After spending the weekend feeling like A SINGLE MOM OF ADD TEEN-AGERS, I have a profound respect for the real moms out there. I had no idea how tough it was. My 17-year-old sister Sara Tess flew out for our father's wedding. He left on his honeymoon, so I had Sara and The Kid for the duration of the weekend. Those kids owned me. I did what they wanted. They ran me ragged. Ate me out of house and home and still cost me 100 bucks. Movies, ice cream, pizza, sodas, candy, popcorn - holy crap!  Big props to moms, and I mean BIG.

Saturday, May 28

POPS GOT MARRIED IN OLYMPIA TODAY, so I didn't get to Sasquatch Festival again.  I took my two underage siblings to CLUB IMPACT to see PHOENIX IN TWILIGHT. The girls at the front door searched my purse (do I look like I'm holding?). The band was awesome and a bit unusual. They did the regular screaming angst rock thing and all, but then they broke it up with a flute on one song and the drummer coming out and playing some acoustic stuff while the singer took up a seated meditation pose. I let the kiddies chill there and flew to THE JIVE to see VINDALOO and raced back to catch SEA JAYNE TRIP AT PANAMONICA'S before swinging over to pick up the young ones at Club Impact at 11:30 p.m. Dang, that's hustling. Got them settled with a movie at home and made it to HELL'S KITCHEN FOR THE SCUZZTONES. SINGER KURT SCUZZ worked the stage with funny antics and killer organ/keyboard playing. The very knowledgeable HK SOUNDMAN MIKE CORVIN told me it's a Farfifa organ, very popular in '60s and '70s music and making a comeback now. Kurt also played a symbol with an axe hammer for laughs.  Highly entertaining.  BIG MAN ARRIVED WITH A LOVELY RED GLOW from attending repeat barbecues on Friday and Saturday; by Sunday afternoon he was a lobster.

Sunday, May 29

Since HANDSOME MOVED OUT TO SOUTH 80TH he now refers to the area of his residence as TaCompton.  It was like a LIVE VERSION OF COPS right in front of his house.  The crazy neighbors fought over who was taking the child, an obvious custody battle, which is not funny, but the dialogue was great: The cop goes: "Where are your shoes, sir?" And the shirtless guy looks at his feet, like he's surprised, cocks an eye up at the officer, and replies, "I don't even know."   "Sir, have you been drinking?" This got the standard answer of, "Uh, two beers." Why do we always say two beers when it's apparent TEN is more likely? Nobody loses their shoes AND shirt on two beers. All of the neighbors were standing at the edges of their yards, calling out stuff.

Handsome is starting to wonder if the move was a good choice.

I put the "la" in "gala"

I can't wait for the opening of the SEA GRILL, El Gaucho's parent company's new downtown Tacoma fine-dining restaurant.  I do love fancy places with big martini glasses and small portions of expensive, delicious food, especially seafood, which is what the Sea Grill is all about (hence, the name). There's nothing like a medium-rare grilled hunk of Ahi or Marlin for the PRE-OPENING GALA GAGA next Sunday.  Gorgeous waiters in white with trays of Veuve Clicquot champagne?  Yes, please.

Club Ping-Pong

THE BULL'S EYE and THE BROADWAY LOUNGE (David's on Broadway) have stopped doing live music. Now that they have beer and wine, THE KICKSTAND CAFE is doing shows every weekend for a low cover, and PAPAYA'S SPORTS BAR IN LAKEWOOD is having a live hip-hop and R&B showcase Wednesdays. The CATBOX LOUNGE has opened in the old CLOUD 9 space on South Tacoma Way with JOEY G booking bands.  So we lose some and gain some. Get out there, people, and support these places. We all know what happens otherwise.