Raincharm’s Weblog

It is month 12.
On every calendar I have checked.
I need to flip mine at work, or risk missing deadlines.

Oh, what the heck, I’ll probably miss a few anyway.

The “holiday” season is already interesting for my understanding of the time/space continuum.
There are vacation weeks that others take.
I think I will be able to use this time to get caught up, but then I want/need to take some time as well.
And because there are others gone, there are bases to cover.

In the end, the month flies as quickly as others.
I think part of my problem is too many plans flying through my head exhaust my brain.
Carl is able to just do sometimes. I, on the other hand, am cursed to be a planner.

So, I have no real reason for not posting this yesterday, although I will give myself Friday evening off.

Friday we went on what is about as close to a date as we have ever done.
And it was a Seattle date to boot.

First of all, it rained the entire evening.
And not a nice little drizzle, or heavy mist.

Second, it started at the Space Needle.
We had dinner at Sky City, the restaurant at the top of the Needle, just underneath the observation deck.

Dinner at the Needle

This is only the second time we can recall having dinner here.
And the other “dinner” may have been breakfast. (It was that long ago.)
It is expensive, but the food was very good. (I had lamb chops, Carl had a New York steak.)
And you get to see the skyline. We went around at least 2 full revolutions during our time there (47 minutes per revolution).
Of course it was cloudy, and then it was dark, but the city lights were all visible. In fact, we ended up comparing the traffic level between the first and second time around.

Next it was down up to the observation deck, and down to the ground floor.
The ground floor includes the ubiquitous gift shop. We usually browse around, just to see what’s there.
This time we actually made a purchase, of another Seattle icon.
We got deeply discounted Seattle Sounder rain jackets. The Sounder’s season is over, so I guess it was time for the jackets to follow suit.

And finally, we departed the Seattle Center for downtown, via the Monorail.

Jay – rain on the window in the background

The Monorail was built for the 1962 World’s fair, and does the blocks between the Seattle Center and downtown in a dry and reasonably priced manner.

Carl – Monorail interior in the background

Back out into the rain for the final few blocks to Benaroya Hall.
We did not stop at the carousel, and the big Christmas Tree in Westlake Center is experiencing continued electrical problems, which means it is a decorated tree, but with no lights.

At Benaroya Hall we used the coat check for a few reasons.
1. We had the package with the Sounder jackets.
2. I was wearing a trench coat (thank you Jackie) and did not want to squish it into the theater seat.
3. Everything was wet.

Some friends of ours who are in the Seattle Women’s Chorus were part of a caroling group that was entertaining in the theatre lobby. We found them, and later they found us at our seats.

Janet & Lisa

The main act was the Seattle Men’s Chorus, with Ana Gasteyer.
It was a good show, although a bit long. Part of the length was due to the guest star, who is only there for the two opening shows, and the potentially longer than usual chat including the recent passage of the Marriage Equality law in Washington.

Same-sex couples can now wed.
Well, almost now.
Starting on December 6th, they can apply for a marriage license.
December 9th is the first day wedding ceremonies can be performed.
The December 9th Seattle Men’s Chorus show is going to include two weddings.
One is for two women (Pete-e and Jane) who have been together for 35 years. They are the poster child for committed couples  in Seattle.  The other is for two men, who have not been named to my ears (because they are not as well-known I guess). I don’t know if they are starting early, ending late, or what – but it is sure to be one great big party.

Returning home, we hung out for a bit with our friend Dennis, who is in town showing a Twilight Zone marathon for the next week (at the Grand Illusion).

Saturday dawned, but I would not say early.
Still, it was not pouring, and I felt the need to run some errands, but also get some exercise.
So we set off for the mall, on foot.
The original plan was to walk to the shopping area, make some purchases, and take the bus home.
The first two parts of the plan worked out well, but the bus was slow in arriving, so we walked home as well.

QFC – on the way down.

QFC – Not!

About 8 miles in all, and time for a break.

At least I took a break.
Carl moved another car-load of boxes to the storage facility.

In the evening we went out for 3 episodes of the Twilight Zone.
Good fun, but when we got back we were both ready to be horizontal.

Today has been a bit quieter.
We actually started the demolition project by removing the Pope’s wall.
(The kids will know what this means anyway.)

Carl has managed one load to the storage facility, and I am finally getting around to updating the blog.
Oh – and reading the Sunday paper.
And watching the Seattle Seahawks not quite lose to the Chicago Bears, which means they won.

Carl’s tasks this week have included moving boxes.
Between 15-20 each day.
We are slowly gaining back some floor space.
Of course, it is quickly occupied by the next load of boxes.

One of my tasks has been visiting a chiropractor.
My back issues were just a bit over the top this time.
(Actually, lower down, but painful none-the-less.)
I have been to see him every day this week.
On the plus side – I have left work essentially on time every day this week.

So now the Chiro wants to see me for the next 8 months.
Looking at x-rays I can see some things that are bad, and one hip is noticeably higher than the other.

On the home front, we did meet with the contractor on Monday to talk about starting demolition work.
First step is to determine what toxic substances are in the room we are going to take apart.
With this house our watchword has been, “If it could be toxic, it will be.” Asbestos, lead, we have it all.
Carl took samples to a lab to test today. We should know by the beginning of next week what type of zoot suits we will need to wear.

We took the first load over to the storage facility today.
The Prius held 16 boxes. We only took one car because I am still not lifting boxes, and it seemed like a good idea to get some of the boxes out of the house.

We labeled and listed contents while watching the Seahawks lose.
Then it was off on errands, along with everybody else in Seattle.
Including the guy driving the wrong way, at speed, down the one way street at the end of our block.
Sunny, no rain, clear, well signed – no excuse. (And he turned finally, before hitting anybody.)

These first boxes over contain some of Carl’s hobby.
All baseball oriented.
Years of card collecting, and more importantly, contacting players in writing over some of their notable accomplishments.

Sometimes the players ask you to donate a small amount to a charity they support, in return for answering your letter or signing a card. Carl does this sometimes, and we usually check to see that the charities are legitimate. Almost all seem like worthy causes.

One such player, Randy Jones, a pitcher (and Cy Young award winner), had not responded – even after the donation had been cashed. After about a year, Carl followed up with a second letter. He included his phone number, which he rarely adds.

This afternoon the phone rang. We now have caller ID, but I am not in the habit of looking at the display.
A deep voice asked for Carl. It was Randy Jones, calling to apologize for not following through on the request.
!

And so we are off to label and list more boxes for one more load over today.
This one looks to move beyond hobby and into books, maybe some clothes.
Carl is getting a workout, and I am doing the paperwork part.

And tomorrow, it will be back to the grindstone.

Every big project starts with a single step.
We took one more today.
To be truthful, we have taken a few others already, but we have been moving at a glacial pace toward getting a remodel done.

Monday afternoon we are meeting with the contractor so he can give us tips on how to demolish our exercise room.
This is a room in the basement that has a floor slightly raised above the basement floor. It has “finished” walls, that are flaking paint, and a closet. We call it the exercise room because it houses a stationary bicycle, elliptical, universal machine, sit-up/weight bench and a rowing machine. All are used frequently, except the rowing machine and the bench. (The bench does hold a radio, and is used occasionally.) The rowing machine should be on the curb.

There is water that goes from the wall at some point, under this floor, and out to the rest of the basement. I shudder to think of the state of the underside of this room. I am sure it is not up to code.

And we are planning to take out all of the floor, the wall coverings, and the closet – leaving a big space. This will be re-enclosed after a drainage project to intercept whatever is coming in and redirecting it outside, and an earthquake retrofit project to nail the house to the foundation.

Our part is demolition.

Before our part really takes place, we need to move things away. No reason for everything to get dusty.
Since this work is in the basement, the obvious place for “stuff” to go is up.
Up is already cluttered with over 100 boxes of other “stuff” previously packed.
Therefore, it is time for some “stuff” to go out.

We are flinging as we go, but this is “stuff” we have opted to hang onto.
So our big trip today was to the Storage place a short piece away from our house.
We rented the biggest area they have. We will have to see how it works out as time moves forward.

Tomorrow – we will add our locks to the doors, and start moving a box or two.
Tonight – starting to get a real handle on the box contents – before we have them all off-site, and want something that we just know is in one of them.

And all of this while I am having real lower back pain. For the last 24-36 hours I have been somewhat limited in movement.
A piece on the ground is just a long way away.
My biggest problems come with transitioning from one position to another.
Getting out of the waterbed was probably the worst.
I am icing the area, and we took a walk (to the Storage facility) to try to shake it out a bit.

Oh – and the Brandi Carlile (correct spelling) concert was excellent.
We were very close – but up high and to the side, having a profile view.

See the star – except we were on the opposite side

She can really belt out a song, and is about as energetic as any performer I have watched.
She and her band (not with the orchestra) did one number with no mics on either themselves or their instruments.
This just to show how much she loves and appreciates the acoustics at Benaroya Hall.
It was awesome.

From the Benaroya Hall site.

The hall’s traditional shape, defined by massive wood and plaster surfaces, is faceted and coffered to provide excellent acoustics and diffuse sound effectively. Orchestral performances require long reverberation times, which require surfaces that are heavy and dense to reflect sound and absorb as little as possible. The wood paneling on the walls is subdivided into smaller panels, each one a different size so that each one resonates with a different frequency of sound. The arrangement of how those panels are put together, the subdivisions of those panels and the fasteners of those subdivisions are all expressed in the way the wood paneling is detailed. The result is that the physics of the acoustical design becomes an important part of the architectural design. In addition, distractions in the form of airborne sounds or earthly rumbles from surrounding streets, the transit tunnel, or the railroad tunnel below the site have been eliminated by building the hall as a box within a box, with the inner concrete box completely supported on rubber pads.

We had a wonderful time this Thanksgiving.
We ended up with a group that has been gathering together for a few decades.
It was quite the experience. Just a really nice group of people.

So nice and relaxing that we forgot we had another commitment that night.
We were supposed to take the car to the shop for its 5000 mile check-up.
They do a key-drop, and just fit the car in sometime during the day. Pick-up in the late afternoon.

There was a Black Friday service special, and my car was due – so Kismet.

A bit before noon Carl picked up the phone, and realized there was a reminder message (from yesterday).
Red-faced I called the shop, and they said to bring it in anyway.

So – our shopping today, has been to the car store.
And the return trip will likely be our last shopping move of the day as well.

We do have plans for this evening – Brandi Carlisle with the Seattle Symphony.
And after the show we can cruise downtown and see the newly lit holiday lights.
I had considered trying to be downtown early for the actual lighting  ceremony – but it is raining.
We will wait for a dryer year.

For now – we will watch the Apple Cup, and be warm and dry.
(As it stands UW 7, WSU 3, but WSU is driving and deep in Husky territory.)

We have the good fortune to be spending our Thanksgiving dinner with friends and friends of friends later today.
Since we are only making a portion of the meal, we took advantage of a sun (really a non-rain) break to take a walk.
The primary goal was a hot latte. (We have found that Seattle coffee shops are generally open on Thanksgiving. To a point. Usually early or mid-afternoon.)

Since neither of the kids have been spending copious amounts of time in town recently, we are providing a few updates to some neighborhood sites.

First up a new beginning. Really a delayed new beginning. This was a big hole in the ground for several years. An idea, paused for the economic blip, now an idea once again.

One block off of Green Lake

Second up – both an ending and beginning. The QFC that for years was our closest grocery store, home of breakfast goodies and coffee stop. Kroger’s takeover of the brand and subsequent quality decrease and price increase cut the frequency of our visits. It is now slated to be the light rail station nearest our house. It will be several years still, but I am excited at the prospect.

Roosevelt – Eat, Shop, Dine and DESTROY

Next up – just south of the QFC site. I have a feeling this building will be going away soon as well. Transit oriented development for folks that use the light rail. For now, it is taking on the latest incarnation. (Some more detailed history here of the prior long-term tenant.)

I wonder if any of the boxer’s think they are on Cloud 9?

3rd shot of this intersection – like a phoenix, rising from the ashes of the Scarlet Tree. Can’t believe it took so many years.

Retail below, living above.

Finally – one of the things I am most thankful for.

Carl

Now it is time to work on our pumpkin themed food.

Today has started just a bit differently than a normal work day. And it is a work day. I know of many who have the day off. My sister, a teacher, which I am sure in turn drives many others to take a day off. My son has a pot luck at noon, and then they are dismissed. My daughter? Who knows.
Today is also different because I start with a morning meeting in Bellevue. Bellevue is between my home and office, so I opted to take the short route, and meet others from my office there. I will be relying on their kindness, however, to get me the rest of the way to work after the meeting.
The bus runs from fairly close, ~1/2 mile, to our house. I did beg a ride from Carl, solely based on the inclement weather we have been experiencing.
As I settled in for a 15 minute wait for the bus, the one before my planned departure arrived. So on I got, enjoying the not driving part. After a bit, we caught up with the bus before the one I was on.
They had increased the number of buses on this run when they added tolls to the bridge. I was wondering at the need, as my bus only had a half dozen or so riders. However, when we passed the bus in front of us when the stopped to let some passengers disembark, I could see that bus was packed.
Anyway, I got to my meeting super early, and have spent my time now, recounting this minor adventure in commuting.
I did try and snap a few of the sights along the way. Since I am doing this all from my phone, I have no idea what to expect.

And there you have it. Happy day before Thanksgiving.

Yeah, it’s a weather post.
We had 2.5 inches of rain yesterday,, and most of it fell in a 6-hour period.
Clogged drains did the rest.
It reminded me of the old Bill Cosby “Noah” routine. (That is, the routine is old.)

Sidebar: “Who’s the most important person in the world Rey?” “Cosby!”. (Rey was about 2 or 3 at the time.)

I digress.
Driving yesterday was a windshield wiped tester, and hang on to the wheel going through the lakes that formed along the margins of most roads.
Here is the road adjacent to the Church of Baseball field.

2-inches of rain = floating cars

Luckily, Carl and friends had opted for an indoor cage on the slightly less rainy Sunday.

This morning has dawned with only scattered clouds, although rain is predicted for the afternoon commute.
Get your T-day shopping done now.

Thanksgiving has a tradition of being a bad weather week around here. The paper generally has directions for alternative cooking methods, and do Not bring the grill inside the house.

We gave it our full 90 at the Sounders game tonight. Actually, about 45 minutes before too.

We made it to the March, in time to see Leveque give the starting line-up.

Fun in the rain

During the March it was raining lightly, showers would be the technical Seattle term. As the game started it turned to rain, then a hard rain, and finally showers again. (I love all of the terminology that goes along with generally just being wet.)
We were actually attired with enough layers to be comfortable, but damp.

The Sounders played really well, energetically, and on the ball. We were up 2-0 and driving. Then the referee made a dubious call in the box which gave LA a penalty kick. The score ended 2-1, with the Sounders on the high side.

However, this was the second leg of a two let game.
LA won the first leg 3-0. So the Sounders needed to have a 3 goal edge to force overtime, and a 4-goal edge to win outright.

At 2-0, it all seemed possible, which is why the penalty kick awarded to LA was so devastating.
Carl was going on and on about how it should not have been called. It was on a hand ball in the box by a Sounder player. But it was caused when an LA player kicked the ball into his hand, rather than reaching out to deflect the ball. And it was not in a location that stopped a goal scoring opportunity, and did not change the course of play – except that it did. And in listening to the post-game on the way home, the Sounder’s coach said exactly the same thing Carl had said earlier.

OK – enough of our sports report.
We are drying out at home now. Popcorn for dinner. (Lunch was more substantial)

Time to curl up in a nice warm bed.

Season is over