10/9/16 Sunday
Susan came down with a slight fever, headache, and yucky this morning. Dolores also wasn't feeling all that great. The day was dismal, cloudy and raining occasionally.
So we all stayed in and hopefully recovered.
Honeygirl cat has taken to lying next to Dolores, on the couch or in the chair.
Pork chops, rice & salad for dinner in.
10/10/16 Monday
Bryant's staying home today (sick) and Susan will be taking care of him. So we won't be doing anything with them.
Dolores is feeling better but still coughing. Outlook for today questionable. So I took a hike up 1st Avenue to a place we'll stay in when things get crowded here in the condo building, the El Gaucho Inn. It's a unique inn, with a strong beef restaurant on the main floor and a mini-theatre below that.
Then things turned upward.
Maureen, a friend of Fran's, invited us to their place around the corner in the condo building. We went there and were just overwhelmed by the hospitality. Her husband Steve is a past IBMer as I am, and we've traveled to some of the places they have.
But they have traveled extensively. They sold the house near San Jose and moved to a 60' boat which they then sailed from the west coast to the Med and back. They've been most places we want to go. We had plenty of things to talk about and we did talk. We arrived at five and didn't leave till nine (apologies, folks). They set the table beautifully and uniquely they have the long table in the living room stretching toward the patio. It works, because everyone sits at table anyway.
And they have the neatest dog, a poodle-golden retriever mix. It doesn't shed, great for a condo, and just a nice animal.
Among many other subjects, Maureen and Steve told us of condo management problems they've had and solutions they've found that might apply to our COA. It was interesting to hear that they had many of the same problems we do. Plus, they told us of some things to avoid.
Afterward we retired to our condo and relaxed. Great day.
10/11/16 Tuesday A few photos
Susan felt a little "off" today but wanted to see us. So at noon we took the RapidRide bus out to Ballard and met her. We walked a different route through Ballard from her intersection to the restaurant.
The restaurant is a small neighborhood place called "Señor Moose".
The day was lovely, the front door was wide open, the smallish restaurant is brilliantly colored. Very inviting. We sat at the front window to look out at passers-by. There is a bar but we chose coffee for some reason. Dolores had a tostada, Susan & I had enchiladas rojas. Excellent food, and great service - very friendly. We could go back here anytime, but happy-hour leading into dinner would be a good choice. Or breakfast. On the way out, I asked how the place got its name - the reply was that it's a long story, but a good story, and that I should ask the question as I enter next time.
We walked to a tableware place so I could get a knife sharpening stone. Ours at home is wearing out (cheap to start with) and this one looks as though it will be good for years.
We told Susan to go home and take a nap in order to feel top-notch again, then took the bus back downtown. Dolores wanted to get a tee-shirt so we went into the market. The tee-shirt was cute and not very expensive but the leather purse she grabbed wasn't cheap. Still, it looks good and should last for years.
We came across a banjo-fiddle busker set in the market that was doing old-timey stuff, quite good. Video here (big file - 70mB, Quiktime format).
We took pictures across the sound because it was clear enough to see the snow atop Mount Olympus (8,000') and a lot of the Olympic range to the west.
Then back to the condo to read, and do computer things, and to feed cats, and to watch workmen outside not doing much with F&D's patio.
10/12/16 Wednesday
Condo cleaning in the afternoon, so we picked up our stuff, took out the trash, and took out the recyclables. We found that we'd obstructed the route to the cat pot when we found cat pee in one suitcase - it must have looked like a pot to them. We trashed the suitcase due to the smell.
We wandered a little bit, then went to Susan's at the start of rush hour. Younger people here are pretty impressive - they offer their seats to the elderly and are quite polite.
We met Bryant at a diner and ordered. They have some odd dishes (they mainly do breakfast) like the one I ordered. It came stacked, circular french toast on the bottom, then ham, then raspberry jam, then more toast then two fried eggs. It was *wonderful*, but so heavy. I might be able to eat one per month.
Back to their place. D asked if they had a small suitcase we could use. Susan said they had one from a time in London when it was cheaper to buy a small suitcase than to ship the extras home. Bryant said no, if we take one we have to take them all. Finally we agreed we'd take two.
Then we filled one of the suitcases with all the goodies we've bought on this trip. For some reason, it's all for little people.
We were going to take a cab home, but Yellow Cab didn't answer. So Susan put the trip on her Lyft account. The young guy showed up, threw the suitcases in the back of a big SUV and took off. He was of middle Eastern descent but spoke fair English. He asked questions the whole way to our condo. But he was very nice and we appreciated the trip.
10/13/16 Thursday
We threw out refrigerated things that were past their dates, then went to Fred Meyer to get fresh stuff. Dolores picked up another thing for Jamie. We started laundry, then went to the PPM for lunch at Ulli's. Ulli makes his own sausages and has a tiny eating area. I had German bratwurst, sauerkraut, and potato salad. D just had a bratwurst sandwich. Very good. We returned to do the sheets & towels and did a last load for ourselves. I picked up the keys to the guest suite and started moving our things down there for the next two days.
Fran sent a note last night from Rome saying all was well, then today another from Newark saying the airport is a disaster - no elevators or escalators working, lounge overflowing, etc. But they'll be fine once they get on the plane.
The weather here is threatening rain and wind for the next three days. Ironic that we avoid a hurricane at home but have to deal with the remnants of Typhoon Songdo over here.
F&D landed at the advertised time. They took a limo to the condo and I used the fob to get them into the garage. Brought in the luggage and told them good-night. They looked like they'd been dragged through a knot-hole backwards after the journey from Rome.
We went to the guest suite and crashed.
10/14/16 Friday
We slept in and lazed about, with no responsibilities for cat. We did a lot of reading and TV.
In the evening, Fran had us come over to the condo. We confused the cats by having all four of their care-takers present at the same time.
We had a glass. Duane was tired and elected to stay in. Fran, Dolores & I went to the Bistro in the Market. It has small dishes of Italian food. We did a couple each with a nice wine and chatted about this and that. Back at the condo, the chatting continued on multiple subjects with more wine until we finally had to go to the guest suite and bed.
Lots of rain today with a few breaks between squalls, but nothing bad.
10/15/16 Saturday A few photos
Moved out of the guest suite and put the suitcases in F&D condo.
We lunched with Susan and Bryant at Pike Place Bar & Grill, up in the air over the market.
Fran & Duane dropped us at the El Gaucho Inn around 1400 on their way to pick up cousin Lynn arriving from Chicago. At 5:30-ish we went back to the Bistro to retrieve the jacket Dolores lett there last night. Still raining.
Then down to F&D's to a wonderful dinner by Fran & Duane. Salad, crab, london broil steak, asparagus, everything done just right. Mucho wine and conversation and laughs. Lots of cat stories, and some playing with the cats.
We caught a Lyft to El Guacho. Driver got stalled by a train and had to retrace his steps and go around it. Bad BNSF.
Then to enjoy El Gaucho and eventually the bed - which has such soft sheets they feel like silk.
