kids vintage is up.....and, more to come !

I'll add pictures soon.....I moving my manni and Monday will be test picture day....new space, new lighting and much to learn.....I'm really happy to have a white painted brick background. So urban...

Favorite Day ....Mark And Tressie's 11th Wedding Anniversary..

Yes. Happy. Together. Married in San Francisco June 13, 1997.
Friday the 13th.....
paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th) clearly, Not us.....

After a simple ceremony at City Hall, our honeymoon began in The Castro after eating a fantabulous dinner and drinking much champagne at Stars. This, sadly , or not so sadly, became our song.....Why? because I swear, every bar in the Castro had MTV playing on their TV....and this song was playing in every bar every time we walked in!!!
Mark said: "Those girls are so cute!" Jokes on him. We found out when we got back home.....those girls are brothers!!! It's HANSON....I still have no clue what they are saying, but for MmmmBop....

So enjoy a little Mmmm Bop...... the original video we were entranced by......

in this later video.....you can hear their voices are already changing.......


US !!!




Graduation day June 12, 2005

Lights Camera......Action....

What a yummy day it was ! the vintage shops in Tacoma were open, people were walking downtown from their offices, their condos and busing and driving in .......
'




Planted the box outside with pretty purple alyssum, petunias, salvia and nasturtiums...lychnis and a buddleia that simply frightened Dino since he is not a fan of Butterfly Bush.....Yes, true, they can be rangy and weedy.....oh, but don't you love the honey scented purple candles in midsummer...the butterflies do.....I will sit for hours this summer at Rampart.....and watch the urban butterflies and bees give a show of thanks for the buddleia........
and of course, you probably have many near you if you live or work downtown...they grow in the gutters at the Luzon....just to name one urban garden location....
Purple and Chartreuse paint for the outside is on the June agenda...



Tropical delight....


Lights...


Dress Up



Converse among your selves....

Nostalgic for a Farmer's Market...and downtown..

gooooodness.....I used to sell at the Gig Harbor Farmers Mkt back in the early 90s. I had a farm in Lakebay...an organic farm. I grew (from seed or cutting) 100's of heirloom fruits and vegetables, and billions of herbs, flowers and shrubs. I had to force Mortgage Lifter and Mr. Stripey on people ! Here take this one...and come back in August and tell me if you liked it !!!
Well, they did come back and they loved it...and the next spring I had people knocking on my door asking when the old tomatoes would be ready........


It was great fun and loads of work to produce produce ....the kind of garden bounty I grew up eating since my folks and my foster-folks were tremendous gardeners.
Everything I Knew About Gardening I Learned From My Elders.
I never sold at the Tacoma Mkt.....I wrote about it plenty, and shopped it all these years....(and the Dome district one last summer), and I'm really happy it's Thursday......
Yippee!!! I'm planting the bedraggled box in front of Rampart today.....
in honor of urban organic mini-farming......
Amocat will be open mostly, tho the big Grand Opening is later this month....
funkoma vintage is open (mostly). I have about 1/3 of what goes in, of my stock, with price tags all set up so far. (More pictures later today....)
Food, Friends, music, booze, merry-making....all the best things of life.......

In the beginning...there was a Building

now it's the home of a few vintage shops in Tacoma...

in Downtown Funkytown.......Tacoma 2 you...
it was a Chevrolet dealership built in 1911....
I think...it's real old...

Amocat Antique Market...
712 Broadway.....Antique Row...Theater District...
daily ....noon - 7 (ish) or whenever
the new home of funkoma vintage....
....But here is where it begins...
We'll paint the outside, plant flowers...
Walk in ...if the roll up door is up...Met Tacoma Urbanist...a law nerd...like me...Hi Erik...Lots of folks have been dropping by....Our soft opening will be Friday the 13th.....

Lots of white....




Here is where funkoma will be...


so empty !


I love the ceilings....39 feet tall or something...

Stupid Men clothes....What you won't find at funkoma in Tacoma

Stupid Clothes.....not stupid men.....(remember...I'm not a feminist)
From Susie Bubble.....Comes this post about Paris design students........and their fashion show....This stuff is fine if you going into stage design or circus fun....but really now, no sane person is gonna dress like this.......I'm not a big fan of DockersPoloBaseballHatNikes.....booooring.....and so unnecessary....but I applaud the creativity.....but uh, as fashion.....it's just dumb.




"....the whole jury including Mr Gaultier were highly impressed with the work they saw. Et moi? With such a selective class, I do feel this five year course at La Cambre hones the students in a way that is very unique in comparison to other schools and the resulting work is indicative with the thought processes behind it being quite highly evolved." This is Ann Bruggeman//'Mine' -


I stole these pics from Susie Bubble...who was a big fan of indiecult on ebay until indiecult disappeared one day....taking her uh, style with her.......

Oh Gentrification......Who's Turn To Watch It??

Portland in the Neeewwwssss....I love Portland, You know that.....but sometimes......progress is not so progressive. I think about this as I drive up McKinley to shop or to hit the PO....
All is not so well in P-Town.....gosh, white people are upset at white people. Welcome to my world !
This post from Things White People Love is soooo funnnnny
because Tacoma is trying so hard to be funkyurbanhipcool....and the gentrification must be done properly.
Here is a list of Comedy Topics.....

Things Mentioned

• Being Offended
• Awareness
• Gentrification
• Diversity
• Barack Obama
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Bicycles
• Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
• Indie Music
• Coffee
• Dogs (photo)
• Expensive Strollers (Book)
• Portland, OR (Book)
• Native Wisdom (Book)

That whole Take Back Frost Park..while colorful.....is just hilarious!!
You wanna take back a public park from uh, the public?
I double-dog dare ya to show up at 11:49 PM....on Saturday night.....and start chalking. Bring the kids! It's fun !!

Well, We're on the Move to Downtown Funkytown

Yes, finally.....me and my hooptie automobiles are packed to the headliners and we are moving to the Rampart bldg.
Aimee got the red Rampart letters, so that's so sweet, I want to cry. She spent most of her growing up years down there.
I'm so happy. I'm happy to be back. I'm off my head with Joy. It's bittersweet. Well, that's life isn't it?
As I'm standing around and staring at the ceilings, at the big white walls, the roll up garage doors....and I stand on the sidewalk...
I still expect to see Steve walk down the red stairs or walk across the street from the Mecca with his cigarettes.
But .....only in my mind.
I hate it when people I love die.........duh.
I hate that I got Rampart because my friend died.
I am very aware that I have to always be a good girl and be worthy!
Rampart has changed many times in recent memory.
Eric, Glen and I were reminiscing about the old days.
David was there, then he was down there. We were there, then we were over there.
Eric was down here, then up there. Glen was everywhere.
So our anarchist underground antique society of wholly off center semi-capitalists are moving in.
We'll paint the outside, and plant flowers.

Glen and his fabulous antiques in the front. Me in the back sharing with a friend or 2. New vendors will move in as the month progresses.

If we have a guiding light, it is partly David and Steve and what they created......a big-city vintage shopping experience in humble downtown funkytown.
This is my town. Despite my childhood home, Yountville, tattooed on my arm!
25+ years ago I came with my family. One of the first places I drove to from South Tacoma, was downtown to pay my energy deposits.

I fell in love with the movie-set miniature downtown. Tacoma has everything. And small enough to fit in your hand.
All of May as I negotiated my rent, I just kept repeating:
Be The Change You Wish To See.....
which was my Greener graduation class motto in 2005.
I've always loved that Gandhi thought...
It was the only valuable thing I got from Evergreen. Oh, that and 25,000. in debt.
So shop with me Early and Often!!!
I'll be open to give you a funkoma experience & take your money on Friday the 13th. (also, it's the Mark & Tressie wedding anniversary)
Glen will be open every time the garage doors are open.
So Hi, to my old loves.....Hello to my new neighbors.

Pretty Vintage 50s Party Dress

This is one of the prettiest dresses I've seen lately....
soft cotton chintz in a medium gray......with swirly pink bows
and sketched white roses.....
it's on ebay !

im in ur base....

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

I'm not even sure you realize how much important fundamental change is needed in the direction this country is going.....but chew on dat Chew On Dat......
But 75% of the income made during this Bush Admin......went to the top 1% of Americans...
that means.........You middle class workers......just got royally screwed by the Reagan Revolution of tax cuts for the wealthy and massive deregulation......
did ya enjoy it? That was Class Warfare.....and you didn't see it coming.....
they now treat you like they've always treated the poor....disposable....
Welcome to the Hyper-Inflation 3rd World.....no need to travel to Mexico.....the Banana Republic is Here .........
Your mortgage is in default, your credit cards are maxed out, and you haven't had a raise in a decade, and you have no health care.
That's a Republican for ya !!!!!

Europe is already 20 years ahead of us in energy conservation and fiscal responsibility, need I mention Health Care, while we spend a billion a month (might as well be if you add the interest on the national debt) to fight a "war" solely for the benefit of the Oil Companies......2 Oil Men in the top jobs in the White House...what did you think was gonna happen????