UMTravels

Nothing like spending all day reformatting one computer and updating another one.

July 1st spelled the end for Windows7 on my main machine. Back to Vista, but the only way to do it was with a clean install. On the upside, at least now Internet Explorer works again. On the downside, my disc was so old it took an initial round of a whopping 82 updates, then a reboot, then a few more.

I still have to get the other mail accounts up and running on that machine, though it did remember my Shirts of Bamboo account info — just need to add Events and Adventures and my Gmail account. I also need to get the Adobe Creative Suite reinstalled as well, but Office is running, though not Expressions/Front Page. More work to do.

Speaking of Shirts of Bamboo — click on the link to the right to get their going out of business sale items. After four years it’s either that or personal bankruptcy. R.I.P.

Not much on the social agenda — seems like dating time is over. Damned horrorscopes.

Dinner in front of the telly — strips of chicken breast over the last of the greens. Now if I could stop having that sandwich at the end of the day.

No photos, no video for today.

[221.1]

So — the best $50 that I ever spent… on the Nexus card.

The reader board coming into Canada was 35 and 50 minutes (Peace Arch and Truck Crossing) and coming back it was 60 minutes and 90 minutes (same parameters). So — I saved somewhere between 95 and 140 minutes getting over the border this trip since each way it was 5-10 minutes max (so that would really be between an hour and a half and two hours). Sunday in, Tuesday out.

Once again it was easier to get into Canada than into the US — and the border guard at the US did the usual, where is your front plate. At least this time I had an answer.

In the trunk waiting for me to install the license plate frame that I bought at the Vancouver Jaguar dealer what was on back-order for 6 months in the US.

All true except for the back order. But at least now (in the evening) it’s on the car. One less hassle.

No word from Date Number One. Date Number Two probably won’t be a boyfriend relationship, but might turn into an interesting friendship.

Guess my horrorscope from Vancouver was correct:

Image: A tiny uncharted island in a raging sea. Message: Finding solid ground. Recent family or romantic disputes provide valuable insights and wisdom. Watch for loved ones to openly discuss past comments or events. Some Librans, especially those born in September [me], may begin a series of exciting short-term love affairs. Stay focused.

Tonight I focused on a beef tenderloin over a bed of lettuce. That and texting Date Number Two and clearing some air. It was good.

[? ? ?]

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.

That’s it for today. Home tomorrow.

[? ? ?]

It is somehow calming to say “I lead a blessed life.” It conjures up angels riding on high above me — would that it were the case. I have no idea what I did in a previous life/existence to enjoy the fruits of this one, but I am truly blessed. I count the uncountable, friends, family, border crossings, dinners, flowers, views from condominiums, hell — that’s just today.

I write this sitting at the granite counter of a two bedroom condo in downtown Vancouver, BC. This might be my second favorite WorldMark property after Victoria, but it’s definitely a different vibe. The traffic noise is like the surf impeding and receding. Just add sirens.

Sunburnt the crap out of myself driving top down from Seattle to Vancouver. Supposed 50 minute wait at the truck crossing where the duty-free store is (35 at the Peace Arch) — but with the Nexus card it is clear sailing to Duty Free — and just ten minutes waiting for duty free people to clear out of the Nexus line to sail through with a “You are good to go”. Fifty minutes turns into a liter of vodka and ten minutes — and the liter of vodka was $4.95 with my $10 off coupon from previous purchases.

I was reminded tonight of he “oh woh is me” slant of many of my posts — hence the reflection and the report that there are only five more cases of “beer to go good” — something I had failed to report on. Doesn’t have much to do with good or bad, just neglected. I need to make the time to finish that project and return the equipment.

But enough of my depressing drivel, we have tonight’s video (I’m saving the room tour for tomorrow, and I think it’s good — filmed at sunset)….

Nathan, one of tonight’s guests for dinner, shared his latest (and best in my mind) video that is out on YouTube… and it does feature him in pigtails…

Wild, isn’t it. Check out the other videos on his channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/anglomangler

And now it’s time for bed.

[? ? ?]

Anyone interested in cruising this December? I won’t be able to use my Holland America Onboard Credit, but it does go to some interesting destinations that I haven’t been to. And as an added bonus, if features “The Two Colonels”, my straight, conservative, Christian [correction from Kate, Christian and conservative not conservative Christian] cruising friends that I’ve now been to most of the continents with.

Here are the details:

24079
9 nights departing December 4, 2009 on Norwegian’s Norwegian Dawn
Brochure Inside $1,799 Our Inside $829 You Save 54%	Brochure Oceanview $1,949 Our Oceanview $819 You Save 58%
Brochure Balcony $2,399 Our Balcony $1,149 You Save 52%	Brochure Suite $2,999 Our Suite $1,429 You Save 52%
$$$ Early booking bonus! Book now and receive a FREE $100 per cabin onboard credit and a FREE bottle of wine on select categories.
Promotions may not be combinable with all fares.
The prices shown are US dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. They include port charges but do not include airfare or (where applicable) airport or government taxes or fees.
ITINERARY
DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART Fri Dec 4 Miami, FL 4:00pm Sat Dec 5 At Sea Sun Dec 6 Samana, Dominican Republic 10:00am 5:00pm Mon Dec 7 Tortola, British Virgin Islands 9:00am 6:00pm Tue Dec 8 Antigua 8:00am 5:00pm Wed Dec 9 St. Lucia 8:00pm 5:00pm Thu Dec 10 St. Kitts 8:00am 5:00pm Fri Dec 11 At Sea Sat Dec 12 At Sea Sun Dec 13 Miami, FL 8:00am

Personally, I’m waiting for the balcony and the suite to drop a little further.

Today is a mixture of work and play. Work is more than I was expecting, but money is money.

Got to go up to the hill and pick up a case of wine, and maybe to Ballard to work on a PC,  a case of paper form Xpedex, clean up the guest bed, and then Devan comes in at 7:15pm for a late dinner and a ride to the airport in the morning.

Dinner = bread, salad, salmon fillets, wine. Look. Fish! Wild Sockeye Salmon at $7.99 a pound.

[219.2]

Surprise — no date this evening. I think I need a night off. Last night’s date went swimmingly though it wasn’t a sleep over date — he had too much to do in the morning. But it was midnight by the time he left, more a night owl than me.

Off topic quote about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:

“Having to lie about who you are dating is what hurts unit morale,” she said. “People can sense when you are hiding something, and it builds distrust.”

This is from Dan Choi, a West Point Graduate. To me it said it all — but if you want it all, here is the link: http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/2009/06/26/west-point-grad-among-gay-pride-parade-marshals/

And now back to our regularly scheduled life.

What looked like a light work day turned on it’s head at noon with a request to see all sorts of office possibilities in the Bay Area… on Monday and Tuesday. Many calls, much time on internet, and I’m getting closer. It will take some more work this weekend as well. There go my 300 minutes (I’m ona seriously limited but cheap cell phone plan — and I’m a modern boy with only a cell phone).

It will be a quite night at home. Leftovers to eat out of the fridge, steak sliced over salad, and a few roasted potatoes from last night. This would be the perfect evening for a split of wine. Oh well, no splits, just whole bottles.

And more work. Just got email from a Bay Area broker with 37 pages (3-4 listing per page) of SF listings to plow through and 83 South Bay listings. Oi. Maybe I’ll just print it out and bind it for easier reading… tomorrow.

[218.4]

A little foggy this morning… I’ve only myself to blame. That, and the demon liquor….

If it’s Thursday it must be time for the weekly marketing meeting. Much turmoil with the Vancouver, British Columbia branch opening. Luckily not any turmoil that has to do with me.

Filed under the category of when it rains it pours — have a date tonight for dinner at my place with blind date number two, and finally heard from blind date number one three days after emailing. At least he had a good excuse that involved stitches.

The difference between the two of them is striking. One built like a brick shit-house with guppy tendancies  and the other skinny with lots of tattoos. The only common part is their age, 32 and 30. Damn those Libra tendencies in me. Both sides of the scale.

Stay tuned for “PG” rated details of our dinner of steak, roasted potatoes and salad — hey isn’t that what I made for the other date dinner?

And an update on my bitchy letter to Holland America about sub-par performance on my Alaska cruise in May. $200 On-board Credit for my next cruise. Hopefully it’s all on my Mariner number and not split between mine and Ross’ number. I bitched, I should get the benefit. Combine that with the shareholder’s benefit of $50-$200 credit I might actually take some land excursions.

[219.4]

Man that water pump is a bear. Two full days to disassemble, pull the water pump, replace it, and reassemble. Two REALLY full days. Ouch. $100 worth of parts and $300 worth of labor. It’s a good thing that it’s the last time I’ll have to do that (considering the amount of miles that I put on the the RV).

Raf actually got done sooner than Stuart, though I need to find out if he polished the front. And I should check out what a power polisher would cost to give it a final shine.

It will be nice to not be paying two workers. Time to earn some money to make up for the outlay.

Date tonight? That would be Kevin. Not a capital D date, but a lower case d, date. Country style pork ribs in BBQ sauce baked in the convection oven, served with salad bread and wine. I know — boring.

But it was a fun evening. Wonderful stopped by to borrow the mommy van to pick up art for the Great Art Party — he should just get rid of his Korean Accent and buy the mommy van. More practical — though much worse mileage.

No confirmed dates on the horizon.

[218.8]

Raf at 9, Stuart at 10, diagnosis on SOB by 10:30 — the water pump is shot in SOB. Damn. $300 is the best guess, but considering how much stuff needs to get removed to get to the water pump, might be more:

• transmission cooler
• oil cooler
• air conditioner condenser
• radiator

Four hours later he is at least to the water pump. And I’ll have to get the air conditioner recharged since that had to come off. Add more $$$. Damn.

On the upside, it’s starting to look pretty. Paint and wax should be done tomorrow:

So, TuesDate. Was going to be Kevin, but Wednesday’s blind date had band practice cancelled and was excited to get together a day earlier — and Kevin was kind enough to switch to tomorrow night for dinner.

Meeting tonight at the Reading Gaol pub on 65th. I haven’t been there, but the name is based on an Oscar Wilde epic poem of which here is a small quote:

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!

Wish me luck — oh, didn’t I ask for that on Sunday as well?

[218.8]

Practice the mantra:

“Computers make our lives easier.”

Repeat until you are ready to scream and break hardware.

For the last couple of months I’ve been having issues with my two networked laser printers (one color, one black/white) refusing to recognize the network until I reboot them… meanwhile jobs are piling up in the queue.

It reached the breaking point this afternoon when I needed to print out my Outlook Calendar having already shredded the previous one. Hour and a half later there is a new 16-port router/switch in place so that now one router is handling all but the connection to the wireless hub/DHCP server which is connected to the ClearWire Broadband Modem.

And scarily enough — 8 of those 16 ports are in use. Printers, runs to the living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc. Guess now I have enough that I could send one to the the back porch and the garage as well.

But enough about hardware.

Let’s talk Sundate then Mondate. Sundate went well — he can hold up his end of the conversation and then some. I’ll leave it to your imagination what happened after dinner, but hopefully he will come back for seconds.

As for Mondate — well, it was Wonderful. The person. I gave him a last minute invitation for chicken soup and salad (don’t worry, there is another batch of stock that I started once the soup was gone). He’s been stressed out over his job — which is to get $500,000 worth of artwork donated to the Poncho Art Auction this fall. All this in addition to getting the 100+ pieces donated to The Great Art Party in September. Yes, he needed drinks, dinner and wine.

As for me, my week is starting to fill up. When it rains (which it hasn’t recently) it pours. Kevin is coming to dinner tomorrow, I have another blind date on Wednesday, Thursday is a backyard ceremony that Wonderful is doing in my back yard… “Closing The Gnome Hole.” Saturday Devon is up for dinner before his flight the next day and Sunday I leave for Victoria for a couple of days. Whew! Guess I’d better get planning on what to do Friday.

[218.8]

Just a quick note and a quick picture…

Raf working on SOB, I went and worked on Jimmie’s computer, and this is a shot of a house on a barge that delayed my trip back home from Home Depot (1st Avenue Bridge):

But I got a date tonight so off I am back into the kitchen to finish all the prep work.

Tenderloin, roasted potatoes, salad (from Jimmie’s garden) with fresh raspberries from my garden, and a couple of possibilities for wine.

Wish me luck.

[219.9]

Maybe this should be titled how I spent my Saturday after waking up in Olympia…

I’ve been toying with making an HDTV antenna for Swanda so he could get more channels… there was a blog post months ago with some photos… and I finally got around to making it:

Corrugated plastic (thanks Jill), spray mount, chunks of 2×4, a dozen coat hangers and some electronics.

Two hours of building, a half an hour of testing, and Swanda now has Channel 7, 13, and SIX religious channels in addition to the ones that he used to have before.

Dinner was pork in a sweet chile sauce and a bibb lettuce salad with a lovely huge heirloom tomato. Damn good.

[222 but mid-day]

Checked my Alaska account this morning, and the Newark trip posted, along with the Double Elite Qualifying Miles.

Means that I’m MVP for next year already. With the trip to Hawaii coming up in July, that will add another 5350 miles leaving me to just fly 9576 miles before the end of the year. That’s easy.

Taking off at 2pm to head to Olympia to cook dinner and play poker. Tenderloin steaks, roasted asparagus, salad, wine. yum.

Now to pay some bills.

[220.3]

More progress on SOB — it is slowly becoming black.

While Raf worked on that, I was on the Eastside earning the $$$ to pay him, and to pick up supplies like superfine sand paper to do as the finish before the Turtle Wax.

For dinner it was Jonathan and the discussion of his birthday cruise — which won’t be on his birthday, but between his and mine. His original thought had been to go to Alaska and watch glacier’s calving… which we are kinda gonna do, but really it is a seven day cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco via Alaska.

Here is the itinerary:

ITINERARY

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART Sun Sep 13 Vancouver, BC, Canada 5:30pm Mon Sep 14 At Sea Tue Sep 15 Ketchikan, AK 6:00am 2:00pm Wed Sep 16 Juneau, AK 7:00am 1:00pm Thu Sep 17 At Sea Fri Sep 18 At Sea Sat Sep 19 At Sea Sun Sep 20 San Francisco, CA 8:00am

As for dinner, I did another roast chicken. Guess I’d better finish the soap that I started making earlier in the week so I can boil down this carcass, too.

[221.2]

Thanks to Swanda and his limited channels, I’ve arranged a new “news junkie” schedule:

• 5:00 – Nightly Business News on PBS
• 5:30 – BBC World News
• 6:00 – NBC Nightly News
• 6:30 – Local news (also NBC for convenience)

Well, that’s for me. He is stuck with PBS.

Upcoming schedule:

• Marketing meeting in the morning
• Dinner with Jonathan tomorrow
• Friday is dinner pre-poker in Olympia
• Swanda for dinner Saturday
• Sunday I rest
• Monday Stuart comes to work on SOB and the wiring

Tonight was chicken breasts (left over from the whole chicken I did a couple of days ago) over a bed of lettuce.

[222.4]

I took most of today off for what most people would consider torture.

I left the house at a little before 7am headed for the airport. For once, not first class. Lose 25 minutes in the security line. Maybe I’ll check out the United pay-for-access plan (even though I was flying Alaska). Or maybe I’ll just get the 40,000 flight miles to get MVP Gold.

Hit the board room for the usual morning Red Baron (champagne and cranberry juice) and order a Cape Cod that I transfer into a paper coffee cup with lid for a “to-go-to-the-gate” cocktail. Eat two toasted bagels with cream cheese and pack another “to-go” along with two yogurts and a spoon.

Get to the gate — still no upgrade, and when they load First Class and Gold MVPs I understand why. Forty people board. There are only 16 seats in First Class. Hence, no upgrade. But the first seat in coach on the aisle so the leg room is OK.

The flight to Newark I finished this great book that my brother Jon left for me: The Taqwacores by Michael Muhammad Knight. Quickie reviews from the back cover: “The Hunter S. Thompson of Islamic Literature” and “A Manifesto for the Muslim Punk Movement”. A great read — Muslims who drink, gay Muslims, riot grrl Muslims… This book is getting passed onto a Sufi Sheik friend of mine.

Newark. 45 minutes on the ground, and no Board Room affiliate in that terminal —so what good is that — yet another complaint letter.

Back on the plane for another 5 hour plane ride in the same seat back to Seattle. The book for this leg: The English Major by Jim Harrison. Great first line in the novel: “It used to be Cliff and Vivian and now it isn’t.” The book really makes me want to do a road trip. Maybe my 35 anniversary high school reunion in August. No clue at the moment who needs a good road trip book.

Plane was packed in both directions — but here is the math on the miles. Ticket was like $380 (plus $42 for food and booze, and $21 for parking) for 9,592 Elite Qualifying Miles and another 1199 bonus miles (because I’m MVP) for a total of 10,791 — or almost half a domestic ticket — or .035 per mile and anything under .04 per mile is a steal.

All this means that I’ve got MVP for next year — actually 5,062 miles more than I need — and once the Hawaii trip in in there (which is another 5,000 or so) Imight just “Go For The Gold” and rack up another 10,000 flight miles before December 31st. I did book some time for Cabo in late October — if I went first class using the $50 companion coupon that would be about 6,000 miles (with the 50% bonus for paid first class). Something to chew on.

Home a little after ten in time to update the Great Art Party website, and keep the blog current.

[too early for me to remember to weigh]

What can you say about Monday.

Workers late, , huge steak for dinner with half of it still in the fridge for tomorrow or later, unannounced guests after dinner.

And I hate parking the Jag in front because SOB is taking up all the space out back and blocking the garage door.

Need the project done — but wondering what the hell I’ve got myself into.

Off to Newark too early tomorrow.

[220.6]

No more reports on “billable hours” — the natives (readers) are restless and complaining. Personally I think it balances the work/play ratio, but I can understand people not wanting to think about work at all.

The project for today is starting to sand SOB down to get all the faded and cracking stripping off the front and sides.

Before:

Front Sanded:

What I’d like to have it look like when all done (minus the logos):

We will see how it comes out — I might just stop with getting it all one color.

Jeff came over around 4:30 to hang out while I cooked dinner for the both of us. A roast chicken on top of a bed of roasted red potatoes and a sampling of two reds and a dessert white. Needless to say we didn’t get through all three bottles so there will be some for my dinner tomorrow.

[224.6]

OK — so it really isn’t the Post Graduation Blues, but it sounded good so I thought I’d use it.

Up at 8:30, showered and unplugged and ready to roll at 10am. I declined to go to the tree education workshop he is putting on this morning. Something about 3 hours in a classroom with a hangover — wait. That was college!

Tried to hook up with Dwight but he was a breakfast with his mom so I just headed back to Seattle. Stopped for a snack and to see if radiator fluid was still dripping out — yes. Guess it’s time to book an appointment with my house-call-mechanic Stuart.

Kept an eye on the heat guage — it may have been dripping, but it doesn’t seem to make the guage run higher. No problems getting home.

A quick nap and then it’ off on errands — but first I need to remove the dead LCD screen I installed on Wednesday as a third TV for SOB. It worked for about an hour, and then died. I don’t like the idea of going to Fry’s on a Saturday to return it — especially the Saturday of the first day of digital TV – when I assume everyone will be in buying amplifiers, boosters, antennas, and cables.

But first buy the apartment to pick up wine and the GPS unit for SOB. The GPS unit gets connected to the DVD/Car Stereo so it will be integrated into the dash. I hope I don’t have major engine work due — it would be a bad time to be putting money into the RV.

The return at Fry’s eventually happened. Customer Service — no Auto Install has to check it out — walk around the building — No, we can’t check it out, we don’t have a DVD player back here — back to Customer Service who finally put the amount back on my VISA — but not before putting a mark-down sticker on it and re shelving the product. Word to the wise — don’t buy the Mark-Down Stickered merchandise at Fry’s. It’s DOA (dead on arrival).

Another short nap, a little work (like putting in the GPS unit — that’s how quick it went), and then off to dinner with Swanda and Wonderful (which would be Chinese across the street).

[222, but mid-day]

Woke up to Robert banging on the tin can that I slept in (SOB).

Thank goodness Natalie’s parents had coffee going on the picnic table outside the dining room. There are two tents set up in the yard for guests. One for Natalie’s parents, the other for her brother. Grandpa is staying in the guest room. The other heard of relatives is staying in some rented house in Shelton, half an hour down the road.

Graduation is at 1pm — so I’m a little confused why we are leaving at 11am — good thing I had a little chicken friend rice in the fridge of SOB!

Overcast skies when we got there — with time to see the garden than Natalie oversaw the planning, planting, and signage for. It’s located just off the soccer field where magic mushrooms grow in the spring. Natalie’s garden will supplement that diet with all sorts of other fruits, berries, and edible sprouts.

By the time the ceremony starts the sun is out and baking EVERYTHING on Red Square. I opted not to sit with the family and finally wandered into one of the seminar halls that had a live feed, comfortable seating, and air conditioning. And probably the best view in the house.

The speakers were all amazingly good with the exception of the faculty speaker, who frankly, just sucked. Really sucked. My informal poll of the family afterwards yielded the same thought. It meandered and then ended. Basically it could be summed up by — “Well, here is the mess you have inherited”.

With over 1100 graduates it took a while to call the names. When I saw Jameson walk the stage (video feed) I high-tailled it to where the family was sittting. The prearranged plan was to exit immediately — which we did, though I was with Julian who parked off-campus a mile away at Jameson’s silly suggestion.

More bar-b-que back at the house — didn’t realize I’d be supplying all the meat for the two nights, but I had enough (and the freezer still looks stuffed).

Big fun — and a campfire after dinner with some cute guy on guitar.

[? ? ?]