First boating of the season
It’s late now so perhaps I’ll post a few pictures of our first outing on Lake Washington for 2006 tomorrow. Tomorrow in Seattle is “Opening Day”. Basically this is the first official boating party of the summer but it can get incredibly crowded so we went out tonight when nobody was on the water. We were joined by three other boats and about 15 other friends and I was just really thankful that summer is finally upon us. It seems to me that this last winter was a bit tough for those of us living in Seattle. Certainly the ski season was significantly better than last year but the rain and wind seemed relentless for a few months. I’m not entirely sure that it was out of the ordinary relative to previous years but I’m nonetheless thankful for the bright sunny days. Truth be told, it is very difficult to find many places in the world more beautiful than Seattle when the sun is out. Some places seem to come close. The islands and waterways around Stockholm in the summer have a similar feel. But, it isn’t like Seattle. Here, we’ve got tall mountains in the distance and the vast Puget Sound that really rivals most other boating destinations when the sun is out.
Thanks to much to Tom Hughes and the other not insignificant Lyman boat owners for hosting. These old wooden boats are something to envy and probably require more annual maintenance than most people appreciate. But an old wooden boat mixed with Seattle sun, cold Petron margheritas and good friends makes the memory of rainy winter months fade fast. Before moving to Seattle I didn’t even really know what a Lyman was. Nor did I know that they are very, very popular here. When you see one on Lake Washington this year, impress your friends by telling them that they are in fact from Ohio…not Michigan.
Old music that’s ok to love again
Lately I’ve been watching some old music video channels. Maybe I’m just feeling a bit nostalgic these days. Back when I was in high school, I remember a distinct split in music camps. There were the heavy metalheads and then punker/new wave crew. I have to admit I was more on the latter side. I loved The Smiths. Black Flag. I’d bring home Dead Kennedy tee-shirts from academy (that’s what religious high schools were called in my parts) and freak out my neighbors.
But as I look at some of these old videos I’m pretty blown away by all the old metal stuff. Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead) is about as hardcore as they come. That song Ace of Spades is as loud and fast as any punk song. The guy’s voice is all throat and all rough…it’s amazing he didn’t just die on stage. Motley Crue in 1981? That’s entertainment! Sebastian Bach (SkidRow) kicked some ass. Iron Maiden? I didn’t appreciate them back then. I do now. Dio - Rainbow in the Dark…hmm…those were good days.
Even today, guys like Slayer are about as dark and heavy as any band ever was. Interesting how your perspectives change as you get a bit older. I’m pretty appreciative of this old thrash metal stuff now.
-
Rainbows
-
Vanishing America
-
Friends from Monaco
-
Cadillac
-
Old stamps
