50th Birthday Bash - Revisited

Greetings to one and all,

OK, so got to do this a little earlier than planned. We had a small crisis at the office and a major program that is used for tracking our contracts and such decided to take a nose dive. Yes, right at the holiday and so we are frozen in motion awaiting it to get repaired. So decided to use this time and get some of the details put together.

Last October I was pretty darn sick for a few days and it allowed me time to look at how much I had been pushing myself with work and all. Decided that I needed to downshift a bit and so the GALA weekend became the FUN weekend and was cut in size by more than half. Initially there was some inner frustrations, but the more I reviewed it the more I saw that I needed to do this for me. So first up was cutting the size of the party. Went from over a 100 to a coupe of dinners for 12. Also, out the door, the week at Disney World. I spent December 1-6 in New York City and had a great time as you saw in the blog reports. Why over numb myself and do Disney...it is there and will be enjoyed when I go in 2010. As for the weekend, it was one of three prime weekends in December this year and many people were happy they did not have to make a decision about whether to come or not.

The whole celebration kicked off Thursday evening when Michael arrived from the beach. He drove up after school and got in even with the nasty weather. We paused long enough for him to drop bags, but soon was off to Shanghai Gardens for dinner. Boy, I love that place. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and back at the apartment we got settled in and he gave me some lovely gifts. There was the 10th anniversary of the French Rugby Team's calendar. He also gave me some wonderful Duke's Mayonnaise and their cookbook and oh my did he give me the fireworks! After a good sleep, we were off early in the morning to enjoy breakfast at Glo's Restaurant up on Capital Hill. Michael had to have Eggs Florentine. I opted to have the Potato Pancakes with bacon and eggs on the side. Yummy breakfast, especially since Michael also got a cinnamon role to boot! At this point it was back to the casa as we were to split with me headed to the airport and Michael north for holiday shopping.

With the clock getting closer to noon, Connie's flight would soon be here. I have known Connie for like 20 years. We have not seen each other in 6 of those years and so it was a joy to have her fly out from Washington, DC. God love her that she went over 5 hours without a cigarette for me! Upon arrival we drove drown to Tacoma and enjoyed lunch at Duke's Chowder House with Mom and Janet as they drove up that day from Portland. It was a delight to sit there and look out on the beautiful Pudget Sound and see the boats, ships, birds and various sights to make the day all the more enjoyable. Afterwards, we headed up to Seattle and got them all checked into the hotel for the weekend and I got to depart and enjoy a nap! What a wonderful thing it is. Really made the evening nice.

About 5:30ish people began arriving at my place for a "wine tasting" but I have to share it was more like a wine drinking event. No worries, it was fun for one and all and Michael had done an amazing job in selecting wines for the evening. People brought wine as well. All too soon were were off and running for the Brooklyn Restaurant for dinner. You have heard me go on and on about this place. It is such a delight. Four of us got to enjoy 2 dozen oysters and that was sheer heaven. We also had the joy of consuming a generous gift from Uncle Markie - a double magnum of a Mt. Baker Vineyards Tempranillo. I got to enjoy my favorite small plate - Day Boat Scallop with Foie Gras that is just to die for. For Main Course, I split two dishes to try a little more...first up was the Cervena Venison and it was served wrapped in wild boar bacon with a roasted cauliflower puree, boulangere vegetables and marrow bone. A lovely cherry jus finsihed it off. Delightful to be sure! The other dish was Wild Alaskan Black Cod that is truffle dusted with a butternut squash and fennel gratinee. Golden chantrelle mushrooms in a smoked chardonney oil completed the dish and for a flourish, lobster bisque. Oh how I wanted to like, if not love, this dish. It did not happen. And that rarely happens there. But hey, no one is perfect. One thing I did get to enjoy was a serving of their Key Lime Cheesecake which is FABULOUS! Granted, I did not get to blow out my birthday candle since someone was over zealous and did so for me, but I had a couple of other opportunities over the weekend to do it. Afterwards, Michael and I caught a cab back to the apt. and sleep soon followed as the next day was to be a full one to be sure!

End of part I of the weekend...look for the rest to be posted soon.
Cheers, Chris

Holidazed!

Ho! Ho! Ho! What a week and only Tuesday. We have been doing Secret Santa at work and at the same time here at the abode I have been trying to get the building staff taken care of and receiving a lot of packages for me and Markie. I am going to take time - likely Christmas morning to pause and look back on the birthday weekend. It was a lot of fun and I have not had a good chunk of time to just let the brain vibes go and share the joy. So know that it will be on the way and that I am more than a glad that there are the 12 Days of Christmas to take us into January since several gifts I ordered are on back order. Looking forward to Helene for Christmas Eve dinner and then a fun game of Catan and Chinese to celebrate Christmas before heading to the beach for the weekend. Tonight I am finishing up co-workers gifts and writing a few more cards and I plan to get to bed early...need more zzz's. For now - Cheers!

NYC Holiday Visit - Part II

OK, boys and girls, when we last checked in Chris was headed to the airport for his flight home. But the story had not been completely told so let's look back to Thursday, December 3rd as the group is departing Radio City Music Hall. The show has happened and after enjoying the ginormous crystal chandler in the lobby of Radio City that is hung during the Christmas Show we are headed outside. Beautiful weather and the majority of the group decides to head to Serendipity3 for lunch and to taste a real treat - Frozen Hot Chocolate. Yes, you heard it here folks and it is a great way to mark the holiday season. http://www.serendipity3.com/ if you want more information. Oprah loves the stuff and a movie was based on the restaurant. If you ever make it to the Big Apple, this is a stop to take in.

I was not part of that group as I needed to head back to the hotel and get some work done. My lunch was stopping at Subway which was across the street from the hotel and use my ticket stub to get 50% off on my lunch. Hey, tell me how often you can enjoy lunch in NYC for $10? And so this delight kicked off an afternoon of email catch-up and going over January calendars with staff. Knowing it would be a late night I also snuck in a nap to make it through.

Tonight kicked off three night of theatre. Oh what fun it would be and first up was Billy Elliot based upon the movie. Elton John bought the rights and made it into a musical that won 10 Tony Awards this year. How do I describe the evening. It was so numbing and yet joyful. I related to the story on many levels. The base story is about a small town in England where the primary industry (coal) was going to fade away in the end and about a young boy who goes against the grain and follows his dream to amazing results! In similar ways I feel my life has taken a unique set of twists and turns and where I am today is just so far from what I expected. Yes, tears flowed and at times it was alarming and in the end there was not a moment of hesitation on giving the young man playing Billy a standing ovation - Tommy Batchelor. One the way out I collected a red boxing glove keyring that became an ornament for my tree and got one for Michael as well. Afterwards, it was off to Sardi's for dinner. In the heart of New York 's Theater District, Sardi's has been the toast of Broadway for 82 years. Located at 234 West 44th Street it is known for it's large collections of caricature prints of famous people. So I decided to enjoy a Chopin martini and began with the Duck and Foie Gras Terrine with a Petite Salad, Sherry Vinegar, Vidalia Onion Compote and Toasted Baguette Croutons. Can you say heaven! Yes indeed it was a delight and then I decided to bow to tradition and for main course it was Shrimp Sardi - Sautéed Shrimp in Garlic Sauce served with rice on the side and what proved interesting among the three that ordered it was that it got better as we ate more of it. I capped off the meal with a Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee that was good, but not great. By the time we finished we were the last table and slowly made our way out into the darkness of night at 1am. Cabs soon swallowed us and dropped us at the hotel as soon a new day would be underway. Oh and it would be an early one for me as I was slated to have breakfast with a vendor.

Lack of sleep became a theme on this trip and yet why waste the time. I got up and headed north to Cafe Edison in the theater District...wasn't I just here? Arrived a bit early and was seated right near the window. Now this is where it goes from entertaining to just plain funny. Rebeca came in and I knew who she was before she got close to my table. There was just something and indeed I was right. We started talking just like we had known each other for years and we have talked for years, but had never met. So we order breakfast - she has half a cantaloupe and a bagel with cream cheese plus coffee. Me - I go with a cottage cheese omelet and bacon with toast and coffee. It is a place that just does basic breakfasts and is good and a lot of people in the community go there. As she said on the phone, you never know who you'll meet. As we are talking tables trade out and a while later a gentleman sits down next to me at the next table and is enjoying his breakfast. Rebeca talks to him a bit and then introduces us. It is Jude Law who up until last week was playing Hamlet on Broadway. Well folks, I don't know him that well. And one of my initial questions is - "Oh have you done movies?" And after rattling off a list there is finally one I kind of recognized - The Holiday and so at that point I am feeling kinda OY in my mind. This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened, but he was quite amused that I did not gush all over and in the end I think it was quite right. And so went my star-moment of the trip. It was back in a cab and down to meet the group and get them over to the CircleLine for the three hour cruise around Manhattan Island. It gives a great overview of the island. http://www.circleline42.com/site/browse.aspx?type=&group=1 The weather could not have cooperated more with the exception of it being cold on the water, but hey folks, we are talking December 3rd! And so after that it was back to the hotel and time allowed for some work and freshen up in that tonight we decided to do a pre-theatre dinner before seeing In the Heights. As its' website says:
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan's Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. The music is just amazing!

So before seeing this great show at the Richard Rogers Theater, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at a restaurant called Firebird. Their website - http://www.firebirdrestaurant.com/ and be ready to be amazed. Most of the group opted for the three course pre fix menu. Yours truly decided for the first course to enjoy OLIVYE which was made of chicken, potato, carrots, egg, pickles, peas, served with a mix green salad. It was unusual and yet refreshing. Next up was main course and I, like the rest of the men at the table chose the MYASO STROGANOFF which blended fillet of beef, onion, mushroom in veal jus tossed with wonderfully like homemade pasta. The ladies all ordered UKRAINSKII BORSCH and oh how rich with smoked duck, beef brisket, pork & potato pirozhki and of course beets. But oh how to end the most memorable meal of the trip but with ROMANOV that is constructed with vanilla ice cream and strawberries complete with a Grand Mariner reduction. All three courses for only $49.99 and the location was a real treat - do take a moment to visit the website to get the details. It is well worth a visit. Sadly, we had to be on our way all too soon to make curtain at In the Heights. This show proved to be a treat for the senses. I was wondering, but by the end I had no worries.

When coming out of the show it was pouring and so most of the group did a beeline for the subway and I opted to get a cab back. The ankle was taking a beating and I just could not handle the stairs the way it felt. Made it back to the hotel and crashed hard! To think, tomorrow, Saturday, would be the final full day in the city.

After getting most of the group off and running the next day I decided to make it the Christmas window day and headed for Barney's. Always a bit edgy, this year they focused on Saturday Night Live's 35th Anniversary. Quite Funny. Then on to Sak's Fifth Avenue where the theme is the children's book, Twinkle Twinkle Little Flake, a story about a snowflake. Follow along the tale as an audio track tells the story. Like the Macy's windows, the Saks windows this year are interactive. Send a tweet with the hashtag #holidaywindows and it will show up on computer displays within the windows. I don't tweet so go figure. Next up was Bergdorf Goodman which has fantastically opulent holiday windows this year focusing on Alice in Wonderland and while they're not very traditional and don't have Santa in them, I was still intrigued by their fairy-tale likeness. While I did not get to Bloomingdale's windows they feature Dynamic Duos waiting on line to visit Santa. Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Batman and Robin and...Salt and Pepper. I wonder what Salt wants for Christmas? Guess I should have made it there. On to Lord & Taylor which has the most detailed windows of all. This year each window was themed to My favorite Christmas...Ornaments, Cards, Stories, Treats, Songs & Toys. And finally, Macy's who is the originator of this tradition and, rightly so, they are pushing their holiday windows to new heights this year. Their windows are actually interactive, something they did on a small scale the past two years. Viewers can actually write and send letters to Santa and watch them as they travel through a series of funky fantastical windows on their way to the North Pole. This is all tied into their major Christmas campaign of "Believe" which is in it's 2nd year. OK, so here's a little tidbit you can share with your friends: the original Macy's window displays were mechanized and powered by store employees on treadmills!

Back to the hotel and had enjoyed a light Chinese lunch of cold noodles with peanut sauce as dinner on our last night would be at the Times Square outpost of Junior's Restaurant, a Brooklyn institution. They opened this location in 2006 and had never been. Arrived there in the snow - yup, it had begun to snow and was quite wet and gloppy to be sure. It did not last long, but was all that was needed to make some people's visit complete. The food was quite good and I had a chicken liver sandwich with onion rings and a vanilla egg cream. What's that some of you are asking? Well, first there is no egg in an egg cream. In a tall glass mix together vanilla simple syrup, milk, and seltzer; stir well to combine. Serve immediately.

From Wikipedia - A New York Egg Cream.
An egg cream is a classic beverage consisting of chocolate or vanilla syrup, milk and seltzer - probably dating from the late 19th century, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor, candy store owner Louis Auster. It contains neither eggs nor cream.
The egg cream is almost exclusively a fountain drink; although there have been several attempts to bottle it, none has been wholly successful, as its fresh taste and characteristic head requires mixing of the ingredients just before drinking. The drink can be compared to a traditional ice cream soda, though it contains no ice cream.

After a lovely meal, of course we had to cap it off with cheese cake! I went with the strawberry version while others were more traditional. All and all, a delightful time. Then it was time for our final show. Three of us had opted to go all out and get tickets for "Phantom of the Opera" and so we had 4th row center right under the chandler. Amazing seats, amazing costumes and the sets were opulent beyond belief. If only the acting had been as good. Granted the show is now over 20 years old, heck I remember seeing it the year it opened in 1988. But still that is no excuse and what is even more scary is that next year the sequel is coming out - yes, a sequel! It is called "Love Never Dies" and is set in Coney Island, no I am not kidding! Well, we had a lovely time and upon exiting the theater we made hast to the corner and snagged a car back to the hotel in no time. Packing and prep for the next day took the rest of the night as we began to wind up the visit.

The next day people left at different times and soon we were on our way. Damon had been the gentleman who picked us up on Tuesday and he dropped us off on Sunday. What a marvelous man and great driver. Loved that velvet voice of his. At the airport, how could I not have one last adventure. Got checked in and off to security where the lady (using that term in only the most vague of ways!) doing the visual screening decided that my two star ornaments from Macy's could possibly be a THREAT to national security! Yes, a star ornament that has the word "believe" etched into it and the year 2009 will take down a whole plane. Hello Mary!! I am sorry but I had to get the manager over there. This woman had held up bag after bag, it was a joke. People missed flights because of her. Well, I am happy to report I still own my ornaments and the national security is still as one! So went my trip to New York and hope you had fun reading.

I think it is time for a nap now. A posting on the 50th birthday celebration will soon follow...

Homeward Bound - OK Home, but part I

I started this on Sunday while waiting to leave. Got in late Sunday and
Monday is a blur...so now it is way too early Tuesday and so going to post this
first part...part II to arrive in the coming days...

What a week this has been. Began it by coming off a relaxing holiday weekend and plunged into a Monday that was just a tad on the insane side. Knew it would be as I was leaving the next morning for New York City with a group. Finally got home and got packed and slept pretty soundly. Did not get to finish trimming the tree but there is always this week to be sure. I got to have a brief staff meeting and tried to get things in order. You never know if it will all go right, but hope for the best.

Tuesday had me off to the airport and it was still having the lingering rush feel of the holiday weekend. I was glad my check-in went smoothly and boarded the plane. Due to the holiday it was a packed flight and within the 16 seats multiple seat changes occurred. I was laughing at one point as one lady was just in a tiff over not sitting with her husband. Finally two people behind me agreed to give up their seats and what proved amazing was that after we took off it was discovered that they had kids in back and they were trading off to get free drinks! Could not believe it and the husband was furious when the flight attendant cut them off. Well, I enjoyed watching "Big" and "Miracle on 34th Street" on the way out so I think I will be reading and napping on the way home.

Upon arrival, Lars & Anita joined me at baggage claim for what would be our first "adventure" of the trip. Greeted by our driver, Damon, he went out to get the car and bring it around. After 20 minutes or so the bags began to arrive...and we waited...and we waited...finally Lars bag came and then Anita's bag. Where is mine? It was now a good 45 minutes and most everyone was gone. OY! How can you lose a bag on a non-stop flight? Well, close, how about it being the last bag on the conveyor belt and stuck midway up?!?!? Was able to find a gentleman who helped me get it and we were finally on our way into Manhattan. Oh good, just in time for rush hour. But Damon was an amazing driver and knew the ropes of keeping moving forward. A seamless drive. A friend of Anita and Lars arranged the driver for us and it was such a treat. A handsome man with a velvet voice which was calming to be sure. Without a blink of an eye we were soon heading down 34th Street right past Macy's! But then he turn left, and going north when we should go south. Being the guest, I opted to keep my mouth closed. Another turn and soon he was stopping the car and announcing we were "here" at the Comfort Inn. Indeed it was, but the wrong one. Someone had told him the one on 35th but we were staying at the one on 25th. So off we go and soon arrive at the Chelsea Comfort inn.

We checked in without a problem...OK, so they did change my room since I was to have a king bed and they had me in a double twin. But we dropped our bags and freshened up a bit and headed off around the corner to 26th Street to try out Hill Country which is rated the top BBQ joint in the city. Yes, we had come to NYC to have our first meal be good old fashion BBQ. So you walk in and they seat you and give you a "ticket" and you use this to buy everything. A person comes by and gets your drink order and then you go up and order at one counter what meat item you want. In this case we all went with moist brisket. It was wonderful. I also got a sausage link, but it was mealy and not something to write home about. But the side dishes you get at the next counter - OH MAMA! Green Bean Casserole w/ Durkee Onions, Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, White Shoepeg Corn Pudding, Confetti Cole Slaw, Longhorn Mac & Cheese, Cool as a Cucumber Salad were all exceptional...ok so the mash was forgettable, but boy were we full. We all shared the sides and there just was no room to try the PB&J Cupcakes. If you ever get to town you need to look them up at 30 West 26th Street and there is a full bar with live music downstairs to boot!

The next day had me getting email caught up and calls made. Then it was off to Grand Central Terminal! What a treat to go back there. Ventured into the Transit Museum and got the 7 day transit passes and even got a few souvenirs for people. Since it was lunchtime and I was right there, I decided to enjoy a lunch of clam chowder and fresh oysters at the Oyster Bar on the lower level of the terminal. After a nice bowl of thick New England style chowder I was presents a dozen oysters consisting of 4 Pemaquid out of Maine, 4 Stoney Brook out of Long Island, NY and finally 4 of my favorite - Kumamotos out of Humbolt County in California. mind you, they offer at least 30 kinds of oysters every day! Amazing to be sure. I enjoyed it with simple tap water because you need to know one thing, NYC tap water tastes pretty damn good! I will have it all the time while here and not pay for bottled, why waste the money? After lunch I went back up to the great room to take in the laser light show. During the holidays they run a series of 6 different shows, one on the top and bottom of the hour. Well, I saw one as I went in and another as I left. On the way out I took in the Christmas Market. Quite lovely. There was a long cue for taxi's and so I crossed the street and got one going the other way straight away. Oh to learn the tricks of living here. Could not believe that after living here for over 5 years and then add in the 8 trips since then it is so much more fun to visit the city than to live here.

The group began to arrive mid-day and by nightfall we had everyone buy three here. Off to Tavern of the Green to enjoy our welcome dinner. It was especially meaningful at the restaurant closes at the end of the year due to a decision on the part of the Parks Department to give the lease to another vendor this fall when it came up for renewal. So after 35 years in business December 31st will be their last day. The first to arrive was Lars, Anita, Bruce and Lynn and they went shopping buying multiple copies of the restaurant's cookbook. They were feeling quite smug and I was laughing to myself right then as they had no idea that on each seat was waiting a copy of the very cookbook as a token of the remembering the trip. Too funny, but in the end they had gotten a start on their shopping for others. We began the meal with an appetizer of mushroom stuffed ravioli's with a virgin olive oil drizzle and walnuts. Then there was a choice of Chilean Sea Bass or Fillet Mignon. Both were served with steamed green beans and carrots and roasted potatoes. Final course was a lovely lemon tart with a whole blueberry sauce on top. Coffee and tea were served, but most passed. So glad I do not have that problem with caffeine. I can drink right up to bedtime and still sleep.

Back to the hotel in the dripping rain, who knew that this was going to be an on and off week for weather! Thursday morning would prove to be a beautiful day to get things going. We stayed in a hotel that offered a nice breakfast - nothing fancy - but got you off to a good start with juice, fresh fruit, cereals as well as a variety of breads, muffins and bagels. They even offered hard boiled eggs. Coffee and tea are always available. Several people were up early and headed different directions so that they could all be at Radio City Music Hall in time for the 11am Christmas Spectacular show. Not a lot different in the two years other than they mixed up the opening sequence a bit and in the end the nativity is done much more simple, although still complete with animals, etc. They used to have a multi-tiered set with rock outcrops and all which is gone. It was stunning, but may have proven difficult. It is now flat.

Time to head to the airport...

Magical Weekend Indeed...

complete with surprises! As I sit here Sunday morning and enjoy KPLU on the FM-dial which is the local public radio station, I am quite pleased with the opportunity to have been able to relax this weekend. A long time coming to be sure. It has been a push, push, push couple of months and the plate is still full. Granted, being home a full week is a joy, but I do yearn to be home a bit more and after NYC this week I will be able to be home for the balance of the year.

So Wednesday past had me running to and from Sea-Tac airport picking up various members arriving from Phoenix, Minneapolis, Dallas and Houston. They all got in but boy that last run to the airport at 9pm was a killer. Traffic was horrible and I was all to happy to be home in my apt. by 10pm. The weekend had officially had begun. And of course one of the elevators in the building gets broken right off the bat as the office is closed for two days, but in a way it is a good thing, it makes everyone slow down. Actually met a couple of the neighbors while waiting for the elevator. Go figure.

Thanksgiving was a joy to be sure as I got up and puttered about and made my way north to Ballard (a neighborhood here in Seattle) to enjoy watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with Rob and Jodie. What fun we had and the Bloody Mary's were quite enjoyable and oh my the bacon was awesome. They get it from a butcher up north of Seattle. I believe it is called D&D. How original to be sure. Add some farm fresh eggs and a so-so lemon-lavender coffee cake (which was more like a pound cake) and there you have it, a fine breakfast as the parade made it's way down Central Park West on the new parade route complete with a brand new Santa float (although the reindeer looked like the old ones!). During the parade the kitchen was seeing a flurry of activity as Rob and Jodie worked away to assemble a marvelous feast to be sure. Thankfully I was allowed to contribute not only by bringing a pumpkin cheesecake which was passable at best, but to assist in dicing potatoes and sweet potatoes for two different dishes. In the end the turkey was so moist and tender and who could not love her chestnut dressing? The mashed potatoes turned out fluffy and oh so tasty and the sweet potatoes were served with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, paprika and nutmeg = yum! Add homemade bread and green beans and a fabulous mushroom gravy plus 3 kinds of cranberry sauce and well, it was a feast. Oh and who could forget the salad that went untouched by many, sorry Sharron, but who would after having shrimp sit out for two hours. Why didn't she say something? Oh well, that is not the last we get to hear about Sharron. OH NO!

So Sharron decides I am the target for the day. She tosses out comments and pokes me throughout the meal and in general is really starting to bother me, but I am trying to be a nice guy. After the meal we move to the living area and before I know what is happening she is sitting on my knee. Now mind you, I have not asked her to, I do not wish her to be there, but I am also not going to make a scene as I am a guest. She seems to be getting a bit miffed as I show little to no interest in her and why should I, she is on husband #3 and announces during the day that he may soon be an ex as well. He son showed for a bit of the afternoon but was soon gone to be with friends and who could blame him. Well, just when you think she is getting up to move away she turns and leans into me and says something like "Oh come on, you know you could have fun." while planting her breasts in my face. Yes, OH MY GOD! I was blown away. So, I got up stating I needed to use the bathroom and proceeded to wash my face and looked in the mirror and said, "you can run or go back for another round!"

I opted for the former and as I walked out of the bathroom I just continued walking down the stairs and out the door. I called Jodie and let her know I was leaving and why and she totally understood. I got home and relaxed and felt bad about leaving without saying good-bye to Lynne, Rob and all the guests, but I also knew I did not want to explode on this of all days when it is about friends and having a good time. Later Rob shared that Russ had the comment of the evening "Whether gay or straight, you can run them off Sharron." And oh how true that was.

I awoke the next morning at 2:30am in a panic that final payment had not been done on the Whistler trip, like I could do anything, but it was not until hours later that I got to have it confirmed that everything was fine and move on with the day.

Friday was all about packing up Thanksgiving and getting the initial wave of Christmas decorating done. It was step by step taking it easy and yet moving forward to get the apt. flipped from one holiday to the next. Many of you know I love the holidays and enjoy decorating. Well, this year I am quite pleased in that it is Sunday, the 29th and only have to finish trimming the tree! That will be done either later this day or when I get back from NYC. One nice thing that did happen was that in talking to Jodie on Friday morning we decided to meet up for drinks and leftovers that night. Glad we did as we got to have some laughs and Rob shared Russ' comment and a few others plus we talked about all sorts of different things and got to collect the lovely gift bag that they had made. Each guest got a wonderful melange of treats.

Saturday was another day of relaxing. How lucky I am to be sure. Breakfast with Mick at the Shanty was a joy and I enjoyed biscuits & gravy for the first time in many moons. It was pretty slow in the Shanty, but soon we were on our way. Did a couple of errands and back at the house in time to get the rest of the decorating done and prep for today's guests. Also, on the menu were several wonderful conversations with friends and getting the simpler birthday celebration nailed down to be able to enjoy it. Yes, initially I had a rather grand plan in place, but now I get to actually enjoy the weekend and not be running around like my head is cut off. What a joy that will be. To think that in 10 days I will be 50. OH MY!!

Last night watched 4 different Christmas movies and yes, the happy cry came out in full force. Full confession, 3 of the movies were "The Santa Clause" series with Tim Allen and I did fast forward a time or three. But still enjoyed all the good parts and "Jack Frost" was the 4th movie. Sleep was good and this morning has been one of Jazz, reading and watching the people do the Seattle Marathon! Oh my what a sight. So now with breakfast behind me of cereal and banana plus coffee, it is time to finish laundry and get ready for Catan. This is my 3rd time playing and one has to ponder, is it even possible that I could go for a trifecta of winning? Actually, the funny part is that I just love letting go for a few hours and forgetting everything and just enjoying the company of good friends and laughter. That makes for a great afternoon. OK, so the Chinese food afterwards is pretty good too! So for now, I wish you all a happy Sunday and look forward to checking in again soon. Cheers!

It's Been Awhile

Thanksgiving greetings to all,

The past few weeks have been a bit consuming. When I last posted I was in the middle of getting telephone service converted in all the offices. Well, it was not easy and had more than a few moments, but as of this past Friday all the offices are converted except Vancouver, BC and that will follow. Now it is clean up time getting all the special features in place and moving forward. When all this began I did not know what a channel bank was or a cut sheet and so many more things. No matter what I still miss the good old days of when you made one call and poof it was done. I was sharing with a new hire how when I started with Events & Adventures back in 1998, we did not have a website. Oh how communications has changed and don't get me started on cell phones.

Another big change in my life is how I get groceries. Now I use AmazonFresh. It is a great service. Well, about a week ago I placed an order. It was to be delivered between 3-4pm. OK, so they call and due to a power outage at their main office in Bellevue everything was running behind. Cool, good communication and that was fine. Arrived about an hour late. There was a little box inside and it contained a cup and coupon, good on my next order for a fresh produce bag on them. WOW! Well, it just seemed a bit much for a simple power outage. And I was right...here is the email I got:

Greetings from AmazonFresh,

This weekend we included a freebie in your order that might have been a surprise
to you. It was a surprise to us too. We thought we'd take a moment
to acknowledge the Big Radish Welcome Pack you received--our goof--and to let
you know that we've sweetened the surprise even more. Along with the
free mug and coupon, we've granted you Big Radish status, which gives you FREE
Delivery from now through December 31st, 2009. Enjoy!

Oh, but wait, it gets better. The next day I get a message from AmazonFresh stating that they were sorry for the delay on Saturday, the 14th and that they were issuing a credit of $5.00 for the delay in service. Too mucking futch! So there you go and I just had to share. I like the service and yet I still do buy my meat products and produce for the most part in person.

So I am writing this posting in my hotel room in Dallas, Texas. Have been here since last Tuesday when I left a very soggy Seattle and arrived into the metroplex to low 70's and delays at every turn. The luggage carousel got a piece stuck and I was totally amazed at how many people showed up to fix it and when I looked down was pleased to see that my baggage was circling. Grabbed it since we had been waiting over 40 minutes and headed for the renatl car center bus on the lower level. Schlepping is part of the game at DFW airport. Got outside and there was a line of at least 50 people waiting. The one bus left and another arrived about 5 minutes later only to have room for 8 people...had to beg the driver to call for another bus sooner than waiting a full 10 minutes. Amazingly, he did! It came and we all piled on and several people thanked me. Arrived at the center and waited in line. Had a prepaid reservation at Avis. Told that not only did they not have the car I paid for but the lady actually wanted to downgrade me - I had never seen that in my life! Click and save this picture Chris in a Ford Focus! NOT!!! So I ask to speak to her supervisor and was actually quite calm. In the end I was offered a Camero, a Corvette, a Van or a brand new F-150 pickup. Yup, Chris went COWBOY! YEEEEHAAAAAW. It had 8.1 miles on it when I got in and it is a beautiful sapphire blue and boy do I feel butch driving it. Would NEVER rent again as it has horrible turning radius and is so BIG. But it is only for two more days and then done and done.

Did take time this day to go out for a drive to get Sunday supper. OH MY GOODNESS! Went out during the Dallas Cowboy's football game and it was just a tad after noon and the streets were deserted. It was weird. But I got it and came back and enjoyed chicken fried chicken livers with corn and green beans and got a side of fried okra. Yummy. Read and watch the balance of the game to be able to give my sister, an avid Cowboy's fan, the score update as she did not get to see the game up in Portland. The Cowboy's squeaked out a win at the last minute but they were pretty sad and for the first time in 107 games went scoreless in the first half in back to back games. They are up against Oakland on Thanksgiving. Yeah, that was the butch from the pickup overflowing to football watching. Oh my, get me out of here before it consumes me!

Speaking of hotels, let's talk about what happened here yesterday. Arrive home in the afternoon after working a half day with my new hire in Dallas. All the elevators in the hotel were out of order and the internet was down. WTF? They claimed it was due to the storm on Thursday. And this is Saturday when this all happens. NOT! Something is fishy and boy was I pissed off. Not at the front desk staff as I told Erika on the phone, but at the situation. Mind you, there are no rooms on the main floor so everyone had to schlep their stuff up the stairs and people had luggage and there were people in wheelchairs. Messy situation. Thankfully, everything is back on track.

That cannot be said for my friend Michael on the coast of southwest Washington. The 5th storm in a row hit them this morning and he was awakened to a tree falling in his backyard. It was about 40' high and came down with only branches landing on his deck. Another top of a tree came down and he has one leaning bad in the front that may need to be pulled on down. Everything is growing in sand and when it gets saturated, not good! What made it different was that the severe storms usually come from the south and this one came in from the south. They are powerless and the main highway is shut down as well. It will be interesting to see how things are tomorrow. We were able to chat a bit this morning, but nothing since.

Head home Tuesday as I mentioned and then Wednesday I will spend running to and from the airport helping get members from out of town to the hotel and then get a bit of work in and head for home. Looking forward to Thanksgiving as I am spending it with Rob and Jodie at their place and will be taking a lemon-lavender coffeecake as they are allowing me to come up early and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade as it follows a new parade route this year and enjoy Bloody Mary's to kick off the day. Later several others will join in and I am contributing a pumpkin cheesecake with gingered cranberries.

Then I will be getting ready to head for New York City the following week with a group from December 1-6. Once home, I am home for the rest of the year. Canceled the trip to Disney World, just tired of traveling and if I go I want to be able to enjoy and not just be vegging all week. My 50th birthday celebration is also been trimmed way back so that I can actually enjoy the people who are coming together. It will be simpler and more enjoyable in the end. Maybe I am getting a bit smarter as I get a little older.

And on that note I am going to close as my bowl of chili and sandwich will be here in a moment for dinner. Will be checking in again real soon, likel not wait as long as last time.

Cheers, Chris

Monday Grab Bag

Hello there,

Well, survived the weekend. It has been just a tad insane these past few weeks as I have been working overtime to get the new phone service working in each office. Three down, one just about done and up to 4 to go. We shall see, it might just be three more. I might have a nervous breakdown before this is all done. Mind you, for those that know me well, I am not at all electronic minded and actually events are my thing. Well, Mark, my boss, decided that if there was anyone who could get it done it would be me. What I think it means is that I will keep calling people until it is finally fixed. Granted, it takes a while, but it does get there.

We are suppose to save a lot of money on long distance and in the end I hope we do, but in order to make that happen, boy it has cost to do all the conversion. Remember the good old days when you picked up a phone and called "the phone company" and asked for a new phone or a line to be installed. Oh how easy it was back then. Now you have a long distance provider and an equipment vendor and then there is the IT person and you have to manage services, blah, blah, blah. As Sandy mentioned this weekend I believe it was Sandy - "oh for the days when you called to get the time announced and thought that was something else!"

Ya-Ya Weekend was a blast. OK, so first there was the nasty and oh do I mean NASTY drive down. Mind you, it is just over 80 miles and should take about an hour and half to get there. Well, due to an accident and the weather let's talk 4.5 hours and that was even following Markie's suggestion of getting out of town by 2pm! I was seething by then and poor Jodie calls to see where I am. Not a good call to be sure. I hang up and then a few minutes later Michael calls and I answer "WHAT!" And hello to you to Mr. Schilling! Well, by the time I get there and settled in, I am calming down and after a drink and everyone has a few laughs at my expense, including moi, we finally make our way downstairs to enjoy dinner.

Let me take a moment and remind you we were at The Olympic Club & Hotel in Centralia. The Club has been around since the early 1900's and the hotel was built as a railroad hotel. No phones, radio, tv and you share bathrooms (European style). There are 27 rooms and I was in #26. A lovely king bed and looked out on the street. The furnishing were reproductions of sorts and overall a nice place...until the movies began. I was right over the theater and oh the speakers BOOMED! The room would vibrate and it was rather entertaining. For the most part I missed a lot of the noise...but did get to enjoy the 2nd matinee on Saturday and the 2nd feature that night. But it was all over by 9:30pm or so. The stairs were mighty steep and it was amazing to take in all the artwork.

So we headed down and they put together a nice table for us and we had a marvelous dinner. Two orders of onion rings and a goat cheese torta kicked off the meal and While most enjoyed burgers, I opted for the blackened steak salad (with blue cheese, cucumber, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes and cider-blue cheese dressing). It was mighty good. Got a cup of soup that had to be one of the worst I have had in years. Should have known, you just can't make some things into soup and this was Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was so salty I nearly died.

Well, after dinner, we made out way through the original pool hall and back upstairs. Jodie and Rob hosted everyone the first night and then yours truly did duties on Saturday. Saturday morning arrived and we enjoyed a good breakfast (and a certain someone enjoyed two breakfast, no not me!) and in fact I was quite pleased as I kept to my oatmeal and fruit. OK, so lunch went down the drain with the "Firm Burger" which has pepperoni and Swiss. Nope, not going to try that one again. I am such a weakling for their fries! ARGH.

We inducted Jodie as our newest Ya-Ya after some work getting the bottle of Tequila opened. But she now has her crown and we know her secrets and she has been given her rightful name. I don't know if you are suppose to know but let me share our Ya-Ya's with you...there is Flyingdog and Foulmouth plus Butterfly squared and Oysterboy and don't forget Jelly Queen and of course Swandafag. This may be the one and only time we have ever typed all the names and oh I hope they are right as I love them all dearly. Then it was time for dinner. Does it sound like all we did was eat? Well, it played a major roll, but there was shopping, reading, taking in a movie and a whole lot of laughing to be sure.

Todd was our server and we let it be known we were in no hurry and he was so nice. Well, two and a half hours later we finally finished up and several of the gang headed off to dream land whether by choice or not while the few who survived had many more laughs and it was a grand chance to catch up. Sunday saw Sandy up way early as her clock in her room had not been turned back and so she was so ready before the rest of us and all too soon after a farewell breakfast and hugs...we were on the road.

So let's talk about that drive home...we are talking CRAZY drivers for the Seahawk's game. They are just insane. I was just hoping to get home in one piece. I did, but boy was I glad to be home and hiding by 11am. Moonsong had been in yesterday morning to clean. He is FABULOUS! I am so lucky to have him here every other Sunday morning. He likes to arrive around 8:30 and by the time I got home he was gone. He is good. Several weeks ago he left a present of some autumn leaves and then he cleaned before Halloween and added some bones to the look. I since added three white miniature pumpkins and it is quite festive. Of course, it will soon be going away to make way for THE CHRISTMAS INSTALLATION! Yes, I install Christmas. I love the holiday and it is what it is, get over it.

So Sunday had the Seahawk's come from behind and crush the Lions, like that was going to be hard as they are the worst team in the NFL. But boy, it was scary in the 1st quarter. What the? Like reading that you would think I am some sort of football guy = NOT! It is just that in living 3 blocks from Qwest Field, where the hawks play, I hear the cannons going off to signal the game is starting and then again IF they win. Well, they won and BOOM!

So there you go...I am off to Phoenix, AZ on Wednesday and back Friday, a very quick trip and then it is on to Dallas and Houston the following week. But I shall be home for Thanksgiving and I get to enjoy that with Rob and Jodie. And then comes the countdown to 50. Oh my!

Cheers!

Ya-Ya Getaway

Hello to all,

Well I am going to be on my way down to lovely Centralia in a few minutes. Due to the scared rituals that we do there is a chance I will not be able to get to a computer until Sunday. If not, enjoy...otherwise see you again soon.

Cheers!

This & That

Folks, I got this in the email today and I about died! Why do I not know this guy who decided to drop nearly $50,000.00 for dinner and drinks for himself and 5 guests. Some uber rich Russian from what I understand. Alas, I do enjoy a cold vodka on the rocks from time to time, but this is crazy!

So speaking of dinners, I never got around to telling you about the balance of our dinner at Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago. The first part of the meal went as planned kicking off with three half dozen oysters ( Dabob Bay from North Puget Sound, WA plus Virginica from the Puget Sound region in WA & my personal favorite - Kumamoto's out of Humboldt Bay, CA ) so we could each enjoy two of each...then we shared Day Boat Scallop with Foie Gras - Served with a vanilla bean-scented carrot puree and mascarpone-filled mission figs, finished with a port wine demi-glace. Magical.

Curt decided to go for the Country Salad - Gathered field greens, bibb lettuce, Bosc pears, Honeycrisp apples,and strawberries with candied walnuts and goat cheese, tossed with a wild raspberry vinaigrette. Markie and I went for the Caprese Salad - Purple Cherokee tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and organic basil,finished with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and 12 year aged balsamic vinegar.

Up next, main course and Curt decided to try The Carpetbagger. Also known as heart attack on a plate: A fresh oyster folded into a filet mignon and wrapped in apple smoked bacon. Served with gorgonzola potatoes, wilted basil and spinach with pear tomatoes.Finished with a cascade huckleberry demi-glace. Markie went with Bouillabaisse made with fresh fish, prawns, penn cove mussels, thorndyke bay clams, house made chorizo, roasted corn, spinach and air-dried tomatoes with crab risotto in a fennel-saffron tomato nage. While the venison and duck did tempt me I opted for Carlton Farms Pork Chop that was pan-seared with a porcini mushroom crust. Served with braised pork belly bacon, gorgonzola scalloped potatoes, apple butter-braised cabbage with ham hock. Finished with an apple cider vinegar reduction. We were in heaven plus Curt had brought two lovely bottle of wine so who could ask for more...

WE DID! Their Key Lime Pie is to die for and truly the Brooklyn’s salute to this Florida classic. A delightful disc of heaven to be enjoyed and was enjoyed by the table as Markie decided to cap off his meal with a Port sampler. Four one ounce select samples of premium port. It was a meal not soon to be forgotten and I hopped a cab home while the boys stayed a while and then Markie drove them back to his place and Curt made his way back to Olympia the following morning.

Now jumping topics a whole lot...but really not, I am going to take a moment and try and answer a question I was asked by a blog follower. I made reference in my last post that I am a Radical Faerie, but I also often state I am just not that radical. Well, here is the whole thing in a nutshell. We're decentralized, and nobody's in charge -- so every faerie who you ask will give a slightly different definition of "Radical Faerie." Generally, we tend to be gay men who look for a spiritual dimension to our sexuality; many of us are healers of one kind or another. Our shared values include feminism, respect for the Earth, and individual responsibility rather than hierarchy. Many of us are Pagan (nature-based religion) and thus the seasons are honored by many. Our defining events are Faerie Gatherings, where we'll get together for an extended retreat, usually in the woods, separated from the outside world. A lot of that time is spent in "heart circles," where we open up emotionally. I got involved years ago by going to a circle and then began going to Breitenbush Hot Springs for gatherings in the winter and summer. Some of my closest and dearest friends have been met via the gatherings and many of you have heard of Uncle Markie, Riversong, Wonderful, fado, and so many more! They are my brothers of choice and spirit. We laugh and cry and have many good times together. It was two of them recently who picked up that I was VERY STRESSED when no one else really did. They "have my back" in a way and it is just another part of who I am.

So now gearing up for our Ya-Ya weekend in Centralia this weekend and oh what fun it will be to see them all. We are inducting a new Ya-Ya and so Saturday night will be a hoot. We are all staying at the Olmypic Club in Centralia. From Mcmenamin's website:

THE OLYMPIC HOTEL & THEATER

Relax in style amid the legends

In central Washington State, The Olympic Club Hotel's legend looms large. Here you'll find an historic building -- filled with warm woods and period details -- steeped in colorful tales of countless gamblers' jackpots, revenuer raids, dark secrets deeply buried, and a famous bandit's bravado. The Olympic Club has been a point of power, intrigue and contention since opening in 1908. Its name evokes heroic gods of ancient Herculean characters, the exploits of whom are now the stuff of modern legend.

Remarkably, the Olympic remains virtually unchanged from the time of its opulent remodel in 1913. Still much in evidence is the building's blend of sophisticated finery and earthy extravagance. Its magnificent mahogany bar and leaded-glass canopies are as impressive as the colossal Round Oak wood stove, elegant women's bathroom and mammoth porcelain urinals, (hey, they spared no expense in those bygone days!).

The hotel's 27 intimate, European-style rooms feature vintage furnishings, comfy chenille-covered beds and conveniently located common bathrooms. You may hear the lonely, soulful sound of the trains from your room as they roll through Centralia -- but if you'd prefer not to, earplugs are provided. Each room here is named for the colorful and worthy cast of characters who have left their mark on this place -- the internationally notorious "gentleman train robber" Roy Gardner who was captured at the hotel back in 1921; Gertrude Howell, the hotel's first female proprietor who also identified Gardner; and Jack Sciutto, the Oly Club's original proprietor who was crowned "King of Bootleggers."

As refined as the Olympic Club Hotel may have been portrayed, especially in its early years, the place has always possessed an element of the Old West with stories of train robbers and ladies of the evening who took up residency on the second floor. Known as a true "gentleman's resort" the opulent furnishings of mahogany paneling, Tiffany-style lights, ceramic-tiled floors and Belgian crystal lured a good many of the area's loggers, miners and railroad workers through the doors.

McMenamins has expanded upon the Olympic Club's traditional definition of a workingman's resort by welcoming the whole family to enjoy lodging, meals, movies, art, history, sport and special events. Throughout the Olympic Club historic photographs and extensive original artwork chronicle the building's intriguing history.

We could go on but its so much more fun to experience this place for yourself! Located halfway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, the Oly Club is a convenient destination for business travelers and fun seekers alike. I'll be sure to give you as much of an update as allowed by law afterwards, but it will be fun!

So enjoy the day and I'll keep on sharing from time to time if you like reading about what is going on...Cheers!

Falling back into the future

I decided to kick off this posting with a favorite picture of mine taken some years ago in Denver when a group of radical faeries (of which I am on and thus have the name Snowbear) gathered for a heart circle and in so doing made this wonderful mandala of many seeds and flowers and rocks plus candles. It was all assembled on this huge flat boulder and was a delight to see come to life in only minutes really. Oh what creative energy there was that night. My work is on the far right where the work dropped down to a lower level and I work hard to make it all look right. Another reason I so love the arrival of this time of year with all the colors nature has to offer. Enjoy and now it is time to get along with the posting and do take time to let me know if you are enjoying it...

Boy the nights are arriving early now that we turned the clocks back last night...yes, I know it was this morning at 2AM, but I did it last night before turning in for the night. Who knew I had 9 clocks to deal with, but thankful that 2 adjusted automatically. This was a weekend that allowed me to reconnect with my living space. Yeah, it sounds weird, but all too true. Have been traveling way too much these past several months and more trips are in the making, but to have a weekend where I got to really do things in every room and sort things out and change over including:

laundry sheets and towels

flip Halloween to Thanksgiving in decor

restock the frig with breakfast stuff and salad makings

write notes and vote

take time to read and catch up on New Yorkers

These simple chores really allowed me to feel like I live here again and having all my clothes on hangers again and not folded ready to go into a suitcase. It really does get old after a while to be sure. So the weekend also allowed for some socializing that was long overdue. Mick and I had our usual breakfast at The Shanty Cafe. If you are ever in Seattle and want a good solid breakfast without all the fluff and hype, this is the place to go. Amy is great and the coffee is good. Mick's usual is a Western Omelet with an English Muffin and Hash Browns with a side of Hollandaise Sauce. Yes, he takes the English Muffin and puts it under the omelet and then puts the Hollandaise over the top. Oh my. But then am I any better? Sometimes. But not yesterday. I ordered my "usual" and it is scary when Amy can write it all out without asking a single question. It is a waffle combo (waffle with scrambled eggs and 4 strips of bacon) and a side of country gravy. So, then when it arrives, I build my breakfast by placing the 4 strips on the waffle and then the eggs and pour the gravy on top...but wait, there's more! I take the syrup and drip a fine line around the perimeter of the waffle for that sweet and savory flavor. And of course since it was Halloween, we ordered one pancake - why? They were pumpkin/pecan. I had a couple of bites, but the waffle had done me in so I let Mick enjoy the rest. Yes, we groaned. By the way, when I am being good I order the regular which is 4 strips of bacon with scrambled and sub hash browns and toast for cottage cheese and tomato. Love that too! But I was feeling like I wanted to be wallowing in comfort yesterday, so go figure.

After that it was off to get gas in the car and home to do chores. So I need to share about Friday night. Got home and was puttering about and decided to order in pasta for the night. Had not use Amante's in a while and so called them and ordered a Fettuccini Carbonara which you get to pick soup or salad and I like their soup and it was cold and rainy. Also ordered a Pepperoni Oven Grinder to have for lunch on Saturday. So they tell me it will be 45 minutes. No worries. And badda-bing it is delivered 30 minutes later at 7:25pm. Cool.

Paid and tipped the driver and go to enjoy and what is this? No soup? Yes, no soup. Bummed, I decide that while I don't expect a special delivery, at least make them aware of it as I had not tried them in a while since they had messed up that last time. Called and let Demitre know what had happened. Found out he was manager or something. Cool. He wants to make it good so sending out with next order. No problem. An hour passes and I am so done with dinner I call to let them know to just let it go. Bummed, but hey, there you go. Now they are all sorry, sorry we want to give you 20% off next order, we are going to make this right...ok whatever. Catch you later, bye-bye.

Fast forward to 10:25pm and my phone rings...it is the front door. I KID YOU NOT! Yup, the driver showing up to deliver soup THREE hours late. And he is like "what the problem?" as I stand there fricking sleepy eyed and going "What the F*$K?" So enjoyed soup with the sandwich on Saturday - and it was good! Too mucking futch for me!

Now, take that and let's fast forward to this day and what an amazing day it was. Glorious and sunny, just crisp and beautiful. Boy, how I love this time of year. Cool nights and great sleep and then the sun is low in the horizon...so I host four friends who show me how to play Catan. It is an amazing game. If you have not heard of it, you need to. It is all about collecting resource cards and building things. There are online versions and the board game versions. We did the board game and it was a blast. A game lasts about 3-4 hours. http://www.catan.com/ will give you more information. The goal is to get to 13 points first and well, call it beginner's luck = I won! It was just too much fun and I can see playing again. I also have to say I enjoy Risk and Monopoly, but this is a great game.

Afterwards, we headed over to my favorite Chinese restaurant in Seattle. It is called Shanghai Garden and who knew they have a sister restaurant out in Issaquah of all places. For those outside of Seattle, Issaquah is a town east of here and is considered a bedroom community. Anyway, I had called yesterday and we got to enjoy Peking Duck. It was to honor David and Moonsong's 30th anniversary kick off celebration. What fun and we all agreed it had to be some of the best food in a long time.

Peking Duck - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Peking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's national foods.
The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is often eaten with pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce. The two most notable restaurants in Beijing which serve this delicacy are Quanjude and Bianyifang, two centuries-old establishments which have become household names.

It is a dish I can see having again and it was a joy to share it with friends. We also enjoyed chicken with ginger and garlic, Mongolian beef, dry-sauteed green beans, Shanghai dumplings that they make right there plus pork fried rice. Oh my we had fun plus we had enjoyed appetizers at the apt of a sampling of sushi and shashimi during the game so it was an international meal of enjoyment for all. Even introduced an unsweetened green tea to Tyler
who loved it! What fun to get people to try new things.

And so I look forward to reconnecting to more people in the future and in so doing taking time to look back at all the fun I have been able to have. Hope the week ahead is a good one and that Tuesday sees elections turn out for a positive future for all! Cheers!

Grocery Shopping & Blogging at the same time!

Hello there,

Glad you stopped by again to see what Chris is doing. Tonight I am relaxing at home and waiting for AmazonFresh to deliver my groceries. I LOVE them. Yes, a part of the Amazon family, it has a great selection and things you do not see in the regular stores. I placed the order last night and you can edit the order up to 7 hours before deliver. Please know I am not getting a dime for this promotion. It is just great. Safeway delivers but you have to order like $150 of stuff to get free delivery or else it runs like $12. With AmazonFresh, you order $75 and bingo, free delivery and otherwise it is $5. Heck, and with Red Reddish Status you get free delivery the entire next month...but that is a whole different story. So here I am typing away and in the next hour plus I will see my delivery at the door. They are totally cool and heck it is nice to have someone deliver those big packages of paper towels and toilet paper and other stuff without having to schlep them from the parking garage. Oh and they do not allow you to tip! Enough said other than if you want more information go to http://fresh.amazon.com/

Next up is Halloween...I love the holidays in many different ways, but quite frankly, it is the anticipation of the holiday that is so much fun. I decked out the apartment at the beginning of the month. What was really nice was that when I came back from San Francisco the guy who cleans for me (thank you Moonsong!) left a surprise for me on the breakfast bar. He had collected some wonderful leaves and left them for me as a surprise knowing that autumn is my favorite season of the year. I have left them there for the month. I had to laugh when I got home from Mom's last night he had added some bones in among the leaves for a special touch. I have a wonderful garland of Indian Corn that a dear friend, Amy, made for me years ago. She was amazed when I mentioned it to her last year that I still had it. One thing I have noticed in the past 5 years of so is that the Halloween stuff has tapered off a bit and I am more focused on the autumnal (yes, Janet just for you!) side of this time of year. Throughout the apt I have candles lit (I do believe 21 or so) and dimmed the lights for a festive touch. Come Sunday, Halloween items will get packed away and Thanksgiving will step forward for a visit. I focus it in one area on a shelf unit I got at IKEA years and years ago...it is one of those that is 5X5 cubes and it has a black frame with beech shelving, I guess now it is only done in solid colors = how boring!

Soon it will be time to install Christmas...yes, install! Some decorate, but let's be honest, decorating is for the amateurs! Yes, I hope you are laughing right now. What can I say, I just love that time of year. I believe in Santa and let me share that many people I know are fully aware that when I watch the various Christmas movies they can set a watch to when I will begin crying. No, not sad, but the happy cry! I am sobbing and it can be the 30th time watching the movie and there I go. The tree will go up and get fluffed. Then the various areas of the apt. will get decorated but the shelf unit will not happen until the day after Thanksgiving as I pack that away. The tree will be over Thanksgiving weekend. Due to some traveling at the start of December, I am trying to get a bit ahead of the ball game on things this year, but the cards will wait until after Christmas. I like to send them out by the 12th day of Christmas, but after the holiday when all the craziness is done and done.

Boy did I get off on a tangent...sorry about that. Oh, there is AmazonFresh, just called so will be delievering in a few minutes so time to close for today. Enjoy and talk at you later. Cheers!

Life happens and reality sets in...

Hi there to those that tune in from time to time to see what Chris has been up to. Just home from a 4 day visit to see Mom and that does not count the drive time on each side as I decided to drive from Seattle to Ashland as fall colors were in top form. It was a great drive down to Portland last Friday to see Janet and then up early on Saturday with a quick stop at Starbuck's for a Pumpkin Spice Latte to get on the road for Ashland. Arrived in time as Mom was pulling out of the oven a huge casserole of stuffed cabbage. One of two favorite recipes from my childhood. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch plus two other meals from her creation. The days were filled with good times and challenges as well. Took a lovely drive in the country on Sunday to see the fall colors and Mom got to experience Sonic Drive-In for the first time while down there. She had a Texas Toast BBQ burger with onion rings and a root beer float. Who knew it could be so fun. We had a few games of domino's and a lot of time to chat and enjoy each other's company. All too soon it was time to head back north and under a swath of fog I headed north this morning. 7.5 hours later and one pit stop, I arrived in the Emerald City and settled in at my home.

Since my last posting I have been up to Vancouver, BC and trying to get new phone carrier settled in all the outer offices. Never a dull moment and all the offices are facing big Halloweens parities this weekend. Sunday will see clocks falling back and I do believe I have a breakfast date with a 2nd cousin and his wife, Amy. So needless to say, I am still getting a grip for all this blogging stuff and sometime there may be a gap, but I think far less than you have had. In fact, I think I still owe as recap of the dinner that Curt took me to at Brooklyn, plus how one spends a week in Vancouver, BC. November will see me visiting several of our outer cities and there is a 50th birthday celebration on the horizon that is morphing into something quite interesting. Stay tuned!

Sunday becomes Monday

Hello one and all,

I hit a wall yesterday and boy was I glad the Seahawks were playing in Seattle. It meant that my apt. became isolated and I was left to read and relax and enjoy the day. Helpful tip though, do not think of taking a nap in the afternoon with the window open at oh about 3:30pm as the game ends...cannons go ff if they win and poof = nap be gone. They shutout the Jacksonvill team from what I heard.

So, sleep, caught up on the New Yorkers for Markie and read some of a book plus got a lot of the little errands and chores done about the apt. Feeling good now about heading to Vancouver, BC. Happen to have a chance to grab a late dinner with a friend and so will hold off until tomorrow telling you all about the dinner at Brooklyn - IT WAS FABULOUS! Also, there are some other things to share, but I will be doing another international post as I will be up in Vancouver, BC and have more time to connect. Hope you will come back and sit a spell and catch up with Swanda. Cheers, Chris

The 3 D's = Drama, Dining and Disney

Hello there once again. After a couple of days to relax and catch up on sleep, I am quite pleased to be sitting here and looking out at Beacon Ridge and seeing the lovely colors of autumn. It is a far cry from last week and zinging around Copenhagen and getting an earful from people about how they view Americans. Now mind you, yesterday’s headline of Barrack Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday, which was a shocker heard around the world. The comments shared have been all over the board. Mine are that it was an amazing honor that might be too soon and yet will need to be earned in marked actions so as not to be written off. Am I hiding behind a safe review? Perhaps, but one that has been tamed in the 24 hours as I have talked to friends coast to coast and see better how broad a view this country has of its’ President.

But I got off course a bit…I wanted to share thoughts of how people outside America view us (the Drama). These are not wrong views or all views…just some views that make you go hmmm.

First, why do we feel we are the only country to know what it is to get hit by Terrorists? So often we react like other countries have no clue and yet they were right there with us in 2001 as they had been hit by horrible experiences in their countries. It was our leadership that displaced that sympathy to a back burner and ignored the need for a global community. Even now, many in this country have a “we are the world” view and it is just not that way any longer. We are PART of the world and need to be more aware of what others are doing. Countries though out Europe and around the globe live in much more dramatic conditions than we do. Somehow we have fallen into a comfort zone of where shoes being scanned and keeping containers to 3oz. On carry on will make us safe. Oh how naïve we have become. As one man said, a gun can be made out of a bar of soap and a plane can be taken down if so desired. How I pray this does not happen, but I do fear we need to be better at being more real and concerned in our day to day actions.

Second, other countries are more front and center. Look no further than China and India. With Brazil winning the Olympic bids and Africa issues becoming more serious by the day we cannot pretend the world is only top heavy. As I sat there listening, it is amazing to hear conversations go from Pakistan to Afghanistan to the horrible storms and earthquakes. There is discussions of trials of public servants and pirates still being a problem but this is no where to be found in much of the American media. Again, talk fills how we only address world issues in 30 second sound bites and that is often true. When was the last time you sat and watched 60 minutes of news without commercials or read a newspaper from start to finish? Don’t count the “entertainment” section as hard news for a change. Many networks are looking at the morning news shows as entertainment now and the nation’s newspapers are shuttering their doors at an alarming rate. Mind you, I am not some saint here. I used to read the paper daily and now find I am an internet news junkie. We want it faster and splashier than the old black and white TV or paper. USA Today is now considered a go to paper of record…how and when did that happen?

Finally, it is accepting that we are a democracy and full of freedom and yet it is a place called Washington DC where two parties are now more like a party of Yes and a party of No that anything else. There is no longer discussion and compromise, but rather “What do I get out of it?” The current health care initiative is a perfect case in point as we have what the “public” wants being ignored due to the amazing donations and contributions by the health care industry. Just in the past year $49.7 million has been put in coffers according to Bill Moyer’s Journal last night and that is what we know about. If that kind of money had been saved look how many people could really have been helped. Issue after issue is being glossed over and the public is becoming so banal to it all. Why try and change anything? Is there hope? From an outsider’s view, there is hope…but it is fading. Outsiders truly envy America and all we stand for, but slowly the tarnish is covering over all that has shined. We so need to grow up and see that the rose colored glasses need to come off.

A lot of what was just written was compressed from conversations with people and will be one of the few political items I share. My blog is about experiences and happenings and yet we are looked at with a vision of WAKE UP PEOPLE! If you have a chance to travel internationally do! You get to see perspective and yes, the rest of the world is not perfect and they are not claiming it as such…but how often we do and are smug about it. We need to learn to be more humble and part of the answer and not always THE answer.

So there you go in a way and so now I am into the afternoon of a lovely day here in the state of Washington. Tonight I get the benefit of being taken to one of my favorite restaurants in all Seattle. It is called The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak and Oyster House (The Dining).

Of course, service is important and the atmosphere is great. Often sit at the two chairs at the counter and watch the action happen, but tonight there are 3 so this will not be happening…Love my oysters and well hello Kumamotos; they were tiny and sweet and perfect but I can only share how a hungry 6'4" guy might just want to inhale them so going at Happy Hour for the oysters might be a good idea. Want to try their caprese salad and the day boat scallop with foie gras – some will claim overkill, way too rich, too much gras and the fois, and way too sweet with the figs, deep and heavy, but sometimes life is about excess! It is one of my true indulgences when I go! From there who knows but a cocktail or two might be enjoyed and Curt is bringing two bottles of wine…what a treat it will be. To get more information: www.thebrooklyn.com/

I will do a full wrap up tomorrow in that I get the joy of a day of leisure – which is rare as the best house cleaner in the world just called and since I have been gone more than here is going to pass tomorrow. What joy…but I do get to see a dear friend from Portland days, Chip Saturn will be stopping by early afternoon for a beverage and to catch up. Get to share the lovely foliage views of what I call Beacon Ridge (but is really just the side of Beacon Hill – so I like drama!).

And finally, my sister sent this along and the place opened the day I left for Europe, but I plan to go back (the Disney). Got to see a local special in San Francisco on it and it looks to be quite interesting. And hey, it is another reason to return to the city by the bay...

Learn Disney's past at new S.F. museum

You'll be able to get a taste of Disney in San Francisco starting Oct. 1.That's when The Walt Disney Family Museum opens, with 10 galleries focusing on different chapters in the life of Walt Disney himself, from his early years in Kansas City to his arrival in Hollywood in the 1920' to his technological innovations, like synchronizing sound to a cartoon.Displays will include the Oscar statuettes awarded to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"--one full size and seven little ones--along with the earliest known drawings of Mickey Mouse, and concept art and animation cells showing Bambi and Pinocchio.The museum consists of three historic buildings in the Presidio, a former Army base with sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge.The museum will be open every day except Tuesdays, 10 a.,.-6 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $12.50 for kids 6-17, and will be by timed-entry ticket, available online at www.waltdisney.org up to 60 days in advance.

In my next post I am going to share a few laundry list items about making a comment as several have been challenged and a few other bits and pieces. Cheers!

Hello there...

Well, I am slowly recoverling from the trip to Europe (as I took the 6th off from posting) and last night (which was the 6th) was a lot of fun helping Jodie celebrate her birthday. (Details are to follow...) Today was a day that was oh so full and I feel that I need to pause, but want to share with you as night that was so magical that it deserves being posted here. So, without further adure, I share a magical evening that happened on the 19th day of December of 2008. And tomorrow, there is some fun to be shared...enjoy! Cheers, Chris

The HerbFarm
December 19, 2008

Snow has blanketed the Seattle area…a magical evening was just ahead…

And so began an evening that was not to be forgotten. Assembling at my apartment that evening was Helene, Markie, Dan and Moi. Four foodies to be sure. Would Dan make it in from Florida due to all the flight delays and cancels? Would the limo be on time? Would the restaurant cancel for the night as they had the night before…? I was so excited as Markie and Helene were treating me and Markie was treating Dan and it was a holiday heaven for all!

Slowly everyone showed and got the call that a town car would be driving us as the snow was too much for the limo. Bummer, but understood. OK, so most of us understood. One was a bit miffed that champagne would not be served on the way. But oh did we have a good driver. Slow and steady we made our way in anticipation of the experience and soon arrived.

Upon entering the HerbFarm the enormous mantle greets you. Coat check is nearby and soon we realize that my last name is the key word for the evening…”The reservation is under?” Schilling. Getting a glass of wine, finding a little something or being escorted to our table -yup…Schilling. It got rather challenging after a while. Maybe next time I will use a festive name like Santa. But that is getting to next time and this is about this time. We looked around and there is a private dining room and down the hall is the extensive wine cellar you must pass to use the restrooms. Quite a space and all set to enhance your senses. I laughed when I came upon the little bottle of ash from the old HerbFarm that had burned…it is all about marketing.

So we gathered near the entry for fresh air and enjoyed either a glass of wine or cider. At that point the co-owner stepped up and began telling about the herbs and such for the evening and they sent around samples. It was humorous in its’ own way and yet informative. She shared the history of the place and that they have a pig on property that we are more than welcome to visit. I have a feeling few took advantage that evening with the weather.

After a short welcome we were invited into the main dining room and seated. There is no other term than dinner theatre! The massive kitchen in three stages was off to our left once seated and we had a front and center table. There were other tables and a total of maybe a 100 diners that evening. A private library alcove overhead went unused and yet I would love to host a dinner there. There were tables of 6, 8 and even 12 people. There is also a community table for solo diners and small parties wishing to be part of a larger group. Upon seating my seat had a lovely silver framed message wishing me a Happy Birthday and was told it was a small gift from the HerbFarm. Each table had a animal holding a name plate. Ours happened to be a frog – the perfect business card hold for Eric in Kentucky and I asked to acquire it and my wish was granted. The table groaned with glassware, flatware and dishes all sorts and table décor was festive as well.

Silver goblets held water and how they served it was a dream come true…they held a small ice bucket in the arm and did ice first followed by water out of a bottle. Not too much ice and not too little. The cup never ran dry the entire evening. Service was at a level of perfection rarely seen…always anticipating but never invasive. Stunning!

The theme of the evening was The Holly and the Ivy. The whole place was decked out for the holiday and the table was all the more with green chargers and ivory napkins holding our menus and a sprig of fir. We began with a Christmas Tree Champagne Cocktail: choice of Western Juniper or Douglas Fir syrup enhanced with candied cranberry. Champagne was then poured over this to release the smells to the nose. While the Douglas Fir was lovely, Markie did make the best choice with the Juniper. Next a lovely trio was delivered to each of us. Pearls of the Salish Sea – See menu for details of each. Without hesitation, the Qualicum Bay Scallop with Candied Celery Seed Granité and pickled Sea Asparagus was amazing and maybe that was because they had to send a town car to get the scallops for the dish as the delivery truck could not make it.

At this point the curtain was drawn across the kitchen and we were introduced to the staff for the evening and told some tales by the owner including his passion for buying stuff on ebay and thus the major collection of items all about the HerbFarm which was quite entertaining. You also got a sense just how the whole group comes together to make it all work and the amazing training all go through.

We were then served a lovely 2006 Amity Vineyards Pinot Blanc and this was paired with the 2nd course – “Crab Apple” Consommé was the next course. A bit of play on words, I find it a bit challenging and not my favorite. We opted to not try the “2nd glass experience on this course of Sake.

At this point Dan and Helene step away to use the rest room. This gets to be funny as the night progresses. The staff lunge to get to the door to open it for you and then rush over with a new napkin and remove the old. It kept going like this over and over. The staff could hear our comments and we were thrilled when the chef came out to talk to “the foodies in the front.” He had cooked at the White House and numerous restaurants.

Also, they delivered luscious breads to enjoy. I made the simple comment to Helene how I liked Balsamic vinegar and within moments some appeared. A server heard my comment and it was granted. Some of the best I had ever had. Later in the evening I spied a bottle for sale in the lobby…at $105. No, I did not buy a bottle.

Next up was the Nomad of the North Pacific. A delightful nod to the fish course and paired with a 2007 Soter Vineyards Rosé of Oregon Pinot Noir. No 2nd glass pairing with this course and I got to enjoy a 2nd egg as Helene does not like them.

The table to our right was a husband and wife who had brought their parents. That is six people at $275 a clip and they were not having a good time. They sucked down the food and his parents kept saying – When do we REALLY eat. How sad! The wife was totally jealous of our table and the attention and how we were just totally enjoying ourselves. Funny how things happen?

The pacing of the evening is such that the 9+ course dinner begins around 7pm and you are walking out around midnight. So amazing and there is live music to enjoy and it is a thrill that cannot be described to a non foodie as they often just roll their eyes.

Next up was the Northwest Bollito Misto…who knew you could lust for Pork Belly! Three of us sure did. Hello Mary. This dish honored the chef’s father and mother’s heritage. It was paired with a 2001 Wilridge Nebbiolo di Klipsun from Red Mountain. Good choice, I LOVE Nebbiolo’s and yet I have to say that the 2nd glass pairing was better…yes, it really was. A Guiseppe Costese Barbaresco, Rabaja out of Italy and it was such a discussion that the wine sommeliers stopped by to discuss and in the end they actually realized we were right in our points and thanked us for being so insightful. Yup, that got to the chef who paid another visit to our table after the next course to be sure we were enjoying ourselves!

It must be shared that each course is a work of art and the portion is such that it is a bite or two. This is not about “all you can eat” but rather about the layers of complexity that are being played with and how you take great lengths to use local items and let the senses be taken away on a wonderful journey. A foodie gets this. Not being a snob, just sharing. It was an evening that many of us would love to enjoy again.

As we began the fifth course, it was time to just pause and be present. The course was titled Bisen, Beef, Wagyu. Well, it was just yummy to be sure and even the 24-hour Wagyu Short Rib stood up, but the flavors…see the menu for full details. Amazing pairings of flavors. The wine was a 2000 Cadence Meritage, Taptiel, Red Mountain and a steal that night at $60 a bottle. It was so far above the 2nd glass pairing of Andrew Will Meritage, Klipsun Vineyards that the sommelier stopped by and gave us not only a 2nd glass of the original wine, but a third as well…oh yeah!

Heaven is a place we hear about and yet this was a heavenly evening. What a night to be sure. The cheese course followed – specifically Cheese with Bitter Greens. It was lovely to slow down and while no specific wine was available with this course, they had flights you could buy. We got two:

Red Alert! Had never had a red ice wine and we enjoyed them quite a bit. First up was Lake Crest Winery’s Syrah Ice Wine which was our 2nd favorite of the three. Inniskillin’s Cabernet Franc Ice Wine out of Canada was our 2nd tasting but third choice. Our final ice wine was the favorite and that was Sineann’s Zinfandel Ice Wine out of Oregon. All 2006 and was $35 for the tasting – thank you Helene for the lovely gift to the three of us for the holiday.

Flight of Grand Champagnes! What a treat…three fabulous pours with Dom Pérignon 2000 vintage starting things off. I know one of us sure good a good taste of this one. But the other three were a bit more balanced around…the 2nd being 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame which is always a delight. But the third is why I so wanted to try it – I had never had Krug and tonight it all changed. Hello MARY!! Non vintage Krug Grand Cuvée was an oral orgasm unrivaled in my book. It was a sheer joy – again thank you so much Helene for treating us to this lovely memory.

Dan kept using the wash room and the gentleman server kept placing new napkins and in the end when Dan came back he had left a stack as a sort of joke that we all laughed at, but wonder if Dan ever realized it was a joke, or perhaps did not find it humorous. Oh well, it was all in fun. But the next course was not fun at all; it was the miss of the night sadly. It was a Sorbet of Pineapple Quince. It was just a miss on flavor. The server asked us what we thought as much of it was left and we were frank and honest. The chef came out for a third visit and asked what happened? My honest suggestion was to consider something like Grapefruit and pepper, something to really cleanse the palette. He liked my idea…but to be honest, I had had that once before at a dinner and have always thought it was an amazing blend.

We were slowly coming to the end of the dinner. Dan stepped out to find something for Lisa as a memento of the night. Helene did a little power shopping and well, I was getting a tad bit tired. Alas, it was time for dessert and Deck the Halls. To watch them plate this up right before your eyes. The perfection of the double Terrine was a sheer joy. Eggnog Ice Cream was a double BAM as I got Helene’s share. I am so happy she does not like eggs!

It was time for Coffee, Teas & Infusions…talk about assembly line as they prepared creamers, tea sets and coffees, oh my! It was magical and everyone was taken care of promptly. It was all laid out in a booklet complete with cliff notes on the back page on how to order if not sure!

The finale was A Selection of Small Treats. This was so cute as they did double orders so each person got to taste one of everything which did not quite work out on one side of the table, but there was Rose Geranium Chocolate cookie; Persimmon Pates de Fruits; Dark Chocolate Knackerli with Caramel Quinoa & Cranberry; Birch Milk Chocolate Truffle; and finally a Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate.

What an amazing meal…and as we sat back and savored the last tastes one could not help notice those rushing to get out and break the magic. It was a night to be savored, not rushed. Alas, we enjoyed ourselves and then went and settled the bill and got our wraps to brace for the cold. Our driver was there and as we headed back to the city Markie had a CD of Christmas music to polish off the night.

Many in the back nodded off as I kept the driver company and he was AMAZING in getting Helene home to her abode in the snow and madness. He then drove down into the city and took Roosevelt Avenue and we saw some festive lights and the CD finished just as we arrived at my building. The boys went to the parking garage as I went up to my apartment. The tree had been left on and was a magical moment to tell me that the magic would live on as the memory is one that will not die. Thank you to all for making my birthday so very special I will never forget it. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Clicked my heels three times

And I am home! Yeah, to be here for the first time this autumn is a joy. Trees are changing and I was greeted with a wonderful display of leaves on the breakfast bar. Can only guess Moonsong left them as a greeting for my favorite season of the year.

Flights connected and took a taxi directly to the apt. Mail is collected and have packed away summer look in preparation of getting fall decor up. Running on excess energy and so going to keep this post short. Know that I appreciate all the feedback from people and I look forward to sharing more thoughts and perspectives.

So enjoy the shortness of this post as I have a lot of thoughts flowing around up in the brain, but they will be shared later. Tomorrow reality sets in with two back to back meetings and it is Jodie's birthday dinner tomorrow night.