A Brief History of
Rent is Theft events

September '96
Jack and Jessamyn move into the Ballard Odd Fellows Hall and concoct the Rent is theft scheme

October '96
First Rent is Theft party: five people show up

November '96
Second Party: over 30 attendees, much food. Everyone is very tall, it seems. First Rent is Theft party to be captured on digital video [but not the last...]

December '96
Leftovers Party: three days after Thanksgiving

January '97
New Year's Day Brunch. Jack cooks eggs benedict for 30.

February '97
Odd Stock I: slides, video, music and racy poetry.

March '97
Bingo Night Potluck: O 69!

April '97
Farewell to Jack Six Bags of Chips and a Carrot Party

May '97
Swap Meet Potluck: brought ten bags of clothes to the chicken soup brigade. Squid guns, plastic ballerinas, leather briefcases and t-shirts, t-shirts, t-shirts.

June '97
Australian Beach Party: way too much food, much merriment and the pinata that would not die.

July/August '97
Special Double-Issue Odd Stock: poetry, Russian rap, stand-up comedy, beer merriment and a very surly host

September '97
Pancake Birthday Breakfast '97: Blueberry pancakes & waffles for 50, random gift exchange and more roller skating.

October '97
Bought the Farm: too much hay, just enough candy corn, leftover rum and nearly too cold to smoke outside.

November
Halloween '97!

Thanksgiving '97
your standard food fest

December '97
Odd Stock III: unicycles, juggling, lounge acts, dancing, stories, fun!

January '98
Omlette Bar: make your own omlette with special surprise favorite, apples!

February '98
Bingo Potluck: O 69! A lot of folks and fun prizes and good beer.

March '98
Odd Stock IV: an ever improving tradition of super open mike, this time with nutty wig-wearing guys, chicks playing bass, lots of poetry and singing and excellent beer.

April '98
Zanga Zanga Dance Party! a really great Zimbabwean band played for free & much dancing was had by all.

May '98
Spring Cleaning closets got cleaned, stuff got gotten and gotten rid of and bagels for everyone

July '98
Odd Stock V small, intimate, and still enough jugglers to go around.

October '98
Whirly Ball Rent is Theft goes on the road and plays a cross between Jai Alai and bumper cars up in Edmonds.

December '98
So Called Christmas Rent is Theft goes on the road again down the street to Freelard to watch 12 hours of movies, eat Chinese food and partake in recreational drugs and drinking.

Dec/Jan '98-'99
New Years Eve: a special Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat, for Jack who missed Thanksgiving this year, fun, small and dandelion wine that tasted like turpentine.

January '99
Odd Stock VI: The best ever. 120 people, a wide range of talented performers, no one who sucked and some tasty Odd Grog.

March '99
African Dance Party: Zanga Zanga, Anzanga and Mahonyera played African folk music while a hundred people danced and danced.

April '99
Brunch! Free eggs at Ballard Market = good brunching for 20 on a Sunday morning.

May '99
Odd Stock Seven!! Tons of people. It's hard to believe that there is still good new talent, but we found it.

July '99
African dancing. Another 100 people dancing to the supreme stylings of Zanga Zanga and Tiny Giants.

July '99
Bingo. The best prizes in town were won by all at the White Elephant Bingo Melee.

Dec '99 - Jan '00
Billediub. Sleepover New Year's Eve in Vermont. Lovely lovely lovely. Watch this space, same time next year.

Feb '00
WWMT. I still have not sent the postcards I made in the Women Who Make Things event....

March '00
Odd Stock Finale. The last Odd Stock, the end of an era, a beautiful farewell.

July '01
4th of July Weekend at Jessamyn's -- people in tents, big big BBQ, fun fun fun.