happy retirement!

Earlier this month, my dad retired.  Two years ago my mom took the leap, but I think this is when the fun really starts.  Now they can forget about days of the week and really get down to the active life of leisure to which they aspire. 

views from my flight

I just flew in to Denver where I am about to meet my sister for a few days of talking, hiking at high altitudes and ... catching our breath. 

the corner of 4th and Madison

Two of my favorite places in the city, the YMCA and the public library, can be found at this intersection.   They give me the gift that keeps on giving, which is the ability to help myself.

yay for new camera settings

Here are some panorama views I took with my phone during our trip.  Below: looking west toward Albuquerque from the top of the mountain.

the owls have it

Here’s an account of our week in Texas and New Mexico. 
We got a hoot out of visiting the wildlife rehab/rescue center where my sister, Becky, has volunteered for the last several years.  This insane-looking owl family was recently rescued.

S M A R T

My older sister just finished her PhD in biophysics.  At the same time, my brother-in-law finished his MD/PhD.  By leaps and bounds, this makes them the most educated people in our family.  We’re so excited for them as they move to Boston for the next steps in their careers.

Lubbock

We are are on vacation in Lubbock, TX enjoying a little literary siesta with my sister and brother-in-law's cat.

making sushi

We were given a sushi set as a wedding gift and yesterday we finally got around to making some.  

11 authors of multiple books-I-have-loved

Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of adding a new name to my treasured list of authors who have written multiple books that I love.

We bought a tandem!

Tonight we bought a Santana tandem.  We will be its third owners.

at beard hat night with the very talanted mariners

“be of use”

Dr. Larch, from The Cider House Rules (which I just finished reading on Friday) would have been satisfied with us this weekend.  We managed to “be of use” at Jack’s grandparents’ house by constructing a steel-cable railing for the back porch.

marathons make me cry

Even when they are not the scene of senseless violence, like what unfolded in Boston yesterday, marathons choke me up. 

Viaduct/Alaskan Way tunnel: part 3

They are slowly unloading the pieces of Bertha, the tunneling machine.

crime and cars in the Central District

Over the past few months, we’ve become regular readers of centraldistrictnews.com.  One of the cool things about dense urban neighborhoods is the existence of hyper-local news sources like this blog.  I also read a local blog for Pioneer Square and occasionally check the prolific neighborhood blogs of Capitol Hill and West Seattle.

on the ramparts of Essaouira: with Jack, Cari and Daenerys Targaryen

Last weekend we watched the first episode of the third season of Game of Thrones.  For those who don’t know, it’s a current TV show based on a fantasy book series that read together during our trip. 
As we were watching, we were pleasantly shocked to recognize the setting for part of the episode!  There was the character Dany strolling along the very same ramparts where we were offered pot-laced cookies as we watched a spectacular sunset over the Atlantic.
Here are some pictures from the set.

“opening night” at Safeco

Cari and I went to the Mariners’ Safeco Field open house tonight, to walk around and watch the game (being played in Oakland) on the new big screen. 

Cari’s week in Boston

I spent the last week in Boston for work.  I welcomed the chance to catch up with a few good friends and former co-workers. 

a day with the dogs

Last weekend I went to my first dog show.

Mediterranean diet aspirations

I could write about this for a long time, but talk is cheap and I don’t think it would make for an interesting post.  From sampling restaurants and traveling, I've learned that my favorite cuisines describe a tour of the Mediterranean – Turkish, Greek, Moroccan, Italian - you get the idea.