UMTravels

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.

Time will tell.

[221.6]

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.

First, SOB (Son of Bob). Here is the Craigslist listing: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/rvs/1618130848.htmlor the sales flyer on my site: http://www.studio403.com/ItascaFlyer.pdf

Second, the mommy van now that I’m back from the Olympics. Here is the Craigslist listing: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/1618116567.htmlor the sales flyer here since the Craigslist link will die in 7 days: http://www.studio403.com/MazdaMPVFlyer.pdf

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.

[221.2]

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).

[221.7]

Item number one.

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:

Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

So, those are the two oddities for the day.

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.

How that for a run-on sentence.

[222.6]

Nice to wake up in my own bed, with no one around — I’m sure it will get boring after a couple of days by for now it’s great.

Shopping, laundry, errands, work today.

And for today’s oddity that was sent to me by my friend Jeanne:

Early night for me tonight.

[222.1 not bad for three weeks on the road]

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,

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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.

Here is a shot from their trip:

I’m not a big fan of:

• Crowds
• Lines
• Lines of Crowds

I (and Ross) stayed in and watched it on the TV.

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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.

Hoping to sleep in a little bit tomorrow.

With luck…

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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.

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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.

Up early. Ick.

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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.

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The boys left fairly early in the morning… that would be Spencer and David — things to do at the house on their day off.

As for me — 10:30 and I was out the door headed for Forks (hence the Twilight reference) with a stop at JoAnn’s Fabric for some leather needles for Linda’s Bernina and some lining material for the combination wolf/mink jacket we will be working on.

Got to the Quillayute River Resort about 12:30 or so after listening to most of a book on tape. And then the serious seam ripping began — taking the liner out of both the mink stole and the wolf jacket.

It was a long slog — longer than I’d anticipated. By the time for dinner with a break so she could make up a couple of rooms — they are COMPLETELY booked, I’ll be sleeping in the laundry room on an incedibly comfortable single bed — but I run on, we got as far as getting all the major cutting and stitching done, but the lining will have to wait until the morning. And I didn’t even mention haw amazing that in the winter they are completely booked — Trip Advisor reviews (and the Twilight book/film series) have been very good to them.

 The result of the work today?

Unfortunately you can’t see the mink strip that extends down the back, sort of like a reverse skunk.

A great dinner of slow cooked beef and onions over noodles with enough wine to sink a ship (it did mine) and lovely conversation. It reminds me that I need to visit more often.

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Another leisurely day — this one started with Eggs Benedict and Bloody Marys. Good thing I only do this every couple of months as I’d weigh a ton.

Here is a shot of the wild life:

Our friend Mr. Otter. There is a pack (fleet? gaggle? pod?) of them that sleep on the dock next door during the night and forage all day.

And speaking of the tide… three of the boys left this afternoon: Curt, Rich, and Ross. Ross is hoping to get a little skiing in, and was excited that there might be room in the car for his skis — once we figure out how and where we are going to meet on the other side of the border since his Nexus pass didn’t arrive in time. I wish he’d done this back in December when I sent the first mail.

Having been in the condo for days, I decided to check out the new convenience store at the Seven Cedars — holly shit — it’s HUGE. Think separate deli, cigar store, liquor store, general groceries, produce, the works. I came out with a bottle of Lismore  (Scotch) on a Sunday — better than I could have done up the road in Sequim.

That leaves Spencer, David and I for a dinner of BBQ’d chicken, cauliflower and mushrooms in a cheese sauce, and little chopped vegetable salad, and a little wine for me. Neither Spencer or David drink wine, being diabetics and all.

Lots of watching the Olympics before during and after dinner.

Happy VD everyone.

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Breakfast started promptly at 11am with bloody marys and a scramble of eggs, pork sausage, and eggs, with some lovely bagels on the side.

Then is was nap time.

And then it was reading time:

I’m feeling way relaxed. Of course, this was shot before the living room got totally rearranged so we could play poker.

As for the poker — up a couple of bucks — finally getting some change back in the box after having it regularly raided.

Dinner tonight was a stunning boneless leg of lamb seasoned only with smoked sea salt. Yummy — as were the potatoes and onion that the lamb sat roasting on. Good wine, good company, even a salad!

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A nice king size bed in the master bedroom — didn’t even notice Curt on the other side of the bed.

Sunsets and rainbows never look as good in the picture as they are in person.

Wave two and three arrive today for the weekend. Wave two is Rich, Spencer and David, in time for dinner — arriving at about 5:30pm.

Dinner was pork cutlets (a little thin for my taste, but tasty), a nice mixed salad, several bottles of wine and lots of good conversation.

Wave three was Ross about 8pm to clean up the rest of dinner.

Woke up at 4am on the couch and went to bed.

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Nice to be in my bed, if only for a night… and nice to not have an early morning.

Dropped off the Seattle Opera renewal stuff at Wonderful’s place — not there, he’s already off to the bush, but the deadline is the end of next week and I’m not really around. It’s in is hands now as to whether we keep the seats in the family. I’m probably going to give him the ticket to Flagstaff in March as that weekend I’m supposed to be out of town playing poker (again!).

Got on the road a little after noon and after a leisurely drive the long way around (through Tacoma) got to the WorldMark Discovery Bay which is half-way between Port Townsend and Sequim a little after three and the room was ready at 3:15. By four I was unpacked and the place looked lived in.

First wave, Curt, showed up at 4:30, second and third waves show up tomorrow. It only will take four cars to get six people here due to schedules.

Dinner was a couple of Fillet Mignons and some asparagus off the grill, a little salad and a couple of bottles of wine.

On the realization that there was no dessert, Curt took off for what turned out to be almost two hours of driving around looking for pie. What did he come back with:

• a big bottle of olive oil
• a pound of coffee
• 2 quarts of ice cream (chocolate and french vanilla)
• 4 pies (apple, pumpkin, cherry, and something called “all american”
• 3 bananas
• a bag of pistachios.

No wonder he was gone so long.

[220.0]

Sort of nice to have the place back to myself, if only for part of a day. I’ll have company again soon enough at Discovery Bay later this week. It’s also a chance to eat all the leftovers and not worry about proper meals.

I think this photo says it all about Victoria…

The Clipper, the Prince ff Whales Boat, a water taxi — first of the season, a couple of seagulls — the only thing missing is the Coho, the ferry from Port Angeles that came in this morning on it’s first run after it’s annual maintenance. Your basic overcast grey day in Victoria.

A light load on the Clipper this afternoon. Everybody had like six seats to themselves. Had the turkey sandwich baskets and a couple of scotchs. Read half a book I picked up at the book exchange at the resort.

Swanda was a dear and picked me up at the dock — my van being in the apartment garage. I’ve been spoiled over the last couple of years with free parking and free parcel receiving. That will end in March when he moves. Good while it lasted.

Couple of drinks and a little business chat, might be time to end that as well, and home to collect the mail and the remaining packages for the “Olympics gifts” for the boys going with me to Whistler next week.

Missy stopped by for a bit on her way to the studio.

Wow, what a boring post.

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A seriously slug-like day. Email, Solitaire, Read, Repeat with periodic food.

Jill left at 3:30 for the 5pm ferry back to Seattle, the same one I will be on tomorrow.

Dinner was cleaning up the rest of the stuff in the fridge…. sliced chicken breast over greens with blue cheese dressing, and a bratwurst (the other three are for breakfast/lunch tomorrow).

And the final shot post from this trip:

I look kinda happy don’t I?

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Oh dear, I’ve lost track of time up here in Canadaland. How many days have I been here? How many more days do I have?

Today’s photo is of this seriously tricked out Land Rover Defender that parks across the street from the WorldMark:

The thing on the top is a South African Safari Tent from Hannabil Roof Tents:

Seriously cool. Reminds me of MoonSongs South Africian Safari Tent Trailer.

Breakfast of a salmon and goat cheese omelet, lunch of Montreal Smoked Meat from Grilligan’s on the Wharf, dinner of black cod off the grill. Not much walking for me today, but lots for Jill who went shoe shopping for Converse sneakers — which apparently are manufactured differently in Canada than they are in the US — US ones are slipprier.

Movie tonight: Death At A Funeral. Comdey, British, Good.

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Lots of email back and forth this morning with Jill… with the subject line “Shit”.

The Victoria Clipper IV was having overheating problems and a full boat of passengers…. 35 minutes out they turned around. By 10am they were headed back north, but at a lower speed. Turned the normal 2 hours 45 minute trip into a 4 hour trip. When they sailed again, they sailed with a reduced load, kicking all the day passengers off since they would only have an hour in Victoria. They were good to those who did make the trip:

• free breakfast
• free soft drinks
• $1.50 champagne and grapefruit juice
• 20% off duty free
• 50% off your next Clipper ticket

Not sure whether they were able to restock for the afternoon return trip since they went through all the breakfasts and most of the lunches.

I was hoping to spot Jill on the back railing, but alas, she was inside and warm, arriving just in time for the SuperBowel (yes, an intentional typo). Saw the game, but with Canadian commercials — guess I’ll have to look at them online tomorrow which raises the question, then why watch the game. Go Saints.

PooPoos this afternoon of stinky cheese from Salt Spring Island courtesy of the boys (who I need to visit one of these trips) and a loaf of bread out of the oven. Dinner was skinless-boneless BBQ’d chicken breasts with salad and wine. Dessert of a chocolate bar in the hot tub.

Life is hard.

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