UMTravels

Off to Vancouver, British Columbia at noon, after a couple of hours of work in the morning.

Made good time… arrived at The Canadian at 3pm — three hours! This included a snack stop, a stop at duty-free, and, of course, a stop at the border — with no Nexus line and a wave through at the booth. Not even a single question. Weird. Something tells me it will be different for the Olympics in February.

By 4:30pm I’d gotten unpacked, gone grocery shopping, popped across the street for some wine to go with dinner, and prepped all the ingredients for dinner.

Dinner?

• Appetizer of Rice Crackers with a Truffle Chevre Cheese
• Caesar Salad
• Red Snapper Piccata over a bed of Gnocchi
• Dessert of Fresh Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic and Black Pepper

The guests were two priests (Episcopal) and a hottie (one of the priests boyfriend). Great conversation and I got to know more about Solus+’s background and travels (lived in Iceland and Greenland when he was a young man). It also I think kept Hummingbird’s mind off his kidney stone surgery tomorrow at noon. Ouch. Laser up the urethra. Ouch.

Tomorrow is a meet and greet at the Vancouver office.

[221.1]

Where in the world is Uncle Markie?

Nov. 18-20 = Vancouver, British Columbia

• Dinners with Solus, Hummingbird and BamBam
• Work

Nov. 22-Dec. 1 = Flagstaff, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico

• Dinner with Curt’s friend Kyle (hopefully)
• Train to Santa Fe
• Relatives for Turkey Day
• Train home to Seattle in a sleeper

Dec. 4-7 = Juneau, Alaska

• A visit to old friends who I saw briefly in May

Dec. 14-17 = Berkeley, California

• Dinner with friends
• Work

Dec. 21-25 = Santa Fe, New Mexico

• Family for Christmas — flying directly into Santa Fe for the first time in years
• Dinner with the two colonels from Kentucky

Whew! Maybe I should just put everything in storage and sell the house.

Raf’s working tonight, so it’s just me sitting around watching mindless television and paying bills. Ick.

[217.7 — not bad for coming back from a trip]

Maybe I should just get a room at the Oakland Airport with as much time as I spend there.

The usual Monday morning stuff, blogs, billing, black coffee.

Uneventful flight back home from the sun of Berkeley to the unrelenting rain that seems to be Seattle these days. Maybe Vancouver later this week will be better.

Errands after my arrival — groceries, dry cleaning and packages at the apartment.

Now if I could just get the new print server to see the network. Much swearing and pulling of hair (like I have any left), before finally abandoning it and making my heterosexual boyfriend and myself some dinner.  Guess it’s going to mean a Jonathan dinner when I get back on Friday.

Grumpy to bed.

[? ? ?]

It seems this week has all been about black corduroy pants.

• Early in the week I was thinking of shopping for some
• The flight tuesday had a hot guy in the back of the plane wearing some
• Thursday I went to Ross to look for some for myself
• And at yesterday’s dinner, Justin was wearing some — at least while they were on.

But enough about corduroy, let’s move onto tonight’s feast:

• Salad with fresh garden tomotoes, goat cheese and Goddes dressing
• Asparagus off the grill
• Last night’s brussel sprouts and onion flash fried
• BBQ’d country style boneless pork ribs off the grill
• Link cod picatta (mostly for Alicia, the fish-a-terian)
• Apple almond torte (made by Alicia)

The attendees:

• Mark
• Onyx
• Alicia
• Devon
• Maggy
• Me

Got my upgrade to First Class for tomorrow’s flight — think I was the last one upgraded from my seat location (1F) and printed out my boarding pass.

Off to bed.

[? ? ?]

Another gorgeous day in Berkeley. When I pulled the weather before this trip it was supposed to be partly cloudy on low 60’s the entire time. Haven’t seen much of those clouds, which I’m not complaining about.

Lots of errand running today. Off to see Margo and Alicia at M. Lowe and Company, who are doing a bangup business when I get there, which unfortunately allows me time to linger around the cases of sparkly bits.

By the time I walk out I’ve ordered (yet another) custom earring  — this one based on a rose-cut brown .57ct diamond set in rose gold, closed back, with the bezel following the irregular contour of the stone. It will be ready in a week, or I can wait and put it up when I’m down here.

Groceries and a stop by Toyota to price out a new front turn signal lenses ($24.95) for Mark’s truck — but alas, they don’t have it in stock. Might have to go to a junk yard for one — it’s always nicer to return a borrowed truck in better shape than it arrived in.

But onto our early Thanksgiving!

• I did the turkey (breast only, no dark meat) in a Citrus Maple Glaze
• Mark did the cranberries in Zinfandel, Orange and Cinnamon
• Onyx did the brussel sprouts sauteed in onions and white wine
• I did the salad
• Andonico’s provided a 6″ pumpkin pie
• Gruett of New Mexico provided the Rose Champagne to start us off
• And Justin provided the amusement.

What a lovely evening squished around the coffee table. And amazing that we could all work in the kitchen at the same time.

[? ? ?]

T3 was about running around town doing errands, looking for booze, corduroys, iphone chargers, bitters, and other oddities. Luckily it was all in one parking lot called Powell Square – home to Ross, Trader Joes, and BevMo (and the AAA, but I didn’t use them this trip). Should I have need IKEA, it’s basically just next door.

At least I was able to get a bunch of things cleaned off my plate as far as E&A goes — some which have been sitting there for weeks watching me ignore them.

Tonight’s meal is Veal Shanks in Green Olives and Capers. Think Oso Buco without the tomatoes. Just the three of use again for this lovely meal. Email me if you want the recipe, or better yet, here is a link to it: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Veal-Shanks-with-Green-Olives-and-Capers-10086.

Add a lovely salad (no bread as they are carb-0-phobic) and some nice wine and a lovely meal was had by all.

I’ve booked a couple of days in Sonoma at the WorldMark Windsor for my trip mid-December, possibly for an off-site get together for a hopeful client of mine. I have until the 5th to pull if off, or use a three-bedroom-deluxe space just for me, which wouldn’t be that unusual.

[? ? ?]

I love mid-day flights. No rush to get up in the morning. Just about the time I usually think about having food — there is food in the form of bagels and cream cheese. And now that I’ve achieved MVP Gold status it means no long waits in line even if I’m not sitting up front.

Today is the start of trip number two of three of my “so cheap I have to fly” trips to the Bay Area. It’s also nice that I can do a little work while I’m down here though it doesn’t look like this trip will be one of those times.

The saints (Mark and Onyx) give me a place to stay and I bring down bags of meat from the freezer and cook dinner for them most nights. Throw in the chauffeur service to/from the airport and it’s truly wonderful.

Speaking of travel — just booked a weekend in Juneau in early December after I get back from the Flagstaff/Santa Fe Thanksgiving trip which starts on the 22nd (the next trip). Looks like it’s going to be a busy November and December. Anyone surprised?

Oops, that’s wrong. My next trip is up to Vancouver for a couple of days next week to check out that office and make dinner for a couple of priests and a hottie boyfriend (of the priests, not mine).

And what was dinner tonight? Marinated flank steak and a nice mixed greens salad. Just enough for the three of us.

[221.6]

The only real news today has to do with meat. Lots of meat. Well, there’s work stuff too, but meat is more fun to talk about.

Four steaks for the three of us for dinner (Jonathan, Raf, myself). Plus a large salad, fresh bread, a little wine for Jonathan and I (Raf is back on the wagon).

Big bag of meat headed to Berkeley with me tomorrow. A turkey (minus dark meat), some veal, some beef, some pork. Sounds like a good time to me!

[223.1]

If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium, or is it Bellevue, in my case.

Bookings and bookings that I’m thinking about:

• Booked: November 18-20 in Vancouver, BC. A little work, much more play.
• Thinking About: December 4-7 in Juneau, Alaska visiting Monica and Alan and the kids — thinking of flying up 1st, and on the way back sampling Alaska’s Boeing 737-400 Combi… that’s where you enter the plane from the back because the front is all full of freight. I flew on their 737-200 version years ago with Mark and Shannon coming back (or was it going to) Sitka where they were thinking of moving.

Of course, that trip would be almost as much about the flight on the combi as to the visit. It would also round out my visits to Juneau this year — would make the third time: May (sunny), September (rainy), and December (cold and wet?)

Dinner tonight is just Raf and me — and very German. Sausages and kraut with spicy mustard.

Quiet evening — with Raf going off to a job tomorrow where he has to wear slacks and a button down shirt. Who knew?

Tomorrow is dinner with Jonathan.

[221.1]

Apparently it doesn’t take me happy — and interestingly enough, when I copied and pasted that chunk above — the additional line came up about Million Mile Flyer… interesting as it doesn’t appear on the Alaska site as viewable. Or apparently not even on my site!

Of course it hasn’t changed yet on upgrade time on Thursday’s Oakland flight — still have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully it will change for the Flagstaff flight later this month.

Work during the day, dinner with Jill in the evening.

[221.9 but late morning]

WTF — Sunday morning in the city. Check the email, breakfast, think about the day to come.

Day to come:

• Drive to Olympia
• Shopping at Safeway for the last ingredients for dinner
• Dinner with Dwight, Nikki, Curt
• Eat
• Guests leave
• Drink more
• Chat on cell phone with Dr. Graf about the dead computer and see image on FaceBook of said dead computer — I want the handle back!
• Drink more

Sleep less.

[222.1]

First lets talk about the phrase SoDo — which stands for South of Dome which no longer stands — it’s now Qwest Field even though we are still paying off the dome and they recycled the concrete from the dome into the new stadium.

Why three trips?

• Trip One: to pick up software/hardware/magazines at Swanda’s apartment
• Trip Two: to take my shirts to the cleaners that I forgot on the first trip
• Trip Three: Sanda and Cedric’s wedding

I must have missed driving the Jag after being away for a week.

And what a wedding it was. They’ve been together for years (7? 10?) and finally decided to tie the knot. My guess is that parents were starting to get old and were tired of waiting.

Lavish spread with open bar before and after the ceremony which was sweet and thankfully short. I can only imagine the bill considering a) the open bar and b) the sit down meal that was served — there must have been 20 staff working that room.

Good wishes for a long and happy marriage — and considering they were both choked up when saying their vows and think it will be a long and happy marriage.

And for me, I left after dinner while I was still legal to drive — leaving that open bar behind.

[221.6]

Up early today — 9am.

A little snacking around, a little time in the sun, and all packed up and out the door at 11:30 and off to Downtown Disney for a little shopping and lunch.

From the Lego store…

Or from the Irish restaurant where we had lunch:

Next stop was the airport. Can you say three trips through security? Once for Alaska, then across the airport to use the Delta Sky Club, then back through the Alaska line.

All that for a couple of free drinks, some food, and free Internet. OK, it was worth it.

I needed those drinks — no upgrade, this time I was number seven on the list. Six hours in cattle car (though bulkhead with the seat next to me open). I hate transcon flights sitting in the back.

Got a little sleep, finished a couple of papers and a really crappy mystery novel — so bad I left it on the plane, but still arrived cranky.

Raf picked me up in the Mommy Van, and not feeling really good about chewing him out for this, that, and the other. His life is already miserable, I shouldn’t be adding to it.

Tomorrow is another day — a wedding day.

[? ? ?]

I could easily get spoiled by this schedule — the only thing missing is Rich’s Bloody Marys in the morning.

Bacon plus an egg scramble this morning — though we didn’t quite get through it all…

Work gets done between bits of this that and the other — i.e. the computer is on and I’m dealing with stuff as it comes up, and some of the stuff on my to-do list as well.

Then it’s time for tanning — yesterday’s picture is a good one. But for our pictures today we have two from last night. The great photo that they took at Roy’s for Dan and Lisa’s anniversary – and printed, and framed, and didn’t try and charge us $10 for… a sweet gesture —- and a great way to get people to come back for those special occasions:

And the second one if later in the evening with Dan and I WiiBowling and Lisa needle-pointing:

From today we have Dan playing with his putter as we played 36 holes of miniature golf (two different 18 hole courses linked together at Pirate’s Cove. The first (Captain’s Course) was a Par 40. Both Dan and I stroked 44 each with me getting 2 hole in ones — one on a Par 3 (most holes are Par 2) The second (Black Beard’s Challenge Course) was a Par 43… and man I sucked. I got a 55, Dan a 47. I had a couple of 6 putt holes. Ouch. Here is Dan on the first course:

It’s been ages since I played even real golf. Tonight is cleaning out the fridge of left-overs as tomorrow is our last day here. The main course is a has made from the lamb and root vegetables from Tuesday night, accompanied with a salad with “Dressing du Dan”. There is still a pound of lamb to go — maybe that’s breakfast!

It’s our last night of hanging out inthe hot tub during “adult swim” time. Me in my “Tool Box” speedos and Dan in his underwear. I really need to remember to bring extras.

[? ? ?]

I’m getting into a bad habits here in Florida…. I’ve been sleeping in until 10am. Of course, that’s 7am Seattle time so that would mean that I’m getting up earlier than normal.

Brunch this morning (that’s what you get if you sleep until 10) was a scramble of Bermuda onion, mushrooms, chicken thigh, eggs and cheese. Yummy.

On and off of work for the late morning and early afternoon but it’s nice when the sun is out, you can stop working and go get a little vitamin D:

Afternoon snacks of apples, celery and peanut butter dinner tonight is at Roy’s.

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine is a delightful place for a chain — a very upscale chain though. What did we all have?

• Dan had starter of beef steak tomato and blue cheese (and way too much frisee) followed by the seafood platter of scallops and shrimp
• Lisa hadprix fixe menu of the grilled endive, shrimp and risotto, followed by the pumpkin moose
• Mark had the canoe appetizer platter for two (for one in this case) with sushi, ribs, spring roll, dim sum

A round of espresso (mine with cointreau) followed, along with a complementary chocolate lava dessert — and a framed photo of the anniversary couple (OK — it was really the 31st) and we were stuffed to the gills.

And then back to the house for a little WiiBowling with our nightcaps.

[? ? ?]

It’s lovely to get out of bed at a little before 10am and realize that you still have 3.5 hours until your standard Tuesday morning marketing meeting.No need to prepare the night before. More time to tick things off your “to-do” list.

Brunch was pan-fried potatoes and bacon, apples with peanut butter, questionable coffee made better by using both packets for the same pot (so technically it was half decaf).

It was a clusterfuck of trying to figure out how to get onto the conference call:

• Skype headphone apparently dead (ok —- it was $10 years ago)
• Calling card — 11 minutes left and no way to reload without talking to someone
• Cell phone — BINGO — 150 minutes left out of 300, and those expire tomorrow.

After the conference call was done it was off to do shopping — but of course, Dan needs to be feed every 3-4 hours so we had a Bento Box lunch in the same strip mall as the grocery store. Good. Damn good. Tokyo Sushi was the name. Dan says the prices for sushi by the piece are good for Florida.

Full of Bento we are off to the store to figure out dinner. The answer:

• boneless leg of lamb
• over a bed of roasted root vegetables with some roasted garlic thrown in for good measure
• romaine salad with a home-made maraschino cherry vinaigrette dressing

We thought the green beans would be too much for the three of use… though they might be bacon and green beans in balsamic for another meal.

Tonight’s wine is a lovely Malbec from Argentina (I say from Argentina now that Washington State is doing some Malbec grapes). Dona Paula Los Cardos 2008 from the Mendoza region of Argentina — yes, that region is on my “bucket list” if I’d every get around to making one.

Out to the hot tub after dinner.

All to do it again tomorrow.

[? ? ?]

God I hate morning flights – I think I’ve gotten spoiled with the mid-day flights to Oakland.

Up at 5. Out of the house at 6 with Raf driving me to the airport (thanks Raf), through security and in the Board Room by 6:30 for my 8:45 flight.

Why so early — well, it’s me, and there is the free breakfast and drinks at the Board Room. I have to get my money out of that $300 a year membership.

Off I go to the land of the mouse — Orlando. And not in first class. I asked at the desk and I was number eight on the list. At least I’m one row behind first class, in 6D. Unfortunately, when I looked last night at seats, the one next to me was open. By this morning is was filled with someone larger than me who as spilling other both sides. Not big enough to require a seatbelt extender, but close. That’s OK — it’s only a 6 hour flight. It could have been worse, at least he didn’t have body odor.

Slept for part of the flight, read for the rest. Finished Aaron Elkin’s A Glancing Light and am now two thirds of the way through David Sedaris’ Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim which I’ll leave with Dan and Lisa.

Speaking of Dan and Lisa, they picked me up at the airport about 20 minutes after I got in. My flight was half an hour early so that wasn’t bad considering they started out in St. Pete. Luckily they brought enough food and booze for at least the first night so we went straight to the WorldMark Orlando at King’s Reef. Such a weird name — and where is the reef?

Like what we did to the place? It’s all the streamers and balloons from the Window 7 Launch Party Kit. Gives the place a festive look.

Dinner tonight was chicken thighs in a pan sauce (thanks Dan) and broiled asparagus (thanks Lisa) and a lovely bottle of wine following a couple of rounds of Manhattans.

Dessert was a little WII Bowling since they brought their setup, and I brought my WiiMote.

Add a little time in the hot tub and it was off to bed.

[221.1]

Up early — blame daylight savings time.

Things to clean, things to put away, stuff to do… oh, like drive to Olympia and pick up my old inflatable hot tub (and a PT 4×4). It was good to see Mel and actually spend some time with her soon to be husband (I’m providing the honeymoon cabana in Mexico next March). Lots of time on the highway, but the traffic was light and the weather good.

Oh, and packing for Orland (I leave in the morning).

Oh, and getting some a little work in since I didnt’ do any yesterday since I was pushing the limits of my two week bill.

And, it’s Raf’s birthday so I’m doing Southern cooking for his birthday, though I’m not sure how the Gruet Rose champagne goes with that. The menu?

• Black-eyed peas with ham hocks
• Spinach greens with apple wood smoked bacon
• Cornbread muffins with peppers from my deck

It was pretty good — all that’s left is some muffins.

Not looking forward to the morning… out of the house at 6am which means up at 5am. I don’t think Raf is looking forward to it either.

[221.7]

Woke up at 8, peed, checked mail, went back to bed until 9:30.

By 10:45am I was through security at the Oakland airport and having a lovely Chinese breakfast of beef and broccoli with soba noodles.

Flights on time today — make my lunch the same chicken salad that I had on the way down, though it was a little more wilted making me think they loaded food for both directions in Seattle.

Was back home by 2:30pm and by 3:30 I was taking a nap in preparation for tonight’s dinner and opera with Wonderful.

Dinner? Bahn Thai. Located in an old house and the atmosphere was pleasant — it was Wonderful’s choice that I think he regretted. My eyes went up when I encountered a room full of old white people eating there — warning sign number one. Warning sign number two — when they waiter doesn’t ask “On the Rocks or Up” when you order a Manhattan. The food was OK, not as spicy as we had requested, and luke warm. That would be a problem of the pre-opera crowd.

Next time (January) we will try my choice (Tup Tim Thai) further up the hill.)

On now for that scary opera (La Traviata). Woman with consumption (the no longer used phrase for pulmonary tuberculosis) ditches the Baron for some hottie and moves to the country where they live happily beyond their means until hottie’s daddy shows up and says leave his son alone otherwise his virtuous daughter can’t marry into an upscale family. Much singing, much coughing (from the consumption) and by the fourth act they realize how foolish they have all been where the woman with consumption not so quickly (30 minutes) dies. End of act four, time for the curtain call.

[220.1 but it was in the afternoon]

Corrections, corrections, corrections. I feel like a scene from Fiddler on the Roof.

So, yesterdays post, here are the corrections:

Even the top 10 list headline was screwed up:

• So, the 10 Rules To Be A Good Housewife:

That should be:

• So, the 10 Rules To Be A Good HouseGUEST: – really, we aren’t in the 50’s anymore

And the biggie (other than the other typo I found and will fix):

• If your borrow their car, wash it, return it full of cash, even it was empty. You just saved $30-50

Let me tell you, if you fill their car up with cash, even pennies, you will be out more than $30-50. That should have been GAS!

Thanks Onyx for catching those problems… before Swanda caught them.

But all this is just a segway into how I spent my day: working, travelling to the city to work, coming home and buying the last of the ingredients for dinner. But let’s start with lunch after a visit to to San Francisco branch…

Great little Japanese place not far from the E&A San Francisco office that does a nice bento box lunch. I got the deluxe and then added a little dry sake — and when I was rung up she offered me a free Sapporo Beer. OK. I was thinking the small glass like the sake — no, it was a full 10-12 oz pour of Draft Sapporo. How do they do that — ship kegs over? Anyway — here is the place: Kamakura Sushi and Sake House.

Then it was back across the bay (easy commute even with the Bay Bridge closed) and a trip to the Berkeley Bowl for the last remnants of tonight’s dinner of Tandori Pork, mixed greens and a lovely rice concoction which I didn’t burn, but could have used another five minutes.

Actually got to bed at a decent time — which is good because I fly out in the morning.

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