My neighborhood fan club... (Working outside and the Associated Side Effects)

I work on a bunch of projects constantly...  Mostly I work outside because there isn't a lot of indoor space available but more importantly my grandfather has an allergy to cut wood. Papa also has asthma which makes him extremely sensitive to paint fumes and such.

Let me tell you, this last winter I had gotten really used to numb fingers!  When the weather warmed, I was thankful for Spring and I am very thankful for summer!

"Who I Am"

I see you looking, looking at me

Scrutinize me, tell me what you see?

Are you counting all my flaws

Making a mental list of pros and cons

Or are you imagining me with claws?

Tearing you apart

Not Your Typical Dumb Blonde… I am Trashing the Stereotype!

I refuse to conform to anyone's idea of who or what I should be; I am proud to be me, I am different and totally unique. I allow my freak flag to fly freely! I am incapable of being ordinary, only extraordinary!

For most of my life people have assumed me to be a typical dumb blonde, based solely on the way I look.  Okay, so I am blonde.  I never embraced it until a few years ago though, I spent much of my life trying to ignore and/or hide that fact.  I think it is so unfair to be considered ignorant simply because I am blonde and pretty.  

Anyone who has taken the time to speak with me at any length realizes that I am the exception, not the rule to the dumb blonde stereotype.  Unfortunately, most people don't invest any time in finding out who I am inside, they just believe the outside is sufficient to pass judgement.

Mustache The Right Question

"What are you?" asked a passenger.

"You must ask the right question for the answer you seek"  Johnie replied.

"What nationality are you?" The passenger rephrased his question.

"I have no boundaries, no borders; I am but one resident of earth; connected to all living beings on this planet; for I exist as they do. I am connected with you and the evidence is that you sit here with me here; we have been united for some reason however random it may appear." Johnie answered the question.

Johnie drives a hybrid Taxi cab in Bellingham, Washington.  He is a patient, kind, gentle, friendly man who puts up with a ton of craziness on a daily basis but still has an amazingly positive outlook on life.

Johnie continues when the man appears confused.  He tells the man that he is Hawaiian and when the passenger doesn't seem satisfied with that answer, he tells him that he is also Scotch Irish on his mother’s side. Still the man was not happy with the answers he was receiving.

Unfortunately, many people have this or a similar reaction to Johnie. He has brown skin; some people say he looks middle eastern, some believe that he is Mexican or Asian. I don’t think it should matter what color his skin is or where he came from because those things don’t define who he is.

Everyone's Favorite Vacation Spot...
Hawaii

"You ask me a question to set your own curiosity at ease. I answer your question honestly and tell you I am Hawaiian and you get upset. I tell you I am Scotch Irish on my mother's side and still you are not satisfied. Why must people classify me? Why not see me as what I am, just a peaceful, caring and kind human being." Johnie asks the passenger to which he receives no response.

Why must we label each other? Why put others into categories and form opinions without taking the time to learn who that person is on the inside? Why not be observant, ask meaningful questions, and have a decent chance to gauge who that person really is, based on your interactions?  Can’t we all just open our eyes and see the person in front of us for who they really are?

Before you stamp someone with your label and judge them by it, think about how you have been judged unfairly and inaccurately. As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. When will we learn that what goes around comes around? Can’t we just embrace individuality and live peacefully and blissfully side by side?

If everyone could be measured based on a set criteria then sorted into say 6 or 10 different classifications, then everyone would be the same 6 or 10 people. The world would be nothing but a whole bunch of sheep following each other around.

 

I don't know about you but I refuse to conform to guidelines, criteria or categories. I am me and there is no one else like me!** Johnie is a very unique person as well, he is like no other that I have come across and it is unfair that he is often judged or worse because of his skin color. Smart people know better than to try to catalog a human being based on surface assumptions…

**(Many people choose to live their lives as sheep because it's easier to do what everyone else is doing and think what you are told to think, than it is to make your own decisions and think your own thoughts. More on the sheep subject in a later post.)

 I would have hoped that we as humans would have learned from our past but we have not and therefore it will repeat itself. How many times in history has a certain "kind" of people been mistreated or killed off? Chaos and destruction of valuable human life simply because the victims were different and fell into an unfavorable minority. People fear what they do not understand and if they don't take the time to understand "different" people then that fear breeds hate and that hate turns to violence, (violence doesn't always occur when hate is present but most of the time it does).

Think of the many instances of genocide; the Armenians massacred by the Ottoman government (during the First World War), the Holocaust when Jews were rounded up and massacred by the Nazis, during the Second World War and more recently the Rwandan Genocide (during the Rwandan Civil War). There are more but you get my point. All of these examples of acts designed to dehumanize a particular ethnic, racial or religious group. I could go on for days about the injustices that the world has seen all because of human classification.

Obviously one passenger attempting to classify and label Johnie is minuscule in comparison with Genocide but it all starts small. Starts with placing labels on people and passing judgment.

We each have the power to make a small difference by existing peacefully. When you come across someone you do not know and maybe do not understand, look for the things you may have in common instead of looking for the differences. Learn to understand them by finding common ground. Don’t assume the worst but give them the benefit of the doubt.

So which is it? Don't judge a book by its cover? Or, your first impression is solely based on the presentation and appearance? I already have my answer, and it's actually quite easy to know others opinion within a matter of seconds.

---

Special thanks to Johnie Pai for this story and for being awesome!!

Wise and Inspiring Words

Albert Einstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of my Favorite Quotes…

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on it's ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid.”-Albert Einstein

"You are the brightest star, Jamison" A Poem for my son

"You are the brightest star, Jamison"
A Poem I Wrote for my son (inside a journal I made for him)..

With this journal record your hopes, dreams,
fears, even your worst nightmares.  Release
the words and find your freedom...
Jamison's Extra Special Journal
By MalibuNinja

You are the brightest star, Jamison
A blinding light hotter than the sun

You keep me laughing even when mad

I am proud to be your Mom, so glad

My love is endless, can't be contained

My patience however, you always drain

Feeling Blue @ The Needle

“Feeling Blue @ The Needle” 
is a painting of the Space Needle in Seattle Center as seen from the base of it looking (almost) straight up.
Although I still don't understand why Seattle, the suicide and heroin capital of the US has a big fat needle as their most beloved and widely recognizable land mark., but I may never get that one.
This particular painting was done with a variety of paints including oils, dimensional paints, acrylics, latex and glitter was applied to create a rain effect.

Who is Malibu Ninja?

A brief summary of where I come from....

(Super Nerd, Techie Geek, Computer Nerd, Crazy Person, Whichever you prefer)
Also a Mom, Artist, Craftsman, Fixer of all Things Broken, Dreamer, Writer, Bookkeeper, Productivity Consultant, Mortgage Loan Originator and Caregiver!

"I refuse to be ordinary and fall into the category that everyone places me in... I am no sheep but I am a Geek!!!! Some find me to be strange, some attack me because I am different, others relish in my self-expressive nature. You either love me or you hate me, not many fall in between." - Malibu Ninja

Welcome to my blog, a work in progress. Please check back often or subscribe to be updated when new content is available, as I am adding new stuff everyday and some day it will reach a state of awesomeness to which nothing can compare!!!

I am much more than just a bunch of labels, of course. I have lived an interesting life so far, have learned many skills and many lessons, most the hard way. I have plenty of good stories to tell and I hope to enjoy many more colorful years ahead. My Great Grandma Lucy lived to be 94 so based on genetic history, I think I may have a few years left (hopefully).




My name is Stacy, I was born in Mt. Vernon in the beautiful state of Washington. I spent most
of my early childhood years with my grandparents in Anacortes, WA but grew up in many different places all over the Pacific NorthWest including Ferndale, Oak Harbor, West Seattle and Silverdale.

I have a diverse professional background in Bookkeeping, Property Management (Vacation Home management including repairs & maintenance and I managed a 32 unit apartment complex where I performed most of the maintenance and upgrades myself), Small Business Management and Consulting, Mortgage Banking and Loan Modification Negotiation. I ran my own consulting business for 6 years while concurrently maintaining employment elsewhere.


My son Jamison is awesome! He is adorable, super smart and I love him more than life itself... I try not to tell him how great he is all the time, so he doesn't get a big head. He is my little man, my small male clone, my mini me!!!

Jamison is eagerly awaiting his 7th birthday coming up in August. He just finished 1st grade and has never missed a single word on all his spelling tests!!! Considering I am an awful speller, I think this is an accomplishment to be celebrated! He is very bright and so entertaining. Everyday he is surprising me with his abilities, talents and the witty, random things he says.

Jamison is quite a little lady's man too. Up until recently I thought being a sweet talker was a skill you learned but apparently it is passed on through DNA because his father hasn't been around to teach the craft but the boy has it down.

He has a little "girlfriend" Naomi, which he has had a crush on since we first moved here but has called his girlfriend since last July when they began to have regular play dates. Their first play date was just after he surprised her on her birthday with a super sweet gift at the vacation bible camp they were attending. She is blonde, wears glasses, her favorite color is green (just a little like his mommy!) and she is so much like him sometimes I wonder if I somehow unknowingly had a daughter too!

Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island which is located west of Mt. Vernon right next to the San Juan Islands (The ferry to get to the San Juan Islands leaves from Anacortes) but not considered part of them. 

Location of the San Juan Islands (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My grandpa “Papa” was a commercial fisherman, he owned a 65’ fishing vessel named “Alma” and was based out of Anacortes. Papa ran the boat and crew and my grandma “GG” ran the business side of things like taxes, payroll and other office matters.

I have always thought that my grandparents' marriage is the perfect example of how marriage is supposed to work. They complement each other so well, GG’s weaknesses are Papa’s strengths and visa-versa. They love unconditionally provide support in any way they can, they listen to each other, value the other's opinions and have stayed in love for over 50 years!

I have many hobbies including woodworking, painting, sewing, writing, among others but I especially love writing poetry/lyrics.

Completely randomly I began writing music in February of 2012, prior to then I had never attempted to write music. I was sitting with my friend Alex listening to him play guitar, we were talking about how many songs he has with no lyrics. Then he says to me "You should write some lyrics for my wordless songs". I told him I couldn't write lyrics and he replies with conviction "Sure you can, I know you can".

So I started writing, within about an hour I had a really good rough draft of "Changeling". We worked on it for a couple of hours and had a decent song! Unfortunately, "Changeling" is the only song I have written that I have been able to put to music. All in all, I have written about 15 to 20 songs. Most are as complete as they can get without music but some are at varied stages of completion.

Some believe I have a natural talent for lyrical writing; I have gotten nothing but positive feedback when I share my lyrics with others. A lot of them I am still hesitant to share with the world, I believe that music (lyrics) expose your heart and soul and are very personal, that and I'm not sure they are any good.. I have always found writing to be cathartic but writing lyrics is even more freeing than I ever imagined.

I am a super geek and pride myself on learning as much as I can about whatever I happen to find interesting at the moment. I am a software junkie, I love my computers and can waste hours on end tweaking them to perform better. My computers have been my partner in business for years but now I use them to create photo art, videos or new song lyrics. Friends and family are constantly asking for help with their computers, which for the most part, I don't mind. Although many seem to think that if you know something about computers that you know everything about computers and can solve their problem without even seeing the machine in question, which can be bothersome.

This past year I have learned several new skills and have dabbled in a few random areas of interest. I have taught myself a ton of new software programs, I have revisited my woodshop days building furniture, repurposing and/or refinishing old furniture and using wood to create all kinds of things. I have allowed myself more creative freedom than ever before.

After I master the blog realm (HTML & Such).... I suppose my next big adventure will be to re-learn to play violin or learn to play guitar, ukulele or mandolin, so that I may write the music to accompany my lyrical creations.

Quote of the Day:
"The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."
--John Kenneth Galbraith
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

My To Do & Wish To Do List!

My son and I will be making stress balls out of common household materials (Thanks to my niece Alecia!)	We will be creating a mural using repurposed lids from recycled containers (like the one pictured above)!
Building a toy box that looks like a giant Lego (using plans from Ana White)	Up-Cycling coffee creamer bottles  into bowling pins ( idea my son came up with)
Turning rocks into “Stone Buddies” not to be confused with “Pet Rocks®”	Building this support structure for our sugar snap pea container garden!
Building a loft bed for my boy (using plans from Ana White)	Making candles from recycled candles and crayons! (once I get into my storage unit and dig out the supplies)

I could list out projects I want to do all day but unfortunately I don't think you would be that interested so I will end it here. :)

---

Related articles

• Help Get This 'Ghostbusters' Lego Set Made
• Legos WERE my childhood
• A Lego Cathedral