its just Monday on the Rez

ahh, life on the rez.

Its a typical Monday afternoon. I am riding the bus back from the city. As the bus gets close to my stop, the driver comes on the pa systems and tells us that there is a big police activity going on near the bus stop and not to go west. I immediately look to the west as we are going by Pine St.

The entire street is blocked off, there must be 20 cop cars and I see several cops with bullet proof vests, holding rifles or shotguns...

I get off the bus and go by the store. I ask the lady at the counter what is going on. Most of the time these people know just about everything, due to their exposure to all the elements of the community. She says, "well, its probably a drug bust. The cops know where all the drug houses are and every so often they all get together and go raid one. But, another drug house will just pop up down the street". Encouraging words...

Off to the watering hole to get some more info. One guy says he knows a tweaker who lives on that block, might be him he figures.. no one else knows much.

A George walks in to the bar, an empty pepsi cup and two airline bottles of whiskey in his hand. He gets his cup filled with soda and goes out to the deck to make himself a drink.

some young native girl calls me the N word, but not in a derogatory way, just her way of saying hi. Another replies back that we aint N's, we Krackers... ok, whatever.

time to go home. I make it safely to my res hideaway.. all good now.

sirens blaring up and down the road all night. then an impromptu fireworks show starts a few blocks away.

my neighbor comes by around 10, I am almost heading to bed, and asks me if he has woke me up recently with one of his trademark 4 am rock and roll partys..

finally asleep. another Monday on the rez.

4:30 am I am woke up by more sirens, and then again at 5:30 am...
its just Tuesday.

Tommy!

So long my friend, it was great working with ya!

I was looking for some change in my life, but I never saw that one coming. Tom and I were each others Peak support group. I know this change will be good for him. Good luck!

Champions on Ice

This weekend, we went to Champions on Ice at the Everett Events Center.

It was my first visit to the Everett Events Center. It was a nice facility, very intimate. The sound was decent too.

We really enjoyed the whole performance. It was interesting to me, because I have only watched Olympic or World Championship skating events. They had a lot of fun and did some really creative things that you would never see in competition. One of the pair skaters had the girl lifting the guy! They ended with a tribute to James Bond, 007. It was pretty cool and used the music from the movies.

I was awestruck to be so close to Olympians.

Sasha Cohen

Kimmie Meissner

Evgeni Plushenko

We can't wait for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.