Prayer service????

Protest Curmudgeon erupts again, regarding the Christian rock performance and counter protest at Cal Anderson Park. The bottom of this rant has links to many of the sources RantWoman has interacted with.RantWoman apologizes for sometimes lacking precise citation and is trying to make clear which points are speculation and which are derived from long familiarity with the tiresome repetitiveness of protest dynamics in Seattle.

For background, RantWoman hails from a definitely open and affirming faith community and here is an example of a relevant statement.

Minute of Inclusion.pdf

RantWoman still has not connected with members of various faith communities who sent out an emergency email about an event later in the day. After hearing on Twitter / X about melees and arrest, RantWoman decided that bad eyes did not need to get mixed up in whatever was going on and that RantWoman needed to deal with mundane matters such as grocery shopping.

RantWoman believes strongly both in free exercise of religion and in religious pluralism. RantWoman just decided that social media is going to have to be her venue.

b-b-but RantWoman...

Yeah. RantWoman has skimmed the Mayday USA tour website, the website for the On Fire ministry. RantWoman is not sure we are reading the same bible, but does have, at least for Capitol Hill, a higher than average tolerance for diversity of religious messages.

Call RantWoman a cynic though: chances are pretty good that somewhere in the Mayday USA crowd there is someone struggling with their sexuality or their gender identity or some kind of abuse experience who might have caregivers completely unequipped to walk with someone, someone who might  DESPERATELY want some kind of emotional safety valve.

But No. NO! NO!

Nothing says safety for transgender youth like people sort of trying to speak up for transgender youth by just chanting "fascists go away," and getting tackled by police, by getting everyone drowned in pepper spray and raising questions about whether officers' body cams are even turned on.

B-b-but one of the Burner podcast staff was told that the praying group had rented the whole park.

Is this a thing? It's hard enough for people who live here to rent even one picnic shelter. How do people who bus in from out of town get to rent a whole park? RantWoman is also amused by a comment about a police officer telling a journalist just to pick a side. It's STILL A PUBLIC PARK.It's open worship with a come as you are message. Aren't people allowed just to come and watch?

B-b-but they weren't just watching.

Noted. Needs more investigation. 

Finally RantWoman has had enough recreational blood pressure elevation and is not going to delve too far into the background and religious witness of Mr. Ross Johnson, of Spokane's On Fire ministries, but RantWoman has one thing to say to him:

No. NO NO!

Dear Mr. Ross Johnson

No, you DO NOT get to bus into town, demand to put your anti gay "worship service" in the gayest neighborhood in Seattle and then demand that Mayor Harrell resign. For one thing there is an election coming up. You don't get to vote unless you move to this hellhole one of your prayer service attenders basically in need of cleansing.

But thank you, RantWoman supposes for contributing to the latest rounds of:

--rage on the internet about what a godless hell hole Seattle is and how everyone involved in protests should be locked up

--Rantings on social media about protestors going unpunished

--complaints from the Seattle Police Officers Guild that Seattle PD is understaffed. (They are but many parts of town would probably prefer more ordinary neighborhood patrols and less pepper spray.)

PS. Maybe don't brag on X about starting a riot just by praying.

And now citations.

https://www.theburnerseattle.com/post/bigots-rally-in-gayborhood-katie-wilson-makes-her-case-as-a-labor-champ-and-the-burner-gals-hate-i

23 arrests at heated ‘Fascist Family Values’ protest in Seattle | The Seattle Times

Mayor Harrell Statement on Extreme Right-Wing Rally at Cal Anderson Park - Office of the Mayor

Seattle Police make multiple arrests during counter-protest of fundamentalist church group’s rally in Cal Anderson Park — UPDATE | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

Shout-out to Mayor Harrell, quoted at the end of this video.

On Fire Ministries – For His Kingdom

About - On Fire Ministries & Kingdom Christian Academy

Mayday USA event at Seattle's Cal Anderson Park sparks arrests and controversy

Protesters arrested at Cal Anderson Park appear in court

8 arrested during rally, counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park appear in King County court

23 people arrested at Cal Anderson Park when rally, counterprotesters clash

23 arrested during religious rally in Seattle

Seattle leaders blasted for permitting religious rally that sparked protests, arrests

MAYDAY SEATTLE RECAP

extremely produced propaganda recap

drone footage

🌟MAYDAY USA| Seattle Washington 🌟

No, RantWoman did not watch the whole video. After some testimonials, RantWoman skipped forward several times. At the end of the show, people who attended were exhorted to pick up their trash and guys were exhorted to walk women to their cars. RantWoman had an ick reaction but was fine with "don't walk alone."

Check out #DontMessWithOurKids on your favorite social media platform

Voting, stuffing the ballot box, and lost email.

A recent email from RantMom's current retirement community reads something like:

 Dear Families

"Here is a link to vote (our community) best in category of Renton and then to visit every day and help stuff the ballot box...."

RantWoman has no basis for comparison with other facilities. RantWoman also is tired and not willing to go look for the email. The first time RantWoman clicked on the relevant link, she got lost and has not been back.  But RantWoman is happy to say a few words about things that have impressed her since RantMom moved in last year. 

Creative holiday meals. RantWoman and Little Sister dined with RantMom for easter brunch. Two items that completely charmed RantWoman: a green salad with a hint of fennel, fresh peas, and some other herbs and nicely spiced hot cross buns. The quiche and cheesecake were lovely too but RantWoman was most charmed by the salad and the rolls. RantWoman has previously written of creative use of flavorings for vegetables at Christmas.

Wonderful view of Lake Washington from the dining room. Not so much fun if one battles light sensitivity but the RantWomen have enjoyed meals there many times.

Landscaping as charming as the location that previously enticed RantWoman to her first retirement community.

Dining Room is a large and comfortable performance space for a number of music and dance schools.

The monthly calendar includes a whole range of activities: poetry reading, meditation, lectures about current events as well as monthly meetings with staff about things like changes in the dining room.

A bonus to the Lake Washington location: the community is right near a flight school. RantWoman finds it kind of fun, if a little noisy, to hear and watch small planes practice takeoffs in cold and dark skies in the winter.

A very conscientious director. Recently RantMom decided to move from one apartment to another because of elevator problems that did not have a clear timeline for resolution. The elevator problems got resolved just about the time RantMom moved to a new apartment that needs no elevator or stairs to get to from the front door. The move required a certain amount of paperwork and the director patiently kept saying "Now I need to talk about ...." It was courteous. It was respectful  It was all manageable.

A van available to save RantMom at least some of the trips she would otherwise do on ACCESS and a much shorter travel distance to RantMom's church.

RantMom moved from a location in Ravenna--and downsized a little more--because the Ravenna location is getting torn down and rebuilt. Uncertainty about planning dragged on for a number of years, but finally Era living just set some timelines, offered incentives to stay within the company, provided tours. RantWoman was also impressed by some special events to help residents share memories, say goodbye to the community, and then celebrated the clumps that moved to different locations.

All in all, much to be thankful for.

Shhh. Don't tell RantMom, RantWoman is also very glad that RantMom does not have to cook unless she really wants to. RantMom's hands have cooked plenty of meals over her life, but now neurological challenges in her hands make RantWoman nervous about anything involving RantMom having to do more with knives and hot liquids than enjoy meals in the dining room.

Jesus is dead and you want me to find my bus pass?

This post is dedicated to a former co-worker who always said, when declining to schedule a meeting on Good Friday, "Jesus is dead and you expect me to work." Further theological meditations belong on RantWoman's other blog. The point of this post is a small rant and a couple comments about shared dining.

RantWoman did not go anywhere to church for Good Friday. RantWoman did not go find a livestream. It has to be enough that RantWoman thought about the entire subject.

In particular, RantWoman rode the bus to a favorite neighborhood fried chicken place. RantWoman does not do fried chicken very often, but it seemed an easy way to get a couple bones to make chicken stock. RantWoman walked a couple bus stops toward home to a stop where there are two buses that between them come at least every 15 minutes and go straight to the best evening stop for RantWoman. RantWoman wound up actually dining al fresco with enough time to spare to wipe her fingers well before needing to find her bus pass for the return trip.

Except RantWoman could NOT find her bus pass, at least not where RantWoman usually puts it. THANK YOU to the driver who let RantWoman ride free. RantWoman was embarrassed and kind of in a panic. RantWoman has places to go this weekend and does not carry cash. Somewhere in this muddle, RantWoman remembered that AT LEAST she could do whatever is needed to link her MyORCA app to her Google wallet 

Honestly, RantWoman knows that paying one's fare from one's phone is supposed to be hip and wonderful. RantWoman, though, just finds the whole thought cumbersome. RantWoman almost always carries Ambassador Thwack the badly behaved white cane, a purse, another bag and of course her phone. RantWoman could probaby set her phone timeout interval longer, but it's just CUMBERSOM to have to wake the phone up, find the wallet and then wave the phone. 

But WAIT! later yesterday evening, RantWoman dug frantically through all the various pockets in her daily gear and, ta-da!, found her actual physical bus pass.

RantWoman is soothed! 

Dinner and Plague

RantMom at Christmastime
proudly in a new chair

RantWoman has been meaning to offer up a #Pandemic plus 5 years piece. RantWoman would prefer NOT to be offering up today's post.

Yesterday the RantSisters received a normal conscientious email from RantWoman's new abode: a small number of residents and one staffperson had tested positive for #COVID.

RantWoman did not immediately pick up the phone and demand "Mom, are YOU all right?" Instead RantWoman decided that either RantMom would share news herself or it could wait until the RantWomen's nightly phone chat. On the call, RantMom definitely sounded drippy and congested. She also mentioned knowing of the cases among her neighbors. AND she mentioned another common COVID onset symptom, as well as plans to stay home from a Tuesday volunteer gig. At this point, RantWoman had to say "MOM, GET TESTED."

Tonight, when the RantWomen chatted, RantMom sounded a little worse than yesterday. RantWoman's experience from her own long-avoided encounter with "the 'rona" is that the cough and effect on a person's voice are different than a regular cold. That was definitely true for RantMom who ruefully acknowledged what RantWoman suspected. RantMom tested positive and this time has symptoms!. RantMom also said she had eaten dinner with one of the other cases that tested positive a few days ago. 

Bah! It's not like RantMom would ever let anyone tell her not to eat dinner with her neighbors. RantWoman also considers it a blessing that the dining companion this time is alive and recovering, not falling over dead.

So now RantMom is isolating. Meals come to her. She puts on a mask to run out and get mail or toss out trash. RantWoman would SO like to run over and give RantMom a hug. RantWoman is scratching her head about whether she can and should deliver something supportive. The RantWomen also talked about masks. Neither of us is crazy about paper masks. Cloth masks are imperfect but some mask is always better than no mask.

Maybe another day RantWoman will go on some about:

--the assortment of different masks still lurking in coat pockets and bags

--how good it felt to move along some mail order shoes that never fit right to their destiny in the rest of the universe.

--assorted meditations about cooking and technology

--the colorful but not always perfectly fitting blouses RantWoman spent some of her #Pandemic stimulus payments on.

--the new bed from Amazon and why RantWoman is definitely peeved with Jeff Bezos on Constitutional and political grounds.

Tonight, though, it's all about RantMom. If you pray, prayers would be appreciated.

Sunny Day Journey Map

 Friday afternoon RantWoman had APPOINTMENTS, two medical appointments across town from each other. The day was sunny and beautiful, as long as one does not count tree pollen. Scratch that: sun was almost too much and RantWoman needed to wash down itchy eyes multiple times with artificial tears RantWoman was fretting a little about timing, but it all worked out.

First leg of trip:  cross a street where the accessible ped signal now talks, a big improvement over the rat-a-tat that was supposed to be a woodpecker but that sounded to RantWoman too much like gunfire. Routing: 8 + 70 . Not surprisingly, the first 8 was just going by as RantWoman was getting to the stop light, but at that time of day the #8 bus has 10-minute headway. Short wait at Fairview for the 70. Rotten truth: RantWoman needed to go three stops. The distance would be easily walkable--except for the GIANT chasm in any plausible pedestrian routing otherwise known as Mercer St and freeway ramps. 

Nice day for uphill walk for a medical test. Cross the street at the marked crosswalk. Luckily traffic out of the parking garage was minimal. RantWoman is not crazy about driveways or parking garage exits and sometimes goes up the other side of the street to avoid cars. RantWoman has enough vision to pull this off but it's tricky because of no marked crosswalk.

Medical test was almost uneventful. Uneventful as in a form that made RantWoman want to grumble "can't you just put an electronic version in MyChart. Even more "fun," one always gets a plastic bracelet at check-in. Frequently there is this funny moment where the person checking RantWoman in somehow misses Ambassador Thwack the badly behaved white cane and asks RantWoman to verify that the info in tiny print on the bracelet is correct. Uhhhh.....

Test flew by and soon RantWoman headed back down the hill to catch the 70 on further north. Destination, the U District Light rail station and two stops on the train to Northgate. RantWoman long ago used sometimes to walk that distance but between timing and pollen and almost too much sunlight, RantWoman was really happy with the bus. 

Some of the time RantWoman feels a pang about an aging body. Some of the time RantWoman also reminds herself that a number of people in RantWoman's family tree did not even live to the age RantWoman is now.

Distance from Northgate Light Rail station to eye doctor's also is walkable but insane from a pedestrian perspective. Easy bus ride from the light rail station and a short walk with car minimizing street crossing options left RantWoman almost an hour early for her appointment so RantWoman...stopped at TARGET to see about a snack. RantWoman has two rants: the very minimalist snack options and Starbucks used to have an automated checkout. Friday automated checkout was gone and there was just one person at Starbucks and there was a bit of a line.

The wait made it almost too easy to Not Buy anything in honor of Blackout Friday. Almost. Besides the fact that RantWoman needed something for lunch, RantWoman's other rant is that the current anti-#DEI fashion is bonkers. RantWoman is not fully versed about the Black creators able to distribute their product through Target. RantWoman, though, is PEEVED on accessibility grounds: a few years ago, the National Federation of the Blind sued Target about inaccessibility of their stores. Target to their credit looked at the issues raised by the suit and at their elderly customer base and then took a number of steps to make Target someone friendlier to people who are blind and / or visually impaired. Target does not seem to have undone some of that though price tags are still....

RantWoman has no idea whether Target is just talked about rolling back #DEI commitments to appease the mobs horrified by some previous gestures, RantWoman emphatically wishes some of the companies falling into line with the current fashion would grow a spine and say "we are doing ..X;;; because it serves our customers. Plus, nutball pronouncements from the current administration aside, anti-discrimination laws STILL EXIST!

So Dear Target, thank you that I was able to pay for my snack and please consider this rant a free tip!

Eye Doctor appointment was decidedly low torture: just the blue light special to measure eye pressure. No dilated eyes or chasing weak lights around a circular background. Vision definitely not better but not dramatically worse than previous visits. Steady is good.

One easy street crossing to a bus back to the light rail and 3 stops to Capitol hill. RantWoman generally loves buskers but the Friday band at the station as a smidge too loud even for a sunny celebratory Friday. Anyway,  easy just to pop out lf the station, get on a bus and be done with street crossings for the day going home.

Eagle S Seized by Finland for Severing Cables Between Finland & Estonia

For readers who are not total shipping nerds, some key points:

--The Baltic sea is full of undersea power and communications cables as well as pipelines.

--There have been a series of anchor drags and other ways to damage these vital pieces of infrastructure.

--The cable drags can be partially explained by vessel age and poor maintenance, but geopolitics also enters the picture.

This YouTube channel is a massive resource for shipping and maritime vocabulary.

Lloyd's list article about spy equipment found on board the Eagle S with links about other cable drags

Take the Leftovers on the Road.

 

The Christmas Cactus that blooms
most exuberantly at Thanksgiving

Wherein RantWoman grumbles about transportation realities and the RantWomen had an awesome time anyway.

The first invitation: The Weedwhacking Wenches inquired: would RantWoman and RantMom like to join them for roast Turkey. The RantFamily already had plans, a feast in the dining room at RantMom's new retirement community.

The Wenches wanted to roast turkey at home in Lynnwood, so the next invite iteration: what about leftovers Friday or Saturday?

For the record, RantWoman LOVES Thanksgiving leftovers: turkey sandwiches, soup, casseroles, turkey enchiladas, yams, various cranberry relish and sauce.

RantMom feels the same way and there was the shadow of an invitation to RantMom who also really enjoys the Wenches.

RantWoman also owed RantMom some of the off the cranberry bag cranberry relish and t

But....

Transportation!

RantWoman was not excited about helping RantMom figure out paratransit between King and Snohomish counties.

RantWoman THINKS she has figured out how to use MetroFlex from the Renton Transit Center to RantMom's but has not tried it since updating some info in the MetroFlex app. More importantly, RantWoman has not figured out whether the Renton Metroflex zone goes all the way to a light rail station. Sigh.

Never Mind. Although RantWoman loves the Community Transit Zip, RantMom is NOT enthusiastic about trying the Light Rail with her walker anyway.

But WingNut DRIVES.

After a bit of texting back and forth, RantMom let RantWoman and the Wenches invite ourselves to her house with turkey, sandwich makings, yams, cranberries, and...conversation!

One theme of the conversation: after YEARS of living in Seattle, RantMom has finally unpacked some treasured family pictures. One picture, a print RantMom recently had framed of the farmhouse where she grew up.

Another picture: a somewhat stylized painting of the house where the RantFamily lived long ago in the last century in Gunnison CO. And hah! Thanks to Nephew's travels a couple summers ago, an actual photo of the very same house.

Gunnison House

 

Tune in after another holiday for more tales of leftovers on the road!

What if RFK Jr double dog dares the President Elect to EAT A SALAD?

RantWoman thinks God has a weird sense of humor. RantWoman will at some point wander down that rabbit hole in search of ways to address the outcome of #Election2024, people who think differently from RantWoman or worse, don't appear to think at all.

In the meantime, RantWoman copium:

--cat videos

--recipes with no plans to cook.

--material that makes RantWoman laugh between other howling.

There is a lot besides RFK jr. to bite into. That is for another time.

RantWoman thinks that RFK Jr. will make a terrible Secretary of Health and Human Services. And he gets to get in line with a bunch of other terrible nominees.

RantWoman spent part of her weekend talking to elders now suffering post-polio syndrome, remembering the mass dosing at her elementary school and collecting a Twitter / X thread about RFK Junior going to American Samoa, arguing against polio vaccines, and leaving in his wake the germs of a huge deadly outbreak a few months later.

That, of course, is by far not the only reason one might have a very negative opinion of the current nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

RantWoman, however is touched by the cabinet secretary nominee's concern for the President Elect's diet. In fact, RantWoman wonders how long the nominee will last if he dares to insist that the President Elect maybe say EAT A SALAD.

Menu: SQUASH LASAGNA Easy recipe of pumpkin with cheese

Balanced media diet moment: when the news fever swamps get too fevery, go for some intriguing recipes!

Day 6: Masks and chopped celery

Covid test card

 The last few tests, the second bar appears almost as soon as the test solution hits the card. This one took awhile.

Weird because I still feel a little #COVID y

Lungs keep clearing.

A little achy but the same taste I always get with tylenol.

Finally decided to go ahead and order vegetables. I should have waited because friends offered. But chopping and freezing celery and green peppers feels like needed exercise.

Cognitively, somehow misjudged distance. Bumped a neighbor who told me to go take a nap. But definitely had brain cells for next in a series of COOL software trainings.

Topical Rant

RantWoman HATES paper masks.

RantWoman dislikes waste and feeling forced into disaster capitalism.

RantWoman finds paper masks irritating.

RantWoman hearts cloth masks

any mask is better than no mask.

Enough said.

Day 5 with a cat in Riga for company. Latvian mural features red cat named Peach

 

Cat vids! 

Probably RantWoman will actually dabble in "favorite" Youtube streams if she can get through some must do's first.

In the meantime, cat vids are what RantWoman has brains for. And since Latvia is on the list of places NOT wanting anything to do with a certain neighboring aggressor, this cat vid is in its own way effort to ward off evil.

Regarding #COVID brain fog, as with many muddled brains, RantWoman thinks she is just fine--until signing into Zoom or coping with the two-factor authentication she herself set up is too much. We also will not discuss failing to pay attention to a pot of formerly dried beans on the stove: beans are definitely done. Pot will need some scrubbing.  Hopefully, later the beans can turn the rest of the way into food.

Now focus enough to order a talking thermometer. RantWoman is definitely having fevers, but they are not super high fevers.

Between Tylenol and chest congestion seeming to clear up some, it no longer hurts to cough.

Taking the rest of the trash out will have to wait.Probably some exercycle time on the horizon though.

Finally, RantWoman is VERY glad to have evaded #COVID this long, annoyed to have it now, and counting herself VERY lucky about many recovery issues. RantWoman peculiarly is heartened to hear of others in her circle getting #COVID for the first time. Misery loves company?

PS For Future Reference,

Extended Expiration date info page

Two bars on the test, two days in a row.

RantWoman KNOWS #COVID numbers are up and RantWoman has got spoiled about going mask free. One excuse is about needing wind and sound on her cheeks to help about navigation. RantWoman is also just tired of everything to do with the topic but does fully intend to get booster vaxed.

RantWoman is also white knuckling prayers that two activities last weekend were not places RantWoman infected anyone else. RantWoman can live with the possibility that she got infected at one of her activities but definitely does NOT want to have infected anyone else.

Two days of drippy nose.

Being easily able to sleep far longer than usual.

Drippy nose seemed to be getting better about like average cold but unusual headache.

All right. All right. Do a COVID test. What is the expiration interval? Who cares? Two bars CLEARLY visible even with RantWoman's bad eyes

Call doctor? Ask for Paxlovid? Nah, not so much. But figure out needed isolation period and order chicken soup from Amazon

Need to cough. Some of the time it hurts to cough.

Coughing is productive sometimes. 

Body in general feels better with movement.

Not much mental or physical stamina, 

So, take it seriously. 

Cancel weekend travel. 

Cocoon. Do as many needed chores as tolerated. 

Ask a couple people to check one me if they don't hear anything for a couple days. Try not to overstress people already overstressed.

Treat YouTube like supermarket tabloids.

Pay attention to some writing deadlines.

Be VERY grateful because it could be worse.

 

Digital Equity and mass mailers

 Today's #DigitalEquity meditations start with a simple event flyer for an event that happened last Friday. The event was already planned before the shooting at Garfield on Thursday, and written about the garden being dedicated elsewhere.

This post is just going to poke at a bunch of assumptions about digital equity. RantWoman cannot necessarily test assumptions one way or another but is simply going to  go down her list based on a photo of the mailer.

Top lines inadvertantly cropped.
Note both the large and
the six smaller QR codes

Neither the inadvertantly cropped text nor the other side of the mailer include anything like a phone number or a concise URL.

OOPS. RantWoman had to peer REALLY closely and find the REALLY tiny print referring people to:

UrbanFoodSystem@Seattle.gov

https://engage.SeattleParksAndRec.com/en/projects/UFS-Campus

And furthermore, the other side does have a horrible busy graphic with text over the graphic AND a narrow dark blue strip with tiny black letters, as if RantWoman needed some more #accessibility GRIPES.

(This and RantWoman's recent experience with the City of Seattle #GAAD2024 event put RantWoman in mind of the thought that when the city contracts out something like this mailer, they could include resources with suggestions to deal with problems like this)

Okay. Okay. RantWoman sees the point of the QR code.

Charmingly, the mailer assumes that someone interacting with the mailer will have a device with a QR code reader AND enough vision or built-in device AI to correctly aim a device camera in order to get the link information.

The mailer also assumes that people will know how to deal with a QR code.

RantWoman has a phone. RantWoman knows how to do all of the above though interacting with QR codes is a bit of a dice roll.

RantWoman has enough vision to read larger text, find the both the large QR code and the smaller ones. The large QR code took RantWoman to an English language website with an option to click to see the website in the different languages represented by the smaller QR codes.

RantWoman does not currently have any kind of mailing list where she could share the event info either by email or by text. Nor is RantWoman well enough acquainted with her neighbors to offer even modest "This looks cool. Check it out" comments to people who could help with a mix of Word of Mouth and tech coaching.

And this post was interrupted by a neighbor for whom the right suggestion about trouble logging into MyChart is :" call your clinic,but charge your battery first."

RantWoman does have access to a printer and thought about just printing and posting the relevant webpages in languages important to her neighbors. 

RantWoman did not get that done in time for the event.

RantWoman does not have a clear sense of how many of her limited English neighbors have phones or the skills listed above. In fact, RantWoman thought of just printing out the different language web pages for neighbors who do not sport fancy technology. But the webpages are not really formatted to be printed.

So this has to be enough for today.

Gathering for healing and gardens

Sometimes, just showing up matters.

It was a beautiful day for a National Gun Violence Awareness Day event at Martin Luther King Memorial park

It was also another needed Remembrance for Amarr Taylor Paine, who was shot outside Garfield High School on Thursday.

RantWoman did not really track all the speeches beyond many longstanding neighborhood connections and fierce urgency about ending gun violence. RantWoman did enjoy dancing by an all ages group from the Central Area Senior Center.

Enjoy the video.

The video does not say much about RantWoman's favorite takeaway: information about the Clean Green Farm and Market.

The Clean Green Farm and Market

Read about the Clean Green Youth Program

Join the Clean Green CSA

RantWoman has been a little afraid of CSA's because she knows people who get more food than they can use. The Clean Green CSA provides boxes in 3 sizes at 3 prices. The $15 / week single person price sounds like a bargain and doable for RantWoman's budget. Plus, although some of RantWoman's neighbors admit to not liking vegetables, RantWoman thinks that any surplus from her house can feed some neighbors.

Who knows? Maybe RantWoman will also decide she needs some dirt therapy and sign up to volunteer!

And for more connections check out Seattle Parks and Recreation

PS. One person asked RantWoman whether anyone close to her is a victim of gun violence.

RantWoman gulped and realized it has been 20 years since a very suicidal friend who should not have been able to buy a gun shot himself.

Plus an atmosphere with a lot of gun violence is bad for everyone.

Brussels Sprouts, a baked potato--and dessert.

 A restaurant where one can order crispy brussels sprouts with choice of vinegarette  or spicy aioli mayo, baked potato or cheese bread and then go straight to dessert is RantWoman's kind of place. RantWoman actually opted for brussels sprouts and a fish sandwich and then was too full for dessert--THIS TIME.  Lots of things on the menu look tasty. Some of the mixed drink options look intriguing though RantWoman tends not to drink if mass transit is the way home. In any case thanks partly to food, partly to really friendly staff, RantWoman definitely plans to try to find a reason to go back to Sanford's at Northgate. 

Honestly, a fabulous pedestrian experience will not be something RantWoman can look forward to. Meaning no disrespect specifically to the restaurant, it is typical of many restaurants located in the middle of big shopping mall parking lots not designed for any form of walking except travel back and forth from a car, and even that only if one is okay with trying to move around among cars that might or might not be moving.

RantWoman did fine on Link to the Northgate station. Google maps turned out to be reasonable about location of the restaurant; it just was not reasonable about the walking route. There is a stoplight at the street crossing just north of the Light Rail, but it is very wide and registers with RantWoman as weird. The street crossing has a stoplight and painted markings but no tactile cues. RantWoman did not test whether the signal is audible. RantWoman just looked at the apparent traffic patterns and lack of tactile cues and opted to grab one of the buses around to the east side of the mall complex figuring that she always needs a walk anyway and that walking through acres of parking lot, most of it with little traffic seemed more pleasant than the one scary street crossing.

RantWoman was mostly safe in the parking lot experience but she did find herself griping near the Kraken complex about whether or not professional athletes who make a living at vigorous exercise might also like the opportunity to walk safely around, maybe even with more vegetation instead of a parking lot that seems to have several forms of construction going on. 

RantWoman does not use fancy wayfinding apps but was glad for one "ask a human" moment. 

Once RantWoman arrived at the restaurant, the holiday party was great. The staff was great. The food was great. And RantWoman was well fortified for the walk out to a bus stop to go home. Finding a way out of the parking lot to Northgate way was non-trivial, but once RantWoman caught a bus back to the Light Rail all was fine, well except for conversations that get a separate blog post about paratransit, why RantWoman does not use ride hailing, and why RantWoman is still crazy enough to try stuff that people with less residual vision don't even consider.

And feast we did but not vegan. Thanksgiving 2023

RantWoman is unlikely to go vegan. In fact, the year RantWoman had vegan Thanksgiving, she spent the occasion feeling both deprived about lack of turkey and vexed with herself for being ungrateful.

This year, RantWoman is intrigued by the video above and wants to try both the cauliflower mash and this take on green bean casserole, maybe not at the same meal because that's a lot of nuts even for someone who likes nuts.

Also this year, Irrepressible Nephew is doing keto and RantWoman will be interested to hear how the menu options here line up with keto.

With all of that to warm one's palate, report from RantWoman's Thanksgiving feast with RantMom.

Menu at RantMom's retirement community was lovely buffet: nice partly whole grain rolls, green salad, roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, both of which RantWoman passed on, stuffing with not enough celery for RantWoman's taste, yams with too much marshmallow except it was well crisped, gravy, salmon or turkey, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

RantWoman felt well-fed. RantWoman is also working on options to cope with lack of turkjey leftovers, although today's QFC visit found LOTS of packages of ground turkey and no roastable turkey drumsticks. RantWoman is also happy to acknowledge that minor quibbles about celery, burnt marshmallows, and not wanting to roast a whole turkey breast are definitely #FirstWorldProblems. 

There were also mimosas and red wine and RantWoman decided to enjoy a mimosa!

RantMom was for once fine with Little Sister and family doing their own thing for the holiday. Their own thing apparently included a hot pan of green bean casserole exploding because of some hot burner issue. RantWoman is mystified by the national fascination with green bean casserole so the exploding pan of it some kind of poetic justice. Little Sister of course does not share this opinion.

Dinner and moderate exercise!

Today in Turning Ingredients into food, RantWoman presents both moderate exercise and two "I made it up all by myself recipes. Will RantWoman soon be starting her own cooking Youtube channel? Probably not, but getting a couple hours of moderate exercise and using what one has on hand is a better--and cheaper--idea than going out into the cold and dark to walk around at a grocery store.

So let's cook, with an eye to easy reheat prep for several meals.

Impromptu chickpea curry, featuring, not in order of proportions:

a splash of olive oil in a skillet to start the saute on medium heat.

(RantWoman has an electric stove. The burners retain heat even when turned off so be sure to stir enough to avoid scorching anything.)

half an onion minced

as many cloves of garlic as one feels like, minced.

one yam chopped

two medium potatoes scrubbed and chopped

one 6 oz can of pineapple juice and a splash of water if needed

turmeric and cumin

a couple pieces of candied ginger because that was what was on hand.

1 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and washed

a package of frozen riced cauliflower. RantWoman is not sure whether it was about a pount or a little less.

Note: NO SALT ADDED.

Add the ingredients in succession to the skillet. Let everything get hot and bubbly. Simmer until the yam and potatoes are chewable.

RantWoman thought of adding some curry paste but opted not to this time.

The recipe yielded what will probably be 3 generous servings. RantWoman was pleased with the results and may or may not make this exact recipe again.

background: RantWoman has fallen in love with some different curry and legume packets available on Amazon. RantWoman does a certain amount of shopping for non-perishables on regular Amazon delivered on Prime rules rather than minimum purchase required to get free deliver from Amazon Fresh. RantWoman loves free delivery and most of the time can shop ahead and schedule the deliveries on her Prime day.

RantWoman also shops in person and lately, since the minimum purchase required for free delivery has been lowered to $100 RantWoman still does a delivery order about once month.

RantWoman generally likes the flavors of these premade dishes but reads the label. RantWoman prefers not to eat things that have more than 20% of the RDA of sodium per serving. To dilute the sodium level, RantWoman tends to stretch with some kind of sauteed vegetables to increase the number of portions and then to eat the dishes over rice. RantWoman thought she had a chickpea curry packet but could not find it. Hence the improvisation with what's on hand. 

Turkey vegetable stew with cassava rotini.

splash of olive oil to start the saute

the other half of the minced onion from above.

as much garlic as one likes minced.

chopped green pepper and celery.

1 or 2 ground turkey patties

clean out the very end of a jar that had ground white pepper

two gorgeous heirloom tomatoes offered by a neighbor who does not eat tomatoes, put into the stew so they do not rot in RantWoman's refrigerator.

part of a packet of frozen broccoli.

a handful of broken walnuts.

While all of these are simmering together, cook an 8 oz. box of rotini separately. Cassava pasta can get mushy really fast so leave it al dente figuring it will finish cooking when reheated to serve.

Background: RantWoman has a friend who seems to buy foods in quantity and then decide she does not want to eat what she has bought. RantWoman is glad to receive the rejects but frets a little about whether there is anything to be worried about psychologically. 

The riced cauliflower, turkey patties, and rotini all came from RantWoman's friend. RantWoman may or may not buy more of any of them.

The chopped celery and green pepper were frozen from RantWoman's most recent Amazon Fresh order. They work fine for cooking like this and also work better in RantWoman's small freezer than when RantWoman was experimenting buying frozen entrees to fill out Amazon fresh orders.

The dish turned out spicy from the white pepper and maybe a little undersalted. RantWoman will probably sprinkle with some kind of grated cheese when eating.

The arbitrary quantities here will yield 4 or 5 servings over the week.

And finally, a curry recipe by someone who clearly knows what she is doing.

(Weird asterisk: RantWoman has enough trouble keeping her own hair which usually lives in a French braid, out of food. RantWoman has NO IDEA why all the lovely curls here don't wind up either in the food or on fire. RantWoman is not going to worry further but just noticing!) 

Low Fiber Carbs and Debates and the political telenovela of the summer

 The low-fiber carbs:

It's time once again for a COLONOSCOPY. Lucky RantWoman on the every 3-year plan, plus assorted other adventures as a result of things discovered in connection via a whole bunch of other tests with the colonoscopy last time. This time no pandemic restrictions. No quest for laundry quarters with a post pandemic asterisk about why. Just humbly stock up on some low-fiber carbs.

This time, no Lucky Charms. Whiter than white bread PLAIN bagels. Some cornmeal for breakfast one morning. Oh, and a good reason to buy basmati rice. Weird indulgence: mixing buttermilk into prepackaged pudding. No green Jello but boxed broths in spite of RantWoman's certainty that any darn fool can boil water and make stock. An assortment of fruit juices. Rock and roll and apologize in advance if the liquid diet day makes one crabbier than average.

The DEBATE???

RantMom opined: Isn't it awfully darn early in the campaign cycle to be starting to debate for 2024? The RantWoman concur: we are unlikely to watch but RantWoman at least is hoping that someone emerges as a voice of substantially greater sanity than the currently most frequent mentions. 

Small #COVID related pang  in SPRING of 2020, thankfully not earlier, RantMom watched a number of the 2020 presidential debates with a neighbor in her retirement community. Debate watching buddy was the first death in RantMom's community. The whole family is VERY glad to be past all that came with that--even though a few RantWoman pockets still hold various of the different masks of the period.

*Quarters and laundry: tanks partly to lack of building staffing and neighbors who had trouble saying "No" to druggie adult children, laundry facilities in RantWoman's building got vandalized several times. To make vandalism less inviting, all the machines were switched from coin to card and / or phone app. This works fine IF 

1. one has a smartphone and is willing to connect the appropriate app to one's bank account. or 

2. one has a bank account and a debit card and is willing to put up with short term bank holds of about 6X the cost of a a washer or dryer cycle.

Neither condition applies for a good percentage of RantWoman's neighbors. RantWoman now carries a few quarters so that if neighbors happen to have dollar bills or a debit card that for some reason doesn't work, RantWoman can use her phone and make change if handed cash. RantWoman hopes this is not a permanent state of affairs!

And the legal telenovela of the year:

It's, um better than supermarket tabloids! Let us just hope that everyone can find our way back to having our national feet on the ground.

Spontaneity: Bright Sunny Day. Motivational Calamity. Lynnwood!

This journey needs good picture
even though this rhododendron
is from a different journey

RantWoman needs to recount a mostly joyous transportation on demand excursion out to Lynnwood to see her buddies The Weed Whackin Wenches. Curmudgeon and Wingnut have long ago migrated to Facebookistan and are otherwise having to be unintentionally adventurous, but getting to see them is always a delight. Before RantWoman gets to the meat of her recent journey, though, RantWoman needs to get one minor and two MAJOR gripes with Community Transit out there for the world to help digest..

1. As judged by signage on stops at the Aurora Village transit Center, Community Transit signage SUCKS. Metro has nice clear signage with good contrast that RantWoman can read as long as her nose is just inches from the signs. Community Transit signs have print that is too small and color elements that destroy contrast and make the already too small text even more unreadable.

2. Memo to everyone buying vehicles for on-demand service: give a contingent of people with all kinds of bodies and mobility devices and strollers and shopping carts a chance to test load the vehicles BEFORE you buy them. RantWoman was THRILLED when she finally connected with Community Transit's ZIP service that the driver has a reader that can read ORCA cards and even better that the last leg of the trip counted as a transfer. HOWEVER, RantWoman found the vehicle very hard to climb in and out of. The entry is high off the ground and the wall of the vehicle inside the door is very thick. RantWoman was offered the lift which did not seem on point, but the whole experience did not make RantWoman want to see how well RantMom and her walker would do.

3. Now the minor gripe: in the course of the journey RantWoman tried to download the Zip program app. The app has another name which RantWoman is not going to dig out of the text stream tonight. There was some hang-up in the download process. Curmudgeon and RantWoman both have Android phones. Curmudgeon reported also getting stuck, but neither of us have gone back to troubleshoot. For one thing there was a WONDERFUL customer service staffperson who is allowed maybe to think RantWoman might be a little nuts or giddy in the sunshine just because of being so happy about the parts of the trip that worked.

But back a few steps: Friday RantWoman started out underslept in the way that tends to make one basically a motivational calamity. Fortunately there was SUNSHINE and RantWoman had errands on the E line doing errands. It occurred to RantWoman that she has not seen the Wenches since exactly Christmas and that maybe it would be a good day to invite herself for a visit.

RantWoman texted and Curmudgeon instantly texted back YES!. 

The only hitch: Wing Nut, the driver in the household was out but hey there is this new service called Zip.

Excellent. RantWoman remembers getting to the Wenches' house via the E line, a Community Transit bus to the Lynnwood transit center and the last leg of the trip on foot, but RantWoman did not remember details like which Community Transit route was involved. RantWoman also remembered the last visit: RantWoman had let the Wenches kidnap her after an afternoon visit to RantMom but what RantWoman could see of the area around the transit center was a lot of construction mess. But RantWoman opted to proceed on the E line rather than catching something from the Northgate light rail system.

No Google. It was too nice a day and the lack of motivation that got RantWoman out in the sunshine definitely extended to excessive interaction with devices.

Plus RantWoman had to be reminded of the Wenches' street address; when RantWoman went to enter the address in the address field of her phone contacts, as soon as RantWoman entered the first digit some kind of autocomplete wanted RantWoman to be travelling off to Malaysia. RantWoman finally just entered the address in the Notes Field. RantWoman fired off a WTF Tweet to @GoogleAccess and now still needs to follow up with the reply. Stay tuned.

RantWoman tried the Zip phone number first phone from the Aurora Village transit center. Oops. Out of area. 

Okay, fog around the transit center. A helpful SWIFT driver suggested a couple route numbers and pointed RantWoman to the middle lane of the transit center. Sure enough, a stop for the 130 and a number of people waiting. A good sign!

Shortly the bus to the Lynnwood transit center came. There was lovely greenery along much of the route and then yet one more leg of the journey: find bay A1 where the Zip vehicle stopped. RantWoman has eyes enough to tell which direction bay letters and numbers change. After trying one direction, RantWoman realized she would need a different direction and had to find a place with a painted but not very convincing crosswalk. Luckily there was little traffic inside the transit center and RantWoman made her way to Bay A1.

Soon the Zip chariot arrived. RantWoman coped with the accessibility challenges listed above and the driver and another person delivered RantWoman right to the Wenches' front door.

There were hugs all around.

The house smelled wonderful. The menu was fajitas and rhubarb clafoutie (sp?) with this year's rhubarb.

So much worked, in spite of the hiccups!

As a final bonus, the Wenches' two cats M and C in the past have usually just ignored RantWoman. This time both came close enough when RantWoman dangled fingers down to sniff andC even let RantWoman pet her.

Dear Amazon Prime Customer

Learn About Our Latest Updates

Dear Prime Member, We are writing to let you know about upcoming changes to Prime grocery delivery benefits from Amazon Fresh. Starting Feb. 28, 2023, Amazon Fresh delivery orders under $150 will incur a service fee. Prime members will continue to receive free grocery delivery on orders more than $150. Delivery charges will be $3.95 for orders $100-$150, $6.95 for orders $50-$100, and $9.95 for orders under $50. This service fee will help keep prices low in our online and physical grocery stores as we better cover grocery delivery costs and continue to enable offering a consistent, fast, and high-quality delivery experience. We will continue to offer convenient two-hour delivery windows for all orders, and customers in some areas will be able to select a longer, six-hour delivery window for a reduced fee. We will also keep evolving our Amazon Fresh grocery service, testing and adding more delivery options, and increasing selection of low-priced foods for customers to enjoy. One-hour grocery pickup at Amazon Fresh stores will continue to be free for Prime members in your area. Other exclusive benefits for Prime members at Amazon Fresh include an in-store discount on select groceries, including discounts on a rotating selection of prepared foods.  (large segment of non-grocery text deleted.) If you have questions about the Amazon Fresh delivery service fee or options for free delivery, you can learn more here. Sincerely, Amazon Prime

Above is an excerpt of the email RantWoman received informing her of the latest update in delivery fees for Amazon Prime members who get grocery deliveries through Amazon Fresh. RantWoman has gotten quite spoiled about exactly this service, in spite of some hiccups about preferences.

To be concise, RantWoman expects to: 

--comparison shop about other grocery delivery programs

RantWoman will catalog test criteria separately. Expect the list to include app accessibility and whether or not RantWoman should refer anyone who receives SNAP benefits, delivery parameters, and other criteria TBD.

--do a lot more in-person shopping and a lot less grocery shopping online.

RantWoman is a single person and the Queen of Spades does not get fed from Amazon Fresh. RantWoman MIGHT manage once a month to come up with a $150 order sufficient to qualify for free delivery. RantWoman has limited storage and freezer space to handle bulk purchases.  RantWoman will also be doing in-person shopping for things like fresh produce and dairy products. RantWoman has several in-person shopping options--besides Amazon Fresh--that meet her one bus segment and one street crossing each way to and from criteria. 

To be fair, the price increase for RantWoman's average order would a little more than wipe out what RantWoman budgets to tip the driver. RantWoman prefers to tip the driver.

--Offer some candid customer service observations

It's the bananas, folks. RantWoman likes to buy a week's supply of bananas that might even be too green to eat the first day she brings them home. Most of the time bananas delivered via Amazon Fresh come perfectly ripe for about two days before they start turning brown. And there is no way to tell anyone of RantWoman's preference except, consistently, to buy bananas elsewhere in the course of RantWoman's travels. Enough said?

RantWoman also finds the Please rate our service screens after delivery annoying: just put ONE open-ended question on the form as a small gesture indicating that y'all care enough about RantWoman's opinion to read real words instead of offering inadequate categories.

--toss in some wacky suggestions that MIGHT make the whole exercise more palatable.

RantWoman is not sure about the idea of 6-hour--long delivery windows. RantWoman does tend to schedule deliveries at least 6 hours ahead of when she places the order and would not mind being rewarded for scheduling delivery in time windows that are less busy or that have less traffic.

RantWoman also would not mind being rewarded every time she has to explain to drivers about how they need to get from the door by the garbage area of the building to the door with the keypad where at least during daylight hours someone can buzz them in. RantWoman has no idea which interaction of GPS and Amazon routing leads drivers astray but RantWoman has done what she can in her account.

Has RantWoman mentioned that she lives in an apartment building. RantWoman can imagine scenarios where several people placing orders could aim for the same time window so that the total to one address would easily exceed the minimum to qualify for free delivery with the only extra step being delivering orders to more than one apartment. RantWoman would not want to increase the risk of order mixups but thinks that possibility would be a solvable problem. RantWoman envisions getting to the select delivery time slot and seeing some indication of time windows when other deliveries are scheduled and being offered the opportunity to adjust delivery time to lower the delivery cost by sharing the schedule.

There. Enough free advice. If more is wanted....