Raincharm’s Weblog

Go west young person! And so we’re here in West Fulton. This was following stops in Albany for a car, Cobleskill for HOF supplies, and West Fulton for lodging.

The train ride was uneventful and shorter than we recalled. We managed to get seats together on a full train. We think the 6 tickets on one piece of paper got their attention.

Cobleskill shopping. We stayed in Cobleskill the last time we were here, for Ken Griffey Jr.’s induction.

The Airbnb is a win this time. It is very possible to be

It’s raining quite hard at the moment.

I would not mind falling asleep to the sound of pitter patter on the roof. I am ready for a full night’s sleep, followed by an early morning.

As I mentioned, Theo is starting to warm up to us.

He doesn’t even know I’m here

Is it edible?

Stalking the wild postcard

In between breakfast and lunch we touched down at the Museum of the Moving Image . They had a Jim Henson exhibit including several pieces that we had not seen at a Henson exhibit in Seattle, and a Coen Brothers exhibit about a movie of theirs I had not seen. And actor’s life masks used to create extremely different looks for aging and expression and horror. And cells for advertising at shows.

Lunch was at the Le Parisien Bistro. Good food.

Tonight’s good food is by Ashlan. Homemade focaccia and Figgy Balsamic Pork. And Theo is helping.

Mmmm

And of course, as we figure out the subway, there is an incident and our line is shut down. So a cab ride to a different line. And my wild guess at what to load on the Metro Card was almost perfect, except that one ride took two swipes – one for the suitcase stuck going through, and the other for me. So for tomorrow I will buy a single ride, but I know I can do that.

Finally- playtime

So yesterday started this way.

And ended in the big city.

That’s Theo, finally in person, sort of. He was very skittish with 3 new people. But as soon as a door separated him from us, he wanted to see more.

As the second day draws to a close, he is getting much braver.

The view from the current apartment.

The entire story.

Today we ventured into Manhattan, using the subway

like seasoned veterans tourists that have been here before.

Rockefeller Center and general wandering.

In the afternoon we took in a show about the first professional woman baseball player, Toni Stone, who played for the Clowns.

Dinner was at Uva, an Italian restaurant on the upper east side. Yummy.

And we got home before the remnants of Hurricane Barry arrived with thunderstorms.

Kevin is still out and about, having tickets to Hades Town. I wonder how wet he will be.

Most folks left work before I did. With the cars gone, this fine fellow decided to take a break. I’m wondering if the location was chosen to have a soft surface but get some radiant heat from the parking lot.

And then I left him too. The few remaining folks in the building are parked in the back, so the area should be his until the morning. I have been referring to the animal as a he, but I really don’t know.

Once home I have been busy trying to not forget anything. So far, so good. Of course, I won’t really know how well I’m doing until I realize what I forgot.

Early call in the morning, so off I go.

The day started quickly and quickly slowed down. Carl had a game at 9 AM. We were there, the rest of the Silver Foxes were there, the Pilots (opponents) were there, the umpires were there, but the person with the keys to unlock the field was absent. Whenever a car pulled up, everyone was expectant, and trying not to look menacing. Most players arrive about an hour early. At 20 minutes past start time, the umpires called the game. Everyone waited a few more minutes, allowing the umpires time to take off their equipment and actually leave. Then we left.

Next up was the garlic harvest. This was an experiment last fall. Now is time to harvest.

Third in line is Princess Ida. We’re in the front row! We bused down to avoid parking, plus we get a walk in. There was a brief delay waiting for the Fremont Bridge to raise and lower.

Luckily we weren’t on an extremely tight schedule.

And now that Prince Hilarion has won a bride, and all of the Gilbert and Sullivan complexities have been ironed out, it is back into the city.

The Mariners were no-hit last night.

It happens. And the Angels were remembering a teammate who had passed away, so it must have been an emotional night for the players and their fans. We were not at the game, watching it on TV, and barely tracked the score. We learned of the impending no-hitter when friends started texting Carl. But he did not have his phone with him for a while, so we were blissfully ignorant.

Because we were at the Seattle Storm game. I got these tickets for donating blood a while ago. The Storm is playing some of their home games at the UW basketball arena while Key Arena is being rebuilt for the new NHL team, and whatever basketball team is playing in Seattle. So, convenient for us.

Our view during warm-ups

We did the opposite of our frequent travel type by busing to the game, and walking home. Love the northern long summer days, it was just getting dusky when we arrived home.

And the Storm dominated the game, with an easy win. There was a player on the Wings who was fantastic. Carl thinks he remembers Ogunbowale playing a big part in last year’s Final Four run for Notre Dame.

The game was fun, and there was an added highlight when they introduced Megan Rapinoe at the end of the first quarter. Loudest cheer of the night to that point. It was special, and for those who may not know, Rapinoe’s girlfriend, Sue Bird, plays for the Storm.

My blurry shot. Look for the purple hair

Seattle Times professional, in focus shot, by Elaine Thompson of the AP. That’s Sue Bird, Mayor Durkan and Megan Rapinoe

We finished off our evening by watching the conclusion of the Wizard of Oz. From the poppy fields to the end. We watched it over 3 sessions, and it was fun. We reminisced on what an event it was to see it each year. How scary the monkeys were. And for me, watching it in black and white, even though we knew it went to color. I didn’t see it in color until I was in college. That’s when I finally got the, “horse of a different color,” reference, to the puzzlement of the much younger kids I was watching with, who had probably always had color TVs.

The All Star game was not a home run derby, only 2. The American League won, for those who are counting. We watched the game with several friends and several hundred acquaintances at Safeco Field TMobile Park.

They provided food, games, games of chance and general frivolity.

Tonight’s social activity was watching ET accompanied by the Seattle Symphony.

It’s a good movie and a great orchestra. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Carl made a pre-show meal of chicken/avacado/cheese/tomato and lettuce wraps. He wrapped these in aluminum foil and popped them into my backpack. We ate them in the grand lobby, and they were yummy.

Our busy week continues tomorrow with a visit to our friendly financial advisor, who can advise us on how many more decades of work are in our future.

Rey and Becca

One year ago. Such a lovely day!

Pretty tame.Walked to the light rail in the morning. It was really quiet. Almost too quiet.Down to TMobile Park. More people, but still quiet. We spent the pre-game on the 3rd deck patio, eating our lunch and hanging out.Game time at our seats. Not a subdued crowd, but tempered. We stayed until the 8th, and decided we had enough sun for the day.Back home we quietly dismantled the screen. Except for the part where a vertical piece decided to become horizontal earlier than we anticipated. And stowed it in the garage.Evening brought out the noise. Not much at first, but then the basic sort of safe and sanes started exploding. These were soon overtaken by the big city display at Lake Union. The high displays can be seen from our bathroom and closet windows. But the real experience is the concussions that reach our house, a few miles from the show.And then there was the auxiliary experience, mostly booming shells rather than sparkles, at 5:15 AM this morning! After the third, I gave up trying to sleep and got up and went to work.Work was quiet.I am on the bus. I just realized how much building is underway when I wasn’t exactly sure where we were. Thought I had missed my stop for a moment. So it is the 5th.Happy 39th anniversary to Pooh and Mark.And happy 34th with Carl.How could I not stay married to this guy!

Yes – Rain

We managed to dodge drops throughout the weekend, so I am not complaining. Really.

On the other hand, something hosed traffic coming home today. Maybe it’s because I left a little earlier than usual, or maybe it was the rain, or maybe all of those vacationers that avoided the commute for the first few days – after school finally let out – returned. Whatever it was, it is potentially making me late for the ballgame. I have ditched the car, repacked the backpack, walked, bused (1 s or 2?), and am now on the train. I may yet make the first pitch.

Go Mariners!

We shall see. I don’t expect a win, but would appreciate a game with some good, or at least interesting, plays.