It’s time for the start of the big dark, as winter is known here.
Okay, a bit early, but today’s drive home from work had the earmarks.
The morning commute has been in the dark for a bit now.
Today’s evening commute darkness was dark to a large extent due to the rain clouds dumping buckets as I walked to the car. The rain decreased a bit after dropping down off of the plateau, and the need for wipers even reduced to intermittent, at intermittent intervals.
And then, as I crested the hill where the freeway turns west, ☀️ ☀️☀️☀️. Blinding, low on the horizon, reflecting off of the wet pavement, in your face SUN.
Sunglasses? Not on my face, having started the drive in the dark. By the time I had my sunglasses in a place I could use them, the hills of Mercer Island were providing merciful shadows.
Until the freeway exited a tunnel to cross Lake Washington. ☀️☀️☀️☀️ again, and this time with reflections off of the lake added to the mix.
Sunglasses on, and finally got oriented north, so the ☀️ was reduced to a minor irritation.
And by the time I reached the driveway, it was really too dark for driving with sunglasses.
The weekend events started with Game Day. For those that don’t know, GameDay is an ESPN product that runs from 9 to 12 AM each Saturday during the college football season. They set up on a campus, and the students create the backdrop for the show. Because sports in the US are biased towards the east coast, that is 9 to 12 AM Eastern time zone, or 6 to 9 AM Pacific. And the good spots are allowed to fill at 4 AM. The question is, did they get up early or stay up all night?
Our inclusion in this event didn’t start until it was well underway, although it was still dark out when we left the house. We go primarily to see the spectacle. There were lots of other folks out and about most were going, but some had obviouly been and were headed to somewhere warm and dry.
Lots of folks out for an early morning walkWeather Report for the start of the show, before we arrived
We worked our way around the fringes, with occasional forays into the crowd for a picture or two.
Johnny Tenbear, a fellow old man baseball player and UW fan, despite the Sooners gear. We ran into him at the 2016 version of GameDay as well. James Clifford was a UW player many moons ago and a Mariners strength and conditioning coach until recently. The other side of the sign had a picture of Sonny Sixkiller, a UW QB 1970-1972. The man holding the sign is friends with both of them. The GameDay talking heads, with their backs to the crowd If you are in the Pit, you got a red plastic hard hat. Between the pit and the talking heads were the cheerleaders. Behind the pit is everyone else, and a lot of them have flags and signs. There was also an elevated Old Dominion section, maybe for VIPs that didn’t want to mingle with the great unwashed crowd. The crowd Things I saw in the picture much later. Equal time for women and men.This kick earned the kicker, a student with a sign that said, “Kicking is Easy,” $30,000. This was after he missed the first try, worth $60,000.
Just so you know where our allegiance lies, I will include the following somewhat blue picture.
Note Washington in the background as the morning sky lightens. The team the UW Huskies were playing was the Oregon Ducks.Washington from the front, Suzzalo library in the back
We left home about an hour after GameDay started and were back home to see the last 10 minutes on TV. And had over 8,000 steps to start the day.
Watched the game here and there, a back and forth affair.
We took a shorter walk during the game to get our Covid shots. We failed in that endeavor as apparently the change in corporate ownership of our neighborhood drugstore means they are no longer in our health network. But got our steps over 10,000.
The Huskies prevailed, 36 to 33, over the Oregon Ducks, when the Ducks missed a last second field goal attempt. Bedlam ensued.
Today was a bit tamer. Our walk was just a walk. We walked north until the rain started and then headed south towards home. About 8,000 steps again.
Fall colors Signs of old Seattle, brick streets
Tonight’s game is Astros vs. Rangers. Both teams are in the Mariner’s division and finished barely in front of the Mariners. We are in favor of the Rangers because: 1) they are not the Astros; and 2) a work friend is a true Rangers fan from his childhood.
All for now. In for the night. Yummy turkey meatloaf and a glass of wine.
You know those jokes about trimming toenails of those of advancing age? They’re not all jokes.
I am not to the hedge clipper stage, yet, or even close, I think. But between the initial stages and my being less limber than I once was, toenail trimming has turned into a chore. One I have to make a little extra time for.
Being a weekend, I had a little extra time available. The fact that the Mariners didn’t make the playoffs weighs heavily on that fact. So, let’s check this off of the chore list. Does having a glass of wine first, along with an afternoon smakeral help or hinder?
Smakeral
Who knows, but I forged ahead. I don’t think I will really know the full answer for a few days (socks snagging on rough edges) or weeks (I need to cut them again already?!). What I can say is I finished the chore faster than normal. At least it seemed like I did.
On a slightly related topic, it is fungus among us season. Mushrooms are popping up everywhere.
Back yard variety Front yard variety
It’s also spider time. Walking into our backyard to look at mushrooms, I went through at least one web. Luckily this doesn’t phase me. I got used to having to clear a path if I were the first one on the path to the outhouse for many a summer morning. Being at the cabin, with the outhouse, was my favorite place, so it was just part of life and now a treasured memory.
Note the meal this spider is holding
In other news from the past week, I successfully made a keynote presentation to the Washington Association of Boundary Review Boards. It was a short presentation, with examples of projects over the past 2 years. My closing points: Communicating with your neighboring purveyors makes for smoother boundary decisions; political boundaries do not always make good service boundaries (water and sewer service); and I really am turning into a bureaucrat or at least a person who appreciates a good one.
In other, other news, two more baby boys have joined our circle. A neighbor two doors away welcomed their second boy, Adrian. He’s adorable and they’re exhausted. Our daughter’s sister-in-law had her first, just last night, Alex. He’s a cutie too. But really, there must be somebody having girls! Our immediate family’s next generation is all boys at this point, 4 of them. Cousins have added girls, but it just seems very heavily weighted tothe male scale.
I think it’s time for me to stop going on. Blame the wine … it’s as good an excuse as any.
Arsen Wenger was the coach of Manchester United for several years. A few years ago I was pointed to the link in Arsen’s name. It just made me laugh, and still does. It’s a series of pictures comparing the coach to a bald eagle.
This memory came to my mind while watching a Man U vs. Galatasaray game (soccer) tonight. And aided by a glass of wine after a day that included driving to Puyallup to give the keynote address at a State Boundary Review Board conference. There were some nerves and low-level adrenaline, which has now dissipated.
In any event, I am exhausted and maybe I laugh easily tonight. We’re watching soccer because there is no baseball tonight. Certainly not Mariners baseball, but because all of the Wild Card series only took 2 games to move on to the next round.
The last Mariners game on Sunday was fun, although too little too late. The Ms won, and we had the opportunity to chat with several different friends and fellow fans. We actually just about closed the joint. They were starting to clear the stands, as the players’ kids ran around on the field.
With Kevin and Dave NiehausElizabeth, Aaron, Oliver, Jen, Maggie. Caitlin, Carl, Kevin and Mark.
Thursday night’s game … different because we weren’t in our regular seats.
Also different because the Mariners pulled out a win in the bottom of the 9th. Bases loaded. 2 outs. 1 strike.
And a BASE HIT! Scores 2.
The score had been 1-2, Rangers in front.
We live to see another day in contention
Now on my way to that next day. Almost didn’t get a seat. Actually, I didn’t get a seat, which is just fine. I walked to the back of the raised seat section, which is sometimes ignored, but allows comfortable standing room for several people. A young man in the last row was using 2 seats, one for his backpack. I didn’t say anything, but after a moment he consolidated himself to make a seat available. And a stop later, there are 4 more folks standing in the raised seat walkway.
Rey found this today on a Twitter X site he follows. I guess that means Carl and friends are old and should be studied. Like dinosaurs.
It did brighten the morning after the dismal game yesterday. And in spite of the Mariners dwindling hopes of making the playoffs, I spent a good part of the morning shifting money to MLB for playoff tickets, so we can receive a refund next month for games not played. All of them?
On the train again to tonight’s game. Carl just texted it was cold at our seats for the night. 3rd deck behind home plate instead of the outfield. And he’s the warm one. If they perform poorly early, I predict an early exit.
Carl is reading a book by that title. Oops, wrong title. Winning Fixes Everything. Emphasis on “Fixes”. It is about the Houston Astros and may explain why they resorted to cheating so obviously.
The snippets I have heard make me want the Mariners to make the playoffs. Not so we’re in the playoffs, but to keep the Astros out.
That said, last night’s game was quite fun. If you saw the game or any highlights, Teoscar Hernandez’s catch at/in the wall was right in front of our seats. So close the wall blocked my view of the actual catch.
I have one today. On my way to the next Mariners game loss, carrying our dinner. Most of a rotisserie chicken, bones removed. I left the wings and legs home. Always looking for something a little different to eat for dinner at the park. I did bring napkins and even a few hand wipes. We’ll see how it works out. If the Mariners manage a win, we may have to do this a few days more.
In other news, the atmospheric river arrived in all of its wetness yesterday. Just rain to absolutely pouring intermittently yesterday and today. Timing is everything. When we left the game yesterday it was pouring. Driving down the hill from work today the road looked like a slip-n-slide. Getting to the train today, almost nothing.
I hear it may be not rainy this weekend, and that is different than sunny.
I had planned to post more often. I blame a confluence of at least two factors.
1. I open the phone and look for the W app (WordPress). But I open Weight Watchers instead. And since I should track, I get diverted.
2. The WordPress app is now accessed through Jetpack, not a W at all.
OK, there are more reasons, but those are the most immediate when I open up the new phone.
Speaking of the new phone, still so much to do to get it set up properly. But the biggest noticeable benefit has been how long it holds a charge.
Currently on my way to the Mariners game. They are in a bit of a losing skid since they left Oakland. And just when they really need to win, if they want to make the playoffs that is.
I am trying to just take it as it comes. It is up to the players to want it more than the other teams. They are playing head to head with their competition, so it is truly in their hands.
On our front, Carl still doesn’t have pneumonia, or Covid. The boys had a fun time on their trip, and came back in roughly the same shape as they left, healthwise anyway. Which meant Carl was still having coughing fits. Tiring and aggravating. They have now decided to try antibiotics after 9 weeks of not getting better. Here’s hoping.
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