Thanksgiving Holiday

I remember a restaurant that once had a sign on its door that says "This is the wrong place for a diet". This was pretty much what coming home for Thanksgiving is for me :).

Spokane

I've had these Amtrak tickets for a long time and finally had a chance to exchange them for a trip with my brother to Spokane. Believe it or not, this was our first time on Amtrak :). Being on the sleeper car helped ignore the eight hour ride. I wish I could travel like this all the time instead of flying. The ride was very smooth and comfortable. Once we got to Spokane, we walked all over town, mostly Riverfront Park and downtown.

BrickCon 2010

The kid in me will always have a soft spot for Lego bricks (for some reason I am unable to say "Legos" like the kids...I guess I'm old school?). I know I'm biased...my favorite display was the Golden Gate. There was, of course, a lot of stuff for sale. One interesting discovery was a store selling custom molds of guns. Wow....can you imagine your village folks carrying AK-47s? (yes, there's a custom mold for more than a dozen types of guns). I didn't buy any of these new molds....I went instead to the grab bins where you can pick and cram all the pieces you like into a plastic ziploc bag for fifteen bucks :). I have no idea what I'm building, but I was like a kid in candy store. I'll see if I can update this post later with whatever it is I end up building.

Nisqually Delta

Probably the last trip I join with any group this summer. The day was again a blessing...cloudy skies, light breeze, manageable currents. Yum! Sadly we missed a whale one fisherman told us he just saw on the way back...did see seals and eagles though....

Wollochet Bay

The day was just right...no wind, not too hot...water's calm....nice! I went with a group and given most were in doubles, I had a bit of an advantage and could leisurely pace along.....and more importantly, have lots of time to enjoy the scenery :). The day after though...I felt really sore...but more so with my torso than my shoulders or arms....which I feel is a good thing. But really, I'm just bent out of shape!

The LA Reunion

LA is California, but it's also SoCal. Having spent more of my US years in the bay area (ok, NorCal), I did notice. The freeways are faster, more "competitive", the heat is...well....SoCal heat..., Sunset blvd, the people (ala John McClane....."california!"). I came over to meet up with friends from college. I came a day early, so I spent the day driving around...Topanga, Santa Monica, and then San Juan Capistrano. 'Tried to stop by Pinks Hot Dogs...but the lines were just crazy (around the block crazy)!

June gloom turns to July scorcher

The weather gods heard the people...so June gloom is now behind us and now comes a scorcher of a July ;).

Lilith Fair 2010

In my brief holiday trip back to the bay area for Independence Day, I saw the 2010 version of Lilith Fair. This time Shoreline was not as crowded and we enjoyed our lawn spot without any crowding or too much noise. Instead, all the free space became a dance floor for a lot of people :) ....and oh yes, when you sit in grass, you will smell "grass" every now and then ;). I guess that never changes.

Commencement Bay

A gloomy day isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes for a pleasant kayak trip :). I went down to Tacoma to join a group that was paddling through Commencement Bay. We launched from Foss Landing. The floating dock looks really new and was an easy put out.

Juneuary

So I've been telling everyone that Summer has been a tease because it only shows up every few or so days (or weeks)....today's the official start of summer and....well....she aint here.

Memorial Day weekend

It's one of those long weekends where you just want to hibernate...wake up late, watch tv, drift into and out of bed. Eventually I got up and cleaned up the place. But really, I didn't do much...the only accomplishment maybe is finishing an entire season of Lost via my Roku player. I think it was Saturday night when I spotted this thing in the pool...kinda helps describe the long weekend...in some sorta kinda way.

The season begins...

Finally got my lazy a** to the marina on a warm Sunday. I initially came out with the Andromeda, but my body was having a bit of a challenge getting used to balancing on the water again so I went back and pulled out the Cadence...and felt much better. "Maybe just an hour or so to get the feel back..." I told myself.....well I ended up doing last year's usual route going all the way and around Lake Union. I'm a little sore right now, but glad I finally kicked the season into gear :).

The Venetian Hotel

Harrah's had been my mom and dad's "Vegas hangout" for a long time, but recently they've decided to switch to the Venetian. The place isn't brand new, but still in good shape compared to other hotels in the area. The rooms are very nice...lots of TV screens (3...yes there is also one in the bathroom...you can watch while in the tub.....no, I used the shower stall :) ). There is a large living space...sofa, extra tables, etc. The curtains are motorized (yes, I played with em ;) ). Nothing unusual to report...we just gambled and ate like tourists :).

Team Coco in Seattle!

I wondered how Conan would pull off a tour gig and was certainly not dissappointed! The performance is very much like a late nite show with comedy and music (Dave Matthews made a surprise appearance)....but it was also part pep rally and reunion of sorts. I loved how they managed to get Triumph (the insult comic dog) back and the texas ranger lever! Tonight I'm sure stands out for Conan as its his birthday and he's not a total stranger in Seattle, having married one of its residents :) several years back. Anyway, glad to see the army that is Team Coco in attendance ;).

The gang comes to Seattle

It was eerily quiet at home this weekend after everyone had left...kinda like the feeling you get after watching a concert and walking outside the theater. It was great to have everyone visit for several days here in Seattle. It was the works....standard fare that includes Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Ballard Locks, and the Underground Tour.....and much more with a ferry trip to Bainbridge Island, travles to Lake Quinault, Forks, and La Push (yes, we had some Twilighters in the group :) ). The food roulette included Brown Bag, Ray's Boathouse, Serious Pie, Shakey's Pizza, and the Crab Pot. Yummy!

Spring Training 2010

Our annual trek this year brings us back to our first hotel near Scottsdale. Living in this location has its perks....for one, we just walk to the ballpark for the games (woohoo! no parking hassle!).....plus, it makes it easier to walk around town. The Friday game was against Colorado.....Saturday against Arizona. The sun was cooking.....'till Sunday....our lone road trip to Surprise, AZ.....cancelled by a rain out......no biggie...we just went to downtown Phoenix and watched a movie (Alice in W).

Yak and Garden

This weekend I attended a gathering sponsored by the WWTA (Washington Water Trails Assoc) in West Seattle. I attended a talk on apparel (lead by a Kokatat rep) and photography by Gary Luhm. During the break, I strolled to the nearby Chinese garden. There are still parts of the area still undergoing renovation, but the open sections are very nice and a peaceful walk along paved and gravelled paths was a great way to enjoy the day's sun.

Checking in

I was watching the evening news and heard them report a day between 1/21 and 1/25 as the most depressing day of the year (man, the year just started and they've declared the sadest day already??!?).....looks like it "...factors in the weather, consumer debt from holiday spending and failed New Year's resolutions...". For me, the whole month of January has simply been one busy month at work. The weekends have been mainly rest and errands, but I did get a chance this past weekend to join a Skagit valley eagle watch activity in Rockport, WA. I had my camera gear with me, but was handed a paddle as I boarded the raft...and even though I had a lot of opportunities to pause and take out my camera (the river was just a class I), I just didn't have the motivation to do so...and so if I wasn't paddling I was just enjoying the view. It wasn't peak season so we only saw 13 eagles during the two hour trip (in peak season, the guides say you could spot a hundred easily). The offsite part of my January schedule is finally over and so I get to come regularly in the office again...hopefully get a good routine going and pace for a few more breaks.

Home for the Holidays 2009

Seattle snow was nowhere in sight in December 2009 so flying home was no problem. I came home a few days earlier this year and that gave me enough time to meet with a lot of friends before Chirstmas Day. Mom and Dad were going to Las Vegas for Christmas and so we all kinda found ourselves tagging along for a couple of days. Nothing new to report about Vegas except that they now have dancers (at night) on the casino floor...certainly a ploy to lure men in the casino (yes, i think it worked :) ). Vegas was not spared by the economic slowdown and this was clearly demonstrated by how a number of casinos who used to feature only upscale restaurants now have small food courts.

2010 has come somewhat quietly...which I personally think is pleasant. But it also comes on the heels of how times are still tough and there is still a lot of caution and sadness in the air.

My time home this year felt like a long time and I actually was able to take a lot of idle time to help my brother and brother-in-law move appliances, play a 1st-gen xbox (its still good, man ;) ), stare at planes in the sky during the day, stare at blinking towers at night.