UMTravels

Picked up the rental car a little after ten and headed in the direction of Sooke Harbour.

First stop… a Salvation Army… and a strike out.

Next stop… Potholes Regional Park – they are actually talking about geological formations, though the condition of the road matches as well.

Looks like it would be really nice hiking terrain – if I did that sort of thing.

Next three stops – more thrift and junk stores… one of which was so crammed with stuff I couldn’t get down half the aisles. Seem more like a junk barn with a junk yard dog owner.

Decided to go further than Sooke Harbour – turned around at Jordan River – an old logging town. A pretty drive, and I pasted this place which reminded me of Pat who used to run a resort by the same name:

Got the car back around 4, and snagged a ride back to the Clipper Terminal, casting about for an early dinner location. Passed on the Day Inss restaurant from the last trip, looked at a couple of others, settled on Santiagos. Started with the full size order of Ceviche – should have stopped there. I though the kiddy portion of nachos would be the nice little thing to finish the meal – I thought wrong. 10″ plate of cheese nachos with a ton of salsa/sour cream/guacamole on the side. I pity the child that would actually eat that size a portion.

A quick ride back on the Clipper – got there a little before 6 and walked right to Immigration, boat left at 7, and by 10pm I was at home having a cocktail. That might be a new record.

Tomorrow, back to the deck project.

Damn.

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I should really look at my tickets – I could have sworn it was a 7:00am departure… luckily it wasn’t 6:30, but 7:30. So I was early. More importantly I could have slept another half hour.

TOTALLY FULL boat to Victoria – I’ve never seen that. They must be loving it.

Got in and through immigration a little before 11, room wasn’t ready, wandered around, had lunch, in the room a little before 2 – still beats waiting until 4pm to be in the room. I was having cocktails by that time!

Here are some random pictures from my day. The Albion Manor B&B close by:

View from the condo… note the gray skies, but no rain:

And the hot tub on the deck – no grocery runs for me this trip – not worth the effort to cook for one.

Dinner tonight next door at the Blue Crab. A nice glass of wine (to balance out all the Jameson before), mussels and clams with chorizo… and a beet salad that I ordered, but didn’t decide to take. The waiter was nice enough to take it off the bill when I ask for it to be boxed because I was stuffed (more tip).

Sorry that the picture of the mussels and clams isn’t better.

Movie tonight: Spring Cleaning.

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The day started off with a flour delivery.

Nothing like splitting 50# of flour. Apparently $8 gets me 25# of bread flour. Wow.

You know, 3.5 inches isn’t much, unless it’s in the wrong direction.

Two things I discovered today. The deck of the dining platform is 3.5 inches too high, and I got the far end of the platform wrong.

All will have to be fixed on my return from CanadaLand. But the up/down wiring is in, and some of the decking – would have bought more but they were out of the 8′ pieces of decking, and that’s what’s easy to chop. Instead of fixing stuff, I started fixing dinner for five – with some “white dog” – aka, moonshine:

Got to love that they are selling 125 proof stuff just out of the still.

Dinner good – only thing left are some vegetables.

Must pack for tomorrow.

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I’m making a little more progress on the deck structure – starting to put up some of the side bamboo:

But got interrupted by the call of the Dindons… Dindon’s Winery that is:

Had a nice afternoon wine tasting before heading to Ezells to pick up some chicken for dinner. Haven’t been there in years, and I blame Swanda for getting me thinking about it. Something tells me that fried chicken isn’t on my diet – even with skipping the fries.

More deck work and dinner guest tomorrow.

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More progress on the deck today… took a break from working on it at this point…

To run off to Bamboo Hardwoods because their bamboo cane fencing is on sale for 50% off, and I need two 6×8′ rolls (that will get cut down into 3’x4′ panels). I still need to figure out the design of the stairs getting up to the platform, and what kind of gate is going in.

A little after four headed to Tacoma for MaryBeth’s daughters surprise 16^th birthday party. The boys at this party outnumbered the girls about 4 to 1 – that’s a whole lot of male hormones in one confined space – I’m surprised I didn’t pass out.

Home at ten, into bed shortly afterwards. Maybe it was the turkey (Melissa wanted Thanksgiving for her birthday meal) that knocked me out.

Chair delivery tomorrow.

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Working on the deck extension:

Baking a couple of loaves of bread:

Relaxing in the hot tub after a dinner at Swandas:

That’s it.

[223.8 – apparently Berkeley is slimming, left town 5 pounds heavier]

With the girls gone from the house, calm returned and all was well.

More leftovers for breakfast as I packed to the return trip home. And I’m leaving behind leftovers, chicken stock for chicken-barley soup, lamb, hunks of chicken… it’s a good thing they have guest arriving later today to help them eat all the food.

Lunetta gave me a ride to the BART station – nice. Means I didn’t stink up my clothes walking, and it was a bit chilly this morning. I love and envy a city that has decent public transportation (that lets out Seattle and LA).

Got to the airport three hours early – yes, that’s even early for me – but it gave me time for lunch, and even more time when the flight was delayed for an hour from the morning fog that tends to roll through the schedule all day – a reason I don’t like flying in/out of SFO. Oakland doesn’t seem to get the fog like SFO does.

This morning I snagged an upgrade to first class at the six-hour mark. By the time I boarded, every seat was booked in first, unlike the trip down when half were empty. Why pay the $70 upgrade fee – maybe it’s the massaging, 35% reclining seat:

The second picture gives a great shot of their “mood” lighting. And speaking of mood – Erik, the flight attendant (unfortunately in the back) in his birthday party glasses:

Swung by Safeway on the way home, slim pickings in the clearance bin, but did pick up some essentials.

Rest of the evening was spent (well, it felt like the whole thing) Skyping with Spiral about his 40^th B-day celebration. All I really wanted was as yes or no is it going to happen in Las Vegas and who is invited so I can plan my travel to use one of my $99 companion fares (probably with Dancing Bear who can afford to pay half of the total).

Early to bed after a hectic day.

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Didn’t leave the house today. Didn’t come out of the bowels of the basement (OK – it’s really a daylight basement with tons of light) until 10:30 – luckily coffee was delivered.

Breakfast: Leftover chicken drumsticks from last night and leftover omelet from the first morning.

Lunch: Leftover slices of lamb from the second night.

Dinner: Fresh guacamole and chips (antipasti), and hour later a chicken Caesar salad with heirloom tomato (yes, just one) and goat cheese — secondi (leftovers combined).

Dessert (dolce): fresh fruit and berries with ice cream.

Sorry for the Italian – I’ve started Grisham’s The Broker, which is has a character in hiding in Italy learning Italian.

Maybe this shouldn’t be called Day Four, but Leftover Day – but damn tasty.

Slowly but surely getting a plan together for Javier’s 40^th B-Day celebration, now in Las Vegas instead of Mexico City. Just booked the penthouse for a Wed/Thurs and two 2-bedroom units (sleep 12) for Fri/Sat/Sun nights. Turns out early December is better since I can get all of them much cheaper than two weeks later, and for partial weeks, and for no cleaning fees, and in someone else’s name – and with no use of points!

Tomorrow headed home. Got to log in at 9:30 tomorrow and see if I can claim (i.e. pay for) a first class seat… I kinda got spoiled on the way down.

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Woke up – had fried eggs over lamb hash. Yum.

Worked for awhile – went and took a nap.

Went on an errand run for lumber for planter box project – returned home with no lumber, but tonic water, pajama bottoms and shot glasses.

Prepped dinner – put it in the oven.

Had a cocktail, then some wine.

Melted down between the salad and the main course – returned to bed.

The end.

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An early day for this household – we are due out the door at 9:45 for breakfast with Mouse at the Mama’s Royal Café in Oakland. Food was good, service getting my mimosa wasn’t so good. An exterior shot from their website:

Nap time for me after the Eggs Canadian (like a Benedict, but with thicker meat).

Booked another night in Seaside for my date on the 16^th with this young hottie… now the plan is to be there for two nights. Wish me luck on that adventure!

And I figured out what the real cost of a first class seat on Virgin America between Seattle and San Francisco costs — $261 each way. So even if I upgrade on the way back… $78.60 + $70 + $70 = $218.60 as opposed to booking in First Class orginally which would have been $522 roundtrip.

Onyx’s sister got in from Mexico in the early afternoon and after a little conversation we were off to the Berkeley Bowl to grab food for two nights worth of dinner – and Sunday Leg of Lamb roast over Hawaiian sweet potatoes and tiny multicolored potatoes and onions, a big salad, and a couple of bottles of wine.

It was an early night for us – Sister with back pain from before the flight on Vicadin and a martini, the boys from a bad night of sleep the night before, and me, just cause I love to sleep.

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I got the upgrade to First on Virgin America – or shall I say, I paid for an upgrade. $70, which is a bit steep considering that I only paid $78.60 for the whole round-trip ticket – but it is 55 inches of seat pitch, and the seats are damn comfortable.

Notice the mood lighting? Gotta say, they got cool interiors — lots of full spectrum lighting, leather seats, the works.

Good thing I got the upgrade – we sat for 45 minutes on ground delay because of fog in San Francisco… at least I had a drink in my hand.

I had a bagel and cream cheese in the Board Room at Alaska before walking to the other end of the airport for my flight – and the flight itself had a small breakfast of exotic fruits (more than your standard melon and strawberry) and a slice of cranberry bread – but it did leave me a little lacking – I was starving by the time I got to Mark and Onyx’s place in Berkeley. Luckily, I’d texted for a pick up and breakfast was in process when I arrived —- and what a lovely way to arrive it is.

The afternoon was given over to napping and runs to Costco, Marshalls, Ross, BevMo (twice) for various weekend supplies.

The evening started with this:

A combination scotch/bourbon tasting for the benefit of Onyx, who was confused on the differences in what makes something a scotch as opposed to a bourbon, or a sour mash. I love being teacher when this is the subject.

My apologies for the quality of the photos — it’s the camera in my phone.

Dinner and a movie afterwards – yes, I went to a movie in a real theatre… a 3-D movie – Despicable Me. It was amusing, more so to the boys who were howling.

That made it a late night for me.

[228.5]

Up at 7am – what’s with that!

Wake up Jameson at 9:30am

Leave for the train station at 10am after a little coffee and chatting

Early lunch downtown (not satisfying, but filling)

Train at 12:15

Bored on the train at 2:30, have a hot dog and a gin and tonic

Train running late

Arrive at Swandas for cocktails with special guest (Wonderful) at 4:20pm

Forget to pick up shirts before 5:30 so it will have to wait until next week

Dinner of Filet Mignon and roasted potatoes as I’m out of butter and lettuce, not to mention butter lettuce

Pack for tomorrows trip

Early to bed because I have to wake up at 1am to snag first-class upgrade on Virgin and go back to sleep for a couple of hours before heading to the airport.

What a day.

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It’s fairly amusing (to me) to pack a huge carry-on for an overnight trip to Portland.

But when it includes three bottles of wine, a bottle of whiskey, a four-pack of Absolute minis as a thank you for a bed, two loaves of bread, one stick of butter, two packs of coleslaw, six Idaho russets, four pork tenderloins and a bottle marinade – no wonder it weighs a ton.

Got to the Amtrak station after a stop a Uwajimaya for day old sushi and got three tickets issued. Today’s business class seat to Portland, tomorrow coach seat to Seattle, and the roomette from Santa Fe to Seattle after Christmas. I wish this was my car for the trip down south.

The car (BNSF1) was part of a six car train belonging to Burlington Northern Santa Fe – no wonder Warren Buffet bought the whole company if this is how he gets to travel. If you want to see a roster of all the business cars for BNSF, it’s here: http://www.qstation.org/BNSF_Biz_Cars/index.html

I love taking the train to Portland, it’s so relaxing – even if I did have to sic the conductor on a coach passenger that had been drinking (or was off her meds) plopped herself down over three seats at the front of my car. And this trip I just hoped on MAX which is a couple of blocks from the station and it’s a direct shot to Julian’s house (and another two block walk). Damned convenient.

Dinner tonight was a party of six. Me, Jameson, two friends of his from high school, one boyfriend and one child. Nice meal, but I was up way too early (7am) this morning, so it was an early night.

[226.5]

Time to get back into the swing of things and get some bread baking done. Jeff was over in the late morning to drop off some high-gluten bread flour for me to try – and a loaf of his plain baguette that he made using a pan he borrowed from me. A nice discussion about bread (he uses the Julia Child method – I use a machine) and the difference between artisan (his) and high-tech (mine). These are the two loaves I baked today – with the bad of flour in the background – there is talk of splitting a 50# bag.

While the bread was in process (45 minutes in the machine, 45 minutes in the proofing [warming] oven) I got the scissor lift positioned on the slab – I only had to use the barrel jack half a dozen times to get boards under the wheels. Considering the three dozen times to get it around the side of the house, this was a welcome relief.

I should have taken the picture without the boards – looks much cleaner.

Swung by Home Depot to look at decking materials and to start thinking about the budget. Looks like (5) 2x6x8 at $4 each, (6) pre-notched deck rails at $19 each (ouch), (4) 2x4x8 side rails at $3 each… for a total of $150 before any of the electrics and bamboo siding. I might swing by Bamboo Hardwoods next week to see if I could do the whole project in bamboo for that tiki-like look. Shit, and I need to build the stairs up to the platform… it never ends – oh and that didn’t include the decking. Damn.

Dinner tonight with Swanda and orange-balsamic glazed chicken breasts, a salad, and a loaf of my bread. Oh, and a little wine, too.

Then home to figure out what to pack for tomorrow’s dinner in Portland.

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Before I get around to today’s post, I stole this off the FaceBook comment of my friend Aster:

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Back in the swing of things – travelling west is sooooo much easier on my body. That and being exhausted at midnight which is my usual bedtime. Woke up at 8am ready to face the world, and a stack of mail, clippings to send, bills to pay, restocking the fridge – the usual stuff after two weeks of not being around.

So, what got done while I was on holiday? The concrete pad got poured and the oven thermostat was replaced. Nice to have a key box by the back door so that I don’t have to be here.

I should have had MoonSong put a big R.I.P and some fictitious details on the slab – it does sort of look like a mausoleum slab. And speaking of slabs – below is one of the slabs from the South Park Bridge…

Dinner tonight is with Dancing Bear… a peppercorn pork loin, roasted potatoes, salad, and a blackberry pie (leftovers from the freezer) for dessert.

It was an early night for me, but it was nice to walk around the neighborhood after dinner – lots of people and families out, some even using the new off-leash doggie park.

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It’s nice when:

1. You have a flight at 2:25pm
2. You have someone to take you to the airport
3. You can clear immigration in less than 5 minutes using the Trusted Traveler Program when the line looks to be about an hour deep

It’s not so nice when:

1. Your business class seat on a 9-hour flight isn’t all that comfortable (roomy, but not comfortable)
2. You clear immigration quickly, but then it’s back out through security to get two terminals over and your domestic flight home
3. You are so exhausted from the 3-hour layover that by the time you are on the 4 hour flight home, you don’t even want to drink.

But I’m back home, Curtis gave me a ride home, all is well. Apparently I’m not doing enough long distance flights – these didn’t used to bother me so much.

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My host both had high-pressure jobs in Frankfurt’s banking and investment community. Sunday, for them, is a trip to the local bakery (one of the few things open on a Sunday, and then only until 11am) for some fresh breads and rolls followed by breakfast and chilling out in the apartment watching movies and working on and early Sunday dinner.

I was more than happy to follow their lead. Yes, I am a tourist, but it’s a gray, drizzly day that is perfect for watching a couple of movies.

First movie up… Thank You For Smoking. Good old fashioned dark humor for a dark day. Later in the afternoon after I’d finished the Grisham novel The Client, it was time for the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes as dark as the day.

Add packing for the trip home tomorrow and a pasta dinner and you have my day.

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Today is a travel day… the S-Bahn back to the main Berlin Hbf, then south to Frankfurt.

I was packed (badly) and out of the house at 9:30 or so… a walk through the forest to the station, a little wait for the train and back at the main station am I. Found the DB lounge and settled in for the first real internet connection in a week, though it was a little odd… 15-minute cards. i.e. you got a connection for 15 minutes before having to log in another user name and password. Seems a bit silly to me, but free is free. I used one of the two cards to download all the mail (close to 300 messages), read/deleted/replied, and then logged on to then send them all. One chore down.

Had some drinks and light snacks in the lounge but had a more substantial lunch before finding postcards and heading to the platform for the train south.

Lovely train ride – had the entire compartment to myself which meant that for part of the trip I was stretched out across three seats and snoring.

Ezra met me at the train station and off we headed to his place for a lovely evening of sampling parts of his extensive scotch collection.

Here is the slideshow from this trip:

And how nice to  sleep in a full size bed in a room to myself.

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My how time flies when you are having fun. I guess my worries about lack of sleep or general grumpiness and fleeing the gathering as I did the last Eurofaerie gathering have not come to pass.

After whiling away the day reading some John Grisham piece of trash and doing loads of dishes, at 4pm the gates opened for the “day trippers” to come and have a meal with the faeries. Not only was this invitation open to Berlin faeries, but friends of faeries (including a middle-aged heterosexual couple).

As I sit and do this blog entry, once again faerie talent is practicing… an Asian/Latin gentleman who is a biochemist in Stuttgart is playing the ukulele. It makes me want to pick up the electric ukulele that I bought in Honolulu last year and actually learn how to play it. Maybe I should come back over for lessons – and pick up a Porsche while I’m at it (they are built in Stuttgart).

Dinner tonight for the first time at this gathering – unless you count the fish – was MEAT. Bratwursts, pork, chicken – in addition to the seiten, grilled vegetables, grilled tofu, and all that – it was a BBQ in the back yard – with a floor show of boys oiled up and wrestling on an Alaska 10-year Roof (a.k.a. Big Blue Tarp).

Last night was the talent show – and yes, I was up until 3am according to reports, and tonight is the auction to cover some of the fees that the poorer faeries couldn’t raise to attend this week. With my desire for only carry-on – I’m guessing I won’t be buying the 3 foot tall copper gilded penis – that would make a very ODD second carry-on item.

Short entry today – I’m running late, and the auction is about to start and I need some pictures of that penis.

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Funny how the people you found annoying ten years ago – are still annoying ten years later. Time, apparently doesn’t heal all wounds – maybe time wounds all heals.

Today’s activities have included a seitan making workshop – that’s a gluten-based meat substitute which is often used for things like mock duck. Next up was the making of “flapjack” – which is butter, brown sugar and oats, baked up into a “sweet”, what the Brits call a dessert – and then some sort of Caribbean meal… I’m just the dish witch. I just clean up the mess afterwards.

I missed the business circle – missed the heart circle – spent my time hanging out in the smoking tent listening to the rain on the plastic, reading a silly John Grisham novel, waiting for a whiskey delivery, wondering the meaning of life, and not really worrying about what that meaning is.

At the moment (late afternoon blog time in my schedule) Miss Michael is doing his warm-up exercises – he is a professional dancer (modern/interpretive) from New Orleans who is leaving tomorrow to rejoin his company for a performance in Estonia. The dining room where I’m plugged in has this wonderful feeling of a group house from my youth where folks are just doing the things they need to do, like practicing, writing, cooking, or just hanging out smoking cigarettes and drinking beer.

It’s a strange and wonderfully calm atmosphere. Maybe it’s the music Miss Michael is dancing to, maybe it’s that it’s not a performance, just the exercise that he needs to get ready for tomorrow. Maybe it’s just people wondering in from bicycle rides in the rain. Maybe it’s just much ado about nothing.

Watching Miss Michael dance, I wish my mother and Helene were here. They are both dance fanatics and would enjoy the behind the scenes rehearsal, somehow made acceptable by the fact that we are both working at our trade at the moment. To hear him panting between numbers gives me a new appreciation for the physicality of what dancers go through. It is rare that I pant at the keyboard.

Tonight is the talent show… and there are several faeries making noise about me doing something for the show… but what. Not really my strong suit. I haven’t looked to see if Miss M is on the schedule. I do know that one of my roommates (I’m in a four bed bedroom) has been working on his makeup for two hours (at least). I’m sure that it will yield some amusing photos – but those will have to wait until the weekend.

So, it’s just a drizzly but not gloomy day around the house. I’ve only taken two calls so far since arriving… one from H²0 Blanco, about the thermostat replacement for the Wolf ranges, and to return a call from Curtis who butt-dialed. An interesting calm when you “internet time” is the 30 seconds it takes to upload the blog.

I am realizing that I’ve missed the EuroFaeries… ten years was too long a break, but until you take that break, you never know. Maybe there is hope for my reconnection with the US faeries as well.

Or maybe it’s time to sell the house and hit the road.

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