Double tragedy: Big Red's last stand and Washroom deluge

Last night began as any other early December Thursday could, but suddenly took a turn for the tragic. I met with some peoples up at the Redwood on Capitol to watch Thursday night football. The beer was flowing, the game was competitive and merriment abounded. After the Eagles victory we decided to head back down to Sodo for a little Catan to top off the evening. It was a decent game, which is to say that I won, but then everything went wrong...

Big Red's Last Stand:
At some point during the game I'd set an old friend by my side. Many know him by one of two names, Ben or Big Red. Big Red has been a part of the scene for nearly a decade now.

It was in the late spring of 2001 that he came into my life. A friend of mine and I went out to the Ave and I can't remember all the finite details but in the end my friend found Big Red. When we were bringing Ben back to the dorms there was a conversation about how to conceal him from those that might want to cause him harm. "[he's] a vase for my mother" was the cover story.

As the school year came to a close Ben had to find a new home. He couldn't just live in the dormitory closet all summer. So I took Ben with me. We had some crazy times that summer and eventually we both ended up in Federal Way. After some time stuck in treefingers we both returned to the U District and lived on the hillside off 22nd and then again in the house on 15th. He'd become apart of the group.

When I moved to Alki so did Big Red and then again to the apartment on Avalon. We were nearly inseparable. He went everywhere I went until I left West Seattle. At that time there were others who needed Ben more than I did and as Mr Bergstrom would say, "that's the problem with being middle-class, anybody who really cares will abandon you for those who need it more."

I lost track of Big Red for some time. I alway knew he was around but we didn't see each other for some time. He had a couple of minor accidents and was out of commission for a while. When I started spending more time in Sodo I came to find that he was there too! He had a couple of broken limbs but nothing a trip to the market couldn't solve. In a few weeks we were back in business.

However he wasn't the same. At some point he fractured his torso and had to be treated with a degree of delicacy. Now during the game of Catan I had Big Red next to me, a true right hand man. Upon claiming victory I exclaimed and, in a moment worthy of Pangford, Big Red toppled to his doom. There were shards of red glass littered around like bloodied body parts on a battle field. I was in total shock. It wasn't completely unexpected but that didn't make the situation any less tragic. Just as I was about to settle into mourning it got worse...

Washroom Deluge:
I was about to step outside and reminisce about my old friend when I hear someone yell, "water!" I look down the studio hallway and sure enough inches of water were spewing from the laundry room. It had already consumed three passage ways by the time I made it to the source. The waste water hose from the washer had become dislodged from the drainage pipe and was spewing murky water at an unprecedented rate.

I got the hose back into the pipe and we shut down the washer to prevent further chaos, but the damage was already done. Every towel available was in motion, sopping up as much as possible and then being rung out only to start again. People were screaming for help as they continued to try to stop any water from making it's way into the great room. Luckily a blanket was on the couch nearby and we were able to use it as a dam to stop the river.

For about an hour we fought the rising tide, which wasn't rising much since we stopped the flow, but you get the idea. We'd won the battle with minimal damage. It was hard fought but we won.

When the panic subsided I remember the loss from early and decided there was nothing more I could do but simply go to bed. As I laid in my bed I couldn't help but think, "the gods have punished us." Now I just have to figure out why and atone for our failings.

Any of you with good memories of Big Red or the Deluge hit em up in the comments I'd love to hear your take on it all.

The Flooding of King County

So if any of you have been following King County lately you probably noticed there's been a lot of talk about floods. Mynorthwest.com is running an article today about how the county is so concerned about flooding they're actually moving the elections office after not even being there for two years. I think it's time that we all get VERY concerned.

I'm starting to think that they're not disclosing everything they know. Floods happen in the Puget Sound area pretty much every year, so why now are they so concerned about it? Howard Hansen Dam.

In a great piece by the Seattle PI last week they stated the impact could include "The cities of Auburn, Kent and Tukwila could be anywhere from four to 10 feet underwater if storms are severe."

We are facing what could be a major deluge and I don't think that the county is doing enough to inform the public about the potential dangers. Yes they're trying to get the word out through "Preparedness Meetings" But this isn't enough. So to everyone out there if you have friends or family living in valleys of south King County I strongly urge you to make sure they are aware of what this coming flood season could mean for them.

There are many things that can be done to help minimize the devastation. First and foremost, if flood becomes imminent EVACUATE!!! Don't be the ones who get caught on the roof of your house because you didn't think it was going to be as bad as they say. It will be that bad. Just try to think about going to a swimming pool and imagine what it's like treading in 10 foot deep water.

Secondly make sure that you have a plan before it happens. Work it out with friends or family so that you'll have a safe place to stay away from the flood waters. By setting something up before hand you can cut down on the number of people who are going to be flocking to local shelters. And lets be honest, wouldn't you rather crash on your parents floor than deal with the insanity that is emergency shelters?

The last thing that I'm going to encourage everyone to do is contact your elected officials. Let them know that you're aware of the danger facing the region and that it is unacceptable to wait around for it to happen. This is a potential tragedy that can be PREVENTED! If the county can't fix the problem than the state and federal government needs to step up and protect the people. Below is a list of contact information for people that are in a position to stop this from happening:


Jay Inslee, US Representative 1st Dist
Rick Larsen, US Representative 2nd Dist
Brian Baird, US Representative 3rd Dist
Doc Hastings, US Representative 4th Dist
Cathy McMorris, US Representative 5th Dist
Norm Dicks, US Representative 6th Dist
Jim McDermott, US Representative 7th Dist
Dave Richert, US Representative 8th Dist
Adam Smith, US Representatative 9th Dist

***If you don't live in King County please still contact your representative. This is going to affect all of Washington state not just King County.***

Patty Murray, US Senator
Maria Cantwell, US Senator

Christine Gregoire, Washington State Govenor

Barack Obama, President

If any of you are interested in sending in a letter but aren't sure what to say contact me and I'll put together a sample letter.

The Flood, the Garden and the Stalker

There is major flooding expected to hit the entire Western Washington region. It has the potential to be very bad. And here I thought that there was an agreement. I guess the rainbow means nothing now...

My garden is thriving! It's so fabulous. I had to get the twine out to let the peas begin their upward growth. The jalapenos are going crazy. The tomatoes are starting to kick into full force. What I really need now are some suggestions of what to grow next. Keep in mind that it needs to be able to grow in a pot, I'm not opposed to large pots though. Hit me up in the comments! (Unless the next section pertains to you)...

I've recently found myself involved in a very strange stalker situation. They aren't really stalking me, but have got me involved. So if said stalker is reading this, I don't want anything to do with you. I think that you may benefit from moving on with your life. And just to make sure there is no confusion: don't comment here, don't message me on facebook, don't ask me to call you, if you show up at my house I will have you arrested, if you show up at my work I will have you arrested. I don't take kindly to this kind of bullshit. FYI...