Now & Then

"I'm tired of having to say 'the other Vancouver' and 'the other Washington.'" 

This line was supplied by Galina who cut my hair today. She also told me to hurry up and finish  my book so she can read it. I'm working on it, Galina! Thanks for being a reader!

I think I'll attribute this line to H.T. Eaux who is a frustrated politician - frustrated because while he wields enormous power in the small pond of Vancouver*, he is unknown in larger political circles. But, if he could solve Vancouver's financial woes by charging more for water usage and, at the same time, attract new industry, he would not only be a local hero but he would have a platform for launching onto larger political stages.

This would make his wife, Jackie, very, very happy.

*I'm currently setting the stage in Vancouver rather than San Francisco (or SFOak/LA, as I renamed it). I think it's funnier. Not  to mention easier.

Satire Day

There's no doubt it's fall. My favorite time for taking pictures. And cooking lots of good food. David Sedaris is at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton tonight. I'd go if I could figure out how to get there in the next few hours.

Meanwhile I have first drafts of Chapters One and Two* of the next Now & Then adventure. Probably about 4,000 words. It's inconceivable that I could come up with 80-90,000 more. But that's what the organic chai tea lattes are for. Encouragement. And fuel. At $4.50 per cup, it'll cost me around $225 for the first draft. Might be worth it.

Thanks for supporting the global boycott, btw. Does this make it a movement, officially? And, if we link to each other, is that considered a circular reference?

*They're not posted anywhere at this time.

Star Struck

From Drop Box

I didn't actually get to meet him but I did have a very good view of him. Nancy Pearl was selling her books there as well, but not her action figure which is a bummer. That would have made for a perfect evening!

(I don't mean to spoil The Woman Who Died A Lot but Nancy is in it. Very, very cool.)

As for The Last Dragonslayer, it was published in 2010! Before you wonder how it's possible you could have missed it, the book was only released in the United States earlier this month. In fact, on the same day as  The Woman Who Died A Lot. This book is the first of three which have already been written and published in the UK.

There were 200-300 attendees. (For tea drinkers, you can translate that to 250.) I wanted to get my book signed but it would have surely taken an hour to get through the line. I passed on the signature.

I'm glad I bought the book though. He made a comment about reading on paper versus e readers - essentially that reading on paper was more essentially "real." I would have looked silly just sitting there with my Kindle on my lap - everyone else had a book or two. (It's good to blend in.)

As for the interview, it was recorded but I can't find it on the internet yet. It was sponsored by University of Washington Book Store. Nancy broadcasts videos here (there's an interview with Mr. Fforde from 2005) but nothing from the 15th.

I'll keep looking. If I find the link for the audio, I'll let you know.

Loyalty Goes Both Ways

"So? Starbucks rewards loyalty - and they're not out to take over the world. Okay, that was a bad example...."

Thursday Next in The Woman Who Died A Lot

I wonder if Mr. Fforde knows that after only two weeks after publication, his book is already out of date.

As it turns out, I read the above line today which is funny because, as of today, Starbucks does not reward loyalty. I was planning a worldwide boycott but, to tell the truth, even before Starbucks had a reward program, they were my caffeine-pusher-of-choice. So what's the difference now? Nothing, really. I just liked the attention - well, perceived attention. I got post cards and I have a gold card in my wallet with my name on it.

So, I don't know about the global boycott. I am easily influenced by the "dark side" of everything. Amazon, Google - it's all just too easy, like the Goliath Corporation (which "catered for everything from the cradle to the grave" Ibid.). Starbucks, whether you like it or not, is everywhere and you know exactly what you're going to get when you go into one. It's like the whole principal behind McDonald's - you can walk into any one and get the same experience, hamburger, or cup of coffee.

They're on every corner, and if you're not sure which corner is closest, you can check your mobile app so you can rest assured you're never far from another cup.

I was a fan before the rewards program so what's the problem?

The problem is I feel used. They didn't have to manipulate me to get my vote; they already had it. I gave them my e-mail address, I let them track my buying habits in exchange for some goodies. Now, they have my information but I no longer have the goodies.

I shouldn't complain too much. My grocery store knows more about me than they should. My internet browser stalks me. My freaking car can differentiate between asses* and will adjust the seats automatically when I get in! How personal is that?

It's time to do something different. It's time to buy local. I try to do that anyway but now it's time to try harder. The mermaid is just going to have to learn to live without me for a while.

Maybe I'll send her a postcard on her birthday

(*exaggeration)

A Pretty Big Day

I have the opportunity to meet Jasper Fforde and Nancy Pearl this evening. (Woo hoo!)

And, it's the last day to cash in on Starbucks Rewards.

Oh, and the last day to file your taxes if you haven't done that already.

Whew!

Sunday

From Drop Box

"Everything but the kitchen sink" scramble with biscuits, double layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting all from scratch, two roasted chickens with Brussels sprouts and potatoes. It's Sunday, and it's raining.

I'm pooped.

Root Root

Happened by a farmers market yesterday with no particular plan in mind but I quickly decided on...

From Drop Box

...vegetable soup.

From Drop Box

It turned out pretty good which is good because there are a lot of leftovers.

I'm eating my favorite emergency food: chili from a can. "Emergency" = I'm hungry and too lazy to do anything about it. I took it out of the can first and heated it up - not that lazy! To round out my culinary week, I had chocolate chip mint ice cream after my Purple Stride Walk* in support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. And, I've got Oreos in the fridge. (Is it tax season??)

*More on this later because, in fact, it is Tax Season Part II. Everyone who extended their tax return must file by October 15th and it's a prerequisite that the more complicated the return, the longer they take to bring us their stuff. So, busy.

Skills

If they had known who I am, they would have never given me the bean bags. For a dollar, I had the chance to win $100 by tossing bean bags across a room at a cornhole target. We were at the Portland Meadows for Customer Appreciation Day and, although I had never been there before, I was about to be appreciated.

The feeling was mutual.

I got two out of four which wasn't enough for the $100 but it was enough for $20 in betting vouchers. So, bet I did. On the horses.

A couple of beers, hot dogs, and six races later, I left with $70.

Skills.

(Props to my coach and the home field management of Blechschmidt Meadowlands for teaching me everything I know about the sport.)

Stalked Again

What worries me is not that I'm being stalked. What worries me is that it doesn't worry me. 

I was sitting at my desk the other day when I saw a shadow cross my window, not ten feet away. 

I'm in a first floor apartment, facing the street, and I work from home. I'd rather people didn't know when I'm here and when I'm not so I always keep the blinds mostly closed - open enough for light but not open enough for someone to see in. I knew it wasn't the day for the landscapers - they had come the day before. 

And, yet, I wasn't worried. More, I was curious about who might be outside my window and what would happen when we came face to face. The source of this shadow wasn't on the sidewalk. No, whoever cast this shadow was right outside.

Now, I would  come out of my skin if a spider were to cross my path, but a mysterious shadow across my window? Surely, there must be a screw loose in here somewhere.

The shadow moved as I watched. And, then, the shadow spoke.

"Meow," said the cat on my windowsill who was stalking, indeed, to find the best spot in which to sun himself.

"Boo," I replied. 

Boo, indeed.

Not The Onion, Indeed

Sticky buns 'devastating' for Swedish wild boar

But local officials warn that the practice, while increasing the chances of a successful hunt, it increases the risk that the boar suffer from weight problems and poor dental hygiene.

H/T Ron's Log

Poetry

From Drop Box

This was on the underside of my coaster at Niche Wine & Art.

"Rewards Faster"

This is the slogan Starbucks is using to encourage devotees to think that stripping their Rewards Program of rewards is a good idea. What they've done is change their program to match the frequent buyer program of every other coffee house, shack, or roadside stand on the planet. No free syrups. No free soy. No free drink if you pay full retail for a pound of coffee. Heck, you won't even get a free, flippin' postcard anymore. I liked the postcard! Now, you get a free coffee after purchasing 12 just like every other joe joint. They might as well go back to using punch cards.

Okay, getting rid of the postcard is a good idea that I can support. On the other hand, the paper punch card might be more environmentally correct than the plastic ones. At this point, the plastic ones aren't really needed, are they? But there's no longer a reason to choose Starbucks over another coffee joint. Certainly not the price. Their only hope is they have enabled the coffee addictions of enough of the coffee consuming public that it won't matter.

Well, this morning, I'm drinking Seattle's Best. Take that!

Now Reading

From Drop Box

An early birthday present. Woo hoo! You can get one, too. Here.

System Re-Boot

From Drop Box

When they roll up the carpets in Mountain Home, they're not fooling around. They closed the whole city last night for a system-wide re-boot. We should have taken a drive just to see what it looked like, a whole down gone dark. As it was, we were in our hotel room (no glow sticks) and we missed the end of the movie we were watching that wasn't quite over when the power went out.

No A/C and no windows that open. I wondered if the door locks worked or if they had battery backup. What about the sprinklers, fire alarms, and smoke detectors? How many transformers would blow when the juice came back online?

The sun came up and the power was on. Just another day. Everything looks like it went as planned, although I haven't ventured outside the hotel yet. Speaking of venturing out, the sign on the hotel room door says "Fire alarm sounds like a loud siren."

Perhaps there was some confusion.

Road Trip

From Drop Box

A Winning Combination

All the important events in my life take place in a casino. Or, very near one, at least.

We were married 23 years ago in Reno, Nevada. We got marred at the Chapel on the Park which was the only chapel I could find without an Elvis impersonator and plastic flowers. We bought our rings at a pawn shop, rented a tux, and got hitched.

Subsequent birthdays and anniversaries, thusly, are celebrated in casinos.

We are, for the next half hour, at the Wild Horse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon, which is the only "dry" casino I'm aware of. You can smoke like a fiend here, but you can only drink in the bar. Which is, of course, where we ended up and danced the night away to the local cover band. We partied like rock stars and had a blast.

Next week is my birthday....

Let's say you're driving on a two-lane road (that is, one lane in each direction) and you're following a car and you are both coming to an intersection. Just as you approach the intersection, another lane is added and the car in front of you chooses the right turn only lane. You are aiming for the left lane because you are either going straight or turning left.

Let's just say you pull as far forward as you can so the car that was previously in front of you has no choice but to wait until you've cleared the intersection because the right hand car can no longer see the traffic coming from the left.

This is how you avoid waiting your turn in line.

(btw, this makes me crazy.)

Three Minute Fiction*

It’s probably time for me to retire anyway. I’ve been here for a lot of years and they want someone younger in this job now, someone fresher. Someone who is comfortable with new technology.

I remember when I got my security clearance. That was decades ago and I wasn’t allowed in the West Wing even then. When I started, I was in charge of cleaning up after the chimney sweeps. Every six months they would come and they always left a sooty mess behind. Footprints everywhere. There are thirty-five chimneys in the White House and over the years, Cheney’s was the dirtiest.

You’d be surprised how long it takes to move up the ranks in the Executive Residence Staff. You have to work there for years before you’re trusted enough to not be noticed. I didn’t get the Oval Office detail for twelve years and I’ve been cleaning it ever since.

That was twenty years ago. When a man sat behind the desk.

It’s no surprise it came to this. The media had been talking about how obsolete the President was for years. Not the function so much as the man. He didn’t have any real power, after all. Congress had all the power. The President was redundant. Anything he did had to be approved by Congress. They just wanted to eliminate the middleman.

President Roddenberry was the last person to hold the office before it was outsourced. He took it hard but he was a believer of the system and, besides, there wasn’t anything he could do.

POTUS was built in the United States but not all of its parts. The computer chips and circuitry came from overseas. The programmers were primarily U.S. citizens but some of the code was outsourced. If people were fed up with the biases of the President, shouldn’t they be worried about those of the programmers?

It’s shaped as an obelisk made of polished steel. Pundits said it was a nod to George Washington but I think they did it for the photographs. A metal box the shape of a shoebox would look pathetic on the Resolute Desk. They wanted it to have height. They wanted something that looked imposing

I can see the advantages to POTUS. One less election, for one thing. And POTUS can literally track the will of the people. But, that’s my problem right there. The “people” crave reality TV. This isn’t a game. This is a country. But nobody asked me.

It used to be, I cleaned the Oval Office early in the morning. I only had to be out before the President arrived. Now, of course, POTUS is behind the desk 24/7 and they won’t let me in there at all. But I cleaned that office until President  Roddenberry’s last day and I learned a lot even though I never met the man.

For example, all the pictures of the installation featured an empty box because they were behind schedule. POTUS wasn’t finished yet. And, there are two POTUSes. That’s so there’s always one online while the other one gets updates. And, its battery backup only lasts four hours. I found that out when I tripped over the cord in the first week. It wasn’t long after that I was asked to leave. They said my duster created too much static electricity and posed a threat to POTUS.

I didn’t like that power cord. It made POTUS look vulnerable: a symbol of the greatest country on earth had a rat’s tail. It was like pulling back Oz’s curtain and finding only a man.

But, then again, maybe that’s how it should be.

*NPR

First Day of Fall

Pre-Peeled, Re-Wrapped Bananas Are the Most Wasteful Sign of the Apocalypse Yet

Juxtaposition

I was looking at the calendar for the Clark County Event Center to see what there was to do this weekend. I thought maybe it was time for the county fair but it's already come and gone. However, if you're interested, there are two events taking place there this weekend: The Portland Agility Dog Trials and the Seattle Cat Club Show. Funny that these would be on the same weekend and that it's the dogs that need to be agile.

But this reminds me: I went to the library yesterday to pick up The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum. I thought it might provide some useful ideas of how to foil my protagonists in my upcoming Now & Then story. In browsing the shelf, I found some other interesting titles and also checked out Coroner At Large by Thomas T. Noguchi, M.D. and This Will Kill You by HP Newquist and Rich Maloof. (This last one already looks good. Check out the Table of Contents: Chapter One, Alligators....)

These books were located very near another interesting title: The Ultimate Guide to Orgasm for Women by Mikaya Heart.

Interesting that death and orgasm are shelved so close together.

Maybe I'm Jinxed

I got the lights back on in the kitchen so I can see what I'm doing to make coffee which is good because I have NO IDEA how many decaffeinated people it takes to change a light bulb and I have no interested in finding out, either.

But even as I contemplated the answer to the above riddle, the light bulb burned out in my dining/office so now I'm working in the dark.

At least I have coffee.

Evening

From Drop Box

How To Buy A Daughter

In 2009, Steinberg came under a worldwide media firestorm when he announced on his website that couples could also choose their baby’s eye and hair color, in addition to gender. 

Didn't think it could happen, did you? Thought I made the whole thing up, huh? Well, me too. I had no idea it was possible.

But, there you go.

Fertility doctors foresee an explosion in sex-selection procedures on the horizon, as couples become accustomed to the idea that they can pay to beget children of the gender they prefer.

Slate: How To Buy A Daughter

If you're new to the site, I wrote a story last year with designer babies as the general premise. It's called Now & Then and you can find it, in its entirety, right here, for a limited time. Free!

It's a work of fiction, about 20,000 words (less than 100 pages), a tongue in cheek story about two amateur detectives, Tsosumi Then and Wynott Now, who must find Ken and Barb Carson's missing baby and uncover a black market designer baby racket in the process.

It was a lot of fun to write and, for some, a lot of fun to read. I hope you like it.

Meanwhile, I'm working on the next Now & Then adventure. Tsosumi and Wynott are hired to find the missing parents of Carrie D'Way. Known as the Water Princess, Carrie is heir to her parents' substantial water rights. Things get serious when the Guy Goody, who is challenging H.T. Eaux for Commissioner of the Water Works in the upcoming election, is found dead and all that is left of him is Goody's two shoes.

I'll bet you can't wait, can you?

Nightmare!

I dreamed that we suffered a power outage last night. (The dream and the power outage.) I woke up and noted the time. It was 4:30 am. It didn't occur to me that I wouldn't know the time if the power was out. In my dream-state, I was confident that my electric clock had a battery backup. It made perfect sense at the time and, as far as I know, it could be true.

The real concern wasn't what time it was, or whether my clock was functioning properly, or even whether there was a power outage at all. My only concern, after noting the time, was how I was going to make coffee later in the morning. There was nothing to be done about it at that early hour so I dozed back to sleep and hoped the power would be on again shortly.

At closer to 7 am, I wondered if the power was back. The clock was functioning, as before, but why bother getting out of bed if there's no coffee? I imagined I might have to trek to Starbucks to get my literal and figurative juices flowing. But, then, I heard a tick - the sound of the bathroom heater clicking on. Aha! Power!

I emerged from my bed/cocoon and checked the clock on the microwave. Not flashing. No power outage. It had all been a dream and I was saved! Coffee was mine and the day was dawning fresh, anew, with glory and hope abounding. Amen.

But I need to add this to my To Do List: Go to the boat and retrieve my kettle and french press. Catastrophe awaits and I must be prepared.

The Official Forecast

According to Accuweather.com

Is "dreary" a new weather term? Anyway, I hope they're wrong.

Go Huskies!

Violators Will be Ticked

From Drop Box

3

From Drop Box

Blood Donation

(Could I get a receipt for that?)

I donated blood the other day and it's been a while. I think the last time I donated was in 2001. That was the year I ran my first* marathon and, and at the time, I didn't think I could spare it. I couldn't tell you why I didn't go back to donating blood after that.

Turns out, things have changed over the last decade. Some good, some not so good. The biggest difference was how they asked those embarrassing, very personal, questions. They don't. You still have to answer them but you get to do it on a touch-screen laptop while the interviewer takes a smoke break.

Another difference, and this is during the face-to-face interview, was the intake person asked me to give my gender. I wonder what would have happened if I said, "Male."** I wasn't brave enough to find out.

I did, once, answer the following question in the following manner:

Q: Have you ever taken money or drugs for sex, even once?
A: Of course! I'm married!

It didn't go over well so I don't do that anymore.

The most disheartening change was there wasn't a cookie waiting for me after it was all over; they had Cheez-Its. I don't have anything against Cheez-Its. In fact, some of my favorite cracker-like snacks are cheese-like crackers. But, I wanted a cookie. Hell, I earned it! I mean, if I had known I wouldn't get a cookie I might not have made the effort!

Oh, well. At least I wasn't making a blood withdrawal.


*of two - and in the interest of full disclosure, I ran it in 4:45:03. I improved my time by ninety seconds when I ran the Cincinnati Flying Pigs Marathon roughly six months later in 4:43:37. I wouldn't want to be innacurate with regard to my marathon time. Sheesh, who would do that??

**Also, and there's no full disclosure here, I'm female.

To Do List

1. Change light bulbs in kitchen
2. Clean top of refrigerator
3. Let light bulbs burn out in kitchen
4. Top of refrigerator no longer exists

Chocolate Chip Mint Brownies - Recipe

1. Brush teeth
2. Eat brownie

Starbucks Smack Talk

I went to Starbucks today - a Saturday - and the patrons there were wearing their Saturday clothes. The weather was expected to be nice so there were flip flops, shorts, and spandex workout wear, people who hadn't combed their hair yet and weren't planning to, and people who could have been wearing their pajamas but were polite enough to get dressed first.

The exception to this scene was in line in front of me: a young woman, tastefully dressed as if she was on her way to work in a professional office. She wasn't severe; she wasn't wearing a suit. She was in a beautiful, flowered chiffon dress in colorful hues, four-inch-heeled pale green patent leather pumps, with a lemon sorbet colored cardigan sweater. She was about 30 years old, if I had to guess, and her blond hair was tied into a neat - not tight - bun. The most severe thing about her was her shade of lipstick.

She stood out from the rabble.

As it happens, I took a phone call in the time between when I placed my coffee order and when it was purveyed. As I chatted, the young blond woman received her order and, so, I assumed the next coffee proffered was mine. But, I wasn't sure. I twisted the cup around on the counter so I could see the markings that would identify its unique combination of milk, foam, and - what's the other ingredient? Oh, yes. Coffee.

The blond was very polite, not wanting to interrupt my cell phone conversation, and said, "I'm sorry, I think that's my coffee." I removed my hand, still chatting, as she turned to me, the devil now possessing her sweet face as she said, "DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

I was afraid for my life and fled from the store.

That could really happen in Seattle. And, it did, really. Right up until the point where I fled.

I got my coffee first.

Finally

Yesterday, I went to the right Costco in the right city and got my replacement sunglasses. Finally.

As I made my way to the crowded entrance, I noticed there were several bike racks. Lots of them, in fact, I thought Good for Costco. Of course, I was in Portland but still - who's ever been to Costco on a bicycle?

Five Alarm Fire on Hayden Island

We went into Portland for dinner last night and saw this:

Photo by Zachary Kaufman

This was the Tunderbird Hotel just across the Columbia River from us on Hayden Island. It was still smoldering on Thursday night, after the fire broke out Sunday morning. We didn't arrive in town until  Wednesday so we missed it but we our apartment is close enough we would have been able to see the smoke from our apartment had we been here. The river is within walking distance.

The building has been vacant since 2005 and The Columbian has reported the owner of the property owes back taxes of over $1 milllion dollars. Certainly sounds suspicious but the cause has yet to be determined.

The property is just west of I-5 and if a new bridge is ever built there, it would certainly impact this property. Many of the stores here have been vacant although there has been some recent construction that suggests someone thinks things will turn around in this area.

This fire was huge. More than one million gallons had been used on Sunday.

“We had to call the Water Bureau to make sure we weren’t depleting the city of all its water,” he said.

Last night, we could see they were still pouring water on hot spots and during the night we could still smell the smoke in our apartment.

This two-minute video is a press conference in which all the statistics are mentioned. Pretty amazing.



I have some shopping to do on Hayden Island today. I'm sure there will still be some activity at the scene. It's been tying up traffic all week.

Only in Seattle

NPR: Bacon IN your coffee?

Black Cat

A black cat crossed my path today but it might have been worse for the cat since I was driving my car at the time. The cat's fine - made it to the other side of the road safely. Me? It's too early to tell but I was on my way to Starbucks to cash in my coupon for a free cup of coffee but when I got there I forgot all about the coupon and paid for the coffee instead.

It could be all downhill from here.

*** UPDATE ***

After Starbucks, I tried calling Costco optical to see if my glasses were in. (These were to replace the glasses I lost in the lake.) No on answered the phone but since I was across the street, I figured I would just go over there and ask them. Even though it was only 10 am, I had to wait 45 minutes before I could talk to someone. The nice young man told me the glasses were in but I was in the wrong Costco! I ordered them in a different city altogether! Crap - where am I anyway?

After that, I had a case of fumbleitis. I kept dropping everything but I bought a new pair of black shoes and that fixed everything.

Draft Day

6:48 pm - I am in Draft Central of the Hawks Nest Fantasy League with less than fifteen minutes before the first draft pick. Six of ten teams are represented here with the remaining four logging in from remote locations. These posts are live.

6:50 pm - The first round draft pick will go to Ghetto Punky's Posse, the only team in the league with a female owner. She is calm and cavalier just prior to the proceedings. She's either prepared herself very well or she just wants you to think she is. This reporter wishes her the best of luck.

6:59 pm - Food and drinks have been brought into Draft Central and team owners have staked their territories. Laptops have been set up and various reports are displayed on multiple monitors. The tension is mounting as we prepare for the first pick.

7:05 pm - Punkys Posse has taken Running Back Arian Foster in the first round. And, we are off and running!

7:08 pm - It is very quiet now in Draft Central as each team ranks their picks in anticipation of their next pick.

7:10 pm - Hubbys team is owner of On The Road Wanderers. He will be picking ninth. After the tenth team, pick order reverses and Road Wanderers will pick again in the twelfth position.

7:11 pm - On The Road Wanderers has picked Drew Brees as Quarterback (congratulations, Drew) and Lynch Marshawn at the Running Back position. (On The Road Wanderers immediately expressed regret for his last choice. Was it true regret or a chance to get inside the head of other Team Owners?)

7:15 pm - Southside Tony Toni Tone drafted Calvin Johnson at Wide Receiver which caused a stir in the Draft Room. This reporter heard from one Team Owner, "Suck it!" to which another replied, "That would be a good team name for you!" Things are heating up.....

7:17 pm - Punkys Posse drafted a much sought over Tight End, Jimmy Graham, which encited additional outbursts.

7:18 pm - As a side note to the proceedings, the owner of Southside Tony Toni Tone shared the first place prize in the Cornhole For Cash 2012. Good luck, Tony Toni Tone.

7:22 pm - Things are heating up physically as well as figuratively. Draft Central has western facing windows (that dont open) and the A/C has cut out. The available players left to select are thinning and Team Owners are voicing their anger when their top picks are stolen from them.

7:24 pm - I just heard one Team Owner accuse the others of stealing his scouting reports. Lets just hope it doesnt come to fisticuffs.

7:25 pm - As space was needed for Team Owners, this reporter was relegated to the broom closet for her report. The equipment here does not include an apostrophe..

7:27 pm - This reporter has just learned that Josh Brown, Kicker formerly for the Seattle Seahawks, then for the Rams, then for the Jets, is planning to return to Seattle for the rest of his career. This is an unconfirmed report.

7:41 pm - In an exclusive interview with Punky, I was able to get personal insight into the the leagues only female owner. I learned about shopping trends and personal preferences in shoes. Another team owner wondered aloud if we were seriously talking about shoes in the middle of The Draft. Indeed, we were! Since she picks first, then last, she has plenty of time to talk about fashion. (Do we see a Punky Posse sportswear line in the future??) Another owner predicted that Punky would end up kicking all their asses this season to which I responded, "Of course, she will, and shell be wearing awesome shoes when she does it!"

7:46 pm - This reporter has just heard a rumor that the Lake Stevens Sea Gals is owned by a conglomerate *** THIS JUST IN *** Punky has taken a kicker in the eighth round which has totally confounded other owners and caused a lot of talk. She has confirmed this move was to put everyone else off balance. *** (returning to our previuos post) *** of young women who have ALSO taken a kicker in the eighth round. One has to wonder if the women are working together.

7:54 pm - I just spoke with Team Up The Middle who is new to the League this year. His draft style is exclusively by the seat of his pants. Even as he formulates a strategy, he abandons it. By contrast, Team Thank God Al Toon Retired is researching even now after the midway point of the Draft. God is feeling very confident in his team and for good reason. Gods fantasy baseball team is in first place.

8:03 pm - Reggie Wayne went in the 11th round to Team In Like Flynn. (Flynns owner is also the Commissioner but this reporter detected no bias in the current proceedings.) I was there during the decision making process. Flynn has charts and lists posted all around him which he marks as players are eliminated from the draft. "Its time to get creative," he told me. When it was his turn to pick, I watched as he used his entire minute and a half for his selection, talking to himself as he made his choice. It was a tense moment as he selected as the clock nearly expired.

8:04 pm - Shouting now, as players are routinely stolen from other teams wish lists. "This is when leagues are made or broken," shouted the owner of The Road Wanderers.

8:09 pm - Tony Toni Tone is also feeling confident of his picks. His strategy so far has been to mess with everyone elses strategy. His prediction is that he will finish in the top half of the League this season. However, if a trophy was offered he thinks he could bring it home for the win. He did not offer what kind of footwear he might sport if he were to make it the the final playoffs.

8:11 pm - We are near the end of the draft now. Only a few picks left. Chatter is lighter, friendlier. Conversation now moves to trucks and mileage. I havent been able to communicate with the offsite teams. I wish them all the very best of luck."

8:17 pm - On The Road Warriors has made its last pick after which Team Owner Hubby wished the remaining owners lots of luck. Team owners are bottom-feeding now to complete their rosters and are expressing relief at its completion.

8:17 pm - God has four quarterbacks. I suppose he can have as many as he wants.

8:19 pm - Well, that about wraps things up. Punky will be the last to pick. Other owners are urging her to pick a kicker. She picks ... Bernard Scott, Running Back!

8:23 pm - There are no ceremonies to open the draft. There are no ceremonies, no parades, no over-the-top fanfare to conclude it. But every one in the room has sighed a sigh of relief and pushed back their chairs. And, now, the analysis begins amongst and between the owners.

Already, the smack talk is starting between The Wanderers and Punky in the first matchup and team owners are challenging the commissioner on league rules.

It should be an exciting season.

Labor Day

And labor we did. Actually, it wasn’t as bad as last time. We pulled the motor off the dinghy without too much trouble, even though the lake level is down about two feet. The boat on the other side of the finger pier was out so we pulled the dinghy into that slip and the hoisted it out onto the dock.

Hubby brought the pressure washer but we couldn’t use it because the boat on the other side of us was being varnished and the water was spraying too much. So we just used a hose and a brush and that worked fine. The bottom of the boat was brown when we pulled it, but it cleaned right up with much less effort than last time!

We rigged up some lines in the rafters and pulled the dinghy up to store for the winter and we took the motor home. We still have to disconnect the wash-down hose and drain the lines before winter but we think we’ll get a few more nice weekends before then.

Boating Adventure # (n+1)

Went to the boat yesterday and found it had lost power. The batteries were low and we could only get one engine started. Luckily, we were able to get the second one started without too much fuss and we were on our way.

As we left the marina, I went below to get our lunches and found a small stream of water leaking from the refrigerator. Of course, it had defrosted! I grabbed a towel to mop things up and tentatively opened the refrigerator door and that's when things got really bad.

Not only had all the ice melted but the hamburgers which were frozen when we last left the boat were now thawed and rotting in the freezer, and meat juices were dripping everywhere. Oh, did it stink! (I think it smelled worse that our soiled dinghy!)

I shut the door and hoped it would all go away, disappear like a bad dream. But, it didn't so we dropped an anchor and went to work. I got towels, soapy water, and bleach while Hubby went to work cleaning the fender covers that got goopy on our last trip in salt water. Friends came by and asked if we needed any help. We shooed them away saying the chore was too disgusting to share and they sailed on their merry way.

The sun was out and it was, otherwise, a pleasant day and so we decided our efforts deserved a beer to cheer us in our unhappy tasks. That's when our day went from bad to worse - when we realized we were afloat, alone, with tepid alcohol and no ice! We nearly called Vessel Assist!

We thought this situation might constitute a new definition for "dry dock" but we recovered. We chilled a couple of brews in the freezer as we finished our smelly tasks and drank them in celebration of our survival of the day's ordeals.

Oh my, that was a close one!

Evening Stroll

From Drop Box

Taking Care of Business

I don't normally pay a lot of attention to lyrics unless I'm singing karaoke which I was, last night. It's really research. I have to do it (but that's a different story).

Along the way, I sang BTO's Taking Care of Business which lyrics include:

If you ever get annoyed

Look at me I'm self-employed

I love to work at nothing all day

 

. . .

It's the work that we avoid

And we're all self-employed

 We love to work at nothing all day

 

Clearly, this should be the anthem for 76003dot1414.

 

(The rest of the lyrics are here.) 

Bumped

**THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED**

I got rear-ended in a car wash, of all places. It was one of those automated affairs where you put the car in neutral and rollers on a track push the car forward as brushes and high-pressured jets swirl around you. I was trying to clean the dash with a moistened towelette (similar to the kind of thing you might receive after eating shellfish at a restaurant) which only served to collect the tiny dust particles into larger dust pills. I'm not really sure I accomplished anything, interior-wise.

Just as I was nearly through the soapy tunnel, I felt a bump from behind. I think it was hard enough that I hit my head on the headrest although these things happen so quickly it's hard to remember. In fact, the first thing I thought was that I must have imagined it. It felt like I had been rear-ended but who gets rear-ended in a car wash? All I could see in my rear-view mirror were long-fingered, swirling red brushes.

Some emergency mechanism activated which shut the whole car wash down. The brushes slowed and then stopped, revealing my aggressor - a gold Chevrolet Malibu. I drove out of the tunnel and back to the office to report the incident and check for damage. The Malibu was trapped inside the car wash and I wasn't sure who I was more worried about at that point.

There was no damage to the car (which was Hubby's, not mine) that I could see but the car was still dirty because the car wash shut off before I was through it. They let me go through again but I made sure the other driver was out before I went in again. I certainly didn't need to be rear-ending anyone!

I chatted with the other driver afterwards and she thinks she just didn't get the car into neutral before her descent into our slippery slope. She didn't have her foot on the gas, but she unintentionally drove through the drive-thru wash. And, maybe she was trying to clean her dashboard as she wondered, "Gee, this wash is fast!"

I'm not hurt and the car is fine. But I might need to find a new car wash.

UPDATE: Hubby saw the car this morning and was not happy. He said he could see the outline of the other car's license plate in the bumper. I knew what he was talking about. There are two little holes in the bumper but they are so neat that it didn't occur to me that they weren't there by design. I didn't know what purpose they could possibly serve but there are many things I don't understand.

From Drop Box

In the following image you can see little dents in the bumper outside of the dimples. You can't really tell from this view but from a straight-on view from the rear you can make out the shape of a license plate.

From Drop Box

I should have known that a BMW-owner would be picky about his car. I guess I need to locate this other driver. She gave me her first name and place of employment so I'm headed there now to get her contact information, at least.

Edge of Seventeen

I heard a story once on the radio of how Stevie Nicks came up with the title to this song. She was friends with Tom Petty and was asking his wife how the the couple met. Jane Petty replied that they met at the age of seventeen but in her southern drawl it sounded like "edge" of seventeen. Ms. Nicks thought that sounded like a cool idea for a song and there you have it.

As it happens, Blake Island is also on the edge of seventeen, that is, if you look at the Maptech Chartbook of Puget Sound. It's right there on page seventeen, just at the edge. See it there?

Something to keep that in mind the next time you're in Puget Sound.

Team Cornholio!

From Drop Box

Meet your champion of the first annual Cornhole 4 Cash Tournament at Blechschmidt Meadowlands!

The coed teams were drawn at random for the double elimination tournament to crown the the first Cornhole Champions. I drew an Ace and met my teammate, Anthony, and immediately apologized as last year (at the Cornhole Amateur Invitational) I was a liability on my teammate, Chris. Even though I have the advantage of being close to the Meadowlands and have practiced on the home court, I have never really mastered the game - not that it really needs mastering. What it really needs is consistency - an element from my technique that, until now, has been sorely lacking in my cornhole, bean-bag tossing career.

Team Cornholio received a bye in the first round so Anthony and I were able to scout the other teams as the tournament kicked off on side-by-side courts. The weather was perfect for the event with temperatures in the mid-seventies, with clouds giving way to sunshine, and winds out of the west-northwest. As the temperature heated to near-80 degrees, the palpable fervor of the tournament elevated past "friendly" and moved into the arena of intensely competitive. Favorites were chosen and lines were drawn as smack talk could be heard on the courts.

One by one, teams were eliminated as Team Cornholio remained undefeated in the Winners Bracket. Relieved again with a bye in the semi-finals, we watched the Fluffy Bunnies battle it out with the Cornhole Ninjas. Team names notwithstanding, the Fluffy Bunnies were serious contenders with Cliff and Cassie. Although a newcomer to the professional cornhole circuit, Cassie was a serious contender and would have been a dangerous opponent. We cheered for the Cornhole Ninjas even though they represented the home team and crowd favorites because we felt they had a weakness: One of the Ninjas was also a newcomer, one we felt we could out-toss.

The Ninjas prevailed in a two-out-of-three matchup over the Fluffy Bunnies who took third and a cash prize. It came down to the final round - a best three out of five games.

Out of nowhere, I found my "zone." I was on fire and couldn't be stopped. I felt it in every heartbeat, in every toss. I found a rhythm, a pattern, a style and technique that I've crossed paths with before but could never hold onto. I was outside my own body as I watched Team Cornholio take the Jack Daniels court for the first game.

We prevailed as I drove our team to the finish line, now relentless in my quest for a win. We would be in the money no matter how it turned out, but I wanted that trophy!

For the second game, we had to either switch sides or switch courts and it was our choice. The Jack Daniels boards made up the home court and I was having great success. We decided to stay there and go for win number two.

But the Cornhole Ninjas smacked us hard with a win in the second game. Beero - host, chef, Cornhole Commissioner, and hometown favorite - had been carrying his team until this point but his teammate, Sheri, was finally finding her game and was presenting us with an unexpected challenge. We were nervous as we prepared for game three: The Ninjas were vying for a comeback out of the Losers Bracket and we now had to switch to the CWU court which presented Team Cornholio with challenges in earlier rounds.

Team Cornholio took game three just as the stadium lights came on in the Meadowlands. The crowd, now mostly populated with defeated cornholers, were making side bets. Who would win? Team Cornholio with only one loss and a one game lead? Or, the hometown hero?

After a break for last minute coaching and encouragement, game four began. The score was two to one in favor of Team Cornholio who needed only one more game to win the whole enchilada. The Cornhole Ninjas needed the win to tie it up and force us into the fifth game. The stadium lights were now a factor, shining into the athletes eyes and casting long shadows across the CWU court. Bugs took flight, dogs and children became antsy, the crowd was anxious, and yet the athletes were able to tune it all out in the quest for cornhole glory.

I don't even remember the final score. I just remember the cheering as the crowd swelled to congratulate us after our third win, breaking my cornhole trance. The Ninjas were gracious in their defeat and it was a sad day for the home team - particularly as Beero was responsible for putting on the entire event.

I plan to display my trophy proudly and hope I will have the opportunity to defend my title in 2013. I would like to thank my coach and sponsor, Hubby, and Beero and Punky for putting on such a fine event. My appreciation to my teammate, Anthony, for his fine cornholing skills and tips on cornhole technique. And, finally, I offer my congratulations to all the cornhole teams who did their darnedest.

Team Cornholio. The winningest.

Jaws

French Fried Dreams

I used to live across from a burger joint (the burger joint, if you've from Vancouver) and it was heaven or hell depending on which way the wind was blowing, and it's always blowing near the Columbia River. Actually, I like burgers and fries so it didn't bother me, french fried dreams, although it stirred up cravings for anything non-vegetable. Since then, my dreams are less passionate and I think I might be losing weight.

I miss that smell like smells of food that bring you back to another place and time, another dimension if you're really into it. Like bacon and maple syrup, oh my goodness, or steaks on the grill. The smell of a burger joint isn't quite as sexy as that. It's a greasier smell, a layer that gets trapped in your clothes, like smoke. Still, there's comfort in it. Like Grandma's house: smells a little funky but love is funky too.

The burger joint is gone, razed, evaporated into dust. The lot's been empty for months. Seems lonely. Doesn't smell like anything.

I used to work across the street from a restaurant that roasted its own coffee. Roasting coffee doesn't smell as good as brewing coffee but it was the smell of family, neighbors really - of people doing what they love to do. (Good thing they didn't love recycling manure for fertilizer.)

I still work and live in the same places. It's the burger joint and the coffee roaster that moved.

Olfactory memories.

Cinetopia

I don't need to do that again. Cinetopia is a movie theater where you can pay up to $18.50 (per person) to watch a movie. For this, I can eat and drink while I watch a movie and snuggle with my honey on a couch as if I was in my own living room.

Wait. I can do all that for practically nothing in my own living room. So what's the point?

The food was pretty good and at a good price in both locations that we tried. One had a good special on wine the night we went but the other location offered no specials on drinks even during happy hour. (Not very happy, is it?)

Last night we saw The Bourne Legacy (good movie) in a Living Room Theater (not so great). We sat in a divided love seat, which is to say two easy chairs connected by a retractable center armrest, with foot rests. The Living Room we were in was a row of five such love seats in the back of a regular theater which, on a Monday night, was otherwise empty.

Table service was available in the Living Room. A waiter would come and go with orders, each time having to navigate the foot rests which, naturally, took up the space in the Living Room's one aisle. This became more interesting once the theater lights were lowered. Of course, after everyone had their fill of food and drink, nearly every one of the other eight people watching the movie with us had to use the restroom. There was a steady stream of traffic between us and the movie screen throughout the movie.

I've been to Cinetopia twice and used a Groupon both times. I'm glad I didn't pay full price and I don't really need to go back. Been there, done that, not sure it was worth it even at a discount.

At least when I watch a moving in my living room, I can pause it when I have to go to the bathroom.

Laundry Day

From Drop Box

Beach Towel

From Drop Box

Lillypads

We couldn't stay away. Back on the boat, this time in Portage Bay, Seattle. Last night, we spent the night on the dock in Bellevue. It was so hot that we ran the A/C all night. I'm just glad we had it! Much cooler today, much more pleasant.

Of Course Not!

I was only on vacation for two weeks but that was just enough time for me to forget a few things. I forgot one of my log on routines and I forgot where I keep one of my files, for example.

I didn't forget how to use the coffee machine, though.

Mouse

[Fiction] Blonde and Bouncy

"What took you so long?"

"He wanted to play bocce! Can't you believe it?"

"Quick! Get in the van!"

"He was at the bar by himself most of the time," the big blonde continued as he sped from the curb, "a perfect mark. Looked like a loner, you know? Every once in a while someone would try to start a conversation with him but then they'd wander off, bored."

"What did you get? He must have something - he's a member of the Golf & Tennis Club for chrissakes!"

"Get? I didn't get anything, you jerk! These things take time, finesse. Ever hear of finesse, you unsophisticated jackass?"

"Jackass?" His hands gripped the wheel as he drove faster. Each bump in the road was registered as a rolling gallop in the used minivan. "I'm just trying to provide for you, baby."

"Then why don't you fix the shocks in this piece of junk?"

He took a deep breath. "Baby, it's the brakes not the shocks, okay? How many times to I have to tell you? And, if you could just get the fish on the hook we could get enough to take care of a few things, alright? We gotta work together here."

The light turned red but that didn't seem to matter. He drove faster, his rage at a boiling point.

"Slow down! You're gonna kill somebody!"

"The only one I'm gonna kill is you, f'ya don't be quiet."

The only sound that immediately followed was the engine revving as if it was going to burst from the low-end family van itself.

"Sweetie, slow down," the squarish woman tried to soothe. "I'll go back to the club and I'll make nice-nice and get enough to fix the shocks."

He had just taken a can of soda from the cooler on the floor between them and, at this remark, glared at her - so long that she was afraid he had forgotten he was behind the wheel and racing nearly out of control. "It's the brakes," he said with an icy calm.

He rounded the corner, nearly knocking down a pedestrian. It was all the big blonde could do to hold on.
"It's got nothing to do with your fucking brakes!" she yelled half as much to make her point as to have something at all to yell as the van leaned precariously in the turn.

As the wheels made solid contact with the pavement once more, he hurled the soda at her, barely missing her head. It sailed out the passenger window and hit the curb, bouncing straight up.



(Inspired by [Fiction]Blonde and [Fiction] Bounce.)

Boating Hangover

Boating hangover

These are before and after photos ... cleaning up after arriving back on land. This photo: The side with the junk on it is my side. The other side is where I slept last night....

L

From Work

Which of the following is a buzz kill?
     a) Top down
     b) Radio on
     c) 75 degrees
     d) Going to work

Back To Work

Work is not nearly as interesting as not working. I mean, I could tell you about the tax returns I'm working on  but, see? I've already caught you dozing - which, as a matter of fact, I'd like to be doing right now, come to think of it.

But, I digress.

In order to keep posting lively and interesting around-the-water-cooler conversation starters such as this and more recent posts, I have challenged myself to take photos of my work space and to post them here.

Let's just see how interesting work can be.

(No compromising information or images will be taken, recorded, or posted - in case you were concerned about that kind of thing.)

Home Again

We made it back to fresh water yesterday which meant back to work today for us mere mortals. By the time we got the boat put away and cleaned up it was late so when we got home we dropped our bags wherever we were and ate Chinese take out it front of the Discovery Channel.

The boat's clean but the house is a wreck. In fact, there's a trail of laundry, clean clothes, non-refrigerated food (the refrigerated stuff is the only thing we put away last night), and various other items that leads from the back door all the way to my side of the bed. Don't ask me how it got there - I slept there last night but somehow more materialized after I got up this morning. Maybe the stuff is multiplying which would be bad news because that would just mean more cleaning up!

When I travel a lot, I have a little game I play with myself: I try to guess which city I'm in before I open my eyes. This morning, I had had to peek a little before I got it right. I didn't realize I was in my own bed!

But things improved quickly as my first appointment for the day was the same spa where Dorothy and her friends went to upon arriving in Oz. A little buff and polish and I felt nearly new again. Boating is hard work, I tell you! It is impossible not to break all ten (if not all twenty) nails and come back with more than a few unexplained bruises and minor scrapes. Oh well, at least the swaying has stopped.

It's hot here - hotter than it was in Puget Sound. It was pleasant enough, though, for me to drop the top this morning and wear a light jacket. (No jacket was required later in the day!) I went to the opera this evening (Turandot) and the top was up to protect hairdos and run the A/C but it was down on the way home. (It was about 78 degrees around 11 pm.)

My side of the bed is still piled with stuff that needs to be put away but that can wait. I'll just sleep on hubby's side of the bed. (He's already in Portland.)

Tomorrow, I think I'll be able to guess where I am before I wake up. I think.

Stroll

One last stroll into town before heading back thru the locks.

Midwest Bureau

To protect the identity of the Midwest Bureau Chief, we are using this photo from our archives. We met with the MBC and the ever elusive M (which apparently stands for "mulling") in an undisclosed location in the Winslow area. They were guided by a secret agent over sea and land to the rendezvous point where we opened various electronic gadgets to view pieces of each others lives. Very enlightening.



To avoid being detected the MBC, M and the secret agent sailed away into the sunset last night and we will sail away later today.



Be safe in your travels, my friends, and continue to love life. We will miss you.

Winslow

Winslow

It turns out our traveling companions only suffered from pilot error. (You can't start the engine unless it's in neutral.) The day's Moment Of High Anxiety was over and they left for home.

We had crepes for breakfast in town and then cruised a short while to Winslow in Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island (just west of Seattle). It's nice here - restaurants and a very good grocery store within walking distance.

I got some pictures which I'm trying to upload now but it's taking a while so I may just post one for now, if I'm lucky. I'm sucking up a lot of bandwidth trying to upload several to Picasa. I may just ditch that in favor of just getting one posted.

We expect contact with the Midwest Bureau today.

Otherwise, no news to report which, in itself, is good news.

Didn't do much but hang around Kingston yesterday.Went to the farmers market and I bought two balls of home-spun yarn and, later, some vintage buttons. Should be some good ingredients for a future project.

We made a giant crab salad for lunch and then wandered up to the local pub in the evening to shoot a little pool and watch the Seahawks preseason game. We tried to stay up to watch the meteor shower but pooped out around 11. We saw a few shooting stars and that was enough for us. (Seen one shooting star, seen 'em all.)

Our traveling companions are just getting ready to go but can't get their engine started. It's always something! The guys are fiddling and tinkering and, hopefully, they'll find it's something simple.

Flotsam

Kingston

Yesterday, we ended up cruising further north than our original destination. We are in Kingston which is northwest of Elliott Bay (Seattle) and just southwest of Whidbey Island. There's a webcam here but it is of the parking lot for the ferry terminal here. I'll let you know if I plan on waving at it.

It was a long cruise. Even though we can cruise comfortably at 28 knots, we've been practicing cruising at slower speeds to see if we have the patience to own a slower boat. We're also towing our tender and 28 knots vastly exceeds the hull speed of the dinghy. Overall, it took about 3.5 - 4 hours.

We ended up docking next to some fishermen who hauled in more crab than they wanted so they offered us two. They were live and these guys also offered to clean them for us. How perfect is that? We hustled up a pot and boiled them up right away and then picked out all the meat. We had already eaten dinner so we saved it for today. (Crab Caesar, anyone?)

Today is the farmers market on shore and they have live music in the park tonight so we plan on sticking around another night in Kingston. Our traveling companions (hubby's brother and his fiancee - another Lynn) will need to go back through the locks tomorrow. I don't know if we'll go through with them or stay out here another couple of days. We're making it up as we go.

The Midwest Bureau has made contact and we plan to rendezvous on Tuesday so we'll be back to Meydenbauer Bay, Lake Washington, by then.

The fishermen went back out early this morning so maybe we'll have more crab but don't count on any of it making it back home.

Glass museum, Tacoma

T

From Drop Box

Tacoma

I have my sway on. In fact, can't turn the sway off. It's worst in the shower when I close my eyes but that's par for the course. It'll wear off after I get on land for a few days.

Yesterday, we cruised from Gig Harbor to Tacoma which was a relatively short cruise. The marina happens to be within walking distance from a Starbucks so that's where I am, getting a little WiFi to go along with my coffee, and hoping I'm not swaying so much on my bar stool as to attract attention (or fall off). The sway is countered by wave action so all I have to do is hike back to the boat for a reprieve.

Not much else to report. It's sunny. I'm drinking coffee. I'm swaying.

Still having trouble with one of the engines but we should be able to get home okay on one. We'll have to get that checked out when we get home. Sometimes, getting through the locks can be a little dicey - even on two engines - but we've been through on one engine before and I have a very capable Captain so I think we'll be okay.

The plan is to motor back to the Seattle area and spending the night somewhere in Elliott Bay. Bell Harbor is a marina right downtown but there's a Seahawks preseason game into town this weekend so we might not find space there. There's also Elliott Bay Marina, which features beautiful views and excellent restaurants, and Shilshole Marina, which is within walking distance to nice restaurants and is right outside the locks. Eagle Harbor is just across the way and inexpensive (also within walking distance of restaurants) so we have plenty of choices.

We're thinking we'll lock through tomorrow and spend a night on fresh water before putting everything away. Our traveling companions have to be back to work on Monday but we don't have to be back until Wednesday. Either we'll stay outside the locks for a couple more days or we'll spend a few nights on the hook in the lake. It's kind of a loose plan at this point.

A shout out to the Grump for capturing a picture of the Double Jack on the Gig Harbor webcam. I heard a rumor that the Midwest Bureau is on assignment somewhere nearby - or will be sometime soon. Travel safely!

In case you missed it

http://76003dot1414.blogspot.com/2012/08/we-think.html

http://www.webcamsmania.com/webcam/gigharbor

This is the site for the Gig Harbor webcam. We should pass through there tomorrow - probably around noon. We'll be on the Double Jack (blue hulled Formula with white bimini top) and will be traveling with Sunlover (a smaller Searay with a black hull and black bimini).

I'll tweet when we're leaving the dock.

We cruised from Blake Island State Park to Arabella's Landing in Gig Harbor yesterday. The weather had cooled considerably and we were forced to wear jeans and sweatshirts. Had a problem with the port drive just as we were trying to dock which is naturally when these types of things happen.

We met some people on the dock who tipped us off to a bakery that makes great cinnamon rolls which is something that I'll check out momentarily. We just tested the port engine at the dock and it seems to be functioning properly. We'll be here another night so if we decide the engine needs service we should be able to find it here.

Already, the weather is shaping up to be a nice day.

Time to get some rolls.

My new prescription sunglasses

The bottom of Lake Washington is now the home to my prescription sunglasses. Bad timing, as we plan to be on the boat another week or so. I can see pretty well without them but I'm going to want to pick up a pair somewhere just for the eye protection.

They had been falling of my head all day but I was mindful to take them off every time I jumped in the lake to cool off, which was often. After the airshow, we moved over to Andrews Bay to drop a hook for the night. I was standing on the side of our boat with my glasses on top of my head, untying a line to move a dinghy so that another boat could raft alongside. I was bent over, my hands occupied, when my glasses plopped into the drink.

I hesitated and that was my mistake. I should have gone right after them but my mind took a moment to consider whether they might float (they didn't) and whether there was too much boat traffic for it to be safe (maybe). That moment's hesitation was all it took for my sunglasses to sink beyond reach even if I had jumped in and so they decended.

Oh well. It was probably time for a new pair anyway.

Since I Can

The air conditioning is running which means the generator is running. So I fired up the laptop and the hotspot on the phone, and we're off and running.

I updated the video so it should work now but I see it's not oriented correctly. Now I know which way to shoot it so it will play back right side up. (On the To Do List for today.)

We are anchored just outside of Andrews Bay waiting for friends to join us for today's airshow. Yesterday, we had four boats rafted with us and we'll have at least that many again today. We always arrive first because we have the biggest anchor and the most chain to lay out.

Two nights ago, out here on the water, I met a woman who is a concrete finisher with a nickname of "The Four Foot Assassin." Don't know how she got it but that'll make it's way into the Now & Then pages for sure.

Besides the hydroplane races (which we never get close enough to actually see), Seafair is mostly an excuse to party on Lake Washington. Women are compelled to bare their breasts in exchange for a few pennies' worth of plastic beads made in China and men are driven to heave water balloons at one another between boats.

Two of the boats that were rafted with us yesterday provided us with both: Women in pasties and 450 water balloons. Generally speaking, it's good natured fun with an x-rated component.

It's all fun until someone gets poked in the eye, that is.

Last night, we had a friendly water balloon exchange with another boat which turned not-so-friendly when they launched a tomato. Conceptually funny, it could have proved dangerous and was very not cool. As it lobbed towards us, it looked like a red water balloon headed pretty much straight for me. I was sitting on the swim step and figured I might have to dodge to avoid it but, other than that, figured the worst that would happen is I would get wet.

The tomato landed hard on the trunk a few feet from me and we assumed it was a dud - a water balloon that didn't explode on impact. But, it didn't take long to figure out what really happened and to find the bulk of the fruit floating in the water. Not cool, we had a small mess to clean up but there wasn't any damage.

However, a few feet in one direction and I could have had a face full of tomato sauce and a pretty good concussion. If the tomato landed a few feet in another direction it would have landed in the interior of the boat and been considerably messier. (It was actually launched by catapult.)

The boat's name was "Her Idea." I'm betting it wasn't.

I don't know if that video posted correctly. I'll try to get more today. It's going to be a hot one today. Fortunately, we have air conditioning. Unfortunately, it's already running at 9 am.

Vacation

We're planning some time on the boat. The plan is two weeks but it's hard to say how that will really play out. We are expecting the arrival of a new granddaughter in September but the baby may have other ideas. Our "daughter-in-law" started contractions Wednesday and went to the hospital. They kept her overnight but discharged her Thursday with instructions to start maternity leave and take it easy. She's already dilated to 2.5 cm but contractions have slowed and this is a condition that could last for weeks.

So, we'll start our trek on the lake which is practically in our back yard. If she goes into labor, we won't be far away. The Blue Angels are in town for the weekend and the lake is a great spot to watch their air shows. This weekend is also the great Seattle bacchanalia also known as Seafair. In addition to the airshow, we'll have front row seats to the mayhem that surrounds the hydroplane races on Lake Washington.

On Monday, theoretically, we'll travel through the locks and head south. Most boaters head north this time of year but the South Sound generally provides smoother waters and less boat traffic. Besides, we've never cruised the South Sound before so we'd like to try it. Coincidentally, it would also be easier for us to get home quickly from the South Sound.

I don't know how much I'll write while I'm on the water although it would seem the perfect time. We'll be traveling with two other couples so the romantic notion that I can conjure up magical prose whilst sailing the seas is likely just that - a romantic notion. But, we'll see. It's harder to post when I'm mobile, not having an iPad and all. I'll try to post pictures, if nothing else.

Bon voyage.