Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Quicksand
I don't quite know how to write this. This is a typical topic that might be discussed in my household. In fact, the other evening Lucas and I saw a commercial on television for a bank or mortgage company and it showed a person stuck and sinking up to his neck in quicksand.
"Oh my gosh. Quicksand! One of the fears I had as an imaginative little girl," said I to Lucas.
"Me, too. I was scared of quicksand, too," he responded.
"Why in the world were we afraid of quicksand?" I pondered. "What is it about quicksand?"
Our conversation then proceeded to analyze why quicksand is right up there with monsters in the closet and witches under the bed. Every Western I saw as a kid on TV had a bad guy fall into quicksand while his horse, of course, escaped unharmed. If the guy was really really bad, you'd just see his black hat left on top of the quicksand while the white-hatted men looked on, grateful their job was finished for them. Sometimes if the quicksand victim was merely a misguided bank robber, the white hats would gallup up on their horses and watch the criminal struggle until the very last minute. When only the hand was still visible, they'd toss a rope and have the horse back up in order to pull the choking, blithering loser out of the bottomless pit.
Lucas recalls that most every cartoon he ever watched had the same types of scenarios. Certainly Ren and Stimpy had some sort of quicksand episode. I'm not sure about the Ninja Turtles since their jurisdiction was the sewers of New York City.
I am quite certain that my older brother aggravated my fears of quicksand. At my Dad's favorite fishing hole on the Missouri River where his ashes are now scattered, a large natural sand pit exists on the top of a bank near the river. This entire area in Montana had once been a large inland sea. To this day, it doesn't take much effort to find fossil sea shells in the limestone cliffs up above Beaver Creek, the tributary flowing into the Missouri at this spot. The sand pit must have been at the bottom of an ocean millions of years ago. When my brother and I were children, we would play in the sand while my parents fished....and fished....and fished. He probably told me that parts of the sand pit were quicksand and if I wasn't careful, I'd sink into oblivion.
Are we truly at risk for stepping into quicksand never to be seen or heard from again as we take forays along the beach or into the woods? The answer is no. For some reason, movies, cartoons, and television picked up on quicksand in the same way that an anvil seems to always get the bad guy when you throw one over a cliff.
Quicksand is real, however. Usually, it is an area of mud or sand mixed with water near a larger body of water and not deeper than about two feet. You can get stuck, lose your shoes, and become covered in muck but not in a life threatening way. The stories of people being lost in the desert and sucked away forever by an innocent appearing patch of sand are myths. At least, this is what I learned today looking at articles on the internet.
Here is a quote from an article entitled "The Physics of Quicksand" by Alan Bellows:
A deep, naturally occurring area of dry quicksand would be a formidable hazard, because it would cause anyone who stepped on it to sink and become buried very rapidly. No dry quicksand has ever been officially observed outside of the laboratory, but there are reports of travelers, vehicles, and even whole caravans suddenly vanishing into the sandy earth. These reports have always been viewed as mere folklore, but perhaps there is more to the stories than we realize. Science does not completely dismiss the possibility of naturally occurring dry quicksand; in fact, during the planning of the Apollo moon missions, scientists added large plates to the ends of the Lunar Module legs to help support the craft in case the astronauts found dry quicksand on the moon… but the precaution proved unnecessary, since no such soil was encountered. [emphasis mine]
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=320
Another article and quote:
PS: So why don't they have quicksand in today's movies? I don't believe it's because existential postmodern malaise has vitiated our inherited cultural notions of natural threats. No, quicksand nowadays is just a hapless, worn-out cliché, and that's all there is to it. Maybe in a few more years a new generation of directors will rediscover its simple joys.
http://geology.about.com/od/geo_movies/a/aa_quicksand.htm
And a couple of others:
This one has a list of movies, television (including Gilligan's Island, one of my favorites), comics and books which include scary quicksand scenes.
http://www.dellamente.com/quicksand/
http://www.livescience.com/environment/050928_quicksand.html
I don't know. An hour or so on the internet hasn't quelled a half a century of media cliche in my brain. You won't find me stepping on strange patches of sand in the middle of nowhere. Because it might be..........quicksand!
I don't quite know how to write this. This is a typical topic that might be discussed in my household. In fact, the other evening Lucas and I saw a commercial on television for a bank or mortgage company and it showed a person stuck and sinking up to his neck in quicksand.
"Oh my gosh. Quicksand! One of the fears I had as an imaginative little girl," said I to Lucas.
"Me, too. I was scared of quicksand, too," he responded.
"Why in the world were we afraid of quicksand?" I pondered. "What is it about quicksand?"
Our conversation then proceeded to analyze why quicksand is right up there with monsters in the closet and witches under the bed. Every Western I saw as a kid on TV had a bad guy fall into quicksand while his horse, of course, escaped unharmed. If the guy was really really bad, you'd just see his black hat left on top of the quicksand while the white-hatted men looked on, grateful their job was finished for them. Sometimes if the quicksand victim was merely a misguided bank robber, the white hats would gallup up on their horses and watch the criminal struggle until the very last minute. When only the hand was still visible, they'd toss a rope and have the horse back up in order to pull the choking, blithering loser out of the bottomless pit.
Lucas recalls that most every cartoon he ever watched had the same types of scenarios. Certainly Ren and Stimpy had some sort of quicksand episode. I'm not sure about the Ninja Turtles since their jurisdiction was the sewers of New York City.
I am quite certain that my older brother aggravated my fears of quicksand. At my Dad's favorite fishing hole on the Missouri River where his ashes are now scattered, a large natural sand pit exists on the top of a bank near the river. This entire area in Montana had once been a large inland sea. To this day, it doesn't take much effort to find fossil sea shells in the limestone cliffs up above Beaver Creek, the tributary flowing into the Missouri at this spot. The sand pit must have been at the bottom of an ocean millions of years ago. When my brother and I were children, we would play in the sand while my parents fished....and fished....and fished. He probably told me that parts of the sand pit were quicksand and if I wasn't careful, I'd sink into oblivion.
Are we truly at risk for stepping into quicksand never to be seen or heard from again as we take forays along the beach or into the woods? The answer is no. For some reason, movies, cartoons, and television picked up on quicksand in the same way that an anvil seems to always get the bad guy when you throw one over a cliff.
Quicksand is real, however. Usually, it is an area of mud or sand mixed with water near a larger body of water and not deeper than about two feet. You can get stuck, lose your shoes, and become covered in muck but not in a life threatening way. The stories of people being lost in the desert and sucked away forever by an innocent appearing patch of sand are myths. At least, this is what I learned today looking at articles on the internet.
Here is a quote from an article entitled "The Physics of Quicksand" by Alan Bellows:
A deep, naturally occurring area of dry quicksand would be a formidable hazard, because it would cause anyone who stepped on it to sink and become buried very rapidly. No dry quicksand has ever been officially observed outside of the laboratory, but there are reports of travelers, vehicles, and even whole caravans suddenly vanishing into the sandy earth. These reports have always been viewed as mere folklore, but perhaps there is more to the stories than we realize. Science does not completely dismiss the possibility of naturally occurring dry quicksand; in fact, during the planning of the Apollo moon missions, scientists added large plates to the ends of the Lunar Module legs to help support the craft in case the astronauts found dry quicksand on the moon… but the precaution proved unnecessary, since no such soil was encountered. [emphasis mine]
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=320
Another article and quote:
PS: So why don't they have quicksand in today's movies? I don't believe it's because existential postmodern malaise has vitiated our inherited cultural notions of natural threats. No, quicksand nowadays is just a hapless, worn-out cliché, and that's all there is to it. Maybe in a few more years a new generation of directors will rediscover its simple joys.
http://geology.about.com/od/geo_movies/a/aa_quicksand.htm
And a couple of others:
This one has a list of movies, television (including Gilligan's Island, one of my favorites), comics and books which include scary quicksand scenes.
http://www.dellamente.com/quicksand/
http://www.livescience.com/environment/050928_quicksand.html
I don't know. An hour or so on the internet hasn't quelled a half a century of media cliche in my brain. You won't find me stepping on strange patches of sand in the middle of nowhere. Because it might be..........quicksand!
// posted by Janet @ 3:08 PM
0 comments
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Apolo Retrieving a Stick
My Christmas present this year was a Flip Video and I am learning how to use it to post videos on YouTube and here. As anyone who knows me can imagine, I have taken 17videos so far and every one of them is of the dog. Apolo playing with a lemon slice; Apolo digging up ice in the gutter; Apolo being cute; etc.
The following video was taken on Fort Casey Beach on Whidbey island, yesterday. Apolo was terrified of the waves at first but he finally was going after driftwood like a good retriever should. You can see the clarity of the water. In a way, it is like a whole different world on the other side of Whidbey. The water is rougher because the opening to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the ocean is more direct. This is orca territory and the main shipping lane.
My Christmas present this year was a Flip Video and I am learning how to use it to post videos on YouTube and here. As anyone who knows me can imagine, I have taken 17videos so far and every one of them is of the dog. Apolo playing with a lemon slice; Apolo digging up ice in the gutter; Apolo being cute; etc.
The following video was taken on Fort Casey Beach on Whidbey island, yesterday. Apolo was terrified of the waves at first but he finally was going after driftwood like a good retriever should. You can see the clarity of the water. In a way, it is like a whole different world on the other side of Whidbey. The water is rougher because the opening to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the ocean is more direct. This is orca territory and the main shipping lane.
// posted by Janet @ 1:34 PM
1 comments
Pretty Pictures
Yesterday, Lucas and I decided to have a ham sandwich picnic on a beach. We boarded a ferry and headed to Whidbey Island. My first choice was South Whidbey State Park but it is closed due to storm damage so we kept going to Fort Casey State Park. Five minutes to the ferry; a 20 minute ferry ride; and 20 more minutes to the park. The sun was bright and when we got out of the car, we noticed about a dozen black tail deer grazing with a bald eagle swooping overhead. Do we live in heaven or what? Apolo with nose to the ground never saw the deer, thankfully. I was a little concerned because the buck spotted him and took a few steps in our direction. Quickly, we walked down the bluff trail to the beach where there was not another living thing except for us and the sound of the waves.
I took some video on the beach with my flip and I will try to post that in another post. In the mean time, here are some pretty pictures.
Looking east from Fort Casey, over Whidbey, to the Cascades.
From same spot as above but a little to the left. Mount Baker.
Everett with Cascades, taken from the ferry as we pulled into Mukilteo ferry dock.
Twas a nice day for a ham sandwich on the beach. Today, the clouds returned.
Yesterday, Lucas and I decided to have a ham sandwich picnic on a beach. We boarded a ferry and headed to Whidbey Island. My first choice was South Whidbey State Park but it is closed due to storm damage so we kept going to Fort Casey State Park. Five minutes to the ferry; a 20 minute ferry ride; and 20 more minutes to the park. The sun was bright and when we got out of the car, we noticed about a dozen black tail deer grazing with a bald eagle swooping overhead. Do we live in heaven or what? Apolo with nose to the ground never saw the deer, thankfully. I was a little concerned because the buck spotted him and took a few steps in our direction. Quickly, we walked down the bluff trail to the beach where there was not another living thing except for us and the sound of the waves.
I took some video on the beach with my flip and I will try to post that in another post. In the mean time, here are some pretty pictures.
Looking east from Fort Casey, over Whidbey, to the Cascades.
From same spot as above but a little to the left. Mount Baker.
Everett with Cascades, taken from the ferry as we pulled into Mukilteo ferry dock.
Twas a nice day for a ham sandwich on the beach. Today, the clouds returned.
// posted by Janet @ 9:14 AM
10 comments
Friday, January 25, 2008
Ten Reasons Why My Children Are Smarter Than Me!
Today's list was inspired by my friend Chuck Sigars. His column appears weekly in our local paper, the Mukilteo Beacon. This week he wrote about our nostalgia for the simpler "black and white" days when we did not have to wear bike helmets and nobody worried about e coli. I suggest as he does that we are much safer today with a few more regulations and polio vaccine.
http://www.mukilteobeacon.com/columnistschucksigars.html
Frequently, I have thought about my potential. Both of my children are much smarter and more capable than I am when it comes to brain power. I heard the other night on TV, that intelligence is passed through the mother. I am not certain I believe that because genetics is complicated and huge numbers of DNA things combine from both male and female to create a new human being. But assuming this is true, I must have passed some good "smart" genes along.
Don't get me wrong. I was a good student and an early reader. I finished college in three years and made Law Review in law school. Still, I worked hard. My kids accomplish projects and tasks with little effort that I know would have been beyond me. What happened? Have they had better nutrition? No, I had a healthy diet as a kid....for the most part.
Here are my unusual suspects:
1. Could it have been the crusty reddish orange areas of mining and smelting waste in vacant places where I played near Deer Lodge while wearing shorts and a t-shirt ?
2. How about when I would eat duck, sage hen, pheasant, or goose and I would come across those little lead beebees stuck in my food only to be crunched unpleasantly in my mouth?
3. What about the lead smelter in East Helena I could see from my house spewing junk up into the air?
4. Maybe it was that pregnant women back in the 50's did not know they shouldn't smoke or drink alcohol?
5. Or what about the time I went flying down an icy hill on a toboggan and hit my head so hard that I was not sure I could remember my times tables?
6. Remember the Pepsodent toothpaste back then that came in easily squeezed lead tubes and sometimes when you smooshed it onto your toothbrush there would be streaks of gray?
7. Perhaps it was that my Dad was a science teacher and he would bring home mercury so we could play with it with our bare hands and observe its liquidness on our kitchen table?
8. In the middle of winter when garden vegetables were not available and frozen vegetables had not yet made their debut at the grocery stores, remember how we would eat all sorts of things out of "tin" cans made of who knows what melange of toxic metals?
9. And what about our little toys including soldiers and brightly painted trinkets with undoubtedly lead-based paint? Or the tinsel on the Christmas tree all silvery and shiny?
10. Yes, the culprit in my house? My Dad made his own lead sinkers for fishing. He had molds of all different sizes and the lead would melt in a small ladle on the kitchen stove in our small house with the low ceilings. On the kitchen table, he would pour the melted lead into the molds all while little Janet watched....and breathed......and watched as he opened the molds and then I would play with the bright new shiny sinkers of all different sizes with my bare hands.
Yep, the dangers of lead and the connection to learning disabilities and lower IQ's in children has been clearly established.
Who knows? If I had had a different childhood, I might be giving Hillary a little competition. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe it doesn't matter. I wonder if Barbara Bush bought Pepsodent toothpaste for her kids? I bet that's it.
Today's list was inspired by my friend Chuck Sigars. His column appears weekly in our local paper, the Mukilteo Beacon. This week he wrote about our nostalgia for the simpler "black and white" days when we did not have to wear bike helmets and nobody worried about e coli. I suggest as he does that we are much safer today with a few more regulations and polio vaccine.
http://www.mukilteobeacon.com/columnistschucksigars.html
Frequently, I have thought about my potential. Both of my children are much smarter and more capable than I am when it comes to brain power. I heard the other night on TV, that intelligence is passed through the mother. I am not certain I believe that because genetics is complicated and huge numbers of DNA things combine from both male and female to create a new human being. But assuming this is true, I must have passed some good "smart" genes along.
Don't get me wrong. I was a good student and an early reader. I finished college in three years and made Law Review in law school. Still, I worked hard. My kids accomplish projects and tasks with little effort that I know would have been beyond me. What happened? Have they had better nutrition? No, I had a healthy diet as a kid....for the most part.
Here are my unusual suspects:
1. Could it have been the crusty reddish orange areas of mining and smelting waste in vacant places where I played near Deer Lodge while wearing shorts and a t-shirt ?
2. How about when I would eat duck, sage hen, pheasant, or goose and I would come across those little lead beebees stuck in my food only to be crunched unpleasantly in my mouth?
3. What about the lead smelter in East Helena I could see from my house spewing junk up into the air?
4. Maybe it was that pregnant women back in the 50's did not know they shouldn't smoke or drink alcohol?
5. Or what about the time I went flying down an icy hill on a toboggan and hit my head so hard that I was not sure I could remember my times tables?
6. Remember the Pepsodent toothpaste back then that came in easily squeezed lead tubes and sometimes when you smooshed it onto your toothbrush there would be streaks of gray?
7. Perhaps it was that my Dad was a science teacher and he would bring home mercury so we could play with it with our bare hands and observe its liquidness on our kitchen table?
8. In the middle of winter when garden vegetables were not available and frozen vegetables had not yet made their debut at the grocery stores, remember how we would eat all sorts of things out of "tin" cans made of who knows what melange of toxic metals?
9. And what about our little toys including soldiers and brightly painted trinkets with undoubtedly lead-based paint? Or the tinsel on the Christmas tree all silvery and shiny?
10. Yes, the culprit in my house? My Dad made his own lead sinkers for fishing. He had molds of all different sizes and the lead would melt in a small ladle on the kitchen stove in our small house with the low ceilings. On the kitchen table, he would pour the melted lead into the molds all while little Janet watched....and breathed......and watched as he opened the molds and then I would play with the bright new shiny sinkers of all different sizes with my bare hands.
Yep, the dangers of lead and the connection to learning disabilities and lower IQ's in children has been clearly established.
Who knows? If I had had a different childhood, I might be giving Hillary a little competition. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe it doesn't matter. I wonder if Barbara Bush bought Pepsodent toothpaste for her kids? I bet that's it.
// posted by Janet @ 8:05 AM
0 comments
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Moonset
The weather here has been crystal clear and cold. My son visited his friends in Montana last weekend and in Missoula it was 11 below zero and this is not wind chill. Where my brother lives in Sheridan, MT, it was probably 30 below because it was 34 below in Butte. Here in Mukilteo, my morning thermometer has been reading 21 degrees above zero. Ok, so this would be a heat wave in Montana but it is still cold for us Puget Sounders. When our temperatures drop below freezing, the clouds disappear and the majesty of the mountains appears. It has been stunningly gorgeous. And for some reason, the moon has been particularly visible. We were looking at it the other night through our powerful binoculars and it is amazing---like we have not seen it in a while. A couple of days ago, we were drinking coffee and eating breakfast in our kitchen at about 8 AM and Lucas noticed the moon over Whidbey Island. I took a picture:
Moonset over Whidbey Island
The weather here has been crystal clear and cold. My son visited his friends in Montana last weekend and in Missoula it was 11 below zero and this is not wind chill. Where my brother lives in Sheridan, MT, it was probably 30 below because it was 34 below in Butte. Here in Mukilteo, my morning thermometer has been reading 21 degrees above zero. Ok, so this would be a heat wave in Montana but it is still cold for us Puget Sounders. When our temperatures drop below freezing, the clouds disappear and the majesty of the mountains appears. It has been stunningly gorgeous. And for some reason, the moon has been particularly visible. We were looking at it the other night through our powerful binoculars and it is amazing---like we have not seen it in a while. A couple of days ago, we were drinking coffee and eating breakfast in our kitchen at about 8 AM and Lucas noticed the moon over Whidbey Island. I took a picture:
Moonset over Whidbey Island
// posted by Janet @ 3:23 PM
1 comments
Monday, January 21, 2008
The Dentist
Last week, I had my regular cleaning and check up with my friendly neighborhood dentist. I do not like to go to the dentist. I don't know anyone who does. But, the dentist is trying to make it a positive experience and I appreciate it. We have gone to the same dentist in Mukilteo for 18 years and they have made some changes. This time, they took my blood pressure for which I applaud them. The dental assistant explained that people visit the dentist about three times as often as the family doctor so checking blood pressure keeps closer tabs.
In addition to blood pressure checks, you can choose to watch TV or listen to music with head phones for each. I don't like the headphones because with the big pair of plastic glasses and the bib and everything and no hands, it is just too much for me--like I have on a helmet or something. No hands? I'll get to that in a minute. So, I watch the TV without sound because usually headlines of some sort are scrolling across the bottom telling me the stock market is crashing. I wonder if I should ask for her to check my blood pressure again?
You know, instead of the big plastic glasses, I frankly would prefer a blindfold. The posters on the wall of broken teeth, deep pockets, and peridontal disease are terrifying. My gawd, do my teeth look like that? And then if you go home and use the magnifying mirror and pull out your lips, you wonder if some of those poster smiles are secretly yours.
After my appointment, I did some errands with my son and as we were driving, I told him to feel the back of my hands. "Aren't they soft?"
"Yea, so?" he replied unimpressed.
"Well, I just got back from the dentist!"
"Oh, OH... yea?! What in the world is that all about anyway? When I last went in there, they asked me if I wanted to dip my hands in wax. Seriously, I thought I was losing my mind? I looked around and wondered if I had walked into the wrong strip mall office," Lucas answered with recognition.
Curious about his response, "So, what did you do?" I asked.
"I had no frickin' idea if it was required or what. I couldn't figure out what dipping my hands in hot wax it had to do with my teeth. They were scaring me so I did it. The woman said it would help me to relax! What the....?"
At this point I could hardly drive because I was trying to picture my clueless son at the dentist's office being asked to dip his hands in wax. I couldn't stop laughing. Yes, he spread his fingers so they could spray the anti-bacterial spray. He rubbed the lotion into his hands and followed the directions to dip each hand twice, allowing the wax to dry in between dips. Next, the dental assistant put a plastic bag and warm terry cloth mitten on each hand. The mittens were left on for the entire teeth cleaning process.
Afterwards, when she peels off the plastic and the wax, your hands feel like newborn baby skin. It is quite wonderful. I love this portion of my dental appointment. When we arrived home, we proceeded to have a discussion with Dave about the wax. Lucas asked his Dad if he dipped.
"Ah, no! Do I appear to be the kind of guy who wants my hands all fancy shmancy?" Yikes. Perhaps this is not the best answer from a father to a 22 year old son just entering full fledged adult manhood.
"Well...well, I did. I thought you were supposed to. I was having trouble with the connection to my mouth but...Oh my, what do they think of me at the dentist's office now? I swear, I am never going back."
"Yes you are, Lukie. I made an appointment for you for next week. And this time, they will check your blood pressure, too," I pronounced. "And go ahead and dip your hands again. It feels good. Your Dad must have manhood issues if he is afraid of a little hot wax."
Now, if I could get them to cover up those posters!
Last week, I had my regular cleaning and check up with my friendly neighborhood dentist. I do not like to go to the dentist. I don't know anyone who does. But, the dentist is trying to make it a positive experience and I appreciate it. We have gone to the same dentist in Mukilteo for 18 years and they have made some changes. This time, they took my blood pressure for which I applaud them. The dental assistant explained that people visit the dentist about three times as often as the family doctor so checking blood pressure keeps closer tabs.
In addition to blood pressure checks, you can choose to watch TV or listen to music with head phones for each. I don't like the headphones because with the big pair of plastic glasses and the bib and everything and no hands, it is just too much for me--like I have on a helmet or something. No hands? I'll get to that in a minute. So, I watch the TV without sound because usually headlines of some sort are scrolling across the bottom telling me the stock market is crashing. I wonder if I should ask for her to check my blood pressure again?
You know, instead of the big plastic glasses, I frankly would prefer a blindfold. The posters on the wall of broken teeth, deep pockets, and peridontal disease are terrifying. My gawd, do my teeth look like that? And then if you go home and use the magnifying mirror and pull out your lips, you wonder if some of those poster smiles are secretly yours.
After my appointment, I did some errands with my son and as we were driving, I told him to feel the back of my hands. "Aren't they soft?"
"Yea, so?" he replied unimpressed.
"Well, I just got back from the dentist!"
"Oh, OH... yea?! What in the world is that all about anyway? When I last went in there, they asked me if I wanted to dip my hands in wax. Seriously, I thought I was losing my mind? I looked around and wondered if I had walked into the wrong strip mall office," Lucas answered with recognition.
Curious about his response, "So, what did you do?" I asked.
"I had no frickin' idea if it was required or what. I couldn't figure out what dipping my hands in hot wax it had to do with my teeth. They were scaring me so I did it. The woman said it would help me to relax! What the....?"
At this point I could hardly drive because I was trying to picture my clueless son at the dentist's office being asked to dip his hands in wax. I couldn't stop laughing. Yes, he spread his fingers so they could spray the anti-bacterial spray. He rubbed the lotion into his hands and followed the directions to dip each hand twice, allowing the wax to dry in between dips. Next, the dental assistant put a plastic bag and warm terry cloth mitten on each hand. The mittens were left on for the entire teeth cleaning process.
Afterwards, when she peels off the plastic and the wax, your hands feel like newborn baby skin. It is quite wonderful. I love this portion of my dental appointment. When we arrived home, we proceeded to have a discussion with Dave about the wax. Lucas asked his Dad if he dipped.
"Ah, no! Do I appear to be the kind of guy who wants my hands all fancy shmancy?" Yikes. Perhaps this is not the best answer from a father to a 22 year old son just entering full fledged adult manhood.
"Well...well, I did. I thought you were supposed to. I was having trouble with the connection to my mouth but...Oh my, what do they think of me at the dentist's office now? I swear, I am never going back."
"Yes you are, Lukie. I made an appointment for you for next week. And this time, they will check your blood pressure, too," I pronounced. "And go ahead and dip your hands again. It feels good. Your Dad must have manhood issues if he is afraid of a little hot wax."
Now, if I could get them to cover up those posters!
// posted by Janet @ 3:09 PM
2 comments
Remodel Progress
Let's just say that the extreme home makeover TV show is misleading. Remodels take a long time. Different teams of people need to be scheduled including electricians, plumbers, dry wallers, insulators, tilers, granite installers, painters and various inspectors for plumbing, framing and all things electrical. Things do not happen all in one day. Our project is coming along and we are learning to enjoy each step as an accomplishment. The advantage is the money payments are certainly being spread over a longer time and this is helpful to the bank account. Seriously, we have no big deadlines now that Christmas has come and gone.
Kaley's bathroom is functional and mostly done. The closet needs to be finished and the granite countertop installed. The master bath now has windows and it is fun to peek in there and see how our new view will be----pretty spectacular. I credit Dave for his vision. I couldn't see it but now I do.
Some pictures:
Bathroom added to downstairs bedroom (Kaley's)--mostly done.
Taken a couple of minutes ago.
Whoa! I'll be able to sit in my tub with binocs and look for whales until I turn into a prune and that's my plan!
Let's just say that the extreme home makeover TV show is misleading. Remodels take a long time. Different teams of people need to be scheduled including electricians, plumbers, dry wallers, insulators, tilers, granite installers, painters and various inspectors for plumbing, framing and all things electrical. Things do not happen all in one day. Our project is coming along and we are learning to enjoy each step as an accomplishment. The advantage is the money payments are certainly being spread over a longer time and this is helpful to the bank account. Seriously, we have no big deadlines now that Christmas has come and gone.
Kaley's bathroom is functional and mostly done. The closet needs to be finished and the granite countertop installed. The master bath now has windows and it is fun to peek in there and see how our new view will be----pretty spectacular. I credit Dave for his vision. I couldn't see it but now I do.
Some pictures:
Bathroom added to downstairs bedroom (Kaley's)--mostly done.
Taken a couple of minutes ago.
Whoa! I'll be able to sit in my tub with binocs and look for whales until I turn into a prune and that's my plan!
// posted by Janet @ 9:59 AM
1 comments
Friday, January 18, 2008
We ARE Weird Here!
Here we are up in our little corner of the lower 48. We are nothing like our southern neighbors in California. People from Nebraska, Kansas, Ohio, or Iowa seem like aliens from a different planet to us. The South? They scare us. Northeasterners? We do not even speak the same language. Pacific Northwesterners love to talk and read about themselves. The issues we deal with day and day out are peculiar to us. As a result, an insurance company has decided to capitalize on our quirks by basing an entire ad campaign on....US!
True to my Northwest heritage, I am not a commercial person nor do I love insurance companies but the Pemco ad idea does seem to strike a chord with us. I think it is funny and clever, I admit it. They have created a number of Northwest profiles and they are featuring them in their TV and radio advertisements. We do seem to be an eclectic group of odd folks identifiable across the world. You might say, "Well, that is an exaggeration. People traveling in say, Africa, wouldn't know the difference between groups of Americans." Au contraire! My son, Lucas, has spent the last few months in Europe and he took a little detour into Spain and Morocco. He was traveling with a school friend who went to the University of Montana but who grew up in Portland. As they were walking around the markets of Marrakesh, a group of American tourists spotted them.
"Are you two from the Pacific Northwest, by any chance?" Was it their back packs? Or how about the raggedy jeans? REI plastered on their water bottles? Perhaps Lucas' hair and beard?
"Uh..., yea, I am from Seattle and she is from Portland?!" Lucas replied to the East Coasters. "How did you know? Is it our accent that gave us away?" Yep, you can spot a Northwesterner continents away!
Lately, they have been showing on TV Northwest Profile #16, Roadside Chainsaw Wood Carver. Doesn't every place have these people carving orcas, eagles, and bears out of left over tree parts to put on your porch or in your garden? I guess not. Other favorites of mine are Sandals and Socks Guy, Profile #56, and 50 Degrees Shirts Off Guy, #45, with his disgusting white belly. Of course, they had to have a reflection of our view of East Coasters in profile #100, Confused East Coast Transplant. This poor woman jay walks and gets caught but cannot understand why everyone is so polite, nice, apologetic, quiet and reserved.
Yesterday, I heard one of the car insurance ads on my car radio. It was Northwest Profile #96 and I about drove off the road because I was laughing---at myself. Number 96 is Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman. This woman is all about pairing the correct wine with the food and is clearly concerned about which wine goes best with a Walla Walla onion. You will find her in the tasting rooms of Walla Walla. Ok, I am not that picky and I will drink Washington red wine with about anything but......Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman---cracks me up. Oh, and I have been known to visit a few of those Walla Walla wine tasting rooms. I mean, they are so close to Kaley's dorm, after all.
The Pemco website allows Northwesterners to add their own profiles to the list. I should participate because I do not see profiles that describe exactly every facet of my typical Puget Sound family. We are more a combination of many of them. Dave is "Absent Minded UW Professor Guy Who Buys Sweaters at Costco." Kaley is "Why Isn't There a Body of Water in the Helena Valley Girl?" Lucas is "World Traveler Who Must Eat Salmon in Seattle Guy." And me? "Crazy Binocular Person Who Looks for Whale Spouts."
However, I did see some Pemco profiles besides Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman that apply to my family. For Kaley, # 63 works: Belltown Regional Fare Uber-Foodie. This person can be spotted at Delaurenti's deli counter ordering shaved proscuitto (or maybe those expensive local goat cheeses) or taking classes at Sur La Table or buying Tom Douglas cook books or serving Alder-Smoked Copper River Salmon with Coriander Papaya Coulis on a Bed of Sea Greens----and yes, truffle oil stains on her clothes.
Lucas is definitely Northwest Profile #5: Northwest Male Action Figure. He has a scrubby three day beard and salt encrusted hair. The vehicle of choice is an old 4x4 (like a 1987 Jeep Cherokee, perhaps?) loaded with outdoor gear. Favorite food is energy bars and he is friends with rocks, trees, and the three day week.
And Dave? Absolutely profile #77: Perennial Power Washer. This guy can be spotted in his aggregate driveway fighting water with water to destroy the moss moss everywhere moss (and maybe the icky black stuff that covers the sidewalk on the entire street.) Of course, he has water protective clothing in bright bright yellow hanging in the garage annoyingly close to my car door and he spends more money on a power washer than I have on furniture in 20 years. Oh wait, that part is not on the website.
Things always at hand (the hiker bottle is my Christmas present from my brother) in the Pacific Northwest Home. Oh, and my kitchen table base? Yep, carved by a roadside chainsaw wood carver near Sultan.
I cannot believe I just spent this much time on an insurance company advertisement website. But you see, it is fun to read about ourselves.
Here is the link to the Pemco website with all of the Northwest Profiles entitled, "A Helpful Guide to the People of the Northwest. Because around here, the skies are sometimes gray but the people are colorful."
http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/
Here we are up in our little corner of the lower 48. We are nothing like our southern neighbors in California. People from Nebraska, Kansas, Ohio, or Iowa seem like aliens from a different planet to us. The South? They scare us. Northeasterners? We do not even speak the same language. Pacific Northwesterners love to talk and read about themselves. The issues we deal with day and day out are peculiar to us. As a result, an insurance company has decided to capitalize on our quirks by basing an entire ad campaign on....US!
True to my Northwest heritage, I am not a commercial person nor do I love insurance companies but the Pemco ad idea does seem to strike a chord with us. I think it is funny and clever, I admit it. They have created a number of Northwest profiles and they are featuring them in their TV and radio advertisements. We do seem to be an eclectic group of odd folks identifiable across the world. You might say, "Well, that is an exaggeration. People traveling in say, Africa, wouldn't know the difference between groups of Americans." Au contraire! My son, Lucas, has spent the last few months in Europe and he took a little detour into Spain and Morocco. He was traveling with a school friend who went to the University of Montana but who grew up in Portland. As they were walking around the markets of Marrakesh, a group of American tourists spotted them.
"Are you two from the Pacific Northwest, by any chance?" Was it their back packs? Or how about the raggedy jeans? REI plastered on their water bottles? Perhaps Lucas' hair and beard?
"Uh..., yea, I am from Seattle and she is from Portland?!" Lucas replied to the East Coasters. "How did you know? Is it our accent that gave us away?" Yep, you can spot a Northwesterner continents away!
Lately, they have been showing on TV Northwest Profile #16, Roadside Chainsaw Wood Carver. Doesn't every place have these people carving orcas, eagles, and bears out of left over tree parts to put on your porch or in your garden? I guess not. Other favorites of mine are Sandals and Socks Guy, Profile #56, and 50 Degrees Shirts Off Guy, #45, with his disgusting white belly. Of course, they had to have a reflection of our view of East Coasters in profile #100, Confused East Coast Transplant. This poor woman jay walks and gets caught but cannot understand why everyone is so polite, nice, apologetic, quiet and reserved.
Yesterday, I heard one of the car insurance ads on my car radio. It was Northwest Profile #96 and I about drove off the road because I was laughing---at myself. Number 96 is Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman. This woman is all about pairing the correct wine with the food and is clearly concerned about which wine goes best with a Walla Walla onion. You will find her in the tasting rooms of Walla Walla. Ok, I am not that picky and I will drink Washington red wine with about anything but......Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman---cracks me up. Oh, and I have been known to visit a few of those Walla Walla wine tasting rooms. I mean, they are so close to Kaley's dorm, after all.
The Pemco website allows Northwesterners to add their own profiles to the list. I should participate because I do not see profiles that describe exactly every facet of my typical Puget Sound family. We are more a combination of many of them. Dave is "Absent Minded UW Professor Guy Who Buys Sweaters at Costco." Kaley is "Why Isn't There a Body of Water in the Helena Valley Girl?" Lucas is "World Traveler Who Must Eat Salmon in Seattle Guy." And me? "Crazy Binocular Person Who Looks for Whale Spouts."
However, I did see some Pemco profiles besides Walla Walla Wine Wine Woman Woman that apply to my family. For Kaley, # 63 works: Belltown Regional Fare Uber-Foodie. This person can be spotted at Delaurenti's deli counter ordering shaved proscuitto (or maybe those expensive local goat cheeses) or taking classes at Sur La Table or buying Tom Douglas cook books or serving Alder-Smoked Copper River Salmon with Coriander Papaya Coulis on a Bed of Sea Greens----and yes, truffle oil stains on her clothes.
Lucas is definitely Northwest Profile #5: Northwest Male Action Figure. He has a scrubby three day beard and salt encrusted hair. The vehicle of choice is an old 4x4 (like a 1987 Jeep Cherokee, perhaps?) loaded with outdoor gear. Favorite food is energy bars and he is friends with rocks, trees, and the three day week.
And Dave? Absolutely profile #77: Perennial Power Washer. This guy can be spotted in his aggregate driveway fighting water with water to destroy the moss moss everywhere moss (and maybe the icky black stuff that covers the sidewalk on the entire street.) Of course, he has water protective clothing in bright bright yellow hanging in the garage annoyingly close to my car door and he spends more money on a power washer than I have on furniture in 20 years. Oh wait, that part is not on the website.
Things always at hand (the hiker bottle is my Christmas present from my brother) in the Pacific Northwest Home. Oh, and my kitchen table base? Yep, carved by a roadside chainsaw wood carver near Sultan.
I cannot believe I just spent this much time on an insurance company advertisement website. But you see, it is fun to read about ourselves.
Here is the link to the Pemco website with all of the Northwest Profiles entitled, "A Helpful Guide to the People of the Northwest. Because around here, the skies are sometimes gray but the people are colorful."
http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/
// posted by Janet @ 8:42 AM
4 comments
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Blog Plug, The Culture Queen
I have mentioned before on here that my daughter is a foodie. She has loved to eat from the minute she was born. Thank goodness because nursing her made me skinny after two babies. Our pediatrician said she was one of few babies that actually gained weight the first two weeks of life. To be honest, as a little girl she was roundish but always always cute. Now as a young woman, she is slim and beautiful but her passion for all things edible continues. The point is, you can be skinny and still consume all sorts of wonderful food. The key is moderation, portion control, and exercise.
Kaley every year throws a fabulous Christmas party for her friends. She plans and prepares all of the food. For dinner parties we have given, she has cooked entrees to desserts. She is full of food trivia as well from watching the food channel and spending hours of the day with her nose in cook books. I did not teach her to cook. Like her music passion and abilites, I have no idea where all of this came from. She has surpassed both Dave and me with her skills in the kitchen. Having the job as appetizer/salad chef at Cafe Lago taught her an immense amount of information about fresh local ingredients and the efficiency of a kitchen.
Kaley has started to write a blog about food including recipes and childhood memories of our travels. She calls it "The Culture Queen." As an introduction to her blog, I will describe my now favorite way to cook halibut because the recipe was inspired by my daughter.
Alaskan Halibut Caught by Dave
Take a filet of halibut enough for two people (I don't have weights because they packaged the fish for us up in Alaska and one package is perfect for two people) and rinse and pat dry. Cut into serving pieces. In a shallow pan mix together some flour and panko. In the mean time, heat some olive oil in a saute pan. Brown a couple of cloves of garlic, sliced, in the olive oil. Dredge the halibut pieces in the flour and panko mixture and place them in the hot olive oil with the garlic. Salt and pepper the fish and sprinkle some hot paprika on each piece. Sear a little on one side and flip them over--repeat the salt, pepper, and paprika. Have the oven heated to 400 degrees. Place the halibut pieces in a lightly greased or oiled baking dish. Scrape out the garlic pieces onto the fish. Sprinkle dried tarragon on each piece. Squeeze about 1/3 of a lemon over the fish and/or sprinkle a little white wine over it. Sometimes I also squeeze a bit of lime over it all. Bake in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes depending upon thickness and how rare you like it. Serve with pasta or rice or vegetables or whatever you like. And do NOT--I repeat do not let your husband find the tartar sauce in the frig. It ruins the flavors.
And now for a wonderful blog exploring the world of food, "The Culture Queen!"
http://theculturequeen.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
I have mentioned before on here that my daughter is a foodie. She has loved to eat from the minute she was born. Thank goodness because nursing her made me skinny after two babies. Our pediatrician said she was one of few babies that actually gained weight the first two weeks of life. To be honest, as a little girl she was roundish but always always cute. Now as a young woman, she is slim and beautiful but her passion for all things edible continues. The point is, you can be skinny and still consume all sorts of wonderful food. The key is moderation, portion control, and exercise.
Kaley every year throws a fabulous Christmas party for her friends. She plans and prepares all of the food. For dinner parties we have given, she has cooked entrees to desserts. She is full of food trivia as well from watching the food channel and spending hours of the day with her nose in cook books. I did not teach her to cook. Like her music passion and abilites, I have no idea where all of this came from. She has surpassed both Dave and me with her skills in the kitchen. Having the job as appetizer/salad chef at Cafe Lago taught her an immense amount of information about fresh local ingredients and the efficiency of a kitchen.
Kaley has started to write a blog about food including recipes and childhood memories of our travels. She calls it "The Culture Queen." As an introduction to her blog, I will describe my now favorite way to cook halibut because the recipe was inspired by my daughter.
Alaskan Halibut Caught by Dave
Take a filet of halibut enough for two people (I don't have weights because they packaged the fish for us up in Alaska and one package is perfect for two people) and rinse and pat dry. Cut into serving pieces. In a shallow pan mix together some flour and panko. In the mean time, heat some olive oil in a saute pan. Brown a couple of cloves of garlic, sliced, in the olive oil. Dredge the halibut pieces in the flour and panko mixture and place them in the hot olive oil with the garlic. Salt and pepper the fish and sprinkle some hot paprika on each piece. Sear a little on one side and flip them over--repeat the salt, pepper, and paprika. Have the oven heated to 400 degrees. Place the halibut pieces in a lightly greased or oiled baking dish. Scrape out the garlic pieces onto the fish. Sprinkle dried tarragon on each piece. Squeeze about 1/3 of a lemon over the fish and/or sprinkle a little white wine over it. Sometimes I also squeeze a bit of lime over it all. Bake in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes depending upon thickness and how rare you like it. Serve with pasta or rice or vegetables or whatever you like. And do NOT--I repeat do not let your husband find the tartar sauce in the frig. It ruins the flavors.
And now for a wonderful blog exploring the world of food, "The Culture Queen!"
http://theculturequeen.blogspot.com/
ENJOY
// posted by Janet @ 3:26 PM
5 comments
Monday, January 14, 2008
Dave, the Author
Last night, I was watching the lame Golden Globe announcements while Dave was on his lap top. We had just had a discussion about what irresponsible parents we are. Our daughter had arrived at her destination---Walla Walla---only to be pulled over by the Walla Walla police as soon as she took the exit off of Highway 12 into town. I am always on pins and needles while either of my children are driving long distances in the winter. I was relieved to get the phone call that she was back at her college dorm but she did encounter a problem.
The car she drives is an Acura that we purchased after our orginal Acura was taken in the U district last spring. The insurance company provided us with a fair settlement and it allowed us to buy a used car very similar to the one that had been stolen. Somehow, we overlooked the fact that a month after we purchased the car, the tabs expired. Kaley has been driving the car and we have been driving the car for over six months with expired tabs without realizing it until the Walla Walla police noticed it last night in the dark and the fog. Luckily, Kaley is an attractive young woman who has been taught to be truthful. She apologized profusely and explained the car belonged to her Dad who must have forgotten to order new tabs. No ticket was issued but merely a warning.
Needless to say, immediately after talking to her on the phone, I went online to order the tabs. It will be easy for her to refrain from driving for a few days until we get them to her. She was justifiably a little bugged at us though the experience was according to her "kind of exciting." Frankly, I was horrified we had put her in that situation and I kept trying to figure out a way to blame my husband because the car is in his name. But I am the family member who spends more time with the household documents so we were equally at fault.
Anyway, the man who lets his daughter drive for five hours in the middle of winter with a car with expired tabs amazes me at times. During the Golden Globe announcments, he says, "Oh my, this is good! Look at this," as he passes me his computer. It was a book review in a prestigious scientific journal. Dave and his colleague wrote, pulled together and edited a text book. I read the fabulous review.
Hamet P,Sˇeda O. 2007. Book review. Am J Med Genet Part A 143A:1809.
"This is your book! Wow!"
"Yea, it is my text book for the class I'm teaching. But the publishers have pissed me off because they are charging $130 for it and students can't pay that kind of money."
"Ah, but Dave, according to this review, the book appears to be worth that kind of money."
Typical of my husband, "Well, yea. It is good and I knew it would be but it shouldn't cost so much. I pleaded with them. It should be half of what they are charging."
Here are some excerpts from the review of Dave's book:
"The concept of individual responses to various
environmental influences has been recognized
by scientists and physicians for decades, and the
first empirical observations date back more than
2,500 years. Nevertheless, Gene–Environment Interactions:
Fundamentals of Ecogenetics represents the
first comprehensive treatise of the phenomenon.
The book is divided into four major parts, each
addressing different aspects of the gene–environment
landscape. Overall, the outline of the book
is well thought-out, although each chapter can be
read and serve as a reference text by itself. However,
in doing so, the reader would miss the gradual,
logical unfolding of the whole picture of the
discipline....
Part IV is what makes this book truly exceptional,
as we are offered full-fledged accounts of the social,
ethical, legal and risk assessment aspects of ecogenetics....
Gene–Environment Interactions: Fundamentals
of Ecogenetics is a great accomplishment, and it can
well serve as a primary, extensively-referenced text
for anyone interested in the intricacies and implications
of how our genomes interact with the environment
in producing biologically-unique responses."
"Geez, Dave, they call it 'well thought-out, logical, comprehensive, truly exceptional, and a great accomplishment!' I mean, whoa. This is absolutely amazing. So this is what you do when you are always on your lap top and I am mad at you because you are ignoring me?"
"Pretty much," he responded with a small smile.
And there I was wanting so badly to be mad at him for not following up on expired tabs.
Last night, I was watching the lame Golden Globe announcements while Dave was on his lap top. We had just had a discussion about what irresponsible parents we are. Our daughter had arrived at her destination---Walla Walla---only to be pulled over by the Walla Walla police as soon as she took the exit off of Highway 12 into town. I am always on pins and needles while either of my children are driving long distances in the winter. I was relieved to get the phone call that she was back at her college dorm but she did encounter a problem.
The car she drives is an Acura that we purchased after our orginal Acura was taken in the U district last spring. The insurance company provided us with a fair settlement and it allowed us to buy a used car very similar to the one that had been stolen. Somehow, we overlooked the fact that a month after we purchased the car, the tabs expired. Kaley has been driving the car and we have been driving the car for over six months with expired tabs without realizing it until the Walla Walla police noticed it last night in the dark and the fog. Luckily, Kaley is an attractive young woman who has been taught to be truthful. She apologized profusely and explained the car belonged to her Dad who must have forgotten to order new tabs. No ticket was issued but merely a warning.
Needless to say, immediately after talking to her on the phone, I went online to order the tabs. It will be easy for her to refrain from driving for a few days until we get them to her. She was justifiably a little bugged at us though the experience was according to her "kind of exciting." Frankly, I was horrified we had put her in that situation and I kept trying to figure out a way to blame my husband because the car is in his name. But I am the family member who spends more time with the household documents so we were equally at fault.
Anyway, the man who lets his daughter drive for five hours in the middle of winter with a car with expired tabs amazes me at times. During the Golden Globe announcments, he says, "Oh my, this is good! Look at this," as he passes me his computer. It was a book review in a prestigious scientific journal. Dave and his colleague wrote, pulled together and edited a text book. I read the fabulous review.
Hamet P,Sˇeda O. 2007. Book review. Am J Med Genet Part A 143A:1809.
"This is your book! Wow!"
"Yea, it is my text book for the class I'm teaching. But the publishers have pissed me off because they are charging $130 for it and students can't pay that kind of money."
"Ah, but Dave, according to this review, the book appears to be worth that kind of money."
Typical of my husband, "Well, yea. It is good and I knew it would be but it shouldn't cost so much. I pleaded with them. It should be half of what they are charging."
Here are some excerpts from the review of Dave's book:
"The concept of individual responses to various
environmental influences has been recognized
by scientists and physicians for decades, and the
first empirical observations date back more than
2,500 years. Nevertheless, Gene–Environment Interactions:
Fundamentals of Ecogenetics represents the
first comprehensive treatise of the phenomenon.
The book is divided into four major parts, each
addressing different aspects of the gene–environment
landscape. Overall, the outline of the book
is well thought-out, although each chapter can be
read and serve as a reference text by itself. However,
in doing so, the reader would miss the gradual,
logical unfolding of the whole picture of the
discipline....
Part IV is what makes this book truly exceptional,
as we are offered full-fledged accounts of the social,
ethical, legal and risk assessment aspects of ecogenetics....
Gene–Environment Interactions: Fundamentals
of Ecogenetics is a great accomplishment, and it can
well serve as a primary, extensively-referenced text
for anyone interested in the intricacies and implications
of how our genomes interact with the environment
in producing biologically-unique responses."
"Geez, Dave, they call it 'well thought-out, logical, comprehensive, truly exceptional, and a great accomplishment!' I mean, whoa. This is absolutely amazing. So this is what you do when you are always on your lap top and I am mad at you because you are ignoring me?"
"Pretty much," he responded with a small smile.
And there I was wanting so badly to be mad at him for not following up on expired tabs.
// posted by Janet @ 10:13 AM
2 comments
Friday, January 11, 2008
Dinner at Canlis
My biggest regret is that we have not experienced Canlis more than once before. Last night, my thought was that going to dinner there would be our second "once in a lifetime" visit. We decided we have been missing something and we will definitely go back at the half price rate as a couple. I had made up my mind that we would be spending a ridiculous amount of money. True, the place is pricey but we have been to the Georgian Room, the Metropolitan Grill and El Gaucho and they are just as expensive if not more so. The Canlis website stated that seven to twenty restaurants in the Seattle area have more dollar signs than they do.
They do have a dress code but it must be "suggested" or "preferred." In other words, if you entered the front door and had on a sweater instead of a jacket, I do not think they would turn you away. Some parties did not seem as dressed up as we were. I remember one time when Dave and I were starving students in Kansas City, we were invited to dinner with Dave's wealthy uncle and aunt. In those days, we pretty much looked the part of hippie. When we arrived at the restaurant, Dave was considered inappropriately dressed so the restaurant offered him an ugly suit jacket and tie to wear while dining. We were so embarrassed and it didn't even fit him. I have never forgotten it. Dave's uncle was not happy. Certainly, Canlis would never do such a thing to a guest.
Seattle is such a casual city that Canlis is trying to uphold the idea of dressing up but you cannot force Seattleites to necessarily do so. Many of us do not even own dressy clothes. Anyway, Dave wore a sports jacket because living without a closet, he could not find his suit. I think it is still in a suitcase from one of his trips. Lucas looked darling in his dark brown sports jacket, brown striped shirt and new khakis that we picked out for him. He did wear black dress shoes left from his orchestra days much to Kaley's chagrin. However, it was those or hiking boots. You can request a Pacific Northwesterner to dress up but I guarantee, it will not be perfect.
I wore a lacy red and silver blouse with a black skirt that I wore a few years ago to the UW Gala event. At the time, I agonized over what to wear for that event but discovered I was almost identically dressed in the same outfit as Melinda Gates. As such, I felt it was appropriate to wear the same thing to Canlis. Kaley, of course, was stunning in a grayish black dress she wore to her Christmas party. And yes, I forgot the camera when we all looked fantastic.
What did we eat? The menu had a large number of selections which I appreciate since Kaley cannot have shrimp, crab or lobster anything. Some places around here include these ingredients in every first course and entree, it seems. Kaley and I shared an exquisite escargot/puff pastry appetizer. I still smell like garlic. Dave ordered the prixe fix menu so he started with smoked pheasant on toast. Lucas had seafood bisque. Kaley and I also ordered the Canlis salad. I may be remembering wrong but I am quite certain they used to construct the salad at your table. I was impressed with that 25 years ago and disappointed they no longer do so. It was delicious anyway. Kaley had praise for the salad which is saying something after her summer as a salad chef at Cafe Lago.
Dave's meal included lobster tail, shrimp and a small filet mignon. Lucas ordered king salmon. Kaley had mahi mahi and I chose the duck breast. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as heavenly as it looked. To give an example of price, the appetizers and salads were in the $10-$15 range. My significantly portioned duck breast over butternut squash/cauliflower melange was $34. Naturally, adding drinks, wine, coffee, and desserts runs up the bill but still---not as bad as I was expecting. At the end, they put a birthday candle in my molten lava cake dessert. I do believe the Georgian Room made a bigger deal out of my birthday when I turned 50 but still, it was a nice touch.
The place is lovely. We were seated by the window facing towards the U district. We could see the lights and the dark blackness of the lake below. The service was impeccable. I am one of those people who likes to chat and joke a little with the servers. I must say, it is difficult to break their formal facade. When Lucas was announcing to his sister that he could not believe she was 19; he thought she was still 18. "Lucas, you do not know how old your own sister is? You have been away too long. Not only is she 19 but she is almost 20!" The highly trained sommelier was opening our bottle of wine at that moment and I saw him crack a smile at the four of us. Yes, they are human! At least the servers are no longer dressed in kimonos. They used to be faux geisha to portray the idea of superb Japanese hospitality. I remember being shocked at the sight since it is not an Asian eatery. Now they all wear black.
We were seated not far from the piano. Kaley liked his selections and I was the beneficiary of some gorgeous singing in my ear when she knew the words. I told her to approach the pianist and offer to sing along but she declined. "Are you nuts? Geez, MOM!"
The entire evening was perfect. We will go back.
Here is their website:
http://www.canlis.com/tour/
My biggest regret is that we have not experienced Canlis more than once before. Last night, my thought was that going to dinner there would be our second "once in a lifetime" visit. We decided we have been missing something and we will definitely go back at the half price rate as a couple. I had made up my mind that we would be spending a ridiculous amount of money. True, the place is pricey but we have been to the Georgian Room, the Metropolitan Grill and El Gaucho and they are just as expensive if not more so. The Canlis website stated that seven to twenty restaurants in the Seattle area have more dollar signs than they do.
They do have a dress code but it must be "suggested" or "preferred." In other words, if you entered the front door and had on a sweater instead of a jacket, I do not think they would turn you away. Some parties did not seem as dressed up as we were. I remember one time when Dave and I were starving students in Kansas City, we were invited to dinner with Dave's wealthy uncle and aunt. In those days, we pretty much looked the part of hippie. When we arrived at the restaurant, Dave was considered inappropriately dressed so the restaurant offered him an ugly suit jacket and tie to wear while dining. We were so embarrassed and it didn't even fit him. I have never forgotten it. Dave's uncle was not happy. Certainly, Canlis would never do such a thing to a guest.
Seattle is such a casual city that Canlis is trying to uphold the idea of dressing up but you cannot force Seattleites to necessarily do so. Many of us do not even own dressy clothes. Anyway, Dave wore a sports jacket because living without a closet, he could not find his suit. I think it is still in a suitcase from one of his trips. Lucas looked darling in his dark brown sports jacket, brown striped shirt and new khakis that we picked out for him. He did wear black dress shoes left from his orchestra days much to Kaley's chagrin. However, it was those or hiking boots. You can request a Pacific Northwesterner to dress up but I guarantee, it will not be perfect.
I wore a lacy red and silver blouse with a black skirt that I wore a few years ago to the UW Gala event. At the time, I agonized over what to wear for that event but discovered I was almost identically dressed in the same outfit as Melinda Gates. As such, I felt it was appropriate to wear the same thing to Canlis. Kaley, of course, was stunning in a grayish black dress she wore to her Christmas party. And yes, I forgot the camera when we all looked fantastic.
What did we eat? The menu had a large number of selections which I appreciate since Kaley cannot have shrimp, crab or lobster anything. Some places around here include these ingredients in every first course and entree, it seems. Kaley and I shared an exquisite escargot/puff pastry appetizer. I still smell like garlic. Dave ordered the prixe fix menu so he started with smoked pheasant on toast. Lucas had seafood bisque. Kaley and I also ordered the Canlis salad. I may be remembering wrong but I am quite certain they used to construct the salad at your table. I was impressed with that 25 years ago and disappointed they no longer do so. It was delicious anyway. Kaley had praise for the salad which is saying something after her summer as a salad chef at Cafe Lago.
Dave's meal included lobster tail, shrimp and a small filet mignon. Lucas ordered king salmon. Kaley had mahi mahi and I chose the duck breast. Everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as heavenly as it looked. To give an example of price, the appetizers and salads were in the $10-$15 range. My significantly portioned duck breast over butternut squash/cauliflower melange was $34. Naturally, adding drinks, wine, coffee, and desserts runs up the bill but still---not as bad as I was expecting. At the end, they put a birthday candle in my molten lava cake dessert. I do believe the Georgian Room made a bigger deal out of my birthday when I turned 50 but still, it was a nice touch.
The place is lovely. We were seated by the window facing towards the U district. We could see the lights and the dark blackness of the lake below. The service was impeccable. I am one of those people who likes to chat and joke a little with the servers. I must say, it is difficult to break their formal facade. When Lucas was announcing to his sister that he could not believe she was 19; he thought she was still 18. "Lucas, you do not know how old your own sister is? You have been away too long. Not only is she 19 but she is almost 20!" The highly trained sommelier was opening our bottle of wine at that moment and I saw him crack a smile at the four of us. Yes, they are human! At least the servers are no longer dressed in kimonos. They used to be faux geisha to portray the idea of superb Japanese hospitality. I remember being shocked at the sight since it is not an Asian eatery. Now they all wear black.
We were seated not far from the piano. Kaley liked his selections and I was the beneficiary of some gorgeous singing in my ear when she knew the words. I told her to approach the pianist and offer to sing along but she declined. "Are you nuts? Geez, MOM!"
The entire evening was perfect. We will go back.
Here is their website:
http://www.canlis.com/tour/
// posted by Janet @ 1:56 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Today is my Birthday!
I had some things in mind I wanted to write about and put on here today but a couple of things have happened. First of all, hubby was messing with the computer last night and I can't seem to save or access photos or videos. This makes me unhappy and I cannot seem to figure out how to undo whatever it is he did. Secondly, I thought I could write about myself without pictures in a narcissistic way but in my head it all sounded to much like my obituary. With the gloomy cloudiness outside, I started getting the creeps. So here goes.
I was born in Deer Lodge, Montana, January 8, 1953. My Mom was 24 and my Dad was 29. My brother, Jim, was three years old and quite jealous he had to share his little life with a new baby sister. My father had finished college in Missoula but was back in his home town of Deer Lodge with my Mom and their little boy after returning from the Korean War. He had also fought in WW2, had been shot down, and spent nine months as a POW in Nazi Germany. He was working on the railroad at the time I was born and trying to figure out what to do with his life. When I was a one year old, he returned to school to get a Master's degree in Education. My earliest memories are from our campus home at MSU in Bozeman, Montana.
I remember attending my father's college graduation in Bozeman. I also remember moving from Bozeman to Helena where my Dad had been hired to teach 8th grade science. At the time, I was three and the rest of my growing up years were in Helena.
So, this is how my life began and now, Kaley and I are going to meet Dave for lunch in the U district and then go downtown to do a little shopping. We are planning to celebrate my birthday on Thursday night by going out to dinner at Seattle's oldest and most famous restaurant, Canlis. Lucas will be home from Europe tomorrow so this dinner will be an incredibly special occasion. The only other time we have eaten at Canlis was back in about 1980 when we were celebrating our anniversary and before we had children. They have a dress code which means Kaley and I need to buy Lucas something suitable to wear. Hence, today's shopping trip!
Sorry! I found some cool pictures of Deer Lodge--population 4000 and the second oldest town in Montana---but I am blocked from my own files for the time being.
Computers....grrrrrr.
UPDATE: I apologize to my dear hubby who is now doing dishes so I can play on the computer. Somehow the computer fixed itself and it had nothing to do with him. Kaley and I found a great little outfit for Lucas at the downtown Seattle GAP. We love dressing him and love it more that he doesn't mind. We had a nice lunch today at Portage Bay Cafe in the U district. I highly recommend the place. They use organic and local ingredients. They do not serve dinners---only lunch and breakfast. It is so convenient for us because it is immediately across the street from Dave's UW office. Since we had a nice lunch, Kaley made the three of us a light dinner. I bought myself my own birthday present at the grocery store and it was a little jar of black French truffles which Kaley used to make a glorious pasta dish. Yum. Also, I bought myself my own birthday card. I could not resist because it was a picture of an old gray faced Golden Retriever with a basket of flowers in his mouth---sooooo cute that I plan to frame it.
Anyway, here are two pictures of the town where I was born. It is 56 miles from Helena and I do not believe it has changed in 100 years. My 91 year old uncle and 90 year old aunt still live there in the house they built in the 1940's. My English grandparents moved to Deer Lodge from Stevens Pass or Cascade Tunnel, WA in 1918. My Dad was born there and I spent many many weekends of my childhood playing in my Grandma's yard. In many ways, the town is as familiar to me as is Helena.
Main Street Deer Lodge
Mt. Powell
Rock Creek Lake and the three Dolas Lakes are on or in (?) Mt. Powell and in my younger days were both camping and backpacking destinations for Dave and me. Gorgeous back country up there and my Dad and his Dad and brothers knew it like the back of their hands.
I had some things in mind I wanted to write about and put on here today but a couple of things have happened. First of all, hubby was messing with the computer last night and I can't seem to save or access photos or videos. This makes me unhappy and I cannot seem to figure out how to undo whatever it is he did. Secondly, I thought I could write about myself without pictures in a narcissistic way but in my head it all sounded to much like my obituary. With the gloomy cloudiness outside, I started getting the creeps. So here goes.
I was born in Deer Lodge, Montana, January 8, 1953. My Mom was 24 and my Dad was 29. My brother, Jim, was three years old and quite jealous he had to share his little life with a new baby sister. My father had finished college in Missoula but was back in his home town of Deer Lodge with my Mom and their little boy after returning from the Korean War. He had also fought in WW2, had been shot down, and spent nine months as a POW in Nazi Germany. He was working on the railroad at the time I was born and trying to figure out what to do with his life. When I was a one year old, he returned to school to get a Master's degree in Education. My earliest memories are from our campus home at MSU in Bozeman, Montana.
I remember attending my father's college graduation in Bozeman. I also remember moving from Bozeman to Helena where my Dad had been hired to teach 8th grade science. At the time, I was three and the rest of my growing up years were in Helena.
So, this is how my life began and now, Kaley and I are going to meet Dave for lunch in the U district and then go downtown to do a little shopping. We are planning to celebrate my birthday on Thursday night by going out to dinner at Seattle's oldest and most famous restaurant, Canlis. Lucas will be home from Europe tomorrow so this dinner will be an incredibly special occasion. The only other time we have eaten at Canlis was back in about 1980 when we were celebrating our anniversary and before we had children. They have a dress code which means Kaley and I need to buy Lucas something suitable to wear. Hence, today's shopping trip!
Sorry! I found some cool pictures of Deer Lodge--population 4000 and the second oldest town in Montana---but I am blocked from my own files for the time being.
Computers....grrrrrr.
UPDATE: I apologize to my dear hubby who is now doing dishes so I can play on the computer. Somehow the computer fixed itself and it had nothing to do with him. Kaley and I found a great little outfit for Lucas at the downtown Seattle GAP. We love dressing him and love it more that he doesn't mind. We had a nice lunch today at Portage Bay Cafe in the U district. I highly recommend the place. They use organic and local ingredients. They do not serve dinners---only lunch and breakfast. It is so convenient for us because it is immediately across the street from Dave's UW office. Since we had a nice lunch, Kaley made the three of us a light dinner. I bought myself my own birthday present at the grocery store and it was a little jar of black French truffles which Kaley used to make a glorious pasta dish. Yum. Also, I bought myself my own birthday card. I could not resist because it was a picture of an old gray faced Golden Retriever with a basket of flowers in his mouth---sooooo cute that I plan to frame it.
Anyway, here are two pictures of the town where I was born. It is 56 miles from Helena and I do not believe it has changed in 100 years. My 91 year old uncle and 90 year old aunt still live there in the house they built in the 1940's. My English grandparents moved to Deer Lodge from Stevens Pass or Cascade Tunnel, WA in 1918. My Dad was born there and I spent many many weekends of my childhood playing in my Grandma's yard. In many ways, the town is as familiar to me as is Helena.
Main Street Deer Lodge
Mt. Powell
Rock Creek Lake and the three Dolas Lakes are on or in (?) Mt. Powell and in my younger days were both camping and backpacking destinations for Dave and me. Gorgeous back country up there and my Dad and his Dad and brothers knew it like the back of their hands.
// posted by Janet @ 10:35 AM
8 comments
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Experiment
Playing with my Christmas present and of course, my favorite subject, Apolo puppy.
Playing with my Christmas present and of course, my favorite subject, Apolo puppy.
// posted by Janet @ 4:13 PM
2 comments
Saturday, January 05, 2008
My Heart is Heavy
This morning when I checked my e-mails, there was a prayer chain request dated last evening from a good friend of mine. A girl was lost in the snow and they were in the process of looking for her--please pray. This was pretty much it in terms of details. When I read this I was disturbed because the King5 news last night reported an avalanche had engulfed a hiking party and a 13 year old girl from Mukilteo did not make it. Sure enough, the child was friends with my friend's children. They are terribly upset.
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_010508WAB_avalanche_death_sat_SW.1199a5e2.html
As Dave and I walked Apolo this morning, we stopped to chat with some of our neighbors as they were taking down Christmas lights. This girl was good friends with their family as well. Our neighbors are devastated, too. I do not know the family but I hurt for them. To lose a child in such a disastrous way is unimaginable to me. What an awful situation.
The avalanche occurred on the trail to Lake 22. Evidently, they did not quite reach the lake because the weather turned iffy so they turned around to head back when it happened. From what I understand, they were quite near the lake. Lake 22 is my favorite hike in the Cascades though I have never attempted it during the winter. Lucas has and he claims it is his favorite winter hike as well. Our neighbors told us the family is not unfamiliar with the outdoors and takes precautions in the face of avalanche dangers. This was a terrible accident that could not have been prevented nor predicted.
This season, our state has lost nine people to snowslides with three of them in Snohomish County. Washington leads the nation with the most avalanche deaths so far this winter. The snow conditions are unlike anything before and avalanches are happening in places you'd never expect. My thoughts and prayers are with this family today and with my friends who are suffering the loss as well.
Lucas at Lake 22 on his 22nd birthday, June 11, 2007.
This morning when I checked my e-mails, there was a prayer chain request dated last evening from a good friend of mine. A girl was lost in the snow and they were in the process of looking for her--please pray. This was pretty much it in terms of details. When I read this I was disturbed because the King5 news last night reported an avalanche had engulfed a hiking party and a 13 year old girl from Mukilteo did not make it. Sure enough, the child was friends with my friend's children. They are terribly upset.
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_010508WAB_avalanche_death_sat_SW.1199a5e2.html
As Dave and I walked Apolo this morning, we stopped to chat with some of our neighbors as they were taking down Christmas lights. This girl was good friends with their family as well. Our neighbors are devastated, too. I do not know the family but I hurt for them. To lose a child in such a disastrous way is unimaginable to me. What an awful situation.
The avalanche occurred on the trail to Lake 22. Evidently, they did not quite reach the lake because the weather turned iffy so they turned around to head back when it happened. From what I understand, they were quite near the lake. Lake 22 is my favorite hike in the Cascades though I have never attempted it during the winter. Lucas has and he claims it is his favorite winter hike as well. Our neighbors told us the family is not unfamiliar with the outdoors and takes precautions in the face of avalanche dangers. This was a terrible accident that could not have been prevented nor predicted.
This season, our state has lost nine people to snowslides with three of them in Snohomish County. Washington leads the nation with the most avalanche deaths so far this winter. The snow conditions are unlike anything before and avalanches are happening in places you'd never expect. My thoughts and prayers are with this family today and with my friends who are suffering the loss as well.
Lucas at Lake 22 on his 22nd birthday, June 11, 2007.
// posted by Janet @ 1:32 PM
0 comments
What To Do?
Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Hmmmmm.
Chuck Norris........Oprah.
Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Chuck Norris...Oprah Winfrey. Hmmmmm.
Chuck Norris........Oprah.
// posted by Janet @ 9:48 AM
3 comments
Friday, January 04, 2008
Space Age Seattle
I found this picture on another blog that picked it up from yet another blog, VintageSeattle.org. It was drawn in 1914 to represent what Seattle would look like in 2014. To me, it is hilarious. Gondolas in Elliot Bay? No way. And a sky full of blimps? Actually, during Seafair, we have a blimp overhead for an entire month so this is not far off. Also, it was pointed out that the ultra space agey looking structure is not too wildy different from our Space Needle. The Ride the Ducks amphibious vehicle is also in existence for tourists.
http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/01/03/seattle-in-2014-a-forecast/
In 1914, my Grandpa was up on Stevens Pass trying to make a living cooking and working in the railroad camps and doing a little fur trapping. My Grandma was probably planning her escape from England. She had not yet arrived in Washington. My other grandparents were 13 and 14 years old and living in Montana. Big city life in America was foreign to all of them.
But how weird is it that I personally knew four people who were alive at the time this drawing was imagined and created?!
What they thought Seattle would look like in 2014 in the year 1914.
Seattle will probably look more like this in 2014.
I found this picture on another blog that picked it up from yet another blog, VintageSeattle.org. It was drawn in 1914 to represent what Seattle would look like in 2014. To me, it is hilarious. Gondolas in Elliot Bay? No way. And a sky full of blimps? Actually, during Seafair, we have a blimp overhead for an entire month so this is not far off. Also, it was pointed out that the ultra space agey looking structure is not too wildy different from our Space Needle. The Ride the Ducks amphibious vehicle is also in existence for tourists.
http://www.vintageseattle.org/2008/01/03/seattle-in-2014-a-forecast/
In 1914, my Grandpa was up on Stevens Pass trying to make a living cooking and working in the railroad camps and doing a little fur trapping. My Grandma was probably planning her escape from England. She had not yet arrived in Washington. My other grandparents were 13 and 14 years old and living in Montana. Big city life in America was foreign to all of them.
But how weird is it that I personally knew four people who were alive at the time this drawing was imagined and created?!
What they thought Seattle would look like in 2014 in the year 1914.
Seattle will probably look more like this in 2014.
// posted by Janet @ 11:11 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Mukilteo Musings
Today I am going to muse about Mukilteo. Imagine! After all, this is the name of my blog. My daughter's boyfriend has been staying with us on and off during break and my daughter has visited him in a suburb of Portland. The inevitable comparisons between the two communities have been discussed.
Mukilteo is a strange hodge podge. The main road is Mukilteo Speedway which has become as I feared it would, an extension of Highway 99. Every city has a Highway 99. It was the old road before freeways existed but now it is an ugly conglomeration of strip malls and fast food places. The Speedway used to be a two lane road lined with some old houses and lots of trees until you reached the charming little ferry town of Mukilteo (now called Old Town) and the lighthouse at road's end. Now, we have the obligatory McDonald's, nail salons, banks, and gas stations and horror of horrors, gigantic eye sore billboards. In person, I queried the Mukilteo mayor about the awful billboards and was told that the county and not the city owns the east side of the Speedway where they have been erected. I hate them and they make me furious every time I do errands.
Between the Speedway and the water is Harbour Pointe Development which is a typical suburban mix of new homes, condos, apartments, and recently cleared lots with construction. The area was newly formed when we moved to Mukilteo in 1989. But what distinguishes Mukilteo from say, Hillsboro, Oregon, is that pre-existing warehouses and industry are mixed into the residential parts in Harbour Pointe. We have a fruit company, Ivar's clam chowder factory, and a bunch of Boeing support machinist businesses. Also, we have a lot of run down older homes from the 60's and 70's and some cabin or beach-type houses mixed with new houses. Some streets still have above ground power poles and lines and no sidewalks or curbs. On the McDonald, billboard side of the Speedway is an airport used mainly by the huge Boeing plant that sits at one end. Mukilteo and Edmonds are united against the airport turning commercial but some creepy non-resident development types are pushing for local flights to say, Hillsboro, Oregon. So, unlike Hillsboro which is all brand new, pretty and nicely planned, Mukilteo is funky.
And some other characteristics:
1. We have one local jewelry store located next to the QFC grocery store on the Speedway. Since Dave's Dad was the local jeweler in Helena, Montana, Harbour Pointe Jewelry has a special place in our hearts and our lives. Dave liked the owner immensely and over the years, we have had him reset diamonds and clean and restore ancient watches. Sadly, I learned from the reader board at the Speedway car wash which had a nice tribute, that the owner of the jewelry store had died right before Christmas. He was only 57 and we are so so sad about this. Just last summer, Dave had him work on two rings for our wedding anniversary which required many visits and much discussion with a beautiful result. My prayers and thoughts for the family. They live up the street from us.
2. The QFC is the closest grocery store to us. Further down the Speedway is an older Albertson's and further yet is Food Emporium. Because of the convenience of QFC, I go there often. 95% of the time, they have angered me about something. The check out clerks are really nice but somehow the place is badly managed. QFC used to be somewhat upscale until it was taken over by Kroger. The prices never came down but the quality deteriorated. For example, just last night we were needing creme fraiche for our halibut/mussel recipe. Dave could not find it at QFC so he asked and was told they were out. I bet they had it...somewhere. One time, I was looking for tapioca to make a pie filling. The manager pointed me to tapioca pudding cups. I said no and described what I needed only to be told they no longer carried that type of tapioca. The very next day I saw a woman purchasing the exact type of tapioca I had been looking for. A clerk had found it for her on an obscure shelf. I won't even go into the situation with this same manager where because of a glitch in the self-check out line, he rechecked my groceries through the regular check out and charge me $70 twice for the same groceries. I discovered the mistake two weeks later on our credit card. But yet, we keep going back and torturing ourselves because of proximity.
3. Albertson's usually makes me happy and the prices are good. They always seem to have what you are looking for and the shelves are never empty say of hamburger and buns on July 3. Yes, this happened at QFC. The freshness of the seafood at Albertson's can be questionable sometimes, though, but the meat is excellent.
4. Food Emporium is furthest from me but it is my favorite. It is not a chain grocery store and it is also not cheap. The seafood is of the highest quality and they carry more local produce than the other stores. All of Kaley's friends have worked there, it seems. They do not have those irritating member cards and they have plenty of creme fraiche in several different spots along with a myriad of odd but necessary ingredients for fun cooking. However, if you haven't lived in Mukilteo for 19 years with all of the construction and road changes, finding Food Emporium might pose a challenge. It is on the Speedway but it is behind some auto parts and used car dealerships with some big truck trailers with Chinese writing parked at the entrance. Oh but the mirrored columns at the front of the store?? I'm telling ya'--if you are having a bad hair day or for some reason are not feeling good about yourself, go to Food Emporium and catch a glimpse of yourself in those mirrors---very flattering. Just last night on my trek to find creme fraiche, I saw myself and decided, "not bad for an old sick woman!"
5. Finally, the ear popping spot is just up the street from me. My street is by the water at close to sea level. The Speedway is up at about 500 feet. Many times I have been surprised by the existence of two inches of snow up there when we had none. There is a spot as you drive down steep Chennault Beach Drive toward the water where your ears pop. It is especially noticeable when you have made a special trip to Food Emporium to find creme fraiche and you are driving home perhaps a little fast and your head is still full of gunk. Yowee! Oh yea, the ear pop spot--only in Mukilteo.
Today I am going to muse about Mukilteo. Imagine! After all, this is the name of my blog. My daughter's boyfriend has been staying with us on and off during break and my daughter has visited him in a suburb of Portland. The inevitable comparisons between the two communities have been discussed.
Mukilteo is a strange hodge podge. The main road is Mukilteo Speedway which has become as I feared it would, an extension of Highway 99. Every city has a Highway 99. It was the old road before freeways existed but now it is an ugly conglomeration of strip malls and fast food places. The Speedway used to be a two lane road lined with some old houses and lots of trees until you reached the charming little ferry town of Mukilteo (now called Old Town) and the lighthouse at road's end. Now, we have the obligatory McDonald's, nail salons, banks, and gas stations and horror of horrors, gigantic eye sore billboards. In person, I queried the Mukilteo mayor about the awful billboards and was told that the county and not the city owns the east side of the Speedway where they have been erected. I hate them and they make me furious every time I do errands.
Between the Speedway and the water is Harbour Pointe Development which is a typical suburban mix of new homes, condos, apartments, and recently cleared lots with construction. The area was newly formed when we moved to Mukilteo in 1989. But what distinguishes Mukilteo from say, Hillsboro, Oregon, is that pre-existing warehouses and industry are mixed into the residential parts in Harbour Pointe. We have a fruit company, Ivar's clam chowder factory, and a bunch of Boeing support machinist businesses. Also, we have a lot of run down older homes from the 60's and 70's and some cabin or beach-type houses mixed with new houses. Some streets still have above ground power poles and lines and no sidewalks or curbs. On the McDonald, billboard side of the Speedway is an airport used mainly by the huge Boeing plant that sits at one end. Mukilteo and Edmonds are united against the airport turning commercial but some creepy non-resident development types are pushing for local flights to say, Hillsboro, Oregon. So, unlike Hillsboro which is all brand new, pretty and nicely planned, Mukilteo is funky.
And some other characteristics:
1. We have one local jewelry store located next to the QFC grocery store on the Speedway. Since Dave's Dad was the local jeweler in Helena, Montana, Harbour Pointe Jewelry has a special place in our hearts and our lives. Dave liked the owner immensely and over the years, we have had him reset diamonds and clean and restore ancient watches. Sadly, I learned from the reader board at the Speedway car wash which had a nice tribute, that the owner of the jewelry store had died right before Christmas. He was only 57 and we are so so sad about this. Just last summer, Dave had him work on two rings for our wedding anniversary which required many visits and much discussion with a beautiful result. My prayers and thoughts for the family. They live up the street from us.
2. The QFC is the closest grocery store to us. Further down the Speedway is an older Albertson's and further yet is Food Emporium. Because of the convenience of QFC, I go there often. 95% of the time, they have angered me about something. The check out clerks are really nice but somehow the place is badly managed. QFC used to be somewhat upscale until it was taken over by Kroger. The prices never came down but the quality deteriorated. For example, just last night we were needing creme fraiche for our halibut/mussel recipe. Dave could not find it at QFC so he asked and was told they were out. I bet they had it...somewhere. One time, I was looking for tapioca to make a pie filling. The manager pointed me to tapioca pudding cups. I said no and described what I needed only to be told they no longer carried that type of tapioca. The very next day I saw a woman purchasing the exact type of tapioca I had been looking for. A clerk had found it for her on an obscure shelf. I won't even go into the situation with this same manager where because of a glitch in the self-check out line, he rechecked my groceries through the regular check out and charge me $70 twice for the same groceries. I discovered the mistake two weeks later on our credit card. But yet, we keep going back and torturing ourselves because of proximity.
3. Albertson's usually makes me happy and the prices are good. They always seem to have what you are looking for and the shelves are never empty say of hamburger and buns on July 3. Yes, this happened at QFC. The freshness of the seafood at Albertson's can be questionable sometimes, though, but the meat is excellent.
4. Food Emporium is furthest from me but it is my favorite. It is not a chain grocery store and it is also not cheap. The seafood is of the highest quality and they carry more local produce than the other stores. All of Kaley's friends have worked there, it seems. They do not have those irritating member cards and they have plenty of creme fraiche in several different spots along with a myriad of odd but necessary ingredients for fun cooking. However, if you haven't lived in Mukilteo for 19 years with all of the construction and road changes, finding Food Emporium might pose a challenge. It is on the Speedway but it is behind some auto parts and used car dealerships with some big truck trailers with Chinese writing parked at the entrance. Oh but the mirrored columns at the front of the store?? I'm telling ya'--if you are having a bad hair day or for some reason are not feeling good about yourself, go to Food Emporium and catch a glimpse of yourself in those mirrors---very flattering. Just last night on my trek to find creme fraiche, I saw myself and decided, "not bad for an old sick woman!"
5. Finally, the ear popping spot is just up the street from me. My street is by the water at close to sea level. The Speedway is up at about 500 feet. Many times I have been surprised by the existence of two inches of snow up there when we had none. There is a spot as you drive down steep Chennault Beach Drive toward the water where your ears pop. It is especially noticeable when you have made a special trip to Food Emporium to find creme fraiche and you are driving home perhaps a little fast and your head is still full of gunk. Yowee! Oh yea, the ear pop spot--only in Mukilteo.
// posted by Janet @ 9:19 AM
6 comments
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year!
Ugh! My whole family is now sick with the Seattle crud. Dave and I went to bed last night rather than go to a party. I passed my illness to Dave but evidently, a good share of Seattle is suffering from the same thing. The virus attacks without warning and leaves you with gunk behind your nose and in your bronchial tubes causing uncontrolled coughing. On Sunday, the Seattle Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Ninth was accompanied by a thousand coughs during the lulls. Dave said the audience started laughing at the same time because it seemed the majority was suffering from the identical disease. Unfortunately, my daughter woke up with the nastiness this morning. Singers do not cope well with these sorts of things--especially when they are scheduled to sing in church the following Sunday!
From our sick bed last night, we watched the New Year's Eve show broadcast from the Space Needle on King5. The plan was to watch the Space Needle fireworks and then turn off the TV to try to sleep through the coughing. The clock struck midnight....but...nothing. The Space Needle just stood there. Yep, the computer must have had the same virus I've got. Or perhaps the crew setting the whole thing up had to cough at the wrong times and did not get it quite right. Eventually, they manually pushed buttons to set off all of the explosions after the music had finished and several minutes after midnight. It was hilarious. Tech savvy Seattle had a major computer glitch that messed up New Year's Eve. Will this little piece of embarrassing information go "viral" as they say? In Bill Gates and Paul Allen's city the computer screwed up the Space Needle's spectacular show. Too funny.
Grant M. Haller / Seattle P-I
Happy 2008 everyone, viruses and all.
Ugh! My whole family is now sick with the Seattle crud. Dave and I went to bed last night rather than go to a party. I passed my illness to Dave but evidently, a good share of Seattle is suffering from the same thing. The virus attacks without warning and leaves you with gunk behind your nose and in your bronchial tubes causing uncontrolled coughing. On Sunday, the Seattle Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Ninth was accompanied by a thousand coughs during the lulls. Dave said the audience started laughing at the same time because it seemed the majority was suffering from the identical disease. Unfortunately, my daughter woke up with the nastiness this morning. Singers do not cope well with these sorts of things--especially when they are scheduled to sing in church the following Sunday!
From our sick bed last night, we watched the New Year's Eve show broadcast from the Space Needle on King5. The plan was to watch the Space Needle fireworks and then turn off the TV to try to sleep through the coughing. The clock struck midnight....but...nothing. The Space Needle just stood there. Yep, the computer must have had the same virus I've got. Or perhaps the crew setting the whole thing up had to cough at the wrong times and did not get it quite right. Eventually, they manually pushed buttons to set off all of the explosions after the music had finished and several minutes after midnight. It was hilarious. Tech savvy Seattle had a major computer glitch that messed up New Year's Eve. Will this little piece of embarrassing information go "viral" as they say? In Bill Gates and Paul Allen's city the computer screwed up the Space Needle's spectacular show. Too funny.
Grant M. Haller / Seattle P-I
Happy 2008 everyone, viruses and all.
// posted by Janet @ 10:33 AM
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