Raincharm’s Weblog

It was a week to forget.
Not really, but it was not the best week we have ever had.

Starting last weekend, both Carl & I got colds.
Carl’s may have started a day or two earlier, but by Sunday I was feeling it as well.

Unfortunately, life around us does not stop, and neither did we.
Luckily, Carl found the energy early in the week to make stuffed peppers.
They were great, and enough food to sustain us through three or four healthy dinners.
(Yes, in a row, and I did not care, it was good, warm food.)

There was also the little item called a birthday that happened.
It was celebrated at work with a loaf of cinnamon chip bread (or was that for bosses day), lemon pie, raisin cookies, and a small box of chocolates.
And telephone calls. Both the kids, and a message from my parents and in-laws.
Since I share a birthday with my father-in-law, we almost always remember to talk.
On the home front we did not feel like doing anything more, but I did not really work at home that night either.

Which brings me to the other main issue of the week, and the week before, and the coming weeks. WORK.

It is all capitals right now. Deadlines everywhere. Two, no three, no really four major projects. One major, major project is going to get done, come H*** or high water. Then there is the budget. With my plugged head I just could not get the numbers to make any kind of sense. And I had a meeting Friday afternoon (2 PM), immediately following my major, major project meeting at 1 PM. So on Friday morning I started typing up my departments reason for being, and what major issues were in the near term (next few years). This is what backs up the need for $$, which should flow readily from there. It has been in my head, but with a brand new boss, and just because it is good to have a written plan, I started writing. After four hours of typing I had the first two sections pretty well done. It was going to have to do for the budget meeting. Now I did have my pittance of operating expenses (<$50,000) roughly sketched out, and I knew what my major, major project (capital) was going to be around (1/2 Million). It is just the how to show the figures correctly …

Luckily for me, my budget meeting was limited to 1 hour due to another department needing to meet. And we were all limited to needing to leave work at 4:30 because the nearest high school’s home-coming parade shuts down our entrance exit by about 4:45. So after a little more than an hour I was allowed to return to my office.

I was exhausted, and had a full load of work to continue on. Not likely on that day, but from here until T-Day as near as I can tell. Pedal to the metal.

And then I got a call (not my birthday) from Rey.
Always nice to talk with Rey, but I had only spoken with him the previous day, so I was a bit surprised. But it was good news. This is starting the third year that Rey will be working for the Tennessee Smokies. He started as a Concessions Intern (helping to run the concessions department). Last year he was hired full time (re: health care) as  a Group Sales person. Now he has been promoted to the Group Sales Director. [Don’t get too excited, it is still the same small organization.] It has a lot more responsibilities, and should be some really good experience.

I just re-read this to Carl and he noted that I can babble in print as well as I babble out loud to him when I come home from work after a stressful day. Anyway …

Baseball – because it is the playoffs. We were happy that the Rangers beat the Yankees last night (sorry Dad). Today we are rooting for the Giants. The Phillies would not be too bad, but the Giants would be better.

My real Birthday wish, for several years now, is to go to a baseball game. On my birthday. In Seattle. That used to mean they were in the World Series. Now they have mashed to schedule so it would mean the AL Championship Series, but I guess that would be OK too.

That’s why they call it a wish.

I am a mushroom.
I live in the dark and am fed on s…

Well, today I wish I were a mushroom.
But I am just another worker trying to get my head straight when it is full of snot. Aches, pains, I should not be at work. But there were just too many things on the agenda today, and it is “just a cold.” It is not the flu.

Carl got to play in the back yard today.

This is the result of his work.

One afternoon's work

Can you tell what they are? My blog two blogs ago holds the key.

Mushrooms - a few different kinds, hundreds of them

 And there are still more out there. Hopefully there will be some more fine day tomorrow in which to pull mushrooms.

And he might just want to stay close to home tomorrow. There will be crowds around. Obama is stumping for candidates. First at a home (don’t know which one, but the neighborhood is not too far). Then at the UW Basketball Arena. Woo-hoo. I would love to just catch a glimpse. But will probably be working.

Today?

Project working – got through 1 bit.
Soccer playing – not very well however, in my humble opinion.
Cold dealing with – not quite here, but energy very low, head very stuffed and achy.
Concert missing – due to cold (both of us). Boo hoo.
Card creating – remember Bosses day (which was Saturday – October 16th)

The card creating was probably the most fun. More time at the computer, but I learned more about doing art in word with clip-art kinds of things (wmv’s?) not audio, so I must have the type wrong. But I was able to change colors of bits and pieces of previously created (by others) things that are inserted as pictures. This was just an interesting little project to show a small amount of appreciation. But it opens up the mind for other possibilities.

Time for bed. (I was going to say, “early to bed, so I can be early to rise”, but then I realized it was almost 11:30. ‘Night.

About 1 year ago our back yard was a series of dirt mounds.
These were spread, tilled, etc, etc.

Then came the sod adventure. Click here to revisit the new grass scene.

And so the new lawn is nearing its one year aniversary.
Here is a partial, fuzzy picture.

Almost 1 year old lawn.

Here is a little closer view.

Wait, the grass is not all green!

Closer …

There is fungus among us

You may have noticed the sun in the picture. It was a cold, sunny day.
And Carl is fighting a cold, but consented to step out into the sun for a walk. Ended up at about 2.5 miles because we did not want to put him down for the count.

And I did some reviewing of project chapters.
More to review for tomorrow.

So – I have my big project that really needs to get done.
I had planned to work most of the day on this project.
Arrived at work approximately 7:54 AM.
By 8 AM I was instead:

• Responding to a complaint that the temperature in the Board room seemed to be soaring again, when the previous day it had soared and then tanked.
• Responding to a report (actually several reports eventually) of a car with California license plates driving around the sidewalk, and then into our parking lot, taking pictures.

Now the heating issue I had actually addressed at the end of the previous day.
The unauthorized car? I immediately went outside and saw the car myself, driving through the parking lot and leaving the site. I was only able to get 3 characters of the plate. Others had some additional information, and so I spent the better part of the morning putting together incident reports. (Oh yeah, when I was talking to others that had been near the car they told me about two strange phone calls that came in at the same time.) Strange morning, probably innocent, but …. we have to check it out. Protect the water supply and all.

So the project? About 11:30 I finally got to it.

So tomorrow will be a project day as well.
Fun, fun.

But for real fun, we went to the Sounders last regular season soccer game.
Another win – 2 to 1.
A bit chilly, but no rain in sight.
We had dinner out, then walked to join other fans for the March to the Match.
[Band, chanting, singing, general cheering, but no hooliganism.]
(I have actually seen a t-shirt that said, “Hooligans don’t march.”)

A really nice break from HVAC systems, security breaches and unfinished projects.

I am trying to finish a BIG project.
But I am having a terrible time getting focused.
I really think I need to get to a place where I am either working on the project or twiddling my thumbs.

Maybe a thermos of hot chocolate and a cozy spot that is

• Not in my house.
• Not at my desk
• Not near a telephone
• Food close at hand
• Power would be handy (for a computer plug-in)

Then I am sure I could accomplish mountains of work.
But most people are expecting me to be sitting at my desk, and accomplishing whatever I can.

Hmmm. I need a plan. I need inspiration.

Today was Columbus Day.
We do not get this as a holiday, or thankfully, as a furlough day.
I did take it as a vacation day.

The day was supposed to start with breakfast at the Scarlett Tree.
It had to be early, as Carl did not take a vacation day.
Carl & I got up and started getting ready.
I called into Ashlan’s room and she grunted back.
Unfortunately the next sound I heard from her was not the sound of a healthy person.

We skipped the breakfast out.
Ashlan skipped breakfast altogether.

Luckily her distress seemed to only last the morning.
She was able to eat a roll (forgotten at the T-Day dinner), and we were able to make the trip north in the afternoon.

So up we went, Ashlan & I.
No major incidents, just some rain as we entered Vancouver.

And back I went.
The rain ended as I entered the US, after a 6 car wait. (No complaints.)

As I was approaching Bellingham I had passed a car, and was settled back into the right lane, with another truck a little ways ahead. Suddenly I heard a roar. Motorcycle? Loud car/truck approaching in a hurry??

No – a large airplane coming in for a landing, just off the freeway.

I had just started hearing advertisements for flying into and out of Atlanta Bellingham.  This may have been a 757. I am sorry to say I do not have all the Boeing fleet committed to memory. It did have the wings that curve up ever so slightly. What I do know is that I have never seen a large plane coming in over the freeway in that location. They come in over your left shoulder, so there is not much of a visual warning. Got my attention. (I must have Atlanta on my mind.)

The rest of my attention was kept by the Giants/Braves game.
I arrived home with one out in the bottom of the 9th.
Giants win the game, and the series.

I guess Thanksgiving is really tomorrow, but most people around here are working or in school tomorrow.

So – the food started in the previous post was all coming together. Some faster than expected. The turkey was at the appointed temperature before any guests had arrived (not by much though). Mark H was in the kitchen – he had made the gravy which was waiting on the stove, and then generally helping out. I was in the kitchen “carving” the turkey. [Really ripping and shredding the pieces onto the platter.]

Also on the stove was the stuffing. The stuffing this year was completely outside of the turkey. We could not find any little stuffing cubes (really – look for something that is not pre-seasoned stuff right now), so decided to make our own. Carl got a baguette and a loaf of french bread. I cubed the baguette and half of the other loaf yesterday. Sauted them briefly in butter (in the wok), and then baked them for 5 minutes. Added some sage and thyme, and set them aside for today. Today I put the stuffing together with onions, celery, (noted now that I forgot the egg), some chicken broth, and into a Pyrex casserole. In the oven, and out after 45 minutes.

And then. The stuffing exploded. Literally.

The Pyrex casserole was in pieces, and there was a mound of stuffing sitting on the stove top, and some on the ground. The kitchen was declared off limits for anyone except Mark, myself, and then Carl – with shoes on. We picked up the casserole bits and the stuffing, into a bag – destined for the garbage.

Luckily the gravy, which was just one burner away, had a skim on the surface. We could see no dents or holes in the skim and determined the gravy was safe to consume. We quickly finished up the turkey shredding, put the gravy into a bowl, and loaded the table with all of the food that was still available to eat.

It was all good and I believe everybody had enough to eat. Turkey, fruit salad, pumpkin soup, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry-orange relish, and a few different salads that were great. [We never got the rolls out either, and with the stuffing gone the mashed potatoes had to hold up the carbohydrate end of the evening.]

Once again the meal was started with a chorus of Oh, Canada. And after the dinner we all stood and sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the mid-7th inning of the Phillies v Reds game. And because it is a school and work night here in the states, everybody was on their way by 7:30.

It felt like 10 PM to be truthful, but starting in the late afternoon will do that.
I am going to get the recipe for the cranberry relish we had tonight. Too good to not try to recreate.

Just a little report.
Starting with yesterday afternoon.

Three of us played soccer. Two of the three played the entire game. Two of the three came away with injuries.
Three = Ashlan, Jay & Carl
Two = Ashlan & Carl
Two = Jay & Carl

I’ll let you figure out the two and two.
We won 3-0. SHUTOUT for Carl.

Today.
Actually slept in a bit, and then off and doing.
Coffee (at home type)
Tables arranged for 12. Chairs borrowed so al 12 can sit at a table.

• Onions diced
• Cheese grated
• Apples sliced
• Potatoes cubed
• Turkey in the oven.

Still to come

• Soup in a pumpkin prepared
• Stuffing (outside)
• Mashing and smashing
• Fruit cutting
• Cream a whipping
• Others bringing other things
• And most important, chatting and eating.

I have been reading quite a bit about the UM (GO BLUE) v MSU (GO GREEN) game over the last few days. And traffic has been the frequent topic. I remember walking around A2 before, during and after the football games, in the vicinity of the stadium. I always found it somehow exciting.

Now I live on a coast, and we have our own football team (GO PURPLE). And we live in the “University District” so are close enough to tell when there is something big happening. And today is a home game. They even put signs up around the neighborhood with the expected times of traffic impact. Tonight is a night game. Impacts expected to start late afternoon. Of course that is when we actually have somewhere to go to, that almost requires we drive past the stadium. Oh well … just leave a little more time.

That fact also had us out this morning to get some errands out of the way. On my way home from my errand, I got off at our usual exit, along with just about everybody else. I guess the tailgaters start earlier than predicted. Then things got a little weird.

Out of all the traffic exiting, I was behind only one car by the time we reached the traffic signal. But of course, she then realized she wanted the right-turn lane, not the go forward/left turn lane. Put on her signal, as the right-turn lane filled with folks. Luckily, as our light turned green, a driver let her in – no delay at all.

As I proceeded forward, a tow-truck with tow was approaching from the right, on a “free-turn” into the direction I was going, to cross my lane to the freeway entrance that is north of the main intersection. Many times people using this free turn do not consider that other people might be going straight through the intersection to get to their house. Technically we have the right-of-way, but will defer in favor of saving the car. But – the tow-truck driver stopped to let me proceed. Two for two.

Then as I was proceeding, a crow, yes, a crow, enters my vision by flying (from the back of the car) in front of the windshield, proceeding down over the hood, and then in front of the “grill” (if the car had a grill). Slowing down the entire time, as though he wanted to land on the pavement in front of the car.

Maybe the crow knows the traffic patterns, and also did not expect a car to proceed straight through into the neighborhood. I am not sure. But as he was going, slowly, from the hood to the grill, he looked back over his shoulder at me. And finally veered to the left to land on the pavement, away from the car.

Weird enough.

Wonder if the crows were planning their football game assault on the tailgaters.