Happy St. Nicholas Day

We received a St. Nicholas Day gift today. When retrieving our newspaper from the front porch there was an additional bag with the beautiful kringle from Larson Brothers bakery. The attached note simply said, “Happy St. Nicholas Day.” 

I think this is my carpooler, but whomever – THANK YOU. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, and we certainly have enough of those associated with the house, and one resident that has an ability to understand childlike tendencies from deep within.

Update: – 3 miles around the lake, but stopped at 1 mile to use the bathroom, stopped at 2 miles to walk – about 1/16th mile, then run 1/8th, then walk 1/16th, then run 1/4 mile, then walk 1/8th, then run the rest. Hey – I’ve only been training one day! Obviously need some more work before next Sunday.

Running to new lengths

I can walk forever, well at least a really long distance.
I used to run races up to 8 miles. Not for probably 20 years.
Now I run playing soccer, but that is at most 100 yards before stopping or slowing down, and usually more like 10-20 yards. This allows for recovery.
This morning I ran one whole mile without stopping. It may not seem like much, but it sure felt like much. A plodding sort of run, but just keeping the legs moving at a different sort of pace

My goal is to get to 3 miles. In fact I am going to try that tomorrow.
I have signed up (sort of) to run a 3 mile race/run next weekend. Somebody else actually signed up and now can not participate due to a romantic weekend trip to Victoria BC. So I am stepping in. The best part is any record of this attempt will not have my name associated with the results.

Frosty

The color of the day is White!

Frosty 12-06-09 Morning

It was frosty yesterday too. First morning I had to scrape the entire car, side windows too. Carl did help on the last bit of the front window when he brought me out my coffee. Yesterday it was dark in the AM. This AM it is late enough to know it is foggy, but still almost feels like a sunny day.

I just took a break to take out compost and recyclables. The lids to all of the associated vessels were frosted shut.

The excitement in our back yard reached a fever pitch among the rodents this week. I am visually hampered because, except on the weekends, it is always dark when I am at home. Carl doesn’t take the kids out back, so it is not always on his agenda either. But he specifically looked yesterday, and the precious little furry devils had been rolling up corners of the sod again, and moving some of the smaller pieces. It was cold enough that Carl had to wait for the middle of the day to put them back because they were so stiff in place.

This means we are moving to the next level. I went and bought some “landscape pins” on the way home. Who knew there even were such things. I also looked at some deer fencing that we could try. (Not installed vertically like you do for the deer, but horizontally, like a blanket.) I am going to wait for the next assault and pin any that get pulled.

I am a little more worried about the survival of our new lawn. It looked fine when installed, and we started watering per their instructions. Then the deluges hit. Then two “normal” days when we decided to let it dry out a bit to maybe a normal moisture content. And now the heavy frost, which is supposed to last several days.

But since you can’t control Mother Nature I guess we will just have to wait. And try to control the squirrels.

The excitement in our front yard was last night. Our street only allows parking on one side – the opposite side. But there is a popular restaurant at the end of the block and some popular people live here, so sometimes there are also cars parked on our side of the street, all the way up to our house. It makes for a skinny street. But last night that was not the case. I was sitting in the living room and heard sirens. This is not too infrequent as we are near a busy street. But then I heard the big engine noise getting closer. definitely sounded like a fire truck. So I opened up the front door, and a really big ladder truck pulled up in front of the house. No smell of smoke, and they went into a house across the street. An ambulance followed. We know the man of the house, younger than us, has had back problems in the past, so maybe that is all it was. “All?” To need to call 911 makes it more than a little thing. We hope they are all getting better.

Free Futon Frame

More than a year ago our futon decided it was tired and only wanted to lay down. (lie down?- Mom, I am just confused. Maybe you can give me a pneumonic device.)

I don’t remember exactly when this was, but it was a long time ago. Rey was still in school and had a few friends home on a visit. He graduated a year ago, so it must be more than a year past.

I took it apart and put it back together more than once. Took pictures of the gears, transmission, or whatever you want to call the moving parts. Measured them up and down. Searched the internet, searched Seattle futon stores (the one we purchased the frame from originally had closed), stopped in a few non-Seattle futon stores on travels, e-mailed some different sites that looked like they might be helpful. I even considered buying a set of replacement transmissions that did not look exactly like ours, but kind of close – decided it was not worth the $50.

Finally decided that it was just time to get a new frame. A week or so ago I ordered one. I don’t know exactly what I had started looking for on-line, but it was not a futon frame. But I got side-tracked and ended up pushing to purchase button. Then a few day’s later I was not even sure that I had really ordered it, except that I had the friendly “Order Received” e-mail.

The new frame arrived in a smaller than expected box on Tuesday. The old frame was in the kitchen (don’t ask me why – I don’t know). After dancing around the frame while making split pea soup I made up a “Free Futon Frame” sign, with an added note that it only worked in the bed position. Wednesday morning we shuffled the frame out of the kitchen, through the dining and living room, and out the front door. It was proudly displayed with the helpful sign on our parking strip.

By the time I arrived home last night it was gone. Carl said he saw a couple tying it on to the top of their car when he was coming home. Don’t know who they are, but hopefully they will get several years of use out of the frame, as a bed. I just hate throwing stuff that is still in relatively good shape away.

And now I have a project for tonight – putting together the new frame and finding out why the box is smaller than I expected (must have two pieces bolt together for the long run). And then we can sit side by side with a back to lean against in the living room. Next up – a new cover for the futon. The current one, which I love, has a rip on one side from so much use.

A Ham and 2 People

I have heard a ham and 2 people described as eternity.
We have not finished our Thanksgiving 2 Ham yet. But we are close, and it has not felt like eternity at all.
In fact, we are just at the best part right now.
Split pea soup made with a honeybaked hambone.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Carl made something for dinner yesterday. Oh, yeah. Salmon scramble. I finished step 2 of making the split pea soup after dinner, and had to have some for dessert. Carl was out and about with his buddies by then, but had a bowl when he returned.

And there is more for tonight, which is good because I probably won’t be getting home until 9 PM. And it is cold out (actually cold inside too – the heater at work needed to be kicked this morning).

Winter has arrived. Chains in the trunk, and after last years debacle with the snow, Seattle was even putting down the de-icer that goes on before the ice/snow this morning. (Snow is not actually predicted this week, but I figure having the chains should make it stay away from the lowlands even longer.)

13.1 Miles

What we did not do

Many months ago I suggested to Carl that we should walk the Seattle Half-Marathon. He rather poo-poohed the idea, although he had done at least a 10 mile walk at that point. I thought he would enjoy the slightly competitive edge it would add, but he was dis-interested. So I let it drop.

About 1 month ago he asked when it was, like we were going to do it. Hmmm. Have not signed up, long since missed the early sign-up rates. But we kept talking about it. Last week I decided I should finally actually sign us up – only to find out it was too late to sign up on-line, had to do it in person on Friday or Saturday (Sunday is race-day). Friday we were busy with Liz & Zack, so still waiting. Saturday they were open to 8 PM, so plenty of opportunities.

After some deeper thought we decided that we could do our own walk, and it would not be quite as pricey. And since we had not trained really at all (outside of the 10 miles on Thursday) we would not be disappointed if we could not go as fast as we wanted to. [I am not a really competitive walker normally, but I always enjoy the catching the walker in front of you during the "races."]

So this morning we slept in until 9 AM (race started at 7:45), ate breakfast and got out the door around 10:30 AM. We first encountered the race course at our Mile 3, entering the Washington Arboretum. We encountered the runners at our Mile 4, leaving the Arboretum. We stayed on the sidewalk watching them climb a hill to their mile 21 as we skirted a gated community and golf course. Back into a neighborhood, and caught up with the runners again when we had to climb same said hill. We basically stayed with the runners (actually were passed by) for the next mile.

My route had us continuing with them on a road through a park (Interlaken) but Carl wanted to separate, so we turned left – straight up a big hill, skirting the edge of the park and then back down again where we once again joined the runners. This added 1/2 mile and about 50 feet of vertical gain, and then loss.

We did stay with them for the next mile because they were following the best non-motorized route over both Highway 520 and I-5 – big obstacles. Then we bid them adieu and headed north as they went south and west to their victorious finish line. We stopped at a french bakery for croissants and coffee before finishing the last two miles up a long, sloping hill.

In all we saved about $190 ($200 late entry for both of us – $10 at the bakery) and got a good walk in to boot (12.5 miles). But no t-shirt, and we didn’t get to catch and pass anybody! [Yes, that is me talking, not Carl.] Maybe next year.

Visitors from afar

We had a visitor or 2 or 3!

Liz & Zach at Carkeek - only a little chilly

Liz & Zach spent about 24 hours with us here in Seattle and we got a chance to play tour guide.

Liz

We saw the

• Ballard Locks & Fish Ladder (one puny fish),
• Seattle Underground Tour (1st time for me after only 25 years) Very funny tour guide, but Carl thought we could have gotten a little more information (his 6th or 7th visit).
• Troll (under the bridge of course)
• Lenin statue (a real one from Poprad, Czechoslovakia)
• Space Needle
• Seattle Center – generally, but not the Experience Music Project because it was closed for the evening.
• Archie McPhee’s
• Carkeek Park and Puget Sound. We actually saw a few salmon in Piper’s Creek in Carkeek. When we spotted the first one, a really good sized salmon, it was on its side on a log weir, just having made the jump. But it couldn’t quite get all the way over and slipped back down to the lower pool. We watched while it rested and lined up for another try for quite a while, but never saw it leap before we left.

Then it was home again and time for lunch. Best of all Aimee joined us for lunch from the Taste of India restaurant down the street. Sated for the moment all visitors had to depart to their next stops on their way home. We really enjoyed the time visiting and getting caught up.

Aimee shared with us a story of folks coming into the middle of a conversation about the porcupine herd, 10,000 strong. Picture that in your head. Then check it out. Anyway, it was nice to see everyone, and share a few moments. WE WANT MORE VISITORS. (I didn’t really shout that out did I?)

Thanksgiving Day Walk

We got just over 10 miles. Before dinner.
Started by stopping at the Taste of India restaurant down the block from our house to pick up some Chicken Nan. Moved things around to fit it into my fanny pack, and off we set.

Northwest to Green Lake (1 mile) and started around the north side. (Note that the bathroom was locked.) 
Left the lake (passed 19 dogs) at Winnona to continue west where we could cross Aurora – a rather busy thoroughfare (2 miles). About this time I noticed that my hind quarters were rather warm, almost hot. Realized that it was the Chicken Nan.
Continuing west along 74th and up the first hill of note. At 8th Ave (mile 3) we found an open coffee shop and had a brief visit to use the loo.
Further west through quiet neighborhoods, past Loyal Heights playfield to reach mile 4 at 24th.
Less than a mile to our furthest west destination, Sunset View Overlook. It looks west over the Puget Sound, marina and to the Olympic Mountains. The mountains were only barely visible, but there was a small patch of blue over the islands. We sat and at our Chicken Nan and said hello to the few others out walking.
South to 70th and then turned eastward at mile 5.
More neighborhoods and through Salmon Bay park. One block was blocked off with a tent set up in the middle of the street for a large family, or maybe a neighborhood feast.
Mile 6 at 15th NW and a coffee shop with an “OPEN” sign still lit. Stopped in a asked if we could get a latte. The lady said she was closing, (2 PM) but would serve us. Chance to use the loo (again) and get a warm drink. Off again to the east and up another big hill to reach Mile 7 at Greenwood.
Turned south on Greenwood/Phinney to the Zoo. Into the zoo at about Mile 8.  After we had been in about 2 minutes they announced the zoo was closed, but we had 1 hour to complete our visit. (Notice a trend of just making it at closing.) Saw the penguins, a new exhibit complete with a resident, non-captive blue heron. On to the gorillas and out the south entrance.
Back to 50th and east toward home. Tired legs and one blister (bandaged by the penguins). Down and then up one last big hill passing Mile 9. Down one final last steep hill, cross the freeway (not on the freeway silly, using an overpass).
Finally back home at 10 miles. 4 PM. Didn’t get the time when we left.
It was raining when we left, then just cloudy, and raining when we reached home. It looks like it is raining harder now, and more than that – it’s dark out! Glad we didn’t leave any later. Made it home just in time.

Time for dinner and some pie. (See previous post)

Do what you think is the right thing

First of all – Happy Thanksgiving.
Since we are on the west coast, I hope you all have your turkey, tofurkey, or whatever in the oven.
We have a pie cooking. An apple pie. This is significant since the kids almost always demand a pumpkin pie. Now I like pie, but I also like apple pie. Haven’t made one in a long time. What I forgot, is that apple pies often bubble over a bit and it is a good idea to put something underneath them to catch the drippage.

That would have been a good thing to do, maybe even the right thing to do. Yesterday Carl had a chance to do something or do nothing.

Carl was out getting a child, normal stuff that takes him out of the house for a few moments. When he returned he was going to call one of the parents to see when another childs pre-Thanksgiving pre-school performance was happening. The beep-beep says a message is on the phone. So he listens, again. The person on the phone does not say his name or my name or their name. She just is breathing hard, a baby/small child is crying, she says something like, “help,” “this is horrible,” then appears to think she has hung up but you can hear the crying continue, breathing, an, “Oh shit,” and on for about 1-1/2 minutes. Then the phone is hung up. There is a second call, but no message again and very short.

Not knowing who it was or what was going on Carl called for a second listener to see if I could tell who it was. No idea – sounded a bit like one of the mothers, but I was able to get the phone number by having the voice mail try to return the call. (No one answered.) So Carl called the Dad, who he had picked up the phone to call initially. Not them.

The next call was to the North End Police Precinct. Carl told them the story and provided the phone number. They said there was not much they could do, but thank you.

Later that afternoon, Carl got a call. It was the woman. She wanted to thank him for following through. Apparently the police had called her and gotten through. The crying and initial call was due to a 2-year old falling and knocking out a front tooth. Lots of blood, pain, and crying. The woman had been trying to call the dentist, and one number had been mis-dialed, leading to us.

In the end, not a really big thing, nothing heroic, but one of those little things that is the right thing to do. And her returning the call at the end of it all with a, “Thank You,” closed the loop and made us all a little more connected.

Happy Thanksgivings and remember to say Please and Thank You.

Waiting for Thursday

Even when most of the family is far away, there is still anticipation.
We already had our holiday. Our plans are modest. And still there is anticipation.

Perhaps it is the short work week.
Perhaps it is the “start” of the bigger season.
Perhaps it is the plans to meeting with friends here and there.

But there is anticipation.
And it is a good thing.

Happy Wednesday. If you are travelling, be patient and be safe.

While you wait – you really should watch this. I just love the Muppetts