Happy Easter

As Sunday arrives, I realize I am no spring chick as my lower back is not a happy camper. Thankfully I know exactly where the heating pad was packed and it proved quite helpful. Taking the morning to relax and ponder is left to be done.  Will be going to share Easter dinner with friends and it will surely all be very nice, but the nagging back tells me it will be a shorten visit and will have the night to call my own.

 

Jodie and Rob made a lovely selection of appetisers including "Green Goddess" deviled eggs - a recipe we all agreed was not the best and does not need to be tried again for a while.  Dinner was sliced ham and au gratin potatoes.  There was also a refreshing cucumber and onion salad.  I had stopped and got lemon bars, but opted to leave mine for them to enjoy as I was just best. 

So at this point, I have a small packing project tomorrow night.  Tuesday I will do the final sweep of the closets and all the boxes are lined up for the movers. That leaves really only the balance of the kitchen and that should go fast. I have made one big change...movers were going to come on Thursday and that moved to Friday. I want to be sure to have all my ducks in a row. It was all of $20 to flip the date and by having Thursday it just makes the whole move more enjoyable. I will still have the weekend at the new place to begin to get it settled. Also, placing the order for the King Bed this week so it will be nice to get it.

Tomorrow is all about puttering along and will be dropping off the accent paint at the new place in the afternoon. The whole change over will be planned out and taking it one step at a time. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Damon continues to mend and seems to be in good spirits. We have only been texting to save his voice but he shared this morning he would like to have a chat possibly this afternoon. He is due a week from Wednesday.  Michael, my dear friend on the coast flew down to Palm Springs today and will be there for the week.  I have been once and that was more than enough for me! 

A Whole New Appreciation!

It should be a marvelous weekend, but hey it is what makes life interesting. Arrived home yesterday and Tim was being lazy as he should being on holiday and we were able to have wonderful conversation some appetisers to tie us over to dinner and also enjoy more white wine. Dinner was Indian - his favorite and since I do not know the food that well, I let him take the lead in ordering and he was thrilled. As the headline says, I do have a whole new appreciation that I did not have before.  We ordered the following - not sure how familiar you are with Indian so added a small description for each dish:

Vegetable Samosas which are golden fried, veggie filled, flaky pastry served with mint and tamarind chutney.

Chicken Tikka Masala consisting of marinated boneless chicken breast, sauteed with their signature based sauce seasoned with herbs and spices.

Paalak Paneer that is cubed paneer, crackled with cumin,folded into a tasty spinach curry sauce.

Aloo Gobi brings together braised potatoes and cauliflower, crackled with mustard seeds, fenugreek, dried red chilies and cumin seeds, mixed in fragrant tomato coulis.

Tandoori Chicken is savory yogurt marinated chicken, baked to perfection in a clay oven.

Rice Pillau is fragrant basmati rice cooked with green peas.

Plain Naan is a royal Indian leavened bread. While we opted for plain, they offer 4 other variations.

Seriously, there was just way too much food, but it was all tasty and enough to make it so Markie joined me tonight and we enjoyed a very filling dinner. With some still left over, I let it go. The rest of the evening was filled with laughter and there seemed to be a comfort level setting in for Tim which made it all the more enjoyable. Saturday arrived all too soon and it was up and getting him to the airport by 9am.

Back to the house in time to get more packing done and Jodie and Rob got here by noon to take away the Stickley bed frame and also do all the primer painting. It was pretty much non-stop for 5-6 hours. By late afternoon, it was be time for cocktails, nibbles and relaxing. They will head home and soon thereafter as noted as noted above, Markie will stop in for dinner.  The main reason for his stopping is actually to surrender his door card and keys.  Now only need to get the ones Moonsong has and that will likely be next Friday when he does final clean.

And Here We Go

It is nearly the weekend and that means only a bit of time left to deal with stuff here at the office.  I am so ready for this weekend, it will be a tad crazy, but at the same time I know it needs to happen. Tomorrow Tim flies home in the morning and around noon Jodie and Rob show to do all the primer painting and I will be packing away. Curtis, my friend and co-worker, is likely going to be popping in for some time on one of the days. He is concerned that I will not be ready in time. Perish the thought, I have days until the move. Monday I drop off the accent paint at the new complex so the accent wall will be done by the time I move in. Have all utilities done and done. It is all slowly coming together.

 

I am really trying to decide if I am driving or flying to Ashland the first week of May for Mom's 90th birthday. I have to be in Los Angeles for the repositioning cruise the following Tuesday and so will likely default to flying.

 

Once I depart the office I will be headed to Madrona Wine Shop to pick up some white wine and then on to the house. Not quite sure what we will do for lunch, but boy the sushi buffet was quite amazing yesterday. He was in pig heaven so to speak when he was in Uwajimaya. I guess the east coast does not have a whole lot of good sushi places. Odd, but true according to him.   This evening it will be Indian for dinner.  Sunday I will be at a friend's house for a bit of a celebration of friends and while there will be some Easter overtones, it is not the focus, only the excuse to get together. I do believe there is a ham involved and I am taking champagne and deviled eggs.  May you all enjoy the Easter Weekend!

Thought For The Day...

Silence Is Golden

Duct-tape Is Silver

 

Now, on with the show...health wise I am so much better than Tuesday evening. Antibiotics are an amazing thing. It was nice that Tim's flight got delayed and so I was able to snag a nap in the afternoon prior to his arrival yesterday. By the time he arrived I was freshly showered, teeth brushed and the Preseco nice and chilled. The fun part of this is that we have a level of conversationalism that is almost seamless. Quite different and yet similar to Damon.  Oh my! The nice thing is that we do seem to be quite compatible in sharing our space together. He was so out of it this morning he did not even hear me get up, dress and get out the door for work. Got a text from him just before 10 saying he was up having coffee...I had already been at the office three hours!

 

When I walked through what had been going on health wise with Tim last night you could tell there was a sense of caring and concern and that was refreshing. I was trying to figure out how to approach it with him and decided honesty was best and so put it out there. He was appreciative that I felt comfortable telling him. He is so east coast now...can even detect the Boston twang from time to time and he has not been out there 5 years yet. Also it was quite interesting to hear more about the firm and lean exactly what they do and at what scope they are approaching their client base. It helped me in getting a perspective of what they are seeking from someone - hopefully me - coming into that position.  A very happy Friday Eve to all!

15 Years Ago Today...

America was introduced to Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and under various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It was originally developed by British scientists and then brought to market by the US-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It acts by inhibiting cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5, an enzyme that promotes degradation of cGMP, which regulates blood flow in the penis. Since becoming available in 1998, sildenafil has been the prime treatment for erectile dysfunction.  Now in full disclosure, I have never used it, but I know many friends who have and it seems to get wonderful reviews.  Just sayin'.

Round 3 - Celulitus ARGH!

Sometimes I feel like the fricking EverReady bunny. I keep going and going and yet should not be.  This afternoon I arrived home from work and felt like I hit a wall. Sat for about 10 minutes and then it hit, the shakes. I was not amused. Yes, my old friend Celulitus had decided to come back for a visit.  WHY?! I had just gotten off a 10 day antibiotic routine a week ago Monday. But this time it decided to flip to the left leg whereas before it was the right. Fever spiked up at 101.7 and I knew something had to be done. After reaching out to friends and family, got some great suggestions.  Decided to call my doctor and got his exchange. The lady said she would call "the doctor on call" and I should hear back within 20 minutes. Not 10 minutes passed and got a call. What luck - my doctor was the one on call last night so he knew my history instantly and decided to bump up the antibiotics so doing a double now and the second one is the size of a golf ball - ok a tad exaggeration. Curtis was kind enough to pick up the drugs and drop them off and I'll be damned if within 90 minutes pain was going down and so was the fever. 

So, all night it was this whole do I tell Tim, do I not tell him. But since things began to moderate I decided to hold off for the most point until his arrival as I am 100% better this day and while yes, I will be on the antibiotics, everything else is fine and I even may go into the office tomorrow, although a bit late. Figure I will be heading out after the conference call and get home to rest a bit, grab a shower and be ready for Tim's arrival - his plane lands just before 8. He insists on taking a cab to the apt. and that is fine as it will allow me to assemble a bit of a puu-puu platter to go with the Preseco. It will be some baby carrots, cooked shrimp, pita chips and some flat bread with three kinds of stuffed olives and some hummus spreads. He does not eat meat so keeping in the poultry and seafood plus veggies.

I plan to get the internet and cable settled tomorrow morning and so things are coming right along. It is going to be a huge challenge flipping all the addresses online, but that can wait until like next Friday. I am taking next Thursday and Friday off for the move. Also, packing is a tad behind schedule, yet I think by end of weekend it should be in good shape. I did not get any packing done tonight, but will be able to do some more tomorrow evening prior to Tim's arrival.

Have You Voted Yet?

Well folks, the great race is on and you only have until midnight May 4th to vote.  I am guessing that the Chicken and Waffle is going to win.  But if it was up to me it would likely go to Cheesy Garlic Bread.  While Sriracha is all spicy and such there are enough of them on the market already. 
How this even got here is that my friend up in Canada wrote how he was going to submit one for Lemongrass flavor.  I shared the contest had closed.  Well, guess not in Canada.  They always seem to be behind us on TV and now potato chip voting.  Go figure.  Interesting how this whole campaign has been done via texting and facebook.  Oh modern technology.

Sunday Chores

Dishes and Laundry out of the way early as well as a bite of breakfast.  Got that out of the way before Moonsong arrived just before 9AM.  He is such a joy to have in my life.  He pops in and cleans and the house is just wonderful after he is done.  This was his final clean in the Uwajimaya apartment per se.  He will be coming in on the 4th of April to do the final spot clean as I surrender the apartment on the 6th. 

Jodie and Rob are due shortly and we are going to discuss the bed.  They are looking to buy the Stickily bed that Helene so graciously gave me 5+ years ago.  They have a Queen bed at home and this will allow me to make the move to a King bed at the new apartment.  They are also planning on making a stop for painting supplies as Jodie is going to be painting all the walls back to primer for the move.  She enjoys painting and that is a good thing as it is not something I like to do.  I need to add to my list of "To Do's" getting the paint for the new place as they have agreed to allow me to use the lighter paint, but I have to get it.  Guessing a gallon should do.

After that it will be an afternoon of packing and I would bet a dollar that a nap will occur.  Going to continue using up things in the apartment for meals.  The dinner on Friday and then yesterday with Helene has seen a major dent made on the wine.  I believe I have two bottles left and a bottle of port.  I bet they can be handled by the time the move happens.  Figure the more out of the way, the better off I will be.  The one major change in moving is that my Amazon fresh food deliveries will for the most part be confined to Saturdays due to the whole elevator issue.  But I can live with that.  Heck, there will now be the deck and, of course, the waste valet which still cracks me up.

Riding The Roller Coaster

Well now, it has been quite the ride this week of emotions and things happening plus dinner guests two different night and an old flame coming back into the picture.  As I was telling a friend this day, "Stop the roller coaster I want to get off."  His reply - "Honey you are driving the roller coaster - ENJOY!"  So much happening and so fast.  The conference call this morning went very well by all counts and so now up next is the video conference call next month. 

After the call is when I got the news that Damon will not be making the trip as planned.  He now has Bronchitis and so we are postponing his trip until April 10th.  And not one to let things lay for long...now it seems Tim is arriving on Wednesday evening for a two day visit and heading back to Boston on Saturday morning.  I have to laugh in that we made the passing comment on Monday that we should consider getting together sometime in the future.  By Wednesday he is telling me I am on his calendar for next month and now he is arriving Wednesday. 

Helene arrived around 3:45 and we talked and talked for hours plus we enjoyed some great Chinese.  She opted for her usual of Golden Tofu with Black Mushrooms while I had Pepper Salted Squid.  We shared some Hot & Sour Soup and their delish Cucumber Salad.

Dinner Party Tonight

This week I have been enjoying slowly using up a lot of the food in the fridge as I grow ever closer to the move date of April 4th.  Tonight will be a bit different as I host 6 people for dinner counting yours truly.  Can't fit more than that around the table.  They will be arriving between 4 and 5pm for the most part and we will start off with drinks and appetisers.  They will have an Italian overtone and I totally forgot to take pictures.  But here is a picture of what the green bean salad looked like:

Dinner will be a standard for me now when entertaining.  Lemon-Peppered Pork Loin on Roasted Root Vegetables.  But for something different I am making a marinated Green Bean Salad.  Using Heirloom Tomatoes and Feta Cheese for added flavor.  Below is what the main course looks like...there was none left!

I have hinted that I want to work on using several bottles of wine to drain down the supply a bit so there will be less to move.  Appears I have a house guest for the evening as a friend is en route to Portland and so spending the night before heading on tomorrow morning.  It will allow me a few hours to catch my breath before Helene arrives for dinner.  This is a delayed dinner from last month due to health issues and we will be having dinner across the street at Shanghai Gardens.  I will miss that place to be sure!

15 Years Have Passed

Since I went to work for the first time at Events & Adventures.  Oh how things have changed.  When I started we did not have a website, it was all done via printed calendar.  What a hassle.  The opportunity to travel has been one of the prime reasons I have stayed so long.  Twice to Australia and there have been 5 trips to Europe.  Numerous trips around the US and of course Canada!  We have grown from two offices to nine and it is an ever growing challenge.  It is quite the marker and yet I know inside it is time to consider moving on.  That being said I continue to think about all that has happened this week.

I am calming down and last night was able to hash it out a bit with conversations with my sister and a couple of friends. Provided some great perspective. It seems in my work history I have fallen into my last three work situations and so why not another. How am I feeling? Amazed, confused, stunned, happy, excited, scared, freaked out a bit = all these and then some. But with a few days now to step back I have begun assembling a list of questions. Did hear back that Tim has adjusted his schedule to be back out here next month, a hell of a lot sooner than planned. It appears we are going to be having a conference call and if all goes well, then I will fly back to Boston for the next step. They see planned start to be in the July-October time slot. They are looking at having the Paris office opening this quarter and that is on top of their current cities of London, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and San Francisco. They see another two or three cities in the US and continued expansion internationally.

Damon got the scoop this morning when we talked and freaked a bit, but in general is happy. He is just glad to see there is movement in getting out of E&A. Speaking of which, they are back there assembling the "surprise party" I am not to know is going on, but I can smell the food. I will continue to explore the options and keep you posted.

Now, for something completely different...Taking a repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC in early May.  So it looks like I will fly down to Ashland for Mom's birthday weekend and then on to Los Angeles.  The cruise docks in Vancouver on the 10th at like 7:30 in the morning. Likely not off the boat until 10ish. Then catching the train at 5:45pm back to Seattle. It is a Friday.  This is the cruise I booked like two years ago when my friend Mick called everyone about a glitch in Princess Cruise lines online reservation system so got the whole thing for $68.

Spring Has Sprung

It may have sprung, but it is raining and there has been hail plus they are saying snow is possible by end of week.  Oh and let's not forget the winds howling like there is no tomorrow.  Yes, it arrived technically at 4:02AM...but I think in spirit only.  Enjoy the change in the seasons.

24 Hours Can Change a Life

Tim flies out from Boston and we pick up as if no time has passed and have an enjoyable evening. He heads back to hotel and that SHOULD be the end of the story...but it is not. No, that would be way too easy. No, it first starts out with an exchange of text messages sharing from both of our perspectives that it was really good seeing each other and that it was making for staying focused on work quite difficult. OK, nice follow up...let's move on.

Then tonight I get text from him at the airport. There had been a security breach and it was a big hot mess at the airport and he might be stuck here in the city for a night. It was all over the news about the airport and so it was real. We worked it out if his flight was canceled he could crash at my place for the night. Well, in the end he made his flight, although like two hours late. Bittersweet, but that is not the end, no that would be too easy. We texted for a while and then as my fingers grew tired I said why not just talk. So we did.

Conversation was going along just fine and then it happened...the ball was dropped. I so did not see it coming nor even had given it a thought. Tim asks...would I ever consider working in Boston! WTF?! He shared that he had been giving it a lot of thought since we had decided to meet up and he knows what I do and his company is expanding and will be looking for someone to head up the events department. OMG! This is way too fast and so not expected. I just signed a new lease! After getting the jaw off the floor we talked further and this needs to be thought out at oh so many levels.

Can you see I am in a daze at this point? NEVER, ever thought I would even consider working on the east coast again. Yes, there is the personal interest level between us and we see that what we once had is now at some completely different level. It was suppose to be a hello, have a cocktail and let's move on! What the hell has happened?! I think that I am just stunned right now. There needs to be several discussions and a whole lot of thinking to be done. It has all happened so fast and yet it is quite exciting. At various levels of consideration is Mom and her issues. There is also the whole move - who pays? Breaking a lease is not cheap. Insurance and the whole preexisting thing that does not kick in until October under Obamacare. There is Damon to consider.  Then there is the whole working at the same company as Tim and how that impacts our friendship. And then there is the possible option of being based in San Francisco which is their west coast headquarters.  All I can say is stay tuned!

Back in 1961...

The Pillsbury Dough Boy made his introduction to America.  Though the years there have been different versions, but none quite as stunning as the one of it as a huge balloon in the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

One of the most fun things to do is to catch of glimpse of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons as they are being inflated?  The night before the parade is the annual balloon inflation frenzy around the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. Inflation begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m., with the entrance at West 79th Street and Columbus Avenue. It does get very crowded and all the local news stations cover it.  I remember one year when my sister and a friend were visiting and we were on the local news watching all the fun happening.

Did You Wear Green Today?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello there I hope you all are celebrating in the way that best fits you.  Spring does make it's appearance this week. I believe for us on the Pacific time it is 4:02AM on Wednesday. Really, before the sun rises, that is not right. But then, the sun did finally come out here this fine day. It was in hiding all morning.  It was a delight to throw open the windows and air out the place. Later this evening I will enjoy watching "The Amazing Race" and texting my sister throughout the show.

The weekend proved to be a bit more challenging than planned. Friday kicked off with the website going down for a while and that was not a good thing. Trying to find Mark as he was the only one who had passwords, etc. to get it fixed. That got up and running by 9pm. Crashed around 10pm and was just getting into good sleep when the phone rang at 12:10AM. That means one of two things. Someone has butt dialed you by mistake or there is something wrong. Yes, it was the latter. We had a party boat on Lake Washington to kick off St. Patrick's Day weekend and a guest of a member assaulted not one, but two members. She's Asian and tried to use lack of English to get around police at the dock. Little did she know we had requested a translator when we called the police to meet up at the dock. Upon seeing this, she was suddenly able to speak English and was not a happy camper. Then there is the little issue of two IDs - same picture and two different names.  It just gets to be too funny sometimes.

Well, it took until about 3:30 or so to get back to bed, but no problem, did not have to be anywhere Saturday morning. It was quite overcast, but there was a sliver of space right at the top of the mountains where the sun lazered in at just past seven getting me in the eye! Not fair. So the day proved to be a washout. Took a couple of naps, packed a few boxes and was an amoeba for most of the day. Did not even leave the apartment at all.

The social extravaganza is actually going to be this next weekend as I am hosting a dinner party on Friday. Saturday Helene arrives from Vancouver and we are having an early dinner at Shanghai Gardens and the my friend Justin is stopping by Saturday or Sunday for a visit. Moonsong cleans on Sunday as well. Damon arrives on Tuesday of next week. So I am glad to have had this weekend as a quiet one and especially on Saturday when the Sounders played Portland - it was the last soccer game played while I live there. Alas, no more major sporting events to be had until after I am gone!

I Owe You A Picture

Yes, yes, I referred to taking a picture for the blog of the trinkets that Markie brought back from Hong Kong Disneyland last week.  It will be arriving soon.  Stay tuned as it is the posting for Saturday as it proved to be not a good day...see Sunday.

Hong Kong Disneyland

So last night Markie stopped by for dinner and we did enjoy an amazing assortment of sushi and various Japanese dishes.  He had just returned from his second trip to Hong Kong in two weeks.  Yes, what that man does to get miles just floors me some times.  He was most gracious in collecting a bag of toiletries for my sister to pass along to her church.  They do packages for the homeless of personal care products I believe.  He also found some entertaining items for Damon that he will get when he arrives on the 26th.  Let me just say I was howling when I saw them.  I do want to share a picture that he took at Hong Kong Disneyland:

And then came the presents for yours truly. A series of items from the hotel including drinking cups in three sizes for father, mother, and child. Additionally, I got the three sets of booties! They crack me up. And we cannot forget the Mickey Ice Cube Tray - actually it is a muffin tin, but can work for either. Much laughter was had and we had a good time, especially with Patrick joining us, a mutual friend to both of us who is visiting Markie.  Oh, I almost forgot, he also brought back shampoo and conditioner with Mickey Heads on them in addition to sugar packets with the official logo on it.  I even got an official Hong Kong Disneyland bag...who could ask for anything more!  May have to take a picture of all these trinkets and share so you can gain a greater perspective.

Today is Pi Day

And so there you go, what more needs to be said...enjoy the day.

Moving 3 Weeks From Tomorrow

Well, it is done and done I believe.  Unless something amazing occurs I will be living in apartment 509 of building A at the Solara Complex.  It is an urban design that is comprised of three buildings surrounding a courtyard.  It has a lot of amenities and it will be a major change for me as I will now be living in a one bedroom apartment for the first time in years. I have loved living in studios and the actual square footage is about the same as what I have now with the addition of a wall and door.  My move-in is slated for April 4th, a Thursday.

From their website:  You’ve discovered your Urban Oasis at Solara Apartments located in North Seattle. Enjoy the modern living you are accustomed to, in a studio, 1, 2 or 3 bedroom home with stylish accents.  Situated on Lake City Way you’re near everything that matters: University of WA, Lake Washington, University Village, Northgate Mall and the Burke Gilman Trail. With easy access to I-5 & Hwy 99 you are near the best of the city minutes away.

Club Solara features a billiards/game room, 24-Hr fitness center, tanning, whirlpool spa, dry cedar sauna, and projection screen DVD theatre. Stunning landscaped courtyard is complete with a gas bbq grill. Plus all the conveniences of onsite retail dining, shops & salon.  At Solara you'll encounter a home with style and energy of the city met with serenity and balance.

There are some real positives and there are some negatives to the move.  First, they offer something called the "waste valet" where each night between 6-8pm you place the black garbage container outside your door with recycling and poof, it disappears.  That is a nice feature.  I will have a balcony that is large enough to have an electric or propane grill.  Then there is the washer/dryer in unit.  LOVE THAT!  Underground parking with guaranteed space plus there is guest parking for overnight guests.  That is a nice feature to have again.  One the other side of the coin is that I can only have the one accent painted wall and not do the bathroom, but I can get over that in due course.  Also, the way the elevator works, I will buzz people in the main entrance, but then have to go down to the main floor to let them up.  That could get to be a pain after a while.  We shall see.

You can click on the link above or you can click here and it will take you to the website.  From there click on floor plans and I am getting the Boca Raton.  Naming the units just cracks me up!  I call it a one-bedroom.  The bathroom is configured a little different in my unit, but that is the only real change.  You can click around and see other things about the complex.  So there you go!

Totally Tuesday

Feeling better all the way around. After working yesterday I think I made my doctor happy by heading home and propping the leg up and watching the news and reading. The dreams last night were quite vivid and colorful. One involving a house that was pressurized to keep the swimming pool in and then we broke the air lock. Not a clue what that all means. Also had a dash derby in Brooks Brothers! I have not been in that store in years. Seemed a lot of plaids and button down shirts were involved. I would like to blame it on drugs or something but cannot. My mind just went on a free for all.

Once home, I enjoyed a simple dinner last night of Turkey, Cranberry, Cream Cheese and Lettuce wraps. I had two and they were quite tasty and filling. Two Liters of Water and I called it good. As my activity level is down, there is no reason to be eating any more than I need too. All my social engagements from the weekend have been rescheduled including going to take care of the new lease this afternoon after work. Getting that out of the way will be a big plus for me. The packing is coming along quite nicely, but really did not get anything done this weekend. But I am so far ahead of the game right now, there is no worries on my part. Plus with Damon arriving in two weeks he can assist with any last minute stuff.

Have you heard of the book NO TOUCH MONKEY? My current read - here is a overview: Ayun Halliday (the author) may not make for the most sensible travel companion, but she is certainly one of the zaniest, with a knack for inserting herself (and her unwitting cohorts) into bizarre situations around the globe. Curator of kitsch and unabashed aficionada of pop culture, Halliday offers bemused, self-deprecating narration of events from guerilla theater in Romania to drug-induced Apocalypse Now reenactments in Vietnam to a perhaps more surreal collagen-implant demonstration at a Paris fashion show emceed by Lauren Bacall. From taming the wild dog packs of Bali to requiring the services of a bonesetter in Sumatra, Ayun Halliday offers up the best of her itinerant foibles as examples of how not to travel abroad. For instance, on layover in Amsterdam, Halliday finds unlikely trouble in the red-light district—eliciting the ire of a tiny, violent madam,—and is forced to explain tampons, which she admits, �might have looked like white cotton bullets lined up in their box,” to soldiers in Kashmir—�They’re for ladies. Bleeding ladies.” A self-admittedly bumbling vacationer, Halliday shares—with razorsharp wit and to hilarious effect—the travel stories most are too self-conscious to tell. I got it as a gift in the hospital last year and it has been on my get to pile. Quite fun.

The rains are trying to make a presence but it is not bad as of yet. They say the worst will be tomorrow. We shall see.

The Best Made Plans = Change

So this weekend did not turn out at all like I had planned.  I was going to get the lease signed for the new place.  Dinner and games with friends on Saturday evening.  Cleaning on Sunday with various errands run to get ahead for the week.  Well, all that flew out the window as the doctor ordered me to lay down, prop the legs up and use heat plus take drugs to avert the fever spikes I had experienced last week on 2 occasions.  He saw it as a mild case of Cellulitis.  It is a common skin infection caused by bacteria. Symptoms of Cellulitis include: Fever (check); Pain (check) or tenderness in the affected area (and triple check); Skin redness or inflammation can get bigger as the infection spreads so it is important to catch it early.  And it seems we did. 

I did have some groceries delivered on Saturday and Moonsong did clean on Sunday and that was about it.  Watched some more movies and let me tell you there were some bad ones on this weekend.  One called "You Again" was especially horrible.  It is from 2010 and is about when a young woman realizes her brother is about to marry the girl who bullied her in high school, she sets out to expose the fiancée's true colors.  Oh and there are several sub stories that make it even worse!  I did enjoy watching "Ghost" as well as "Mamma Mia" again and there were several shows that proved to be entertaining, but it seems naps and reading were more my speed. 

The multiple phone calls did help to break up the pretty boring routine.  I have to say that with the pattering rain yesterday it was very easy to get some good sleep.  BTW, I also discovered a new taste sensation.  I eat celery and peanut butter for snacks and was looking for a new flavor combination and who knew.  I happened to have some Cranberry Sauce in the fridge chilled and in mixing it with peanut butter = poof!  And using celery stalks to dip is a new and festive snack treat.  Don't knock it until you have tried it!   Back in the office this day and getting a lot of crap out of the way, but I plan to head for home in a couple of hours and get the legs up and rested. But boy, is it good to get out of the apartment. Tomorrow I will go and get the new lease handled and dinner was rescheduled for the 22nd of this month. All is good.

Flashback Sunday - Brunch With the Doctor

This is another of the looking back posts that I mentioned I would do from time to time to bring present the times I had back in the last quarter of 2012 when I was not doing the blog.  In this case we are back on September 2nd, a Sunday and I had brunch with friends in Chicago.  As you can see below I had ordered Crab Benedict for brunch and it was mighty tasty.  I forgot to take a picture when the dish arrived and so here is a bit past midway point.  It was quite delicious.

As you might have noticed in the above picture, indeed the coffee mug is turned over.  I had consumed like two pots of coffee at the hotel prior to brunch and in no way did I need any more.  But the boys told me that it was quite good.  I opted for water with brunch as I was driving and cocktails were out of the question.

This is likely one of the last pictures I will have of these two fine men together.  Johnny and Brian had been together just a bit over 7 years when this was taken.  Since then, they have opted to go their separate ways.  It is amazing, and not unusual, that after all the years of staying together once Johnny got his doctorate they realized their lives were meant to venture in separate directions.  In this case Brian felt the need of a different relationship and moved on.  They are actually still sharing a house in San Francisco during this time of transition and remain friends.

Above is the Wedge Salad via room service.  Yes that is a big pitcher of water on the right.  It became a standard with each order.  I have to say that I am not usually a fan of room service, but in this case the view from my room was really lovely, the restaurant in the hotel was dark and icky and well, I avoided all those carb-based buffets that so often show up at conventions.  I have to say that the cheese focaccia bread was pretty forgettable and I think the one bite was all I had.  And so goes another Sunday memory.

No Post Saturday

Spring Is Still Two Weeks Away

But you sure would not know it by the day we had here this day.  While it began with a dense fog, that burned off by 10am and what came forward was a deep blue sky and temps here in the Seattle hit 60 and that was just amazing.  I was pleased I took the forecast for real and dropped the blinds in the apartment so it was tolerable when I got home.  Threw open the windows and what did I see?  Yes, yet another empty apartment - right next door.  It could only make me laugh at how they are trying to say things are just fine.  That makes 6 units coming open in the last 10 days and that is on top of what is already vacant.  I was also more than amused that the reply to my notice was one of "shock and sadness."  Why do I not buy the line at all.  It will all be done and done in the next 4 weeks.  So there you go and oh, the picture I added this day was in honor of seeing the first of them in full bloom on the drive home.  Enjoy the weekend and do not forget to "spring forward" on Sunday by one hour.

Dinner Party Prep

Yes, it is Thursday and it makes the week tolerable. Knowing we get through this day means the weekend is in sight and that is a good thing. I am looking forward to Saturday evening as it will be one of my last dinner parties at the old apartment. Several good friends are coming over for dinner and playing some board games. Damon gave me Gay Monopoly for Christmas and so it will likely get broken in. Dinner will begin with a sort of Italian appetizer buffet of marinated veggies some tomato jam preserves that a friend made along with pickled figs. Again, it is something my friend Sandy made so we shall see. Add some crusty bread and some Prosciutto will round out the course. I am also serving up some wine to drain down my supply prior to the move. Dinner will be a favorite for this time of year - the lemon-peppered pork loin on a bed of roasted root vegetables. Thinking of doing some sort of green bean salad to go with it instead of the usual cole slaw or lettuce salad. It is always fun to change things up a bit.

 

The past couple of nights have proved to be a bit different. I get home and feel a bit tired and take a nap for about 45 minutes. Get up and just feel the need for a shower and so I take one and afterwards felt the need to nap again - quite odd. But just went with it and what a grand and deep sleep it proved to be taking me right up to 5:30 or so each morning. Quite unusual and yet feeling very rested this morning. Granted, my stomach was growling to beat the band, but missing a dinner is not going to kill me. So enjoyed my yogurt and off to the office I went.

 

Just about time for a conference call. I do grow tired of them but they are part of the whole routine. I know that after work I will make a couple of errands and then be homeward bound. So need to get to the barber this week at some point, it has been too long and looking more and more like a mad scientist. So there you go - Oh, by the way, I have to share, Markie appears to be in Hong Kong now - yes he did the trip to get miles needed to be at some status or another on United. That is just crazy to me.  But even more so is that he is doing it again next week!  And so it goes.

And Now The Clock Begins To Tick Down...

Hello Stephanie,

After looking at alternatives and seeing that on average I will be saving $3,000 a year in rent and parking, I have come to terms that after 7 years, I will be vacating my apartment at Uwajimaya as of April 6, 2013. That is the end of my lease. I am only sorry that Equity does not really value long-term tenants, but prefers to seek out the short term renters. But then, I do not have all their algorithms and reports, etc. that tells them it is the way to go.

Cheers, Chris

Tuesday = Payday

OK, so it makes the day just a little bit better to be sure. I do so enjoy direct deposit. Clean and simple. So that got done. Tuesday is also a day of meetings and they get to be real boring real quick. But hey, in about 90 minutes I will be out of here and headed home. Nothing major planned for the evening and that is just fine. I do enjoy the quiet, but granted there is the Colbert Report and Daily Show with Jon Stewart I will watch from 7-8pm.

 

As for Markie...here is his blog posting with picture from Friday that I found amusing.

 

"Spent the day running errands and preparing for dinner with Swanda who was kind enough to brings some packages from the apartment. When he moves next month I guess I’m going to have to build a package drop at the house. I’m really going to miss the free package service. Sigh.

 

A lovely steak dinner with a salad – which Swanda didn’t touch as he’d eaten a bag of lettuce as a salad for lunch. Just straight protein and a Bonny Doon Nebbiolo – man that was one tasty bottle of wine.

 

Another wine that is too expensive for everyday drinking ($45 retail). Sigh.
After Swanda retreated back to his place I installed a new magenta toner cartridge in the big printer with disastrous results….

What a mess to clean up… and now my vaccum clear intake is all magenta as well. Sigh."

 

Poor thing, he is going to have to deal with his packages and I am quite happy about that to be sure. I do like the man, but it gets old. The three packages on Friday were not small!

 

I find it interesting that I was talking to a friend and we were discussing that we have both recently met someone somewhere other than the internet.  He met Paul at a coffee shop and I met Damon in the lobby of a hotel. I have found that I have grown tired of the internet. It played a roll at one point, but life marches on. Granted, Damon and I use text, talk and email a lot, but that is due to the distance factor. Ah, three weeks from today. It is fun to have that anticipation. We are toying with a possible visit to Canada as he has never been and has a new passport.

 

Last night was leftovers and I do believe a repeat is in order this night as I have a few things to use up.  It seems the mountains in Washington got more snow this year that in BC. That is rather unusual. Guess the weather will do what it likes, but the views are stunning.

And We Are Off...

Boy it was quite brisk this morning when I awoke and there was even frost on the tiles of the building next door. The weatherman said that this would soon turn to a very nice day and sunny with temps going up to the mid-50's a sure sign that spring is trying to forge its' way onto the scene. The drive to work this morning included a wonderfully magnificent view of Mt. Rainier covered in a full white blanket of snow. Alas, after next Sunday when we "spring forward" it will be dark for a while during my commute and will not see the mountain for a while. I do love the insulated nature of winter, but it is time for the seasons to change as flowers are trying to poke through and temps will begin to rise.

Relaxing - Total Luxury

I completely took the idea for Citrus Chicken and did it via crock pot on Saturday instead of the beer stew. That was held for Sunday and both were quite lovely. Add in a yummy pork sausage and egg scramble for Saturday brunch and today's brunch was lox & bagels with cream cheese and capers. Yes, it was back to oatmeal tomorrow morning with my iced coffee but it is fun to be creative on the weekends.

Besides the movies as I referred to yesterday, I also took time for one of my favorite things on the weekends and that is a nap.  It is such a treat.  I turn off the phone and TV and just let the slumber set in.  It is a luxury that I do not get to indulge in all the time and so when I can it is wonderful. 

Tonight will be The Amazing Race and I have been underwhelmed thus far so it will be interesting to see what happens.  Janet and I share quite a few text messages throughout the show and it does make for some fun comments.  It will be a challenge getting going tomorrow morning after such a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

The Weekend Unfolds...

There is no rush or fuss this weekend.  Last night kicked it off with a lovely steak dinner down at Markie's house. He knows how much I love Nebeolo's and so he shared a favorite of his from Bonny Doon Winery. Quite a nice compliment to the dinner. We chatted and it was good to see him after not doing so for nearly a month. He has been on the road quite a bit lately and this was actually a make-up to the prior Friday when I got hit by that fever. Everything works out in the end to be sure.  Today was an early one for me and it was a flurry of errands and having groceries delivered plus several phone calls. 

Today's double feature started with Guarding Tess and it stars Shirley MacLaine as a former First Lady of the US wants a particular Secret Service agent (Nicholas Cage) to head her bodyguard detail, even though he can't stand her. It has funny moments and tense moments included. Then I watched a movie my sister gave me for Valentine's Day called Mirror, Mirror. It came out last year and stars Julia Roberts as an evil queen who steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright. It has some great lines in it and the guy who plays the Prince was quite handsome and yet I do not recall who it was. The men who play the "seven dwarfs" are hilarious! It is a complete toss-up of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, modernized.

 

Sunday were two old favorites - Secondhand Lions which is a great flick which is a coming-of-age story about a shy, young boy sent by his irresponsible mother to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles in Texas. The two uncles are played by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. The second movie was The King's Speech. Did you ever see it? Colin Firth is wonderful in this movie about the story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.  And so there you go.  Enjoy the day.

 

Ah, We Made It To Friday

Ah, my favorite day of the week. It lends itself to so much opportunity my friend. You know it is also the 1st of March. That means I was to say Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit.  I did, but at the same time it is lent and so this is meatless Friday and that had me thinking, should I have said "Fish, Fish, Fish?"  Time springs forward a week from Sunday and spring arrives in less than three weeks. Easter is at the end of the month as well as Damon arrives and I move. The month will be one that is crazy. But for some reason crazy can be good. Tomorrow is one where I may run out and do errands early, but I need to be back at the casa early in that tomorrow is the opening game of the Seattle Sounders and it is going to be insane around the neighborhood. I am so glad that I will be done and gone by April 6th in that on the 8th of April is the Seattle Mariner's home opener. I will not miss all the sporting events and how the neighborhood gets trashed. It is a low point of living there. The Seahawks crowd is the worse though.

The weather here has been pretty wet, but that is now clearing out and they are saying that we could see a high of 60 perhaps this afternoon. Another sign that spring is on the way as we have more and more daylight. I will be in the office until 2:30pm or so and then heading home to snag a nap before heading off to Markie's this evening for dinner and drinks. It was to be at my place last Friday, but got canceled and he offered to have me down his way this night. Have not really talked to him in several weeks. It will be good to catch up. Tomorrow I was to head north to play Catan, but they decided to make it an evening game and not an afternoon one. It would normally not have an impact, but due to the Sounder Soccer game, in this case it will and so I had to bow out. That is fine as I can get in a few more hours of book sorting. I am also going to try and begin the task of sorting through all those photos. Only 4 more weeks and life will be in overdrive with the move.

Citrus chicken is planned for tomorrow and sounds wonderful, but I do not think mine will quite look like the above, but hopefully taste just as good as it looks.  Wednesday night I made myself sauteed onions over andouille sausage with cole slaw on the side.  Last night I had a very simple dinner of sauteed shrimp in a garlic butter sauce and some cole slaw. Slowly using up all the stuff in the cupboards as the move draws ever closer.  This weekend is going to be a toss-up and likely a medley of leftovers in the frig to clean it out. Additionally, this weekend I plan to make a stew and let it simmer for the day. I found a really fun recipe using beer. We shall see. Perhaps trade out wine since I still have a lot on hand and going to try and use it up prior to the move. That is my ultimate goal in the kitchen is to use up everything I have before moving and thus less to move.  Well, that is it for now.  Know that I wish you all the very best this weekend and whatever you do I hope it is fun for all!