August 31, 2004
Naked in Amsterdam
I have to say that Schipol airport is without a doubt the best airport I have been to, possibly ever. I must say, it's vastly improved since 1978, when my memory consists of sitting on hard plastic chairs being very tired and bored. Today I arrived after a 22 hour delay, and there's a lovely hotel in the secure area where you can rent a shower room, and being as I had four hours until my next flight, I took advantage of it. There are, furthermore, meditation rooms, communication zones, rooms with big comfy recliners and soothing pictures on a big screen tv, nice shops, pleasant areas, even the McDonalds has cozy couches and retro light up coffee tables. It's my dream airport. I wish I had 6 hours here. It's like Disneyport.
August 30, 2004
Grounded Pt 2
Oh, it just gets better and better. My flight isn't going to leave until tomorrow. So I'm praying my hotel in Venice will let me cancel at this late hour, and Mom is on her way to pick me up again. At least I won't have to struggle with my luggage or check in, since they're keeping the luggage all locked up in the plane tonight. Meanwhile, I'm still enjoying my high- speed wireless connection - since its relatively more quiet and peaceful here than it is in my sister's basement.
Grounded
Today finds me at the Seattle airport, making use of their lovely state of wireless access in all terminals. It will surprise no-one who has recently flown Northwest, but we're experiencing technical difficulties, and now are three hours late leaving, and waiting for an "update". All is not horrible though. Originally I was booked in the second to last row in a middle seat (euuugh) of a DC-10, but the nice gate agents managed to move me to the second row window seat. Despite the restless little girl behind me who keeps digging her feet into my back, I'm pretty sure it's a good trade. There's an infant in the row in front of me, who I think is not likely to recline his seat onto my knees, so I'm as content as one can be in an economy class seat on Northwest Airlines. Fortunately , they handed us all vouchers and sent us out to wait in the waiting room, so at least my time in plane is not increased from 9 to 15 hours. I'm not sure I can face a second meal at Burger King today, but it looks like that might be my option.
August 29, 2004
Back to Work
Well, the bags are mostly packed, I've done all the last second shopping (and acquired a very lovely small wireless travel mouse which makes my heart happy). There just remains one load of laundry left between me and the ship. So goodbye once again to the Grouchy Chef (who is just as superb as I remember ), goodbye to the toaster oven and the days of pre- and post-lunch naps and stacks of trashy brain candy novels. It's back to the Med for me.
August 27, 2004
Who Needs a Campfire?
Today I discovered that the toaster oven makes the perfect toasted marshmallow. If you cut a marshmallow in half (not traditional, I know, but bear with me) and place the two cut halves sticky side down on top of a Nestle Tollhouse Break-and-Bake Chocolate Chip Caramel cookie (lazy of me, I know, but irresistible), then one cycle of the toaster oven on its lowest setting produces a cookie that is perfectly warm, with a marshmallow topping that is exactly perfectly toasted. Further experimentation proved that a whole marshmallow, uncut, (for the purists) requires two cycles of the toaster oven on its lowest setting, and then the top will be browned, but the middle still just slightly firm. It doesn't blow up, it doesn't run around, it just toasts, like a marshmallow perfectly situated on the right length stick in the middle of the embers.
August 25, 2004
Trogdor the Burninator
Clearly I'm spending too much time in the company of 11 year old boys, but this is my nephew's (not the incipient felon, but his older brother) favorite website, and it's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Since many of you don't have the advantage of an 11 year old guide - here's what I recommend at www.homestarrunner.com :
Strongbad emails (though the link will say sb emails) - my favorite is dragon
This leads us to a trailer for Peasant Quest a game featuring in 16 brilliant colors and excellent retro lo-res graphics, Trogdor, the afore-mentioned dragon.
And should you be inspired to actually PLAY Peasant Quest (or any of the other exciting lo-res games available on Homestar) here's the games page.
Clearly it's time for me to return to the ship.....
August 23, 2004
Felonious Entropy
Yesterday morning began with a visit from the police, wanting to know why we had dialled 911. Keep in mind, I can count on less than one finger the number of times the police have taken it upon themselves to visit my house in the 30 some years we've lived here. We eventually rooted out the cause as being my 5 year old nephew, who, it seems , was showing off his pre-school skills to his 3 year old cousin. We delivered him up to the policeman (who was exceedingly nice) and later when questioned he was very non-commital as to why he'd felt he needed to call 911, but he immediately went to his cousin and said "Lydia, I told them "no" and "nothing"". He improved upon his day, getting yelled at by the pool lifeguards, dancing on the antique Navajo drum, but nothing out of the general range of 5 year old boys.
Today, however, he disappeared (once again with his impressionable young cousin), committing the great sin of crossing the street and leaving the neighborhood with her. A great panicked search ensued, and he returned jauntily around the corner, some 10 minutes later, trailing behind him his young admirer and an angry neighbor who had observed him removing mail from the local mailboxes. The mail was duly returned, and when we reminded Jamie, that among other things, he had broken the rule about crossing the street alone, said "but there was no traffic, so it was okay." We were all just thankful that our friendly policeman from yesterday was not the one to find him.
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August 22, 2004
Cleaning House
I got a wild hair today, and changed my color scheme to a nice soothing periwinkle. Actually, according to Visibone, it's a "pale, dull blue", but it suits my current mood. Maybe it's too much time spent here in the Northwest. I notice that everything for sale in the little craft shops here (mostly ceramics) are all varying shades of blue, green and purple. Which, really, I find a little odd - you'd think we'd get enough of that color scheme just from our surroundings. Who wouldn't like a little splash of orange here and there to brighten up the place? Incidentally, I have also ruthlessly pruned my blogroll, so if you haven't posted since 2003, your name has disappeared. A few of the remaining ones (don't make me call out your names) are skating on the thin edge of inclusion. At any rate, my CSS is a little rusty, so if you all notice anything broken, let me know.
August 21, 2004
Brownian Weekend
Oops, apparently I have been a little remiss with my postings. I plead a surfeit of boredom (ie, nothing to tell) and a certain frustration with my computer. I'm having an ongoing debate with hotmail as to whether they are indeed dropping my emails ( I know for a fact that they've lost three this summer, and delayed one by 12 hours) or whether (as they believe) I'm just too stupid to check my junk mail filters. I've gotten the most bizarre range of responses from their tech support from "We're aware of the problem and trying to fix it and we profoundly apologize" to "The contacts you mentioned aren't in your safe list" - which they most certainly are, and have been for upwards of 5 years. So anyway, if any of you have emailed me recently, and not received a reply, it's nothing personal.
Anyway, the assorted family children are all here at my parents' house for the weekend, so a rollicking good time is on hand for everyone. At the moment I'm having a glorious time telling my nieces they have to be quiet and go to sleep.
August 18, 2004
Day at the Coast
A little photo essay for everyone's entertainment.....
August 16, 2004
Sports Drink of Champions
My father makes the best gin and tonics in the world (and I've had a few, so I think I'm qualified to be an impartial judge) - the key, I'm told, is that the tonic has to be cold so it doesn't melt the ice, and the gin carefully measured. At any rate, at the end of an afternoon of circuit weights and running, they go down just like koolaid. The only problem with it as a sports drink is that I'm so thirsty I drink it down too quickly and can't properly appreciate the subtle flavor. On the other hand, it does take the edge off the pain.
August 15, 2004
Updates
One of the benefits of getting my run out of the way at 7:30 is that the day then stretches endlessly out in front of me with nothing to do but play on the computer. As a result, I've updated my calendar through October (I could probably do it with reasonable accuracy through May, but that seems a little excessive) for those of you who are waiting with 'bated breath to see where I'm going next. Anyway, it's back to the Med for me for the moment (followed, if all goes as planned, by Tahiti, Australia, and East Asia). Who's coming with me?
August 14, 2004
Weekend at Bernie's (Brighton revisited)
Well, by popular request (at least two requests anyway) here are some pictures. Here is Gracie dog with her two parents ( I dare not call them owners) - I've been told I have a week to get her picture up, and I'm already late by two days - sorry Bernie, and here's me, sitting on the scaffolding outside Bernie's apartment (we like to think of it as an impromptu balcony) enjoying a Budweiser (the Czech kind, not the American one, which I would have drunk, but not enjoyed), and the view.
August 13, 2004
Boot Camp Day 3
I slept in today (8:00) and my body thought it was getting away with something after two days of wresting myself out the door by 7:00 for a run. I slogged around all day, lying on the couch reading, playing on the computer, until 4:00 when I went to join my father for circuit weights, and then had the bright idea that I should run home in the 90 degree heat. I had grand plans to post some pictures this time, but that would require me to walk all the way to the living room to get my laptop, and I'm not convinced my legs will carry me .
August 11, 2004
Mommy Boot Camp
I am not a morning runner. If I run before ten, my whole body protests for the rest of the day. However, with temperatures hovering in the high nineties the choice is morning or not at all. Fortunately I'm still jet lagged enough that my body thinks 6 am is sleeping in egregiously. Being home with my parents, not running is not an option. So this morning at 7 my mom is up making a pot of coffee and feeding me toast so we can be out for our run no later than eight, and as I'm standing miserably over my coffee, my father comes cheerily in to see if I want to join him for weight training this afternoon. Being as I haven't remotely exercised in the last three weeks, I begged for an extension until Friday, but I can see they're dissapointed in me. However, the run was lovely - it's glorious to be back at Bald Hill, running on a nice long path that stretches for miles ahead of me. It was a little too hot even at 8 though, so tomorrow we start at 7.
August 10, 2004
Grouchy Chef Once More
I ate at the Grouchy Chef again for the first time since it reopened, and I must say it didn't disappoint. It was still full of signs about how no insulting substitutions would be allowed, though they'd cut back on the "keep control of your children" signs. The food, of course, was fantastic. I think I had Pork Adobo, mm and I have to recommend the chocolate mousse torte for dessert. Really, if you haven't been there it's well worth the trip to Mukilteo. When I'm back in Seattle, anyone who wants to meet me there for lunch is welcome to join me, as I fully intend to eat my way through the menu.
August 08, 2004
Wonder Woman
As part of my reindoctrination to land life, I accompanied my sister to Costco today, where naturally I paid a visit to the DVD section. There, lying innocuosly amongst the many mundanities, lay a lone copy of the first season of Wonder Woman. It literally leapt into my hand (I kid you not, ask the lady who was standing next to me). Daily viewings of Wonder Woman were part of the fabric of my childhood. Apparently, it was part of the fabric of the checkout girl's childhood too, as we had quite a lively discussion about playing Wonder Woman when we were little girls (except she said the version she watched had been dubbed into Korean). Now I just wish they'd come out with the Bionic Woman, and Shazaam and Isis.
Chasing the Sunset
Home again after 24 hours of more or less constant wakefulness. I can't say it was a grueling trip home, because, due to poor scheduling on my part, I once again had to dip into my vast treasure trove of miles to book a one way ticket home and all they had left was business class. Sigh. I must say there's something to be said for sitting in a seat where even if I stretch out to my fullest length, I still can't remotely touch the seat in front of me. That and all the free drinks and constant attention is nice.
The one hour change in Dallas went remarkably smoothly (largely because we landed half an hour early), though the reclaiming of the luggage was like something out of a bad movie, they kept calling the wrong baggage claim for us and the flight from Cozumel, so every five minutes the entire baggage claim area would have to move en masse to the complete opposite end of the building. It would have been highly entertaining had I not been feeling the time crunch.
Then, in a further episode of poor airport design, customs led me directly back outside the insecure area, so I had to go through the xray machines again, along with everyone else who had just gotten off the planes. As it happened, I made my gate with minutes to spare, so it was all okay, but I wouldn't have wanted to attempt it without the extra half hour.
On a final note, the flight from Dallas to Seattle was stunning, we left at sunset, and chased the setting sun all the way home, there was pink rain, and orange fluffy clouds, and finally just a bright orange band all the way around the horizon for four hours. It's not every day you get to see a four hour sunset.
August 06, 2004
Last Day
Today's my day to say goodbye to Brighton. I'd forgotten what a nice town it really is - heaving with culture and interesting restaurants, bohemian and cosmopolitan all at once. The weather's been fantastic (yesterday ended with a jug of Pimms and all my friends gathered in a nice sunny little square), and today I've struck off on my own for a final shop round and visitation of all my old haunts. It's funny how you can feel like you've never left a place. Anyway, tomorrow is a miserably long day of flying and changing planes in Dallas. Ick. Somehow they've let me book a flight with a one hour layover between flights, and I suspect I'm going to have to get my luggage, go through customs, and recheck my luggage during that time. That should be entertaining, to say the least. Stay posted.
August 05, 2004
Brighton Continued...
I don't want anyone to think I'm living a life of idleness here while on "vacation" - I spent nine hours yesterday helping my friend Ingrid turn her drama studio from a soul destroying grey brown to a much perkier turquoise. I have sore muscles today that I never imagined existed. On the other hand, I'm getting my fair share of sitting around playing pool and going to the movies - went to see Fahrenheit 9/11 yesterday, which was very interesting to watch with an English audience, the places they reacted to were very different from the things I did. Anyway, it required a good pint of shandy and some ranting with my friends before I could contemplate sleep, but it was definitely an experience.
August 03, 2004
Back to Brighton
It's been about five years since I've been back here to visit , and it's nice to see that not much has changed significantly since I left ( aside from a proliferation of mini Tescos, which can only be an improvement). Anyway, it's lovely to catch up with old friends, and interesting to see how the dynamics change over the years. The weather has been idyllic, and we've been spending a great deal of time in pubs on the seafront, drinking pints of bitter. The best evening was spent parked under the sign that said "no barbecues" with our mini barbecue (next to fifty other people all doing the same thing) a pile of meat and a bottle of champagne, watching the sun go down over Brighton.