Raincharm’s Weblog

Weather
Whether to be nice or not. Last night was cold and wet. Rain & snow on the windshield mix at 10 PM. This morning – misty drizzle, but cloud breaks possible. 30’s with potential for 50. Weather was beautiful this afternoon. Sunny with a breeze. 54 degrees.

Work
Whether to stay or not. Have obtained permission to take the afternoon off. Will going to a Mariners game to help Carl with the kids still be considered work? Asked and received permission to have the afternoon off. 

Play
Whether to go or not. Have a bus schedule to get downtown from work. Includes a 45 minute layover at a Park & Ride. Didn’t pay attention to that detail early enough to bring along a book. What work should I take with me that is compact, actually accomplishes something and can be done freehand (non-computer based). [Hey – this is sounding more like work, but is under “play”] I did take some work with me. Well – a co-worker was on the way to a different city and took the place of the first leg, dropping me at a park-and-ride. And a bus showed up almost as I arrived, so – no work done, but good intentions. Once at the game can watch the Mariners play, am there to help watch the kids play – they play more than watch others play, and am playing hooky. (Is it still hooky if you have permission?) Carl and the kids were already in the park when I arrived. I joined them in the beautiful sunshine. Warm enough to take off the jacket and apply sunscreen. While we waited for the pre-game functions to finish Carl kept taking the kids places, to see the Moose, watch the starting pitchers warm up at the bull pen.

Game begins – The Mariner pitcher gets 3-up 3-down. Ichiro, the Mariner lead-off hitter, leads off with a Home Run. 1-0 Mariners. 

 So far I have basically spent 70% of my time sitting in the sun without kids to watch. They are back, complete with bunny-man, doggy and a tickling ladybug. Four -1/2 innings later Carl had to take the kids and leave to get them back to their respective parents. So for the last 5 innings I am sitting in the sun, watching a ball game. The Mariners held on to win 1-0. Find a bus home. What a nice, warm, pleasant afternoon.

I waited for my carpool outside this morning, first cup in my hand.

As I closed my eyes and listened to the birds and felt the damp coolness in the air, with the sun, in evidence but not in my space yet, I was standing on the shore waiting for a beach day full of promise.

As in games with a new telephone.
A few days ago I said that one of my tasks was to set up the phone – plug it in to the wall.
Silly me.

I plugged it in to the wall – phone jack and power cord.
I plugged the additional carry around phone into a different outlet (power only) after installing the battery pack.
A day later the carry around phone is still not quite working. It looks like something is trying to show up on the display, but no dial tone at all. Uninstall the battery pack and reinstall (try to plug it into the phone a few different ways). Finally – bingo and it works. Apparently it had been Installer error.

Now we have voice mail through the phone company. But of course this phone has an answering maching built in. I wondered what would happen when a call came in.

So I called from the cell phone, and two things happened, almost at once. Our lovely daughter’s voice (both her and her voice are lovely) comes on through voice mail with the usual message. As I am listening to this, the phone starts blaring something that I can’t quite hear because I am listening to the girl, and not in the same room with the base phone. OK – I know I have a little more to figure out, but I’m tired and don’t want to read any more manuals.

This morning, while at work I decide I want to talk with Carl. Call home, phone rings about four times and starts into the message, but I just hang up. Later in the morning I call again, and this time the phone rings maybe twice and goes to a male voice saying, “No one is available to answer your call.” Hmmmm. This is not what happened when I called it from the cell the day before. Maybe Carl’s on the phone and somehow that sent it to the at home answering machine. Tried to call a few more times through the day and got the same short ring and to answering machine… A little worried now, what if one of his kids parents tries to call and I don’t know if the phone is really working. So I tried calling on Ashlan’s cell (at home) but no answer there either.

Finally get home, and there are at least 3 messages on the phone, I think all from me. But none of them on the voicemail. Sit down to read the manual. This phone has a special feature to keep the phone companies from ringing long enough to count as a call in case you are not at home, called Tolling. This is apparently what happened. The first call let it ring four times, which allowed it to go to voice mail. The second call only went two rings, which meant the voice mail never had a chance and it went to the lovely phone voice.

Set the phone to ring 6 times (can choose 2, 4 or 6) That way voice mail should always prevail. Wait – there’s more, you can turn off the answering machine! I’ll try … 

[phone rings at this point for probably an hour long call, during which Rey tries to call, getting the weird machine (not sure why) which starts talking in the background, he then goes on to try both cell phones, all while Carl is on the phone with his friend. I, of course, was nowhere in sight to hear or help.]

I think I am going to leave it as is and see how it works tomorrow. (We did call Rey back eventually, and kept him up way to late.) 

So much for just plugging it into the wall. Note: the old rotary phone in the basement just keeps on working.

Today I got to play soccer.
I am so happy I still get to run around chasing a ball even though I am close to the slowest one on the pitch most games. I had two plays of note today, at least I thought they were plays I was really happy with at the time.

1.  Playing outside fullback, ball comes out into open space in front of me. I managed to get to the ball before the player from the other team and chip it into the air, actually to the head of one of our forwards who backheaded it toward the goal. The goalie made a great save, so no assist, but still it was a good play. Getting to the ball early and it actually did what I wanted – both good things.

2.  Central fullback was engaged with a player from the other team on the wing, so I came in to cover the other teams forward running down the center. Of course the ball is passed to him, but I managed to (a) keep up with him – a major achievement, and (b) kick the ball back to our goalie. (In our league the goalie can handle balls kicked back to them – old style) I was surprised with myself, and not sure how or why I was able to keep up with the much younger, longer legged player this time.

In the end we tied 4-4. Our team played short the entire game (10 players, 9 players then 10 players [should be 11]). I think the other team was short one as well. They picked up two men who had played an earlier game, and one of them scored three of their four goals. Moral victory for us.

Beautiful day, even used sun screen.
This is what I work out on the weekdays for, so I can play in the sun on Sundays.

Walk we did. With a purpose this time – to shop of course.
Actually both Carl & I really dislike shopping, but sometimes you just need to.

So – we set out to walk to the mall to buy a telephone. Our many years old telephone has been playing music in the background for many years. And it’s getting louder, and now the volume sounds like a teenage boy’s voice cracking, and the standalone cordless companion phone gave up the battery ghost last week. I know we could have simply replaced the battery on the cordless set, but the music is getting so bad that I only use the base unit when absolutely necessary (like when the batteries give out on the other phone).

While up at the mall we also looked for my favorite shampoo, which of course the salon does not carry anymore, got some new unmentionables for both of us (no one thought to do this at Christmas and we didn’t want to wait for our anniversary), checked out the going out of business sale at Joes and scored a pair of lighter weight walking pants for when it is too cool for shorts, and I don’t want to wear jeans. Stopped by Red Robin for a bite and ended up chatting with one of Seattle’s finest who was gathering donations for the Special Olympics.

So the walk home starts with the steeper hills (up) and ends with a long downhill (reverse of the walk there), so we content ourselves with checking out the gardens and homes along the way. One cute little house stood out for its lack of size. Carl thought perhaps someone had connected two trailers. It did not have the brick exterior like many of the neighborhing houses. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Tudor trailer.

Carl is off to his spring mistress, and I am here to put together the new phone system (plug it into the wall). I could have gone to keep an eye on Carl, but there is soccer on LOCAL, NON-CABLE TV tonight, so I have my own plans…

Just had a conversation with Ashlan about housing for next year. Yousa, not getting into the “dorm” is expensive. She has enough north of the border to cover the first check. Next up is to see if we have enough to cover the next check plus first tuition.

Just when you stop thinking about money for a day (literally, about a day).

Ooooohmmmmm, oooooohmmmmm, repeat ad nauseum

Ours have been filed, hopefully yours have too.

So – today’s focus was work. Having taken yesterday off, I kept having a difficult time figuring out what day of the week it was. I managed to keep forgetting that I had a night meeting as well. At 4:15 I started thinking about whether I would work out when I got home. Followed quickly by the realization that I had to stay until 8:30 or so. (Could still work out, but it is much less likely.)

Carl spent the evening with the Mariners. Griffey did not disappoint – and hit his 400th home run as a Mariner (613 overall). It looks like it went right over our seats. Not to be outdone, Ichiro hit a grand slam. I’ll bet Carl is a little amped up when he finally gets home.

The day is at last upon us, dawning cold and cloudy with light precipitation.
Carl is off to work, making a house call for a parent’s appointment.
The guests are breakfasted and off on their quest to meet Seattle friends and prepare for the days events (friends for the elder, Archie McPhees for the younger)
Refitting the packs for a baseball game – food, clothes (what will the weather be???), mitts, tickets, pencils for scoring, and a blanket for the cold one.

There is a planned tribute to the Tuba Man – sure to bring memories and maybe a tear.

7 Miles to go. Update to follow.

7 miles down, well up and down. Cloudy and cool, but we warmed up quickly and actually took off a layer. Stopped at the Experience Music Project for a kazoo (and potty break), down to the waterfront and on the the ballpark.

A little batting practice, catching up with friends we haven’t seen since last October. Out to kazoo with a other kazooers and two tuba players for the tuba man. Back in to the chilly stadium. They close the roof for the opening ceremonies. When those were finally concluded they open the roof and – – – SUNSHINE! The temperature went up (must have made the 50’s. Still cool, but a warm cool.

PLAY BALL. The biggest thing for the Mariners is that Ken Griffey Jr is back. He left several years ago to play for Cincinnati and be close to his extended family. But he is back, and the town welcomed him with open arms. They also had 6 tubas play Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch.  Oh – and the Mariners won the game 3-2 in the 10th inning on a sacrifice bunt.

We did not have to walk home. One of Carl’s kid’s parent borrowed our car and we met at the game. So only had to walk as far as the carpark.

I have had to remind myself several times that it is not the weekend. Amazing what a day off in the middle of the week can do to a person’s mind.

Tomorrow is opening day of baseball season in Seattle.
Today it was snowing when I left work. Large sloppy wet snow, but still, baseball, tax day, it is past the time for snow.

Nonetheless, I believe we will hold to our plan and walk to the game tomorrow, report to follow.

And for those Phillies and Tigers fans – my condolences.
I don’t remember Harry Kalas, but I do remember Mark Fidrych. And I wasn’t really a baseball fan at that point.

Not mist, not a thunderstorm, not showers, just rain.
Continuous rain.
What to do? Go play soccer of course.

Thankfully the temperature was not too low, so it was just wet.
Wet, wet, wet, wet, wet.
Hat (had to take it off anyway), glasses (take them off too, can’t see with drops on them, of course the seeing with them off is also limited), sweatshirt, team shirt, underarmour and the jogbra – all wet. Pants, shorts, unmentionables – all wet. Socks and shoes too.
Home and leave it all on the basement floor for the launderer.
Hot shower and finally time to sit down and take a load off my tired legs and feet.

By the way – we won 5-0. Our goalie got to play out of the net for the second half – fun for him. No women subs (Easter and I think both our team and the other team had several members eating a nice hot dry dinner.)

Thankfully most of the Easter egg hunts are held on Saturday when rain was limited. Today it was/is just rain. Kind of refreshing.