Raincharm’s Weblog

So, you may know already that we have something of a baseball affinity in this house.

We go to a lot of Mariner games, and a fair number of minor league games too.

And there were endless number of little league, right up through high school, and then high school ball games to go to.

And last, but not least, the man himself plays.
His playing days have ebbed and flowed depending on the number and severity of injuries.
This year was a real trial. Last time there was a dislocated elbow, and this season started off with the foot in a boot for several months.

The team joined for this foray into Senior League Baseball looked to need pitchers, so Carl thought he would give them  a whirl. We are well into the season now, and tonight ……

THEY GOT THEIR FIRST WIN!

Carl was the winning pitcher, although he only pitched the end of the game.
Still – wonderful.

(And I was not there. Working evening, and the venue was not close to work or home.)

I often tell Carl I am not, “the good wife,” I am just the wife.

But today I had every intention of calling my father to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

But I managed to get derailed. (Actually, I asked my son whether I should eat or work out. He said, “work out.” And by the time I was done working out my brain was mush and did not remember the other things I was supposed to do today. I did not give my son the proper set of choices, or I am sure he would have said, “Call grandad!”)

And now it is too late, for today anyway.

So – here are some pictures from this summer. My Dad – he spoils us!
(Really, running at 84? You go Dad)

 

Our day was relatively, well, normal for us.

Trying to get caught up on the home paperwork (bills, checkbook, etc).

A baseball game – Carl’s team.

Now this got interesting. His team, new for him this year, has not won a game all year. Carl was pitching, and they got up 4-1. But, alas, the lead did not hold, and they lost 6-5. A few fielding errors were the main reason. [Carl might add that the strike zone was less than consistent as well.] But it was fun to be out playing games.

The team went out for pizza afterwards, with a few wives and kids in attendance. A satisfactory ending for those over 50, playing a game they love.

We topped off the pizza with stop at Baskin-Robbins.

Then home to watch a Midsomer Murders episode.

Fall into bed with a little SNL. (So I could see who Jason Sudeikis is. Ashlan served him a sandwich a week or so ago.)

We have been back for 2 days now (I think).
It has been busy – although we only have ourselves to blame for that.

Jumping back into work with both feet and a few other limbs thrown in for good measure.
Then in the evening I have been crashing – just too tired to move.

We did manage to get a bit of food into the house, but last night was typical.
We had an appointment last night to look forward to retirement funding. So I rushed home through horrendous traffic.

Carl still had two kids running around playing with a hot wheels track that extended from the dining room, through the living room, out the front door and down the steps. They were having a blast. Carl was trying to cook two turkey burgers and couscous, so we could eat and run.

As I walked in he got a call telling him to make sure he went to the NEW Lynnwood High School for their game. GAME? What game? Oh – a baseball game in 1/2 hour, and it is not on our calendar! [Apparently this was added to the electronic calendar, but not on the originally provided calendar.]

Burgers cooked. Put on to-go plates.
Couscous does not look even close – turn off the burner and leave it.
Jay leaves to appointment, Carl leaves for the game.
Turns out Carl left his burger sitting on the table, and the couscous was so liquidy because the couscous had never been added.

Oh, and I am so sorry if any of you received the HEY DUDE e-mail from my account that was hacked/taken over/whatever. I am trying to deal with it, but just delete anything from me that says DUDE, Cell phone, no subject, etc. SO SORRY.

Or something like that.

After a somewhat jumbled morning in which 3 different forms of transportation were considered for an airport jaunt, the best was chosen (because the glass guy was quick).

Then it was flights and reading, followed by walking, light rail, bus and a bit more walking.

It was not until we approached our house that we remembered the Night Out block party was tonight. But it was about 10:30, and there was only our neighbor left on her porch with a friend.

But we are safe and sound, and definitely thinking of getting luggage that rolls. The light rail to the airport is wonderful, but there is the walk required at the end.

Thanks to all that put us up and put up with us.
It was a short long vacation.

We did a few errands yesterday.
That included a walk through campus, downtown and back home again.
We returned about 2-3 PM and, after a bit of cold water, descended to the cool of the basement.

Luckily, we had been provided with a way to pass the time, jigsaw puzzles and movies.

The movie was High Fidelity, the puzzle was a 1000 piece Normal Rockwell, The Connoisseur.

The movie was funny, and the puzzle was proving challenging.
After an interruption for dinner, the puzzling continued.
During an interruption for boarding pass games, the power went out.

I descended to the basement where Carl was still puzzling in the limited light provided by two windows.

I decided to go outside and read.
At a bit past 9, it was too dark to read, so I found my headlamp (sorry Ashlan, it was a necessary fashion accessory), and joined Carl.

He had finished the white bits by feel, but there was still the spatter painting that makes up the majority of the puzzle to go.
With the assistance of the headlamps (I found another in a drawer), we persevered  until the power came back on. (Did not check the time)
And finally, at a bit past 2, we finished!

This is a great puzzle, but you should probably give yourself more than 12 hours to complete. Our only puzzle today will be figuring how to get to the airport.

And we are back into the heat.
Not as bad as the last time, or maybe I am just more tolerant.

Plus, we spent the night in the basement.

It was a beach day, again. So we walked the beach one more time, took the small family picture, blew out the drive and left.
The drive down was fairly uneventful.
A lunch stop, a few slow-downs, and then home.

Got to touch base with the other sister – for a bit, and put together a puzzle.
We may attempt the larger one tonight! (It keeps us in the basement, but we will need a larger platform.)

On a guest computer, so no pictures of the bridge flying by.

Really – our last full day here this year.
And it was a beach day.
The kind that is almost too hot. (Is that possible in the UP?)

And we managed to spend a good bit of it on the beach.

And some of it on the water.

In fact, even Dad got in the water.

It started clouding up a bit in the evening, so who would have expected such a spectacular sunset.

As always the time flies way to fast, and I am just starting to get into the swing of vacation.

Windy – but sunny.
Perfect combination for beach time and no bugs.
So we set off to the east.

I made this little video so I can calm myself down when needed in the future.

And a few pictures from the hike.
Including an eagle nest that we had been told about.
If you don’t get sea-sick, you can see what a horrid little videographer I can be.

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Yesterday was a good day all-in-all.
I did not take any medicine, only a vitamin and calcium supplement.
I only sound like I am still in the middle of illness, instead of on the long end of feeling better.

We started with laundry!
Woo-hoo, choices and clean clothes.

The day started overcast, which made the town visit easier. It got warmer as the day progressed.

And then there was Not-Thanksgiving dinner. Good to have a picnic with so many around. There were four sisters in the good or evil wear. Pretty funny, and unplanned. (I think maybe you need to be older or younger to truly appreciate the sentiment. I am told that another set of older sisters also have the shirts, but the young adult sisters do not see the fun.) If I can grab a picture from Pooh I will post it later in this post.

As the dinner was winding down, the temperature was winding up.
Carl & I picked enough berries for 1/2 a pie in front of the cabin. We will try to get the other 1/2 to celebrate Jane’s arrival. (Hopefully. A2 experienced 6 inches of rain in 12 hours a day or so ago, and with that a branch through a window that she is working on getting repaired.)
I have heard that there are berries that appear in your bucket faster in locations west of here. But it has been a while since I have picked enough cabin berries for a pie.

It was warm enough to convince me back into my suit, and into the water.
Spent a good long time in, playing briefly with a 3-year old, and then frisbee with a slightly older set.

Finally time for some reading. 1/3 of the way through the book that is my goal for the cabin reading.

Stayed up a bit late, but got up early anyway. It rained last night, but is now sunny and breezy. Carl & I are planning to walk the rocks to the eagle’s nest area.  The pictures are from the last few days.