Volunteer Park

Hollywood's like Egypt, full of crumbled pyramids. It'll never come back. It'll just keep on crumbling until finally the wind blows the last studio prop across the sands.
-- David O. Selznick

Wednesday, May 5, 1999
One year ago: What You Wish For

Today seemed like a good chance to meet up with my sister M---- and her two boys. My older nephew J--- had tap dance class just a few blocks from my house, so we agreed that I'd meet them there.

The dance studio is in the same place where I go to Friday Night Practice, just in another room. It's in the basement of the building, down a steep but wide flight of stairs. I didn't see my sister in the hall, so I peeked in the door where I heard the tapping. I hadn't realized that my nephew (he's in second grade) was in class with some kids that are much older! My sister told me later that some are in middle school.

After a few minutes I peeked again, and this time put my head all the way in. My sister and her younger son were sitting at the other end of the room. Class seemed to be getting done -- the teacher was dictating the steps and the students were writing them down, in her own notation style, I guess.

Class done, shoes changed, and we walked across the street to Subway and bought sandwiches: a "happy meal" for B-----, the youngest, a foot-long Spicy Italian for me, and a foot-long club to be shared by J--- and M----. Both my sister and I wondered, what is it that defines a "club" sub in this context? A club sandwich is three-layered, on toast, with bacon in it, along with the chicken and lettuce and such. The club sub didn't seem to fit this definition, but it was perfectly tasty. I always like the Spicy Italian -- salami and pepperoni, with all the veggie stuff except jalepenos, and oil and vinegar and oregano. A short drive to Volunteer Park followed.

The park is such a beautiful place! My parents and I lived right across the street from it when we first came to Seattle, ten years ago, and I often took my mom over there in her wheelchair. (She used it due to weakness from cancer, not paralysis.) It's full of mature trees and open glades. The rhododendrons are in full bloom, now.

The playground is the feature that my nephews are most interested in. It was renovated a few years ago, and there's lots of good equipment. They kept the white "bone," though; a large sculpture/climbing thing that looks like an alien dinosaur bone, about fifteen feet long and eight feet high at the highest point. The boys are almost outgrowing the playground. Unless there's a group of friends there to do some complicated pretending with, they want to include the surrounding shrubbery as play territory. My sister allowed this, as long as they stayed together, though of course she'd prefer that they stay visible at all times.

M---- and I got caught up on her job stuff, and talked about the film festival coming up (she usually makes it to one show), and my job stuff and what's been happening with Jack. It's great sharing with her!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

I felt fatigued this evening, so instead of going dancing, I watched some TV. The producers of The Mummy were doing some very clever marketing. They had Brendan Fraser (Seattle native!) doing the narration for a number of documentaries on ancient Egypt and mummification. Good stuff! and I really like his voice. But when I started nodding off around ten thirty, I gave up and got into bed.