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| Here are the portraits I shot for (and of) my friend Crystal today...
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| ~ This is the letter I sent to the Ventura County Public Administrator today. (the ongoing situation with my mother's items being ruined is explained in the letter) I am beyond angry, but tried to be civil. I'm tired of being nice. Dear Jeanne,
I am extremely upset, so I am going to try to be calm, brief and as nice as humanly possible (to be honest, I'm not feeling very nice right now).
I needed to get this off my chest, or I am not going to sleep tonight.
I don't care whose fault it is. It is inexcusable that my mother's treasured things are being ruined.
Today was the last straw for me.
I'm sure you tried, and I'm sure you meant well, but to have my mother's turkey platter that she had since 1958 (four years before I was born), the one I grew up with arrive broken as I was planning my own thanksgiving, the first one since she died, tore my heart out.
I am tired of crying when I go pick up my mail. I am tired of being launched back into depression, I am tried of losing sleep and I am tired of being sad and angry.
This whole thing is hard enough without receiving boxes of her treasured items, shattered.
Please DO NOT send any more breakable items.
If you have already shipped another box that has breakable items in it, please contact UPS and request and RTS (return to sender)
I do NOT want to see another box of broken items.
In order to file an insurance claim with UPS I would be required to hold on to those boxes and let them come inspect them. If they determined that the packing was insufficient (it was, in all cases; the first ones had china wrapped in paper napkins and or single sheets of newspaper all rattling around in the boxes) they would not pay the claim anyway and I would have inflicted further pain on myself for nothing.
I am not going to torture myself by hanging on to something so upsetting only to have UPS turn down the claim.
This has never been about "stuff" or "money" to me.
The sentimental items can't be replaced (like the china plate that had a picture of my mother and I on it that I gave her for mother's day 20 years ago, or the Ladro figurine she had been saving for me for 30 years) and the valuable ones that weren't sentimental can not be sold.
At the very least, I don't think that I (her estate) should be paying for the packing or shipping of those boxes.
I am hurt and I am angry.
And I'm going to stop there, because going any further with this will not be productive.
To be clear.
I expect that no more breakable items will be shipped. (and that if any were, the package will be recalled, I am NOT going through this again)
I expect that I (the estate) will not be charged for the shipping/ruining of my mother's items.
Please do not call me regarding this; as I already stated, I am not feeling very nice right now.
I sincerely hope that this will all be over as soon as legally possible.
Respectfully,
L. Lisa Lawrence Mood: Sad, Depressed and Very VERY ANGRY  ~L
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| ~  Welcome to “things that make me go Squee”. After “cleaning out the pipes” yesterday by venting for WTF Wednesday, I'm ready to "squee with glee". In honor of Pop Fiend’s attempt at decreasing drama for at least one day a week on LiveJournal by promoting “Drama Free Thursday” (for those who aren’t aware, my blog is crossposted to LiveJournal, my self hosted WordPress blog, Blogspot, and Facebook), I offer up my own “special” (in a rode the short bus kind of way) contribution, “Things that Make Me go Squee!!! * Things that make me go squee!” may has become a regular Thursday spectacle production because “Squee” rhymes with “Drama Free”, and I’m trying to do my part. I think that almost everyone occasionally forgets to celebrate and share good things. I know I do. So in the spirit of putting “good juju” out there, here are the current things that make me go “SQUEE!!!”  Tonight is ART WALK in Tacoma! I will be working the gallery at SpeakeasyCome see us!!! I got a new shipment of calendars, so those of you who already ordered can expect them soon, I'll be mailing them on Friday. For those who haven't ordered yet, you can order them here *and in BIG NEWS!!! I CAN SHIP TO CANADA FOR THE SAME PRICES AS US SHIPPING  Support your starving artist friend click here to order a calendar-they make great gifts!!! Sunday, I'm doing a (portrait) photo shoot out in Gig Harbor and will spend some long overdue time with a good friend. A friend called and asked, “Do you ever shoot people?”. Aside from the obvious joke there, it does speak to the fact that I have created a reputation as an outdoor/fine art photographer. Here's a small sampling of my portrait photography. I don't do studio or posed work. I like to capture the spirit of the individual I'm photographing and their connections to an area and other people. I had a lovely dinner with a good friend last night; it's been a long time since we've been able to hang out or go to Joseppi's On Monday (and maybe Sunday night) I get to spend some time with my long lost little sis Meg's who is flying out from Ohio to help a mutual friend. (I LOVE YOU BABES!) My Christmas Cacti (I bought one for work and one for home) are going crazy blooming  of course they are behaving shamelessly by showing off their naughty bits and trying to pollinate in front of everyone and anyone.  Next week is Thanksgiving, which means spending time with “chosen family”. First, I'll be running the Norpoint Turkey Trot Then I'll be running up to Seattle for Janice's Women's get together at Fisherman's restaurant on the pier, several courses, including steamed clams/mussels and a roast turkey for each two people, served family style (leftovers to take home) and a different wine with each course. Then, over to my best friend Molly's for another wonderful celebration. Friday will be my 5th annual “Day After Thanksgiving Feast”. If you don’t have an invitation either via email, a friends locked post on LiveJournal or Facebook, please let me know and I’ll send you one. This is a day where I make my own little “protest” against the greed (and often violence) of Black Friday, and spend a day cooking a meal (I’m usually elsewhere on Thanksgiving day and I like to cook a turkey and extend hospitality to my friends & loved ones) My friends come and cut snowflakes for my tree, we drink, eat and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a GREAT kick off to the holiday season.            Next year, I will be able to host more people more comfortably in my new home. And here are little smilies for all the squees left unsqueed And of course, the greatest squee of all… I am blessed to have really GREAT friends in my life And you can see a lot of them here… (if I don’t have a picture of you here, send me one) Insert “squee” of your choice here I wish everyone a happy and drama free Thursday, as well as lots of things to go “Squee” over.  SKA-WEEEEEEEEE Now, I've got to get back to work, break’s over. Mood: Gotta Squee  ~L
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| ~ Yes folks, it’s time for my now infamous weekly blog feature (gotta “clean the pipes out “for Drama Free Thursday and Things that Make Me Go Squee”) WTF Wednesday. WTF Wednesday is when I (and anyone else who cares to; a few already had an early start) get to moan, whine, bitch, complain and vent with impunity) It’s when I sit down, make a good strong margarita (with GOOD tequila) sit around in my underwear and vent. *OK, I typed this up last night and am posting it while on a break at work so I’m not drinking or sitting around in my unmentionables (but trust me; that will change when I get home tonight)Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about supporting and promoting Popfiend’s Drama Free Thursday with my own “Things That Make Me Go Squee” and this is, in part, preparation for DFT. I’m all about putting good energy out there (because what we put out there it what we get back) But I’ve realized that in order to appreciate the “good” things, we need the “bad” as well, realizing of course that “good” and “bad” are shades of gray and that nothing is black and white. (and no one likes a “Pollyanna”) It’s Wednesday, and I’m gonna bitch and vent about people that I like to refer to as “Cheetoheads”. I wrote about this several years ago in my now somewhat famous infamous essay, It’s only one Cheeto-A sad commentary on our society Each week I give an individual or group the “Here’s your Cheeto award” in honor of the rude, obnoxious, selfish, “It’s all about ME” asshats that we are force to live, work and walk amongst every day.  Today, the “object of my objection” is 103.7 KMTT The Mountain radio in Seattle Seriously, WTF is wrong with people? I don’t normally get caught up in the lives of people, (particularly on air personalities) I don’t know or in the running of local businesses, but I’m making an exception this time. Recently, the hosts of our favorite local radio station, 103.7 KMTT The Mountain let go the hosts of the morning show, Marty Reimer and Jody Brothers. One morning we tuned in and they were just gone (as is common in radio with staff and format changes) I don’t know what might or might not have gone on behind the scenes; but I do know that these two were very well loved by our community. I tried listening to the new morning show “host” with an open mind. Today, I sent the following email to the station, as I just couldn’t take it anymore. ” To whom it may concern,
I have been listening to KMTT-The Mountain since I moved here eleven years ago.
I was disappointed to discover that Marty Reimer and Jody Brothers were no longer on the air, but as a long time listener, I decided to give the new show a chance.
I have been sorely disappointed in the new guy (honestly, I don’t know his name and have no desire to waste my time and energy to look it up)
He is not funny, is extremely negative and the last straw for me today was his “how do you people stand it (the weather) here?”
I don’t need someone from somewhere else bad-mouthing the area I call home and love.
One of the things I have always enjoyed about your station is the sense of caring about and being part of the community I have sensed in your on air staff.
I will no longer listen to your morning show, and I’m guessing I’m not alone in that decision.
Sincerely,
L. Lisa Lawrence”What I REALLY wanted to say (but restrained myself because it would have compromised my credibility) is this. Dear whatever your name is,
I have given you a chance, but after several mornings of trying my best, I can only come to one obvious conclusion; you are a boring, negative, incompetent (gee, work phones/radio equipment much?), jackass.
How DARE you come to our area and ask “How can “you people” stand it here?”
You already had big shoes to fill; people were upset about losing Marty and Jody, but some of us were (and that is PAST tense) willing to give you a chance.
You should have been trying harder NOT to alienate and piss us off.
I’m not going to listen to your show anymore, I will probably quit listening to the station as it will no longer be my #1 preset channel and I’ve let the station know why.
As much as I don’t normally care for this statement, it applies to you.
Go back wherever it is you came from asshat
“103.7 KMTT The Mountain radio in Seattle”, this cheeto is for YOU!!!
And I have a suggestion as to where you can put it! I think that’s plenty of venting (was it good for you? It was good for me) and I actually have more to “squee” about tomorrow than to “WTF” about today, so I’ll leave it there. None of this is earth shattering or even life changing it’s all minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things. But I had FUN venting, and damn it feels good. With all that philosophical crap out of the way,
I introduce to you.. WTF Wednesday…
Because face it; life is not totally drama free…
Sometimes it needs to be all about (you and) me…
We must vent today, if tomorrow we wish to be genuinely “drama free”…
So that with clean and pure souls we can go “squee”…
When you feel that life has run over you like a big ole mack truck…
Pull up a chair, pour a glass and say WTF!?!?!?!
Get it of your chest now, make your soul free…
For tomorrow we will do our best to be drama free… There, doesn’t that feel better? Have a happy drama free Thursday tomorrow. I know I will. Break's over, back to work with me... ~L Mood: WTF? 
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| ~ For some reason, I'm really into this song lately... This is a cute video adaptation (the sound comes on in a few seconds) Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer In the hills and highlands I fall asleep in hospital parking lots And awake in your house Hello Seattle, I am a manta ray Deep beneath the blue waves Ill crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound And construct a summer home Hello Seattle, I am the crescent moon Shining down on your face I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill And descend inside of you Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse Feeling warm in your sand I sing about the tide and the ocean surf Rolling in the evening breeze Hello Seattle, I am an albatross on the docks and your boats I sail above your inlets and interstates Through the rain and open wind Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse Throwing beams of bright lights Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun Taken heed from everyone Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer In the hills and highlands I fall asleep in hospital parking lots Take me above your light Carry me through the night Hold me secure in flight Sing me to sleep tonight Take me above your light (Hello Seattle I am) Carry me through the night (a mountaineer, In the hills) Hold me secure in flight (and highlands I fall asleep in hospital) Sing me to sleep tonight (parking lots and awake) Mood: Contemplative  ~L
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| ~ Some days just don't turn out the way you plan. I woke up this morning to a butt cold apartment (OK, 59 degrees isn't “that” bad, but it's not comfortable either) Sometimes the little oil filled space heater I use trips the surge protector that it's plugged in to when it turns on in the morning. That's what happened today. I woke up with no heat. We had our first hard freeze last night (and snow and hail and other forms of frozen and semi-frozen snot everywhere but right here on the water) At least I wasn't involved in a crash on the icy freeway like these two state patrol cars or even a deicing truck that got in an accident. It was chaos out there this morning... (and of course some idiot in an SUV that thinks' he's immune to the forces of inertia and a low friction coefficient because he had 4-wheel drive was the cause of the worst wreck) I was supposed to do the Pineapple Classic with Kathy, Annie & Jill, but Kathy & I both had to cancel, (luckily, they found people to fill our spots) she was sick with the nasty viral crud going around work and I was nearly taken out by the mother of all sinus headaches yesterday (the violent weather change got a lot of us) and haven't been training since getting sick myself. I know it's for the best, but it's a bummer. Here's a cell phone photo of said weather change moving in  I was going to go to the gem & mineral show with Molly & Erin today, but I don't need to be putting myself in places where I will be tempted to spend money on shiny things right now. I heard back from my loan guy and as I suspected, I don't qualify for a home loan right now. He's putting me in touch with his “credit clean up guy” and I'm going to follow his directions to the letter. It will be several months or more before I can qualify for an FHA loan. (which is pretty much all anyone will do right now) I should just be happy that I am now debt free and rebuilding my credit for the first time after the nasty divorce, car accident and midlife career change and that I have a bit of money invested to put towards a down payment when the time is right and that I should be getting a bit more next summer. This is exactly what I expected, but that doesn't mean it's not disappointing. Luckily, I don't think that interest rates or housing prices in Tacoma are going to skyrocket in the next year and the tax credit for home owners was extended. It will involve a lot of hard work and discipline (and time), but it will all work out. In happier news, I got to spend some quality time with my best friend last night after I got the sinus headache under control. (and I'm making up the time for leaving work early yesterday by working a couple hours from home today) Charlie played a very funny Lyle Lovett song out of his music collection. Click here and then click on the gray “preview” button in the middle of the pageI may or may not feel up to going to the Scorpio party tonight; I'll have to see how I feel when the time comes. But in the mean time, I'm really enjoying the blooms on my Christmas Cactus (look at it shamelessly showing off it's naught bits)  Mood: Contemplative ~L
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| ~ Welcome to “things that make me go Squee”. After “cleaning out the pipes” yesterday by venting for WTF Wednesday, I'm ready to "squee with glee". In honor of Pop Fiend’s attempt at decreasing drama for at least one day a week on LiveJournal by promoting “Drama Free Thursday” (for those who aren’t aware, my blog is crossposted to LiveJournal, my self hosted WordPress blog, Blogspot, and Facebook), I offer up my own “special” (in a rode the short bus kind of way) contribution, “Things that Make Me go Squee!!! * Things that make me go squee!” may has become a regular Thursday spectacle production because “Squee” rhymes with “Drama Free”, and I’m trying to do my part. I think that almost everyone occasionally forgets to celebrate and share good things. I know I do. So in the spirit of putting “good juju” out there, here are the current things that make me go “SQUEE!!!” I have started the process to pre-qualify for a home loan, so that I can buy a tiny house on the hill, near downtown where I will be close to where I am now, many of my friends, Speakeasy, the train station; I’ll be able to have a garden again, and more room to entertain guests and do my creative work (oh, and not have to share walls with people not of my choosing) In a matter of days, I will be completely debt free. I may be able to start looking now, or it may take a few months to build the credit score back up (a few small things went to collections after the divorce/midlife career which are all in the process of being paid off), but I’m on my way to home ownership again. I should hear something definitive about the time frame by tonight. My Pretty Pretty red violin Dareg (who I haven’t been taking lessons on since everything started with my Mom) is mine free and clear; I mailed the last payment today. (here she is when I brought her home at the first of this year) Life should be calming down enough for me to play and maybe even take lessons again soon.  My friend Carla gifted me with a cute little duck to add to my collection; here he is in his new home  I got some bright, shiny LED lights to cheer up my apartment now that the days are short and very dark   I’m not lighting up the “christmasy” stuff just yet (I did need to get it pulled out of the closet, since I’m piling boxes of my Mom’s stuff in there making it more difficult to get the holiday stuff out, so it was best to just set it up), but I do turn on the lights at the top of the walls which lends some badly needed brightness and cheer. Here’s the video tour (remember, I’m not turning the “christmasy” stuff on until the day after Thanksgiving when I hope many of you will be able to stop by. Just for fun, I got a few really cool LED snowflakes for the window; these stick on with suction cups and the colors change every few seconds. I decided to get “artsy fartsy” the other night and do some “semi-abstract” photography of said snowflakes I’m making preparations for the 5th annual “Day After Thanksgiving Feast”. If you don’t have an invitation either via email, a friends locked post on LiveJournal or Facebook, please let me know and I’ll send you one. This is a day where I make my own little “protest” against the greed (and often violence) of Black Friday, and spend a day cooking a meal (I’m usually elsewhere on Thanksgiving day and I like to cook a turkey and extend hospitality to my friends & loved ones) My friends come and cut snowflakes for my tree, we drink, eat and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a GREAT kick off to the holiday season. Next year, I will be able to host more people more comfortably in my new home. And here are little smilies for all the squees left unsqueed And of course, the greatest squee of all… I am blessed to have really GREAT friends in my life And you can see a lot of them here… (if I don’t have a picture of you here, send me one) Insert “squee” of your choice here I wish everyone a happy and drama free Thursday, as well as lots of things to go “Squee” over.  SKA-WEEEEEEEEE Now, I've got to get back to work, break’s over. ~L Mood: Gotta Squee
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| ~  Yes folks, it’s time for my now infamous weekly blog feature (gotta “clean the pipes out “for Drama Free Thursday and Things that Make Me Go Squee”) WTF Wednesday. WTF Wednesday is when I (and anyone else who cares to; a few already had an early start) get to moan, whine, bitch, complain and vent with impunity) It’s when I sit down, make a good strong margarita (with GOOD tequila) sit around in my underwear and vent. *OK, I typed this up last night and am posting it while on a break at work so I’m not drinking or sitting around in my unmentionables (but trust me; that will change when I get home tonight)Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about supporting and promoting Popfiend’s Drama Free Thursday with my own “Things That Make Me Go Squee” and this is, in part, preparation for DFT. I’m all about putting good energy out there (because what we put out there it what we get back) But I’ve realized that in order to appreciate the “good” things, we need the “bad” as well, realizing of course that “good” and “bad” are shades of gray and that nothing is black and white. (and no one likes a “Pollyanna”) It’s Wednesday, and I’m gonna bitch and vent about people that I like to refer to as “Cheetoheads”. I wrote about this several years ago in my now somewhat famous infamous essay, It’s only one Cheeto-A sad commentary on our society Each week I give an individual or group the “Here’s your Cheeto award” in honor of the rude, obnoxious, selfish, “It’s all about ME” asshats that we are force to live, work and walk amongst every day. Today, the “object of my objection” is half assed observation of Veterans Day Seriously, WTF is wrong with people? For those who have been living under a rock; today is Veterans Day in the US (aka (originally) Armistice or Remembrance Day in Canada, eh?) But, it is not observed as a proper holiday. It’s a day where most of us have to work, but we can’t get mail or do business with the government or banks. I had to drive to work today because the train schedule is wonky. Is it a holiday or not people? I can see why Columbus Day is a “half assed holiday”; he didn’t “discover” North America (heck, he wasn’t even the first European here, HELLO, the Vikings were here long before he sailed) and there are a lot of moral questions about honoring him. But one would think that Veterans Day would be different. This is a day that is important and touches so many people in our country. Why is it put on the shelf alongside a meaningless holiday such as Columbus Day? If it’s going to continue to be only “half ass” observed, here’s an idea… Let veterans have the day off, and the rest of us can work. “whoever decided that Veterans Day is not worth full recognition and can be observed half assed, this cheeto is for YOU!!!
And I have a suggestion as to where you can put it! I think that’s plenty of venting (was it good for you? It was good for me) and I actually have more to “squee” about tomorrow than to “WTF” about today, so I’ll leave it there. None of this is earth shattering or even life changing it’s all minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things. But I had FUN venting, and damn it feels good. With all that philosophical crap out of the way,
I introduce to you.. WTF Wednesday…
Because face it; life is not totally drama free…
Sometimes it needs to be all about (you and) me…
We must vent today, if tomorrow we wish to be genuinely “drama free”…
So that with clean and pure souls we can go “squee”…
When you feel that life has run over you like a big ole mack truck…
Pull up a chair, pour a glass and say WTF!?!?!?!
Get it of your chest now, make your soul free…
For tomorrow we will do our best to be drama free…There, doesn’t that feel better? Have a happy drama free Thursday tomorrow. I know I will. Break's over, back to work with me... ~L Mood: WTF?
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wildcelticrose's journal
