Well, they showed up weeks ago, but I just got the point of going through them and picking the ones I want.
Sort of look surreal in this lighting. Each of the tags on the inside has its photo number and whether the piece is a 1st, Minor 2nd, or 2nd. Between Swanda and I we snagged all the seconds, so what remains are the 1st. Here is a picture from his photoshoot of the tall ones ($100 per stem):
And of the short ones ($60 per stem):
Spent several hours today on a Swanda project of getting some pieces framed — turns out the guy who I used to take my work to on Capital Hill is now outside University Village, and he actually remembered me. After that adventure, Swanda and I went through the glasses, picking the ones we each wanted, and I packed up the orphans which will be sold on SurfBetty’s website that I’m starting to work on this week.
Spent the day working the shop, and working the film scanner when there were no customers. I figure if I’m at the shop, I might as well be doing something worthwhile, like scanning all these old black and white negatives. And then I left them on the machine, so you’ll have to wait for historic images of Uncle Markie.
Not a bad day, but not the break-out day like Saturday was.
After work it was off to cook dinner for four at Swanda’s place. With the oxygen, that means being NOWHERE need the stove. Tonight’s dinner was for Suze and Jim who brought wine to go with the pork bone-in ham, brussell sprouts and coleslaw. Here’s a great shot of the cheese course that kept us from starving while the roast cooked:
Cleaned up after dinner, ran the dishes and basically left the house in better shape than I found it, unlike my own, which is starting to see some serious neglect with half a dozen projects started and not finished.
Another full day. Time in the shop this morning cutting down big sticks into small sticks, making a base for a wine rack and packing the car with tools to fix chairs at Swanda’s place.
Work in the afternoon and then off to prepare dinner with 20+ single straight people in the company of DancingBear. Tonight’s menu:
Pimm’s Cup Cocktail (photo below)
Pigs in a Blanket
Smoked Salmon with Dill Sauce
Beef Tenderloin with thyme and fennel crust
Brussell sprouts with chestnuts in a bacon cream sauce
Yorkshire puddings
Blue cheese mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and mushrooms
It reminded me that I’ve been neglecting my Brits. It’s been too long since my last visit. Best for Christmas, may your wishes come through not just for Christmas, but the coming year as well.
Up, packed, checked out and on the road a little after noon.
Drove aimlessly through the west end looking for “charity shops”, guess I should have looked in the yellow pages before leaving the condo.
I did manage to find a string of three in Mount Vernon (Washington, not Virginia). Was tempted by the scroll saw in one, but left with only a $5.99 paper cutter from Value Village. No wine glasses, no caller id unit, which is what I was really looking for.
The border people must be swapping places. Normally Canada waves me through and the US is the one with all the questions. This trip, totally switched. Odd.
Got home a little after four with just enough time to grab my tool bag and head to the apartment. Todays chores:
Deliver Christmas Stocking to the apartment staff containing, cash, candy, tuna and wine
Inspect the chairs for fixing tomorrows
Mount the lights under the side board
Assemble shower seat
Run garbage and recycle
Drink whiskey
Eat leftover sushi
Try not to freak out that Swanda is on oxygen
Speaking of recycling, found a home for the scuba belt and weights from last week’s recycle diving — my neighbor Shawn is taking the weights for his sewing business, and I’ve repurposed the belt (will need a little more work) into a Super Hero Accessory — Flask Man!
A lazy afternoon reading my first issue of the New Yorker on the Kindle Fire. There are a couple of problems with the New Yorker app on the Fire. Problem Number One: you can’t read it in Landscape Mode which I’d like to try, and Problem Number Two: you can’t make the typeface bigger. Other than that, you get everything that is in the physical magazine except the blow in cards.
Company started showing up a little after six for a dinner of squash (yes, two days in a row), salad, and turkey breast wrapped in prosciutto. Here is the crew after dinner:
Out of the house at noon, out of Swanda’s place after watering the plants at 12:30, and off to the border we go.
Odd thing at the border — the Nexus line was actually LONGER than the standard lines, though it was only a ten minute wait (with no way to get out of the Nexus line once you are in it. The hitchhiker (Jack Daniels) was safely sitting in the front seat. Sort of odd that the crossing guard asked more questions than usual.
Traffic in the city was oddly heavy, maybe the holiday shopping season with everyone taking their cars rather than the bus?
A stop at Safeway for groceries, no need to stop for wine as Solus+ is bringing both a red and a white.
Here is a shot of the view from the condo:
I finally figured out how to force the flash on in “Happy Heart” simple mode — it only took twenty minutes reading through the manual on-line.
By 7 or so both of the boys were here, the pupu platter was out, and cocktails in hand.
Dinner at 8ish with a marinated pork tenderloin, a chunk of backed squash, a large salad. The plan was for a baguette, but I had left them on the roof of my car in the garage downstairs and when I returned they were gone. The funny thing is that a little after 9 the phone rang, it was the front desk asking if I’d happened to leave a couple of baguettes on my car roof. Too bad we were done with dinner at that point.
The rest of the evening was spent in conversations over kilt design, I brought up some WILD fabric for a kilt and Epick is a kilt-maker.
A slow day in the shop, not the slowest, but close. Tuesdays are slow in the wine business even at Jim’s old shop on Capital Hill. Finally got around to making a spreadsheet of all the sales to date, now I just have to have time to start crunching the numbers. I opened at noon, and the first and last sales were between 5 and 5:15 — luckily they were a half case and a quarter case. It doesn’t bode well for being open Tuesdays in the coming year after the New Year’s rush.
The slow day did give me the chance to get most of my holiday cards written. If the stamps.com server had been faster I would have had them all printed out to address, but instead, that’s another chore for the evening of wrapping and packing for the mail.
The end result:
And the incoming bounty is starting to pile up:
Too bad I didn’t get all the cards finished or even begin to pack for the trip to CanadaLand tomorrow.
Not enough hours in the day — I think that’s why I’ve been staying up late for the last week or so.
Lots of running around town today:
Port Chatham (now Trident Seafoods) for Xmas presents
Across the street to the liquor store where they screwed up and didn’t charge for $38.95 worth of liquor
To the new branch of my credit union — on THIS side of the water (will be handy as in late December they start tolling on SR-520)
To the apartment to drop off package for the mail, and pick up three while I’m at it
Dinner and work at Swanda’s tonight. The apartment is slowly getting put back together since Santa came and took a dump on the place (just kidding, but there IS a lot of Christmas stuff stuffed in there).
Here is an amuzing picture from last night’s decorating, a bottle of Maker’s Mark in a Marker’s Mark sweater and two hand dipped old-fashioned glasses.
And speaking of Christmas, I’ve got most of the stuff picked up that needs to be mailed but ran out of time tonight to get it wrapped and boxed. It seems that getting the printer and the postage machine to actual print cards and postage is taking hours.
At least I have the memories of seared ahi tuna, cucumber salad, coleslaw and an odd fishcake/green bean appetizer.
Running around loading the car with miscellaneous stuff needed at the shop and my Jim. I even cut down a couple of shelves for him.
Sundays we are open 12-5, but today, we had a $20 (plus tax) Champagne Tasting of the upper end stuff.
For the tasting notes, check here: http://madronawinemerchants.com/blog/2011/11/29/grower-champagnes-2/
The plan was to open four bottles and compare, but that changed to warming up with a French, not Champagne, but bubbles, then the four, and just for good measure, taking a vote of everyone’s favorite and opening a second bottle. The winner was the least expensive of the Champagnes:
Josè Michel & Fils Brut Tradition — $40
Moussy, Cotes des Blancs 60% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay The Brut is composed of reserve wines that are 5 or 6 years old. The wine has great toast on the nose, along with ripe but crisp lemon and some orange zest followed by a full bodied mouth feel and a long finish.
We had 18 people for the tasting if you included Jim, the rep from Triage, and myself. I think we have decided that having about 20 people in the shop at once is about our maximum.
After closing up, it was off to Swanda’s place with these two 187ml bottles of Prosecco. I’m thinking stocking stuffers.
Pork chops with a Moroccan spice rub and the rest of the coleslaw from last night before putting in 45-minutes or so of Executive Assistant duties.
On one of the runs to the recycling room, found a bunch of stuff in the recycle bins that either shouldn’t have been there OR was too good to leave there:
Full ream of 22# copy paper
Scuba dive/weight belt, with two of the five pound weights
Clip on lamp
Toolbox
Not that I’m usually a dumpster diver, but if I can’t find a diver that needs the belt, I’ll repurpose it into something for me. Just another odd Uncle Markie kind of day.
Thank goodness for text updates about flight times.
There I was lolling around the condo about to hop into the shower when the text message alert came in. It’s a good thing that I looked at it before the shower. I thought my flight was at 3pm for some reason, when in reality it was at 1:20, exactly 3 hours from when the text came in… and I’m unshowered, unpacked, and now in a panic. Santa Fe is about an hour plus north of the airport. And I have a rental car to gas up and return. And I like to be at the airport two hours early. And I haven’t had breakfast yet.
In the end I got there with enough time to check in my bag, get through security and have some food, but that is not how I like to start my day.
Both flights were on time, and even my bag was delivered in a reasonable amount of time… and I’m so glad that I’d parked out at the airport, I was ready to be home.
As nice as the WorldMark condo are, I still prefer my own bed.
Breakfast at Tia Sofias with the Colonels, then back to the condo for a bit before deciding to go to Trader Joes and restock the liquor cabinet at home since the Colonels gave me a liquid Christmas gift, so checking a bag is now mandatory.
Next up was an abbreviated catch-up session with my high school friend Robbie. Sort of hard to catch up on 35 years in 35 minutes.
Then off the parents house in Eldorado for a little computer work. Finished getting the files on her system, installed a wi-fi stick (though there isn’t a signal, I just happened to have a spare) and got her system security updated. Oi.
Then back to the city with the parents following shortly behind — time to check them into their condo (at the other end of the complex).
The Colonels joined us about 5 for a quick cocktail before heading to Café Pasqual. Makes me wish that my friend Lynn from Lopez was here as she loves the place.
I was hoping for a little more time with Robbie, but alas, he had duties with his wife and child.
Crazy day. Just nice at the end of it to sit quietly with a cocktail.
I couldn’t stand the thought of getting up at 6:30am to drive to the apartment to catch light rail to the airport. Working until 7pm, then recycling, printer moving, take-out at Swanda’s while picking up the book… it was too much. I needed that extra hour of sleep, and apparently I’m willing to pay $60 for it (the difference between light rail and valet parking off airport).
A little Board Room action for breakfast, then off to the gate for an on-time departure. Layover time in LA, three hours. Time for a lunch of half a dozen oysters, a cup of the clam chowder, and the “Yankee Salad”, which was OK, but in some ways odd:
The Asian Pears obviously had been cut hours earlier and not spritzed with lemon juice to keep them from turning a bit brown
The dressing had cilantro in it which I like, but I think parsley would have been a better choice
Not enough Blue Cheese crumbles (is there ever enough)
And, of course, I’m not a big fan of candied walnuts, but they are easy to pick out.
But it was a fairly healthy, though not cheap, lunch. Add one glass of Pinot Grigio.
Next stop was the bookstore which I snagged on the last trip, this book: A Question of Belief (Donna Leon) set in Italy and your detective sort of novel with lots of food and wine references. I wish that while I was finishing this book today I’d had access to the internet to translate certain words. Destination for the book now that I’m done with it? My sis-in-law who has an Italian foreign exchange student this year, whom I probably won’t be able to see on this VERY short trip. Not sure I’ll even see the sis-in-law since this is a midweek trip and seemingly my breakfast, lunch, and dinner slots tomorrow are spoken for.
What I thought was a 3-hour layover turned into a 5-hour layover then the toilet exploded on the plane that we were supposed to board. Apparently they didn’t want “blue ice” raining down on California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. You would have thought they’d have been comping drinks as it was a “mechanical” issue.
Lots of calls and texts to folks who were expecting me earlier. Was checked into the condo by 10:30 in serious need of a glass of whiskey (Albertsons in Albuquerque on the way through supplied the bottle).
Then it was time to catch up with all the email, take a picture, do a quickie layout for a 4-up card for the shop and call it a night.
Long day at the “office”. Exactly matched sales for the beginning of the week (Wednesday on our schedule). Not the best day at the till.
And here is what the car looks like coming home from the shop:
Needed to stop by the apartment to pick up a new cover for my Kindle Fire (and grab a reasonably healthy dinner of Greek Salad and Shrimp Dumplings from downstairs).
Here is the new cover:
And the inside that holds the Fire:
Need to get it redone with an additional divot on the bottle so the “on” switch doesn’t bounce on and off. But this would be the first Kindle Fire Sneaky Book. It pays to know the owner!
One of the packages I picked up last night at Swanda’s place from a new rack for the sleigh.
No just imagine it with cardboard strapped to it headed for the recycle bin. Wonder if that makes it a tax-deductible business expense.
Having a large selection of bourbon and rye, a late afternoon call yielded a yes to dinner, followed an hour later by request for an extra place setting. Dinner with Possum and DancingBear.
I was hoping to get the gathering call printed when 350 into a 475 run… the toner crapped out. Guess I’ll be finishing that tomorrow. Damn. Was hoping to get that off my plate BEFORE my trip to New Mexico.
Shop hours today are 11-5. As so-so day at the till, but I did get some chores done:
Installed the new shelf unit
Swapped out printers
Finish initial wine cards for all the wine
Didn’t get finished:
Figuring out the cash register and why it’s charging tax on the undiscounted amount if we give customers either the 5% discount on 6 bottles, or the 10% discount on 12.
Swanda texted with the news of a couple of packages at the apartment, and the availability of Scotch. That soon enough turned into a dinner of steaks and roasted brussell sprouts.
Build a bookshelf for under the cash wrap… finally, a place to shelve stuff next to the filing cabinet.
Got to work and found Jim’s work! Stunning, we have an “A” board to announce tastings.
And more shots for today…
Santa in the shop painting the bookshelf with the “sleigh” in the background. Please note that I’m wearing a 38″ waist on those overalls — that’s been awhile since I’ve been in those. Might be the only pair of 38s in my closet. Please notice all three buttons on the side are connected!
But later, the lobster attacks…
Long day, and working most of tomorrow. Hopefully the Sunday/Tuesday cute guys will come in for more wine. I think I’m getting a reputation in the neighborhood.
The saga of the Rose Gold Cross continues, sort of. The story, the cross below:
I purchased from LeoStarFuckerSunshine a year or two ago for $60+/- with shipping. Last spring I left it with my friend and jeweler Margo on consignment with the understanding that it would bring $160-170 once it sold. In the meantime, early this fall I found a buyer for it at the bargain basement price of $100 because it was to be a Christmas present for his sister, who I know, and who I know is a devout Catholic and would really like the cross (hence the cheaper price). Who knows what the value is today with the price of gold having gone up in the last six months, but it was really more about finding it a good home that wasn’t the smelter. It had that look of a cross that was worn every day for a lifetime.
And then it couldn’t be found. I’ve been hounding Margo for three months to get the cross back. She couldn’t find it, which I think worried her as much as it annoyed me. I stopped in yesterday at the shop in Berkeley (what the hell, I’m in town), and no cross. Missing somewhere inside the shop.
This afternoon I called, she stayed until 8pm last night searching through the shop with no luck. I swung by on the way to the airport and picked up a $160 check for it. As I said to her — I’d be happy to sent the check back (or buy it back) if it surfaces so I’ll hold the check for a week and pray.
The swing by the shop and Friday traffic in the Bay Area made me a little panicky about getting to the airport. Got there almost exactly on the hour mark, and those of you who know me know that I’m a two-hour kinda guy. Luckily, it’s Oakland and the security lines are like six people long. I even had time for a little beef and broccoli from the Chinese place (no rice or noodles).
Season greeting picture number three:
Yes, Santa is in coach. It’s a Friday night. Lots of big mileage fliers. There was one person in front of me on the upgrade list and a dozen behind me. Amazingly the seat next to me was empty, which is wasn’t on the website earlier in the day. Flight was packed, maybe three seats open.
Finally got home a little after nine with a stop drive through for a bacon cheeseburger. Not on the diet, but I didn’t order the fries so it’s just the buns that aren’t really on the diet and there haven’t been much in the way of carbs the last couple of days. But, of course, the scale will tell the truth in the morning.
In the living room on my return were ALL the martini glasses that I helped blow last summer, all marked with which session they were from, what their photo number was, and either 1st quality, 2nd with minor imperfections, and true 2nds. The firsts are ballparking at $60 for the short martini glasses (no real stem) and $100 for the single and double sizes with stems. No clue on what the pricing will be on the 2nds, and you know how much I like seconds.
Well, the other day I blogged about trying to bologna from my Kindle Fire. Today I’m successful. As they say, there is an app for that… just note in the Kindle App Store.
But of course, I couldn’t figure out how to search for a picture on the Kindle, so I checked and went back to Mark’s real computer. The other downside is that you are typing on a virtual keyboard. I can’t wait until someone figures out a hack for the micro USB slot on the Fire.
And to add insult to injury I forgot the charging cable for my phone in my attempt to winnow down what I was packing. Luckily its a standard mini-USB.
More later if I can get to a computer after dinner.
At least I was up whe MoonSong came to clean. Actually got a bunch of stuff done this morning, including a video interview — here is a shot of the webcam attached to a pencil sticking out of a cup:
After the quick interview I was out of the house and on the way to the airport, Oakland bound.
Uneventful flight trying out the Kindle Fire as my mobiel computing device. Makes a great media player, excellent sound when you add the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones. Haven’t spent much time using it as a reader yet as I have a stack of New Yorkers to go through.
Nice day to arrive in Oakland. Balmy and the sun was going down over San Francisco on the drive to the boys house.
Speaking of the boys, the second in a series of Holiday Pictures:
A wonderful meal out, a rarity on my visits down south as I’m usually cooking — that will come tomorrow night.
U Markie – did this remind you of the Brits? Yorks pud, beef n gravy with Pimms? Wishing you all the best for Christmas :))
It reminded me that I’ve been neglecting my Brits. It’s been too long since my last visit. Best for Christmas, may your wishes come through not just for Christmas, but the coming year as well.