Views Of The Apartment

That is the entrance just to the right of the kitchen.  Then the next door is the bathroom and the other closed door is the coat closet.  The kitchen has more space than the last, but the layout is different and not as efficient as the last.  To the left of the preserved plant is the space where the washer/dryer is.  Yes, in the kitchen.  I think that is what throws me off as far as having more space, but not usable.  I am now doing the shakedown to make it all work for me.

A peak inside my bedroom.  Yes, it is a reality and not a myth.  That is the new king-size bed and it is wonderful.  The AC is in the window and you can see the piece of artwork is in the window to block sun that streams in during the afternoon hours.  The TV is in the corner and another piece of artwork leans up against the wall.  To the left of the bed is my CPAP machine and light to read by and some shelves as well as the closet.  Kinda boring so no picture.

Here I am standing outside the bedroom and just beside the coat closet.  It looks into the living room.  Just past the big lamp on the left is the door out to the balcony.  For the most part the table set-up with large mirror is the same as I had in the old apartment and also the shelf unit is quite similar.  On the table you can see some items I am playing with deciding how to hang them on the wall - likely a project for tomorrow.

There is the wall that I am trying to decide what to hang on it.  At the old place I had hung Janet's African quilt panel.  But that is on the wall to the right and just to the left of the preserved plant.  I do think that by the end of the weekend all the artwork will be on the walls or in storage.  I do like having at least one wall in each room that I have nothing on to allow the eye a chance to pause and relax.  On the lower shelf of the sideboard is the remaining collection of vases and other clear glass.  Yes, I am enjoying my new place.  Have a great weekend.

Thursday Potpourri

You know, I so enjoyed cold shrimp on cole slaw as a cold salad  last night and then strawberries on the side which were lovely. This morning I had fresh blueberries with yogurt. I do enjoy fresh fruit, but just not mixed in or cooked.  I was laughing at that thought knowing that at some point my sister will read this and think the same thing as she learns more and more of my food quirks.

 Last night I watched the 250th episode of "Inside the Actor's Studio" which airs on Bravo. It has been running 19 years and I like how the people who come on the show are not there to promote their latest product, but rather to just talk and interact with the audience. Have you ever seen it?  It was a wonderful compilation of interviews from the present and then clips of past shows.  The most favored episode to date by viewer's choice was Robin Williams and it was no surprise by the various clips they showed.  He is quite funny!

Damon returns on July 1st and that will be for two weeks. He does make me laugh and smile a lot. Yes, I do love him and yet I so value my alone time. We are now discussing a rather unique living arrangement. One of room mate + in that he might move his base up here to Seattle and we would secure a two bedroom (perhaps with a den) and I would continue to pay what I do and he would pay the difference. Additionally he would pay 1/2 utilities. He would then have his room to go computer crazy and by living here he would be centrally based with Alaska Air here and be able to get to LA, Burbank, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Phoenix and even Austin non-stop. It would be a trial for like a year to see how it goes as he knows he wants out of Austin. But, there is the interview call next Tuesday and we shall see how that goes.  We literally have only tossed the idea out there and who knows if it will stick.

Since I am now settled in the apartment it was time to get the balcony in order. Went on to Amazon and found a great grill and cover plus two parson-style chairs. They will be delivered on Saturday. Quite excited about it. Will be fun to be able to come home and grill and not have to worry about heating up the whole apartment. I do not like doing that during the summer months.

Moonsong cleans today and I always love going home to a clean apartment. There are still a few things to put up on the walls, but that should be done and done by the end of the weekend. This week has been one of domestic duties and trying to get the kitchen shook down to work better for me. It is funny how you rush to unpack and then realize that how it is laid out does not work. Not doing anything dramatic, but moving spices from one side of the oven to the other and some dishes around to make it more usable.

250th Episode Of "Inside The Actor's Studio"

The program began as a televised craft seminar for students of the Actors Studio Drama School, originally a joint venture of the Actors Studio and New School University in 1994, with Paul Newman, a former Actors Studio president as its first guest, and soon became Bravo's flagship program.  At first taped at the New School's Tishman Auditorium in Greenwich Village, New York City, blocks away from Actors Studio's home in the theater district in midtown Manhattan, and shifting subsequently to its present location, Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University's New York City campus. The program is presented as a seminar to students of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.  The host is James Lipton (photo below).

The show deliberately uses a slower pace in the interviews as compared with a typical celebrity interview, thus cameras usually record a couple of hours' of conversation, later edited to one or two hours, a trick used by Groucho Marx on his 1950s quiz show You Bet Your Life. The result, as a New York Times article puts it, "In Mr. Lipton's guest chair, actors cease being stars for a while and become artists and teachers." Though sometimes, some interviews go longer; Steven Spielberg's 1999 visit, for example, stretched to four hours, and was later shown as two episodes of one hour each. The interviews are guided by Lipton's trademark index-card questions known for well-researched details of guest's life, often startling some. On one such occasion, Billy Crystal told Lipton, "You know you're scary, don't you?  On another occasion, Martin Sheen asked Lipton, "How do you know all this? This is extraordinary."

 

In May 2005, the contract between the Actors Studio and New School University was not renewed. Beginning with the twelfth season, in the fall of 2005, the program has been taped at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University's New York City campus. The show now has a new set with a gritty backstage feel, designed by Will Rothfuss for Blair Broadcast Designs, and The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University has re-opened in new facilities.

Since its premiere, Inside the Actors Studio has had over 200 guests, with Lipton himself being the 200th. The first episode's guest was Paul Newman (Alec Baldwin was the first guest, but his interview was broadcast after Newman's). The guests have included 74 Academy Award winners: 8 directors; four screenwriters; 61 actors and actresses; and three composers. For its 200th show, James Lipton became the guest subject of the show. He was questioned by Dave Chappelle whom James picked personally. The show ended with Pace University provost announcing that the college is sponsoring a scholarship in Chappelle's name to his high school alma mater. Based on the show, James Lipton published a book titled "Inside Inside" in 2007.

Thank you to Wikipedia for the information for this posting.

Seriously It Does Not Look Like Hitler

Please tell me how, oh how, did someone even think this t-kettle looks like Hitler?  A tea kettle that bears a potential resemblance to Adolf Hitler has landed J.C. Penney in hot water.  A California billboard advertising a Michael Graves-designed kettle for sale at the store has some wondering whether they are being saluted by the Nazi dictator instead of waiting for tea to heat up.  Really, do people not have better things to do with their time? 

On Tuesday the company made it clear that any resemblance is completely "unintentional," repeatedly tweeting the clarification at those curious about a Hitler connection.  "If we had designed it to look like something, we would have gone with a snowman or something fun," the store tweeted at numerous followers.

And to think I was sitting here trying to decide what I was going to post on the blog...and then read this on NBC News website.  It made me laugh and so I had to share.  Have a good day.  Mine is done in about an hour.

Memorial Day 2013

A time to pause & remember all those that have given their lives. 

Space Needle Sunday

My friend Nathan has been in Seattle for just over a week for a big medical conference.  He is visiting from Sydney Australia and besides the conference he has taken a whale watching trip and explored the city on foot and also rode the Duck which is quite the tourist attraction itself.  He visited Pike Place Market and went to the Olympic Sculpture Park.  We enjoyed dinner on Friday and actually closed the place down so since it was not even 10:30 yet I drove him around town to get a sense of the layout for the city and the neighborhoods.  He shared that this proved helpful for his walk about on Saturday.

We met up again on Sunday to enjoy brunch at the Space Needle. We feasted on more than the views.  SkyCity is a perfect place to cap off a visit and to enjoy a really nice brunch. They say they have a passion for creating the perfect dining experience and you get to rotate 360 degrees to boot!  We started  with fresh squeezed orange juice and they brought assorted breads & rolls with butter that I quickly pushed to his side of the table.  We also split a bottle of champagne which seemed right as this was his going away meal in the US.

For starters he tried the grits with grilled prawns and I went with the maple bacon and then we shared a biscuit and gravy which proved to be the favorite of the three.  For main course I opted for "The Benny" which is a classic Benedict, but add crab to it!  Can you say yum!!  Nathan opted to try the fried chicken with waffle.  I wondered if it was a good choice, but he seemed to enjoy.  Seemed that the brunch had a real southern overtone to it.  I opted to not have dessert, but he had their bread pudding and I noticed he did not finish it.  Hmmmm.  Well, it was a really nice two hour leisurely meal, but it was time to get him to the airport.  I took him across I-90 to show him Lake Washington.  Mt. Rainier was still covered in clouds and so it was an uneventful ride. 

Dropped him at Sea-Tac and then headed home for a nice nap.  That was followed with a call to Damon to see how he is doing and I had to share the picture below because as I told him about the Space Needle brunch he told me he was sticking his tongue out at me and below is when I actually caught him doing it when he last visited.  He does make me laugh! 

And so there you go, the second day of my long holiday weekend.  It is proving to be quite relaxing and that is so needed.  Going to watch "Iron Chef America" tonight and maybe make a couple of calls, we shall see.  Tonight's dinner will be an old stand by of asparagus topped with al fredo sauce and then chicken breasts on top.

Road Trip Adventure

The morning was not too crazy, did a couple of chores and then made some calls and had the groceries delivered from Amazon fresh. I sure like that service. You only get what you order and once placed there is not need to worry if you forgot something. You can add to your order or delete too right up to 6 hours before delivery.

After that I was not sure what I would do and so headed off on a road trip.  Decided to head to Mt. Rainier and about an hour into the drive as I approached Enumclaw, I realized that the mountain was shrouded in clouds and so turned around and headed back to town all the while enjoying all the azaleas and rhododendrons along the way.  Once back on Hwy. 18 I knew I was going to have to go north or south.  Decided to go south and head for the ferry over to Vashon Island.  It was packed and yet it is only a 15 minute ride over and so it did go quickly.  I was cutting it close as only three more cars fit on the ferry after me.  Once on the island, it hit me about being a holiday weekend as there were A LOT of people.

Made my way north and when going through town had thought about stopping for lunch, but no way.  It was so crowded.  Thus, I headed for the ferry dock and back to West Seattle.  As I disembarked from the ferry it was insane how many cars were waiting to go over. 

Everywhere I looked it was packed and so decided to make my way home but did see that Elysian Fields Pub was not packed yet.  Stopped there for a beer and PASTRAMI SANDWICH.  It was great made with Market House pastrami, provolone, whole grain mustard, Essential sourdough.  Since I did not eat until nearly 4pm, it was both lunch and dinner in a way.  After that it was back in the car and headed for home.  I did end up knoshing a bit later in the evening on some provolone cheese topped with hummus.

It was a very nice day!

Funny Friday

Happy Frankfurter Friday!  This my friends is the Poutine Dog!  Yes, a hot dog topped with fries followed by gravy and then yes cheese curds.  OMG!  It is being offered at a place in Portland, Oregon called Olympic Provisions.  Learned about this from a good friend via facebook and well, it had to give me a good laugh and hope it does you!  Enjoy the holiday weekend! 

I-5 Bridge Collapses in Skagit River

Sitting at home on Thursday evening and watching TV and as the news was just finishing it happened.  The northern section of the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit River collapsed into the river.  It was stunning to see and coverage lasted into the night.  Here is a story and pictures taken from the internet and special thanks to NBC for the story:

The collapse of a bridge on a major West Coast highway could cost the state of Washington at least $47 million in lost economic output, as well lost jobs and tax revenues similar to the impact of a flood five years ago that also shut down another section of the road, officials said Friday.

Brian Bonlender, Director of the State Department of Commerce said it would be difficult to pinpoint the exact economic impact because it depends on how long the road is out of service, how much traffic was disrupted and delayed by detour routes.

But, based on a flood in 2007 that washed out a section of Interstate 5 in Chehalis and closed Interstate-5 in both directions for four days, he was able to estimate economic losses from Thursday's Skagit River Bridge collapse.

"We’re still calculating, but certainly expect the impact of the Skagit River Bridge disruption to be similar," Bonlender said in comments e-mailed to NBC News. He said total lost economic output from the 2007 floods was $47.07 million, with 290 jobs lost for one year following the closure. The state tax revenue loss was $2.39 million.

Bonlender also noted that Canada is Washington’s No. 2 trading partner ($33.4 billion total imports and exports). It was important to determine how feasible it is to switch some traffic to rail from road, he said.

The bridge collapse will also play havoc with commercial traffic and disrupt the Memorial Day holiday for many Americans who plan to spend the start of the summer season shopping, camping, or taking excursions. Trucks and traffic from Interstate 5 have been rerouted and Gov. Jay Inslee has urged travelers to avoid the I-5 corridor in the area north of Seattle altogether. That means local businesses will suffer too, as many rely on customers from the main north-south highway.

On the other side of the border, Canadian tourism officials were also concerned that Thursday's bridge collapse would prevent Americans from traveling across the border for a last weekend of skiing, a day's mountain biking or a round of golf. All this on a holiday, when the AAA motoring organization estimates that nearly 35 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from their homes by car.

Bob Lama, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce in Mount Vernon, Wash., said the collapse will affect not just local traffic, but Canadians coming south and Americans going north.
"It’s going to impact everybody, business and non-business,” Lama told The Seattle Times. “The Department of Transportation has their work cut out for them to figure out what to do.’’

Washington state officials say sections of the highway will have to rebuilt around the four-lane bridge, which carried an average daily traffic of 70,925 vehicles in 2010, according to the National Bridge Inventory Database.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has suggested alternative routes, but they involve smaller roads and bridges that cannot handle the same volume of traffic as the huge Interstate 5, which travels the length of the west coast from San Diego to Oregon and Washington before reaching the border with Canada.

Just north of the collapsed Skagit River bridge, is the huge Cascade Mall shopping center in Burlington, which attracts customers from a wide radius. Canadians from Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia often make trips to the outlet mall looking for bargains because of the near parity nowadays between the U.S. and Canadian dollars.

“A lot of Canadian shoppers travel that corridor, said Jenny O'Brien, who handles marketing for the Cascade Mall. "Obviously it will have an impact, when you get cars off the road."  She said the mall was working with local communities and state transportation officials to see how altered traffic patterns might affect operations at the mall, which includes a Macy's, a Sears and a TJ Maxx, which is actually opening this weekend.

"This is the main thoroughfare for traffic and commerce going from Seattle to Vancouver,” said Burlington Mayor Steve Sexton. “It’s a far-reaching effect.  This is going to affect us not only this Memorial Day weekend, but long into the future,’’ Sexton said.

Canadians are worried too. Amber Sessions, a spokeswoman for Tourism Vancouver, said the city that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics had more than 8 million visitors last year -- 475,000 of them from Washington state.

"The bridge collapse is on the main road from Seattle to Vancouver: it's not great news, for the flow of cross-border traffic. But it's not catastrophic, at least nobody was killed."

Sessions said the busiest time for American tourists visiting the city, often referred to as Canada's LA because of its art and film-making community, its theaters and restaurants, was any long U. S. holiday weekend like Memorial Day or Martin Luther King Day in January.

Thank you to Steve James of NBC News for this story

In Honor Of Goth Day

Yes, today is Goth Day!  Who knew.  I saw this and it made me laugh so hard I decided it needed to be shared.  Just remember, the appropriate crayon has been included for biggest impact.  In some ways it seems like the right thing in that Damon flew home today after his two week visit.  I am going to miss him, but he is scheduled to return on July 1st!  Yes, I cried when he left, but now I get to begin anticipating his return.  And so goes life.

Tuesday...The Day After

A monster tornado with winds that may have surpassed 200 miles an hour destroyed wide swaths of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, OK yesterday afternoon. At least 24 are dead. Sadly, there at least 9 of those who were killed as the storm took direct aim at at least two schools were children. It could have been even worse.

The pictures of children being plucked alive from the rubble tell some of the amazing tales of survival. Teachers apparently were shielding children's bodies from the storms. More than 170 are being treated at hospitals including about 70 children. The National Weather Service says it was at least an EF5 twister (the second highest), but that could be upgraded. The twister stayed on the ground for at least 40 minutes.. highly unusual.

What a horrible thing to experience and yet it seems everyday there is something new and often devastating that captures our attention. 

Something Amusing To Start Your Week

Just try and say that three times fast, especially after having three beers or so!  It is amusing to see a literal transformation of a menu choice.  But then, that is what can make us laugh.  It was a good weekend and one that I am sad to see gone.  Why?  It means that we are on the final days of Damon's visit.  It is nice to know that he will be back July 2nd for a couple of weeks and then we are going to meet up in New Orleans over Labor Day to mark our first year of being together...A YEAR! 

He has never been and I am going to enjoy showing him some of my favorite haunts.  But why, oh why, did I agree to go to New Orleans in late August when it will be hot and muggy.  I guess I can think of it as a different weight loss program!  What is even more amazing was that I got my boss to sign off on my vacation request when he was in the office last week so there can be no questions when I am out of the office for a whole week!  But then at that point my life might be going a whole new direction, we will know more around June 4th.

Dinner At Brooklyn Last Friday

Friday night Damon and Markie and I went to Brooklyn to celebrate their birthdays.  This is a favorite place for me to show off Seattle and it was especially fun in that Damon had never had oysters nor fois gras before.  That ended Friday and he liked both. 

The first thing we did was order cocktails and two dozen oysters.  The gentlemen agreed to getting four different kinds - from left to right - Kummamotos from humbolt bay, ca; Sunset Beach Oysters from cortes island, bc; Shigoku Variety from willipa bay, wa; Kusshi's that are also from cortes island, bc. Each oyster has a different flavor and again from left to right The Kummamotos are plump and sweet with a sweet buttery finish and has to be my favorite.  The Sunset Beach version was a tad larger than the others but still held a mild flavor.  Shigoku are plump and salty and have a bit of oily flavor.  Finally the Kusshi are the most mild yet maintaining a nice flavor. 

The server brought out bread for the table to go with the oysters and I did ask for a heal or two if they had any - this is what he brought out.  Quite fun.

Yes, we did enjoy some wine with dinner.  Markie was there - hello!  We tried two different reds as we all opted for the Carpetbagger for dinner - more on that in a moment.  The one on the left is Boomtown Syrah out of the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon.  On the right is Zhoo Zhoo...from where I do not remember but it was a very nice blend.

Damon got all fancy looking for the evening.  Amazing the difference when he pulls his hair back.  He usually does this when he flies, goes out to a movie or dinner.  Places where food and hair do not always get along.  Looking quite stellar if I do say so myself.

This was the Wedge Salad that is often a chunk of lettuce with tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese dressing, but this version just looked so much nicer - there had been time put into how it was presented and quite lovely.  Markie and I shared while Damon had a cup of their award winning clam chowder.

The small plate course came while Markie was using the facilities and so Damon and I shared the Day Boat Scallop with Foie Gras.  Served with a vanilla bean-scented carrot puree and mascarpone-filled mission figs.  It is finished with a cascade blackberry demi-glace.  Really quite wonderful and it was fun to share a new taste sensation.

For main course we all decided on something that is no longer on the menu - again - but if called for they will make it.  The Carpetbagger Steak is served in the following manner:  Fresh yearling oysters folded into a hand cut filet mignon and wrapped in bacon, served with Gorgonzola scalloped potatoes, wilted fresh basil and spinach with pear tomatoes, finished with cascade huckleberry, foie gras demi-glace.  Melt in your mouth tender and a true joy of going to the Brooklyn.

Here is where you should be seeing our desserts.  Well, they got the best of us!  I opted for a great stand-by their Key Lime Pie - the Brooklyn’s salute to this Florida classic.  Quite nice.  Damon decided on the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée served with fresh berries tossed in a vanilla vinegar glaze.  Markie, well he had another Manhattan.  What an amazing experience it was.

No Post Saturday - Take 3

Yes, it has been 5 weeks since the last one...

I see a trend forming!

It Really Is TGIF!

Well folks, it is Friday and it could not arrive sooner.  Quite pleased to be done with the week and it is all the more pleasurable since Damon is visiting.  Last night we watched the movie "Connie and Carla"  which involves a mob mix-up in Chicago sending two chanteuses screaming for L.A., where they score a perfect gig: posing as drag queens on the dinner theater/cabaret circuit. Things get extra-weird when a guy falls for one of the girls.  It came out in 2004 when I was in Europe and by the time I got home it was out of the theaters and so it was not a huge success.  Well, it was funny and I am glad I did not spend $12 to go see it in the theater.

We enjoyed chicken thighs for dinner using the last of Arthur Bryant BBQ Sauce which Markie swears by.  It is OK, but I like a tad sweeter sauce, like out of Texas.  I ate mine with a lettuce salad topped with grape tomatoes and feta cheese while Damon had his on a bowl of rice drenched in Soy Sauce.  After the movie, it was time to watch the last two episodes of "Big Bang Theory" as we missed last week's and this week's episodes.  That is one thing about Damon, if you miss a show, he can go out on the web and snag a copy to watch.  Tonight we are going to watch the missed episode of "The Colbert Report" as it will be airing while we are having dinner at Brooklyn.  I am taking him there for his birthday and Markie is joining us as I owe him a birthday dinner (for his last two birthdays!).  Click on the link above to get more information on what I consider to be one of my favorite restaurants in the city.

Oh and BIG news...the camera is fixed and so can take some pictures.  Yes, I will work on getting them up on the blog.  May not be this weekend as tomorrow is a completely do nothing day and long deserved!  I have been pushing the past two weeks and so going to just stay home and sleep, eat, nap, enjoy the balcony and maybe, just maybe, put up some of the artwork around the apartment.  Enjoy the weekend!

Quiet Bliss and Telephone Calls

Last night ended up being a perfect evening.  I left Damon at the office and he got to the movie with Curtis.  After managing to get through afternoon traffic, I got home to a whole lot of quiet.  That was just fine with me.  I sat in the living area for a while and then made my way into the bedroom for a wonderful nap.  They are such a treat.

Once awake, Hot & Sour soup was matched up with some turkey/provolone wraps for dinner. Simple and enjoyable. The weight loss continues and I am quite pleased that another notch needs to be made on the belt. Change is happening once again and in a good way.

Settled in and enjoyed watching episodes of "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" which make me laugh.  Who knew that later we would end up staying up to watch the new episodes airing at 11pm, yes, that meant we did not go lights out until midnight.  That is so not what I am used to doing.  I need more rest than 4.5 hours!  But the other item I wanted to mention was that I got to catch up with Connie and Ani via phone.  With everything happening we did not get a chance to talk over the weekend and so that was good to be able to have some time to talk.  Once the two shows finished airing at 8pm, the TV went off again and it was a nice chunk of time until I had to head down to the Space Needle to pick up Damon at 10:15pm...traffic was light and it was fun to see the city in all its' glory.  And now it is Friday Eve and while the owner will be in house today and tomorrow plus the weekend (but I do not have to deal with him then!) his focus is suppose to be in telemarketing.  I hope he holds to his word.  We shall see.

A Mid-Visit Interlude

It is hump day and the mid-point of Damon's visit.  He is quite excited about going to see the new Star Trek movie this evening.  Curtis secured 100 seats for the showing which is in an IMAX theater and all going get to claim they "saw it first" as it does not come out until Friday to the public.  Me, not so excited about the movie.

This was a promotional poster as they begin making a new series of Star Trek movies.  I am pleased for all those that are avid movie goers, but just call me a guy who likes chick flicks and mockumentaries.  So this day Damon will hang at the office and then go to the movie with Curtis and have time to explore the old World's Fair grounds a bit before watching the movie.  Then I will head down and pick him up once the movie is done.  I shall use the time to make some delayed phone calls and just enjoy the silence of the apartment.  I am quite please about the decision not to go to the coast this weekend in that it will allow Damon and I to have some quality together time and also not feel like I am a hamster running on a spinning wheel.  As he will be at the movie, I am going to enjoy some Hot & Sour Soup for dinner.  Tomorrow I do think I will be creative with either chicken thighs or shrimp.  Which ever I do not use will be on the menu for Saturday as we are going out for dinner on Friday.

Challanging Day

From getting out of bed after staying up too late watching a movie with Damon to dealing with traffic as we were running late, it was a day to forget - quickly!  Alas, not that easy.  My event staff in two cities created a mountain of work for me in that they did a 50% deposit on an event without my knowledge and so I get the joy of doing 182 separate adjustments to get them all covered.  Not fun.  Then the owner was in full throttle complaining mode this day on several items that really were quite explainable.  But, he "does not want excuses" and even trying to explain what REALLY happened he somehow sees as an excuse.  It gets old real quick.  There is trips to post and reports to process and I am trying to take time to pause if only 15 minutes for lunch now.  The drive home went quite well and for that I was grateful.  We had planned to go down to the beach this weekend and after a lot of thought I realized that two weeks ago I had driven over 1200 miles to see Mom and last weekend was all about getting the apartment settled and socializing and well, I did not want to drive 3+ hours each way for just an overnight at the beach.  I know Michael is disappointed, but at the same time I need to take care of myself and for that I am grateful to Damon for understanding.  He will be going to see the new Star Trek movie tomorrow and on Friday he gets to taste oysters for the first time.  So there are things happening.

Camera Be Dead

OK, so last week I posted that I would take some pictures of the apartment to show you.  Well, what I thought had happened to my camera indeed had happened.  It is dead.  Not completely useless, but needs to get a new battery installed.  Damon is going to assist in that project this week.

No it is not nearly as old as the above, but it was a cool picture and so I decided to use it in this post.  No, mine is a digital Nikon and it has been good, but took it down to Mom's house for her birthday and it would not charge.  I thought it was because I was trying to do it through the computer.

But no, even when I got home I charged it via plugging into the wall and nothing.  Damon has taught me that when there is a battery in something you do not want to keep that item plugged in all the time charging or it will fry out the battery.  Anything from a laptop to the battery for the vacuum.  I did not know that!  You learn something new everyday.

So after we get it fixed, we are going to get some pictures of the apartment including the new king size bed and heck, by then there may be some artwork up on the walls by then.  Tonight, it is all about leftovers for dinner.  Tomorrow night is a Mexican theme as I do a layered salad for me and in place of lettuce, I will use rice for Damon, he does love his carbs.  I am working hard not to eat too many carbs and this day only confirmed that for me as I went down 10.4 pounds.  This is a good thing!

To All The Moms - Happy Mother's Day

The day proved to be a lazy one as we had Moonsong come over and played a brand new version of Catan, yes twice in two days.  It went over 4 hours and a tad long for my taste, but Damon and Moonsong really enjoyed.  We did not get a whole lot of anything else done and in fact, never left the apartment which was just fine by me.  I did fix a wonderful dinner of roasted pork loin on a bed of onions.  This time I cooked the carrots and potatoes separate and thus not tempted to eat them - keep carbs low.  Also made my new favorite salad of green beans, grape tomatoes and feta cheese marinated in a balsamic dressing.  Markie got a bag full of stuff that I discovered was his during unpacking as well as the roll away bed.  It is finally gone.  Quite pleased about that!  Tomorrow it is back to the salt mine.

Task Master On Those Loose

Boy oh boy did the day get off to a start.  It is Saturday and while many might consider it a day to take slow and steady, that is not the case for Damon.  He is a task master and has a goal.  He wants the apartment to be in fine shape for the arrival of guests at 12:30pm today.  It began on Thursday when he assembled the wall unit and got some of the furniture in place.  Last night after work, we unpacked all the book boxes, but at 6pm I put my foot down and said I was watching the news.  Some times he is just like the Tazmanian Devil from the Bugs Bunny cartoon:

Now mind you - he means well, but he does get a tad excited and well, at that point I just step back and let him go.  He does more multi-tasking than anyone I know.  This is why I so enjoy his coming to visit and then he leaves after a couple of weeks.  He will be here this visit until the 22nd and then he will be returning on June 26th for a couple of weeks.  That trip he will be going down to Portland to work on some computers as it did not work for him to do so this trip. 

We did indeed get the last of the boxes emptied and all the boxes got moved to the car in the parking garage.  The artwork is not up and that is ok.  At 12:30pm people began to arrive and we played Catan and had festive cocktails Jodie and Rob made that included electric ice cubes.  That was pretty funny.  Enjoyed some munchies and by 5pm all had departed leaving us to have a lovely evening.  And so goes 50% of the weekend.

Friday Funny & A Bummer

When I saw this on a friend's facebook posting it just cracked me up for some reason.  I thought it made for a good laugh on a Friday as we are all headed into the weekend.  This will be a social one as friends are coming over to play Catan tomorrow afternoon.  That follows a grocery delivery between 11am and noon.  Then Damon and I might kick back and relax or hop in the car and drive somewhere, depends on how long the game goes. 

Sunday will have us going out and taking a drive and it might be to Mt. Rainier as he has not been there before.  We will need to be back by 2ish so that I can be sure to get in an afternoon nap, but also have enough time to cook dinner as Markie is coming over.  Going to do my pork loin on a bed of onions and then cook potatoes and carrots on the side for the two of them.  Also making the green bean, tomato and feta cheese salad that has proven popular. 

A tad bummed in that I was scheduled to speak at a conference next week and just got the following yesterday: 

Hi Chris,

 

We just made a decision to cancel the conference late yesterday afternoon. We had low enrollment for the conference. Unfortunately, we were in competition for the Nurse’s Week conference. I am so sorry. We are going to reschedule for 2014.

 

We still want to interview you and film it if you are still willing. I am going to do system wide training this fall and think you would be such a great person to share your experience.

 

I’ll come find you on Monday to chat about filming.

 

Best,

Nicole

 

And so while no speech, I guess I will be filmed sometime in the near future.  Since people will be seeing the apartment this weekend for the first time, I guess it is time to post some pictures.  Damon is going to help me get my camera charged up and we will take some pictures and get them up here by next week.  Enjoy the weekend all! 

Luggage Arrives & I Get Miles

So yesterday we left the office and headed over to pick up the clothes and then it was off to the airport to collect Damon's suitcase.  Because of the delay and the ticket was connected to my account number I got 5,000 miles added to my account.  Gotta love that!  Then it was on to the credit union before dealing with rush hour traffic.  Thankfully, with Damon in the car we got to use the HOV lanes and that made it a bit more tolerable.  Still, there are some dumb and crazy drivers out there to be sure.

Once home Damon was so helpful in getting the last of the liquor out of the car and upstairs.  Then he took all the stuff down to the car that goes to Goodwill after work today.  At this point it was time to relax a bit as I had been putting more stuff away as well to make way for guests coming over on Saturday to play Catan.  We were trying to decide what to have for dinner and it was a tad warm to cook so we opted to order in Chinese.  Damon had the rice and it was not even tempting to me.  I really enjoyed the green beans in a black bean sauce with pork and we also got broccoli with beef.  Also a prawn dish that was a tad sweet for my taste.  I let him enjoy the fortune cookies and on that note we watched a movie and called it a night.

Today has been a blur of activity as we added another trip to the Grand Canyon and in general work has been stressful this week.  Damon has come to work the past two days and he has made a lot of people laugh.  I think this trip has been good for him in that he so needed to get out of Texas for a while and we have had stunning weather.  In fact, the sky is an amazing blue and not a cloud to be seen.  Enjoy the day!

Lunch - FAST!

Jimmy John's is a franchised sandwich restaurant chain founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. In 30 years the company has grown to more than 1600 locations in 41 states. Jimmy John's has opened approximately 200 units per year over the past three years. As of 2013, 98% of the locations are franchise-owned.

Our office uses them multiple times in a week and they really are fast with their delivery.  It is not only quick, but the sandwiches are great.  What I have to say is that I like the opportunity to order their "un-wich" which is the same as a sandwich, but using lettuce instead of bread.  It helps keep me on track.  Today I had their #9 - Italian Night Club.  Real genoa salami, Italian capicola, smoked ham, and provolone cheese all topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and our homemade Italian vinaigrette.   I have them hold the onions and sub in cukes for a crunch.  Tasty!

After work, Damon and I will be off to pick up some clothes I ordered and then head home to begin assembling the shelf unit and thus opening the way to getting the apartment settled.  It sure will be nice having an extra set of hands to help as we get to the final phases of the apartment being settled.  It has been a month that I have been in the new place and so it is time to be settled in.

Seriously How Did This Happen?

So Damon's flight is a few minutes early in arriving tonight and that was cool.  Then came the waiting for the luggage.  Waiting...and waiting...and waiting until no more bags appeared.  Then he had to stand in line at the "Where the hell is my luggage line?"  The reply was that his bag had been lost.  Please tell me - how does that happen on a non-stop flight.  You have no layovers or nothing.  What I see it as is a complete lack of communication and I also want to know how it happens when there is suppose to be this SECURITY issue to match passengers to their bags.  That sure did not happen in this case.  There is some connection between Delta and Alaska and they are going to supposedly deliver his bag tomorrow.  He has only the clothes on his back and tonight is going to be miserable for him in that he uses a BPAP machine to sleep.  It is a bit different from the CPAP I use.

It was wonderful to see him and we had a wonderful evening of talking and getting caught up.  It will be nice to have him here for a couple of weeks to help out around the house and assist in getting it settled finally.  We moved chairs a bit last night to allow him the chance to go out and experience the balcony as it was a lovely night.  I can see where it will get a lot of use this summer.  But I really do have to say I am so happy to have the AC in the bedroom window, it will so help in making my sleep all the better.

I had had sausages and green beans prior to his arrival and so was not hungry when he got into town.  But he was starving and so we stopped at Wendy's on the way home and he got a burger and fries with a coke.  I was quite pleased in that I was not tempted in the least to eat any of that.  So it was on to the apartment and by all accounts he likes the place a whole lot more than the old place.  I am finding different things to create plus and minus points, but in the long run I am quite pleased.

Home Sweet Home

These three words really meant a lot to me today as I completed my 1200 mile journey to celebrate Mom's 90th birthday.  I got up early and drove to the office getting there mid-morning.  It was a good drive with only minor delays at two places on I-5.  Made it to 3pm and then it was homeward bound after dropping off the last of the liquor runs to Jodie and Rob.  She invited me in, but I just needed to get home to my space.  I am so ever grateful to Moonsong for not only the fabulous cleaning he did, but in setting the AC to cool and blocking out the windows to get the apartment cool.  It was heavenly to just be able to sit and relax.  I ended up napping from 6-8pm and then crashed for good after watching "Dancing With The Stars" all the while texting back and forth to Janet.  I also had the joy of catching up Ani out of California on all the news from the past week.  But oh is it good to be home!  I love my new bed.

Ole - Cinco de Mayo

There is something about this day that makes me laugh in that in Mexico it is not nearly as celebrated as it is in the states.  Much as the flower industry has created more and more holidays that are to be remembered, I think this is one that the restaurant industry has helped to promote getting people out and drinking.  What better way to celebrate than to make a quick drive over the border to Hilt, California and get all the liquor ordered by myself and friends.  It is down from past times and that is fine in that Janet and I have luggage.  We head north at 10:30am and it will be a festive drive.  Likely stop for lunch along the way and it will be fun to watch the finale of "The Amazing Race" together this evening.  Tomorrow it will be up early and on to the office.

Happy 90th Birthday Mom!

Today is Mom's birthday.  A major milestone in that she turned 90 this day.  It is a bittersweet celebration in that there are many who are coming to acknowledge her and to honor the occasion, yet she will not remember any of it as time goes by.  We have spent many hours revisiting why there are cards, flowers and balloons all over the house.  She is enjoying the celebration in the moment.  I am glad that Janet and I were able to make the trip down and it has been fun at times to share the moments.  One thing I could have done without is the heat - UGH!  So glad I am based downstairs.

After a wonderful brunch of eggs, ham and cheese we hosted numerous friends and relatives throughout the day.  Janet went down and got a fabulous poppy seed and raspberry cake to share with the visitors.  Later in the evening we ventured to Casa de Pueblo for a family dinner where Mom got serenaded by the staff and the rest of the restaurant joined in on the fun! They brought the festive hat and gave her a creme caramel for dessert.  It has been a full and fun day. Happy 90th Mom!

Yes, We Are Entering Hell

OK, so it is not quite true, but we got on the road south this morning and it was already over 60 degrees outside at 7AM.  Most of you that read this blog know I am not a fan of the heat.  All the news stations are going on about how lucky we are to have this ridge of high pressure arriving.  I do not agree at all.  Yes, here is air conditioning, but that can only go so far.  The drive south is pleasant enough and we make good time arriving Medford just before noon.  We stop at Applebee's for lunch.  Both Janet and I had soup and a chicken salad for lunch.  Then it is time to exit the restaurant.

Yes, it had changed to hell in the matter of less than an hour.  It was 92 and I was not a happy camper.  I am guessing this will provide a nice bit of laughter to some, but not me.  While it was not quite as bad as the above picture, it does give you an idea.  I am in awe of Mom and Janet at how they tolerate the heat so well.  I am just glad that I get to be downstairs in the basement where it is a bit cooler.  And to think that tomorrow will only be warmer - how lucky can I be?  Please tell me it is only a dream, oh wait, it is not, I was sweating like a pig!

Rest in Peace Rich

Here is a great picture of Rich on the left and that is Markie on the right.  From Markie's blog posted yesterday:  "Work was fine until CaddyDaddy’s sister Pat rang my phone. He is dead. I’m guessing another heart attack – I was too rattled to ask details.  In his honor – a picture of us from his 2012 birthday trip to Hawaii where we stayed in the military hotel on Waikiki.  It’s hard not to get misty eyed looking at this photo of us."

I was scheduled to have dinner with Markie last night and just about bailed as work had been horrible and I was cranky.  When I arrived at his place I called him to tell him to come out and get his box of stuff and I would then head home.  Needless to say, once he shared and asked me to stay, what could I do.  I stayed and met a "couch surfer" who was staying at his place who is going to school in Cincinnati and is originally from Vietnam.  We had a lovely evening as it turned out and the steaks were a delight.  Sadly, I lost a crown in the process.  They are going to fix it in this morning before I have to leave for Portland.  Will be crashing at Janet's tonight.

Happy May Day

OK, so call me ignorant but in my youth today was about leaving flowers for people on their door step to surprise them or I heard stories about the May Pole Dance and so maybe it was a very "Disney" style of looking at the day but it is what it is. 

This morning on the news was coverage how police are preparing for the worse and how certain banks and financial institutions are targeted by protesters.  Downtown is expected to be gridlock this afternoon and there was video of all the damage that occurred last year.  It makes no sense to me.  Physical violence does not get you anywhere.  It is insane!  But, it is also the right for a person to speak their peace.  But I do draw the line when a small group decide to start doing damage to businesses and buildings just to cause damage for the sake of damage.

However you honor the day, I hope you make the most of it, but in a peaceful way.  And yes, this morning I did remember to say Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!  So let's see how the month unfolds.