Gorgeous Night Caps A Fine Day

Colorful night sky from Alki Beach in West Seattle

We had a full, fun day yesterday.

It all started relatively early. Our nephew, Tim, was running in the Rock-and-Roll Marathon. I had planned to go cheer him on by myself, but Karri and the kids decided to come along and turn it into a sightseeing adventure for our nephew Jeffrey (visiting from Ohio), and to show our support for cousin Tim. We were out of the house shortly after 8 - all of us except Thomas, who had an early afternoon basketball game (and wanted to sleep in a bit).

We were fortunate to catch Tim a few different places along the course. We cheered him near the 8 mile mark, then again as he passed the same point going the opposite direction at mile 11.

There were bands setup all along the course (Rock-and-Roll Marathon, right?!). This blues group was just getting started while we waited at mile 11. They were great. Not sure the neighbors liked it at 9:00 on a Saturday morning though!

Go Tim, Go!

Tim (on the left) running with friend and co-worker, Chris.

One of the many amazing views along the course. That's Mt. Rainier in the distance, from the shores of Lake Washington, near Seward Park.

Tim's personal cheering section!

After he passed us, we hopped in the car, headed downtown and stopped at Planet Java Diner for a late breakfast.

Putting away a short stack while cousin Tim is out pounding pavement!

From breakfast, we headed to the 23 mile marker, along 2nd Avenue in downtown, to catch Tim one last time before the finish.

Home stretch

Then we hustled to the finish area and caught him as he came out the chute after finishing.

Still had the strength to work up a smile! He was wiped out.

The race finished at the Seattle Center - home to many of our summertime festivals - near the Space Needle. There was lot's going on - bands, street performers, giveaways, etc., as well as the thousands of runners and their supporters.

Seattle Center fountain

Obligatory Space Needle photo!

After retrieving Tim's stuff, we gave him a ride home, then dropped Karri, Matthew and Victoria at home. Jeffrey and I immediately headed to Bellevue to catch Thomas' basketball game - the first game of the summer league his AAU team plays in. Traffic was horrible (due to marathon road closures) and it took us over an hour to get there (normally 25 minutes), so we got there 5 minutes into the second half. Glad we went though. We won by 2 in a game that went right down to the wire. T played well while we were there, including forcing a key turnover with the other team threatening to score with 5 seconds to go. (Sorry - too exciting, no pics!)

After a little down-time at home, Thomas went to go see a movie with his buddy Ross while the rest of us headed to Tim and Eang's for pizza and to meet the newest addition to their family - George, a cockapoo puppy that Eang had just picked up from Eastern Washington earlier in the day. He's pretty darn cute. And not lacking for attention...

Tiny George

Happy Victoria!

As might be expected, Tim was exhausted. We left before 8pm, stopped home to grab Jack, longboards & rollerblades, and headed down to Alki Beach in West Seattle to enjoy the sunset and get some evening exercise. So glad we did. The kids boarded/bladed along the waterfront path while Karri, Jack and I walked/jogged (and occasionally sprinted), trying to keep up. We stopped along a grassy stretch to watch the sunset...

Final seconds of sunlight.

Taking a break to watch the sunset.

Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound

It was a perfect cap to a very fun day!

What a Night!

Our nephew, Jeffrey, arrived Monday night from Cleveland. He just finished his freshman year at Ohio State and is visiting us for a couple weeks. We are all very excited to have him here!

Jeffrey spent the afternoon sightseeing with Thomas - who finished finals at 11am today and is done with school for the year. We ended up forming a last-minute plan for the evening that turned out to be great fun...

The US Men's soccer team was hosting Panama tonight in a World Cup qualifying match at Century Link Field in downtown Seattle. I had been invited a few days ago to go with a couple friends. As the day progressed, Karri and I thought Jeffrey and our kids might enjoy the game too. Long story short - we were able to find some last-minute tickets and I took the kids with me.

After some light rain earlier in the day, we had a beautiful night. Decided to take the water taxi from West Seattle to downtown. We just barely caught the 5:30 boat.

Happy cousins - heading to the game

Our seats were on opposite sides of the stadium - very close to the action. The kids were about 10 rows up. I was in the front row!

The kids seats were on the right side of this photo - about 10 rows up.

Moments before the 2nd US goal

A raucous crowd - 7th largest in US World Cup Qualifier history!

It was an exciting game. The US dominated most of the action and came out with a 2-0 win! The fans were awesome - most on their feet from start to finish. The crazies in the above photo sang songs/chants the entire game... seriously!

We reunited after the game and hustled back to Pier 50 to catch the water taxi. Once again - running to just barely catch the boat!

Showing off our (free giveaway) scarves on the ride home. A gorgeous night!

It was great listening to the kids rave about how much fun they had! Hopefully not a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Cinco de Mayo (belatedly)

3 posts in 24 hours... I think I'm back.

Just a quick note (and a few pictures) about our celebration of Cinco de Mayo on Sunday. Our dear friends, Jana & Roy, who live just up the hill from us, invited us to their house for a small fiesta with a few other friends.

It was a gorgeous Spring day and Jana & Roy have an amazing view of the Puget Sound and the Fauntleroy/Vashon ferry - so I grabbed our camera as we headed out the door. I'm glad I did.

The view from the deck - ferry dock in the foreground, Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Ferry headed from Fauntleroy to Vashon Island

Cheers to my girls!

Love that view

Karri and Jana have known each other since their first mom's group when Thomas and Ellie (Jana & Roy's oldest) were 2 weeks old. The kids are 15 now - and classmates at Seattle Prep. We used to live around the corner from each other (still in West Seattle), but both moved about 13 years ago. Still neighbors... just a little further apart.

Jana and Karri

Roy loves to give Matthew a (good-spirited) hard time

Lifelong friends - Ellie & Thomas

Our friend Jim, whose wife, Amy (who was returning from a girls' weekend)
was also in the Mom's group (with daughter Shea) with Karri and Jana

Our friend Jon (his son Blake is same age as Thomas, Ellie and Shea)

Karri made fresh guacamole and salsa. Roy was pouring margaritas that went down way too easily on sunny, warm (82 degree) day. And Jana cooked up some delicious pork to go with fresh tortillas (you know how I love those!). It was a feast. What a great day!

Quick Update

I've struggled to find time to post. Thought I'd give a quick update for those keeping track at home...

Karri and my Mexico adventure ended much too soon! We had a fantastic time with plenty of rest and relaxation. We need to find a way to do that more often. Until we do, I guess the pictures will have to suffice...

Ahhhh!

We jumped right back into the fray upon our return. We got back Thursday night, both of us worked on Friday and then we had a full weekend of activities. Fortunately, Donna/Mimi was able to stay with us for a few extra days. She and Karri got some mother-daughter time Friday night over dinner at Phoenecia - a wonderful restaurant on Alki Beach here in West Seattle. Donna had an early flight out Saturday morning (the same flight Karri and I had taken a week earlier... 6:50am departure!) to San Diego, where Bill/Pop-Pop joined her and they boarded a plane for their own turn at R&R in Puerto Vallarta!

We are so fortunate that Donna was willing and able to come up and stay with the kids. They all had a ball, as usual. 

The rest of the weekend was filled with kid activities: lacrosse practice, volleyball games, basketball practice, ski bus to Crystal (for Thomas), etc. I wasn't very good about taking pictures, but snagged a couple with my phone during Matthew and Victoria's volleyball games.

Middle blocker

Ready for action!

Matthew had his first ever lacrosse game... an intrasquad scrimmage. He really enjoyed it and, I must say, did pretty well considering he's played the game less than 2 months. His coaches appreciated his effort and recognized him after the game for his attitude and hustle - presenting him with a sticker to add to his helmet. Pretty cool.

Saturday night, Karri and I went to a team outing with some of her co-workers. We went to see Cirque de Soleil's 'Amaluna' - a live performance under a 'big top' tent in Redmond (10 minutes east of Seattle), then to a delicious dinner at Koral in Bellevue. Neither of us had been to a Cirque de Soleil performance. We both enjoyed it very much, though both agreed it's not high on our list of things to do again.

We've had chilly, but Spring-like weather in Seattle and have even seen the sun a bit. Monday evening, Karri and I took Jack for a walk through Lincoln Park and got to enjoy a nice sunset.

Snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Beautiful sunset!

Happy dog!

That gets me caught up again. Hopefully I'll get back into the habit of posting more frequently!

Spring-like Friday

It was a beautiful day here Friday in Seattle. Clear skies and warmer temperatures. Definitely felt like a Spring day.

The Olympic Mountains were spectacular early in the day. The morning- and early-afternoon sun on the eastern-facing slopes is breathtaking on a clear day this time of year. Of course, I didn't get a photo so you have to take my word for it!

I did get out for a walk with Jack in the afternoon. Karri got home from work early and seized the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather. I still had a bunch of work to do, so stayed home to try to get it done. She took Victoria and a friend and Jack over to Lincoln Park and got in a great walk/run while the kids played. She came home and insisted I get out... which I did. I took Jack for a brisk walk through the park around 5:30pm. Glad I did...

Logs on the beach... Olympics in the distance

Bare tree just before sunset

It was warm enough to be in shorts and a t-shirt. Definitely got me thinking about Spring - and next week...

Karri's had a tough stretch the last several weeks. Work has been crazier than usual and she's been battling a bad cold & sinus infection. About 2 weeks ago, she decided she needed to take matters into her own hands. Long story short... she and I fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a week from today. We'll stay at her parents' condo on the beach, near Mismaloya. My nephew Tim and his wife Eang will stay with the kids on Saturday night. Karri's mom has generously agreed to come up on Sunday and stay with the kids until we return the following Thursday. We are so fortunate to have wonderful, generous family!

Needless to say, we can't wait!

Holiday Spirit

Another busy - and fun - weekend. We kicked it off Friday with our annual trip downtown for a picture with Santa and some holiday shopping, followed by dinner at the Icon Grill.

First stop... The Bon Marche for a visit with Santa...

Ho Ho Ho

The trendy place to see Santa in downtown Seattle is at Nordstrom. They setup 'Santa's Workshop' right at the corner of one of the busier intersections of the shopping district (Westlake Center) and people line up for hours to get their picture taken with him. About 4 years ago, we figured out that The Bon Marche - a block away - has a great Santa, friendly staff, and NO LINE. We've been going there ever since! Karri and I are just thankful that the kids - especially the boys - are still game to get their picture taken with Santa.

After Santa, we split up so the siblings can shop for each other (and for their parents!). The kids really love this part... and so do we. I'll take one and Karri will take the other two. We'll shop for a while, regroup, switch kids, and shop some more. It's always fun and especially nice to see the kids sincerely try to find something that their siblings will like.  Victoria and I had an especially good time. We stopped to snap a quick picture in front of a massive Christmas tree.

Shopper Girl!

After shopping, we walk a couple blocks north to enjoy a holiday dinner at the Icon Grill. We stumbled onto this place 5 or 6 years ago after the kids had a holiday piano recital downtown. We've been back every year since. The restaurant is normally home to some great artwork - paintings, lots of blown glass, and a variety of interesting artifacts. They double-down for the holidays and fill the place with trees, ornaments, lights, presents, figurines and more. They have a pianist playing holiday songs on a baby grand piano. And a great holiday menu, including the Grinch's own 'Roast Beast' (which Matthew enjoyed immensely this year).

Love their mama!

The kids love the whole experience, but their favorite part is the holiday desserts. The boys always split the Hot Fudge Sunday - a mountain of vanilla bean ice cream served in an edible cookie 'bowl' with an edible cone filled with hot fudge, accompanied by choice of toppings (e.g. crushed Oreos, M&M's, whipped cream, etc.).

"You gonna eat all that?!"

Victoria loves the 'Build Your Own' Holiday Cookie Plate - a large plate of sugar cookies and gingerbread men served with colored frosting and a variety of toppings for decorating.  We always come home with a box full of beautiful holiday cookies.

(Yes - the tree behind her is decorated with neckties!)

Karri and I enjoy the whole experience. It's fun to be able to take the kids out to a 'nice' restaurant once in a while - especially to a place that's brimming with holiday cheer. It really puts us in the holiday spirit (the pre-dinner martini's may contribute to that too).

The rest of the weekend flew by. Saturday Victoria had a basketball game (lost a close one) and Thomas had practice. In the evening, Thomas went to an 'ugly sweater' party at a school buddy's house while Karri and I went to a Holiday party here in West Seattle.  We spent most of the day Sunday getting holiday preparations done around the house (and I had a bunch of work to do). Matthew had a game in the afternoon (also lost a close one). And then poof... the weekend was over.

It's going to be a hectic week. Karri's parents arrive Tuesday night for a week. Matthew and Victoria get out of school on Wednesday. Thomas - not til Friday. Thomas also has 3 basketball games this week. Yikes.

Deluge

I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.  A light, steady rain - the kind that is typical here in Seattle - usually helps me sleep more soundly. But not last night (Sunday). It was raining lightly when I went to bed, but really started to pour shortly after midnight.  The rain was so heavy on our roof, skylights and windows that it woke me several times. It lasted through the morning and into the early afternoon.  Weather.com says we had 3.5" of rain in the last 24 hours! That's insane.

To put that in perspective (I had to look this up), 1" of rain is equivalent to about 15" of dry-powder snow.  So if it had been 15 degrees colder, we might have gotten 52" of snow in the last 24hrs.

Speaking of snow... I read today that Crystal Mountain - one of our favorite ski resorts, about 90min from Seattle - is opening on Wednesday. That storm really helped them, as their website says they've gotten more than 4' of snow since Saturday.

Karri spent part of Sunday afternoon getting all the kids ski and snowboard gear sorted out and taking an inventory of what still fits and what needs replacing.  We did our part to boost the economy by shopping online at the REI Winter Sale.

Date Night

Karri and I got a rare treat Saturday night.  Victoria had an evening birthday party to go to (and rides to- and from) and the boys were home - planning to watch a movie.  So at 5:30 we decided we'd try to use a couple gift cards we'd received for Purple - a hip downtown wine bar and restaurant.

I called at 5:45 to see about getting a table.  Earliest table for 2 was at 10:15pm.  "Do you have bar seating?"  "Yes, you are welcome to come try your luck."  So off we went.  As I parked the car, Karri went in to try to snag a couple seats at the bar.  By the time I got there (just a couple minutes later), the hostess was seating her at a nice table for two.  Karri had asked if they had any cancellations and, as fate would have it, the hostess had just gotten off the phone with someone cancelling their reservation. Destiny.  Good thing too.  It was packed (theater and symphony crowd) and we would have had a long wait for a couple seats at the bar.

We had a delicious meal.  We shared a curried lamb empanada and split a goat cheese and roasted pepper salad.  Karri had risotto off the special sheet and I had a delicious piece of halibut.  All this accompanied by a great bottle of wine that the sommelier recommended - an Oregon Pinot Noir (Montinore 2010 Estate Reserve).  Neither of us is really a foodie or a wine connoisseur, but we enjoy a good meal and a nice glass of wine... and each other's company.  All made for a great evening.

Early Start. Rainy Day.

It's a fall Saturday which, in our house, means soccer and football games.

We were up at 7 in order to get the boys fed and out the door.  Matthew is odd man out today.  His game is at 9 in Maple Valley - about 40 minutes away.  Due to conflicts with Thomas and Victoria's games, he was catching a ride to/from the game with Coach Dave and I had to drop him at Dave's at 7:45am. Thomas had to be at school at 8:15 for his 10am game.  Victoria had the opportunity to sleep in but, as is her habit on weekends, was wide awake at 7 (if it were a school day, I'd be nagging her to get up).

Matthew missed out on the family fun last night.  He had a junior high dance at one of the neighboring schools.  I picked him and 2 buddies up when the dance ended at 10.  They require parents to go into the gym to claim kids.  It was loud, hot and sweaty in there - all signs of pre-teen fun.  The boys said they had a good time... very few details about the 'dancing' part, other than "yah... we danced".  I believe there were girls involved.

The local Catholic schools take turns hosting these dances and they sound like good fun for the kids.  There's a legend that the chaperons have been known to say "leave room for Jesus!" when a couple dances too close.  Not sure if that really happens (or if my boys have ever been the target of such a statement), but it's a nice addition to the lore of Catholic education.

I usually get an hour or so to myself between dropping Thomas off at school and the start of his game at 10 (too far to drive back home).  In nice weather, I try to get a walk in.  Today, it's overcast with intermittent showers, so I brought my laptop and am enjoying breakfast at Louisa's on Eastlake while writing this post and clearing out some work emails.  Pretty tasty egg sandwich!

Of course, I need to get over the "it's raining - stay inside" mentality. Seattleites don't typically let the rain get in the way of outdoor activities - and neither do I.  But it feels nice to hunker down with a cup of coffee on a gloomy day - especially after our long stretch of nice weather. I'll go for a walk next week...

The Streak is Dead... Long Live the Streak!

It had to come to an end at some point...

Woke this morning to damp ground and a light drizzle.  Not enough to actually call it 'rain' yet, but we're supposed to get that later today and through this weekend.  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer put it well:

All is right with the universe. By 5:52 a.m. Friday, it's was raining in Seattle again. For the first time in 82 days, Seattle will get more than the bare minimum of rain to qualify as a rainy day as a cold front sweeps through the region.

It was one heck of a good run while it lasted.  But I have to say I'm ready for a little rain.  And so is our yard.

The biggest downside of all this is that Karri's dad arrives today from San Diego.  I'm certain he's wondered more than once why we choose to live in Seattle weather (coming from San Diego - who could blame him).  It would have been nice if he could have experienced that beautiful stretch of sunny, warm weather.

Speaking of Karri's dad... He'll be spending a couple days with us - taking in kid activities - before he and Karri head out Sunday for their annual Father-Daughter Getaway.  This is a tradition that started with a ski trip when Karri was in college at UCLA.  They haven't missed a year since.  Awesome.

This trip will be a little more sedentary than the first.  They're heading to Suncadia Lodge, a couple hours east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains.  If the weather permits (supposed to be wet, windy and cold up there), they will get in a hike or two.  Otherwise, I suspect they will just enjoy the comfy environs of the inside of the lodge.  Either way, a well-deserved break.

Here's some proof that it actually did rain this morning, in case there's any doubt.

Rain on the leaves of our shrubs:

And rain on the back window of my car.  That's Jack inside.  He loves riding along when I take Matthew and Victoria to school.

Sunset Walk

Lot's of nature posts and pictures recently.  Might give the impression that that's all I do with myself.  I  wish...

It was a crazy work day today.  I felt like I was going non-stop all day.  And still have a bunch more to do tonight.  At 6:15, I decided I needed to get some fresh air and stretch my legs.  Jack was more than happy to accompany me on a walk/run.

There were noticeably more people out tonight than usual - I suspect in hopes of seeing a repeat of last night's Orca show. It was a great night to be out - clear skies, colorful sunset, cool temperature.

Here's a shot of the Olympic Mountains, just before sunset - take from up on the bluff.  The sun was well to the left of this view.

A few minutes later.

Fisherman on the beach.