Reading List 2012

To kick off 2012 I decided to finish off some remaining series or authors, to look at the stack of partially read non-fiction in order to read the parts I had previously missed, and to avoid adding anything to my library holds so as to look at what set of books I would focus on next. Being snowed in for a few days gave me a lot of extra reading time. As a result, I forced my way through some tough materials fairly quickly and left myself ready to attack my reading to do lists with minimal distractions on my nightstand. As with previous year reading lists I do not list things like magazines (Astronomy subscription) or comics (Wednesday is new comic book day) or parenting stuff (driver guides and football team manuals) or online things (Grantland / Girl Genius / The Devil's Panties) I follow. After ECCC and Free Comic Book Day there was alot of comic stuff on my nightstand that otherwise would not have been there.  I had looked at a couple of lists like a soccer book list I compiled and a Don Draper Reading List of books from Mad Men so there are those books on here.  My goal was to mostly clear things off of most lists so that I could jump into the A Game Of Thrones books for summer reading. As a result, the list this year is a real hodge podge of stuff without a clear theme other than finishing stuff up on lists and in series'. The highlights are not many as far as books to really recommend to anyone, other than fans of series fiction or whatever.

January

Zone One by Colson Whitehead
- Some literary zombie fiction by a very talented contemporary writer.
The Sun's Heartbeat: And Other Stories From the Life of the Star that Powers Our Planet by Bob Berman
- I enjoy Berman's monthly Astronomy column and this book is like a big collection of those all on one theme.
Never Coming To A Theater Near You: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Movie by Kenneth Turan
- I had gone through this in bits in the past and gave it a nice once over. There are a number of films in this that I liked and saw because of this.
Crazy Time: Surviving Divorce and Building a New Life by Abigail Trafford
- This was given to me by a friend as years ago and it was good to give it a once over.
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons From The Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack, Ph.D.
- Hard not to recommend this book.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama
- A much more carefully worded and politician type of work than his previous auto-biography from before he entered politics.
The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family by Andrew Himes
- I had the chance to meet and discuss some things with the author after a Tedx talk he was a part of. I really enjoyed how his life perspective shapes his presentation of this material.
Arthurian Legends: The Land of Arthur: Its Heroes and Heroines by Marie Trevelyan
- After sitting on my nightstand for years and having skimmed a bit of it previously, I forced my way through this. A tough read with the old English and spelling.
The Final Evolution by Jeff Somers
- Book 5 of a series of 5. I dove into this and it took me through some good twists and turns.
The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel
- It got a bit tedious in points with how mundane some of the events were, which might have been her point, but it finished really well.
Ceremony - A Short Story by Sherman Alexie
- I got this in one of his emails to readers. It is very short, but says a lot. I will not list a lot of the stuff from Sherman on here, this listing is to note that he sends out little shorts and poems to his subscribers to fallsapart dot com ...

February


Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton
I got this book with/for my daughter after seeing the author on a panel at GeekGirlCon in October 2011. The presentation of this material is what is important here as the material itself is available in other formats. Worth sharing with girls and parents.
The Boys: The Big Ride (Volume 9) by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
Since I have a rule of only listing collections I should note that volume ten is a Butcher miniseries that I read as it came out. This is volume nine and I did not read piece meal so it is included like previous volumes.
The Pale King by David Foster Wallace
- I had resisted reading this for a year, but figured I would read eventually so I decided to get it from the library and get it over with. Wallace was never an easy read and this is no exception, but he was one of the few writers that can slow down my reading without pissing me off. It sucked to have to edit the previous sentences to reflect the past tense.
Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth
One of the artists whose work I always read. Once again, Kieth takes a sideways view at classic characters and gives me a good read.
This Is Water by David Foster Wallace
2005 commencement address to Kenyon College given by the late DFW. Really interesting look into his mind, and it also makes me sad.

March

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion by Sir James George Frazier 
- The level of detail in this work is amazing and it is a surprisingly easy to read and follow book given the subject matter, but it truly is dated to its time period. References to "savages" or "Mohammedans" give away the time period. I got this years ago as a gift and had started it, picking it up from time to time. I decided to clear off all of these books from my nightstand this year and this was the last of the unfinished stack of tough non-fiction stuff. Then, after finishing it, I realised that there was more than one more book that should have been in the stack.
Equus: A Play by Peter Shaffer
- This was on the shelf in a teacher's lounge and I read through it fairly quickly. I had heard of it, but had not actually read or seen it performed before.
Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and others
- This is the collected volume of the main series. I will also eventually check out and read the other five or so volumes of related stories in the Flashpoint series.
596 Switch: The Improbable Journey From The Palouse To Pasadena by Ryan Leaf
- In 1994 there was a freshman football player red shirting at WSU while I was an assistant coach at the same school in another sport. He was always someone who came across as talented and cocky - or worse - and his pro flame out is well documented. This book starts off with a clear explanation that he is aware of his past mistakes, has owned them, and has appeared to have grown. Good for him. The title is a reference to the play WSU would have run had the final two seconds allowed for one more play in the 1998 Rose Bowl. It was interesting to note that he offers up that he should have just run the play, which would have led to all sorts of other arguments about the end of that game. But ... just a few weeks after reading this he was arrested again.
Dynamo: Triumph and Tragedy in Nazi-Occupied Kiev by Andy Dougan
- This is interesting stuff that seeks to bring clarity to a legend. The legend of the Dynamo Kiev team is inspiring, but the truth is actually much more so.
The Turnip Princess
- This is a fairy tale from a collection recently unearthed and translated from the German.
Batman: Through The Looking Glass by Bruce Jones and Sam Kieth
- Batman goes to Wonderland. Sort of.
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller by James Patterson and Martin Dugard
- In fifth grade the King Tut exhibit came through Seattle. One of the reasons I am finally getting around to reading this book is because of the 2012 King Tut exhibit in Seattle.
Moon Baby Poems by David Greenberg
- I had the good fortune of watching David Greenberg do a reading performance at a school I work at. He had students and teachers in the palm of his hands. That day at lunch I got a chance to chat with him and he is truly an interesting person.
Learn Latin: A Lively Introduction To Reading The Language by Peter Jones
- This is the actual last book in the stack referenced in earlier entries. Yes, a few years ago I decided to learn a little Latin.
The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts by Fay Goodman
- A survey of the major various martial arts and their histories and basic ideas.
Richards' Tae Kwon Do White Belt Thru Black Belt Curriculum Manual
- This is the Seattle Tae Kwon Do manual and I thought it would be a good idea to read it straight through after flipping through it piecemeal over the years. Technically, my edition is from the Richards' era before the name change to Seattle Tae Kwon Do so it is noted that way here.
Another Bullshit Night In Suck City: A Memoir by Nick Flynn
- The title alone caught my eye, but I really just wanted to read this before seeing the movie.
Marsupial Sue by John Lithgow (Author), Jack E. Davis (Illustrator)
- One of several kids books on this month's list. However, it was John Lithgow so I read it.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
- Thought I would read this in the event I would see the film.
Pancakes and Waffles by Lou Seibert Pappas
- Oh, how I need to try some of these recipes now.
The Athlete's Kitchen by Nancy Clark
- Although this is dated in how the foods are grouped, it is still awesome in the information it provides about recovery and build up for athletes. As I get older, this gets more and more important.
500 Comic Book Villains by Mike Conroy
- I thought this would be just a simple survey, but Conroy really does a nice job of giving context to the development of the villain in comics over the decades.
The Walking Dead Survivors' Guide by Tim Daniel
- This book is one giant Spoiler Alert as I have only read the first few volumes and watched the show, but it seemed like a good idea.
This Love Is Not For Cowards: Salvation And Soccer In Ciudad Juárez by Robert Powell
- This is one of several "Year With The Team" books I have read. However, this one is also timely and topical in what is happening just south of the US border in what our news media likes to quickly gloss over in an overly simplified manner.
Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie
- I have always loved Rushdie's prose.
Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
- Volumes 1 & 2. Beginning my run of reading all the volumes, all 26+ of them.

April

Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai by Stan Sakai
- Painted stand alone graphic novel.
The Art Of Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
- A look into the history and development of Usagi Yojimbo.
The Silence Of Our Friends by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos (Authors), Nate Powell (Illustrator)
- Good enough that I recommended it to Social Studies teacher friends.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Read this as part of a subbing assignment. The first novel in a series exploring Utopia and Dystopia concepts.
Theseus by Geraldine McCaughrean
- A retelling of the Theseus myths.  I decided to read this after seeing The Hunger Games since the author claims that Theseus was an inspiration.
Magic Without Mercy by Devon Monk
- Book 8 of 9 in a series that will be completed in November of this year. Looking forward to the final chapter since a penultimate chapter cannot really resolve too much and has to set up the finale.
Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint by DC Comics various creators
- There are five companion volumes to the basic Flashpoint series, one featuring each of five main JLS heroes; Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. There is also The Flash: The Road To Flashpoint that I should have read first that I read among these five volumes. I later discovered that Time Masters: Vanishing Point was an essential tie in and read that too.  Taken as a whole I found Flashpoint to be on par with Marvel's Age of Apocalypse or House of M in regards to alternative timeline massive crossover.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
- Silent graphic novel about the immigrant experience. Beautiful. Magical.
La Linea by Ann Jaramillo
- School related reading, but glad I got this. The subject of immigration and the US/Mexico border is fascinating.

May

Inheritance: Or, The Vault Of Souls by Christopher Paolini
- I had enjoyed the first and second in this series but found the third tedious and dull. This 4th volume of the trilogy starts a bit slow but actually builds to a satisfying finish with an excellent post conflict wrap up. If only he had condensed the third and fourth into the original one book planned I think it would have been better.
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
- Book 12 of the Sookie Stackhouse series and the first one I have read new since getting caught up on all the books and shorts last year. Apparently, their is but one more novel to go next May.
George R.R. Martin's The Hedge Knight by Ben Avery ; pencils by Mike S. Miller ; inks by Mike Crowell ; colors by Team Kandora.
- Graphic novel interpretation of the first Dunk and Egg short set in the Song of Ice and Fire universe. I will read the actual text as soon as I can get it, but I wanted to read the stories so I got this and part two from the library and part three in text also from the library.
Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess: A Girl Genius Novel by Phil & Kaja Foglio
- Novelization of the Girl Genius early volumes.
The Walking Dead : Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
- What pushes a man to extremes?  We find out.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
- These books were on my reading list as a rec from a friend a few years back, but I never got around to it until now.  It became evident I really needed to set aside some time to read these.  So, much of what I have done this year regarding my reading lists was to set myself up so that I could just focus on these over the summer.  Then, I got copies of these in April ... and waited.  And they are sooooooo good.

June 


The Hedge Knight II: Sworn Sword by Ben Avery (Writer) and Mike Miller (Artist)
- Graphic novel interpretation of the second Dunk and Egg short set in the Song of Ice and Fire universe. I will read the actual text as soon as I can get it, but I wanted to read the stories so I got this and part one from the library and part three in text also from the library.
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
- Book two was read prior to seeing the second season, so I had images of the characters and surroundings in my head, but not the actual staging like when I read book one after seeing the first season.
The Mystery Knight by George R. R. Martin
- Since this was available in text I read the first two Dunk and Egg short stories in graphic novel form and will read the first two as text when I can.
Polly and the Pirates Volume 2: Mystery of the Dragonfish by Ted Naifeh (Writer) and Robbi Rodriguez (Artist)
- I am a fan of Ted Naifeh's work, from these Polly books to the Courtney Crumrin series.  I think he does a nice job of keeping things clever and creepy. 
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
- Cranked my through book three in short order.  I am thinking that I almost am going too fast at this point.
A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
- "Don't get too atached to any characters," a friend told me.  Yep.
Space Usagi by Stan Sakai
- This is the one non-regular series collection I had not read. So, I will be continuing my run through the 26+ volumes from here straight through over time.

July 

A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin
- Finishing up the final book the first few days of July was way ahead of schedule and would have been done a few days earlier if not for the ereader charging down and me not getting that taken care of quickly.
National Federation of Independent Business et al v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al - 11-393 - June 28, 2012
- Supreme Court ruling actual text. I am so not intersted in talk radio or cable news so I read the pdf of the opinion and ruling myself.
Hang Fire by Devon Monk
- Short story that ran on her blog tour that is in her steampunk universe.
Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Neil Gaiman
- I had not previously read Gaiman's look into Adams and how this whole phenomenon came about and found this actually quite interesting.  Now, I actually need to listen to the original audio dramas because I never have.

August 


Success For Teens: Real Teens Talk About Using The Slight Edge by The Success Foundation
- A book my son's HS Football coach had the team read so I read it too.

Swing Your Sword by Mike Leach

-WSU is going for it with the hiring of Coach Leach.  As a former WSU coach in another sport I am happy to see the current paradigm shift in the WSU Athletics mentality. The book was actually a good read.

Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw by Mark Bowden 
-In 1994 I was in attendance when another Escobar blocked a cross for an own goal in the Rose Bowl and was later killed for it.  I have always had a bit of a fascination with Colombia as a result.
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
- I realized I read this last year about the time I was watching the first season of Haven on DVD and never listed it on one of these reading lists.  So, sort of a re-read, but not really.
Sahara by Clive Cussler
- Saw the movie years ago and when my dad had this in paperback I borrowed it to put on my reading shelf for eventual reading since my reading shelf was bare at that point.

September

Tin Swift by Devon Monk
- The second book of Monk's Steampunk series. Almost finished in August, but it spilled into September at the end. Fortunately, there will be a third book next Summer.
Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer
- Book 8 in the Artemis Fowl series.  I believe we have had the "final" book before when the third one came out, so we will see.
The Perfect Parenting Poem ... by Erma Bombeck
- Handed out by my son's 10th Grade English teacher on Parent Night.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
 - Book in the teachers lounge at a school I sub at. Not a lot of books slow down my reading without making me angry.  But, I found myself both cranking through and trying to slow down at the same time.  Excellent.
Star Wars: A Scanimation Book: Iconic Scenes from a Galaxy Far, Far Away... by Rufus Butler Seder
- A fun little book I found while subbing in the library one day.
The Forest Laird: A Tale Of William Wallace by Jack Whyte
- The first of a three book series by Whyte about the heroes of ancient Scotland.  Somewhere, Sean Connery is smiling at the very notion of these books. I ordered it for my dad to take on a trip and it showed up the day after he left so I read it first.
Fast by Sherman Alexie
- Short fiction in The Stranger.
Stanza by Sherman Alexie
- Short fiction in The Stranger.
Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny! by Jan Thomas
- Kids book whose title meant I had to read it while subbing a second grade classroom.
Playing Possum by Charlaine Harris
- Sookie Stackhouse short story. Basically, this story and the next novel may be it if I understand Harris is ending the series.
The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- A book on my son's English class reading list for tenth grade.  I thought it would be good to have read a few of the books he is reading this year and this looked good and I had read a few others.  Excellent choice. Poignant.
Home And Away : One Writer's Inspiring Experience At The Homeless World Cup by Bidini, Dave.
- The very notion of this event required me to look into this book. I made a point of sharing it with several colleagues.
The Boys (Volume 11): Over the Hill with the Sword of a Thousand Men by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
- Volume 11 of will be 12 and completed very shortly.  These guys do awesome work.  They tell insane stories, but that is the awesome part.\
Sense Memory by Sherman Alexie
- Short fiction in The Stranger.
Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, Langdon Foss and Jose Villarrubia
- Graphic novel about a sushi chef in a world where they have the power.  Seriously, this needs to be a film. And, this is my fave stand alone graphic novel of the past few years.

October

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John
- A book to feel guilty laughing at.  FTW.
Alice In Zombieland by Lewis Carrol & Nikolas Cook
- Retelling of the Alice mythos in a horror context.
The Clockwork Girl by Sean O'Reilly and Kevin Hanna
- Romeo meets Juliet, only one is a robot and the other is a biological creation.  Graphic novel collection of the series.  Very cool.
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope by Morgan Spurlock with photography by Alba Tull
- The book.  Need to see the movie.
Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories by Sherman Alexie
- Half of these are new and half old and so I had already read half of them since I basically am otherwise caught up on Alexie's published works. 
A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud by Brian Harold May
- After a brief 30 something year sabbatical to pursue music in a little band named Queen, May returned to his studies to finish his doctoral work. The start of a bunch of science reading that is necessary given the snti-science BS out there.  I need to read this stuff to keep from losing brain cells by proximity to the stupid.
The Hazards Of Space Travel : A Tourist's Guide by Neil Comins
- The title alone ... But, the timing of reading this after the skydive from space is not lost on me. 

iZombie (Volume 3): Six Feet Under and Rising by Chris Roberson & Michael Allred

- Due to this being cancelled there is only one more collection to read that comes out in a few months.  Too bad, this is awesome.

Chew (Volume 5): Major League Chew by John Layman & Rob Guillory

- This series just keeps on keeping on.

Zero: The Biography Of A Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife

- Having previously read DFW's treatise on the concept of Infinity I thought I just had to read this when I saw it for the sake of balance.  

Magic The Gathering: Basic Rulebook  & Magic The Gathering: Return To Ravnica Player's Guide
- Booklets, but pretty detailed and necessary reading as I sort out how to play this game.
Any Moment & 212 by Kori Golightly
- Poems by someone I loosely know and occassionally dance with.

The Munchkins Guide to Power Gaming by James Desborough &Steve Mortimer (Steve Jackson Games)

- I have been guilty of this in different ways at different times. I joined a group for a game of Monopoly thinking it was more competitive than it was and ended up getting slapped down by someone for power gaming.  In retrospect, I am glad that happened as a reminder to keep perspective. Fortunately, that group is still together and I am a happy member gamer.

Area 51: An Uncensored History Of America's Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen

- This is not a debunking or expose per se.  It is a look at what is known from declassified materials and the odd interview. It looks at how Area 51 would fit into what we know of the Cold War, military technology development, intelligence secrecy, and nuclear research.  If it had turned out to be a book about how everything is a cover up for something like in The X Files I would not have read it.

November

Understanding Flight by David Anderson and Scott Eberhardt
- This book was recommended by Ira Flatow during a round table discussion after school recently.  It is still pretty technical, but I actually understand a lot more about flight and several very cool things I never did before. The history of the technology is also really important to show how the principles were learned and tested over time.
Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
- This was a book that had several "Oh ..." moments after as I pieced out what certain things meant. Very cool.

Magic The Gathering: 2013 Core Set Player's Guide, Magic The Gathering: Avacyn Restored Player's Guide, Magic The Gathering: Dark Ascension Player's Guide & Magic The Gathering: Innistrad Player's Guide

- I know these are pamphlets, but they are a ton of information for this newbie. I decided to read up on the previous block as it is still Standard, but only to really buy and play from the current core set forward.

Physics of The Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku
- Another good science read.  Given the anti-intellectual bent of too much of society, to have someone take some time and work through this material is cool.
Max Weber's War by Robert Frezza
- I have looked for this for years and finally found it on eBay.  Now, if only he would publish more.
Magic For A Price by Devon Monk
- Book nine (and last) of the Allie Beckstrom series. There are going to be some spin offs, but this is the culmination of this particular story. I think this series would work really well as a cable television series.
Alien: Engineers by John Spaihts
- Original screenplay for what became the movie Prometheus. Not a huge number of differences, but there are some.
Powers (Volume 14): Gods by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming
- Seriously, how can anyone not see or cast Katee Sackhoff as Deena Pilgrim ... 


December


Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Official Rulebook
- I have Versions 2, 5, & 8. Learning these games is like trying to learn bridge. Except, the bridge cards never change and the rules are perpetual and not determined by new aspects of the game added by the new cards.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Rulebook
- Actually, I have a couple versions of this one too; EX Hidden Legends and Black & White Boundaries Crossed and see the evolution of the game as the different expansions have come out.
A Planeswalker's Guide To Alara: A Magic The Gathering Field Guide by Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland 
- This is a book, not a pamphlet and really gets into the story behind the Alara block.  After I played an Alara booster draft I thought that this would be cool to read.
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller and John Romita, Jr.
- It is hard to believe this is almost 20 years old and I am just now getting around to reading it, but origin story retellings and prequels are not something I generally get that into.  Enjoyable, but ultimately I know how the story ends.
House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest by Craig Childs
- I read this for several reasons. I have a published short story that is the first chapter in a long ago started novel that this book should be awesome for the research on should I ever kick my ass into gear and finish it.
Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks & the Hidden Powers of the Mind by Alex Stone
- Saw a student with this and it caught my eye.  The psychology and sociology of this was really what made this a good read.

Ephemera 2012

Sports

SSFC 2 Jaguares de Chiapas 0 - 2-29-12 CLink Field - Community Shield Match
SSFC 2 Club Santos Laguna 1 - 3-7-12 CLink Field - CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal First Leg
SSFC 3 Toronto FC 1 - 3-17-12 CLink Field - MLS Regular Season
Seattle Mariners 4 Chicago White Sox 7 - 4-22-12 Safeco Field - AL Regular Season
NorthSound SeaWolves 1 Washington Crossfire 2 - 6-1-12 Edmonds Stadium - PDL Regular Season
Snohomish County Vikings 12 Yakima Mavericks 46 - 6-23-12 Edmonds Stadium - NWFL Regular Season
Seattle Sounders Women 4 Santa Clarita Blue Heat 0 - 6-24-12 Starfire - W-League Regular Season
Seattle Storm 72 Washington Mystics 55 - 6-24-12 Key Arena WNBA Regular Season
SSFC 3 Caledonia AIA 1 - 8-2-12 CLink Field Concacaf Champions League Group Phase
SSFC 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 0 08-18-12 CLink Field MLS regular Season
CWU Wildcats 41 Azusa Pacific Cougars 17 09-22-12 Pop Keeney GNAC / DII College Football
WSU Cougars 26 Oregon Ducks 51 - 9-29-12 CLink Field Pac-12 Regular Season
Seattle Mariners 4 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8 - 10-01-12 Safeco Field - AL Regular Season ***
MTHS Hawks 14 Meadowdale Mavericks 17 - 10-05-12 Edmonds Stadium - Wesco 3A South Regular Season
SSFC 3 Portland Timbers 0 - 10-7-12 - CLink Field - MLS Regular Season
SSFC 3 CD Marathon 1 - 10-24-12 - CLink Field Concacaf Champions League Group Phase

Seattle Mariners Fanfest 1-28-12 Safeco Field
Bring 'Em Back Sonics Arena Rally 6-14-12 Occidental Park
Emerald City Supporters 2012 Membership

ECCC Minion / Geek

Street Team
Mtg 2-26-12 Sheraton
Badges 3-10-12 TCS
ECCC - Wrangler for Media/Photo Ops 3-30-12 thru 4-1-12
Dinner 4-24-12 The Spaghetti Factory
ECCC Mariners Minion Appreciation Day 10-01-12 Safeco Field ***

Mobile Food Rodeo - Fremont - 5-6-12 (The Disco Cowboys)
Red, White, & Dead - Fremont - 7-7-12
Video shoot for "I Wanna Live In A World Full Of Heroes" at Nick's Jr. in Everett, WA on 2-4-12
Back Alley Blues 08-18/19-12
Mobile Food Rodeo - South Lake Union - 9-15-12

Live

A Midsummer Night's Dream - 1-13-12 - BHS
David Greenberg - 2-10-12 - TEG
EMP ACDC Exhibit opening weekend with author Anthony Bozza 4-28-12
The Steadfast Tin Soldier 12-7-12 Shoreline Performing Arts Center
King Tut 12-27-12 Pacific Science Center

Live Music

Knut Bell & The Blue Collars - 10-12-12 LRH
Jenny & The TomCats - 6-24-12 / 08-12-12 LRH
Weatherside Whiskey Band - 5-31-12 / 08-05-12 LRH
The Davanos - 5-13-12 / 08-26-12 LRH
Billy Joe Huels Honky Tonk Party 5-1-12 LRH
Marian Call (w/Scott Barkan & Zizzy Zi Zixxy) 4-14-12 The Fremont Abbey
Wes Jones Band - 2-25-12 / 3-8-12 LRH

Movies in Theatre

Moneyball
Underworld: Awakening
Puss In Boots
Chronicle
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Hunger Games
The Raven
The Avengers (2x)
Snow White and The Huntsman
Prometheus
Dark Shadows
The Amazing Spiderman
The Dictator
The Dark Knight Rises
The Campaign
Safety Not Guaranteed
Skyfall
Life of Pi

Randoma

L 1-3 OV Soccer Club 1-5-12
Underground Seattle Tour 4-4-12
The Fremont Sunday Market 5-13-12
PITA shoot as Hot Loader 5-19-12
UFC 146 5-26-12
WPZ 6-21-12
PSC 6-28-12
San Juan Ferry 7-16-12
Tour de Terrace 7-27-12
Museum of Flight 8-16-12
Apple Store iPad Workshop 8-28-12
KISW Rock Out Hunger 8-29-12 Harris Ford to Benefit Northwest Harvest
The Seattle Great Wheel 9-29-12
Pike Place Market 09-29-12 / 09-26-12
Brickyard Brewing Grand Opening 10-21-12
STKD Sparring Tournament 11-3-12 (6-4 and 11-6 Gold Medal)
Seattle Marathon 11-25-12 Clock Time*: 6:25:17 Chip Time*: 6:23:39
Eric Thames 12-15-12 Mariners Alderwood Mall Team Store
Brickyard Brewing Keeper Studios Installation 12-29-12

Magic and Casual Gaming
Magic/Yugioh! Casual Play 11-5-12 / 11-12-12 / 12-03-12 / 12-17-12 Phoenix Games
EDH Casual Play 12-01-12 Mugu Games
StarCityGames.com Open Series: Seattle 11-17-12 / Lynnwood Convention Center (attended only)
Tournament play notes online with DCI and Konami

WHS Football

Sparkman Cellars Wine Tasting 5-18-12
Friday Night Lights 08-24-12 @WHS
WHS 31 Lakes 24 OT Lang Stadium Tacoma 08-31-12
NSD Jamboree Pop Keeney 09-01-12
WHS 37 Mariner 12 Goddard 09-07-12
WHS 34 Inglemoor 14 Pop Keeney 09-21-12
WHS 21 Monroe 0 Pop Keeney 09-28-12
WHS 7 Bothell 23 Pop Keeney 10-19-12

Brickyard Brewing - Keeper Studios Installation

Keeper Studios
Brickyard Brewing Installation for January and February 2013
5817 238TH STREET SE, SUITE 3, WOODINVILLE, WA 98072

Special thanks to Joe and Ean for giving me this awesome chance to display some of my work.  

This is a mixed media sort of thing.  Each of the three walls has four pieces in a separate theme.

Forest Into Sunset

4 paintings - acrylic on canvas

Picnic Point

Photos on canvas in

driftwood frames with beach glass

all collected same time and same place as the photos

The Scarecrow Effect

Props created during writing process of

(as yet) unpublished novel of the same title.

Mask and artist appeared in Kirby Krackle video

for song "I Wanna Live In A World Full Of Heroes"

Tires should not look like this

Some days it's hammer meet nail and other days it's tire meet nail.

The spare looked good before I actually tried driving on it.

Fortunately, I have a carport to work in.  Also, I have family to help shuttle me to and from Discount Tire, who is awesome to work with. I am also very glad that the nail went into the older tires that were rotated to the front and not through the new tires on the back.  And, now I have a new spare.

When He Was a Young Man ...

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs
Pacific Science Center - Seattle, WA
December 27, 2012


When I was in Fifth Grade I got to see King Tut.  Tut was a phenomenon with Steve Martin recording his classic and all the Egypt stuff that was everywhere.  The 1978 Tut exhibit played a role in my ending up a social studies teacher. I had to go see this exhibit this year.

This exhibit is more than just Tut, or less if you were not expecting the general Egyptology and Pharaohs stuff I totally dig. The early parts of the exhibit bring forth general ancient history, religious elements, and the importance of gold before the Tut exhibit rooms take you through his tomb.

I could have spent a lot more time going through this than I did, and I took my time.

Eric Thames 12-15-12 Mariners Alderwood Mall Team Store

The Seattle Mariners traded with Toronto for Eric Thames last season right after the Ichiro trade and he spent a good deal of time in right field the last two months of the season.

If he and a number of the other young prospects can all emerge together like the young players in the early 90s then this could work. They are pretty much all in on their young players at this point.

When the scoring is actually for something

I went ahead and signed up for my first competitive shoot.

For six weeks I would place my high score of the week into the "Late Fall Trap League".

Trappers keep score, but it is more as a courtesy or for information or bragging rights, but not actually official.  By joining the league the scoring of my trap lines for six weeks became official and logged. I decided not to go for overkill and only entered the 16 Yard Trap and not the other four events.

By signing up I committed myself to more consistent shooting.  I needed to log in at least one line each week for six weeks.  I made the decision to shoot at least two lines each week and score both, since the high score would be counted.  In this way I would get into the habit of the score counting and try and break through the mental barrier of performing under pressure right away.

Over the past year or so I have been a pretty consistent 17-19 shooter with a few in the 20s (high of 22) and one or two 14s.  So, is that really my range?  How will I do when the scoring is actually official and counts towards something? Can I figure out the math that will be used for handicapping as the weeks progress? If I average 17-19 my scoring range overall should be in the 102-114 total range.

Oh, crap. Here we go.

Week One - 10/28 to 11/4
Shot on Thursday evening 11/1 right at opening with daylight.  Would have shot on Tuesday or Wednesday but wind and rain is a bad mix. Weather cleared up a bit to I went right out so I could get two scored lines in before Thai Kickboxing. Shot a 17 on Trap 3 and a 19 on Trap 2.  First line started strong but my third post was number five and I tanked it and my fifth post was number 2 and I just was too tense. Opened with a 1/5 on the 2nd line when I could not hit anything hard left at all and then went 18/20 the rest of the way.  Since the 19 was the higher score it goes on the record.
(19/25 and 19/25 total)

Week Two - 11/5 to 11/11
I misunderstood the start dates of the week and ended up shooting a 19 on a day (11/4) when it would not normally count, but because of my misunderstanding I got it to maybe be noted as for Week 2.  That round of 19 was potentially sitting there so I made a point of trying to get out again to shoot a regular scored round within the normal week and shot on Saturday (11/10). I did get out there, but then I shot a really crappy 13 on trap 1.  The 13 stuck because the 19 was actually shot in the wrong week and I did not shoot a second round to better the 13.My bad, since I can read and just didn't.
(13/25 and 32/50 total)

Week Three - 11/12 to 11/18
It was daylight and not raining and so I went out to get my scored in on a Wednesday (11/14).  I followed up last weeks crappy 13 with another 13 and it was clearly in my head.  So, I decided to go right back out there and shoot another round but to also get my head straight. I moved from shooting at the first post to starting in the middle at the 3rd, and slows myself down.  I had a decent first post by hitting the first three, but fell back into the jerking motion that was causing the 13 scores in the first place.  The next two posts I managed to get myself back into a rhythm doing a slow mental checklist and getting my breathing back under control and cleared both at 5 for 5.  I finished with two posts both at 4 for a round of 20. The first two weeks with handicaps were posted and I had a 4 handicap for the first week so my adjusted score was 23 and a 7 for the second so the adjusted scored was 20. The combined 32 was handicapped at 5 for an adjusted 37. The 20 should have a 3 handicap for the week.
(20/25 and 52/75 total)

Week Four - 11/19 to 11/25
I went out on a nice Wednesday afternoon and got in three lines on Field 3 in quick succession, each better by a bit than the last (16, 18, 19) so I grabbed a nice 19 for the week. This was an opportunity to get in several rounds in daylight and there was no waiting time so I got into a nice flow very quickly.
(19/25 and 71/100 total)

Week Five - 11/26 to 12/2
I shot for the first time at night in the rain on Field 1 and an 18 and a 20 happened.  It was weird because I actually felt like I was seeing the targets in their bright orange quicker from the house than during day light.  The 20 was a nice grab to get late in the series so it set me up well.
(20/25 and 91/125 total)

Week Six - 12/3 to 12/9
I felt fidgety and shot a 16, 17, and 16 on Field 3 in daylight in quick succession.  My dad was right that I was jumping on them too quickly and was a bit jumpy.  The 17 gave me an average of 18 for the series if it held up and since I did not get back out to shoot again that is what happened.
(17/25 and 108/150 total)

With handicap +5 = 113 or 18.8

My earlier stated goal was to be in the 102-114 range and so to average what I thought I was averaging. I got a 108 raw score for an actual average of 18. 18 is the median of where I thought I was going in.  This is sort of awesome because I am what I thought I was. There is now documentation that I can use as a benchmark for future growth.  The lesson learned is that even shooting regularly I am not good enough yet to avoid the bad round and that when it happens I really need to get out there and slow down and keep going. The next time I need to find a way to avoid that bad round and not merely compensate for it. I got two boxes of shells as a prize for participating.

Can I get the 19 or even the 20 average next time?  That is the question.

Those Crazy Mayans

"Chicken and waffles.  My place."  I said it last year. This weekend it shall happen.

The world does not simply end because a girl turns 14 ... oh wait, maybe.

Today my youngest turns 14. 1) Happy Birthday 2) This is the sort of thing that could give a guy gray hair.

Happy birthday to my Liuttle Punkin.

Win one for Sammy

WSU
Buffalo
Key Arena

Does not look like I will make it there after all, but Go Cougs!

I can remember 16

16 years ago today I was living in Pullman and dropping off my last term paper for the semester on the way to the hospital so that my son could be born.

It was snowing.

It was a crazy time.

It was awesome.

Today, I am also reflecting back on when I turned 16.  I can remember back that far.  It was Summer and that week I would get my driver's license.  High School was in full swing.  I wanted a car.

It doesn't seem like much has changed.

Happy Birthday son.

Obligatory notation of 1000th post

I began this blog several years ago.  It has undergone shifts of interest, focal points, and prolific surges. The notion that it would get to 1,000 posts is sort of weird.  A number of the posts are now out of date.  Sometimes I change my mind when I rethink things.  There are not a lot of links and I do not re-post things here as a matter of policy so it is pretty much just me and what I am interested in putting out here.

So, this post is brought to you by the letter K.

I was worried for valid reasons

Seattle Marathon 11-25-12

My training in regards to distance and running sucked this year.

My training in regards to martial arts was pretty solid.

I have been nicked up and having too much lower back and left hip pain too often.

I was really sick all week, the kind where the color of the stuff you are coughing up is worrisome.

I hate excuses.

I am stubborn.

The weather was dry.

My sinuses were mostly cleared up.

I had new running gear to wear.

I succeeded in my slowest race in the 15 years I have now been doing this.

I was immediate in keeping my mind on each small stretch and accepting that the time would end up the way it was.

Clock Time*: 6:25:17
Chip Time*: 6:23:39

A Poem About Cold Mornings

Cold November morning air

Cuddly, snuggly cat

Snooze alarms

Surprised I got to work on time

Adding a Prefix or a Suffix can be tricky

Adding a prefix or a suffix can really cloud the legitimacy of a word in Scrabble (TM).

It is really east to add on a pre, re, dis, or un, to the front end or an ed, er, est, or ing to the back end of the word.  Even when it is not exactly common use it can still be grammatically correct and therefore legal and playable.  When not, it is worth a challenge.

For instance, I dropped "untrade" onto the board the other night and then sold it pretty hard.  It was an 87 point bomb, but only about the third round.  The choice was made to let it go.  Turns out it is not playable.

Lesson learned.

I have to admit that had anyone thrown an S or a D onto it I might have challenged it myself after being the one to play it, which is definitely sort of underhanded but not entirely unprecedented in our group.

Apparently, "prego" is a questionable spelling of a word still considered as slang and not a playable word either.  Pulled that off in the second game on the upper middle triple word score for something like 33, also fairly early in the game.

Magic really is Cardboard Crack

Friday Night Magic
November 9, 2012
Phoenix Games - Mukilteo, WA

For many years and for various odd reasons I have avoided Magic The Gathering.  It is one of those things that has become so big that it felt like it would be impossible to wade into, sort of like starting Doctor Who with its decades of back story.  Recently, my gaming has brought me to the conclusion and understanding that it is in fact accessible after all.

Some of the kids at the schools I work at have given me little pointers at times, but last year at GeekGirlCon I got an actual tutorial and have been planning to play ever since.  A teacher friend and I gamed one day and played some and so I went out and got some current cards that are not a huge investment and ready playable.

I made the decision to stick to the pre-constructed decks for now and to not alter them until I played some actual games.  I went to a Monday casual play and decided to dive right in and play a Friday Night Magic event.  A local store (Phoenix Games) was my gaming location of choice.  I discovered that I needed to register and am now an actual card carrying Magic The Gathering player.  My scores are apparently recorded officially somehow.  This is both interesting and sort of meh since I did not win a game.  19 players and I came in 19th at 0-5 with all 5 being 0-2.  A few games were actually close and had a few little things happened I could have won a hand or two I think.  However, I am likely the single lowest ranking MTG player in the world right now out of millions.  Ah well. A good time was had and the other players gave me huge amounts of tips and advice and were patient with this Noob.

Learning is fun, but learning a lot also means losing a lot.  I played the Red/Blue deck.  Maybe I should have played the Red/Black deck (which won a hand at casual play night).  I have a couple ideas about constructing the deck so I am going to tinker with the Red/Black and see what happens.

I did get the last pick of the decks and promos, but this card is actually pretty cool and from the M13 Prerelease.  I am going to add it in and play it next time just on principle. Next time and strategy are already in mind and being planned.  Hooked. Cardboard crack indeed.

Every Four Years I Miss Raffles

When I was two years old I got a dog for my birthday I named Raffles.  She was a little black dog and I grew up with her.  She was never a bad dog, but she was not exactly well trained either.  An open door meant it was time to go out into the neighborhood to find the dog. But, she loved going up into the mountains where we had property and was the best dog in the world up there.

When I was 17 years old and a senior in High School I missed out on voting in the presidential election since I would not turn 18 until the following July.  As a result I did not vote in the 1984 election and cast my first vote in the epic Bush 41 versus Dukakis election. There was the 1986 midterm I got to vote in, but that was not the same thing.

Pets are family.  And the day after the 1984 general election I lost family.  Raffles had taken ill and was a very old little dog and my father was tasked with awful task.  I came home from school and he told me she was gone with obvious pain in his eyes.  It hurt deeply, but to see how my father felt my pain too has always been a moment I hold onto in the relationship I have with my dad.

The night before the 1988 election I actually saw Dukakis give a speech in Spokane on the campus of Gonzaga University.  His celebrity entourage was with him and included Carrie Fisher, Rob Lowe, Hal Linden, and John Larroquette. Regan got his third term through a surrogate.

Every four years I reflect on those events.  I put a lot of myself into the 1988 campaign.  Losing my dog was a very sad experience. Four years from now my son gets to vote in his first general election while my daughter misses it and must wait to vote in 2020 and be 21 at her first like her father was.

But, the real reason for this post is because I miss my dog, still.  I have had a number of dogs and been around a number of them as though they were mine like Yogi, Dasher, Babie, Spike, Joker, Boomer, and others.  I may not remember Raffles every day, but I always do when voting for president.

It Had Been Too Long ... Sparring Tournament

Seattle Taekwondo
Sparring Tournament
November 3, 2012

I am approaching nearly a decade of Taekwondo and Thai Kickboxing training. In that time I have graduated to Black Belt in both programs.  I have previously competed in three tournaments, winning one of them back in 2005.  A number of other awards have been earned over the years.  I even now teach.

But, it had been over six years since I last entered a sparring tournament.  It was time to change that.

It was important to me that I be in the correct frame of mind for this event.  I thought long and hard about it and realized that if I focused on efficiency then I could be competitive. It is one thing to lose, but another thing entirely to not perform well.  I can live with the scoring if I know that it was really my best. Plus, it is very easy to get injured if focus is off and I have to work on Monday morning.

Over the past few years I have done a good job of being very immediate in the things I do, keeping a good focus and not multi-tasking when it would be detrimental to do so.  This morning I focused on nothing but how my muscles felt and thinking about what kinds of kick combos and strategy I would bring to my bouts.  There were a number of things on my agenda, but all of that could wait mentally until the afternoon.

The men in my division all wished each other well.  We gave each other encouragement and all hoped for the best.

My first bout was a 6-4 win over a younger and quicker, but less experienced opponent.  He really brought energy to the bout.  Had it been longer than two rounds he would likely have worn me down as he was narrowing the score at the end.

A break between bouts for other divisions was merciful.  I watched the other two in my division spar a very controlled and intelligent bout.  It was clear that I would need to spar smart to win the second bout to win the division on the day.

For the final it became very clear as the first round went on that I would need to take a different second round approach.  It was 3-3 after one round, but my opponent had landed a two point back kick and looked set to keep bringing it.  I felt he could land more and rack up points so I needed a way to minimize that kick without merely keeping distance.  I in no way wanted a sudden death round to follow with that back kick looming out there. The energy in the room was awesome.  Everyone was cheering and encouraging. During the brief break between rounds I remembered a discussion with an instructor a year or so ago where he discussed bringing a flurry of kicks very early to try and rack up a number of points and to therefore control the round and the bout through a lead.  I took a series of very deep breaths, gave my corner man Brian a double fist bump, turned, and went right at my opponent with a number of kicks in rapid succession, including a couple of double kicks with my left and at least one back kick.  Having managed to land several kicks for points early in that round I then continued the previous round approach of keeping distance to minimize the double point back kicks and ended the bout at 11-6.