Tacoma, WA

Jan 12, 2007

Current mood:giggly

Tacoma, Washington

Western Washington's speed limits are silly slow.  And State Patrol Officers are in every nook and cranny, hiding behind bridges, trees, and road signs. I haven't been pulled over lately but on this particular stretch in Kitsap County I habitually glance down at my speedometer every few minutes because the men in blue have graciously written me enough tickets to warrant mandatory driving classes year in and year out. Believe me, I'm not dogging them, if I have one hardened vice; it's the need for speed and it's the first thing I admit to when they knock on my window to ask if I know how fast I was going. I always know how fast I was going. J I consciously curb the need when there are children in the car otherwise the pedal is to the metal. However, I am fully aware of all their little hiding places so I've bypassed this area without one pink slip in the last four years. I think switching cars often helps too, lol !



Commencement Bay in Tacoma



 I pull up to Nana and Papa's house on the hill overlooking Commencement Bay in North Tacoma. This is an affluent Irish-Catholic area with Annie Wright, the all girls' school, two blocks away and Saint Patrick's just a few blocks north. The neighborhood is stunning and reminiscent of Irish neighborhoods back on the east coast littered with corner Irish pubs.  So many movies were filmed here as well. Stadium High School, which was initially a very grand hotel in Tacoma's beginnings, hosted "Ten Things I Hate About You". A house up on I street was where Rebecca DeMornay starred as the psycho nanny in "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and I remember going down to the park behind Annie Wright to watch River Phoenix and Keaneu Reeves when I was only twenty. I can't remember what movie they were doing, I think it was something about "Idaho", but I can't be sure.




Nana and Papa

 

Nana and Papa are my first husband's parents and they live in this subtle pink, 7000 square foot, 1917 stucco home with it's winding staircase like Scarlett O'Hara had in 'Gone With the Wind', is the first place I called home when I ventured out of Alaska and down the Alcan to the lower 48's with my boyfriend. This house isn't anything like we have in Anchorage. This was a castle and I felt like a princess. Nothing has changed here either except now Papa is retired reveling in his newfound hobby of baking bread and watching football games in his recliner since retiring. My son, Casey, lives here with his grandparents to finish his last years at Bellarmine, a Jesuit prepatory school that most of his family has attended. The need to keep up formal traditions is pressing in this community and as good as this school is for the children, I have suppressed issues with the pressure and conformity for the sake of education. Sacrifice. Life is full of it.

Casey and I head down to the waterfront after spending some time watching the Patriots game with Nana, Papa, Uncle Tom and Uncle Steve. But, before our reservation we hit Frisko Freeze for a quick appetizer of onion rings and French fries!!

Frisko Freeze is the bomb!! It's a 1950's drive thru that has the best milkshakes, hamburgers and fries in the whole wide world. You cannot pass through Tacoma without conceding to temptation and as we wait for our order we hit the lotto and the teenage boy behind the counter scores us a mismade extra large root beer shake. We know we are ruining our appetite for some of the best seafood ever, but we don't care.

The Tacoma waterfront is a two-mile of restaurants and bike path along the bay. The view is spectacular. Redondo Beach, Vashon Island, the Port of Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Point Defiance and the Narrows Bridge scatter the horizon. Casey and I sit in the parking lot facing the water indulging in our hot, greasy fast food and watching people dressed to the nines enter the front door to the Lights.




Tacoma waterfront and Mt. Rainier...I can't tell you how many endless hours were spent along these shores!

 

I have the most phenomenal kids in the universe. I know every parent says that but I REALLY do.J They have lived a privileged life in some senses and they have also lived a tough life instilling humor, awareness, perseverance, and wisdom in all of them because of it.



Jake, Jordan, Roman, Casey at Ft Worden in Port Townsend playing Army



Let me tell you a little bit about Casey. He is funny. His profile on myspace says he is 5"10". He's not. He towers above me when I wear my four-inch heel black boots so he has to be close to 6'1". He's a clown, a very analytical, articulate funny clown. There is nothing that we don't do together that we don't ended up busting a gut. Since 'Night at The Roxbury' came out on video, his first words when he sees me are" What's up? From outta town?" It's an inside joke that lights my soul up. It's just mine and his. Forever.

Over dinner of steamed little neck clams and halibut fish and chips we talk about his ambitions, school, college, friends, family and what movie we want to see tonight. I'm blown away by his natural ability to strategize. He would love to attend WestPoint or Gonzaga under their military program and I believe he has the potential to become an unbelievable asset to our government. His understanding of human behavior and military tactics betrays insight and perception far beyond his years. He was born an old soul and I watch him in complete awe as he talks away about things that seem impossible to know for a seventeen year old. I love this child so much!!!



Casey at the airport with his best friend, Sofia! :)

Needless to say, are bellies are full and in hindsight we probably should have waited for Frisko Freeze for Sunday's lunch instead. Oh well! It was worth it. J

We decide to take in a movie at the Lakewood Cinemas, south of the Tacoma Mall. Not like the best neighborhood in town, but they have police officers standing at every door so it dampens the anxiety a little bit. The movie we want to see is sold out so we stand aside while we see which other one sounds good. A man who was behind us, steps up and orders two tickets for he and his wife to go see 'Stomp the Yard', so I ask him what it's about and he gives us the rundown. He tells us that he is going to Iraq tomorrow morning at 8 am for his second tour of duty and wants to get in the last date with his wife before he goes. Casey extends his hand out and says "Thank you", we convince him to turn in the tickets that he just bought to get a refund so we can buy them to show a little gratitude and appreciation for what he is willing to leave his family and put his life on the line for. He gives me a hug says thank you and turns his tickets in. We continue talking for a few minutes and as he leaves he turns to shake Casey's hand again and give me another hug. I want to cry.



Casey, Jake, Sarah and Mark in Tacoma



Tacoma is home of McChord Air Force base as well as Fort Lewis, the place where NFL player turned Army Sgt, Pat Tillman called home during his training before he left for Afghanistan.

There is an hour to kill before the movie starts and we entertain ourselves shooting aliens until it becomes too expensive for our purposes. The Neilson Ratings Group is there taking poll screenings on upcoming movie releases so we agree to give them our opinions. They take Casey behind a booth and we watch different scenes from movie premiers. I get "Flaky, the Fire Dog".I don't know how they gave me that one. They originally asked what kind of movies I liked to watch and I told them Action, Comedy and Drama. How I got Flaky is beyond me. Don't go see it. I rated it very flakey.

…………to be continued…..when I have internet J