How SAD it is

Building Detail, Tuscon, AZ April 2005.

Living in Seattle, we're deluged with news reports every fall and winter about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I like this definition as it sort of sums it up for me

(SAD) a cyclically recurring mood disorder characterized by depression, extreme lethargy, increased need for sleep, hyperphagia, and carbohydrate craving; it intensifies in one or more specific seasons, most commonly the winter months, and is hypothesized to be related to melatonin levels. In DSM-IV terminology called mood disorder with seasonal pattern.
from
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They say that you can help alleviate the symptoms with exposure to light - be it a light box or going outside in the daylight, which makes alot of sense to me, but not always practical. There are lots of ideas on combatting it here and goodness, the UK cares enough to map it. Check it out.

TH and I were talking today and realized that one reason we do okay (relatively) this time of year is that we spend so much time above the clouds while flying. Being up in the light helps us both. I revel in this when I fly across the country and rail against people who try and get me to put the shades down so that they can watch some stupid episode of everyone loves raymond.

I tried to get out today and it didn't work, I'm going to try for the next few weeks and hopefully, it'll put the pep back into my step that seems to be lacking.

sunday wrapup

Thanksgiving floral arrangements - not too Martha, but TH requested less green and more autumn this year. My own vases from SB Evans, London.

We spent part of today under cloudy dull skies planting bulbs, we made a good dent in our collection, we only have another 150 or so to go, which I know TH will plant the majority of on Thanksgiving as is tradition. We had a great gathering last night, the food was sumptious, the conversation lively. Now the dishes are all put away, the chairs as well, and as the evening starts we are ready for hazelnut tortellini with a mushroom ragout and an arugula/fennel salad for dinner. Yes, there still may be a bit of chocolate cake for dessert. ;)

The turkey carcass is in the stockpot burbling away. We will make a turkey wild rice soup sometime this week, or maybe later. We made a pumpkin black bean soup that we haven't much put a dent in yet. I wonder if the flight attendants will heat it up for me this week? (NOT).

TH will deal with the goose carcass as well. The best part of any fowl meal is the making of the stock afterwards -- leftover mushrooms, carrots, limp celery, parsely and onions all go into the pot and three hours later, we have a golden base that can be used for a myriad of recipes.

I have a friend who does a very lovely and rich broth with two birds, leaving her with chicken meat that she can add to any recipe and a dense, thick and flavorful broth to use in her amazing repetoire of recipes.

I will leave you with a nice recipe that uses stock and other goodies from this time of year. Please don't overseason that carcass (brining is not always the answer) and remember your Thankgiving Feast a few weeks down the line.

Winter Squash Risotto from Martha Rose Schulman
Serves 4 generously - 6 not so generously

6 to 7 cups chicken stock, as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, or 1 tablespoon each
1 small or 1/2 medium onion (I like yellow onions)
1 pound winter squash (about 1/2 of a good-size butternut, for example), such as butternut, banana or hubbard, peeled, seeded and finely diced (cheat, if you are in a hurry and use TJ's already chopped up and peeled butternut, I'm going to use the rest of the hubbard I grew)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup) - I used shaved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Have the stock simmering on low heat in a saucepan.

Heat the oil or butter over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the squash, garlic, and about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the squash begins to soften, about 5-7 minutes, and add the rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle.
Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble, but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock, enough to just cover the rice and squash. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for 20 to 25 minutes.

Taste a bit of the rice. Is it cooked through? It should taste chewy but not hard in the middle. Definitely not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, you need to add another ladleful of stock and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Now is the time to ascertain if there is enough salt. Add if necesary.

Add another small ladleful of stock to the rice, stir somemore. Remove from heat and add nutmeg and parmesan. Add freshly ground pepper, taste one last time and adjust salt. The rice should be creamy. Add parmesan and parsely. Stir for a couple of seconds, and serve.

Adapted from Martha Rose Schulman
http://www.martha-rose-shulman.com/recipes/squash_risotto.html

i heart you CD!

For bringing a quart of half and half so that I may revel in my morning coffee at home for the next week or so.

Big smooches from me.

The Saturday before Thankgiving Thanksgiving

Ginko biloba - Temperate House Kew Gardens November 2005

Today we will celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends. The goose and turkey are thawed, the flowers are ready to be picked up, the silver polished and placemats are ironed. The house is clean and ready for guests.

You may ask, why make people suffer through more than one meal of turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potato gratin and too much pinot noir in one week? Because it is a tradition that has grown out of a time in our lives where we were expected home for Thanksgiving by our nuclear familes on Thanksgiving. It offered us a chance to sit at a table with all our friends and give thanks for all that we have - roofs that don't leak, jobs, educations, a bit of cash in the bank, health and friendship, without the emotional baggage that follows many of us home to our nuclear familes. It is a safe zone, with lots of interesting conversations, time to catch up and love and warmth that is genuine. The table size has ebbed and flowed over the year and some of the dearest people to us have moved too far away to join us, but they are there in spirit.

This is the 15th year of the Saturday before Thanksgiving thanksgiving and we will feast on goose, turkey, sweet potato gratin, hubbard squash, apple sauce, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauces (two kinds), vegetable casserole, freshly baked bread, freshly smoked salmon, gravy, mashed potatoes and good wine. The only traditional dessert will be pumpkin pie. I have to see pie at the table.

Not everything will make it to the table, invariably one stufing will end up crisped in the oven. We will all sit down together at one very long table, all 18 of us and be very thankful for all that we have survived this year.

That is something to be thankful for.

love is

Very good chocolate cupcake - Dia: Beacon September 2005

Using 8 cups of confectioners sugar to make a few pounds of mocha buttercream frosting and making the frosting all swirly to look just like betty crocker.

happy birthday cupcake !

Why I love the bus and more flora

Temperate House - Kew November 2005

Dragged myself out of bed in time to have breakfast at the Club. It is now all non-smoking which is great. It caters to many different cultures so there is a combination of toast racks, french yoghurt and olives and cucumbers. I love it. I didn't love the guy who came in all sweaty from his workout in his shorts, this is definitely not that kind of place.

TH got up, ran into club to get a latte and then we went towards the tube station to go to Kew Gardens. The weather was cool, but bright. We took the camera, a book and our scarves westward to see the Chihuly exhibit and for a putter. The District Line has great nostalgia for me. As a child I lived in Orme Court (off of Bayswater Road) and used the District and Circle line to get places. As a young girl, I visited my aunt when she lived off of Chiswick High Road and the Stamford Brook station. The District Line emerges from below ground while in the center of London so you get to see things, even if they are as mundane as clotheslines and volunteer butterfly bushes cropping up the wierdest places. The trip to Kew isn't very long and the area around the train station/underground station has some pretty cool places to eat and shop. It now has a Starbucks and a Tesco express. The Tesco has a decent range of sandwiches and drinks for the visit.

We used a 2 for 1 ticket which saved 10 GBP. It wasn't very crowded when we got there and we were able to walk around the Palm house, the lake, the Prince of Wales Conservatory and the Temperate House and see the different installations in each place. I went by myself in August and it was strange to see how fast they take out the summer plantings to prepare for the winter season. All the bedding plants for early spring were installed along with the plant tags. What a change from the hot and wild summer plantings. (I really should get things loaded into flickr eh?).

We had a quick bite to eat at the Kew Orangery, puttered about a bit more and then decided that the crowds were starting to kill us and that maybe a nap was in order. We had to go to Finchley that night, so we needed to steel ourselves for that. However, at Earl's Court, TH made a request for a trip to the Orangery at Kensington Palace (gardens) for a piece of Orangery Cake. So that we did. It is yummy and the recipe is posted in a London Cafe's cookbook, so I'll post it soon. I had a bowl of sweet potato and rosemary soup that was pretty damn tasty. Did a quick run into Habitat and off we went into the darkening dusk (bad, bad, bad).

Orangery Cake November 2005

Made it back to Portman Square, ran to buy a book I had been remiss in picking up yesterday, went to check on a cheese thing at Marks and Spenser and back to room to pick up stuff to take to aunt. Now, this is where the fun comes....

I love to take the bus in London, I love being above ground, I love to see things and the people who ride the bus. I do not like to take the bus when everyone is done with their shopping day and have tons of packages and talk incessantly on their mobiles about the stupidest things.

Riding the bus gives you a sense of what a jumbled up place London is. The bus that we take, the 82 starts at Victoria, goes to Oxford Street and Baker Street, to Swiss Cottage and then down Finchley Road by Golders Green and to North Finchley. You go from a major transportation hub, to the biggest shopping district, to a really posh part of town, to a very Jewish part of town, through a very Japanese area to end in North Finchley, which well, has a new coffee place, which is really exciting. If you were taking the underground, you would see nothing of interest -- not the kosher butcher, next to the Iranian greengrocer two doors down from the halal doner kebab place. You would not see the storefronts, the decorations, the traffic and the life on the streets. I love it as it just is soo real and on occasion, the air is fresher.

It took a while due to all the stops, but we had a nice dinner, discussion and a short ride back to the hotel to sleep, dream and then in the morning --pack.

bring on the locusts

Weather inside - Tate Modern Bankside February 2004 for more info http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/eliasson/

What next?

I had a crap day yesterday for many different reasons and I can tell you one thing, it ain't getting better, so I say locusts come on by.

Happy GIS day

Really. Check it out and hug a map or a cartographer if you see one.

nm

i'm so grooving on this

Deep Dish - who could think my peeps could finally break out of their googooshy electro-repetitive 70's crap?

mind the gap

Umbrellas galore

Spent Saturday afternoon doing some errands, dropping off an umbrella for repair, very easy to find the place and quick to deal with paperwork. After salivating at the vast range of umbrellas and sticks, we walked towards Seven Dials and I did the requisite Tabio and Filofax stops. TH's nose took her to Neal's Yard Dairy and she purchased many cheeses. I love that place, even if its soo crowded that you have to leave while others try cheeses. We managed to get a goodly supply and packaged for travel, which was nice. Picked up some apples as well. After that, we sat and had a cup of coffee at Suburb (hip and trendy new coffee place that I swear used to be stationary shop). We thumbed through this week's Time Out to find that the Lord Mayor's Show Fireworks display happening on the Thames between Southwark and Waterloo bridges. We quickly finished our errands of book shopping and Muji scrumming (what is with that place?) and went back to hotel to freshen up and get back to Waterloo in time for fireworks.




Cheese!

TH loves fireworks very much. We decided that going to St. John right after that was in order so we dressed for it, thinking it might be smart casual. Using short cuts, we made it to Bond Street and down to Waterloo in record time and ended up walking up by the Hayward to see the fireworks. They were damn good and different from the ones we see in the US or in Canada. After that, we dragged ourselves to EAT for a coffee and yoghurt (didn't eat lunch) and then browsed at the Foyles at South Bank for a while. We then walked up to Embankment to catch the Circle Line to Farringdon. I love the Circle line if I'm in no rush, which I wasn't, I was just tired.

We were early for our dinner reservation, but they seated us anyways, which was nice. The restaurant is quite spare, white walls, white paper cloths, no art on the walls and white painted floors, the tables are quite small, but they seated us at a four top. The smoking and non smoking sections are interspersed. The menu changes daily and I was amazed at their range. TH started with smoked sprats and horseradish cream and I had a nettle soup. They were both lovely. I had smoked haddock with potatoes and mustard sauce as my main and TH had tripe and chips. The food was very good, though it reminded me a bit of school dinners, but at an elevated level.

We shared a green salad that was tasty and enormous. The kitchen is small, well run and interesting as you can see everything including the notes written on the kitchen tiles with the number of portions of specials and notes for the kitchen and waitstaff. The wine list was very nice but we weren't quite sure what wine went with tripe, so I had one glass on muscadet sur lie which was good.

Their puddings rock. I had a fresh goat cheese curd infused with marc and TH had a pear trifle and we ordered a half portion of madeleines of which we had one each with coffee. The fresh goat cheese was light and the marc was nice touch that I will try myself at home.

The restaurant filled up by the time we left (ca. 1 hour 50 minutes after seating). It is our opinion that they only do one seating a night, which is great. There were lots of big parties and two suckling pigs ready for consumption that night.

The service was attentive without being pushy or intrusive, the prices are not cheap, but the cooking is excellent. One option would be to sit in the bar area (where the wine sales and bakery is located) if you can't get a reservation for dinner. They serve a limited menu in the bar, but it looked good.

The marrow bone with parsely salad looked really good and reminded me of how much I loved marrow as a child (ab-gusht), but I'm not sure I'm ready for British marrow. I noticed not one chicken on the menu - partridge yes, chicken no. :)

The dress code is quite casual, we saw some nicely dressed people along with trainers and down jackets, so it felt comfortable. It did get loud as we getting ready to leave, so I think early is okay. We have a lunch reservation here in December, so I am hoping to try some new things.

We managed to trundle back to the hotel and to the club for a tea nightcap before collapsing.

Next, Kew, shopping and what I love about the bus.

Trip report -- good, bad and ugly of logistics

The new Admiral's Club Seattle.

This is for the frequent flyers out there.... skip if you don't care about FEBO, customer service or ticket vouchers
Arrived at airport two hours ahead of time. Good thing as well. TH's ticket was not really a ticket anymore, but a transportation voucher. WTF? She had a seat, but somewhere in July, they decided to key something incorrectly when we requested an upgrade and comments in the record showed that she received a voucher for her ticket price that we never requested or we never received. There were comments that had been deleted and the record was really long. It took the nimble agent 50 minutes to get a ticket from the voucher and an act of god from the EXP desk. I felt sorry for those behind us. However, it was done and since there is no club anymore, we spent the time at the marketplace sipping bittersweet mochas from Dilletante and amazed at the breadth of fried foods available at 10:30 am.

Flight was typically WB full, ate sandwich, did a bunch of sudokus, listened to Ipod, declined terrible food (wrap thing) and landed on time. New terminal is a long walk from our arrival gate, took 20 minutes. Decent new club, weak camparis, nice bathrooms, the new terminal is connected to the new Grand Hyatt, which hopefully, I will never have to experience.

There was an immense line at the gate due to the new DHS INS checkin/check out procedure, slowing down everything, but since we had a mechanical, we didn't board for another hour. I hate that.

Plane was fine, we were in 2ab which was picked by TH. I don't like these seats for a bunch of reasons. One, the screen shines in your face all night long which is stupid since business class gets dvd players and typically no one watches the movie. What can I say about the food? I ordered risotto with prawns and scallops and got eggplant ravioli, which I didn't want since if I wanted it I would have enunciated the words eggplant and ravioli instead of prawn and risotto and there were no more risottos when I pointed out this error. I was offered lamb (not) or beef (not) and was not pleased when this occured because it is rocket science to write down the order correctly? I'm soo glad that I had a few carrot sticks and celery in the club preflight and that TH had offered me her sad looking rubber prawn from her hors d'ouvres. In any case, I survived to breakfast, so life does not revolve around your choice of entrees and that you will survive if you don't get food for six hours.

Flight was okay, landed one hour late. No line at immigration, managed to hop on gatwick express and onto 82 bus to Churchill Hyatt. Hotel checkin was irritating as first they tried to put us in a two bedded room and then he said he found a king, but it was on the smoking club floor. I held my ground (not usual for me) and managed to get a nonsmoking king on club floor. Room was fine with view of the Radisson accross the way. The hotel was chock a block full from UAE/US trade talks, but this hotel is always full, so I didn't buy his excuse for not being able to find me a room based on my preferences. I stay at this hotel four or five times a year, sometimes paid, sometimes on points.

Next post for the actual London trip info.

hell is flying over chicago and

realizing that if you booked at LHR-ORD-SEA flight, you would be home 4 hours earlier.

Sigh.

As lovely the new terminal at DFW is architecturally, the 30 minute taxi to the gate did not improve moods after 10 hours and 20 minutes of flying time in coach with two pret pots, one extra branston pickle sandwich, one bag of just potato kettle chips from the BA lounge and two lovely apples from neal's yard. However, I grooved on morcheeba, the new pornographers, sarah harmer and other lucky spins of the wheels on eckbo2 the ipod and read up on the UK gossip and gardening tidbits.

I'm too tired now to upload pictures, but the trip was great and I have yet another good idea of dinner on Thursday night next time im I'm London (one month away).

Yes, J, we do have luncheon reservations at St. Johns. It should be very interesting, but in a good way. :)

alive and kicking

At the airport in London enjoying a latte in the BA First lounge, which has marvellous views all covered up with filmy curtains. The sandwiches are out, had a few cheese ones (yum) and now going to hit the WH Smith to pick up the latest trash tabloids for the flight home. Sandwich too as we're in Coach and the food sucks no matter what class you fly in. TH made a pret stop this morning, so we have brownie yoghurt pots for pudding.

Great trip, will upload pics tomorrow.

nm

kicking and screaming

Still life with birch leaf -October 2005.

I did not want to get up this morning.

However, I decided to skip the gym, run and get some coffee, reload about a boy on the ipod and rake more leaves. Hey mayor, do you think we can get special dispensation during leaf season to put out another four yard waste containers per week during leaf shedding season?

After that, off to the airport, dilletante, bookstore, plane, lounge, plane and Portman Square.

By the way, Dinner at Campagne was not so hot. We felt rushed (drinks were not even done before first course arrived, were not offered coffee at the end, etc...), this happened last time we ate downstairs as well, so as much as I will recommend their soups and desserts, this would not be the place I would consider for an romantic evening -stick to Tulios or Nells for that. I had a salad, the garlic sausage on a bed of potatoes with apples (good) and a quince tart (yum), TH had the squash soup, riz de veax and the hazelnut creme brulee. We didn't even really get to pick a wine, as there weren't a lot of half bottles.

:)

TGIT

Project management class passed, now must debrief group and deal with life as it piled up while I was learning about what a backward pass was/is. However, it can all wait until Tuesday. TH is packing and I'm going to do the same. We're going to Campagne for dinner on for 25 at $25, though my guess is that it will be more like $50 each. Leaves are raked, recycling is ready to go and I believe its hat and gloves weather in London.

Later.

Tantalizing tidbits

I'm on autopilot right now. I am tired of trying to understand cost estimating and forward passes in project management. I have meetings and class all day tomorrow and then I need to do the things one does before leaving town. Its really no big deal, grab some money, a credit card, passport, charge up that cell phone, ipod, get a sudoku, reading for next week's planning seminar and go, go, go. No real packing issues, stuff is ready for my aunt and I will have plenty of room for something if I find it, whatever it is.

I guess this is something to look forward to -- lunch somewhere near borough market, dinner at St. John, dragging TH to Kew if the weather is decent to see the chihulys and test out the n50 and Neal's Yard for cheese fix. I have no big plans but to maybe hit Columbia Road on Sunday morning if the weather will cooperate. North Finchley is in the plans for Sunday evening, but might as well get use out of the travelcard while we can. :)

ABD -- Bravo

Camparis on rue st. Benoit, Paris 75006

Ph D. qualifiying exams are done and passed. Way to go, TH!

nm

is it Friday yet?

Okay, it is not Seattle, or the fall, but it is pretty impressive. Mont St. Michel September 2004

My morning started out with losing my mobile, which is fine except for today as I need to make some calls.It was on silent, so even if I called myself looking for it, I wouldn't have found it. I found it quickly, but not before I became flustered. Ditto for my car key, I left it by the coffee stand at Met Market. Time lost 3 minutes, three I didn't have this morning.

I'm in project management training for the next three days. Very interesting and very timely. I just wish I had managed my morning better and more effectively.

I tried something new for lunch, I am still eating at my desk, but today I have a Macrina ficelle, some homemade tomato chutney from Jan Berry's book ,Beecher's flagship cheddar (overrated) and a Booth Canyon apple. It sure beats something out of the freezer. My week is crazy, I didn't buy anything to make dinner or lunch for the next week, so its catch as catch can. If I had been planning well, I would have just grabbed the last hunk of sharp organic cheddar that TH picked up at Marks and Spencer in Manchester. It was good with my nachos. :)

Well, off to finish off my email replies and get back to cost estimating.

nm

the path of least resistance

We finally decided to cry uncle and are using our standby place in Rome for the few days we're there. It is expensive, but TH and I running out of time and energy to scrutinize maps and pictures of apartments on websites to find one that will work for our needs and short time frame. We're probably overpaying by 60 bucks a night, but we figure at least $20 of that is energy we won't be spending surfing the web looking for an apartment, another $20 for internet access if needed and the other $20 for knowing that we can do laundry in a pinch.

Given the state of France these days, we may skip Paris all together and go right to Rome and spend six days there instead. I hate that idea, but we now have options. Funny thing, I called today to see if there was any availability at the Park Hyatt Vendome that weekend that we fly in and low and behold there was availability. Imagine that! I don't like that hotel too well, but a room is a room and 35 euros for breakfast is just too much, but free, so we'll take it!

Sure makes up for drunken singing outside my door in Arlington this past week.

Well, time to give that laundry a look, get something for dinner -- any thoughts? I'm thinking nachos (really) and another sixty pages of Geraldine Brooks' tripe and then I'm done. The best thing about being an adult is just saying, no to reading you don't have to do. :)

Lunch today was great. I like Piatti and they are now branding themselves as Piatti Locali (whatever). Good grilled halibut nicoise and off we went in search of a sandwich at a la Francaise for TH's Cascades commute!

Crack o'dawn

Rosa Glauca - October 2005

I'm up an hour early today because in all that has happened in the last week or so, I totally spaced and did not change my bedside clock. Instead of running to the gym an hour earlier or going back to bed, I voted, uploaded some new stuff to my ipod and paid a few bills. I probably should have gone back to bed, but oh well.

I'm very behind in the book club selection of the month - we're reading Nine Parts of Desire and frankly, I'm not too taken by it. Why we picked it, don't ask me. I guess its our attempt to be "multicultural". I'm not even sure where the discussion is going to go with this book, should be fun.

I'm also behind in my reading for class. I guess I should focus on this first. I'll read for this week and then hopefully catch up this weekend with the last week. We're off to London on Friday, so I have hours of time to catch up, right?

Other than that, had a delightful dinner at Nell's last night, great company and conversation, wine and food. I love this place except for the decor, but the food keeps me coming back. TH and I had the 25 for $25 tasting menu (celeriac and apple salad for me, beef tongue for TH), chanterelle risotto and halibut for mains and I had a lovely poached pear with goat cheese ice cream and a chocolate pot de creme for her.We let her order special as it was her special day. :) Our friends ordered off the regular menu and their food looked great (duck breast and calves liver). Looking forward to a few more great meals this month, though TH says that eating at home would be her druther this month - next month, I promise!

Well, I should start the coffee, find a luncheon item (unless the parentals wish to dine out) and go hit the treadmill (work and the gym!).

nm

wrapping paper

TH's family is a wrapping paper saving family. It used to drive me batty, now I love it. I went to the wrapping paper dresser and picked out a nice london underground map paper to wrap a bd present in. I ended up using something else, but it hit me that some of this paper is 14 years old and it still works. Mind you, there is no ironing, but most paper has a story behind it and that is why we keep it. I also am a paper freak, I love paper and all the ribbon and each year I spend a fortune on ribbon for panfortes and presents, but for the two of us, reusing paper is comforting.

Oh, if you are in the Seattle area, Packaging Specialities opened a holiday store in U. Village. They are hoping to open a year round store with classes and more stuff if they have a successful season. I love that place and do enjoy not schelpping to Georgetown unless necessary.

Another blast from the past, the Tabletop shop is back! In the Tramezzo building next to Black Cat and back in the hood. I'm very excited, even if they have a christmas tree up in the window. I'm feeling like the ne55th st corridor and the Blakeley area is coming back strong with some decent non-chain retail!

Ms. N a vision of foofiness

How does a girl like me ever learn to put on makeup? I never wear it and when I do I forget and rub my eyes or touch my face. I guess I need to go to some salon and have a makeunder. I never wear makeup and when I try to put it on I look like something off the cover of a Pat Benatar album.

That or I need to stop drinking and powder my nose more. The sheen from the flash bulbs combined with too many martinis gives me quite a lovely shiny nose.

Wish me luck tonight, I'll need it.

Darn, they are closing the shades at the DCA AC. I love this club, the women who work here are amazing and friendly, just like Seattle (RIP) and the views are lovely.

To date, I have flown over 103,000 miles. To many, this sounds astounding, to my friends at Flyertalk, this is wimpy.

I'll take wimpy and bulb planting opportunities over machismo any day. :)

Off fly back to Seattle. I wonder if they have changed the digiplayers this month.

nm

football saturday

Maples, OSU campus (go beavs!) October 2005

I love Saturdays, especially at home. During football season, I'm trapped unless I plan my day carefully. Today I fly home and hit traffic going to the stadium with full force, meaning that I"ll have trouble getting home and if I don't plan my moves correctly, I could be rerouted and delayed on my way home during the big exodus from the stadium. As it is we're just on the outer edges of where the die hard fans park, seeing already tight on street parking vanish and groups of yellow and purple clad fans make their way down to the stadium a mile away.

This year I have done a pretty decent job of missing most games, this week is unusual, but I need to get home so I'll figure something out.

This is the last week Choice Bulb Farms will be at the U District Farmer's Market. I'm soo tempted to pick up a few bags of bulbs as they tend to grow the unuusal, but honestly I need to get the other 550 plus that we bought in October in the ground sooner than later.

However, there is always Sunday at the West Seattle Market. ;)

nm

Other than that, dinner party for a newly minded 40 year old. Should be interesting ...

I'm done, toast and peanut butter

I am reconsidering these little runs for the black luggage tags, the twee black card and 2 million miler status (so close). I'm thinking that one long enjoyable and okay, more expensive trip to say Kyoto would have been easier on my psyche, soul and body, not to mention those in my family and circle of friends who watch flight tracker and will call me as soon as I land and tell me what gate my next flight is at.

Today was no exception. DCA to ORD was great, mellow and on time. ORD to FLL was 1 hour late so I really considered bagging it and going right back to DC for dinner. However, I made it and we turned super fast. The flight in was interesting, having never experienced Florida (on purpose), but it was an interesting landscape to view from the air.

My Chicago to DC trip was short and sweet with no seat opponent and really getting in the Sarah Harmer that I have on eckbo2 (ipod of mine). I did a bunch of sudokos (more on that later) and now I'm wondering what happened to TH, as my luggage is in Dupont Circle and I"m in the strangest hotel room I've been in for a while with a view of something in Crystal City. Now this is a place to avoid unless desperate to be close to the airport. Like Arlington, souless, but the restaurants are not worth mentioning.

Oh, did I mention Rolling Thunder, the geriatric edition is staying here tonight. That should be fun!

sigh.

not to start friday off with a sour note

Hotel Pet Peeve number 2:

Is it necessary to sing and scream at the top of your lungs outside my room so that in my hermetically sealed hotel room 15 stories above where you croon, I can hear your lack of melody?

Hotel Pet Peeve number 3:

Hermetically sealed stuffy hotel rooms with hidden toilet paper holders.

gotta go and board that flight!
nm

dinner and more dinner

Lovely day here in DC. Had a long day of meetings and presentations followed by a round of camparis at the Tabard. We were going to 21P for dinner and after reading some reviews, decided to go to a tried and true favorite - The Iron Gate instead. If you have never been there, please visit and enjoy both the indoor intimate dining room and the beautiful courtyard with fairy lights, a grape arbor and be transported to Italy. Very romantic and one of my favorite courtyards in the world.

The food was good not too prententious or daring, which can be okay. I had a salad with a crottin of chevre and a yellowfin tuna dish. TH had three starters that looked pretty darn tasty. Our friends had the the pork tenderloin. It looked good as well. Desserts are sort of weak,so maybe we should have gone back to the Tabard for the milk chocolate pot de creme with a peanut butter shortbread cookie. That sounded interesting.

Tonight, we're dining at Andale with J, R, N and N and TH may finally meet!

Tomorrow, DCA-ORD-FLL vv. or bust.

nm

I just love that naked lady in the bathtub and other charming things

The Tabard Inn is a great hotel, if its not completely overbooked and you are given the room you requested months ago. If not, you are not treated to the outstanding customer service that folks at the big chains are forced to learn in order to keep their jobs.

I love this hotel, I love the fact every room is different, the breakfasts are great as is the bar, its just that if you are stuck in a room that is loud, near the restaurant or just in the cone of traffic, you're hosed if like to get a solid night's sleep.

We were so prissed when we checked in that I spent 45 minutes tracking down another room in DC. None exist. Something big is going on. I managed to find on at the Helix for twice what we are paying tonight for tomorrow, but they called us to say that they would move us tomorrow into a quieter room. I hope.

Good thing too.

What can I say, stay at the Madera, eat at the Tabard and make reservations six months before you anticipate your meeting dates to be.

On a lighter note, we had a decent dinner at Teasim. Their salty oat cookies rock (Don't knock them until you try them!)

I can't wait until the Park Hyatt Washington reopens. I love this hotel and sort of wish they didn't remodel it, I liked it the way it was. The restaurant was great and the rooms were huge and comfortable. The bar at the Fairmont across the street was a good diversion as well.

its tuesday, it must be brussels

Autumn crocus on a bed of campanula

Not really, but close. I'm getting an amazing aversion to packing. I can't believe it. It used to be so easy and this trip it just seemed so daunting. I guess its my lack of clothing that I like and fits and partially its the finicky weather. Its going to be 70 in DC, so I should be okay. I don't have any hose with me that work, but I'll manage if I must.

An update: Its not as warm here as I thought. Oh well. At least I'm here and honestly just really tired, tired tired. Tonight I'm thinking dinner at the Tabard and work on my talk and try and to get some sleep.

Happy Halloweenie

What a pretty little head

The 100 grand bars are open. I love them and will only have one. I believe we purchased candy that I do not like other than the 100 grand bars, so I am safe. I am working from home today and I managed to get my presentation together and now its time to get cracking on other things.

We carved one pumpkin last night and scooped out the insides of another. I need to find my keyhole saw to carve that puppy. The white pumpkins (Luminas) are hard to carve. I like the good old fashioned sugar pies. I'll be saving my rouge vifs for someother occasion, like soup.

Well, back to work and then packing and then well, who knows, maybe another futile attempt at shopping at Banana Republic.

An aside: what is with me and the word manage? I managed to say blog it at least three times yesterday. I must have a management issue.

I made quince juice, but not quince preserves, so I must freeze the juice in hopes that maybe next weekend I can actually complete the task of preserve making a la Christine Ferber, who clearly doesn't leave town the with regularity that I do.

30 minute parking

I ran to University Village today in search of something to wear for next week. Don't get me wrong, I love to shop, but really not now and not feeling like I am currently feeling. I managed to find 30 minute parking, ran into Talbots, picked up some garanimaly skirts and tops and left 250 bucks poorer (one sweater, two skirts) and now I better not eat between today and Wednesday. Managed to get out of there in less than 15 minutes.

I feel pathetic.

I did manage to plant 160 bulbs, rake lots of leaves and complete my beauty maintenance for the 6 week cycle. :) Thank goodness for that.

With apologies to the Bon Vivant, the 25 for $25 postings are out for November. We have Nells on the radar for next weekend and Campagne reserved for the following week. November is a busy month chez nous, but we'll find some way to get Cascadia and maybe something else in as well.

Thanks for the fiddle faddle, but honestly

Sugary goodness - just in time for Holiday baking.

Alaska Airlines recently sent their elite tier flyers a box of Harry and David's Moose Munch to thank them for putting up with the summer of delays and cancelled flights. They sent out a lot of these boxes, including two to our humble abode.

Alaska Airlines no longer staffs their elite desk reservations and help desk 24 hours a day anymore, so if your flight from Boston is now 3 hours late arriving and you are going to misconnect to Carlsbad or Kotzebue, who are you going to call?

No one.

Alaska recently posted a nice story about their third quarter profit. You think they could stop sending out moose munch and maybe use that money to hire a few graveyard shift gold desk agents?

Trust me, we'd all be happier in the long run.

thank g-d for blogs like this

Just the info I needed today.

uppity and down

Honfleur September 2004

I'll be the first to admit that I have had a priss-poor week at work, but it almost behind me and I am no where near to be for my meeting next week and boy howdy, I'll be working this weekend on it.

However, it'll all get done. It always does.

What is with down this year? I just got the Eddie Bauer Winter catalog and its chock-o-block of downy goodness. Check this out, just in case your pearls get cold. I am thinking that this might be on my wish list for the winter travel season, especially if pillows and blankets continue to disappear on flights.

So, I checked out the new Ipod yesterday. I am thinking that I will get one in the not too distant future. The screen resolution is great and since I'm a lover of gadgets, I'll cave.

Other than that, papers to write, data to manage and bags to pack. At least we have a quiet weekend here, farmer's market, fighting for parking at Trader Joes, hitting Home Cake Decorating for meringue powder and colored sugar for the big christmas cookie party (planning ahead as usual). I had no idea this place was so popular, I have been going there for years with my mom. There will be partying at 10:01 PM on Saturday (2 of the 3 part of the dreaded generals completed!) and bulbs to plant as usual. If I manage my time well, I may even run to the shelter and drop off two grocery bags of airline amenity kits that will be mucho appreciated. I'm a big lover of the list and crossing it off.

If you have a spare bike and some time this weekend -- drop it off for a good cause - Katrina Bikes.

nm

step by step, bulb by bulb

Greenwich, England February 2004

On Monday afternoon I planted 70 bulbs. Nice huh? Mostly small cupped narcissus, mostly naturalizing, mostly white. I like white narcissus because they really pop out in the back garden. 70 bulbs seems like a lot, but dearest ones, I have like another 800 to go. I am not kidding. We have a bulb fixation that puts us on the same level as Martha or some small parks and rec department. Our goal is to get them in the ground before January 1st and it happens. No worries, they all come up in the spring and they look great. However, we don't plant them in one fell swoop, we do things slowly, when we can steal a moment or three. I ripped out a bunch of raspberries and moved some stuff this fall and planted a few rare rhodies that I got from the Rhodendron Species Foundation. I will underplant with narcissus, a few galanthus and muscari. I am not big on tulips, but I may put in a few species tulips in the same area. I figure 300 bulbs can go into that bed. No bulbs are in there now, but it still takes planning.

The same concept applies to my increasingly frustrating work. It is easier for me to apply in the garden than at work. I need to think of work as a garden and soon I'll chip away at the bags of work that need to get done in the same manner.

humpy and foggy

I woke up late today and cranky. I turned the heat on when I got home but it appeared not to have gone off. I woke up sweltering and the temperature was too high. Finally fell back asleep to see that I had overslept by 1.5 hours.

Yikes.

I also called Lands End, the pants I want are not available in the store and even if I ordered them today, they wouldn't get here by monday on Second Day, so forget you. I'll either plan ahead or shop locally. Maybe just shop locally on Friday. I hate shopping for things like pants. My mom's tailor in SD manages a one day turn around for hemming, here its more like a week. I guess I'll just wear skirts and hope that they all fit.

Well off to play in traffic downtown.

Just in the nick of time

October Hydrangeas

Okay, I just came home from the acupunturist (get that metabolism back on track!) and it was raining. This should not be a real problem as I live in Seattle, but since I hung laundry outside to dry (quelle luddite and how martha), I was prissed. It was dry and I was happy.

Along with the millionth catalog from some outfit that sells cat polarfleece jackets and the christian coalition book of the month club (what is with that?) was the new lands end catalog.

Wow, some nice stuff in there including some pants that could get me through these troubled times (inablity to get into last winter's wardrobe). But damn skippy, if I could just get them to fedex me tomorrow so that I could take them to the tailor so that I can make it to DC looking polished.

Hmm, it may be worth it.

What do you think of these? Not really my type, but need something that will work with heels, not make me look terrible and go with a heather grey cashmere top and maybe one shirt? No one really cares what I wear but me. I sort of like it. :)

I love shopping on line, however, it is the inablity to check the sizing that kills me. I'd have them hem them if I knew they would fit.

I guess maybe its time to hit nordys in hope of finding a skirt and a pair of pants to make it through next week.

Well off to play in traffic to have dinner with some folks from FT and maybe get tired enough to go to bed without any need for manic cleaning.

nm

high maintenance

I'm due for beauty maintenance this week. Those girly things you would never have considered doing five years ago -- facial, pedicure, manicure and other things are now manditory. When did we become so floofy? So obsessed with bikini waxes, microdermabrasion and hot stone pedicures.

Or should I say, when did I become too floofy?

So, if you meet me in the street, don't freak out, my brows are usually well groomed.

Another before Halloween sighting

Orangey goodness

Just got an email from Peets. I love Peets, glad to see them in Seattle, but come on.

Not to scale

Ugh. Thus goest the neighborhoods. Thanks to our mayor, basically any variance is granted to developers no matter what the community feels. We're densifying our neighborhoods with the addition of faux craftsman houses with three car drive in garages and traditional homes wired for CAT-5. Add the requisite drought tolerant parking strip (removing any mature trees that existed to lessen the burden on homeowners, poor things) and the newly constructed just 6' fence around the yard and we've really added a neighborly feel to the 'hood.

I fear for several houses on my block. I do indeed.

I'm okay with densification as long as it is to scale, appropriate in style and adds to the street scape, not detracts from it.

thank g-d for little favours

Currently in the new JFK Terminal 9 Admiral's Club for the second time today. Outbound flight had a major mechanical and they found us a new plane, thankfully, in this terminal.

There are some pretty peeved people. I think they should all be thankful that 1. We're in the new terminal with decent food options and light and air and space 2. They found us a replacement plane in 15 minutes 3. There is no downgrading of equipment 4. We didn't have to do the terminal 9-8 third world shuffle 5. We didn't find this mechnical somewhere over Saginaw.

So, I'm missing dinner at Dahlia Lounge. There is always Wednesday night. Right?

By some act, my upgrades cleared for both flight.

They were showing March of the Penguins. I wanted to watch it, but I didn't want to be seen bawling next to my very important person who felt like ripping paper during the flight and decided that his secret confidential banking infomation didn't need his attention anymore, so he left them for the cleaning crew.

What a boy.

Like losing a friend

We think we know why you fly - Admiral's Club Logo at SEA.

The American Airlines Admiral's Club in Seattle closes it doors on October 31st. Ironically, I fly out on the Dulles redeye that night. Mid SeptemberAmerican Airlines notified Seattle-based members of the close through mail. The letter explained the closure was due to increasing operating costs and exorbitant rent by the Port of Seattle. I am distressed by the closing for a number of reasons -1. What will happen to all the folks to worked at the club; 2. Could this be the end of mainline service from Seattle; and 3. Why is the port making it so difficult for airlines to do business at SeaTAC. I am also sad because those who fly American Airlines will have no longer have an advocate in Seattle. My relationship with the gate agents is good as well as the the ticketing folks, but honestly, I don't really know them. My interactions with them are minimal thanks to ticketless travel and expedited boarding. I see the AA club crew all the time when I fly on Alaska and American. They call me if my flight is late or I'm going to misconnect and are good at protecting us on later flights. They can do miracles on clearing upgrades, most importantly, they are just good souled and hearted professionals.

I will miss them all.

Coincidentally, The Admiral's Club has just started to sell Lifetime Memberships. Yeah Right.

falling asleep on the couch means always having an interesting pattern on your cheek

I'm whomped. TH and I did redeye turnarounds last night. Boston for me, DC for TH. The best part was getting off the plane in SEA and leaving the airport together. The worst part, not having enough time to get to DD outside of B security at Logan.

Oh well.

Managed to get to the market to get some Conference pears and more baking apples from Booth Canyon Orchards and some chanterelles for dinner. Don't usually see Conference Pears outside of England.

Tomorrow, more of the same and I'm still in 9B on my outbound. Definitely doomedto coach on the return, but looking forward to a late celebratory dinner at Palace Kitchen. ;)

how to survive a redeye flight

Trust me, I'm an expert.

Take a shower ahead of time, change into something comfortable, find one pair of those eyeshades, some ear plugs and some music ( I prefer soundtracks to fall asleep to).

Don't eat anything heavy for dinner, don't drink anything alcoholic either before or on the plane. Drink water, but you'll wake up somewhere over Buffalo and your seat opponent will be drooling on your shoulder and you'll be trapped.

To avoid being pinned, take the aisle seat.

If you are lucky enough to be flying in First or some sort of configuration where they serve something resembling food, tell the Flight Attendant not to wake you up for such things.

Trust me, food on the plane is not worth waking up for. However, dunkin donuts may be worth waiting for. :)

I'll report back tomorrow.

nm

Friday means ....

Persimmon tree leaves.

Nothing really. Another day, another meeting and another set of priorities and tasks moved up or down the list. The biggest thing that I will look forward to today is going to the University Library to pick up some books on models of peer to peer data sharing. Can you sense the excitement?

The weekend will be long, unfortunately full of the airport and really not very much fun. I just hope by the end I'll have finished my six feet unders and my reading for class. I seem to read, but nothing seems to be sinking in. I think its the dryness of the theory combined with the history selections which I believe don't do the topics in question justice at all.

Asides:

I remade my kiwi conserve. It looks better.

I have been jonesing for sliced canned peaches. I'm now bummed that I didn't can them myself. It isn't hard, I do it all the time, this year was just not my year. Oh well. There is still time for pears. There is nothing like canned peaches/pears and cottage cheese some days.

I have a million New England pie pumpkins I need to make into either pies or soup. I better get cracking. Tonight I'll be leftovers, but tomorrow it'll be soup. :)

Have a great friday.

nm

I lost it again

Returned to work to get the makings for dinner that I left in the fridge. At least it got refrigerated and the rocky road is in the freezer.

Sometimes I need a post it note stuck on my head.

nm

pungent memories

Still Life with Quince

Right now, the smell of quinces in the house is overwhelming. I just need to get started on the making of quince jam. The recipe is easy, yet daunting. Making my own quince juice is a big step. I'll have to buy some cheesecloth, but I'm up to the challenge.

My mom uses quinces alot for jams, jellies and for certain stews. They are not used much in this country. As a child, I remember my mom being so excited when she could find just two quinces in Seattle, they were so rare in the stores. However, some folks had them in their yards. My mom would boldy spot a quince tree in a neighborhood and start working her charm. In most cases, she would knock on the door of the house, introduce herself and say how much she admired the tree and would love a few quinces as they reminded her of home. In most cases, the quince tree owner would be ecstatic to rid themselves of the quinces and would tell her to help herself. She would pick what she could, without appearing too greedy and share the bounty with other Iranian cooks who would make amazing preserves and koreshts.

They had a mommy network that would pass on the bounty of things such as unripe grapes for "gureh" or verjus, grape leaves for dolmeh, figs from friends who had moved to Fresno, a special kind of raisin that Iranians have with their tea , sour cherries for a special kind of jam and albaloo polo (not just montmorency would work) . My parents would make a pilgrimage to Mt. Baker Vineyards for their sour cherries, Wapato for melons and small japanese eggplants for pickling and koresht badamjoon, St. Michelle Winery for grape leaves. They often went with other couples and made it a day complete with a elegant picnic and always came home with more to share for those who couldn't take the time off. It is a strong and sweet memory for me.

My parents live in California now, their are tons of Iranian stores with quinces, gureh that is already bottled, more japanese eggplants and the correct kinds of Iranian produce. Finding foods that remind one of home is not a challenge nor surpise any more. My parents still drive to a winery in North San Diego county for grape leaves. They let my mom pick as long as she brings them a lunch of dolmeh once in a while. While they still picnic, its mostly at the beach.

I miss my mom's stories of their trips, often spontaneous and community building. We try to do the same thing at least once a year, but for us its blueberries or peppers.

So, when I smell quinces, I think of my mom and I think the memories of a home 10,000 miles away.

Hah. Before Halloween.

Spotted downtown. Trust me, they make some of the best normal coffee in the world.

I knew it.

I'm not here for this, but I insist you go see The Wailin Jennys at the Tractor Tavern on November 1st. I love them and am seriously bummed I'll miss them. They are looking for restaurant suggestions, so pass them on.

Nothing else going of of note. I was just gifted with approximately 8 lbs of fragrant ripe quinces from our friend Amy who owns Cloud Run Farm in Philomath, Oregon. She makes a lovely quince paste and quince jelly which she sells at the Corvallis Farmer's Market. I'm going to make something of teh same using a recipe from Mes Confitures.

Stay tuned as my jam making seems to be failing this year, but I'm being persistent.

i'm losing it

I just ran an errand that included the purchase of two bags of groceries. They are still in the car. Good thing I didn't buy ice cream.

I'm really really tired.

Fall in the flatirons

They say color has peaked. I will disagree.

I'm in Boulder now. Yesterday was chock a block of meetings followed by a well deserved nap. Last night I accompanied a friend to the 20th anniversary celebration of sushi Zanmai at the Boulder Theater. This black tie event was by invitation only and I was severely underdressed. They let me in anyways. :) Free sushi, checking out all the cocktail dresses, well drinks, karoke, the Zanmai band and all sorts of different entertainment kept us out of trouble for a few hours.

There was more alcohol than food at this shindig, so we headed to the bar at the Boulderado for a quick bite.

It was beautiful here today and will be tomorrow. Sunny,warm and the trees have all changed color. With the Flatirons in the distance and the blue skies, it is heaven, except that I still need to go into the lab for a few meetings tomorrow. At least I'll get out at lunch. :)