UMTravels

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.

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]

Well — after two months of turning nickels and dimes into quarters… the streak has ended with paper folding money departing my wallet. I figure I’m down $20 at last night’s game.

On the upside, I was actually able to use a combination of paper and electronic upgrade certificates on my Seattle to Washington, DC flight this afternoon. That would be a lunch flight — probably means no ice cream trolley after the meal service. Oh well. Makes up for the $20 I lost last night in food and booze savings.

So, the routing is Seattle, Washington, London. I arrive a little after 10am tomorrow local time and have to get an Oyster card with 20 pounds on it for transportation, and then make my way to Peter and Linda’s place. They won’t be home yet from Easter Sunday services (she’s a Unitarian minister, and he is helping supervise the Easter Egg Hunt after the service).

I’m thinking sleeping on the DC to London leg. All the liquor from the Seattle to DC flight, a little Ambian, strap on the noise cancelling headphones and zone out. I have a bulkhead aisle seat in Economy Plus so at least no one will be putting their seat down into me.

That’s it for today’s short blog entry. Got to get one more drink into me before I board the plane.

Tomorrow: Dateline London

[? ? ?]

So — work in the morning. Meeting with the Evergreen Foundation in the afternoon. Cooking dinner for the boys before poker after that.

Chicken breasts wrapped in peppered bacon. Asparagus. Challah. And lots of wine from Curt.

But the title of today’s post is all about the Rachel Madow show I saw before dinner.

 
Don’t the Republicans know that “Teabagging” is the semi-sexual act of a man rubbing their testicles on the head of their partner, usually another male. Reference the film Pecker that came out years ago — by John Waters. I actually know someone who used to go-go dance in that bar in Baltimore.

That’s it for tonight — got to eat, play poker, sleep, wake up, fly to England in the morning.

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Thursdays are always big work days… five plus hours plus of billing for the clients today. And more for tomorrow.

It is hard to get dinner done on that schedule — but in this economy — money is money and we love it.

As it turns out — I do have pictures of last nights dinner:

Looks like the dinner party got a little wild.

Tonight’s dinner with John Weber was much more sedate. Computer work, a dinner of chicken tits, sugar snap peas, and challah in honor of Passover. Lots of wine. A drive in the Jag with the top down. Tours of SOB. And again, a late night.

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I fear it is the last day of sun for awhile. I made the most of it by getting all my errands done with the top down.

No runs yesterday or today — too busy with clients. Maybe tomorrow. Luckily there is enough to share for awhile… might be after I get back from London before I pick it up again.

Speaking of London, I did the packing today. I think I’ve managed to get everything I need into my rolling laptop bag, now all I need is the shoulder strap that is buried somewhere in the garage.

Dinner tonight with Brian and J.Steve — those cute little lamb chops, salad, challah, wine, and chocolate for dessert.

And no picture for a second day in a row.

I must be slipping, or boring.

[218.4]

Wow. More Sun.

Wow. Another Client. Another client that I can work on while on the road — though I haven’t figured out how to do that and drive at the same time. That’s it — I need a driver!

London is coming up — time to think about packing. Let’s see — if I change into fresh clothes in London that would be three changes of clothes. I might be able to fit it all into my rolling computer case which would make all the transfers on the other side of the pond much easier.

Dinner tonight was an unexpected on with Wonderful, who dropped by to pass along stuff for the Great Art Party 2009. Guess I’ll have to work on their website tomorrow in the midst of everything else I need to do for current and new clients. Too bad the Great Art Party isn’t a paying account.

That’s enough for now, off to bed.

[218.9]

Wow — two sunny days in a row. How crazy is that for Seattle! Look what it’s done to my lawn:

Guess it’s time to get out the lawn mover…. and the weed-eater, and to get Stewart over here to figure out the whether the chipper has been fixed. Spring is upon us (for the moment).

Tonight Jeff is coming over to show off Mr. T, his new car. I got mine washed so it would look good. Who has the sexiest car?

Click on the image for the link to the larger one. Here is the amusing fact of our lives — we were lovers in college. I guess there is still some connection, now it’s just cars — much simpler.

Dinner tonight was a slab of dead cow with a bunch of salad.

The new drinks being served at the bar are:

• Shina Libra
• Shina Tonic
• Shina Soda
• Shina Rocks

Another sunny day predicted for tomorrow.

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How many runs of errands can I go on today with the top down?

How about Ballard for more chemistry parts to to hang out a bit with my friend Jacob? How about getting the car washed? How about grocery shopping?

Got two runs through today — not the cort of pictures I want to post here, but if you ask, I can send you a link to Uncle Markie’s Beer project.

Gnarlene and Wonderful due for dinner tonight. Had to call Wonderful to remind him — should have called Gnarlene early to remind him as when he did get the reminder call he’d already had fish and chips in Alki before biking back home. The sun affects people in the Pacific Northwest by bleaching their brains when it comes out.

Of course, with the sun and the temperature rising, we did have dinner with Al tonight, that would be Al Fresco, for the first time in six months:

That would be wonderful holding up his wine glass in salute to spring. Spring lamb that is. It was baaaaautifuly cooked in a Caribbean jerk rub with a long log of challah (fluffy, just not braided), and some lovely mixed greens. Gnarlene joined us for wine after dinner — bringing along the scotch he promised for helping him move in new living room furniture.

What I need to get on these sunny days are shots of me and my sexy car together, alone, in some beatufil surroundings.

[219.7]

I’m not sure why I like this so much.

I’m not a big biker (anymore — the BMW R77-7 long gone), not a big fan of caskets (I’m a box and burn kinda guy) — but this is classy. You can read the whole article in the Kansas City Star here. CLICK HERE. In case you are interested. Fallen soldiers, police officers, EMTs, firefighters offered a free ride, all others $500. CLICK HERE for the link to the Last Ride Motorcycle Hearse Company.

Today is furniture moving with Gnarlene. Yesterday we kicked the old couch to the curb yesterday — what a big beast that was! Maybe with label delivery to Jimmy, a run to Home Depot for a plumbing part, hanging the new rack in the kitchen, and dinner at Shanghai Garden with Swanda, Marlin, and Wonderful.

I’d best get to it.

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Before I go on and on about dinner… here is today’s quote:

Nathan Lane in an interview in the April 2008 Advocate:

How did it feel to be romantically like to Ricky Martin last your on the gossip blogs?

Oh, man. The Ricky Martin thing was hilarious just because we’ve actually never met, but I sure he’s a very nice young man. Yeah, that was probably more flattering for me than for him.

I’d agree with that sentiment.

Here is a better picture of the house, with the sun shining. I had to climb the ladder on the back of SOB (Son of Bob) to get this shot. Click on the image for a larger version.

Yes, it’s a top-down day as they say for my trip to IKEA to pick up the last pieces for the kitchen improvement project.

Dinner tonight was supposed to be Marlin and Swanda…. but Marlin missed his train by four minutes so is on the slower Coast Starlight — I should have told him to inquire about a roomette which comes with piece, quiet, and dinner.

Two runs today. That only leaves twenty cases to go.

[218.5]

Today was many, many, hours of work, though I’ll get two runs in today. Good to have a project to run with, both work and play.

Pork and salad. Gin and Wine — not in the same glass.

No pictures. Forgot to take a picture of last nights Challah, which turned out great.

No company tonight. Next two nights booked (one in, one out).

Blah, Blah, Blah.

[216.8]

Snow in the north end, falling slush in West Seattle on the hill top. Cold rain in South Park. April is fooling with me — I’m ready for Spring.

So, last night I was sitting on the couch watching the news when my phone vibrated. That means an appointment in 15 minutes. I figured it was the notice to put out the garbage and recycling — but no. Helene is showing up for dinner in 15 minutes. I spaced out our dinner date. Oops. Good thing I thawed some chunks of tri-tip steak.

Helene showed up at 7 with flowers, wine and fruit — so that was covered. We chopped up the tri-tip and stir fried it with TJ’s Harvest Medley frozen veggies from the freezer, I had salad, and for the starch TJ’s Gnocchi (potato balls). Damned fine dinner for the spur of the moment.

So, did I mention that the house painting got finished on Monday. Finally. Only after a month of work interrupted by rain, snow, wind. At least it was cheap. Labor was under $1300. Paint and supplies a couple of hundred. Take a look:

Click on the image for a larger version. And all the spring flowers are starting to come up. Thanks Wonderful for planting all this perennial stuff.

Another run this afternoon, a possibly one during dinner.

Speaking of dinner, that would be Jill for dinner tonight. Pork, salad, might do a loaf of Challah now that I have chicken stock from a grocery store run this morning.

Back to work for me — got meeting notes for tomorrow to work on.

[217.6]

Wow. What happened to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday?

No posts. That hasn’t happened in a while. So here the the recap.

Saturday — Josh came over to assist with the beer project. Funny that this was the shirt that I was wearing — left over from my days at Microsoft. Got one run done.

[219.6]

Sunday — Swanda came to dinner. Lamb ribs. Finally got a batch of the sour dough bread to come out — but am so sick of the process that I used the last of the starter and cleaned the bowl — I’m going back to Challah. Got two runs done.

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Monday — Fluffernutter came to dinner. Lamb steaks. Lots of conversation about his upcoming trip to China. Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai — all places that I was on my trip a couple of summers ago, but no boat ride/Three Gorges Dam on his trip for Events and Adventures. Got another run done.

[217.5]

Tuesday (today) — Gnarlene has roped me into helping pick up all the new living room furniture he bought. Personally I’d pay the $90 and have it delivered, especially since it’s raining at the moment.

And considering my weight this morning, I should entertain every night. I think it means I talk more and eat less. Planning on one run today.

[215.7]

Well, buy the end of the evening, the second case of beer was gone through. That leaves the stack in the garage at thirty cases. Does this mean that I”m going to be working on this project for a month?

Details for the trip to London on the 11th are starting to firm up:

• Leave April 11th
• Arrive London the 12th
• Tube to East Hounslow to meet Peter
• Bus to their house
• Leg of lamb for Easter Dinner
• Dinner on the 13th with Andy
• The Play “Men Fucking” afterwards
• Back to Peter and Linda’s place
• Fly home the 14th

How fun to fly back just in time for my dentist appointment. We’ll see how the water-pick-like-thingee on my shower head is helping my gums.

Dinner tonight was supposed to be with Wonderful’s daddies, but one of the daddies’ daddies is in the hospital with serious health issues, but it’s been postponed. Instead, Wonderful came over here for a dinner of ribs, bread and wine — he brought the salad.

A wonderful evening with Wonderful.

After dinner it was an initial look at all of this years scholarship applications. There are 19 applications and they what the top six picks to give them a little more flexibility — like if someone we like already has received a couple of scholarships, they’d choose the next one down. Guess I’d better figure out when I’m going to get a group together to read these things.

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It was the items on the news (either network or NPR) that caught my attention…. 25% less passport applications than this time last year. So, overseas travel is in the toilet.

While I was listening/watching that news I was opening my mail. 25% off on Cruise West cruises for 2009, plus a $200 per person shipboard credit. Mind you, most of the stuff on Cruise West boats you’d use the credit for is booze. They don’t ding you for a mandatory tip, nor are many of their land tours not included in your cruise price. There is no tip. They pay their employees to do what they do, and probably much better than the “big boats”.

That would also be why they are at the higher end of cruise lines price wise – because most of the stuff is included, rather than the big lines where they nickel and dime you for everything. They have smaller boats (the one I was on was 100 passengers/50 state-rooms.  I kept the coupon, but the coupon code is 4309 if you want to book something this year.

It makes me want to look at what is on offer and whether it applies to their last minute stuff.

But enough about travel, it was Marketing Meeting day so that was most of my focus — that and Raf getting MUCH closer to getting the house painting finished.

Started a batch of beer to better after dinner — wasn’t done until after midnight.

[219.5]

Another rainy day in Seattle. I should have stayed in Berkeley where the sun was shining. My patience is wearing thin with this damn weather.

Some work, some play today — picked up equipment from Jimmy to work on all that bad beer in the garage, now I have to pick up some more pieces from Home Depot after tomorrow meeting to see if it will all work.

But dinner tonight was actually out — a rarity for me, and someone else paying even more rare.

Dinner conversation was about toys — specifically sports car toys. He wanted a ride in mine and wanted to tell me about the one that his is thinking of…

That would be a Lotus Type 72D Limited Edition — only 50 made. 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, and Jeff knows how to drive. This is the replacement for Bartman — a yellow Lotus which he slammed into a wall on a Portland racetrack… wait, maybe he doesn’t know how to drive (blame the rain on the track).

Want all the details? Check out: http://www.lotuscars.com/type72d.html

I forgot to ask if it comes with the optional hardtop — I know it does come with the drivers helmet and case for it to go into.

Sexy car.

[217.5]

Well — I should have booked Moscow — it’s only $9 more than London was. I can’t believe for $520 round-trip you can get from Seattle to Moscow. And with the double EQM (Elite Qualifying Miles) at more than the London trip, I wouldn’t need my short hop flight to make United Premier.

Of course, as Helene points out:

I saw that, but getting a visa is a bitch — imagine trying to recreate every non-profit to which you’ve ever donated — and $$$, and you have to have exact dates and the place you are staying vouch for you. 

Oh well, plans for London are now set. Leave on a Saturday, arrive on Sunday, meet up with my buddy Andy and go for dinner and then a play — “Fucking Men” at King’s Head Theatre in Islington (where Andy lives), and then on Monday I’ll go across town to Linda, Peter, and Claire’s house to hang out and have dinner. I seem to have thrown a spanner (wrench) in Peter’s plan for a leg of lamb on Easter Sunday (which, of course, I didn’t realize when I booked the ticket).

But how is the house painting coming…

Starting to get the green trim applied. Several more days to go.

Tonight is dinner with Kevin and SpaceOtter — black cod marinated in sake lees, a nice salad, some roasted potatoes (still loving that convection oven), add wine, pickle guests, repeat.

[219.5]

Slept in this morning until 9… but it was sunny when I got up. The plan was to leave by 10 to have a leisurely drive back to the city.

Here is a shot from the trip back to the city…

The rolling hills of Calaverus County. But here is a shot from the sunset last night, just before I tried unsuccessfully to light the BBQ, which means I broiled the steak instead.

A pretty evening indeed.

Headed to the airport around 4pm for the 6pm flight. I didn’t get my favorite seat (1C), but I was upfront in 3C — with the seat next to me (3A) not filled — a rarity, an open seat in First Class.

Got back to Seattle a little after 8pm and was home a little before 9pm. Fun trip — and that makes me 4 for 4 on getting upgrades on the trips to Oakland.

Now to write a note to the neighbor hoping things were cleaned to her approval.

[? ? ?]

Woke up at 10am, crapped, went back to bed until noon. I’m not the spring chicken I used to be. More like a stewing rooster.

After a lovely lunch of scrambled eggs (no leftovers other than cake from last night!) I was on the road a little before two. By four fifteen I was at the check-in desk of the WorldMark Angels Camp for my two bedroom presidential unit.

Presidential? Where is my private hot tub. Two jetted jacuzzi tubs (one in each bathroom, plus a shower in the master) do not count as a hot tub. No flat screen TV’s — these are supposed to be the posh units, and other, more recent, presidential units I’ve stayed in have both those. There is a really nice wrap around deck with loungers (like I’m going to do that in 40 degree weather) and an L-shaped sofa overlooking the golf course.

Judge for yourself:

It’s nice to have an evening by myself, not at home. A nice treat.

Tonight’s movie after the steak on the BBQ on the deck is Schultze Gets The Blues — it’s German. And apparently an award winner — like I know from that.

Review? What’s not to love in a movie that had accordions! Synopsis… German polka accordion player hears Cajun music for the first time and is transformed. He enters the “music club” performance where the winner (but only one person) gets to go to New Braunfals, Texas, which is this odd Bravian town, not unlike Leavenworth, Washington, for their festival. He realizes he doesn’t fit in, buys (or steals) a boat and does the coastal waterway to Cajun country. Oh, and there is a WorldMark there.

That’s the plot — he doesn’t get to play accordion with an Cajun folk, but gets to dance, then dies happily, and the movie is over.

This is why I will never be Paula Kael.

I didn’t cry, but was oddly uplifted by someone following a dream that was so outside their peers “comfort zone”. And if you die, which you will, die happy, doing the things you want to do.

Wow. That’s heavy.

[? ? ?]

What started out as a calm morning… with Raf and his girlfriend showing up to paint, at noon turned a little crazy.

As I’m trying  to pack to leave at one, a knock comes on the door from the neighbor — over spray on their cars. Shit. At least Raf was there to deal with his mess before Jeremy got home to discover his pride and joy with over spray on it. Maybe I should give him the cover to my Jag.

Finished packing with Raf cleaning up the mess, or so I hope. I’ll need to drop MaryAnn a note on my return. Oy Vey. Just what I need.

Left on schedule for the airport and by 1:30 was sipping a drink in the Board Room. And worrying. Detailing for two cars… let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Three drinks later it’s off to the North Concourse. Alaska Airlines has outgrown it’s space in C and D terminals and is now encroaching on United’s N Terminal.

Flight left a couple of minutes early — and could have been more than that considering we started boarding 45 minutes prior and it’s only a 737-700.

My seatmate in 1A was travelling with a baby less than a year old — she looked relieved when I pulled out my Bose noise cancelling headphones, though in general the kid (Nash, as in the automobile) was a pretty good flier. I’ve had worse adults next to me.

Flight landed on time (amazing with the head winds) and by 6 I was at Mark and Onyx’s place unpacking dinner. Yes, I packed dinner in my carryon:

• two containers filled with shrimp stuffed with crab rolled in Procuitto (6 each)
• one container of croutons
• one container with seven baby orange bell peppers (which I then stuffed with goat cheese and broiled with the seafood bombs)
• one bag of romaine hearts, 3 heads, two for tonight, one for tomorrow

From Mark and Onyx came the salad dressing from my last visit, and cocktails (scotch for the Marx and Devon when he arrived, pomegranate margarita for Onyx and the girls, Birthday Alicia and Devon’s daughter Maggie). From Alicia and Devon, a couple of bottles of red wine.

The only thing missing? A picture of the before and after:

• in the container
• on the broiler pan
• done
• served

Oh well. It was a stunning dinner. Not bad for a 50th birthday dinner. The birthday guests left around 10 to head back over the bay, and Mark and I chatted away until well past midnight. Onyx had the sense to go to bed at a more normal time.

Happy Birthday, Alicia.

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