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~ The adventures of Richard and Julie Lary

Rajalary

Category Archives: Seattle

Friends and Family Holiday Letter

20 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by rajalary in Gardening, Hobbies, Seattle

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Julie Lary, Lila Lary, rajalary, Rich Lary, Stacey Lary

 

Rich, Julie, and Lary Stacey, Bobby Priest Last December, Julie received a $100 gift card for several prominent Seattle restaurants. It took until September, our 12 year wedding anniversary, to use the card. While the food was trendy and elegantly presented, it wasn’t memorable. In a sense, 2014 was similar with high expectations, and some disappointments.

We started the year with Rich diving into being a realtor for Coldwell Banker Bain. He spent months creating an engaging website – http://www.RichLaryRealtor.com – eye-catching mailers, and other promotions. For three months, he sent the mailers, and waited, and waited for a client to make contact. After some investigation, he learned the mailers were never sent because the post office’s automated mail sorting system couldn’t distinguish Rich’s contact information from the recipients’ addresses, both on the back of the card. The post office simply discarded 800 post cards without notice! Government efficiency at its best!

Mount BakerIn addition, the few clients he engaged weren’t able to find suitable houses, struggled to sell their houses or changed their minds. While he held many open houses, nearly everyone who walked through the doors already had realtors. The handful of transactions he oversaw resulted in commission that came nowhere close to covering his costs.

By mid-year, Rich realized he Produce from Lary gardenneeded to do something different. Fortunately, everything lined up perfectly, and after several interviews, in June, he secured a year-long contract role at Microsoft, testing Windows 8 applications. He works independently, testing applications on the breadth of devices from Windows phones to Windows PCs, and tablets. In addition, he works in a small lab with a bank of windows, overlooking a forested area.

Julie started the year as a contractor for Microsoft Information Security and Risk Management, creating amusing internal awareness programs. She’d started working for the group last October. While she received kudos for her work, and was making in-roads with fostering awareness of security scams, her contract wasn’t renewed, leaving her searching for jobs in mid-June.

Like Rich, her resume landed in the right hands at the right time. Two weeks after her Microsoft contract ended, she started working at Fluke in Everett. Her year-long contract was to develop and market the service programs for Fluke’s industrial tools, something she did at Tektronix and Dell. The week before Thanksgiving, however, she was told there’s no funding for 2015 so she’s back to looking for a job.

With our jobs in flux, we opted for a couple of mini, two-day vacations. In March, we went to Orcas Island in the Puget Sound, driving from one end to the other, and hiking. We took Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada, in May, spending two wonderful days walking, taking the elevated trains from one end of the city to the other, and enjoying the panoramic view from our hotel room at the historic Empire Landmark.

Lila LaryWhen it warmed up, we took several lengthy bike rides, and paddled around Lake Washington in our kayak. In late October, we had an unexpectedly magical day visiting Mount Baker, which made us realize, we really need to get out more, and tour the spectacular Pacific Northwest.

We also enjoyed gardening at our Mount Vernon house, producing bumper crops of tomatoes, beans, squash, peppers, berries, and apples.

In early spring, Rich’s daughter, Stacey (above), moved back to Bremerton, Washington to work for the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. Her move gave us excuses to visit and several times ride ferries from Seattle, Edmonds, and Port Townsend.

Chris, Coen, and Rich LaryWe also made several trips to Portland, Oregon, to visit Rich’s son Chris (below) his wife Shawnie, and their two-year old, Coen. On November 18, the threesome became four with Caitlyn being born, weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces. Exciting!

While in Portland, we also met up with Julie’s cousin, Bobby (above), along with her best friend, Wendy.

As the year progressed, Doris (Julie’s mother) mobility started to decline. She was moved into a retirement home in Mount Vernon in early June, along with her cat Mei-Mei. After an initial adjustment period, she spent more time out of her room. By September, however, her strength declined along with her attitude and appetite. On the evening of October 12th, she was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia. Her health declined dramatically, and by the next afternoon, surrounded by family, she passed away.

On the pRich and Julie Laryet front, we continue to have five cats, five birds, numerous ravenous squirrels (who entertain the cats), and several visiting raccoons (one mother with four adorable babies). We take way too many pictures of Lila, our all-white cat, wearing various hats or engaged in cute behavior, which we post on social media site.

We hope you had a memorable 2014, and are welcoming 2015 in good health and spirits.

Rich and Julie Lary

Ten Cupcakes for Ten Years

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by rajalary in Entertainment, Sailing, Seattle

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anniversary, cupcakes, Ivar's, Julie Lary, Obsession, Pinka Bella, rajalary, Rich Lary, sailing

Last Thursday, Rich and I celebrated our ten year “civil” wedding anniversary. In 2002, we had a “shotgun-like” wedding a week before Rich left for Austin, Texas. Two months later, we had a formal wedding at the Broetje House, in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Prior to leaving for Texas, Rich was getting push-back from IBM about our not yet being married. He feared they won’t my home furnishings unless there was a wedding band on my finger. Hence, three weeks after we’d jointly proposed to each other, in rinky-dink Mexican restaurant in a strip mall, Rich call me at Intel where I managed and wrote the Intel Home Computing website. He was going to pick me up in an hour to get our wedding license, and he’d made arrangements for us to get married the following afternoon at the county courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon.

To this day, I don’t know how he had the correct paperwork, such as my birth certificate. Needless to say, I giggled all the way to the courthouse, and didn’t stop until the clerk handed us the license.

The next day, June 21st, summer solstice, was sticky and unusually hot. After work, with two hapless co-workers in tow, I changed into a sleeveless, green dress with large rust-colored roses, twisted my hair into a chignon, and firmly clutched my grandmother’s wedding ring and my father’s wedding band, which I’d taken out of storage the night before.

Rich wore a pale green, patterned silk shirt with off-white pants. He’d zipped by grocery store on the way to the courthouse to get a bouquet of flowers, sprayed green, and a matching boutonniere. They were tacky and fabulous at the same time.

Having forgotten his camera, Mike Jastad, his friend from IBM, and best man at both of our weddings, purchased a disposable camera.

We were married by Judge Don Letourneau who was gracious and understanding as we fumbled the rings (my grandmother’s was a bit too tight for my finger). Fifteen minutes later, we were husband and wife. Eck!

We thanked the three people who witnessed the wedding, celebrated by having Thai food, rushed back to Rich’s house, put on grungy clothing, and then stayed up until the wee hours, preparing for a yard sale we had the next day. As a married couple, our first order of business, which we achieved, was to sell stuff we didn’t need, including my beloved 12-year old Red Toyota Corolla. It didn’t have air conditioning so we decided sell it and not bring it to Texas.

Ten years later, we’re no less harried.

On Thursday, I’d planned to leave work earlier, but at the last minute had a call with a company who was making me a job offer (stay tuned for the details). After accepting the offer, and squealing in delight, I drove home.

Pinkabella cupcakesEarlier in the day, I’d stopped at Pinka Bella Cupcakes in Redmond Town Center to purchase ten different cupcakes to celebrate ten years of wedding bliss. Okay, ten years of adventures. Pinka Bella makes the most decadent, delectable, imaginatively decorated cupcakes in the entire Seattle/eastside area.

As I’m approaching our house, my cell phone rang. It was agency I hired to help with my mother. They’d had a home visit that afternoon and wanted to discuss the visit. I pulled into our driveway and started talking. As soon as I hung up, the woman whose been helping with my mother for the past few years called, wanting to report on what took place that afternoon.

Rich, realizing I was in the driveway, jumped into action, pulling my car into the garage and unloading my bags, including the cupcakes, which I had planned to present on the crystal platter that once held our wedding cake. I’d cleverly placed the platter in the back of my car the night before!

Deciphering Rich’s hand signals that we were running late, I said “good-bye” and rushed into the house. Rich then instructed me on what to wear for our celebratory evening. He was pulled clothes off the hanger, as I removed one set and put on another… jeans, two shirts, jacket, Converses…

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Sailing on the Obsession
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We then scurried out the door, camera-in-hand, and headed towards downtown Seattle. When we parked near the water, I knew we’d be taking a boat. Sure enough, after scrumptious chowder in a hollowed-out sourdough bowl from Ivar’s, we walked to Pier 54 to take a sunset cruise on the 70-foot Obsession sailboat.

It was a beautiful night so I knew it was going to be a great experience. What I didn’t know is they’d allow Rich to sail the boat… for most of the trip! He had an amazing time, sailing in strong winds, through the Thursday night sailboat races near Shilshole Bay Marina, and then back to Pier 54.

After getting home, we split two cupcakes, raised our forks, and toasted ten years of adventure, accomplishments, and most of all love.

There’s No Sense When It Comes to Westboro

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by rajalary in Seattle

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Julie Lary. Westboro Baptist Church, military funerals, rajalary

While driving to work this morning, I heard members of the homophobic Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing at the funeral of Gloria Koch Leonidas, a Bellevue woman who was killed last Wednesday during Ian Stawicki’s shooting rampage in downtown Seattle.

It’s unusual for church members to venture so far north to spread their message of hatred and intolerance. If I hadn’t lived in Texas, I may not have been aware of the Westboro Church and their determination to not only disrupt, but exacerbate the grief of mourners by picketing at memorial services and espousing everything from “god hates gays,” to “Jews killed Jesus,” and “Obama is the beast.”

I saw their impact on a sticky June afternoon. After ordering a cake for Rich’s and my anniversary, I was heading back to the Dell West Parmer campus. There were several cemeteries along the way, and as I approached one, I saw a long line of cars with police escorts. I noticed several cars pulling over and I did the same.

I remembered a funeral was being held that day for a young man who’d been killed in Iraq. It was early in the war when every death was significant, and not a regular occurrence. People still believed we’d be in-and-out of the country within months, Saddam Hussein brought to justice, ally troops hailed as heroes, a new president elected, and the country rebuilt and restored as a democracy.

With the air conditioning blasting, I watched as the motorcade drove by, half dozen motorcycle officers, followed by the hearse, several town cars, a long line of cars… and then a contingent of noisy motorcyclists, wearing black leather jackets, embroidered with the name of their groups. Dozens and dozens of cyclists. Clean-shaven and bearded men. Some with helmets and some with bandanas on their heads. Mixed in with the large, acoustically distinct Harley Davidsons were small bikes, some with women on them.

My first thought was of sadness. Sadness for the family that had to be burdened with knowing the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to show up at their son’s funeral. They suffered from the heartbreak of losing a child who was only a few years out of high school.

I was saddened the motorcyclists had to gather, perhaps missing work or neglecting obligations, to selflessly rev up their motorcycles’ engines to drown out the rants of the picketers.

And then I was angry.

A funeral should be a private affair. It’s a time to reflect on someone’s life, and based on one’s beliefs or relationship to the deceased, silently mourn, turn to others for support, or perhaps toast to a life well-lived.

The funeral procession I observed had swelled in size, not because people knew the young soldier, but to create a distraction, a noise barrier between the egotists from a church thousands of miles away who felt the need to force their misguided beliefs on others, the conviction “military funerals have become pagan orgies of idolatrous blasphemy, where they pray to the dunghill gods of Sodom & play taps to a fallen fool.”

As I watched the last motorcycle pass, I sat for a few minutes, the sun glaring through the window, and tried to make sense of the lunacy. But there was none.

As my days in Texas passed, I saw several motorcades for fallen soldiers, usually consisting of a brigade of motorcyclists, a growing necessity for high profile military funerals.

And now, the ugliness of the Westboro Church is coming to Seattle. Tomorrow, they will arrive, ready to spew their hatred, at the funeral for a mother of two. It simply doesn’t make sense.

Panoramas from Seattle Chinatown

13 Sunday May 2012

Posted by rajalary in Seattle

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Julie Lary, rajalary, Richard Lary

I took several pictures of Chinatown from atop a hill, which I stitched together. Chinatown stitched_2Chinatown stitched

Rich’s Birthday Week

13 Sunday May 2012

Posted by rajalary in Entertainment, Food and drink, Seattle

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Burke Museum, chris lay, Fremont, Julie Lary, rajalary, Rich Lary, Seattle Chinatown, Stacey Lary

The first day of May, Rich’s daughter, Stacey, arrived in Seattle from Long Beach, California, setting in motion a week of celebration, including Rich’s 60th birthday on Sunday, May 6th.

Wednesday afternoon, Rich and Stacey went to Mount Vernon to garden and hook up the trailer to purchase dirt for a landscape project we’re doing in Kirkland. Ceasing the opportunity, after work, I whooshed to the Bellevue Goodwill, convinced something “wonderful” was waiting to be purchased for Rich’s birthday.

After searching through the store and coming up empty-handed, I decided to investigate the glasses cases in the front. Sure enough, looking back at me was an antique barometer, a bit tarnished, but still in good shape. It was similar to the one on eBay. On another shelf, was an even better find, a Semca Travel clock! In a dainty, red leather case was a wind-up alarm clock, small thermometer, and barometer. With hardly any thought, I said I’d purchase both.

With my finds safely in my basket, I shifted through the rack of men’s outerwear and found a fleece shirt, which was probably new or darn close. I also chose a flouncy pink dress with white polka-dots for Lila, and a little Hawaiian shirt for Jujube. Check out the photos below of the felines in their snazzy birthday outfits.

Thursday, was rainy, but Stacey and Rich forged ahead, purchasing soil and bringing it to Kirkland where we’re extending a flower bed in the front yard to balance out the landscaping, and also create a better environment for the plantings. Currently, little rainfall reaches the plants under the front window. By making the planting area bigger, and removing the grass and brick border, the rainwater should be able to better reach the plants.

In addition, we have giant rhododendron bushes in front of our house, which look unbalanced. By incorporating them into a larger flower garden, they’ll look less awkward. Stay tuned for pictures and details in the coming weeks as we start to create our new flower beds.

Rich’s birthday festivities heated up on Friday morning with Stacey baking a decadent chocolate cake with German chocolate filling, and a whipped chocolate ganache icing. That afternoon, Rich’s son, Chris, and his wife, Shawnie, arrived from Camas, Washington to spend the weekend.

Earlier in the week, I’d made a rich tomato sauce with spicy turkey meatballs. I also pickled some cauliflower, carrots, and celery to serve with olives, cheese and pepperoni as an antipasto. We had a pleasant meal, completed with Brussels spouts, and garlic bread, made from kalamata olive bread, crushed garlic, olive oil, and margarine… lightly browned under the broiler.

Following dinner, Stacey said she wanted coffee with her cake. It was a ploy to use the mug Chris and Shawnie had brought, which said “Grandpa” on it. When presented with the mug, Rich was confused. Even though he was prompted with hints ranging from “what do married couples produce,” and “what constitutes a grandfather,” it took him five to ten minutes to guess that Shawnie is pregnant. She’s due in December.

After learning he’s going to be a grandfather, Rich opened his gifts, including tickets from Stacey, Chris, and Shawnie to see Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers and Emmylou Harris at Chateau St. Michelle Winery in Woodinville in late July.

Full from dinner, grandpa charades, cake, and coffee, five of us squeezed onto the futon in my hobby room – the location of the only TV we have in Kirkland – to watch Hop, a super cute live-action/animated flick about E.B., a rabbit who does not want to succeed his father and become the Easter Bunny. Voiced by Russell Brand, Hop poops jelly beans, has a snarky sense-of-humor, and wants to be a drummer.

Burke Museum to Improv

Saturday morning began with my making a vegetable frittata with sliced potatoes as the crust, and layers of garlic, onions, carrots, broccoli, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and scallions, all held together with beaten eggs, milk, and jack cheese!

Tummies full, we drove to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on the University of Washington campus. I’d never been to this museum so I was excited about checking out the exhibits and seeing their special exhibit, “Hungry Planet: What the World Eats,” which examines what ten families, from around the world, eat in a week. The families – in Mexico, India, Japan, United States, Peru, Germany, Greenland, three other countries – were photographed with a week’s worth of groceries around them, and the cost of the foods.

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Saturday Sightseeing
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It was extremely engaging. For instance, the Japanese family ate lots of packaged goods; even their produce was packaged. The Mexican family spent a large chunk of their weekly grocery money on colas, sweets, and starches. The family in India were vegetarians, eating vegetables, legumes, and other healthy, but spicy foods. The Peruvian family barely ate. The family in Greenland dined on seal, polar bear and whale meat, and other animals and birds that they hunted.

Coinciding with this exhibit was one on the Salish Bounty: Traditional Native American Foods of Puget Sound. It’s astonishing how ordinary plants in the Pacific Northwest like ferns, skunk cabbage, tiger lily bulbs, nettles, clover root, yellow pond lily, and a hundred or so other bulbs, berries, nuts, roots, and vegetables sprouts are edible.

Also part of the series on food was cooking demonstrations by chefs with PCC Natural Markets. We watched a chef, who’d worked at The Herbfarm, and written several books about local cuisines, prepare wild mushroom risotto. The resulting dish was nauseatingly rich, with as she pointed out, four types of fats: Prosciutto, olive oil, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The texture was creamy with undertones of wine, salt, savory mushrooms, and goo.

We spent another hour going through the museum, visiting the dinosaurs, and meandering through the Pacific Voices exhibit, depicting the cultural artifacts from seventeen Pacific Rim countries and regions, including Hawaii, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Pacific Northwest Native Americans, Lao, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and Micronesia.

With weather nothing less than splendid, we decided to wander through the University of Washington campus, and look for a geocache. The buildings on the campus are spectacular… ranging from huge brick Tudors to dramatic, glass buildings and concrete atrocities like McMahon Hall, a dormitory.

By the time we got back to the car, it was close to 3 o’clock and everyone was starving. We’d brought some hearty snacks. All we needed was a place to ear. We headed to Green Lake Park. The lake was formed over 50,000 years ago by the Vashon Glacial Ice Sheet, which also formed Puget Sound and other area lakes. Today, the lake is a popular place for rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and sailing… and in the surrounding park, walking, running, biking, skating, picnicking, and day dreaming.

Our next stop was Fremont, considered the “Center of the Universe,” and undoubtedly an eclectic neighborhood with a huge troll clutching a VW bug under a bridge, status of Lenin, circa 1950 rocket fuselage, two life-size dinosaur topiaries, and a multitude of other strange landmark and funky shops.

Fremont, which is located along the Fremont Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, is also the home to Adobe Systems’ and Google’s Seattle offices, and other trendy companies, including, Theo’s Chocolate!

We didn’t have time for a tour of their factory of magical smells and delectable treats, but visited the retail store next door, sampling many types of chocolates, including slightly bitter cocoa nibs. I can’t believe how many types of chocolate bars they offer, including toasted coconut, salted almond, cherry almond, orange, mint, spicy chili, 70% and 85% dark chocolate, and varieties of milk chocolate, along with honey saffron caramel, pink salted vanilla caramel, and ghost chili salted caramel. We bought six chocolate bars from their fantasy flavor collection: Coconut curry, hazelnut crunch, and of course, coffee. Also in the collection is chai tea (awful), bread and chocolate (why), and fig, fennel & almond (gasp).

Satiated with chocolate, with headed to Northgate Mall to Rich’s favorite food emporium, Red Robin. Because we it was still early afternoon, we wandered around the mall for a bit, and then settled into a booth at Red Robin for gluttony, capped with a birthday sundae and really bad singing by Red Robin waiters.

Our final stop of the evening was Jet City Improv to see their 8 o’clock show. I’ve been several times to Comedy Sportz in Portland, Oregon, and was expecting the same level of improv, but was disappointed. Certain aspects of the show were good, but others fell very flat.

The best part was when they invited the people celebrating their birthdays onto the stage. Rich begrudgingly went up, but had an enjoyable time shouting out recommendations like “oysters.” I snapped a bunch of pictures of him on stage.

A Warm-Up to Dim Sum

Sunday morning, we had a light breakfast of fruit and yoghurt because we were heading downtown to have dim sum in Chinatown at noon. Even though it was sunny outside, the morning was brisk. We parked in Chinatown, and then meander down to the water front; stopped a few times to look for geocaches near the Smith Tower and Ivar’s on the waterfront.

We also zipped into the train station, which is still being refurbished and will be gorgeous when returned to its original splendor. A sunny Sunday morning in Seattle, weaving between the new and historical buildings can be so rewarding. The only negative was seeing the long line of homeless and indigent people lining up in anticipation of a soup kitchen opening at noon.

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Sunday Sightseeing
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We met Randy, Stacey and Chris’ cousin and a dentist in Bellevue, and professor of dentistry at University of Washington, at Jade Garden in Chinatown. Also joining us was Randy’s friend Mike, who is a super exuberant, fun person. We spent several hours nibbling on dim sum, telling stories, and laughing. It was a glorious visit!

We then did popped into couple of shops in Chinatown before Chris and Shawnie headed back to Camas, and Stacey, Rich and I zipped back to Kirkland to do a little yard work before washing up and attending a choral performance at Temple B’Nai Torah in Bellevue.

The music was very uplifting, and nice conclusion to a very busy weekend.

The Celebrations Continued

Monday I went to work while Rich and Stacey cruised around Lake Union and through the Fremont Cut in the P/V Goldfish — our yellow Hobby Cat two-person, kayak, which is propelled by pedals making it a “pedal vessel.”

Stacey stayed in downtown Seattle, where she spent the rest of the day, along with Tuesday and Wednesday, visiting with friends. Wednesday evening, we met her downtown, and ate at the Pike Place Bar & Grill, and then went to the Can Can.

Rich and I have eaten at Pike Place Bar & Grill before. I relished my macaroni & cheese with garlic bread, and Rich and Stacey had fish (halibut) and chips. Nothing to write home about, but certainly convenient with a great view of Pike’s Market and the surrounding area.

The Can Can is a fun, affordable, cleansing get-away. Being so close to the stage it’s easy to get immersed in the show, forgetting about work, chores, and other anxieties, which tiptoe into one’s mind, becoming pests and disrupting one’s ability to simply “chill.”

The performers in the Can Can might get a bit chilly, scantily dresses, but they’re hot and sassy on staging, dancing, lip-syncing, and parodying. All of them are outstanding dancers. One of my favorite was a slender man who came out in black slacks with an orange, long-sleeved shirt, wearing a huge horse head. He was lyrical to watch. His hands and movements were elegant, controlled, and mesmerizing.

Fuschia Foxx, a woman of breathtaking beauty, came out in roller skates, wearing a traditional can-can outfit. Her movements and doll-like appearance reminded me of the ballet Coppelia. Later, she did two belly-dancing routines, which were enchanting from the costumes to her facial movements and rhythmic dancing. Here’s another video of her.

I’m glad Rich was able to spend his birthday weekend and week with Stacey, Chris, and Shawnie, and also enjoyed outside weather, entertainment, and his favorite foods.

Staycation to Celebrate my Birthday

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by rajalary in Seattle, Travel

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Emerald Country Carriages, Julie Lary, Olympic Sculpture Park, rajalary, Rich Lary, Seattle Aquarium, Sky City Restaurant, Space Needle, Waterfront Marriot

Secrets Unraveled

For the past month or so, Rich has been planning a surprise weekend get-away to celebrate my birthday. He said that I’d be told what to bring, and nothing further.

Sure enough, Saturday morning, I was instructed to pack comfortable and “nice” clothing along with a jacket in case it got cold. Indecisive and uninformed as to whether we’d be taking a ferry to an island, staying in a hotel, pitching a tent, or staying in the motorhome, I packed for every possible scenario, taking three times more clothing than I could possibly need.

I first I thought we were heading to the freeway, but then it occurred to me Rich was driving to Shari’s, one of his favorite places for breakfast, and a Pacific Northwest chain. He ordered his customary fajita chicken omelet, and I opted for my usual eggs benedict with fruit. One can never have too many goopy eggs sopped up with bits of soggy English muffin.

Back in the car, Rich plugged in the GPS, which indicated our next destination was just 21-minutes away. I guessed we were either going to downtown Kirkland or Bellevue. Rich said I was wrong as we headed down the freeway Seattle. He also commented that he may have “input a waypoint into the GPS to throw me off track.”

I was still in the dark when we parked in a garage by the Bell Harbor Marina, and the terminal where the cruise ships dock. As we walked along the water front, Rich seemed a bit distressed. A light bulb went off in my head.

A few weeks earlier, Rich had commented we should use the coupons in our Entertainment Book. “Are we going to the Seattle Aquarium,” I inquired.

“Yes.”

“Well, we’re heading the wrong direction,” I snickered, smiling shamelessly.

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Seattle Aquarium
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I’d never been to the aquarium so I was pleased with Rich’s decision to use the two-for-one coupon. Unfortunately, the aquarium, in my opinion, didn’t live up to its fanfare. Although, I did enjoy tormenting starfish, urchins, sea cucumbers, and anemones in the petting tanks, and it was fun to see the tropical fish (reminded me of snorkeling in the British Virgin Islands). And I’m always amazing by seahorses. They seem too fantastical to be real.

I was thinking about why I’m usually disappointed by aquariums and I came to the conclusion that it takes only a few minutes to watch twenty different species of fish swimming in a tank. At a zoo, however, it takes considerably longer and is more engaging to see twenty different animals, stopping at each exhibit, reading the signs, and observing the animals’ behavior.

Relishing the Waterfront

When we left the aquarium, the sun was shining bright, making it very pleasant to walk along the waterfront. We stopped to watch a cat scamper up a tree after a bird. The cat was owned by an elderly man who was associated with the First Nation wood carvers, who have a small area near the Seattle Center where they’re carving several totem poles. We spoke with the man for a while, mostly about the tenacity of cats.

Still full from breakfast, we decided to take a walk before Rich’s next planned activity, lunch at The Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar. We headed to SoDo (South of Downtown), which has many very old, but elegant buildings, along with funky shops and restaurants. We turned down a narrow alley, which was blocked by a large horse trailer. In the adjacent warehouse was a huge Percheron horse, a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France.

After doing a little research, I figured out the horse, Major, belongs to Phyllis Eide, owner of Emerald Country Carriages in Redmond. Standing 18.1 hands high and weighing 2,200 pounds, Major is one of the largest carriage horses in Seattle.

Because Major’s stable mate, Troy, a Shire/Percheron, wasn’t working that day, he was rather perturbed. He kept neighing and assertively pulling on his rope. Nevertheless, I got to pet him, and was given two carrots, which he noisily slurped up, barely pausing to chew before he swallowed.

Rich, meanwhile, stood outside the warehouse, nervously wringing his hands, convinced at any moment I was going to be clomped on or pushed over by the giant horse. He’s not overjoyed with my adoration for draft horses. I’m a bit scared of horses, but fearless when it comes to rushing up to a Clydesdale, Percheron or Shire.

After petting Major, we stopped in several upscale furniture stores that line Western Avenue. With seven cats, the idea of investing in new furniture is ridiculous. Aside from their claws, our cats are shedding machines, their fur ranging from black (Jujube) to white (Lila), and from short (Pu’Yi) to long (Zephyra).

Our appetites whet, we headed to the kitsch and touristy Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar. I was mostly interested in eating the Alaskan Sourdough Bakery bread with whipped butter. Sourdough bread can be so wickedly good!

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Seattle Scenes
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I also nibbled on salad, sautéed chicken breast, broccoli, and rice pilaf. Yes, I know it was a fish restaurant, but I ages ago I read an article, which inferred the freshest fish tends to be on served on Mondays. By the weekend, the fish that was delivered earlier in the week starts to get slimy and old.

I was going to get the swordfish, but know it’s full of mercury. Rich says they won’t serve a fish that was full of mercury, but “hello,” all swordfish is full of mercury! And halibut contains worms. And I can make salmon at home… you get the idea.

Rich had a pasta dish with bits of seafood. It was tasty, but very rich with lots of cream. I was surprised when he pushed back his plate, having eaten only half of it. We’re not used to eating (and digesting) rich foods.

The best part about lunch was the view! Located at the end of Pier 57, the restaurants affords views of Mount Rainer, The Olympics, Elliott Bay, downtown Seattle, ferries going to the islands, and a construction crane building a pier to hold a 175-foot high Ferris wheel, which will open in a few months.

The wheel will have 41 enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas, and cost $12 to $15 per ride!

A Room with a View

With the weather getting warmer by the moment, Rich announced our next stop was the Olympic Sculpture Park, at the far end of the waterfront. We meandered, stopping to see a sculpture contest, watch boats go in-and-out of Bell Harbor Marina, and admire the wealth of people, kids, and dogs enjoying the yellow orb, which occasionally appears from behind Seattle’s overcast skies.

As we walked past the Marriot Waterfront, Rich commented we should go inside. I found his request rather strange because we NEVER go inside fancy hotels! Nevertheless, I was in “follow-mode” and was happy to see a very attractive, large glass sculpture in the lobby, which I immediately started photographing.

Peering through the lens of my camera, I noticed Rich was standing in line at the registration desk. Sure enough, he had made a reservation for a room with a view of the waterfront. Sneaky. Sneaky!

Our room, on the third floor, was amazing with a sizable balcony, king-sized bed, and all of the luxuries you’d find in a 4-star hotel!

Because our room wasn’t ready, we continued our stroll to the Olympic Sculpture Park. One of the nicest features of the park, aside from the many meandering trails, swatches of deep green grass, and dramatic sculptures, are red, metal chairs. There are a couple dozen scattered around the park. You can grab a couple and move them to where you’d like to sit.

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Seattle Waterfront Marriot
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Throughout the park, you can see people sitting in these red chairs, becoming like the sculptures, part of the artwork.

It’s a very pleasant experience… and presented a perfect opportunity to snap another one of our “famous” self-portraits.

After checking into our room, and with several hours of light left, we trotted down to Pike’s Market. I wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers, but they were mostly composed of tulips and daffodils, both of which I’m growing in my own garden. Instead, we looked at the produce, bought two plums to nibble on, wandered among the stores, saw the famous “gum wall,” and then on the way back to the Marriot, purchased wafer cookies and chocolates at World Market.

The only negative of the day was twice bumping into tables staffed by Lyndon LaRouche (LaRouche PAC) cuckoos that had posters of President Obama with a Hitler mustache, and the inferences that he’s going to start World War III.

I lost my cool when I initially saw them at a table near the Seattle Aquarium. I pointed out Obama’s policies weren’t even close to Hitler’s determination to take over countries, kill people, and dominate the world. Another set of crazies had set up a table by Pike’s Market. This time, only Rich approached them, trying to determine how they’d arrived at their misguided points-of-view. They claimed several retired US generals said Obama is planning to attack Iran. Then they had the gall to ask Rich to give them some money.

This week, I listened to LaRouche the ludicrous, who was imprisoned for six years’ because of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tax code violations. He said that President Obama is mentally incompetent and a British agent who gets his order from Britain (British Empire conspiracy). Oh yeah, I forgot, Bozo Bush, the village idiot was brilliant free-thinker, and not a puppet of the ruthless, heartless (he had to get a new heart because his shrived away) hawkish Dick Cheney.

Steam comes out of my ears even now, typing this account of the encounter with the LaRouche lunatics.

On Saturday night, for dinner, Rich had originally planned for us to eat at a snazzy restaurant at the Westin Hotel, but I opted for more simple and affordable food at Romio’s, a pizza and pasta joint a few blocks from the Marriot. We had a splendid meal, eating half, and bringing the rest back to our room, where there was a refrigerator (We had the rest of the food on Sunday and Monday evenings).

At Romio’s, we both had huge salads and split some dolmates (stuff grape leaves). Rich then had a few bites of fettuccini with shrimp in a sauce that was half alfredo and half marinara sauce, and I had some scrumptious tortellini with black olives, artichoke hearts, capers, and feta in a pesto sauce. We then asked for doggie bags, and happily tottered back to the Marriot to watch a little TV and enjoy the view from our balcony before conking out.

Table with a Revolving View

The next morning, Rich insisted we leave the Marriot by 9 a.m., saying we had to be at our next destination by 10 a.m. He also instructed me to put on nice clothes. After loading our suitcase in the car, we head north to the Seattle Center. Rich had made reservations to have brunch at the Sky City Restaurant, at the top of the Space Needle.

While waiting to enter the Space Needle, we bumped into two women we’d seen the night when we shared an elevator. At the time, Rich commented to one that the candy bar she was eating looked good. She reached into her coat and handed us two mini Three Musketeer bars!

The next morning, we talked to them briefly, laughing at the unlikely coincidence of seeing them the night before. They were visiting from Portland, and like us, waiting to get into the Space Needle.

Inside the Space Needle, we took an elevator to the observation deck. It was amazingly clear, perfect for taking pictures.

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Space Needle
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We then walked a short flight of stairs up to the restaurant, and were seated by a window where we could watch Seattle slowly spin by, as the restaurant rotated 360-degrees, every 47 minutes. The brunch consisted of three courses: Appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Rich has clam chowder soup with razor clams and bacon, followed by poached salmon with Chinese broccoli, roasted potatoes, pomegranate seeds, and a lemony sauce.

I had tomato bisque with a mini grilled cheese “bite,” egg benedict with crab cakes and breakfast potatoes. We both had apple/cranberry cobbler for dessert with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. We were also served a selection of sweet breads. I had lemon, and Rich chose pumpkin.

The food was very elegant and good, so good that I decided to eat half of my main course and bring the rest home… which I ate for dinner.

After brunch, Rich wanted to go to a home improvement show at the Seattle Convention Center, but parking was a challenge, and the fabulous weather beckoned us home. I spent the rest of the afternoon gardening, planting dahlia bulbs, racking up leaves, pulling weeds, and wonder when my spring bulb are going to bloom.

Check out the pictures from my very memorable and thoroughly enjoyable birthday weekend.

Seattle Long Ago

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by rajalary in Seattle

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Julie Lary, rajalary, Seattle World's Fair

In December, I found a notebook of slides at my mother’s house. I thought she’d thrown away most of the slides and pictures she’d taken over the years, including those from my brother’s and my childhood. But among the handful of books she hadn’t given to Goodwill was a grungy green notebook with plastic sleeves of slides.

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Seattle World’s Fair
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Years ago, Rich had purchased a scanner with a plastic sleeve, which lets you scan a dozen slides at once. As a surprise, he scanned in a couple of the slides from the grungy green notebook. They must have been taken during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 when my parents drove up from California.  Here are a couple of my favorite:

Kayaking Across Alki

13 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by rajalary in Hobbies, Seattle

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During the Labor Day weekend, we loaded our Hobby Cat kayak onto the car and headed to Alki Beach, the westernmost point in West Seattle. It was early in the morning so we got a parking spot across from a launch ramp and easily carried the kayak into the water.

It took us about an hour to pedal across the Sound to downtown Seattle. Along the way, we passed the container shipping facilities and waved to several ferries, gliding to and from Bainbridge and Vashon Islands.

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Our kayak
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We went as far as Discovery Park, before we made the journey across the water, back to Alki.

Hopefully, we’ll have a couple more sunny weekends so we can see other parts of Seattle from our kayak!

Weightlessness

05 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by rajalary in Seattle

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After visiting the Museum of Flight, several weeks ago, Rich and I headed across Boeing Field to Helicopters Northwest. Through Groupon, we’d purchased a thirty minute flight around downtown Seattle. Rich, however, asked if the pilot would fly us over Bainbridge Island, where we hope to move in the coming years.

Unfortunately, the flight was in the late afternoon, which had grown hazy and unusually hot. The latter was a “good thing” because the pilot removed the door on

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Helicopter Ride
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his side of the helicopter, cooling off the interior and providing an unobstructed view out the right-hand side of the helicopter.

I saw in the front with a digital camera; Rich was in back with a camcorder.

It was the second time I’ve been in a helicopter and the experience is akin to being on an amusement ride where gravity is hold you down onto your side or against the side of a spin cylinder. The weightlessness is both soothing and exhilarating.

We became Peter Pan and Wendy soaring over the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, the Sea-Based X-band Radar being pushed back to Alaska by tugboats, powerboat and sailboats cutting across the water, Shilshole Marina, downtown Seattle, and finally, south Seattle and Boeing Field. Even though the helicopter travels at over 110 miles per hour, the only hint of movement is the constant changing of the landscape.

The only drawback of a helicopter is the thrill of the ride ends too quickly.

Rich in Color

28 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by rajalary in Seattle

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The photo editting software I use is called Photoscape. It has amazing capabilities, including making Rich multiple colors. I shot these photos on the day we visited the Flight Museum and took an helicopter ride over Bainbridge Island and downtown Seattle.

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