Fathers Day and other items

Busy weekend. Attended Angie's memorial service at the Old Market Pub with Jenn and Aaron on Saturday afternoon. A fairly low key celebration with a friends and a few family members gathered. Jenn and I were the only bloggers, but the printed version of Angie's blog that Jenn put together was well receieved. I read my last blog entry to the group, shared a few memories with some of her friends - and then made my way back home to take over watching Greer while Alex prepared for her evening show. That evening, I got around to viewing some of my recent 16mm acquisitions from the Portland Public School district. A great 80's film on computers, a bizarre Star Trek-like fantasy debate between Marx and Rockefeller - and a doc on the last river log drive in Northern Idaho. All good. I've been satisifed with everything so far. Also managed to start selling some of my older films....

On Sunday, we prepped for a Father's Day visit by the parents - and enjoyed an afternoon watching Alex's latest effort "Merry Wives of Windsor" by Mocks Crest. The show was very entertaining and - as always - Alex did a bang-up job playing opposite Amy Jo Arrington as the vengeful housewives.

BBQ'd surf and turf back home after the show - and Greer got to play with water hose in the backyard. A great day for everyone.

Angie

A friend died early this morning. Someone I had the privilege of knowing for a short time through the local blogging community.

Angie used to meet up with a crew known as the Portland Bloggers. We held court a Kell's on the first Friday of the month....talking about our geeky selves and occasionally making connections through rambling lifewords thrown up on websites. She was a thin drink of water, with a smile on her face and penchant for science fiction. Our kind of gal. This was 2002 - and our lives were still beginning.

As time wore on, I fell out of synch with the group. My entrance into parenthood in 2003 made the attending those monthly meetings a bit more difficult. Time passed and I kept track through Jenn - who emerged as good friend outside of the blogging circle.

It was through Jenn that Angie came back into my life. Jenn and I work together now, and she told me of the cancer that Angie was battling again....and that it was probably terminal. We got the chance to visit her King City room twice before she passed. The first time, we had a great visit with her - sharing stories and joking about her new hair that was returning after chemo. She was very thin and a bit slow in her movements, but she still had her wit and an unrepentant geek vibe - with a lifesize standup of a cast member from Buffy the Vampire Slayer in her corner. I remember hugging her frail frame as we said our goodbyes.

On our second visit, Angie was asleep and we sat there talking to her parent who looked tired, but happy to see us. We went on about her life and laughed as she lay there - popbottle glasses on and mouth open - with the spikes of her hair looking like a crewcut. She looked like a serenely sleeping military-type circa 1954 - as we left her videos and flowers for her to enjoy.

That was the last time we saw her.

Although the death of someone you know is always shocking in its own way, there is a comfort in knowing that her suffering is over and that she is free.

If only she could blog about the afterlife.

R.I.P. - Angie 6/9/2005

Justice Stevens is a punk....

So, I like this...

In the court's main decision, Justice Stevens raised concerns about abuse of marijuana laws. "Our cases have taught us that there are some unscrupulous physicians who overprescribe when it is sufficiently profitable to do so," he said.

Like this is reason to prevent sick people from their meds. I sense a twinge of irony when think of all the giant pharmaceutical companies who regularly pitch their high-priced (and sometimes dangerous) pills to doctors and hospitals - often supplying material kickbacks in the process.

Have some hypocrisy with your ruling, Justice Stevens?

Let's face it. It's the difference between a solution you can grow for next to nothing - or one that you have to pay through-the-nose for to some corporation. Never mind the other commercial benefits this plant has that might effect many self-important bottom lines. Can you say oil, textile and paper interests?

I knew you could.

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VISUAL - Oregon's Century - OPB
AUDIO - On the Road - audiobook - by Jack K.
BOOK - Kingdom of Fear - Hunter Thompson
EVENT - Baiting Greer with my cell phone
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Another month flies by....

Whew....when spring kicks in - everything seems to move a little faster. The past month has been awash in rehersals for Alex as she gets ready to open "Merry Wives of Windsor" with Mocks Crest in June. I've been home in the evenings, trying to be productive when I'm not fullfilling the role of Mr. Mom.

Work has been a bear this month - as I'm wrapping up my first major project. Thankfully, more of the obscure and terrifying code/procedure is sinking in, and I am gradually getting a better handle on the monster that lives behind the screen.

We did manage to get out of town once this month - to visit my folks last weekend at Toll Bridge Park for some Memorial Day weekend fun in the woods. Greer saw his first wild river and had a blast stomping on the terra.

Lurching into summer, we have a fairly light schedule. A wedding to attend. A few films to show at the Clinton. The occasional date night. Good thing, too. Between all the homebased projects and family time - we'll need some breathing room.

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VISUAL - Nixon's China Game
AUDIO - On the Road - audiobook - by Jack K.
BOOK - Kingdom of Fear - Hunter Thompson
EVENT - Toll Bridge Park visit w/the folks
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