Raincharm’s Weblog

Back home.
3 of us anyway.
Work and a Mariner game.
Half of a carpool. (That is where you drive one way, and carpool the other, leaving a car at work.)

Weather?
It rained in the morning, but cleared in time for the Mariner game.
I would still not call it warm.

Carl had a kid or two, and Jet accompanied him to the start of the Mariner game.

Batting Practice Lounging

Unusual bits:
Ashlan and Caitie were at the game as well.
The Mariners scored lots of runs. 5 in the second, 1 in the third and 2 more in the fourth.
And it is supposed to get positively warm today.

Car
Shuttle Bus
People Movers (many)
Airplane
Light Rail Train
Bus
Feet (or foot and cast)

7:30 AM (CDT) – 4 PM (PDT)

And I am ready to rest.

Going through the mail, and waiting for a second wind.

What was that big yellow orb. Unobscured by clouds.
Sunscreen required.
So nice to sit out in shorts and a t-shirt.
And then need to move into the shade to cool down a bit.

OK – has winter really been that long in Seattle??

Yes! I checked the weather for Seattle tomorrow on our return.
Surprised? NO! 50’s and rain.

Well, it is supposed to get into the 70’s on Saturday – so there will be something to look forward to.

Some pictures from our walk today – before the camera battery died.
I have relatives with “real” cameras, and these are just a point and shoot with limited zoom.
But here they are.

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We saw a pelican, osprey, blue heron, ducks, meadowlark (we think), redwing blackbirds (lots of them), small yellow birds, and a rabbit and a snapping turtle. Some of them are in the preceding pictures. Some are not, and some will not be recognizable for what they are. But it was a very enjoyable walk, and if we lived here this would be on a frequently visited list.

To complete the day there was lunch at Coopersmiths.
They make their own beer, so this was sort of like visiting another brewery, although the tour was very limited, and I don’t think they have any horses.
Then the aforementioned time in the sun, followed by dinner and more chatting. (I will admit to missing a bit of the chat as I struggled to stay awake. Too much sun.)

Off to bed as tomorrow we must arise in time to head back to the dampness we call home.

The highlight of today’s wild west adventures was touring the Fort Collins’ Budweiser factory. Carl, Doris & I partook of the 1 hour, 1 mile tour and beer making lesson. At the end Carl also pointed out that I was drinking beer before noon. WELL IT IS A VACATION. I tried Land Shark, Carl had Shock Top and American Ale. Both Carl & Doris also sampled the Bud Light Lime. And the Clydesdales are really big. Jackson was the horse I was closest to, and he was huge.

I know for sure this is at least the 2nd Budweiser tour I have been on, with the other in St. Louis. But I am sure I remember another tour of a liquid refreshment plant. One where the can loading machine stuck and things were piling up together. (Help me out here family folks.)

Carl and I were planning to tack on a separate walk after the tour, but when we completed our taste testing it was pouring rain. So back to the ranch for lunch. We also mended pants and sorted CDs through the afternoon.

Then it was time for dinner. Leg of lamb, potatoes and peas with mint. Jeanne and Steve certainly know how to put on a dinner.

Basically we got to spend the day with family – chatting and catching up. Really the point of the whole vacation. Family = Bob, Doris, Jeanne, Steve, Carl & Jay. Good times.

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When we arose this morning (more than once actually) it was raining.
Seattle? Feels like it, but it doesn’t look like it.

We eventually made contact with the Colorado contingent of the Harms family.
Lunch, talk, sharing of pictures, and then – the sun came out.

At least for a few minutes.
And when it wasn’t sunny, it also wasn’t raining.

I put on sunscreen and sat down.
And then lay back and closed my eyes.

I did not fall asleep, but actually was able to relax my cold repelling instincts for a moment, and feel the warmth.

Then we went and visited a friend, chatted longer than our allotted time, were late for dinner, and are now ready to recharge for tomorrow.

3 days, 2 countries, 1 province, 2 states.
I have had a bit of trouble remembering what day of the week it is, and who will be where when, and who has tickets to what game and is going with whom.

We had a car ride, plane flight, baseball game, and now spending a “quiet” night.

Car ride was from Ashlan – to the airport.
She is staying home, sort of – with her own spreadsheet version of what is happening when.

Plane trip – about 2-1/2 hours to Colorado.
Just enough time to watch a soccer game.
As it turns out the UEFA Championship game was on TV, starting when we took off, and ending when we landed. A very pleasant way to spend a flight. It was also a total surprise that we would get to watch a game, and a great game. Manchester United vs. Barcelona. Very nice foot-work, if you like that in a soccer game.
We also got our first trip through the new scanning machine. No problems at all, and no searching or patting down. There were several folks being patted down, but I am not sure they went through the scanner. They were apparently very thorough pat downs. We decided that the pat downs were OK, but it would be better if they were screened from those of us sitting around putting our shoes (and casts) back on.

Baseball game – Rockies vs. Cardinals.
Rockies prevail 15-4. After the 1st inning it was 6-0.
Let’s just say that there were very few tense moments in the game, and one particularly interesting play. Man on 3rd, infield “hit”. Really a Fielder’s choice, as the play was to pick off the runner who broke from 3rd, and let the batter get to first. Except that in the rundown between 3rd and home, the pitcher managed to run into the runner (or visa-versa) when he did not possess the ball. So it is interference with the runner, and the runner scores. [And the other runner ended up on second.]

that was way too much information, but it has been a busy day and I am tired, and do not want to edit.

We will be getting to visit with inlaws and b&s-in-laws tomorrow. And here at the energy sapping high elevations, we need our sleep.

We drove up this morning – no problems at all, although the border guard did take Ashlan’s student Visa (since she is no longer a student).

Brunch at Jethro’s. Great food.

Then off to locate a cap and gown. At which point Ashlan left us, and Carl, Katie (Ashlan’s Vancouver roommate) and I went to find the auditorium.

Ashlan and the Chancellor

Yes, we were seated behind the stage.

Following the ceremony, it was outside to enjoy the view.

Proud Parents

Then, what to do? Why – eat of course.

Dinner was at the Twisted Fork.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. So much food, and sooooo good.
We are trying to regain our ability to move around right now.

I have recently noticed a trend where I hit the ground when I was not intending to do so.

When I play soccer I will occasionally hit the dirt. Or more recently, turf.
This is not usually expected, but it is also not unexpected, and most likely involves somebody else helping to propel me downward. Most of these instances are followed by a whistle blast, and somebody is penalized (only very occasionally am I that somebody).

But within the last week there were 2-1/2 instances where I met the ground.
Nobody was helping me down. (Or up for that matter.)

The first instance can be blamed on a newly manicured and edged lawn.
As I was looking back to admire and comment on said lawn to Ashlan, who was walking next to me, I tripped over a curb. The curb was really just a sidewalk joint. But this sidewalk joint has a vertical grade change that could easily be mistaken for a curb. My palms took the brunt of the fall, with scrapes and general pain. The pain has dulled, and the scrapes have healed, well almost healed.

Just as I was starting to forget this occurrence, my inability to stay vertical was brought back in a jolt. I was at a soccer game, but the game had not started. I thought, “I’ll warm up, and reduce the potential of injury from a pulled muscle.” So I started to job on an adjacent patch of grass. Only after a few steps I was falling.

I thought my knees had buckled. Indeed my knees took this fall, as my hands never made it out in front. I did have running pants on, and I looked and felt like I was five again. Grass stains on my pants, and scrapes underneath.

This one was a bit off-putting as I did not really know why my knees had buckled. Ashlan suggested I try running again, on the turf. I did, and once again I almost fell. But it was really my ankle that was buckling – not my knee.

I will admit I did not play the game, or really try to run again that afternoon. I have walked – with no problems, and eventually I will run again. But for now I am just wondering if this is part of the arthritis or just getting older. I am not ready to be slowed (more than I am already – see getting older).

But I do not have the time to deal with this right now – so onward at a somewhat slower pace.

Fifty miles and four printers later, I have finished my chore for the day.
There should have been more chores, but printing got the best of me.
In the end I was able to accomplish with my own equipment what I needed.

Why Microsoft and the equipment manufacturers can not make printers understand what is sent to them from the same software they normally see is a big unknown to me. Not everything is meant to be on 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper.

Nevertheless, it is done.

This weekend has been rather blah for me.
Somewhat like our weather.

It started on Friday afternoon.
I pledge to never be unprepared for a meeting, ever again.
Enough said.
Damage control has been started.
I just need my head to move on now.

Like I noted earlier. Enough said.

(I guess it is still bugging me, but I am trying to let it go.)