Bee Lavender

Giant Shoe Museum, Pike Place Market Seattle

Southworth Ferry.

This encompasses the full range of leisure activities available in my youth. Except we weren’t supposed to use the beach.

We moved all of our shit out of various Portland houses and drove to my hometown, then hired movers to take the rest from my mother’s house and storage unit.

My entire life from birth to age 33, family photographs, furniture, china, wedding rings, all the goods accumulated by dead ancestors and given to me whether I wanted it or not: now packed and ready to ship to Brooklyn.

Lucky timing, I was in my hometown for Mother’s Day!

The forest of my childhood.

I lived in Shelton in the mid-1990’s, and my day always started here at the Redneck Coffee Shack. At the time I was probably drinking coffee with two espresso shots added; I needed the jolt to get on the road.

The first task was a thirty mile drive to drop off my baby in daycare, before I spent ten or more hours dealing with the mayhem of coordinating statewide disability advisory councils. After work each day I would hit the coffee again before driving sixty miles in the other direction to help care for my grandmother, dying in hospice back in my hometown.

Adding in the various errands and work meetings, I logged more than 200 miles per day on the road every day, often more, generally with a small child in the back seat demanding attention and entertainment. This is remarkable given that I was still recovering from the car accident (and that I no longer drive… at all).

I was distraught over the disintegration of my family, intensely involved in my work, and getting no more than two or three hours of sleep each night. I wish that I had fond memories from my time in Shelton (Kristmastown USA) which has always struck me as beautiful and under-appreciated. But all that is left from the time is a hazy recollection of anger, pain, and really strong coffee.

He had a rough night.