Adventures, Life & Photography

Journal Writing Month: Day 1

2010-10-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

inspiration #1 from http://najowrimo.wordpress.com/

Soaring through the air, the wind in my hair. Ups and downs. Whoops and shouts. Grimaces and grins. I ride the roller coaster of my new life's journey.

-tia

Friday at the beach

2009-07-24T16:55:00.001-07:00

I know that I have been absent and haven’t posted a darned thing and I am a total slacker. I know that. I will work hard in the next few weeks to fix that. Since I am not always consistent, you can always subscribe to the blog and it will email you when a new post arrives.

I wanted to make sure my vaycay to SoCal included a trip to the beach to play in the waves with my nephews and niece. I absolutely love those kids. Each one is such an individual spirit, they have been since they were very little. I get to spoil them rotten and a visit from Aunt Traci is always a hit. Well, I got my wish! I didn’t bring my Nikon to the beach (too much sand) but I did use my little compact camera. I think I snapped a couple of good photos. You can see all of the pics on my Tiaphoto Photography site. On the site you can see all of the pics (this blog entry only has a few) and you can see high-resolution images if you wanted them. Enjoy a day playing in the Pacific Ocean with us!

We packed our food and swimsuits and headed off to Huntington Beach. I had a truly great and memorable time. I bought the kids new boogie boards and we hit the waves. There were some gnarly rip tides and the life guard asked us to stay in the first two sets of waves. He had 18 rescues that day. I could tell it was a bit harsh once I felt the surf and I kept a close eye on the kids. Even the smaller waves were very fun and you could easily catch and ride a wave for about twenty feet to shore. We played in the water for hours and didn’t get out of the waves until sunset when the life guards kicked everyone out of the water. Sydney was a total doll and camped out with all our gear and snapped a few photos too. She wasn’t feeling 100%. What a bummer. She would have had a lot of fun. Next time!

Here we are all at the beach. We just arrived and the kids bolted straight to the shore to play in the sand. I have 3 nephews (ZMan, Kenz & DrJ) and one niece (MissD).

ZMan had to bury DrJ and was “making him into a mermaid” which must include really bodacious ta tas. They were both giggling like crazy. Why are b00bs so funny to boys? Oh wait. Nevermind. ;-)

I stayed close to the youngest two (9 and 11) and we really enjoyed playing on the boogie boards. I taught my nephew DrJ how to tell which were the best waves for riding versus skipping. He may have drank about a gallon of salt water before he got the hang of jumping to the top of the wave to ride it instead of letting it crash onto the top of him. He got pretty good after a couple of hours.

My older nephews Kenz and ZMan were naturals. They had a great time and bugged me to take them back to the beach in a couple of days. Unfortunately we couldn’t swing it, but I want to go back soon!

Here’s my niece MissD bringing it home on a nice little wave. We found a really cool sand sculpture of a turtle on the beach near our blankets.

ZMan had fun in the water. He wanted to go out to ride the back set of waves. I was concerned about the rip tides and asked him not to. He was really great and stayed in where he could keep an extra eye on his smaller brothers and sister. Kenz was having fun buried up to his waist in the shore. What a clown. He has decided he wants long hair like Uncle Brooke. I sure love that kid.

The sunset just got better and better as the evening went on. I really wished I had my good camera to get the some really fabulous hi-definition shots, but these turned out pretty good.

Syd took a picture of MissD, Me and DrJ as we returned from the waves at sunset. I have a special message if you look closely enough. I was sooo happy. I had a great time. We stayed until the last hint of the sunset faded from view. It was absolutely marvelous.

Thanks for spending a day at the Pacific with me and Syd and our favorite kids. :-)

Dude, Where's My Star Trek

2009-05-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

This post is penned by a guest writer. It's Brooke! He sent a letter ranting about the new Star Trek Movie that was so funny I had to share. It will give away many plot points, so don't read it until you have watched the movie. By the way, my sweetie is the best in the whole world. He makes me laugh so much my face hurts. Enjoy -- Traci

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******WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD***DO NOT READ IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THE MOVIE*******
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Here are my complaints and various things brought up by Traci and Andy as well during rant-associated discussions. Basically, it was miracle of implausibility stacked upon miracle of stupidity. They might as well have had the Easter Bunny and Santa show up as important characters. (OK, it's not as bad as Star Wars Episode I: The Reaming, so that was an exaggeration.)

I hated the boy-Kirk scene. Retarded, and not even needed for plot aspects. (Are there grand canyons in Iowa anyway? -- but that is just a minor annoyance compared to the rest of the scene.) I consider it a swell shout out to all the boy-Anakin scenes in Star Wars.

Kirk's dad a starship captain, in charge at a critical moment while Kirk's mom, also on the ship, is at the exact moment of birth? Cool!

While it worked great in the Venture Brothers for everyone to know each other and be roommates in college, I didn't like it at all in the Trek movie. Kirk meeting Capn Pike and Uhura and the security guards he meets up with later in a bar in Iowa? Kirk meets up with McCoy on the shuttle?

Kirk is screwing Uhura's roommate? Spock is the designer of the Kobayashi Maru sim? Uhura and Spock are lovers while Spock is her instructor? Cool!

Driving through a black hole puts you back in time instead of crushing you (unless you are the matter of the planet or supernova)? Cool!

A mining ship with a dozen miners on it takes out any number of Federation warships as well as the whole planet of Vulcan? Cool!

Lost communication from Vulcan? Well, it's time to put all cadets onto warships, including in all of the command positions (except maybe captain) and head on out. Guess they didn't have any other staff or past classes at the Academy.

Need to make a black hole to gobble a planet? Well, you need to drill down to the center of the planet rather than just plunk it down anywhere on the planet. Also, as we all know, magma is not a liquid, so it's certainly possible to drill through it to the center of a planet instead of just 1% of the way there.

Make sure your mining drill blocks out all communication and transportation within several light hours of the drill, with the effect apparently spreading faster than the speed of light, so that a ship with warp drive can't blip it on for 15 seconds and be outside the effect.

Are you a captain looking to avert destruction of a planet? Here's what you do. You pick three "combat trained" personnel who raise their hands on the bridge instead of a crew of ueber-trained Navy SEAL or Delta-force types (available in quantity on such a fleet ship), and you leave a newbie in charge of the ship and appoint a guy who smuggled himself onto the ship and isn't even part of its crew as the XO and who is going on the suicide mission anyway (instead of, say, someone who is a competent and trained XO). But hey, Pike liked Kirk's old man -- so why not make him XO of the equivalent of a nuclear aircraft carrier in today's Navy?

Make sure to have a whole series of people leave the bridge and finally delegate command of the fleet's flagship to a 17 year old ensign because I guess there's no one else on board.

If you are Captain Spock, when young dick Kirk is causing problems on the bridge, you throw him off the ship intead of into the brig (which is where you'd put even saboteurs and murderers).

When on a new planet and when the computer says it's dangerous, make sure to go traipsing off toward the nearest base without asking why it's dangerous or instead of trying to see if you can contact the base maybe and get a pickup.

In any movie you make, be sure to have a human outrunning bears, wolves, creatures that can run 40 mph, etc. Make sure to put in the larger creature snagging the 1st creature then losing interest in the larger meatier creature it just caught to chase the little scrawny one. Make sure that also the human is outruning the bigger, even-faster creature.

Make sure the big creature gets a hold of the human and, despite the fact that the bigger creature could lift an automobile, have the human's attempts to scrabble at some rocks and the floor slow down the ability of the giant creature's ability to reel him in.

Scare the giant creature off with a torch.

Run into a cave at random and find, not only is old Spock coincidentally on that planet, on the same continent, but in the same freaking cave you just ran into.

Make sure that a supernova can destroy a planet "unthinkably". Let's see. Even we can predict (by a long, long time) when a star can turn into a super nova, but OK -- let's say we totally forgot. If the star is several light years from a planet, it can go super nova, and it will take several years for the effect to reach the planet. If the star is the planet's own star, it will take a couple of minutes (not enough time to do a damned thing). So, it's either over long before you can do anything about it, or you have years to deal with it, know the timing about as exactly as if you were, say, working out a 6th grade story problem: "A train travelling 40 mph goes from Boston to New York. The train leaves Boston at 9 am.
Boston is 200 miles from New York. Assuming that the train has no stops in between, and assuming that Spock wants to arrive in New York before the train, what is the latest that Spock can arrive in New York?" But then the unthinkable happened -- red matter apparently turned Spock into a moron.

Go to the base and find Scotty! Why not? It's cool! (In fact, have everyone from Star Trek right on the bridge of the Enterprise right on its maiden voyage. Dude!)

Now how do you get back to the Enterprise? Well, just use some mumbo jumbo and the holo deck, oops, I mean the transporter to fix it. Invent transportation back onto the Enterprise -- don't worry about not knowing where the Enterprise is. I guess you envison what the ship looks like in your mind, and the transporter knows what to lock onto, or you can pierce some IFF beacon from your fleet's flagship from the shit station on ice world.

Have Spock (legendary for his logic) decide that, when a whole world is at stake and when he knows as many of the pieces to the puzzle as there are to know, he shouldn't go back and take control. He should instead gamble on a chain of envents (each having a substantial probability of failure), gambling on (1) Kirk being able to provoke young Spock into blowing it, (2) Spock getting removed from command, (3) Kirk being allowed to be in command right after that, and (4) Kirk doing the right thing thereafter.

Why? Because young Spock would get some nebulous positive bonding experience out of being humiliated into losing command and having then to work with young Kirk. That's worth the gamble of a planet, I'd say, even though the odds of that chain of events vs. the odds of old Spock just showing up and doing it all are so much lower.

Have young Kirk start insulting the hell out of the captain on the bridge, have it be allowed to proceed, have it work, then have all the other command staff be fine with this guy then saying, "OK! Now *I'm* the captain."

Have a nifty future-technology ship fly around in space like a bumblebee. Too bad it couldn't be making noises like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as it wobbled all over.

Blast your way out of the air-filled interior of the big mining ship apparently without it causing any trouble of inside air escaping.

Chase down your enemies easily inside a city-sized ship without any sort of scanner.

Go in there as a boarding party with a couple of people instead of boarding party of your Navy SEALs.

Have your ship sitting around 500 meters from an enemy vessel that is going to turn into a black hole. Whoop it up while it turns into a black hole and only when there is a problem decide, "Uh, maybe we should get out of here" only to find . . . d'oh, you are too close.

Jettison your warp cores so that the explosion can get you away from a black hole.

Did I leave out any miracle, rediculous implausibility, or juvenile plot twist that would be right at home in the shlockiest, crappiest of SF movies? I think they hit them all.

Here is one bright spot. This apparently all created a new reality, so someone in the future can go back and make a good movie totally different from this one, ignoring dimension Stupid-B.

I think they should have added more humor and called it "Dude, Where's My Star Trek?"

On a positive note, it is not the worst Star Trek movie. I'm just disappointed that they produced such a POS from so much money and acting talent because the plot was so bad.

-- Brooke

Fresh Pasta to Zazz up Leftover Lamb Gravy

2009-03-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Brooke wanted pasta to go with the leftover leg of lamb "gravy" I made while in Whistler. I felt very lazy but the pantry yielded no good looking pasta options. I dug through the fridge and found that I had fresh eggs available, so I decided to drag out the pasta gear and made some fresh egg noodles. I'm very glad I did. Here's the recipe:

Fresh Egg Noodles
(yields 4 servings)

1 cup semolina flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
2 eggs
3-4 tbsp water (depending on dough consistency - I don't typically measure this).

INSTRUCTIONS:
I decided to use my standing mixer with the paddle to mix the dough. It made it really simple and the cleanup was easier than the hand made method.

MIXER METHOD: Measure 1 cup of semolina flour and place in mixer. Then add 1 cup all purpose flour. Add salt and mix for for about 20 seconds. Then crack and add eggs directly into the mixer. Drizzle a little water at a time while the mixer is running on medium speed until the dough just comes together. To test if the dough is ready, stop the mixer after the first two tablespoons of water and grab a handful of dough. Squeeze and see if it holds together, if it is still crumbly, then turn mixer back on and add more water, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together. Then let the mixer beat the pasta for about 1 minute and turn out onto the counter.

HAND MADE METHOD: Measure 1 cup of semolina flour, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, into a mound on your clean kitchen countertop or large cutting board. With your hand, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture until it resembles a large volcano. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tsp. kosher salt and beat well. Pour the egg/water mixture into the well. With your fingers begin to incorporate the flour mixture from the walls of the volcano into the well a little at a time until the dough comes together. Slowly push in the walls of the volcano until all of the flour has been mixed with the egg mixture. Add more water a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too tough, if the dough is too sticky, add more all-purpose flour 1 tbsp at a time until the dough is a texture more like play-do. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, it should be springy and smooth. Let rest for 10 minutes while you get out your pasta machine and attach it to the counter.

Roll the pasta according to your pasta machine's directions, but this typically starts by setting the machine to the widest setting, then rolling the dough through for several passes while each time folding the dough like a letter and running it through the machine again. You have to do this about 5 or 6 times on the widest setting to knead the dough and make it more elastic. Then crank the setting up to make thinner sheets until you are satisfied with the thickness. Once you are at your desired thickness, then run the pasta sheets through the fettuccine cutter. Gather the pasta up and dust with a small amount of flour so the strands don’t stick together.

Once you have prepped all of the pasta, boil in a big pot of salted water. Drain after 2-3 minutes and serve. I used my leftover leg of lamb with tomato gravy. Mmmmmmm.

It was good and Brooke was a very happy boy indeed.

:-)

Having Fun in Whistler

2009-03-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all. Brooke and I are having a great time in Whistler, BC and wish we had more friends up here with us enjoying the fun. We have had a great time playing in the tube park, skiing, and enjoying some excellent dinners with friends. It's snowing right now and I'm hoping that the conditions will be good for tomorrow.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know I have made ample use of the hot tub and heated pool apres the cold day.

I have many more pics and stories to write, but just not today. I am lazy and content.

Ciao for now.

-t

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

This posting is a copy of an entry from my Facebook page. Four of my friends made a "25 things" list and tagged me as having to do one as well. It took me a couple of days to write this list, but I think it was worth posting here as well (that and the fact that I haven't made an entry this week). Making the list was especially tough since I have so many friends who are way too clever for their own good and their 25 things lists were marvelous. So without further ado here is my list in no particular (yet seemingly erratic) order.

1. I used to play the oboe, trumpet, viola and saxophone. My times and friends in band are the fondest memories of my childhood and teen years.

2. My grandparents have been married for over 65 years. I was born on their anniversary. They have always been kind and loving to each other, never once raising their voices in anger. I consider them my heroes and my best role model on a great marriage.

3. My partner Brooke and I were together for 10 years before we got married.

4. Every time I had a major move north, there has been a devastating earthquake within 6 months. I will never move to Alaska because of it.

5. The thing I hate most about myself is that I am a horrible procrastinator.

6. Deep down I am either a total pacifist or an axe-wielding Viking berzerker.

7. We always had dogs while I was growing up. When my family lost our house and moved into the crappy ghetto apartment, we had to give our dogs away. It broke my heart and I lost the only souls who would always listen, never judge, and lick my face when I felt bad.

8. I would love to do more nude photography, but am too chicken to ask people to be my models.

9. I love the fact that I am a weirdo, nerd, geek and dork. “Normal” people make me edgy.

10. I have hugged Eddie Palmieri and shaken Stanley Jordan’s magical hand in thanks for the joy their music has given me.

11. I had my picture on the front page of a major newspaper on New Years Day, but I completely forgot about it until my mom showed me the clipping. I have also had my photo in the LA Times.

12. My Mom nicknamed me “SuperBitch” when I was a baby (BTW-I love my mom for this, she is too awesome). She says it was because of the way I would stare down little old ladies who tried disturb me. “What a cute little baybee…oh good heavens.” My brother was the charmer.

13. I think it would be neat to have a time machine, but I wouldn’t use it if you could alter the past.

14. Before I die, I would like to go into space. Orbiting the earth in a space hotel would be good enough for me…and I would like to spend time in zero G.

15. My favorite Sci-Fi TV series I have watched are in this order: Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscape, Star Trek Original, The Prisoner, Star Trek Next Gen. I have not watched Battlestar Galactica yet. I am saving it for 2009.

16. I have way too many ingredients in my pantry, fridge, freezer and spice cupboard. Opening any of the doors may result in food avalanche. You have been warned.

17. I love to cook for friends and family. I consider myself very lucky that others are willing to take time out from their busy schedules to visit me and share my table. I consider this one of life’s greatest pleasures.

18. I love going to Farmer’s Markets and Art Fairs. I would rather spend my money buying local goods direct from the artisan who made or grew them.

19. It never worked out for me to go to college when I was young. I am always nervous that my writing is laden with mistakes in grammar, word choice and syntax. This list is killing me.

20. I wish I understood mathematics and physics in the way that Brooke does. I find the idea that you can describe the universe with math very interesting, but don’t understand how it works.

21. When driving to and from places, I like to take alternate routes, side streets, etc. I have always found the most interesting places this way. I think it is somehow genetic since my Dad does the same thing. In our family it is called “Nerping” as in, “Take the freeway, we don’t have time to go nerping around.”

22. I have always had a really good sense of direction. I am an excellent navigator and know how to properly refold a map.

23. Bubblebaths are the way to go. No ifs ands or buts about it.

24. I’m plagiarizing Julie on this one – “This line reserved for all the things, facts, habits, and goals I’m not willing to post on the internet.”

25. My favorite color is dark green, my favorite ice cream is mint-chip (specifically at 31 flavors), my favorite beer is Mac and Jacks African amber, my favorite sandwich is The Reuben at Zingermann’s Deli in Ann Arbor, MI, my favorite sport to watch is Rally Racing, my favorite sport to play is soccer, my favorite expensive restaurant is Boulevard in San Francisco CA, my favorite cheap lunch place is Meze in Kirkland WA, my favorite hobby is photography, my favorite home-made meal is Honey-Glazed Chipotle Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, my favorite weather has lots of puffy Rene Magritte clouds, my favorite painter is Vincent Van Gogh (especially his later work), my favorite Sci-Fi book is Titan by John Varley, my favorite comic book hero is John Constantine, my favorite sound in the world is Brooke’s whooping laughter.

FIN.

Red Mill Burgers, Seattle WA

2009-01-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Red Mill Burgers in Seattle is a small place. Unassuming. Walk in and there are simple but clean booths, tables, and a side counter where you can eat when the place is packed. The menu above the cash register lays before you a map to burger heaven. My personal favorite is the Verde Burger (Fire Roasted Anaheim Peppers, Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Mill Sauce), but I also really like the Bleu Cheese ‘n’ Bacon Burger. The veggie burger option is also fabulous, so if you don’t do beef, Red Mill is still worth a visit.

I walked with my friend Nathan up to the cashier and we ordered our lunches. I chose the Verde Burger and Onion Rings. Nathan decided on the same burger, but chose some fries to go with it. Since we were going out for a coffee later, we skipped one of their excellent shakes or malts, but if you ever visit, I highly recommend those too.

When my burger arrived, it looked and smelled so good that I didn’t wait to take a picture until I had already taken a few bites. The bun was soft and fresh, the produce crisp and the burger perfectly juicy. The “verde” of the burger is a fire roasted anaheim chile charred over an open flame at Red Mill fresh each day. It was smoky and piquant, but with a perfect texture. An excellent addition to the burger. Nathan seemed to really like his burger and fries too. Can you tell?

Nathan enjoys his Verde Burger

Perfection in Onion Rings, Fries

Red Mill has hands down the best onion rings I have ever encountered. The batter on the rings is delicate and light with a little cornmeal for texture and some spices mixed therein to compliment the onion. I can detect cumin in the mix for sure and there may be onion seeds in there too. Take a bite and it is crunchy and spicy with a burst of lightly fried onion flavor. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Nathan shared a few of my o’rings and he agreed they were great. I tried his fries and they were excellent with a strong potato flavor, crispy texture outside and fluffy inside. What great combo. Thanks for sharing with me Nathan!

Herkimer Coffee

After we left Red Mill, we drove over for a coffee at Herkimer Coffee. There were some guys roasting some coffee in the roasting area. The smell was astoundingly rich. Nathan used to work for a specialty coffee roaster in Seattle and he knew one of the gents working the machine. They talked shop for a while and I got a few photos. Nathan took my order, “A cappuccino please” I said. “Just a little wet with lots of foam?” he asked. “Sounds Perfect."

Nathan caught me snapping a pic, so he decided to show his dainty side.

The old coffee roaster used at Herkimer. The aroma was wonderful.

This was hands down the best cappuccino I have ever enjoyed. The coffee was rich and the milk frothed to a silky perfection.

If you are ever in the neighborhood of Herkimer Coffee in Seattle, stop by and enjoy a cuppa, you won’t regret it.

Lunch Adventure A Go-Go…Interrupted

2009-01-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks back I was chatting with the wonderful and witty Nathan about my trip to London, the museums, photography, etc. After a short while of feverish typing that was getting no where fast, we decided it would most assuredly be to our advantage to enjoy some lunch, coffee and (as always) excellent conversation. Thursday we decided would be The Day. I mentioned that I was very interested to go to a Cuban restaurant in Seattle that was highly rated on Yelp and supposedly had an excellent pork sandwich. We were both excited and looking forward to a food adventure. Interest was piqued, expectations high.

I picked Nathan up at his house and we drove through Phinney Ridge neighborhood (near the Seattle Zoo). After a few blocks I started to get my bearings “Hey!” I said while driving up a winding street, “isn’t the Red Mill Burgers around here?” “Yeah, it’s just around the corner” and as we passed it he said, “You know I’ve never eaten there, but I hear that it’s really good.” “They have the best onion rings I’ve ever had,” I said “we’ll have lunch again in a couple of weeks and get a burger. They have a green chile burger that is awesome.” And with that we drove another 5 minutes, parked and marched happily ‘round the corner to the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Paseo.

which was closed. <it’s empty>
for a holiday <what the?!?!>
won’t be back in business until February <WHAT ABOUT MY SAMMMICCHHHH?>

Ooooohhhhhh kkkkkaaaayyyyyyyy. We looked at each other. “Well, how about we go to Red Mill Burgers then?” I said. “Sounds good” replied Nathan. And off on a new improved different lunch adventure we went. So my review of Paseo will happen in February-ish. Catch the next episode in a month or so, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.

Happy New Year, it’s what? 2009!?!

2009-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. I had a great 2008 and look forward to an even better 2009. I hope you all had a good New Year’s Eve and bid a fond farewell to 2008 with beloved friends and family. I had a great time on Dec. 31st. We threw a last minute party that included good pizza, great beer and excellent company. Brooke, M and Jason played a multi-hour game of WizWar with M finally the victor by casting an illusion of sudden death on Brooke. The party friends = Lucy, SLH, Jason, Misty, Greta, Alec, Tavin, Marcelo, Kate, Chaya, Master Bash and lil’ Sylvia, + me & Brooke. I think it is a good equation, friends + me and Brooke = a great time.

f + tB = GT²

We also played a few games on the Wii. We made some Mii characters of a several folks so now they are on my system to taunt me from time to time. I got photos of Master Bash and Chaya next to their Mii characters. Great job!

I bought some take-away-bake-at-home pizzas from the gourmet grocery, then we all loaded them up with delicious toppings and tossed them in the oven. I’ve done it a couple of times and it’s a great party food option. You go out and get a plain cheese take away and bake at home pizza, then set out bowls with a myriad of delicious toppings. The options we had were: pepperoni, canadian bacon, sauteed red onions, basalmic mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and kalamata olives. I also made two big pasta dishes, tortellini with pesto sauce and corkscrew macaroni with marinara and mozzarella. SLH brought some dessert, we also had a few things I bought at the bakery. I picked up two growlers from the very awesome Mac and Jack’s Brewery in Redmond, WA. We had a 1/2 gallon of both Black Cat Porter and African Amber.

** SYLVIA THE CUTE ** SYLVIA THE CHATTY ** SYLVIA THE DARING ** SYLVIA THE DOLL **

I got to see the lovely Miss Sylvia again yesterday. She is such a doll. She was busy wandering around the house with a chaperone in tow (my house isn’t exactly child-proofed by any stretch of the imagination). She is vocalizing a lot and when appropriate, looks at you and speaks a nonstop singsong of babyspeak that is so danged cute you could just pop her in your mouth and swallow her whole. <sigh> It makes me want to scream, “WHERE’S MY TOTALLY CUTE BABY ALREADY?!?!” Oh well, patience is a virtue, right? You can see all the photos I took here.

2009 FIREWORKS SHOW AT THE SPACE NEEDLE

When it was coming upon the midnight hour, we broke out a couple bottles of bubbly and another of sparkling apple/grape juice, filled up our glasses and waited for the countdown. Since we had extra time, a “leap second” this year, I made sure that everyone counted down like this 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…1 – Happy New Year! We watched the fireworks at the Space Needle on TV. It was a great show with no delays (last year they had a computer crash that delayed the show). This year it all went off smoothly and the fireworks and music were both really great.

After wishing everyone a happy new year and enjoying a toast, I got my first smooch of 2009. Yay! I am always so happy bringing in the New Year with my sweetie and a small group of friends. The games were super fun and everyone seemed to have a good time. I enjoyed 2008 and I look forward to what’s to come in 2009. I wish you all much happiness, tons of love, and good fortune the New Year.
--Traci

The Snow That Ate Seattle

2008-12-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

So yeah, it doesn’t snow too often in the Seattle area. We typically get a dusting once or twice a year that sticks on the road for a day or two and then the temps rise, the rain returns and the snow is gone in a flash. This December, we’ve had 12 days of snow and ice and it’s causing this area major trouble. We’ve had no UPS deliveries, no trash pick up (going on 2 weeks now). Here are a few news headlines with links:

Snow begins to melt as state, county declare emergencies
Christmas outage affected 18,000 PSE customers on Eastside

No plows or sanding/de-icing trucks can even make it up and down the steep hill of our neighborhood. Some cars have been stuck in the middle of the street for a week. The office closed down due to the bad unplowed roads on several days, so Brooke and I were able to go out and enjoy the winter a little bit while running errands.

I just wanted to show off a couple of photos I took to let those of you in hot places see my snowy winter wonderland.

A powder-covered magical forest outside

Outside our living room windows shows a foot of snow on the deck railings

We had so much snow, our neighbors made a 6' tall snowman

I grew up in the LA area and it never snowed. I never got to go sledding down icy slopes, make snowmen, have snowball fights behind an ice fort, or get out of going to school because it was a snow day (we did get out of school if there was an earthquake, does that count?). In fact, I didn’t see snow fall from the sky until I was 21 years old. It is always astounding for me to watch it snow and listen to how whisper quiet it makes everything outdoors. It’s a shame that it was hard on some and transportation was a bear, but this gal from sunny So. Cal had a great week.

Merry Holidays of Seasons Greetings

2008-12-25T23:30:00.000-08:00

Hello readers. I hope you had a great time during your holidays and that they were filled with joy, celebration and love. I had a great time on Christmas, we had an excellent meal made from the heart by all who sat at the feast. We enjoyed some fun Christmas music and opened presents. It was a great time.

Lucy came over and helped me decorate the house for the holidays, we set up and trimmed the tree while enjoying some coffee and listening to my favorite Christmas CDs. It was a lot of fun to pull out the ornaments we bought last year, as it was the first year owned and decorated a tree since I was a little kid. Do you like the tree? We also put Christmas lights around the window and over the mantle.

The snow caused some problems in folks getting to our house on Christmas Day, so Brooke drove in my car, the super awesome Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. He was able to rescue the day by picking up our friends and his folks. We called it, “the Subaru that saved Christmas”. What an awesome little car and Brooke is a fab driver. Kudos to him for getting everyone here and back home again safe and sound.

After everyone arrived we passed out eggnog and started handing out the presents. I thought all the gifts were very thoughtful and fun. I enjoy giving gifts that please the senses (yeah yeah I’ll admit I’m a total hedonist). I bought licorice, candy, tea, coffee, nuts and other goodies for everyone to enjoy in their holiday bag from me. I scored some awesome gifts including a scarf and hat, blooming teapot, and wait for it….a NEW TOASTER, the Hamilton Beach Toastation. I’ve been using my half-broken one (it only toasts one side) for more than six months, now I can make toast like a pro. I especially liked the name on it’s Spanish label, “Horno Toastador”. I’m totally going to call it “El Toastador” from now on.

We have more Christmas gift surprises to come since the danged roads made it impossible for gifts via UPS, FedEx, etc. to be delivered. I received a scroll of power saying that I’ll receive a mystery gift after the snow melts and my friend can actually get to the store. I also bought a super awesome gift for Brooke that didn’t arrive yet. I could be mildly grumpy about the whole thing, but I look at it this way…I GET TO ENJOY CHRISTMAS TWICE. :-)

I made a special gift for Brooke this year. It is a 24” x 36” framed photo collage of pictures from our wedding. I had a great time making it and learned Adobe In Design for helping out with the layout. It took a while to choose what photos I loved the most and decide what order to place them and how to crop them to fit the mat openings I wanted to make sure that all of our wonderful friends and family who joined us for the ceremony and reception were a part of this picture. It is a treasure we will both love to look at every day. Leave me a comment and let me know if you made any gifts this year. I would love to hear about them.

Brooke got another extra special gag gift, a tub of lard. We were all laughing so hard our faces hurt. After opening the presents, having an eggnog toast and taking photos, we sat down and enjoyed a delicious dinner. We ate ham, scalloped potatoes (thanks Lucy), a traditional Finnish rice and liver casserole called Maksalaatikko (thanks SLH), italian-style coleslaw (thanks Ma), green beans, and irish soda bread. We drank a fabulous bordeaux that went very well with the salty ham and rich potatoes and casserole. After dinner we went downstairs to view our photos from London. Unfortunately we had to end our evening a bit early because the roads were bad. I packed up the dessert I made in containers for everyone to take home. It was an awesome Eggnog Bread Pudding with rum raisins (recipe below).

It was a great day with merriment, excellent conversation, much laughter and happy full tummies for all. Here is a link to to my Christmas Photo Album, or you can just click to see the slideshow.

RECIPE -- Holiday Maple and Eggnog Bread Pudding with rum soaked golden raisins and candied pecans

Do you love eggnog? How about pecans? Care for any golden raisins soaked in rum?

Oh yeah you do, you naughty little elf. ;-)

INGREDIENTS --------------

for the bread pudding
1 loaf day old Challah bread, cubed
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup real maple syrup (I prefer Grade B)
2 cups eggnog
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons rum (I prefer Meyers dark rum)
1 tablespoon butter (for preparing pan)

for the candied pecans
2 cups raw pecans (not yet roasted or salted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch of cayenne pepper

First of all, I think it’s essential to use good quality eggnog and real maple syrup. Don’t use the high fructose corn syrup stuff, I think it will be too goopy and affect the quality.

DIRECTIONS --------------

PUDDING - Cut the challah into large 1 inch cubes and set aside
in a very large mixing bowl, beat the 4 eggs until they are well combined (whisk about 1 minute)
add to the egg mixture the cream, half and half, maple syrup, eggnog and vanilla extract, whisk a few minutes to combine
Add the cubed challah bread to the cream/eggnog/syrup mixture and stir gently making sure the bread is completely soaking in the liquid. It should be very wet.
Set aside and refrigerate for 2-4 hours
RUM RAISINS - While the bread is soaking, place raisins in a small dish and add rum. Let them soak while the bread is in the fridge.
CANDIED PECANS – Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a shallow baking pan combine pecans, melted butter, brown sugar, salt, chili powder and cayenne. Toss them well to combine, then roast in the oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes or so, stir them up again and check to see if they are done. TASTE ONE! The pecans should be fragrant, robust and sweet/spicy. If they aren’t done to your liking, then put them back in the oven an check every 4 minutes.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
Place 1/2 of pudding mixture in the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with rum raisins, then spoon on the rest of the bread pudding mixture. Top with 1 cup of pecans, reserving the rest for snacks and garnish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe, leave me a comment if you tried it, or would like to. I love to cook and this is an original recipe. I did get a general idea of the bread/egg/liquid ratio, using maple syrup instead of sugar and oven temp/baking times from Epicurious.com. A truly awesome website that has all of the recipes from Bon Apetit and Gourmet magazines. Check it out!

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

2008-12-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

As a special treat to celebrate my 40th birthday, we went out in London to see a play. I selected a comedy by William Shakespeare called Twelfth Night.

This production was presented by the Donmar West End Company at the Wyndham Theatre. It starred many excellent actors and actresses. A person in the cast you may recognize is Mr. Derek Jacobi who played Malvolio. He was the emperor Claudius in “I Claudius” (I highly recommend watching this series). He is also well known from the Cadfael mystery series. He's been in dozens of movies including Branagh's version of Hamlet and The Day of the Jackel.

I was torn on whether I should read the play before watching it. On one hand I was concerned I wouldn't be able to keep up with the language or get lost and confused, but on the other hand I wanted to be just as open to the story as surprised by plot twists as any person who watched it on the first day it was presented in 1602. In the end, I decided that I wanted to feel like an original audience member. It turned out great, I needn’t have worried at all! The presentation and the actors were so superb in delivery and gesture that both Brooke and I always knew what was going on and were laughing with the jokes. Some of the jokes in the play are very bawdy indeed. I was delighted and surprised by this. The staging of the play was great, and the costumes, rather than being Elizabethan in design were closer to the early 1900’s and it totally worked. The set design was very simple and allowed the actors shine above it all.

It is hard to pick any one thing to praise above the rest, but I will try. I'd say that it was quality of the comedic acting that was stood out the most. Derek Jacobi as Malvolio prancing out in his yellow socks and short pants, smug as he pleased, trying to woo the fair Olivia was a riot. Also the two actors who played Sir Toby (Ron Cook) and Sir Andrew (Guy Henry) were hilarious as the drunken friends who set the schemes in motion. Zubin Varla played Festes the fool (the wisest among them all). He sang, played the guitar and drum, he is both an excellent actor AND musician. I'm embarassed to say that it never occurred to me before seeing this play that an entire character’s lines in a Shakespeare play should delivered almost exclusively in song. Mark Bonnar played the tortured lovesick Orsinio, a “heavy” amid the comedians. The three ladies who played the female roles were all beautiful and awesome actresses. Victoria Hamilton played Viola, who got to be a girl playing a boy in love with a boy but being pursued by a girl. Samantha Spiro played Maria and did an excellent job, holding her own as a comedienne amid the hilarious Sirs Toby and Andrew. Finally, Indira Varma was great as Olivia--her role requiring grief, anger, allure, confusion, love and comedy all within a very short time. Wow!

We had great seats located in the “royal circle” and could see the stage and actors very well.

The tickets were very reasonable and not much different in price than seeing a show in Las Vegas (as a comparison). After the play, we took the Tube back to our neighborhood and ate a late meal at a local Persian restaurant. Brooke had kebabs and rice and I had stewed chicken in pomegranate sauce with rice (a dish my friend Kia introduced me to). It was an excellent end to a wonderful day. After filling our bellies, we walked home and fell fast asleep.

I had a terrific birthday. I could never have imagined such a great day seeing so many amazing things. I know am very blessed to have such a wonderful partner in Brooke who travelled with me over two thousand miles to see all of these marvels and give me an extra special day. I feel like each year my life just gets better and better.

I’m the luckiest girl in the world. :-)

Artifacts & Treasures at The British Museum

2008-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

After our awesome breakfast, we headed over to the British Museum. According to Google Maps, it was just under a mile walk. The morning was cold and brisk, but the sun broke through the clouds and warmed us during the walk. We arrived at the British Museum around 11:30 a.m., checked our coats and then walked into to an area newly developed in 2000 called The Great Court. It was huge and beautiful and astounding. This wide angle shot is a much better picture than I was able to get with my zoom lens.

We stopped and picked up audio guides to hear more about the exhibits and pieces highlighted therein. The British Museum was founded in 1753 and is the oldest, national, public and secular museum in the world. Here is some information from my copy of The British Museum Visitor’s Guide:

“The British Museum is one of the world’s most visited museums and covers an astonishing range of cultures, periods and types of material. The Museum today reflects many moments of its past history…The original universal ambition of the museum to embrace all knowledge in the arts and sciences is depicted on the pediment above the main entrance.”

Here is a map of the Museum. This museum is huge and despite what any travel guide book says, you will need at least 6 hours or two days really see all of the displayed collection, especially if you are like us and enjoy reading the information plaques and taking your time. Brooke and I decided we would focus on the areas and timeframes that are most unique and famous at The British Museum. We chose ancient Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Near East and the few selected artifacts from earliest civilizations found in Britain. We skipped the Africa, Asia and North America sections.

It was amazing to see items so marvelously crafted from thousands of years ago. The art and artifacts are presented in a manner that lets you examine them very closely. I highly recommend visiting this museum.

I took a lot of photos at the museum and have detailed our journey through the treasures on my photo site due to the quantity of pics, (please click my SmugMug Gallery image below) you will get the photo page in a new window. There you can see my pictures in exquisite detail and for each picture shown I have provided a link to the incredible museum webpage that discusses the history and information about each artifact.

Alternately, you can just go straight to a slideshow -- but there are no cool information links (but it is very pretty). For those who can’t get to London any time soon, I hope that the pictures and links I have provided give you the next best thing. :-)

We both really enjoyed ourselves at the Museum and would go there again on another trip to view the items we didn’t get a chance to see. We left the museum around 6:45 p.m. and walked just down the road to my next special birthday treat…A SHAKESPEARE PLAY.

Birthday brekkie and tipple

2008-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

I had a very special brekky (translation: breakfast) on my birthday. We were heading out for a day at the British Museum to see the antiquities when we decided it was the perfect day to find a traditional full english breakfast aka "the full monty". By the way, to view any of the pictures shown, just click on the pic and it will load a full sized image for better viewing. I also have a few links in here with more information, go ahead a click on one to find out more about our day.

We took the tube from our local station at Queensway to Bond Street (central line) and then began our wandering search. It was a little chilly that day and a warm meal in our bellies sounded sooooo good. We eventually found a charming little pub called The White Horse. They were just opening up and we sat down in a nice booth.

Brooke ordered a beer and I choose a pot of breakfast tea. I had to wait a while for the tea while their hot water was ready, but when I finally got it, I was very happy indeed. I enjoyed a sip of Brooke's morning tipple. A nice ale called Golden Glow, you can see a picture of the pub's guest ales. It's the one in between Santa's Tipple and Dirty Dick (I loved the names).

When we received our breakfast we were very excited. It looked and smelled great. Our full monty was a huge plate with two fried eggs, cumberland sausage, bacon, roasted tomato, mushroom, baked beans and toast. We were smart enough to grab the camera and snap some photos of the plates and our happy mugs before we grabbed our forks and began.

TUCK IN
I really loved the whole meal. The different flavors and textures were a winning combination in my book. I think the sausages were especially great. They had a crispy skin that snapped when you took a bite. I was especially pleased with the beans, tomato and mushroom. What an awesome combination to have with a fried egg. Some folks joke about the full english breakfast and how heavy it is ("heart attack on a plate") but it really isn't much different that any large american breakfast, not including any country gravy. You could make an easy argument that beans, tomatoes and mushroom are much lighter in the stomach than a gut busting bile of hash browns or country fried potatoes. Their bacon is more like ham and it's relatively lean and very thinly sliced. Now, don't get me wrong, we were very full indeed when we finished our plates that didn't have a speck of food on them by the time we had devoured the lot. We didn't need any lunch and were full of energy for our next adventure, looking at the treasures of The British Museum.

I hope you enjoy some of the extra photos below. I had a great birthday and this was just the beginning.

Fish and Chips of the Gods

2008-12-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

One of my challenges while travelling is trying to figure where to go for some authentic local food I crave to try. I mean, let’s face it, if you are in London, you want to get yourself some good FISH & CHIPS baby! The hardest part is finding a really great place. If you don’t know a local foodie, how can you decide which of the 1,000 chippies you should try? I heard the horror stories of the bad ones. You can check some websites online, but often many of the reviews folks are posting have problems, such as: (1) many posters are not locals to the area, so (2) haven’t tried any restaurant other than the one place they are recommending, or (3) have mediocre taste in food and if you knew them personally you would never go anywhere they like. Let’s be honest, there are a lot of people out there who love the “TGIMcFunsters” joint, right?

I think a really great bonus to travel is the opportunity to try different food with local ingredients. For me, the most special finds are of little places serving up awesome meals by regular folk who take great pride in their establishment and food. These are some of my favorite memories from any trip. The real truth is if you are going out to a 3 or 4 star restaurant, the food is going to be good. It’s hard to go wrong, but how about finding a great lip-smacking hole-in-the-wall or neighborhood place to go with your limited time and knowledge while travelling? Its pretty tough, if near impossible.

Chowhound to the Rescue

That is when, dear readers, I turn to Chowhound Forums. The people on this board have always been hard core lovers of excellent food and I haven’t been steered wrong yet. I have even used it for my local area of Seattle/Portland/Vancouver. It is an excellent repository. Just search on a few keywords and ZAMMO you get great information. Post a question like, “I’m going to be in London for 3 days – I want great Fish and Chips, a curry, and a good pub, I have a moderate budget (nothing over $40/person) what do people recommend?” and you’ll get a lot of really helpful responses. Sometimes the posters have excellent debates about the BEST place, but they are all good. Check it out the next time you want to travel somewhere or find some new jewel in your own area.

The Golden Hind – Fish and Chips of the Gods

But what I am blabbing about? Let’s talk about THE FISH. MMMmmm the fish. After searching on chowhound for a while, the restaurant called “The Golden Hind” was mentioned as having the truly awesome fish and chips again and again by many reviewers. After leaving Westminster Abbey, we were ravenous and decided to try them for our fish and chips. Both Brooke and I ordered Haddock and Chips. We chose haddock rather than cod since haddock is a North Atlantic fish that is very hard to come by here in the Pacific Northwest. When the fish arrived, it was huge (almost a foot long) and served with broad-cut chips. We first doused our fish with malt vinegar and salt then tucked in. Upon taking my fork to the fish, it crackled through an incredibly crispy exterior, perfectly crunchy and delicate. The first taste was heavenly, a combination of moist flaky fish was a perfect union with the crunchy batter, tangy vinegar and piquant saltiness. Even though this dish is deep fried, nothing was oily or greasy whatsoever. The chips were also really good and well cooked. Very fresh tasting and excellent potato flavor.

RESPECT THE MUSHY PEAS

Brooke ordered his fish and chips with fresh peas and I chose my order with “mushy peas”. Mushy Peas…I’ve heard of the dish for a long time…it doesn’t sound very good…mushy peas? Well let me tell you, I know why folks get hooked on this side dish and miss it when they are far from home. The mushy peas at The Golden Hind are like the best pea soup in the world, but just thick enough to eat with a fork and at the Golden Hind, a significantly brighter and fresher taste. Brooke didn’t want to take a bite because he had his own peas, but I think he missed out (fine, more mushy peas for me!) I have had fish and chips at many places before, but this is hands down the best for traditional English style. If you are ever in London, get to Marylebone and go to the Golden Hind. Outstanding.

If you do get there, be sure to stop somewhere and pick up some beer, cider or wine as they do not have those beverages available. They do allow customers to BYO (Bring Your Own) is no additional or corkage fee. Alas, I forgot about the recommendation from the chowhound board to pick up something before arriving so I had a sprite with my fish and Brooke had tea, but a pint of beer or cider would have been a most excellent combination.

After enjoying our dinner, we walked around Marylebone village to Oxford Street. It was hung with thousands of beautiful Christmas lights and decorations, we also found a group of folks singing Christmas carols in a market square. It was really an extra treat. Then we took the tube from Bond Street station back to Queensway. Between the sights, Westminster and our great dinner we were both exhausted and extremely happy about our great day.

Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben

2008-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday we got up went out to lunch at a little middle eastern place down the block from our hotel. I was OK, but nothing special. Our two favorite Lebanese places are Zankou Chicken in the greater Los Angeles Area and Mediterranean Kitchen here in Belleuve, WA. We had a side order of falafel and some lamb pitas with turnip pickles and tomatoes. Then we headed out on the tube to Westminster station as this was the day we set aside to visit Westminster Abbey and walk around the Houses of Parliament and see the Big Ben clock tower.

We checked on the visitor’s hours at Westminster Abbey and when the evensong service was to begin, as I wanted to stay afterward for this highly recommended service of prayer and song. We also wanted to visit the Abbey while the sun was still shining so we could appreciate the exquisite stained glass windows. We had an hour or so to spend walking around before we went to the Abbey, so we decided that since the sunlight was really beautiful this time of day that we would walk around and take a few photos.

We started by walking around the side of the Abbey and through the Victoria Tower gardens park taking pictures and enjoying the day. The sun had broken from the clouds and bathed Victoria Tower in golden sunlight. I have to admit it is an excellent photograph.

In the garden is a cast (1 of 12) of the original “Burghers of Calais” sculpture by Auguste Rodin. A marvelous piece, I wish I knew the story it depicted before viewing the statue. I only found out its context after writing this page. Yet another astonishing thing about being in London, this sculpture by Rodin is just sitting out of doors in the elements for anyone to see for free. Wow. In the US it would be considered so rare it would be inside a museum. After walking through the park, we walked past the sovereigns entrance to Victoria tower, past some more great statues and finally to the end of the street where stands the Big Ben clock tower.

INSIDE WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey is a grand gothic church owned by the royal family in England. It is a working church with several services daily. Within its walls the royal coronation takes place, state and important funerals are held here, and it serves as a final resting place for kings, queens, statesmen, soldiers, composers, poets, writers, and scientists (but to name a few). We arrived and were greeted by an Abbey Verger who recommended we use their free audio tour (included with admission and narrated by Jeremy Irons). Since the Abbey is a church with worshipers, public photography of the inside of the church is not allowed. The few pictures I will post are from an excellent book, “The Treasures of Westminster Abbey” or embedded from the church’s website. Here is a map that shows the layout of the Abbey.

When you first walk in the visitors entrance, the light coming through the stained glass window in the South Transcept is the first thing to catch your attention. It is so beautiful and colorful. Make sure to see it during the day so the sun can backlight the glass. Later in the evening it loses its luster and you can’t appreciate it.

You walk in through the visitors entrance and are inside the area called “The North Trancept”. There are large statues and gravestones dedicated to statesmen and prime ministers throughout England’s history in this place. You walk a little way into the church and come to the center of building in an area called The Crossing. It is the intersection of the four wings and from above the layout looks like a cross.

At the center of the crossing, you enjoy a marvel of architecture and craftsmanship. It is astounding and takes your breath away.

facing north (north Rose window above statesmen corner)

east (Quire with Nave in the background)

west (the high altar and apse roof)

facing south (south rose window above poets corner)

We stood in that central court area for quite a while, taking it all in. The whole place was also very quiet. Since we were not there in the height of tourist season, there were only a few dozen people in that area taking in the grandeur, being silent and respectful. I was very happy that we chose to include this in our visit to London. We continued our tour by visiting the chapels and looking at the different tombs and monuments. There is so much history, so many people. It’s hard to describe and I can’t include everything we saw, but here are some links to a few notable places and people.

The ceiling of the Lady Chapel, commissioned by Henry VII in (who is buried there with his wife, Elizabeth or York) is a work of stonecutting art that I could never before imagined. High above your head is a matrix of delicately carved pendants. Also in the ladies’ chapel is the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and her half-sister, Queen Mary Tudor, (1516-1558), daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon, is buried underneath her. On the base of the monument reads: "Partners in throne and grave, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of the Resurrection." You can read more about their shared tomb and inscriptions translated from latin here.

On the opposite side of the chapel is the resting place of Mary Queen of Scots. Behind King Henry VII’s tomb is the fine chapel dedicated to the RAF fighters killed in the Battle of Britain in WWII. This area of the chapel was bombed during WWII and this area had to be reconstructed they worked on a special dedication to “the few”.

The south transept is also known as Poet’s Corner, an area of the chapel where many famous artists, writers, poets and musicians are buried or a monument erected in their honor. They have memorial tributes to William Shakespeare (pic), T.S Eliot, John Milton (pic), John Keats and many others. Buried here are famous authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Rudyard Kipling, Charles Dickens, the musician GF Handel (pic), and poet Alfred Tennyson (pic) are actually buried at the abbey and you can read their memorial above where they are buried.

THE NAVE

The Nave has many important monuments and burial sites. It is where the tomb of the unknown warrior from WWI is placed. There is also a memorial to Winston Churchill (pic) located close to it.

In the Nave is also buried Sir Issac Newton (pic) – An excellent monument above his burial place bears the inscription:

Here is buried Isaac Newton, Knight, who by a strength of mind almost divine, and mathematical principles peculiarly his own, explored the course and figures of the planets, the paths of comets, the tides of the sea, the dissimilarities in rays of light, and, what no other scholar has previously imagined, the properties of the colours thus produced. Diligent, sagacious and faithful, in his expositions of nature, antiquity and the holy Scriptures, he vindicated by his philosophy the majesty of God mighty and good, and expressed the simplicity of the Gospel in his manners…

Very close to Newton is buried Charles Darwin (pic). Brooke was very happy to see a memorial to Michael Faraday.

EVENSONG SERVICE AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

After the Abbey is closed to visitors at 6:00 p.m., a service is held. You can stay and enjoy the choral service called “Evensong” several days per week (check their schedule before visiting). Brooke and I were one of the first people in line and to our surprise, we were taken to seats in to the Quire and sat right next to the choir and members of the church and school. They was a special part of this evenings service that included a swearing in of four gentlemen to posts within the institution.

The music was beautiful and ethereal, you can listen to Evensong- The Responses this is part of the service we attended. I hope you enjoy it. I loved that the service was entirely in English, instead of Latin as you were able to appreciate the words and meanings not just the sound.

After our glorious day at Westminster Abbey we walked around and took a few photographs at night, including of Big Ben. You can see all of the photos by going to my photo gallery (jump to slideshow). But as a preview, here is the best photograph of the whole trip:

Westminster Abbey in the Moonlit Night

Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum

2008-12-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

On Monday December 8th, we headed out on the Tube to the RAF Hendon Museum. We were meeting up with some people who answered a post on a game forum that Brooke frequents. After a 10 minute or so walk we reached the museum and called Gary and Linda. They had arrived earlier and met up with another AH flier, Trevor. It was a really cool treat to meet such awesome people who were willing take time out of their busy lives to show us around. We started in a building that housed some of the aircraft from World War I. I was surprised at how sophisticated some of these airplanes looked. Other than materials, they looked very similar to a modern small airplane, which is astounding since the first Wright Brothers flight was in 1903. Some of these planes were making flights from England to Australia only fifteen years later.

Brooke, Trev, and Gary wandered around together and discussed in detail some of the planes available in their WWII air combat game. There was much sharing of “war stories” from the battles they have flown, especially when they fly in large scale scenarios (sometimes over 200 participants recreating epic fights, like the Battle of Britain). I had a lot of fun looking at the different planes, taking photographs and reading the history of some of the personal items located in the museum. The Milestones of Flight building housed a great range of airplanes and was really cool. They had very early planes like the Sopwith Camel (remember Snoopy versus the Red Baron?) to the modern jet planes used by the current British Air Force and Navy. If you are interested to see more photos and learn about the RAF museum and it contents, I highly recommend you check out Brooke’s RAF Museum page.

We took a break after a few hours at the museum and went to a local pub for lunch, The Beaufort. It was a very fancy place (a much better option than eating at the museum cafeteria, not only because they had a full bar) and had excellent atmosphere and food. Gary and Linda insisted on treating us all to the lunch and we appreciated it very much. Brooke ordered bangers and mash, I ordered steak and mushroom pie. I was too embarrassed to be a total dork and take pictures of my meal, but honestly I can say that the food was really, really good. The steak was of very high quality, the gravy sumptuous and the crust was marvelous. Brooke and I switched half-way through the meal and then I finished the sausage and mash. It was lip smacking good. We found out that Trev hails from the land of Newcastle ale. He says that he prefers the bottled version to that from a tap. We were surprised by this, but will heed his advice. Brooke and I shared a bottle of Bulmers Pear Cider, highly recommended by Gary and Linda.

Oh…my…god
it
was
really
freaking
good

We found out about more about our hosts, where they live, their jobs, have they ever visited in the US and what state, etc. We offered to host them any time they are in the Seattle area. I truly hope they take us up on it. I’d be excited to introduce them to our own excellent local brew, Mac and Jack’s African Amber.

After our excellent lunch and afternoon beverage, we all went back to the museum to explore the Battle of Britain Hall. This was my favorite part of the museum. In addition to the historic WWII aircraft there was information and displays of anti-aircraft guns, defense barrage balloons, bomb squads, RADAR, and personal items from soliders (letters, uniforms, medals). Every hour is a fabulous multimedia presentation called, “Their finest hour” which is a MUST see if you visit the museum. I took some more pictures in the building, including a few of Brooke, Trev and Gary in front of their favorite airplanes. We also checked out the bomber hall and the rest of the museum. After we closed the place down, we went back to the pub for a drink, but this gal was so jet lagged that I kept falling asleep in my chair. and didn’t even finish half of my pint of bitter. :-(

Again, what I recommend more than my paltry descriptions is to check out Brooke’s After Action Report on the RAF Museum. You can see my photos and comments on my RAF museum gallery.My collection are only a few extra items I found interesting, separate from and not mentioned on Brooke’s excellent page.

After visiting many museums this year that display technology advances throughout the 20th century, I am astounded at what and how much humans can achieve when they really put their minds and efforts to it. For anyone who is interested in the history of aviation in Britain, the RAF Museum is a great place to visit. Enjoy lunch at the pub and if you are lucky, meet up with some new friends.

Off to Jolly Ole London (travelling, hotel and our first dinner with new friends)

2008-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

We left on Saturday (Dec. 6th, 2008) via Northwest Airlines flight #106 at 7:00 p.m. to London’s Heathrow Airport. It was a good flight, nonstop (YAY!), not too crowded and very peaceful. We tried to get some sleep, but weren’t smart enough to grab one of the many empty center sections to lay down (that would have been sweet). We arrived in London a little early (around noon), got through their customs/border very quickly. We took the London Underground (aka The Tube) to our stop in Bayswater, then we found our way the eight or so blocks to our hotel.

THE SPACE APART HOTEL
36-37 Kensington Gardens Square, London W2 4BQ

We stayed at a nice little boutique hotel called The Space Apart Hotel, located in Bayswater section of London. This area has great vibe to it. There are a lot of locals (it’s not a big tourist area), neighborhood restaurants and pubs.

When we first arrived, we were a tad early and our room wasn’t ready, so we left our luggage at the hotel and went off to the park for a walk.

It was a very nice day, the sun was out, but a few clouds in the sky to make things interesting. The hotel is located about 10 minute walk away from Kensington Gardens Park, a royal park right where Princess Diana used to live and walk. We meandered through some lovely gardens and saw these amazing 20 foot high hedges shaped like giant gumdrops. Amongst these hedges were lots of squirrels that would come up to people and take peanuts out of their hands. One man had a squirrel digging around in his jacket pocket for them. All you could see was the furry tail sticking out of his jacket. It was really awesome. I wished that I had my camera out at the time. We also walked around this lovely pond that had dozens of different species of water birds swimming around and eating the breadcrumbs that people were feeding them. This seemed to be a favorite activity of a lot of families. The sun was beginning to set and after an hour or so walking, we headed back to the hotel – we were getting exhausted. While in London it was about 3:30 p.m., for our internal clock, it was like staying up all night ‘til 5:30 in the morning.

THE SPACE APART HOTEL & OUR ROOM
We got back to the hotel and were let into our room. This is a nice hotel, recently remodeled in a contemporary design. All of the rooms are small furnished apartments. We were only able to get their smallest sized studio apartment (called a standard).

HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO STAY
* great central located - close to 2 different tube lines, walking distance to excellent food, and you're in a neighborhood with locals, it's not entirely full of tourists
* kitchenette - I love having the fridge and the stove. I had cold juice, milk for tea, and yogurt available, plus I could make a cup of tea any time
* Free wi-fi (some hotels charge $10/day for this
* Very friendly, helpful staff
* A good price compared to other options in the area
* Adjustable bed to sit up while watching TV, using computer

Our room had a bed, armoire, nightstands, flat screen TV, DVD player, kitchenette with stovetop, microwave/oven, sink, electric kettle, refrigerator, plates, pots, utensils and glassware. There was a small bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower. Soap, shampoo/conditioner, towels, hair dryer and sundries like cotton swabs were provided.

We got in our room, took a few minutes to get things squared away, then caught a much needed 3 hour nap. In the evening we met up with a very nice couple, Gary and Linda, who answered a post Brooke made in his Aces High bulletin board asking to meet anyone interested to have drinks or dinner at a pub in London. They gave us a guidebook on London, which was very thoughtful and we appreciated this very much!!

So Brooke and Traci and Gary and Linda went out on an adventure to get some delicious Chinese food at Royal China Restaurant on Queensway street (about a 5 minute walk from the hotel). Gary and Linda are excellent dinner companions, great conversationalists and we really enjoyed our evening with them. We ordered a multi-course meal that started with a big appetizer plate (eggrolls, spareribs, fried prawns, seaweed).

The second course was MY FAVORITE - crispy roast duck with scallions, hoisin sauce and ancakes. MMMmmmMMmmm. You take the duck (they shredded the meat up for us) and put in in at very thin crepe-like pancake, load it with scallions & hoisin sauce. EAT UP!

After the duck our main courses arrived: stir fried mixed vegetables, Sautéed Beef with Ginger & Spring Onion and Sautéed Chicken with Chili & Black Bean Sauce. It was a ton of food and we couldn’t even accept the fruit dessert. We closed the restaurant down and walked back to our hotel a grin on our faces. We said goodnight to Gary and Linda and promised to meet up with them the next morning to our visit to the Royal Air Force Museum.