AID NW training

Dennis and I spent much of the day at some training for the immigrant's rights organization serving the the detainees of Northwest Detention Center.  Another organization, Northwest Detention Center Resistance has a political protest point of view.  Marches, protests, chanting, etc.  Another loosely knit group informally known as the Vigilists maintain tables for those visiting detainees.  Mainly church groups, they have food, books, blankets and some gas money for families in distress.

Aid NW has 'welcome wagon,' an RV set up to serve those released from the center.  Usually in late afternoon or at night, the Center releases detainees... in a location in the industrial tide flats two miles from the nearest bus stop.  They have a plastic bag of their belongings, maybe some toiletries.  They are happy, thrilled no doubt, but what now?  So the Welcome Wagon is there to greet the newly released, gives them something to eat and figure their next step, know their benefits, help them make arrangements to go home, wherever that is.  Also hooks them up with local social services.  They also have some short term transitional housing.

On the left is Peggy H, who ran the training and a lot of the organization.  They also run some visitation programs.  Which we did informally, for sure breaking some of the guidelines discussed today.  Aid-NW looks at visitation (visiting detainees) as a bleak activity.

And out very own AG  Fightin' Bob Ferguson has brought a suit against Geo Corp for paying detainees $1/shift for working inside the facility.  They are NOT prisoners.  Go Bob!

Teddy baby picture!

Dennis and I were working on a shared Google Drive issue so I looked for a random picture to drag to the drive.  When I looked at the .jpg picture it was a baby Teddy puppy picture.  He's 3 months old in this picture and he's doing there what he does most all the time.  Laying down right next to me.  Now he's 8 years old; his face is white.  He has elbow dysplasia in his front left leg so he limps (hello rehabilitation vets).  But he's still himself.  His coat had more brilliant colors then and his ears were brindle (now they're dark).  Same baby pie though.

John G and I making a video

Here's a still of a video that I made with fellow board member John G.  We made the video in the Allen Library in front of a window which looks onto the HUB lawn.  The Access Student Group havsto make a video for a UW crowdsourcing program for the fall.  Of course, nobody wanted to be in it.  But I figured, if I'm chair, I can't really get out of it.  But I got my hair cut and fixed right before so lucky me!  We wrote out a script.  Dennis was our producer/director/cameraman.  We did about a jillion takes.  John and I were about equal with messing things up.  Finally we got a few takes that seemed ok.  So now, I have to figure out what to do next.  A daughter of a friend of mine has agreed to splice some pictures into it.  So I have to figure out how to get it to her.  But I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, we could use it just the way it is.  It's 1:48; John and I take turns speaking.  Hmm.

Flawed birthday selfie

A flawed birthday selfie that Dennis took when we went out for dinner for his birthday.  At a waterfront place not far away that offers a reduced price limited choice early bird special. (What a noun string!)  Yes, January, we're both wearing heavy coats. Shows we are not great selfie takers.  We are in front of the wine but we did not have wine.

He would have been turning 64.  We are both looking happy and relaxed.  It's good for what it is.

Lake Crescent Lodge

We are going here pretty soon; I'm feeling happy about it.

Lake Crescent Lodge on Lake Crescent on the Olympic Peninsula.  Beautiful lake.  Lodge dates to 1916 and it has the 'times gone by' feel to it.  A time where people came to the wilderness and slowed down and hung out at the lodge.  Big fireplace.  Lots of rocking chairs.  People chatting.  Nice (but awfully expensive) restaurant.  We went last summer and stayed in one of the upstairs rooms facing the lake.  Shared bathrooms, who cared!  So rustic.  I loved going up the stair case in the middle of the lodge to go to our room.  Not a big place.

I want to go up to Sol Duc amd go to the mineral baths.  Doctor's orders!  Maybe go all the way to Neah Bay.  Maybe not.

I chose this picture from their website.  Kind of at dusk.  Fall just hit here yesterday, that chill.  People welcomed it; we didn't have any rain this summer.

Yes, we will drop a fortune at the restaurant.  I'm looking for some alternatives; not too many.  No travel anxiety, so that's good.

M at Pops

Today I had the opportunity to work with M, a high school senior selling popsicles.  She's very talented and poised, smart and calm.  She is going to be applying to some local colleges this fall.  We talked about the essay and other parts of the process.  I'm not sure if others in her family have done this.  She  told me that you should emphasize something unique about yourself.  What would that be?  She said "I've been working one or more jobs since sophomore year."  That's a sophomore in high school.  I know she works in the kitchen making popsicles and in the shop.  Just recently, she's been working farmers markets.  As with everything else she does, she did a great job.  She seemed to appreciate my help.  I come down to this farmers market because it's near my house and help, make change, sell popsicles.

I took this picture of her working the market.  Maybe she can use it in her application!

Four pictures

Our kids made us a calendar for our 40th birthday with pictures of family members.  Most of the pictures are taken from my blog but I really have no idea what I have up here.

This page had pictures of us.

The picture on upper left - our engagement picture in 1976.  We waited about five months before we got married (had to do with coordinating dates with my brother's graduation.  That seemed like a long time to me but nothing like now.  I am very grateful that the wedding industrial complex didn't exist then.  People had 'church' weddings or something different.  We went for 'different'  Taken in Sacramento.  We thought we were quite mature at 23 and 24.

Bottom right was part of a portfolio that we unwisely put together to look good as adoptive parents.  We didn't know what we were doing at all.  1981?  In our first house we bought in Seattle.

Bottom left was a picture we took at Naomi's friend Jackie's wedding at Ray's Boathouse.  That's Puget Sound in the background.  Maybe 2015?

Bottom right, I have no idea but not too long ago.

Heroin

I had the privilege of reading an excellent extended article of the Cincinnati Enquirer about a week in the heroin epidemic. I'm featuring some heroin users whose pictures were included in the article. How lives are taken over.  These are white folks in the rust belt.  Look what that drug does to you. Your life becomes one desperate attempt to not get 'sick'.  Because that's how you feel, like you have the flu.  Or worse.  Much pain.  If you don't get more of the drug.  You're looking for the drug to get well.  Look how terrible they look.  Their skin, the hollow eyes.  Bad business.  Apparently it's so common to see people in an overdose.  Lying on the ground next to their car.  Anywhere.  Some live, some don't

Once you get in that cycle, it's so hard to get out.  Some one we know once was there.  Using heroin.  She tried to stop on her own.  Couldn't.  It took a trip to jail with drug treatment to get her off.  She swears she will never use again.  Hope she can do it.

Some in parent group have kids using heroin.  It used to only be in dark hallways in 'bad neighborhoods.'  But now it's here.

ICE, Show Us Your Papers demonstration

Dennis at Northwest Detention Resistance demonstration at the ICE office in downtown Seattle earlier today.  Taken from their facebook feed.  Dennis is helping to hold the banner saying Queers Demand the End to Deportation and holding up a sign.  He said 75 to 100 people were there....