Holiday Music Online, 24/7

Seattle's "The Mountain" station, 103.7 FM, has launched its 24/7 holiday music channel online. I suspect it's similar to the holiday channel I have been enjoying on SIRIUS (for the 3rd year in a row!!). SIRIUS plays a lot of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and some of that other cool lyric-free music.

The Mountain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - it's the best holiday music, available any time - from some of your favorite artists, like U2, Springsteen, Chris Isaak, and more!! Listen to it at work, home, on your Windows-enabled mobile device!

Click to here to launch the player:
http://www.customchannels.net/Players/XMAS_06/Pop/KMTT.htm

Welcome to Snowy Seattle

Sophia is just adorable in her little Santa coat. It's pretty warm, too, altho as it stays cold and if we go out for long, she needs another layer underneath. We test drove her Santa outfit downtown last Friday night. As we get closer to Xmas we will spend more time downtown thrilling the "tourists". CityDog Magazine is holding a special party for 2 and 4-legged friends at the pet-friendly W Hotel on December 13th. We can hardly wait!

We missed work on Tuesday due to the bad road conditions, but Wednesday had us both back out there making money! Steve spent the day in his warm cozy Microsoft office while I walked around a proposed road improvement project on Aurora Avenue North with my boss (between 137th and 145th Streets). We visited several business owners and collected signatures needed to enable surveyors to come out and survey the right-of-way areas to further development of the design to be presented to the business located in this area. This next phase is just south of the section Shoreline just completed.

Following below are several photos taken in the last few days. Enjoy!

Here's a shot with Sophia's hood down. 

Steve thinks Sophia looks cute with her hood up, so you can see the white pom. But it does kind of hide her face. And forget walking around like that - she can barely see and it drives her crazy! 

Hrrmmmm, looks like this shot is a little off center. Otherwise it's a great picture! We're trying to get a good picture for this year's newsletter. 

Sophia investigates the snowy back yard after we take our family "snow photo".  

Tuesday was a snow day! Steve and I stayed home due to Monday night's snow storm. The roads were icy and there were many cars abandoned all over the city (and freeways, highways, shoulders, and on and off ramps). We went for a walk to visit some neighbors. We got all bundled up, but the wind made it even colder! Sophia is wearing a black shirt underneath her pink wool coat since the coat does not cover her chest fully. I am wearing my lambswool cloak from Florence, Italy, and one of the scarves I also bought there. The sun came out just long enough to blind me as we walked home. Steve had the foresight to get his sunglasses from his car before we headed out. It's the first walk Sophia has had since last Friday. 

Our month of rain turned to snow overnight Saturday/Sunday. Our "Christmas tree popsicle" is the tree on the walkway (in a bucket of what is now ice).

Hot off the press...

Next storm could break single-month rain record in Seattle
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, November 29, 2006 · Last updated 8:49 a.m. PT

SEATTLE -- Another storm moving into Washington is forecast to bring snow to Seattle tonight and more rain tomorrow.

It won't take much to break the single-month rain record in the city.

The record is 15.33 inches set in 1933.

The current amount for this month is just seven-hundredths below that at 15.26 inches.

The birdfeeders are VERY busy right now. And we have at least 10 squirrels eating here. As a matter of fact, there are two raccoons up in the crook of the Western red cedar tree outside our living room window as I speak. I think it is the same pair of raccoons that spent a few hours here one evening last summer. 

Sprite's middle name is "relaxed". 

Photo taken on October 29th at my friend Chloe's wedding reception (Golden Gardens Bathhouse) 

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

A field of Grand and Noble fir trees beckon us at the Westover Farm in Maple Valley. We bundlded up (including the dog, with two coats on) sinec it was a windy and cold day. We have never gotten a tree so early before. But since it was one we cut ourselves, it will last longer since it is fresher. The farm owner encouraged us to come early to we could have our choice of the best selection without the massive crowds that come later in December. Our tree is currently a "Christmas tree popsicle" in a bucket of frozen ice out on our back patio.

We finally identify the perfect tree! Steve saws it down quickly and we carry it to the netting station before putting it on the car. 

The MINI, with the bike rack mounted to tie the tree to, is ready to head home! 

Turkey front 

Turkey butt 

November 19th - the sky after a day of stormy rain. 

Of Carousels and Ferris Wheels

Friday we celebrated a day without rain by going downtown to enjoy the holiday lights. We both worked that day and met at home to pick up Sophia and bundle up before heading downtown. We walked around Westlake Park and marveled at the long line waiting to ride the Christmas Carousel. Sponsored by Qwest, proceeds benefit Northwest Center, serving children with delays and developmental disabilities. You can see the spinning blur of the carousel in the photo above. We walked around for an hour and listened to excitied comments and lots of finger pointing in Sophia's direction (you'll see why in the photo below) and enjoyed an evening without rain.

The evening before Thanksgiving Day we went down to Pacific Place to see the new 007 James Bond movie, Casino Roylae. We haven't been to the theater in months! We got there early enough to have dinner at Thai Ginger and to walk across to Nordstrom (the building in the top photo with the big star on it). Nordstrom had a lot of interesting holiday decor out and I had to take a picture. This is a ferris wheel filled with traditional-looking Santas from what appeared to be many countries. Very expensive Santas.

Now perhaps you can see why Sophia was getting so much attention. It was her downtown debut in her Santa coat, complete with hood with white pom on it. You'll be seeing more pictures of her in it, trust me! We stopped to look into Nordstrom's Santa window, complete with long line of tired kids waiting to get their pictures taken (this is at 8 pm! poor little kids). While Santa was between photo sessions he and his elves/helpers noticed Sophia through the glass standing out on the sidewalk and she got a smile out of a very tired St. Nick!

Black Friday: A Holiday Survival Tip from New American Dream

Black Friday is the traditional beginning to “the most wonderful time of the year,” but it’s more of a psychological turning point than a festive kick-off. The malls have already been decked out for weeks in red and green, holiday commercials and catalogs are rampant, and despite the sudden shift into the “official” shopping season, it will be many days before most of the real fun begins. Like many people, I have mixed feelings about this stretch of time when people are expected to shop, decorate, bake, run around, and shop some more.

TIP: I feel it's important to set one goal for yourself before you run around trying to meet anyone else’s expectations. Take a moment to think of just one thing you would most want to change about the way you celebrate, one activity you would really enjoy doing that you never find time for, or some other challenge or initiative you find meaningful. It could be about doing less of something (for example, setting a firm dollar limit on spending, lower than last year) or doing something new (like my coworker, who has pledged to go caroling this year as a way to have fun with her family). Perhaps you’ve thought about volunteering or donating to a local charity, but have never actually followed through—now’s the time! My own goal is to build more quiet time into my December schedule, including dedicated time to do yoga, meditate, and goof off. Today I’ll go through my weekly calendar and make “appointments” like: “6:00-7:00 AM: Wake-Up thru Yoga, Balance Ball, or other Meditation.” Whatever it is that will make a positive difference, try putting it at the top of your checklist instead of vowing to squeeze it in later.

By the way, today is Buy Nothing Day. While I'll be buying more than nothing to get through the season, the symbolism of a day off from shopping can be a meaningful and challenging start to the holiday rush. Learn more at adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/ and check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMhQy9ZikZs for a fun video on Nothing... which might be just what you’re looking for right now.

Cheers and good luck!

Post-Turkey

I have good news on the job front. Steve has a new contract in another Microsoft group beginning on December 1. He will be working in the legal department working on software documentation in compliance with the Department of Justice order in settlement with the European Union. It is for at least 6 months and as all of them, could go blue badge (become an MS employee). However, we are also waiting on the final word for a permanent full-time Technical Writer position at Lynx Medical Systems. Steve had to do a little homework assignment, to give them a sample of what he can do. We’re under the impression that they want to hire him as long as he can prove he can do the work (end-user documentation, not something he has focused on in the past). It’s possible he might get an email over the weekend with a job offer. The salary is 9% less but with the full benefits package of holidays, vacation and sick pay, and 401k too, then it will be equal to or better than what he is getting now.

We had a break in the rain this morning so Sophia and I stopped at Fort Dent Park and took a 45 minute walk – in part to work off that chocolate cake filled with peanut butter mousse in the middle and frosted with chocolate gnauche that my friend Tracy brought for dessert yesterday. I am happy to say my 4 side dishes from Martha all turned out fabulous (although the whipped sweet potatoes topped with caramelized apples could have had less ginger in it). We roasted a 3.5 pound turkey breast, glazed with maple syrup and basted in chicken stock. I did use a Rachael Ray trick with Martha’s stuffing recipe and made “stuffin’ muffins”. You scoop the uncooked stuffing into muffin tins (I used the Texas size…) and bake it. That way it is pre-portioned and has lots of crunchy goodness to it. Good stuffing recipe, too. I am looking forward to eating leftovers and also sharing them with my girlfriend Katie and her husband. This is the last weekend we will be providing a dinner for them since their baby girl was born in the middle of October. I have enjoyed the challenge of planning ahead and making nice meals for Steve and I that I double and take to them the next day.

I am taking a break from work and listening to the holiday music channel on Sirius Satellite Radio (online). We’re going to cut our Xmas tree in the morning. Crazy early, but the tree farmer says we’ll get the best selection and it won’t be as crowded. Oh, Casino Royale, the new James Bond movie, is pretty good!

Recipes:
Chestnut and Apple Stuffing
http://tinyurl.com/y8s7gc

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples
http://tinyurl.com/yfsrbm

Cauliflower Gratin with Endive
http://tinyurl.com/y9zurj

Cranberry and Grape Compote
http://tinyurl.com/yatn54

Winter Warmth Is Here

We've just upgraded from a wasteful fireplace (built in the 60s) to a certified wood stove insert. We have a lot of firewood to burn and we wanted to cut down on how much oil we have to put into our furance each year. Altho we are burning 99% biodiesel this year, it's still expensive. By my calculations, the cost of the stove and installation should pay for itself in oil and electricity savings (from running the furnace) in 2-3 years. (The home improvement is currently financed.)



This is an Avalon stove by Rainier, painted "Rich Metallic Brown". They actually brought the wrong model and we are not able to burn in this stove. We are expecting the correct one on December 8th. We ordered a "cooktop" version, that has a flat cooking area on top. The model pictured here is the model for just heating.

Cool fall evenings make for better group napping

Yellow, orange and red - the colors of autumnal beauty

Sophia's yellow rain jacket helps her blend in and "make like a tree and leave". (River Trail where the Green and Black Rivers meet, Fort Dent Park, Tukwila)

Sophia eyes an airplane flying overhead while she admires the fallen leaves on the Des Moines Creek Trail just south of the airport.

Pun of the day

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time,which produced an impressive set of callouses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him......... (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good).... A super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

outandabout : In the Pineapple Express

The rain bounces hard off the concrete of this on-ramp to I-405. It was 62 degrees today and raining so hard you could barely see!

What is a "Pineapple Express" ?
See http://www.komotv.com/weather/faq/4307577.html

From the Seattle Times
Heavy rains cause nightmare commute, flood worries
By Seattle Times Staff

Western Washington continued to be battered today by a strong storm that has caused flooding, mudslides, and evacuations throughout the region.

Governor Chris Gregoire proclaimed a state of emergency this afternoon in 18 counties due to widespread flooding. The proclamation covers Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum and Whatcom counties.

Snohomish County declared its own a state of emergency and police, firefighters and deputies have spent much of the day rescuing residents from Gold Bar, Sultan and Granite Falls residents who were left stranded by high water.

More wet and rainy weather is expected later in the week, but it doesn't look to be as powerful as this weekend's storm, said Weather Service meteorologist Ted Buehner.

Fall color - altho the leaves are dropping rapidly in the rain and wind of the Pineapple Express! 

On the way to City Hall of Newcastle  

Massage Day at The Dining Dog Cafe and Bakery

Sophia "waits" for the okay command to enjoy her meal at Dining Dog Cafe and Bakery in Edmonds.

Sophia and I had an outing this Sunday to a very unique restaurant called The Dining Dog Cafe and Bakery. Dorothy Moore opened The Dining Dog Cafe & Bakery last December to provide a unique dining experience for your dog! The Dining Dog has a full service menu including Doggie
Cocktails (Sophia had the ChowTini), appetizers ( she chose little bits of hot dog with melted cheese on them), several entrees (Her choice, Swedish Meatballs with Gravy, Kibble and chopped broccoli), and a varied selection from a fancy dessert tray!　　

Human companions can choose to order from a local restaurant for delivery to The Dining Dog. I satisfied myself with a bottled water and a massage!

Sunday's special event was a licensed massage practitioner also licensed for small animal massage. Sophia received a massage, altho she was suspicious of being handled by a stranger like this and was constantly on guard for invasive touch. When the massage headed towards her rear end and got a little too close to her tail, she whipped her head around and looked at her real hard. She thought she was going to get her anal glands expressed and she didn't like it at all!

I've never had a chair massage. I don't think much of them since I am used to getting full body massage as therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. But my massages are now 5 weeks apart (by my choice) and she found I was super tight in my shoulders and neck. So I feel much better today, just after 15 minutes!

More pictures below from our Dining Dog experience. I am planning an IGGY Ambassadors event and fundraiser for Italian greyhound rescue for sometime in January.

Sophia enjoys an entree of Swedish meatballs with gravy, a bit of kibble, and chopped broccoli. She is her mother's daughter - she ate the meatballs first, then the kibble, and left the broccoli. 

Sophia listens to the rustling behind the "magic curtain" at the back of the restaurant. The beeps of the microwave are a dead giveaway for the yummies to come. 

Sophia finishes off her four course meal with a yogurt-dipped biscotti from the dessert tray. 

outandabout : Cavanaugh Pond Natural Area on the Cedar River

The road to Cavanaugh Pond Natural Area is restricted to workers only. Sophia and I walked in to see the pond and river.

I was touring a mobile home for sale for my job (project is a mobiel home park south of the airport, there are several people needing to relocate). And as I was leaving I noticed the road to Cavanaugh Pond. I remember touring this area before, when I trained and volunteered as a Cedar River Naturalist in 2003. It had been raining for a few days, and I had Sophia in the car with me - it was only sprinkling at the time so we stopped to go for a walk!

More pictures below...

More about Cavanaugh Pond
(Courtesy of http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/lands/natural/cavanaugh-pond.htm

Cavanaugh Pond Natural Area is approximately 44 acres in size and consists of four parcels. The site is located on the left bank of the mainstem Cedar River, between River Mile (RM) 5.5 to 7.0. The western boundary of the site is located at approximately 1/4 mile east of Renton’s city limits. The Natural Area is adjacent to the Cedar River Trail and to State Route 169, Renton-Maple Valley Road. Three of the parcels were acquired in 1976; the fourth parcel was purchased in 1990.

The easternmost parcel of the Natural Area includes 14-acre Cavanaugh Pond, the only Class 1 wetland on the Cedar River valley floor. The wetland supports open water, forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent habitats. The dominant vegetation at the site is typical red alder and black cottonwood riparian forest, with dense understory vegetation. The eastern parcel containing Cavanaugh Pond wetland has more open vegetation along an old roadbed to the north and west side of the pond, where ongoing restoration work is directed at controlling invasive species.

Cavanaugh Pond Natural Area supports a variety of habitats from riparian forest to a structurally complex wetland, which provide diverse habitat for fish and wildlife. Cavanaugh Pond is noted for its populations of spawning sockeye salmon. The mainstem Cedar River supports coho salmon, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, and winter steelhead.

The eastern parcel of Cavanaugh Pond Natural Area supports regular use by local foot traffic from the Cedar River Trail and by other local residents. Use is primarily for walking and nature observation, concentrated on the levee road and the area around Cavanaugh Pond. The site is used by public agency staff and volunteers for educational activities in the fall in association with Cedar River salmon educational programs. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) annually install a temporary weir at the site to collect adult sockeye for hatchery production during the fall.

The primary access to the site is on the easternmost parcel of land: 174th Avenue SE provides direct pedestrian access off of SR 169 and the adjacent Cedar River Trail. From the 174th Avenue entrance, a roadbed provides the main trail into the property. The road extends along the top of the river revetment to the western edge of the pond at the Cedar River. Other informal trails may exist at the site, but there is little to no access to the western parts of the property due to dense vegetation and occasional wetlands along the Cedar River Trail.

There is no authorized parking at the site; parking on the east edge of the site is owned by the Riverbend Mobile Home Park and parking for Natural Area use is not allowed (except under special arrangement during fall salmon education events).

Sophia spies something in the brush during our walk to Cavanaugh Pond on the Cedar River.

Workers keep the fish weir clear of leaves and other debris (inluding an occasional dead salmon)

A view of the Cedar River from Cavanaugh Pond landing.