The Shallow End

Home!

We're back! It was a nice long journey around the western half of the United States, a good balance of time with family, sightseeing, and just plain chilling out/alone time. 7,100 miles of driving, 90% of which was driven by my husband. Our timing could not have been more perfect as we dodged every snow storm, flood, and avalanche. Our only weather event was constant rain on the drive down I-5, from Seattle to San Francisco, and some nighttime fog, but at least we got out of Seattle before they closed down I-5 (and 67 other highways altogether). We would still be there if not for Julian being admitted to the hospital, forcing us to leave early. And we flew through Flagstaff twice (both ways!) immediately after the snow had been plowed off the roads. I figured we'd surely hit a Wintry Mix as soon as we headed north to Kansas City, but it was sunny, dry and 40 degrees the whole way. We arrived home 1 hour before our daughter had to be back at work (she had been admonishing us for 4 days to "hurry up," claiming that she would be fired (from her $3.30/hr job) if she didn't show up for work on Thursday at 5:30...each time she admonished us, we slowed down and told her to relax, we'd get her home on time...we left no room in our schedule for weather delays, but she did get to work on time :-). Now it's time for an oil change.

We learned on this trip that Julian is a champion traveler. While it's true he got sick after receiving 1,000 kisses from all his "new" relatives (actually, his own mother was the one to get sick first), he is much better today. I think the long naps sleeping upright in the warm carseat did him some good. That, and the nebulizer (thank goodness for car power plug-in devices!). I also think that because he got sick while we were not with him (he and our daughter were staying with her other family for about a week), it helped her act more like a mother (as soon as we picked them up though, she quickly reverted to being the child again, which was very frustrating).

It was fun to watch his expressions change as he warmed up to each new person he met. A month ago, he did not know a stranger, but now that he recognizes faces and voices, he leans back and looks down his nose skeptically at each new person he meets, sizing them up first before smiling at them. Now he insists that they sing first. Any Christmas song will do.

While I thought we were crazy for traveling with an infant, now I can see that it was a good thing. There is no doubt that Julian was in charge the whole way. One night, on our way home, the three adults in the car were bickering mightily over something and he started crying persistently. Big tears! We were in Texas and pit stops were few and far between. My husband became more inconsolable than Julian...it's "funny" how the most stressful thing about a baby crying is the pain it inflicts on others. Finally, we arrived at a Super Mega Pit Stop, the nicest rest area I've ever seen, with every amenity needed. We pulled in, got out the diaper bag full of pharmaceuticals, and went inside to determine the cause of Julian's crying (which, of course, had now been replaced with giggles and smiles). The three of us got to the business of changing diapers, taking temperatures, administering drops, creams and ointments (it was actually my idea, the "paranoid" one, to let him wear the new onesie he got for Christmas, without washing it first...it's true what they say about that, by the way) , and ultimately focussed all of our attention on the Little One who secretly knew he had already done his job of settling our dispute, whatever it was.

And no post would be complete without a picture or two, although it seems the cameras were packed away for most of the trip.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:04 AM 7 comments

An Update on the Baby Spartacus

Thank you all for the prayers...little Spartacus has been released from the hospital and should be ready to travel back to the icy cold miserable Midwest soon. He's a trooper. When we arrived at the hospital to visit him, he was singing and babbling to his toys. When he saw us (and especially his grandpa), he let out a big toothless grin. When I sang "Here Comes Santa Claus" he let out a big giggle. What a wonderful feeling. He's still wheezing a bit but the breathing treatments are helping and he's much better than he was...a huge relief!

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 2:57 PM 3 comments

Happy New Year!!

Here's a brief travelogue in pictures. We've done a lot of driving and visiting on this journey. Our daughter and grandson stayed with his other grandmother in CA while we drove from the Central Coast of CA up to Tacoma for a few days. Along the way, we stayed a couple nights in San Francisco and a night on the coast of Oregon before landing on our boat in Tacoma where it drizzled and rained the entire time. Our New Year's celebration was very sedate, as usual, but special in that we got to spend it cozied up in our boat, watching...ahem...Mamma Mia! Some of you know that I am a hardened ABBA hater, but really, this was an outstanding movie...great cinematography, great story, great musical (as in, not too musically if you know what I mean), great music (I know, I know...I never thought I'd say that). Anyway, Mamma Mia and a bottle of wine made for a nice celebration.

Now, we are on our way back to CA a bit early, to pick up our daughter and grandson. Unfortunately, he has come down with a serious respiratory cold (thankfully, it's not pneumonia or RSV) for which he's being hospitalized for the night. While he's in good hands, we'll feel better when we can see him again and give him a big hug. Please say a prayer for the little bugger.

So, from the beginning (sort of)...

Labels: Planes Trains and Automobiles, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 8:12 PM 5 comments

A Quiz

Here's A Hint (Exhibit A)

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 7:20 PM 6 comments

Travelogue in Pictures

Labels: Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 12:18 AM 4 comments

Knock, Knock

Is anybody out there?

I know it's been awhile. I'm not myself lately. Life has been hard. Not as hard as it gets, by any means, but frustratingly challenging as compared to the easy life to which I've become accustomed. And while it might prove to be an interesting topic for the tabloids someday, I'm afraid I'm still so enveloped in the details that I can't muster up the strength to write about it. I'll let a few bullet points serve as a place marker for the day when I can look back and laugh. That day will come, right? Right?!

Yesterday marked my informal last day of gainful employment (yes, I realize this is a time when people are losing their long-time jobs and bemoaning the fact that they are woefully unemployed...and yet, somehow, I don't care). It's been a fast paced furious march towards the day that would really be my official last day...12/31/08 (but since I will be on vacation for the duration, yesterday was my informal "last day," and it went mostly unnoticed and uncelebrated by my co-workers, in part because there are so many loose ends that I will have to return to the office upon returning to clean things out...that, and I agreed to assist on a contract basis through 4/15 as long as I could work from home...so really? I'm not free yet). This march has involved a lot of lengthy transition conversations with clients and co-workers as well as year-end planning for my soon-to-be former clients. Along the way, I've had a number of conversations about outsourcing tax services to other CPAs as well as a few of my clients who prefer not to be "transitioned" to anyone else. And while I wasn't looking for this kind of work, the requests have offered some assurance that perhaps we won't go hungry.

November 4th marked the day we checked our daughter into outpatient drug rehab. While we were very disappointed to discover she had returned to a habit she developed before getting pregnant, we were optimistic when she acknowledged that she needed help and volunteered to seek treatment.

December 14th marked the day we committed to taking steps to obtain guardianship of our grandson when our daughter tested positive yet again for crystal meth...it has become painfully obvious that she can't work on recovery and parenting at the same time, especially when she is only partially committed to both...so we will do the parenting...and we pray that she will choose to commit to her recovery, but we're not very optimistic...this breaks our hearts, but we know she is in God's capable hands.

The vacation? Those with babies will, I think, appreciate the sheer insanity of this...we are currently en route to CA, and Seattle, starting in Kansas City...by car...with a 6 month old baby and his drug addict mother. The trip started just 5.5 hours ago. I'll update as I feel motivated, but so far, so good. I can only report that so far, the daughter and grandson have slept the entire way. The funny part is the luggage ratio. While the adults are carrying roughly 1/8 their body weight, the baby is packing roughly 10 times his...everything from clothes and blankets, diapers and formula to a crib, stroller and bathtub, and everything in between. Should we encounter a blizzard, we're all prepared to live on formula and wrapped in baby blankets for a few days.

Okay, that was a bit more than a bullet point list, but still...there's so much more...

But in all the "blah," Julian makes us smile and giggle every day. He's doing great, growing faster than a beansprout and making us happy. He's already 18 pounds and very healthy, according to his 6-month checkup last week.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Family, Toil and trouble, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 4:00 PM 8 comments

Where Am I?

A Lovely Place to Paint (Cambria, CA)

"The Pig Farm on Hwy 46" (by Jeanette Wolfe)

(as soon as the artist told me that the pigs were licking her palette while she painted, I had to have this painting!)

The Jade Festival, Big Sur, CA

(See that head? I watched it sell for $150,000!!!)

An Exquisite Carving!

The View from the Festival (What a View!)

The 2008 Weiner Dog Races! (Atascadero, CA)

2007 National Champion (Sammy Davis)

Sammy Davis, in Lane 3

(Sammy won by at least 10 weiner dog links!)

So, I decided to leave for awhile. A few days actually. Right before a big deadline. Think they'll get the hint I'm ready to "retire"? Heh. As I was packing, it struck me that it would be really great if I could take Sparky with me! So I asked his mother and she said, "Sure! Take him!" So I packed him up...but then thought better of it. Because this was going to be a whirlwind (3 days) trip and as much as I wanted to show him off to my mom (his GREAT! grandmother) and his other grandmother, and great-grandmother and aunty (my other daughter. who is attending college in Monterey), I decided it would just be a bit too much. I mean, he might not like being in the suitcase for that long, you know? He's getting bigger! Over 12 pounds now. And almost as big as my suitcase, see...

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 4:35 PM 5 comments

4 Pounds!

It was hard to leave Seattle/Tacoma Monday afternoon, so easy to imagine calling in "sick" for the next few months while living on a boat and soaking in the great Northwest. The past week has been difficult, for no other reason than the fact that I had to work. I know. Very spoiled, I am.

The good news is that Sparky is doing well, finally hitting the 4 pound mark and filling out. He should be ready to come home, God willing, in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow marks his 3-week birthday. We continue to pray for his growth and development as he "learns" to do all of the things we take for granted, like maintaining his own body temperature and eating on his own (he is still being fed via a tube through his nose until he is able to suck and swallow on his own which should be very soon). He's a very good boy, never crying like some of the others in the NICU, always very content when Mommy comes to visit.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 11:23 AM 6 comments

Days 5 and 6

The view, from where I sat eating my salami and cheese on crackers dinner last night, with a glass of red wine...


The slumped metal cone is the Tacoma Museum of Glass

Wednesday, Day 5 - From sun up (actually, at sun-up I was still sleeping and dreaming...when the dreams turned to nightmares featuring attacking rattlesnakes, I jumped straight out of bed and got to work...well, first, I sucked down a few cups of coffee and got dressed), until sun down (which is very late in these northern parts...it was almost 10pm when I finally broke for dinner), I worked on the deck of the boat. First scrubbing the deck with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, then hosing it all down, then sanding and scraping old varnish off of the handrails that run the length of the boat. I didn't leave the boat all day. I only talked to 2 people all day, one was my "neighbor" and the other works in the yacht brokerage office in the marina. It was bright and sunny all day and I thoroughly enjoyed being outside. So Day 5, I worked. All day!

Thursday, Day 6 - I woke up with some very sore hands and an aching back. But it felt good. After getting another good report on Julian, I turned on the water heater and took a long hot shower (without sinking the boat...I always fear that opening a drain to the sea will inadvertently admit sea water into the boat instead), dressed and headed up to Seattle for another day of shopping (back to Bed Bath and Beyond for my new list of provisions...this time, kitchen supplies) and relaxing. And now? I'm sitting in Starbucks, at the corner of 4th and Pine, in the heart of Seattle, watching people, clearing out my email at work and checking your blogs. Day 6, I shopped. And watched. And ate good food at the Pike Market.

Life is good.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:42 PM 4 comments

Trying To Be Still

So yes, I decided to go ahead with my plans to take a solo trip to the Pacific Northwest. Time will tell if that was a good decision or not. There have been a few rough moments, but I keep reminding myself that I can go back early if needed. For now, all is well on the homefront. Julian is stable but the doctors still don't know what kind of blood infection he is suffering. He is doing a little bit better today and they plan to resume feeding tomorrow if his condition is improved. I just talked to the doctor and while they can't rule it out yet, they don't think it is NEC, but if it is, he's on the correct antibiotic for that as well. Mama and DiDa (grandpa) were in good spirits after their visit with him this afternoon. Scary stuff, this preemie business. The nurses in the NICU really amaze me. And I think my job is stressful!

While it has been more difficult to relax and have a good time knowing that times are not so relaxing and fun back home, I am trying to set a daily goal of doing something productive each day while trying not to push myself so hard that it becomes work. The weather has been wonderfully cooperative...bright blue skies with a few large puffy white clouds and 70 degrees. So far, my itinerary has been as follows:

Saturday: Arrived at 10:00 am, drove up to the Pike Market to buy a flower bokay for the boat. As luck would have it, there was a Bed, Bath and Beyond right next to the Market. So I decided to take care of buying all the new linens/blankets/pillows/towels while I was there. After loading up the trunk of my economy rental car with much goose down, I headed over to the market where I bought a BIG gorgeous bokay of two-toned peach and yellow peonies, calla lilies and some sort of white bonnet shaped flower for only $15. I hauled all of this back to Tacoma where the boat rests and made several trips to unload it all. Every time I lifted a bag up to put it on the boat, I feared I might drop something in the water. So Day 1, I made the beds.

Sunday: I spent most of the morning on the phone with my family and on the internet researching preemie medical conditions. Then I made a thorough search of the internets for real estate in the area. We've started to think that we need a place on dry land to store all of our crap, and we might as well invest in the market while it's down instead of paying rent on a storage unit. But mostly, this was an exercise in futility given that we don't have enough money to buy a piece of property and quit my job without first selling our existing home and we're not ready to do that yet. But it was also good to scout out the various neighborhoods in the region so that when we're in Kansas City, we'll know how to narrow our searches. In the process, I did a lot of driving, and crossed a lot of the houses/neighborhoods off the list as undesirable (what we can afford tends to be in the seediest parts of town and/or in the most remote rural areas). I did find three properties of interest, all very different, which I'll stick in a file for future reference: one 1910 Craftsman bungalow in Old Town Tacoma, a lovely neighborhood of similar bungalow style homes (if there is a single style that I absolutely love, it is the American Bungalow); one Lincoln Log cabin in the woods on 1.5 acres; and 1 small house and 1 acre on an island . Day 2-I drove around.

Monday: After a wonderful breakfast at the Renaissance Cafe (a wonderfully non-franchise sort of place that whips their perfectly scrambled eggs with an espresso machine steamer), I set out to clean the boat's interior. It amazes me that boat brokers, if not the owners who wish to sell their boats, don't do a better job of cleaning them up before putting them on the market. In our 2 year search, we looked at a lot of boats and nearly every one of them was dirty and messy with personal items that could easily have been thrown in the garbage to improve the "curb appeal" dramatically. But they don't, so I did. I went through with reckless abandon and if it was old and grungy (who wants to sleep under some stranger's filthy old blanket?) or if I didn't know what it was, or if I didn't want it (who wants an old stunt kite with broken parts or a 7th ratty life vest when 6 brand new ones will do?), it went in the garbage. I also scrubbed every bathroom and kitchen surface and swiffered to my heart's content. When all was done, I felt a real sense of accomplishment. I celebrated by going to the laundry mat, to wash the new towels and a couple of the old blankets worth salvaging. I also stopped in at the Big Lots store, not sure what I might find there. I ended up stocking up the medicine cabinet and the snack cupboard (with mixed nuts and other snack foods). One never knows what one may find at Big Lots! Day 3, I cleaned.

Tuesday (so far): Day 4-While I waited anxiously for the phone call re: Julian, I sat in the cockpit of the boat, listening to Croatian music on the stereo, reading an Anne Perry novel, enjoying the pleasant breeze and a parade of Canadian geese while drinking an entire pot of coffee all myself (well, 6 cups was all I made). Later, after finally getting the call and learning that Julian was at least no worse and my family was in good spirits, I drove down to the waterfront for a long walk, ordered fish and chips on the pier and drove again through a beautiful park that I "discovered" on Sunday. I may still do some exterior clean-up on the boat...the next project involves scrubbing/washing the exterior of the boat and then sanding down the woodwork for revarnishing. Real work. But it's 5:30 pm already and I haven't started that yet. :-) Day 4, I rested.

I feel like it's been a productive and mostly relaxing trip so far, at least as productive and relaxing as it is meant to be. I'm spending a lot more of it just trying to be still...and quiet, listening and praying.

Labels: Baby Spartacus, Family, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 5:55 PM 8 comments

Road Trip Anyone?

This Friday is open mic night at Java's Brewin. Anyone up for a road trip? We have 5 days.

Labels: Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 12:38 AM 3 comments

The 11th and 12th Days of Christmas

For lunch, we went to a deli and loaded up with prosciutto, salami, cheeses and lox. And crackers and cherries and 10 pounds of clementines. Then we went to the park by the marina and set up our own deli, gorging on all of the above. Unfortunately, it was a late lunch and we had dinner reservations at the hotel's restaurant at 6:30pm. So we did some extra walking and tried to work off lunch in time to be hungry again for dinner. Appetite or not, the dinner was wonderful (we all had seafood...mussels for an appetizer, swordfish, salmon and halibut...all delicately prepared and served with savory sauces and sides...and dessert...and not shared either, one for each of us...mmm).

This shot was taken in the hotel room before going down for dinner. I like this photo because it captures perfectly the attitude that only a teenager can properly carry off. And yes, I'm sure some of it is our fault. Afterall, we didn't see fit to buy the designer purse for Christmas. But Tata (Croatian for "father") refused to let that bother him.

After dinner, we lounged around the room and waited for midnight. We had planned to attend Midnight Mass at St. James Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral up on the hill in downtown Seattle. And eventually, we did do that, but when we arrived at the church at 11:30, it was already packed and they weren't letting anyone else in the doors because of fire safety rules. So instead, a large crowd gathered in the foyer, probably much larger than the Fire Marshall would have preferred. Rather than leave, we hung out and hoped that when the earlier Carol Service was over, the less-than-serious church goers would leave, and we would get in. As everyone crowded at the doors, I wondered if ever there had been any crushing incidents at Midnight Mass before, you know, like at the soccer events in Ghana, for example. Then, finally, after the Mass service had begun, people filed out in small groups at first and finally, enough left that they opened the doors and let us all in (actually, I think what happened is that the people responsible for guarding the doors had other duties to perform and they abandoned their posts). There was standing room only inside the cathedral, and it was hot and stuffy. At the 1 hour mark, I thought I might faint. I started bending my knees like they taught us to do at the 2nd grade Christmas program after the one girl fainted. Finally, it was time for communion and the service was over. Regardless of the physical inconvenience of standing all the way through Midnight Mass, or maybe because of it, this was a very memorable service and a wonderful night.

Christmas morning was less memorable. We had to wake up early to take the little one to the airport, to fly home. Being sleep deprived caused her to be more grumpy than usual. At the airport, she huffed off to check herself in. Refusing to listen to us (I cannot count the number of times we heard the words "I'm 17. I can do anything I want. Don't tell me what to do!"), she marched off to the wrong airline. And then, angry at us for letting her "look stupid," she marched to the Southwest kiosk, butting in front of everyone else in line, and printed her boarding pass. She practically ran off to the security line so as to lose the parental units as quickly as possible. And it was there that we said our goodbyes. I can't say it was the most sentimental of send-offs, but we did enjoy our time together, however brief.

While her plane left early, our didn't leave until early afternoon, so we drove a car full of items over to the boat, things we could leave on board, like extra shoes, raincoats, umbrellas, pillows and other odds and ends. We had leftovers (prosciutto, lox, etc) from the day before, so in the end, we did enjoy Christmas dinner on our boat. It just wasn't quite how we expected it might be...

Christmas in Seattle (All Aboard!)

Christmas Dinner

Next year will be different. At least, I won't have to fly home on Christmas Day because of work commitments the next day. And if we are on the boat, hopefully, it won't be laid up for repairs.

We arrived home in time to spend Christmas evening with our oldest daughter, although we ended up dining on pizza purchased at the gas station because everything was closed and we had no food at home that wasn't in the deep freeze.

While Christmas Day itself was not exactly the version of Christmas that many of us grew up with, it was blessed in its own way. We were especially blessed to be able to spend time with both of our girls who are growing up and moving away much too quickly. Too quickly for their own good, but that's a topic for another post. :-)

Happy New Year!

Labels: Family, Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 2:42 PM 3 comments

Vacation Days #2 - 10, A Recap

Old Santa Rosa Chapel

Day 3 - Sunday

We started the morning with coffee and cinnamon rolls downtown. Then my husband drove up the coast to visit a good friend and I strolled through downtown Cambria before heading up the 160 stairs, through the woods, and back to Mom's house. Along the way, I finished my Christmas shopping with a giant lizard for Mom. But I didn't carry her home. I arranged for delivery. This thing must weigh at least 100 pounds:

"Jasmine Akhenaten"

I hung out at home with Mom enjoying tea and fruitcake. And a little mud cake. And Christmas cookies. When low tide arrived, we went beachcombing and drug home a handful of rocks and moonstones.

Day 4 - Monday

Coffee and cinnamon rolls downtown again. I will have gained approximately 10 pounds by the end of this journey. 10 pounds that I don't have room for, I might add. After breakfast, we drove to Morro Bay for a fishing license, fishing bait and salt water taffy (life's essentials). We played tourist at the Shell Shop (it's been in business longer than I've been alive and still looks exactly like it must have looked in 1955, more like a state fair shell collection than a gift shop) and then into San Luis Obispo for more fishing stuff, Trader Joe's (jalapeno tortilla chips, cinnamon almonds, fig basalmic vinegar and wasabi mayonaise...more essentials). We had hoped to enjoy lunch at Pete's Southside Cafe (only Pete's was closed which is a sad, sad thing because they make the best ceviche, fish tacos and enchiladas in all the land). Instead, we walked across the street to the Del Monte Cafe and had soup and grilled tuna melts which weren't so bad, but it was not Pete's. After lunch, we went back home to Cambria and back to the beach for more beachcombing...this is therapy for me. There is nothing so relaxing as walking along the beach, listening to the waves crash, smelling the ocean, and looking for those special little gems called moonstones. We also picked up plenty of other detritus which we will later have to find room for in our suitcases.

Day 5 - Tuesday

It rained all day today, which was much needed in this region of the country (the hills are brown) and we enjoyed sitting inside (at least I enjoyed sitting inside while my husband donned his rain gear and headed out for a solitary fishing adventure...he was nearly the only one on the beach, but he caught three fish and then, according to him, the seagulls stole the biggest one and fought over it in mid-air...there was nobody there to corroborate this story). Mom and I drank tea, ate cookies and chatted about all sorts of things. It was a nice day.

Day 6 - Wednesday

Back to beautiful and sunny weather, more beachcombing (this could become a serious addiction), then we drove up the coast and enjoyed lunch at Ragged Point:

We returned home in time for dinner out with the folks, then exchanged Christmas presents (we received a beautiful watercolor painting from Mom, of the San Simeon cove, where my husband spent his time fishing). After dinner and presents and a strong cup of coffee, we hit the road, picking up our youngest daughter in Salinas and driving to San Jose for our early morning flight out. We stayed at the lovely Motel 6 in technology land, just a few blocks from the airport and got through security in plenty of time for a Venti Gingerbread Latte and a few chapters of my book.

Day 7 - Thursday

After a smooth, easy flight from San Jose to Seattle, we enjoyed lunch and a little shopping at Pike Place Market, then drove out to see S/V Sophia. Her guts were laid out all over the salon as she endures what looks like brain surgery. We were supposed to sleep on the boat but due to these unforseeable circumstances, we decided to rent a hotel room. We were successful in winning a nice 4-star room on the waterfront for only $89/night via Priceline. No complaints. Except for the fact that the primary reason we came to Seattle was to spend Christmas on our boat with our daughter. Oh well.

Sophia's (aka Dancing Queen) innards

We decided to enjoy Seattle anyways, but I do miss spending the time with our family.

Day 8 - Friday

We drove around parts of Seattle and explored the banks of Lake Washington and then to Tacoma where we visited our temporary home away from home and the Glass Museum, home of the Chihuly Glass Bridge. This pedestrian bridge spans the freeway and lights up at night to showcase hundreds of works of glass produced by Chihuly's "factories." This bridge was awesome:

One of many ceiling panels

Our future home (the empty slip is ours; the Glass Museum is the silver cone across the water from the docks and next to that is Union Station)

After exploring more areas south and west of Seattle (Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Port Orchard), we boarded the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle and enjoyed the city lights from the boat. The rest of the evening was spent Christmas shopping in downtown Seattle. Boy, are teenagers ever expensive. My advice? Don't walk through Nordstrom's with a 17-year old girl. It is unpleasant for all involved. After pawing over a designer purse that she wanted for Christmas, the conversation went something like this:

me: "um, Did you happen to notice the price on that nice little carpet bag?" (seriously, it was larger than my carry on suitcase and uglier than anything I've seen in the purse department, but then, what do I know about expensive purses?)

her (loudly and only 2 feet from the nearest sales clerk): "How much is this? I WANT this purse! (think Violet, in the Chocolate Factory) Why don't they put price tags on these stupid purses?!"

sales clerk: "It's inside the zippered pocket" (pause)

her: "$3,700?! What the?! But I WANT this purse!"

Then, not being one who is easily embarrassed, she announced that "Nordstrom's SUCKS! I can't afford anything is this stupid store!" And then, we left. And Christmas shopping was pretty much over at that point.

Day 9 - Saturday

Rock climbing and shopping for sailing gear at REI. Here, she shows her other side, the side that doesn't need no stinkin' designer purses because she can climb three story buildings. So there.

The youngest daughter shows off

Dinner at a cheap hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant, and THEN:

Jesus Christ Superstar! At the Paramount Theatre. It was fantastic!! I've not enough energy to do it justice, but this was an unplanned event in our journey and a very enjoyable experience. Having grown up listening to the music, that was the best part, but the lighting and stage show were brilliantly done, both literally and figuratively.

Day 10 - Sunday

Today was a relaxing, room service and watch movies/football in the room kind of day. And we toured Pike Place Market again. And the aquarium...just a few doors down from our hotel:

Seattle Aquarium

More Chihuly

"Giant" Pacific Octopus (approx. 1 foot in diameter)

Tonight, we sat on the floor in the bay window alcove of another Thai restaurant. Even though we rested on pillows, we had a terribly difficult time getting up when it was time to leave. The old knees do not like sitting on the floor with legs at awkward angles for long periods of time.

After dinner, we drove down to Ballard Locks to watch the "world's largest lighted flotilla of Christmas Ships" only to see a single boat, which was not decorated in Christmas lights. What the?! Ah well, this just confirmed what the youngest daughter already knew, which is that she does indeed have the most boring parents in the entire world. We're also the "biggest squares." There are other adjectives as well, but really, who can bear much more than being called a "square?"

I think that's enough. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to all!

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:39 PM 6 comments

Vacation Day #1

Ah, blessed vacation! We've gone fishing. We'll be back after Christmas.

We escaped Kansas City just before the snow arrived and hit clear, smooth skies all the way to California, stopping in Las Vegas only long enough to change planes and throw $30 into the slot machines ($10 from me, $20 from my husband). Why we even bothered doing this is beyond me. It was that or sample the O2 wares. The idea of putting a tube up my nose to suck colored oxygen did not rise to the level of "good" in my opinion.

On time (even early) arrivals all the way across the country and here we sit in our hotel room.

I received a call from a client on our way to the airport, asking why I wasn't at the meeting he thought we had scheduled for 2:30 today. Oops! Big oops!! I can't remember the last time I missed a meeting. That just doesn't happen. Only, I know for a fact that the last conversation I had with the CFO was that she couldn't get numbers for me by today and she would get back to me with a new time. Oh well. Getting out of town is never easy. The stress of leaving is worse than the stress of not getting a vacation. Sometimes.

Cutest thing heard today (from the little girl in the seat behind us, who appeared to be only 3-4 years old, speaking to her Barbie as the plane began its descent): "Well, we didn't fall out. That was a great flight. God protected us." Indeed, we didn't fall out. The true measure of "greatness."

Highlight of the trip...a 69 point word in scrabble on the computer ("illegal")...woot! ("woot" is Merriam Webster's word of the year, by the way...what's up with that?!)

Tomorrow, we drive down Highway 1, along the beautiful Big Sur coast. This may be one of the most beautiful spots in the entire country. And it's supposed to be clear and sunny.

It's a happy day.

Labels: Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 1:23 AM 3 comments

'Tis The Season

Updated to swap out photos with this one, taken in my new light box. I'm still working on getting good resolution and white balance.

Meet Saint Nicholas...about the height of a penny, missing arms and bearing a few other war wounds...he makes me smile.



I just pulled out my winter coat and there he was, underneath my gloves, residing in my coat pocket since...um...thinking back to the moment I discovered him lying naked in the gutter of a street in Chinatown, San Francisco...Christmas of 2003. 2003! Wow. Four years. He has traveled all over, from sea (Seattle, Big Sur, San Francisco) to shining sea (Cape Cod, DC, Savannah), points in between (Chicago, Omaha, Denver) and across the pond (Croatia, Italy, and Vienna). For all his travels, he has never lost his way. Like a baby kangaroo, he clings to the security of the inner corner of my pocket. It amazes me that he hasn't fallen out. This Christmas, he will be traveling with us to Cambria, CA and Seattle.

And at this point, Saint Nicholas is the only Christmas decoration I've gotten out.

Must start doing my Christmas shopping...

Labels: Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 9:14 PM 7 comments

The Weekend in Pictures

It floats! And sails!!

Our Future But Only Temporary Home (Tyee Marina in Tacoma)

The Neighbors (Exhibit A)

The Neighbors (Exhibit B)

Picnic on the Dock (prosciutto, smoked salmon, goat cheese, crackers, strawberries, grapes, figs, capers, and powdered donuts...a sensible dinner by all accounts)

Bokay To Go

Only in Seattle (One must wonder who is giving advice on what to whom)

We had a blast and all went well (after clearing security that is...twice...it is important to read the departure board and note the gate number before waiting in the wrong security line for half an hour...and do take note that the 1 Qt Ziploc bag is still in popular favor...in fact, even if you have nothing to put in it, it is wise to take with you a 1 Qt Ziploc bag just in case...I was told that my approximately 1 Qt clear pouch...the one that came with my carry-on suitcase post 9/11, designed to carry the usual liquid substances, was "confusing" and that in the future I should adhere to the Ziploc standard so as to avoid such confusion). On our return trip, the security line at Sea-Tac was easily a mile long (3 cruise ships had just come in, dumping all of their passengers at Sea-Tac), but it only took 25 minutes to get through...amazing!

This time, because we planned on visiting many places that are off the beaten path, and because we have had difficulties navigating Seattle in the past (I swear it's the bad signage, starting at the airport, but that's another post for another day), we decided to rent a GPS with our rental car. We arrived late at night and were told that we needed to exit the airport parking lot before turning it (the GPS, not the car) on. So we followed the signs to the freeway and had difficulty finding a safe place to pull over. Several miles later. I managed to pick the one exit that was not really an exit but an onramp to another freeway and before we knew it, we were nestled in a quiet little residential area somewhere northeast of Seattle. We plugged in the GPS and thus began our adventures with Mrs. Google, as MBH called her (he is not a computer user but he knows that Google knows all). Apparently, Mrs. Google is not set up to get you to the nearest freeways, avenues or thoroughfares, but is more inclined to the scenic, residential, and cul-de-sacs. And so we traveled. Clear across town by way of the narrow residential streets lined with parked cars on either side and miniature traffic circles. But we never got lost which is a credit to Mrs. Google, who spent most of her time "recalculating." I did, however, miss having a paper map to follow along. I love maps. I have volunteered for the position of navigator when the time comes to sail away...and I will have paper charts in addition to the GPS and other electronic gizmos. That time may be coming very soon...

We are now just 2 or 3 steps away from being real live boat owners...next step, engine inspection; then price re-negotiation if any big repairs are looming; and then, finally, we will...choke...sign a very large check. But the scariest part is what lies beyond that. I mean, I have no idea how to do even the very basic things like turn on the lights, or, um, use "the head." Let alone, how to empty it. After the sea trial, I am much more comfortable with the notion of sailing the vessel, but also much more concerned about getting it in and out of the slip without impaling the other boats with our anchor. That would be bad. Very bad.

Labels: Sailing, Travel

posted by Gwynne @ 10:29 PM 9 comments