My friends and I are big fans of the TV comedy "The Office," so this year for Halloween a few of us decided to dress up as Dwight, Jim, and Pam. Everyone has been saying how much I look like Dwight Schrute, so here was my chance to prove them... right, as it turns out! Nate does a pretty good Jim Halpert, too.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Pike Place Market, Seattle
For one last adventure in Seattle before we embark on our three and a half hour flight back to Kansas City, we've chosen to visit Pike Place Market. After strolling through the myriad stalls piled high with fresh fruit, fish, and vegetables... all inexplicably more brightly-colored than you find in a supermarket... we're now sitting at a table with a nice view of Puget Sound. We're breaking our fast in the Athenian Inn, of "Sleepless in Seattle" fame, established in 1909.
Excellent steak and eggs.
Excellent steak and eggs.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Seattle Space Needle
The conference officially over, capped with an insightful and perspective-shifting presentation by Bruce Schneier of information security fame, we've returned via monorial to Seattle Center. Three sites in this area are on our agenda, the Science Fiction Museum, the Experience Music Project, and the Space Needle.
Of the two museums, I actually enjoyed the Experience Music Project the most, contrary to my expectations. There just weren't as many interactive exhibits in the SFM, whereas the EMP had a cool Sound Lab that walked you through playing the various instruments. I am more adept with drums and keyboard than fretted instruments, but it was all fun.
We are sitting now at the cafe in the Space Needle, after having absorbed and photographed every exhilerating element of the view from the sky deck. I don't know what it is about heights that give such a thrill, but the wind whipping around me and a cityscape sprawled out before me always gives me a natural high.
You can see Mount Rainier perfectly, it is so clear-skied today.
Well, my hot chocolate awaits. Later tonight we'll be joining the rest of our friends at a burlesque show. Should be an interesting experience...
Later: We've come all the way to Seattle, famed for seafood, just to wind up eating the best barbecue we've ever had. Jones BBQ in Columbia City, just around the corner from the theatre. Amazing.
So far, at the burlesque, the best exhibitions have been the trapeze artists, sexily soaring on skeins of silk high above the stage. The folk musicians, not so amusing to me, though their after-acts of balancing and juggling are impressive..
The show we're attending is hosted by the talented Tamara the Trapeze Lady, whose website should you care to visit is www.trapezelady.com
Of the two museums, I actually enjoyed the Experience Music Project the most, contrary to my expectations. There just weren't as many interactive exhibits in the SFM, whereas the EMP had a cool Sound Lab that walked you through playing the various instruments. I am more adept with drums and keyboard than fretted instruments, but it was all fun.
We are sitting now at the cafe in the Space Needle, after having absorbed and photographed every exhilerating element of the view from the sky deck. I don't know what it is about heights that give such a thrill, but the wind whipping around me and a cityscape sprawled out before me always gives me a natural high.
You can see Mount Rainier perfectly, it is so clear-skied today.
Well, my hot chocolate awaits. Later tonight we'll be joining the rest of our friends at a burlesque show. Should be an interesting experience...
Later: We've come all the way to Seattle, famed for seafood, just to wind up eating the best barbecue we've ever had. Jones BBQ in Columbia City, just around the corner from the theatre. Amazing.
So far, at the burlesque, the best exhibitions have been the trapeze artists, sexily soaring on skeins of silk high above the stage. The folk musicians, not so amusing to me, though their after-acts of balancing and juggling are impressive..
The show we're attending is hosted by the talented Tamara the Trapeze Lady, whose website should you care to visit is www.trapezelady.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
West Seattle
After crossing the sound by water taxi, we've taken a bus to Seattle Junction in West Seattle. I think if I had to rely on public transportation to get where I'm going every day, though, I'd be very frustrated.
By unanimous decision, we've stepped into a local coffee shop for a spontaneous cupcake break. I complement mine with an order of hot cider with caramel... also known as "ambrosia." The cupcake (chocolate with a hint of orange) was pretty good too, as served up by a rather cute cupcake girl :-)
With nothing else of interest in this area, we are shortly back on the dock at Seacrest Park, the night-time Seattle skyline spread out before us. A full moon brushes the water's surface with pearlescent light, scintillating in the wave crests. Jewels pale in comparison.
The plan now is to meet Tom at the Seattle Waterfront, savor some more seafood for dinner, then head over to Chopstix, a piano bar near our hotel... where Thursday night is Ladies Night. Trust Nate to spot the ad in the newspaper ;-)
Not that I'm complaining!
By unanimous decision, we've stepped into a local coffee shop for a spontaneous cupcake break. I complement mine with an order of hot cider with caramel... also known as "ambrosia." The cupcake (chocolate with a hint of orange) was pretty good too, as served up by a rather cute cupcake girl :-)
With nothing else of interest in this area, we are shortly back on the dock at Seacrest Park, the night-time Seattle skyline spread out before us. A full moon brushes the water's surface with pearlescent light, scintillating in the wave crests. Jewels pale in comparison.
The plan now is to meet Tom at the Seattle Waterfront, savor some more seafood for dinner, then head over to Chopstix, a piano bar near our hotel... where Thursday night is Ladies Night. Trust Nate to spot the ad in the newspaper ;-)
Not that I'm complaining!
Crossing Puget Sound
We've just arrived at Pier 55 this evening, where we will be taking a water taxi over to West Seattle.
The bus schedule is apparently unreliable, and seems to change with the wind, so we decided to just walk down to the waterfront.
From our hotel.
Which is 2.2 miles away.
... My feet no longer scream, but my shins will *never* forgive me.
The bus schedule is apparently unreliable, and seems to change with the wind, so we decided to just walk down to the waterfront.
From our hotel.
Which is 2.2 miles away.
... My feet no longer scream, but my shins will *never* forgive me.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sleeping In, Stepping Around Downtown Seattle
Yesterday's excursion led to a mutual decision to leave the alarm clock off. We didn't even hear Tom leave for work. After bumming around the hotel room until noon, we take a bus down to 3rd and Pine, then walk to the Washington Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle, where EduCause will be held. For lunch, we decide to try Todai once more (sorry Tom!) and at last find favor with the Temporal Gods (they were only going to close an hour after we arrived, this time). Various scrumptious sushi is ours to savor, after which we walk it off by revisiting the waterfront and surrounding downtown streets. Fairly uneventful exercise, except I got to really play with my new toy by taking so many random pictures that I'm sure Nate was getting exasperated with me stopping in place every five minutes ;-)
Sitting here at Tully's Coffee in the convention center now, waiting to meet up with Sara and start the conference.
Sitting here at Tully's Coffee in the convention center now, waiting to meet up with Sara and start the conference.
Monday, October 22, 2007
"Woohoo, Puyallup!"
Tom cheers as we finally get back to his town. We hope to dine at Todai seafood and sushi buffet tonight, in Seattle, an earlier missed opportunity.
Later: thwarted again! That sushi place is always scheduled to close half an hour after we arrive. I think they are doing it on purpose.
Oh well; second choice is P.F. Chang's which should sate our cravings. Tom is just not having a good night for food, though. His first two choices are unavailable. Cantonese Roasted Duck must have been popular today!
Later: thwarted again! That sushi place is always scheduled to close half an hour after we arrive. I think they are doing it on purpose.
Oh well; second choice is P.F. Chang's which should sate our cravings. Tom is just not having a good night for food, though. His first two choices are unavailable. Cantonese Roasted Duck must have been popular today!
Mount Rainier National Park
In preparation for some glorious sights on our road trip to Mount Rainier today, I have finally purchased a digital camera of my own: a Canon Power-Shot 850. Now I don't have to keep borrowing Nate's camera when I want to indulge my inner shutter-bug. I tend to take pictures of anything and everything that catches my eye, and just sort out the good ones later, so Nate rarely gets his camera back ;-)
At the moment we are winding our way through the Cascade Range on WA-161, circling around Rainier on our approach to the park area called Paradise... a place I think will prove aptly named. The beautifully verdant scenery we've beheld so far is definitely proving the axiom that its not the destination that matters so much as the journey to get there.
I do feel like I'm back in that flight simulator though, on these twisty roads, and better stop writing or I might get car-sick here... We're off the grid anyways, so nothing I write now will get published until our return.
Nearly There: Crawling up the paths of Mt. Rainier itself. Frustratingly, we are stopped on the road with a bunch of other sightseers, behind a bulldozer trying to clear it. Tom starts a brief snowball fight as we get out to stretch.
Not long later and the road is clear again.
The temperature is dropping fast as we meander up this massive edifice, and the snow cover is rising. A crisp aroma of evergreen permeates the cold mountain air, nipping at our senses. Truly awesome vistas greet us from this altitude, especially the cloud-crowned peak of Mount Rainier looming just over our shoulders.
On our trip upward, we make a stop at Narada Falls, where we slip and slide down the serpentine trail leading to its fullest cascade (note to self: next time pack hiking boots instead of Skechers). Standing in a cloud of mist from the roaring cataract that looms before us, rainbows irridescing all around, I am in awe of the infinite power and beauty Mother Nature can birth. Surrounded by all this majesty, I lift my camera to take one last defining shot... and its battery dies.
Dammit.
Briefly tired from the climb back up the trail, we pile into the car again and arrive at Paradise a little later, 5,400 feet up and still 9,000 feet from the summit. Mount Rainier's regal snow-capped peak dominates the northern sky, truly king of its domain. My camera revives long enough to capture a single shot of this marvelous sight. That's okay, we have Tom with us, as near to a professional photographer as I've ever personally known. We get plenty of pictures to sate our innate human desire to capture enduring moments of time.
As we are leaving Paradise, Tom tries to photograph a woodland bird perching smartly on top of a nearby car, but the avian takes exception to this and swoops at him angrily. Guess the little guy's camera-shy!
A short way back down the road we came up, we've stopped at a pocket overlook showing us the road wandering far below us. Around this a scree field blends into a wide conifer valley, culminating in the rare panorama of Rainier's perfectly cloudless peak. Tom breaks out his wide-angle lense for maximum capture, then we honor this miracle of nature with a snowball-chucking contest from the overlook's ledge. Quite a long drop, that.
We treat ourselves to a quick stop at Christine Falls, a few miles later. White water cascades from a stone crevice, framed by a rock-lined bridge, and plummets 500 feet into a pool of froth below. Truly awesome. Waterfalls, restless monuments of ever-changing complexity, are my favorite spectacle of nature.
Our journey through the national park comes to a close with a jaunt across the pearly gray riverbed at the base of the mount, where we cross over a log bridge before truly getting our exercise hiking the long woodland trail toward Carter Falls, that parallels the rushing rapids it results in. We turned back before reaching the falls themselves, fairly worn out and wondering if perhaps we missed it somehow, but even without reaching our goal the peaceful footwork through moss-covered trees and glistening water-kissed boulders is definitely my idea of a perfect workout.
The sunset bathes Mount Rainier in its dying rays as we reach the riverbed again, painting its features with red-gold highlights. Before our reluctant departure, our one remaining camera captures this final moment of our excellent day.
I have decided that the prime situation for that one place you'd spend the rest of your days happily, is in an area like the coast of Washington, with all of these enriching experiences and pristine wilderness mere hours away. There is much more of the world to see, for us both, but Tom has made an excellent choice in this milestone on his journey. I am glad for the opportunity to share it alongside these two friends, for even so brief a time.
As we are driving out of the park, the pleasant digitized voice of our GPS device chimes, "At your earliest opportunity, turn around."
Indeed.
At the moment we are winding our way through the Cascade Range on WA-161, circling around Rainier on our approach to the park area called Paradise... a place I think will prove aptly named. The beautifully verdant scenery we've beheld so far is definitely proving the axiom that its not the destination that matters so much as the journey to get there.
I do feel like I'm back in that flight simulator though, on these twisty roads, and better stop writing or I might get car-sick here... We're off the grid anyways, so nothing I write now will get published until our return.
Nearly There: Crawling up the paths of Mt. Rainier itself. Frustratingly, we are stopped on the road with a bunch of other sightseers, behind a bulldozer trying to clear it. Tom starts a brief snowball fight as we get out to stretch.
Not long later and the road is clear again.
The temperature is dropping fast as we meander up this massive edifice, and the snow cover is rising. A crisp aroma of evergreen permeates the cold mountain air, nipping at our senses. Truly awesome vistas greet us from this altitude, especially the cloud-crowned peak of Mount Rainier looming just over our shoulders.
On our trip upward, we make a stop at Narada Falls, where we slip and slide down the serpentine trail leading to its fullest cascade (note to self: next time pack hiking boots instead of Skechers). Standing in a cloud of mist from the roaring cataract that looms before us, rainbows irridescing all around, I am in awe of the infinite power and beauty Mother Nature can birth. Surrounded by all this majesty, I lift my camera to take one last defining shot... and its battery dies.
Dammit.
Briefly tired from the climb back up the trail, we pile into the car again and arrive at Paradise a little later, 5,400 feet up and still 9,000 feet from the summit. Mount Rainier's regal snow-capped peak dominates the northern sky, truly king of its domain. My camera revives long enough to capture a single shot of this marvelous sight. That's okay, we have Tom with us, as near to a professional photographer as I've ever personally known. We get plenty of pictures to sate our innate human desire to capture enduring moments of time.
As we are leaving Paradise, Tom tries to photograph a woodland bird perching smartly on top of a nearby car, but the avian takes exception to this and swoops at him angrily. Guess the little guy's camera-shy!
A short way back down the road we came up, we've stopped at a pocket overlook showing us the road wandering far below us. Around this a scree field blends into a wide conifer valley, culminating in the rare panorama of Rainier's perfectly cloudless peak. Tom breaks out his wide-angle lense for maximum capture, then we honor this miracle of nature with a snowball-chucking contest from the overlook's ledge. Quite a long drop, that.
We treat ourselves to a quick stop at Christine Falls, a few miles later. White water cascades from a stone crevice, framed by a rock-lined bridge, and plummets 500 feet into a pool of froth below. Truly awesome. Waterfalls, restless monuments of ever-changing complexity, are my favorite spectacle of nature.
Our journey through the national park comes to a close with a jaunt across the pearly gray riverbed at the base of the mount, where we cross over a log bridge before truly getting our exercise hiking the long woodland trail toward Carter Falls, that parallels the rushing rapids it results in. We turned back before reaching the falls themselves, fairly worn out and wondering if perhaps we missed it somehow, but even without reaching our goal the peaceful footwork through moss-covered trees and glistening water-kissed boulders is definitely my idea of a perfect workout.
The sunset bathes Mount Rainier in its dying rays as we reach the riverbed again, painting its features with red-gold highlights. Before our reluctant departure, our one remaining camera captures this final moment of our excellent day.
I have decided that the prime situation for that one place you'd spend the rest of your days happily, is in an area like the coast of Washington, with all of these enriching experiences and pristine wilderness mere hours away. There is much more of the world to see, for us both, but Tom has made an excellent choice in this milestone on his journey. I am glad for the opportunity to share it alongside these two friends, for even so brief a time.
As we are driving out of the park, the pleasant digitized voice of our GPS device chimes, "At your earliest opportunity, turn around."
Indeed.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Seattle: Puget Sound Waterfront
We're a bit late to take a water taxi over to West Seattle tonight, but we're meeting our friend Sara for dinner at The Crab Pot soon anyways, and so stroll the waterfront shops before stopping in a bar to refresh ourselves while we wait.
We encountered a store called Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe that has existed since 1899 (so claimed), and its "Zoo-Illogical Exhibit" of creative taxidermy-- including a jackalope, four-legged chicken, old-world mermaid, plus some actual collected zoological fauna. Pretty neat little store, but even at 50% off, we're not buying. Maybe another time.
Later: Sara was joined by her daughter Julia, her daughter's boyfriend Steven, and their friend Jed. Tossed in with the three of us, especially Nate who is always handy with a witty rejoinder, it became improv night at the dinner table. Always a fun crowd, and though I usually tend to sit on the sidelines absorbing the atmosphere in my own quiet way, I feel better for knowing all of them and take joy in the honest laughter such friendship inspires.
The Crab Pot is an interesting place to eat: the seafood is splayed directly onto butcher paper spread across the table, in a hands-on buffet of crab, mussels, shrimp, red potatoes, and corn cob ends. All that stands between your clean shirt and this shellfish bedlam is a thin bib, while a crab fork and wooden mallet serve as your only utensils. The food was delicious, unsurprising for a coastal city, especially the crab (my personal favorite).
We made a right mess, thwacking away with zeal, and loved every minute of it.
We encountered a store called Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe that has existed since 1899 (so claimed), and its "Zoo-Illogical Exhibit" of creative taxidermy-- including a jackalope, four-legged chicken, old-world mermaid, plus some actual collected zoological fauna. Pretty neat little store, but even at 50% off, we're not buying. Maybe another time.
Later: Sara was joined by her daughter Julia, her daughter's boyfriend Steven, and their friend Jed. Tossed in with the three of us, especially Nate who is always handy with a witty rejoinder, it became improv night at the dinner table. Always a fun crowd, and though I usually tend to sit on the sidelines absorbing the atmosphere in my own quiet way, I feel better for knowing all of them and take joy in the honest laughter such friendship inspires.
The Crab Pot is an interesting place to eat: the seafood is splayed directly onto butcher paper spread across the table, in a hands-on buffet of crab, mussels, shrimp, red potatoes, and corn cob ends. All that stands between your clean shirt and this shellfish bedlam is a thin bib, while a crab fork and wooden mallet serve as your only utensils. The food was delicious, unsurprising for a coastal city, especially the crab (my personal favorite).
We made a right mess, thwacking away with zeal, and loved every minute of it.
Seattle: Boeing Field Museum
The first half of today is being spent enriching ourselves at Boeing's Field Museum. So far we've seen their original Red Barn factory from the dawn of aerospace and up to to World War I and II. I find the World War I exhibits most fascinating, at a time when planes were a new combat technology and pilots considered "Knights of the Sky." We've stopped for lunch at the museum cafe, before going on a tour of the Concorde and Air Force One, where I overpaid for my chili and PBJ sandwich. Oh well, it was good at least.
Lunch is spent calculating how long it would take to fly a Concorde to the sun.
Later: We drool over one of the remaining Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds (actually the M-21 with its drone plane on top), and muse over the car-plane that was close to mass production by Ford in the '60s.
Also, Nate and I managed to break the flight simulator. I tried to describe how to execute an Immelman turn, and as he was at its apex something flew off inside the cabin with a loud POP and we went into a tailspin, then the operator shut the system down on us. Thankfully we weren't stuck upside down, but had to be righted manually.
Oops.
Lunch is spent calculating how long it would take to fly a Concorde to the sun.
Later: We drool over one of the remaining Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds (actually the M-21 with its drone plane on top), and muse over the car-plane that was close to mass production by Ford in the '60s.
Also, Nate and I managed to break the flight simulator. I tried to describe how to execute an Immelman turn, and as he was at its apex something flew off inside the cabin with a loud POP and we went into a tailspin, then the operator shut the system down on us. Thankfully we weren't stuck upside down, but had to be righted manually.
Oops.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Seattle Supersonics vs Houston Rockets
We're really batting 1000 (shooting airballs, in basketball terms, I guess?)
Halfway to the stadium from where we parked and walked, Nate remembered that the tickets were back in the car. Then, poor Tom has been denied entry to the stadium for having a camera in his backpack. Boo hoo, NBA. I never saw any signs declaring them forbidden, either.
We've seated now, with a bird's eye view of the court. This is our first NBA game, for each of us!
(FYI, words can't describe it, but: Yao Ming is... Tall. Huge, really. Wow.)
Halftime: So far at my first NBA game, I confess to finding myself more fascinated with the antics of the Sasquatch mascot as he works through the crowd... and by the cheerleaders, as far as I can tell all perfect examples of human sculpture. Characters certainly intended to captivate. The game itself, I've decided, is merely a convenient excuse for the spectacle surrounding it. Give me soccer instead, any day... but bring the cheerleaders at least, of course ;-)
The game being fairly one-sided in the Rockets' favor, and relatively lifeless in my opinion (Nate says it's because this is a preseason game), we depart to find some sushi.
Wait, no, the dancers have come out again...
OK, now we're leaving.
... and now going back for Nate's camera, still under the seat.
Two words, Nate: Ginko. Biloba.
Darn, the sushi place closes at 9:30PM. Looks like today is the day for breweries. Gordon Biersch. Cute hostess, hmm...
Halfway to the stadium from where we parked and walked, Nate remembered that the tickets were back in the car. Then, poor Tom has been denied entry to the stadium for having a camera in his backpack. Boo hoo, NBA. I never saw any signs declaring them forbidden, either.
We've seated now, with a bird's eye view of the court. This is our first NBA game, for each of us!
(FYI, words can't describe it, but: Yao Ming is... Tall. Huge, really. Wow.)
Halftime: So far at my first NBA game, I confess to finding myself more fascinated with the antics of the Sasquatch mascot as he works through the crowd... and by the cheerleaders, as far as I can tell all perfect examples of human sculpture. Characters certainly intended to captivate. The game itself, I've decided, is merely a convenient excuse for the spectacle surrounding it. Give me soccer instead, any day... but bring the cheerleaders at least, of course ;-)
The game being fairly one-sided in the Rockets' favor, and relatively lifeless in my opinion (Nate says it's because this is a preseason game), we depart to find some sushi.
Wait, no, the dancers have come out again...
OK, now we're leaving.
... and now going back for Nate's camera, still under the seat.
Two words, Nate: Ginko. Biloba.
Darn, the sushi place closes at 9:30PM. Looks like today is the day for breweries. Gordon Biersch. Cute hostess, hmm...
Back to Seattle
Our passage back into the US of A went infinitely smoother than our ordeal getting into Canada yesterday. Having all the belts in the car's engine probably helps, but even the border guard asked only half of the rapid-fire pop quiz questions we faced from the Canadian guards. Contrary to my worry as a citizen born abroad in England, he actually seemed more interested in Nate, the only native-born citizen among us.
Before crossing over we stopped at the duty-free shop for some souvenir collecting. I couldn't leave Canada without a bottle of maple syrup in hand, after all!
After crossing, we also couldn't help calling up our boss to joke around with, since he had such trouble himself returning into the US from a short drive down to Mexico last year...
"Free Monchusie!" :-)
Before crossing over we stopped at the duty-free shop for some souvenir collecting. I couldn't leave Canada without a bottle of maple syrup in hand, after all!
After crossing, we also couldn't help calling up our boss to joke around with, since he had such trouble himself returning into the US from a short drive down to Mexico last year...
"Free Monchusie!" :-)
Granville Island, Vancouver
After walking through Yaletown in downtown Vancouver, as well as a nice riverside park and marina, we've taken an "aquabus" across to Granville Island. We're about to take a tour of Granville Island Brewery, followed by lunch in the taproom. Our plan coincides with the return of the rain, which has made walking outside rather miserable.
So far the Canadian people (at least in British Columbia) are friendly... and beautiful. Indeed, Tom and I are in a constant state of double-take while we're strolling the streets, never seeing something we don't like ;-)
Post-Tour: We've skipped lunch at the brewery since the beer tasting and socialization with our German and Canadian compatriots went longer than anticipated. In proof that the world is smaller than we think, the girl sitting across from us (who just got married) was actually also from Kansas City... in fact, she was baptized in the same church that Nate himself will be getting married in next year!
A quick stroll through the public market yields us some Bavarian spicy sausage in a bun, for lunch, which we enjoy while tossing fries to the horde of pigeons and seagulls flocking the outdoor dining area. Then, its off to pick up Tom's car from the shop and head back to Seattle.
Vancouver, I would definitely visit again. Another one of those places, like Cocoa Beach, which has spoken to my soul... if in a different, but no less pleasant, way.
See you again soon, I hope, O Canada!
Canadian Morning
A seagull has roosted on our sill, providing Tom some photography opportunity (after scaring the crap out of him when it landed and peeked in the window).
A call to the repair shop assures us that his car is being looked at already, so all that's left to do is enjoy ourselves already!
... but first, we need to get some money that's worth something up here.
A call to the repair shop assures us that his car is being looked at already, so all that's left to do is enjoy ourselves already!
... but first, we need to get some money that's worth something up here.
Vancouver, At Last
We have arrived at our hotel after an impromptu local color tour given by our tow truck driver, of White Rock, Surrey, Richmond, and finally the streets of Vancouver leading to Canadian Tire (he was particularly diligent in pointing out the hotspots for prostitution for some reason). We piled out of the two-person passenger seat all three of us had been squashed into for 30 miles, and dropped our car off in the hopes of having it repaired by tomorrow afternoon so we can return to Seattle according to schedule. Given our luck so far, we'll be lucky to get back at all...
The cot we've been provided is the same size as one of the regular beds, requiring extensive rearrangement to shoe-horn into the room. Even the hotel clerk looked surprised when he brought it in.
Observations: the US dollar isn't worth spit up here, gas (petrol) seems fairly inexpensive at CD1.05 ... until you realize that's the price per liter (about 1/4 gallon), the taxi drivers are blind, and nothing is open late... but at least the people are friendly, even when they're bleeding you dry on tow fare. Oh, and it's cold.
Late-late-night pizza, Pepsi, and Canadian TV ensues until we pass out.
Tomorrow better be worth it.
The cot we've been provided is the same size as one of the regular beds, requiring extensive rearrangement to shoe-horn into the room. Even the hotel clerk looked surprised when he brought it in.
Observations: the US dollar isn't worth spit up here, gas (petrol) seems fairly inexpensive at CD1.05 ... until you realize that's the price per liter (about 1/4 gallon), the taxi drivers are blind, and nothing is open late... but at least the people are friendly, even when they're bleeding you dry on tow fare. Oh, and it's cold.
Late-late-night pizza, Pepsi, and Canadian TV ensues until we pass out.
Tomorrow better be worth it.
Vancouver Bound: (Still) At The Border
Over an hour later and we can finally see the actual border station. However, Tom's car really doesn't want to go to Canada today! Just when we wanted to get into the faster-moving line of traffic, power steering failed, and now it appears all the stop-and-go (mostly stop) driving is causing his engine to overheat. We just want to get across before we have to stop and assess again, and we're AL-MOST THERE...
Moments later, we are officially in Canada... and looking for a tow truck :-(
Update: According to the tow truck driver (nice guy by the way), Tommy lost his serpentine belt!
Moment of Irony: Crossing the Serpentine River after having just learned the nature of Tom's car's malady...
Moments later, we are officially in Canada... and looking for a tow truck :-(
Update: According to the tow truck driver (nice guy by the way), Tommy lost his serpentine belt!
Moment of Irony: Crossing the Serpentine River after having just learned the nature of Tom's car's malady...
Friday, October 19, 2007
Vancouver Bound: At the Border
... and I thought the lines at Wal-Mart were bad!
Vancouver Bound: Jammed Up
Tom, Nate, and I are on the road northward now, but ever so slowly. Our progress is being impeded by an accident-induced traffic jam on I-5, blocking our lane.
Hmm, we also apparently have something wrong with Tom's car, which is making a nasty clicking sound, maybe something dragging on the ground (hopefully its not inside the engine).
We've stopped on the nearest exit to investigate, and discover that the sound is coming from the fan, but the manifold is blocking our access. Time to buy some tools!
By God, we ARE getting to Vancouver tonight!
(Oh good, its raining again...)
Later: As soon as we buy the tools and get the manifold off and start inspecting, the mysterious noise decides to go away. Well, that's good, I guess... We've decided, with that kind of magic touch, we're quitting our jobs and opening a BMW repair shop in Canada. Hah!
Back on the road, still 2 hours away from our destination. Everything so far is running smooth again. Maybe the border guards will know some good mechanics, just in case...
Hmm, we also apparently have something wrong with Tom's car, which is making a nasty clicking sound, maybe something dragging on the ground (hopefully its not inside the engine).
We've stopped on the nearest exit to investigate, and discover that the sound is coming from the fan, but the manifold is blocking our access. Time to buy some tools!
By God, we ARE getting to Vancouver tonight!
(Oh good, its raining again...)
Later: As soon as we buy the tools and get the manifold off and start inspecting, the mysterious noise decides to go away. Well, that's good, I guess... We've decided, with that kind of magic touch, we're quitting our jobs and opening a BMW repair shop in Canada. Hah!
Back on the road, still 2 hours away from our destination. Everything so far is running smooth again. Maybe the border guards will know some good mechanics, just in case...
From Southeast, to Northwest
After having just returned from a somber two weeks in the South, I had two days of "normalcy" at home before leaving on yet another trip, this time to Seattle, WA, hopefully with a jaunt up to Vancouver, Canada. My good friend Nate and I decided to take some vacation the weekend before the EduCause conference we're attending, to fly up and see the sights, as well as visit with our other good friend Tom who moved up to this area earlier in the year.
We've landed after a long flight and are now bouncing along in a bus, on our way to meet up with Tom and begin our grand adventure on the Northwest coast. I am looking forward to the happier times.
The little old lady who boarded the bus earlier and sat next to me, is apparently senile, and has been chatting with herself for nearly ten minutes about her husband and the Mexican prostitutes who stole him away. 16 of them, no less. Fascinating.
By the way... Seattle in October, is cold and wet. Guess that's why it's called Mt. Rainier!
We've landed after a long flight and are now bouncing along in a bus, on our way to meet up with Tom and begin our grand adventure on the Northwest coast. I am looking forward to the happier times.
The little old lady who boarded the bus earlier and sat next to me, is apparently senile, and has been chatting with herself for nearly ten minutes about her husband and the Mexican prostitutes who stole him away. 16 of them, no less. Fascinating.
By the way... Seattle in October, is cold and wet. Guess that's why it's called Mt. Rainier!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ancestry
Discovering that my grandfather fought in World War II made me realize I didn't know as much about my family's history as I probably should, and I've taken on a personal project to trace my family tree as far back as I can to see what kind of interesting ancestral history I can uncover. I've already discovered my grand-uncle "Dub" also fought in World War II, and is registered at the National WWII Memorial. My grandfather will shortly join him in that honor.
Wikipedia on my grandfather's WWII unit, and my grand-uncle's WWII unit.
Historical websites on my grandfather's WWII unit "The Sightseeing Sixth," and on my grand-uncle's unit "The Custer Division."
Wikipedia on my grandfather's WWII unit, and my grand-uncle's WWII unit.
Historical websites on my grandfather's WWII unit "The Sightseeing Sixth," and on my grand-uncle's unit "The Custer Division."
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Papa, Rest in Peace
My grandfather, Wilbourne Thomas Ferguson, passed away from a stroke-induced coma today. He was 81 years old, a widower of Martha Ellen Ferguson, and is survived by his eldest son (my father) Larry Ferguson, his younger sons Gerald and Terry Ferguson, his daughter Suzie Srams, and their respective grandchildren.
My grandfather was a World War II veteran, having served a year in the Pacific Front as a guard patrolman, Private First Class in the 20th Infantry Regiment out of Alabama, specifically stationed in the Phillipines and Korea. He came through physically unscathed, and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal. He was also rated a marksman with the M1 rifle.
After the war he lived nearly all of his life near Montgomery, AL, having established a small family farm upon which his children were raised and his grandchildren often visited. He kept goats, horses, rabbits, and guinea hens. He loved nothing more than to sit in his back yard, surrounded by family to talk to, watching the children run around and play, and taking life at his own pace in his own way.
We will miss you, Papa. Be with God.
My grandfather was a World War II veteran, having served a year in the Pacific Front as a guard patrolman, Private First Class in the 20th Infantry Regiment out of Alabama, specifically stationed in the Phillipines and Korea. He came through physically unscathed, and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal. He was also rated a marksman with the M1 rifle.
After the war he lived nearly all of his life near Montgomery, AL, having established a small family farm upon which his children were raised and his grandchildren often visited. He kept goats, horses, rabbits, and guinea hens. He loved nothing more than to sit in his back yard, surrounded by family to talk to, watching the children run around and play, and taking life at his own pace in his own way.
We will miss you, Papa. Be with God.
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