Gig Harbor presents, Maritime Gig Festival June, 2nd-3rd. Maritime Gig festival includes tons of family activities, including: Fun Run, Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, The Grand Parade, Food Vendors, and much more ( Check link below for schedule). Events will take place downtown  along Harborview Drive, between Pioneer and Rosedale, and along the waterfront near Jerisich Dock and Skansie Brother's Park. Event begins with the pancake breakfast at 8am Saturday.

http://www.gigharborchamber.net/index.php/about/major-annual-events/maritime-gig-festival/77-schedule-of-events


Old Town Park in Tacoma, will be hosting the Pioneer Day Festival. The festival is sponsored by the Job Carr Cabin Museum, an event for families to enjoy activities, games, and music while learning about Tacoma's history. A Living History Walking Tour will also be available at 12:30, 1:00 and 1:30 $10 for adults and free for children. The festival is at 2350 N. 30th St. Tacoma, WA 98403 from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm.

http://www.jobcarrmuseum.org/


Dupont will put on their annual Safety Fair once again this Saturday. Dupont Fire, Police and Public Works will be on site to answer all questions. Air Lift Northwest will have a rescue helicopter on site for public viewing, booths will also be available for bike helmet sales. Info: Saturday June 2nd 10:00am- 2:00pm, at 1700 Civic Drive Dupont, WA 98327

http://www.dupontneighbors.com/neighbors/


Mason County will be hosting a Forest Festival this weekend. The Forest Festival includes  Paradise Amusements Carnival, Multiple Parades, Fun Runs, Fireworks, and much more. Check link below for full schedule, and map of where events take place.

http://www.masoncountyforestfestival.com/map.html


Olympia Little Theater Presents Goodnight Moon for one last weekend. Last chance to join Bunny for a bowl of mush in the Great Green Room so don't miss out! Shows will play Friday at 7Pm and 1Pm on Saturday and Sunday. Ticket Prices: Adults, $16.00, Seniors/Students/ Military $13.00, and Kids (Under 12) $9.00
Olympia Little Theater. 1925 Miller Avenue Northeast, Olympia, WA 98506
(360) 786-9484.

Seattle Pub Crawl at Pikes Place Market. On the tour participants will visit some of the City's most beloved pubs, and learn information about the beer along the way. It is not required to be a beer enthusiast to enjoy the tour, just come ready to drink and have fun! To join pub crawl meet at the Pikes Place Market information booth at 4:00pm. Tickets are $ 21 in advance and $26 walk up.Check link below for more information.

http://eventful.com/seattle_wa/events/seattle-pub-crawl-/E0-001-048448100-8


Join Chalet Bowling this Friday from 10-pm Midnight for Rock 'n Glow. Chalet will host glow bowling under the black light and lasers along with some bumpin' music. Reservations are highly recommended, since event is likely to fill up quickly. Chalet Bowl is located:  3806 North 26th Street Tacoma, WA 98407. (253) 752-5200
http://www.chaletbowl.com/


Pastiche Restaurant and Wine Bar in Tacoma will be hosting a ladies night this Friday, June 1st. Ladies night will feature Tyler Stenson ( we heard he was a hunk), a singer-song writer from Portland, accompanied by special drinks and prizes. There is a $5 cover charger, dates get in free (either gender). 8 pm- 11 pm.

Pastiche wine bar. 2715 6th Avenue Tacoma, WA 98406. (253) 572-2277


Join Lady Luck's Cowgirl Up Friday for Lady's Nights. Ladies in free until 10pm so get there early. Lady Luck's will be featuring $5 drink specials every hour. Lady Luck's is located at, 14114 Pacific Ave S. Tacoma, WA 98444. (253) 538-4996.
http://ladyluckscowgirlup.com/

If you like to get active with your significant other, the annual Rainier to Ruston is this Saturday, June 2nd. Whether you choose to run, walk, or sprint the event serves to raise awareness of trails in Pierce County. Participants should meet at 1200 Ruston Way Tacoma, WA 98403 at 7am. Pricing of the event is between $40-$60, for more info call (253) 226-5495.

http://events.seattlepi.com/tacoma_wa/events/show/248673324-rainier-to-ruston-railtrail-relay-and-ultra


South Sound Wine Trail Summer Kick-off Passport. With Summer around the corner Lacey, Olympia, and Shelton, wants everyone to help them celebrate with a passport tour of the South Sound Wineries. Passports last June 1st-3rd and include samples from award winning wineries and new releases. Passports are $30 in advance and $35 on day of event. See link below for purchasing.  Friday 11:00 am- Sunday 5:00pm. See other link below for Info regarding the various locations.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/249101


Chase Garden is allowing people to explore two private gardens in Graham, WA and the public gardens at Chase Garden in Orting, WA. This is being allowed by the Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy. Event will take place rain or shine, admission is $5 a person, beginning at Chase Garden at 10:00am. Chase Garden: 16015 264th St. E, Orting, WA 98360. (206) 242-4040

http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays


If your looking for some laughs this Friday, Bj Shea Comeedy Riot is the place to be. Lia Lampanelli and Chris Hardwick are the featured comedians this year.  The show begins at 8:00pm and ticket prices vary from $41.25-$71.25 depending on desired seating. Paramount theater will be hosting the event Loacated: 911 Pine Street Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 467-5510 .
http://stgpresents.org/artists/?artist=1908#

If you ask a minor walking around the city of Tacoma who their favorite local M.C. is - more than likely they'll tell ya Lil Ripp. He's the young Hilltopper who caught our attention when he ingeniously turned "Rack City" into "Tac City" and lit a match under the local Hip-Hop scene. Following "Tac City" he released a host of other Hip-Hop video's, each one seemingly better than the last. His topics grew from weed, to girls, then all the way to grown-man topics like travelling and Trayvon Martin. He's got the O.G.'s of the scene on his side also. There may be no stopping this kid.

 Ripp has a rare local-performance this Friday, June 1^st at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 S. Tacoma Way. Tickets are sold-out, but there are still some $10 tickets at the door. The fact that this show is sold-out is proof to this young-man's buzz. Rozay, a swag rapper, is also on the bill. Come see the glory that is Tacoma Youth and grab yourself a K.N.O.W. shirt while you're there. Then maybe you can look cool. The show starts at 9pm. Right now currently on the Facebook invite page there are 251 people confirmed for the show!

Dickey's Barbeque Pit, a Texas-based chain, plans to fire up the grills in Olympia later this summer. With a target open date of August 1, the BBQ joint will set up shop at 1001 Cooper Point Rd.  Dickey's serves up all the barbeque favorites: beef brisket, coleslaw, pork ribs, potato salad, and much more. Stay tuned for more updates on a grand opening.

http://www.dickeys.com/our_food/default.aspx

Yesterday was the official start of huriicane season in the United States, so we popped open a can of Mike's Hurricane to prepare for the worse.  Mikes Hard Lemonade Co. found inspiration in the famous New Orleans drink by blending an assortment of tropical citrus fruit juices with tastes of rum and a hint of Angostura Bitters, all packed into a tall can with 8% alcohol.
Too many of these could result in a category 4 disaster.

Registration has begun for Harlequin Productions' two month-long acting classes designed for students 13 to 19 years old. Harlequin offers two programs, "the Shakespeare Experience" a popular classical acting class guiding students through intensive monologue and scene work; and "Improv Intensive," a performance-based improvisation class focusing on character development and comic timing. For registration and further information call the box office at (360) 786-0151 or visit http://www.harlequinproductions.org/.

Harlequin Productions. 202 4th Ave. E corner of 4th and Washington Olympia, WA 98501.
(360) 786-0151

This article is a yarn about a woman who began a business in order to bring happiness to others.

The Green Pepper Art Company is a knitting and jewelry concern that Melanie Simpson began in 2005. 

"I started the company because I enjoy knitting and working with jewelry and because I wanted to help my family financially," she said recently at an art show in Olympia.

Since its inception, the Green Pepper Art Company has grown from a small, local business to an on-line concern that has customers nationwide.

The knit and jewelry work are handmade with the best quality of materials. 

"I create unique art - something you will not find at a retail store," Simpson explained over coffee. 

"In order to do that, I use the best - nothing that will fray or tarnish is a short period of time."

Aware of what the market has to offer, Simpson produces knitted goods and jewelry that is better quality and at a fair price.

"I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to find someone who produces such wonderful jewelry and knitting without trying to rob the customer," Helen Jackson of Tacoma wrote after visiting Simpson at the Christmas Bazaar in Olympia.

"She has an eye for fashion, is knowledgeable about her work and very pleasant to talk with."

A customer in Illinois recently echoed this sentiment.

"She is an unbelievable seller," Julie Callaghan, wrote in an on-line review after an on-line purchase of jewelry."

"We are very pleased and glad you are here."

Simpson could not be happier, who just introduced a line of military themed jewelry ranging from a "Hooah" charm to a "I Love My Soldier" bracelet.

"I enjoy working with military spouses; I recognize and respect their sacrifices," she continued.

She has a point - her husband served for 21 years in the Air Force, and she has endured numerous deployments.

"I hope my jewelry and knitting bring a bit of happiness and comfort.

For more information about the Green Pepper Art Company, visit www.greenpepperart.com or call (253) 414-4677.

A couple of weeks ago myself, Kris Blondin, Jennifer Johnson and Bandito Betty graced the cover of Weekly Volcano in honor of the world's greatest scavenger hunt, Tap into T-Town.

After much preparation and reconnaissance, Team Volcano took first place this past weekend at the 2012 Tap into T-Town event, and we could not be any more full of utter glee.

Months before the event our team was hitting the gym to increase jogging stamina.  We were also banking extra points by attending registration events and putting ourselves on the Weekly Volcano cover. Drawing business maps of 6^th Avenue and downtown Tacoma, strategizing our day-of-event-routes, paying attention to Facebook hints and keeping our nose to the ground when it came to potential helpful information came in extra handy when it was finally "go time".

We were in it to win it, and did everything we could to learn from our 2010 Tap into T-Town mistakes.  Team Volcano jogged 90% and utilized said preparation while strategizing our win.  We had it down to a science and it paid off.

Apart from the seriousness of our "winning" mentality, Team Volcano (along with 68 other amazing teams) had a tremendous blast this past weekend, and to prove it I've pirated some team pictures from Tap into T-Town's Facebook page.

We'll Always Have Parasites

My boyfriend of two months is a gem, but his house is a horror. The fridge and bathroom are disgusting, and the whole place is seriously messy. There's this eerie feeling that the house was formerly homey, like nothing has changed since his wife left him three years ago -- down to the box of sanitary pads in the bathroom cupboard and the very wife-ish folksy kitchen art everywhere. I wonder if the state of things reflects some inner devastation he's feeling post-divorce. He takes pride in his home's exterior, meticulously maintaining his lawn, and I don't think he's trying to impress the neighbors (not a pretentious bone in his body). He hadn't changed his sheets in our two months together, so I removed the pillowcases and dropped them on the floor as a hint. He didn't get it. It seems too early in the relationship to say anything. Still, I don't feel I should have to keep faking that I'm comfy in his home and in his bed on sheets that feel like they haven't been washed since the 1980s. --Yuck

A woman can leave a man, but apparently, cows grazing on a field of gingham and "Rooster Crossing" signs are forever. And of course, nothing says a man's open to a relationship like his ex-wife's 3-year-old box of Kotex. 
Welcome to the Museum of the Ex-Wife. At least, that's how you're seeing it, and that's understandable. In trying to make sense of things, people have a tendency to look for some underlying deep meaning. And, sure, maybe the biohazards and lingering Kountry Kitchen Kwaintness are reflective of some inner darkness on his part (depression, inability to cope with his loss and move on). Or...maybe it was his job to care for the outside of the house and hers to care for the inside, and after she left, he never thought to fill in the blanks on the chore wheel. Before long, the place became Home Sweet Bacteria Rodeo.
If you don't see other signs suggesting he's depressed or troubled, he's probably just mess-blind. It's hard for those who practice what would be considered ordinary tidiness and house hygiene to understand, but for some, all the chaos and grunge just blends into a big, benign whatever. The basic rule of this sort of laissez-faire housekeeping: If the crud isn't so big and scary that it's grabbing your ankle as you're en route to the toilet, why get your last pair of clean underwear into a wad? 
It is cute that you thought dropping stuff on the floor -- the floor of a man who basically lives in a two-bedroom landfill -- would have an impact on his housekeeping standards. You should actually consider it a bit troubling that he apparently made no attempt to tidy up for you. Even the most squalor-inured tend to look at their living situation through new (and horrified) eyes when a new romantic partner is coming over and try to do something -- get a backhoe in there, burn the bedding, crash a Febreze truck into the living room. 
I'm not suggesting you go all Joan Crawford on the man ("NO. MORE. WIRE. HANGERS!"), but you can't let him think it's no big deal for you to get in bed onto sheets that feel like they haven't been washed since the Reagan administration. (If you put out a message that anything goes for you, whether in the housekeeping department or any other, very likely, anything will.) Don't be pulling on any rubber gloves, either. (Start cleaning up after him and you'll keep cleaning up after him.) Instead, say something gentle but direct like "I think you're a great guy, but I really need you to clean your place so I feel comfortable there." There is a chance that he'll break up with you over this. But, what kind of man kicks the girl out of bed and keeps the cracker crumbs?
Instead of trying to get him to clean up his whole act at once, take things step by grody step. Whatever effort he makes, keep letting him know you appreciate it. If the house isn't getting to a civilized level of clean, gently suggest that it needs a woman's touch -- a cleaning woman's: "Ever thought of getting a maid once a month?" Finally, address the ex-wife's leftovers by joking that some of the decor doesn't quite seem a reflection of him. In fact, you're particularly confused by the box in the bathroom cabinet, but you'd like to be supportive: "A man's first period is a very special time, and there's no reason to feel ashamed about the changes in your body, which should soon have you turning cartwheels in a flowing white skirt."