Listening to Joni Mitchelll ....again.....

Ladies Of The Canyon...on vinyl....just youtube or google that and listen.....
these are the songs of my supple girlhood...when I was a Woman in Training....
Willy still gives me the big chills.

I had a boyfriend when I was 20-21 yrs old.
Ben Taylor. Artist. Flake. Sex. Pot & Hash. Too much money from a prominent family.
He introduced me to many things. He was my first big city boyfriend....we spent a lot of time in SF. And he was my second unrepairable broken heart. Big Time. That one took years.....but I learned what I liked and didn't like in a man. So that's why I knew the instant I laid Eyes on Mark.....he was The One For Me For Always. Thank goodness we were both single.

And Rainy Night House. Spooky.
For Free. You won't ever pass a street busker and think the same again.
This .....and more is why Joni is a Visitor From Another Planet......
that's what I call people who are too talented .....for the planet...they seem to come from some other place.....and they grace us with their presence and presents.....and we are mostly undeserving.........
And of course, Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock....
The Circle Game.
Joni and I both had children far too young.....we chose different paths to cope.
I kept the baby, she kept the faith.

The Helm/Fulcrum party.....Group Hug....Saves Art.....

OOOh boy. Art, View, Beauty, Youth, Age......Smartness and Talent.....
TacomaOpolis.....was too much fun......Saturday night....
It is so much more wonderful to meet in person...To see and chat in Real Time.....


Got to meet Laura H....wow! The amazing Andrea.....another wow! The makeup and hair created for the fashion show was mesmerizing......
And Erik, the Booster, shot me.....and Laura.....I always look red...like red wine. And really, it is OK to disagree on issues.....that really gets the Ideas a'flowing......
Erik knows this......(hellooo) Winky!

Always a pleasure to see Trish and Julie.....and so many more that I didn't get to say Hi! to.....


Now being part of the downtown scene of Art.....Music......Merryment.....and General TacUrban Life.....

Mark was there too.....He spent a lot of time chatting with Ryan.....who just arrived in Our Fair City from the other Washington.....DC .....that is....
Ryan was just hired by Lemay to oversee the proper restoration of The Cars.....
That is a big Job.....Ryan stopped in to amocat/funkoma checking out the n'hood....we meet so many people late in the day.....(so much is closed after 5....not us!)
I told Ryan about the party and he decided to go.. I think it was a wonderful and weird and wild intro to the best side of Tacoma.....


I'm biased.....but Antique Row....that chunk of Broadway is the best street in Tacoma..... The only other street that might vie for that title.....

was/is 11th Street.....Murray Morgan bridge into the Tideflats......that street...that bridge...that destination...is the Heart of Tacoma...
to me, it's the Real Gateway.....
fuggedabout Pt. Defiance....Job Carr's cabin....BORING.


We got it all....From the Stadium district to the Eastside as it curves around the Dome... and back around up the hill and over the E. 34th st Bridge....and down Tacoma Ave past the Cop Shop, thru Old Town to Stadium......and back down Broadway.....
Ummm, Yummmmmmmy !

On my wall hangs some local art.....

by Pinch Fingers dated 10-99. we bought from ourselves at Rampart, 2nd floor. in 99. we hung local art, we displayed local art back then...
and m. just hung a huge net in front of John Clinton's masterpiece.....in our entry.....at amocat/funkoma. Because our perennial theme in the foyer is.....Nautical.....seems quite fitting...don't ya know....

I have pulled out several Sailor/ships Nautical type-theme clothes to wear this week....I seem to have a lot of it...I'll be sporting a 1920's middy with my favorite nautical theme pin made by Gertrude....from flotsam and jetsam and alphabet noodles......
several of my blouses have big ships, sailor's knots.....the kind of blouses that grannies wear on their cruise ships to Alaska.....

I have a T shirt from Tacoma's first Tall Ships....hanging in the store right now...also a 60s Stadium Letter Sweater cardy........

I am a sucker for novelty prints.....and I have tons more nautical than I thought....
hmmm....Today's choice is a silk screened slip with a .....
Tall Ship.....hey that's a poem!
It was done by teresa.....who is celticteresa on ebay and she's one of my top friends on my myspace page.....she helped me get started with html and is a clever clever girl.....
and topping that is a silk blouse with tiny tattoos and medals...that say Sailors Grave....I really started ramping up the collection a few years ago because my FIL is a ferry boat captain....This.....in addition to my Most Beloved Theme of
Edwardian Pirate.....or slinky 70s boho chic.......
And I'm a West Coast Girl.....I've never lived, and never will live more than a few miles from salt water....I'm ...oh about 2 blocks from the salty brine.
I live a charmed life!



So support the arts.....support your local artists.....buy from local artists......it's the cool thing.
I'll post a pic when I find my camera again......I have another piece.....
by Pinch Fingers.....it's a weird moody face that reflects my often-state of mind..bemused confused bewilderment over mass stupidity....
and there is more local art around here... I have found lots of stuff I had hidden...and July will be Redecorate Chez MNT.
Yes, murphi's 2 pieces will hang at the new funkoma....I own the burger....

Crimeny.....I've lost my camera again....

or I'd show you a pic of bunches of stuff....The New Frontier....has an orange front. Jennifer Johnson came to visit us at Amocat/Funkoma......
as did Fewster (more on that later) and so did Nanette...and her rapidly growing big baby....She moved to the lower floor at Sanford, as did
Tracymarie...
Lots of folks have been stopping in.....we're happy to continue Rampart in the same crazy spirit......
I must get over to Sanford visit the pals.....I haven't been since last 3rd thursday......chatted for long time with the wonderment that is Polly
...because.
I have been moving...you may have heard!!
I have another day or 2.....
and then I can start setting out the 100+ pieces of vintage clothes, and small furniture I"ve bought in the last month, but had to stash because of moving.....you may have heard.
Mystic Mocha is now serving beer.....another place to wet yr. whistle in the Dome District besides at Freighthouse.....and yes, my neighbors are still serving those damn Fried Twinkies......they are evil people who want you to explode in some kind of hyper sugar bliss ment.........
I'm a bit sad that I won't be business-wall sharers.....they are good sports.....but I still live upstairs with Tacoma's greatest view!
Wow! I can't wait for the Tall Ships....
I'll be down at the waterfront on Thursday morning to see them round Vashon.
I lived 2 blocks west of Magoo's 2 years ago and walked down to just below The Spar.
I was amazed.....I was in awe....it was Awesome......(in the old sense of the word..)
to see those shimmering white sails, the glossy wood on the sheets of ruffled blue both heavenbound and port bound.......
I can now truly understand how people who had not seen anything like them in their lives, in their cultures would think they were Gods....
Magical Beings ........
I encourage every single person on the planet to be on Tacoma's waterfront to see them come into Commencement Bay......
Suck this, Seattle......
Tacoma is cool, and we don't even have to try very hard....we just am.

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 !