Moment of Zen

Good day to one and all,


The title of this post come direct from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central. They are usually at the end of the show and are a bit like that closing moment on CBS Sunday Morning when they just show some area of the country and have the natural sounds. OK, so why do I go on like this, well, yesterday, Thursday, I was driving to work just like any day and part of my commute includes crossing Lake Washington on I-90.

Well, as I exited the tunnel from Seattle onto the floating bridge it was nothing but magical. Lake Washington was a mirror or nature that morning. The reflection of the trees in a deep blue as the sun was just beginning to makes it's assent for the day. It was stunning how calm the lake was. I am not sure if words can describe how lovely it was. The band of orange hinting at was coming sneaked in between the mountains and the low hanging clouds. The clouds were high enough for a clear view but low enough to hide Mt. Rainer. It was so intimate. The glimmer of morning's light cast an orange glow on the Bellevue skyline, something that only a decade before did not exist. It was the break from nature that was unstoppable, yet not offensive. It is where we are today. And so in taking in all of this I felt so alone and yet it took no more than looking ahead to see the hundreds, nay thousands of headlights and taillights of the cars to realize I was but one of hundreds in this moment...alas, how many were even taking the time to enjoy it?

Days become weeks and postings become Epic!

Hello to one and all,

Seattle is on course to have its' warmest January ever. It is that El Nino effect happening and our loss is California's gain. So I have been down to see Mom this year and it was a lot of fun. On the flight down I got to try the Whistler Brewing Company's Thistle Black Ale. Mighty fine beer to be sure and also discovered pretzel crisps. They are good! If you have not tried them, you must. So before I get going, I have been informed that sometimes my postings tend to go on, oh, a little long. What can I say, I have a gift for the word. I try and keep it light and fun, but I get carried away. I shall try and pace myself and perhaps, just perhaps do more than one posting this week. I know, I know, that's just crazy talk, but hey miracles do happen.

On January 13th I flew down to Medford, oh wait, I'm sorry, I flew down to The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. Talk about puff, puff, puff! Heck I flew out of Sea-Tac and it has a hell of a lot more flights and does not need to strut around like a puffed up turkey! Alas, the flight was uneventful and we landed without incident. Walked out just as Mike, my brother, was pulling up after making one round. Good timing. Drove home and got settled in for the evening. Flying down on a work day is challenging and I do not get a lot done. What was wonderful was that Mom decided to make one of my favorite dishes from our youth, Tamale Pie. A true Betty Crocker recipe, but oh so good.

Afterwards, we watched some TV and called it an early night. Sleep was so needed and tomorrow brought a new day. I slept like a log and it was wonderful. Woke up refreshed and got ready for the day and headed up to get coffee going. Mom joined me and was game to make another favorite from the past - gashouse eggs. These were a staple of the years up at Lake of the Woods and to sit and enjoy them with her was a treat. For those that may know them by another name, you take a piece of bread and cut out a hole and crack the egg into the middle of the bread. You flip it and grill until cooked. It is like a fried egg in the center of a piece of bread. Oh and you grill the little circles as well and eat them on the side = YUM! I had to run a few errands and then got back to the house to see what Mom was up to. From there it was time to begin the domino games. We play a version called Wagon Train. It involves 15 rounds to a game and so can take some time.


After a few rounds, I took Mom down to Standing Stone Brewing Company. Here is a bit of history about the place, you can skip it if you like:

Floyd Whittle built his one-story, fire resistant, reinforced concrete
structure and concrete floors to last. If he thought about how his building would be used in the future, surely a micro-brewery restaurant would not have entered his mind. After all, that was 1925, eight years before the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition. And the Amarotico brothers, responsible for
converting the Whittle Garage Building into the classy Standing Stone Brewing
Co, surely have trouble believing that Whittle built that garage for $6000. It
took a half million dollars for them to renovate the garage before it was suitable for public assembly in 1997.

By the time Whittle arrived in 1909, Ashland, founded in 1850, had already developed a substantial industrial base. Whittle formed a moving and storage operation, and in 1925 built a new industrial building in the commercial area. The plan he chose was an adaptation of the Falsefront form used extensively in the
towns of Oregon since 1850. The extended facade gave the appearance that a
one-story building was larger and more formidable than it was; it also hid the simple gables and sloped roofs from the public view. During the early years of the 20th century, the automobile became the main source of personal travel. New buildings were needed to accommodate the growing businesses needed to service the cars, while existing buildings were simply modified.

Upon completion, Whittle leased the garage to Sim Morris and Sons, owner of Morris’s Oak Street Garage. Over the 20 years they occupied the space, Morris’s garage and machine shop business expanded to include other services related to automobile repair. Eventually, they found their niche in the manufacture of welded steel tanks. No one is certain how the building was used subsequent to the Morris’s relocation, but there is speculation that Lithia Motors may have used a portion of the building for repairs and storage. Regardless, the garage remained essentially unchanged for almost 30 years, until August 13, 1953, when a fire at the Busch Motors Building spread and damaged the Whittle building.

Whittle hired E.H. Nicholson and Charles Delsman, owners of the Pioneer Glass and Cabinet Shop, to repair and replace the windows, to tear down the rear wing ruined by the fire, and to build a wooden deck for storage. Nicholson and Delsman, in need
of additional space, then rented the newly repaired garage and moved their shop in November. When Nicholson died the following September, James Delsman joined his brother Charles to run the company. In 1977, they purchased the property from the Whittle estate, and ran the operation there until their retirement in 1994.

In March, 1996, the ownership was transferred to the Amarotico brothers. From the beginning, they recognized the importance of retaining the original integrity and industrial character of the building. All renovation was designed with the intent to appear as though the brewery/restaurant was simply tucked into the open original space. Most of the flooring is still exposed concrete, though now it is sealed with clear polymer. The original or similar raw concrete and brick walls remain exposed, and the original open truss system is still apparent. Requirements to meet seismic, sanitation and the ADA (American Disability Act) codes were installed so as not to detract from the original interior. The wooden storage deck, demolished in the early l980?s by the City of Ashland because it had become an attractive area for indigents to gather, has been rebuilt and new serves as a large, attractive, outdoor dining area.

The building was officially registered with the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. According to George Kramer, an historic preservation consultant and the preparer of the nomination’s The Whittle Garage Building, completed in 1925, remains Ashland's best surviving example of the simple utilitarian Falsefront form as it was employed in southern Oregon during the 1920's. Substantially unaltered from its historic exterior appearance, the Whittle Garage Building retains exceptional integrity in appearance, workmanship, setting, and use of materials. Floyd Whittle should be pleased. With appreciation and acknowledgement to their website and
Nancy Bringhurst, Heritage Magazine, S.O. Historical Society, Vol.2, No.1,
January 2000

So getting seated we knew instantly what we were having. Mom had the Grilled Reuben with Corned Beef (oh they offer it with turkey or tofu if you so desire - UGH!) and I opted for a bowl of chowder and the fish & chips. Loved the former and other than the fish, could have passed on the latter, but you learn something every visit. All was not lost as I found 4 awesome new sipping glasses and they made the trip home safely due to Meagan wrapping them up so nicely. One sad note of the trip there was seeing that Chateaulin, an institution in Ashland since 1973 had closed. Bummer! A place I always wanted to go and never made it to. Got to mark it off my bucket list as undoable. Kind of like riding on the Concode.

Back to the house and more domino's and a nap consumed the balance of the day. Good conversation and enjoying the Christmas decorations filled the evening as Mom enjoyed her game shows from 7-8pm which she loves. It allowed us a bit of a break from the non-stop coverage of the horrible earthquake that had hit Haiti just a couple of days prior. It is amazing at the response and yet at the chaos that is there. I have to say that while the television special that aired last Friday, the 22nd, was assembled so quickly and had such amazing support, it had such a gloom to it at a time when offering hope is so needed. I know what they were trying to do, but one can only remember when Barbara Steisand sang at the Emmy Awards back in 2001 and it was amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch? It was the beginning of my healing from 9/11. But I honor what they were doing.

OK, so after some heart warming soup and some more television we were off to bed again for Friday was going to be a full day. We were up early and playing more domino's. Oh have I mentioned that Mom kicked my butt! Won the first two games - you rock Mom! We then enjoyed leftover tamale pie for lunch as a taco salad of sorts and then on to White City to see the new Grand Niece - Elizabeth Grace otherwise referred to Lizzy or Lizard! Could not believe how much that girl slept and boy were Justin and Meredith proud parents. From there we headed to the Eagle Point cemetery where Dad is and Mom got to have a little chat about the visit. It was her 1st seeing the baby as she had a cold when the baby was born. On the way back to town we stopped briefly at Bruce Robinson's house - he had been a dear friend of Dad's and Mom got to share about the baby and catch up for a few. I think Bruce appreciated that she stopped by.

We headed home for a nap - I REALLY LIKE TO TAKE NAPS ON VACATION! But alas, it was time to get up and head back to Medford and join up with Mik, Joce and family for a dinner at Olive Garden, because when you are there, you're family! OK, bad humor! Well, after 45 minute wait we were seated and half of us opted for soup and the other half went for salad. Numerous bread sticks were consumed and seeing Courtney order a cocktail, legally, really made me feel old. She is my niece! Mike enjoyed the Mixed Grill of skewers of grilled marinated steak and chicken with a rosemary demi-glace, served with grilled vegetables and Tuscan potatoes while Justin has the Tour of Italy with homemade lasagna, lightly breaded chicken parmigiana and creamy fettuccine alfredo. Meredith enjoyed her first glass of wine since the baby's birth plus Chicken Parmigiana which consists of parmesan-breaded chicken breasts, fried and topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese & served with spaghetti. Mom & I were traditionalists and opted for the Spaghetti & Meatballs - traditional meat sauce over spaghetti with meatballs. Talk about filling! Joyce had what I had my eye one and wish I had gone with in a way - Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo - grilled beef medallions drizzled with balsamic glaze, served over fettuccine tossed with spinach and gorgonzola-alfredo sauce. Just hurt me now and I will be happy! Finally Courtney had in addition to the afore-mentioned cocktail the Garlic-Herb Chicken con Broccoli - rosemary-seasoned chicken breasts sautéed with fresh broccoli in a garlic cream sauce over orecchiette pasta. Can we all say yum now! It was lovely and yet at the same time a moment of *BLUSH* as my card declined. Do not know why or how...but it did. My brother, ever the trooper, stepped in and took care of the bill and I posted a check to him upon my return home and let's just say I am more than a bit perturbed with my bank. Missed having Kevin with us, but he had to work up on Mt. Ashland due to the snowfall.

OK - so complete sidebar - I went to youtube for the Babs reference above and do not ask, just watch the following very cool - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFuIgWYJFZw - some of you might not know I am going to Las Vegas this Saturday and get to see Bette Middler's last show at Caesar's Palace on Sunday. Well, I love fountains and who has the most amazing fountain in all of Las Vegas...need I say more!

Now back to our regular posting...I have gone on a while haven't I and just about done with the visit to Ashland. Friday was lovely and well, Saturday was forgettable and let's just say I got a taste of growing older and 16 hours later I am regular and we're walking, we're walking...come along, don't dawdle. Thanks to Mom, Mike and Joyce for their assistance and well...on with the show. Due to the situation, Mom and I postponed our dinner at the Jacksonville Inn until our next visit and stayed home to enjoy meatloaf and potatoes. Simple and good. Did begin another game of Domino's and amazingly, when we finished the next day, I won! YEAH! Mom then made a lovely brunch of eggs, bacon, toast and we enjoyed screwdrivers. Mom mentioned she had not had one since Dad had died. Well, 10 years is a long time to go without a screwdriver. It was fun to toast day and the trip and Mom as well. What a great trip and good memories.

So there you go. Flew home on the 17th and nothing exciting happened. Last week was spent beginning to pack away Christmas. Also sent out 18 boxes to people who did not attend the 50th birthday bash and asked them to let me know a charity they wanted the money to go to. Amazing at how many do not have time to take 10 minutes to let me know. We have all these things to help save time in our lives and it seems we have less time than ever, but don't get me off on a tangent. What I do know is that this posting is coming to an end and I wish you well and enjoy reading. More later!

Cheers, Chris

PS: Hello LAs Vegas, here I come!

We are not in Kansas anymore!

But oh my where did that weather this morning come from? The winds and rain woke me up just after 3am! Could not get back to bed and so got work done and now it is broaching 9pm. Tad bit too tired to be creative and so hope to get back here in the next day or so to share what happened in Ashland on my visit including seeing Elizabeth Grace, the newest addition to the family plus taking Mom to the Standing Stone Brewing Company for lunch and The Olive Garden experience. Stay tuned!

A new chapter in so many ways

Hello there and Happy New Year! Grab a cup of coffee or whatever your favorite beverage is, this is a posting unlike any other in that it took over three hours, happy reading. Do take a moment to let me know what you think of my postings. Yes, there are misspellings, get over it...but ask questions or offer suggestions - but do enjoy and off we go...

Well, this is a new year and in ringing in the new year, Sydney, Australia has to get the credit for best fireworks to ring in the new year. They do an amazing job every year and this year was no exception as the bridge was ablaze plus 5 barges and several buildings downtown had fireworks go off. Really something to see and enjoy. Runner-ups included London, Hong Kong and Paris was lovely as they saluted the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower. Seattle was pretty darn sad this year, they so need to ramp it up, but then, we do have one hell of a 4th of July show every year up here. Alas, it will be interesting to see what happens this year as Chase has pulled out of sponsoring them after 1 year. Chase took over WaMu that had been presenting sponsor for years. Yes, I am a fireworks whore and so there you go. By the way, if you want to see any of the New Year fireworks, go to YouTube and you can enjoy.

It is a new year and a time of new beginnings and new directions. In writing this blog posting I got word that my niece, Meredith, has gone into labor and soon we will be welcoming Elizabeth Grace Clark. Wowzers, that means I will be a great uncle, kinda makes me feel old. But you know you are only as old as you feel, and I am not feeling too old for the most part. Last month turning 50 was a lot of fun and yet when Mike, my brother, sent me the 5 DVD's of movies that came out in 1959, seeing that "special 50th anniversary edition" banner really hit me. But that was then and this is now.

Last October this blog began as I was in Copenhagen and it was fun and I think I was a bit more adventuresome than I realized. Thought it was possible to post 4-6 times a week. Boy, have I missed that goal. Just to be able to get to it every 10 days or so is an achievement! The holidays were a blur. Mixing the big 50th birthday bash with the usual holiday merriment and poof, December is gone. So this day I am going to try and share a few highlights from the holidaze and move into the new year as the sun rises and what a beautiful morning it is with some clouds and a yellow orb is on the rise, have not seen it in a while. And if you look carefully out my window you can see what I have called my "wedge-o-Rainier" as I only see the very top of Mt. Rainier. Even only seeing the top wedge, knowing how huge it is, makes me pause in wonder. Boy, one of my favorite views is when you fly out of Sea-Tac airport and head east and going by the mountain. It is STUNNING! Especially this time of year cloaked in it's winter coat of snow and ice.

Yes, we are quite fortunate here in the northwest to have such great mountains but also the water, oh how I love the water! Taking a ferry ride or just sitting at Duke's and enjoying a bowl of chowder and watching the birds interact with the water. It is why I will be moving in a couple of months. Yes, after 4 years of calling Uwajimaya my home, I will be moving in order to get a better view. I want to look at mountains (prefer the Olympics) and the water, such as Puget Sound. Being ever the planner, I am starting now to make it a nice smooth process. Also, I feel lucky to be surrounded with people such as Jodie and Moonsong who will help in making it a pleasant experience. There is one property in the lead at the moment. but it would be premature. What I can tell you is that the move will be happening the first weekend of April as my lease here is up April 6th. Markie is considering taking over the lease, he has always enjoyed the view. What is interesting is that for the past 10+ years I have, by choice, lived in a studio space. For you on the east coast, that would be an efficiency. I do wish to continue to do so, but may, just may, end up in a one-bedroom due to the layout and style of the building that is a top contender right now. I will keep you posted or is that blogged?

My last posting brought you up to date on the 50th birthday bash that is still vivid as it was only a month ago that it was all kicking off. For 15 people who did not attend, I have sent a box. It is asking you how I am going to make a donation. It will be up to you to reply to see who gets how much of the donation pie. What I did is to roll back the number of people attending the party. I ended up with some extra bags and saved some money. So, I mailed out bags and a request for the recipient to pick one of three charities to get a donation in their name. It was like Santa's workshop for a while getting all the boxes prepped and posted.

Speaking of Santa's, leave it to me to redecorate AFTER Christmas for the January holiday season! Yes, I packed up the Santa's and most of the red. In so doing I consolidated the "winter" decor to the shelf unit and sideboard in the dining area in addition to the tree. Snow globes and snowmen are the theme and even the tree skirt has changed to a winter white. Holiday free zones now are the bathroom and kitchen plus the sleeping area of the apt. Quite fun really. In 2009 I kept the tree up until March. This year who knows? With the move happening on Easter weekend, you really have to wonder if I will be able to decorate for Easter. Oh wait, it's me = of course I will! It is the last major decorating holiday until after Labor Day.

After the last guest's departed in December from the birthday celebration, I had an undecorated tree - it was up and lights on (ok so the tree came with the lights already on) it suddenly hit that Christmas was like two weeks away. What do you do? Relax! Yup, I refused to panic. Instead I decided that it opened up the possibilities to change. Decided to not let it worry me as much. Visited people and Markie has me over for a lovely brunch and heck we even got to see the bear in action.

In 2008, Markie got this inflatable bear and it greeted me upon arriving home from a long HOT trip. I laughed so hard. Since then it has been to Breitenbush and shown up at various places. So what better than to greet Lars & Anita when they arrived at Markie's house for dinner. Granted, that night it was waiting outside. Bless Markie for putting it up even as the rain began! It moved inside for the photo and to dry off. It is all happy again in a box in the closet. Who knows where it will appear next? But seriously, how can you not look at it and now smile. It is just begging to be loved and well, I am the original faerie Snowbear and welcome to a moment of laughter!

So after that dinner I managed a visit the next day to see Cindy down in Federal Way and catch up, who could think that we would still be in touch 25+ years after meeting at Old Wives' Tales in Portland. But the same holds true with Ani in California! Yup, it is often the case, once a friend, always a friend. We may come and go, but never forgotten. And so I rolled into Christmas week know that I would not be in Ashland, but that is OK! I started going down to see Mom in January a few years back and like it so much better. Cheaper flights and I have had the time to begin new traditions. With the tree decorated I was able to welcome Helene over on Christmas Eve for an evening of good times.

The evening began with a cocktail of pomegranate vodka on the rocks and enjoying an appetizer of double cream brie with pesto and sun dried tomatoes wrapped in a puff pastry. We watched the San Francisco Ballet's presentation of "The Nutcracker" which was FABULOUS! I do plan to go down and see it this year. Next was a lovely bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne that Helene had brought. What a treat. Out of the oven came a gorgeous Prime Rib which rested and then I carved off and cooked one slice longer for my dear friend (and Helene I love you but you need to get over the well done, it hurt to kill the prime rib that way)! Also served cheese ravioli and asparagus. Simple and clean and oh did we hurt afterwards. But in a good way = FOOD COMA! The holiday had begun and we welcomed it with style. The next day was Christmas and so off to bed I went once Helene was on her way home on the bus.

The next morning had me up enjoying coffee and watching the Yule Log on TV. Opened packages from friends and family and then decided it was time for a shower before the boys arrived to play Settlers of Catan. See earlier posts to see how I have been sucked into this world of wonder. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's go back...The Yule Log is just a hoot! It was created years and years ago by KPTV in Portland, Oregon. They wanted to give their employees a day off on Christmas and so set up a camera up at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and taped hours of the fire up there burning. It got picked up by a NYC TV station and started doing it (Channel 11 for you folks back there) and well, it became a sensation! A couple of year's ago, the son of the man who originally did it, tried to "update" it and this set off a battle of the purists of the original and those who wanted to be more modern. Kind of like "The Miracle on 34th Street" and whether you like the original black and whiter version or will accept the colorized version. Do not get me started on the two remakes, they are just not right! I am a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas. Oh and what is even better, I do the happy cry on all the movies of the season no matter how many times I watch them. Yup, I kid you not

So anywho, getting ready for a shower and there is a knock at the door...yes, Christmas morning...USPS delivering a box! Amazing!

Well, we had a blast playing Settlers of Catan and afterwards made our way across the street to Shanghai Garden. Chinese food and Christmas have become a tradition for me. Helene got me started on the Jewish Christmas a few years back = Chinese food and a movie! Well, this year the movie came later in the evening at home, but oh my goodness...over 40 people waiting to get in = thank the goddess for booking a reservation a month prior and ordering Peking Duck for the gang. We got in and seated as dozens of people looked at us with darting glares! Then getting the Peking Duck so quickly brought even more daring glares! Too funny. But hey, I am a regular all year and a good, no VERY good tipper! After the duck came Barley Green Dumplings filled with shrimp and leeks came out along with Shanghai pan-fired dumpling with pork and meat. Next was dry-sauteed green beans with chicken and pepper-salted spare ribs. Mongolian Beef and pork fired rice finished out our feast. A great meal and I can say we will be headed there later this day as the gang returns for our first game of Catan for 2010 and Chinese afterwards!

Saturday, the 26th had me up early and on the road over to see Michael at the coast. A weekend that would make any Brit proud. It was Boxing Day. Michael did a dinner that was gluttonous with no apologies. Kicking off the festivities were martini's (vodka for me and gin for Michael complete with blue cheese stuffed olives!) served with oysters on the half shell and wild gulf prawns. He even made a home made cocktail sauce that had a nice bite to it. Fireworks were set off on the back deck to mark the evening and to many laughs. A while later dinner was a standing rib roast complete with Yorkshire pudding which was TOO DIE FOR! Also he made amazing French-style mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. YUM! We enjoyed a lovely Red wine that I have completely forgotten what it was. But oh it was good. We were just too gorged to even think dessert and so the pumpkin pie waited until morning and served with coffee to greet Sunday.

Sunday was a day to be called grazing fest as we began with said pie and coffee only to be followed at 42nd Street Cafe with brunch. Cindy, Linda and Sharon joined us. Love the place, but boy, the server was not having a good day and decided to let us in on her dark side. Not a pleasant person, but we did not let it dampen our spirits. 42nd Street Beignets started our meal with coffee and they are so good, but enough with the powdered sugar, they were just drenched in the stuff and that just is overkill. But did you see any left over = NOT! Then it was time for breakfast and Cindy had the Blueberry Waffle which is house-made with wild blueberries, whipped cream and served with their house made wild blueberry syrup. Linda enjoyed Chicken-fried steak and eggs with ‘mash’cakes and chicken gravy. But have to say I am not a fan of their gravy. Too watery. Sharon decided on Pot-roasted Beef Hash of potatoes, onions and bell peppers with two eggs, poached. Michael - what did you have? I do not remember. Maybe because I wanted the Crab and Shrimp omelet with Ricotta and Parmesan cheese filling but "they were not serving that on that day" and so I decided on basic breakfast of 2 eggs with bacon plus toast and fried red potatoes - again, not a fan of the potatoes. But soon we were done and done and headed home. A nap was so needed, it had been an exhausting morning of eating and laughing and such.

Michael made a lovely supper of oyster stew and rib roast sandwiches. Mind you wine was included and so it was a perfect finale to a perfect day as we watch "Make the Yuletide Gay" a festive holiday video I got my hands on this year and will be an annual treat to be sure. Alas, the morning arrived all too soon and back to the city I drove. New year's Eve was now in my cross-hairs and needed to be attended too. During the week I got to enjoy a lovely dinner at Shanghai Garden with Chip Saturn, a dear friend who is so grounding and a joy to just chat with. The night flew by. And soon the New Year arrive and so this brings us full circle to the beginning of the post and welcoming in the new year - 2010!

The year kicked off with enjoying breakfast with Mick at The Shanty Cafe. Amy was still gone but did get to see her yesterday. Good to see she is back. After that it was home to putter a bit before heading to Markie's place. He lives on Rose Street and so decided to host a Rose Champagne Tasting complete with 6 + 2 different ones. Oh my! I took a Rose-hip glazed ham to welcome progress and others did everything from zesty Chinese vegetables and black-eyed peas to dumplings and the coffee table was groaning from the dessert bounty. I stayed a couple of hours, but had to get home as Jodie and Rob were due to have dinner around 7 that evening. I decided that they had been so nice to have me over on Thanksgiving I wanted to host them and not just go for Chinese which is my usual default. We enjoyed a dinner of baby-back ribs and chicken breasts slathered in a bourbon bbq sauce. A sweet potato casserole that was light and fluffy with NO marshmallows was quite enjoyable. Greens beans with bacon and pearl onions provided color and they brought champagne and rolls plus dessert. Just like at Michael's, dessert had to wait until morning! Just too much. But what a great pick-me-up to get going early as I was on the road early the next morning.

Road Trip deux in deux weeks!

Off to Portland to get a pair of shoes. Yes, shoes! Many of you know I have worn Birkenstock's for years. LOVE THEM! But over the last year or so my feet are getting colder in the winter and so off to Cobbler Bill's in Portland for some shoes. So why there? Well, I am a bit unique. I have a size 17EEEE left foot and a size 17EEE right foot. Bill was able to find a pair of shoes and customize them for me - for under $100!!! AMAZING.

Then it was off to Mother's Restaurant for brunch and to get several copies of her latest cookbook. She has been working on this cookbook for like 8 years and I am so happy to have been able to snag a few copies for friends and then Lisa came over and signed each one for my friends and family. How nice is that! It is so fabulous when dreams come true for friends! So after enjoying he Eggs Benedict that she does so well, it was off to Hillsboro to see Eric and have a night of fun and rest at his house and see people I have not seen in years. I also got to meet Chris and enjoy an unusual appetizer that he made. No it was not in Lisa's book but consists of salami and then peanut butter and then chopped peperoncini. Do not think about the three ingredients, just eat and enjoy and hey, it's pretty good! By the way, Eric decorates his house so much it makes mine look minimalist by any standard.

The next morning had me up early and off to meet siblings for breakfast at The Hands-On Cafe at the Northwest Collage of Arts & Crafts. Well, it is closed until today, the 10th, and so we headed to the Cadillac Cafe in northeast Portland. This spot has a fun factor with a neon pink sign, light-pink walls, an open kitchen and a '61 Caddy safely locked behind a wood- and glass-paneled garage door. Weekend brunch offers staples like buttermilk pancakes--fluffy and abundantly layered with blueberries, bananas and hazelnuts. French toast gets soaked in custard before hitting the griddle. Steak and eggs are a perfectly grilled filet mignon beside a hearty scramble with spinach, peppers and Gorgonzola. The coffee cup never goes empty either! And they use REAL coffee cups, not mugs!!! I was able to give them their gifts for the holiday and we enjoyed a great breakfast. I had the loaded potaotes with chees, bacon, eggs, peppers and potatoes all folded into one and came with a side of whole wheat toast. Yummers!

All too soon it was back on the road and after a quick drive-by to see Sandy and Allen I was home and relaxing with a good nap as the Seahawk's lost their last home game and now the coach has been fired. Again, something I will not miss here are all the games and ugly fans that destroy the area and really don't care where they drive, spit, pee or just dump stuff! It is frustrating at times to say the least. But all that fades quickly as I was off to see Lars and Anita for an amazing 4-course dinner to cap off an amazing holiday season! We started off with a lovely salad of greens with roasted pear and nuts topped with a beautiful bleu cheese - nice and stinky. This was served with champagne that greeted us upon arrival and made the trasition into dinner. Next up was an amazing mushroom soup that was to die for and served with a Pinot Noir that was a perfect pairing to be sure. Indian Curried Chicken with Basmati Rice that was delightful and spicy but the wine of choice, Gewrztraminer, with each sip, proved to be a perfect sweet tropical melody alternating with spicy acidic rhythm of the food. And dinner was a to die and go to heaven lemon moose with lace cookies and a Lemoncello liqueur. For those who have not heard of this before it is made by soaking lemon zests in neutral grain alcohol for a month or more, the result is a thick, sweet dessert cordial. Perfect to cap off a perfect dinner! Again, their home - complete with 6 Christmas trees - makes mine look bare!

And so now here we are up to date and yet so much to cover...like Duke's Mayonnaise! But that my friends is for another posting.

50th Birthday Bash - Part II

OK, so it has been a holidaze to be sure and yet here it is the first day of the new year and watching a huge accident out on the freeway curve you can see from my house. Oh my! But that is not what this is about. It is about multi-tasking and trying to wrap up a few odds & ends...that are lingering. Among them, the balance of my birthday bash.

Saturday arrived early as Michael and I do not tend to sleep in early. He was going to be heading home to assist a friend of his with an annual holiday party and I needed to head for the Shanty to have breakfast with Mick. Decided to go light as I knew a brunch would soon be happening at the Space Needle. It was just "the girls" having brunch and oh the laughs and well, my obsessive-compulsiveness came out. After a morning to get gift bags prepped and doing a bit of cleaning, it was off to the Space Needle to meet Mom, sister Janet, plus friends Helene from Canada, Connie from DC and Sandy from Longview. Helene got to join in as Katrina sadly had to bow out of the weekend due to illness. Totally bummed, but we did acknowledge her and hope that we will see her again in the new year. So once the group was all together, up we go in the Space Needle and got seated very quickly. The food has gotten a lot better there in recent years. It is a three-course brunch and so we all tried different things from fruit parfaits to salads and soups. The main course had the table all over the place from sandwiches to pancakes to mac&cheese w/ crab to Eggs Benedict. Boxes did head home as we needed to save space for dessert. Did I mention they make a mean Bloody Mary by the way! YUM!

So during the course of brunch the restaurant is rotating and you get a 360 degree view of the Seattle area - quite lovely. At one point a post-it note or 2 showed up on the ledge of the window and it was cute. Some kids having some fun...and then it happened, dozens of them began to appear. It had gotten out of control. Well, I began to collect them as we went by...and soon an envelope appeared and I put the slips of paper and post-it notes in the envelope and soon had collected them all and did not destroy them, but left them on the table. I did notice a sever smile at me as we left. Heck, saved them a lot of clean-up time! Also as we sat there a Channel 7 helicopter swooped down and around - what was going on? Well, on the 2nd fly by we figured it out. Santa was in the back waving to all in the restaurant and up on the observation deck - quite fun. Soon, it was time to head out and back to the apt. Mom and Janet played some Scrabble while I dealt with a work issue that came up. Connie went shopping and Sandy was with us at the apt. relaxing a bit. 5pm would be here all too soon and off to Bizarro's we would go!

Please know that to get a reservation at Bizarro's on the weekend is just not done, but thank you Curtis for reaching out and begging! Seriously, if you have not been, you must go http://bizzarroitaliancafe.com/ it is so good! We selected a couple of reds and a white wine to feed the table and then came salads and soups including The Beet Down - Golden and Chioggia beets with a crumbly gorgonzola cheese, toasted almonds, blood orange vinaigrette and Sicilian sea salt. Yes, this was my first course and then for dinner I got to have Bolognese - their house made wide ribbon noodles tossed in rich organic beef, lamb and pork – slow simmered for six hours and finished with a touch of butter. Oh Mamma, hurt me I ask of you! Dessert was a fabulous finale and all the following were enjoyed at the table: CHOCOLATE VESUVIUSA warm espresso infused, ganache glazed-chocolatebunt cake, topped with a scoop of chocolate-hazelnut gelato. TIRAMISU The name Tiramisu is Italian and means "pull-me-up”,a reference to the effects of the sugar, espresso and liquor. CRÈME DI LA CARAMELLAA decadently rich and silky caramel custard –dusted with cocoa. And yes even the ICE CREAM provided by their good neighbors at Molly Moon’s Ice Cream. http://www.mollymoonicecream.com/ I went with the latter and had Salted Caramel. What happened next is not easy to really describe how over the top it was. The music STOPPED! Then one of the owners holding my ice cream up like a chalice started doing "Happy Birthday" like a benediction chant or something?!?!?!? It was hysterical while the guy behind him kept hitting a tray after each verse. So solemn and yet all in good fun. What could one do but blow out the candle. BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE...all of a sudden, Lars, a dear friend who is Swedish and in his 70's and looks a bit like Alfred Einstein, breaks into a song and I forget what it was about but Anita - his wife - shared he had not done that in 30 years! Oh my and the whole place broke into applause. A night never to be forgotten.

Homeward bound we were and soon we had quite a group in the apt. all having cocktails and sharing stories of how they met me or memorable stories involving me. Not quite sure how, but soon my sister and friend Jeff were into a mean game of Scrabble and oh what cut throat playing it was to which we had not 1 but 2 people using I-phone apps to get Scrabble rules = too amusing for words. Soon the night was winding down and Jodie and Rob refused to leave until the kitchen was all cleaned up they are such wonderful friends, but not just for that! I drifted off to sleep, knowing I had made the right decision to make the celebration smaller.

Sunday had me taking Connie, Sandy, Mom and Janet to breakfast at Patty's Eggnest up on Holman in Seattle - go sometime if you are in town - it is a delight. And all too soon it was time to bid all farewell and head home to relax and know that being 50 was not going to be so bad after all. I want to thank everyone for the wonderful gifts and remembrances! But little time was to be spared as the holiday season was upon us and it was just over 10 days to Christmas - what would I do...stay tuned and you will find out. Happy New Year to one and all!