UMTravels

The big plan was Sven and I going to on the Boeing Plant tour up in Everett – unfortunately Boeing neglected to change their hours on their website to say the last tour was at 11 (we got there at 11:20).

Really – the website said until 6pm – put it on your website if you are closing early – saw a TON of disappointed people on New Year’s Eve.

So, my day was boring, other than driving around the perimeter of Paine Field – we did see the DreamLifter. Here is my crappy shot.

And that is cropped from this….

Next time, bring the telephoto and have it ON, not the cell phone.

Disappointed, Sven was out and about with his camera when I dropped him off at Seattle Center. He takes MUCH better pictures:

OK, a couple of those were from yesterday.

BBQ’d chicken and salad at home tonight. Any then we have to stay up for New Year’s Eve and the opening of the bubbles. We cheated. We opened the bubbles at 11pm so we would be done by midnight. And we were, and then it was off to bed after enjoying the “odd” neighborhood fireworks which are all too common to this neighborhood. I think they set off the neighbors car four times.

Happy 2013.

[210.4]

Dropped Sven in Pioneer Square at the Klondike Museum, the smallest National Park in the system – a store front museum really.

After the museum he was headed to the Seahawks game. He wanted to see a US football game, though probably didn’t realize exactly how expensive a good ticket at a football game where the team is headed to the playoffs… $242 is the answer ($131 was the original ticket value). But he got a good seat:

Yep, that’s the 50 yard line. Definitely a great seat – first row of the “charter” section.

Meanwhile, I went to work for a “morgue-like” day. Don’t know what it is about Sundays that are so slow.

Off at five and over to Bliss’ for My Dinner With André, who was visiting from Portland with his boyfriend. Sven showed up a few minutes after me a bit chilled from being outside all day – good thing the meal is homemade chili with cornbread muffins. Nice warm comfort food.

A couple of bottles of wine later it was home, with Sven nodding out about 11, and me about 12:30.

[210.8]

Did the closing shift at the shop. Barely OK day in sales, but looking back at the numbers from last year, the time between Christmas and New Year’s seems to be a slow time. Let’s hope lots of people come in for bubbles today and tomorrow. We are running some nice specials for the next couple of days. Check them out at:

http://madronawinemerchants.com/blog/2012/12/30/get-your-new-year%e2%80%99s-bubbles-here/

And yes, we take phone orders — I might even be convinced to deliver (since I’m already doing it for Swanda’s Prosecco order).

Since I worked the closing shift, my CouchSurfer had to take the bus from Union Station where the BoltBus dumped him. A six block walk to the bus, then just stay on until the end of the line. He made good time up the hill, arriving around 5:30… nothing like having to hang out for an hour and a half in a wine shop trying some samples.

Left the paperwork for the day until tomorrow so get us home to cocktails and dinner.

Dinner was fairly simple but tasty – pan-fried steaks and a big salad with the rest of the blackberry feta dressing. For a skinny guy Sven can certainly pack it away. No leftovers (which is good).

And for today’s photo, Sven in the mink/wolf jacket:

He just finished up an internship in Vancouver at something like the Canada-Germany Chamber of Commerce. Yes, that would make Sven German, not Scandinavian as his name might suggest.

Nice evening of conversation before he retired well before me.

[201.8]

Another day of stinking up the house. Only three cases left to go… before another five cases show up next week.

Here is the progress so far:

Swanda showed up a little after 5 for our standard news followed by dinner:

• Salad
• Steamed asparagus
• Steak

All while the still was a running. And apparently running too long. Final proof was only 50 so means it will be used as mixer for diluting stronger runs.

Another late night – must stop that.

[211.2]

Well, the recycling bin is going to be VERY HEAVY come Wednesday.

Two more cases down, five to go.

Got a late start today because what I thought was going to be a 15 minute errand turned into more like an hour of waiting around.

Each run takes 3-4 hours, so there goes the day. Luckily most of the time is more like watching paint dry – so a little more organizing of the house and cleaning the office for a CouchSurfer coming this weekend.

Meatloaf (leftover from the freezer) and salad for tonight’s meal.

Stayed up WAY too late, last batch finished around midnight.

[211.2]

Whew! A day off. Time to clean up the Christmas detritus:

And time to work on a stalled project, now featuring and indoor location:

Ten bottles down, seven cases to go.

[211.2]

Cooking up a storm this morning and early afternoon – getting ready for the twentieth something Faerie Gift Grab.

Bread from the oven:

Chocolate shortbread cookies:

Hum. I’m sensing a theme…

And lots of other good food to be had:

So, what is the Faerie Gift Grab (FGG)? Everyone brings a wrapped present, picks one from the pile or one somebody else got and it goes until they are all gone. This one was particularly festive with a lot of grabbing back and forth. Though by the end of the game, on the of the presents (a bottle of 1800 Cuervo Tequila) was looking a little worse for the wear as one person who had it for a while opened it, so when the next person grabbed it is was more like 700ml rather than 750ml. I don’t know WHO would have opened it. Hint: me.

The pile of presents waiting opening and grabbing:

And my final reward after a last minute trade:

This hat and the mask on the wall were both highly coveted gifts – I think it will look stunning with Clearas Wool Coat I got at the last gathering. Will try and remember to get a photo of that tomorrow.

Another couple of amusing presents – the singing Santa Fish which Bunny got and kept:

And the present I contributed – 250ml of Sherry Brandy, two glasses, in a travel bag (coveted and kept after several tries by HiJinx):

I was home by 7:30 – really not wanting to be on the roads later than that.

[210.6]

Well, we know one thing – it gets busy the morning of Christmas Eve at the shop, whereas the afternoon was dead. Next year I think we will try 11-5 (Sunday hours) rather than 12-7 (weekday hours).

It was so dead at the end that Jim left about 6:30 and I closed the shop before seven – hopefully no one was disappointed.

It was good to see Drew along with Chip and Linda – of course, they were there during the crush of people before Jim showed up after two. Next year, two people to open, one to close. We’ll see how next week does with New Year’s Eve sales, that might be a later crowd.

Shocked Rob, Jody and Swanda by showing up almost exactly at 7 – they’d just finished two games of “The Night Before Christmas” or some such thing. Nice to have a late dinner so I could miss that! No much of a group games person.

Huge meal of pork loins over roasted root vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts, a shrimp/slaw cocktail, salad, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something. We were all stuffed and passed on dessert – like any of us needed it.

Home rather early – good to get off the road before the novices take over.

But that doesn’t mean it was early to bed.

[210.2]

Just another day of work and food… with work running a little late with a last minute rush at 5pm, leaving me getting home at a quarter to six with guests arriving at six. Luckily the guests got lost and were running a little late as well.

The menu:

• Butter lettuce salad with tangerine slices in a local (12th & Rose) blackberry vinegar with olive oil dressing
• Roasted fennel heart
• Saffron Rice
• Coho salmon in puff pastry with wasabi sauce
• Sparkling Albariño from Bonny Doon Vineyards

And the dessert course, which I rarely do:

• Ex-boyfriends from scratch, cognac marinated fruit cake (and by scratch, all the fruits were done from scratch)
• Asian Pear Brandy from Captain Rat Distillates (that would be me)

Coho Salmon puff pastries before cooking:

Roasted fennel:

The full meal deal:

Had company from Georgetown (next neighborhood north of me) – big fun, late night, scandalous photos which you don’t get to see.

[210.2]

My turn to open the shop… which means I have time to cook this evening. Too bad I was too lazy to get anyone to join me for dinner.

Tonight’s project, personal bacon wrapped bison and lamb meatloaves done in spring form pans for easy removal and serving.

The before shot:

Coming out of the oven…

And served with some slaw and a nice rosé.

The recipe:

• 1lb ground bison
• 1lb ground lamb
• 1lb bacon
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Dehydrated onion flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl beat the egg together with the spices. Crumble bison and lamb over the egg mixture and mix together (easiest but messiest to just use your hands). Layer the bacon in small spring form pans then fill with bacon, fold bacon over the top, garnish with the onion flakes. Cook for 30-45 minutes (check doneness after thirty minutes). Bacon should be slightly crispy. Serves 3-4 depending on how full you make the spring form pans.

Well, that was my evening, unless you count trying to clean up the house a bit and plan tomorrow’s meal (wasabi salmon in puff pastry with roasted fennel root).

[212.4] Yes, the new scale arrived. Love it, and love that I didn’t gain a ton of weight on the road last week.

As I continue to unpack things from the Santa Fe trip (and the Portland trip), I thought I’d document corporate items from a deferent era when sexual harassment was an office game hopefully taken tongue in check rather than tongue someplace else.

Exhibit A: A Corporate Buck Buckle (luckily both my brother and I got one:

Exhibit B: My father’s office door nameplate with “adornment”:

The above statement isn’t quite true as some of the specialized grinding balls were chromed for us in crushing pigments to make paint.

Full day of work for me – my one Friday a month, though with all the deliveries coming in and customers stocking up, Jim was in from 1:30 to a little after 5 to help out. Not a bad day for a Friday sales wise for the Friday before Christmas, though didn’t compare it yet to last years (will do that tomorrow).

Closed a little after seven with one of our regulars showing up as I was pulling the sign. Luckily I hadn’t run any totals yet, or put the cash in the safe.

Off to Swandas for a beef roast/brussell sprout/slaw/carb-free dinner. Even snagged a Christmas Eve dinner invitation from Swanda. Now I’m covered for Xmas Eve and Xmas day with places to go.

Scale came in, so tomorrow there will be a number below for the first time in a week or so, and I’m a bit nervous.

[? ? ?]

Out of the house at 5:30, car to the airport off-premises parking, through security, and into the Board Room a couple of minutes before 6am – that might be a new record. I wasn’t expecting to be able to use the Pre line at the airport (expedited screening) since I’m travelling on a one-way ticket.

Flight would have been OK if the large guy next to me had taken off his bulky padded jacket – it sort of made him look like the Michelin Man. For a 45 minute flight it was OK, just annoying.

Took MAX into the city (that would be Portland’s Light Rail line), getting to Julian’s place at 10 where I promptly curled up on the couch under a blanket. He was still asleep upstairs, and quickly I was asleep downstairs.

Off to lunch at the Fishwife on Lombard – wonderful lunch, great fish.

Next stop was the butcher to get a boneless prime rib for tonight’s dinner. Here is my cheat sheet for timing:

What I didn’t know is that his oven door spring is a little sprung, just like Lunetta’s in Berkeley that I fixed with a bungee cord – unfortunately, no bungee cords in the house so dinner was a little late and a little rare, which is OK with prime rib.

And the table for four:

And a little holiday picture…

Might put that one on FaceBook as a Christmas profile pic.

Lovely evening conversation with Julian, his girlfriend, and roommate Alan, but soon after, Julian was out for the count:

Me, I just headed downstairs, turned on the portable heater and curled up in bed.

[? ? ?]

Tuesday at the shop, nothing special, but worth being open for – of course there was a customer knocking on the door as I was closing up, so one for sale for the day.

Swung by the bank to pop in a paycheck, means we are caught up with paying ourselves through September. It’s those January/February/March slow months that are still dogging us.

Sausage and slaw for dinner followed by packing for tomorrows trip to Portland.

[? ??] Still No Scale

Nothing like waking up at 8am on a couch. Better than driving home after a few latkes.

By 8:30 I was at Thoroughbred Collision in West Seattle, and by 9am I was home back in bed. It was a late night where Jill had to drive two of the revelers home (well, Lucas could have walked, barely in his condition though).

Hopefully they will be able to install the louder horn while they are fixing the front passenger fender, rear passenger fender, and replacing the windshield glass. Hopefully it won’t be done until Thursday (for pickup Friday morning before work) since I’m in Portland tomorrow and Thursday.

Went to go run some errands in my mother’s Miata only to find that the battery had gone flat from a month of not being driven – well, that’s what they make chargers for and half an hour later I was off to the auto parts store for a license plate frame that would partially obscure the tabs on the plate that are out of date. It’s insured, it’s registration just didn’t get renewed.

Safeway next, then the bank, then home to start unpacking and putting away the stuff I drug home from Santa Fe.

Here is the Russell Wright stuff:

A pitcher and 10 assorted sized sorbet/champagne classes.

After that it was getting the labels finished for the mini-bottles of hooch that I taking to Portland on Wednesday:

I was really surprised that the labels fit so well on those tiny sample bottles left over from the Spanish Vermouth tasters. Not perfect, but not bad. Thanks Tony for the front label artwork.

Off to bed.

[? ? ?] New scale on Wednesday.

If it’s Sunday, I must be in the shop – well, most Sundays.

Sales wise, not too bad, and we had a Sauternes and There Satellites tasting starting at 5:30 – thinking we might want to move future tastings to 5, right after the shop normally closes.

Here’s what we were tasting:

• 2009 Château Bel Air, Cuvée Tradition, Sainte Croix du Mont    $13– 375 ml
• 2008 Loupiac Gaudiet     $16– 500ml
• 2011 Jules Taylor Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc $17– 375ml
• 2009 Antonine Moueix, La Fleur Renaissance, Sauternes    $32– 750 ml $16– 375 ml
• 2005 D’Arche, Sauternes, Grand Cru Classé $38 – 750ml

After the tasting it was off to Jill and Murphy’s place for latkes and brisket washed down with some Jameson – she was out of the traditional Tequila. Sweat Lucas (Prince of Lightness, a turn of the phrase Prince of Darkness just for Lucas Electrics) along with a couple of their other UW classmates.

And here is the scene after murphy opened one of his new presents:

Yes, everyone had a good time – includeing me who slept on the couch.

[? ? ?] Scale died, new one on order.

The masses descended on the apartment around 11 this morning… sis-in-law/bro-in-law/nieces. A whole lot of volume in the place after the last couple of sedate days.

More going through the closets and taking things that appeal to them, and the going through of the drug box (oh, those are the same eye drops I use… look, the my inhaler I use) – the rest will go to a local agency that passed on medications to those who have trouble affording them. The hospice folks inventoried the Oxycodone and the tablet morphine and took those with them.

Most of the gang left for a movie a little before noon, and a little after noon the Colonels came to pick me up for lunch on the way to the airport.

On the recommendation of several of the family members we were off to Puerto Peñasco for a really nice traditional Mexican (lots of fish dishes) meal. I had the seafood stuff snapper for $12 for a huge serving. Good thing I wasn’t eating the rice of the potato wedges, otherwise wouldn’t have finished all the seafood.

Left at 3:10, well, that was the schedule, flying out directly from Santa Fe (50-seater regional jet). The reality was 3:50 with deicing, waiting for another plane – luckily I had two hours between flights at LAX, but it did mean a rushed dinner of salad and cocktails in the Board Room.

Flight to Seattle arrived on time. Sat next to a clueless but pretty boy (sat with legs akimbo into both window and aisle areas, both elbow rests, but I’ll forgive that since it the center seat).

The airport pickup area was a cluster mess, next time I’ll suggest meeting at departures where there is less traffic and fewer idiots – THANKS JILL for picking me up.

And thanks for hanging out and chatting for a bit.

Of course it meant it was way after midnight before I got to bed, and there is work tomorrow.

And for today’s photo, the courtyard of my mother’s building the day I left:

Off to bed.

[? ? ?]

First errand of the day is in search of a live Christmas Tree – first stop is the nursery where I found this lovely pre-decorated tree:

Yes, it is now snowing in Santa Fe.

Today’s lunch date is with the Colonels – no Mom though, she’s still not ready for friends, just family.

The Colonels are on their cross-country jaunt and are in Santa Fe for a week which is why I stayed an extra day rather than working tomorrow. Off to Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen for lunch:

Kate had the Taco Plate, Eric the Adovado, me the Green Chilli Phillie. It was all pretty good, and reasonable, hence why the colonels were there.

While I was out at lunch more changes came to the Christmas table:

Presents and wise men appeared, as did presents, some of which are labeled to my father (from his sister) which is sort of weird for me, but guess it’s better than hiding them.

Spent a lot of the afternoon and evening talking this and that with mom, some serious, some, light. And a bunch of time digging stuff out of the storage locker – seems that I’m taking home a stand mixer and Cuisinart that my mother has no intention of ever using again. Looks like I’m back to two checked bags, again. Also got out the answering machine for the phone and installed that so mom can screen her calls. More leftovers for my dinner – that takes care of them all but the home fries for which there are a couple of eggs to go with.

In a strange twist of fate, mom got an email from these folks with an interesting train/boat 16-day Hawaii adventure this spring:

http://uncommonjourneys.com/destination/usa-hawaii/hawaii-calls/

She emailed my Aunt to see if she might like to go along. Sounds fun, not that I have 16 days (plus the train travel days).

Signing out for the night.

Be well all, and hug your loved ones.

[? ??]

Well, today’s big adventure is going out to lunch with Em (my niece, my mother’s granddaughter) for lunch at Café Pasqual’s:

Nice an sunny in Santa Fe today. Em went with the trout scramble off the breakfast menu (served until 3), mom with a hugh BLT that came with home fries (so big she boxed half of each for later), and I with the chile rellano/chicken enchilada combo – all were good.

My afternoon was consumed running all over town looking for a New Mexico coffee much (easy) and a rabbits foot (hard). Finally looked on Amazon and found the rabbit’s foot – now the question is “who wanted one?” It came from a conversation at Swanda’s latke and vodka party, the question is from whom.

Dinner for me was leftovers from various delivered meals from the Dining Hall – I’m making good progress cleaning out the fridge.

Just nice to hang with Mom and take about the random thinks that come up – like thinking about a couple of days around new years at Oujo Calinete spa a little north of her. Nice her he thinking about getting out.

And clean sheets tonight – the maid was in, but I’m still taking the sleeping pill.

[? ? ?]

The downside of a train with not many people on it… fewer seatings in the Dining Car – tired of her nagging it was mid-way after seven when I stumbled down the hall after telling the Car Attendant NOT to make up the bed as I was planning on using it again.

Here is a shot from the Albuquerque train station:

Wow, those two look pretty good together, too bad I was shooting into the sun.

Jen was waiting for me at the train station in Lamy for the trip into town to see the parents… guess I need to start saying either parent or Mom. I’ll be staying in the condo with her, sleeping in Dad’s bed (they had separate bedrooms).

Jen stayed for a bit, which was good as after she left there were some teary moments. She surprised both of us by mentioning she was thinking about a train trip through the Canadian Rockies since she hadn’t done much of any travelling for the last ten years.

Beautiful sunset from the back windows of the condo:

Mom said she never sees the sunset as she’s usually in her bedroom watching TV or something and there is no direct line of site – but from the living room chai, a quite nice view.

I ordered dinner up from the Dining Hall, well, it was under mom’s name. She hasn’t been eating much in the last couple of weeks, but she did have half the Hungarian Apple soup with some crackers. She has her rustica toast in the morning and used to eat her big meal in the Dining Hall when dad was capable of getting down there. Emily (my niece) and I are taking her out for lunch tomorrow so maybe this will get her back in the practice of eating a little more.

By eight mom was in bed and I was faced with the choice of sleeping in Dad’s still unchanged sheets (maid service is tomorrow) or changing them. I opted for laziness.

A big thanks to someone in Portland who kept my mind off the day by chatting/texting into the night.

Must sent thank you.

We will see what tomorrow brings.

[? ? ?]

Up early – but apparently Swanda and BF were up even earlier – I still had 15 minutes before they were due, but outside they are. Me – I still needed to shower.

Off to the airport to catch a flight to LAX, then transferring to the Amtrak via the Flyaway Shuttle, where Craig picks me up for lunch before I board the train a little before six.

The view from 35,000ft of Crater Lake:

Not bad for a cellphone camera. And of LA’s airport icon:

And a couple of shots from Union Station in LA:

Dinner on the train – Lamb Shanks, which they always do a good job with, then back to the cabin for a nightcap, and early to bed.

But before I go, one humorous photo – fabric that I got in Hawaii – featuring the space shuttle using its robotic arm to unload pineapples.

Guess it’s time for those shirt lessons from Suzanne.

[212.8]