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Uncle Markie out and about.

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Wed
27
Dec '06

Next stop, the Quillayute River Resort.

Up at 9am, out of the room 11ish and on the road as I’d like to arrive while it’s still light outside. Steak and eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch?

So, today’s destination is the Quillayute River Resort — owned by my friends Chip and Linda. Linda is the person that helped me do all the reupholstery work on Bob, The Bus.

So, I’ll be in the end unit which has better light. Floor-plan is below.

Floorplan of the Q River Resort

All you have to do is change the door and bathroom location, and you’ve got the last unit in the row of cabins (each with it’s own garage!) And I don’t end up in the end unit, because I’ve fallen in love with unit 4 — which used to be the store room which held boxes from the 50’s with Sears cabinets, the appliances, and all the other stuff that is in the other rooms — but this one now has a flat panel TV, and a heated floor in the bathroom. The hell with the extra window!

But getting here is a whole other matter. Microsoft Streets and Trips has taken me for a ride — AKA a long detour. Below is the map:

The Bad Streets and Trips Route

NOW — let me explain what is wrong with this map. 30 miles of the route is not paved. and I encountered a bridge half way through (thank god for four wheel drive and a center locking differential) that was two large steel I-beams with some planking on either side — and nothing in the middle. This was after the road went from gravel enough for two logging trucks to pass to… well, one lane of gravel, and then THAT bridge — which I didn’t cross, knowing there was another 13 miles past that — and a serious river, and the storms and — well, shit, there’s an oven in the back of the van.

Basically — it’s retrace your steps to Moclips, and go cross country to US101 — think I lost about an hour on that little side step — I really need to get the new version of Microsoft Streets and Trips!

Dinner with Chip and Linda, and I’m bringing the wine and the whiskey. Dinner is a lovely roasted chicken with vegetables and a great salad.

For a real-time view of the river in front of the resort, click here. Cause I’m going to bed.

But I know you are all curious about the wireless speeds here:

 

Now… shall we try if we actually plug into the network? The folks here have chosen the EASY way to wirelessly expand the network — they put $15 Netgear repeaters in each room. Thank god for Fry’s Electronics. Here are the wired numbers:

 

So… what is wrong with this picture — wired is SLOWER? Let’s retry with both wired and wireless on board…..

I had another one with both on that was 900+, so I don’t have an explanation of this.

Sun
6
Jan '08

Sunday With Mr. & Mrs. Whippets

A comment from yesterday when Chip and I were fooling around getting the computers running — “What about dinner, the Whippets need to be fed on a regular basis.” This was Linda referring to Chip and her. Thin bodied people with high metabolisms. That’s not me.

Here is a great shot of Uncle Markie and the Whippets taken in the waiting room of the Black Ball Line’s Coho Ferry.

P1040475

And last nights entertainment — the New Hampshire presidential debates (both Republican and Democrat) that ran from 7-11pm. A marathon session — played havoc with my hot tub schedule.

No plan for today other than eating and drinking — so it won’t be a bad day.

Dinner tonight is a rolled pork roast, roasted root vegetables, a salad, and a movie — The 40 Year Old Bachelor. The movie I’d seen before, but it was a hoot to watch with Chip and Linda (and a glass of Scotch in hand). The last time I saw this movie was in September of 2005 when I was waiting for the train headed home from Sacramento after a ManScouts gathering.

The dinner wine was a 49 North from Mission Vineyards. Not as good as the Jackson Triggs last night, but for $10 a bottle, drinkable.

Wed
27
Feb '13

Off To Forks.

Packed and out of the house headed to Forks for a little visit with Chip and Linda, and to deliver a case of wine (+1) that I forgot on my last trip. It might have been cheaper to just UPS it, but then I wouldn’t get to see them and share a lovely bottle of the 2010 Bonny Boon Le Cigar Volant Blanc Reserve.

It’s not often that I end up with a $50 bottle (retail) of white wine in my cooler. Luckily because I’m in the trade I get 30% off, and I’m grandfathered in on free shipping. Why do I feel like I’m repeating myself. Anyway, if you click on the bottle you can read all about it. The interesting thing about this Blanc Reserve is that it’s aged in carboys, you know, those 5 gallon glass jugs. Give the wine a slight cloudiness, but it’s damn tasty. Guess I’d better share the other bottle with Jim and Suze.

Got to Forks at 4 and the kids were actually mostly done with work for the day so there was time to just sit around and chat. I brought some fabric that I’d picked up in Hawaii to show Linda since we are both fabric whores – she’s the one that helped me sewing the wolf/mint hoodie last year.

Here is one of them:

And the other:

What amazed me is after an amazing dinner of stew and fresh bread, that Linda volunteer to sew a yukata (Japanese style bathrobe) out of the space shuttle unloading pineapples and a Hawaiian shirt out the the Japanese cats in the city fabric.

Wine delivery certainly has its perks.

Left them a little shine as well.

[210.2]

Thu
28
Dec '06

Twelve hours of work. Must do.

So, as I look out onto the Quilliyute River from my kitchen table — work is on the table today. I haven’t done enough in the last couple of days to pay my bills, so I have to work overtime. Luckily Chip is working on GO Software updates and Linda is pulling downed branches from the woods.

Breakfast in the cabin — eggs! Gumbo with Chip and Linda for lunch. Snack in the cabin — salad!

Work for Shirts of Bamboo (new ads, and wholesale), Twango (sponsorship opportunities), Best Baking Company (foil stickers), and the Quillayute River Resort (updated amenties instructions and cable channels). At least I have a great workplace with a view of the river.

P1010027 - Twango   P1010024 - Twango

P1010025 - Twango   P1010026 - Twango

P1010029 - Twango

Dinner tonight is pupu platters, good wine, pear pizza, and good times. And probably more work as well — gotta get those twelve hours in as tomorrow is a travel day.

Sat
5
Jan '08

Two Ferries To Get There.

Two ferries to get where I’m going today.

Ferry Number One: The Edmonds-Kingston run. Means getting out of the house before 9am to catch the 9:20 ferry or so I learned when I just randomly showed up to catch the next ferry.

Ferry Number Two: The Black Ball ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. The joy of this old ferry is doing my duty free shopping before the sailing.

I’m meeting Chip and Linda in Port Angeles for lunch before we sail at 2pm. They know the restaurants better than I do since they are in Forks, which is down the road a bit from PA.

Victoria here we come. Off for four nights at the lovely WorldMark Victoria. the WMVic is still my favorite in the chain. And we have my favorite unit in Victoria — the 2-bedroom penthouse various floors. How you can have a penthouse on various floors does need some explaining. Most times (though not in Oceanside) penthouse means robes and your own private hot tub. We will see if that works for the WorldMark Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach where Dan and I are staying next week, the penthouse designation.

For those of you following my obsession with staying at all the various World Mark resorts, I actually DECLINED to make a reservation at the WorldMark Deer Harbor on Orcas Island (one island over from Lopez). I had a spare day (Thursday) and was thinking about going over for the night since I need to be on Lopez Friday night for a Saturday meeting with possible buyers for Bob (the 1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge). Deer Harbor would complete my stays at all the Washington resorts, and Ocean Walk will complete my stays at all the Florida resorts (that doesn’t include Fairfield affiliates). I’ve stayed at all the resorts in Canada, Hawaii, and Fiji. But still a couple more in Oregon — and bunches in California.

But enough about my obsessions. Time to start driving.

EVENING UPDATE:

Arrived in Victoria in one piece after a WONDERFUL meal at Michael’s in Port Angeles. Technically it is Michael’s Divine Dining — Downtown, Downstairs. Ferry, rocky, on time. We were in the WorldMark unit at a little before the 4pm check-in.

Cocktails (to warm the wet walk from the ferry) and computer network configuration fill the next hour before our grocery run.

Dinner? Top Sirlion Rolled Medallions — an amazing deal at $13.21 a kilo (2.2 pounds), green beans ala Linda, a great bagette, and most importantly — the 2004 Meritage Jackson Triggs which was STUNNING — and $20 a bottle even in Canada with it’s recent dollar parity.

Think hot tubs for later. Life is hard in North America.

Mon
25
Dec '17

Trip Report: Forks For Friends

It had been too long since I’d been out to Forks, Washington to visit my friends, Chip and Linda. And it is a pretty drive:

In theory, it’s 150 miles and 3.5 hours…but there is a ferry ride to get to the peninsula…think more like 4.5 to 5 hours. A FOGGY ferry ride…

Crossing the Hood Canal Bridge:

Through Port Angeles and along the edge of Crescent Lake

Quillayute River Resort is a turn off a little before Forks, Washington, on the way to Rialto Beach.

The original plan was that I’d stay in the lodge in the family/friend room, but one of the suites was open!

The late afternoon turned into a downpour – those streaks are rain coming off the roof:

But there was a lovely hearty beef stew…

Following by rice pudding…

They are the early to bed type, so I headed back to the suite – which fortunately had less rain than on the way in.

The morning, which was forecast for snow, instead, turned out to be SUN!

And the Lodge…

And the main entrance:

And it’s beautiful inside…first, upstairs in the owner’s suite, still in process:

It was such a beautiful day I went out for a drive – to the coast…

Which was gorgeous with the sun out!

And the way back, I swung by the Quillayute State Airport – which has seen better days:

During World War II, it was a big deal with two 5,000 foot runways.

I didn’t realize that the way I usually drive to the resort is at the bottom of a valley, with mountain views:

Managed to get back to the resort with enough time for a quick nap before dinner in the commercial portion of the lodge – outfitted with a catering kitchen, ADA guest suite, library. The highlights of the open catering kitchen are these two beauties:

And the rest of the common space is stunning:

Tonight is pizza night – when you have a wood-fired oven, pizza is a natural, though the last time I was here, it was fresh pita bread. Here is the oven all fired up:

And pizza calls for WINE!

Chip is getting REALLY, REALLY GOOD as a pizza maker:

Out of the five small pizzas we made, there were only a couple of slices left – that didn’t make it past midnight back in my room.

One last comment on the resort, should you have a Tesla – you are covered:

Didn’t sleep in as late as I’d like since I have a dinner date back in the city…and with construction on 101, I had no clue of delays. There was a delay, but it was ten minutes stuck with this view:

Grabbed lunch in Port Angeles, and headed to the ferry (once again, missing one by minutes, so waiting for another 45). Here is the view from the ferry with the city in the distance:

It was a relaxing couple of days in the woods. Next time I shouldn’t wait 18 months between visits.

[? ? ?]

For all the other blog posts, CLICK HERE.

Fri
7
Feb '14

Trip Report: Forks, Washington

Setting For The Twilight Series

Off to visit friends and work on making some zebra-skin lederhosen. I got the idea from a Wall Street Journal article about Oktoberfest in Namibia (a former German colony). Here is the drive plan since the Seahawks Victory Parade will turn downtown Seattle into a mess/zoo/clusterfuck:

Yep, taking the long route… through Tacoma.

The lovely Tacoma Narrows Bridge – in the non-tolled direction. Made fairly good time – even with the stops. Got to the Quillayute River Resort right in time for cocktails!

Pulled over by Lake Crescent for a “selfie”:

My unit (#4) and the view from my window:

It’s wonderfully peaceful out here but the main reason for the visit it a little sewing project with Linda, who with Chip runs the resort. The plan is to make a pair of zebra hide lederhosen like the ones I saw in the Wall Street Journal last fall.

Well – it isn’t as easy as it sounds….especially after we finished off a bottle of scotch on my first night there…

By the end of the day we had only gotten as far as getting all the pieces cut out – well, that and making a mock-up out of a white sheet to make sure we were getting the measurements correct. Luckily there are no pictures of me in what looks like an adult diaper since the mock-up was made out of a used sheet from the resort. Linda will finish it next week while Chip is away (so she can spread out all over their small caretaker’s apartment.

Within the next year or two it won’t be an issue once the Lodge House is completed. Living area upstairs and downstairs is a commercial kitchen and reception hall, along with the reception desk for guests. Their current unit will be turned into a 2-bedroom suite and Chip will keep his office in the current reception desk room.

Lots of the resorts guests are fisherman – like this one who was out in the bitter cold practicing his art:

The river is a little low because of the lack of rain – meaning a couple of cancellations for the weekend. As for me, I come to sew and admire the sunsets:

Got on the road the final morning a little after 11am after a Denver-style scrambled egg breakfast. Stops in Port Angeles at Goodwill for a breadmaker ($5.99 for a 2# size rectangular loaf machine), and at Swains for black flannel-lined jeans – yes, I’m finally breaking down and spending over $50 for some new jeans. I have blue flannel-lined ones but I just don’t think the color works on me.

It was a beautiful day for a drive (both days were sunny, clean and wickedly cold) as evidenced by this shot from my ferry ride back to Seattle:

Home in time for cocktails and dinner.

Not a bad way to spend a couple of days.

[209.0]

Mon
24
Dec '12

Christmas Eve At The Shop.

Dinner At Swandas.

Well, we know one thing – it gets busy the morning of Christmas Eve at the shop, whereas the afternoon was dead. Next year I think we will try 11-5 (Sunday hours) rather than 12-7 (weekday hours).

It was so dead at the end that Jim left about 6:30 and I closed the shop before seven – hopefully no one was disappointed.

It was good to see Drew along with Chip and Linda – of course, they were there during the crush of people before Jim showed up after two. Next year, two people to open, one to close. We’ll see how next week does with New Year’s Eve sales, that might be a later crowd.

Shocked Rob, Jody and Swanda by showing up almost exactly at 7 – they’d just finished two games of “The Night Before Christmas” or some such thing. Nice to have a late dinner so I could miss that! No much of a group games person.

Huge meal of pork loins over roasted root vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts, a shrimp/slaw cocktail, salad, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something. We were all stuffed and passed on dessert – like any of us needed it.

Home rather early – good to get off the road before the novices take over.

But that doesn’t mean it was early to bed.

[210.2]

Mon
7
Jan '08

Monday Madness. Not.

Well, the question has been asked about why I like this place in Victoria so much when I mentioned I wouldn’t mind dying in this place…

If it is someplace you wouldn’t mind dying in does that mean there is something you can incorporate into your home to mirror the feeling? Or is it really the location?

As the real estate people say… location, location, location. The unit I’m in this time (and most are like this) is a corner unit with glass on two sides. This time I’m facing the bay and the city, other times I’ve been facing the bay and the inlet and mountains. Both views are stunning. Here is a typical one.

P1040504

Here is a link to all the pictures — including the seals at Fisherman’s Wharf next door, the float planes and ferries, the whole shooting match: http://www.twango.com/channel/markso.victoria2008

Chip and Linda leave today on the 4pm ferry back to Port Angeles, and they are replaced by Robin Hood who is coming down from Salt Spring Island further up Vancouver Island. After viewing their camera mounted at their resort (Quillayute River Resort) and seeing snow falling, they are less than thrilled going back home.

Today’s plan calls for shopping for dinner. Seafood tonight as RH is a fisheterian. Two choices for fish shopping — next door at Fisherman’s Wharf, or around the corner at Finest At Sea’s Retail Store which is quite a find since they are a restaurant provider that has a little retail store. Think scallops, live in their shells, the size of salad plate.

P1040489

I think FAS will be the winner. Probably need to get more wine too… unless we don’t drink the Pinot Noir (Calona Vineyards Artist Series 2006) with lunch.

Thu
8
May '08

Bob Going Bye-Bye?

Bob may be going bye-bye. Got (another) call this afternoon from Leancy from Flagstaff who called with his flight information. Thursday early afternoon. Which means that we should be able to get to the island directly from the airport. Guess I’d better take the van so I can unload all the stuff in the bus.

But until the money is in my bank account, it ain’t over till it’s over. He has requested the VIN so he can get insurance for the trip home, called Les Schwab about tires, called NC Machinery about a dynamometer test and complete fluid change — hell, once he’s done with that I’d want to keep the thing.

And for me, got off the island on the 11am ferry and back into town at 2pm. I really need a nap. But, not time. Swanda coming for quick cocktails, and then Lynne is showing up at six for dinner. If I had more food I’d invite Swanda as well.

Don’t forget — postage rates go up May 12th.

Upcoming adventures? Tomorrow poker in Olympia, then out to Forks to visit Chip and Linda (and do some work) for Saturday and Sunday night.

[222 on church scale]

Sat
10
May '08

On The Way To Get Forked, I Met a Hoh.

Today’s adventure takes us away form Olympia and onto the Olympic peninsula to visit my friends that run the Quillayute River Resort outside of Forks, Washington. I’ll be working out here for a day or two on toilet signs, notepads, postcards, you name it. It’s a nice exchange gig in a lovely suite right on the river.

But on the way to Forks, I stopped by the Hoh Rain Forest which is 15 miles south.

Would you look at the elk I saw mere feet from the visitor’s center:

P1050566

According to the ranger, it had just dropped it’s antlers last week.

Yet another chance to use my Annual Pass to the National Parks — adding $15 to the total dollars I’ve received from my $80 purchase. Which if I could find all the entries is now well over $100. Now that Steve is back at Deer Lodge, maybe I can use it for Yellowstone before it expires at the end of June.

Now, onto the resort in Forks. Below is the room that I’m staying in.

floor_plan_A

Chip and Linda cooked an amazing meal and only to the end of it did we start talking about the graphics business that will pay for my stay. Maybe I’ll have pictures tomorrow when I’m coherent. Or not.

[no scale]

Mon
12
May '08

Damned Allergies.

So — it was just ONE of those days. Things not going right.

Labels, not centered, meat left in the freezer (note to Chip and Linda: CHECK YOUR FREEZER, the lamb should be really good in a meat loaf mixed 50/50 with either veal or pork or both).

So, driving home in a fog — I miss a critical turnoff. Paging Shelton. Shit. How many miles of 101 with construction did I just do when I didn’t have to?

Don’t know – can’t tell, Streets and Maps won’t start and this late in the evening I don’t even care — I assume a couple of hours.

Dinner with Swanda. Steaks and salad and vodka and wine. And after dinner, after Swanda left, I went out and mowed the damn lawn — in for a penny, in for a pound.

Think I have Bob figured out — Wonderful and I will drive up late tomorrow, have dinner on the island and head back Wednesday morning ont he 11am ferry. Headed for Les Schwab for two front tires for Bob so that I know he’ll get to Tukwila on Friday. Pucking up the potential buyer Thursday at the airport and all other situations looked like they were cutting it way too close if he wants to leave town on Saturday.

Go Bob Go! And if it doesn’t sell, Go Bob Go To The Longhouse Gathering.

[???]

Sun
12
Oct '08

Homeward Bound.

What a relaxing weekend. The only downside of going with friends is that the time I get to spend with Chip and Linda is minimized. Guess that means I’ll have to go back!

Got out of there at 11:45 and got home around 3:15 or so.

forks-se - Share on Ovi

Too bad I couldn’t go as the crow flies — it would have been much quicker.

The house was a wreck when I returned — it was a wreck before I left, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, but with company coming for dinner (Curt and Feng) a little cleaning is in order (and closing the door to my office!)

But before I can even think about cleaning I have to get my new mattress out of Swanda’s apartment — it’s rolled up, but still is 5 feet tall and a foot and a half across. That and cocktails takes me to 6:30 back at home, with Curt arriving minutes after. Luckily by the time Feng showed up around 7 the coals were going, the salad was made and the table set (and the house straightened).

I gave up my bed so the boys could play around. Damn, I’m a gentleman.

[? ? ?]

Sun
29
Mar '15

Trip Report: Spring Break Number One – Washington Coast

When you have lots of friends who are students or teachers you try (well, I do) to do sometime good for them during their spring break. In my case, I’m going on THREE spring break getaways this spring.

Number One: Two nights in Ocean Park, Washington at the WorldMark Surfside Inn, followed by a night at the Quillayute River Resort (owned by friends of mine).

The “theory” was picking up Roxy at noon on Monday. The reality was more like 1:30. Off a three day work run after a 10-day trip to Asia, sleep was my friend. And late morning packing.

Here is the route:

Just a little driving over the next couple of days! Stop number one, the WorldMark Surfside:


(Photo Courtesy of WorldMark Surfside)

Obviously the photo was taken in the summer, but here is the inside:

A little heavy on the converted motel redone a bit upscale, but it isn’t really about the view from our first floor deck (with BBQ) – even in Spring:

But it’s comfortable…

And we can cook a good meal….

And invite company to dinner, complete with crostini appetizers….

And the inevitable…

Next up, our place in Forks, Washington (of Twilight fame):

And our cabin interior (not my photo):


(Photo Courtesy of Quillayute River Resort)

Full kitchen, but tonight we are being hosted by our hosts, Chip (pictured in front of the new lodge):

And Linda (over appetizers):

Linda was the one that helped me craft my Wolf-Mink Hoodie and my Zebra Lederhosen (see links for pictures). And one of the features of the new lodge is a wood-fired oven. I don’t think I’d ever had fresh pita:

Before you knew it, we were on the road home – 4 hours from Forks to Oly, another hour home. Not helped by having a bit of a head cold, which wasn’t helped by me putting the top down on the last get:

Trip One down, Trip Two next week…God Save This Queen.

[225.6]

Tue
16
Feb '10

Return From Vampire Land.

Pancakes for breakfast before heading back to the jacket project… I’d be sunk without Linda on the project. As they say, WAY in over my head.

Unfortunately at this point, there isn’t much that I could help with, it’s just the tedious part of creating a liner — sort of like reverse engineering. We (really I should say Linda) used the existing sleeve liners combined with the new liner material for the main body.

Me? I took my bi-weekly marketing conference call in Unit 3 who had checked out early. Thank goodness for Skype (and Chips headset) as Raf finally turned off his third line (two less financial nooses around his neck, lines 2 and 3).

Not being able to do anything to help with the liner, I was left to do what I could to help — strip the bed in Unite 3, wash the dishes, take out the garbage and read a trash novel, having finished the trash novel I brought with me.

A lovely lunch of potato pasta — definitely not Adkins, and more work on the coat. It was 3:30 when I got out of there… and it will require another trip to complete the project as we’ve concluded that the hood liner fabric would look better if it matched the main coat liner (rather than the original brown) and that a seriously clunked brass zipper in the front would totally modernize the piece…. oh well, next time. No time, no zippers in Forks, and the Olympics looming.

Stopped at Goodwill on the way back to Discovery Bay for no good reason… and didn’t find anything, not that I was looking for anything, though you never know.

Got back to the condo a little after 5:30pm having found the car-wash that I wanted to go to in Sequim closed… puddy cat needs a bath.

Dinner was stuff leftover in the fridge — still think I’m going to have a ton of stuff to pack up tomorrow, stuff that I can’t take into Canada with us on Thursday. Oh well, Ross and Rich coming for dinner tomorrow night. That will take care of some of it.

Off to bed.

[? ? ?]

Mon
13
Apr '09

Hampton Court Palace.

Got to sleep in… until 8:30 this morning. Yahoo. Thanks to Ambien I slept through the night. No jet-lag.

Today’s adventure is a walk along the Thames into downtown Richmond so see Linda’s church, then onto the bus to Hampton Court Palace.

Here is a lovely shot of my in the dining room of Henry VIII’s apartment:

P1070242 - Share on Ovi

If you want to see the entire album of photos, here is the link:
http://share.ovi.com/album/markso.London2009

My friend Spin showed up, and off to the cafe we went for lunch. Tempted by the fish and chips, I restrained and went for the Beef and Ale Pie with a mixed green salad. Linda had a cheese and piccadilly sandwich, Andy the Beef and Ale Pie with the mashed potatoes and mushy peas (their name, not mine), and wee Claire had a sugar and lemon pancake.

With a split of wine in us (Spin and I) we all set out to explore the palace. Tons of people since it’s Easter Monday — but the upside are all sorts of actors playing roles, and the kitchens were showing traditional food preparation. Sort of like a British version of Henry Ford Village in Dearborn.

Wonderful leftovers for dinner tonight — which will be early since I have to be at the bus stop at 7am to make my flight from Heathrow at 10:35am. Ick.

[97 kilos]

Sun
12
Apr '09

Dateline: London.

Well — the flights went well, I went with the roast beef sandwich and soup, but the chicken breast over lettuce looked better. And no Chivas Regal at all on the domestic leg. At least they had Chivas in Economy on the London leg. I used it to wash down the Ambian.

No strip search at customs and between Transport for London and Linda’s directions I had a 20 Pound Oyster card (bus/tube) pass and was at the house a little after 11 — plenty of time for a shower and a nap. Even had time to stop at the store and pick up a pink of scotch and a Diet Coke.

p1070227

I’ve got a room off the garden and am hoping the cat doesn’t like me. I’d hate to wake a a cat on my face.

Tonight is leg of lamb and a faux Beef Wellington for Linda the vegetarian.

[98 kilos]

Sat
9
Jul '22

Trip Report: Rialto Beach

Travel time again! This week is Rialto Beach on the Washington Coast outside of Forks, Washington where friends have the Quillayute River Resort with my old housemate Greg.

Taking my serger and a bunch of fabric to Linda, who, with Chip, own the lodge.

First a stop in Sequim to have lunch with MariJo and Robert.

Huge portions – they split this Dinner Salad:

Don’t know where the photo of Greg and I’s split Rueben with green salad went – but it was definitely enough for the two of us.

Got to the resort a little after 4pm (check-in time):

I like #6 because it has windows on three sides:

The couch in the living room folds out to a twin – and Greg said it was comfortable. I took the King.

Full kitchen, so we brought all our breakfast stuff, and bags of kibble for when we are out and exploring. For dinners, our lovely hosts are cooking – with me showing up with big bottles of wine!

That is a magnum of Spanish bubbles in the background of the pounded chicken breast – plus there were these walnut puffs to start with!

Thursday’s dinner was another stunner!

 

Slow cooked beef ribs, a sinful potato dish, and a magnum of Châteaunuef-De-Pape from the shop. And an amazing panacotta for dessert.

During our full day at the coast we went exploring on Rialto Beach. I had thought about the Hoh Rain Forest – then Greg reminded me that it was summer and we’d have to get there at 8 when they opened. NOT. Rialto Beach it is:

STUNNING. A much let crowded than the Hoh. Here is a nice panorama of the beach:

Friday it was back to the city so I can work the weekend, with a stop at Lake Crescent for a selfie:

But first a stop at Sunrise Meats in Port Angeles. I didn’t know about this place, but Jim and Greg do.

I just got sausages. Jim got smoked pork chops and some sausage. Greg just sausage. Everything is done in-house, including their smoked salmon and cod.

The debate was ferry, or driving back around. A blockage on the Hood Canal made driving around the best option:

Which meant back over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which I always love:

And because I’m a little geeky, decided to see what the connection speed on the bridge was.

Wish I had this at home!

Made it home by 4PM, before the majority of Friday traffic.

[203.2]

For more blog posts, click here.

Tue
8
Jan '08

Terrible Tuesday. Not Really.

Dinner last night with Robin Hood was glorious. Local mussels and clams from the seafood store around the corner steamed in a white wine shallot sauce (see Victoria Recipes to the left). Scotch before, then white wine, then red wine for a soak in the hot tub.

As for today — what a slug. Still haven’t put real clothes on, might as well do my laundry! Laying around reading, soaking, blogging. Talk about a lazy day.

Breakfast salmon scramble with the last scone and tonight’s meal is all the leftovers from the last four days. Main course will be a pork hash from all the left over roast and root vegetables from two nights ago, and a nice salad. And there is even a partial bottle of wine from last night (2004 Mas des Huppes Saint-Chinian).

Looks like I”ll be bring booze back to the states since Robin Hood brought a bottle of wine (above, and VERY good), and Chip/Linda left their scotch for me. Guess we didn’t REALLY need to each buy a bottle of scotch — thought they would be taking there’s back with them, but left it to me as a present. Means that I’ll finish the Glen Morangie Port Wood Finish scotch, leaving half bottles of the Famous Grouse Port Wood Finish and the Macallan 10-year-old Cask Strength to take back to the states, and probably the bottle of Jackson-Triggs Cabernet 2005 Okanagan Valley.

Here is the typical picture of me from today.

P1040507

And now for my political commentary on the second big contest of the 2008 Presidential Contest. My thoughts on this are that the public as a whole is not ready to choose the top candidate yet — both the Asses and the Pachyderms have three people still alive after the New Hampshire primary. New Hampshire has continued the Iowa tradition of this election cycle — hundreds of hundreds new voters registered — on both sides. It’s about time Americans got off their butts and voted.

Asses:

  • Clinton
  • Edwards
  • Obama

Pachyderms:

  • Huckabee
  • McCain
  • Romney

Names are in alphabetical order, rather than my preference, which I don’t have yet.

Seems the good people of this country want to learn a bunch more about these six before they commit to a top choice.

Tue
22
Jan '13

Headed to Twilight Land…

That would be Forks, Washington, setting for all the Twilight books and movies.

Ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, then across the Hood Canal Bridge to a place that I’d passed many times but not stopped – but it was time for lunch.

That would be Fat Smittys – just past the turn off for Port Townsend and before the turn off to the WorldMark Discovery Bay.

The view from inside the restaurant.

And the Fat Smitty Burger – two patties, bacon, cheese, a slice of round Texas toast in the center which I pulled out as a concession to my low carb diet – as was the subbing of slaw for fries. $10. Cash only, ATM on site. No alcohol served which is pointed out on the outside of the building.

Had to have a little nap after the twisty turny part of the trip around Lake Crescent. Got to Chip and Lindas (the Quilliyute River Resort) about 4:30, but they weren’t quite ready to relax so I had an hour to myself in the end suite (extra windows, best view, Unit #6).

Cocktails before dinner which was a lovely stuffed pork loin with oven roasted potatoes and a nice salad – with a nice bottle of French wine that I brought along.

They are the early to bed folks, and I was as well tonight – which is unusual for me.

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