Simple Evening Joyful Life
I was walking home late after work, some weeks ago.
On one of the first days of fall. It was several
blocks from home...
Marching Forward
First we were up at the rally gathering at Volunteer
Park.
We were worried at first because it looked a little
light, but more and more arrived...
March for Equality: be there!
Been Awhile!
Spring is Here!
Merry Christmas to All!
Waking Up Nyaji Style
It's time to laugh and then move on...
Laugh about the absurdity of it all, and then work at the task at hand to let people know how much proposition 8 hurt everyone.
Visit jointheimpact.com to learn more.
Read More...
Comfort Food: Chicken Meatball and Daikon Soup
Thanksgiving 2008
Saro walking at Carkeek Park (he’s way ahead of me in
green there).
This
year we spent Thanksgiving at home here in Seattle.
No Title Necessary no. 4
Riding the Sound Transit in the bus tunnel today I
had time to check out their advertising...
Mixed Emotions
Let’s celebrate and continue to hope...
We
really
want to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as
president.
Obama’s election to office is one of those moments
where one remembers where they were when it happened.
Vote NO on Proposition 8 in California!
How is this a threat?
Voting has begun! I just have to add my two cents to
the blogosphere...
But it’s much more then two cents. It’s the future
for myself, Saro, and others down the
line.
Back Home - Hello, it's Cold!
Apollo and Nyago wonder where did Jonzu and Saro
go?
Well, we’re back in town. Seattle is
COLD!
Saying Goodbye and Visiting Family in Japan
This week we have been back in Saro’s hometown in
Japan. We’ve come to participate in the “49th Day”
following his father’s passing. This is a time where
the family moves the ashes from the home to the
grave.
If We Had a Piano...
After the Mounds...
Visiting the Mounds
To
enjoy the last days of summer and its good weather we
went off for a simple hike last weekend. We headed
down to Mima Mounds south of Olympia.
Okinomiyaki Night!
Getting Back to Normal
Today was the first weekend that I felt that things have gotten back to normal a little bit for us. Starting with the mundane:
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Being Melancholy
It
has been a melancholy week. Saro had to go to Japan
suddenly because of an illness of a family
member.
Top Chef Birthday Mystery Tour: Day Two
view of adjacent “room” to our balcony: actually a
brewery!
Early
to bed (for us)...early to rise. The next day I
needed to get a jump-on to set things up for our next
dining adventure.
Mystery Tour: Breaking Bread
My
gift for Saro’s birthday was this surprise trip to
Vancouver, and in keeping with the “Top Chef” theme
to the birthday: a 10 course dinner. As per tradition
one breaks bread to start the meal...
Saro's "Top Chef" Mystery Tour Birthday
A
birthday tradition for us has been to take a “mystery
tour” which provides a nice break for both of us.
Earlier this year for my
own birthday we
decided to keep it local because we wanted to stay
nearby to take care of our cat Nyaji.
As Nyaji seems to be doing better, and I could time
his injection with the travel schedule, we decided it
would be okay to do an overnight somewhere. So that’s
what we did...
"Grand Opening"
Have
you noticed the use of “Grand
Opening”
has lost its’ meaning as it has fallen less and less
from proper usage? The same goes for the opposite
message “Going
Out of Business”:
both should be taken with a grain of salt.
Separate Tables
I hate eating alone at home. When Saro has gone on his business trips like this weekend, I usually eat out.
Read More...Vicky, This One's For You!
Vicky
has left my workplace for another employer. She’s
moving up and she will be greatly missed. Good luck
with the new job in marketing!
Sounds of Kink?
Gosh-O-Mighty
Duck Tape
Yesterday evening I had to laugh. It was first the
sounds, then my imagination. Let me
explain.
What is this about Backwards Birds?
Jo
Ellen Van Ouwerkerk - Birds
Flying Backwards.
What is this about Backwards Flying Birds? Well,
yesterday was one of those days where it seemed cows
could fly...it was windy as heck. In fact it brought
down trees, scaffolding, and all kinds of stuff. We
had a front row view to watch the storm...
Feeling Good
Setters, DeLoreans, and Coffees? Oh My!
Birthday in Town
Another
birthday! We've made it a tradition to do "Mystery
Tours" for our birthdays. One taking the other B-day
boy out; without the destination known.
Ol' Man Nyaji
Our
cat Nyaji is getting old. 18 years we think. Recently
he has been constantly drinking from the drip from
the faucet in the bathtub and has shown a growing
lack to jump up to meet us when we arrive home (he
kinda acts like a dog). and we hadn't been seeing him
at the front window when we arrive home. Also, most
alarmingly he was letting loose with urinating on the
kitchen or bathroom floor while talking to us. It
started us to worrying.
New Years Storm-watching
For
new years we celebrated with an overnight
storm-watching (technically a pre-celebration since
we went two days before, as Saro had to be back to
work on New Years Day). The trip started off early
with a drive through rather dreary weather to the
coast; but hey, it's
December and
who doesn't expect gray weather in Washington this
time of year?
Christmas Parties and Dinners 2007
Rube Goldberg Machines Japanese Style
ピタゴラスイツチ “Pathagora Switch” is a 15 minute children’s program in Japan offering lessons in principals in science, natural phenomena, etcetera in a short vignette format. The program is similar to Sesame Street in that it uses short sketches that demonstrate and re-enforce the lessons. Between each grouping of lessons there are some transitional Rube Goldberg style shorts. Each short starts with a motion of a single object, that through a remarkable route of ingenious design ends with the show title being revealed in a new way. Check out this video to see a few of them. Be prepared to be entertained!
Read More...Thanksgiving at Dillon Beach 2007
Thanksgiving Day was spent visiting with my Aunt K
and her step daughter's family who make a tradition
of renting a beach house at Dillon Beach each
Thanksgiving. This is the second year I’ve joined
them. The first year (last year) both Saro and I
joined them. Both times have been really a great day
relaxing, walking the beach, playing games and
enjoying a great meal with family and extended
family.
A Day at MOMA
Before heading down to San Francisco I found an article on the web that listed the current gallery shows to see in the bay area. One stunning photo jumped out at me; wow! I gotta see that!
Read More...Oh Shoosh! Scram! Damn Deer!
Waking up the next day, it was to the delight of
seeing deer chomp down on Dad’s backyard garden. He
actually lives in a fairly dense urban area - but is
only a short 1/4 mile from a regional park. It’s not
uncommon to see deer, raccoons, and skunks walking
down the middle of the street. Cougars have been
spotted too; at least the warning signs near the
viewpoint say so.
Pit Stop @ Olive Pit
For years I’ve ridden and driven along I-5 and have
passed the town of Corning, ignoring the chance to
pull over and visit the Olive Pit. Why? I
love
olives! Ever since mom opened up a can and I placed 5
on each finger tip to do the
“Look Mom, Mickey Mouse”
wave, I’ve loved olives: in salads, on a pizza, out
of dad’s martini (when he wasn’t looking) or straight
out of the jar or can.
Good Morning Grants Pass!
If one is on the ball and waking up at a Motel 6 in
the early morning, you’re likely hushing the kids
from waking the neighboring rooms, packing up and
loading up the car before the sunrise, and getting
out of there... But I haven’t been a kid in years;
and I’ve never had to hustle a bunch of them into a
car for a road trip; so I have found when I wake up
at the “6” the parking lot is just about empty - all
the families, recreation seekers, empty-nesters, and
motel trysts have left and I’m the last to rise;
having slept through all the doors opening and
closing and engines revving up.
Road Trip for One
This is weird. I’m on the road alone for the first
time in a long time (17 years). The last time I was
on the road on my lonesome was going cross-country to
see the land having just returned from living in
Japan and before finding a job in Seattle. Saro was
still in Japan, preparing for the move, and I decided
to go off across the country in my Chevy “Margaret”.
"The Dictatorship of Calatrava"
Ouch! The New York Times today reported that
architect Santiago Calatrava is suing the city of
Bilbao, Spain, because they’ve had an architect
(Japanese architect Arata Isozaki) build an adjacent
bridge as an extension to his original bridge across
the Nervión River. Calatrava is claiming that the
extension is violating copyright by breaking the
“symmetry” of his design as well as damaging the
“integrity” of it. He is asking for $360,000
compensation and the requirement to remove the
additional bridge. If the bridge by Isozaki is not
removed he requires compensation of $4.3 million for
“moral damages.”
Future for Seattle Housing?
Today I visited the sample modular housing unit
project
Inhabit
on display in downtown Seattle. The units are huddled
under the shadow of the all important and watching
Rainier Tower; ironic Rainier Bank no longer exists?
Cat Food Without the "Yack" Factor
When
the ordeal with tainted food came up for pet food
earlier this year; we felt we needed to change the
food we were feeding our cat, Nyaji. We decided it
was a good opportunity to change the wet food for
Nyaji, by going ‘natural’.
Walking Alaskan Way Viaduct Part II
Walking the Alaskan Way Viaduct Part I
It
was a great day for walking on a freeway... a
closed freeway
that is. The Alaskan Way
Viaduct in
Seattle has been having regular inspections since
the frightening Nisqually
earthquake back
in February 2001. This last Saturday it was open
to the public to walk on during one of these
regular check ups; as long as you were properly
attired and accompanied by the DOT
staff.
Contemplating the Ceiling
This
is a bummer. I've been in bed staring at the
ceiling. Nyaji, our cat walks across me like
I'm a lump in the bed (true I am at the moment... a
lump...in the bed).