The Countdown Has Begun...

The new year is spreading across the globe as I write this in that I have watched fireworks go off in Australia, New Zealand and multiple cities in Asia.Just amazing to watch the firework displays as we welcome 2011 and yet there is devastating flooding going on in Australia while snow is the story in the northeast US. Celebration and sadness go hand in hand as we go through the next hours. Yet, one cannot pause and be in wonder of the past year as so much has happened. I continue at E&A and cannot believe it is nearly 13 years there. The past year has provided so many fun memories both at work and with friends. Tonight Markie will be over and we will be welcoming in the celebrations as the clock strikes midnight from London to Paris and across the US, we’ll just see if we make it to midnight locally to see the fireworks explode over the space needle. 8AM comes way early and that is the start time for the Tournament of Roses parade out of California. We'll see how it all turns out. Whatever you do I wish it to be a fun night and that the new year is filled with fun and joy. I look forward to sharing my fun adventures with you as we go into the new year!

The Blog...Updated

Hi folks, well if you take a look at the 26th and 27th of November you will see how the Whistler trip wraps. Lots of pictures of dinner at the Bare Foot Bistro.

December has multiple updates of how the month unfolded.

Hope all had a good holiday.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

So now let's get back to the blog...per usual, or as it will be.

And So hear I Am...

Almost caught up. No Way! Yes, I have let go of the daily posting, I have a job and it takes a lot of time and the laptop is not a keyboard I really like so in the new year I will likely be switching out this laptop to a tower and keyboard. Boy, I really like to be able to watch TV and do the computer work, but seriously, do I really need the computer overload? There are times, like at Michael's when I do not need all the media crap. In fact, did I tell you about the trip over? After opening the gifts on Christmas morning, thank you to Markie, Janet, Mike & family plus Kate & Eric out of Kentucky, I drove over to Long Beach, WA and it was a delight. Upon arriving, Michael had chopped liver waiting with cocktails to be followed by Chicken N' Dumplings. Can you say YUM! We were stuffed and yet so much laughter.

Next up was a good night's sleep and the morning brought fresh biscuits out of the over with leftover chicken N' dumpling gravy. I was in food heaven. After that we read, napped and Michael was in the kitchen being an amazing conductor for the Boxing Day feast. Hank and Cooper (the dogs) wanted more attention and the rain really made for a low key day. I napped and read and got to play a couple of games of Yahtzee with Michael. Oh my God - I got three Yahtzee's in one game and that set up the dinner!

Yes, we had garlic stuffed prime rib with Yorkshire pudding along with oh so fluffy potatoes and light and lively green beans. It was AMAZING. The finale was pumpkin mousse with gingerbread crumpled on top. Why did 3:30AM have to arrive so early the next morning? But it did and back to seattle I went...knowing that a tradition was honored and will be kept for years to come. Big Hugs to Michael!

The Christmas of 1, Yes 1 Ornament!

OK, so you all know me as the guy who loves, seriously loves this holiday. I really do. Heck, even with the trip to Whistler and down to see Mom I got the tree up on the 9th of the month and then the following month I decked out the rest of the apartment. It was just the tree left to be decked out and figured I would do it on the 18th but decided to go to the gift grab. The 19th had Moonsong cleaning and by the time I got back to the apartment I was tired and needed to get some other things done. The following nights had me dining with friends and making phone calls. Gifts needed to be bought and were not and the tree waited with one exception. The “Polar Express” ornament that was a FABULOUS birthday present and was put out by Hallmark in 2007. When I opened it I cried. Such a sap! Well, I put that ornament on the tree and decided that Helene and I would deck the tree on the 24th. No worries.Well, as you can see we did not. No much laughter followed and it is totally ok! Seriously, I have never laughed so much before. I get so stressed out by the holiday and you know what? Why? No reason. I just buy into the hype and so on this year, the yeasr when things did not go quite as planned; I have a tree that did not go quite as planned. I present the tree of one ornament. In case you do not see the one ornament here is a close-up and yes, I do believe! Get over it.But oh be prepared, I shall be back in full force next year and it will be over the top and yet festive. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Yes, I Do Have An Office

So do not even think you can have my Zebra Print Chairs...I know who you are! Yup, that is how I have to welcome people into my office. Mark thought they were not cool. Little did he know. Everyone loves them. I know I do. now the new talbe is coming in as my desk is just too small.You know, it is funny. I have this office and yet I really do not like it. I use it as it is there. People love to come and visit for all the things to look at from the chairs to the trinkets from my tips and friends. Here is a look at me with crap behind me and yet there is more, oh so much more. If you want to see the rest, have no fear as my staff has decided I need a new table/desk in the new year and so it shall be. Not a lot of paper but oh is there he stuff.

Faerie Gift Grab

When will I ever learn? Not soon enough. Had a lot of second thoughts about going to the annual gift grab I decided to go since I was picking up Wonderful and heck, Dennis was not going to be there – right? Wrong-O! He was there and a lot of other slugs and it was a night I would like to soon forget. But hey, there are moments…Yes that is Tyler, Moonsong and Larry – our host having fun. Here is a close-up. You have to laugh. It makes the night go faster.It was a joy to see Randy in the picture with me as he had a heart attack earlier in the month – seriously. I had not had a chance to see him and so this was a delightful gift.Randy and Tyler along with Moonsong are dear Catan players and I do hope to do that more in the new year. I really enjoy the good old fashion board gmaes. You can ask Jodie and Rob as we play the train game and the is Yahtzee to boot!

With Visions of Sugar Plums

Alright, so I am not in the picture, but you get the idea...it has been a really full week with the visit to Mom over and now Christmas coming in but 10 days. Trying to get the halls all decked and know I do plan to get the backlog of tales caught up in the coming weeks, but right now I am just trying to stay rested and get the daily chores done. This blog is all about having fun and there will be times I don't get to it, and other times I do several posting in a day. Know I will get it all caught up and you'll hear about Whistler and Ashland plus the holiday fun! Cheers!!

Birthday Fun!

OK, so it has been a great day and heck I still have the evening. First birthday call arrived at 6:15am from the east coast and throughout the day the phone, facebook, Gmail among other social media have brought hundreds of good wishes. Tonight I am enjoying a sight for sore eyes, My tree is up and shining bright. Yes, it sounds crazy, but I was determined to have the tree up and glowing to enjoy on my birthday.

So, after plowing through emails and enjoying a lunch buffet my staff put on and there were gift cards, chocolate and special surprises galore. Oh and can we talk, they even had a Red Velvet Cake for me. My favorite to be sure. Francesca, our Accounting Manager was behind it all. Thank You my dear!

Got home a bit after 4pm and did a plethora of chores and just kept plugging away until I plugged in the lights at 5:05pm and above is the result. Quite pleased and tomorrow I will deck the rest of the apartment and the tree will be the focus of the weekend. I do so love this time of the year. Holly Jolly, holly jolly, Hooooooooooo! Ho! Ho! Ho!

We Found the Wreath & Doves

Mom headed off to church as she always does on the 8th of December. It is the Feast of The Immaculate Conception and back in 1959 she went into labor after watching a John Wayne movie and then going to church. Did I mention my middle name is Wayne? So I decided to go looking for the wreath and doves. They could not just vaporize into the sky. Sure enough, I found them in the laundry room and they took there positions as you can see. Yup, that is Mom and oh how I love her.

Visiting Mom Kicks Off The Holidaze!

I headed south the first weekend of December and landed in time to hear the last minutes of the Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State as UO sealed their place as #1 for a spot in the SBC Championship game on January 10th. Dropping Mike back at Meredith’s place I headed for Mom’s house and proceeded to get lost. Now that was a first, and yet fun. Arrived at Mom’s house by 4pm. We had a lot of laughs and much chat pursued. Mom made a dinner that was fit for a king with steaks, baked potatoes and a yummy salad. Dominoes played a key role and after four games we tied at 2 each.While at home Mom wanted to take me to the Jacksonville Inn for an early Christmas Dinner. We decided to do that Tuesday evening. It was a delight. Here is Mom toasting the evening and not to be outdone, yes, I did enjoy the Valley View Viognier. A low acid wine with floral aromas and an apricot quality. It is so richly aromatic that even though it is dry, it seems sweet.We both decided to go for the pork dishes on the menu. I happened to opt for Escargot to kick off my meal and it was heavenly. Then the salads arrived. Delightful. As you can see below, Mom choose the grilled boneless pork loin served with caramelized onions and stewed white beans. Further, she is not a fan of brussel sprouts so opted for the green beans. Can you say YUM! I decided to go for the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with chicken fried pulled pork served with maple-roasted butternut squash puree and warm brussel sprout salad.Oh they were both so good and yet we decided to take half of each of our dishes home so we could enjoy their desserts. Mom went for Warm Marionberry Strudel with Frangelico Crème Anglaise and Inn-Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. I went for the meringue and raspberry cake. They served the wrong item first, but finally got it right. We went to look at Christmas lights and then home. Mind you, we also hit Standing Stone Brew Pub for lunch with Courtney. This was after decorating the house for the holidays, with one major exception. Mom and I could not find the wreath and doves that have hung over the fireplace for years. Where were they? Mom did not know and no one could find them. What happened? Stay tuned, ok, look at the next posting!

Home Town Bound

Hey folks, I am on a plane tomorrow afternoon to fly down and see Mom for a few days. Shocking as it sounds, leaving the computer behind and totally unplugging to focus on my few days with Mom. Back next Wednesday in time to turn 51 on Thursday. For those that do not know Ashland, starting at the top is a picture of the Elizabethan Theatre that is used in the summer for evening Shakespeare performances. The middle picture is of the Plaza downtown. We rarely get downtown any more. The bottom is a place where we spent many many hours in years past, Lithia Park and oh what a beautiful place it is.

World AIDS Day

Yes, this is the White House today. I am so pleased to see that such a significant presense is given to such a serious issue. This is a day we need to pause and remember all those that have died from this horrible desease. It is not just a gay thing, but rather global wrath that has taken far too many far too soon. I know there are more than I can count who I would love to be able to say hello to again as they had their lives cut short far too soon.

Do Not Adjust Your Screen...

Yes, this is the same posting from the one you see on the 25th. I am finally getting caught up on posting the Canada trip and liked this picture I decided to leave it up and have both.Hi folks, last week was a heck of a snow storm in Seattle and then it was off to Whistler for Thanksgiving with a group of 54 for work. It was a lot of work but what a group of people to step up and help. Above is a picture of Janet and me at the Crystal Lodge in Whistler. As the days allow I plan to post a full recap of the trip and dinner at Bare Foot Bistro - oh my! It will take a bit of time and with an upcoming trip down to see Mom on Saturday for a few days plus the holidays, know I will post as I can! Cheers!

This is Whistler - Our View

Before we bid good-bye to our stay, I want to show you a couple of the views out our windows. We were right in the center of everything quite frankly and after 14 inches of snow it has to go somewhere. The plows made this mini-mountain for the kids to play on for a couple of days. With news of more snow on the way, this pile of snow was scooped up the morning we were leaving and gone in less than an hour.

It is a winter wonderland and they add charm with a lot of lights in the trees. That is what the crane is doing below. The picture above and below also show the ski lifts. Yes, we were in the center of it all and likely we shall return next year. It had been a couple of years and a joy to get back up in the snow again. If you have not made it to Whistler, you so owe it to yourself.

Bare Foot Bistro - Take 1

Friday arrived with more snow on the ground and we served our first breakfast to the members. All hands on deck as we had just about everyone stop in for yummy breakfast. Jodie made egg casseroles of different varieties and there was various grab and go plus full coffee service. By 10 we had it all cleaned up and ordered lunch as we planned for the first happy hour with a “white trash” theme, complete with Jello shots and spam cubes. Oh my, they loved it. Once we got the masses out the door and dealt with an attempted influx of party crashers, it was time to get ready for an evening not soon to be forgotten. Heck, this entry is being written a month after and it was as if yesterday.

Rob and Jodie have told me how fabulous this place was, but with a name like Bare Foot Bistro, how can you take it seriously. Yet, once we got seated, I realized I had eaten here several years ago. It was heavenly. I had forgotten the name, but not the experience. So cocktails were ordered around and it was also a time to allow the wine to breath. If you look at the decanter that impresses even Jodie, it was stunning. And at $500 none of us touched it. We let them handle it and we were got the opportunity to try a 2004 Oculus – and here is what the winery has to tell you about the wine:

“The 2004 Oculus epitomizes exquisite balance, managing to be distinctively
complex and concentrated yet elegantly styled, with a smooth, polished texture.
The signature of the wine is the multiplicity of layers that unfold into
decadent plum, blackberry and chocolate notes. The distinguishing rich, loamy
earthiness and fine ripe tannins provide structure and mingle with lush fruit,
ensuring that the wine will develop additional complexity over many years. If
enjoying Oculus in its youth, we suggest decanting prior to serving.”

The blend for the 2004 Oculus is 74% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. It had to be one of the most enjoyable wines I have had in a while even beyond the decanter. As we enjoyed our martini’s with the first course, we let the wine open up. It only got better.

To kick off the meal we got a little starter surprise from the kitchen. In a porcelain spoon was a delightful scallop crevice & curried cucumber that had a nice little kick with red chili and citrus. There were five of us at dinner and the first course unfolded as follows:

Janet went for the balsamic roasted pemberton vegetables with wild greens, goat cheese & celery root puree.Jodie and Randy decided on the sous vide paradise valley pork belly complete with sweet corn, veloute, crème fraiche and cilantro.Rob opted for the seaweed & tea crusted albacore tuna served with coconut cream, thai basil with citrus.OK, call me predictable, but when I see oysters, I have to say yes and they were served with fresh horseradish and lemon mignonette. A wonderful palette cleansing green tea granche gave us the opportunity to pause plus it was time to see the wine poured for all to enjoy.
This ends Part 1 of our Gourmet Adventure.

Bare Foot Bistro - Take 2

When dining at Bare Foot Bistro, you get to decide how you are going to dine. There is the create a three course dinner which is what we decided to do for the evening. The other option is to go full out and have the five course chef’s dinner. This night we did not do the latter as some of the items on the menu just did not sit with the table. For me it was the smoked mackerel. I am just not a fan of this particular fish so opted for the 3 course adventure. For others, it was the duck. But in the end, it was all good. The wine was divine and we had main course arriving.

This course had two opting for the beef tenderloin which included a braised shank tortellini, cranberry gastrique and savory granola. Yes, this was my pick and it was a little bit of heaven.Two others decided to go for the braised beef shortrib with black garlic, scallion and truffle. Oh my.The last dish was Yukon arctic char served with atlantic lobster bisque, roasted salsify and fresh apple.As you can see, the portions are not about “all you can eat” but rather the flavors and presentation. I was in nirvana and that was just fine.

Dessert was next and it was the single reason we had all ventured to Bare Foot Bistro. They serve something I have never seen anywhere else. They take cream and add nitro to it so it cools fast and becomes nitro ice cream in moments and is just bliss. They serve additional toppings to make it festive, but I liked it just as it is. Following are a series of pictures of the event and it will not soon be forgotten. A dinner to remember!

American Thanksgiving in Canada!

The morning was leisurely and then it happened. I was on the phone with Curtis making sure they were clearing the border and Carly, the head of Group Sales pops by to say hi. She was talking about the Owner’s Suite up on the top floor while our suite was on the 1st floor (actually the 2nd but the whole lobby, etc. thing going on). This picture was taken on Wednesday actually before what happened next.

A total fluke. Rob asks the group sales manager for a tour of the top floor 3-bedroom unit. The rest of the group on the tour gushing over it had Carly placing a call after she left. The gushing convinced the sales manager to call the owner of the hotel who had booked the top floor unit for himself for the weekend and he traded us rooms. I’m guessing he also locked in the group coming back next year to this hotel. Only one problem, we had to flip rooms in 20 minutes, no kidding. We did it!

Bus arrived by 2pm and got people checked in and this allowed for a nice little nap before Thanksgiving dinner…the disaster loomed! Dinner was downstairs at Ric’s Bar & Grill. Set menu, should have stuck with buffet, but no, tried to do something a little nicer. I went for the feast, which was turkey and ham and all the fixings (after a bowl of chowder as a starter). The service was a cluster-fuck — like I said should have been a buffet and they should have had all the staff running and ringing up drink orders — as Markie said “they could have sold three times as much.” Not a good way to kick off the weekend but hey, it would get better, I knew it would and so stay tuned for the next installment.

Whistler - The Beginning

Whistler is so magical when the snow arrives and this year proved to be a stellar year to be sure. Curtis had just returned from hosting a trip to Thailand and it was not right to send him up on our 16th Annual American Thanksgiving Weekend without some help. I was able to get Jodie and Rob to join in on the fun and it was a real treat to see my sister, Janet, decide she would like to experience a place I had talked about for years. Uncle Markie decided that he had nowhere to be and joined in for the weekend. So with this troop and 54 members, we were off to Whistler by car and bus for a weekend to remember.Other than Curtis the rest of us made tracks north on Wednesday to get things set up for the arrival of the masses the following day. We departed the Emerald city just a bit before 10am on the 24th and made good time. Janet knew we were headed for the mountains, but by her own admission she was not prepared for the beauty that laid in store. Cleared the border in record time and you have to know that Markie is up here just a few too many times when the people at the Duty-Free store know him on a first name basis. Seriously, that is scary.There are times in life when you say something that you just wish you had not said. In this case it was sitting in the back seat of Rob’s Suburban and commenting on how there are “so many Canadian flags on all the flagpoles.” Mind you we were driving through Vancouver at this point. I do not think I will ever live that one down in part due to the generous gifting of a Canadian Flag patch to be applied to an item of clothing, a 3’ X 5’ Canadian flag and the face painting kit in the shape of the flag from the great white north, eh?! It did provide much laughter and that is a good thing.

After stopping for lunch in Squamish for lunch at White Spot (kind of like a TGIFriday’s) we made our last push for the Crystal Lodge in Whistler arriving just after 4pm. After getting settled in to the three bedroom suite Several of the clan headed to market for the first of four food runs in the coming days and I dealt with confirming reservations and checking in to see how things were going in Seattle. Mind you, Curtis was not leaving until the next day on the bus, but spent the beter part of Wednesday shuttling all the incoming members from the outer offices from the airport to the local hotel. Have to love that we actually had a member from the bay area that did not get his ticket until the night before and thus was on a 10:00 flight – OY!Quoting from Markie’s blog: “I’m doing tonight’s meal (and breakfast tomorrow) which is a standing rib roast – damned expensive up here in Canadaland — $49 for a four pounder, ouch. Add some roasted vegetables in the bottom of the pan and a salad on the side and you have a meal. Thanks Rob for the two bottles of wine. Yummy. The main event for the night was watching Jodie make the Jello shots for Black Friday.” This is how the trip kicked off and there was some personal drama as I was not feeling up to snuff and dealing with an infection, plus the whole weight issue and add on the altitude plus not sleeping great the first night…well, Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy New Year! OK, Almost...

No you are not misreading the headline, I have always seen the season of fall to be a time for me to renew and revisit and kind of make my resolutions. Don't usually wait until the end of year. So today I was working from home and not feeling 100% yet as I was looking out and watching the snow fall I came up with a short list of what I want to work on for the coming year...but think I may have to trim a few out, may be wanting to fix too much at once:

Better Person
Volunteer More & Perhaps Get a Hobby
Open to Finding Love/Partner
Follow Dreams More
Advance or Change Career
Have More Fun Plus Travel More
Work on Weight & Exercise
Save More Money
Get Organized & Quit Procrastinating
More Time for Self

Sometimes it is not the best to just let your mind run wild or you may get to be too critical of what is going on in your life. At least I have the coming holiday weekend to pause, ponder and put together a plan of action. And so we go.

Winter Storm Watch 2010!

I so love when a storm approaches. The various weather agencies and TV stations go crazy. It is too funny to watch. Heck, channel 7 is going on the air at 4AM tomorrow morning to have Doppler, Nexrad, Storm-tracker 7000 kick in and be on top of the weather. I will feel for the reporters who will be sent out with wind meters and rulers to "show" the storm LIVE! And you so know it will be like not there. They can only wish. Yes, it is cold. There were brief snow flurries today and I understand that south and north there was more, but my goodness, tonight it is going to get cold. Think even I will be ducking under the covers tonight to snuggle up and stay warm. There is something about the first real storm of the season: EVERYONE MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!

ABC's of Sunday

Oh the good old ABC's that serve us all so well. Today it was:

A is for Airport where I went to pick-up Markie as he returned from the Thailand trip. He looked fried to say the least. As I arrived at the cell phone lot I saw the plane pulling up to the gate. It would be another 30 minutes or so, just time to finish the issue of The New Yorker I was reading from early November. Now, only 2 behind I do believe.

B is for Brunch that I had with Dancing Bear & Crimson at Hudson's. I decided to try something completely new and was delighted I did. Called "The Coup" the omelet was flavorful and made with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and goat cheese. Sadly, they have appeared to change their coffee or the server does not know how to make it proper. Met a gentleman there by the name of Paul. I swear I know him.

C is for Cleaning and oh Moonsong does such an amazing job. I walk in and the place is divine. Leaves are all gone and the place will begin to transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Had toyed with beginning it today, but may wait until after my return. Perhaps do a little each night from the 28th through the departure for Medford on the 4th. The tree gets up but will not be decorated until the 10th or 11th me thinks.

Lazy & Leftovers

Michael came up from Long Beach and last night we got Chinese Take-out from a favorite restaurant. Many of you have been to Shanghai Garden with me over the years in our visits there, but last night we opted to hang out in the apartment and enjoy eating dinner in. We ordered the Pepper Salted Squid as well as Steamed Dumplings. Both are awesome and we totally scarfed those. Additionally, we got Pork Fried Rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Spicy Cucumber Salad and Dry-Sauteed String Beans. I was full after my first plate, and Michael did not last much longer. Needless to say, I got to enjoy leftovers today and that is call heaven. Heck, toss in an order of their Hot & Sour Soup which will be dinner tomorrow and we are in bliss. So enjoyed a great meal and got to have some really good heart chat. Life is just posing some challenges and all will be good down the road.

But living in the now, while leftovers provided nutrition for late lunch/early dinner, this day was all about being lazy. Seriously, I was totally fried and since Michael got an early start to get home, I decided a little extra shut-eye was in store. Movies, reading and coffee made for a day that helped recharge. Tomorrow is going to have several errands and who knows how cold will it be? Catch up later...