2006 year marker

2006 is the first full year for me in as far as blogging is concerned. Initially, I didn't know if I had anything to say, moreover publish on the web. Not that I had nothing in my mind, but I had doubts on whether I would be able to share as much without feeling my privacy being invaded.

But alas, it resulted in a yearlong series of blogs that multiplied to four...well, four released blogs to-date.

This year's major event, of course, was my relocation from California to Washington.

California to Washington
The Bay Area to the Seattle Area
East Bay to the Eastside
Hayward to Woondinville

I still miss California, but that doesn't take away the fact that Seattle is its own beautiful character and I look forward to exploring more of it. It just wouldn't be fair to compare a decade long experience to a single year in a new location.

The Seattle relocation is not just a Washington state experience, but a true Pacific Northwest one as Canada and the state of Oregon are within under 3 hours of driving range.

That's a lot of ground to cover :).

Alright, break's over. Time to get up and continue on the trail...

Home for the Holidays

Merry Christmas!....Feliz na vidad....Happy Christmas!

Christmas dinner was at my mom's home in San Francisco. The picture on the left is my mom's Christmas tree. She makes a lot of ornaments by hand. It's not clearly visible but she has one gold ornament for each son, daughter, and grandchild. After dinner, we travelled to my eldest brother's home in Pittsburg (in CA).

It was a working a holiday for me, as I had projects that couldn't spare a break. Being granted permission to work remotely, though, is enough incentive and it's all good. Besides, I couldn't just leave projects behind and worry about 'em while I'm away. In a way, I prefer it this way (alright, alright, go ahead, call me a workaholic ---I do have other "holics" in my portfolio, though ;) ).

Plus, the change in scenery is actually good for productivity :)

My nephew and niece were born in the technology age and I am sometimes at awe when I witness how they are able to grasp not only games but computer software and internet sites with ease (Important Note: they are completely aware of cyber-criminals; constantly reminding me to be careful of what information I provide - good call, kids!). The Nintendo DS happens to be one of the gadgets we all share an excitement for. In this entry's photo, we're playing a Mario game that my niece is able to share with me via a wireless download. They are such experts that I make no ambition to catch up at all :). It's just plain fun for me and I think that's what makes it really enjoyable.

My mom is a master tailor and this was an opportunity for me to bring a couple of pants I had bought that were way too long (thanks, Ma! :) ). And mom, being mom, gets to see what my current measurements are...so the following day I get an extra pair of pants...my mom was shopping that day and got me one (now already cut to my exact measurements, of course :) ).

I wasn't kidding when I called my mom a master tailor. Once I had an old couch and my mom (who asked me what color I liked), came over and literally covered and sewed my couch (paddings, pillows, an'all) in magnificent black, all while food was cooking in the stove. Mom was done by the time we had to eat lunch :).

Windstorm

The wind was howling wild Thursday night and by around 10pm the power was out. At first I thought it was just a trip but after waiting for about an hour I began to wonder and searched for my portable radio. Apparently a lot of trees went down...and along with them a number of power lines. So I went to bed and figured the power would be back come morning.

Good morning....power's still out. I turn on the radio and the news reports continue to describe the damage brought about by the windstorm. I decide to get dressed and head for the office (where power would most likely be on)...I dread the cold water...but surprisingly I got hot water when I turned on the shower.

I get to the office and find out power was out as well. No establishments open...I head for Safeway to buy some groceries. The supermarkets are pretty much the only ones open...even gas stations (and seven elevens!) are closed...I still have half a tank of gas so I think I'll be ok (long lines in gas stations was in the news). I stop by the Target store near my home (yes, it was open!) and got a box of Duraflame fire logs. Forget the camp gas...they're all sold out!

I honestly have never used a fireplace...I had one in my home in California but the need just never presented itself.

As soon as I got the heat running...I pulled out my small camp kit and cooked rice over the fire...I prepared some corned beef and onions in a frying pan...once I was done with the rice, I placed the pan over the fire and cooked my meal.

Yum! I'm actually enjoying this virtual camping! I start dreaming about ham and eggs in the morning.....soup for lunch....coffee?


The cordless phone wasn't working. I decided to preserve the remaining juice on my cellphone for emergencies. On my desk is an old rotary phone...I wondered if it actually worked...so I spliced the wires...plugged it in....it works! I called my brother and I have to admit I was giggling while I dialed his number...I've been transported to the 80's!








Nothing much to do so I decide to call it a night.

11:30pm....power's back :)

Snow Patrol

Ahhhh.....nothing like waking up to snow in the morning. The locals tell me it really does snow sometimes in the Seattle area....and this week is probably one of those few weeks of powder. I'm sure glad I brought along my snow scraper/brush from my Lake Tahoe days.

Long Thanksgiving Weekend

So there I was, back in California for a long thanksgiving weekeend. Although I didn't plan on taking any pictures, I did bring my Canon S50 to cover whatever whenever.

I spent a lot of time at my brother's house in South San Francisco. The backyard garden is pretty much my mom's domain. Lots of cactus, roses, vegetable plants, fruit trees...but this array of bouganvilla (well, I think it's bouganvilla) perched up a trellis is always a welcome sight.

On Saturday, my friends brought me along for a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see the latest attraction: a baby great white shark. Seeing it in that big tank with giant tuna fish was a little funny. Soon the great white will be larger and most likely attack them for food...but for now, he just swims alongside them...sometimes I wonder if tuna fish ever passed along historical information to other tuna fish....they could take on this great white now.

Anyway, there are lots of interesting items on display at the aquarium. If I ever maintained an aquarium at home, I would have used this place for tons of good ideas on how to stage the environment. I just wonder why manufacturers continue to sell the same decor (love that 'No Fishing' sign).

If you ever come to Monterey and catch them feeding the fish or doing any type of maintenance during exhibit hours, you're up for a treat and see a diver (you know, like that blue one you have floating in your tank :) ) in the big tank.

I just wonder how many janitor fish they use to keep these tanks clean :) ;).

The Sunday before the trip home, I went with my brother to join my parents at the Cache Creek casino. Our usual casino trek back in the days was Reno, Nevada. But Cache Creek casino's 2 hour distance was far less driving stress. The hotel rooms still have that new interior smell.

Down to Oregon

So my brother asked me what was the cheapest way to the northwest. I say...go to Emeryville and get on board one of the freight trains, get off at this spot in Oregon where I pick you up...and here is the photo of my brothe after he got off the train (I'm waiting in the gettaway car)......I'm kidding, of course ;). He actually flew to Seattle and we drove down to Oregon.

Our first stop was the Multnomah Falls. I'm still trying to figure out the right way to pronounce it but I think it's "mool-no-mah". It's a 600+ feet waterfall and quite a sight. Seeing that the weather was still a little cloudy, we drove farther east to find the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center.

On the way to the center, we had to cross the Bridge of the Gods. It's a steel bridge that goes ove the Columbia River. Crossing this bridge actually brings us back to Washington state! It's no Canadian border or anything, but I just got a kick out of crossing 2 states that easily. It's a buck to cross...and having lived in California before...that's quite a deal :)

This shot is of my brother taking a shot of the bridge (and some moving fog in the mountains).


The Interpretive Center has a museum with relics of the old livelihood at the Gorge. One of the displays was this 1921 Mack truck.

According to the sign, the thing still runs! Looking at it though, it looks like the engine had a tough time tugging all that heavy metal alone. And when you load the lumber....well, I beleive it when they said it only went no more than 17mph. Take a look at the tires!...I guess z-rated low-profile tires are ancient technology!


Outside the museum, we found old tractors, machinery, and two old trains. I enjoyed looking at this red one. I remember having one like it in one or two toy train sets I've ever had. Now I'm looking at it...the real thing!

After we left the center, we crossed the bridge again and, on the other side of the bridge (the Oregon side), we ate lunch at the Charburger Restaurant. I have to say, they served the best mashed potates and gravy and it was an excellent complement to my baked chicken (yumm!)

Back at the Multnomah Falls place, there was finally enough light to take some decent pictures. The exit to the falls is actually in the middle of the freeway so you exit to the left. After parking, you go underneath the freeway and see this entrance with an inn that's actually a gift shop.

There were a lot of tourists and quite a number of professional photographers using the falls as a backdrop for wedding photos...or photos of the couple at some informal place...or whatever you call that kind of setup.

You actually walk the hill to get this nice view. We went as far as the bridge but when we got there, the weather started to get bad again so we never really found out what was on the other side of the bridge. Who knows what we might have missed (maybe there was this isolated tribe living behind the falls!....or, as we joked on the ride back...maybe we find a machine that pushes the water to simulate the falls!....kidding!)

Aaaannywayyy.....this is my favorite shot.....the things we do to force people to visit our exhibits! :)

The Sunken Master

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria B.C. was a beautiful place. It's amazing how using the contours of the land exposes the most of a location's grandeur. There were lots of botanical subjects and wonderful details that I could have spent the whole weekend and would have still been hungry to eat through my film bag (or memory cards).

Getting to and from Victoria was half the fun of the day. On the fall schedule, we went there via the Anacortes ferry and went home on the MV Coho to Port Angeles.

The first and last

Well, better late than never.

I made it in time for the last game of the season for the Mariners. Technically, this isn't my first time at Safeco Field (our annual company meeting was held here a couple of weeks ago), but this is my first time to be here for a baseball game.

It's a big ball park and it was so obvious I was enjoying it because I couldn't stay on my seat (despite the fact that I was at the lower level). I went to the upper levels and just picked spots where the whole section was empty (this photo was from the highest point).

Oh yes, the game!....I really did want to see Ichiro, Sexson, and Beltre. Local favorites Ibanez and Jojima weren't to bad either. I'm still a Giant at heart but I know in time I will be able to support the local team as well.

The Mariners won 3-2. Yipee! ;)

Slacker!

Ok ok ok....I know I know....it's been a while (isn't that a Staind song :) ). I indeed have made progress at sorting through all my things. Miraculously, I actually have only one wall of boxes left (that's there in the dining area) but it's still a mess, really.

Going through all the boxes has been exhausting, but really worth the effort. I'm going through a process of purge so I'm really looking forward to only keeping what I can keep in my home. I've also made some profit out of all this....I sold a bunch of books, VHS tapes, DVDs, and audio CDs to a used goods store and have made at least $150...which I plan to use to purchase a new laptop....which will be partly financed by a trade-in of my 2 old VAIOs....its sad, but I have to barter them now while they still have trade value (now I know what a baseball GM feels like ;) ).

The Labor day weekend is coming so I hope to have something else to post here other than my struggles at home organizing :).

Later....

Now what?!?!?

(Pictures courtesy of my brother :) )

This post is two weeks late...such is the mess that is my life right now :) . The first photo here is me in front of my new home.......not! This was taken the day after the move...a rest and recreation day my brother and I had before he had to fly back to San Francisco. The old house in the back is one of the old structures at the Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA.

I can't begin to tell you what a relief this day was, considering we were moving boxes and stuff 'till midnight the day before. It's amazing we even woke up the morning after without any necessary trip to the hospital :). Sunday morning we drove down to Kirkland and had breakfast at Anthony's Homeport, checked out the marina, and then drove back to Woodinville and visited the Ste. Michelle Winery and the Red Hook Brewery.

So now that all my stuff is finally out of storage......now what!??!?! Moving it all was half the battle. Now I have to unpack and organize everything...and along the way maybe get some furniture.

Mohawk

I just love it when i wake up with mohawk in the morning :). One of these days I may just try to preserve it and come to work wearing black pants, black shirt, and biker boots.

Mabuhay!

It was quite uplifting to open the Seattle Public Library's website and be greeted with "Mabuhay!". I visited the library recently and really liked the unconventional...how do you describe it....contemporary design? Lots of space in all of the building's ten floors. I had my computer with me so my objective was to find an isolated place with a table (and an electrical outlet). The lady at the information desk recommended either the 5th or 10th floor. Top floor sounds good....so that's where I ended up going.

Libraries are great and every time I get to visit one I get real excited. The last time I had this excitement was my visit to the Chicago Public Library, whose music rooms was really impressive!

I plan to come back again to explore some more....but let me tell you this place is an excellent break from the ordinary if you ever wanted to leave the confines of your office.

A prison cell to myself

After a few months of sharing an office, I finally got myself one :). Its funny how I sat there and realized that its been more than ten years since I last had an office...and even that last time was when I worked as a department chair at the university (and later shared the office with another chair)...so if I were to count anything I've experienced from the industry alone...well, this would be my first :).

Hey, its gotta happen sometime, right?

Waterfront near UW

No, that's not the Liberty bell :). It's the 1890 Seattle Fire Department Bell that's right outside of the Maritime Museum at UW.

There was still sunlight, so I decided to go out for a walk and that's how I ended up at this place.

Walking further, I visited the waterfront and watched the traffic of boats of all sizes headed to and from Lake Washington (it was a busy as a city main street).

I just kept on going and enjoyed my walk. I think if I ever had the chance to go back in time and go to college again, I'd consider the UW. There are just so many places nearby for long walks, or where you can setup camp and read or something.

More pix....

Seward Park and the Ballard Locks

On the way to Seward Park, I discovered that a long stretch of Lake Washington blvd was closed to traffic on weekends so I had to take the detour...but eventually found a place to park near the park. It's a great place and I only wish I had my bike with me. I was at the southern tip of Lake Washington (where I took this photo).

After I finished my yoga and meditation session (kidding), I drove towards Ballard, stopped at Sunset Park (still early in the afternoon so no pix...sorry), then went to the Ballard Locks (or Hiram Chi-something locks...forgot the name :) ) . I initially thought the locks were some type of dock for boats. The locks actually function as a doorway to another dimension......kidding!....its actually a dam with a doorway on the side for boats....they go through the keyhole, so to speak....and thus why they call it the locks (I know, I know!....just laugh, ok?).

Anyway, to make a long story short, Lake Washington is higher than the Puget Sound, so the boats have to get in this compartment where they equalize the water levels (either they fill or drain water) , and then they pass through....see the pix below :).

(watch the mast of the sail boat as it goes down)

Sat Morning 051306

Ah yes, there's nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning and not knowing what to do :).
Living in a studio, you have such an easy view of everything...I look up...and there's the ceiling fan...kinda reminds me of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now. Do you remember that scene in the beginning of the movie? He was drunk in bed and just watching the ceiling fan as post-traumatic stress syndrome kicked in. Some MP's eventually come in with an officer and they throw him in the shower to wake him up.....aaaaaaaaaaaaa!....always have that scene in my head of Martin Sheen screaming as the cold water hit him .......I do same thing everytime I rip a bandaid off a wound :).

Anyway, continuing on my Saturday morning.....I look to my right...and there's the kitchen... there is no pot on the stove, but I can imagine it there, boiling....and then a scream from Anne Archer and Michael Douglas running upstairs to find Glen Close about to stab her.....and he runs to save her....aaaaaaa!

My, my I've been screaming inside my head all morning :) . Time to think good thoughts for a change.......hmmm.... ..hmmmm......hmmm...well, nothing's coming to mind, sorry.

I do remember cooking chicken stock on that stove a couple of weeks back and the smoke triggered the fire alarm. I was in a panic inside my head, but outside I was just moving on normal speed. I calmly opened the window, walked towards the room to find out which smoke alarm was pissed, and then leapt once to switch it off. I then slowly walked over to the door, where the switch to the fan was...weird how calm my body was when my mind was frantic.

Not much left....so, hell, why not turn the camera to myself and...well, there's the radiator! :)


Anyway, I did make the most out of this sunny weekend...next entries to follow...

Seattle Japanese Garden

Ahhhh yes, this duck must be an old timer around here. He doesn't care who's watching...."tourists?....feast your eyes on this!"

The Seattle Japanese Garden is one of the attractions of the Arboretum. With the benefit of proximity and good weather, I decided to go pay a visit. The garden is a really small area compared to the one in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and just a little bigger (or less cramped) than the one in Hayward. But, nonetheless....its a nice place (I just wish I didn't have to pay five bucks to get in).

There is a well built Japanese house near the lake. However, it's closed to visitors. My guess is that it is used for the Tea cermonies and other events (so I will report on it the next time I get to attend something).

Stopover at Montlake

In the next couple of months, Montlake will be my home. This signals somewhat of a beginning for me trying to adapt to Seattle life.

Bare essentials (from left to right):
DVD player(look below), TV/VCR combo unit, storage boxes, Ikea Lycksele Form chair-bed (yes! it's a bed too!), Continental road tires (have to swap out my tires as most of the trails here are paved).

The studio is in great shape and I love all the scaled-down structures. I have most of my stuff in storage so I have the luxury of pulling out what I can use in the meantime.

One run lead with one out in the 9th inning

So far things have gone well for me over here. I'm on my way to getting settled in my new job and adapting to seattle life just kept getting better by the day. I still get lost most of the time around town but I've always got my mom's advice to back me up ("just have a map and a full tank of gas"). Well, I don't really have a map with me all the time. Unconsciously I just force myself to trust my instincts...and most of the time it does pull through just fine.

I haven't stood still here, either. For two weekends this month I was out of town, watching a WBC game in Arizona with my brother(our yearly ritual) and back in the bay area to visit friends and family.

In between, I did have to deal with a number of tough sluggers, mainly about my "residency" in the evergreen state. The place I had been waiting on was on hold indefinitely and couldn't get into contract and my temp housing benefit was nearing its end. I really stretched it to the limit. It didn't matter Whether I got the new place or not....if I did, it still needed at least ten weeks of work. So I needed an apartment either way...soon....and I mean really soon.

By week's end I've had to arrange for public storage and started looking for an apartment...were I really had a short list and just one good lead...and was somehow just relying on it to work out. Don't ask. I just didn't want to think beyond that...hell, if it doesn't work out, I think of something else...my psychology just didn't want to worry about it. It's like having plan A, then plan B, then plan C (where there really was no plan C until it happened). I'd be lying if I didn't say I felt uneasy about it, but I just couldn't bring myself to panic either...and I was trying....so I could produce plan C...but no go....my instincts just wouldn't allow it. I'd get started thinking about it and then this referee would pop out and yell "play ball!"...no time to plan any further...have to play the game...now.

Well, what can I tell you. Life turned. It's Saturday. I just got back from the apartment in the city and have a good chance (unless the devil sends a big bopper to the plate) at a place I really like...so that's settled. I have public storage setup and delivery on monday (check). I have a rental van to use, not just for moving stuff from my temp housing, but just for sorting things at the public storage (check)....and....wouldn't you know it, I got the call and can finally get into contract on my new place (I guess thats a check, too). Well, thank you very much, dear sir, everything worked out just fine.

It feels like a great defensive play...sinker ball to batter, ground ball to shortstop, quick throw to second, and lightning shot to first, amen.

Yes, that's right...Amen (thank You, sir) :)

Move to the Seattle Area

It's a typical day in Seattle...raining outside. I finally arrived and trying to get settled in my temporary housing unit in Kirkland, WA. Its a nice place. It's fully furnished, stocked (utensils, pans, plates, everything), and prepared like a hotel room (towels, shampoo, soap). If you walk outside the building, a Starbucks is right in front of you, there's a walgreens around the corner, and quite a number of restaurants (Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese). Its a good spot and I'm happy with it.

I think my laptop has jetlag or something.....taking a long time to boot, and when it does boot, hangs, and my dial-up connections are just too inconsistent. I hope to get a cable modem in the next few days. Anyway, I wanted to take this time to make a posting before I lose my connection. Its my Second day here....yesterday was my travel day. Friday was my going away dinner with family and friends. It's never easy leaving people behind and I feel that sadness creeping up on me as I lay in the sofa.

My place is actually in the Juanita community of Kirkland. I'm very close to Juanita beach...though this body of water is a lake (I think). I went for a walk on Sunday and just tried to not think about anything...just be a zombie and keep walking. Sometimes that helps when you feel disoriented or out of whack.