A lazy afternoon reading my first issue of the New Yorker on the Kindle Fire. There are a couple of problems with the New Yorker app on the Fire. Problem Number One: you can’t read it in Landscape Mode which I’d like to try, and Problem Number Two: you can’t make the typeface bigger. Other than that, you get everything that is in the physical magazine except the blow in cards.
Company started showing up a little after six for a dinner of squash (yes, two days in a row), salad, and turkey breast wrapped in prosciutto. Here is the crew after dinner:
Spring Break trip number two – another student: Jonathan. Student Spring Break trips are on the cheap: driving. Teacher Spring Break trips, frugal, but flying.
The route:
Lots of miles on the Miata this Spring…speaking of which, when you travel in a small car, forget hard-side luggage, think lots of small, squishable bags:
And my stuff and ½ of Jonathan’s stuff in the trunk…not much room left:
But the reason that you own a convertible is for a little Miata on Miata action…..I really don’t know why they didn’t have their top down:
What I’d booked in Birch Bay was the WorldMark Blaine. I’ve stayed next door at the WorldMark Birch Bay in the 3-bedroom Penthouse units with the private hot tub that are out of a student’s network are lovely, but they just added the place next door (no private hot tub, no private BBQ). I’d booked the “2-bedroom Standard” and was somehow rewarded with a Penthouse Unit (again, no private hot tub, but the BBQs were just down the deck).
Top floor – out unit was on the end, at the other end was the communal lounge:
And then there is the view….
Before long, I was settled in on the deck in the sun, cocktail in hand…
It’s not a bad little place….
It was a two-bedroom 2-bath unit. Not quite up to WorldMark standards (no BBQ tongs, no non-stick fry pan), but the furniture was comfy.
Steaks for dinner the first night, then for me, it was off to WorldMark Owner ReEduction for a $100 AMEX gift card for an hour and a half of them trying to sell me more points. No more point purchases until I sell the next house, or Mom dies – and I don’t think either of those are coming soon.
The LITTLE “event” for today is Jonathan trimming my locks – thoughts? It’s short!
The BIG “event” for today is the Scholarship Reading….
The following morning we were up and out by noon (thanks for the GREAT breakfast strata DancingBear!). The only downside was that my laptop pack got put in the wrong car – no laptop on my next stop Vancouver.
But before I move on, a couple of other pictures:
It’s just me headed to Vancouver. Jonathan didn’t get his Enhanced Washington State ID figured out in town.
Easy border transit even with having to cross several lanes of stopped traffic to get from Duty Free and back into the Nexus lane…hopefully this will be fixed once they open the new lanes.
Destination is the WorldMark at The Canadian in Vancouver. One of my favorites. And when I got there after shopping for dinner, the unit wasn’t ready, but Hummingbird had already been by just getting off “work”. That would assume that being a priest is “work”.
But we did get a unit early – they switched us to get us in earlier…not a bad room:
It was salmon on the menu tonight (with bread, salad, wine). Much fun. Guests were: Solus, Hummingbird, and his friend Kevin who was standing in for BamBam who couldn’t make it.
Slept in, and then couldn’t find the Cathedral where Hummingbird was doing the Maundy Service (the Thursday before Easter) so I went back to the condo and went back to bed. Another dinner tonight.
Second dinner of the visit was steak, brazed green onions, salad, bread – and of course — starting it off, the Pu Pu Platter.
No pictures—don’t know what I was thinking. Guests Helene, Tom, Stephen – and much good conversation (and knitting on Helene’s visit).
Out of the condo a little before noon – and the signs were saying 70 minute delay for the truck crossing – even the Nexus line was backed up past Duty Free – but I took a shortcut via the truck entrance to get to Duty Free which as a Nexus pass holder you get to park right out front AND get 10% off your purchases. Talk about cheap whiskey!
Between the 10% discount and the 20% exchange difference… that’s some mighty cheap whiskey, and a 1.14 liter bottle at that!
But back in the line (they shunt you into the existing line if you show your receipt) there were only a dozen or so cars in front of me:
And before you knew it I was home (after picking up my laptop bag that got put in the wrong car yesterday).
It’s all about food. Or so it sometimes seems. We are quickly settling into a routine of getting up in the morning, whenever, coffee and fresh squeezed jugo (juice). I’m so far the last one up, and am hoping to train them to bring me coffee in bed to get me moving.
Sleep last night was odd… with everybody stacked on top of each other in the pueblo, sound travels everywhere. Add the almost full moon and the roosters not know the time, throw in some mongrel dogs, and it’s a symphony at night. Hummingbird has provided earplugs for tonight.
I’ve been checking email twice a day. Morning and afternoon, and dealing with anything truly important or just amusing. There is an internet café down the path, maybe I’ll check it out, or not. Too bad I can’t figure out how to, or remember how to upload from the phone. It certainly wouldn’t take a video feed!
Breakfast is sautéed bacon, mushrooms – scrambled up with eggs. Isabelle is here to join us again for our family meals – she is the local friend of the boys. Actually the boys probably shouldn’t be called boys since one is 54 and the other mid-thirties – but all my male friends to me are “boys”.
After breakfast was our day of beauty – new hair color for Hummingbird and Isabelle, fresh toenail polish for me…. BamBam, not so much.
Mid-day we head (again) for the beach —- further down this time… different ceviche (mixed, and excellent), a Caesar salad (I need my greens), and some amazing muscles on the half shells steamed/braised in a hot roasted chili oil. Just another day swimming at the beach. Damn, life is hard.
The routine has developed that we do the shopping for dinner on the way back from the beach. Tonight it is pollo (chicken, a whole one) stuffed with limon (limes) and garlic, on a bed of roasted potatoes, onions, and red bell peppers. For greens tonight it’s an appetizer of cubed avocado, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro. Add some tostados (whole corn tortillas flash fried) and you have a lovely, but spicy, snack.
And dessert? Fresh strawberries marinated in a couple of tablespoons of honey and a wee dram of this odd Kentucky Bourbon/Honey mixture that came with the bottle of Wild Turkey – that somehow ended up in my toiletries kit. Handy. And the end result was damn fine.
Tonight is the full moon – stunning. We even got fireworks across the small bay from a wedding party that we accidentally crashed this afternoon on our lunch/swimming time at the beach. Isabelle rearranged the place (again, the boys did it yesterday) to make it feel more like home. With Hummingbird and BamBam here for seven weeks – you might as well get it feeling like home away from home.
By ten, Isabelle is headed off to Disco Night at the bar in the pueblo, and there are rumors of a drumming circle on the beach, but all the boys, me included, are staying in, with Hummingbird in bed, and BamBam and I burning the midnight (maybe) oil.
Or maybe I should call it “My Day In Pictures” since Swanda informed me that I was not to bitch about having to get up early to make the train. It was my decision to take the train, rather than the bus at a more civilized time. That said, from the pictures, you’ll know why I took the train:
Actually nicer than the Talgo coach seats – two feet of leg room between you and the seat in front of you, foot rest, leg rest and two outlets. I didn’t check for wi-fi.
A couple of 737s headed to Renton for final assemble (they start out in Wichita).
The view from my seat.
For better or worse (better because I slept through it), we were stopped for an hour and a half in Mount Vernon due to the freight train ahead of us needing to split apart their train to remove a freight car with a bearing that was overheating.
Met Hummingbird at the train station and we headed towards The Canadian.
My room is on the 22nd floor on this side of the building, the corner closest to this view.
My room wasn’t ready, but Helene was on her way to meet for lunch. Off to Davie street we go, and the gay Fountainhead restaurant and bar. After last night’s sauerkraut, what I really needed was a big old Caesar salad. Club for Hummingbird, quesadilla for Helene. Wine for me, cider for Hummingbird, Stella Artois for Helene.
After lunch it was back to the condo to meet up with Epick, who can’t come to dinner (oddly enough, no one can so I’m solo), but does have a couple of hours to hang out and catch up.
That also give you a nice shot of what the 2-bedroom condo looks like.
Went to the IGA for some prepared food for my dinner, and a little snack for breakfast and settled in for a quiet night in the sky. The mostly full moon was out again, but the shots weren’t as good as the first night, so that shot doesn’t get included today.
For the last shot of the day, a little slightly cropped self-portrait:
Why 6:30am — Why am I awake at 6:30am. To many of you — what’s new about that. Me? You must be kidding. By my normal wakey wakey time I’d gotten the work that needed done today done, and showered, and thinking of breakfast.
It’s a crisp morning here in Seattle, a layer of frost on the deck (that looks so clean and organized after yesterday’s work party).
As noon rolls around it’s time to head north to Vancouver for a couple of days of cooking for friends. Tonight is Hummingbird and Helene, tomorrow is BamBam, Tom and later Hummingbird after his church meeting.
I must make an impression on people. There I am at duty-free and I recognize the sales person, and she remembers me as well, she asked whether I was the guy who last time through was headed up to Whistler for the Olympics… good memory! We chatted for a bit — apparently her sons surprised her with hockey tickets. No small thing for hockey crazed Canadians.
No troubles at the border other than pulling out my driver’s license rather than my Nexus card. Meant I spent 30 seconds at the border rather than 15 seconds. Next stop after the border was a new one for me… looking for the IGA on Broadway hoping it has parking so I don’t have to haul two days worth of groceries the several blocks from the IGA downtown to the condo…. yes, it has parking, and something equally important, a BC Liquor Store right next door saving another stop.
Got checked in a little before 4 and people started showing up a little before 6. No rest for the wicked.
Dinner = roasted chicken, steamed veggies, bread, salad, wine, good conversation. Turns out Helene and Hummingbird live within blocks of each other.
A quite morning around the condo — a couple of over easy eggs before the one o’clock meet and greet with the Vancouver office.
Well, meet and greet was what I had planned — with no appointments scheduled for the sales staff it turned into more of a “bull-pen” session on how to get more people through the door. Two long trip reports later leaves me with just one more meeting tomorrow on my way out of town.
I was hoping that Hummingbird and BamBam would be coming back for dinner tonight — they were the major reason I came up for a couple of days. Alas, not to be. Hummingbird was in the hospital today to get his kidney stone laser blasted. It’s now smaller, but there are pieces that still need to work there way down Mr. Urethra. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
So, no dinner guests — surgery ran two hours longer than they thought it would. Hummingbird is on painkillers, and BamBam will swing by in the morning for the hoodie he left behind and the gift I forgot to give them last night.
For me, dinner tonight is the rest of the salad fixings from last night, a marinated steak from the IGA, this last bit of wine, the last bit of scotch.
And here is the nighttime view from the condo window. It really is a pretty view — though the video doesn’t show all the trees lit up across the street at the Sheraton Wall Centre.
Since it’s just me — used one of my (many) WorldMark Video Coupons to get unrated version of Role Models. Yes, my guilty pleasure — crappy teen movies and pulp fiction.
It really isn’t a cruise to nowhere… just an overnight from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, WA – with a couple of nights in Vancouver with friends at the beginning.
Since Swanda wants to see lots of selfies, this might be a report in selfies….starting with not getting to bed early enough…
But I make the train – cab is early so I boxed my breakfast and headed out. Luckily they boarded 40 minutes early so I could just chill and snooze.
Three hours later and a couple of drinks later, we stop at the Canadian border for a red signal…more delays.
Finally coming into Vancouver, British Columbia with snow-capped mountains in the background…
A beautiful day in Vancouver…
Had lunch with Solus+ at The Parlour – a great little Yaletown eatery. He was kind enough to pick me up at the station. We shared a bunch of appetizers:
Arugula — Anjou Pear, Red Onion, Butter Croutons, Parmesan, Pumpkin Seeds, Walnuts, Maple Shallot Vinaigrette
Brocco — Garlic, Shallots, Jalapeño, Pine Nuts, Sweet Soy Sauce
Stacked Short Ribs — Hosisin and Tamarind marinated, Granny Smith Apple and Jicama Slaw
Solus+ had a couple of stouts; I had a couple of Manhattans. What was I thinking! No selfie? No food shots.
Got to the condo after lunch – and only had to wait20 minutes to have my room ready – a couple of hours early. Hummingbird had left me bread and wine with the front desk – what else would a priest leave ( body and blood of Christ).
The early check-in gives me time to grab 10% off coupons and head to the IGA for some grocery shopping. Much wandering later the meal plan is in place:
Pupu platter which BamBam will decimate and not have it effect his appetite
Southwestern salad (pre-packaged kit)
Bread
Rolled pork roasts on a bed of multi-colored potatoes
Hummingbird showed up with white wine and dessert. Their friend showed up with more wine, which is good since there are four of us and all I have is two bottles of whiskey.
Great views from the apartment – we lucked out and got one of the few balcony units at WorldMark at The Canadian.
After dinner the silliness begins…
No, it’s not a stitched picture, it’s a times picture with two pieces of mirror in the background, showing off the BBC News we are watching.
The boys (minus Kevvy, their guest) spent the night since they now live north of town in the Frasier Valley. Way too much whiskey was consumed, so in the morning we were off to church after a breakfast scramble:
At the noon service he asks for healing thoughts for the family and friends of my buddy CaddyDaddy who would have been on this trip had he not crapped out last year. He is due to be planted tomorrow at 11:15am with full military honors in Olympia. The mere mention of him in the service left a huge lump in my throat – I can’t imagine the mess that I would have been had I attended his interment.
The boys were off after a quick run back to the apartment, giving me time to make a run for tonight’s dinner with Helene, and a quick nap, and some work on wine shop stuff (site updates, blog postings to other sites, graphics).
Tonight’s dinner:
Bread of Helene (a small baguette which wasn’t large enough for the carb carnivore)
Mixed greens salad for from the salad bar at the IGA
Broiled salmon on a bed of buckwheat noodles (leftovers from the boys – the noodles that is)
I love the condo vase with a couple of stems of fresh flowers. I’m sure that vase has NEVER held a flower in its life in the condo.
Luckily Helene brought wine, though with DancingBear dropping off wine on his way to dinner with friends, we didn’t get to it – but I was glad I popped next door and picked up another bottle of whiskey.
DB got home just as we were finishing dinner and we popped in the DVD that I bought the other night at the IGA – The Poseidon Adventure (the remake) which is appropriate since DB and I are going on a cruise tomorrow.
HUGE scramble in the morning:
Eggs (5)
The leftover potatoes from the first night’s roast
Seems it’s a WorldMark tradition to have scrambles in the morning with the leftovers from the night(s) before. Now you know why I pack butter, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (not the last for breakfast).
We (DB & UM) bail on the condo at 11:15am for the Golden Princess for our cruise home to Seattle. The lines were moving OK, in contrast to one of DB’s cruises from the same terminal when four ships were in port (as opposed to two today) where the line went out the door and around the building. Think three hours in line.
DancingBear and I booked separate cabins so we could each get 2 Princess Cruise Credits (rather than 1 for a double occupancy cabin). I booked a balcony, he booked an inside and the plan was that we’ve hang in the balcony cabin and he had Princess put him 4 doors down from mine…but the upgrade gods (yes, even on Cruise Ships there are upgrade Gods) intervened and he got bumped from his Inside Cabin to a Balcony (a two-class upgrade), and I got upgraded from a Balcony to a Suite – a sweet Suite. I hadn’t looked at what cabin I was in for a while so I didn’t notice the upgrade until I got to the room and thought “this looks bigger than I remember balcony cabins”.
Yes, that is a King Size bed on a Princess. Yes, there were TWO flat screen TVs. Now add a porch with a couple of lounge chairs and a table.
We had a quick drink in the cabin before heading to the Donatello Dining Room for lunch, bypassing the huge crowds at the buffet:
Our quite sit-down lunch at a shared table with other cruisers was:
A little quiet time after lunch and before you know it we are in full swing – 3:45pm is the Mandatory Life Boat Drill:
After the drill it’s time to get underway. Here is us sailing away under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver:
Honest – I was trying to get my phone ready to take a selfie, and not drop my Manhattan. We were out there for the LGBT gathering – formally known as the “Friends of Dorothy” which I sort of miss… “code and all”, like “beard“. Apparently the youngsters don’t get the old reference. FOD is to the old gay world like FOB (Friends of Bill [W]) is for the people in “recovery”. It always amuses me on cruises with they have the recovery people meeting in a bar that isn’t open.
That party quickly moved to the Skywalker Lounge (17 Aft) because it was Happy Hour with Hors d’oeuvres in the Platinum Lounge with discounted drink of the day. We ran in to a couple of other Gay Short Curisers – or as they are known on Facebook as the Seattle Princess Sea Men.
Some chips and guacamole, a way-to-sweet top shelf Margarita for cheap and we were back to the cabin for another round before dinner – the way-sweet margarita was helped by watering it down with the last of the white wine we packed on board. The red wine was headed to dinner with us ($15 corkage fee – on Princess you are allowed to bring one bottle of wine per person free and the corkage fee only applies to having it in one of the restaurants.)
We probably DIDN’T need to order THREE desserts…
With Limón cello for me and Bailey’s in Coffee for DB (both on sale). My best shot is of the heart “broken” to share:
That’s the Princess Loveboat Heart in the foreground and the flan in the background (the other was a flourless chocolate thingee).
DB was done after that… and I surfed the internet until midnight (150 free minutes to use as a Princess Platinum) until hunger called again at a little after midnight. I didn’t reen the cheeseburger and fries (free) but I did need the Diet Pepsi Mixer ($2.25 with fees). I asked for a “bucket of ice” – and they brought me a damned bucket:
Things from duty free and some emptys… and the “bucket” next to the ice bucket:
Don’t worry – the ice is sitting in front of a mirror.
Up early – yet another meal in the dining room – so far haven’t hid the buffet at all – a record.
Separate disembarkation lounge for the Platinum Folk (both DB and I) so it was basically leave when you want and it was home by cab (in different directions) for both of us. I actually got a nap of over an hour before heading to work for the opening shift.
Dinner at Swanda’s for dinner with two mutual friends and then it was hone to bed. Long day. Or should I say long days.
Had a little time with Devon and Maggie before hitting the road for Canadaland a little after noon.
Twenty-five minute wait at the truck crossing for non-Nexus members, no wait at all for those of us with Nexus cards. Picked up a bottle of Knob Creek ($21 a liter) for cocktails tonight, though I’m sure it will only be myself and BamBam drinking the hard stuff – Helene is bringing wine, Hummingbird, dessert.
After the border, it was off to a different Safeway – my old stand-by has been closed for a new condo development. It turns out that this one is even more convenient as its just off Oak on King Edward, which then I can take to Granville. No provincial liquor store in the parking lot, but a private one.
Dinner tonight? Wild salmon steaks with herbed butter, a big salad, a loaf of bread (with crackers and spread for appetizers). There were only three steaks in the display case, so the butcher cut me four fresh ones.
Here is a shot from the condo before Helene arrived:
That would be BamBam on the left, and Hummingbird on the right.
Up and out of the house one time at 9:15 for a 10:15 BoltBus to Vancouver – the cost for the two of us to get to Vancouver… $13. Not bad.
CaddyDaddy and I on the BoltBus getting ready for the 3 hour trip to Vancouver.
Got to the condo at 1:30 or so, and of course the room wasn’t ready so it was drop the bags and go out to lunch and do the grocery shopping for dinner. Hummingbird met up with us at the restaurant and wentshopping with us. Room still not ready upon our return, and Hummingbird wasn’t feeling the best so he picked up his presents and package in the game room at The Canadian.
At 3:30 the condo was ready and Epick and Aaron were waiting for usat the door when we got to the 22nd floor. Apparently they were right behind me coming into the lobby as I was leaving.
So they showed up early, Helene showed up late, Solus+ showed up late, dinner was ready at 7 which by that time it was just three of us for dinner, Solus+ left, Helene returned and I woke up at 2am on the couch.
How lovely it is to wake up in my own bed, and brew my own coffee. And how nice to have the peace and quiet after a week of constantly being around humanoids.
I love Melba’s comment about yesterday’s photo post — saying it looked like somebody just spilled a pina colada on my lap. Sorry, no blenders at the Bush (yet).
I had thought about getting a head start of work for tomorrow, but as the day went along, that thought went away. I did get Curtis to deliver and help me set up the new printer table in the office.
Finally, the office will be getting closer to being put back together. Now all I have to do is get the bed cleaned off which means filing all the junk paperwork that has come in over the last couple of months. There might be hope yet. Not that I expect it to remain clean for long.
Around 3:30pm Cyndi and Hummingbird showed up to do some “cross shopping”. Hummingbird is an Episcopal priest whose house burnt to the ground six months ago — and along with it, all his “tools of the trade”. I sent him home with a box of iconry from the church, from the traditional In Re cross (with hidden holy water vessel inside) to milagos and Gualalupe based pieces. Add some material for new vestments (from obis — the wrap around a kimono), and he is back on his way to Canadaland.
Well, back on the way to Canada after a mixed grill with salad on the back deck while it threatened to rain.
300 plus emails later, the inbox is mostly cleaned up just in time for company arriving tonight. Speaking of emails in my inbox, this one labeled “honourary canuck”:
It being Monday, it must be a wine tasting. Not sure why these happen on Monday’s but 40+ swirl, sips, dumps later, I need a serious drink rather than that damn French grape product. Southwest, Loire, Burgundy, Southern and Northern Rhone — Jimmie’s method is start with the whites running from region to region, then the rosè, then the reds, and finally the dessert wines. I have heard others say they like to alternate whites and reds within a region and then have a cracker or cheese between. Time to get a clipboard to keep in my briefcase.
Swung by the apartment to pick up the new wine shop computer, some stuff for hummingbird, and a copy of Quick Books, also for the shop.
Luckily my house guest, H2O Blanco, or maybe it’s Aqua Blanco, or maybe just Whitewater suffered the same traffic hell as I did yesterday. For Hummingbird and BamBam it was even worse on Sunday with an 11-hour trip that should have taken 8. He got to the house around 6:30 which actually gave me a little time to clean up the place for his three day visit.
Dinner was pan-fried lamb lollichops, with asparagus heads thrown in at the last minute. Yum. Add a salad, wine and conversation and voilè, it’s dinner.
After dinner amusement was AquaBlanco checking out my sauna heater (which he thinks works, but until their is power, not final) and having a cocktail above the house in the rain. Good thing I bought that market umbrella.
[219.2 Looks like I didn’t gain any weight on the road!]
Great dinner party last night with Swanda, Nathan (Bam Bam) and Hummingbird — tonight’s dinner party is with Tom, Stephen and Bam Bam (Hummingbird has a meeting). Pork roast last night, salmon tonight. Yum.
So, as promised yesterday here is a video of the digs here in Vancouver…
And here is a shot of Nathan in a shirt that Tom sewed that I no longer fit into, and he looks great in, and loves.
I wish that was how I could describe my time in Yelapa, but that would not be correct. Two pumps and a quiver is how BamBam describes the stallion’s portion of horse sex. I’m not sure why I like that phrase so much, but I wanted to remember it here today.
Today’s shot is a pantographic shot that I stitched together this afternoon while BamBam was doing watercolors and HummingBird was on the couch reading:
The shot is from our deck. To get to the beach you walk down the hill into town, then walk up the hill to the right, then back down the other side, and then ford a river to the beach.
I’m getting my exercise – we have been doing the beach every other day. Today’s exercise was a walk to the waterfalls closest to town – and definitely the town tourist trap – with all the day boats from Puerto Vallarta unloading their charges and marching them up the hill lined with booths selling this, that, and any other thing. Most of the stuff is traditional tourist stuff that was brought over from Puerto Vallarta – though there was a nice rosewood carver that was offering a shot of the local moonshine with any purchase.
On this, my last full day in Yelapa, my impressions …
Noisy – not a quiet life any time of the day or night. Roosters & ranchera (ranch music) bouncing off concrete buildings at all hours
Everything comes in my small boat – no roads at all – groceries, bags of concrete, beer, everything but some of the fruits from the jungle
There is now power here, and internet access, unlike when Hummingbird started coming here twenty years ago
Like any small town, everyone knows everyone’s business (like Lopez Island)
Many hills, many steps, much donkey poo to dodge – but I’m getting a workout
Ethnically, I think Yelapa is Mexican, Canadian, and then followed by the Americans – at least in the winter
Whereas it’s nice to visit, I still like Seattle better
Trash everywhere – but that is getting better with collection bags hung on all the major trails
Compost tends to go out the window or over the ledge to feed all the feral beasts
I’m not the type to go someplace for months at a time
Huge amounts of feral dogs and cats – PLUS those that are kept as pets. One of the locals was recommending just scooping up all the cats and drowning them
And finally, my general ambivalence about Mexico in general – just the sketchy nature of life down here
That said, I can’t think of a nicer place to visit if you don’t mind everybody living on top of one another on the hillside. For me, it hasn’t been about the destino (destination) but the company. The boys have a very nice life down here, and are generous to make the space available. Though I have to say, rereading the bullet list above doesn’t make it sound that it’s a great place to visit. The food is great, the people that I’ve met are great, I just don’t think I’ve got that snowbird mentality.
Who knows – the boys are here until March 2nd, so I might return if they’d have me.
Last night was taco night at one of the restaurant so we actually ate out. Tonight is camarones (shrimp) and pasta with a side of Cole Slaw… and if I have the energy, fire dancing and flan down the hill at the Eclipse.
Tomorrow is the 10 or 11am boat to back to Puerto Vallarta to wing my way home.
WHY do I book early flights. I Hate, Hate, Hate them. They screw with my bodily elimination schedule, make me cranky, and generally leave me lethargic by the end of the day. At least this time I have a decent reason – to meet up with Cyndii/BamBam and Hummingbird at LAX so I don’t have to go through the hassles, confusion, and hell of arriving in Puerto Vallarta and having to figure out hotel and water taxi to Yelapa on my own.
A quick cocktail in the Board Room cures the cranky, but does nothing for the bodily elimination.
Flight to Los Angeles uneventful – sitting in First because I slammed 65,000 frequent flyer miles down on a ticket. Breakfast up front was OK – though the potato pancakes were a little dry. Can’t complain – I got food; those in the back had to pay for theirs.
Got to LAX a couple of minutes late – but early enough to get my computer setup for a Skype call in for the marketing meeting. Yikes – an hour and a half on the damn headset – my bladder was killing me by the end of it. Generally a good meeting, but more crap to clean up next week when I return form Mexico.
Did I mention I was headed for lovely Mexico? The boys (the priest and his hottie boyfriend mentioned above) have offered me gratis accommodation in their Yelapa flat that they have reserved through March 2nd. Must be nice to have a priest’s schedule! Their flight from Vancouver was due in at noon, just after the conference call ended – leaving me barely enough time to hit duty free for some scotch.
The LAX – PVR flight was loading at 12:25 so there was just time for a juice at the Board Room for the boys – too bad they didn’t have a longer layover so I could have show them the good life (and gotten them some food to tide them over). At least they got to see the place.
Back at the boarding gate they ran into one of their friends from Yelepa coming back from six weeks in Reno. The three of them were in the back, and there wasn’t a way for me to send them back drinks – oh, well, enough time for that in Mexico.
Flew through immigration and customs because I was basically on the first off the plane and had no checked luggage. By the time the rest of the crew cleared all the mess I had already hit the cash machine and fended off a hundred attempts to separate me from my money (tours, cabs, etc – no pick pockets).
It quickly became clear why I got up early – Hummingbird bargained the cab driver down to $30 (US) for a ride for the four of us and all our stuff to Old Towne Puerto Vallarta and the lovely and functional Hotel Jasmin. A room for the four of us (two double beds, two people each) was 700 peso ($14 to the dollar is the bank exchange) which would be $50. The advantage of this hotel is that it is three blocks from the pier where the water taxi’s leave tomorrow.
Dinner for the three of us (Jerrad, their friend had legal problems to deal with) was at American prices but very good —- 1200 for food and two bottles of wine (and tip). Maybe that isn’t bad if I use the official exchange rate – that puts it at $85 US which I guess isn’t that bad.
Slept well – and was totally shocked that no one was snoring with four middle-age men in one room. Well, maybe I was, but no one was complaining.
Just another day of screwing around on the ranch followed by an impromptu dinner invitation from Swanda. It a great deal: I bring the protein; he provides the salad and booze. And I pick up my accumulated packages while I’m at the apartment. Of the three packages awaiting me, one was for Swanda, one was for Hummingbird (from Canada who also uses us as a mail drop) and the one for me wasn’t the one I was expecting, so it was unexpected, as you would say. A t-shirt from the Oregon Department of Kick Ass from their last Kickstarter campaign and a Ring sweatshirt that I’m guessing belonged to her deceased father as we are/were about the same build.
Dinner was simple peasant fare of little lamb chops and a lot of cole slaw, washed down with a little whiskey for me, and not sure what Swanda was drinking (could have been water!).
It was an early meal and an early departure, which was good since SurfBetty showed up to drop off the talisman that we blew on Tuesday morning and picked up all the sample martini glasses for sorting, grading, final punte remains to grind off, feet (opposite of the bowl) signing and separating the firsts and the seconds (for pricing).
The first picture is of one of the talisman (filled with black beans to also make it a ceremonial rattle) and this semi-hand-blown oversized Cuervo 1800 Tequila margarita glass that I found in a thrift shop on my way home from blowing the talisman. I find it humorous since the wraps we were trying to apply are almost exactly the same colors as the ones on the margarita glass. It’s a cheap thank-you present for SurfBetty for the four days of blowing.
And our second and final shot of the day is of the talisman themselves shown in the order that they were blown. The first with its intense orange wrap over the swirled globe and filled with black beans, the second a plain swirled globe (the unopened martini bowl) filled with un-popped organic corn kernels, and the third (also filled with black beans) with a plain clear globe at the top and single bands of orange and black on either ends of the stem.
They are so gorgeous that now I have to make presentation boxes for them. And SurfBetty still has to swing buy and do a bit of grinding on the top and I need to find a better seal than a piece of scotch tape (cork? rubber? silicone?).
The boys (Hummingbird and BamBam) are up and out before I’m out of bed. Apparently they actually want breakfast though I hear the eggs were good, it’s usually just gruel, fruit and muesli in the morning. Not much in the way of protein, just carbs.
This morning I moved the propane coffee maker out onto the small front. No alarms went off. Whew!
Here’s the view from the front porch:
Actually, it’s from the path in front of the deck, but you get the idea.
Ran through the lunch line so I could get to Devil’s Hole before the sun shrank behind the trees. Here is a shot that I took years ago that we used for the publicity for this event:
The afternoon was spent in domestic bliss, i.e. sitting on the deck reading back issues of The New Yorker.
Usual cocktail party and protein load with the usual suspects before dinner salad. So far so good with staying on the low carb regimen.
Tonight is the Fashion/Auction Show, or would that be Fuction? One of the items being auctioned off is that stunning beaded red dress that I picked up in San Diego last year. It went for $75 which was a wonderful premium on the $7.80 cents that I paid for it. Unfortunately I succumbed to a little auction fever and ended paying $350 for several nights in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house on the big island. I do need the miles and my guess is that Dancing Bear will split the cost with me. I left the auction before the all the items were sold, having spent my wad and more.
A little post-functioning back at the cabin and off to bed.
With the cabin to myself it was easy to sleep in past breakfast and make a pot of coffee at my leisure. Of course I should have done it on the front steps as I managed to momentarily set off the CO2/Smoke Alarm in the cabin. Being in the trees, the cabins that is, also means not a lot of direct sunlight.
Pre-lunch of cheese, lunch meats and marinated olives and mushrooms led to a lunch of a large plate of salad. A low carb diet at Breitenbush is a challenge — which my guess is that most of my meals will be pre-meals followed by salad.
Around two I wandered up to the parking lot to await the arrival of Dancing Bear with all of the photo directories stuffed into their envelopes with the bamboo towelettes. By the time he arrived several hours late at 4pm, I’d already checked in a dozen or so people, which would have been much easier with the packets arranged in alpha order. Oh well. Basically my job is done as far as organizing the gathering is concerned. Dancing Bear will be handling who does what for the fashion/auction/talent shows planned. My job is to sit and relax.
Sorry the photo is so washed out. I took this as a still picture from my tiny video camera, tried it with my phone as well, but it was as washed out as well. So much for leaving the decent camera a home.
Once Dancing Bear was set up at the gate I was able to get back to put the cabin together. I had to move out of B3 at 1pm and wasn’t allowed into B2 where I’m staying for the gathering until 4, leaving my pile of bags, blankets, coolers, electronics piled between the cabins.
Here is a shot of the cabin all set up:
With Mark and Onyx cancelling at the last minute, my new cabin mates are Hummingbird and BamBam. They arrived around 5 just as I was finished setting up.
Dinner was the same routine of pre-dinner meats and cheeses, but with more of a cocktail party setting. It seems that I have a reputation for breaking the Breitenbush rules.
More sticks and twigs (as they say) in the buffet line — I just headed straight for the salad.
After dinner was Breitenbush 101 (don’t plug in your curling iron, you’ll bring the system down), followed by Faerie 101 (what’s this all about) and finally the Opening Ritual, which I missed as it was a) really short and b) was waylaid by someone I hadn’t seen in a couple of years.
I’m already starting to get tired of all the “thank you for all your hard work” comments, and it’s only the first day.
Spent the morning babysitting the printer and packing for the trip to Vancouver.
Left the house a little before noon, hit the apartment to drop off Swanda’s car, and pick up the mail and drop off 3 dead toner cartridges (good thing I got more at UW last week) and then to the shop to drop off a 6×6 dishwasher rack to hold our champagne glasses, and then onto the highway with the top down all the way to CanadaLand.
So rare for an early February, reasonably warm and very sunny. Having pulled the temperature at Breitenbush Hot Springs for next week, I’m guessing no snow on the ground.
No line at the border, but it was past 3 when I hit the outskirts of the city, meaning northbound was down to one lane under the river (reversible lanes). I’ll remember that for the next time. Grabbed groceries at Safeway and was checked in with cocktail in hand at 4:20.
BamBam and Hummingbird for dinner tonight. Totally spaced getting a picture. Oh well.
After the PuPu platter, it was a Sunday Roast on Tuesday. Seasoned pork blade roast over a bed of potatoes and onions with a salad. Only a little of the pork left when all was said and done.
Nice to be back in Vancouver and seeing the boys who are just back from a month in Yelapa (just down the coast from Puerto Vallarta).
Helene for lunch tomorrow, Epick for dinner, and Marmot for drinks after.
Off to Vancouver today. Rich showed up at 11 and we were out the door at 11:30, with the trunk stuffed within an inch of its life:
And once we are in Vancouver and on the luggage trolley:
Only two of those bags were from grocery and booze shopping.
The condo was ready for us when we checked in at a little after 3, and by 5 when HummingBird and BamBam showed up the pupu platter was on the table. Pork loin, refried beans, salad, wine and much good conversation followed.
Later in the evening DTAW (Darlene, the Ambassadors wife) showed up to pick up copies of the Sign of the Times that she was featured in 24 years ago. Still makes me laugh that our lives intersected long before we knew each other.
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