I’m still around and will now have more time to devote to this endeavor; however, it will be much lower on my priority list. I started a new blog for which there is a paid advertisement at the end of this post. That blog will take precedent over this one. I also have family and social lives as well as a day job. That being said, I have full intention of following this through, no matter how long it takes. I believe this story is worth telling for many reasons.

I will eventually release the full audio of the hearing, which restrained my middle finger. I will also take on that judge because I honestly believe this was another example of white heterosexual privilege coupled with homophobia. I long to give a complete breakdown, but first things first…

Let’s start with an update on the property status. I believe Kate and Drew have made it look even more horrid than ever. I think they are trying to make it look awful and simply doing so to exhibit who they are as humans.

Kate and Drew have a tiny patch of land on the front of the property, which greets all visitors to the property. Recently, one of the homeowners decided to rent their home out. It’s been on the market for some time now, which is highly unusual in the Seattle market, but I can understand why… When entering the property, people are greeted by a compost pile, a tiny piece of land with hay thrown all over it, weeds gone mad, and nothing but clutter on the south side of The Compound. I don’t think anyone would want to come home to this hideous eyesore. I don’t want to, but Kate and Drew will be Kate and Drew.

Here is a copy of an email our lawyer sent to The Compound lawyers on January 10, 2022:

“As your clients may know, my clients were on vacation for the majority of the snow. Several of your clients continued to compact the snow and ice on the driveway, making it a very hazardous situation. My clients had a couple packages tended to by a couple neighbors when they were away. One neighbor who knows very little about the legal problems of the community told my clients “Your driveway was quite treacherous. I don’t know who is responsible for clearing it, but it was really bad.” An eye-opening comment, given the history.

We are once again asking that everything your clients store out in the open, which is not explicitly allowed by the CC&Rs, be removed from sight. 

Additionally, the hay, straw or whatever it is your clients spread all over their property is inappropriate and unsightly. It’s spread all over the driveway and looks horrible. Please have your clients address this matter immediately.

This is not a farm.  It’s a city lot subject to easements and CC&Rs. My clients believe these actions continue to negatively impact property values for all other homeowners.”

End of email.

Yeah, we are concerned about our property values, and Drew and Co obviously could care less about the CC&Rs they agreed to. I honestly believe there is a correlation between the rental sitting empty as long as it has and the exploded dumpster motif of The Compound.

Most reasonable individuals would do something to clean up after a lawyer sent the email above but not Drew and Co… Here’s a copy of the email our lawyer sent over three months later, on April 25, 2022:

“We are once again asking that everything your clients store out in the open, which is not explicitly allowed by the CC&Rs, be removed from sight.  Things like bales of hay, wading pools full of soaking plastic bottles and cups, piles of dirt and other items cannot be stored in the common areas.  The compost pile created along 30th and the hay needs to be cleaned up / removed immediately.  I am told that one of the current owners is trying to rent her home out, and all this clutter is an eyesore for any potential tenant.”

End of email.

And there we have it… Drew and Kate continue not to give a hoot about what their property looks like, its impact on the rest of the homeowners, or the legal documents they signed when buying their home.

Not only do they not give a hoot about the legal documents they signed, but they also continue to spit in the face of the legal system. I gave them ample time to respond to our appeal. Time and time again, I let them have an extension for their response to my appeal. My lawyer and I knew this was nothing more than a stalling tactic but didn’t want to get pushy too early. On March 1, 2022, my lawyer filed this response to Kate and Drew’s FIFTH ask for an extension:

We expected nothing from the court but they actually kinda sided with us. Here was the court’s response:

The response from the court was a bit surprising because I had zero expectations. One thing I have learned through this process is precisely how broken our judicial and legal systems are. With that being said, one would think Drew, Kate, and their lawyer would jump when the court told them to do so. They didn’t. Their willingness to spit in the face of the law led my lawyer to file this on my behalf:

Drew, Kate, and the rest of the owners of The Compound are simply using the legal system to harass, bully and change the legal documents they signed when they purchased their home. I honestly don’t think there is any rational explanation other than this.

Here’s the paid advertisement for my other blog/vlog:

Lost in Composition

Some of you are asking… I don’t have covid nor have I been tossed in jail. I’m simply busy and juggling priorities. I have a day job and I’m also launching another blog which has been in the works for well over a year now. This blog has proven so successful it made me realize I was a fool for not launching the other one sooner. As soon as that one goes live, I’ll be back here.

I hope your holiday season has been a good one thus far and this one gives us all a chance to reflect on the goodness in our lives. I know saying the last couple years have been difficult would be an understatement, but I think 2022 will be the beginning of the end of this pandemic. Either people will get vaccinated, or we will hit herd immunity at a breakneck speed.

I’ll be back in early 2022.

Peace.

Who buys a home on a plat with other properties, easements and CC&Rs and then sues the other homeowners to have those things invalidated in court? One (very entitled (IMO)) Drew Gillespie. Drew showcases American Entitlement in a way no other human ever has for me. There is no other person I know (his family excluded) who would move into small, tightknit, and established community, with easements and rules and then sue his new neighbors to be released from those. Some of you may be saying “Trump would” and you would be correct. Trump is the king of American Entitlement and there is no denying that, but I don’t personally know him.

What appears to have happened is Drew noticed an error the developer had made when placing the enclosed waste storage area on the property. Due to documents produced in discovery, I believe Drew noticed this error prior to purchasing his property and then set out to exploit it. The flaw the developer made was the waste storage area should have been a few feet to the east when it was built. I think Drew knew this when he had his agent ask if the location of the trash could be relocated prior to purchasing his home. He was told it could only be moved if the rest of the community agreed to it. The error the developer made provided Drew an opportunity to exploit it and thus unleash the years of legal hardship he and his family thrust upon the five other households in our community. I honestly believe he manipulated his family into agreeing to move the trash, recycling, and compost of eight homes within feet of their front door.  I firmly believe Drew is the worst form of Capitalist there is, he sees an opportunity to enrich himself and he will stop at nothing to exploit the opportunity; other humans be dammed… Including his in-laws.

Drew and I once had a discussion about the developer of our property. We were talking about some issues surrounding the property which predated his purchase by a couple of years. Drew and his family purchased The Compound around two years after the other homes on the property had been sold. He and his family were not the first to purchase The Compound after development had completed, they purchased it from an investor. The community was working on some outstanding issues with the developer when Drew and his family closed on The Compound. So, during the conversation, I was basically filling him in on things he knew nothing about. At one point in the discussion we were having, Drew got up on his pulpit and implied I was being too tolerant, and I should be protesting outside the Developer’s business with signs. I immediately understood his self-righteous indignation. His smug and condescending nature was abundantly clear. My internal reaction (as I smiled) was this… You know nothing about me, this community, our homes or what we are trying to accomplish you smug, ignorant, and drunk little man. Yes, he smelled like alcohol as he preached.

What Drew did not know about me, and probably cannot see to this day, is that I am a consumer advocate at heart and injustice is a trigger for me. When I get angry and see injustice I act. My primary form of action is writing. I find it both effective at bringing about change and a stress management tool. I write CEO’s frequently and get responses. Over the last two weeks I’ve written the CEOs of both Rite Aid and Marriott about my concerns and received responses and changes to both issues which triggered those emails. Below is the one sent to Rite Aid. Rite Aid of course denied cutting people, but they would never say if they forced attrition…

So, here’s Drew telling me I should cause a commotion outside the business place of the developer. I cannot express how idiotic this came across. He was telling me to go protest at a place of business no customers will ever visit, and there will be zero impact on his business. Drew really came across as a drunk know-it-all with no sense of reality. Drew, who knew nothing about me, the trials of the property, or what we were doing to get resolution, obviously knew better than any other human on earth what needed to be done… He knew all this this without even asking what we were doing and what we had done. Hindsight is 2020, he did not want to know. He could care less. He already had his agenda, and it was to create confusion and hostility within the community he recently moved into so he could have the waste storage area removed from his property… IMO.

This whole nightmare is one Drew intentionally thrust upon the community simply so he could get the waste storage area removed from his property. I firmly believe that last statement and firmly believe it was his intention to have the trash relocated when he made the purchase of his half of The Compound. He didn’t care about the ramifications to the rest of the community, including his in-laws. I don’t believe Drew cares about anyone other than himself. One could argue that he cares about his children and wife, but I would counter that he cares more about himself than his wife or child… I will show how I can back up that argument shortly.

Drew’s wife Katie did give the appearance of caring for her child in court even though it was painfully obvious to me she was simply using her kid as a pawn. When she took me to court for flipping her off, she wrote this in her declaration: “Mr. Drinkwine flipped off both me and my son Douglas (2 yrs old) through his car window. My son actually said ‘Mommy, keep me safe.’” In other words, her two-year-old is going to get that worked up over a hand signal??? Katie could have at least provided some video footage of me being aggressive, hostile, or invasive to her and her child. They have cameras set up to monitor my every move on the easements on their property… Oh, wait, that’s right… There are no videos of that because it never happened. I was simply flipping her off; not her kid and she knows that to be true. I think it’s obvious Katie just thought it beneficial to use her child as a chess piece in her legal shenanigans. That’s how Katie rolls though… Jerry Springer theatrics and flat out lying. Yes, I believe she lied to the court about her toddler getting all worked up over seeing a hand gesture. 

Drew is no different than Katie when it comes to using their kid as a pawn in court (IMO). In his declaration he stated, “I am writing to seek the courts help in protecting ourselves, most importantly our child, from Mr. Drinkwine’s aggressive behavior.” He willfully tosses his child into this battle right from the go. Does he provide any proof of me acting aggressively whatsoever? No. Once again, the video cameras he and his family have placed all over The Compound to spy on me should have seen and captured any aggressive behavior form me towards his child, himself, or anyone, but they were unable to produce any evidence of this. All they were able to produce were images of me flipping them off.

Furthermore, Drew seems to contradict his wife in his declaration by stating, “I do not want to have to teach my child why the neighbor is angry and what that gesture means.” That’s right, Drew confirmed their kid had no clue what the hand gesture was. If the kid didn’t know what the hand gesture was, why would it get all bent out of shape the way Katie indicated it did simply by me driving by and flipping HER off? The simplest answer is the child didn’t(IMO). Drew gives no indication whatsoever in that declaration that he’s concerned about the child. His only concern is about having to explain “why the neighbor is angry” and “what that gesture means.” Like I said, I think Drew only cares about himself, and I don’t think that will ever change unless he sobers up.

For me, the most telltale part of the quote above is when Drew stated “I do not want to have to teach my child why the neighbor is angry…” Of course, he does not want to tell his child he moved into the community after everyone else, signed and agreed to rules and easements when he purchased his home, and then decided he was exempt from the rules and encumberments he agreed to. I don’t think any parent would like to sit down with their child and say, “I thought I was entitled to more than I agreed to, so I forced him to sue me and then turned around and sued every other homeowner on the plat. We even sued to be released from the encumberments on the plat, but we lost. In all honesty, the only thing we won was we were able to move the trash for eight households from our property to right by your auntie and uncle’s front door, and we got some money. And let me tell you son, the years of legal hell we put everyone (including ourselves) through, was worth every penny of it!” I imagine that’s the kind of conversation every parent would just love to have with their child! How else would he honestly teach his kid about why the neighbors are angry with his daddy?

Now let’s circle back to the conversation Drew and I had where he ‘schooled’ me on how I should protest a business owner… I should go protest with signs at a place where the customers would never see me. Well, I’m a little smarter than what Drew gives me credit for. I went and protested at open houses the developer of our home was having and started networking with other homeowners this developer screwed over. I quite literally shut down an open house for a townhome project and recorded one of his agents harassing me and telling me I could not stand on a public street. I had flyers and was quite effective. It was also nice networking with other homeowners who had encountered problems with this guy. Whereas Drew obviously gives no thought to protesting effectively, I do. Frankly, I think Drew simply wanted to get me worked up. All he did was show me he was arrogant, condescending, and clueless he was when it came to what we were talking about.

I do believe business owners are obligated to the communities they live in. I also believe the larger the business, the larger the obligation is, the larger the obligation. I firmly believe that if a business owner is behaving badly, the public has a right to know. Never in my life did I ever see myself needing to create a blog detailing how poorly a local business owner has treated, and continues to treat, his neighbors. I’ve got other interests and things I would much rather prefer doing over this, but this is very important to me. Nobody should need to go through what Drew has done to this entire community simply because he apparently thinks he should get more than he agreed to… At an astonishing monetary and emotional expense to the community.

Because I believe the community has a right to know how business owners behave, I have taken out ads for this blog. I have posted flyers around the neighborhood. I’m investigating direct mailing. I plan on leafleting at Pike Place Market. A neighbor told me of someone investigating PPE loans in Seattle and I know exactly what Pike Brewing Company got and will be researching that… I encourage any former employees or partners of Pike Brewing Company to reach out to me if they know of any funny business going on at Pike Brewing Company or have any verifiable horror stories they would like to share. I also know that Seattle Hospitality Group recently invested in Pike Brewing Company and will be looking into if that investment flies in the face of what Pike Place Market is, and if a business that large should be allowed to stay in the market. I’m saying all of this to let my readers know there are actions you can take if you find yourself in a position like mine. You can stand up to business owners you believe are behaving badly and having adverse impacts on the community.

Exposing Drew for who he is as a human will never be the focus of this site. The focus of this site will be on justice, injustices, our legal system and changing things so nobody needs to encounter the horrors Drew and his family unleashed on this community. The one thing which keeps me going is the firm belief that if I were a straight white male, the court rulings would have been different. Everyone knows a black person stepping into a courtroom in America is at a disadvantage. Now, imagine if you will, a gay man stepping into a courtroom. How about a gay man stepping into a courtroom who is standing up to two heterosexual white couples with children who are willing to use their children as pawns the way I believe Drew and his family do?

More on Drew later but here’s the motion for reconsideration our lawyer presented to the court. As you read through it, please remember I am one of the Plaintiffs. Green is what we won, yellow the court did not rule on, and the pink is where they won. This looks like bias at first glance and is why I will be doing a deep dive into the rulings this judge has made when sexual minorities step into her courtroom… I shouldn’t need to do this; it should be at my fingertips with the technology we have in place now. But hey, we all know judges in the U.S. are immune from accountability. Judges know this too… That’s why they can be this sloppy:

Click to access request-for-reconsideration.pdf

I’m going to let some of my readers down… I’ve been thinking about the Patrick Pt. 2 post for some time and decided to keep it brief. I really want to move on to the meat of this whole shebang which is the lawyers and courts. I also don’t want to lay all my cards on the table for The Compound lawyers. Undoubtedly, I will revisit Patrick at some point in the future. But I think I’ve already provided enough information about who he is as a human for my readers to develop an opinion about him.

It should go without saying that Patrick Ascolese is the most entitled and shameless person I have ever met. Patrick acts as if he’s the policeman, CIA, forensics unit, judge, and jury for the community he lives in. I have stated for years that he bullies not only myself but others who live in and visit our community. I believe I have made the case that Patrick will bully and harass anyone he wants to for whatever reason he can come up with. The difference between Patrick’s harassment of myself and our other neighbors is Patrick has made a sport out of harassing and tormenting me.

His tactics of harassing me are almost always passive aggressive but he has been aggressive as well. I honestly think he’s looking for attention from the gay neighbor. I wouldn’t be surprised if later in life he ends up reenacting the scene in the movie American Beauty where the closeted gay man (Patrick) kills the heterosexual guy he’s obsessed with after he turns down Patrick’s sexual advances.

In previous posts I called out how Patrick struts and does what I call my “fan boy club” dance. He comes out to ‘greet’ me as I come and go from the property. He has also set up cameras all over The Compound to spy on me. He even went so far as to name one of the cameras after me. At least one of the cameras sends him alerts to his phone when I am getting in my car or walking on the driveway. He’s put chalk marks around my car. He and his wife created a video of her carrying their naked child in front of a camera named after myself so they could say I was the one creating videos of their children naked. Patrick attached a gay pride flag to his fence directly in front of my vehicle and on, and on, and on… For years on end. I may be flogging a dead horse but, I’m trying to drive home how unhinged this man-child really is (IMO). Would you flip off someone who harassed you for years on end as you came and went from your own home and showed no intention of ever stopping the harassment?

Despite the intended brevity of this post, there is one incident I would like to elaborate on briefly because I believe it effectively showcases who both Patrick and Drew are as humans… My first (and only) real conversation of substance with Patrick was when his contractors removed a motion detector light on the side of his home. This happened shortly after he and his family purchased The Compound. This light would turn on and light up the driveway and a portion of the parking lot of the community when motion was detected.

We live in Seattle where the winter nights are long and dark. The driveway has no lighting and is very dark at night without that light. With all the random things The Compound residents let lay in the driveway, I believe they also create a tripping hazard after sunset. And it’s not just the residents of the plat who walk down this driveway at night, guests and people making deliveries to homeowners are using it daily. It’s a very dark driveway and lighting is incredibly useful on this portion of the property.

Long before Patrick and his family members purchased The Compound, several of the homeowners were concerned about how dark the driveway was at night. I decided to take up their concerns and approached the previous owner of The Compound. I asked him if he would mind if the community purchased a motion triggered light and paid for the installation of it on his property by a licensed electrician. He jumped on the idea because he too was concerned about how dark it was in that area of the property. He had purchased the old duplex as an investment property and was concerned about his tenants’ safety. This was a new community, and we were all pulling together and addressing property concerns together… We were all acting like adults and respecting our neighbors.

Respecting one’s neighbors is a fundamental thing I was taught as a child. I was taught that I don’t need to like my neighbors, but I do need to respect them. It’s something I believe most Americans were taught from a young age. I also believe most Americans were taught not to lie about their neighbors due to the large Christian influence in America. I’m not a religious person, or a betting person, but I am willing to bet that those in The Compound consider themselves to be Christian even though they “bear false witness against” this neighbor all the flipping time. Hell, they even pay and manipulate their lawyers into doing so (IMO) but I’ve digressed…

Shortly after The Compound was sold to Patrick and his family members, their unending process of what I see as putting lipstick on a pig began. Countless ad hoc remodels and changes to their property have left it looking like someone desperately trying to make an outdated and nondescript building look ‘better’. I’ve seen outdated and nondescript homes get makeovers and look stunning. The problem with The Compound and its inhabitants is that they seem to think a lack of continuity and patchwork updates make their properties look better. I have never seen anyone pull off successful home redesign and landscaping projects without a cohesive plan for the entire property. I believe The Compound is a showcase example of lack of vision for a property and cheap mods making a property look disjointed. I believe The Compound is a property designed to remain humble and the owners want it to stand out. And, for what it’s worth, I have no problem with humble properties… My retirement dream home is a property designed to be humble yet have a modern feel throughout as well as a clean and cohesive exterior appearance. Redoing a humble home can be done correctly but some people simply opt for lipstick on a pig.

Me when I look at The Compound:

In the first remodel of The Compound, the security light the community had purchased and installed came down. The entire community was upset. I said I would talk with Patrick about it. I did and it was one of the oddest conversations I’ve ever had with someone. I told him the history of the light and indicated it would be a sign of goodwill to the neighborhood if he put it back up. He went over the top with syrupy sweet kindness about getting it put back up as he tossed his contractors under the bus. He emphatically stated he wanted the light there for security as well. He then went off about how stupid his contractors were to remove it. Um, it’s his project, he’s the one laying out the scope… Isn’t it his responsibility to tell his contractors what stays and goes??? Anyway, he did get the light back up.

Immediately after one of the failed mediations surrounding the property, in which seven households took part, Patrick and Drew pulled the security light down. Drew then disposed of it in a central location on the property so the other five households would be sure to see it and that way we could know just how nasty and petty he and his family truly are. Videos of them pulling the light down and Drew disposing of it so he could show the world what a spiteful and petty human he is exist to this day. One of the neighbors brought the trash bag with the light in it over to our home, knocked on our door, and unloaded. She emphatically stated, “This means war.” She was beyond livid. She had every right to be upset. We now had confirmation those in the compound had zero respect for any of their neighbors and they obviously could care less about our safety. They knew the security light was important to the rest of the community and they took it down so they could throw a tantrum over not getting their way. Yes, all owners of The Compound are collectively that immature and stupid (IMO).

The removal of the security light showed me exactly what type of men Patrick and Drew are; they are boys. Spoiled and entitled little boys who will throw hissy fits if they don’t get their way. I believe their wives also knew what was up and are just as petty and childish as the men they married. What I did not expect was Patrick throwing an indefinite and sustained hissy fit. It’s been years now and he has not backed down. He’s only become more aggressive, cunning, and strategic in his harassment of me. I believe he and the rest of his family in The Compound are now also using the courts to harass me simply because I will not allow them to continue to bully me and… Well, I’ve alluded to the rest, but I don’t want to spoon feed their lawyers any more than I already have.

I know I’ve told my readers that I was going to do a full expose on Patrick from my perspective and I may still do so. He’s given me so much material it would be a crime not to share it, but I’ve decided to keep this post short for now. I really want to get on to the legal nightmare, the courts, the judges, the City of Seattle, and the lawyers who have enabled those in The Compound to be the horrible humans I believe they are. I’m nearly done with the character development portion of this site, and will revisit the topic from time to time, but am itching to move on to brass tacks. I still have two more characters to elaborate on and it is my intention to keep those posts brief as well. The two characters I will do a little more development on are Drew Gillespie and the developer of the plat, Edson Gallaudet. After that it is my intention to dive into the lawyers and judges surrounding these cases as well as the cases themselves.

Postscript:

If anyone trips on the property in the dark, they may use this post in any way they feel fit. Also, realize that the spy cameras Partick set up to monitor my every move as I enter and exit the property are actively monitoring and recording… Get your lawyer to get a copy of the video promptly. Also, feel free to contact me.

One more follow-up post on masks in gyms and then I’ll get back to Patrick…

In my last post, I shared my experience about mask enforcement at Planet Fitness and how the manager there sided with the anti-maskers who harassed me. A friend of mine immediately stated she would never again do business with Planet Fitness after reading my post. She was the one who turned me onto Planet Fitness, so her comment gave me pause. I immediately asked myself why I would tolerate a business who would let its members harass other members with impunity. I never went back to Planet Fitness and immediately started looking for a new gym.

After some calls and visits to local gyms, I ended up back at the PRO Club. I had been a member there for twelve years previously and I’m sure my decision to go back was influenced by familiarity but… They were not messing around when it came to masking up. I did get a guest pass and use the club prior to signing up again to gauge their pandemic response. My only significant concerns about mask enforcement were in the steam room and sauna. Yes, masks are mandated there as well. The steam room and sauna at this club are both very large. I could easily stay ten to twelve feet away from someone if there were only two of us in there. But masks were not always being worn. I figured I would just skip these until the vaccine mandate for gyms kicks in later this month.

I grew up in saunas and steam rooms and will always love them. Hot tubs and are the same, the jets on muscles after a workout are fabulous. I love a good hot soak and steam after a hard workout. The spa area at the PRO Club was one of the other decisive factors in my choice to join again. Even if I was going to avoid the area, simply knowing it was there and the hope of using it again was strong.

Well, last weekend I drove into the parking lot, and it was even more of a ghost town than the normal pandemic induced ghost town. The place was empty. After an incredible workout, I noticed the hot tubs were empty. They have four of them and each one is incredibly large, it’s like they were made for a pandemic. The hot tubs are in the same area as the steam room and sauna. As I soaked, I noticed nobody had gone in or out of the steam room for a bit. I had also noticed the PRO Club took my feedback prior to joining seriously and had posted signage saying masks were required in the steam room and sauna. I decided to peek inside, and it was empty! I walked in after letting it air out briefly, sprayed the eucalyptus heavily, and sat down. I was a bit disappointed by how effectively my mask blocked the eucalyptus, but I could feel it on my skin, so I was in a state of bliss. It had been nearly two years since I was able to sit in a steam room and I was at home again.

I had been in there probably five to eight minutes when a guy came in without a mask. I politely stated masks were required and it was immediately apparent he was put out. I told him there was a sign right outside the door stating the requirement. He left and came back in with a mask on. He then immediately told me flip-flops were not allowed in the steam room. I didn’t want to get into it with him, so I said I didn’t know that, walked to the door, and kicked them off outside and sat down again. The dude became unhinged. He started harassing me non-stop. I gave him three warnings and then exited the steam room and called the front desk.

The head of night security came down and I gave him the high level of what had just transpired. No questions asked… He went into the steam room and told the guy to get out so he could talk with him. At first the guy was not going to comply. He was told he would comply or there would be consequences. My jaw hit the floor. This was exactly the opposite of what happened at Planet Fitness! I cannot express how skillfully and professionally this security guy was. Here’s the letter I wrote to one of the directors at the PRO Club about my encounter:

Hi XXXXX,

I was hoping you could forward this to the director of security. I don’t know who that is. I had grabbed your card because I do have a simple question for you but will email you that in a day or two… It’s not pressing and the below is more important to me right now.

I am a former XXXXXX employee who just recently decided to come back to the Pro Club. In all honesty, I was perfectly content with my membership at Planet Fitness until the delta variant hit and the mask mandate came back in Washington State. Planet Fitness was not enforcing the mask mandate in a uniform manner. What’s worse is that I was harassed by someone for asking him to mask up… And the manager of the club took the side of the anti-masker! Needless to say, I was furious. 

I started gym shopping immediately after that incident. I toured a few gyms and it was a tossup in the end. I ended up back at the Pro Club for two primary reasons: the spa area in the Bellevue location and free parking in all your locations. 

This weekend I was at the Bellevue location, and I had my eyes on the steam room. I grew up in steam rooms and will love them until I die. I was incredibly cautious because the last thing I want is to get covid. I had seen people in the steam room without a mask during my gym shopping and even called this out in an email to XXXXX. And I noticed the new signs up by the sauna and steam room saying masks were required. Nobody had been in so I opened the door and let it linger open briefly so I could air it out a little and then stepped inside with my mask on. It was blissful. 

I had been in there for about five to eight minutes when a guy came in without a mask on. I politely stated that masks were required. He was a bit defensive, but I simply referred to the sign out front and he went and got a mask and then came back in. As soon as he sat down, he informed me that my flip flops were not allowed in the steam room. I didn’t want to get into it, so I said, “I didn’t know that” and took them off and placed them outside. He then proceeded to lay into me about the mask requirement. I told him “Listen, I appreciate you putting your mask on, but I’m done. I just want to enjoy the silence.” He wouldn’t stop. I then told him “I said I was done already and now I feel like I’m being harassed.” He wouldn’t stop. I then told him it was my third request for him to stop and he told me to get out if I didn’t like it. 

I was furious. I had just left a gym I was content with because I had been harassed for asking someone to follow the mask mandate AFTER he and his friend had been mocking me for having a mask on and a shirt that said, “Masks are not a political statement, they are an IQ test.” I did not want to find another gym already! I called the front desk and they sent XXXXXX down to meet with me. I gave him the high-level overview and he handled the situation flawlessly. I did feel for him needing to listen to the guy carry on forever but it’s going to take each one of us to end this pandemic. 

I cannot tell you how much I appreciated XXXXXX and how professionally he handled someone acting like an entitled spoiled brat. I could not have handled that guy nearly as professionally as XXXXXX did. He’s a rockstar and I would appreciate it if you thanked him again for me. I was so impressed with how the situation was handled I posted it on social media, and it received a lot of positive attention. Names and the club were not mentioned, and my social media accounts are quite locked down so you will not be able to see the post but do know XXXXXX made my day and reaffirmed that I had made the correct choice in choosing the Pro Club. 

I do have one question based on my encounter with that guy though… Are flip flops truly prohibited in the steam room and sauna? I am asking because Dr. XXXXXX in podiatry sent me out to get my legs measured with a Xray many years ago due to chronic back pain. I will be forever grateful for that visit because after years of pain, I found out one leg is 1.5cm shorter than the other and my whole body was being thrown off. My sciatica and back pain ended with orthotics and modifications to my right shoe/sandal/flip-flop. My hip is paying for the discrepancy now but that’s nothing compared to my back. I would like to be able to wear my modified flip flops in the steam room but, if it’s against the rules, it’s against the rules. 

Paul 

I bet Planet Fitness wishes they had received the letter above, but they got what they got because they obviously don’t care if members harass other members. I also need to be clear that the guy at the PRO Club who was harassing pulled the same “No, he was harassing me.” nonsense the guys at Planet Fitness did but this time neither politics nor personal agendas won; reality did.

In December of 2019 the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China. In January 2020 the first case in the United States was identified less than twenty miles from my home. It has been nearly two years since the pandemic started and we all received a crash course on what to do in this pandemic. At first, we were so clueless of what we needed there was a run-on toilet paper. The grocery stores all had empty shelves which was understandable, but what was up with toilet paper? Some of you are probably still hoarding toilet paper. We never ran out but did use the pandemic as an excuse to get a bidet. We one one-upped the TP hoarders!

Easily accessible things like antiseptic wipes, masks and rubbing alcohol were gone within days and took several months for the items to make it back on the shelves. In the interim, distilleries stepped up, retooled, and started making hand sanitizer and alcohol for sanitization purposes. Patterns and tips for making your own masks started circulating. Clothing manufactures also retooled and started making masks. People also started storing gasoline in plastic bags… Oh, wait, that was later.

Masks and sanitizing everything right down to your eggplant became the norm. We were all washing our hands like they had a club stamp on them we didn’t want mom or dad to see. Then, on March 20^th, 2020, California locked down. When that happened, it immediately became apparent to everyone just how serious covid was. Other states started locking down in rapid succession. Washington State locked down three days after California and my hometown of Seattle became a ghost town overnight.

All the experts were telling us they didn’t know exactly how this pandemic was spreading but they were quite sure it was airborne. The experts also told us masks would help control the spread of the virus if it was confirmed to be airborne. By July 2020 experts were begging the authorities to acknowledge that covid was airborne. By the time the WHO & CDC finally admitted it was airborne most of us were responding with “No s— Sherlock.”

Prior to the pandemic it was common to see people with masks on when they were painting, using leaf blowers, outdoors during allergy season, working in construction sites and more. When the smoke was so thick in Seattle due to the forest fires which have been exacerbated by climate change, people wore masks when walking outdoors. When I was sick prior to the pandemic, my doctor would ask me to wear a mask into her office. And please don’t lecture me about the different types of masks, we all know now there are different kinds of masks for different activities. When needed, masking up to protect ourselves and others was a commonsense thing we didn’t get upset about. We didn’t ridicule, harass, or physically injure people who chose to wear a mask. We knew masks kept a lot of things out of our lungs. We also knew masks kept a lot of things from escaping our lungs and making it into the lungs of others.

But, as nearly all things in America anymore, masks became a political tool. By March of 2021 people were holding mask burning protests. At one of mask burnings an image of a child tossing a mask into the fire was captured with a man holding an American flag in the background. Another person held a sign saying “I will not self-suffocate” in the background. Today, six months later, Idaho is currently rationing health care due to antivaxxers and anti-maskers who get covid and then (miraculously) decide to start trusting health care professionals.

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It’s time to stop mincing words… If you don’t think masks help slow the spread of germs, you are an idiot and I’m not trying to reach you with this post; you can stop reading now. I’m not ever going to try to convince anyone that masks help stop the spread of coronavirus; that’s like arguing about God. The data is there, the debate is over, you will not suffocate in a mask, masks will not make you sicker, you are free to do whatever you want in a mask, masks are not infringing on your freedoms, surgical masks are not rendered useless by the moisture from your breath, oxygen is a gas which passes through masks (yes, really), farts are a gas, so they pass through masks too! I honestly had one idiot tell me masks didn’t work because she could smell farts through them! America is awash in lies about masks. It’s not “misinformation” at this point, these are lies, and for the religious types… False witness. If someone is spreading lies about covid, and those lies result in the death of someone; the liar is a murderer. Due to the virulence of covid, anyone spreading lies about covid is (in all probability) a serial killer.

In the paragraph above I said I was not trying to reach the fools who think masks don’t work. I’m not. This post is for those who know masks work and are disillusioned, angry, and outraged over those who still obviously don’t give a damn about spreading covid and killing others. Yes, this post is for you.

Fundamentally my husband and I have been in lockdown since the pandemic started. We had one reprieve with a family trip to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware and in late June and Washington D.C. in early July of this year. The timing was perfect. We traveled in the sweet spot between being fully vaccinated and the delta variant unleashing its hell. If there is a god, I would like to thank it, or karma, or pure dumb luck for the timing of that trip. The entire family needed it. Dinner at Albi in DC, getting trapped outside along the National Mall in the small tornado and spending the 4^th on the National Mall were my highlights.

Other than the one trip we have been spending time with neighbors, family, and friends in a limited manner. The only times we have eaten in a restaurant going on two years was when we traveled to Delaware and DC. Prior to the pandemic we ate out frequently, traveled a fair bit, had (and went to) parties, did art walks, took many short trips, loved visiting galleries and museums, and went to the gym. One of my favorite things to do was jump on light rail near our home and explore downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market. I miss even the little things like spending my sweet time in grocery store without a mask and a fear of death or long-haul symptoms due to covid.

We viewed our trip to the East Coast as our personal litmus test for the vaccine. We left Seattle where masks were still commonplace and headed to a more maskless part of the country. From the time we got on light rail until we were jumping in our rental car, our masks were on. We drove from the airport to a place on the water for dinner. We all put our masks on as we entered the restaurant. When we got inside, we understood why people were looking at us… Not one person had a mask on. Our masks came off. We felt naked yet oddly comfortable. By the time we left Delaware, we had our sense of normalcy back. We had been maskless nearly the entire time we were in Delaware. Parties, crowed beaches, shopping, dining and even arcades. I was so happy I was borderline ecstatic. We had survived the pandemic! Once again, this was the short period of time after vaccinations and prior to the delta variant.

When we arrived in D.C.my husband and I had our niece and nephew in our car. We had arrived earlier than the rest of the family and told them we would wait for them in the coffee shop on the ground level of the hotel. When we were ordering drinks, it became noticeably dark outside. Right after we ordered our drinks every phone in the shop sounded off with a flash flood warning. Within seconds the clouds unleashed like firehoses. Within a couple of minutes, the streets were flooded, and the café was packed with maskless people. The novelty of the flood and not being one bit concerned about covid was exhilarating.

The floodwater receded rapidly, and the skies cleared up in time for us to set out for dinner at Albi. Albi is Arabic for ‘my heart’. Albi will always have a special place in my heart. It was the best meal we have had in decades. I’m not all that fond of lamb but the lamb at Albi was outstanding! Because there were eight of us, we tried nearly everything on the menu. We were in the covered patio and the setting was perfect. Once again, a maskless and overwhelming sense normalcy, gratitude, and contentment.

While in D.C., we visited several Smithsonian’s and monuments and took a crowded bus tour maskless. Masks were required in the Smithsonian’s and tickets were very difficult to come by due to limited admissions. We even made a point to visit Comet Ping Pong which is the pizzeria at the heart of Pizzagate. For those who do not know what I’m talking about, it is the pizzeria conservatives were convinced was the home of a child sex trafficking ring led by Hillary Clinton. Conservatives harassed the employees and owner ceaselessly with the harassment culminating on December 4, 2016 when Edgar Maddison Welch fired three shots from an AR-15 style rifle inside the pizzeria during business hours. I cannot make this stuff up! And this predated the conservative QAnon cult! Here’s the Wikipedia link to Comet Ping Pong.

With all the traveling, air conditioning, and weather changes, my husband and I didn’t feel quite right. We both felt like something was up and thought we both might have a mild case of covid. We did the right thing and both covid tests came back negative. We decided the sinus irritation we were experiencing must have been due to all the funky weather changes and the air conditioning. We knew getting tested was critical due to the recent reports of the delta variant and how easily it was spreading. This little episode burst our sense of normalcy and put covid back on our radar like it was three months prior.

Despite the covid test earlier that day, we spent the evening of the 4^th of July on the National Mall with tens of thousands celebrating and watching fireworks. It was particularly meaningful this year because I’m sure everyone on the mall thought we had turned the corner on the pandemic. It was a stellar day to be an American and celebrate at our nation’s capital.

Shortly after returning from the East Coast, delta unleashed its wrath due to the simple fact that people were not getting vaccinated and were refusing to wear masks. I started wearing mine again prior to the mask mandate in Washington State being reinstated which happened less than a month after we returned.

When the mask mandate came back, I was both grateful and outraged. I am still outraged. I am angry with everyone who is so heartless and self-centered that they will not get vaccinated and/or wear a mask. The only reason why we are experiencing overflowing hospitals and a weakening economy again is due to antivaxxers and anti-maskers. These people are obviously Public Enemy #1. They are jeopardizing and hindering our lives, the lives of those we love, our livelihoods, and destroying our dreams and hopes of ever returning to normal. I think these individuals should be loathed, shunned, and banned from taking part in any public setting. They are today’s Typhoid Mary. They are harbingers of death and should be treated as such.

With the belief that these evil, narcissistic, and sociopathic antivaxxers and anti-maskers should be loathed, shunned, and banned from taking part in any public setting what was I to do? I had already been loudly and publically calling out those in violation of the mask mandate in grocery stores, but I decided I needed to up my game for the benefit of society. I had been struggling with how to up my game for weeks when it hit me… The gym!

After my husband and I were fully vaccinated, and the waiting period was over, I headed back to the gym. I have been going since being fully vaccinated despite the delta variant. The gym is one of my escapes from this pandemic. I rely on the gym for sanity and health. Excluding the week or so after we returned from the East Coast, I have been masking up at the gym. After the statewide mask mandate came back into effect, the anti-maskers at the gym really began to get to me. Every time I saw one (daily) I became angry. This may be good for my work out, but it is not good for my mental and emotional health. I do factor my gym use into decisions I make about going places where there are people who cannot get vaccinated due to age. If people cannot get vaccinated due to health reasons, it is their responsibility to let others know because none of us are mind readers. I will accommodate health related non-vaccinated folks as needed.

Back to the gym in a minute… I’ll be completely honest, I hate antivaxxers and anti-maskers. One of them recently posted a meme on Facebook which said we should respect each other for our vaccine choice. In other words, I should have respect for someone willing to risk spreading death and long-term complications due to covid throughout society simply because they chose not to get vaccinated. Um, that’s a load of crap! I have zero respect for unvaccinated Americans who are eligible to be vaccinated. I also have zero empathy for them once they get sick. Should I feel for someone if they die from covid after refusing to get vaccinated? That was their choice. They also chose to endanger countless lives of others with that choice, good riddance! Society does not need people like that.

Back to the gym… I started reminding people at the gym to put their mask on or cover their nose. I was a little bit surprised by the number of people who were not wearing masks or not wearing them appropriately. Then I started noticing how many employees of the gym were not abiding by the mask mandate either. Soon these anti-maskers started pushing back and ignoring my request to mask appropriately. I went to the front desk to report one woman who was maskless and singing loudly after she ignored my requests to mask up. The guy working was outstanding. He went and told the woman she needed to mask up and gave her a mask. Perfect! The next day the same woman was there with her mask on her chin. I told her to cover up and she complied then stated, “I remember you from yesterday.”

As the days went on, pushback on masking appropriately by anti-maskers was getting stronger. One couple flat out refused. I told them “Fine, I’ll have a chat with the front desk.” They watched me walk over to the front desk and chat with the staff and then come back. Then the woman walked by me and let out a deep breath. I was furious and said, “Put your fucking mask on.” They walked up to the front desk and told the same guy I had spoken with and told him I swore at them. He told them they needed to always have a mask on in the gym. The woman said she didn’t feel comfortable in a mask. He told her she shouldn’t be anywhere she felt uncomfortable and encouraged her to stay home where she could work out and be comfortable without a mask on. How do I know this? He came over and chatted with me and I told him a verbatim accounting of what transpired. At the end of our conversation, he said “I appreciate you.” I said thanks and reiterated the same.

I’ve been saying most conservatives are snowflakes for years now. The mask mandate is just another example how special these snowflakes think they are. They believe in crazy nonsense they find on the internet which results in everything from pizzerias getting shot up when occupied to domestic terrorism like that of January 6^th, 2021. These snowflakes wanted to topple the government because they lost a legitimate election. Nine months later, they have a commemorative rally supporting those acts of domestic terrorism! Let me remind everyone that these are the same people who blow up federal buildings, shoot up abortion clinics, blow up black churches, bomb synagogues, murder talk radio hosts, and now enact the Christian version of Sharia Law in Texas. These same terrorists now want citizens turn on citizens despite the fact a woman may be carrying a fetus which does not have the needed organs to live on its own. These so-called conservatives are nothing more than a bunch of extremists who would much rather see society fail than succeed and yet the media and general populace refuse to call these terrorists and extremists what they really are, terrorists and extremists.

Recently three Texans were asked by a hostess to provide proof of vaccination at a restaurant while visiting New York City. This is a requirement in NYC and everyone knew it. What was their response? The Texans assaulted the hostess. An article in the New York Times, Fighting Over Masks in Public Is the New American Pastime, which was published on June 30^th, 2020 provided many more examples of how these anti-maskers and antivaxxers were terrorizing the rest of us; it’s gotten worse since then. Antivaxxers and anti-maskers are the ones responsible for spreading and amplifying this pandemic. These so-called-humans do not care what happens to anyone else due to their actions. They are now terrorizing the rest of the country with biowarfare. Society is truly at war with the antivaxxers and anti-maskers.

Knowing we are at war with the antivaxxers and anti-maskers, I decided to adorn myself with protest garb at the gym. Here are the protest shirts I purchased for my workouts:

My shirts received a lot of thumbs ups and winks while I was working out. They also helped reduce confrontation because I could simply stand in front of someone and point to my shirt. The shirts worked wonderfully until last Thursday when two stereotypical angry white dudes were working out near me with their masks on their chins. I pointed to my shirt as they looked at me. I even did hand gestures to indicate their masks needed to cover their orifices. I didn’t call them an orifice but would have liked to because that’s what they were acting like. Then one of them decided to come very close to me with his mask on his chin. I stated that the mask was supposed to cover his face. He started mocking me and harassing me at this point. I knew he had been studying my shirt which stated, “A mask is not a political statement, it’s an IQ test” so I loudly stated, “Well that’s a failed IQ test.” He then started to get hot. I was now angry with this bioterrorist and clearly stated “Put your fucking mask on.” He and his friend nearly exploded; they began yelling at me and calling me names. I walked up to the front desk and told the employee working what was going on. He came back and told the guys to put their masks on. They came unhinged on the employee and me. They complained that I had told them to put their fucking masks on. Do you think these snowflakes would have told the employee about what the lead up to me telling them that? Nope. Then they threatened me with physical harm. Yes, they threatened to injure me because I have concerns about the spread of this deadly virus. It was more than apparent these angry white dudes thought they should be excluded from the rules. If there ever was a stereotype for snowflakes it is the American antivaxxer and anti-masker.

I told the employee that I wanted to be sure he conveyed the situation to his boss and that I expected something done. As I stood at the front desk, the angry white dudes exited behind me coughing to to once again mock and harass me. This is Planet Fitness I go to. Planet Fitness is supposedly a “judgment free zone.” According to that, I should be free to wear my shirts without ridicule. The Supreme Court agrees with me on this. I most definitely should not be threatened by other members because of my beliefs inside a “judgment free zone.” Furthermore, no member should feel the need to tell another member to mask up in Washington State when the state has a mask mandate in place.

A few weeks ago, I responded to a survey for Planet Fitness. In the survey I stated I had two concerns, cleanliness, and enforcement of the mask mandate. The manager wrote me back to address the cleanliness issue but completely ignored my concerns about enforcement of the mask mandate. I wrote him back the next day thanking him for addressing the cleanliness issue and reiterated my concerns over enforcement of the mask mandate. He completely ignored the email. After eleven days passed, I wrote a strongly worded reply. After I sent it, I realized it was insane for me to keep asking him to address an issue when he kept ignoring my inquiries. I hit reply to the email and dropped a couple corporate email addresses on the email, including the CEO. I also dropped a couple additional lines of text and then clicked send.

The next morning the manager called me at the crack of dawn. I didn’t know the number, so I didn’t answer because I thought it was a scammer. After all, no good human would call at that time of the morning! He called back later that day and wanted to talk. He was incredibly defensive and told me “Those emails make me look bad.” I was livid with his concern about his appearance over the lives of his staff and the members of his gym. I told him that if he had not ignored me, and had he had enforced the mask mandate, he never would have had to worry about his appearance over human life. I was livid with his response. To me this short conversation explained to me why many of his staff were maskless on the floor of the gym. His maskless employees are also sending members a signal they need not adhere to the mask mandate.

That phone call took place ten days prior to the stereotypical angry white guys harassing me and ignoring the mask mandate in the gym. Because this exchange was so fresh, I replied all to that same email which had the CEO on it and unloaded about the lax enforcement of the mask mandate at his gym and my experience with the angry white guys. Mr. Manager’s response??? Here it is:

So, there we have it, the manager of this gym, who was more concerned with his appearance than the health of his staff and gym members the last time we spoke, didn’t even talk with me but couldn’t pass up on this opportunity to try and make me look bad to his superiors. First, Mr. Manager, had you and your staff been enforcing the mask mandate there would not be a reason for me to even be concerned about a mask being down. The buck stops with you, right? Second, you are going to lecture me about a right and wrong way to defend my life and the lives of other members due to covid as you stand back and let anti-maskers have their way at Planet Fitness when a statewide mask mandate is in place? And Mr. Manager, did I not say the following in my email to you? “I have a shirt on that says “A mask is not a political statement. It’s an IQ test.” Two guys were reading my shirt without a mask. I signaled to them twice to put their mask on. They didn’t and one flat out refused. I told him to put his fucking mask on. He unleashed a tirade of profanities and told me he’d kick my ass and masks were a joke.”

Mr. Manager, I would like to remind you once again that there is a statewide mask mandate in place.

Mr. Manager, I would like to let you know there is a right way and a wrong way to respond to a customer and that thus far you have chosen not to respond or to indicate I am the problem each time you do respond. Neither one of those were the “right way” to respond.

Mr. Manager, I would like to let you know you are the reason for all our previous correspondence as well as this post.

I was appalled by the lack of concern this manager had about the safety of the members at his gym. I was so appalled that I hit reply all and wrote the following directly to his manager:

Of course, that email prompted a call from the regional manager. I told him I really didn’t want to talk about it until I had published this piece. I listened to him and then quadrupled down on how lax enforcement of the mask mandate is at this gym. I even told him that as I walked out that day an employee gave a maskless guy entering the gym a mask as he checked in and then proceeded to let the anti-masker bioterrorist walk into the gym without putting the mask on! Mr. Manager’s boss obviously wasn’t listening to me either. His email later that day was full of excuses for the anti-masker crowd at this gym. He could care less about the bioterrorists giving Planet Fitness staff and members covid. Those people would then give it to others who would in turn give it to more people. It’s a pandemic; that’s how this works. We should all know this by now but apparently Planet Fitness has not received the memo or is simply choosing to ignore it.

We, as a collective group who are doing the right thing, need to stand up to these antivaxxers and anti-maskers. Each one of us needs to do our part. I pledge that next time I see someone in a store or public place without a mask I will ask them very loudly “Where’s your mask?” I will do this from a safe distance and make sure other people can hear it loud and clear. I have done this in the past and watched their faces react to the shock of being publicly shamed as strangers look at them. It’s quite funny because the snowflake is now getting the attention it so desperately craves and yet the snowflake is mortified. Should one of these bioterrorists react in a hostile manner, I will defend myself in any way necessary and file assault charges if needed. Should I see one respond in a hostile manner to someone else confronting them, I will have your back tenfold!!! I would rather save lives than be complicit in letting others spread this pandemic and continue killing others.

Public shunning works. Educating people about the pandemic and protocols for the safety of society has obviously reached its apex. Educating people at this point is futile. Hospitals are full once again. Hospitals are now rationing care to those of us who have done the right thing and got vaccinated. This is neither fair nor compassionate. This is a result of politics and willful ignorance. Those of us who are doing the right thing should not be forced to suffer at the hands of sociopaths and bioterrorists any longer. A loved one could get into an accident and now be denied critical care in favor of someone who did not get vaccinated. That’s a load of crap. Another loved one could be suffering from cancer and be denied life saving treatments because the hospitals are tending to a bunch of bioterrorists chose to ignore all the data and not get vaccinated. That’s a load of crap as well. These antivaxxers and anti-maskers are a societal plague with deadly consequences. They are eating at the core of America. They are not moral or patriotic. They are bioterrorists.

We also need to confront business not doing their part to end this pandemic. I paid my dues for Planet Fitness throughout the lockdown and the entire time they were closed. At least I think I did… I don’t think they stopped billing me. Anyway, I extended a favor to Planet Fitness and now, as the pandemic takes on steam again, Planet Fitness is perfectly fine letting someone breathe covid on me. That is how corporate America works. Corporations have no shame. They only care about making money. If Planet Fitness can make millions by letting the antivaxxer and anti-masker kill hundreds of thousands of Americans, Planet Fitness will do just that. I now ask Planet Fitness to prove me wrong, but something tells me they will ignore me again.

I will post again about the response, or lack thereof, from Planet Fitness. Frankly, I think the two angry white dudes should have their memberships revoked for harassing me and threatening me with bodily harm. And Mr. Manager needs to be given a very stern warning. That warning needs to be followed up with surveys sent out to members about mask use in the club so his progress (or lack thereof) can be monitored. This stuff is not hard, and zero tolerance rules now need to be in place.

What the hell ever happened to the personal ads and ‘I saw you’ ads in The Stranger? Crap, I just dated myself. I would read those ads religiously! I even placed at least one ‘I Saw You’ and a couple personal ads back in the day. Now I’m really going to date myself… That was long before Lovelab and Lustlab. Countless hours of mine were lost looking at those personals and expanding my limited views of the world. Only once did I meet someone where I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. My rule was to always meet in public first. We met inside the Broadway Market back when it was a happening spot. I was mortified the second I laid my eyes on him and tried to evade but he noticed me. It made me rethink meeting people in public first but I soon rationalized being publically mortified was better than meeting Jeffrey Dahmer in private.

Decades later, here I am placing another ad in The Stranger and asking for help with my reality which has become stranger than fiction. A reality which includes fighting for my civil rights because I used this gesture on a group of individuals who are truly worthy of it:

The courts have ruled that I cannot flip my neighbors off because I flipped them off more than once. This type of censorship and restriction on freedom of speech is now a reality in America. Remember how Juli Briskman was fired for flipping off the Presidential Motorcade as it drove by? If not, does this image jog your memory?

I have yelled expletives at every President starting with Regan. I haven’t had the opportunity to express myself to their face but have fantasized about running into a couple and doing so. I’ve even flipped a couple Presidents off as their motorcade drove by; both Democratic and Republican.

Because we now have our technology overlords watching and listening to us all day and every day, in public and in private, how long will it be before we experience repercussions for shouting a choice word or two at (or flipping off) a screen, camera or mic? You think that last line was hyperbole? It’s my reality. My neighbors used images of myself flipping off a camera, which I believe was obviously setup to spy on me, in court so they could attempt to silence my middle finger. Juli Briskman lost her job because a camera caught her flipping the bird at vehicles driving by! The images my neighbors captured of me flipping off their spy camera helped them win against my middle finger in court. No threats were made, no acts of hostility reported, they simply didn’t like me flipping them off… I think they probably should have thought about that prior to being a tight knit family of first-class assholes and bullies.

As awful as my neighbors are, this site is not about a specific family and how sociopathic the members of that family are (IMO). This site is about freedom of speech, the courts, politics, our broken legal system, and whatever else may tickle my fancy from time to time. I plan on offering solutions to the problems I write about as this site matures.

Since closing on our current home in 2013, I have had countless opportunities to see how broken and corrupt our local city government is. I have experienced the wrath and shunning of Seattle City Council Member Tammy Morales and her staff for simply asking questions. The ‘liberal’ Morales and her staff have made it abundantly clear to me she/they prefer developers over homeowners. Former Seattle Council President, and likely future Mayor Bruce Harrell, came to our home to meet with the community and provided advice and assistance after actively listening to us.

This site was created with the intent to network and influence by telling stories and showcasing experiences… Not only mine!

Over the years I’ve learned more than I ever cared to about buying homes, developers, easements, driveways, zoning, permitting, HOAs, communities without HOAs, CC&Rs, and the legal ramifications surrounding these. I’ve spent countless hours in mediations, depositions, courtrooms and with lawyers diving into this nightmare which was thrust upon us by our neighbors. My experiences here can be beneficial to others and may help you or someone you know. Feel free to send me questions or topic suggestions.

You may be also be encountering a legal nightmare. Would like to share that with me and possibly the world? Please reach out to me. I do ask you to be armed with legal documents and a coherent story when you approach me. I know passion kicks in when dealing with crap like this – crap you never wanted but was thrust upon you – but, if you want me to work with you, and possibly publish your story here, please check as much emotion at the door as possible. Emotion is a powerful tool and guide, but it can get the best of us in situations like these.

I want to use the hardships thrust upon me by my neighbors in the same way Juil Briskman did. I want to use them to improve society if I can. I’m not saying I want to run for office – that’s not even on my radar – but I do want to shake up Seattle City Government and get them once again working for us taxpayers.

Most of my friends would call me a flaming liberal. All I know about the liberals in City Hall is they are too busy in teleconferencing to get out of their homes and see how messed up this city has become under their watch. Durkan is a colossal failure, but I would argue the Council has been a bigger failure than the mayor.

Council Member Morales is probably the biggest snowflake on the council. She has had her staff tell me flat out she will never meet with me or speak to me again. Why? Well, I didn’t flip her off or get loud with her… All I did was ask questions via email! Isn’t it her job to answer questions and help her constituents? Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m not a developer though so she doesn’t have the time of day for me.

I will never forget calling into Kshama Sawant’s office over concerns she was putting a moratorium on evicting tenants PRIOR TO the pandemic. I was concerned because we had two homes, one of which was rented out, and the one we lived in. She was proposing that my husband and I would need to pay two mortgages in Seattle for up to a year if for some reason our tenant could not, or chose not to, pay rent for a year. She expected us to pay two mortgages in Seattle on top of the added legal expense of eviction. Not to mention the cost of fixing any damage done to the home by a bad tenant after we finally were able to evict them! Her office literally told me we would need to eat the entire cost! Her staff member was simply cold and obviously exercised his prejudice that because we had two homes in Seattle, we were rich and could afford it! Sawant finally caved but only months later and after receiving countless calls like mine as well as a ton of bad press. My stance on these “liberals” in City Hall is that their mantra is “let them eat cake.”

I’ve traveled a bit and think we live in one of the most beautiful locations on Earth. Yes, Bora Bora is more beautiful but it’s small and so damn remote I would not want to live there even though I long to return. Seattle has historically been one of the best cities in the world in my humble opinion. But it’s fallen on that list dramatically and it won’t be on the list for much longer if these people in City Hall keep masquerading as liberals when in fact, they are simply nothing more than an average run of the mill self-absorbed politician. The current batch of liberals in City Hall are willfully out of touch with the common folks and the city who they claim to be there for.

We need a new breed of liberal in City Hall. One who is willing to meet with constituents, walk around the city they represent alone at night, Council Members who randomly and unsolicited go into small business and ask owners as well as workers what they want and need, liberals who will work for us. I argue the current batch of Council Members fester in the grotesque corruption Seattle is known for. We need Council Members who are not afraid to answer questions their constituents ask via email!

Hey Tammy Morales…

Now, I’ve officially flipped off Council Member Morales! She’s going to get a much bigger FU from me when I publish my email exchanges with her office.

This may be my first post where I’ve left out the names of my narcissistic, sociopathic, and entitled (IMO) neighbors but it will not be my last. The reason I have devoted this much time to my neighbors thus far is because I believe people need to know exactly the type of Karens and Kens (IMO) who forced me into to this legal showdown to fully comprehend this story. Background is needed to understand the nuances of my story as I lay it out for consumption.

For more information on Juil Briskman and her struggle from the NY Times, click on her image below:

Here is a recent example of a business owner who is as appalled at the council as I am:

Unsafe: A Pioneer Square Restaurateur’s Plea to City Hall: Help!

Introducing my readers to Patrick has been something I’ve been struggling with. For the first couple years, my lawyers, the lawyer representing the four households sued by those in The Compound along with a couple of my neighbors gave me the impression they thought I was nuts or a bit “too sensitive.” I believe the “too sensitive” thing is an explicit bias many people have against gay men. I’ve seen and experienced that bias far too much. An acquaintance who did not know I was gay, asked me once “Why tho thensitive?” Immediately I came out to him and called him on his crap of implying gay men are too sensitive which translates to weak. And for the record… I’m not nearly as sensitive as that snowflake sitting on the Supreme Court named Brett Kavanaugh.  

Here’s the juxtaposition I’m in when trying to introduce Patrick Ascolese to the readers of this blog… I cannot come across as too sensitive or unjustified, yet I need to talk about a man who I consider one of the worst humans alive and a man who I think is obsessed with me. Someone I believe has made a sport out of harassing and stalking me for years on end. How do I do that and not have readers think I’m delusional, acting out of spite, or simply “too sensitive?” My answer was to lead with a post about experiences others have had with Patrick. That’s what this post will be and why it is titled “Patrick Pt. 01. The subsequent posts about Patrick will be about my personal experiences with him and whatever new craziness he conjures up. That being said, let’s get to the point of this post now…

We had been in mediation for several hours. Those in The Compound were in a separate room with their lawyers and the rest of us (five households) were in another room with our lawyers. My spouse and I had our lawyer in the room and the other four households had their lawyer in the room. At this point in time, I was simply outraged over Patrick’s chronic behavior and had already made it very clear to the mediator. The mediator then said something about Patrick which triggered me, and I popped off. He was a bit stunned by my passion/vitriol/whatever. Also obviously stunned was the lawyer representing the other folks in the room. Our lawyer looked disappointed after I snapped. I immediately felt like the stereotype of “too sensitive” gay man who had just been dismissed.

The mediator took a few seconds to recalibrate his thoughts in silence after I snapped. He then asked for a show of hands of those who had never felt uncomfortable around Patrick. Not one hand went up. The look on his face and the face of the lawyer representing the others in the room was like a lightbulb had turned on. Vindication was mine. I immediately went from being mortified, frustrated and disappointed to a profound sense of relief and vindication. The entire community had just unequivocally showed each of them had felt uncomfortable around Patrick. I was not alone. That one moment changed the dynamics in the room moving forward.

This is the experience one of my neighbors had with Patrick on the way home from mediation that night:

It’s obvious to me that Patrick was trying to make my neighbor feel uncomfortable by intimidating her. He and his brother in-law Drew Gillespie were together, so it was also a numbers game… One single woman and two men with one of the men obviously trying to intimidate her. I assume it worked because she “let them walk way ahead.” I believe Patrick worships the ground Drew walks on and Drew knows this and thus Drew lets Patrick do the dirty work for The Compound. Whereas Patrick is the one being called out here, I believe it needs to be made clear Drew was present and could have stopped Patrick’s attempts at intimidation yet he did not.

Patrick LOVES to stare people down. I believe the only logical explanation for all the staring he does is that it is an attempt at intimidation. I’ve driven into my parking spot and had Patrick come up to the window of his home, which is right beside the passenger side window of my car and stare at me from inside his home on several occasions. He’s creepy and something is just not right with him (IMO). Enough about me…

Unfortunately, staring is not all Patrick does to intimidate. He stopped confronting another female neighbor after he confronted her and her wife once and she told him “I don’t feel comfortable with this.” He then took to confronting the vendors she employed. Here is an email exchange I had with this neighbor about Patrick confronting vendors she employed:

First off, what kind of adult avoids talking directly to their neighbor about what may or may not be a valid concern? Why would he not approach her? Was it because she had already told him she was uncomfortable with his actions? Was it because he wanted to exercise some perceived sense of power over her? Was it to intimidate the vendors so they would never come back? Was it because he knew he had already nuked all bridges between him and the community? If any one of those reasons are valid, Patrick knew damn well he could behave like an adult and have his lawyers contact her lawyer to ask the needed questions but he opted to police the vendors on the property.

I believe the incident where Patrick confronts the senior citizen gardener needs a paragraph of its own… If memory serves me correctly, our neighbor found the gardener using a service which links seniors in need of extra cash with people willing to employ them. This elderly woman was simply weeding a strip of land no wider than a foot which runs along the side of the driveway between the driveway and a fence. What harm was she doing? If someone wanted to pay a senior citizen to weed my property for me, I’d be grateful. Keep in mind this area she was weeding is covered by an easement for our use. The residents of The Compound never once weeded it or removed the blackberry vines. It was a simple act of making the place look a little nicer for everyone, yet Patrick had to strut, intimidate an old lady, and anger his neighbors even more! There was absolutely no need for Patrick to intimidate a senior citizen who was an employee of his neighbor. I’m still disgusted and outraged over his confronting this older lady as I write about it.

This next email is a bit of a loaded one for this post. I really want to keep this post about Patrick and his impact on the community so consider this a teaser as well as a point of information. When I opened this post, I said I believe he’s obsessed with me. What I believe this email exchange alludes to is that Patrick’s obsession with (and harassment of) me was known and acknowledged by my neighbors back in 2017:

Here we have one of my neighbors stating that she’d “love to see him (Patrick) try to harass” her. It is no secret within the community that Patrick has a habit of harassing people. It’s also no secret that Patrick was saving the worst he has for me alone. I believe it was clear to everyone that I was the target of his hate. I think I know why I am his target and will get to that one later, but my shrink made this offhand comment once and I know some of you are thinking the same… “Because he’s gay?”   <I think I just threw up a little bit.>

The neighbor who wanted him to harass her did tell me once that Patrick did come out and yell at her and her boyfriend as they took the trash out one night. She couldn’t make out what he was saying because her and her boyfriend were talking, and she didn’t want to pay him any attention so she just ignored him.

Several years ago, one of the neighbors who lives a block away came over. We were talking about whatever it was this person wanted to discuss when they changed the subject and inquired about the people in The Compound. I swallowed hard and tried to be diplomatic. I told this person the entire community was embroiled in a lawsuit because they had notified the community of their intention to build over the easement we had on their property. This person unloaded. It started with a very harsh critique of the bright multicolored pallets Kate had lined the public sidewalk with.

After our conversation about those hideous pallets, it turned directly to Patrick and the “nanny.” I was asked if he was sleeping with the nanny. I said I didn’t want to go there because I didn’t want to think about it. They then doubled down about how it was obvious he was doting over her. The passion this person had in their voice along with being both uncomfortable and shocked made me laugh.

Inside I knew it was wrong to be laughing at the expense of the “nanny”. However, laughing about the situation and having someone who knew nothing about the community dynamics trigger that laughter was a little refreshing. I knew it was wrong to laugh about the scenario because I perceived the nanny to be incredibly young and an easy victim. Had I known how truly vulnerable this person was I would have called it out right then and not laughed.

Patrick and Emily had been using their “nanny” as a pawn in their legal shenanigans for some time before I realized the true nature of this relationship. They had been mentioning their “nannies” in their own declarations as well as having their employees provide declarations in their legal maneuvering. I believe their nannies are just another tool in Patrick’s obsession with me. They’ve weaponized the “nanny” so effectively against me that I’ve come to expect it. This email I sent to my lawyers, and the emails which followed it, are a perfect example of how they use and weaponize their “nannies”:

I sent that email at 1:22 PM. At 1:39 those in The Compound had this email sent to my lawyer as well as the lawyers for the rest of the community who had nothing to do with this:

Our lawyer responded with this at 1:50 PM:

I see this as one more attempt at slander and liable by those in The Compound as well as their lawyers. Furthermore, Patrick and Emily apparently have no problem whatsoever using their “nanny” as a legal leverage as well as a tool in an attempt to slander me to my neighbors. I’m so keenly aware of this tactic that I sent an email to my lawyer signaling possible incoming shenanigans prior to the shenanigans starting. Checkmate.

It was only several month later, when those in the compound took me to court for flipping them off, that I learned Patrick and Emily had an au pair; not a nanny. As I read a court document submitted by Kate, it came across as if she thought an “au pair” was an exotic luxury item. I immediately felt so incredibly sorry for this young woman who was being drug into this nightmare by her employers and their family. It was now apparent to me that Kate and Drew had no problem exploiting this young woman either.

An au pair is not a US Citizen. An au pair works day and night as a house cleaner and nanny in exchange for room and board. Any money they may receive is far below the minimum wage. I do not know the terms of the contract in place but do believe it can be terminated. As anyone can imagine, the au pair industry is one ripe for exploitation and abuse. These young people know they are in the United States at the will of their employer. Even if Patrick and Emily did not threaten their au pair – and I am not saying they did – I’m sure that young woman knows what’s at stake if she does not do their bidding.

Another example of Patrick expanding on his reputation throughout the larger community came from one of the most unexpected places; someone we employed. We had a vendor over doing some work on our home. This person was an older individual who was so sweet it made my heart melt. Just imagine the sweetest older person you know and then make the individual gentler… That is this person. It was a full day job, so we did what we normally do when someone is spending a full day working for us and offered them lunch. They declined but the dynamics changed, and this person became much friendlier and welcoming after the offer of lunch. About an hour later they alluded to having done some work in The Compound. I inquired as to what unit. It was Patrick’s home and this person stiffened up and said Patrick was difficult to work for. I was respectful and said I would never work for him and that I feel sorry for anyone who does. The vendor responded by saying Patrick was not a nice person and quickly went back to work as a signal the conversation was over. Never in a million years would I have expected this individual to say anything remotely negative about another person. I was speechless but not surprised.

My husband had a bad sixth sense about Patrick and the rest of the residents of The Compound as soon as they moved in. I thought he was judging them prematurely and told him I didn’t like what they were doing to the place but made an excuse for them… I said they just moved in, and we should give them some time. I’ve had this same sixth sense about people I’ve met in the past, one of which I told my spouse and he urged me to be patient with the guy. I eventually got to tell him “I told you so” on that one and now he gets to tell me “I told you so” about The Compound residents. I guess the bottom line is, when your spouse has the hair on the back of their neck stand up about an individual; listen to them.

Click here for an article from Politico on au pairs.

After I told those in The Compound they couldn’t build over the easement, and thus make our parking spot fundamentally unusable, they went on the warpath. In very short order they started harassing me as I would come and go from my own home. Katie (Drew’s wife) and Patrick were by far the worst. Katie was constantly baiting me with that overtly overly nice passive aggressive nonsense… Mocking my obvious disdain for her with syrupy sweet (yet transparent) kindness. Patrick was another story, he became unhinged. I’ll glance over Patrick a little bit more in this post but promise to dedicate some serious time to Patrick soon.

I knew long before George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement that cameras were not only a valuable tool for documenting harassment but, they also work as a tool in prevention of escalation of bad behavior for most people. Then again, I had yet to encounter anyone like the fine specimens of humanity (IMO) who call The Compound home. Initially, I believe they loved being recorded and I have the videos to back this claim. In one of the videos, it shows me exiting the property and those in The Compound waiving to, and goading me, as I exit. I believe it’s abundantly clear they knew they were being recorded, enjoyed it and posed for the video. There was not one indication of concern over being recorded on their faces; quite the opposite.

Later that day I returned, and they harassed me as I drive onto the property. Katie even rushes toward my car waving with that syrupy sweet fake smile of hers… With a child in hand! That’s right, she races towards a moving vehicle with t child in hand! Patrick wasn’t outside upon my return but, the second he knew I was on the property he comes racing out of the house and around their home to pester and harass me as I exit my car (IMO). In the audio, residents of The Compound can be heard antagonizing me as I make my way to my home on foot. Once again, I wouldn’t make this claim about a video if it didn’t exist.

I started recording as I came and went from my own home so I could show how I was being harassed. That stance rapidly changed from recording their behavior as I came and went to recording mine as well due to the wild and fabricated claims about myself those in The Compound would conjure up. They would also make these claims to others in the community in an obvious effort to slander me to the community (IMO). Here’s an email they had one of their lawyers send to the entire community which made me realize how important it was to document my coming and going so I could defend myself against these what I now believed to be bullies on the warpath:

It was now apparent to me that those in The Compound wanted war. If that had not been the case, they would not have lobbed this letter full of lies, scandalous and inflammatory accusations, to slander me (IMO) to my neighbors and the rest of the community. They said I was on their property when I record which is technically true, but I am on the easement (driveway) we have over their property. I have a right to be there. How would I get to my own home if the easement was not there? They love to twist reality to make things more suitable for a Jerry Springer episode. I wasted no time in responding to them and their lawyer. I responded directly because I didn’t think I needed representation for this. Here is my response:

From: Paul Drinkwine

Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2016 8:36 PM

To: McComb, Devin P.

Subject: RE: Gillespie, Ward & Ascolese

Mr. McComb,

I am acknowledging and responding to your letter in which you make hostile, false and inflammatory claims about myself and then threaten me with a restraining order.

For months now your clients have been baiting and antagonizing me as well as engaging in offensive activities against myself.  I have a documented start date incidence and timeline showing the escalation of activities ranging from baiting to outright acts of aggression and intimidation. The most recent display of hostility came from Mr Gillespie on July 20, 2016:  My husband and I were walking onto the property after eating dinner nearby and realized trash and yard waste pickup day was the following morning.  We took the community compost and our trash to the curb.  Upon returning to the western portion of the property we noticed the bagged yard-waste from the gardener which the 2527 properties have hired to insure our portion of the property looks clean and maintained.  We grabbed those bags and took them to the curb.  In doing so we were baited by Katie Ward as we walked past the parking pads of A & B.  I responded with “we have such nice neighbors”, “such selfless neighbors.”  Both Katie’s and my actions are legally protected rights.  Upon returning Mr. Gillespie approached my husband and myself in a manner which is only done with the intention to intimidate, harm, provoke and induce fear.  I was truly fearful for our safety.

Mr. Gillespie’s behaviors were captured on video from multiple locations.  I have obtained a copy of the incident from one of the security cameras on the property.  What I find most disturbing, and did not know at the time, is after Mr. Gillespie made a retreat he returned and started to follow us from behind towards our home then retreated again.  This video footage is incredibly disconcerting.

I have yet to file a police report on the above incident.  The reason I am holding off on filing one is because I do not want to escalate this situation.  My only hope is for deescalation and all parties involved to start acting like respectful adults; self included.

In your letter dated July 20, 2016 you wrote “Yesterday, Mr. Drinkwine followed Emily Ascolese in his car, and shouted obscenities at her while driving along side her.”  Once again; I have obtained a copy of the incident from one of the security cameras on the property.  What this video shows is me walking to my car then spending 30-seconds trying to circumnavigate the truck Emily and Patrick intentionally park in a location which is prohibited by the CC&Rs, Emily exiting the property to the right when I am about 20 feet behind her, and me exiting to the left.  At no point was I driving along side her.  Did I call her a name?  Yes, and that’s not illegal.  Your clients take great pleasure in baiting me, antagonizing me and engaging in offensive activities against myself.  I am human and can only take so much and snap occasionally.  But, once again, I only hope for deescalation and all parties involved to start acting like respectful adults; self included.

As for the incident on the 20th, you may want to ask your clients about the of activities in the window of their home right next to my car, as I left for work, several mornings in the two weeks prior.  Your clients clearly know what time I exit the property every morning and have been waiting for me.  I knew your clients had played me as soon as I exited the property.

In my opinion, lawyers often exacerbate a bad situation.  I fear that’s the case this time.  I will be sending a copy of this email, as well as access to the two videos focused on in this letter, to all parties who received a copy of your letter; excluding you and your clients.  Measures to make sure the videos are not downloadable will be in place and the videos will only be available for viewing for a limited time.  I have the right to defend myself against you and your client’s false and inflammatory claims.

As for the video recording from my phone which is taking place as I enter and exit the property…. There is nothing more I would like than to feel these actions are unjustified.  Most reasonable people would agree taking such precautions to refute allegations like the ones in this letter are justified.  I can guarantee that as soon as I no longer feel the need to record as I come and go from my own home I will stop.

I demand your clients stop all acts of hostility toward me, baiting me, antagonizing me, and engaging in offensive activities against myself and husband; including parking in any manner which is prohibited by the CC&Rs.

I also demand swift and immediate attention to the CC&Rs as this is obviously the crux of the situation and simple adherence to the CC&Rs by your clients will undoubtedly result in deescalation of tension for all parties involved.

Sincerely,

Paul Drinkwine

<end of email>

I think the email I sent in reply speaks for itself. The videos mentioned in the email still exist and I am just itching to post them all… Soon hopefully.

All hell broke loose about me recording after my response. The Compound residents immediately went from waving at me as I drove by recording to beyond outraged over me recording. I believe that as soon as they realized my recordings showed the horrible dregs of humanity they are (IMO), or simply that I could prove they were lying, they became outraged over me recording. 

But what they didn’t know is that I had a video camera on the common area and driveway long before they moved in. So, not too long after the slander above (IMO), residents of The Compound went for it again and used yet another lawyer to accuse me of recording them eating Thanksgiving Dinner… Yes, you read that correctly. Here’s that accusation in all its glory:

And there we have it… It was now abundantly clear to me that those in The Compound would stoop to no low, including invoking their own children, to slander and attack both me and my spouse.

My response to this nonsense was the long video below which shows exactly what took place on November 24, 2016 at 1:48 p.m… My husband and I loaded up the car with homemade foods which we took over to our beloved Grandmother’s home for what would be our last Thanksgiving with her. The video also provides a clear view of the driveway which is the only way on or off the property. Only a windowless corner of The Compound is visible in this video but the driveway is along the south side of The Compound. Watch it if you want but, it’s beyond boring:

Years later it came out Patrick “thought” he saw me with a camera. How one mistakes a pie or spiced cabbage for a camera is beyond me! Well, actually, no it’s not… I believe he and those in The Compound simply wanted to create another Jerry Springer moment and thought they could do so by accusing me of being a voyeur who gets his jollies by watching those he loathes eat their dinner. Really??? Is that even a thing? These people have no shame whatsoever in my opinion… I believe they will do and say anything to make me look bad and harass/slander me.

Their hypocrisy is noteworthy as well. They claim to be outraged over the fact that I am recording as I come and go from my own home. Those complaints only started coming in after they realized my recordings showed how those in the compound would (IMO) stage Jerry Springer moments and then use their lawyers to attack me privately and publically. I could use the videos to show what lying, sick and twisted (IMO) people those in The Compound are. Their outrage was over being caught with their pants down (on camera), not over me recording (IMO). The simple fact that The Compound now has cameras placed strategically all over it to monitor myself (IMO), one of which is pointed at my car, shows they have no problem with them recording me, just me recording them. That my dear readers, is a vivid display of hypocrisy at its finest.

Please note that I didn’t mention the fact that they had a camera named after me in this post until now. I wonder if the one pointed at my car is named “Paul’s car.” have no clue as to the actual number of cameras those in The Compound put up to monitor my movements around the property but I’ll post one of the video collages Patrick made of me in a future post about the courts and how those in The Compound are trying to strip American’s of their right to flip someone off.

For those who like to cook… Here’s my spiced cabbage recipe which is a hit every Thanksgiving and a bit of a tribute to my Grandmother who demanded it twice a year:

Spiced Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large head red cabbage shredded
• 3 medium sized granny smith apples
  • Peeled, cored sliced
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¾ teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Heat a large pan or pot on the stove and then add the oil and cabbage.  Cook till the cabbage is soft to the touch; about 15-mintes. 

Mix in remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10-minutes. 

Uncover and increase heat. Continue to cook and stir until the apples and cabbage are tender to bite; about 5-10 more minutes.

I happen to be a gay white guy in America. If people don’t know I am gay, I’m given the same privileges any blonde haired, blue eyed white guy is given in America. However, when they find out I’m gay, those privileges are revoked and I find myself facing the same challenges (or worse) any minority in America faces. I did win the gay lottery by being born white but I learned early on that coming out changed everything by erasing all my privilege. I cannot imagine how hard being a racial minority and gay must be in America. I really feel for gay black folks in America… I have the utmost respect for gay black Americans who are out and living their best lives.  

I’m sure some of you are already asking this… What would his being gay have to do with any of this? My answer is; a lot. I’ll touch base on this topic throughout my posts because I believe it to be a central part of my experience. Let’s get started by showing how those in The Compound made it clear to me that they knew I was gay… Here is a letter my lawyer sent three lawyers for The Compound residents in May of 2017:

From: Charles

Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2017 15:34

To: ‘Jacob C. Rasmussen’; ‘Joshua P. Hayward’

Cc: ‘sam@rodaboughlaw.com’

Subject: Improper display

Please take notice that your clients, Patrick and Emily Ascolese, are engaged in an improper display of an advertising sign, a rainbow flag with a Sounders logo superimposed upon it, in a visible location on the Ascolese property.  This display plainly violates the following provision of the Declaration:

4.6. Signs: No signs may be displayed on any lot where visible from beyond the lot.

This display may also violate paragraphs 4.9 (External Appearance) and 4.10 (Offensive Activities), the latter because the flag is placed directly in front of the Parking Pad assigned to Paul Drinkwine and Bill Reed, who, it is no secret, are homosexual and, therefore, could be deemed targeted taunting and harassment.

Please instruct your clients to remove the improper display immediately.

<end of email>

Yup, Patrick and/or Emily Ascolese affixed a Gay Pride flag to their fence right in front of my parking spot. The flag remained up for several days after they were told to take it down by our lawyer. Patrick’s lawyer fell on the blade for him and said he forgot to immediately forward the email or something like that. As anyone can see, the email was sent to three lawyers for The Compound. In other words, not one of these three lawyers thought to immediately stop what was clearly being called our as “taunting and harassment” based on my sexuality which is illegal in Seattle. Let’s not mince words here… I think it’s clear not one of those three lawyers had a problem with their clients harassing me about my sexuality. If any one of those three lawyers had a problem with it, I believe they would have had the flag removed immediately.

Patrick’s excuse in court was simply pathetic (IMO). He said something like he had placed the flag on the top of a fort for his kid. At this point in time, I could see through the fence when I pulled into my parking spot. The picture I took shows there was no fort or remnants of one. A gay man is going to see a Pride flag through the fence if it’s on top of a fort on the other side… We’re kind of trained like that. A gay man my age knows to look for Pride flag stickers on business widows so we know if it’s a friendly place to run into if we are about to get the living hell beat out of us for simply being gay. I firmly believe Patrick and Emily attached this flag to their fence to taunt and harass me about my sexuality. I’ve said time and time again that they bait me, this was just one more example of the kind of humans I believe they are… The worst kind! Anyone who baits another based on race, sexuality or any other minority status (including disability) is the dregs of humanity by my books.

I can’t resist digressing briefly… In the previous paragraph I stated, “At this point in time, I could see through the fence when I pulled into my parking spot.” The slats used for the fencing initially had small intentional and uniform gaps in them like a lot of fences do. After the flag incident, Patrick went out and covered up those gaps by nailing slats to the other side of the fence. It looks like crap (IMO). I was also told he broke the fence in an area on the other side of his immediate neighbors due to his shoddy (IMO) craftsmanship. When I got home that night and saw it, I burst into uncontrollable laughter. It struck me as if a paranoid, tinfoil hat wearing, individual had just tried to hide himself from the rest of the world. To this day when I pull into my parking spot, all I see is when I look at that fence is tinfoil held on apartment windows by office tape in the middle of winter and Patrick running around in a hissy fit with a tinfoil hat on.

Getting back on track now… I honestly believe the residents of The Compound, and their lawyers, have no problem using my sexuality to harass me. I also believe they have used my sexuality as a tool in this legal battle and have done so in the most despicable and deplorable manner anyone could.

For well over a year my lawyer said the residents of The Compound were inferring I was making videos of their children naked. I kept wondering what the hell they were talking about and thinking and that there was no low these people would stoop to. The problem was I didn’t know exactly how low these people would stoop! Patrick, Emily, Drew and Kate have exposed me to the reality of how low people will go in legal fights and how some lawyers can and do encourage sociopathic behaviors. How low The Compound residents will go was made clear to me when I was deposed in November of 2018. An excerpt from that deposition is below. One of the lawyers for those residing in The Compound is asking the questions and I am providing the answers:

 Q:  All right. Do you deny that you made video recordings of a minor child in a state of undress as the child was on my clients’ property?

A:  Oh, so you’re really going after the pedophile claim. No, I don’t believe that’s the case. And if I did it would be incidental. Because they do let their children run around publicly naked. So it would be incidental.

Q:  And you agree, then, also that you captured videos or make recordings — let me rephrase the question. You’d be making recordings when my clients’ minor child or children were in their paddling pool on my clients’ property?

A:  No. But I wish I would have got the one of Kate in the paddling pool. I don’t believe that I do have videos. And I could be wrong. But if I did, it would be incidental. I’m not targeting children.

Q:  Did you —

A:  And the implication you are making is sick, obscene, and disgusting. And I want that on the record.

Q:  Do you recall making video recordings as you would pass in front of my clients’ property while their children were in a paddling pool on my clients’ yard?

A: It would not have been intentional. It would have been incidental. They would have been out there. So if I had, which I can’t recall right now, it would be incidental. They would have been outside. I would have driven by. It would have been captured. I know you’re fishing for some kind of pedophile thing. And it’s sick. It’s disgusting. Just because I’m gay does not mean I’m a pedophile. It’s very clear where you’re going here, and it’s sick, it’s obscene, and it needs to be on the record again.

Q:  So, sir, is it your testimony that you don’t know one way or the other whether you were pointing your video camera in the direction of my clients’ properties while their children were outside in my clients’ yard, in their paddling pool?

MR. FROHLICH:  Objection; asked and answered. Go ahead.

THE WITNESS:  Thank you. It’s been answered.

MS. ALTARAS:  You can answer it again.

MR. FERGUSON:  You have to answer subject to the objection, sir.

THE WITNESS: Okay. Once again —

MR. FERGUSON:· Would you please read back my question to him. And the reason I’m asking the question again is because you’re not answering the question; you’re giving a speech. So would you please read it back to him again. And let’s try to answer my question.

Question read by the reporter: “So, sir, is it your testimony that you don’t know one way or the other whether you were pointing your video camera in the direction of my clients’ properties while their children were outside in my clients’ yard, in their paddling pool?”

THE WITNESS:  Once again, if the children were outside in a paddling pool and I was driving by, recording, they would have been captured. No, I’m not intentionally filming children. No, I’m not a pedophile. And, yes, I believe you’re a disgusting human being for bringing it up.

Q:  Mr. Ferguson)· So —

A:  For the implication.

Q:  do you know one way or the other whether, when you would pass in front of my clients’ house, pointing your video camera onto their property, whether there were times that you did that where their kids or a kid was outside in a paddling pool in their yard?

MR. FROHLICH:  Asked and answered.

THE WITNESS:  Once again, if they would have been outside as I drove by and I was recording, they would have been captured. So, unequivocally, I do not know. If they were captured, it would have been what’s — the only way I can describe it is collateral damage. Your implication is disgusting.

Q: (By Mr. Ferguson) So then you confirm, then, that you think it’s at least possible that, as you would pass in front of my clients’ house, pointing your cell phone camera towards their property, that you would be making recordings of the children when they were in a paddling pool?

A:  Yes.

<end of excerpt>

Time and time again I have said I need to record as I come and go from my property to defend myself from what I believe are fictitious and whimsical claims those in The Compound make about me. I will have more on that in the next post, or shortly thereafter. However, right now need to keep elaborating about the claim The Compound residents and their lawyers keep making that I am recording their children naked…

Gay men my age grew up being called perverts, sexual deviants, child molesters and on and on and on. These false accusations were done to imply that we are less than those who are heterosexual. Those claims and accusations worked until we started coming out of the closet and talking about who we are and the struggles we faced. Unfortunately, these scandalous and false narratives have been burned into the unconscious biases so prevalent today. I believe many people know this and still use these false narratives to undermine and discredit those who fall under the sexual minority umbrella.

I firmly believe The Compound residents and their lawyers love to use my sexuality as a tool in their legal maneuvering. Does anyone reading this think residents of The Compound and their lawyers would have implied a heterosexual white male was making kiddy porn of their kids? I seriously doubt they would have. I believe the simple fact that these people will use my sexuality to trigger biases in their favor shows each one of them is the worst kind of human.

Here’s another excerpt from the same deposition:

Q: (By Mr. Ferguson)· Okay. Look at this next one here, Exhibit 38. This video is File No. PaulCam-2016-28—0801 [sic]. Again, a video taken from a security camera on my clients’ property, looking south towards the easement.

<end of excerpt>

That little nugget is important… I believe most rational individuals would believe this shows those in The Compound set up a video camera named after myself with the single purpose of recording me and monitoring my movements on the property.

Here’s the next excerpt from the same deposition:

Q:  (By Mr. Ferguson) So, Mr. Drinkwine, I’m going to show you this next video here. This is taken from our – one of the security cams in front of our clients’ house. This will be Exhibit 42.· The video is titled IllyNaked, underscore, 20160605191120, underscore, 34, underscore, 42834.· This has been produced to you in discovery. I don’t know if you recognize the document number. But I’m going to play a portion of it for you.

(Video playing.)

Q:  (By Mr. Ferguson)· Is that your car depicted in this image?

A:  Yeah.

Q:  Is that what looks like your cell phone peeking up above your driver-side door in between your driver-side side mirror and the door handle?

A:  That’s speculation, but sure.

Q: Well, does it look like it to you?

A:  I can’t tell. There’s not enough image. There’s not enough of it present in the image.

Q:  Okay. How about now? We’re at — still at six seconds on the video. Does that show you a little better there? Do you see a little rectangle that peeks up above the space where the window meets the door?

A: No. It looks like the rearview mirror on the other side of the car to me.

Q:  Okay.· So you don’t think you’re recording in this image?

A:  I don’t know.

Q:  Okay.· How about now? See that little rectangle right there, in the car? We’re at, for the record, seven seconds in the video.

A:  I don’t — where? Point to it.

Q:  Rectangle right there. That look like your cell phone camera?

A:  With your pen? No. It looks like that’s actually the other side, the dark side of the rearview mirror that attaches to the body of the car.

Q:  Okay. All right. It’s your testimony.

A:  And also for the record, it shows that the naked child is on — is being obfuscated from my view by the parent.

Q:  Oh· So you recognize there’s a naked child in this recording?

A:  At the tail end, you paused it right where there was a naked child. So yes.

Q:  Okay.

A:  It looks like — it looks like the mother’s holding a naked child.

Q:  Okay.

A:  And if the parents know I’m recording and let their children choose to run around naked, that speaks volumes about the parents, not me.

<end of excerpt>

So, there we have it… The Compound residents and their lawyers produced a video of me driving off the property, which was created on a video camera named after myself, of Emily walking their naked child in front of the camera as I drove up the driveway, named the video “IllyNaked”, and they are using it to try and prove I am creating videos of their children naked… SERIOUSLY!?!?!?! Furthermore, their lawyer appears to claim victory because I note their kid is naked when he led the conversation with this video is name “My Kid Naked.” What did I say about the dregs of humanity?

Not only did they produce it but I believe it’s pretty obvious they produced it as well. I (and my lawyers) think it’s pretty obvious this video was stagged. Now let’s revisit an excerpt from a statement Emily Ascolese gave to the court about this incident:

“One encounter with Mr. Drinkwine in early June of 2016 stands out in my memory. I was in my second trimester of my pregnancy with our youngest daughter, and our oldest daughter was nearly two. I was at home during a very hot day caring for our oldest daughter, Illy. Toward the end of the day, to cool off, I filled my daughter’s wading pool with water outside our kitchen window so she could play in the water and I could place my feet in it. We did not go into our backyard because landscaping and construction in the backyard was not finished. My daughter was wearing a swim diaper. Our kitchen window is about 15-20 feet from the driveway in front of our house that leads back to the parking area near out other neighbors’ houses, including Mr. Drinkwine’s. My daughter and I were playing in the pool and the general area. At one point, Illy took off her diaper and toddled off toward Katie and Drew’s house and stared waling up their outside stairs. I followed after her and picked her up from the stairs, and when I turned around to walk back to the pool, I saw Mr. Drinkwine driving toward us up the driveway. I clearly saw him pointing his smartphone camera toward my daughter and me as he drove toward and past us in a manner that suggested he was making a recording of us.”

So here we have Emily telling the court there was a pool filled with water and her kid was playing in it and Emily herself had her feet in it. The problem is there is no pool or a single drop of water present in this video. The pavement is entirely dry as far as I can tell. The kid is obviously dry too. When Emily places the kid down, Emily’s clothing is dry as well. Even the kid’s sandals are dry.

I’m not sure if many of you caught this line from one of the deposition excerpts above: “So, Mr. Drinkwine, I’m going to show you this next video here. This is taken from our – one of the security cams in front of our clients’ house.” Their lawyer initially states it was taken from “our” and then quickly changed direction. This guy is in bed tight with the occupants of The Compound (IMO). This is the same guy who said in an excerpt above “You’d be making recordings when my clients’ minor child or children were in their paddling pool on my clients’ property?” Where’s the pool? Where’s the water? I don’t think it beyond this lawyer to instruct his clients to stage a video like this.

Here’s another excerpt from the same deposition:

A:  …– why are you laughing at me?

Q:  I’m not.

A:  Yes, you are.

This same lawyer had laughed at me several times during the deposition. I needed to get it on the record and my lawyers were proud of me for doing so. This guy – if I can call him that – came across as beyond smarmy and it was more than apparent to me, he simply enjoyed wallowing in smarminess and being awful to another human. IMO… This is the type of lawyer who gives all lawyers a bad name.

The residents of The Compound and their lawyers all keep talking about a pool which is not present and there is zero indication of any water in the video. I believe this goes well beyond sketchy and steps into harassment and using a lawyer to harass. Also, their cars would normally have been parked there and blocked the view but, vehicles were conveniently missing during the creations of this video. What’s more important is that from Patrick and Emily’s home they have a clear view down the pathway on the property which leads to my front door. I believe the simplest explanation for this video is that it was completely staged. I believe they planned it and waited until they saw me exiting my home. As soon as I exited my home, I bet Emily ran out to parade their naked child in front of a video camera named after myself as I drove by so they could play on unconscious biases against gay folks. And, I believe their lawyers are 100% complicit in this, what I see as, revolting human behavior.

In one of the excerpts above I said “…I wish I would have got the one of Kate in the paddling pool.” One day I was driving out and noticed her between the parked vehicles spread-eagle in the kiddie pool. If my memory serves me correctly there were beer cans beside this very small kiddie pool which she was soaking in. Her legs were spread wide open with her crotch facing me. I thought to myself “I did not just see that!” I snuck a peak as I drove by the crack in the vehicles and received horrific confirmation… I DID JUST SEE THAT!!! I remember thinking WTF and looking at the thermomotor in my car which registered 69. I damn near threw up a little in the back of my mouth then and now.

And that my dear readers, are the type of people who reside in The Compound (IMO).

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