12 Years Ago Today...

The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab earthquake, occurring at 10:54 am PST (18:54 UTC) on February 28, 2001. One of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history, it measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson Island, about 17 km (11 mi) northeast of Olympia. The focus was at a depth of 52 km (32 mi). Tremors were felt as far away as Scio, Oregon, across the border in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and 175 mi (282 km) east in Pasco, Washington. There were also reports that it was felt as far away as Spokane, Washington and Sandpoint, Idaho.

The quake caused some property damage in Seattle and surrounding areas. Although there were no reports of deaths directly from the earthquake, local news outlets reported that there was one death from a heart attack at the time of the earthquake.

I Sure Enjoy Colbert Report & Jon Stewart

Comedy Central is not my first go to channel most of the time, but there are two shows on there that just have me laughing a whole lot most of the time.  They have been on several years and while the new episodes are on at 11pm, I usually catch them on the repeat the following night at 7pm.  My sister likes to watch them online and we often text each other back and forth our thoughts of the episodes, much like the Amazing Race on Sunday nights.  Following are how Wikipedia describes the shows:

The Colbert Report (pron.: kohl-BAR rə-POR) is an American satirical late night television program that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. It satirizes conservative personality-driven political pundit programs, particularly Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.   The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (called The Daily Show until 1999), is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central and, in Canada, The Comedy Network. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998. Jon Stewart took over as host in January 1999, making the show more strongly focused on politics and the national media, in contrast with the pop culture focus during Kilborn's tenure. It is currently the longest running program on Comedy Central, and has won 18 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Describing itself as a fake news program, The Daily Show draws its comedy and satire from recent news stories, political figures, media organizations, and often, aspects of the show itself. The show typically opens with a long monologue from Jon Stewart relating to recent headlines and frequently features exchanges with one or more of several correspondents, who adopt absurd or humorously exaggerated takes on current events against Stewart's straight man persona. The final segment is devoted to a celebrity interview, with guests ranging from actors and musicians to nonfiction authors and political figures.

Sunday and Moving On...

Yes, the past two days have been about the Oscars and so let's give a quick update and move forward.  Fever finally broke early Sunday and Moonsng did come and clean. Instead of leaving as I usually do, I hung out and worked on the computer. Laid low and it was surprising in that come Monday morning I felt like my old self.  Thus, today it is going to be a big push here to get caught up, but at the same time I am not buying into the insanity of the place. Just taking my time.

I was feeling good enough to cook some lovely chicken breasts last night with roasted brussel sprouts. It is nearing the end of their season. The past several days have been pretty low key and the food quite simple. Monday will be a crock pot dinner of beef roast with root veggies and I will use wine as the liquid base. Quite tasty.  Damon was quite cute on the phone this weekend - calling to see how I was doing and making sure I was alright. He is in Las Vegas until the 19th working and then heads home for a week before coming up here. Just in time to help with the move. Granted, I am using movers for the big shift, but he will be helping with the final packing of boxes. I am going to have everything ready to shift on Saturday, the 30th I believe. I would like to do it on Sunday, but that is Easter and so not sure if I could find anyone. This weekend will be one of sorting and packing the books. Goal = to let go of half of them!

Walking The Red Carpet

My Favorites of the Night!

 

Actress Amy Adams wears a dove gray strapless Oscar de la Renta gown and 18K white gold Mouawad diamond earrings, ring and bracelet.

Actress Jessica Chastain wears a strapless sequined Armani Prive gown and a vintage Harry Winston bracelet .

Actress Jennifer Lawrence wears a strapless Dior Haute Couture Gown.  Who knew it would be her one "downfall" of the night.

Actress Reese Witherspoon is wearing blue strapless Louis Vuitton gown and jewels.

Actress Charlize Theron is stunning in a strapless Dior Couture and is adorned with Harry Winston Jewelry.

Actress Naomi Watts had this sequined Amarni Prive gown custom made just for her for the evening.

Actress Halle Berry was my overall favorite in this Versace gown which was accented with Adeler black onyx and diamond earrings.

And the winner is...

Tonight is the 85th Annual Academy Awards.  I know I will likely watch some of it.  The red carpet ahead of time is always fun to see.  The glamour of Hollywood shows up and there is to be some special moments in tonight's broadcast - which is actually on the early side as we see it live on the west coast.  I am taking this day to kick back and relax.  It is unusual in that when Moonsong comes over to clean - I disappear and go and do errands of head up for my favorite bluff on Magnolia and watch the ferries, but this day I stayed in and have puttered on the computer and drank some coffee.  I did my very best to stay out of his way.  I am not quite back to 100% and yes tomorrow is Monday so will try and make it off to work.

I may take in a movie or two today.  My sister gave me a lovely gift for Valentine's Day - a movie called "Mirror Mirror" and that is on the que.  Mirror Mirror is a 2012 comedy fantasy film based on the fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. It is directed by Tarsem Singh and stars Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, and Sean Bean.  The name derives from the words that the Wicked Queen uses to address her Magic Mirror: "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?". In honor of the day - The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.  An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.

Look Bsck - Time to Talk to Purple & Food

We are taking a look back once again to something that happened while I was not blogging...Back in September I attended a conference outside of Chicago and it was a lovely hotel that had just gone through a major renovation.  The primary colors used were black, white, silver and purple.  I am sorry but I could not help but laugh at some of the things I saw as I walked throughout the hotel lobby area.  One thing that no one could miss were these (yes there were two) purple thrones for no better term.  They were just odd, not only in that most of the lobby was so modern, but how the cushion leather style fabric is the exact same color as the painted wooden frame. 

While I opted out of the "buffet" cattle call for the provided meals at the conference, I did enjoy ordering from their room service menu on several occasions.  Above was my staple of the week, their Spinach Salad with Grilled Cheese Crouton, Warm Pancetta Dressing, Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes.  Delicious.  By the way, if you notice the jar at the top left in the photo is how the dressing arrived and you shake and pour.  So the salad was warm, yet not wilted.  That is what made it so special.

Above was an amazing Chicken Marsala with Sauteed Mushrooms, Garlic and Sweet Marsala.  It was served on a bed of Linguini Pasta.  You can see here if you look at the top right of the photo that my order always came with a requested two glasses of water.  By the third time or so, I was getting a pitcher of water almost automatically.  I would say that half my meals were via room service in that I had a much more controlled food intake rather than the various buffets offered by the conference as well as the restaurant down in the lobby.  The closest restaurant to the hotel was over two miles away.  So choices were limited.

Yes, you see another Spinach Salad on the right of this photo, but what I finally had to break down and try was the Pancetta Bacon Ice Cream - I kid you not!  I had heard of bacon ice cream, heck I have heard of bacon everything, but this was a first for me.  It was surprisingly good to be sure. 

During the course of my visit I also got to try Steak & Frites which came with a Wedge Salad which was also quite amazing.  I did a dinner one night of appetizers and that included a Crispy Eggplant Stack that had some greens and tomatoes on the side.  I also tried the Scala's Hot Italian Sausage.  Spicy and served with a Roasted Red Pepper Pesto.  Quite different.  It was during this visit I learned a very important lesson if you are on warfarin.  You never want to eat a Spinach Salad five times in a week.  It totally throws off your reading because it causes vitamin K to soar out of control. 

The Best Laid Plans

Sometimes they get side-tracked.  I was talking to my sister on the phone Thursday evening after I had cooked my chicken breasts very simply with poulty seasoning and put over a bed of lettuce.  As we talked I shared I was just not feeling 100% and was feeling like my head was getting all stuffy.  She suggested a hot shower and snorting some hot water up the nose to help.  I tried, but it was rather odd to say the least.  After that I crawled into bed and slept very roughly all night.  It was not pretty as I felt worse this morning.  But I forged ahead and got ready for work and off I went.

By 11am I was waiving the white flag of surrender as I was FREEZING at the office and I had a sweater on.  It was not fun.  So sent out final messages and headed for home.  Now, the first thing I can tell you is that I was sick in that I do not remember getting home and yet I somehow managed to stop and get a prescription at Walgreen's on Mercer Island.  Once home I was in bed by 11:30am and the heat was set at 75 in the apartment and I was covered up with not only the quilt but the three blankets in the closet - mind you this never happens.  Yes, by now my fever had soared to 100.7 and I was miserable.  Other than getting more water and using the bathroom I slept right through to 6pm.  After a couple of hours and a sad attempt to eat food which should not have been tried, I was back asleep for the night and only awoke when yes, it happened, my fever broke and I started sweating like a bull moose (do they really sweat?).  Went through both sets of sheets twice...the washer/dryer were going like crazy to keep up.  But hey, the fever broke.

Needless to say Markie and I did not have cocktails and dinner on Friday and as I am finally getting to this post on Sunday, I can share that Helene did not come over either on Saturday.  In fact, I pretty much slept along until about noon Saturday and then read and watched a couple of movies and some TV.  Yup, the whole weekend took a turn for something completely different. 

Pondering The Weekend

Two weeks ago, I mentioned how I had taken to calling Thursday - Friday Eve.  I kid you not, I heard the anchor of ABC World News Now, Ron Nelson, use those exact words this morning.  To say I was amused would be spot on.  There is just some thing to be said for welcoming the weekend in a little sooner and to put the work week behind you.  Granted for many, Monday was a holiday, but that was not so at our workplace.  So having this moment to ponder the coming weekend makes me smile just a little.

Last night, I decided to pan sear 2 small ahi tuna fillets for dinner that were done in only minutes and served up with a nice salad. Simple and clean like I like it. An evening filled with multiple phone conversations and then off to bed to have an amazingly solid night of sleep. I sure liked that to be sure. This day has been a blur of posting to member accounts and prepping for tomorrow's two conference calls. Now with 9 offices I cannot do all of them at once. It is just too crazy. So I shall soon be heading out the door and the evening will be a quiet one. Thinking a movie might be in order, but then it is Big Bang Theory night.

I have two lovely chicken breasts that I am going to do something with tonight. Tomorrow, Markie is coming over for cocktails and dinner which will be sushi and sashimi from downstairs. Saturday lunch is Chinese with my friend Helene to celebrate her birthday. I will be giving her a couple of cookbooks in that she sees them as gastro-porn! Besides getting the apartment cleaned on Sunday not a whole lot planned and that is fine as I continue sorting and packing as the move is now five weeks away.

Let The Games Begin

Last night on the news it was announced that 35 cities were offered the opportunity to compete to host the 2024 summer games.  Among the cities were both Seattle and Portland.  If I had to pick one, Seattle is better suited in the majority of categories but the one spot Portland is so far ahead is in the transportation realm.  Their mass transit is amazing compared to Seattle.

This morning I got a text message from my brother asking if I would be getting involved since I had worked on the Chicago bid for the summer games for 2016.  I still think they should have gotten it, but it got botched by our own arrogance.  Sending in Oprah and then having the President arrive at the last minute and leave before the final announcement was an insult to the International Olympic Committee.  I will never forget the experience and in fact, this blog began out of that experience.  But boy was it a grind.  The number of times I would be at the airport Friday night flying back arriving in time to work Saturday and Sunday and then fly back.  It was insane.

So now, who knows?  I do not know if I want to go through that grind again.  I enjoy watching the events on TV, but all the behind the scene stuff gets exhausting.  And it is at such an early phase that we do not know if either city will make the final cut.  The list of requirements is steep, and the U.S.O.C. predicted the operating budget for a Games would exceed $3 billion. Cities not only need adequate hotel space, but they must also construct an Olympic Village to house 16,500 athletes and operations space for 15,000 news media members. An extensive public transportation network is required, and the letter states that a work force of 200,000 people is necessary.
      

The last American city to host an Olympics was Salt Lake City, for the 2002 Winter Games. There have been four Summer Games in the United States: St. Louis, Los Angeles (twice) and Atlanta.

      

The cities that received the letter were Phoenix; San Jose, Calif.; Los Angeles; Sacramento; San Diego; San Francisco; Denver; Washington; Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Miami; Atlanta; Chicago; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Detroit; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Las Vegas; New York; Boston; Rochester; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Memphis; Nashville and Davidson County; Austin, Tex.; Dallas; Houston; San Antonio; and Seattle.

What Happened To Winter?

Yes, there was the blizzard that hit the northeast and I get that there are enough storms happening that The Weather Channel has begun naming the storms, but we have not had winter here in the northwest!  It is frustrating to be sure and I miss at least one good storm that has everyone talking and the city in a sort of shutdown mode if only for a day or so.  I love it when Mother Nature surprises us and makes us all slow down and pause.  There is the silence that comes from a good snow storm.  It is a time to pause and at the same time see the world through a different perspective. 

The mountains have had good snowfall for the skiers and snowboarders which is just lovely, but here in the city we have had a whole lot of nothing.  Do not get me wrong, we have had a few really awesome rain storms this winter and even on a day like today when the sun is shining and it still has a crispness to the air it is a wonderful experience.  But really, how can you call it winter and not have one good storm.  The local news teams are starting to say we "dodged a bullet" and yet when I look at the calendar it seems we still have another month of winter to go.

Since I have been cooking in a lot these past two months, I guess I would like to have a good storm to go with that comfort food I have been enjoying.  By the way, last night I decided to cook some chicken for dinner.  I learned an important lesson, do not get interested in a movie when you have the chicken breasts under a broiler, it can only lead to bad things.  Yes, they were a bit charred when I got them out, but scraping them a bit left two fine pieces of poultry and cut up on a salad made for a fine meal. 

Today was our weekly management meeting and it is never a happy time.  I have found I like to jump in and share what I need to and then sit back and hold my breath.  It is sad really, how much I loathe coming into the office anymore.  It was never that way before, but after last week's tele-communications fiasco, I am finding that you just can never be good enough even when you are cleaning up other people's messes.  A simple thank you does not take a lot of energy to share.  Alas, now I need to put on my thinking cap for what is in store for this evening's dinner plans.

Let The Race Begin

There are certain programs that bring out the fun in people and one of them is called The Amazing Race.  My sister and I watch it weekly and last night it started again.  During the show we text each other back and forth and it does get quite funny at times.  The shouting and screaming, like Janet says, "that is what the mute button is for."  And the two teams we both thought would be out quickly are not.

The Amazing Race 22 is the twenty-second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race.  It features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.  The season will span 30,000 miles through nine countries in five different continents. The season features the Race's first visit to the French overseas country of French Polynesia, where teams skydived above the island of Bora Bora. Other confirmed tasks and travel destinations include "Shemozzle racing" in New Zealand, hunting scorpions with Bushmen in Botswana, and climbing the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland.

Last night it was leftover cole slaw and cooked shrimp on top with cocktail sauce.  Quite tasty and after watching The Amazing Race, it was time to call it a night.  The weekend had been quite interesting and in the end I was glad I could begin laughing again, especially after the ordeal of last Friday.  What I do know is that this day, while challenging will be all the better knowing that the owner is no longer in Seattle, but rather in Chicago.  For many it is a holiday this day, but for some, like me, it is not.

Sunday Slumberday

There is something to be said for not having to be anywhere at anytime in particular.  Sunday mornings always seems to kick off with a pot of coffee and watching "CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood" and this has been a staple for years.  Every other week Moonsong often arrives shortly thereafter to clean, but not this day.  So instead, I got up and did the laundry and vacuumed a bit and then made something that I fund to be quite tasty.  I had begun growing bored with the ritual of bacon and eggs on Sunday with cheese on the scrambled eggs.  Mind you, I love bacon, but I was craving something different.  Well, it happened, I sauteed some chopped Spanish onions and then cooked up 12 oz. of pork sausage and combined with eggs to create a scramble that was so delicious I was in heaven and it was filling too.  Quite satisfied I took my remaining coffee and made my way into the living area and watched it rain a bit and then made a few calls to friends, some home and others I left voicemail.  Never quite got back to the phone as a book drew my attention only to be interrupted by a light lunch of a couple of Hebrew National hot dogs and a lovely salad with blue cheese dressing and grape tomatoes with cheese and cucumber.  Quite fun.  A nap called my name and I replied.  A true joy of the weekend.  But all this still could not shake what happened on Friday.

I was driving to work and going up Dearborn and saw the police pulling a tarp over a body. It was not pleasant in any way shape or form. It was not until driving home that afternoon that I finally realized it had been a suicide. It really, really impacted me in a way I totally disconnected for the weekend. I did not use the computer and in fact, when I saw Jodie and Rob they told me how I looked more than a bit disconnected. Perhaps I was.  It haunted me for a couple of days and even in typing this I see how emotional it was to me.  What makes a person go to that level of complete and utter finality?  I know that there are those that deal with this and perhaps that is why I was so enthralled with "In Her Shoes" yesterday in that the mother of the two sisters killed herself.  It such a statement of finality and there is no turning back.  In a weird way, I look back to last year and realize how much has happened since my time in the hospital - mind you I was not trying to kill myself, but I did shave it close a couple of times, it makes you cherish the memories all the more and the times we have.  It makes so much of what we do and go through seem so small by comparison.

Get A Clue

Saturday started out as a fully packed scheduled day.  This was a good thing for many reasons and in due course, my groceries were delivered by 8:30am by one of my favorite delivery guys from Amazon Fresh.  They got packed away and so then proceeded to watch the movie, "In My Shoes" which is funny and sad and heck anything with Shirley Maclaine in it is gonna be a good time.  So about 11:05am I get a phone call and it is none other than Mick of Mick & Bret who have invited me over at noon for lunch and a game of Catan.  He called to cancel as he had a bad head cold and Bret's face was swollen from dental surgery two days prior.  Now come on people, don't you think that maybe, just maybe you would have thought a call a while ahead might be in order?!  So there I am stuck with a bag of chips and guacamole and no where to go until 4pm.  So I took advantage of the time and enjoyed a nice nap and time to read.  The chips and guac will find a home at the office on Monday for the staff.  And Mick wonders why I do not meet up with them too much, because they do not practice good social manners very often.  This is not the first time of a short cancel, or perhaps inviting you over and then sitting in front of the TV, drinking a bottle of wine and pretty much ignoring you for the night - yes that has happened.  I do think it is time for some filtering to be going on.

So I got ready at about 3:30pm and headed over to Ballard for munchies and games at Jodie & Rob's place.  We played several games and by the end of the 6th game we were gamed out, but it was a lot of fun playing "The Game of Life" plus a bizarre version called "The REAL Game of Life" and then there was something called "Bill of Life" that we decided to stop playing within 15 minutes it was just too weird and then we got into playing Clue.  I had not played it in years.  What fun we had.

Instead of a big dinner, Jodie had created a series o appetizers and they were quite nice.  Up first was a cheese plate and then prosciutto wrapped asparagus which was followed by crab and spinach stuffed mushrooms.  The finale was a chocolate cup filled with chocolate mousse and topped with fresh fruit.  I bit intense for my tastes.  We enjoyed cocktails, but you can so tell we are getting older in that the evening was over and I was home by 9pm.

I should mention that after I enjoyed the sausage and cole slaw the other evening I got creative and made a sort of vegetable goulash with meat.  It was onions, hamburger, carrots, peas in a tomato and garlic sauce.  As a last minute surprise I added some half & half and that gave it a delightful pop.  That proved to be dinner for Thursday and Friday.  So what is on tap for Sunday?

I Really Used to Like The Times

So last month I called to cancel my subscription and April was supposedly ever so helpful and assisted me in canceling my subscription.  My last paper was delivered on Thursday, January 10th.  I was told a refund would be processed for the remaining days and that if I choose to, I could just put my subscription on a "vacation hold" at first offered - 6 months and then 8 months - and I declined.  End of call and on we go.  Or so I thought. 

The following Monday, the 14th I was more than surprised to see that my account had been dinged for $54.94 for the month's invoice for service through mid-February.  Thus, a call was placed and I spoke first with Angelia and since she was not at all helpful and in fact told me I was not correct in what I asked for the prior week, I requested to speak to a supervisor.  This is when I got Rose.  She informed me that I was on a vacation hold and that if I had further questions to just ask.  I asked.  I asked why if I declined not once, but twice to not have a vacation hold done, but rather a complete cancellation of service why was this not done. 

Rose reviewed my account and informed me that she had gone in and canceled my account and that I would be refunded the full credit back to January 11th, but that it would have to be done in two steps and the first part had my subscription being completely canceled effective January 18th which was the earliest she could do it with their system.  But the second part is since I had no papers delivered since the 11th, I would get credit for all those as well, unless I wanted to make a donation to the school fund.  No, I did not in this instance.  I was getting ticked.  I was also informed that the credit would appear in 7-14 business days.

So I just happened to look at my account this day, a full 20 business days since my chat with Rose and not only is there no refund, but I have been dinged again for another month of service!  Seriously.  I called and got Angel this day.  She was quite sarcastic and told me I was in error.  No Angel, I was not.  Requested to speak to someone else and after a hold time of over 6 minutes - boy what great customer service - I got Sage.  Seriously, you gotta love the names of these people.  So Sage tells me that even though all my story fits with the notes in the system, it was done incorrectly and so she was going to fix it, but that indeed it would take 7-14 business days to show on my account, but that she would try and expedite it since it was their fault.  And yes, this time I requested a confirmation number for all this so I have further fodder for a fire if there needs to be one.  So I pledge here and now NEVER to subscribe to their home delivery service again!

A Day of Love

To one and all, I send good wishes for all on this day of love and hope that you do something special for yourself.  There are many people on my mind this day, but I want to take a moment and mention one very special person, my sister!  Janet is an amazing person and is so full of love and such a giving person.  She is not only a wonderful sister, but a true friend.  Last year, when I was in the hospital her visits were a beacon of hope that helped me get well.  She always drops a note to let you know she cares and of recent has become quite the texting person.  There are nights where the texts zip back and forth, especially when The Amazing Race is on.  So, Janet, know on this day, I salute you and wish you all the best!

On This Day Since I was Born...

1960 - France detonated its first atomic bomb.

1965 - Sixteen-year-old Peggy Fleming won the ladies senior figure skating title at Lake Placid, NY.

1971 - South Vietnamese troops invaded Laos. They were backed by U.S. air and artillery support.

1984 - Konstantin Chernenko was chosen to be general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party's Central Committee, succeeding the late Yuri Andropov.

1985 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high of 1297.92 after it topped the 1300 mark earlier in the trading session.

1990 - In Ottawa, the United States and its European allies forged an agreement with the Soviet Union and East Germany on a two-stage formula to reunite Germany.

1991 - Hundreds of Iraqis were killed by two laser-guided bombs that destroyed an underground facility in Baghdad. U.S. officials identified the facility as a military installation, but Iraqi officials said it was a bomb shelter.

1997 - Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery brought the Hubble Space Telescope aboard for a tune up. The tune up allowed the telescope to see further into the universe.

1997 - The Dow Jones industrial average passed the 7,000 mark for the first time. The day ended at 7,022.44.

1999 - A bomb exploded just outside a government-owned bank in southern Kosovo. Nine people were killed.

2000 - Charles M. Schulz's last original Sunday "Peanuts" comic strip appeared in newspapers. Schulz had died the day before.

2001 - El Savador was hit with an earthquake that measured 6.6 on the Richter Scale. At least 400 people were killed.

2002 - In Alexandria, VA, John Walker Lindh pled innocent to a 10-count federal indictment. He was charged with conspiring to kill Americans and aiding Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

2002 - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

2008 - Roger Clemens denied having taken performance-enhancing drugs in testimony before Congress.

2008 - Hollywood writers ended a 100-day strike.

What A Day!

Last night I made Smoked Andouille Sausage and roasted brussel sprouts for dinner - mighty tasty. Tonight I am deciding what I am going to do with some of my favorite tuna. Perhaps with peas in an Alfredo sauce. There is also some cole slaw to be made and enjoyed. Yes, I am having fun getting back in the kitchen and this weekend I do think the crock pot is going to be brought out and tested - Thank you Jodie and Rob. Happy Mardi Gras to all and may you have a ball in doing whatever you decide to do.

The day started off fair enough.  Quiet and not a lot going on.  Mark, who is in town this week, did not show up at the opening moment and that was a good thing.  But then it happened...at 8:27am.  All of a sudden our internet goes out and soon we were getting calls from other cities.  First Dallas, then Phoenix followed by San Francisco.  It was driving me crazy.  All the usual fixes were not working.  And then it was discovered that a former employee, who happens to be the owner's nephew, was in charge of converting multiple offices over to a new phone and internet provider and this happened to be the day when the old company stopped service on a lot of the offices. 

Well, we were royally screwed for nearly two hours and are still doing trouble shooting to make sure all the bumps are smoothed over.  It was not a pretty sight and I was especially not pleased to be informed that "I should have been looking over his shoulder!"  WHAT?!  No, I refuse to take the hit on this one.  He was glowing praise on Steven for how smooth the transition had been compared to when I did it two years ago.  But, of course, I am the one who had to step in and get things fixed.  Several phone calls later, things got smoothed out or at least in process thereof.  But let me tell you, am I glad that I am polishing up that resume.

The day is about over and I  will head home to watch The State of the Union Address this evening.  It will be interesting to see how it goes.  Always something and with the news events of the past two days it is going to be sure to have some pop to it.  I do enjoy when the President gives a good speech, but there are times he can be a tad long winded.

Another Monday Arrives

Why do the weekends have to fly by ever so quickly. It is just not right. Saturday arrived quite nicely with the city swathed in a deep fog. It somehow gives me an energy that I cannot explain. I was up getting chores completed and by 10am I had all necessary things done and the day laid out in front of me. Even though I had Moonsng arriving Sunday to clean, I found that I still needed to handle the garbage and recycling plus laundry and dishes. Some things just can't wait another day. On Saturday I also enjoy catching up with friends and this day was no different. A couple of friends back east seemed to be surviving the winter blizzard quite nicely and were not among those that lost power. Connie has a cat who was enjoying the snow and seeing her paw prints in it. Doug, a friend from Alaska, is living out a dream. He is living in Manhattan for 5 months. He went there in December and will head back to Anchorage in late April. He is having a ball taking in the shows, museums, concerts, galleries, etc. He started in one sublet and now is in another.

My friend Ani in California continues the process of going through years, no make that decades, of papers, magazines, etc. from her father. He died last month at the age of 93 and he was a mild hoarder to say the least. She is stunned by the fact that the attic had not collapsed with all the stuff that he had put up there that she did not know about. Plus there is the garage and his study and bedroom, it is a mess. She is having a real challenge due to the dust and rat droppings, not a pretty sight. It only confirms that what I am doing is the right thing when all is said and done.

Sunday started out just the same as Saturday but the sun poked out by mid-morning to the point I had to draw the blinds so as not to bake too much. As the city was swallowed in a dense fog bank I took time to enjoy the morning and my favorite TV program - CBS Sunday Morning. Moonsong arrived to clean just before 9am. As I shared yesterday, I was then off on a mission to see about apartment availability and if they have a vibe I liked. After my return, it was time to have some lunch and a favorite of Sunday afternoons, a nap. A couple of friends called during the afternoon and soon the blinds were raised to allow in the view.

Over the weekend I watched three movies and enjoyed the break for the noise of commercials. I am getting more and more drawn to the idea of letting TV go when I move. I find so much of what I watch available online now and it will be one less annoyance. If I do decide to do that then I would likely go to a faster internet connection. Ah the roll of tele-communications in our lives and how I embrace some and yet reject others, like smart phones. Even though Damon gave me an iphone I still use my simple flip hone.

This week Breitenbush gathering is happening and I must share that I really do not miss going. Have not been in a couple of years and in fact, I was to host next year and have now removed myself as host in that I do not know what I was thinking. It is 2014 and thus the winter Olympics. I am an Olympic whore to be quite honest and so will step back. May return in 2015, but we shall see. I do so look back and enjoy the memories but what it was is now gone and while I have many friendships from there, I also know I seemed to get sick every time I went up there. That was no fun.

 

And so we continue on with a new week, one that started with quite the shocker of the Pope stepping down at the end of the month.  I must say I do hope whoever is chosen will be willing to accept gay people for who they are and not wish them dead.  That just seems so wrong to me.

Looking Back - The Dinner at Ruth's Chris

When I started doing the blog again I mentioned I would look back from time to time on events that happened last year that were worth sharing. There was a dinner that occurred on Sunday, September 2, 2012 in that was the first time Damon and I had dinner together.  Yes that is him below.  For those that have heard me describe him, he is a bit caveman and also rabbi.  But he does make me smile and laugh alot.

So we met at Morton's for dinner as I had some gift cards to use up and it was also in the hotel where we were attending a conference.  We began with Chopin Martinis Up with blue cheese stuffed olives.  They are a favorite of mine and he seemed to enjoy experiencing it for the first time.  We also enjoyed appetizers of Escargot and a Hot & Spicy Lobster dish that you can see below.  They were quite wonderful. 

From Winegeeks, I share a description of the wine we had that night called The Prisoner.  "Orin Swift Cellars also makes a little wine called The Prisoner. You may have heard of it. Just in case you haven't, and you simply aren't anyone if you haven't, it is a hedonistic blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, a Kitchen Sink, Grenache and a steering wheel from a '68 'Cuda. Just kidding with the "anyone" comment, but I must say in all my years in the wine industry I have never come across a wine that has developed such a buzz about it so quickly, so completely and so justifiably at the mid-$30's price point that The Prisoner commands."

Yes, this is their Sliced Beefsteak Tomato salad that is then topped with pickled onions and blue cheese.  It was truly heavenly.  I could have just ordered another, but that was not an option as the main course was on the way.  But I must shared we never felt hurried and what a wonderful evening.

While I enjoyed the salad, Damon opted to try the Lobster Bisque.  He does enjoy soups and this proved to be a great choice for the evening.  Perfect for enjoying over good conversation and great wine.

We both opted for Filet Mignon, but while I had mine with the blue cheese crust he had his au Poivre.  We decided to have an order of the Sauteed Mushrooms on the side and an order of the Asparagus Hollandaise.

Yes it was a meal fit for a king, or in this case a couple of queens!  But it was a wonderful evening and it was capped off by a slice of key lime pie.  What a great meal to cap off a very fun weekend.  In future postings I will share some of the other food I got to enjoy over the weekend as it was quite the adventure.

So this morning I awoke and got a load of laundry out of the way as the city was swallowed in a dense fog bank.  No worries, as the morning was to be a slow paced one.  It was a delight to get things in order before Moonsong arrived to clean just before 9am.  I was then off on a mission.  I took the next two hours to drive through a variety of neighborhoods in town to see about apartment availability and if they have a vibe I liked.  It was fun to visit Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, Belltown, Downtown, Elliott Bay and in the end there are a couple that could prove interesting.  Parking is going to be a challenge I fear unless I get a parking space in the building.  We will keep you posted.  But now it is time for lunch, a few phone calls and a much enjoyed nap - a favorite of Sunday afternoons.

G.I.Joe, Volleyball and Amazon Too!

About now you are wondering what the heck does the subject of today's post has to do with the price of tea in China or perhaps has Chris begun Happy Hour a little too soon!  It is neither.  I happen to read a friend's blog and happen to see that this day in history G.I.Joe was created in 1964 and that volleyball was invented in Massachusetts in 1894.  And yes, how Amazon fits in is that I just went down to the office to get my order only to find that amazon did not put the items all together in one box - that would be too easy.

No in one box is aspirin as my doctor has taken me off Warfarin and instructed me to take a 325mg aspirin each day.  Also, every one's favorite friend Metamucil.  In the other box was a container of protein powder.  It just amazes me that you can find just about anything at Amazon and with Prime membership it all gets delivered within two days.  At the same time, they have a food delivery side to their business called Amazon fresh and it has been a delight to use over the past couple of years.  Later last year they began adding "speciality" vendors to their offering.  It was not really much until after the first of the year and in the end, they have dropped a lot of the usual groceries in order to promote the speciality shops and that is making it more and more likely that I will not be shopping them much longer.

Speaking of food, here is a picture of how my "pasta-less" lasagna turned out.  Not the best, nor not the worst.  I think I shall rack it up to gave it a try and now we will move on.  It will be dinner this evening as well.  I was able to enjoy a breakfast of cheesy eggs this morning with a few cups of coffee.  I guess I will just let lunch happen as it will.  As I texted Janet, my sister, this morning, I got all my chores out of the way early and so the day will be one of watching some of the storm coverage - which I guess The Weather Channel has decided to call winter storm Nemo - and get some reading done.  Why do I have a feeling a nap will also be part of the day?  But with the overcast outside, it is a great day to just push the pause button and let the day be.

Looking Back While Moving Forward

I hope that my Friday Eve amused you. I think life was getting just way too serious and some much needed laughter needed to be rekindled. Life is just too damn short to let all the morose that we deal with overwhelm us. I for one am celebrating the arrival of the weekend. This night it will be a sort of non-pasta lasagna using chicken thighs and broccoli with a tomato garlic sauce and cheese. We shall see if this works out or is a one off experiment. Trying to get the rest of the meats in the freezer used up in order to restock. So often I keep adding and adding and it just gets to the point of what the heck do I have in there? So now I am getting down to about another week of creative cooking and then we shall start over.

A friend of mine is up to his eyeballs in getting the directory made for the upcoming Faerie gathering at Breitenbush. This is what spurred my subject line this day. As I was reading about his trials and tribulations it made me think back to how important it was to me to go up there year after year in the winter and summer. I did it for nearly 10 years I believe. I have wonderful memories and at times I do think of returning. In fact, I am slated to host next winter, but will be removing myself from that in that there is something even more enthralling to me happening at the time - the Winter Olympics. But that is not what I am focusing on, it is that life changes and times move forward. A lot of what I cherish of Breitenbush is no longer there and yet at the same time so many of the wonderful men I have met over the years still play a major roll in my life. But there is no longer a calling or a need to return. Perhaps in the future I will return, but for now I am quite content to reflect on the past and the fun times that were had. At the same time I know the as I move forward there is so much to be found and explored.

It is in the simple tasks of life that new found direction is achieved. It brought Damon into my life and now in May I will be speaking at the Swedish Nurses conference about my time in the hospital last year. There are the constant challenges of making progress and moving forward with my life that was not so guaranteed in the past. Granted, much like the Governor in New Jersey who is dealing with weight issues, it is a never ending struggle. But one that is never completely lost in that we can always begin again. It is knowing that the days of having Mom in my life are coming to a close, at some point, but I have to really now only rely on the past for the memories that are so magical. There is the anticipation of a new work situation in my future as I see my time finally coming to a close at E&A after 15+ years. Scary, and yet exciting at the same time. So during this month of reflection that I see February as being, it is stunning to see how far I have come and yet oh what possibilities lay before me.

Friday Eve - Let the Weekend Begin

There is something to be said for the concept of an "eve" such as Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and now I have taken to calling Thursday - Friday Eve. Why? Well, it makes that magical moment of Friday afternoon all the more reachable and takes the edge off the work week. Monday and Tuesday are always challenges and then if I get through Wednesday I feel like I can get through the week as I have to just get along and pace myself through Friday Eve and thus my week will be complete. There is very little that gets me more frustrated than trying to count down 5 working days. Granted having the owner here earlier made for a bit of a challenge, but he is gone and I am able to get a lot done.

The masses at a Comic-Con Convention - this one San Diego

If the above is confusing, don't worry, read on...I was more than amused in that he sent me in a rush yesterday a message about Comic-Con (if you do not know what this is just Google it and be scared!) registration that happens next week. Told me to get it out right away to the members so that we can create a group to the event. So I send it out and sure enough, about 5 people are interested whereas he thinks there was going to be a huge response. NOT! Well, I sent it out and yes a few are interested, but what it created was a blinding number of emails from people asking to be removed and why are they still getting the emails from the company, etc. I was more than amused. This is what happens and it is every time we send out a mass email to members and well, it creates more work than he would ever think. I will have great joy in sending him his list of members who are going to this event and letting him make it all happen.

So last night I had a most "all American" dinner. Two all beef hot dogs in bun with mayo, mustard and coleslaw. It was amazingly satisfying. I do not eat hot dogs often and had a real hankering for them. Since I had been consuming so much chicken and fish the past few days it was a nice change of pace. Hebrew National are mighty fine hot dogs and I refuse to get anything else. The evening proved to be mellow and yet productive as I continue to plan for the move. It is now almost certain I will move. There were a few days there I thought my current situation might stand, but I seem to have ruffled a few feathers when I called the current management company on a Craigslist posting where they were offering an apt. of the same square footage and all of mine for over $200 cheaper. I copied and sent asking why? Yup, not a response at all. And so I continue to sort, pack and take comfort in the fact that when the end of next month arrives, I will not be in a rush.

Honk The Horn...

and shut the front door.  Don't know which would show I am happier!  Showed up at the dealership this morning at 6:50am and was ready to pay a small fortune for a new horn.  Everything costs a lot whenever you have to have it done at a dealership.  Just the nature of the beast.  I have been lucky in the two plus years of owning the Kia Soul, it has been pretty much no problem.

But, I did have an issue with the horn.  It would sometimes work and sometimes not.  How very frustrating, especially when a car is deciding to merge into your lane without looking!  So this morning was my time to address that issue and get it fixed.  Off I went and was prepared for the worst.  And in the end, I am a happy camper.  Completely changed out the horn unity and that is not an easy, nor cheap, item and there was no charge.  I had a bill for a total of $46.36 which included the horn change out and a complete lube and oil change.  Heck, they even washed the car.  Gotta love that, especially in the rain!

I picked up the Kia Soul in Gray Titanium a couple of years ago and it is broaching 25,000 miles and it has been a great little car that is most comfortable.  It has made the trip to see Mom several times, schlepped a heck of a lot of liquor from California to Washington for me and friends as well as making several trips to the SW Washington coast.  Add in the fun trips to Portland and all about the Puget Sound area and well the miles do rack up.  So now I have a happy car and that in turns makes me a happy guy.  BTW, for those that know the Kia commercials, the dealership actually had a cage with hamsters in it - Yes, I laughed.

Tornado Tuesday

Well, the tornado known as Mark Owen, the owner of the company I am currently under employ with has left the building after two days of hell raising. Somehow, he sees that yelling and screaming at people is the most effective tool to get them to do as he wishes. I happen to see it works on most of the staff exactly the opposite. I dodged most of the hell and that is a very good thing. So now it is early afternoon and just about to go into my conference call with staff. Oh joy. I get to go back to the very beginning and tell them how to do a check register. Not sure why it is so hard for some but it is. I do believe 3pm cannot get here soon enough. I will be out the door and headed home knowing that I have to swing by and get the car gassed up. Tomorrow morning I take the car in to have lube and oil change plus they need to check out the horn. It works sometimes, but not all the time and this is not a good thing.

Last night was all about watching the rain return and oh how fun it was to watch the rain sheeting against the windows. Stormy weather is so fun to watch and it does help the sleep. Had some very colorful dreams last night. I do think that releasing from TV and taking more time to just enjoy the quiet is huge. I find that I am not nearly as aggressive at the office and that I am able to laugh more. Had the leftovers of my black bean and tuna casserole last night and this night will be asparagus and chicken. Trying to eat mindfully. This morning was a yummy bowl of yogurt with protein powder added and some blueberry flavoring. I do find I really enjoy the Greek style yogurt.

February Pondering

Winter lends itself as a time for reflecting and seeing what we are doing and where we are going. It can be a real challenge for some, and others embrace it. I know several friends who want to ignore the whole thing and even a few who mock me for going through all the sorting and releasing. They sense that I am doing it just to add more to my life space and they could not be further from the truth. It is a continued process in that more and more stuff comes into your life and if not managed in some way it can consume you. I have to say that I see it as refreshing. I do not know if I mentioned last week but now that friends have gone through the kitchen items, I am boxing up the balance and taking it to a women's shelter. They are always in need as women go out and begin their lives again. I have to thank my sister for that suggestion.

 

So yes, I am using this month to do a lot of pondering and am pleased that I can take the weekends to be slow motion and allow for time of pondering and reflection.  Next weekend includes celebrating The Year of the Snake.  I am going to celebrate Chinese New Year by hiding in my apartment. May venture across the street for some Chinese, but that is it. Just too crazy out in the neighborhood. Then two days later is Mardi Gras and then Valentine's Day plus President's Day. Boy, talk about a lot happening. Oh and while we have President's Day, Canada has a brand new holiday this year - Family Day and I guess it is only British Columbia that is celebrating it next Monday, the 11th, while the rest of the country is celebrating it on the 18th of February. Yes, I have to keep up on the holidays for my work, but it also makes me laugh.

Super Bowl Sunday or Catan - Hmmm!

Ah yes, today is the all day TV spectacle called the Super Bowl.  Tickets are being sold for obscene prices and parties are being planned around the country and even around the world.  It is amusing.  Commercials are a huge part of the TV event.  There are a few of us who do not eat, sleep and live the football ordeal, and in fact, several of us are gathering to play Catan.  Sadly, one person who was going to join us has canceled to stay home and watch the "Big Game" and I know darn well he is not a football fan.  My sister will be watching to honor my Dad, he was a huge 49er's fan. 

Tomorrow will arrive and the critiques will begin and everyone will see that it is just another Monday.  Alas, we will be on the road to next Sunday which is Chinese New Year celebrating the year of the Snake.  I have a feeling that the International District will be a tad crazy next weekend.  Oh it will be fun to avoid the crowds and just kick back and relax.  Here is to enjoying the game and may the best team win!

But before the sun sets, I need to share a few thoughts now that it is nearly evening.  First, the Sushi buffet that we all enjoyed on Friday night was amazing and needed to be acknowledged.  Jodie and Rob headed home after dinner and Michael and I got to have some alone time to chat and share historical stories.  Amazingly, my tush had no pain Friday night nor the rest of the weekend - YAY!  Saturday had Michael heading home and I got all the chores out of the way to enjoy the rest of the day on Slo-Mo! 

Today was a real nice paced day and yes, once again, I won the first game of Catan and almost won the second game - one turn away...but you know, it is all about the fun and it seems some do not just play for fun - and you need to.  They all headed home and I have been slumbering and relaxing and the game is not that great in my humble opinion.

So Why Do We Say Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit...

on the first day of each month?  I know that my siblings do this and we were taught at an early age it had to do with bringing good luck.  Herein, is a posting from Wikipedia...go figure:

The exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it was recorded in Notes and Queries as being said by children in 1909:

"My two daughters are in the habit of saying 'Rabbits!' on the first day of each month. The word must be spoken aloud, and be the first word said in the month. It brings luck for that month. Other children, I find, use the same formula."

In response to this note another contributor said that his daughter believed that the outcome would be a present, and that the word must be spoken up the chimney to be most effective; another pointed out that the word rabbit was often used in expletives, and suggested that the superstition may be a survival of the ancient belief in swearing as a means of avoiding evil.

It appeared in a work of fiction in 1922:

"Why," the man in the brown hat laughed at him, "I thought everybody knew 'Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit.' If you say 'Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit'—three times, just like that—first thing in the morning on the first of the month, even before you say your prayers, you'll get a present before the end of the month."

Today it has spread to many English-speaking countries and in the United States the tradition is common in New England, in particular in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, although, like all folklore, determining its exact area of distribution is difficult. The superstition may be related to the broader belief in the rabbit or hare being a "lucky" animal, as exhibited in the practice of carrying a rabbit's foot for luck.

During the mid-1990's U.S. children's cable channel Nickeloden helped popularize the superstition in the United States as part of its "Nick Days", where during commercial breaks it would show an ad about the significance of the current date, whether it be an actual holiday, a largely-uncelebrated unofficial holiday, or a made-up day if nothing else is going on that specific day. (The latter would be identified as a "Nickelodeon holiday".) Nickelodeon would promote the last day of each month as "Rabbit Rabbit Day" and to remind kids to say it the next day, unless the last day of that specific month was an actual holiday, such as Halloween and New Year's Eve.  This practice stopped by the late 1990s.

Rabbits have not always been thought of as lucky, however. In the 19th century, for example, fishermen would not say the word while at sea, and in South Devon to see a white rabbit in one's village when a person was very ill was regarded as a sure sign that the person would die.

R.I.P. Ed Koch

Awoke to hear the news that Ed Koch died yesterday at the age of 88.  He was the mayor when I moved to New York City and was not only a good mayor, but a funny one as well.

This day The Huffington Post gave look at some of the famous lines over the years from former New York City Mayor Ed Koch:

"How'm I doing?"

"I'm not the type to get ulcers. I give them."

"You punch me, I punch back. I do not believe it's good for one's self-respect to be a punching bag."

"If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist."

"Have you ever lived in the suburbs? It's sterile. It's nothing. It's wasting your life."