Myk and Audrie

We finally did get Audrie up to Cedar Creek to visit with Myk. She was hesitant at first until he talked. Then she remembered and spent the next two hours interacting with him. He got to feed her. She cuddled up to him at one point and put her hand on his face. It was the sweetest moment. He got a picture taken of them together and seemed very happy to have it.

Dave, Sheila, and the Avett Brothers

I've been listening to KINK for a long time now. They do contests and I enter a good number of them. I won tickets to see the Neil Young movie once, but nothing since then. One of the things I have tried multiple times for is seeing a mini concert in their live performance lounge. Usually those shows are at 3:30 p.m. so it doesn't interfere with my working life. So I entered to see the Avett Brothers, not expecting anything. So Friday night I got email saying I was on the list, but only the first 40 to respond would be guaranteed a place on the list. Turns out I had only had that email for ten minutes when I read it, so I quickly responded. Then I read further. I have to be downtown Portland at 9:45 at the latest as the concert is at 10. So now we know the secret...they are taped, edited and then played on the radio. So I wait until Saturday to find out if I truly get to do this. I received that email in the afternoon.
Jump forward to today. I went to work early so I can split my day, but not be there too late. I get working and watching the clock. I figured I should leave at 9 a.m. to get there and find parking. The clock said 9 and I looked at my watch. Crap....the clock was wrong it was already 9:20 and I needed to roll fast. Turns out the traffic moved. I was driving and looking for the building. Saw a group of people and knew I had found it. Drove around the block and found a parking garage, where they park your car. Quickly made my way to the entrance and asked some of the others where they got their tickets. So I move to that line which was three ahead of me and two behind. Now the email said first come, first serve and the tickets may be standing room only. I am absolutely sure that I will be standing. I get to the front of the line and get my ticket, and let them know that I did not have a guest after all. I walked away and saw I had a seat. Cool.
Being as how it was already 9:45 when I got there, they immediately let us in. There are about 9 or 10 rows of about 12 seats in each row. The first five rows are down in front of the stage and the rest are on a small balcony. I was in row E, seat 1. I sat down and watched all the proceedings. Then a group of people came in and filled up row C. About that time a man behind me, who had entered shortly after me with a beautiful woman and showed her the secret seats, called out to Dave and pointed to the seat beside me. That would have been my guest's seat. The man then asked if that seat was taken and I explained that my guest didn't make it. He then introduced me to Dave Scott, morning DJ extraordinaire. Dave said he would be happy to be "my guest" for the show. Wow. We chatted a tad and then he introduced the woman behind me as his co-host Sheila Hamilton. What a treat. I thanked them for waking me up every morning.
And then on to the show. The Avett Brothers were amazing. They played three songs and had an interview. I found them interesting and personable. I love seeing bands before they are huge when they still seem like real people. I loved how they played the banjo. It was just amazing being twenty feet from them and watch them perform. It was wonderful. I'm not sure which was better, having Dave be my guest or seeing the Avett Brothers. Well I guess it is the Avett Brothers.
As a side note. Dave Scott really does wear black jeans and a t-shirt. And Sheila Hamilton way outdresses him. I had a great time and enjoyed myself immensely. Thank you KINK and Dave for being my guest.

Full Moon Drumming Circle Aug 2010

Tuesday night the girls and I went to the Full Moon Drumming Circle downtown Vancouver at the Mint Tea Restaurant. We had a good time except for Adrianna. She didn't seem to enjoy it as much as the rest of us. Elizabeth and Audrie were both playing drums and dancing.

Yea!

Audrie got her approval to visit Myk. So the plan is to go up for afternoon visit on Sunday. After that we'll head over towards Buckley and get the car seat that her aunt and uncle offered us. Their boy just got the next bigger one. :)

Quiet

So we are settling into a routine. Dave is back on the road. He is in Texas. Next he spends some time in Olympia. At least that isn't too far from home.
We got the contractor in to fix the holes in the 'girls' room'. Tanya came over twice and helped me get it painted. Looks so much better. We bought a set of bunk beds to go in it. One of the ones that has a full on the bottom and twin on the top. That way there is always room for Doug.
We are hoping that Audrie can go to Littlerock next weekend to visit Myk. We have all the forms filled out that will allow her to go. We are just waiting on the approval from the correction center.

Myk

So Myk moved to Cedar Creek Correction Center last week. I went up and visited him on Sunday. Boy was it different. I signed in and gave them my car key. Walked down a sidewalk to another building, showed my ID and was assigned a table. That is all there was to it. Visited with Myk for a couple of hours. We played cribbage. When I left I had to show my stamp and collect my key. It just amazed me.
Myk is doing well. Taking a chemical dependency class and a drywall class. Said he got his community card so he can do any job offered at the center. Right now there are more inmates than jobs, but he is ready to roll when one comes available. Said he was going to go to the NA meetings and started going to church. All things that are good for him. I just hope he can continue on this trend of moving in a forward positive motion.

Time at the Park

Cassie wanted to see Audrie. So we met her at the park near Clark College. Tanya and the girls went with us. The playground structure is very big there. Adrianna actually seemed more interested in the sandbox than the structure. Elizabeth only wanted to be on the tire swing. Tanya and I just sat on a bench and watched the girls play. It was a good hour and Audrie enjoyed her time with her mommy.

Thai Lotus

We went out to Thai Lotus with Amanda from work. Amanda has been wanting to see Audrie so this worked out well. Amanda just started working in a daycare so she isn't working with me much.

Audrie was wearing her hippy clothes and looked so sweet. She liked Amanda.

Camera Play

My camera does some interesting things. I was just playing.

Man

Today was clean Mom's house day. She had gotten up to see Audrie. She tripped over Hank, one of her french bulldogs, and down she went. Very scary to watch and know there is nothing you can do. She banged her head on the wall, her arm on a side table and knees on the ground. We ended up going to the emergency room to make sure everything was relatively okay. Broken bones would not be a good day. After two hours I went home to make lasagna for family dinner and she got x-rays. Pat picked her up two and a half hours later and brought her to Battle Ground. Doc said she just sprained her knee and got banged up pretty good. She is going to feel it a lot worse tomorrow. Good thing they gave her some pain pills.