Ahhhh... Everett

The "Hyperscreen", Natalie, Me, Brady. Very 70's, can you dig it?


A friends daughter with the Van De Graaff Electrostatic Generator.















What a city. I have very mixed (mostly negitive) emotions about Everett. I really shouldn't care about the place, but it works something up in me.

Maybe it was the dread of driving through Everett in Middle and High School because of the god awful stench the lumber mill created (no longer an aroma).

Maybe it's because we'd spend weekends there with my sweet and loving but also a serious alcoholic Aunt and her equally classy husband.

Maybe it's because that's where I got the news that my dad had Leukemia. And that is also where he died. And that's also where I picked up his remains.

But it's also where I had two very memorable meals with my dad, once the first time he finally got out of the hospital, we went to the Flying Pig Pub; and we went to eat when he was released "in remission" at this terrific little Italian restaurant that served the best Gorgonzola Linguine.

And I've also taken my son and daughter to quite a few events at the Everett Events Center like: The Wiggles (twice), Monsters Inc. on ice, Monster Jam, Disney Princesses on Ice... the kids love it and I love not having to drive all the way into Seattle.

And today we discovered Everett's wonderful Childrens Museum. We didn't get to check out the roof, but I hear that is pretty frickin cool too. They had just about every sensory experience and fantasy a kid could want to act out. They have a restaurant, Vet, bank, theatre, green screen, farm, ferry (tons of water play) an airplane, train station, and this cool black room, and science room.

Then I headed down and dropped the kids off with my brother and his girlfriend. The kids stayed and played while I went and had my way with Nordstrom Rack. It was so nice to shoe shop in peace. And when somebody else's kids started to scream, I smiled. Heh, heh. But there is a price to pay for that kind of freedom. My wallet limped out of there. I found myself 2 pairs of shoes and Larry 4, besides a pair of jeans that will actually fit my daughters butt. Guess jeans are for skinny people. I've never owned a pair. But they were meant for my kid. But I can only afford them from the Rack, they were still $17. But my rationale for that kind of spending is that we hardly ever get down to the Rack, and when we do, the kids are there, and that means you aren't going to find anything. So Larry's got shoes for the year, and I'll finally not LOOK like a mom at work, and the kids will look stylish as always.

Oh, and my son, the world's most finicky eater? He ate 11 chicken mcnuggets tonight on the way home. Where does he put it? And what the hell am I going to do when he's a teenager? And will he ever eat more than chicken nuggets and strawberries? I hope that the fruit flushes his arteries out a little bit...