Is It OK That Sad Stereolab Songs Still, Somehow, Make Me Happy?

Stereolab, "Fluorescences"

Fall has definitely arrived in Whatcom County.  I raked yesterday and put a very minor dent in what needs to be done.  In my defense, there's a few trees around the house that still haven't dumped their leaves yet.  For work I'm taking on online class on cat and dog first aid which is about as interesting as it sounds -- a lot of it is common sense, but there are some weird things to keep in mind.  (Dog and cat body temperature runs two to four degrees higher than a human's.  That's one to grow on.)

Speaking of work, I'm picking up some decent extra shifts because the full-time dispatcher / new guy is a musician.  I'm covering him tomorrow because he has a gig in Seattle.  The fact that he's my age (48) and still living the rock and roll dream?  Who am I to judge the greater PNW.

Also reading Harry Crews for the first time and enjoying it as much as you can enjoy the bleakness of poverty in America.

We might be getting snow next week.  Yikes.

Summer Comes to Bham

 

Bellingham, Washington.

Almost June

Is it time, Poppa? Is it time to come up and out of the radish shelter now that winter is finally over Poppa?#Bellingham #CountryLife pic.twitter.com/5m3IUPiRxw

— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) May 20, 2022

Clouds Like Smoke

Nooksack, Washington.

Owl Along This Country Road

So I know a lot of you think I was joking about THE KILLER OWL out here where I live.

This morning walking, neighbor (also walking) let me know that he HAD JUST HAD HIS WINTER HAT NIPPED AT BY THIS OWL.

We are on high owl alert, fam.#Bellingham #CountryLife

— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) March 25, 2022

In Vino Veritas

Bellingham, Washington.

Reefer Madness

Bellingham, Washington.

I don't partake of the icky any longer, and haven't in about 20 years or so.  But pot shops are a part of life out here in Bellingham and at some point I should probably take the trouble to actually walk inside of one.

Also, I love the unearned confidence of his sign on the right -- "EST. 2021" indeed.

Stay golden, pony-boy.

"derelict conveyor"

 

Cherry Point, Washington.  If you look on Google Maps you'll see "derelict conveyor."  Here it is.  Worth one trip, at least.

Snowbound

 

Bellingham, Washington.

It's been dumping snow pretty hard out here lately, but hopefully some rain is coming in tomorrow to melt most of it before I have to go into work this weekend.

It's pretty!  It's also annoying!  Work-wise, people lose their damn minds when the weather turns bad.

Happy New Year!

 

Bellingham, Washington.

This is the view from my office when I get off of work these days -- nice and almost dark around 4 p.m.  Bellingham certainly has its charms.  Best wishes for 2022!

White Christmas!

White Christmas in Bellingham!  I don't have to drive again until Tuesday, so I'm not complaining.

Merry Christmas!

Snow Day

Bellingham, Washington.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wherever you are, whatever you're up to, I hope you have a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving.  My sister and my nephew are visiting, and it's always nice to see them.  We're doing pre-made chickens instead of a turkey Because Tradition.  My Dad seems happy, and this will be our first sit-down holiday meal as an entire family (a small family) since -- I honestly can't remember.  Over a decade at least, since I was living in South Korea and only visiting during the summer.

Moving Right Along

I just finished my fourth day of training at the new job.  It's intense, and I have a lot to learn, but everyone I've met is really great and patient with me.  I'll have more to say eventually, but I think me and my Dad have worked out a schedule that allows him to be happy (not hungry, not too bored) while I'm out of the house.

Does that sound strange?  I guess so, but it makes sense from here.

It's very rainy in Bellingham this fall, that's for certain.

I Got A Job

I went in for my first day of work yesterday (Saturday) and signed a lot of papers, and went out for a pretty long orientation session with my new supervisor.  I'm going to be working weekends in the office of the local Humane Society, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Everyone I met there seemed nice, and I'm looking forward to making a humble contribution.

How long will I be there?  Very long, hopefully!  The job is a good fit for me, since it still allows me to focus on my Dad.

So things are great.  It's getting colder.  My sister and my nephew are coming out in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.  I've got a ton of raking to do.  I'm keeping up with my five kilometer morning walks.  I'm happy not to be spending time every afternoon looking at local job openings.

This week I'll be training to work the phones.  As of next weekend, I think I'll start working my regular Saturday and Sunday schedule.

I probably won't have a lot more to say about it, other than that it will be nice to get out of the house (hey, even my Dad will probably appreciate having a break from me).

"Home of the Big Bun!"

No, Bellingham doesn't have In and Out, but we do have Grant's!  I treated myself after my first day of work yesterday (yes, that's a vanilla shake).  Pretty good stuff.  Would nom again.

Making Plans for James

I just accepted a new job.  It's part time, so I can focus on taking care of my Dad, and for the first time in over a decade it's not teaching.  I'm going to start my training this Saturday.  I'll have more to say about it later, but it's a great organization and so far I've really enjoyed meeting the people I'll be working with.

When I lived out here for a year before moving to South Korea I made kayaks.  It was a tough, physical job (I wore a hardhat even!) but it payed off all of my debts before I moved onto that adventure abroad.  Things are much different now -- for the better.  Bellingham is not and never will be the best place to find solid, middle-class work (it's about one half retirees who come out and build their own houses, so construction is actually a growth field) so I'm feeling pretty good about myself, to be honest.  Based on my experience out here 12 years ago, there are a lot more places hiring and starting wages are a lot higher (almost double in some cases) what they used to be.  This is a very good thing!

Fall Color

Bellingham, Washington.

Lovely fall color.  Of course, I'll have to rake it all up eventually.

Sic transit gloria, amirite?

"I wake up to a sunny day"

 

Eddie Rabbitt, "I Love A Rainy Night" live

Let's face it, people -- part of getting older means your tolerance for cheesiness increases exponentially.  I love this song.

Things move ahead slowly here in this tiny county just south of Canada.  I'll have more to say (of course!) but I've got two short stories getting published soon with a local online journal.  This will be my first published fiction, and I'm excited about it.  I'm also dealing with some South Korea stuff, believe it or not.  I really want to visit the country this February, but I won't go if the mandatory 14-day quarantine is still in effect.  Koreans and Korea-based expats are optimistic this will end soon, but who knows.  I've got a job interview this week which I'll also keep under wraps for a bit, although I'm optimistic about it.  And finally, I've been living for nine months with my 92 year-old Dad.  I think he's relatively happy, and I'm not sure if you can ask much more than that.  We'll go into town tomorrow (Monday) for some dawn-light grocery shopping, which is one of our rituals out here along with Saturday and Sunday football watching.

It's getting cold.  Bellingham kind of goes straight from summer to rainy, bleak winter, but I'm one of those weirdos who likes raw onion on his sandwiches and copious amounts of rain.

Sad Sculpture

Bellingham, Washington.

A creepy abandoned casino, just in time for Halloween.