Hello Friday and Hello Friends...

First up this evening is a bit of nostalgia. Below is a menu from Woolworth's 1957. My sister sent this to me and I was amazed not at only the prices, but the simple layout and selection. Oh for the days of being simple. I am trying more and more to be simple in my life. Enjoy the journey back in time and then be ready for a shocker!

Suck the meat and toss in a cup of coffee!
It seems a rule of nature that tasty things get placed in one's mouth. And nothing is tastier than a good slice of bacon. So, needless to say, we love sticking bacon in our mouths. But sometimes it's just too inconvenient to have bacon at hand. What's a geek to do? Find a source to get Caffeinated Maple-Bacon Lollipops - that's what! So we did.

Behold Caffeinated Maple-Bacon Lollipops; look at them and cheer. For not only are they each a time-tested wonder of organic, sustainably farmed bacon mixed with a deluge of delicious Vermont maple syrup, but they are loaded with the same amount of caffeine as an energy drink! Seriously, Caffeinated Maple-Bacon Lollipops are the two best things about breakfast (bacon and the caffeine from coffee) all mixed together into one delicious confection. Yummy in our tummies. Thanks to Think Geek for this amazing enlightenment!

So where do you go from there? Why not just just change topics completely. I am ready to do so. Food has consumed this blog a bit much for the week even for me and I feel that sometimes you just need to pause and go - so cool. That is what I did when I got this picture via an email this week. I would love to know where it came from but it just had me laughing and amazed at the same time. Perspective is all in the visual. Pause and enjoy as we just had our full moon for the month. The next one is like the 27th of May.


And finally, for this Friday, I think it is fun to end on a light note. This week I have used several photos from a website I discovered last weekend and well, this one below just had me laughing to no end. Sometimes you just have to say, "That is so GAY!" And this is one of those times. Who knew when they did it the repercussions it would have decades later. Well, hello Alan! Is nothing safe anymore, guess not. Have a great weekend and enjoy the arrival of May!

By the way, I did more posting in the month of April than all of last year combined. I think I am beginning to enjoy doing this. Thanks for all the feedback, it is fun to know what you are thinking about what I am putting up here. Cheers!

Where Oh Where Does it End?

You know, there are times when I am pondering about what to write about and am not sure if I will do a post or not. Well, it has been interesting in that I am yet again working on trying to eat less and shed some pounds. In so doing, why is it that weird food items come into my world. I was reading a blog (I guess that is pretty common among bloggers, they read each other's blogs) and came across posting about Paula Deen. She is a cook from the south who has several shows on Food Network and she and her two boys run a restaurant called The Lady & Sons in Savannah, Georgia. More on her later. Well, from there it lead to a discussion about KFC's new sandwich called a Double-Down. OMG! It is disgusting. Just call it a heart attack in a wrapper. Well, little did I know what can of worms I was just about to open...Ladies and Gentlemen, first up is The McGangbang! First discovered in 2006...

The McGangBang ranks up there in the holy pantheon of WTF. It's a sandwich made from a double cheeseburger and a McChicken sandwich — where you put an entire McChicken sandwich inside a double cheeseburger. It's a creative manipulation of existing menu items, and an exercise in frugality: taking two items off of the Dollar Menu and creating an entirely new sandwich for a total of a little over $2.00 with taxes added. Truly, it's a sandwich that's more than the sum of its parts. I went looking and sure enough I found an official reply from McDonald's on this most unique sandwich without ever referring to the common given name. Believe you me people just go Goggle, Bing, Yahoo "McGangBang" and there are all sorts of entries. How do you think I even found the picture!

Official Statement From McDonald's regarding the McGangBang:

“McDonald’s loves to hear from our valued guests, especially when they customize
and create meal combinations to fit their personal taste preferences – no matter
how unique! Whether it’s requesting an Egg McMuffin without cheese or a Big Mac
with extra secret sauce, McDonald’s is proud to satisfy our customers’ requests
and provide them with a variety of great-tasting meals every time they visit our
restaurants.”
Danya Proud, Spokesperson

So I think OK, so this is pretty scary. There are big breakfast and oversize this and that, but most of the stuff out there at chains and such isn't too bad, is it? Oh how wrong I was. Little did I realize that the folks over at IHOP saw how much free press KFC got with their new sandwich, the Double-Down, that I mentioned above and so not to be outdone, they have come up with a new - limited time only - creation! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Pancake Stackers!

Pancake Stackers consist of a crustless cheesecake filling surrounded by two buttermilk pancakes and toppings. You can choose from strawberry, blueberry or cinnamon apple compote and whipped topping. Pancake Stackers are available a la carte or with a combo meal, which adds eggs, hash browns and a choice of bacon, pork sausage links and ham to the tally, just in case the initial offering was not enough.

The Glendale, Calif.-based company did not provide nutritional information for Pancake Stackers by themselves. But the company said the regular combo meal — which includes Pancake Stackers with strawberries, two eggs, bacon and hash browns — runs 1,250 calories.

That meal is more than double KFC's Double Down chicken sandwich — which weighs in at 540 calories — and at least half the total calories many adults should eat all day. It also packs 2,750 milligrams of sodium. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults not exceed 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day as a perspective. I do wish to acknowledge The Boston Globe for their statistics on this item and a nod to Seattle Weekly's Voracious for the heads up on McGangbang.

So if you think any of these items can even come close to the level of myocardial infarction inducing bliss that Paula Deen is capable of, well, you’ve got another think coming.

Meet the Lady’s Brunch Burger — a Paula Deen original. Its got a 1/2 pound of ground beef, topped by a fried egg and two slices of bacon, in between two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.
Only in the south Ladies and Gentlemen, only in the south.Here's the recipe for The Lady's Brunch Burger:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated onion
House Seasoning ~ recipe follows
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
6 slices bacon, cooked
6 glazed donuts

Directions:
Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally, with House Seasoning. Form 3 hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Crack 3 eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.

Place burger patties on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with 2 pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

Please note: glazed donuts can be replaced with English Muffin or hamburger buns.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

So I think I'll stop now as I have gone on about all this food I need to go make some dinner and believe you me, it will not be ANY of the above. What I can tell you is that I am really happy that tomorrow is Friday and I am just a bit ticked off that I got a notice today from a company that I had gotten my collage student loans through and paid off over a decade ago telling me that "on March 21, 2010 ECMC discovered the theft of personal information of 3.3 MILLION individuals!" WTF?! How? How? How? And then offers a year of free identity protection. I wanted to make sure it was real and so went to their website and saw this:

Data has been recovered—suspect is in custody
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced on April 16, 2010, that the property and data stolen from ECMC headquarters on March 20-21, 2010, has been recovered and a suspect is in custody. It does not appear that the personally identifiable information of ECMC’s 3.3 million federal student loan borrowers has been compromised.

All borrowers affected by the theft have been notified via letter and offered free credit protection services through Experian. ECMC will continue to honor that offer.

So sometimes there is a somewhat better conclusion than thought and it is all not a total scam.

Is it Hump Day or Grunt Day?

Greetings to you,

Well, normally Wednesday is known as "Hump Day" as you have made it to the top of the week and now we head down into the weekend. But if you go down to the weekend then why are we so glad it is here? Maybe it is like crossing a finish line. I found the following on the Urban Dictionary website that amused me:

Wednesday, or the hump of the week The absolute BEST day of the week, the day of maximum hope that maybe, you might make it out of this week alive. A particularly good hump day can last you the rest of the week, and by Doomday morning (Monday) you survive by anticipating hump day. Nothing goes wrong on hump day Most other days can be defined by hump day.

Tuesday is the day before hump day. Thursday is one day after hump day. Except Friday is WOOOH!!! FREEDOM!!! Day, Saturday is Mostly Hungover day, and Sunday is PreDoom day. Hump day has nothing to do with sex. Unless one wants it to. I like to declare the existence of hump day just to see people's faces. Usually being conservative and all "Do you know what the best thing about Tuesdays are? Its the day before Hump Day!" "What's hump day?" "It's the hump of the week!!" (they all shake their heads in pity).

So while the day is often looked to fondly, I just had a feeling about this day. And it proved to be true on several levels. You see, the mind can only handle so many situations and calculations and decisions in a particular time span. Between the hours of 9 and 10 this morning I was called upon from oh 14-22 different sources to make snap decisions on issues. I short-circuited. It was kinda funny, but I do think I have several staff and vendors quite scared. Oh well, that is their issue, not mine.

It happened again this afternoon when I was basically informed, mistakenly by the way, that an issue was blowing up in Arizona. It took a few calls and calming too many people to see that FIRE had been screamed in the proverbial Movie House. Why? Why? Why?

But guess what...the day is done and I am home relaxing. Much like last night when Markie came over and made an amazing dinner! A lovely pork loin with cinnamon apples plus fresh salad and a loaf of bread that is still being enjoyed. I have to say here and now the Markie makes some of the best bread I have had in a long time. He knows I love heels of bread and often adds extra sides for more heels. He also knows I love salt on the top of a loaf. His recipe for Jewish Egg Bread (Challah) is just fabulous. Butter or Balsamic vinegar...you cannot go wrong. Listen to me, I'm your muther! Add to that cocktails and wine with dinner and well, it was a lovely evening. Tonight it is all about leftovers and I am going to get to read some more of "Best Food Writing 2009" and who knows what I will share next.

Laughing about Fluff and Spam

I am currently reading a book that is the "Best of Food Writing 2009" and there have been some fun articles in it. Two I read yesterday had me laughing pretty good. The first was on Marshmallow Fluff. Now we don't have that as much out here on the west coast, but back east, specifically the northeast, it is like hallowed ground. It is the basis for a sandwich called Fluffernutter. Long a staple of playgrounds, after-school snacks, college dorms, and the local diner, a Fluffernutter is a wonderful concoction of Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter in a delightfully tasty sandwich! Of course you only use white bread for such a treat. Do you know there is an entire website devoted to this product?
So tell me, when was the last time you had a Fluffernutter or enjoyed the wonderful taste of Marshmallow Fluff? I must say I do believe I have only had it two or three times and that is when I lived in New York City. It was so sickeningly sweet, I could not believe it and actually had to try it again just to be sure. I guess I must like pain of something?

The next article was also quick a lot of fun and one that I was proud to say I have tasted in a very delicious way. I went to collage at Willamette University and there was a high concentration of Hawaiians there. Well, Hawaiians eat more Spam per capita than any other state in the union. They could cook it like there was no tomorrow. Quite delicious. You can learn recipes and much, much more at their website. It is where I found out that you can get the following kinds of Spam currently:

Spam Hickory Smoked
Spam Bacon
Spam Lite Single
Spam Classic
Spam Oven Roasted Turkey
Spam Lite
Spam Low Sodium
Spam Spread
Spam with Black Pepper
Spam Single Serving
Spam Hot & Spicy
Spam Cheese
Spam Garlic

Sadly, I have to announce the special Spam made during the run of Spamalot is no longer available but the website does have other items available. I am the proud owner of a Spam snow globe and it does get a laugh or two when people pop in my office and look at my collection of items I have accumulated when traveling for work.

So in writing about these two articles it made me think of this picture I saw online. Some of you remember the picture of the chairs in the posting I did yesterday. Well, the website had a picture of this girl looking at what I am guessing is her Mother putting jam on a piece of bread. The look in her eyes could only give her the title "Devil's Child" in that she looks like she is going to lunge for the bread and her Mother's hand in one swoop! The picture was to point out the bread, but that almost becomes, no wait it does become secondary to the little girl and her look of attack!

And so goes another day. Boy it was rainy and drippy here in Seattle this afternoon and work was about the same. But heck, it is over and now I am home and tonight it is British Antique's Roadshow followed by the American version. Not a bad way to kick off the week. Good Night!

Moments of Wonder

Sundays are wonderful things! They are a bonus in so many ways. I was up early this morning and puttering and the phone rings. Moonsong is calling and he is the most amazing person. He comes to the apartment every other Sunday or so and cleans. It is a thing of beauty. I really, really do not like to clean and he does a wonderful job. At times he leaves little surprises. Today, he left a sure sign of spring. I present Lilacs!

So while he was here I was up having breakfast with Jodie and Rob. Two dear friends and we are planning a dinner for May 15th. It will have 6 courses and an Intermezzo to transition from the first three courses that are being paired with whites to the final three courses that are being paired with reds. We are keeping it to 7 or 8 people and it should be a lot of fun. We had breakfast at Patty's Eggnest. Been a few times, fun to go to but you need to get there early. The orange juice is awesome but I just can't finish my breakfast there, too big of portions. We were going to share a Nutter Butter French Toast, but that will hold for another time.

So from there it was on to get gas and then take a break and read. When I decided to stay put in the apartment another year I told myself I was going to take time to go and enjoy the mountains and water. Have found a park over on Magnolia (neighborhood in Seattle) that is right on the water and is quiet. I took some New Yorkers and just read. Looked at the view numerous times and got caught up on the backlog of magazines. Even got the current issue out of the way. So then drove down and dropped them at Markie's in his mailbox. Had texted to see if home and no reply. That was at like at just before 11am. Heard nothing and did not recognize the car out front and so dropped the items in his mailbox and headed home. Nearly an hour later he replied via text - "Yes" and then called. We had a good laugh. Curt was up from Olympia and it would have been nice to see him. But I also wanted to get home as one thing Moonsong was also doing this day was fixing my chairs that sit around the dining room table. He put in new screws and redirected them. They are solid to be sure. Mind you they were not in any shape like these:

Isn't that a hoot! I am always amazed and in wonderment over the thing you can find on the internet. Have no idea where this was taken, but found it and just had to share. If you go to their sight there are some funny pictures and some weird stuff and some tasteless stuff as a fair warning. I just stopped by as a click through and saw the image and thought it would be fun to share as my chairs were being repaired. I also saw another picture that I felt deserved a sharing moment of wonder. It takes the hab-a-trail for Hamsters to a whole new level. Think of all you could get done in the morning or evening. You exercise and reading at the same time!

And so there you have a few moments of wonder in a variety of presentations. I am looking forward to seeing Helene later on for dinner. In closing, another moment of wonder on Sunday is a nap, I think I will indulge in that wonder now. Cheers!

Smiling on a Blustery Day

Oh hello there,

Glad you decided to stop by again. It is a blustery day in Seattle. Rain earlier and now the sun is shining and well, I am a blogging for now. Whenever I use the word "blustery" I instantly think of Winnie the Pooh. And then something happens, I smile. It is like when you get a delivery of flowers or a balloon, they make you smile. Same thing when you walk off a flight and see family or friends who are there to greet you, a smile. I have found that it is much more fun to smile and it keeps one in a happy place for a while. So I think that while I finish this post I'll just keep smiling.

As we progress in life more gadgets and gizmo's come into our lives. I was dragged into the cell phone age kicking and screaming. I have yet to go to the fancy phones and get email. That is for when I sit at a computer. To think that is old-fashioned makes me smile!

This week a dear friend bought a house in Longview while another is celebrating 21 years of being sober. Both of these make me smile. You know what make me really smile some times. Names of bands today. I was looking at a list of favorite songs on a friend's blog today and here are a few:

Flashing Lips, oops sorry it is Flaming Lips
Band of Horses
The House of Kite, oops, wrong again it is House of Love and The Brother Kite
My Morning Jacket
Kitchens of Distinction and oh I love this one - Fish Karma!

Me, I listen to solo artists and a whole lot of Soundtracks & Original Cast Recordings - yes, there is a difference! But I am still smiling.

On Facebook, I am down to 32 friends and slowly fading. They keep doing stuff on there that is creepy. I have had to lock down my settings to keep out unwanted websites from snagging information. But yesterday a friend posted a website that is quite amusing. It takes several beaches and makes them into "subway maps" which make me smile. I might even get one, but where in the world would I put it? I have gotten to the point in my apartment where something goes when something comes in. Keeps life simple to be sure.

I have been pleased to hear from friends and family that I have been an inspiration to simplify their lives and let go of all the excess. One friend finally cleared out a storage unit that had just held "stuff" for 16 years. Mind you, the stuff was a lot of memories and things that were loved, but had just sat there and now she has kept what she wanted and let the rest go. Wowzers! My sister did the same thing at her place cleaning out closets this year. I smile knowing how good they feel in letting go and getting thing more simple.

In closing I was trying to think of something else that makes people smile and boy do I know cupcakes do - Enjoy!

Friday means Chowder

You know I often feel when it is Friday it means chowder? Clam chowder is usually on a lot of menus on Fridays. Why? Well who knows. But, with a full bow to Wikipedia I am posting their entry on chowder here and by full disclosure I take no credit, but it sure is nice to get some answers on chowder and may be useful to you as well:

Chowder is any of a variety of soups, enriched with salt pork fatback and thickened with flour or more traditionally with crushed ship biscuit or saltine crackers, and milk. To some people, it means clam chowder, made with cream or milk in most places, or with tomato as "Manhattan clam chowder." Corn chowder is a thick soup filled with whole corn (maize) kernels.

The most accepted etymology for the word chowder comes from the cooking pot in which it is cooked, known in French as a chaudière, from the Latin caldaria (akin to English cauldron). The word "chowder" is a New England word that came from Newfoundland, where Breton fishermen—who would throw portions of the day's catch and other available foods into a large pot—introduced the word, and perhaps the fish soup itself (compare bouillabaisse). Another possible origin for the word chowder is derived from the Old English "jowter", which means fishmonger (one who peddles fish).

Fish chowder, along with corn and clam chowder, continues to enjoy popularity in New England and Atlantic Canada. Seafood chowder is a traditional and popular dish in Ireland. Sometimes the freshest clam chowder can have a gritty consistency due to small particles of sand still present in the clams at the time of preparation.

So there you have it. Mind you there is a whole lot more on chowder in Wikipedia, but I don't think we need to go too terribly long on about it. OK, so I am going to let you know that I prefer Boston style and like Oyster Crackers over saltines. No, I think that is about all I have to say on the subject but my good manners would not let me close without listing at least one recipe. So here you go, enjoy and happy Friday!

Cindy's Awesome Clam Chowder!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 unpeeled potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice
2 (1.8 ounce) packages dry leek soup mix
1 quart half-and-half

Directions: (Keep in mind 15 minutes to prep & 40 minutes to cook)

Place the bacon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set the bacon aside. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Gently stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, reserved bacon, and half-and-half cream. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens, about 10 minutes more.

You just have to ask yourself Why?

So I am now home after an 11 hour day at the office. Yes they still happen and being this is the first week without Trista, I figured I would have to put in some hours. Mind you, I really liked working with Trista, but there have been some things this week that make one pause:

Why were 4 employee's payroll just forgotten in Minneapolis last week when payroll was inputted? Why were the two Texas payrolls sent to Seattle "by mistake" and another 5 payroll errors that had to be corrected. Makes one go hmmmm.

Why is it that when one of my staff sent in their paperwork for health insurance back in early March did they not get put in. Now I heard he had not sent it, but that did not make sense. Debi, Trista's replacement found said paperwork in a pile. Sent it to the insurance company and within 5 minutes he was covered.

Why is it that I was told it was a long and drawn out process to get a credit card for our Canadian event coordinator was I able to get it done in 4 email exchanges and one signature by the owner.

Why did a check for over $1400.00 from early February sit unopened in a pile of papers. It was the refunded amount of money from "Billy Elliot" tickets that we got refunded for from December NYC trip. It got deposited today.

Why were staff told over and over that email addresses could not be added because it just took too long? I entered 16 email addresses in less than two hours. Now all employees have email addresses.

Why did I give up the remodeling folder "for safe keeping" and now it cannot be found?

It just goes to show that you never really know what is or was going on until change happens.

So Mark was to come up and visit next week and well, I said NO! The Phoenix office is moving and he needs to be there to help them get relocated. He was pleased I had seen that before him. He also commented that Debi and I do not sound totally freaked out. We're not. A bit overwhelmed, yes. Not freaked out.

And that is all I have to say for the day as I am one pooped pup!

This and That

Sometimes things just kind of get backed up on the plate and so it is time to share a few of the things that have been hanging around. For the last week a volcano in Iceland has backed up air traffic and it has been a hoot listening to various weather people trying to pronounce:

Eyjafjallajokull

pronounced

(ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl)

Well, leave it to the sharp eye of Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" to snag identify the first, Al Rocker. It was a pretty funny piece.

Next up, I know Easter was a couple of weeks ago, but this picture just makes me laugh:

It makes me remember to be sure to call Mick to be sure we are on for breakfast this weekend. It has been a few weeks since we have been able to get together. He lost his grandmother recently and so was down in St. Helen's the past couple of weekends and I was down in Portland. We are going to try a place called Hudson's as I have just grown tired of Shanty Cafe after several years. Sunday breakfast will be with Jodie and Rob to discuss our first wine matching dinner. We are kind of taking the concept of vintner's dinners and going simple and having 8 people come together 4 times a year and enjoy the bounty of the season and matched to wonderful wines. I also get to have the joy of seeing Helene on Sunday for dinner at Bizzaro in Wallingford neighborhood. Totally excited in that I have not been there since my birthday dinner and it has awesome food.

I have been having a lot of trouble getting my passport back from the government. I sent it in in December and they have record of receiving it and yet the check has not been cashed and well, I want to get it back soon. Why? Well, there is the lovely city of Victoria and here is a picture of a sunset from the Worldmark Condo's that is one of Markie's favorite places. Watching all the activity on the water with ferries coming and going plus planes landing and taking off plus there is an amazing little fish & chips place right down on the water to the left among the house boats that is just amazing! Anywho, it is now getting to be tourist season so will likely now wait until fall to go. It just cannot interfere with Fall-B-Que Tour '10!

And on that note, I am going to go have left over salad from lastnight and a bit of the leftover pork. Markie stopped by and I furnished the salad and asparagus plus cocktails while Markie brought clams and a pork roast. He steamed the clams in some beer I had in the fridge and what a delightful appetizer. Then the dinner was a delight. What a great way to cap off a rough day. Tonight I plan to just kick back and read. Have not had a reading night in a while. Much needed.

Monday - The Beginning (Again)

Greetings to one and all,

First and foremost CONGRATULATIONS are in order to Sandy and Allen in Longview. They became home owners again today. She has bought - in her words - a 1976 Split Level Brady Bunch fixer-upper! Oh the fun they will have. I wish them well as it is the kind of fun I would not enjoy.

So, over at the office, Debi got her first day under her belt and celebrated her 50th birthday. What a day! It was a blur, from the moment I arrived I was on the phone or responding to over 300 emails from the weekend. Suddenly, I am like the only "go to" person in the office with Debi getting her footing and Barb back in Canada for the THIRD week in a row. What is going on up there? Well, I have to tell you that the weekend was very relaxing and I entered the lion's den in a state of calm. Soon enough I was being chewed up and more than once I just said, "Yup, you're right. Now what?" I refuse to do battle with people who are only set on babbling for hours and not getting anywhere. I don't have time for that.

Then came reports that rain had shut down major events in Houston and Dallas. Gotta love it when the boss asks, "Why did you let that happen?" And I immediately want to say "Well I forgot weather was under MY complete control this weekend!" I do think Mark is going through some separation anxiety with Trista not being there. Amazing how all the staff were on time today for oh the first time in weeks, if not months.

The calendars went up last Thursday and already some of our events are full. This is a double edge sword that needs to be addressed quickly and now! We cannot have that happening too much as it can backfire on us as new members join. Trying to get the staff to see this as not a good thing is not easy. Lots of discussion on this today during staff meeting I and when I talk with the other half tomorrow during staff meeting II it will be relayed once again.

One big surprise of the day had to be the spot drug check in the bay area. Can you say fireworks! Oh my. It was all arranged last Friday right down to the two fake appts. scheduled. We had it set up for a 1pm time. Well, an appt. ran long and so by 1:30pm the staff was gathered to leave as the appt. left and then the sale person who had been in the appt. pretty much freaked out. Demanded to talk to Barb in Canada and then Mark. End of story copped to the fact that it would be a dirty UA, but that did not matter as he was going to announce he was leaving for another job. Since he was leaving he would not have to do the test - nope, not so. He was still under our employ and thus forced to do it. I do think he thought he could get around it and then in a couple of weeks we would forget and suddenly he would ask for job back and stay and move on. Not this time. He had to do the test and we should have results by tomorrow. Boy do we have drama or what?

So now I am home beating the traffic for the ball game and my friend is due here soon for drinks and dinner. Had to pass on seeing Markie this night, but hey, sometimes we can do it and other times it does not work out. He spent the day yesterday yanking out his fence in his front yard in Southpark and boy it looks different. On that note I am signing off and wishing you all a very good evening!

Sunset on Sunday

Hello there,

Well it has been quite a weekend and with the sun setting I thought it was a perfect time to pause and reflect on the past 3 days. Wow what a roller coaster. I don't know if I mentioned, but last week I got a new desk chair at the office. We had gotten this chair "made for larger people" and it was not cheap and let me tell you, it was crap. It died fast than a bee losing its' stinger. So we tossed it because the last week or so of using it was like being on a Tilt-A-Whirl at the carnival. So out it went and in came a Serta chair complete with memory foam and it is quite comfortable. One of the last things Trista did. Friday was her last day and oh my did we get to have fireworks as Barb decided to show up on her day off - not a good idea when they did not like each other and well, Trista had nothing to lose. I opted to stay way out of the way and even Debi used the opportunity to pop down and chat for a while. But at least it is done and done and now tomorrow we begin anew with Debi and I am quite excited.

The girls in the back did decide they wanted to do something and so we had a potluck and my cucumber, tomato, mozzarella salad was a hit and the only dish to be completely consumed. It seems that a lot of them changed their minds and went for simple and cheap and no brainer stuff and that was sad. Mine showed I had taken the time to slice and arrange and marinade the salad. I can feel good in that I did what I said I would.

While I had hoped to get out of the office by 2pm, it was closer to 3pm before I was heading south toward Longview. Traffic was pretty heavy and by the time I got to the rest stop south of Olympia, I so needed to take 10 and just let my eyes rest and breath a bit. Back on the road and made good time not speeding as extra patrols were out for the "slow down or pay up" campaign they are doing. Got to Longview by 5:50pm knowing that the dinner started at 7:30pm. Kept going and got to really enjoy a lovely drive along Hwy. 30 on the Oregon side taking me into Astoria. Arrived just after 7pm allowing enough time to quickly freshen up and get Michael and his friend Betty over to dinner at the Bridgewater Bistro.

We arrived and went upstairs. Michael was taking it slow and steady and while you can tell he is tired a bit and lost some weight I was quite pleased to see him out and about. Betty is gearing up for a knee surgery so she took it slow as well. Tony, one of the owners knew both Michael and Betty and greeted them and we took our seats with two couples - Clem & Nancy plus Linda & David. The former were a delight and could talk to all night. The latter were pompous and rude and they could slither back to Portland for all I cared. In fact, Clem was an Olympian for the US Track & Field Team back in 1948 in London in the 1500 meter. Interesting fellow and his wife was a joy and we just had fun all night. I quite enjoyed back slapping Linda over and over without her ever figuring it out. Oh well, the dinner soon began.

Anticipation ran high as Eric Nisley from Dry Hollow Vineyards lead us on our journey through the wines. Their vineyard's annual production is 750 cases. That is about the production of one day at some of the bigger places. They mostly sell at their vineyard and ship. Some shops are beginning to carry their product, but very selectively. We kicked off the evening with a Chardonnay 2008 and then Enjoyed an Estate Merlot 2008. The former is just not my thing but was drinkable. It worked with the salad but the latter was quite cherry flavored and worked nicely with the second course. I'll get to food in a moment. He then jumped to a Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 that was luscious and held up nicely even for being young and then surprised us all by opening a bottle from his library of 2005 Cab. What a treat. Then, as if to really keep it rolling the next course had an Estate Syrah 2008 and it was just a real crowd pleaser and then he goes and pulls out a 2004 - no longer available as less than 10 bottle are left and treats us to a taste. Can we just dial 911-Heaven! He polished of the evening with a dessert wine form The Pines Vineyard located next door to his. It was a Sweet Sierra and it was quite good.

As wonderful as the wines were I so wish I could report the same of the food and I cannot. It was a classic case of where the chef just went way too overboard and was trying to match too many flavors to the dinner. STOP! Let one of two pop and blend. Where to begin...the "spring salad" could have been light and fun but 8 plus items in it from Dungeness crab that was miss prepared with way too much garlic to "mozzarella pearls" - whatever those were to be to apple discs and grape tomatoes and the shave gold and red beets plus the salad douched in olive oil - UGH! Then tossed in some alfalfa sprouts...stop the madness. It was so bad the Chardonnay shined! Then the next course got mixed up and they served the Rhubarb and Merlot Sorbet. Why so soon. It was slated for between the 2nd and 3rd course and they put it after the first. What ever, who knew what would happen next. I don't think anyone really knew. We just went with it. After the sorbet, the Quail an Vin arrived stuffed with brie, marionberries, onions and Oregon truffles. It was served with a sauce vin rouge. Surprisingly it held up to the cherry taste in the Merlot and in the end was my favorite course. So with three courses to go and this was my favorite = Ouch!

They tried something interesting and that was a Pork and Porcini "Osso Bucco" style that was served on a bed of spaghetti. So much hope and yet so cold by the time we got it that it was unenjoyable. More and more food was being left on the plate, not a good sign. But hey the Cab was awesome and we just talked wine. Then came the most anticipated dish - Zucchini Dumpling. Stuffed with foie gras and buffalo mousseline served with golden beets and a Syrah demi-glace sauce. It arrived and the strips of zucchini had been cut no more than a half-inch wide and "woven" into the outer layer like a basket. It "looked" amazing and then you tasted it. I say this with all sincerity - it was wretched. Where was the foie gras? The zucchini basket was a lovely idea and what Lynne Pelletier put in there was horrid. The buffalo was too intense for what she wanted to do. Yes, it is a flavor that could stand with a Syrah, but not like this.

Dessert was approaching and was a Wild Huckleberry "Bete Noir" and all I can say was that while it was described as a dark chocolate molten cake with blue huckleberry-zinfandel sauce with whipped cream on top, it was pretty sad to have Tony fess up that parts of it came from Safeway because Ann, their usual chef had another commitment. They knew this was happening for months, why not prepare. Why resort to Safeway. But the Sweet Sierra was a delight and we all were laughing and well, the night was done. Three hours of food and wine and talking, heck we even found out Eric, the wine maker's day job is being the DA for Wasco County.

We made our way back to the hotel and to sleep quite quickly. Michael and Betty wanted to have breakfast as Betty was beginning a new chapter in her life Saturday by moving to Oregon to be closer to her daughter, son-in -law and granddaughter. I let them have some time and then headed down for a quick bite before hitting the road. Wanted to get back by noon or so to avoid the throngs of people arriving for the Sounders game and then the Mariner's game. It was almost perfect, but did park by 12:15pm. Spent the afternoon being domestic and getting things caught up, even got a nap in. Enjoyed a special on PBS last night about the development of the power station up at Snoqualmie Falls.


Today was a lovely day and got to chat with Ani in California and then do a few more chores before hosting Catan and then on to dinner. The above is a picture of some lovely flowers Moonsong brought to celebrate spring. Bluebells, lilacs, Azalea and Rosemary all make for a lovely centerpiece. Well, I have rambled and it is growing late. Time to read a bit and call it a night. Cheers!

8 Calendars + Cabo + Drama = Is it Friday Yet?

Oy vey!

There, I have said it and time to let go. What a day people, what a day. Full court press to get Cabo up and 3 people signed up in less than an hour of it going up. Drama is flooding the office as Trista prepares to depart after tomorrow. Debi seems like she is going to be a breath of fresh air. I already like her. Calendars going up all day long and of course I get the calls going HELP! And so I step in and give advise and guidance. Heck, that is why I am there. Pushing on there is the whole names list for the Italy trip so we need to be sure their names match their passport and birth dates are correct. Never, ever a dull moment. Mark calls and asks why is the phone bill so high in Vancouver? One word = Barb! She has been there. He begins to rant to me and I ask him to redirect it to the person who should hear it - amazingly, he agrees. And I really must ask this question...why can I go for years without a computer crashing on me, OK so a laptop did once, but Mark - Mr. Computer Whiz has them going down over and over again! It is amazing.

Tomorrow I will depart work early and head to Astoria to participate in a vintner's dinner there. Going to see a dear friend for the first time in weeks. Michael has been dealing with some foot issues and so it will be nice to have a night off and perhaps let the pain just take a back seat for the evening. I get to meet a friend of his Bette who I have heard about for years and that will be lovely. Spend the night and then back here to get things ready for Sunday as I host a game of Settlers of Catan once more and we are going to head to Shanghai Gardens and enjoy Peking Duck as well. Oh my, what a fun weekend. And that will take us into next week and oh what surprises will pop then? I have no idea, but I am quite excited about the next chapter. So you may not hear from me until Saturday, but hey, I am getting to be a regular on here, kinda scary, but fun!

Where Do I Begin?

So Debi began today at the office and she will be Trista's replacement. Trista is leaving us and I think it is a good thing for the long run. I also got to head to the dentist to get good news, my personal dental routine has made my teeth be in really good shape. Yet, my dentist decided to try and take the moment and let me know a VERY serious issue is at hand. I need to get two implants. My teeth are fracturing and there appears to be a utter and complete disaster about to happen if I do not get these two implants soon! Mind you, I have gone without these two particular teeth for oh 25 years and suddenly my mouth is ready to collapse! Oh and she took time to tell me the bridges are not good enough. PLEASE! So here is the scoop. To get these two teeth handled lets look:

Panavision X-Rays = $132
Consult with specialist = $125
Prep work = $500 (or so)
Implant procedure = $1120.00 per tooth
Finish work = $1300.00

So I am seeing at lease $4,000 to get this done. And it is urgent. Oh please. I will discuss with my dental insurance and well, I just might let the Armageddon happen and who knows if all I can eat is soft food, I might loose weight!

So back at the office we are on full court press to finish getting calendars ready for going live tomorrow and there is drama with Trista leaving and well what can happen next? I happen to take a moment and there is an email to me in my gmail account from the IRS. WHAT? I got $491.00 back this year and they sent me an additional $200+ as an adjustment from last year and I go oh no, there was an error. So I open it and OMG! I am getting another check from them. Appears I filed something and in reviewing I am getting an additional $351.00 from the government. So, I have now requested a full three year review to see if I get anymore and because I have asked and I owe something I will not get zinged, but hey, I might get some more. Who knows. So this year with adjustment from 2008 I will get over $1,000 back. Who knew!

On top of that I know I shared pictures with all of you yesterday about my glass table and the Safeco Field and how it relates to me. On the on picture there is a picture that Sandy took in December. She was nice enough to send along and so here we go:

And so I do believe now is the time to bid farewell. There are thoughts running though my brain and yet there is tomorrow. I just saw online two more people get bumped off American Idol and so down to 7 at this point. Too funny. I am not really missing TV in general, but oh how I miss specific show. Dare I consider cable at this point or wait it out and be happy with the wi-fi and go from there. Direct TV - UGH! at this point. No, I do not wish to have a tri-pod in my living space for your dish to sit on.

The Safe!

Yesterday I referenced that baseball had returned to the Emerald City and that Safeco Field is the home to the Seattle Mariners. Now many of you have visited and have full knowledge of where I am in relation to the field. Others do not and so here is perspective:

This is a picture as I sit at the computer and look to my right out the window. What you see in the foreground is a really cool glass sculpture I got like 6 years ago or so at the "Art in the Pearl" in Portland. It is an art festival that is held in the north park blocks on Labor Day weekend and I was able to get it for a song on the last day of the show from the artist and I have not a clue who that would be now. It sits on a lovely glass table I got when I lived in New York City and it has traveled across the country and is really cool with a sand blasted top. Also on the table is a very recent addition. It is a picture of Mom, Janet and me. This was taken my 50th birthday weekend by a dear friend, Sandy (who also does a blog), and was gifted in the lovely frame for Christmas. Now, if you look at the top of the glass sculpture, you will see the roof of "The Safe" and that is why I took the picture. Below is it in telephoto lens time:
This is the position of the roof when it is retracted. The roof can be moved over the field in about 10 minutes and is fun to watch. When in this position it is actually sitting over the railroad tracks. I remember way back when they were building the stadium and they were installing the trusses that hold the roof and I happen to be coming up to Seattle on the train and we had to sit and wait for like 2-3 hours while they put it in place. They would not let the train go under it until it was secured. OY!

Many of you know my friend Markie. Well, for the last week he has been on a tour in Panama. He loves to travel and well, if you ever want to visit his blog go take a look at UMTravels. He took this trip with like 43 others and oh my. The heat, the humidity! Zonkers! I would not be a happy camper, but it is fun to read of his tales and what goes on and he takes a lot more pictures than I do.

Speaking of which, I was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age. Much like when I had to get a cell phone. Not a happy camper. Well, I am going to be taking the leap here in the next month and getting a new digital camera. The only I have is big and bulky and eats 4 double "A" batteries like they are chalk. It is fun and I think pictures add a lot to the blog. So while I still have not added internet access to my phone and do not plan to for a while I hope, I am getting to be hip so if there is anyone out there who knows someone who is ready to jump into the digital age and needs a camera, I have one free to pass along, in the next month or so.

Opening Day for Seattle Mariners

So now I get to begin living through 5+ months of games and weird schedules, but no matter how I feel it is the "national past time" and a lot of people have a good time. To honor opening day at Safeco Field, which is now referred to as "The Safe" by a lot of local media I present the favorte 7th inning stretch song:

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Written by Jack Norworth, copied without permission.

What can you do in 24 hours?

Happy Sunday to all,

Well I thought I was not going to get a chance to see Janet in Portland but amazingly I go to her place yesterday, here is a sequence of events and if you see an asterisk it means scroll to bottom for more details:

10:10am arrived at her place dropped my stuff and we chatted a bit

10:45am departed her place for lunch and movie matinee

10:59am found AMAZING parking spot in northwest Portland

11:05am sitting at Blue Moon Tavern enjoying lunch*

12:25pm Cinema 21 for Sing-A-Long "Mary Poppin's"*

4:05pm at her place relaxing for a bit and laughing a lot

5:07pm arrived Tad's Chicken 'N Dumplings for dinner*

7:30pm watch two episodes of Project Runway

10:15pm fell asleep watching TV

7:00am watch CBS Sunday Morning w/ Charles Osgood

9:20am Janet took me to breakfast at Black Bear Diner*

10:30am on the road home

So let's begin with Blue Moon Tavern in that I had the best chowder there all day. Now you might go "What is Chris saying? All day?" Well, I had chowder twice and this was the best. Went in thinking I am going to have either the Captain Neon Burger (blue cheese dressing & bacon) or the Beer Battered Fish & Chips (Alaskan Cod with fries and claw) and well, in the end neither. I opted for something I had never seen before. I took on Maria's Masterpiece which is a hot turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese, bacon, grilled onions and their secret sauce. Me thinks that is a peppercorn ranch dressing, but could be wrong. I decided to make it mine by requesting a side of cranberry sauce and adding that. The fries were a tad overdone and well, a couple of glasses of ice tea completed the meal. Janet enjoyed a BBQ Chicken Sandwich but at her request I am not going into all the details on her side.

After making our way to the theater we got in line for Sing-A-Long Mary Poppin's and it was a very festive feeling to be sure. Like Janet said "you are coming to see a happy movie and you know it" which is a quite true review. Once inside we were greeted by Mary Poppin's herself and handed a lovely little blue bag containing things to make the movie more fun as you can see.

Mary came down to the front of the movie house spit-spot and showed us a bit about the songs and then went over the items:

*The Fan - is to be used to blow away all the applicants for the nanny position so that it opens the way for Mary Poppin's to arrive.

*The Umbrella - is to be used when Mary Poppin's arrives and leaves. I also used it in the chalk drawing.

*The Champagne Popper - had multiple options. Any time Admiral Boom set off an explosion (3 times) to announce the time or when he set of the fireworks during the Chim, Chim, Cher-rey sequence.

*The Coin - represents Tuppence (equal two pennies) and was what Michal was to use to buy crumbs for the birds, but his father wanted him to open an account. Quite significant item to the movie overall.

*Kazoo - used when the penguins enter the chalk drawing scene with Mary and Burt.

*Pink Piece of Paper has on one side Supercalifragilistic (another group of bags had the rest of the word) and on the reverse side had Um Diddle Lee Um Diddle Ay so you could be more participatory through the movie!

There was then a costume contest and it dragged on way too long, especially when Mother's began to see that if kids went up to be "Jane and Michael" from the movie they got a candy bar. So at first there were 4...then 8...then 15. It got to be very sad and Mary put a stop to it Spit-Spot! And the movie began. It was a delight to see again and while I am a pretty bad singer, oh well, it was a lot of fun. Heck, where else can you lean forward and ask the lady in the next row if she would trade her purple fan for your blue one since well, I love purple. Long movie at over two hours and a lot of the little kids began to get tired and a few cries began, but overall, not bad. But whoever thought to do Kazoo's at a matinee with kids...I want to meet that person!

We decided to make our way out towards Troutdale in eastern Portland on the early side and went to Tad's Chicken 'N Dumplings Restaurant which is right on the Sandy River and a delight. They have three seating areas and once you are seated they bring water and a vegetable tray to start. I decided to enjoy a Thomas Kemper Cream Soda with dinner and then had the chowder. It was a bit runny for my taste and salty, but you knew it was home-made. I decided to splurge and have an appetizer of sauteed chicken livers and they were a delight. So moist and tender. Our dinners arrived and if paired up it would have been a classic of Surf 'N Turf, but instead we each too a half as Janet went with a lovely steak and I opted for Batter Dipped and Fried Prawns. While I had initially asked for a potato I decided to change it to coleslaw and in the end got the potato, it was the only mistake of the evening and not one to complain about at all. We both opted not to have dessert there as Janet had a treat waiting back at the apt. for us.

As we enjoyed the two episodes of Project Runway and some British Comedies Janet sliced up strawberries and served them with some lemon yogurt. Just delicious. It was the perfect night cap to a lovely day. And oh what a good sleep it was. Janet was up and out the door for church early and I had a chance to read the paper. Upon her return we decided to head to the Black Bear Diner in Beaverton. Mom and Janet found the Black Bear Diner a few years back on their way to Eagle Crest. Known for their cobblers, they have grown now into a chain of 42 diners and boy do they serve a great meal. We have gone for all three meals and rarely is there a bad time and I have never seen a glass go empty. Today I decided to go a little different and tried their Tri-Tip Scramble w/ hash browns and a biscuit. Coffee of course and well, I am not going to order again. Not bad, not my thinking for breakfast, but it was good and the biscuit was moist and with jam on it, well, I was in heaven. Janet shared some of her pancake so I could taste the hint of vanilla in them which really added flavor. After a quick gas up in Oregon (where you do not pump your own gas, only one of two states left that do not allow you to pump your own) I dropped Janet off and headed back to Seattle. Some traffic glitches here and there, but nothing that could not be worked around and a quick nap and well, here you are. Hope the week ahead is a good one and if you have not filed your taxes yet, get to it, they are due Thursday!

What to call a day like this...

ok, so a week...the weather...the office...funny how you can get into the whole blog thing. So on that note, I shall leave you with a thought:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Gary in Africa

You know sometimes things happen and you just have to pause and be thankful. Gary, a gentleman I met online a few years back was a gorilla keeper for a zoo in Canada. We got to know each other and when he came to Seattle we got to meet and have dinner. It was cool. Going to Africa several times a year was part of his work. I found out today that he died recently. He was in Africa doing what he loved with a band of gorillas and suddenly started having horrible pains. Within minutes he was gone. Have not heard more than that from his partner. In his memory, here are a few of my favorite photos from a trip that he sent me:











Now going has taken on a whole new meaning. It is one trip I have been wanting to do since I began working at Events & Adventures. If not with them, I still want to go and see all the beauty that is there to be enjoyed.

Kind of a New Routine

When I get home at night, I now grab a beverage and head over and catch the headlines on PBS. Watch some and then take a few minutes and gather my thoughts and poof, a new entry is born. There is something comforting in routine. The one routine I REALLY need to get back into is watching my weight and oh, how about some exercise. But, hey, baby steps people. As many of you know I am staying put in my apt. and quite content in that decision. Watching the planes land and take off from Boeing Field and Sea-Tac is part of a routine as well. The ability to look out and see what the traffic is or being one of the first structures to get hit by a storm coming from the south has a certain comfort level. All part of routines. My morning has taken on a very predictable routine.

Here is what usually happens - wake up, NPR goes on, coffee going, shower and get ready for work, breakfast (coffee, cereal, banana) and watch local news & weather. I have tried to add a little extra to this by completing a task each morning:

laundry
bills
packing away a holiday (like Easter)
writing birthday
cards and/or notes
sorting a drawer or tub

Something to keep moving forward. It is all about perspective. The way I look at it is that I have been in this place now for 4 years and well, if I have not used it or opened it, now you have to earn staying with me. Why? Well, knowing I am moving next year most likely is one thing and if I stay here, well the space is full. Sure there is some white space around, but you need that. I love, love, love living simple. It is what it is all about. So I am going to tackle a few projects in the coming months:

selling off the roster dishes and giving Mom the money as they were hers
getting a new box spring and mattress
sorting out all the crap under the sink in the bathroom
getting some new accent pieces in the kitchen to use for dinners here
changing out at least 3 of the dining chairs with different ones for interest
letting go of at least 20% of the stuff in the apartment

Initially, I thought the last entry would be 10% but anyone can do that. I really enjoy a sense of simple living and letting go of stuff has proven to be so much easier than I ever thought. It is freeing and cleansing and it also puts the spotlight on me. If I can do this to my environment, then I can damn well do it to me as well. It is a challenge and so I am going to march on. We will keep you updated on this.

Not a lot more to be said the the night as it is raining outside and I am going to have a favorite dinner of mine, salad and a couple of baked potatoes. Love them with some cottage cheese plus salt and pepper. Delicious. Have some apples that are crying to be enjoyed as well. Tomorrow will be breakfast at dinner to finish up some stuff as I am still on target to head to Portland on Saturday to see Janet. Cheers!

Tuesday Mixmaster

Good day to one and all,

Well, Trista gave her notice last week and so interviews have begun. Interesting lot this day = 8 different interviews and tomorrow another 8. Mark arrives Thursday and is here for a day to get things focused forward. I think it is more than interesting that in the two days we have had this week, yesterday one accounting staff member took a "personal" day and today another got hives supposedly while a third got sick during her shift. One must wonder if Cassie will be ill before the end of the week and heaven forbid if a full plague hits before the end of next week. Don't get me wrong, I will miss her a lot, but life goes on people. I do think at least two will find jobs elsewhere as soon as possible while a third could lose her position. One thing I do know is that Trista has been quite lax in their being on time and that will likely have to change.

OK, so enough of the work stuff, I got home and with gray skies overhead I decided to do something comfort. It is the classic "Betty Crocker Goulash" dinner of ground beef browned and then add a bottle of Paul Newman's Marinara sauce and a bag of frozen petite peas and cook that up and stir into a pot of pasta for a meal with a bit of Parmesan cheese added for flavor. There is enough for dinner plus a couple of lunches and that is good in that between yesterday and today I spent nearly $30 on lunches. Granted, yesterday I treated Curtis to lunch, but still, it can be expensive and this will take me through the end of the week. Plus I have several meals on tap using up the stuff in the frig as I am on target still to go see my favorite sister in Portland this weekend.

Last week I posted about some trips I have taken and France being a favorite destination. Well, Easter Sunday I mentioned my dear friend Ani and how we were in Turkey in 2004. That was only half the trip. The second half was going on a two week tour of France with a gentleman I know by the name of Michael B. He so wanted to have the next big touring company. Sadly, he made a huge mistake, It was all about him and not his guests. I know I have a whole summary somewhere and will pull it some time and post over the course of several days because never in your life have you been on a trip where so much could go so wrong and yet you kept finding ways to make the best of the situation. That one experience has kept me always thinking about the rest of my group when I lead tours. Here is a picture she took of me at the Eiffel Tower:

Is that not just a great perspective shot. I love the Eiffel Tower almost as much as the Chrysler Building, but don't go getting all crazy, it is still my favorite. I just feel so fortunate at times at all the travel I get to do and even after my initial trip in January and February, I am still thinking of where I am going for the rest of this year. Going to likely stay in the USA. That's cool, but then next year I do sense a trip overseas again, have given myself some motivation for that. Anywho, I do think a few more call need to be made and so will close for now - Cheers!

Happy Easter to All!

A pause for Easter Sunday!

On this day I thought it would be fun to just share a couple of things with you. First of all, here is a picture taken of a couple of things that I like at Easter. My sister gave me the Easter Frog and it always makes me smile. Next to my Easter Frog is a little plaque I made from a card I got once. If you cannot read it, it says:

The Easter Bunny began with the Pagan Festival of the springtime goddess, Eostre, when it was said that the goddess Totem, the moon-hare, would lay eggs for good children to eat.

The giving of an egg is an ancient tradition symbolizing man's faith in life's renewal - an age old expression of love.

I gave that message in a floating frame much like this one to several people a few years back in Portland along with a lovely stone like egg. I keep my purple one on display in the apartment year round.

Then next to the plaque is a little bunny popping out of a Easter egg. My dear friend Ani gave me this when we were in Istanbul, Turkey in 2004. I awoke Easter morning to this and a lovely card waiting. I treasure it knowing the love and thought that went into picking it out before the trip and then schlepping it over and having it to surprise me. She is a dear friend who has been in my life path now for over 25 years!

Friday Post on Saturday - Part 2

OK, so I arrive at Rob & Jodie's for the sofa "chris"tening and since this is not a ship we are going to christen we did not feel we needed to hold to tradition and use champagne. Thus, we decided to enjoy cocktails. Rob was in the kitchen making them and asked what I wanted. Currently I am a big fan of Smirnoff's Pomegranate Vodka and so Rob had a bottle chilling in the fridge. He asked me jokingly, do I just want the bottle with a straw and I said yes! I continue talking to Jodie and all of a sudden she bursts out laughing and I go what as Rob leans over the sofa and presents my cocktail:




Be careful what you ask for! OK, so we did this totally for posting to the blog. I did not drink the bottle with a straw. He put it on the rocks with a splash of lemon-lime to fizz it a bit. Quite nice. We also ordered pizza from a place on Aurora Avenue called Trattoria Roma. OMG! What great pizza. They ordered two pizzas - first was the Quattro Stagoni with prosciutto, mushrooms, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and homemade pizza sauce. They like to add artichoke hearts and olives but for some reason, while they ordered them, the place did not put them on. Bummer, would like to have tried the full experience. Next up was a good old fashion pepperoni pizza. The thing I noticed about this place is that the cheese goes on the top as a finish instead of as a base. How odd, but quite good. Enough where I went back for seconds. Later on during our double feature Rob brought our little dark chocolate thin mints just like being at a theatre. Oh, and by the way, am I glad we decided to sit around their dining table for dinner as the pizza leaked grease.

Friday Post on Saturday

Hello to all,

So got up this morning (Saturday) and a feeling of storminess is in the air. Need to just take it a bit at a time and decided that since I had not posted in a couple of days, I should at least bring you up to date on the fireworks show:

There will be fireworks in Seattle

on the 4th of July after all!

This news came after local restaurant owner Tom Douglas put up $5,000 and then made a challenge to the city. Well, Microsoft and Starbuck's each coughed up $125,000 and then Nordstrom's kicked in $25,000 and Paul Allen's company Vulcan donated $50,000 and well, in like 3 days poof, they had collected the half million needed. This has caused a lot of discussion about raising money in this town for different needs.

Boy the wind is howling out there and I am glad to be inside and likely going to go back and snuggle under the covers and read for a while. But first I should share about a double feature I watched last night. My friend's Jodie and Rob bought a new sofa. Now this is not just any sofa mind you, that would never do. No, this sofa is HUGE! But it works in their apt quite nicely. It is an L-shape, well, actually more a L-ish J shape. What do I mean? OK, so there is a love seat size and then the corner curved part and then a sofa size part. But wait, there is much, much more! There are not 1 or 2 recliners incorporated, but 3! Yes, three! Plus where the curve section is it is a little double shelf unit in that space is so often wasted. The middle section of the sofa part had a fold down back that reveals two cup holders and below that section is a drawer for storage. The only thing missing was a refrigerator and heck, that is not too far away. Oh and it is all a white/light gray leather that is quite lovely. Accents with a Eiffel Tower lamp and three festive purple pillows, this was where we watched 2 movies.

First up was Fantastic Mr. Fox that was an Easter present from my sister. It is one of those movies that initially you are going...hmmm. And then it gets you and you have to watch it the whole way through. Now one would have been enough, but alas, Rob goes, "oh we have another." At this point he gets up and goes and pulls out a move called Scortched. It is a flick that came out in 2003 and last all of one weekend in the theaters and pulled in $8,000 on a movie that had a budget of $7 million. Ouch!!