And he was hauling WHAT???

This guy was parked outside the Grecian Corner restaurant at Fisher Plaza around noon today.  (thus the urn)

I don't know what to make of it!  

Do you?

Coffee Ingenuity

It all started after I got home from work Monday night.  

Abbey was eating her supper, with her back to the dishwasher door.   I needed to open that door to pull out the cookie sheet from the dishwasher, so that I could roast the head of cauliflower I cut up for dinner.  I was too impatient to wait for Abbey to finish, and she does NOT like to be asked to move when she is eating.

So, I did the logical thing.  I opened the door of the dishwasher, letting it rest on Abbey's back.  (she was heavily engrossed in her kernels and didn't seem to mind).  Since the big cookie sheet was wedged on the side of the dishwasher, I had to slide the rack up a bit, to pull it out.

And that's when it all went terribly wrong.

As that rack angled up the door, I heard one of my big stoneware dinner plates rolling downhill.  The next sound I heard was "SMASH....tinkle tinkle tinkle.."  

The dish had rolled right into the coffee maker carafe, smashing it to bits.

RATS!

After picking out all the tiny shards of glass from the dishwasher, I rinsed off the cookie sheet and continued roasting my cauliflower.

I then went on-line to see if I could find a replacement DeLonghi carafe.  No such luck.  The one that broke is the 2nd one I've had.  Anne found it at a Goodwill store for $5.  Bless her.  How would I tell her what happened to it?

So, I ordered a whole new coffee maker from Amazon.  I know.  A little extreme.  But, I'm from SEATTLE.   Got free shipping too!  But it won't be here until February 2nd.

I can wait until then!  What's a few cups of tea between friends?

And then,  Tuesday morning came around.

No coffee.  The hot tea I substituted only upset my stomach.  I was useless until I got a grande double mocha around 11:00.

But I know myself. I couldn't buy my coffee late in the day.  I need it EARLY.

So, I decided today would be different, so I devised the home-drip system in the photo above.

A glass beer stein substituted for the coffee maker carafe.  The tea kettle heated the water.  The filter from the coffee maker was balanced in the beer stein.  Coffee was ground.  Hot water was poured in the filter as I held it over the stein.  And it S-L-O-W-L-Y dripped into the stein. 

I poured the brew into my coffee cup, added my skim milk (sorry Travis) and Splenda and...MORNING COFFEE!

You know what, it was pretty good!  

Fear of Decorating

I'm not sure if the title of this blog clearly states my point today, but I think it all boils down to my profound fear of decorating!  

Some people have a gene that allows them to shift their environment, I think.  But I don't think I was born with that one.  I think I was born with the one that sets things up when they move into a place, and keeps it that way. 

 I also have a tough time envisioning window treatments, stuff on the walls, little knick-knacks on the tables and other decorative touches.

I think it stems from a fear of getting it wrong.  My friend Terry LOVES to paint.  And she loves trying new colors on the walls.  If she doesn't like it, she just paints over it.  And feels no remorse.

Not me, baby.  I can make mistakes on the air, and just move on.  If I mispronounce a word, I can shrug it off.  But God forbid if I paint something wrong on the wall, or make a bad decorating decision.  There's NO undo for me.  I live with it.  It's like I'm punishing myself or something!

So, I need to repaint the doors inside my house where my dog Dudley has scratched little lines.  That's just about every door.  But they're all WHITE.  But my paint is a different shade of WHITE.  How the heck do you match WHITE?  There's like 45 different shades!

You see my problem.

My OTHER Heroes

There's a point in life when you get just as big a thrill living the high points of other's lives, as you do your own.

This posting is about just such an experience.

The two people in the photo are Sheryl and Jeremy Grater. Jeremy and I are colleagues at work, and I've had the extreme pleasure of getting to know his beautful wife as well.

The photo was taken at the Youth Ball, celebrating Barak Obama's Inauguration last night.

And what I admire most about these guys is the way they got there, their hope, determination and sheer energy. It took so much for them to be there and they deserved every minute!

Jeremy and Sheryl knew they had to be at the Inauguration from the beginning. They got to D.C. by way of NYC, and since they couldn't find a hotel room, they ended up renting an RV in Virginia, and driving around to Maryland, where they found a space at a campground.

Jeremy used every contact he could think of and finally scored tickets to the Inauguration AND the Youth Ball. But even if they hadn't been lucky, they were going to go anyway.

They took public transportation to many places, walked when they couldn't find any, and stood in a crushing crowd to watch Mr. Obama take the oath of office.

It's history, and I get to live it vicariously through these beautiful souls.

And now, so do YOU!

A Day for the Ages

So much pride.  So many times today my heart soared as I watched and listened to the events this Inaugural Day 2009.  

I woke at 4:00 this morning, had the radio on KUOW, which was running nonstop live coverage of the pre-inaugural events.  I moved to the TV around 5:30, and tuned around for constant coverage.

Such pride.  Not only for Barak Obama.  My heart also swelled as Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senator Diane Feinstein led President-elect Obama through the halls of the Capital to the dais where he would be inaugurated.  Two women leading an African American man.  20 years ago, even the thought of this would be impossible.

I was surprised at the somber tone of the Inaugural Address.   It seemed as if President Obama was saying "OK, America, stop this hero-worship thing.  We've got WORK to do".  There was no sugar-coating or false hopes.  There was reality laced with respect.

I especially appreciated it as he offered a hand to those in the Muslim world and urged them to unclench their fist.  It was a very poignant moment.

There are many observations, but since this blog is entitled "Dancing Again", I have one last thought.

Somebody has to give this guy dancing lessons.   Those slow dances with First Lady Michelle Obama were kind of embarrassing.  They verged on "awkward white guy" at times.

'Nuf said.  

Now let's get down to business and HEAL this country.

Incredibly Delicious

The dish pictured above is called "Palek Paneer".  

I have to admit it's one of the most unattractive foods I've ever seen, but I ate it last night at a dinner party and it was INCREDIBLE!!!

The dinner party was hosted by my sister's friend Arijit, a man she met while studying Ethno-Musicology at the University of Washington.  He is a master in Indian Drupat singing, which is ancient Indian classical music.  And he invited Anne, and some other good friends at the UW over for a dinner of homemade Indian cuisine.  I was lucky enough to be invited to tag along.

I've been exposed to Indian food several times, always in restaurants, and usually involving one or two dishes at a time.  Usually it's been a chicken or vegetable dish looking pretty Western, or at least familiar to my eyes.

Last night, almost nothing was familiar, and it was all spectacular.  Palek Paneer is a spinach-based sauce prepared with onions, ghee (clarified butter), cumin, onions and other spices, pureed in a food processor.  The white chunks are Paneer, a mild, slightly firm cheese.  

Wow.  I had seconds.  It was amazing.

Other dishes were a rice dish made with golden raisins and vegetables, "Sour Fish Curry", which had chunks of a white fish in a wonderful sauce, some turkey meatballs which looked very nice,  homemade vegetable samosas, which are a mashed potato fritter kind of thing, and the most wonderful homemade chai.

Arijit and his mother were wonderful hosts, and there was a lot of laughter last night.

Milk, please!

Just can't do it.  

I'm out of milk.

I'm not awake.

How do people drink black coffee??

The grocery store isn't open yet.

Need.  Milk.  Now.

help......

My Sister and Barry Manilow

This is a story I'm hoping my sister Anne blogs about at some point, but I wanted to share my memories on my blog, just in case she never gets around to it.

The photo above is of Anne in 1978, the year she was invited and flown to New York City, put up in the St. Regis Hotel and attended a "welcome home to NY" party for Barry Manilow.  A year later, that photo made it into our High School yearbook.   She (and my Father as chaperone) were given limos everywhere they wanted to go, and were treated like real celebrities.   

Anne became a big Barry Manilow fan about the time his 3rd album came out.  That's the one with "I Write the Songs", "Copacabana" and "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" (my favorite).

I'm not sure when the letter writing began, but she eventually wrote many, many letters, always in red envelopes, and would send them to his record label.  She wasn't pouring out her love for him, but was, instead, providing insightful critiques of his music, from her teenaged perspective.   She was also sharing moments of her life.  In fact, she hated the word "fan" and wanted nothing to do with fan clubs or activities.

Eventually, he started writing back.  They were hand-written, usually about a page long, and were very nice.   They were encouraging and thankful, and helped Anne, I'm sure, get through those angst-filled teenage years.

The record company started sending Anne all of Barry's albums for free.  Also, we were given free concert tickets whenever Barry was performing near or in Harrisburg.  We even got to go backstage to meet him afterwards.

Once, when he performed at the Hersheypark Arena, Anne got herself in with the Lebanon Valley College Choir, which was performing "One Voice" and "It's A Miracle" with Barry.  (They recruited a college choir from each city to perform these songs).  When Barry walked on stage to rehearse with the choir, he reportedly said "OK, Where's Anne?" before the rehearsal began. 

During the Three-Mile-Island Nuclear Accident in 1979, Barry sent a telegram to our house, asking if everything was OK, and if he could do anything.  (we lived within the 10-mile radius of the plant).

He sent her flowers that were presented during our high-school graduation, much to Anne's embarrassment and chagrin.  She would have much rather been given these in private, instead of pulled up to the stage with all the students receiving academic awards.  The card read: "Looks Like You Made It".  

Anyway, I was looking through Google Images, and came across a couple of photos from that big party all those years ago in New York City.  They are below:

This is of Barry and Ron Dante, one of his favorite lyricists.  

And this one must have been shot through the limo window as he was arriving or departing the party.  The woman is "Reparata", one of the members of "Lady Flash", his back-up group at the time.  One of the members, Deborah Byrd, is now the featured vocal coach on "American Idol".

The last time I met Barry was with Anne after a concert around 1990, I think.  We actually bought the tickets, since she hadn't heard from him in years.

He was performing at the Opera House.  I told Anne to bring a letter to him in a red envelope. We got the letter in the hands of his personal assistant, who searched the crowd for us after the show, and brought us backstage to chat with Barry. 

It was a nice reunion, but I must say, each time I met him, I was kind of tongue-tied.   Anne had no such problem.

Hope it's OK that I shared this, Anne.  There's much more to tell here, and I hope you do it sometime.  It's a great story.

 

A Week Off....What to do?

I see that I will be granted my week of vacation February 9th through the 13th.  So I'm open to suggestions.

I am very good at sitting around and doing nothing.  In fact, it's my favorite occupation.  But, what should I do?

Can you recommend a resort nearby where I could spend a couple of days doing nothing?  Maybe getting a good massage and a nice meal?

Maybe you have a man you could introduce me to who will squire me to the theater, symphony, or a lovely dinner?  I'm hoping he is single, preferably straight, and within 15 years of my age, either younger or older.

Or, maybe you can recommend a place where it would be fun to go as a local tourist for a day or two.  Is there a museum, local attraction, or fun shopping adventure.

Bottom line:  I get to spend a week relaxing, don't want to break the bank, and want to return feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Thanks!

Soggy Puppy

Dudley smelled so bad when I got home from work, that I just knew it was bath night.

I am EXHAUSTED!!!  But at least he's clean and smells better.

This Takes the Cake!

My birthday was Monday, so I decided to bake one of my favorite cakes for myself and my twin sister.

It turned out great!  It's a yellow pound cake with dark chocolate ganache....made with butter instead of heavy cream.  

I finished it with some chopped walnuts.  YUMMY!

Mac Mock

Where's Gregoire?

Here's what I know as of this posting:

1. She suddenly cancelled her entire schedule for today and Tuesday in Washington.

2. She left the state abruptly.

3. Nobody on her staff will say where she is.

4. She has reserved satellite time for 6:00 tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

5. The Obama Cabinet is not yet completely filled.

I doubt she's about to make an announcement on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

My selfish thought is that if she ditches the state for a high-profile political appointment, then what was that nasty campaign for last year?

Tea with Jammin' Bread

Oh, I wish I had a photo of the winner of the costume contest at this afternoon's "Sound of Music" sing-a-long at the 5th Avenue Theater.

The place was packed. And the tickets I was given were for the previous night. Of course I didn't check them ahead of time, assuming they were the Saturday afternoon seats I requested. But, the folks at the box office were nice enough to offer me a seat in the "viewing room" (a glassed-walled enclosed room behind the last row on the main floor). The sound was great, but the sight lines...not so good.

This was my first experience with the "Sound of Music" sing-a-long, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, there were the requisite nuns and girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes. Plenty of Marias, Liezels and little tiny Gretels. But the most original people in the nearly hour-long costume contest were a guy dressed head to toe in bright yellow with the letters R-A-Y across his chest ("Ray, a drop of golden sun"), and Tea with Jam and Bread. But in their case, it was "Tea with Jammin' Bread".

Let me describe them to you. "T", was a woman dressed in black, wearing an enormous capital letter "T". "With" was a guy dressed like the devil with a big "with" written in cursive. And finally, "Jammin' Bread" was a skinny girl dressed as an enormous slice of bread, carrying an inflatable electric guitar. And let me tell you, she ROCKED it! They owned that theme costume and completely deserved to win.

When the movie started, I darted out of that viewing room and found myself an empty seat on the floor, about 30 rows back. It was a great seat. And, I proceeded to look in my Sing-a-long goodie bag. The contents are displayed below:


The question mark was to be held up when we sang "How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria?" Same with the picture of Maria.
Tiny eidelweiss flowers go without saying. Plus there's an invitation to the Captain's ball, a piece of fabric to wear when the Von Trapp children wear their play clothes made out of curtains, and a little champagne cork to pop, when the Captain and Maria kiss. Lame, but fun.

And the singing was great. The lyrics were on the bottom of the screen and everyone in the capacity crowd sang with every song. Here's a little taste:

It was a lot of fun.  And I left just before the Captain learned the Nazis had commissioned him to fight for their cause.

None of that ugly war stuff.  Just happiness, music and love.

Afterwards I took myself out to dinner and hummed to myself.

Time Passes

I thought a look at the passage of 2008 in a forest in Oslo, Norway would be a beautiful way to start 2009.

Happy New Year to you.