Yay personal day!

I had a personal day I needed to burn before the holidays….having
fun at brunch…and yes that is Bloody Mary #2 . (why not?!)

Thanksgiving after party

We had a truly great thanksgiving afternoon surrounded by parents,
family, friends and food. My Mom and Dad came down to Seattle this
year…yes the Wiedmeier’s came south of the ship canal! It was
fabulous. Good food at Broadway Grill and no dishes to wash.

But now it’s after dark and we decided to hit the streets and hang out
at an open bar…it’s very friendly but a bit dark and sultry… And
completely awesome.

Happy Thanksgiving!

After high school and growing-up into college I had a lot of fine opportunities to meet a lot of fine folks.  One of them was Barb Tolbert.  She became my mentor in that she taught me a lot about my profession of the time (public relations and marketing) and, like all great mentors, bestowed upon me her wisdom of many general life lessons that I still use to this day.  She encouraged me, and sat me right-down on my butt when needed.  She is one of my cherished friends, even as time and life have escaped us.  I admire her, and I know she is great.

It did not surprise me when I learned a few months ago that she was running for mayor – how cool!  And she did it!  Barb Tolbert is the Mayor-elect of Arlington, WA.  I am so proud of her and the community she continues to build, encourage and foster.

Barb – you are one of my personal heros.  I just know that you will continue to do great things and that your constituents are very lucky to have somebody as impassioned as you are to lead them.

Congratulations!  You’re a rock star!

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2011/10/noreasters-versus-northwest-windstorms.html

Look…severe weather in any form, in any location, is not fun after one day. But I’m tired of everyone foo-fooing me when I say that the Northwest gets severe weather as well.

The latest nor’ Easter, while impressively early this year I admit, reminds me of this …

The Northwest also has our weather demons…likely even worse than those vaunted nor’easters! ( but when do you ever hear about it?)

Cliff Mass, the pre-eminent weather guy of the region says….

“In general, the very strongest Northwest cyclones are stronger than the top Nor’easters, with our 1962 Columbus Day storm probably being the most powerful non-tropical coastal storm to hit the U.S. in a century. (Beware–those wily east coasters like to call their storms “Perfect” or “Storm of the Century” and get books and movies made about them. Don’t believe their propaganda–ours are bigger and more powerful).”

It’s only because we have been neglected, in the media and in federal budgets, that this is becoming apparent (something us natives have known for a long time!)

He continues…

“If a big midlatitude cyclone hits the Northwest this year we will have a magnificent view of the details using the new coastal radar. And if our models are wrong about intensity or position, the new radar will enable us to get out timely warnings in time to save property and lives. We have finally caught up to the east coast, where they have had radars looking offshore for decades.”

So what he is saying is just NOW, in 2011 (!!), are we able in the Northwest to scientifically prove that our weather is “worthy” of being bad and worthy of attention on a national scale. We finally got a weather radar for the coastal regions this year (where our weather comes from!)

Again, bad weather everywhere is no fun. Don’t get me wrong. But I wonder how many people have lost their lives in the Northwest because the rest of the country has thought that there are no problems up here other than rainy and cloudy days…

Spooky bowling

Halloween fun with black lights!

Happy birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Grama!

Iceland!

We are booked to ICELAND! Yay! Yes it’s winter. But Iceland is not as
cold as you think….milder than Eastern Washington in the winter! And we
*adore* cool weather, so this is such an awesome thing for us. And it was a
killer deal. Here’s where we are staying — check-out the the photos link…it looks awesome!
sites.google.com/site/icelandapartmentvacation/

Yay for us!

Sleepy time

Christopher naps with the boys….notice who gets half the bed!

Was too cute to resist….

Little skillet!

Adorable! Came with the "heated olives" happy hour menu at 22 doors.

Clipper sunset

On way back home from Victoria…just an awesome sunset and glassy
water for miles…

Hello Victoria…

Cruising the Clipper!

Front row ahead of granny grumpster…

PC Load Letter Lunch prize

Me and the Office Manager at work have a monthly "PC Load Letter"
lunch to get the heck out of the office and decompress. We go to a
place with minimal flair. However, this week it came with a prize she
found! My new favorite mug!

If you are confused by this then you need to watch Office Space the
movie immediately.

Oh…we also have a jump-to-conclusions mat and several T.P.S. report covers….

Snowbirds “hero” break

Originally uploaded by charlib52

I am exhausted and burned even after multiple sunscreen applications
and having a hat. Still….grinning ear to ear. Another great show
at Abbotsford!

Snowbirds “condor” formation

Originally uploaded by charlib52

I am exhausted and burned even after multiple sunscreen applications
and having a hat. Still….grinning ear to ear. Another great show
at Abbotsford!

Snowbirds cross

Originally uploaded by charlib52

I am exhausted and burned even after multiple sunscreen applications
and having a hat. Still….grinning ear to ear. Another great show
at Abbotsford!

Yay airshow!

At Abbotsford Airshow enjoying perfect morning stroll thru
airplanes….there is a breeze, about 65 degrees with good enough
skies and the slight hint of jet fuel in the air…..yes!

YAY BLUE ANGELS. It’s Seafair. I love this. Haters can just STFU for a weekend…I’m sorry their delicate constitutions are so offended because it’s the end of the world and its soooo loud and it lasts days and days and days and days….you live in a loud city! whatever!

YAY!!

Happy Friday

We love early happy hour being the only ones at a big, huge, gorgeous
bar with a mirror to amuse ourselves!

Chicken video

Here’s an action shot for the chickens and chicken post below….

Chicken and chickens

Meet Bugsly, a grey bearded silkey…

At our friend Michael’s in White Center enjoying his urban
chickens….and then enjoying some BBQ chicken. And no…we did not
do what you may be thinking

It’s really great, really!

I wonder what the other point was that they decided to get rid of…:)

Happy Friday!

The best cookies Evah!

Nom nom nom!!

People!  Summer starts here July 5.  And right on schedule….

This is today’s forecast courtesy of  KOMO

All I have to say is that at least everyone’s bitchin’ will be coming to an end.  I’m thankful for that.

I am always right about this.  [Queue people ranting: "OH, this is DIFFERENT!!  It's the coldest spring on record!!"", waaaahh, wahh, wahh....]

Shut up already.  It’s finally here.  It happens every year to some degree or another.  Myself I’m glad we have 3 air conditioners at the ready, with another two in backup.

Summer…disgusting.

Love, Garrett

Sausage and oxtail

Both excellent

Next course…

Green garlic soup and beet salad.

Beet salad is fantastic and wins this round…but the garlic soup is
still very good.

The frites below were still divine…heavenly! I’m in withdrawals….

A thing of beauty…

Frites with fontina and Demi-glacé

It’s Juneuary….

Let the bitchin’ begin!

Kitty client

Fixing computers always demands feline supervision…

Phoenix poolside

Enjoying Kyle’s pool in Phoenix

Enjoying coffee on a deck

Overlooking Santa Fe square… It’s quite nice out now compared to the
hail earlier.

Santa Fe Sculptures

At Shidoni Foundry and Gallery. Not nice out…was hailing a minute
ago. But a walk amongst $70,000 works of art is worth it….

Longest passenger tram

Up to 10,000 feet!

We won!

Not at chicken poop bingo, but at the general raffle. How ’bout that!?!

Chicken poop bingo

Seriously. At a bar in Albuquerque. Wherever the chicken poops over
the numbers, depending on the numbers you drew, perhaps nets you a
prize!

Very Large Array

Out in the middle of nowhere.

It’s cloudy today and it’s actually chilly with the wind. ABQ is next!

Yep, it’s white sands for sure…

Dunes in White Sands National Monument

Lota Lunch

In Alamogordo having lunch at Lotaburger…a New Mexico thing
Christopher is glad we were able to stop at!

We are having green chile cheeseburgers and fries!

Welcome to Roswell!

Combo kitchen, bar and office

Candlewood Suites in Roswell….How awesomely weird to have this setup.

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns has Seattle weather…always 57 degrees and damp!

The caverns are quite impressive. Thank god for the elevator,
though…it’s 800 feet down.

On the road to Roswell next!

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

On the way to Carlsbad….Tiny little visitor center and that’s it!

Ahhh…fabulous views in El Paso

“Texas Tea” anyone? It is is brown hot and ugly here. Sorry, El Paso…

We’re only here for one night… Tomorrow is Carlsbad Caverns and beyond..

Greetings from flight level 330

Over Idaho on the way to DFW enjoying WiFi Internet on my laptop from
33,000 feet..first time I’ve had the opportunity. I know this has
been around for a while now, but I’m old and it still gives me a big
WOW factor that I can browse the net from 33,000 feet while traveling
at mach 0.80 on a tiny little netbook at connection speeds I would
have sold my soul to have 10 years ago.

It’s really cool.

It’s a Kindle!

From the "Presents!" post below I have a new Kindle!! A WiFi and 3G
version that is shared with Christopher’s library. He even set it all
up and everything! Is he rad or what?!

Yay early surprise birthday stuff!

Side note: PUT A BIRD ON IT! If you know that then you are rad as well!

Presents!!!

Wrapped in foil!

Pat Benetar blows fish

Hit me with you’re best shot!

Seriously this is what appeared during our karaoke adventures tonight!!

Karaoke Saturday night!

Christopher and Jessica belting out today’s (the 80′s) best hits!