Once again, it was time to have Hannah's hair trimmed. So what? Nah, she loves it. We got to Little Clippers, a cuttery that caters to youngun's. She got to pick a movie to watch, choose a car to sit in, and she even got her hair washed before the cut this time. 
Hannah is actually growing her hair out ("down to my feet!"), but you know how it goes... healthy hair grows better, and faster.
What an adventure. More than we realized that it would be, that’s for sure. Michaela, Diane, and I drove up to Seattle to register Michaela for classes at Cornish College of The Arts. She’ll be majoring in dance there, and we also needed to find her a place to live, since there is no on campus housing. In fact, campus is a single building, 7 stories tall, in the downtown area. There is another “campus” out in Capitol Hill, again a single building, where dance is focused, so she will be mostly out there.
We stayed at the Bacon Mansion, which has been converted to a bed and breakfast, near the Kerry building. A very nice place, although Michaela’s mattress hurt her back. Wednesday evening, when we arrived, consisted of merely strolling down Broadway and finding dinner at Charlie’s Bar & Grill. Thursday is when things really started. Registration began at 9:30am and different seminars and socials and such went on all day, with titles such as “Paying for College” and “Parents of Students”. Sometime during the day 
Michaela met Cecilia and Miai, and the 3 of them hit it off, so roommates had been found! Of course, finding a place turns out to be quite a dilemma. Diane and I took the 3 of them around the Kerry campus (they’re all dance majors) to look at apartments. Every place wanted either a full 12 months, or limited the expensive spaces to 1 occupant per room, which is just about out of the question… these are poor college freshmen! So we headed back to main campus where the girls would be gathering with the other students for a dinner cruise on Lake Union. Diane and I were waitlisted, so we drove down to the docks in hope of no-shows. In fact, we were the last 2 permitted aboard! So thank you, people who signed up but didn’t show up! It was a wonderful 3 hour cruise, and the cityscape was incredible at night! So back to the B&B for some much needed rest.
Friday morning the problems started. When we went to get into the car to head down to Main Campus, it wouldn’t start. Now, I had just taken it to Mark’s and had the battery replaced, and was told the electrics, including starter and alternator, were in primo condition. Nope. The starter was dead. So Diane & 
Michaela headed down to Kerry to try and hitch a ride to the Main Campus where the Housing Seminar was going on(kudos to security, who gave ‘em a ride!), while I stayed at Bacon Mansion to arrange repairs. Happily, the first place I called was able to get the car in and the starter replaced today! Oh, and the car started for the towing guy (of course!). So now I sit at Tully's Coffee on Broadway and Pike, waiting for the call to tell me that the car will start faithfully again. An adventure to be sure!
Yeah, it's good to be a dad... even if I'm just a step-dad. Diane took Hannah out last night, and afterward, I wasn't allowed to go out to my car. This morning I found out why; They had put a hammock in the car. So now I can relax outside! Well, when it isn't raining anyway. 
Later we had to go to Kmart for a little shopping. Hannah and I got bored, and our wandering found us in an epic storewide battle for supremacy using foam dueling swords. Such fun was had that Diane actually paid for us to keep them. Of course, now I must constantly be on my guard from surprise attack... We went out for an early dinner with my dad and mom at The Ram in Lake Oswego. 
All you can eat babybacks. mmmmmm... Afterward we headed over to my folks, and hung out in the back yard for a while and relaxed. It was a nice day, all in all...
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So the band that I drum for, Incomplete, played a Battle Of The Bands on Sunday at Rock 'N' Roll Pizza in SE Portland. 6 bands were there, and we were 3rd. Each band got about 25 minutes to play. The first was quite metallish, and sounded all right. The second was an hour and a half late, had crappy equipment, and mime-ish make-up. They kinda sucked, but had a large following, so it was fun. 
We played, and we switched up our set list as we had written a new song the day before (which I only messed up on slightly) and we conquored. Then was a band made up of 4 youngun's in wigs, bathrobes, sombreros, and padded muscle shirts. They were the most fun. I would have voted for them. After that was a couple of guys rapping to a prerecorded music track. .jpg)
At that point I left. So I'm not sure who won the Battle. If it was us, none of us were there... in fact, even our fans went home before it was over. It was quite good though. We'll be playing again soon, I'm sure, and we're going to be working on a collaborative studio recording with the band Stillvoice. I'll post when that's available.
This has been a Michaela weekend! 
Thursday, she (and the rest of the class of 2007) graduated High School. Her Aunt "Sissy" Phyllis & Uncle Mike came up from Santa Rosa for the weekend, and have been hanging out with us as well. 
My mom & dad (grandpa Rick and grandma Carole) came to the graduation ceremony also. Before, we had a BBQ and Michaela opened her gifts (a KitchenAid Mixer! am I jealous!). Then Michaela went to the overnight Grad-Nite celebration. We woke up at 6 am Friday when we realized that she was locked out of the house and calling to get in (oops!). 
Friday Michaela slept, then went to the dentist, then went out to ice cream with Aunt Sissy. Being the busy girl that she is, then she went to PCC to get ready for her dance recital. She is in the Senior 1 Company, and danced ballet, tap, and contemporary with them. She also danced her Senior Solo. She's beautiful & talented, so it was wonderful! 
Now it's Saturday and she had to be at PCC at 9:30 (late because of a dead battery in the car) since she is a teacher and her classes were performing. She also danced at several more recitals during the day, and Hannah danced at the 1:30 performance as well. Mike & Phyllis are heading home tonight, and then comes Sunday... Michaela's day of rest! click on the link box below to see the Lake Oswego Academy of Dance full Company Production Rods & Cones.
Whew! It's been a busy day! It started off with Hannah going to the dentist at 8am, and the dog going to Lucky Dog groomers at 8:30. After taking Hannah to school, it was back to finish shampooing the carpet, and doing laundry. Diane was home for a bit mopping the hardwoods, and then it was off to pick up the dog, replace the camera (the old one was dropped, fallen on by a sumo-suit-clad jr higher, and then dropped again), and get home. Then, immediately take Michaela to Graduation rehearsal. Back home to hang pictures and prep dinner. Back to get Michaela from LOHS to PCC for dress rehearsal for the big recital. Then Hannah came home. After getting her ready for dress rehearsal, I went to LGPC to work with the kids, while Diane finished getting Hannah ready, picked up Michaela, cooked the dinner, came home, cleaned the kitchen, got Hannah ready for bed. Then I came home and mopped the dining room, cleaned the garage, and Diane & Michaela prepped for the Graduation BBQ tomorrow. So, it's ten til midnight, and I finally have time to jump in the shower and shave. again I say Whew!
Once again, it was time to have Hannah's hair trimmed. So what? Nah, she loves it. We got to Little Clippers, a cuttery that caters to youngun's. She got to pick a movie to watch, choose a car to sit in, and she even got her hair washed before the cut this time. 
Hannah is actually growing her hair out ("down to my feet!"), but you know how it goes... healthy hair grows better, and faster.
Michaela met Cecilia and Miai, and the 3 of them hit it off, so roommates had been found! Of course, finding a place turns out to be quite a dilemma. Diane and I took the 3 of them around the Kerry campus (they’re all dance majors) to look at apartments. Every place wanted either a full 12 months, or limited the expensive spaces to 1 occupant per room, which is just about out of the question… these are poor college freshmen! So we headed back to main campus where the girls would be gathering with the other students for a dinner cruise on Lake Union. Diane and I were waitlisted, so we drove down to the docks in hope of no-shows. In fact, we were the last 2 permitted aboard! So thank you, people who signed up but didn’t show up! It was a wonderful 3 hour cruise, and the cityscape was incredible at night! So back to the B&B for some much needed rest.
Michaela headed down to Kerry to try and hitch a ride to the Main Campus where the Housing Seminar was going on(kudos to security, who gave ‘em a ride!), while I stayed at Bacon Mansion to arrange repairs. Happily, the first place I called was able to get the car in and the starter replaced today! Oh, and the car started for the towing guy (of course!). So now I sit at Tully's Coffee on Broadway and Pike, waiting for the call to tell me that the car will start faithfully again. An adventure to be sure!
Later we had to go to Kmart for a little shopping. Hannah and I got bored, and our wandering found us in an epic storewide battle for supremacy using foam dueling swords. Such fun was had that Diane actually paid for us to keep them. Of course, now I must constantly be on my guard from surprise attack... We went out for an early dinner with my dad and mom at The Ram in Lake Oswego. 
All you can eat babybacks. mmmmmm... Afterward we headed over to my folks, and hung out in the back yard for a while and relaxed. It was a nice day, all in all....JPG)
So the band that I drum for, Incomplete, played a Battle Of The Bands on Sunday at Rock 'N' Roll Pizza in SE Portland. 6 bands were there, and we were 3rd. Each band got about 25 minutes to play. The first was quite metallish, and sounded all right. The second was an hour and a half late, had crappy equipment, and mime-ish make-up. They kinda sucked, but had a large following, so it was fun. 
We played, and we switched up our set list as we had written a new song the day before (which I only messed up on slightly) and we conquored. Then was a band made up of 4 youngun's in wigs, bathrobes, sombreros, and padded muscle shirts. They were the most fun. I would have voted for them. After that was a couple of guys rapping to a prerecorded music track. .jpg)
At that point I left. So I'm not sure who won the Battle. If it was us, none of us were there... in fact, even our fans went home before it was over. It was quite good though. We'll be playing again soon, I'm sure, and we're going to be working on a collaborative studio recording with the band Stillvoice. I'll post when that's available.
Thursday, she (and the rest of the class of 2007) graduated High School. Her Aunt "Sissy" Phyllis & Uncle Mike came up from Santa Rosa for the weekend, and have been hanging out with us as well. 
My mom & dad (grandpa Rick and grandma Carole) came to the graduation ceremony also. Before, we had a BBQ and Michaela opened her gifts (a KitchenAid Mixer! am I jealous!). Then Michaela went to the overnight Grad-Nite celebration. We woke up at 6 am Friday when we realized that she was locked out of the house and calling to get in (oops!). 
Friday Michaela slept, then went to the dentist, then went out to ice cream with Aunt Sissy. Being the busy girl that she is, then she went to PCC to get ready for her dance recital. She is in the Senior 1 Company, and danced ballet, tap, and contemporary with them. She also danced her Senior Solo. She's beautiful & talented, so it was wonderful! 
Now it's Saturday and she had to be at PCC at 9:30 (late because of a dead battery in the car) since she is a teacher and her classes were performing. She also danced at several more recitals during the day, and Hannah danced at the 1:30 performance as well. Mike & Phyllis are heading home tonight, and then comes Sunday... Michaela's day of rest! click on the link box below to see the Lake Oswego Academy of Dance full Company Production Rods & Cones.