Halloween “Fictian”

A story I wrote in first or second grade. Above the picture it says: Gemma Alexander          fictian

Below the picture is the story:

From the Earth to the Moon

Of course Jules Verne is most famous for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a brilliant piece of speculative fiction that predicted, perhaps self-fulfillingly, numerous scientific advances of the 20th century. Of course he wrote other extraordinary novels that continues to fascinate and inspire readers to this day. From the Earth to the Moon is not one of them.

Skipping Asgeir Trausti

Ásgeir Trausti released his first album in spring of 2012 but I’ve already seen him five times. I was one of the first people to interview him in English. My post on watching Ásgeir perform 4 times in one weekend is by far the most viewed item on this blog.

I loved Low Roar’s debut album, and was crushed when circumstances conspired against a planned interview and kept me from seeing his Airwaves 12 performance.

On October 21, these two played the intimate Columbia City Theater, and I wasn’t there. Wild horses couldn’t have kept me from this show, so what was I doing instead?

Trip Prep

My daughter prepares for her first trip abroad.

SeaTac Airport, 2010

What to Make of Mozart’s Bad Boy? Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera

Don Giovanni is tricky. Yes, the character plays tricks, but that’s not what I mean. At least for me, Don Giovanni is a tricky opera. An opera with the hashtag #MozartsBadBoy has immediate draw; the actual experience is complicated by the fact that in this story seduction is interchangeable with rape, and it was written when rape was still considered comedy.

Six Years Later

I have also benefited from the top-notch medical system in the Puget Sound region. Without it, I might not be walking, and my daughter would have a different face. But like Jennie, I am also concerned at America’s often cavalier attitude towards maintaining its health system (and infrastructure in general), allowing quick profits for private interests to take precedence over the greater good. I am incredibly grateful for the privilege of taking excellent surgical outcomes for granted. But in a great nation, quality healthcare would be a right, not a privilege.

WYS Words

Today is the sixth anniversary of my husband Tony’s sudden cardiac arrest. It was six years ago that he nearly died (well, technically did die) and was saved by the incredible work of Seattle’s firefighters and Medic One trained paramedics, along with the doctors and staff at the University of Washington Medical Center who valiantly continued the work begun in the field, including putting him in a medically induced coma, chilling his body (aka Therapeutic Hypothermia) to preserve brain function, and finally after 4 days that seemed to last forever, bring him out of that coma and back to me. If you’d like to read about (or re-live) some of that time, I recently rediscovered the blog that I had created at the time to share Tony’s progress. (side note: I LOVE the Internet because I had actually totally forgotten I had created it!)

As time goes by, I grow…

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I’m Glad

I got tagged on Facebook to do a gratitude exercise. I was to list three things I’m grateful for each day for five days, tagging three people to pick up the challenge each day. Well, I don’t usually spend time on Facebook playing games or picking up challenges – I’m too busy finding out what your dinner looks like. And Pollyanna became a negative stereotype through her Glad Game.

But I’ve read a lot of research on the subject, and the connection between gratitude and happiness is pretty strong. So I thought, “Hey, I can be grateful.” A little gratitude won’t kill me, and I’m all about happiness (it’s okay to laugh). But don’t worry, I didn’t totally break character. No way would I tag someone else.

Home View

 

The view from the ferry heading home.

Reykjavik Calling at Neumos

Sin Fang

Only a couple of weeks before Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavik Calling is a consolation prize for those of us who don’t have tickets to Reykjavik. The concert, hosted by KEXP and Iceland Naturally at Neumos is part of the annual Taste of Iceland event. It is a collaboration between Icelandic and local musicians that exposes a local audience to emerging Icelandic artists and generates new connections between some of the most promising musicians in both scenes. It was also the final item on my Reykjavik staycation itinerary.

Reykjavik Writing Jam

I took a Reykjavík city break last weekend without ever leaving Seattle, thanks to the Taste of Iceland event sponsored by Iceland Naturally and KEXP (among others). After visiting the Odin’s Eye exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum, the next item on my itinerary was the Reykjavik Writing Jam.