UMTravels

Well, the Inauguration was amazing — amazing enough to get me out of bed earlier than normal. I agree with the sentiments of many of those interviewed, black, white, Asian — I did not expect to see this in my lifetime. Yes, it does make me proud (finally, after the last eight miserable years) to be an American again.

Hoping for the 1pm ferry back the Canadian mainland, we left in plenty of time without rushing. We should have rushed. The 1pm ferry was cancelled, and the 11am ferry was pulling away as we hit the parking lot. Shit. Next ferry was a 3pm. Yikes, four hours in the ferry terminal parking lot… reading and eating the luck we’d packed.

Rich was not particularly happy, be resigned to not getting much sleep tonight since he had to drive back to Olympia so he could get up at 3am to start his job at 5am. Man, I couldn’t do that schedule. Two more years and he can go to part time (60 and his pension kicks in).

On the mainland we hit a HUGE fog bank that lasted well past the US/Canada border and made driving incredibly stressful — I didn’t feel like wrapping the Jag around a phone pole in my attempt to get home. Hell, it was hard to even find the turn off to Duty Fee at the border (2 liters of Rum for $20 Canadian — guess I’m having a lot of mojitos and cuba libres).

Got to the house a little before 8pm, totally exhausted on my part, and probably Rich’s as well. I hope he made it home safe. If he felt anything like I did there was reason for worry. Me, I went through the mail, ate a sandwich, and curled up in bed with the TV and the Wall Street Journal.

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Well, I was amused by what we were consuming on this trip…

• (32) cans of Diet Coke
• (1) bottle of Sparkling Wine
• (4) bottles of red wine
• (3.655) liters of hard liquor
• (4.12) pounds of lamb
• (2.5) pounds of beef
• (1) pound of scallops
• (2.5) pounds of pork
• (1.5) pounds of chicken
• numerous other groceries.

All this for 10 people nights (Rich and I were there for 4 nights each, Curt for 2 nights).

It was a quiet day around the condo — finished another Michael McGarrity novel Tullarosa — the first in his series of Kevin Kerney mysteries. I can blame my mother for this… she gave me his latest when I was home for the holidays, liked it so much that I ordered whatever used ones I could find from Powell’s Books in Portland (click on the link to the right to order yours).

Did have to go to the liquor store and the grocery store for one last run. We were out of red wine and brown liquor.

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Well, here is the tour of the condo in Victoria — all the two bedroom penthouses are slightly different, but this gives you an idea of the layout. Were it mine, I’d remove at least a third of the furniture…

No big plans today — just running the boys to Murchies Teas in downtown — with the top down since the sun is in full force today.

Dinner tonight is surf and turf — sirloin strip steaks with braised scallops, salad, bread, wine…. yum.

Last minute note, check out the two videos that I added to the Mexico pics that I found when I was downloading today’s blog video:

http://share.ovi.com/channel/markso.Mexico2009

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So, you’ve been wondering how to support the economy — GO SHOPPING. Want to support me while supporting the economy? GO SHOPPING through the links on my site — running down the right hand side of the page, or on the shopping page.

We (the royal “we” which really means “me”) have just added to new sponsoring advertisers…

So book that travel on Alaska Airlines, and go explore Europe.

All that said, here is today’s update from Victoria, British Columbia, Canadaland. We missed the 1pm ferry which put us on the 3:30pm ferry which put us into the condo at a little after 6:30pm with all the shopping for dinner materials. Tonight it’s bar-b-qued chicken breat over a bed of lettuce with the little calamata olive bread and a lovely Shiraz form Australia.

Our unit (for those that don’t know from previous posts) have both a hot tub on the deck next to the bar-b-que and a nice deck, probably 12×20 foot. Add two bedrooms and two bathrooms (one with a handicapped shower), on the sixth floor the view is pretty damn good.

As I type this the afternoon run of the Coho Ferry is pulling into port. The usual float plane traffic is almost non-exsistant today because of all the fog that socked the place in yesterday and today. Luckily by 2pm it had cleared up for Victoria, but probably not for all the other cities the float plane services — including Seattle.

Curt arrived on the 11am Victoria Clipper, and was at the apartment an hour later after clearing customs. His job today is to get us wine for today and tomorrow, and scallops for tomorrows dinner.

My job for today is to get a few billable hours in and get the leg of lamb in the oven at 4:30 (roasted on top of a bed of root vegetables).

What a wonderful way to spend Martin Luther King’s Birthday weekend — watching CNN and CBC coverage of the lead up to the inauguration.

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Yes, I know, I just got home and out the door I go again… destination? Victoria, British Columbia for a long weekend (4 nights), back Tuesday. Bye.

Nice place. It’s my favorite of all the WorldMark properties — full details here: http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/vc/

The plan is that Rich arrives at a little after 10 this morning, and we head for the border. Stop at duty free for booze, then head to Twassan for the ferry to Vancouver Island. From Swartz Bay, then head south into Victoria proper. An international road trip in the new Jag.

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Back in the saddle again, with the weekly marketing meeting at Events & Adventures in the morning on digging through stacks of email in the afternoon.

The final report on Mexico is now available with the pictures loaded up. You can find them all here:

http://share.ovi.com/channel/markso.Mexico2009

For some reason none of the ticker/slideshow widgets are working, so here is a favorite picture from the waterfalls just outside Yelapa, with BamBam…

Looks like fun doesn’t it!

Dinner tonight is Swanda with a side of Jonathan and for dessert, a trip to Dallas at the end of the month for work.

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The post title says it all — that’s my plan for today. Left Yelapa on the 10:30 boat to Puerto Vallarta — a 45 minute trip. Next up was eggs benedict at Momma Rosa’s Kitchen, followed by checking email and blogging at the smoothie stand with at least a dozen computers, and a decent connection speed.

From here it’s off to the airport around 1pm for a 3:55pm flight to San Francisco. Cab ride should be around 140 pesos, leaving me a few pesos to spend at duty free.

Short post for today — got planes to catch.

And speaking of planes — ever wonder how they paint a 747?

And the still photo of the day, a new Airbus A380 parked at SFO:

Sorry it’s so dark — but if you click on it and blow it up you can definately see two rows of windows running the entire length of the plane.

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I wish that was how I could describe my time in Yelapa, but that would not be correct. Two pumps and a quiver is how BamBam describes the stallion’s portion of horse sex. I’m not sure why I like that phrase so much, but I wanted to remember it here today.

Today’s shot is a pantographic shot that I stitched together this afternoon while BamBam was doing watercolors and HummingBird was on the couch reading:

The shot is from our deck. To get to the beach you walk down the hill into town, then walk up the hill to the right, then back down the other side, and then ford a river to the beach.

I’m getting my exercise – we have been doing the beach every other day. Today’s exercise was a walk to the waterfalls closest to town – and definitely the town tourist trap – with all the day boats from Puerto Vallarta unloading their charges and marching them up the hill lined with booths selling this, that, and any other thing. Most of the stuff is traditional tourist stuff that was brought over from Puerto Vallarta – though there was a nice rosewood carver that was offering a shot of the local moonshine with any purchase.

On this, my last full day in Yelapa, my impressions …

• Noisy – not a quiet life any time of the day or night. Roosters & ranchera (ranch music) bouncing off concrete buildings at all hours
• Everything comes in my small boat – no roads at all – groceries, bags of concrete, beer, everything but some of the fruits from the jungle
• There is now power here, and internet access, unlike when Hummingbird started coming here twenty years ago
• Like any small town, everyone knows everyone’s business (like Lopez Island)
• Many hills, many steps, much donkey poo to dodge – but I’m getting a workout
• Ethnically, I think Yelapa is Mexican, Canadian, and then followed by the Americans – at least in the winter
• Whereas it’s nice to visit, I still like Seattle better
• Trash everywhere – but that is getting better with collection bags hung on all the major trails
• Compost tends to go out the window or over the ledge to feed all the feral beasts
• I’m not the type to go someplace for months at a time
• Huge amounts of feral dogs and cats – PLUS those that are kept as pets. One of the locals was recommending just scooping up all the cats and drowning them
• And finally, my general ambivalence about Mexico in general – just the sketchy nature of life down here

That said, I can’t think of a nicer place to visit if you don’t mind everybody living on top of one another on the hillside. For me, it hasn’t been about the destino (destination) but the company. The boys have a very nice life down here, and are generous to make the space available. Though I have to say, rereading the bullet list above doesn’t make it sound that it’s a great place to visit. The food is great, the people that I’ve met are great, I just don’t think I’ve got that snowbird mentality.

Who knows – the boys are here until March 2^nd, so I might return if they’d have me.

Last night was taco night at one of the restaurant so we actually ate out. Tonight is camarones (shrimp) and pasta with a side of Cole Slaw… and if I have the energy, fire dancing and flan down the hill at the Eclipse.

Tomorrow is the 10 or 11am boat to back to Puerto Vallarta to wing my way home.

Today’s after breakfast (again stunning) adventure is to the Cybercafe Eclipse, where for 40 pesos an hour you get Zen-like internet access. While the video and the photo upload, I write yesterday and today’s blog entry. Why I decided to upload a video on this connect is beyond me.

Half an hour and counting. Tick, tick, tick. But, it’s not like I have anything else to do until lunch. It will be interesting to see the bill from T-Mobile for my upload yesterday via my cell phone tethered to my laptop. More or less than the equivalent of 40 peso – and about the same speed. I’d launch  outlook to check my mail, but I think that would further slow the connection here in the Eclipse. My guess is that the three wired computers and my one wireless connection are all vying for one connection somewhere between dial-up and DSL. Maybe I should run a speed test on it and find out.

It’s amazing the amount of Canadians here in Yelapa – mostly from British Columbia. I could be in Tofino in the summer.

An hour and counting.

At least Hummingbird is having luck with his email… turns out Jicama (from Bremerton) is coming for a visit later this month. Looks like this year will be the year of visitors for the boys.

Rumors of dinner tonight are of camarones (shrimp), but it all depends on what we find in the market. What I do know is that it will be served with the left over Cole Slaw from last night.

Maybe more later, maybe not.

It’s all about food. Or so it sometimes seems. We are quickly settling into a routine of getting up in the morning, whenever, coffee and fresh squeezed jugo (juice). I’m so far the last one up, and am hoping to train them to bring me coffee in bed to get me moving.

Sleep last night was odd… with everybody stacked on top of each other in the pueblo, sound travels everywhere. Add the almost full moon and the roosters not know the time, throw in some mongrel dogs, and it’s a symphony at night. Hummingbird has provided earplugs for tonight.

I’ve been checking email twice a day. Morning and afternoon, and dealing with anything truly important or just amusing. There is an internet café down the path, maybe I’ll check it out, or not. Too bad I can’t figure out how to, or remember how to upload from the phone. It certainly wouldn’t take a video feed!

Breakfast is sautéed bacon, mushrooms – scrambled up with eggs. Isabelle is here to join us again for our family meals – she is the local friend of the boys. Actually the boys probably shouldn’t be called boys since one is 54 and the other mid-thirties – but all my male friends to me are “boys”.

After breakfast was our day of beauty – new hair color for Hummingbird and Isabelle, fresh toenail polish for me…. BamBam, not so much.

Mid-day we head (again) for the beach —- further down this time… different ceviche (mixed, and excellent), a Caesar salad (I need my greens), and some amazing muscles on the half shells steamed/braised in a hot roasted chili oil. Just another day swimming at the beach. Damn, life is hard.

The routine has developed that we do the shopping for dinner on the way back from the beach. Tonight it is pollo (chicken, a whole one) stuffed with limon (limes) and garlic, on a bed of roasted potatoes, onions, and red bell peppers. For greens tonight it’s an appetizer of cubed avocado, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro. Add some tostados (whole corn tortillas flash fried) and you have a lovely, but spicy, snack.

And dessert? Fresh strawberries marinated in a couple of tablespoons of honey and a wee dram of this odd Kentucky Bourbon/Honey mixture that came with the bottle of Wild Turkey – that somehow ended up in my toiletries kit. Handy. And the end result was damn fine.

Tonight is the full moon – stunning. We even got fireworks across the small bay from a wedding party that we accidentally crashed this afternoon on our lunch/swimming time at the beach. Isabelle rearranged the place (again, the boys did it yesterday) to make it feel more like home. With Hummingbird and BamBam here for seven weeks – you might as well get it feeling like home away from home.

By ten, Isabelle is headed off to Disco Night at the bar in the pueblo, and there are rumors of a drumming circle on the beach, but all the boys, me included, are staying in, with Hummingbird in bed, and BamBam and I burning the midnight (maybe) oil.

The boys are hot to get out of Puerto Vallarta ASAP. Too much traffic, too many people, too much energy.

Breakfast is at Planet Vegetario – a vegetarian restaurant half a mile from the hotel. It actually isn’t too bad, even with the lack of huevos (eggs) on the menu. The TVP (textured vegetable protein) mole (mo-lay) wasn’t bad, nor were the tortillas in a spicy tomato sauce. Tons of fresh fruit and coffee rounded out the meal.

We made the 10am water taxi for 100 pesos a person for the 45-50 minute trip to Yelapa. By 11 we were up a very steep series of hills with all our crap – to find their casita occupied by another guest. Guess that means check-in is at 4pm, though it’s not like it’s a commercial establishment, it’s just the top floor of someone’s house.

Dumped the luggage and headed back down the hill to explore the rest of the pueblo (town) – various tiendas (stores), the boys started looking for friends they know, finally ended up at the big beach (rather than the smaller beach closer to town).

Lunch:

• Mexican Platter
• Ceviche (misc. fish marinated in line juice)
• Fresh Chicken Soup
• Octopus Ceviche
• Mas (many) beers, tequila, fresh orange drinks.

A wonderfully friendly town, and I have yet to see a Federali (Mexican State Policeman) – though as it turns out the boys did – with shotguns slung over their back. Here is a small video of our place up the hill on the top floor:

The afternoon was shopping for the first round of supplies and organizing the casita (guest house). Gastrointestinal precautions include soaking all the vegetables and fruits that aren’t skinned in a slight iodine solution and using bottled water for all cooking, drinking, and teeth brushing.

Pre-dinner was a round of margaritas and Spanish lessons with the proprietress and her daughter. Make a bed, have a round of drinks, make a bed, have a round of drinks. Laugh, chat, catch up (in the case of her regular renters).

Dinner:

• Pescado (fish) from the market, stuffed with sautéed garlic and onions
• Boiled potatoes tossed in butter
• Salad of tomatoes and cucumbers
• Rounds of margaritas before a Malbec from Argentina with dinner

It was an early night for Hummingbird, as I suspect it will be most nights, with BamBam and I staying up later drinking, smoking, and bonding.

[Weight measurements on hold – who knows, might get dysentery and really lose some weight!]

WHY do I book early flights. I Hate, Hate, Hate them. They screw with my bodily elimination schedule, make me cranky, and generally leave me lethargic by the end of the day. At least this time I have a decent reason – to meet up with Cyndii/BamBam and Hummingbird at LAX so I don’t have to go through the hassles, confusion, and hell of arriving in Puerto Vallarta and having to figure out hotel and water taxi to Yelapa on my own.

A quick cocktail in the Board Room cures the cranky, but does nothing for the bodily elimination.

Flight to Los Angeles uneventful – sitting in First because I slammed 65,000 frequent flyer miles down on a ticket. Breakfast up front was OK – though the potato pancakes were a little dry. Can’t complain – I got food; those in the back had to pay for theirs.

Got to LAX a couple of minutes late – but early enough to get my computer setup for a Skype call in for the marketing meeting. Yikes – an hour and a half on the damn headset – my bladder was killing me by the end of it. Generally a good meeting, but more crap to clean up next week when I return form Mexico.

Did I mention I was headed for lovely Mexico? The boys (the priest and his hottie boyfriend mentioned above) have offered me gratis accommodation in their Yelapa flat that they have reserved through March 2^nd. Must be nice to have a priest’s schedule! Their flight from Vancouver was due in at noon, just after the conference call ended – leaving me barely enough time to hit duty free for some scotch.

The LAX – PVR flight was loading at 12:25 so there was just time for a juice at the Board Room for the boys – too bad they didn’t have a longer layover so I could have show them the good life (and gotten them some food to tide them over). At least they got to see the place.

Back at the boarding gate they ran into one of their friends from Yelepa coming back from six weeks in Reno. The three of them were in the back, and there wasn’t a way for me to send them back drinks – oh, well, enough time for that in Mexico.

Flew through immigration and customs because I was basically on the first off the plane and had no checked luggage. By the time the rest of the crew cleared all the mess I had already hit the cash machine and fended off a hundred attempts to separate me from my money (tours, cabs, etc – no pick pockets).

It quickly became clear why I got up early – Hummingbird bargained the cab driver down to $30 (US) for a ride for the four of us and all our stuff to Old Towne Puerto Vallarta and the lovely and functional Hotel Jasmin. A room for the four of us (two double beds, two people each) was 700 peso ($14 to the dollar is the bank exchange) which would be $50. The advantage of this hotel is that it is three blocks from the pier where the water taxi’s leave tomorrow.

Dinner for the three of us (Jerrad, their friend had legal problems to deal with) was at American prices but very good —- 1200 for food and two bottles of wine (and tip). Maybe that isn’t bad if I use the official exchange rate – that puts it at $85 US which I guess isn’t that bad.

Slept well – and was totally shocked that no one was snoring with four middle-age men in one room. Well, maybe I was, but no one was complaining.

Spending lots of this week logging billing hours since later this week will be much lighter. I’ll have some hours tomorrow taking the conference call from the Alaska Board Room for E&A’s marketing meeting.

Spent (for me) a bunch of time on the phone with MarkO at E&A, more work coming my way. Need the hours to pay off the Jag (OK — I put the Jag on my VISA card — that cost the dealer another 2-3%)

Lots of research today into this new project which I’m not at liberty to discuss. Short entry today — hopefully will have time to post from LA on the way to PV (Puerto Vallarta) to hang out with my priest and his hottie boyfriend in Yelapa.

Tonight is a farewell dinner at Swanda’s place. Guess I’d better get that pork marinating!

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Out of the house by 10am to make an 11:30am photo shoot in Olympia. Guess this makes it the first road trip in the Jag.  Rain, rain, rain is how I would describe the ride down. I love the rain sensing windshield wipers and the automatic headlights. This may spoil me for lesser cars for years to come (unless it all starts failing).

The photo shoot was moved from outdoors to inside the new(ish) Seminar II building in one of the stairwells (how artistic). I felt sorry for the recipient of my scholarship who is a freshman with one semester under her belt. Two heavy hitters from the Advancement Office, photographer, assistant, and me. She had a bit of “deer in the headlights” about her. It will be interesting to see how the photographs turn out.

Lunch followed the shoot — she opened up “a bit”, but not much. Oh well, all for a good cause — boosting the Evergreen Foundations endowment.

Took Dick for a short spin in the Jag after lunch — turns out he’s a bit of a car nut as well.

And speaking of car nuts — Greg came over after work for drinks, as did BBHa. Greg came to see the Jag and to show off his mid-life crisis, a 3-series BMW. Part of him wanted to buy my old BMW Z3, but with having a child — bad idea.

BBHa headed off at 6:30 for a drumming circle on the hill, and Greg stayed behind drinking and eventually ended up staying for dinner (abandoning wife and child). It was nice to hang out and compare new vehicles — including SOB (Son of Bob, the new motor home).

Finished packing after he left, but am thinking I need to redo it already. Mexico on Thursday!

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I was up super early for me to book rooms for 2010 — yes, you heard correct — 2010 for the Olympics. I wasn’t able to get totally what I wanted, but I did at least get three nights at the resort that I wanted, which was Whistler Sundance at Creekside, where the downhill events will be held.

To get those dates I had to book 16 days worth — which means that before that  have a two-bedroom penthouse in Victoria for almost two weeks — poor me. Considering that some of those dates are the same as the Winter Brietenbush gathering… I’ll be taking in lodgers for Valentines Day weekend… of 2010.

Moonsong was here late due to weather — but still earlier than I wanted to get out of bed after my 6am booking adventure. One of the tasks was to wire in the new gate opener — to solve the problem of “phantom operation” which is the name for gates ad garage doors that open on their own. The other was to synchronize the opens with the built-in unit that is in the new to me Jag.

Lots of billable hours for E&A before quitting for a quiet steak dinner with me, myself and I — and possibily the royal “we”.

Getting closer to packing for the Mexico trip on Thursday. Maybe tomorrow will be the day it’s done.

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Honest — I’m hoping this will be the last post about my new toy.

Took Fluffernutter out for a mid-day cruise with the top down (and my gloves and coat on). It gave me a chance to get a couple of good outdoor pictures of the Black Beauty:

Or, if you want all the images (so far):

Click Here — Can’t Get The Cool Scroller Bar To Work In The Updated WordPress!

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up piles from around the house, wiring in some more speakers, and basically making it presentable for Jim and Suzanne to come a lamb dinner. This was a make up dinner from two previous attempts — both cancelled by snow — and what did it start doing at 5pm? Snowing. But they made it.

Damn fine lamb followed by throwing my shoulder out WII Bowling. Big fun making a WII MII of Jimmy,

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Apparently some people (Swanda) are a little confused about what I bought.

Can you say Jaguar? If you are British, it would be pronounced “Jag U R”.

This would be the baby in the garage with the top down.

Today was errands (running the spare key and boot cover to the dealer who took my Bimmer in trade, and Swanda’s to drop off home-canned goods from Kate and Eric) and entertaining Rich and his new computer.

Maybe entertaining isn’t the right word. Applying operating system and software would be closer to the truth.

Bar-b-qued pork ribs on the grill was dinner. Much whiskey and wine consumed.

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My how luxury cars don’t hold their value. Price in 2001? $76,000. Price in 2009? $15,900 made less by trading in the old toy — my 1996 BMW Z-3. Retail from Kelly’s Blue Book is $19,500 or so.

No — this one isn’t mine. But it’s a great shot with the top down. And mine is black. As I type this I’m thinking that I’ve lost my mind, but I’m helped by the comments of my insurance agent:

That’s not just cool, It’s Super Cool!

 

Enjoy it!

And he is right.

Now if they could just figure out how to make the process of buying a car less odious. Geez — waited 45 minutes for them to just get the damn paperwork ready — and I was paying cash (well, technically, not — as it went on my United Card to I could get the miles — and ding them another couple of percent in costs).

Too bad they didn’t fill the tank.

Dinner tonight is much like last night. Planning on billing a couple of more hours of E&A and getting all the speakers wired up that MoonSong ran the cables for this morning. Full night after cooling my heels in a dealership all afternoon.

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Welcome to 2009. Guess I’d better get ready to remember to change my mind when writing checks and invoices.

Today was spend in “family” mode at Marybeth’s place in Tacoma. With regard to my suggestions earlier this month, well, there are teenagers in the hosue, so all things move slow.

Spent the afternoon there before heading home to dead cow on the grill — and I didn’t even bother with the salad, but there was wine left over from last night.

When I was at Safeway today I picked up an AutoTrader….

Should I trade in the 1996 BMW Z3 for a 2001 Jaguar XJ8 Ragtop?

Should I trade in the 1998 Mazda MPV for a 2002 Acura MDX?

Both are black (both the trade-in and the possible new models).

We will see what they are willing to do on trade-in and go from there. Guess that means I have some errands tomorrow after MoonSong comes to do some interior wiring (ethernet and speakers).

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Well, it’s the end of the year. Time to file those final bills to the clients. So far, no defaults on bills by my clients this year. Between that, and managing to sell both a vacation home and a large RV in this economic climate — I feel truly blessed.

On the last day of 2008…

No huge plans. Watch the midnight fireworks off the Space Needle and go to bed.

Looking back — In 2008 I managed to sell a vacation house and a full-size RV in a very difficult economic environment while securing a job that at a minimum pays the mortgage. For that I am thankful and amazed. Friends from the past have reconnected and friends from the present are all still with me. For that I am thankful.

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