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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2018)
4A • October 26, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com SignalViewpoints A customized massage for your aches and pains I R.J. MARX Getting on and off a carousel is difficult if you’re a furry. LIFE IN THE FUR LANE W hat kind of person gets in a fur suit and travels across the state for a good cause? For these costumed folks, every day is Halloween. And for others, it is a lifestyle. Louis Lamp (pronounced “Louie”) is a member of a group called the SEEN FROM SEASIDE “Pool Party,” original- ly intended to spoof the R.J. MARX political system. Now the group has grown and brought its mem- bership to Seaside. Earlier this month, members of the group descended on Seaside to spread cheer and to help raise funds for children’s swimming lessons and children’s theater. Q: What is the “Pool Party”? Is it political? Lamp: The group comes from all walks of life and not all, but most opinions. Most of us are primarily getting away from our jobs, going to have fun. I believe in going out into the community and raising money for nonprofits or interacting with the public. We’re working on becoming a 501(c)3. Q: How hot is it in the fur suit? Lamp: Almost too hot. For folks who do it really they build up stamina, but we make sure they have water and radios, we don’t want any one overheating, imagine the weight of a sofa without the frame. Some people have small fans or cool in vests built inside. On hot days, shorter shifts, I can’t even go 30 minutes. For those who have tolerance built up, they can go 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Q: What’s your background? Lamp: I’m retired from the Army. Q: Do you want to talk about your military experience? Lamp: Sure. I was in the Army for about 10 years. I joined in 1999, retired in 2009. I was overseas for almost half my career, four years in Germany and then I invaded Iraq. After the invasion, most of my overseas duty was temporary duty six weeks here, two weeks there. When I retired from the Army, I had a huge problem with crowds. It didn’t matter what kind of crowd, I couldn’t get on a bus. I fell into the furry community by accident. A friend of mine, a writer in Northern California, said, “Stop by, we’re having a conven- tion.” It was “Further Confusion,” in 2009 in San Jose, California. I had more fun than I’ve ever had at that convention than any sci-fi or anime convention. Three thousand people in one hotel and I didn’t get triggered once. Crowds didn’t bother me at all. I called my therapist and said, ‘I’ve got a cure for this one thing. For me it was a “no-duh.” I probably got 100 hugs at my first convention. To put things in perspective, veterans often find a few ways to escape and the way I escape is constructive and good for me. It’s not for everybody. Of the choices most veterans wind up going through, I think I came out OK. Q: This was almost therapy? Lamp: Quite a big part. I still haven’t gone to rock concerts or other crowded events. Q: Tell me about the suits you wear. Lamp: Fur suits are like zoot suits, only warmer. Q: Are they based on cartoon favorites? Lamp: It’s much more of a personal expression of an idea, rather than saying “I’m Tony the Tiger” or “I’m Bugs Bunny.” Q: Where do you get the suits? Lamp: It’s very much a cottage industry. Some of us make our own. Q: If you can’t sew can you do this? Lamp: You can definitely learn. I have no talent. A friend is help- ing with my suit. Q: Are they gender free? Lamp: That is totally up to the individual. I’d say most of the time no one is worried about gender, but they will have an apparent gender, male or female. Q: How much does a typical fur suit cost? Lamp: Costumes are about $2,000 to $4,000, and they can run as high as $15,000. Q: You have parties at pool throughout the state. Do you go in the pool with the costumes? Lamp: No! Just like pets, faux fur will shed. The last thing you want to have happen to a pool pump is for that to shed. We go swim- ming out of the costumes. In bathing suits. Q: Does the audience see you disrobing? Lamp: We tend to keep any disrobing out of sight, out of mind of families and kids. We call it “ruining the magic.” Imagine if you’ve got your family, kids or grand-kids at Disneyland and then Mickey PUBLISHER EDITOR Kari Borgen R.J. Marx Mouse takes off his head and swigs a bottle of water. It’s all over. Q: How many members do you have? Lamp: We’ve got about 35, in- cluding a few couples and teens. Q: What are some of the other careers of group members? Lamp: We have some in the military, a lot of folks involved in art, sewing, illustration, outside the cottage industry side of things, a lot of IT folks, firefighters, EMTs, first responders. Then you have the R.J. MARX folks who work at Burgerville. Q: What are some of your fa- Louis Lamp in Seaside. vorite causes? Lamp: For conventions it will be for no-kill animal shelters, con- servation efforts, things along those lines. In Seaside, for this year, our pet causes are the Clatsop Children’s Theatre Company and the Sunset Rec Foundation. We’re raising money for sponsoring swim- ming lessons for kids who need to learn how to swim but aren’t able to afford it. Q: What is your costume? Lamp: Mine is a gray-and-lavender dragon. What we call a “par- tial.” I have a head, paws, tail and feet. I have to wear long sleeves underneath because I don’t have a body suit. Q: What’s that? Lamp: That covers the neck from the ankles. I have a fur-suit head. Q: How are you generally received? Lamp: Some people are indifferent. If they want space away from us, that’s OK. Out in public most of our time is making we don’t step on people’s toes — kidding — but getting on and off the carousel is harder than people would think. Q: How do you communicate with the audience at an event? Lamp: When we’re in public there are a number of us who are not in costume, we call them handlers because there are number of characters who might not speak or communicate via barks or chirps. We make sure to have a couple of people on hand to welcome the public, answer questions and make sure no one gets hurt. Q: What sounds does a dragon make? Lamp: I get tired of “Roar!”After 15 minutes my throat is raw, I’m still finding my voice, so to speak. Q: What does the costume say about the person? Lamp: A lot of times it will express who we want to be. A lot of folks are very reserved in public. They don’t want to perform or talk with people they’re paralyzed with anxiety. When you are in suit, all of that disappears and is off to the side, very much like an actor in a role, in character. Whereas an actor has training in becoming that role, for those who have no experience with that, it’s a very easy mental cue. It’s important for their identity. Q: Have you ever fallen? Lamp: When I was bowling in a previous fur suit. It’s retired now. It had felt on its feet. On a bowling alley it was like a cartoon, the feet shuffling back and forth. Q: I understand you work with children in area hospitals. Lamp: Some of us to a children’s hospital every month to visit the kids. Q: What’s that like? Lamp: Nobody goes to a hospital to have a good day, especially kids who are in patient, 5 to 15 years old. That’s the kind of giving back money can’t buy. I wouldn’t quite put it in the realm of a high- er calling, but for a few minutes, when they are interacting with us and getting photos, they’re not thinking about insurance, diagnoses, prognoses or how it will affect their lives going forward. It’s really nice. Q: How do kids respond? Lamp: Almost universally they are overjoyed to see us. And when they’re not, they very clearly don’t want to have anything else to do with us. If I had a tip for parents that encounter us in public, it’s happened a few times, if your kid is not clearly interested in being around us, don’t force them. “But they’re so cute,” and this baby wailing. We try to nonverbally communicate, sometimes the handler will intercede, a picture would be nice but another day. I would hate to be that kid. Q: Same with dogs. How do they look at you? Lamp: They look at us like we’re weird humans. Q: How will you be spending Halloween? Lamp: I usually answer my door in costume. Some of us trick or treat. CIRCULATION MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER Jeremy Feldman John D. Bruijn ADVERTISING SALES SYSTEMS MANAGER April Olsen Carl Earl CLASSIFIED SALES Danielle Fisher STAFF WRITER Brenna Visser CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Skyler Archibald Rebecca Herren Katherine Lacaze Eve Marx Esther Moberg Jon Rahl was feeling stressed and achy and my sciatica was acting up. I needed a vacation but I only had sixty minutes. So I went on line and booked a massage with Aleshia Ryan Boucher at Seaside Massage and Spa, located in the heart of downtown Seaside. “I like to talk with my clients and design a massage specific to their own needs and pains,” Boucher said. I remarked that ordering a massage is not unlike ordering a pizza, meaning it can be customized. Seaside Massage and Spa opened a VIEW FROM few months THE PORCH ago in the EVE MARX Westport Winery building. You enter through the shop called Rust & Dust and head up to a mezzanine level. Seaside Massage and Spa is the first door on the right. Seaside Massage and Spa has a full menu of syb- aritic offerings including Swedish massage, hot stone massage, traditional Thai massage, pregnancy massage, and massage for couples. They also wax. There’s a full menu of therapeutic facials, essential I believe, for a person like myself who has eschewed more radical interventions like injectables and Botox. The spa also offers premiere treatments like the Couples Ocean Escape, a 75 minute luxury experience that includes hot towels, aromatherapy, and light refreshments. Enhance- ments can be added on to any regular massage such as aromatherapy, cupping (using silicone cups, not fire) and CBD balm. I decided to spring the extra $20 for the CBD balm add-on. Alishia offered two versions; straight up CBD and one that’s infused with arnica. Both choices are THC-free, which means you won’t get high, but you will get pain relief/inflammation reducing relief. Since my left knee these days is just bone grinding on bone, and I’ve had success before treating pain with arnica, I went for that. This would be a good time to say Alishia gives a world class massage. There was judicious use of hot towels; she did a little stretching of my neck muscles; I asked for more pressure, not less. Soothing unguents were meticulously worked into my flesh. Unfortunately Alishia and I talked the whole time. We have a nice connection. Next time I’m going to lie there like a blob. After an hour of professional rubbing, I crawled off the table feeling light and floaty. I went in with a stiff neck, aching shoulders, sciatica, and a sore knee, but after my massage, nothing hurt. Best of all, the positive effects lasted many days. My friends were all curious about the CBD. Most of them wanted to know did I get high, which just goes to show you how far we have to go educating people about cannabis. Without THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid found in the marijuana plant, you don’t get high or stoned. I understand that could be disappoint- ing. The use of CBD oils continues to gain momen- tum in medical and healing circles with good reason. Scientific studies support the belief CBD is effective in treating anxiety, depression, chronic pain, even acne. In a perfect world, I’d get a massage every week. I’m sure I’d be a much better person. Whose disposi- tion and attitude isn’t improved from being free of pain and rubbed into euphoria? The CBD balm doesn’t hurt. In fact, I totally recom- mend it. Book your own hour of rest and relaxation at book- seasidemassage.com or call 971-320-0624. Outcall service is also available. Psst. A gift certificate makes an excellent holiday present. LETTERS Elk matters in Gearhart The Oct. 2 article in The Daily Astorian, “Gearhart council candidates take on key issues” needs clarification. 1. The elk herd is not a City Council issue as por- trayed by the paper and candidate Jack Zimmerman, but falls under the purview of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This has been explained in council and in- formal public meetings. 2. The ODFW did not allow Costco and Walmart or urban sprawl to push the herd out of its environs and into city streets. 3. Most egregious is Zimmerman’s statement that the elk herd has hoof rot disease. I have seen elk with this debilitating disease, the symptoms of which are very ap- parent. The herd spent Oct. 2 in my yard and I can say that none have this disease. ODFW has confirmed that the herd does not have hoof rot, so I decided to correct the record. It is disturbing that a candidate would be misinformed and spread misconceptions. The current council is pursu- ing a citizen’s suggestion to prohibit feeding of wildlife. They continue to provide information to citizens for ways to discourage elk from feeding on landscaping. They post warning signs on how to stay safe from ag- gressive elk behavior. These actions are within their responsibilities and helpful to the citizens. I am one of the citizens who considers the elk an en- joyable part of our natural environment. I don’t believe I am the only one holding this view. John Green Gearhart Affordable housing goals People who work on the Oregon Coast should be able to afford to live on the Oregon Coast. But See Letters, Page 5A Seaside Signal Letter policy Subscriptions The Seaside Signal is published every other week by EO Media Group, 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, OR 97138. 503-738-5561 seasidesignal.com Copyright 2018 © Seaside Signal. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. The Seaside Signal welcomes letters to the editor. The deadline is noon Monday prior to publication. Letters must be 400 words or less and must be signed by the author and include a phone number for verification. We also request that submissions be limited to one letter per month. Send to 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, OR 97138, drop them off at 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive or fax to 503-738-9285, or email rmarx@seasidesignal.com Annually: $40.50 in county • $58.00 in and out of county • e-Edition: only $30.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaside Signal, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. Postage Paid at Seaside, OR, 97138 and at additional mailing offices. 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