Artichokes and Pink Martini

The Happiest Place on Earth

2008-07-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Since the Boone/Robinson clan left us for Disneyworld and Epcot, the Happiest Places on Earth, our neighborhood is pretty sad, or at least, darn quiet. Mary, Eve & Eli have been world travelers, already logging 2 weeks this summer in Manchester, Iowa. Now Mitch won't be left out of the big trip to Florida.

MIcky, Minnie, Eve & Eli look like they are ready to take on the park. It's pretty hot in Florida, but these 4 look fresh as daisies and ready to go!

Eve got to spend a little time with Mary Poppins. I wonder if she learned that flying over houses with just your umbrella trick. It could come in really handy if Eve is running late to school on a rainy day.

Here are the 3 princesses.

Wonder if Mary & Eve got the special tour of the rabbit hole with Alice?

Cinderella & Prince Charming??? Hmmmm, Mitch is Mr. Click around Tacoma & a celebrity in his own right. But Prince Charming??? I'm not so sure. I guess only Mary & maybe Cinderella would know for sure.

Beauties and Beasts. As you might have noticed Mitch didn't send me a ton of pictures of Eli, or himself. Those Robinson men can become pretty elusive when the cameras come out. Eve, Eli, getting any ideas for what you to want to be for Halloween??? Thinkin' Beauty and the Beast might be a good look for you.

Looking forward to your return back to Tacoma next week. Have fun!!!

CLICK! + SOTA = local entertainment!!!

2008-07-24T06:06:00.008-07:00

It's CLICK! Day in Tacoma. CLICK Cable TV, the local choice that we all love & adore.

I am so excited about the unveiling of the CLICK!/SOTA Music Video. Mitch, VP of all that is important at CLICK!, needed a catchy song to commemorate CLICK!'s 10 year anniversary. Enter Paul, mentor of the talented students at the Tacoma School of the Arts. Paul put it out to his kids and boy did the deliver! Sam Anderson, 18, and Harrison Allen, 17, wrote an infectious tune with smart lyrics. With the help of Zach, another gifted SOTA instructor they recorded this song and back to Mitch. Mitch and everyone else loved the song. What happened next was straight out of a "Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland time to put on a Show!!!" movie. Matt, talented director, & Kate, gifted choreographer, joined the party to help produce a fun music video guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

For more info check out the TNT's story.

BIG CONGRATS to all of the very talented people who were involved in making this happen!!!!!

The Houseboat has gone to the dogs!

2008-07-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sydney & Duncan left their comfy Tacoma digs to embark on a great adventure to Portland where their backyard is a river.

Sydney's 2 questions were: "Where's the grass?" "And how does one chase a goose without getting wet???"

Duncan is modeling the very attractive canine PFD that I bought them & make them wear on the dock. Just wanna make sure that if they venture off the dock unexpectedly that I have a handle to pull them out by. They do look very sporty in their PFDs.

"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! I'm Lassie the Rescue Dog, just give me someone to save. Or maybe just bark at."

A girl and her dog. Katie gives Sydney some good advice about the geese. Something along the lines of don't try it or you'll make Mom really mad! Good advice!

No Pictures Today!

2008-07-22T15:50:00.002-07:00

Today, Jewel & I took a little bike ride. It was soooooo UGH-LY that pictures would be too much for you to take.

First of all let me point out that today is July, not March, not October, so when we embarked on our ride we didn't expect it to be 54 degrees!!! It was cold!

I picked the route, a fun little ride out to Sumner. Chris and I have done this ride a bunch of times & really enjoyed it. First we had trouble getting out of Tacoma with construction every where we turned. When we finally made it to Levy Road, trucks. Giant semi-trucks whizzing by as Jewel and I struggle to hold our own hugging the 3 inch shoulder. So we adjusted the route and headed toward Puyallup.

Have you ever been driving across railroad tracks at the instant that the warning bells start to sound? Just a bit startling. Let me tell you that the same experience when you are on a bike can be an underwear changing event.

When we finally faced the hills of Tacoma we hit an unbelievable head wind. C'mon, can't we get a break today. Apparently not. I think Jewel thought I was trying to kill her off. Sorry Jewel, better luck next week.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

2008-07-20T17:52:00.004-07:00

True confessions, it's probably been 3 years since I have been to a baseball game. So when Paul called me last night with an extra ticket to a suite at the Mariners game, it didn't take me long to say yes!

It was one of those beautiful, warm, sunny, blue sky kinda summer days in Seattle. A perfect baseball day. Of course on those days there are a lot of outdoor options for Seattlites. As you can see, the battle of the bottom dwellers of the American League didn't fill up the Stadium.

But those stats didn't keep Eve from her hot dog. Summer, baseball, hot dogs, Eve has her priorities straight. She was also very helpful with explaining the game to me. She knew exactly what the Mariners were supposed to do, unfortunately, the Mariners didn't have that clear of a picture. I kept telling Eve she needed to head down to the field and tell them what to do.

Doesn't matter where the Mariners are in the standings because there is always Ichiro. You can always tell when he is up to bat or a ball heads out to Right Field, there is excitement in the stadium wondering what he might do.

This was Paul's first visit to Safeco Field. Not the big Mariner fan that his younger brother Dave used to be, but Kate is getting him into the spirit. You can't resist the power of the Foam Finger!!!

Ouch! Did the Mariner Moose just land on his head???? He must have looked at the scoreboard. Yikes! Big Ouch! (Final score Indians 6 Mariners 2).

Yeah, it's the SOTA music video team. Ouch, it looks like Kate just saw the scoreboard too. Hey Mary Boone up in the back row, wave at Iowa!!!!!

Katie in Tacoma?

2008-07-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Katie has been so busy with school and work that she has only made it to Tacoma a few days this year. But after the arrival of Madison, Katie couldn't stay away any longer.

The girls had a lot to talk about. Mostly how to best handle their mothers. Madison is doing great and handling her new Mom well. Though Jenn still looks a little tired. Get used to it Jenn, Katie's 22 & I'm still tired.

Madison showed us her dream of being a dancer (after she learns how to walk of course).

Madison is also a very good sleeper, which she enjoyed demonstrating to us. Nighty night baby doll!

What's in a name?

2008-07-10T05:57:00.002-07:00

I think every living hippie has moved to Oregon to have their children.

Yesterday, I met Katie after her class and we went to lunch at Mother's, our Portland comfort food restaurant. Our waitress's name was "Promise". Next I had to go to Walgreens. I went to the pharmacy and told them what I needed and the helpful person there said it was on aisle 3 and if I needed help to look for "Happiness" in the blue shirt. I found both "Happiness" and the item I was looking for. (If you ever find yourself in need of "Happiness" I can tell you what Walgreens you can find her in). Finally, after Katie got off work we walked to her favorite McMenamins watering hole. the Ram's Head. There we chatted with her good friend and favorite bartender, "Freedom".

At that point I began to wonder what ever possessed me to give "Katie" such a weird name.

Sauvie Island Bike Ride

2008-07-08T19:10:00.006-07:00

From my deck I look across the water to Sauvie Island. Sauvie Island is part farm land, part wildlife area and part bike ride. During the day (and evening) I watch the bikes ride up and down Sauvie Island Rd. So this morning I strapped the bike to the car and drove over to experience this ride for myself.

Sauvie Island is that big and mostly flat (my kinda ride) I did the 12 mile loop and then road out Sauvie Island Rd until I could see the houseboat from the other side.

Sauvie Island is a very popular bike ride and very bike friendly. The Island doesn't have a gas station, so pedal power is the way to go.

First thing you do is cross the Sauvie Island bridge. Not quite the Tacoma Narrows.

Then you go under the bridge and onto Gillihan Road. Cistus Nursery (Peter's favorite Oregon Nursery) which is about the half way point for the loop.

In the summer about every half mile is a sign for another u pick farm or vegetable/fruit stand. Berries are BIG BIZZ on Sauvie Island. Parking lots fill up by 10 am. Especially on those days that promise to hit 90 degrees.

Not me, as you can guess. No green & I haven't figured out yet to take my own action shot while I am on the bike. As you can see this cyclist is looking across the Channel to one of the Floating home moorages.

Sauvie Island, also known for their clothing optional beaches on the far side of the island (not my view, drat!). Didn't pedal that far today, but you can bet I will make it there before the end of the summer. C'mon down & I'll loan you a towel.

TALL ships

2008-07-06T19:11:00.004-07:00

I am so glad that Mary goes to Iowa everytime the TALL ships are in town. This year for Father's Day she gifted Mitch 2 tickets for a battle tour on the Lynx. The Lynx is a beautiful and fast ship, built for the war of 1812 to get supplies past those pesky Brits and Frogs. Or something like that.

Lets meet the crew. Captain Mike, very dashing. He was fascinating to listen to. This ship does a lot of educational outreach to high schoolers and our captain is the resident expert on naval history. And he has a great sense of humor.

This one's for you Katie. Our first mate. Can't remember his name but does it really matter. You can call him Lance or Rex or Bolt. He is proof that you only move up in the ranks if you have fabulous blond hair that looks sexy in a pony tail.

And then there is Swabby Mitch. Clearly the documentarian on this cruise. I am sure that by tonight you can catch all his footage on the Click! special, "Maritime Mitch sails back into history." Check your local listings but I am guessing it airs sometime between 2:43 am & 3:07 am opposite of the Flobby Haircutting system infomercial.

Up go 2 crew members to the top of the mast to let down the sail.

Yikes. Just a little too high for me.

As we leave Thea Foss and pull into Commencement Bay we have a great view of the "Brown Castle" aka Stadium High School. I rarely see it from this vantage point, but it sure makes a nice looking picture.

TALL ships

2008-07-06T18:35:00.005-07:00

Ready to go into battle!!! But first, we get a great view of the big ships that are tied to the dock for the tourists and can't come out into the bay to play.

First we have the Nina II. A replica of one of Christopher Columbus' famous ships. Compared to modern day yachts it looks big, but not big enough to travel the Atlantic in. Proving that those 1492 sailors were very brave, crazy or stupid (probably a little bit of all 3).

Next we passed the Bounty. What a beautiful ship.

The Eagle was the biggest ship in the line up. It is part of the Coast Guard Academy. Originally operated by Nazi Germany to train cadets for the German Navy, the ship was taken by the United States as a war prize after World War II. In 1946, a U.S. Coast Guard crew - aided by the German crew still on board - sailed the tall ship from Bremerhaven to its new homeport in New London, Connecticut.

The chase is on! The Amazing Grace is hot on our tail. You'd think with her home port being Gig Harbor she might be a little more neighborly.

Did she just shoot her cannon at us???

Our Captain springs into action and counters with the dreaded "Attack Soap Bubbles" because nothing scares a sailor more than soap.

And finally a picture perfect view of the Lady Washington

4th of July

2008-07-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

The weather was so so, but the river was wonderful, as we enjoyed a relaxing 4th of July. A few of Katie's friends came over from Portland and quickly made themselves at home.

Katie is keeping her eyes opened for a nice girl for Derek. Israel is just 9 months old and ready to take off running. She may look kinda young to you now Derek, but just wait a few years, at least til she gets hair.

A few of the locals stopped by to join our party. They have their own box of whole grain cereal in our pantry. I think today they were hoping for chips since it was a holiday. Too bad kids, if you want junk food you have to go to another dock.

This is Scappoose's version of a TALL ship. Actually this pirate ship is moored at our marina & this was the first time we saw it out on the channel. It is kinda fun to live somewhere that has a pirate ship parked around the block.

This one's for you Mitch. On Tuesday Mitch drove me all over Tacoma trying to find a grill for the houseboat. I just couldn't decide. I found this the next day at the only place we didn't go to. The selling point, no assembly required. I just took it out of the box, stood it up on its legs and viola, grill. I did have to install an adapter and then attach a propane tank. This picture is proof positive, that I did it all without blowing anything up.

After a very cloudy day, the sky cleared up on cue about 9:30 pm. We are right between the big displays put on by Vancouver and St. Helens. We couldn't see either one very well, but I'll take this view down the river on a summer's evening over fireworks anyday.

TALL ships

2008-07-03T21:09:00.002-07:00

Today the TALL ships returned to Tacoma. And thanks to the Rotary 8 Auction, I had a great front row view of the parade. Dig this balcony. It looks as if it goes to infinity and beyond .... and it does. It was condo # 7 at 1 Stadium Way, next to Stadium High School. I didn't realize until we hit the 7th floor that condo # 7 was the entire 7th floor. Yikes!

Don't the kids look good. Zach, Joanne, Megan & Paul I think had a good time hangin with the oldster. I am sure the lovely cocktail menu of specialty martinis helped a lot.

And the food was totally amazing. This is Emily, who prepared our wonderful meal of munchables. Doesn't she look fabulous in green? The menu was stacked with artichokes. As you might guess, Emily has successfully won my admiration as the best chef in town!

Here comes the last TALL ship in the parade, the Coast Guard Eagle. Not sure why I didn't get a lot more TALL ship pictures. Was it the artichokes? The martini's? Or the wonderful company that distracted me. Whatever it was, I know I had a great time when the TALL ships paraded into Tacoma.

Riding again???

2008-07-02T20:40:00.003-07:00

Yup! Today Jewel and I get to ride with our old buddy Paul, who rides a lot and will probably kick both our sorry butts. Off we go to Point Defiance.

Yikes! My poor green bike. My first flat tire. It happened just 6 blocks short of the Proctor Starbucks. I am so glad that I suggested stopping there because my riding partners just left me in their dust. I had to make the lonely walk to Starbucks all by myself.

Paul redeemed himself by changing my tire for me. Such a gentleman! One of these days, I know, I will actually have to change my own tire all by myself .... but not today.

Back on the Bike

2008-07-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday. Must be time to hop on our bikes and ride off onto the Interurban Trail in Auburn.

Meet Cathy, our fearless leader. I met Cathy about 4 years ago about 5 am in the morning at spin class at the Y. Cathy is a riding animal! A couple of summer's ago she rode 100 miles around Lake Tahoe, in the heat of summer. Yikes! Cathy rides all the time and she has invited us to join her. So here we go.

This was the theme of the day. Wait for the train. Cathy said that she has never encountered trains on this route and she rides it all the time. So my guess is that all the trains waited for today. Eventually we made it through and had a really nice ride.

Monday Night Dinner

2008-06-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

The last June evening was warm and our happy group gathered on the deck. Look at all that beautiful green. this is what summer is all about.

Mitch! Wake up!!! With Mary and the kids in Iowa, you can see it has been party, party, party for dear old Mitch. He needed a little cat nap before his late night out on the town. It was a pretty quiet group, not much excitement here.

Maybe Derek can help us out with a little entertainment. He has decided to borrow Chris's hat and do some fishin' in the koi pond!

TA DA! I didn't catch a thing. That's good Derek. I am sure that the fish are glad to be staying in the pond.

Derek is a smart guy. He found the candy last week (Candy I didn't even know that I had). And this week, he remembered that there was more in that box. So he got his treat and was very happy to share with everyone. Good job sharing Derek.

Well almost everyone. None for you Duncan!

Down on the Farm

2008-06-29T10:10:00.005-07:00

A couple of months ago, Paul started an ambitious project. He created an urban farm with the mission of feeding hungry people in Tacoma. That would be us. From these humble beginnings a super food production enterprise has been created. We salute Paul as one of the successful family farmers that this great country, America, was founded by. We thank you Paul and America thanks you.

Just dirt:

Little sprouts:

Man we sure do love this sun:

An amazing crop explosion:

Ahhhhhh harvest time:

Safely protected in climate controlled environment. Most would say, look at all that lettuce, isn't it cool??? Well I can tell you, during our current heatwave in the 90s, all that lettuce is taking up valuable PBR space. So come Monday night & help the cause & your reward will be some lovely Tacoma grown lettuce. How environmentally friendly can you be? The delivery vehicle is a mini that has only driven 1.8 miles. That's less fossil fuels than you would burn going to the store!

Good Morning from the River

2008-06-28T05:59:00.004-07:00

As some know, I have been looking at places on the water for weekend trips (and occasionally longer). The end of May I put an offer on a cute little house boat on the Multnomah Channel. Superstitious as I am, I like to keep these things to myself until they really, really happen. I may not have the power to save the world, but my power to jinx a good thing is unchallenged. Since I got the keys yesterday, it is real now.

Here is the view from the float first thing in the morning. Sunrise peeks out from behind Mt. Adams. I have a view of the tip top of Mt. Adams & most of Mt. St. Helens.

The land on the other side of the Channel is Sauvie Island. Covered by a wild life refuge and family farms, this is a place I look forward to exploring on my bike.

Looking up the Channel to the west is a pretty view of the other house boats and the glassy early morning water.

Now I do expect visitors because half the fun of this is sharing it with friends (the other half, of course, is getting away from friends, kidding). With 2 bedrooms and 2 baths there is plenty of room for a Portland getaway. I am taking July to fill it up with furniture, paint & do a few minor changes. Then we will be all ready for company. So check your calendars.

I know what you're thinking. Yeah, she's leaving Tacoma and we will all get our Monday nights back. HA! Think again, you can't get rid of me that easy.

A walk in the Park

2008-06-27T09:06:00.004-07:00

Once of the 1000 best things about where Katie lives is that it is only blocks away from Portland's fabulous Washington Park. Today being the perfect Portland morning, blue skies, sunshine & not too hot yet, I ambled the 2 blocks to the trail that leads straight up to the park.

I did say "up to" didn't I? Well it is exactly 296 steps up to the park. With all of the twists and turns the route was rather deceptive the first time I used this trail, but now I know what to expect.

I just expect more steps. But I won't complain because every bit of the trip is green in every direction that you can look.

At the top, there is this little clearing with this enormous statue. It is entitled,"Coming of the White Man". Gazing over the tree tops at the full sprawl of Portland, I always think this is a bit ironic. Something wants me to get a can of red paint and spray onto the rock, "They're he-e-e-e-r-e".

Continue on and you will find yourself in this fabulous rose garden. Roses, roses, roses, contained in border of old growth timber. It is spectacular.

Now I know what you are thinking, "But Sandy, you don't like flowers." I like flowers. I like them best in a vase on my front table, not so much in my garden. They are so much work, and they do tend to take away from the green, but I can enjoy them in the gardens of others. I don't know how many full time gardeners they have working in this place, but I am sure someone picks up all the pedals that have fallen every hour. It is so well cared for that it is stunning.

A rose is a rose is a rose

2008-06-27T08:57:00.005-07:00

The roses of Washington Park. I don't know their names, just liked their looks in the early morning sun. Enjoy!

Just for Katie

2008-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

As I wander through Washington Park, I realize that I could explore this park 100 times and not find all of its little secrets. Today I found one for Katie. Off of the Rose Garden I saw this arch which led into a little garden that looked mostly green. So, of course, I had to go investigate. And guess what I found ....

A Shakespearean Garden. Dedicated in 1946 by a local Shakespeare club this wonderful little spot is full of the plants and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. It has a very English feel and is just one of the little gems in Washington Park. Come on down, we'll go visit.

She's got a ticket to ri-hide!

2008-06-26T17:33:00.005-07:00

Jewel's got a ticket to ri-hi-hide. Jewel's got a ticket to ride & she don't ca-air-air!!!

Jewel got a brand new, hot, hot, hot road bike. She finished the school year by riding her bike to work every day. Then she joined Mary B & me on the Wheels to Meals ride. Tuesday she road 25 miles (with some killer hills) with me & my spin class buddy Cathy around the Flaming Geyser State Park. And today, with her brand new wheels she is ready to take on Pt. Defiance!

Susan & Jewel take a moment to become one with the universe before that first big hill.

One of the many wonderful things about Pt. Defiance and this ride is the view. And it's right here in our own backyard.

Victory!!!! And a celebration hot chocolate at the Proctor Starbucks. Whoa Nellie! Look at the super fab bright green bike in the picture! Wonder who that belongs to???

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

2008-06-25T22:55:00.003-07:00

Jenn made us wait until Madison Bernice was born at 11:32 this morning before we found out that she was a girl. She weighs 7 lbs 9 oz and is 19 inches. And very cute.

Jenn was very perky when we went to visit at 7 o'clock tonight. After 14 hours of labor she stated emphatically that she would never be doing this again (from the stories we heard, I am sure that the delivery room staff agree). Jenn will surely give us all the details. If you are squeamish don't ask about forceps.

Proud Papa! And don't let anyone tell you any different, but 14 hours of labor was a lot of hard work for Dan! Good job!

Congrats Jenn & Dan!

Thank you Mary

2008-06-14T07:16:00.003-07:00

and Eve and Eli.

About a month ago, my friend and neighbor Mary told me that she wanted to pitch a story to the Tacoma News Tribune about my backyard. My response was oh sure (I like to keep Mary happy so she won't "accidentally" leave her children or husband, sorry Mitch, at my house). A few weeks later the Photo Editor from the TNT called and wanted to send a photographer out to take pictures of "me & my yard". Me??? I don't think so. I called Mary and said I needed Eve and Eli to come over when the photographer arrives because I'm not going to be the TNT's cover girl.

If you want to read Mary's fabulous article check it out. She makes me sound very articulate (don't remember being that articulate when we talked, but I must have been). The truly most exciting thing about this is that I can brag I have been immortalized (or at least my back yard has been) by the famous writer who has published biographies about both Hilary Duff and Akon.

This would be the before picture of the back of the yard.

And this would be the after picture of that same area now.

Fredrick and company did a great job of posing for the camera.

Eve and Eli doing what they do best, patrolling my pond. Don't fall in you two!!!

Done!

2008-06-14T07:11:00.002-07:00

I just did the math. I have been in education as a student or an educator (& I use that term very loosely) for 35 years of my life. So a few months ago I decided to play hooky. Not for a few days or a week, no, I'm too responsible to do that. I decided to take all of next school year off. And so the adventure begins.

My life has been so crazy for the past few months that I remember telling someone that if I just didn't have to go to work everyday, my life would be so much more manageable. Which means now I have no more excuses to not keep this old blog updated. It's the least I can do for my very patient friends in Iowa.

Wheels to Meals

2008-06-07T18:25:00.003-07:00

Wheels to Meals is a charity bike ride that supports the Food Connection in Tacoma. I decided that I wanted to ride the 40 mile course (a nice challenge for me). Then I made the mistake of riding with friends. Here we are, fresh as daisies and ready to ride!

Jewel & Mary looked at the mileage for the "40" mile course and told me it was actually 48.1 miles. The 50 mile course was a 53.1, so with this logic, why not ride the 50??? The picture below is an illustration of why not to ride the 50 and why not to trust your friends. Mary has stopped a local and is asking directions. Our less than clear directions had us turn around 3 times, making our total mileage 58 miles. Ow!

So after this harrowing experience, I crawled off my bike at the finish line & merely said, "Where's the beer???" In retrospect I should have said "Where is the spring water?" and then did 15 minutes of stretching. Tara, wife of the ride organizer Kevin, joined us in our victory/survival celebration!

Ok Jewel & Mary, next year we are doing the 70 mile course, so try to keep up with me. & I don't want to hear whining out of either of you!!!! Call it Sandy's Excellent Revenge.

Last day on the bike

2008-04-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end. After 5 days of riding I am happy to report that I didn't fall once. No crash and burn. No broken bones. No injured bike. Yeah!! This is a very familiar scene in our travels, everyone trying to figure out the map. Of course, we never really looked much at the map until after we were already lost. Better late than never.

After 5 days of riding we came upon our last hotel, Hotel Villa le Piazzole. Looks promising.

Oh my goodness, it was fabulous! This is the beautiful courtyard leading to the main house. If you want to take a look at my room. It was beautiful. Like arriving at a different place in time. Or walking into your very favorite movie ever and discovering it was better than you could have ever imagined.

And this would be the view out my window.

Time to head back into Florence. Time to say good by to the bikes and my sore muscles. And time to say good by to the big yellow van that had my back for my wonderful Tuscan adventure.

The hilltop villages

2008-04-09T20:09:00.002-07:00

Besides the beautiful countryside, Euro bike does an excellent job breaking up the riding day with interesting stops along the way. The first day of riding took us through the Chianti region. Every place that you stop your bike, someone hands you a glass of Chianti Classico to sample. Well almost. They were very proud of their wines at all of the wineries that I visited, as well they should be. And the good news for all of you Monday nighters, they do ship to the states.

After a day of riding we arrived at another old world hotel in Siena, the Grand Hotel Villa Patrizia. We did a short ride in the morning and that left the afternoon and evening for Siena. What a wonderful place. The walls around the city are still intact with narrow winding streets and tall buildings and towers. It's easy& fun to get lost in the city, it's a huge labrynth.

Tuscany is dotted with these magical hilltop villages. We visited Chiusure one day for lunch. The major business in this village is a tiny convenience store. If you call ahead, the woman who owns this store will make a wonderful family style lunch for you in the room above her store. During lunch we listened to group of school children laughing and teasing each other on the cobbled street below. This is the real Italy, not some touristy guidebook version.

We also visited Monteriggioni and Colle Val d'Elsa. Colle Val d'Elsa was my favorite on the road since recent residents installed an elevator to get you from the lower town to the upper town. And my bike fit in the elevator, thus avoiding the very steep cobble stoned hill of death.

My favorite city on a hill was San Gimignano. Riding along the roads through Tuscany and you first see San Gimignano in the distance you know that what's ahead is a very special place. Winding streets, shops, cafes, and amazing views of the countryside in every direction

Come ride through Tuscany

2008-04-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

The absolutely best way to experience Tuscany is from the seat of a bike. I really felt like I was part of the countryside when I was riding. Especially going slow (even on the downhills) and taking in all of the view was magical.

Time to Saddle up & Ride!

2008-04-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

Remember, I signed up for the Tuscan Fantasy Bike Tour through Euro bike & walking tours. By the way, this is my first bike tour ever. The first time I have riden a bike more than one day in a row. Luckily my personal bike trainer, Chris Sharp went above and beyond trying to get me ready for this adventure. Now we will find out if I am really ready for this.

Instead of bringing a bike, I rented one through Eurobike. I think this is the original bike invented by da Vinci.

This is a bike riding country. On every street in Florence there are bikes as far as the eye can see. I think that every bike ver made in Italy, is still in Italy and being ridden on a daily basis. Crazy.

I met my guide and co riders for drinks & dinner Saturday night. So we have from left to right Dan, Carol, Blue and Tom. Dan & Carol are from Seattle, Magnolia to be exact. Dan has done the STP (Seattle to Portland) 7 or 8 times & in one day. Carol thought the STP was too boring, too flat. BTW, they brought their own custom made bikes with them. Blue is from Manhattan. He works in a very high stress job & decided that he needed to get out of NYC for a break, so he booked this on Monday, last Monday. Though he claimed not to have worked out in a few years, he did grow up in Boulder. CO and used to race mountain bikes on a professional level. Yikes, I'm toast. Tom is our tour guide & my life saver.

Ok ... time to ride. Here I go powering up one of the bazillion hills on our tour. This was one of the long ones. Not as bad as the 1.3 km 13% grade hill that we had 2 mornings in a row (btw, I walked the bike up that one. I figured the company is called Euro bike and walking tours, so I did it all). The way I attacked the hills was ride until I thought I was about to have a coronary. Then I would jump off the bike, do a few chest compressions and then pulled out my camera & take pictures until I caught my breath & could ride again.

Was I the fastest, strongest rider in the group. Heck no. But having more time to gaze at vistas like this, not necessarily a bad thing.

Ciao Florence!

2008-04-05T17:38:00.002-07:00

Finally Florence! I have wanted to visit Florence as long as I can remember. After a flight from Seattle to Heathrow (not Terminal 5, thank heaven), a bus to Gatwick, a flight from Gatwick to Pisa, an then a midnight bus ride to Florence.

I arrived in Florence at 1 am in the morning. I took a quick cab from the Florence train station to the Grand Hotel Minerva, on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella

It is a great old world hotel with a fabulous view. I looked out my hotel window early the next morning and saw this wonderful medieval church. It was the first of my WOW Italia moments. I first studied this church in an Art History class circa 1979 at Ucla. Up until this moment, I had only seen this church on a slide show during a lecture.

Now it's time to wander the streets of Florence on my own. A few turns through the winding streets and I catch a glimpse of the Duomo.

Standing in the piazza was truly breathtaking. This cathedral is soooooo huge that pictures can't capture its awesomeness. all of the great masters of painting & sculpture in Florence in the 13th, 14th & 15th centuries. I had to pinch myself that I was really standing there.

Arrivederci Tacoma!

2008-03-31T22:16:00.007-07:00

You can whine all you want that I haven't updated my blog, but as of 6:45 pm tonight, I am on a plane bound for Florence.

So you can all expect the next update with ooooooodles of pictures around April 13th when I return (maybe the 14th or 15th). Leaving the laptop & cellphone at home, just going to enjoy biking around Tuscany!

CIAO!!!!

SURPRISE!!!!

2008-03-31T21:49:00.004-07:00

As I was getting things ready for dinner this afternoon, there was a knock at my door. I could tell the person was holding a big bouquet of flowers. When I opened the door he said, "Happy Birthday". Wrong. He noticed the sign on the house, but I had to explain that it was for my house's birthday. Look of confusion. But I said the flowers must be for someone else. He said, "Sandy?" Ok, I'll take them if you insist. Aren't they the most beautiful flowers you have ever seen?

Still confused I opened the card. Then the tears just started running down my face.

I may be going to Italy on Thursday to bicycle around Tuscany, but truth be told .... no matter how magical and wonderful this trip will be, it won't be as fabulous as spending time, just hanging out with Katie. Ti amo, Katie. Molto Grazie!!!!

Happy Bday 1014 N 5TH!

2008-03-29T23:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday 1014 N 5th! 100 years old never looked better!

It was a full house with Happy Miss Tiffany (Derek must be driving his Papa crazy). And Railene who we don't see enough is demonstrating to Kim how to chug wine with her eyes closed. You go Railene!!!!!

LIsa (my personal torturer at the YMCA), Marilyn (I want that green jacket!) and Scott (expert film producer and dogsitter) are enjoying each other's company and the beverages!

Returning to the scene of the crime is Doug. 1014 N 5th wouldn't be the house that it is without him. All I wanted was the removal of some terrible accoustical tile ceilings. After 20 minutes of conversation with Doug it was clear that the whole house needed a remodel. Doug made sure that I had the right people doing the right things & viola': fabulous house!

Paul and Susan are in deep discussion. What they are talking about, who knows? But they are always fun to watch.

Jason and Chase are trying to compete for the cutest boy in town. Derek gives Chase some serious competition. But Jason, sorry to tell you, your ship has sailed. It is all about the younger generation these days. If you are over the age of 3, you don't even have a chance. But I am sure that your wife still likes you just the way you are :o)

Snow melts in Iowa???

2008-03-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

March 27th, officially Spring, almost April. The snow may be melting in Iowa, but this is a picture of my front yard. Tacoma, Washington! It's not supposed to be like this.

Look at the house as the snow starts to stick. And I am driving away, on my way to work. That's just wrong. Maybe not a full out snow day, but a light dusting in March should at least count for a 2 hour late start. No such luck!

Easter Monday

2008-03-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

When I think of Easter, I think eggs. When I think eggs, I think breakfast. When I think breakfast & Monday night I know that we will have a good crowd & yummy food.

The best part of the night was that Katie came up to visit! Yeah! She hasn't been back to Tacoma since last August & Tacoma really misses her. As you can see, Jenn is getting bigger & bigger & pushing poor Katie out of the picture.

Katie got some time to catch up with her Tacoma Man, Mr. Derek. He has changed a lot since she last saw him, getting big and talking her ear off.

Then there is her fabulous cousin Paul. Its good to see family. Even if is Paul (just kidding).

Oops, now here is a guest that got put in time out by Derek. It's the Easter Duck, but Derek will tell you that the duck was "Too Loud". Well Mister Duck we'll try again next year. Maybe you will behave better then.

Happy St. Paddy's

2008-03-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin!!!! Eve, Eli, Dylan and Sophia have things in the den hoppin'! Truth be told, they were mild compared to their parents on this night where everyone is Irish!

We had a full table, must be the promise of green food and green beer. Green brings out the best in just about everybody!

This was Josephine & her husband Dave's first visit to Monday night. Here she is demonstrating the correct way to partake of the legendary Irish car bomb. Good work Josie!!!! I think she will fit in just fine with the Monday night crew.

Poor Mitch is not much of a Irish car bomb connoisseur. He tried to sip it, which is not recommended. Luckily, it was Kathryn to the rescue and she put the second half away in record time. I wish I had gotten a picture of Dave and Mark going head to head with theirs, but they were too quick to be captured on film. It was definitely a St. Patrick's Day to make St. Patrick himself very proud!

Easy Riders!

2008-03-16T21:29:00.001-07:00

For the second Sunday morning in a row, Chris and I are on our bikes and riding out to Sumner. For those of you who aren't locals, that's about a 30 mile round trip ride. Just a few hills, not too bad.

Here is my coach Chris lounging in the big leather chair at the Beyond the Bridge Cafe of Sumner. He's chatting on the phone to our friend Tracy who used to do this ride with Chris. But now Tracy is a resident of Louisville, Ky and he's not riding his bike since there is snow on the ground. Whimp!

It takes a lot of work to coach me on these long rides. Chris has to constantly look over his shoulder and make sure that I am still there. I'm usually right there, and sometimes I am waaaay off in the distance.

But as you can see, no matter how far I fall behind, I am really easy to spot.

Happy Bday Paul

2008-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Paul turns 38 and we spare no expense! We hired Elton John to play the gig!

Nothing quite says birthday like a cake, singing and Mitch in a cardboard tiara.

Paul gets all of his candles extinguished in one blow (of course there were only 12 candles, but I won't tell if you won't). We were also fortunate to have Megan join us from Los Angeles. Who needs all of that sunshine when we have perfectly good grey and drippy weather? Ok, at least we have a lot more green.

Jenn came too, but I think she is trying to smuggle out some birthday gifts under her shirt. Or maybe she is just anticipating an upcoming birthday .... say sometime around June 28, 2008. Looks like we will need to make room for one more at the Monday night table.

And now for an encore performance, Elton is going to play us a little more Happy Birthday. Thanks Elton!

Oscar Stars in Tacoma

2008-02-24T22:56:00.001-08:00

The glitz, the glamor of Oscar Night in Hollywood and Tacoma. Yes, two of the stars of Juno, opted out of the Hollywood scene in favor of the new, hot film community of Tacoma, Washington. We are just so very lucky and honored that they wanted to celebrate the biggest night of the year with us.

Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter

2008-02-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

Our final play of the weekend is a world premiere for OSF. After we saw Jenny Sutter, we were wiped out emotionally. But it was well worth it and really reminded us how powerful a live theater experience can be.

Jenny Sutter (Gwendolyn Mulamba) considers her situation at Slab City. Photo by David Cooper. Gwen is amazing. Katie's favorite role of hers was in the play Intimate Apparel.

Buddy (David Kelly) gives one of his improvisational sermons in Slab City as Jenny Sutter (Gwendolyn Mulamba) listens. Photo: Jenny Graham. David Kelly has a great range, and is a hysterical comedic actor. Did I mention that this play only runs through June in Ashland and then will travel to the Kennedy Center in Washinton, DC in July.

Lou (Kate Mulligan) tries to provide a welcome home for her new friend Jenny Sutter. Photo: Jenny Graham. Kate is new to the company, but has a lot of experience in TV. Peter, do you recognize her from Judging Amy? Kate is also married to another company newcomer who plays the bad guy in the Clay Cart (btw he is also a UCLA grad, we're everywhere!)

The Clay Cart

2008-02-23T21:25:00.001-08:00

Welcome to India! The Clay Cart is the first non western play that OSF has produced. Thanks to New Artistic Director, Bill Rauch, Katie's hero. When she learned that OSF was doing a 2000 year old play from India, she was thrilled!

Vasantasenā (Miriam A. Laube). Photo: David Cooper. Miriam is one of our favorite actors at OSF. I especially loved her in a song that she performed from Spamalot during the Daedalus Project a couple of summers ago. If you don't know what Daedalus is, just think Underwear Parade. Enuf said.

Chārudatta (Cristofer Jean, left) with his son Rohasena (Kaj Pandey). Photo: David Cooper. A beautiful and ancient play. Lots of emotion, lots of eye candy, a fabulous evening.

Vasantasenā, (Miriam A. Laube, left) dances for Chārudatta (Cristofer Jean, right) as Maitreya (Michael J. Hume) looks on. Photo: David Cooper. The dancing was great! Katie and I were lucky to meet the choreographer, her daughter and the dramaturg for the show. Did I mention that they were originally from India? Or that the choreographer's daughter is a UCLA grad. Small world.

Part of The Clay Cart ensemble. The sets were beautiful and with the costumes, it was really like spending a night in India.

Fences

2008-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon we were treated to August Wilson's "Fences". We have been treated to other August Wilson plays in previous years, "The Piano Lesson' , "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "Gem of the Ocean". They are always some of our most favorite OSF productions.

Troy Maxson (Charles Robinson, right) embraces his wife Rose (Shona Tucker). Photo: David Cooper. You may recognize Charles Robinson from his many years on the TV show "Night Court".

Troy Maxson (Charles Robinson, left) gets a loan paid back from his son Lyons (Kevin Kenerly, right) as his friend Bobo (Josiah Phillips) looks on. Photo: Jenny Graham. Does the name Kevin Kenerly sound familiar??? It should, he also plays Oberon in Midsummer this season.

Rose (Shona Tucker, right) shares a laugh with Troy's brother Gabriel (G. Valmont Thomas). Photo: Jenny Graham. G. Valmont Thomas is a Tacoma boy and a graduate of Wilson High School .... small world.

Cory (Cameron Knight, right) gets a stern lecture from his father Troy (Charles Robinson). Photo: David Cooper As you can see Fences is a very intense play. Take a good look at the stage. This is the same stage that was home to Midsummer the night before and will transform into the Clay Cart's India in just a few hours.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2008-02-22T23:36:00.001-08:00

The first play that we saw was A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was amazing, colorful, and lots of fun. Here are a few stills from the evening.

Hippolyta (Shona Tucker, left) and Theseus (Michael Elich) anxiously await their nuptial celebration. Photo: David Cooper. Don't you just love those chairs!

Titania (Christine Albright, left) and Oberon (Kevin Kenerly), Queen and King of the Fairies, quarrel over the possession of a changeling boy. Photo: Jenny Graham. Christine played a superb Juliette last season & Kevin was Romeo 4 seasons ago. Oberon in black ostrich feathers and not much else ..... yum!!!

Tom Snout (Josiah Phillips), Francis Flute (Eileen DeSandre) and Bottom (Ray Porter) arrive to begin their preparations for rehearsal. Photo: Jenny Graham. These actors are the veteran comedians of the company. They were crazy funny every time they hit the stage.

The fairy world (Mark Bedard, Eddie Lopez, John Tufts, Edgar Miguel Sanchez) dances to a disco beat. Photo: David Cooper. The fairies in this production were just too much fun to watch! Tutus and rippling biceps under fishnet tank tops is the way Shakespeare was meant to be done.

Opening Weekend at OSF!

2008-02-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to India ..... I mean Ashland, Oregon. We have come for Opening Weekend for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The play we are dying to see is the Clay Cart. Written in India over 2000 years ago, Katie can't wait.

We arrived at the Gala dinner Friday night to find out that everyone is excited about the Clay Cart. The room was decorated like an Indian wedding & the food, amazing (not to mention the pink champagne flowing everywhere). We were treated to some fabulous Indian dancing.

And Katie (complete with new haircut and black dress) did a little posing with some over the top Indian decor.

Yes, I did mention Indian food and pink champagne, so at 7 am the next morning I was at the Ashland YMCA when the doors opened. I usually visit the Y every day that we are in Ashland, because the food is great & so are the beverages. Trying hard to be a good girl.

And who did we bump into in the bathroom but an old college buddy of Katie's, Alicia. Of course we had to stop at a local watering hole to catch up and we landed smack dab in the middle of the Midsummer Night's Dream cast party. Too much fun. We were only in Ashland for 48 hours which included 4 plays, 2 dinners, 2 lectures & 2 cast parties. Katie and I never waste a moment when we are in Ashland.

And now for the man himself! Katie's bud, Bill Rauch, the new Artistic Director of OSF. He is energy and passion and has already brought some fabulous new ideas to Ashland. We are so excited to be able to be part of this wonderful new era!

Chris doesn't listen to me

2008-02-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Last week I decided to start biking outside. I know it's February & it's cold ( I don't ride in cold & inclement weather!!) but I was thinking that I might toodle through the neighborhood, if it gets warmer, toward the end of the month. My ultimate goal is to ride to work in March maybe 3 days a week. So, with this in mind, I asked Chris Sharp if he would stop by, give my bike the once over, put air in the tires for me so it would be ready, when I am ready.

Chris got even more excited about me riding again than I was. He volunteered to go riding with me some Sunday. I told him that I would get myself in a little better shape & then we could make plans toward the end of Feb, or maybe March, weather permitting. A few days later he emailed me to ask what time we would go riding this Sunday. Hello Chris, not this Sunday, not ready, too cold. Again an email, then a phone call, and he arrived at my house today at 10 am all geared up with his bike and ready to ride. Sheesh!

So with my bike shoes on, helmet, etc, I slowly climbed on my bike and started to pedal. Chris, where are we headed??? My work????? That's 7 miles away, mostly down hill there, very uphill back. Very, very, very uphill back through downtown Tacoma. Yikes!!! Uh Chris??? I think it's starting to rain & was that wet snow????? It's a balmy 33 degrees & I am now getting officially wet. This is not good. This is really not good.

Made it into Fife, pretty easily, though it is really, really cold. Chris is wearing shoe covers & is complaining that his feet are getting numb. Don't look for sympathy from me buddy! The trip back was quite the challenge for me. I hadn't gotten the hang of changing gears going up hill when both me & my bike thought it would be fun to lay down on some friendly dirt. It was nice to take a moment to look up to the sky and appreciate the day.

The great news is that I did survive & it wasn't all that bad. Though tomorrow parts of me might be crying in pain.

Thank you Chris.

SUE! I'm OKAY!

2008-01-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

Just had to let my favorite fan base in Manchester, Iowa know that I am ok. Even after my belly dancing class! I guess since the caucus is over and the candidates have moved on, the chief form of entertainment in Iowa is my blog. Sorry that I have been behind. Looking ahead I can tell you that Feb is going to be a crazy busy month and I promise to stay up to date, just for you.

I wanted to show you what an almost snow day looks like in Tacoma. We had a very light dusting in our neighborhood. Even though Mitch was sending me weather reports every few hours, the big storm that was supposed to dump on us never came. Sad. But doesn't my green house look fabulous in the snow? I think that green is a perfect compliment to white (& pretty much every other color!).

ps .... I know it has been a while since I have posted pictures of your adorable grandchildren and their parents (who only complain about the pictures I take of them). Their house is still under quarantine. We don't know what sickness that they keep passing back and forth, but we want them to keep it to themselves.

Paul's new roommate

2008-01-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Luther is his name and boy does he have attitude. He is all energy when Paul comes through the door and has made the whole house his own. He is especially fond of the curtains. He is very cute and cuddly.

Gotcha. Luther loves to chase a little red pointer light and is very proud when he catches it.

Bet you all were wondering what Paul did with that womb that I knitted for him. It is proudly displayed in it's very own frame on the living room wall. After all the things that I have knitted, I never thought the first to be displayed as a work of fine art would be a womb. See, that degree in Fine Art from UCLA was not wasted on me.

Blue Man Group

2008-01-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

My good buddy Rachel at Fife High School was raving about the Blue Man Group last fall. When we heard that they were coming out to Seattle, we snatched up tickets and went. After a scrumptious dinner at the center house it was time to head to the show!

The Key Arena was packed. And the show was great! these pictures don't really do the group justice. And no he's not on fire.

Part musicians, part comedians, part Marcel Marceau in blue is how the group is best described. If you want to see them in Vegas, I hear the tickets are $150 each. So if they are passing through your town, don't miss them, just go!

It was a night of great music and innovation. They were sooooo crazy and sooooo wild. What surprised me the most was their back up band. Truly amazing musicians, especially the drummers. They had two playing a surround stand up drum set. They were constantly jumping and dancing and moving at turbo speed. They make a heavy ymca work out look like day lounging at a spa.

Edgefield

2008-01-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

Poor Katie was having a hard Thursday night. I knew this because she called me during each of her work breaks. Then she said the magic words, "I miss you Mom". Don't have to tell me twice! Since she worked all the way through her winter break, I decided she needed a get-a-way and a little pampering. I picked her up on Saturday & we headed to Edgefield

After we checked in, we headed to the Power Station Pub for a quick lunch before our 2 o'clock tour. The kitchen was a bit backed up which meant we inhaled lunch in about 7 minutes. Good thing we were hungry!

Next it was time for the tour. Edgefield, like all the McMenamins, has amazing artwork everywhere. Painted by 7 different artists, each painting tells a story. Murals can run an entire length of a hallway and back up the other. Here are some of our favorites.

The artists don't limit themselves to the flat surfaces of the building. Even the pipes aren't safe. It's a fun scavenger hunt to find little paintings where you would least expect them.

Once a County Poor Farm, then a Nursing Home one of Edgefield's landmarks is this big red water tower. Here is 2 of the previous residents blasting off into the heavens on the red water tower rocket!

Even the exit signs are things of whimsical beauty.

The Little Red Shed

2008-01-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

When we called Rob, back in Chicago, to tell him that we finally made it to Edgefield (he's a BIG fan) he told us that we had to go to the Little Red Shed.

The Little Red Shed is cozy and comfy. It has two tiny rooms, one with 4 tiny tables and 8 chairs, the other has the bar, a fireplace and 4 chairs. The only electricity in the place keeps the kegs cold and the beer flowing. Candles and the fireplace provide the rooms with mood lighting.

It didn't take long for Katie to get herself behind the bar. And a busy bar it was as golfers would take refuge from the drizzle on the Edgefield golf course and stop buy for refreshments before going back out. Everyone who came in was very friend and we chatted the afternoon away.

Did I mention that everyone was very friendly???

Opps, can't stay, its time for Katie and I to go to our spa appointments. The spa was amazing. Facials, Massages and a fabulous soaking pool that wraps around the outside of the building.

Meet Meagan. She was Katie's facial technician and joined us for dinner at the Black Rabbit. The food and wine was oh so yummy!!!

A boy & his womb

2008-01-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

Now these pictures require a story. When we were in Yuma, Arizona Margaret and I were talking knitting (surprise). Then we looked at knitty.com and a bunch of free knitting patterns. Paul was looking over our shoulder at one of my favorite free patterns: the womb.

Paul wanted one. So I took the challenge! Paul wanted me to make sure that it was soft and cuddly. So I bought yarn in Portland & then I started knitting. What do you think .... Does Paul like his womb???

True confessions. I bought too much yarn. But I had sooooo much fun knitting these little guys (errr, i mean girls) that I knitted a bunch. So I gave Paul the pick of the litter. Chris, my man, you are looking just a bit envious.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I call this "Wombs with a View".

Rummage $ Free

2008-01-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

One of my many New Year's Revolutions (Eli's new word) is to de-clutter. So until I have purged myself of all of my unneeded objects, the Monday Nighters will be treated to a weekly give-a-way. My first offerings came out of the kitchen and bookshelves. Come & get it!!!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

Everyone gathered at Katie's place in Portland for a fun and fab New Year's Eve. First we went to a scrumptious dinner at Pinocchio's then a Pink Martini concert at the Arlene Schnitzer (I just love saying Schnitzer). But my favorite part of the evening was just hanging out at Katie's as the new year began.

We still had a few Christmas gifts to exchange. Here Katie is modeling the fabulous hat that Margaret had knitted her when we were all in Yuma. This pattern really gave poor Margaret fits. First were the miles of boring stockinette stitch & when it finally got interesting, the pattern was written so poorly that it was just frustrating. But for all of her blood, sweat and tears it really does look great on Katie.

Paul was pretty darn excited about his wine carafe oosik. We are sure that he will put it to good use.

Then Paul and Dave started telling tales of their childhood. 3 brothers, bb guns, and terminal restriction (that would be Dave), it is amazing that they all turned out so well (for the most part). The stories and laughter when on til almost 4 am before we all decided to call it quits.

Katie has a lot of room for company but 5 people overnight is about her limit. So Paul got to spend the night in his favorite Portland hotel, the Ace. Downtown and about a mile from Katie's place, the Ace is very unique and hard to catagorize. I would have to call it Trendy/Urban/Historical/Shabby/Cool. You actually have to experience it to get it. I took this group shot in their lounge area. The huge "couch" look like it was covered and canopied with army surplus tents.

Time to say good-bye to Katie & Becca. Dave, Margaret & Paul are going out to Molalla to visit more family & I have to go back to work, grrrrrr. Anyway girls, there is a new school term looming on your horizons, enjoy!

Sunny San Diego

2007-12-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, you just can't go to an airport and hop a flight to Yuma. First you have to go somewhere else and then you get a 2 - 3 hour drive as a bonus. Last year we flew to Phoenix. It was fun flying over a bit of the Grand Canyon, but the drive was long, one boring tumbleweed after another. The only highlight was the "Don't Pick Up Hitchhikers" sign as you pass the Federal Prison. So this year we decided to come the other direction from San Diego.

The drive was much more interesting. On the way back we drove past thousands of parked RVs enjoying the annual gathering of ATVs kicking up the dust of the dunes. We were really impressed by the very rocky hills that we had to pass through. Dave is the adventurous guy who will climb any rock to get a better photo.

Welcome to the Pacific Ocean. Even though I live on the west coast, I rarely see the ocean. It's just comforting to know its there and that I could drive to it in a couple of hours from my home. It was a sunny day on a sandy beach (Washington beaches are mostly rocks, not a surface you would want to throw a towel onto), a great end to a long drive.

The locals were pretty friendly. This young pelican let me get very close before he took off in flight. I got a picture of his take off, but decapitated his poor head.

We walked out on a long pier to get this photo looking back to San Diego. Dave, Margaret & Paul look good in the sunshine! (OK, they do look a bit pale, but it has been months since they have seen the sun) But don't get too used to it because in a few hours we are heading back to the rain.

I just had to take this nostalgic picture. Remember in the 1990s a before when you would take friends to the airport and you could actually walk them to the gate, wave and watch them leave? I flew a few weeks after the rules changed & I found the gate to be a very quiet and lonely place. No one waiting anxiously for a plane to arrive, or giving those last good bye hugs right before the plane's final boarding. The gate area had become painfully quiet and very sad. So when Dave, Margaret & Paul's plane left a half hour before mine, I just had to take this picture and pretend it was the good old days.

Out & about in Yuma!

2007-12-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

We went to Paradise. The Paradise Casino on the California/Arizona border. (they frown on you wildly snapping photos inside the casino). Paul & Dave headed to the gaming tables where they quickly made a donation to the local economy. Margaret & I went to the Players Club where we got our cards, good for $5 in free play at the slot machines. I picked the exciting Evil Knevil machine. Luckily I had no idea what I was doing & with Margaret's encouragement I just kept on playing. When my free $5 ran out, I hit the cash out button and my receipt said that I had won $86.80. Hey I know when to fold 'em. I just took my money and ran.

Then we had to take Paul to the Yuma Territorial Prison. Things hadn't changed much since we visited last year (though it was less windy, which was very nice). Margaret & I rang the big bell & we took Paul to the "Dark Cell", solitary confinement at the turn of the century.

Doesn't Paul look comfy and cozy.

At the end of the day it was on to Crazy Earl's Cocktails & Pool. We were in luck, it was karaoke night, with a definite Country Western twang. But when the singing was over and they started to play the "Hippity Hop" (that's what they call it in Anchorage) Dave suggested it would be a good time to head back to our motel and a night cap (or 5 or 6) & we agreed.

Welcome to Yuma

2007-12-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

Holiday travel doesn't stop at Portland. First there is the plain trip to sunny San Diego and then the little car ride across California to Yuma, Arizona where I joined the Gadsden/Eliot/Carpenter family from Alaska/Tacoma/Bellingham.

Christmas is all about the kids. Brandon & Lucas are 2 1/2 now and all pro at ripping through the Christmas wrap. They made quite a hall. Of course the best gifts were mailed to them before Christmas. Their wonderful uncles picked out a toy leaf blower, chain saw, dance on keyboard, and accordian. The louder the volume, the bigger the fun!

Brandon has got fun and games on his mind. Thoughtfully planning his next move on how to next control the lives of the adults around him.

Lucas goes for the tried and true method of screaming at the top of his lungs. He is an expert at this technique.

The boys. Aren't they cute. Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil. Yeah right. It's a short visit, maybe they can behave.

Merry Christmas to All!!!

2007-12-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

We don't need not stinkin' snow. It's Christmas in Portland and rain will do us just fine. Katie took me to meet the Christmas pony on NW 23rd on Christmas Eve. I think this 4 legged creature has his eye on Katie's chai latte, be careful Katie.

After last minute shopping and a movie, we walked down NW 23rd at night. It looks so fabulous with all the lights. Almost like being in Bedford Falls with Jimmy Stewart.

Back home with Katie, this is her beautiful tree. She has a very cozy home. Hope that one of those gifts under the tree might be for me.

Finally, Christmas morning. What is this???? Is it a Christmas Reindeer on the front porch? No it's Katie standing in the snow! Real snow!!! It's the very first White Christmas for the Farewell girls.

The street looks magical with all of the wet snow falling. Lots of people were out walking and enjoying the rare snowy morning.

What's for dinner??? Katie thinks the traditional "Christmas Story" dinner would be fun. Without the beheaded duck of course.

One more shot of the snow. It probably won't last, but it sure is fun for now. Merry Christmas from Sandy & Katie in Portland!

Snow, snow, snow!!!

2007-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Not in Tacoma, not in Portland, but in Manchester, Iowa. My man Mitch is on location in Manchester (with the wife, the kids and the in laws) following the big weather story for us. The storm hit yesterday and dropped 8 inches of snow. Today, he is braving treacherous conditions to send weather photos to us. With their own personal snowplow on the front of the truck, Mitch and Dean will be on the job, tracking Christmas Storm '07!!! Thanks boys!

Anyone need a fresh Christmas Tree???

If you do, jump in your red pick-up, you know the one with the snowplow attached, and drive on over to Dean and Sue Boone's. They have a bunch and would be happy to set you up!

Look out, here comes Evie whooshing down the hill. Doesn't she look great with her green jacket and coordinating green books. A fashion plate! Oh Eli, red looks nice too (just not as nice as green, way to go Evie!)

Look who is King and Queen of the snow mountain. Eat your hearts out all of you Northwesterners! Nothing beats a white Christmas in Iowa.

Ahhhhhhh!!!! Mitch wanted me to warn all of you. When traveling to the Midwest in the winter months, you can't trust that your luggage will always arrive with you. If this happens, tragedy may occur. You will have to give up shaving (apparently they don't sell razors during a snow storm) and be forced to wear plaid flannel. Please, don't ever let this happen to you!

A little bit about where I work

2007-12-18T18:20:00.001-08:00

About a year and a half ago I changed school districts. Leaving the big district of Tacoma, I opted for the small district of Fife. Fife is so small that every high school student in Fife goes to Fife High School. Fife is so small that many of the staff and administrators are Fife graduates. Fife is so small, with a rich agricultural history, that it is still cool to be a Daffodil Princess for the Daffodil Festival in April. Which brings me to the picture below that arrived in my email today. Our current dean of students, Ms. Fox is a Fife Graduate and served as a Daffodil Princess when she was in high school. Apparently this made our Assistant Principal and Principal somewhat intimidated. Not to be outdone by her beauty and youth, Mr. Neufeld and Mr. Knight wanted us all to know that they too could have competed against Ms. Fox for the title of Daffodil Princess if they had only attended Fife High School. You make the call.

Picture = 1000 words ..... enough said.

Happy 22nd Birthday Katie!!!

2007-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!

Happy Birthday .....

Dear Katie!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Love you ooooooooodles : )

The 9th Annual Boone-Robinson Partay!

2007-12-16T21:06:00.001-08:00

It's Holiday Partay time at the Boone Robinson's! As you can see they had a record crowd tonight!

These were the poor souls that had to stand in the street outside their home because there wasn't enough room inside. Sad, it was pretty nippy outside. After a few hours the crowd dispersed and the disappointed almost party goers headed home.

Doesn't Mary look great!!! This is my ongoing attempt to take a picture of Mary that she actually likes. I have been told not to post any pictures that make her look like a dork or show her backside. I think I succeeded, you make the call. Anyway, she was a great hostess and kept the food flowing all afternoon long.

The goodies table was the hot spot. Doesn't their dining room look like one of those festive homes that you see on HGTV??? It is the neighborhood highlight of the season. See y'all next year for the 10th annual (unless our hosts get smart and head to Hawaii instead).

Shakespeare in Tacoma!

2007-12-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

Two fabulous actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival visited Annie Wright School in Tacoma today. It is part of their educational outreach program that they do all over the country each fall. Annie Wright was lucky enough to get Kersti Bryan and Todd Bjurstrom.

After Kersti and Todd wrapped up their workshop at Annie Wright, they took time out of their very busy schedule to hang out with me. Wow, what a great time we all had. Kersti and Todd are warm, fun, down to earth, very generous and just a joy to be around. We had a great time at dinner at El Gaucho. Truly the highlight of my week. Todd will be returning to OSF in the spring and will perform in all 3 of the outdoor plays. Kersti is headed back to New York, she has a call back for the touring company of Broadway's "Dirty Dancing". I look forward to continuing to stalking them in the future.

So Todd, save a Saturday night in February and we'll do dinner when we come to Ashland for OSF Opening weekend .... New Sammy's, right? And Kersti, lets pick a date to meet in LA for the weekend to catch a show and hang out with your friend MEGAN HILTY!!!! (yikes, did I just say that outloud????)

Thank you both for a wonderful and fun evening that I will never forget!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

It was the night of the Annual North Slope Christmas Caroling Extravaganza! So we bravely marched into the cold with 60 friends, neighbors and strangers, like a North End Gang, armed with Christmas lyrics and singing in a variety of keys all at the same time. Look Out!!!

Our Fearless Leader, Mary Boone. She did a great job organizing us, running 5 houses ahead to ring doorbells and plead with the residents not to call the police on us. A complete success, their were no arrests.

Hello Gordons. This is what happens when you don't join the neighborhood activities. We show up at your door anyway. We are neighbors that are hard to avoid.

Hello Tim & Petula. Petula you may be surprised to know that you were not the only dog that we sang to this evening. But you were the first. Where's Pat??? Oh, she must have heard us coming.

Hello Smith Family. Beth & Barry have their Daughter, Son in Law & Grandbaby visiting. Where's the Grandbaby??? She must have heard us coming too.

And our final stop, before we ran for the cookies and hot chocolate, was the home of Eric Anderson, Tacoma City Manager. Us North Slopers never let an opportunity pass to suck up to the local politicians.

Mitch .... Say it isn't so!!!

2007-12-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

Mitch, King of Click Network, what the heck is a Comcast truck doing in front of your house??? Tell us that you haven't turned to the dark side. Really Mitch, you are a city employee, the least you could do is have the enemy park in back.

A boy and his turkey

2007-12-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

Derek enjoys toys that have a button to press and a noise to make. If it moves in a semi violent manner, all the better. tonight he met the Christmas Turkey. At first it really scared him, but after pushing the button 75 million times, he finally got comfortable with it. After the Christmas tree was all decked out, it was time to play.

As you can see, Derek had a tight grip on the turkey to keep it safe from the dogs. The turkey looks quite excited about that.

Now it's time for the push the button, play the music (it sings deck the halls between gobbling outbursts), and dance like crazy when you are sitting on the chair.

Who loves the turkey??? Derek, I think it would be good if you take the turkey home so it will be safe, far away from the dogs. And play it for Mama and Papa, alot, it will get them into the Christmas spirit and make them verrrrrry happy!!!!

Queen Amazing

2007-11-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

I discovered Queen Latifah in the movie "Chicago". I loved her song "When you're good to Mama", ask Katie how many times I've sung this to her. This summer I really enjoyed the new movie "Hairspray" and Queen Latifah's character, Motormouth Maybelle. What surprised me was her new album, "Traveling Light" which features jazz, ballads and other standards. I loved the album and was very excited when I heard that she was coming to Tacoma on November 28th.

Tacoma was so lucky to be the last stop on her tour. She was amazing!!! She is a gifted and talented singer. She is a generous performer, giving all of the musicians on stage with her a hefty solo center stage. She listened to all of the audience members who called out to her, asking them to repeat what they said if she didn't understand. Often responding in song. A very genuine and down to earth human being who laughed at herself when she burped on mike. What a totally special evening and I felt so very fortunate to have been there!

Home Building

2007-11-25T15:43:00.001-08:00

Today is the annual Gingerbread Jamboree. I was lucky enough to wrangle an invite with Miss Evie. Head Contractor Eli picked his Mom as his sub-contractor. That left Eve with her dad. After I submitted my bid & hours of waiting, she selected me (I think that BA in Fine Art really put me over the top). Sorry Mitch.

The materials: Doesn't it just put you in a diabetic coma looking at it???

On your mark, get set, GO!!!!! Mary & Eli are a blur of frenzied activity. Ya gotta keep everything moving before that royal icing turns to a sugary concrete.

TA DA!!! Eve is a proud architect. Notice the fabu Christmas tree and snowy thatched roof. It looks good enough to eat, but don't try it.

Eli was a tough task master and really put Mary through her paces, but the results are great. I love the cane fence and how the candy canes flank the front door, how HGTV!

And now for our special guest star on this edition of Eve & Eli's blog. It's local artist Chris Sharp, braving the cold afternoon and adding some much needed beauty to our hood. Thank you Chris & carry on!

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

2007-11-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

The Boone Robinsons. Yes, it's that time of year again when they take over my blog to communicate with their family and friends. First, it was Thanksgiving and now it's time to put up the tree.

The before picture: Eve and Eli stand in front of the new family tree. The old one just didn't make it out of the box this year. So Mitch, braved the elements and cut down a nice artificial pre-lit tree. Don't the kids look proud!

This the second year in a row that I have been included in this family tradition. My job is to bring cocktails and to put the hooks on the ornaments. Which technically makes me the hooker from down the street. The family is about halfway done trimming the tree, Mitch and Mary stand back to eye the progress and plan placement of the final ornaments.

Whoooooaaaaaaa, Nelly! Is this how we behave??? Santa maybe watching. It seems like someone's drinks are a little low. Stop fighting right now you two so I can refill your beverages of Holiday Cheer!!!!!!

Aren't they sweet? The 3 Boone Robinson women. Job well done! Just don't call me when it all has to come back down and get put away.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2007-11-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

Katie is hard at work in Portland and spending Thanksgiving with her good buddy Becca. So, what's a Mom to do .... wrangle an invite from the neighbors. Eve made this beautiful sign to let us know that we arrived in the right place.

OK boys ... it's time to carve the turkey ... any volunteers??? We wouldn't want you to put your wine down so the rest of us can eat.

Beth to the rescue!!! Didn't know that she had a degree in Home Economics, making her a professional carver!

Norman Rockwell, eat your heart out! As you can see, Eve is finishing off the traditional bowl of chicken noodle soup, yum!

Wow, do you believe this? As we sat at the table and enjoyed each other's company, Mitch sprang into action! He cleared all the plates and loaded the dishwasher. He has the reflexes of a cat.

After dinner it was time to relax around the fire. Thanks for keeping the fire going Mary! And of course, Eve is enjoying some knitting time. What a smart child she is.

Dinner was great, especially the pineapple casserole and swiss chard au gratin. New traditions for next year. But when the evening was over, Iris says it all. Time to take our full tummies home and get a good night sleep.

Cleaning out my closet 3

2007-11-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

As they say, the 3rd time is the charm. I finally cleaned out my closet, Ta Da!!! It may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me. The stuff in this closet has been talking to me (& not saying very nice things for months. This closet was knee deep (no exaggeration) in stuff. I would stand in the doorway and either dig for things or throw them back in onto the top of the pile. I had planned to organize things weekend after weekend. Ask Paul, he is fond of saying, "Are you talking about that closet again." Well, Paul, it's done.

Ahhh, the wall of yarn.

And look, you can see floor.

Cleaning out my closet 2

2007-11-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

The twins are headed back home and my knitting buddy cancelled, so it's time to tackle that closet. My phone dings (text message), Natalie and Chase need a babysitter tonight. Sigh. It seems the preschoolers that I know need my undivided attention and don't want me to clean out this closet.

Natalie wants to watch Monsters Inc.

Chase, what are you doing with that remote? You aren't fast forwarding to the scarey part????

Oh No!!!! It's the scarey part!!!!

Not the Party Animal tonight, Chase???? OK, time for bed for you.

OK Natalie, your parents are out and Chase is in bed .... Time to Jump on the Bed!!!!

Go Natalie Go!!!!

Time to brush your teeth.

Let's read a Clifford book.

Alrighty, close your eyes and time to sleep. Nighty, night Natalie.

Cleaning out my closet

2007-11-17T15:44:00.001-08:00

So that was my plan today, clean out my closet. Then I got an offer I couldn't refuse: a lunch date with my twin nephews Brandon & Lucas who are 2 1/2 years old. Oh yeah, their parents came along too, but I didn't take any pictures of them, so they are barely even worth mentioning. Hey, that's what happens when you have kids. The kids get all the attention & you are merely their chauffers.

As you can see, Brandon won't have to rely on a scholarship to get into college, he can work his way through school stripping at bachelorette parties, just like his dad!

After this twosome destroyed their pizza, it was time for dessert. Brandon looks over the menu with a keen eye.

"Hey, what kinda dump is this that doesn't serve tiaramisu or molten chocolate lava cake???"

Lucas was very pleased with his chocolate sundae on white ice cream.

But when his energy starts to wane, Lucas abandons his spoon, which takes way to much effort and just plants his face in the bowl. Also just like his father.

"Hey, wait a minute. You got more ice cream then me!"
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
Alright boys, I think it's time to take your parents home and head back up to Ferndale. Thanks for visiting, we'll see you in Yuma.

Welcome to the Hood!!!

2007-11-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

Meet Beth & Barry. They are the new residents of Nakatomi Plaza. (If you don't know about Nakatomi Plaza, ask Mitch, he really tells the stories best).

Beth & Barry are originally from Georgia and have recently moved here from New Orleans (yes, they were their during Katrina & Rita). I met them at the annual neighborhood Oktoberfest at Kyle and Tiffany's. They are such fun and interesting people (ask them about the Daquiri Drive Thru) that I decided to invite them to Monday Night. Foolish and naive people that they are, they actually came. Hopefully they will keep coming back.

Katie's digs

2007-11-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Katie is all moved in and ready for company! So the next time you are in Portland, give her a call, she would love to see you!

Katie's dining area is just waiting for you to stop by for dinner. Notice the beautiful dining table that Katie assembled all by herself. And where would one get such a stunning piece of furniture??? Why, World Market of course. Just ask Katie and she would love to sign you up for your very own World Market credit card!

Now this is a kitchen to get busy in. Can't you just smell the chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven??? Yum!

Hmmmm, this furniture looks familiar, but I didn't see it at World Market. Katie picked this out four years ago for the "Mighty Spicey" room. Its her little piece of home away from home.

Is this a fabulous bedroom or what? Don't you just love the window? On a clear night Katie gets a great view of the stars while warm and cozy in her bed.

Back in August when we were getting Katie's place already to move in to, her good buddy Becca came over to hang out for the evening. there was no furniture to sit on so they sat on the floor and swapped YouTube videos. After Becca got off work this weekend, we went out to dinner and then back to Katie's place to hang out. They popped open the laptops and started swapping YouTube videos, but now they have furniture to sit on.

So when you are headed south on I 5, give Katie a call. She would love to have you stop by and if you have time, take a tour of her new hood. And if you are really lucky, like I was last week, you might come home with your very own World Market credit card.

Working Girl

2007-11-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in Portland visiting my favorite person, Katie. Today. she had to work, which she does alot. Also, one of the reasons that I need to visit her since all of this work is preventing her from coming to Tacoma for a weekend. But I don't mind because I love Portland. And I love Katie. So it's a win win weekend.

Katie works at Cost Plus World Market and she loves it. She loves the store, since much of her furniture came from CPWM. Of course, she bought it all before she got the job and the employee discount. But she bought it in Portland (no sales tax). My theory about shopping in Portland is that you are making money so buy, buy, buy! And I live that creed, just ask any yarn store owner in town & they will tell you that I live that creed.

Back to Katie, here she is at her cash register, working hard! I apologize for the picture quality, I had to take these pictures with my phone spycam. Taking pictures of your daughter at work with your nice digital camera is just sooooo uncool and high school. But everyone takes pictures of everything with their cellphones, so that makes me soooooo new millinium.

This is Katie and her good buddy Leah. Katie really loves the people that she works with and we all know how that makes all the difference in the world. Leah was the person who handed Katie her job application way back in August and told her that CPWM was a fun place to work. Hopefully as the crazy holiday season descends on them they will all keep having fun! BTW, Leah is so totally cool. You can't tell in this picture but the frames of her glasses ... they would be green! Katie knows the smartest most stylish people.

South 5 True Grit

2007-11-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

There's nothing better than watching a good movie on a cloudy fall afternoon. You loved the original .... now here is the sequel, Official Opening Night Selection for the Tacoma Film Festival 2007. Brian and the boys really made this one for Tacoma. Unlike those uppity Seattle-ites, we Tacomans get the inside jokes in this film. Watch closely, watch often and you will see some of the supportive families who have stood behind their men on this project. Also enjoy those Tacoma icons that make us proud to be locals. So before I give it all away .... watch and enjoy!

Halloween in da hood

2007-10-31T20:56:00.001-07:00

It's the night of the year that all of the scareys come out. You must give them candy to make them go away or risk that their parents will leave them with you until next Halloween .... frightening!!! We had a parade of very well behaved ghouls and ghosts. Some said that they would share their candy with their parents (those tended to be very young & really have no choice in the matter), others, not so much. My favorite response was from a 7 year old princess who when asked if she would share her candy with dear old dad she laughed and said, "Noooooo" with a voice that accused me of asking the most ridiculous question ever!!!!!

Here are some of our favorites:

Derek the Monkey was first. He has very good monkey sound effects and was beside himself with glee when Mom let him unwrap one of his candies.

Natalie made the cutest Minnie, but poor Chase, at the tender age of 1, has already figured out the scam. Chase gets to walk the neighborhood wearing a silly costume so he can collect candy that his parents won't let him eat, just because his dad is too old to beg door to door himself.

Addy also a very cute lion was all done with the mane by the time she arrived at our house. She is hopeful that Mom & Dad will be looking the other way when she breaks into her stash.

Ellie is a classic witch. We are very partial to witches at our house and they usually get extra candy. Though her costume could benefit from some green accessories ... just a thought!

AHHHHHHHH! It's Eve and Eli. Wonder Woman and Batman. Super Heroes on Halloween and in real life. Last year Eli was Superman. He is very partial to the costumes that come with their own muscles. Look Dad, more muscles than you & Eli has never been to the Y at 6 am!

DON'T BRING DESSERT MONDAY!

2007-10-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Where do all the cool Tacoma Schools staff & parents go on a Friday night???? To Fife, of course. Columbia Junior High (where I work) to be more precise ... for the Annual Dessert Auction. This is the Booster Club's Major Fundraiser to purchase items for the classroom. This year they have already committed $1500 for 2 document cameras. Which our generous table was able to raise. I believe we were also responsible for driving up the price on several things that we didn't take home, but made others pay more than their fair share. It was so much fun!!!! Thank you to Jenn & Dan & Paul & Jewel for leaving the comfort zone of Tacoma and helping us out! I must mention that Mr. Peter was also in attendance and a big contributor, but my batteries were out of juice when I tried to snag his picture seruptiously.

So Monday nighters, take heed .... DON'T BRING DESSERT! I have it totally covered. Waiting for you will be a Key Lime Pie, Starbucks Chocolate Cake, the most amazing Tiarimasu (I snagged this bad boy last year too), and some homemade chocolate peanut butter truffles. If you are busy & can't make it for dinner, PLEASE stop by for dessert. Just remember it was all for a very good cause.

One more time, now say it with me .... "I WILL NOT BRING DESSERT THIS MONDAY NIGHT!!!" good answer!

Weekend in Tuscany

2007-10-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

It's been hectic since school started back up. I have been feeling like I need a break from the craziness so this weekend I ran away to Tuscany.

When I arrived at the villa, I was greeted by this fabulous fountain. She looks great for someone who must be at least 3000 years old.

The view out the window from behind the front desk was breathtaking. I knew that I would be spending the warm afternoons wandering through the neighboring vineyards.

The high ceilings, the marble floors, the beautiful antique furniture, it was like being in a dream world. Almost too good to be true.

The villa in Tuscany is absolutely palatial. Look at it bathed in the warm Tuscan sun.

Ok, it's not exactly Tuscany. Just a little bit east of Tuscany. It's Pasco, Washington. Sigh. I attended a conference there this past weekend. As you can tell, Best Western agrees with me that Pasco is just like Tuscany. And no long plane ride. It doesn't get any better than this.

Good bye water fountain friend.

Susan Werner

2007-10-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday night was field trip night to Seattle's Triple Doorto see Famous Iowan Susan Werner. What a wonderful venue! What a fabulous show!!! Our local field trippers included Dan, Jenn, Lisa & Kim.

Mary is a close, personal friend of the star of the show. They grew up together in good ol' Manchester, Iowa. Mitch acted as the local promoter of this event and got all of us there. Thank you Mitch! Special guests for the night are Mary's parents: Sue & Dean(Herb), who drove out from Manchester, Iowa last week. I am not kidding, really, they actually drove! Now you may be wondering why Mary's dad has 2 names. Well, I think I have unraveled that mystery. Mary's dad's real name is "Dean" & that's what Sue calls him. But Mary calls him "Herb". It's so obvious, I don't know why I didn't figure it out earlier. 2 words: Witness Protection. See, Mary grew up only knowing the name "Herb" that the feds gave him. While, Sue hasn't ever gotten used to that name and still calls him "Dean", the name of the man that she married, 47 years ago. Shhhhhhh, don't tell anybody, I am guessing that it's a secret.

Below is a picture of Susan and her band. Sorry about the dark images, I was taking pix on the nighttime setting, without the flash. Clearly, I really need to read the user's manual of this camera.

Susan Werner - 'The Gospel Truth'

2007-10-09T06:31:00.001-07:00

What's better than looking a my dopey pictures is to get a little Susan in action .... Enjoy!!!

Lights, Camera ...... Action

2007-10-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight the curtain went up on the Tacoma Film Festival. First to be shown (a very prestigious spot) was our own "South 5" and the world premiere of it's long awaited sequel "South 5: True Grit". Before the lights went down and the film rolled, was the Pre-Festival Reception.

Look who's on the red carpet .... it's one of the big stars of the night. Now what is his name .... Is it Ashton Kucher (you know he is from Iowa)???? Nahhhh, not young enough. Could it be Paul Newman??? Nahhhhh, not old enough. Maybe it's Kevin Costner??? Nahhhhh, he left town in August. It's that Mitch Robinson. So hard to recognize him without his Fez.

It was sooooo exciting, being able to hob nob with the film makers. We spotted Director (and film genius) Bryan Johnson, chatting with another of the film's big stars .... Jason Gordon, known to his fans world wide as Mr. Chihuligan.

What a spread! Tiffany, Mitch and Kyle Price, the brave but thoughtful Zoo Keeper (his performance was reminiscant of Henry Fonda at the height of his career) really know how to live it up. This must be just how it is in Hollywood.

The crowd is all tingly before the lights are dimmed. You could feel the electricity in the air. We all felt sorry for the other film of the evening, "Let Other's Suffer", they had such a tough act to follow. And they were from Spokane .... need I say more.

It was the night for the history books. It was the kind of event were in mere weeks 1000s of people will claim to have been here on this night. But we were lucky enough to have really been there and were lucky enough to record this rare moment when the Director (Bryan), Cast (All of the other guys), and Crew (that would be Bryan, again) were reunited for this photo op. You don't recognize the man with his back to the camera? That's Jerry, he was the all important voice of Mr. Big.

Sorry we missed you Eli. Maybe when they showcase these films at Cannes, it won't be past your bedtime.

New Kid in Town

2007-09-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

Meet Iris. Not Chrysanthemum, not Pansy, not Rosebud (oops that was the name of a sled). Iris is an airedale puppy who has moved in on the Boone-Robinson's. They picked her out in part because she was the most docile puppy in the litter. Mitch was completely confident that this would be her predominant trait. Mitch, hate to tell you but that was the honeymoon period. Enjoy it because it doesn't last long at all. Remember when Eli was a quiet baby. Yeah.

Eve picked out the puppy's name and loves Iris. And this is one smart dog. Do you see that even though she is safe in Eve's arms, she is looking back and has one eye on Eli at all times? (don't we all)

Eli is equally excited about the new family member. Hopefully their combined energy will do the trick and wear them both out .... before Mom & Dad go crazy.

This is what Iris will look like all grown up. They get to be pretty good size (you should check out her paws). Mary is looking forward to having Iris as her running companion. I guess just chasing Mitch around the neighborhood with a frying pan has lost its magic.

Congrats on your new addition. Mitch, let us know when you get the cigars that proclaim, "It's A Puppy!"

White Trash Night

2007-09-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. The weather starts it's nose dive, it's getting darker earlier, and after the start of school we could all use a little more comforting. Perfect timing for White Trash Cuisine for our Monday Night Dinner theme. First you start out with some vintage vino in a box.

Next you add some pork rinds, ritz & easy cheese.

The viola' tatertot casseroles lie end to end amidst the mac & cheese and lil smokies and you have a culinary master piece, worthy of the food network. (whoever brought those veggies in the foreground, clearly did not grasp the spirit of the theme).

Don't the villagers look happy and content (bloated and a bit nauseous)? Carbs today & greens tomorrow!!!!

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

Remember back in July? Before we started to paint the house we ripped out a bunch of shrubs. They were huge, in the way of the painters, and rapidly swallowing the front windows.

The boys had sooooooo much fun doing the demolition part.

Now it's all done. The painting, the planting, it all looks spectacular. And oh so green (or didn't you notice?????).

The landscaping done courtesy of the Calendula Nursery crew: Scott, RP & Jeremy. They also helped me avoid a great tragedy by removing beer from my fridge that would have otherwise gotten stale and would have had to have been thrown out.

Of course they couldn't have done it without Einstein's close supervision. Duncan, on the other hand, could have done without Einstein's close supervision and was more than happy to tell anyone who was within earshot.

Paul's Place

2007-09-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today you signed the papers and they handed you the keys to a house in an up and coming Tacoma neighborhood. Congratulations Paul, you are a homeowner. Take a big swig of that champagne, you've earned it!

What a cute kitchen! Love the hardwood floors and retro cabinets.

Nice, big dining room. I can see a lot of cocktail and dinner parties happening here.

And your very own bathroom. You will find that this room comes in very handy at all times of day and night.

Now the real work begins. Moving, painting walls, mowing lawns and paying taxes. Aren't you lucky!?!

LA's the Place

2007-09-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

One last fling for a very busy summer. We all packed our bags and headed to LA. Labor Day Weekend just happened to be record highs jumping into 3 digits in the southland .... but did that deter us???? Nahhhhhhhh. First we hit Rodeo Drive. After a fabulous lunch @ 208 Rodeo Dr. we headed out for some window shopping.

But shopping Rodeo Drive wasn't the purpose of our trip. Did I mention that Wicked is still playing in LA?????

While exploring Rodeo Drive, Katie found Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery & Beverly Hills Liposuction. Too bad we are only here for a weekend. This is the place where you can really spot the stars.

Tonight we headed to Hollywood & the Pantages Theater to take in a show ..... now what was it called?????

Sunday morning we walked the grounds of the Beverly Hills Hotel before we brunched at the Polo Lounge. While we were brunching in the lap of luxury who walked in but Ashton Kucher & Demi Moore. They were very well behaved and we didn't mind at all that they decided to join us for brunch.

If you haven't heard, I have it baaaad for Megan Hilty, Glinda in Wicked. She's FABULOUS and the real reason for this trip. Just had to see her one more time before her contract ends in November.

This is probably the best hotel that we have ever stayed in. Does it look familiar??? Can you say "Pretty Woman" & "Beverly Hills Cop"?

OHMYGOSH, it's Julia Roberts!!!! Just kidding, it's Katie in Julia's elevator. It was a great weekend and the perfect end to a perfect summer.

My Addiction to Field of Dreams

2007-08-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am totally enamored with the movie Field of Dreams. As coincidence would happen, the Kevin Costner arrived at the Tacoma Narrows Airport last week. Rumors started to fly as to why Kevin might be visiting our fair city. And then the local bloggers came up with all of the answers:

*World Famous* Bob's Java Jive 2102 South Tacoma Way (253)475-9843 & Kevin

The vintage ferry Kalakala & Kevin. (did any of you see the movie Waterworld??? Yeah, me neither.)

The Bulls Eye Tacoma shooting range & Kevin (you may know the Bulls Eye from the story about the Washington DC sniper. Yup, the sniper was from Tacoma & got his weapons from the Bulls Eye. If I remember correctly, George Bush referred to Tacoma as the access of evil)

And now for the best of the best. This is the creation of our own little Mitchy. He made this just for me (thanks Mitch). I am not sure if I am that thrilled with this image, but Frisko Freeze is our neighborhood hamburger stand. Frisko Freeze, Kevin Costner & Field of Dreams .... a beautiful thing.

Greetings from Iowa

2007-08-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite all time movie is Field of Dreams ... Don't ask me why. I could just watch this movie every single day for the rest of my life. Today, my phone rang and a little voice said, " Hi Sandy, we are at a place that you want to go to really, really bad." It was Eve and I knew exactly where she was. She was in Dyersville, Iowa on Lansing Road. This is the location of the movie, Field of Dreams. Isn't it beautiful? The field, the house, the corn, it's all there!!! Sigh.

Look at these lucky kids .... they are standing in the same corn that Ray Liotta & James Earl Jones disappeared into. The same corn that Kevin Costner walked around in. I hope they realize how lucky they are.

And the wind up. Here goes Eve with the throw to the plate!!! Wow, she's good enough to make it to the bigs, I think the White Sox need a little help.

Saaa MACK!!!!!!!! Shoeless Joe Jackson hits another one out of the park!!! Actually its Eli, doesn't he look great! And the crowd goes wild. Kinda. I guess they don't pay extras what they used to.

OK, that's it. I can't believe Eve & Eli are there. It's not fair. They haven't even seen the movie once & I have watched it eleventy million times! I need to walk through the corn, stand on the field and spend a ridiculous amount of money in the gift shop. "For reasons I can't even explain, I am going to Iowa." Look out Dean & Sue, the Field of Dreams stalker is coming to town.

Showcase Tacoma

2007-08-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tacoma School of the Arts, in partnership with Metro Parks sponsor Showcase Tacoma in the summer. It's a festival of art, in many forms, with food & beverages on the side. Some of the best of the free art are the sideway drawings by SOTA students.

We ran into Jimmy Gosselin as he was firing raku pots. M Space was also in attendance demonstrating the art of glassblowing.

And who is this? Could it be one of the stars of the motion picture hit, "South 5"???? Yes I do believe it is, Mr. Mitch Robinson. Hey Mitch, how's that sequel coming along???

The weather was great as we sat in the beer garden, overlooking the main stage and some very talented Cambodian dancers.

Paul was hard at work all weekend long (except for the frequent breaks to the afore mentioned beer garden) running sound for the dance performances.

Tacoma looks pretty nice from this vantage point on a sunny, summer afternoon.

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One last goodbye

2007-07-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Almost time to head back to Chicago so we thought that we would take just one more tour around the lake. Captain, a 3 hour tour if you please.

Nora and Ann get the brunt of the sun and the waves on this trip. Katie's been on this trip before and when Rob drives she feels safer behind the glass.

Lake Wawasee is gi-nor-mous as you can see and is just breath taking if your favorite color is blue.

If you like green, the channel between the two lakes is where you want to be.

We think that marriage agrees with Rob.

Thanks for letting us share in this very fun weekend.

Its time to partay!!!!!

2007-07-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Congrats to the happy couple!!!!! Don't they clean up nicely???? Now, let's see if they can make it through the evening.

First there is the cake. I know what you are thinking, we all thought that too. I must tell you though, the cake was very moist and tasty, it was the frosting that would put you in a diabetic coma.

Ahh the groom on the center of the dance floor. You can tell he is very at ease the way he is clutching his Bud Light for dear life. (BTW when I went to the bar & enquirered about beer my 3 choices were ... Bud Light, Coors Light & Miller Lite ... enough said). We had the DJ play Rob's favorite song, Dancing Queen by ABBA, as all of his new neices ages 10 - 19 tried to teach him the latest moves.

Of course for the latest moves, look no further than Robert. Tess (one of the many neices) and her sister Nora thought Robert was the best partner of the night.

As you can see Gwen (9 today, 10 tomorrow) couldn't watch anymore when they progressed to the more advanced dirty dancing moves.

And now for a group shot of all the Tacomana, past and present. A pretty scarey group we make, don't ya think????

≈

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

2007-07-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

All the way up from Lousiville, Tracy and Robert came to join in the festivities. Just a 4 1/2 hour drive for them (through corn fields), they wouldn't have missed it for the world. As you can see, Katie was thrilled to see them. But to be honest, it was like we just saw them yesterday.

Rob being the always gracious host, took them out in the boat to tour Lake Syracuse and over the to big Lake Wawasee. They had a great time by all accounts. Robert and Katie got soaking wet and Tracy was often heard squealing like a school girl (what else is new).

Uhhh Rob, isn't it about time that you get ready for the reception???? Can't play in the lake and drink beer all day now can you????

Syracuse

2007-07-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

We'er here!!!! Syracuse is a quiet little berg in the heartland. Only a handful of stoplights, a whole lotta pickup trucks and the sidewalks roll up promptly at 9 pm.

So we went to join the gang at Ann's (Mrs. Rob Ryan) Mom's home. After a little meandering, this is what we found. Below is a view from her deck. Oh yeah, I could live here.

And this would be the view back from the lake to the house. This was a quiet evening. As the weekend wore on it was not uncommon to see 25 - 30 people gathered. Swimming, boating, fishing, knitting (that would be me) or just plain relaxing as you passed the time with some truly wonderful people. Not only is Ann fabulous, but so is her family. Oh yeah, Rob got mighty lucky.

Just for you Paul. Wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and drinking to you. PBR in bottles .... who knew??? No, it doesn't make it taste any better, but it's the thought that counts.

Road to Syracuse, Indiana

2007-07-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

After one fabulous day in Chicago, its time to head to Syracuse, Indiana. We had a struggle to get out of Chicago (guess they didn't want to see us go). Then toll bridge, Gary, Indiana (which we were told you didn't want to stop in for any reason) and several more toll road stops. Toll roads confuse me. Why stop an entire highway for 35 cents per car, whacky!?!

Then we were greeted by an beautiful sight: corn fields. You's think we were in Iowa. BTW, most of the corn wasn't quiet as tall as Kevin Costner or an elephant's eye.

As west coasters we got pretty excited by the corn fields. I mean you don't see those on I 5.

But then an hour later, they just kept on coming. So some of the magic wore off.

Corn field after corn field, as far as the eye could see, until the sun went down.

Happy Birthday Mitchy

2007-07-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Mitch are you as old as Johnny Depp yet??? We hope that you have a great b day today. We are sorry that we can't be there sharing it with you, so we thought we would do the next best thing and send you some pictures of where we are.

We know that Chicago has a special place in your heart. I think that Chicago looks it's best when seen from the river.

Now a little quiz for you: Name this building!

Next: What's the name of this fountain and what TV show did it appear in every week?

Now what street are we on?

What building is this???

This is not a picture for you, but a gift for your kids. High School Musical is here in Chicago and will be playing until September 2. I think you might have to talk Mom into a road trip when you are visitng Iowa. Good Luck!

Knitting Break

2007-07-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

I bet you were all wondering what I was doing when Katie and Margaret were doing all of that reading. I was attempting to knit. Lace knitting is completely new for me. I used to think that lace knitters were crazy. I don't know if my opinion has changed or if I have just join the crazy club. It took me 2 whole days of knitting and ripping before I thought I had it figured out. Then I knitted for two days, until my scarf was about 10 inches long (proud, I was so proud). Then disaster struck. I had one too many stitches, after back knitting, I had one too few, then I tried to correct the error of my needles when I dropped a stitch in the middle of the row. Arrrgh! I took a deep breath and cut the yarn. This picture represents knitting on a 6 hour flight from Anchorage to Chicago.

Happy Birthday Margaret

2007-07-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how young Margaret turned today because it makes Dave look like a big, fat cradle robber. Let's just say that we had great fun celebrating Margaret's birthday on our last day in Anchorage. The day started with a stop at the UPS store (woooo whoooo). It seems that Katie & I have helped out Alaska's economy a bit more than expected. The we headed to the movie theater to see HP5. Which got a big thumbs up. Then it was off to a girl's lunch with Margaret's good buddy Gia. Next up pedicures at the day spa. And the grand finale' of the annual turkey dinner with all the fixings prepared by Margaret's Dad. We had a great time and it was the perfect end to our wild week in Anchorage. Thank you so much Margaret & Dave (& Lauren & Kyle & Laura & Keith & Alastar & Kieran & Gia & Mike & Roxy) for a wonderful Alaskan vacation.

Happy Birthday Margaret!!!!!

Helllllllloooooooo, anybody home?

2007-07-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

True confessions. Really the only reason that I made this trek was to meet Margaret's friend,Heather. Heather is a famous knitting blogger known even to theYarn Harlot. Though we have never met in real time, we are kindred spirits. Heather is a teacher, a knitter, a fan of Wicked and her favorite color is green (need I say more?). So I took this as a perfect excuse to travel 2,388 miles just to meet Heather.

So here I knit, standing all alone on Heather's front stoop. I wonder where oh where can she be?????

Rainy Sunday

2007-07-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

What to do on a rainy Sunday in Anchorage, AK.

Well if you are Katie and Margaret, you lounge in your pjs and read Harry Potter. But not just read quietly.

Margaret: (laughs out loud)
Katie: Don't tell me! What page are you on?
Margaret: 147
Katie: (laughs out loud)
Magaret: What page are you on?
Katie: 147
Margaret: It gets better, just wait til you get to 149
Katie: (laughs out loud) Under the chair???
Margaret: I know!!!!!!
And it goes on like this.

Or if you are me, and are not caught up on the HP saga, you blog, swear at the lace knitting you are now ripping out for the 11th hundred time (I used to think that lace knitters were crazy, knitting that fuzzy dental floss yarn for hours and not getting anywhere. But now I am convinced they are they most gifted and talented people on the planet. And crazy.), and watch the Winston show.

Winston is Dave & Margaret's 3 year old English style Yellow Lab who loves to show off for the camera.

Winston: "Aaawwww OOOoooooo Werewolves of London .... "

Winston: "Take that you squeaky cow, you!!!!"

Winston: "I'm Vulcan Dog, take me to your dog food!!!!"