Kingfisher Cove

Seattle!

I don’t remember the last time I’ve been downtown Seattle. Maybe my final day of work, back in February 2015? Have I been there since then? I’m not thinking so. For all this time, I’ve been very happy to be far, far away from the craziness that is that city. I mean, from a distance, I do love Seattle, but having to commute to and from there poisoned that well. And I was glad I wasn’t the driver today.

John’s mom had a doctor’s appointment at the University of Washington medical center and we [John] drove her there. Speaking of which: I have AN ISSUE with our medical system. Yes, it was a nice building with lots of natural lighting and unique artwork here and there (including a Chihuly!) But it was a labyrinth of floors and corridors and sucky wayfinding and TOO MUCH WALKING for a senior citizen woman with heart and lung problems who needed to take a seat every several steps to catch her breath (with rarely a chair or bench in sight). Then, of course the doctor was behind schedule. You know how it is: you arrive way early because of the long drive and all the traffic variables and not knowing exactly where you are going, and then you end up waiting on the doctor. It’s just…a sucky system.

Ultimately we were lucky because the day started out with POURING rain, and we suspected it was going to be a horrific drive. But the weather gods cooperated and it was actually sunny and fresh and lovely all day.

After the appointment, we went downtown to where John’s brother owns a very unique Brazilian restaurant that we’ve heard about but had never seen. Plus, he’s opening an Argentine restaurant across the street. We got tours of both. The new one is scheduled to open in about three weeks; the Brazilian one [not open for lunch on week days] is pretty damned fancy. You might have seen Brazilian steak houses featured on NBC during the Rio Olympics, and he mentioned they got a major bump in business resulting from the Olympics. I love the name of it: “The Grill from Ipanema.” (Remember when Gisele Bundchen did her final cat walk in the Opening Ceremonies to “The Girl from Ipanema?” I love that song!) If you’re in downtown Seattle, check it out. It’s on 1st and Bell. 

It was a long day of driving (but we were very thankful for the decent weather) and we’d left the dogs home alone. I suspected they were bereft because in their old age they’ve become beyond neurotic with serious separation anxiety. (I mean, I close the bathroom door and I can hear them whining on the other side). We got home at doggy dinner time, and I expected squealing and carrying on when we walked in the door.

Silence.

No dogs.

Anywhere.

It was very strange.

Turns out they’d gone outside through the pet door and down the three or four (shallow) steps off the Wiener Deck and Peanut can no longer get back UP them. They still hear a high pitched whistle, and although I’m not very good at it, I managed one and Peanut appeared at the bottom of the Wiener Deck steps. She didn’t look ragged or drooling or anything, so I really don’t think they were out there all that long. (Bailey had gone around to the other side of the house and John corralled her).  Hauled them back inside, fed them, and all was well.

Did I take any pictures today? Of course not. There really wasn’t much to TAKE a picture of, though. I rode in the back seat of the car and it wasn’t conducive to picture-taking. And the lights were off in the restaurants so it was very dim. And who wants a photo of a medical facility?

Catching Up

Remember this? All week long, for several exhausting hours every morning (until the sun came around to that side of the house) John has worked on this project, and it’s been brutal. The hefting of all of those (HEAVY) blocks, the hauling of tons of tractor bucketfuls of dirt, the hand-shoveling of those tons of dirt, the leveling, the placement of a drip system in the planters—nothing is ever easy. I was surprised at how many steps were needed, but I guess it makes sense that they would be similar to the number of steps on the other (entry) side of the house. This land is 100% slope, I swear. One can only do so much manipulating of the topography. It is what it is. He’s close to done. It looks so nice!

On a whim I decided that I’d had enough of the COBWEBS on the entry stairs/landing and swept the heck out of everything. It looked like we had decorated for Halloween (nope, not a fan) and I dispatched a disturbing amount of webs, bugs caught in the webs, leaves, dirt, you name it. The front door was nearly ENCASED in webs. It looks so much better! (And I feel so much better about it!) (It’s the little things).

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Today was the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Blows my mind that high school students have no memory of that awful day. I remember the surreal images as I watched The Today Show on TV when at first nobody realized what had happened. “A plane struck one of the World Trade Center towers.” (I imagined a Cessna off course with the pilot having a heart attack or something, and I think Katie Couric did, too). Then I watched live as the second plane hit the other tower, and no—not small planes. What a gut-wrenching, horrific day. I remember I was a little late for work (having been riveted to the TV as I was getting ready), and my boss being in a snit because I was late. Corporate America sucks.

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Another whirlwind of a week, running to town for groceries, a hair cut (he cut it too short!), and also a trip to Olympia that included a fun stop at Trader Joe’s. Picked up all sorts of fun things! I love that store!

It’s been really nice and Septembery these last few days with that intense angle of the sun. That shows every single dog hair every-damned-where.

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Today was the Seahawks season opener and WE WON!!! It was a satisfyingly ugly game, and I’ll take it!

Cats, Dogs, and Cauliflower

So here’s a little story.

Yesterday morning (which was sunny), I had the deck door open, and I could hear the incessant barking of a dog out there somewhere. It had gone on continuously for quite some time (unusual around here) so I walked out on the deck to see what the hell was going on. Nobody on the beach. The barking sounded pretty close, so I peered over at the neighbors and finally zeroed in the culprit.

It was Sam, the little Yorkie next door.

He’s been our buddy over the years, especially when we were in the camping trailer, but he visits us in the house now and then, too.

Except, he hates cats. (The feeling is mutual).

He was doing his bark! bark! bark! bark! thing while simultaneously doing his hilarious (and furious) hop-hop-hop-hop thing like he does when he’s ferreting out squirrels (or cats).

Sam was on top of a block wall, and I could barely make out MOJO in the brush below, just laying there and gazing up at the rabid little dog. This was my view from the deck:

Here you can see Mojo just quietly taunting him, without actually doing anything. He knew the wall was too high for Sam to jump off of. (Mojo can be quite passive-aggressive):

I laughed! Mojo’s always pretty much had Sam’s number, including several times over the years of sitting still and holding his ground while Sam would charge at him from a distance (barking!/hopping!) and then skid to a nervous stop when Mojo wouldn’t run.

So, I snapped some pictures and went back inside, while the barking continued. And continued…

(I don’t know where Sam’s “parents” were).

And then all of a sudden, I heard the piercing SHRIEK of a cat. Wylie, who had been snoozing on a deck chair, bulleted to the end of the deck and stared across to the neighbors all wide-eyed, and I ran out again to see what the hell was going on. I could see Sam scouring the brush where Mojo had been (had he actually leaped off that wall?!), but no sign of Mojo. Sam sniffed his way down to the beach and once again I heard a cat shriek, prompting Wylie to beeline it inside the house and up on the counter with saucer eyes.

Then here comes Mojo, sauntering up the path to the deck, cool as you please, leaving Sam sniffing in frantic circles on the beach.

Cats rule. Dogs drool.

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With our little tenderloin steaks last night (plus a salad), I made this! And it was DELICIOUS!! I found it in The Herbal Kitchen cookbook. Definitely a keeper!

Roasted Cauliflower with Apple and Dill

1 cauliflower, about 1-1/2 lbs., core removed and separated into florets
1/2 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 large unpeeled apple, cored and coarsely diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons dried currants (I used golden raisins)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill weed (I used 2 tbs. dried and could have used a little more)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together the cauliflower, onion, apple, olive oil, and salt in a large shallow baking dish and spread the ingredients out into a single layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice along the way, until some of the edges of the cauliflower begin to brown. Stir in the currants and continue to bake for about 10 minutes, stirring another time or two, or until most of the edges of the cauliflower are browned. Sprinkle with the dill, stir again, and scoop it into a serving dish.

I didn’t take a picture, unfortunately. But man was it yummy! And easy!

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The concrete retaining wall for the driveway is done! (Ugly, but done).

Also: I am so excited about this! He’s building steps from the driveway level to the deck! It’ll be a game-changer! He needs to complete this before the driveway pavement can be poured. (The block to the right will be planters!)

I’m thinking it’s going to be a whole lot easier to lug groceries inside the house when these are done!

I’ve Made a Decision

And I feel just fine about it. (I just hope I don’t HAVE to follow through).

If Donald Trump is elected president, I will refuse to stand for the national anthem until he is OUT of office. Because this would not be the country that I know and love.

That is all.