I want to share my passion for travel and empower you to see the world. I've traveled in more than 25+ countries, flown millions of miles and lived in China. A professional at both business and leisure travel, I can coach you to spread your wings and experience the best of what the world has to offer. I hope my videos help inspire you to take that first step and start planning your next adventure but, if you need more personalized help, please contact me directly.
Poor Damn Monkey-Chinatown was just not giving any love at all to the symbol of this New Year! When we were in China and it was Year of the Horse, there were ponies and stallions everywhere…big, small, red, gold, etc. decorating all the shops and homes. Horsey party to the extreme and very festive. So, we were missing the real Chinese New Year celebrations and decided to check out Seattle’s version this year. What a disappointment!
Dragons and firecrackers welcome the Year of the Monkey!
Now, true the egg tarts always delight from the Chinese bakery there, but the first weekend we went, right before the official 2/8 holiday, there was nothing going on at all. Boring. We went back this weekend and finally, there were some dancing dragons and firecrackers going off to a small degree to welcome the New Year and the gods of wealth.
But really the crowd was there to feast on the $3 bargain food offer where you could stand in line to get select bites at the various food places. Not really our cup of tea and not a cultural event but it seemed popular with the gorging masses. Meh.
Still, I was really seeking out even a few crazy looking monkey decorative items in the shops. Can an expat get a little selection of monkey-themed decals or anything really to celebrate??? After shopping at the local grocery, Uwajimaya, for some salmon for our Valentine’s dinner, we grabbed our egg tarts and headed home, monkey-less.
Now, in Shanghai, I hear that having monkeys as your in-home pet is all the rage. Illegal, of course, but it’s probably not enforced and I’ve seen articles where folks are putting leashes on their monkeys and taking to the streets for a stroll. We saw a few monkey pets on the streets while they were there and they did turn heads. I’m sure in this Year of the Monkey, it’s very high status to actually own one. I am the Year of the Rat-wonder if the Chinese locals will leash up their rats and parade them around too? We didn’t really see rats over there too much-any small creature like that is considered food and served up as a lunch protein selection. Yum!
Canon, a self-described whiskey and bitters emporium, is definitely deserving of all the buzz and accolades it has earned, including being named one of the best bars in the world by Drinks International in 2014. Even at 5 p.m. on a Monday night, within minutes after opening, the intimate charming bar was packed with booze lovers. Count me in! Perched at the corner of the bar to closely watch the bartenders in action, they did not disappoint and treated us to a show indeed. Boasting the largest spirit collection in the western hemisphere at 3,500 labels and counting, I just had to ask Hailey, our bartender, how on earth they kept track of where each bottle went. Out came the iPad with a library of all their spirits by shelf. Spirit search time!
Canon’s wall of booze
I was overwhelmed with the huge “lavish libations” menu and had to take some time to choose what to try. My friends had been to Canon before so went right after some favorites-the “Campfire in Georgia” and the Truffle Old Fashioned. After lighting up some cinnamon French oak on the plate with a mini-blow torch, Hailey dropped the glass cover over the drink concoction of mescal, peach-habanero shrub and fresh oj to infuse the cocktail with smokiness galore. Quite the production:
The smokiness theme continued with the Khaleesi Cocktail that features “dragon’s blood smoke” (not kidding!) which is blown into a glass skull and then transferred into a mix of canon high west rye, bourbon, punt e mes, strawberry, and tonka bean. WTF! Exotic ingredients that added up to a tasty cocktail for my friend that I got to taste. Thanks K!
Me and a bottle of aged booze!
Now, for my cocktail selection, I decided on a slut theme, starting first with the aged cocktail list offering of the “Hanky Panky” made up of gin, sweet vermouth, fernet branca, orange zest and aged in the cutest little bottle for three years. Yes, you swig the Hanky straight from the bottle! That went down just fine and I followed it with The Tramp consisting of Plymouth sloe gin, giffard apricot, fresh lime juice and dry sparking wine. Less serious but highly entertaining sipping out of a glass this time. Classy.
With all that alcohol, either load up on some carbs before you go or, better yet, order a basket of bread with smoked butter. DAMN. The booze was awesome but the smoked butter was heaven on a baguette. They have other nibbles including smoked salmon, squash, beef, etc. Needing something other than bread, I ordered the bourbon nuts. With one bite of warm caramel corn/pretzel/bourbon smoky nuts, my taste buds swooned again. I loved their warning on the food menu:
“Alcohol, eggs, sex, undercooked foods and most enjoyable things in life can and will kill you if you give them enough time. Live life to the fullest until then.” Amen, Canon. I’ll be back.
Open 5 p.m.-2 a.m. daily, visit Canon, 928 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Be prepared to pay $25 in advance to get a reservation. Don’t worry-it’s pricey so that $25 will go towards the many cocktails and nibbles you will enjoy. Life is short. Cheers!
Hailey mixes up a Khaleesi Cocktail, smoking skull and all!
As the intriguing images were dealt and my Tarot Card story unfolded, I was shocked at the narrative I was hearing. “You have a new job that is energizing and has far less drama than your old one.” Yep. “You have a very good marriage.” Totally. “You will write a book.” Coming soon to Amazon.
DAMN. She was good. Now, I’m not saying I’m a true believer. I’m just open to lots of things that can’t be proven. I’ve had my palms read in a back alley in Hong Kong and wasn’t all that impressed. This gal, Eugenia Van Vliet, at the Pink Door in Seattle has been doing this forever. I believe that she probably is a great observer of people and is a storyteller who loves telling the history of each card. If nothing else, it was an enjoyable way to spend time on a cold winter evening in Seattle with a friend while drinking a delicious cinnamon Old Fashioned to warm me up.
The first card dealt, the 4 of Wands, which is the “Lord of the Perfected Work” and is the card of the professionals was followed by the O The Fool card which speaks to a new beginning. Combo these two up and you have me starting my new job and loving it. As the cards continued to flow after I shuffled them, the O The Fool came up again and signified that the dog shown on the card was keeping me safe from falling over the cliff with mistakes in this new path. Cool-I need a four legged sidekick to keep me in check. Too bad I can’t bring mine to work with me! The Ace of Pentacles predicted a financial change for the better–does that mean the stock market will recover? I liked the message of the 5 of Swords-success can be achieved but only through relentless hard work. That’s always been my motto-I may not be the smartest but I surely will work the hardest.
We primarily talked about my new work gig but touched briefly on the family as well. The card signifying a great relationship came up twice so we discussed Thom. A few more cards after and she could tell that he was the creative, sensitive one in our marriage (yes, he cries more it’s true) and would be seeking an artistic outlet soon. Hmmmm……Thom has been working hard on our book covering our adventures in China. She even knew that, after seeing the card with an ancient scroll. How random that this would come up in the course of the reading. It certainly gave me reason to pause.
I was super happy to hear the prediction that I would be living abroad for work in either London or Dublin in 2-3 years. Score! Since we are already planning a trip to Dublin in the fall, I’ll start scouting out neighborhoods. You just never know with us! James will be out of law school and living on his own again so it might be time for another adventure abroad.
If you want to know what your future holds, check out Eugenia in the bar at the Pink Door, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 p.m. Interesting stuff!
Wandering around Seattle over the last two weeks, it struck me that I definitely have my favorite places that I gravitate to now when I want to have a great experience. Having a bad day? No problem-just check out these places and life will be good. Let’s just call these “happy places”. Honestly, doesn’t everyone need some happy places to get you through the sometimes cold and always rainy Seattle winters? Not everyone can run off to Hawaii, St. Maarten or Florida for a sunny/warm interlude (you know who you are and I’m damn jealous!) so without further ado, I thought I would share these happy places with you, whether you live here and need some new adventures or if you are crazy enough to plan a visit to Seattle during the long winter months. Here is the top 10 countdown of “can’t go wrong happy places” in Seattle:
Happy Place #10-Seattle Sunsets as seen across Elliott Bay. Check it out from any number of parks, restaurants and Pike Place Market on the waterfront. I’m lucky to see this nightly show from my balcony. Blessed!
Seattle sunsets are striking any time of the year!
Happy Place #9-Seattle sporting events. We enjoy the Mariners, Seahawks, Storm, and Reign but nothing beats the excitement of a Sounders game. You must get the start-to-finish experience beginning in Pioneer Square with the March to the Match and then wait after the game is over to see the players applaud their passionate fans.
Any Seattle sporting event is fun but Sounders game reign supreme!
Happy Place #8-Elliott Bay Book Co. on Capital Hill. From the friendly staff to the huge assortment with lots of staff recommendations pointing you to great reads, nothing beats a book store on a rainy Seattle day. They even have a great café for a bite to eat and coffee. Pres. Clinton even visited here recently on his whistle stop through town, taking in the neighborhood ambience.
Elliott Bay Book Co. on Capital Hill has wall of recommended reads by staff members
Happy Place #7-Sculpture Park on Elliott Bay. Not only is there iconic public art but they have awesome concerts here in the summer. Not many tourists venture this far north of the market so it’s relatively quiet even on gorgeous summer days.
Sculpture Park is serene and beautiful.
Happy Place #6-Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is a gem with events and new exhibitions coming and going. We really enjoyed their Remix event, an after hours party with music, events, dancing, etc. that draws a huge crowd. We just became members so we can come and go frequently whenever we are in the mood.
Seattle Art Museum’s striking entry has now changed and the cars have been retired.
Happy Place #5-Chinatown, of course! We can’t wait to go celebrate Chinese New Year-Year of the Monkey on February 8th in our own Seattle Chinatown. There are several dim sum places that are excellent as well as the bakeries where I can get an egg tart. The Uwajimaya grocery has all our favorite snacks from China and always has cool stuff to buy.
Chinatown!
Happy Place #4-Uptown Movie Theater. This totally charming old theater is a treasure and shows 3-4 movies, usually independent flicks, and is part of SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival). Best part-it is a block from our house and it serves lattes and wine.
The Uptown in Lower Queen Anne is a charmer!
Happy Place #3-The Seattle Center is more than the Space Needle. The lights twinkling in the trees at night while the fountain shoots its water bursts in time to the music make it a wondrous place. People think it is just for tourists but we walk our dogs there every day multiple times and enjoy it so much.
Seattle Center is our backyard with the fountain shooting high to the musical playlist.
Happy Place #2-Who isn’t happy shopping? In downtown Seattle, our favorite stores are John Fluevog for handcrafted shoes, Everyday Music (EM) for extensive vinyl assortment, Pike Place Market, of course, for leather slippers, lavender sachets and flowers/flowers/flowers, CostPlus World Market for coffee/tea/wine, and Nordstrom’s Rack for shoes and clothing with an onsite tailor. We can walk down and then take the fun Monorail home when we buy too much. Running since the 1962 World Fair, it’s only $2.25 one way for a quick trip from downtown to the Seattle Center. Super convenient for us!
Yes, green boots for Thom. He is Irish after all.
Happy Place #1-MUSIC! I am constantly on the lookout for new and well-loved artists for us to check out in Seattle. Our favorite venues are The Paramount, The Moore, and the Triple Door though we often have to travel to Ballard to the Tractor Tavern to see folks we like. Last year we got to enjoy Eilen Jewell (coming again 2/25 to the Tractor Tavern-check her out!), Allen Stone, Glen Hansard, LeRoy Bell, Elvis Costello, David Bromberg, Florence & The Machine and wish we had seen Alabama Shakes live. I’m sure this year will be an even better year for concerts, though we had to plan a trip in March to LA to see Bruce Springsteen’s final concert on his tour since he snubbed Seattle. Come on, Bruce! Seattle IS the music place to be!
My current fav artist-Glen Hansard serenading us from the balcony at The Moore.
After searching through Yelp for the craftiest cocktail place in downtown Boise, I decided to give the Press & Pony a try. Aided by my daughter and hubby as the designated driver, we passed through the velvet curtained entryway into a small speakeasy environment with a copper-topped bar and tin-tiled ceiling. Score-atmosphere galore where the bartenders were knowledgeable and downright hardcore in their stance to serve only the most unique craft cocktails to their customers.
Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.
Of course, after reviewing the menu of cocktails (no food here-serious drinking only), I interviewed the bartenders on their most popular drinks and ingredients. Boy did I get an earful of passionate discourse on the ingredients needed to create cocktail masterpieces. Settling on the classic Old Fashioned to try first, it did not disappoint. Eric the Bartender proclaimed their Old Fashioned to be the best in Boise and with the essence of lemon and orange mixed with simple syrup, bourbon and 8 dashes of two types of bitters served in a classic old fashioned tumbler with a big ass ice cube, the better not to melt and dilute the drink I was told, I contently sat back to sip and enjoy this masterpiece of alcohol. As I brought my nose to the glass, the lemon and orange oils diffused the smell of booze and lightened the bourbon taste. Delightful!
House-made tonics and sodas delight even the non-alcoholic sippersShots and Classic Cocktails with complex ingredients
Next up on the cocktail tasting menu for me was the Corpse Reviver No. 2 that combined gin, lillet blanc, Cointreau, lemon juice and an absinthe rinse for good measure. The name alone compelled me to give it a try plus I had never tried absinthe so the Corpse Reviver was perfect! Shaken not stirred, it arrived in a short goblet with tiny floats of ice on top. Delicious with a kick! Eric pointed out that absinthe is 53 proof and not to be trifled with. As Hannah put it so aptly when she tasted her Dark + Stormy (dark rum+ginger beer+lime juice) cocktail, “Oh Jesus!”
In asking Eric about the focused assortment of their liquors behind the bar, he expressed disdain for the standard popular brands like Maker’s Mark and Jack Daniels-not even available at their establishment, thank you very much. As he put it, if customers come in and ask for vodka or “regular” drinks like Jack & coke, he directs them to the “douche kiddie bars” down the street where it’s all about cheap booze vs. refined cocktails. Tell us how you really feel, Eric. I like a bartender with principles.
Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.
Next up on the cocktail research tour, we met up with our friend Ryan H. and walked quickly on this single digit frigid night to the Red Feather Lounge, a more mainstream alcohol emporium but with a late night happy hour (yes, we were out that late believe it or not) so we could enjoy hot beignets with warm butterscotch dipping sauce with our cocktails. Paired with a “Fever of the Mad” (Extra Dry Gin, Herbsaint Pastis, Fresh Lemon, Fee Bros. Peach Bitters, and Egg Whites) the beignets soaked up all the alcohol just fine. I had wanted to try a drink featuring egg whites as this is a hot trend now. The Fever was light, frothy and a perfect way to end a night of intensive cocktail research. Taking the Red Feather motto to heart, “A bar without bitters is like a kitchen without spice.”, it’s back to Seattle today to continue the research at Canon, one of the top cocktails bars in the nation. Watch out!
Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.
2013 Times Square-2014 Shanghai-2015 Seattle-2016 Boise…it was never my intent to celebrate New Year’s Eve in different cities/countries but that’s just how my life rolled and I enjoyed every second of it. So what’s ahead in 2016? No idea but I’m excited to find out. Reflecting today on 2015, I am so thankful for all the experiences I’ve been so blessed to enjoy. Life is truly wonderful and amazing in so many ways.
Cheers! Here’s to 2016!
2015 for us was all about transition and travel. We moved back from China in late 2014 and settled into our new place in lower Queen Anne. Oh, how I love that water view and our urban neighborhood. Being able to walk everywhere you need to be is liberating and so healthy if you don’t count being a convenient block away from the greasy bliss that is Dick’s. Having decorated our apartment last year to make it cozy, we can now enjoy entertaining more in 2016. Bring on the cocktail cart and amazing sunsets! Having James move back in with us while he attends Seattle U. Law is an added bonus as well. I appreciate being closer to family but we do miss living in China so much-a unique adventure I will never forget.
Last year was also a travelling time with my old job taking me to exotic locations like Detroit in February, San Antonio during the torrential rain storms, Durham, Orlando in the brutal summer heat, Vancouver and NYC-my favorite that never disappoints. I may not travel with my new job for awhile but then it will become a global odyssey. Cannot wait. Oh the places we will go!
Amsterdam/Bruges/The Hague dazzled us on our autumn trip and was a highlight for sure and just as charming as I thought it would be. We definitely need to explore more of Europe SOON. Nothing beats a family vacation, though, and we got to all be together on the lovely Big Island as Baby Mia was learning to walk while on the beaches in Hawaii! That was priceless and appreciated so much. That Mia makes me smile.
Zip lining on Big Island with the kids was a joy!Enjoying the dive diner experience with Patti & Larry in Vancouver
Flying through the trees and across the valleys in Hawaii on the zip line with the kids was breathtaking. Travelling with friends is also fun so when Patti and Larry drove across America on their road trip, we joined them to enjoy an Amtrak trip up to Vancouver where we took walking tours and found the best dive restaurant in town, serving milk shakes AND martinis right next to the triple XXX shop. Yummy and crazy at the same time!
I was lucky enough to enjoy lots of great musical moments in 2015 and got to experience the great artistic stylings of Glen Hansard, Florence & The Machine, Allen Stone x2, Eilen Jewell, Griffin House, Elvis Costello, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Dave Brumbeck plus interesting talks by David Sedaris, John Oliver, Jesse Eisenberg, David Axelrod, Ira Glass and Joe Klein. Such smart and talented people! Looking forward to seeing Lewis Black soon in Seattle. He always brings me to tears of laughter with his passionate rants. Need to seek out some women speakers this year. Here’s to diversity and hoping Hillary comes to town! Best concert of 2015-Glen Hansard with Allen Stone as a close second. I would go see them anytime, anywhere. GO SEE THEM!
Allen Stone and I hanging out at his private concert for my company. Cool dude!
We also got to go to many Seattle Storm basketball games at nearby Key Arena and see Jewell Lloyd win Rookie of the Year. It was a rebuilding year so they should win more in 2016. The Sounders were inconsistently frustrating but always a fun game to go to with awesome fan support. Throw in a few Mariners games and the Seattle Reign too and we have begun to truly immerse ourselves in the Seattle sports scene. Of course, Thom and Mike got to see their beloved Mets play in NYC in the World Series. Epic moment for those two-here’s hoping the Mets come back swinging again this year so I don’t have to listen to Thom cry and whine.
2015 WTF Moments
Trump-if by some horrible chance he wins, we would have to leave. Are you with me? Belize perhaps? That he is even in the race, let alone leading, is embarrassing for the U.S.
Guns & Violence-something must be done. Hopefully Obama will look at his Fu*&it List and take action. I’m looking forward to seeing Hannah make a difference with her work for Moms Demand Action, an organization funded by Bloomberg. People, we need to take a stand and say NO MORE.
My shoulder froze and my local gym closed so health and fitness were challenging for me this year. Frozen shoulder, mainly affecting women of a “certain age”, made moving painful and awkward but it’s getting better now with the aid of my masseuse’s cruel and painful sessions and it certainly could have been worse. Going to try out a new gym next week and start the new year off right. Hoping 2016 is a healthy one for all of us.
2016 Highlights to look forward to
Have fun in 2016 and be silly at least once a day!
*watching Mia turn 2-she grows more enchanting and smart every day. Definitely want to spend more time in Boise if we can carve out some time in between renters of our cute cottage there. It’s popular!
*discovering Dublin and seeing Glen Hansard sing in his natural environment and a NYC trip to see old friends and old haunts once it warms up some and the Mets are playing again.
*back home again to Indiana to see Mom, Sis and corn waving in the fields. Once Hoosier, always a Hoosier!
*an art-filled year. We just became Seattle Art Museum members so our weekly dates will probably be including art as well as going to their incredible Remix events. If you live in Seattle, check out these after hour events with music. Fun.
*learning a new job-again but trying for better work/life balance. Finally!
Here’s to 2016 and savoring the wonder of each and every day. Expect nothing & appreciate everything.
Walking in a winter wonderland…classic holiday image unless that walk is through SEATAC the Saturday before Christmas with my hubby clashing with the hordes of travelers. AARGH!!!
Santa mobile cart with Mrs. Claus and elf sidekicks at SEATAC
So, the trip began with the crush of travelers checking their bags and, though we were only a few deep at the “special” desk that my company employees get to enjoy with a certain airline (great perk), it seemed to be taking FOREVER. While I prayed for patience, Thom seethed. In our short line, many folks jumped onboard only to be told sternly that, if they didn’t have company badges, they needed to get the hell out of our line and instead hop on and enjoy the long lines snaking back/forth/back/forth with the general public.
Fast track here we come! But, NO, it was not meant to be. Was that a certain entitled company employee jumping to the front of our line because he was running late??? WTF! As Thom started to get red in the face and call this guy out for his rude behavior, I gave my hubby the stink eye and warned him that I would kill him if he spoke. Happy Holidays!
So, that went over well and after a heated whispered conversation, he agreed to take the high road and not tackle the guy. So generous of him! After all, it’s possible I could run into this rude dude in the boardroom at work and my husband cussing him out could make for an awkward situation. That didn’t stop Thom, of course, from commiserating with the guy in front of us who was also shushed by his wife before he attacked the guy. With his family in tow, his wife had asked him to not engage as a lesson to the kids. Wives united to keep the peace during holiday travel!
Retro flight attendant fashion at SEATAC
Thankfully I did breeze through security even though they had disengaged the TSA Pre-check line. Of course, Thom got stopped to take out his laptop and gave some attitude to a stern TSA gal–he’s lucky he didn’t get “probed” more deeply but he made it through after a quick exam of his technology. Notice, they didn’t detain me–karma!
Then, it was off to shop at the stores. I love the Plane Fashion store that features old school flight attendant hats, pillow covers with airport call letters and such. They also have a cool vinyl store at SEATAC-it’s definitely a trending thing here in Seattle. After looking at the stores in our neighborhood last night for antlers for a planned reindeer-inspired Mia party this weekend, I was still looking when I finally found them at the Fireworks boutique at the airport. AND they play music and have bells-SCORE! Mia loved them:
The shops and Starbucks teams were working hard at SEATAC with their smiles on to calm the weary travelers. Best moment was when a guy racing around on an electric wheel dressed as a travelling customer service desk took the time to race around a column for at least 15 minutes with a toddler running after him-great way to wear out a toddler! Needless to say the mom gave the guy a hug for his child-friendly attention.
Grateful mother to airport rolling holiday info desk dude
Then, Santa, Mrs. Claus and his elf whizzed by in a cart to offer a knee and an ear to hear Christmas wishes on the go. Nice job, SEATAC, in providing holiday cheer for the hordes. I also saw a dancing gingerbread man and a happy Rudolph making friends with the crowds. If you are out there this week trying to get to your families, keep smiling and take the high road when faced with travel drama. Remember, you need those good karma points to avoid coal in your stockings on Christmas! Happy holidays to all and to all a good night!
While we are lucky most of the year to enjoy our beautiful place in Seattle overlooking the water, when we come home for the holidays to our house in Boise, we get to revel in family time and experience the rolling foothills, bitter cold (brrrrr!) and snow. Seriously, I brought warm clothes but you can’t dress in enough layers to cope with this frozen tundra crap. And, while Thom is squiring us around town in our cool red Kia that we keep here, the squirrel community has already declined, with more surely to meet their early demise, as seemingly endless supplies of the squirrel population have some freaky death wish to run right in front of our car ALL THE TIME! In speaking with David Sedaris at his recent Seattle talk at Benroya Hall, we explained our daughter lived in Boise, Idaho, to which he reacted by saying something to the effect that the squirrels were stalking him when he visited Boise and seriously, WTF! Yep, the squirrels here are plentiful and crazy but Thom may have a personal hand in changing that status. David, you’ll be safe to return to Boise soon to give an inspiring reading.
Braving the cold at the Bowls fundraiser-Thom & I, James & Hannah and Mia
The day after Thanksgiving, we bundled up to go to the Idaho Food Bank’s fundraiser, Bowls, that is a tradition for many Boise families. People throughout the year decorate bowls and donate them for this event where you spend $10 to buy a bowl and then get soup donated from local restaurants. Last year, with temps in the 40’s, it was lovely and we lingered, eating our soup outside. This year, we quickly bought bowls, snagged some soup and ran home to eat. Still, we participated and all proceeds went to a worthy charity, that raised $39,000 last year at this event. Here’s hoping they exceeded that this year!
Our cute little cottage
Our social life in Boise differs greatly from Seattle because we are Mia-focused here, soaking up the cutest darling in the world while we can. To say she is the most intelligent, beautiful child would be a vast understatement. She loves to dance and play hide and seek with her Gi Gi and Nai Nai. Mostly on-the-go, sometimes she will consent to sit down to color or read a story. Before the cold wave hit, we enjoyed the park by our house, creeping and crawling through and under tunnels, going up hills and swinging endlessly.
We rent our cottage in Boise most of the year to short term VRBO clients and it’s so popular we had to book it out to use ourselves while we are here in December. Close to the trails and Hyde Park social scene, I can actually walk to the local office here and work remote. With only 800 sq ft, it is a bit small if we moved here full time in the future so we are dreaming of an extension that would allow us to have a family room, modern bathroom and fireplace. I know that clawfoot bathtubs seem romantic and vintage but they are a royal pain to climb in and out of. Death by clawfoot tub-it could happen. Give me a multi-head walk in shower…please! I have to admit I’ve never stepped into the basement where the w/d is located, down a steep set of fold down stairs so that will have to be addressed too in a remodel–no crawling down into creepy space to do laundry for me. Thom, at this point, is calling me out that I rarely do the laundry and, while that is very true, there may be a time when I have to so plan we must for that rare scenario.
Mia and I enjoying the park
While we don’t have the urban walks, night clubs, professional sports teams and frequent concert opportunities like we do in Seattle, we did enjoy going to a Boise State basketball game last week that they won handily and plan on trying out a jazz club soon. I found an indie bookstore that was just enchanting in downtown Boise, which is a vibrant place full of shops and restaurants. They even have a vinyl store that, thankfully, Thom has yet to check out. The biggest difference is that with the frigid temps, it discourages the long walks that we love so much. Definitely have to be a gym rat here to stay in shape indoors in the long winter months. Oh well, you adjust and, while we might not love the weather, we do love our family and they are the first priority come snow or rain. So, it’s happy holidays, Boise-style, which means enjoying the Idaho Potato Drop (from a crane downtown) to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Yes, really. When in Idaho….
Who on Earth would predict that a musical about 9/11 and how the town of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 7,000 passengers on 38 planes diverted there that day would be so inspirational and wonderful? NOT ME! Boy, was I shocked. We laughed and cried and didn’t want it to end. I have to tell you, when Thom told me where we would be going this past Thursday night, I was wanting to do almost anything else!! His dear childhood friend that has worked for 30+ years at American Airlines guiding flights around the world, Billy, and his wife were scheduled to come visit us for the opening of the play as he was personally involved with the main character in the story, Beverly the pilot of one of the flights diverted. Billy guided Beverly and her flight to safety that horrific day and they have stayed in touch ever since, bonded for life by tragic circumstances beyond their control.
Unfortunately Billy recently had surgery and couldn’t travel but we went in his place. Seated next to us were a nice couple who immediately told us that they were retired pilots who had been at the play for opening night and found it so amazing that they bought the extra tickets that Billy had purchased. Also friends with Beverly, who was at the theater that night, they had a personal connection to this particular story, having flown during that crazy time. Flying a few days after 9/11 for work, I remember thinking that air travel will never be the same and it certainly isn’t. No more greeting family at the gate and please take off your shoes, no liquids over a certain size, etc.
But back to the play that brings it all to life. With clever use of the actors playing several roles, the story is told of one particular flight flown by Beverly and diverted to Gander. The citizens take in this mass influx of people with some trepidation but end up feeding and housing them all over town for a week or so. Authors David Hein and Irene Sankoff nailed the snappy dialogue, plot line and wonderful songs. I have seen many a Broadway play and this would win a Tony for sure. Let’s hope they get publicity and make a run for Broadway. I only hope that they keep the same cast and band because they were top-notch and I can’t imagine anyone else in those roles. If you live in Seattle, GO SEE IT! It’s playing at the Seattle Repertory Theatre until December 13th. Seattle Times Review of “Come From Away”
Friday night, bearing beer and wine as boat-warming gifts, we visited our friend Brad’s newly acquired sailboat just north of Ballard. Draped in festive holiday lights, the 3 br/2 head money pit (all boats are!) was warm and cozy below and brisk up top as the 20+ people drank and socialized. Seeing the crowd drink scotch to warm up, I figured, “What the Hell!” and decided to join them and have my first taste of scotch. Hmmm…it sure does warm up your whole throat for an extended period of time. These scotch drinkers could be on to something. My friend Kurt has offered to “school me” on the varieties of scotch as he has drank his way across Europe tasting and sipping. Bring on Booze 101 classes! Now, I’m not a boat person, having owned a lake cottage and boat at one point and didn’t really enjoy them, but these sailors seem to be very dedicated and borderline obsessed with this lifestyle. Expensive, yes, but a social way to embrace the beauty of the water. As long as it stays at the dock and the wine/scotch is flowing, count me in. Ahoy mate!
Glen serenades us from the balcony-just glad he didn’t fall.
What incredible talent (NOT the Seahawks but that’s another story) we experienced this weekend in Seattle-AMAZING! To start off, we were lucky enough to finally get to see Glen Hansard, who was performing at The Moore. The star of Once (my favorite movie AND Broadway play), Glen is a 45 year old Irish lad who can rock passionately and croon softly. The sold out crowd of devoted fans sang along, danced in the aisles and enjoyed his banter in the intimate setting. We didn’t want the night to end…
Falling Softly earned him an Academy Award in 2007 for Best Original Song and was the showpiece song for Once. However, his music from his new album, Didn’t He Ramble, was addictive and, coupled with his energetic live performance, it made me immediately want to see him perform again. Seattle should only be so lucky to have another Hansard concert soon. At the end, he and his bandmate surprised us when they popped up in the balcony, swung their legs over and serenaded us in a duet to die for:
Of course, I was hoping nobody ACTUALLY died but it was a close call as Glen was banging on his guitar and swinging his legs high as he perched above the crowd. Luckily no one was injured and he went on to join his whole band and crew to perform an acapella Irish ballad in his final farewell to the audience that was so sad to see him go.
The next night, another sold out show for us, but this time taking place at the beautiful and spacious Benroya Hall, where we laughed till we cried as David Sedaris read story after story of his tales from picking up trash from the roadside near his home in England (he is known as “Pig Pen” to his neighbors), sharing his North Carolina vacation home with his dysfunctionally hilarious family and just commentary on life in general from his unique yet twisted perspective. Of course he has written many books but he read, not from those, but from his New Yorker articles: http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/david-sedaris
Funniest story of the night for me was his tale of having a lipoma (fatty tumors like what Izaac, our Viszla gets all over his body-I call him lumpy in an affectionate way) removed illegally by a fan who took him “across the border” from Texas to New Mexico. David got his lipoma chopped into small pieces and sealed in a baggie on ice for the journey to his summer home where he intended to feed it to his favorite turtle, who was also disfigured by a tumor, this one on top of his small head. Unfortunately, the turtle had died recently according to his neighbor. So, dropping the bloody unfrozen tumor bits and pieces to turtles under the bridge near a tourist mall, he was asked by a Southern gentleman what he was feeding them because they were snapping it up mighty fine. “Chicken” declared David to the guy he deemed a red neck yahoo by his tacky t-shirt. David then thought to himself, who I am to judge? I am, after all, feeding a turtle parts of my body. Good point, David.
David also read from his many diary entries, which will comprise his next book. An avid Fitbit user, he once hit 72,000 steps in a day, which is just impossibly hard to do. WTF! I was dying in Amsterdam when I hit 18,000. But I get it because he explained that his Fitbit was taunting him, luring him, day by day, into more steps with sassy text message challenges. Mine tells me frequently that I am an “overachiever”. Duh!
When regaling us with his thoughts on politics and specifically the rise of Trump, he didn’t even know where to begin but spoke of his talk to a German fellow who asked David what he thought of the Trumpster. David likened him to a cartoon character whose Vice President would just have to be…. wait for it…..THE Hamburgler. Of course, David had to explain to the German what a Hamburgler was in American culture. Spot on, David.
Chatting with Jesse
I also got a chance to hear Jesse Eisenberg speak at my work on his new book, Beemis gives me hiccups. At Q & A, I told him he appeared to be channeling Woody Allen and asked him what he thought of the great man since he had just worked with Woody on a new movie. His nervous mannerisms, thoroughly NYC attitude (born in Queens) and self-deprecating style was SO Woody. He strikes me as more of a writer than an actor just from our brief meeting.
Afterward, I researched Jesse and found out he had idolized Woody since high school, sending him screenplays at an early age. Nice to know when Woody dies (as David S. would surely point out) we have a younger version standing in the wings ready to take over Woody’s post as the neurotic New York artist.
My only regret this weekend was that we were not able to see Allen Stone perform in NYC at the Apollo. I’m sure it was legendary! Next week we are off to Boise to spend the holidays, where we will continue our date nights and seek out adventure when we are not babysitting the incredible Mia! Nai Nai is on her way, baby girl!
Travels with Melinda 