The morning was spent on a website re-do that was basically shot down as:
derivative
not classy enough
Well — true, but it’s better than what they have, and they seem not to be able to pull the trigger and pay a pro. And I fully acknowledge that I’m not a pro — I can, however, do a quick/dirty/functional site.
But enough about work, let’s talk about pleasure. Here is the soaking tub with the surround in place:
And with the stairs I built out of leftover bamboo plywood from the kitchen:
I still need to do some more detail work on the steps, but they do a great job of hiding all the plumbing, and you can use the heater air loop as a handrail. And I need a new full-size cover.
Dinner tonight was cleaning out the fridge — steak and asparagus, no salad. Guess I’ll have to double up on the salad tomorrow night in Vancouver.
As promised, here is the YouTube video of my hotel room (yes, I liked it that much):
Brunch this morning is with Julian, Jameson’s not so little brother, at Mother’s Bistro and Bar(thanks Swanda for getting us a table). Talk about crowded! Wow. Now I remember why I don’t go out to brunch on a weekend morning. But the food was worth it. It was good to catch up with Julian and hear the story of his return from India just after the underwear bomber struck…
88 hours to get home
Unexpected overnight in New Delhi (fog)
Unexpected overnight in Paris (missed connection - duh)
Unexpected overnight in Atlanta (hours at immigration)
So the hours at immigration: recent national security incident, 20-something guy who has just spent a month in India pretty much off the grid, when he got to immigration in Atlanta they put big red marks on his form, pulled out a big envelope, put the form and his passport in it an said — “Go to that office over there.” Lots of questions, why India, what do you do for a living, what was the China trip about (passport stamp), etc… lots of second-third world stamps in his passport. Needless to say he missed his already tight connection. I’ve recommended the “Global Entry” trusted traveller program to him.
After brunch it was off to Powells for a look-see. Didn’t end up buying anything, neither did Julian.
Next stop — the train station a couple of hours early for my train, but the sleeping class passengers have access to the Metropolitan Room, basically a lounge with free wireless, coffee, pop, juice, newspapers, bathrooms, and comfortable chairs. Nice touch Amtrak. Probably only practical since all the long distance trains arrive and leave within about a four hour window at the station.
Got some work done there, and continued working for a bit on the train, drinking my complimentary champagne with orange juice. Had dinner in the Parlour Car — chipotle buffalo meatloaf. Not the best, but since it was the Parlour Car I didn’t have to share a table as I would have in the regular Dining Car. Had part of a nice bottle of Greg Norman Petite Syrah. I’ll finished the bottle with tomorrow’s dinner.
A couple of semi-drunk B-reel actors having dinner as well. Cute ,well, the younger one who apparently had a bit part in Sex Pot, and the older (mid-30’s) has been in a couple of CSI: NY episodes. The younger one seemed a little shocked when I said “You two make a cute couple.”
Arrived early — swung through the apartment to pick up travel papers for Panama and headed home for a night cap and an early bed.
So, I thought my Saturday morning was going to be some quiet time on the train to Portland, reading, working on a web-site redo, having lunch…
Until Tom Hennessey came up to me in the train station in Seattle and said hello. I’ve known Tom since my (and his) late teens in the Midwest. I hadn’t seen him in at least half a dozen years — he and his wife (and two kids, all travelling together) live in Anchorage and they caught the red-eye last night to catch the train today — also in a sleeper!
Needless to say, while the wife and kids napped from the long night, Tom and I hung out in my roomette catching up on the last few years. Too weird.
Got into Portland a little early, and was checked into the Modera by 2pm for a nap, followed by some work (to make up for what I was planning on doing on the train). The Modera is a boutique hotel right across the street from where Jamshed’s 70th Birthday Party is taking place.
Hard to tell that this used to be a Day’s Inn other than the size of the rooms. Really nice rooms, good amenities, Jill would love it for it’s mid-century feel. The only odd thing is that even though there is free wireless throughout the hotel, a local phone call (or even an 800#) costs you a buck. Odd. Maybe if I get ambitious I’ll post a video of the room tomorrow.
No post would be complete without a picture of our birthday boy:
The party ran from 6-10pm in the party room of a condo tower with heavy appetizers that took care of dinner before moving up to the condo of our hosts for another two hours with several more people dropping in.
As I stuggle with billable hours — and there is a request for more (which I fulfilled today, but more tomorrow and Sunday), it’s another couple of coats on the hot tub sides, unexpected calls from everyone and their mother:
Wonderful needing to borrow Speedos for an 8mm film project
Jeff (my ex) and Jimmy coming by to chat after a Zippy Burger in West Seattle and taking the Lotus Elise out for a little sunshine
Mick, in need of an Old Fashion that doesn’t cost him an arm and a leg and a roommate (actually, he would benefit from less roommates)
This while I’m trying to work on an animated GIF for a website redesign. Got most of the groundwork done, hopefully on the train tomorrow I can work on the body.
Two more coats of varnish on the hot-tub sides, which are now insulated panels held in with screws — the whole thing will be insulated, but pop a part for moving. Means one-two people can easily move the tub. But in the process, the Jag is in the alley, I’ve got the table saw pulled out, I’m making panels of glued pine and insulation, really, I should take a picture.
Hell, if I die and decide not to box and burn, it would make a nice coffin.
Mick stayed for dinner for me (additional snack for him) and a couple of Old Fashions, and more importantly, the test of whether the tub can take two people (270# and 220#, basically 500#) — I am here to report success, though I do need a pickup to bring the last panel of 4×8x2″ foam for the cover — I got the two sheets of 2×8x1.5″ panels and the 2×2 in the jag today (along with a couple of bags of charcoal, lighter fluid, liquid nails)… and the same cute seriously homo “in training” check out clerk was there at Home Depot — didnt’ see the skinny hippy boy check-out clerk, but I did look. Damn. I’m going to Home Depot for sex?
Too many run-on sentences. I have to be up early in the morning to catch a train to Portland for Jamshed’s 70th B-Day party.
Well. not quite, but I did jump into the tub after running money to the bank (Mommy Van sale), getting groceries, and restocking the liquor cabinet (with cash from the sale).
Now all it needs is:
Complete the surround (buy planks, seal, screw with standoffs)
Swing 180 degrees
Reseal two connections
Move back towards the fence.
Make full cover
Sew cover cover from left-over pieces of rip-stop from old tub.
Down side is that I will have to drain it to move it — think I’ll get all the pieces assembled and ready to screw together and THEN drain and move the tub about the same time the water needs changing.
As for dinner, I picked up some large prawns at 50% off at Safeway — seafood, 50% off, freeze or cook that day. Internet search turned up this recipe to go with the green beans that needed using:
You like the duct-tape and pink rigid foam temporary tub cover? Now all I need to do is enclose it after swinging it 180 degrees so the pipes are back by the fence. Tomorrow, once it’s warm, I’ll have a shot of me in the tub.
Evening = sell another vehicle. That’s right. I’ve gone from three vehicles to one in under a week, and gotten close to NADA/Blue Book value for them. The things you do in a down economy.
Things left to sell:
Dead chipper with good 8hp motor
Phone booth with 1940’s phone
Two pop machines
4×8 utility trailer
Pickup truck lift gate
And a ton of other stuff in the garage!
Dinner was VERY delayed with the sales process running til 8pm while I’m drinking bloody marys… amazing how the tomato juice replaces food — until 10pm when I fried up some fish and had a salad.
Whirlwind day — and just booking the train to Portland this weekend for a friends 70th b-day party. I have a room on the way down, a room at the Moderna which is right next to the party place, and a room back on Sunday.
And to round out this post — a picture that turned up on FaceBook that I label as “Was I Ever That Young”…
OK — that sounds kinda bad. How about this. Plumbing, and then Swanda.
Update on the hot tub project:
OK — it doesn’t look like much, but I actually managed to get the drain/air system put together (and not leaking with one trip to home depot.
Well, two trips, but that was once I’d figured out how to do the tub jets since AguaQuip didn’t have any generic “eyeball” jets. My solution? I needed something with a fairly wide flange and backside nut so I could get it tight enough to the tub so it wouldn’t leak. Kitchen Hose Guides… once the Plumbers Goo is dry I’ll attach the Garbage Disposal hose adapter to the brass 3/4″FIP to Garden Hose Male Adapter and we’ll have water flow.
Another thing I realized working on this project — that I could initially fill the tub from the hot water heater drain…. preheated water — should knock a day off the warm up time for the tub, and the water heater is less than 20′ from the tub. Yahoo.
It will still take me a couple of more days on the project as I’m checking everything as I put it together for leaks etc. just in case this idea doesn’t fly… I’d had to have buy the insulation and boards to wrap the base in… and not have it work.
Dinner tonight with Swanda at his place. I brought the pork loin, bread and wine, he supplied the asparagus, salad, whiskey and my paycheck.
The final day of the Olympics with the spectacularly crappy NBC coverage — at least they are playing the final Gold/Silver hockey game in real time. And what a game it was, though I was also reading the New Yorker at the same time.
Wonderful came by to borrow the van (while I still have it) to pick up a couch and passed along the lovely website consisting entirely of 5 second movies. Here is one of them:
Here is the URL for the main site: http://5secondfilms.com/ Who thought you could say so much in 5 seconds.
That was my mid-day. Evening was cooking up a surf and turf (filet mignon and shrimp scampi) for Gnarlene and I. Add some salad, fresh bread, wine, and a meal you have.
7:30 in the morning on of the Colonels called — if SOB didn’t sell immediately, he’d be interested in it. Yikes. That would be a wild ride — Seattle to Kentucky in the late winter, hell, it is still snowing in Kentucky.
I had a 10am appointment set up with a couple from Woodinville — luckily they didn’t show for another twenty minutes. Must have been the champagne last night. They were the ones wanting an early appointment as they were leaving tomorrow on a 14-day Princess cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii and back. We did a little test drive around the neighborhood — I should say I drove they sat. They have owned other RVs and were looking for something with a higher ground clearance — their plan it to take it to Alaska. I’m hoping on the ferry rather than driving the AlCan Highway. And I thought Kentucky was a long run.
I unloaded dishes while they chatted outside in private — luckily it was the sunny part of the day.
Decision. Sold. I even threw in the macerator/pump and hose. I’ll have to remember show him where that plugs in. Check in hand I signed over the title. I’ll keep the RV here until they are back from the cruise (and the check clears). We could have found a branch of their bank, but this seemed easier for all of us. That and I have both sets of keys so it isn’t going anywhere!
First stop after the left? The bank. Let’s get that check moving.
Next stop? the Habitat for Humanity store to get the seriously modern bathtub I saw yesterday in my errands running around with the 15% off coupon. Tub? Why? Easier conversion to a hot-tub than the pool liner.
Might not even have to insulate this one since the walls are an inch thick — and it will be MUCH easier to make a square cover than the oddly shaped pond liner.
Third stop (after I unloaded the tub). Pick up a floor safe from Greg’s basement. Not that I really need one, but free is free and I can go back to storing my most important papers in something fireproof. Those old love letters from high school are important.
Dinner tonight is with DancingBear. Steaks on the grill, roasted red potatoes, fresh baked baguettes, spicy slaw — with his signature Old Fashions before and after the wine with dinner.
And he has a water feature he needs to install in his back yard — so there is a use for the pool liner.
I6 guess I should have posted the listing to the Faerie and Facebook Lists first, as one of my friends suddenly expressed interest in buying SOB to take to Burning Man in Nevada. Yikes, almost a dozen requests for more information and appointments to view. And one inquiry on the Mommy Van.
Spend the day fielding email, answering questions, neglecting work, and getting ready for dinner with SpaceOtter, who was interested in SOB (Son of Bob).
When it was time for dinner, SO (SpaceOtter) showed up with his friend so they could both take a look at it — friend is also part of his Burning Man Possé. Sorta hard to show an RV in the dark, but gave it a shot, and let him FOSO (Friend of SpaceOtter) drive it to the airport so he could catch light rail back to the hill for his next appointment.
We talked over dinner of baked rock fish, slaw, high-heat roasted brussel sprouts and champagne. No descision until 8am tomorrow because it would be a foursome going in on this.
Well, it’s not quite spring, but with all the sun breaks the last couple of days, it’s time to start getting rid of the stuff that I don’t use on a regular basis. And lets start with the really LARGE items.
So that was the big push today, designing fliers for both, getting pictures and an oil change for the mommy van, working a little, and starting and adding to a growing “to-do” list since I have time on my hands.
Other news, actually from yesterday, was that I planted a couple of rose bushes (one to balance out the rose bush on the left hand side of the house) and finally got around to repositioning the HDTV antenna in the attic (up four feet, forward three feet) so I could get Channels 9 — Public Television here in the Puget Sound. When they moved their antenna further up their tower after turning off the analog signal, I lost their digitial signal that was fine before.
Dinner tonight is a pork tenderloin — I guess I’d better start inviting some folks over to dinner. It’s the fourth night in a row of dining by myself.
Yes, I had lunch with Brad Tilden, and a room full of other Alaska Airlines MVP Gold members — maybe a hundred to hundred and fifity people, at least twenty were Alaska Air personnel. Presentations — and then most of the time was a question and answer session. Some of the answers:
Coming by early summer is a tie-up with Kenmore Air that serves the San Juans and Canada for earning and redeeming miles
Coming soon a tie-up with Icelandic Air for earning and redeeming miles
By spring the $99 Companion Certificate for Business Card holders will be electronic
In Newark, there is now a shuttle past security to get between terminals to use the Continental President’s Club
Possible second Board Room at Sea-Tac in the North Satellite — would be upstairs like the British Airlines lounge the South Satellite. In VERY early phases to see if it makes sense
Los Angeles terminal location change to same terminal with partners now early 2011, along with new Board Room
Wi-Fi in entire fleet by end of year, in the -800’s by late spring (announced publicly). $4.95 and up for flights, and no freebie for Gold members
Paperless check-in with your cell phone (announced publicly)
And the lunch was pretty good as well. Nice salad, salmon in a berre blanc over pilaf, scoop of ice cream over berry cobbler. Too bad there wasn’t any wine.
And yes, I brought up the prayer card, unfortunately to my seat mate who was an enthusiast Salvation Army solider who loves then. I stress I’d like to see them more ecumenical rather than just Psalms.
So a little work in the morning, the lunch, a nap (not used to large mid-day meals), a little more work and a steak for dinner.
Iceland here I come — I’ve been looking at going back but it irked me to fly that far and get no miles (unless I wanted them on Lufthansa, which doesn’t do me a lot of good).
Now anyone can have an outdoor kitchen — though not as nice as mine, but much cheaper. Check out this two burner propane stove/oven combo for camping that I saw today at Costco. Not back for $149. Two burners and an oven!
Nicer in some ways than the one I have in SOB (Son of Bob), which is going on the market very soon. That’s it… sell SOB, get a tent and this.
Item number two:
The Evil Google has posted high resolution images of the airplane graveyard outside Tucson (which I visited a couple years ago and did the “boneyard tour”. Unfortunately Google’s embed feature doesn’t work so hot with WordPress, so here is the link:
As for the day, work in the morning while Stuart took apart the mommy van’s door and fixed the window ($30 — much cheaper than a shop), looked into a trim piece that fell off from the front window ($130 from Mazda — guess I’m hitting the junk yards), ran values on the mommy van and the RV for possible sale (when you use them as little as I do — why insure them), Costco to renew membership and pickup a few things and a dinner of sauteed chicken and vegetables over rice.
Must have been the hot tub yesterday. No desire to get out of bed on the last morning of our Olympic vacation. But I must — we need to check out at noon, which is what we did after our usual morning breakfast.
The plan today was to go and spend an hour on the tube course, which sounded better last night than this morning, but everyone else was going, so what the hell, take one for the team… all for naught. The equipment was down.
Here is the link – think magic carpet dragging you and your tube up the hill so you can slide down.
As we wondered back through the village to pick up the van in the parking garage, we came across the photo opp that Ross couldn’t resist… posing with one of the flame running and the torch:
Look at that smile.
No line at the border for Nexus (OK, a couple of cars) after duty free, regular line had about a 10 minute wait which is good since Rich went back with Ross.
Got home a little after six. Turned on the TV to watch the same stuff that I’d already seen up north, made dinner, blogged, and tried to unwind.
I’m exhausted. I really glad that I cancelled the San Diego and Victoria trips for the first week of March. Exhaustion and the need to watch my shekels,
That’s the joke going around up here… it isn’t the Winter Olympics, it’s the Spring Olympics. It has been sunny and warm everyday we have been here.
LOVE the TV coverage up here. Real-time, no delay, and on FOUR channels. NBC should be ashamed.
Needless to say, that was a lot of our day, though Ross did hit the slopes taking the Whistler Village lift up skied a little, took the peak-to-peak lift, skied a little more, then skied down to Creekside so that we didn’t even have to go back into town to pick him up.
Afternoon found Mick and I in the hot tub which is down one floor, and soon joined by one, then another 20 something back from a day skiing, then two middle-aged guys from Manitoba (who I figured out were on their day off, figuring policeman), and then two more twenty something. That was fun.
An early dinner tonight of BBQ’d ribs so Mick and Rich can head into town to see the medals ceremony if they can get in.
Bloody Marrys to start the day — no Eggs Benedict, just the standard scramble with potatoes and steak from last night, chopped and mixed with egg to create the sramble. Add a couple of mini-croissnats and you’ve got a nice 10am meal.
Men’s Alphine3 skking is first up on the telle (we get four Olympics changes here in he condo) which featured a course closing wipeout of one of the maleAnd then the curling began… facinatinghow it has sucked us all in; complete with cheering.
As cabin fever sets in we work on how to get to Whistler Village — turns out the roll of “toonies” that I picked up in Victoria we might not need as many of. Apparently we can drive to Whistler Village and park in WorldMarkCascade Lodge garage — they’ve given us the gate code. Just no overnight parking. That’s cool. We’ll just start running a shuttle service — and it the time is wrong — catch the bus back for $2 Times from the bottom of the hill up the hill at 15 and 45 after — walking down the hill isn’t too bad to catch a quicker bus, but uphill is a killer.
So, off to the Whistler Village we go, cameras and seal smashing t-shirts on at least two of us. What a zoo — a fun zoo. Ross is off to get his Edge Pass and picture so he can just go up to the lift, scan and they bill him. Lot’s of flexibility, including the Peak to Peak route. In theory Ross could get dropped in the Village, ski Whistler/Blackcomb, that the Peak to Peak route, ski down this side and take the every half hour bus back up Gondola Way. I have to suggest it. The Creekside Gondola run is only for the athletes.
So here is the sliding bar of our time in Whistler:
And here is a video that took forever to upload of the crowd scene in Whistler Village.
Tonight’s dinner (Mick and Ross caught the tail end of the Metals Ceremony (even with no tickets) and got back just as we were finishing up the ribs BBQ’d in Arthur Bryant’s sauce, corn on the cob, salad, and ice creme for dessert.
Our wine of the weekend is a Peller Estates Proprietor’s Reserve Shiraz in a 4 liter box. Not a bad everyday wine … equal to a little over 5 bottles of wine - which with Ross’ contributions of a Barefoot Cellars Cabernet, I think we should have enough to last up. I remember back from the Grand Canyon Trip when 125 liters was a little on the low side.
I realized sending a piece of email today that I had given a pretty good play-by-play of the day.
Shocking. NO wait at the border, either NEXUS or regular… met up with Ross at the first free Park and Ride… there was a ton of space (way out in Surrey)… checked in around 3:30, light traffic all the way up, it was just the stops at Costco for groceries (and lunch – the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich was stunning) and then in Squamish for the smaller items and wine – hell Rich even stored a deal at duty-free… bought a carton of cigarettes ($25) and she charged him for a bottle of Finlandia ($15)
All settled in, the rib roast is in the oven on a bed of potatoes. Got to make the salad and open the spout on the wine and we are good to go.
Have already seen loads of very handsome skiers at the bottom of the Alpine runs, and that was just driving in!
That was after leaving the house at 8:30 this morning and waiting around for Mick to get ready — a mis-communication. Considering that Ross had been at the Park-And-Ride for only a couple of minutes, it worked out well.
We are staying at a one-bedroom-deluxe at the WorldMark Sundance. One level, deck with BBQ, hot-tub just down the hall, second small room with bunk-beds for the OlyBoys, Mick on the couch (which turns into a bed) and me in the master. Two baths, small, but serviceable kitchen. Here is the tour:
Spent dinner watching curling…. and we were captivated. Actually easier to understand than cricket. And then whatever else came on… it’s an Olympics night.
A 5-story (lots of split levels) condo was what I had to myself this morning. Views of Discovery Bay from the master (layer 1), living/dining (layer 3), second bedroom (layer 5). Layer 2 is the entrance and laundry room, layer 4 is the second bath. Lots of stairs — not a good retirement home.
Got the garbage and recycling taken out, and was on the road listening to another mystery on tape by 10:30 or so — and was at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal at 12:02pm (according to my receipt) just in time to catch the 12:20pm ferry… unplanned, didn’t even pull the schedule. But I like it.
Next stop was the apartment to pick up magazines and a package, home at 1:30 after a Costco gas stop (was going to be a gas and car wash stop, but line was long and it turns out my card is now expired… at least they let me buy gas!)
Unload
Vacuum van
Install inverter in case we need it
Repack
Bay bills
Clip some extra fur
Clean off bed for guests
Prep dinner
Yikes… no wonder I’m running out of energy. Just cancelled the San Diego condo for a couple of nights in early March — can’t get ahold of the future clients I want. Still might work. Need more billable hours (after paying off the credit cards — ouch). Will probably cancel the Victoria condo for Sunday the 7th as well.
Ross and Rich for dinner and an overnight before we all leave for the Olympics tomorrow at 8am (if I can manage that early). Dinner is baked pork loin slices, a Caesar salad, some bread left from the weekend.
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