Victoria On My Mind

By now many of you have heard of Groupon and the offers they extend. Well, I went and bought so half off coupons on the Victoria Clipper and so they need to be booked by next Sunday and used by end of October. Going to head up last week of September and then again in late October. Going to do a winery tour on the first trip and plan on doing that one with a friend from California. The second trip would be a go as we go trip and just have the dates. Often I get to join Markie at the Worldmark property that is right on the inner bay. My first trip is going to have us at the Coast Hotel which is right next door. Got a screamin' online deal for a night and also a dinner voucher for the Blue Crab Grill and have been wanting to try it for some time. Should be a good time for us.

A Day Of "Get To's"

This was a day of "get to's" and so what does that mean? Well, there are things that you want to "get to" and just do not seem to have the time during the week, such as:

• Cooking food ahead including a dozen hard boiled eggs


• Calling old friends and either talking or leaving messages


• Putting DVD's in the binders you got back in January


• Catching up on posts in the blog


• Taking a long and earned nap


• Sorting cards and letters and tossing some and keeping others


• Recycle the old fan


• Breaking down boxes and recycle them


• Making a list of "get to's" for the future


• Sending some long delayed emails


• Checking some old websites you have not been on in a while


• Prep bills to be paid


• Store last month's receipts


• Read a magazine


• Sort stack of books to be recycled


• Ordered a stool, clothes and groceries online

Yes, it has been a very good day indeed!

Horror In Norway

The 32-year-old Norwegian man suspected of Norway's shooting and bomb massacre calls his deeds "atrocious" yet "necessary" and will explain in court, his lawyer said.

Anders Behring Breivik was arrested after Friday's massacre of 85 people — mostly teens — on a tiny forested holiday island that was hosting a summer camp for the youth wing of Norway's ruling Labor party. Breivik was also charged in the bombing of Oslo's government district, which killed seven people hours earlier.

"He has said that he believed the actions were atrocious, but that in his head they were necessary," defense lawyer Geir Lippestad told TV2 news.

Lippestad said his client was willing to explain himself in a court hearing on Monday. The court will decide at the hearing whether to keep the suspect in detention pending his trial.

If convicted on the terrorism charges, he would face a maximum of 21 years in jail, police said.

It was unclear what unleashed the bloodshed, though news agency NTB said Breivik was a member of a gun club and legally owned firearms. At the shooting, police said Breivik carried a Glock pistol and an automatic weapon. Police said Breivik surrendered to authorities and has since confessed.Deputy police chief Roger Andresen declined to comment on the possible motive for the killings, but said: "We have no more information than ... what has been found on (his) own websites, which is that is goes toward the right (wing) and that it is, so to speak, Christian fundamentalist."

Breivik, who liked guns and weight-lifting, belonged to an anti-immigration party and opposed multi-culturalism, Islam and the "cultural Marxists" of the establishment.

A video on the YouTube website promoting a fight against Islam apparently showed pictures of the suspect, wearing a wetsuit and pointing an automatic weapon. The pictures appear at the end of an approximately 12-minute video called "Knights Templar 2083". The video has been removed from the site Saturday afternoon.

While police said Breivik was previously unknown to them, people who knew him said he was quiet, if intense.

"He was rather introverted at school, even though he was a good student," said Michael Tomola, who knew Breivik from the age of 13 to 16 at the school they went to in an Oslo suburb.

"I'm very surprised by this (attack). I had a good impression, although he became very engaged in subjects he cared for. He got very extreme about things he cared for," Tomola told Reuters.

Online activity
His Internet activity traced so far included no calls to violence. Facebook page set up last week included a variety of interests such as hunting and political and stock analysis.

His tastes in music included classical and trance, a hypnotic form of dance music.

A Facebook profile for an Oslo man of that name and age was removed early Saturday. It included a profile photo identical to the one being used by Norwegian media. In the profile, he listed himself as "single," "Christian" and "conservative" and says he is director of Breivik Geofarm. It had listed interests including bodybuilding, conservative politics and freemasonry. The account had no posts.

In comments from 2009 to 2010 to other people's articles on website www.document.no, which calls itself critical of Islam, Breivik criticized European policies of trying to accommodate the cultures of different ethnic groups.

"When did multiculturalism cease to be an ideology designed to deconstruct European culture, traditions, identity and nation-states?" said one his entries, posted on Feb. 2, 2010.

Another entry dated Feb. 16 last year said: "According to two studies, 13 percent of young British Muslims aged between 15 and 25 support al Qaeda ideology."

Breivik wrote he was a backer of the "Vienna School of Thought," which was against multiculturalism and the spread of Islam.

He also wrote he admired Geert Wilders, the populist anti-Islam Dutch politician, for following that school.

Wilders said in a statement on Saturday: "I despise everything he stands for and everything he did."

With Thanks to MSNBC for this information and photos.

One Month Down & Two To Go

It is no secret, I do not like summer. Of the four seasons, it is my least favorite. I really like autumn as the days grow cooler and there is the abundance of color as the leaves turn color. Pumpkins and Halloween make for a lot of fun and the days grow dark earlier. Then we get into the holiday season and winter arrives. What an awesome time as it gets cool and quiet. Things slow down a bit and after the holidays we have a bit of time to catch our breath as the new year shows so much opportunity. A clean slate. Then as February comes to a close there is a yearning to throw open windows and doors and welcome the arrival of spring with all the variations of green. Pastel colors and Easter we all try and think about putting a new face forward. And then plop - summer arrives. Hot, triple digit, sweat, smelly, long days and short tempers. No, I am not a fan, but I get through it and just try and stay cool. Cheers!

We Are So Lucky In Seattle

So this heat wave business is getting really out of control as the country is just getting plastered with record temps left and right. A dome of heat and pressure is sitting over us right now and no relief is in sight. Now mind you that is happening in most of the country and not here in Seattle. Nope, we are so lucky. Here is is the 201st day of the year and they were showing on the weather forecast this morning that in the first 200 days of the year we have been below normal for highs each day 172 of those 200. Mind you we have been at regular only 23 and on 5 days we got above the average high. We have had 1 hour at 80 degrees this year, ONE HOUR! Too amazing for words to be sure.We have had some stunning days of beautiful weather and there have been a lot of days that we want to forget, but come on folks, look east and be glad. Talked to a friend this week and at 11pm in Virginia it was 96 degrees without the heat index figured in! ICK!

All I can say is that I love living in Seattle and I have my AC at the ready to keep me comfortable and relaxed. But I do have to ponder that with all this stress on the power grid in this country, doesn't just make it such a target for some of those crazy people around the world? I do worry at times about how they might take aim and shut down one or more of the power plants and begin a full roll out black out- YIKES! Stay cool and drink water!!

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Markie...

The week of being a social diva! Who knew. After the Ya-Ya weekend it has been playing catch-up on dinner with friends. Markie comes over and we have a lovely meal of some type of protein and usually a salad. Toss in a few cocktails and a bottle of wine perhaps and poof, a meal is born. Pork or lamb are the usual suspects and it has been known to happen where I call and say, "Break out the steaks, I need beef!" And he does. Today was a complete and yet quite welcome surprise. He did a lovely job and above is a picture of some lovely Tilapia. Granted, they did not look like that, but had been cleaned and were white fillets. Butter, lime spices and poof, we're cooking and loving it. The one thing I am noticing more and more is that I am eating less and less. But no problems there. Still eating 5 times a day and the energy is on the way back.

Wonderful Dinner

Actually it was Wonderful who came over for dinner. He is a dear faerie also know as Jeff Crandall and is an amazing poet who is a master with glass. He has done numerous works that are displayed around my apartment. From the moment you walk in the door (a wall piece to the left) to martini glasses, poetry bottles and a glorious poetry globe piece that glows in the evening. Just a delight to have such magical and wonderful items throughout the apt. You can learn more by visiting his website for Inverse Studio. We enjoy Thai food and good chat. Sadly, when the clock ticked 9, it was time to end the evening as I had a full day ahead tomorrow and needed to get up early.

France or Italy?

Biking might be going on in France, but Michael brought an amazing quiche to the table on Sunday as he made a fabulous deep dish quiche with an amazing overtone of Italy that it became a story of epic proportions. Seriously, it was a thing of beauty. And yes, I blew it and did not take a picture. I need to have the camera out more often. He added some roasted potatoes and then Rob & Jodie stopped at Top Pot Doughnuts for Maple Bars. Add in some coffee and Prosecco and poof you have a lovely brunch.

Voula's, Blockus, Tour de France

Yes, try and tie all these together and see what you get? Well, for the Ya-Ya's, it was morning, noon and night as we had a day that was filled with light and laughter. Breakfast was a delight and no one at the table finished their breakfast and do take time to read the review I posted. It was a lot of fun to get there finally and in the first 40 minutes, the place packed out.

Afterwards, it was nap time and we then gathered together for an afternoon of games and we played Blockus and it is a hoot, especially when drinking wine! Now one would be proud to know that we carefully paced ourselves throughout the afternoon and evening and only 7 bottles of wine were drained. From white to red, we tasted a bit of everything. After some games of "A Christmas Story" and dessert we capped off the evening watching a stage of the Tour de France. All I can say is OH MY GOD!

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

While so many places in Seattle keep trying to be more and more hip, but a holdout still thrives on the shores of Lake Union. Tucked behind the boatyards a few doors down from Dunn Lumber, Voula's Offshore Cafe serves breakfasts substantial enough to power fishermen through chilly days at sea -- or weekend rowing-club warriors, as the case now may be -- and there's not a latte machine in sight.

Pouring strong drip coffee since the 1950s, Voula's has been operated for the past two decades by Voula Vlahos and her sons, Sikey and Nikos, who add unabashed Greek zip to American diner classics. The Greek Hobo Breakfast ($9.95) is a snappy example. It's home fries and scrambled eggs, but with extra zest from feta cheese, mushrooms and Greek sausage. It tastes a lot better than it looks.

Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" stopped by a few years back and they highlighted the following:

PIÑATA BENEDICT.................................................10.95
Our in-house smoked pork and poached eggs on grilled English muffins,
topped with chipotle hollandaise sauce. Served with hashbrowns.

SMOKEY THE SALMON...............................................10.75
Three eggs scrambled with our in-house smoked Alaskan King salmon,
cream cheese and green onions. Served with hashbrowns and toast.

HOBO............................................................ 9.95
Country sausage, onions, mushrooms, hash browns, and eggs
scrambled together and topped with cheddar cheese.

GREEK HOBO...................................................... 9.95
Greek sausage, onions, mushrooms, hash browns, and eggs
scrambled together and topped with Feta cheese.

NAKED HOBO...................................................... 9.95
Mushrooms, onions, green peppers, hashbrowns and eggs
scrambled together. Topped with choice of Feta or Cheddar cheese
and tomatoes.

BILLY BISCUITS.................................................. 9.95
Biscuit and gravy, hashbrowns and two eggs.

CHINESE PANCAKE................................................. 7.65
Plate-sized pancake with minced ham and egg inside.

Ya-Ya Weekend Goes Fluid

Originally we were going to be in Yakima and then things got crazy for Katrina aka Flying Dog and so she opted to postpone until autumn. Not a problem, we can have a get together here in Seattle. Thus, the theme popped "Christmas in July" since I love Christmas and it was to be in July. We would watch "A Christmas Story" and play the game by the same name. Also, we would do a big theme dinner with turkey and all the trimmings plus gifts and a train ride up towards Mt. Rainier. Well, it did not quite work out that way. This was a killer week and I was not at top energy and Michael was in a conference a lot of the week. Rob & Jodie played host to his sister and husband on Friday and well, it rained! Yes folks, for those of you outside the northwest, we hit a high of 62 on Saturday and it rained. Thus, no train and we decided to let the weekend unfold. Well, read on and see how it all turns out. Michal and I stayed in on Friday and enjoyed some adult beverages plus Pad Thai. A wonderful beginning...

Back In The Saddle Again

Feeling batter to be sure. Work was a challenge to be sure as the boss had a bit of a lapse in memory that nearly cost me my work situation. Calm minds and perseverance saved the day and I still have a job to go to tomorrow. I also have to say that I sat there tonight watching "Big Brother" saying I cannot believe I am watching this mindless program over and over again. Get this, I watched the entire hour. OK, stop it!

My Mind is in a Fog...

Summer Colds Suck!

Here's a happy image of oranges as I am sick with a good old-fashion cold and it is nasty. You know you are not feeling well when you are always cold, even with AC off. Add to that drinking insane amounts of fluids and I...yes we are talking yours truly, forgot to eat today until like 3pm! Bad Chris. But I just wanted to sleep. Back to bed.

Let Summer Mindless TV Begin

Yes indeed the TV schedule is packed with all sorts of shows that require little brain power. Food Star or Design Star? Are you gonna Wipeout or watch and see who will be eliminated next on Big Brother? I find in chatting with friends we all have our guilty pleasures and that is just fine. By the way last night I won the tri-fecta of Design Star as I picked the winning room, the winning contestant and who would be going home. It could be a fun summer.Oh sure there are people out there who go for the trashy novel for summer and I still enjoy a good trash read. This is that time of year when we eat lighter and grill more food outside. Ice is always in need and fresh fruit is a must have with all the berries and melons that nature has to offer. Yes, summer time and the living is easy. But while all of this is good and fun, for me, air conditioning is the key to having a fun and festive summer. I must have it to sleep.

Sunday Childhood Memories

On days like today it is so fun to just sit back and relax and not think too much about the now. Rather, I enjoy thinking back to childhood and the trips to the beach house on the Oregon coast and also the numerous weekends up at the cabin at Lake of the Woods. The laughs and good times we had for years. No camping for us, but boy did we get to have fun. From the boat trips on the lake to getting more water in the jug when at the lake to running into Seaside for the rides or stopping at the bakery in Cannon Beach for the famous Haystack bread. Yes, it was a lot of fun and so nice to look back at.

Weekend Break

Hello there and welcome to the weekend. Why is it that 4-day weeks are so damn exhausting? I really had to push to get things done and stress was at an all time high. Last night was a nice break with having Rob & Jodie over for dinner and drinks. Had time to do some planning as we ramp up for "Christmas in July" weekend for the Ya-Ya's next weekend. Dinner was pork loin roast with green peas on the side. We did not get to the watermelon. That is something that I have noticed these past several weeks, portions are shrinking. I am eating less and less as I restructure my eating sessions. It has been an interesting adventure going in and stripping down all the foods that I am no longer eating and seeing the shelves go bare. It is all about fresh and not pre-packaged. Simple clean foods and using spices and herbs for the added flavor.

Funny how you can still learn something new nearly every day. I had long chats today with three dear friends and sharing how this path is revealing and that Moonsong and my doctor have been so helpful in stepping forward. Mobility is being addressed in ways I had not thought of before. Sometimes it is all in the baby steps before the broad strides are made. Tonight I am going to kick back and relax and watch some "Yard Crashers" and "Curb Appeal: The Block" while enjoying some chicken wings.

We Have Lift-Off...

The space shuttle Atlantis lifted off for the final time this morning!
It was the 135 shuttle launch mission.

Do You Remember?

Bicentennial Minutes

I woke up last night, or rather this morning at like 3AM and could not get this out of my head. I so remember these every night for like two and a half years.

Bicentennial Minutes was the name of a series of short educational American television segments commemorating the bicentennial of the American Revolution. The segments were produced by the CBS Television Network and broadcast nightly from July 4, 1974, until December 31, 1976. (The series was originally slated to end on July 4, 1976, but was extended to the end of the year.)

The series was created by Ethel Winant and Louis Friedman of CBS, who had overcome the objections of network executives who considered it to be an unworthy use of program time. In 1976, the series received an Emmy Award in the category of Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement.

The videotaped segments were one minute long and were broadcast each night during prime time hours, generally at approximately 8:57 P.M. Eastern time. The format of the segments did not change, although each segment featured a different narrator, often a CBS network television star. The narrator, after introducing himself or herself, would state "This is a Bicentennial Minute," followed by the phrase "Two hundred years ago today..." and a description a historical event or personage prominent on that particular date two hundred years ago during the American Revolution. The segment would close with the narrator saying, "I'm (his/her name), and that's the way it was." This was an offhand reference to the close of the weeknight CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, who always ended each news telecast by saying, "And that's the way it is."

The Bicentennial Minute on July 3, 1976 was narrated by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. The Bicentennial Minute on July 4, 1976 was narrated by First Lady Betty Ford. The final Bicentennial Minute, broadcast on December 31, 1976, was narrated by President Gerald Ford. (This was also the longest Bicentennial minute.) After the series ended, the time slot of the Bicentennial Minute came to be occupied by a brief synopsis of news headlines ("Newsbreak") read by a CBS anchor.

*With thanks to Wikipedia for the information!

And the Winter 2018 Games Go To...

No, not anywhere in the USA, I just really like this graphic. It went finally on their third try to Pyeongchang. Yes, South Korea was awarded 2018 Winter Olympics. As noted on http://www.msnbc.com/ The South Korean city of Pyeongchang was awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics on Wednesday after failing in two previous attempts.

Pyeongchang defeated rivals Munich and Annecy, France, in a landslide in the first round of a secret ballot of the International Olympic Committee. Needing 48 votes for victory, Pyeongchang received 63 of the 95 votes cast. Munich received 25 and Annecy seven.

The Koreans had lost narrowly in previous bids for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. "Koreans have been waiting for 10 years to host the Winter Games," bid leader Cho Yang-ho told The Associated Press. "Now we have finally achieved our dream." Pyeongchang will be the first city in Asia outside Japan to host the Winter Games. Japan held the games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Fabulous Fireworks

The nation's capital kicks off our tour of fireworks and this is an amazing picture. You just cannot make this stuff up. The colors and iconic buildings make for a wonderful sight. This does not hint at the nasty weather that whipped through Washington, DC on Sunday stopping the rehearsal for the big show that is a PBS staple. Another favorite is the show put on by the Boston Pops and I have to say that their finale was the best as it was set to Sandi Patty's full rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" that I still remember hearing the first time back in 1986 at the end of the 4-day Liberty Weekend. You can see it on You Tube and she is introduced by Peter Jennings. I sure miss him.Without a doubt, top honors for show stoppers goes to Macy's fireworks display that is shot off on the Hudson River. Six barges shoot off a nearly 30 minute display and this year it was a nod to the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. The music was all over the place and worked quite well. Katy Perry's "Firework" has become a staple I fear of all shows. I watched 6 different displays and it was one of two songs in every show, the other was "Star Spangled Banner." The Empire Building got a much deserved 2nd appearance here in the blog. Love what they do with light on the top of the building. See June blog for Gay Pride lighting!And finally Seattle shot off a grand display and I watched it on TV, but at the same time I sat and looked out my window to the south as there was a string of fireworks going off along a slice of land that is country owned and there was a non-stop show going on down near my friend Markie's house. I watched for nearly 2 hours non-stop. Awoke just before 1am and sure enough, fireworks were still going off...Yankee Doodle Do or Die!

125 + 235 = Happy 4th of July!

Good Morning America and Happy Birthday! Yes indeed and tonight the rockets red glare and bombs will be bursting in mid air. Will you be part of the zaniness. I plan to have a low energy level day of relaxing and then head out later this day to be part of the festivities. May all of you have a great holiday and glad you stopped by.Macy's fireworks honors the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. With a nod to Wikipedia - The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World, French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.

It is an awesome sight and I so remember when Janet, my sister, came up for Thanksgiving in the late 80's and we ventured out to the Statue of Liberty in the bitter cold and yet that just did not matter. It was just awe inspiring.This is America's 235th birthday and so get out and enjoy. I am heading down to Markie's for a fun al fresco dinner with friends and from what Markie has shared there will be a plethora of fireworks going off. Whatever you decide to do today, be sure to be safe and sane so you can share the details tomorrow!

Reading and Learning

It has been a weekend of reading. Got caught up on the last of the backlog of New Yorkers including the July 4th issue! That makes reading 11 issues in the last week. Markie is buried in them now. I also took on the New York Times today. I am feeling rather smug, if only overnight. Glad I do not have to face the office tomorrow, but rather I plan to have a mellow morning and then make deviled eggs for the get-together at Markie's tomorrow evening. I believe it will be 5 or 6 of us tomorrow. May stay late or I might get home early and watch fireworks on TV. FYI Macy's fireworks will be on NBC stations at 9pm.Fun Fact #1 = I learned an interesting item about bar-b-que vs. bar-b-cue. It seems that the former refers to the actual cooking device. The latter refers to the food that has been cooked. Thus, the bar-b-cue was cooked on the bar-b-que. Go figure. I never knew? How many of you will be cooking on a bar-b-que tomorrow? Or will you be using a grill? Yes, most of us will just be grilling meat tomorrow as cooking bar-b-cue takes hours.Fun Fact #2 = There are still 371 Drive-In's around the United States. When was the last time you went to a drive-in? Have you ever been? It was a staple of growing up and I still have vivid memories of seeing "Old Yeller" at the Lithia Drive-In in Talent. It is now a sub-division. And so goes another memory.

Mid-Summer Memory

A couple of weeks ago my brother sent the above image. Boy did it suck me back in time. We used to listen for the bell that would clang to let us know the ice cream cart was coming. Seriously, we would get our nickels and dimes together and get it going. Too funny. This was before all the motor carts puttering around playing the theme from "The Sting" that would drive people nuts. Oh the memories that began to pop up that I had not thought of in years. From the sand box up in the corner of the property to the shack that was the "store" to go shopping in. The sledding and the snowmen plus all those Christmas memories that still live on from 697 Indiana Street. Our house until we moved when I was in 4th grade.

Seriously, Can She Look Bad?

Catherine at Canada Day festivities - Love the hat!

Oh Canada!

Welcome to the second half of the year 2011. We kick it off with a salute to Canada on their 144th birthday. If you have not visited in a while, you have not missed a lot as the past two months were like a faux vacation for me. I had a heck of a spring and the blog took a back seat. Work was challenging and a dear friend moved to Idaho to be more comfortable as her cancer proves more invasive. Mom's dementia continues to be more challenging for all the family and weight issues moved front and center. Hosted a really good pity party and now it is over. Life happens and we need to take it one day at a time. Also, I am finding that it is OK to admit that I am not perfect. Maybe I just thought I was. But at least I have a weekend that will be a nice blend of fun.