Life After Christmas

Another Christmas has come and gone and the earth continues its seemingly perpetual spin on its slightly tilted axis. This Christmas was different for us in one significant way. We did a lot of our shopping online and thus avoiding the mall crawl. Personally I only went into one store to purchase gifts and that was on Christmas Eve and while you may think me mad, I assure you I came out of the experience unscathed and no worse the wear. The traffic was only moderate and the shoppers were sparse so I had no trouble going in, shopping, and getting the hell out again. The rest of our shopping had been completed days before and was already either under the tree or at their respective destinations. This took the majority of the stress out of the holiday season. Very cool.

I had to work on Christmas day so we celebrated on Christmas Eve. I slow cooked a beef brisket, made cornbread stuffing and baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto for dinner. We then opened gifts and had a very relaxed evening. Again, very cool.

Doing some overtime shifts before New Years but I will actually have a 3-day weekend which includes New Years day. That can mean only one thing, college football. I will start my football feast on Dec 30 when the DAWGS of the University of Washington take on the Nebraska Corn Huskers (what a silly mascot) in the Holiday Bowl. Go DAWGS! WOOF! This feast will continue Friday and will conclude, for me at least, on Saturday, Jan 1, 2011 at which time I will spend approximately 12 hours on the couch in front of the TV.

I love this time of year!

Popcorn Memories. Popcorn Crisis! Crisis Averted!

I vividly remember my mom making popcorn for us in a heavy cast iron skillet. The smell of fresh popped corn was magnificent and mouth watering. We always ate it with plenty of butter and salt. We did not know (did we?) about hardening of the arteries, heart issues, etc. It was something we looked forward too because the reality is, we did not have popcorn very often. It was quite the ordeal to make. When we did, it was usually because there was something special coming on the TV. The annual showing of The Wizard of Oz, or the latest John Wayne movie fresh off the big screen and now on the "Movie of the Week", the World Series or the Olympics. You have wrap to your mind around the fact that this was before microwaves, before cable or satellite TV, before VCRs or DBRs, and before video stores. There was literally only ABC, CBS and NBC. That was it thank you very much.

Today, when I feel like popcorn I can just reach into the cupboard and take out a cellophane wrapped prepackaged bag of microwave popcorn. Toss it into the microwave and 2-3 minutes later I can happily be munching on hot popcorn. I confess I still put salt and butter on mine but in my own defense I put a lot less than I would really like. Sometimes when I am feeling really decadent I will put some grated cheddar cheese on it, toss it back in the microwave for a minute and then enjoy the oozy goodness.

Last night was just such a night. I was in the mood for popcorn. I reached in the cupboard and what to my horror do I see? There is only one bag of popcorn left in the box. My heart is beating wildly and I feel close to hyperventilating. My knees are weak and threatening to buckle beneath me. How can this be happening? Who is in charge of making sure the popcorn supply is filled? Heads will roll I tell you! I really want some popcorn but if I eat this then there will be none left when CJ gets home at 2330 and I would not want to be within 50 kilometers of the cabin if that happened. Even then, the blast of her nuclear meltdown would probably still take me out. I can see her now, blue eyes ablaze with fury, teeth gnashing and fingers curled like talons ready to strike. Slowly she looks around for the culprit, the guilty party, the sacrificial lamb. Well, it won't be me! No, I won't do this. But damn it, I really want some popcorn.

Then a voice behind me casually says, "you know dad there are two boxes of popcorn in the back of the cupboard". He must have seen me standing there, staring blankly into the box of popcorn with one bag left in it............ Oh, well, that's a horse of a different color altogether. Crisis averted. Let the popcorn pop. The only question that remains, butter or cheese? Life goes happily on.

Christmas 2010 is a-comin!

I was on my home yesterday afternoon when I got a call from CJ who was at work. She said the bridge over Payton Creek "almost got her" today. I had a mental image of a large troll like creature, covered with moss, reaching up from under the bridge and taking a swipe at the Durango as it careened overhead. I was unceremoniously brought back to reality when CJ said that the bridge was very icy and that she was concerned about crossing it later that night. The hot apple cider/vodka/honey drink would have to wait. I had to make stops to get gas and the makings for dinner first so it was dark as I turned off of HY2 and onto that gravel forest service road known as Mt Index Rd. I had no trouble at all in my truck and soon turned onto our side road. Again, no problems and as I approached the bridge I saw that it was in much better shape than when I had crossed it some 14 hours earlier. I crossed without incident and was wondering about CJ's mental state when I saw the tracks. The road had been plowed. I was elated. The elation however was short lived. As I approached our driveway I saw that it was blocked by a 2 foot high berm of snow and ice. The snow plow does not clear the berms from the driveways. It was raining, dark and about 34 degrees. A fine soft evening in the mountains perfect for shoveling snow. Yea, right. I cleared the berm first and then made several passes onto the driveway trying to make sure CJ would be able to get the Durango up to the cabin. I then saw that I was going to have to do more shoveling. On my second shovel full of wet snow and ice I felt a pop in my back. Two seconds later, as I knew it would, the pain hit and hit hard. I made it into the cabin, out of my boots and onto the couch just before the pain hit in full force. Having been through this before, I knew I was going to be out of commission for at least two days. Not good. Lets hope the Christmas season gets better from here on. I'm not impressed so far.

Slip Sliding Away

Left the cabin this morning to find it was snowing lightly. A heavy wet snow that will chill you to the bones if you stay out in it too long or are not dressed properly. Definitely made our side road a slippery mess. The existing snow on the road had turned to a very wet slush on top and ice beneath. Made it difficult for traction, even in 4-wheel drive. Made it down our road, across the bridge (that started life as a flatbed railroad car) over Payton Creek and onto the main forest service road without incident. Took a sip of hot coffee. Still in 4-wheel drive I made it up the hill and under the arch that marks the entry/exit to Mt Index Riversites while all the time trying to deftly avoid the bomb craters that were once potholes. Only one more dicey spot to go, the downhill S-curve about 100 meters from the junction with HY-2. Started down the hill and got into the first turn before I was able to see the dark color 4-door sedan that had slid into the ditch on the east side of the roadway. No emergency blinkers to warn any oncoming traffic (that would be me). Just had time to try to look to see if anyone was huddled inside before I was past it and turning onto the highway. Roads remained nasty all the way down the mountains to Gold Bar where the snow turned to rain. Punched out of 4-wheel drive into 2-wheel drive. Time for another sip of hot coffee (thank you CJ) and the commute began.

Husky Blackout Thursday

Thanks to my cousin Kevin I went to my first game at Husky Stadium on Thursday. Dawgs were hosting UCLA Bruins for a 5pm kickoff game. This was the last home game of the year and the last game at Husky Stadium for the seniors on the team. To honor the seniors the coaches and team decided to wear, for the first time in Husky history, all black uniforms. I am a traditionalist and prefer the Dawgs wear the school colors of purple and gold but I must admit that the black uniforms were very cool. That said, I still prefer purple and gold and by that I mean the real purple and gold, not the lavender that the school adopted under the Neuheisel regime.

The Dawgs won 24-7 and I got to see Jake Locker score on a 3yd run off left tackle. The stadium itself is incredibly loud when 67,000 fans are "woofing", stomping and chanting. Again, very cool. The fans on this night had been asked to wear black to commemorate Blackout Thursday and they did. Odd to see all that black versus the sea of purple normally seen here.

I had a blast and look forward to seeing more games live.

Winter 2010

We spent the past 2.5 days without power. A very strong storm front passed through and the strong winds at its command swept through the Cascades with a vengeance leaving carnage in its wake. One of our friends had a large tree fall and take out 1/3 of the new shop he was building. Tree limbs and debris was littered everywhere. On my way home I came across downed power lines that were arcing so fiercely that you could see the glow from a good half mile away. The brush and grass were on fire despite the rain coming down. It was about 6 meters off the roadway and I passed by quickly. I knew full well that this meant there would be no power at the cabin.

It is very interesting how the loss of electricity changes your life. We so take it for granted that when we hit the light switch, the lights will come on. That we will have heat and a stove to cook on. When those things are taken from you, your life style changes immediately. For us, the loss of power also meant the loss of water since we rely on a pump to get water from the creek. No water, no toilet.

I have to say though that it some fundamental way I really enjoy these times without all the luxuries that surround our daily lives. Without power there is absolute silence. No "white noise" emanating from the micro-wave, DVR, wall heaters, refrigerator, etc. Even the very slight hum associated with lights is eliminated. The quiet is complete and envelopes you like a soft comforting blanket. It reminds me of the times I have spent in wilderness areas. The quiet is so complete it is almost palpable and takes some getting used too.

We have been through this before so we have all the necessary supplies readily at hand: candles, firewood, flashlights, headlamps, water, etc. With the new gas grill we bought this summer we even have a very convenient method of cooking without electricity.

Coming home to a dark cold cabin should be unconcerting and a little daunting but for me it is not. The dark is like an old friend to me. When I was a teenager I used to go into the woods at night and run the trails, human and game, and end up in a little clearing far from my house. I would sit there and listen to the night sounds and try to identify them. I would gaze up at the stars and moon and have wonderful thoughts of "life out there". I like the dark. Coming into the cabin I found the 2 cats, also night creatures, at the door to greet me. With my headlamp on I could see their eyes glowing green as they watched my approach through the glass of the front door. Very cool. Once inside I light the candles that are at the ready and then get a fire going in the cast iron stove. It only takes about 30 minutes before the heat from the fire takes control and forces the chill to find another place to lurk. I then make myself a Powers and coke, sit down at the oak dining room table and enjoy the total lack of man made noise. That noise is replaced by the sounds of nature: wind, rain, scurrying little forest creatures, trees whispering to each other (and to you too if you only listen), the creek water against ancient stone. Very comforting.

When the power came back on it was almost with a bit of regret that I hit the light switches and turned the heaters on. The refrigerator buzzed back to life and the micro-wave beebed loudly back into existence.

Oh well, the winter of 2010 has just begun.

Yellowstone Bison in a Land of Fire

This was an awesome sight. This is what it must have like in the days of the mountain men.

Montana Bucks

Pictures taken on the National Bison Refuge about 50 miles out of Missoula, MT.

Picture Impact

I was going through more pictures last night in an effort to get rid of those that are blurry or of landscapes long lost to memory. In the process, I came across several rolls of film I had taken of Jessi when she was about 5-6YO. For some reason those pictures hit me like a ton of bricks. Uncontrollably I got very emotional and was suddenly very happy I was alone. I am not an emotional person by habit so this emotional outburst came as quite a shock. Then I found myself wondering "why". The simple reason of course was that I missed Jessi when she was at that age. Before the "dark years" when all seemed lost. She was so young and innocent, looking at the world with fresh eyes and wonderment. Everything to her was new and exciting and she never was very good at hiding her emotions so it was always fun to watch her and her discoveries. Or could it be that I missed those days because I missed those days in many ways. I was gone from home a lot, either working or working out at the gym. That seemed so important to me then and now I would rather have the time back being with and watching the kids grow up. I was never one for a lot of hugging, kissing and touching and yet I find myself wishing I had done just that. Too late, can't go back. If I had been more touchy feely, would it have made a difference in her life? In mine? Same goes for CJ and Austin. I would give a lot to go back and spend time just snuggling and being close with CJ. I know she craved that at the time and yet I was an emotional blackboard that had been thoroughly cleaned. Or perhaps the emotions evoked from looking at those pictures was due to the woe of knowing that I was getting older and that life in many ways had escaped me. You can never go back and it does not do any real good to look back, but I do. Alas, I must continue the push forward in the yoke of life. Or is there yet still time to shrug off the yoke and savor the time left to me and to perhaps make up for lost time?

Blast From The Past

I got a real surprise 2 days ago when I checked a Facebook message and it was contact information from a friend I had in 5th-7th grades in Samoa, CA. Can you say a blast from the past? I was totally caught off guard, in a good way. He followed that contact up by suggesting me as a friend to 23 other people that were also on Facebook, all of whom had ties to Samoa. I was smiling for a long time remembering that time period. It was a great time and Samoa was a great place to be as a kid.

Soul Food

There is something about southern hospitality and southern cooking that just touches the soul. That's why its called "soul food". This little place in Tacoma is a place that fits this definition to a tee. Its called Southern Kitchen. You are greeted as soon as you walk in the door by the owner herself. When they start you off with a corn cake, butter and honey, you know you're in an authentic southern cafe. The fried chicken is the third best I have ever eaten, behind only my mother's and my Grandmother Stacy's. CJ said the fried catfish was the best she's had since Texas! Nuff said?

Yellowstone Bull Elk

Back to Work

Vacation will be over in 2 days and it will be back to the CommCenter. I'm not ready to go back to work. This has been one of the best vacations I can remember. The roadtrip to Idaho for Kevin and Kim's wedding was absolutely fantastic. Yellowstone & Glacier National Parks along with the National Bison Refuge were more than I could have anticipated. Our time in Missoula was very entertaining. The week back here at the cabin has been equally fulfilling, getting chores done but also just enjoying just being here.

Also spent a lot of quality time with family which means more to me as I get older. We had a terrific time with Rick & Pam while in Idaho. A lot of laughing, talking & just enjoying each other. Our time with Matthew and Melody was fun too. Again, laughing, talking and generally getting to know Mel better. I find myself liking her more and more. A nice addition to the family. And of course our time with Jessi was the best of all. She is turning out to be quite the young lady and someone I enjoy spending time with.

Now it is time to get back to "normal", whatever that means. Thanksgiving is just around the bend and perhaps we can manage to have a proper family get-together. That would be very cool.

A Tasty Brunch in Leavenworth

Its 11:44am and we just finished brunch. I am really enjoying the grill here at the condo. Today I roasted 2 Anaheim chilies, then peeled them, deseeded/deveined them and finally diced them up. I also diced up one of the hot links we had leftover from our lunch at Southern Boys BBQ, half a yellow onion and some of the leftover zucchini that I had grilled yesterday. Seasoned it all with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning mix and sauteed until the onions were well sweated. I then put the one remaining beef rip on the grill to heat up and get some serious bark on it while at the same time in the kitchen I added six beaten eggs to a hot pan that had about a tablespoon of good extra-virgin olive oil in it. After the eggs had set a bit I added the Anaheim's and continued the scramble. About this time I pulled the beef rib off the grill and onto a cutting board in the kitchen. I added the onions, zucchini and hot link to the eggs and continued to scramble until all the ingredients were well incorporated and all was hot. I cut the rib into two pieces and we were ready to eat.

The rib was exceptional. I may have stumbled onto the key to the perfect rib. Smoke them first and baste with a BBQ sauce during the final hour or so. Cool them in a refrigerator overnight and then reheat them on a very hot grill when you are ready to eat. This method created a very tasty bark that was crisp without being tough. I will have to try this a few more times before I can say definitively that this method works but think of all the good beef/pork ribs we'll get to eat during the attempts.

The scramble was good as well. I did not really like the hot link by itself but when diced and added to a scramble it was tasty. We washed all this down with hot coffee while we listened to the kids playing in the park below.

One Of My Very Favorite Pictures

Leavenworth Retreat

Spending a couple of days at a very nice time at Worldmark Condo in Leavenworth. A big Thank You to CJ's Aunt Mary for thinking of us. Very cool.

The condos consist of several buildings, each with four condos, 2 at ground level and 2 second-story units. We were in a second-story unit that had 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. It has a nice open floor plan with a well stocked kitchen. The balcony is a nice size and is decorated with a table, four chairs and a gas BBQ grill.

We used the grill this morning for breakfast. I prepared grilled beef steak, fried eggs and a grilled vegetable medley consisting of zucchini, sweet potato and tomato. Very tasty. While we were sitting on the balcony we saw four deer emerge from the green belt below the condos and graze at the edge of the city park baseball/soccer fields. They were about 150 yards away and at a down angle of about 10 degrees. It would have been a challenging shot but very makeable. We kept watching and sure enough, as expected, about 2-3 minutes later the buck stepped out from the trees and made a beeline along the treeline for the other side of the clearing. Now that would have been a good shot, moving target with a down angle and a bit of a breeze. CJ said she was glad I had left my rifles at home.

We then hit the streets to get CJ down to the quilting store to get her fix of fabric and patterns. While she was engaged in her passion I hoofed it down the street to a local saloon for a beer. I asked for a porter on tap to which I was told they had none. I'm in a Bavarian village and no porters on tap. The beer gods all frowned deeply from their lofty perches. I settled for a Mac and Jack and listened to the two employees squabble. I was amused but did not make up for the lack of a good porter. I only stayed in this dive for the one beer and not hearing from CJ yet I departed in search of a better watering hole. Two doors down was a restaurant and lounge. I pushed through the doors and was greeted by a well stocked bar which included a good variety of draught beers including a decent porter, Deschutes Black Butte. The very friendly bar maid drew my beer and I settled down to enjoy it while playing sudoku on my NOOK. CJ called in short order and I vectored her in to my position on the bar stool. She ordered a hot buttered rum and we discussed what the remaining portion of the day held for us.

We decided to go food shopping, hit the liquor store and then grab some pizza at a local joint. The pizza place was no open yet so we just sort of meandered out of town and continued westbound on Highway 2 towards her old stomping grounds of Cashmere. By this time we were hungry and after a brief search we went into the Southern Boys BBQ restaurant. CJ found out they did Texas style BBQ which is one of my favorites. When I asked I was told they use cherry wood in their smoker. Stands to reason since we were right smack in the middle of the apple/pear/cherry orchard capital of Washington state. We ate what we could and took the rest with us in a to-go box.

On the way back to the condo we stopped at the liquor store and finally did get a small pizza to go for latter.

Back in the condo CJ made us drinks and we sat on the balcony watching youngsters in the fields below practicing soccer. Ahh, to have such energy again. We are now sitting comfortably in front of fire and enjoying ourselves immensely.

Tomorrow we plan to spend most of the day in the condo reading and writing. Perhaps we will take a walk down the foot trail along the Wenatchee River.

Photo Reflections

I have spent the past couple of days scanning family pictures onto our laptop. This project started as a result of my interest in genealogy. I have been working diligently on my family history for the past 2 years. A great deal of progress has been made on several of the family branches while inevitably I have hit the proverbial brick wall on others. As part of the process of collecting and verifying family information I have been attaching pictures of individual family members where ever possible so that a face can be put to a name. In many instances I have attached multiple pictures of individuals. There remain several family members that I have no pictures for at all. This is what lead me to start my search into the tombs of our personal family picture albums. In so doing, I started creating picture files and scanning pictures into them. It soon became clear to me that I was not going to attach all of these pictures to my genealogy project but it seemed important to continue scanning.

This importance stems from me wanting to insure that these pictures survive and I know from personal experience that regular pictures can be lost or destroyed in a variety of ways. By scanning them onto our laptop they will all be digitized and not susceptible to such loss or destruction. I can then make multiple copies of picture Cd's and scatter them around to various relatives which should multiply the chances of successfully keeping them safe.

This project has made me realise just how quickly time passes us by. In viewing pictures of my two kids from the time they were snappers, through their school years and on up to the present, I have been surprised at the emotions I have been subjected to. I created separate files for each of them and have the pictures organized from earliest to most recent. When I looked at them all together I found myself getting very nostalgic. The images brought back memories I had not thought of in more years than I care to admit. All of those memories were warm and fuzzy and a treat to recall. They took me back to times and places long past but thankfully not forgotten. I look forward to continuing this project.

Fall is in the air

I left the cabin this morning at o-dark-thirty and was immediately greeted by rain. The kind of rain that is between a mist and a real rain. The sky was black, without a hint of either moon or stars. In the time it took me to walk to my truck my sweatshirt had accumulated hundreds of tiny shimmering droplets of water. Not enough to get me wet, just enough to let me know that summer was indeed at an end and Fall was near. The leaves on the alders are changing from green to yellow and the woods will soon be ablaze in color.

I really enjoy this time of year. It makes me think of family gatherings, bon-fires and hunting. I have not been on a deer hunt for a few years now but growing up we went hunting every year. I always knew the exact date of the opening day of deer season and looked forward to that almost as much as Christmas.

Thanksgiving is not too far away and I am looking forward to possibly smoking a turkey this year for the first time. I may even attempt to smoke my cornbread dressing. I have several dried New Mexico chile's on hand and I am thinking of incorporating them into the feast somehow. Maybe some red versus green enchiladas, I'll call them New Mexico Civil War Enchiladas. For those that are not aware, in New Mexico there is a constant war being staged as to which is better, the red chili or the green chili. Families have been divided over their differing opinions on this matter. Don't tell anyone, but I like them both.