Zelebrate in a ZeaPlane

This day showed how nice it is to have friends around.

Best Neighbor - and friend - called and asked if I was interested in getting up in a SeaPlane for a ride over Seattle and Puget Sound for my birthday. When offered like that, a fun event and great company, it's hard to say no!

No idea how many hundred times I've flown in to Seattle, many times coming in straight over our house, across Lake Washington, and then a nice descent just east of downtown. The views are spectacular. Just as they are when taking off to the SouthEast and passing along the SW flanks of Mt Rainier.

How different can it be from a SeaPlane? Turns out a lot!

We met at Kenmore Air's "terminal" at the SW corner of Lake Union. I've been here many times when out in the boat, amazed that the SeaPlane pilots always manage to find a strip to land on or take off from as they come and go (they've got a hectic schedule during the summer). This on one of the busier lakes in the nation, massive number of powerboats, kayaks, yachts, sailboats, ships, and all other traffic on Lake Union. Today, it was our turn to find out, sort of from "above", if we could take off in the midst of it all.

As we waited for our flight, we managed to sneak over to Starbucks for a little "wake me up", it was after all only late morning.

The Seaplane was fairly large, 9 passenger seats, and then one for the "co-pilot" (in this case Tanner). Pilot puttered out a little bit to the east, past the little sail race, and pulled the throttle. For being a single engine propeller plane, it was still fairly quiet onboard, ever under full throttle. Not as much of a "tin can" feeling as the smaller private single engine planes I've flown before. Up on a plane and shortly thereafter, up in the air. As I seen so many times from below, pilot took us to the NW above the ship canal and Fremont/Ballard. Pretty view over Queen Anne Hill, and even better over Discovery Park and Magnolia. A long loop down over Elliot Bay, rubbing shoulders with the high-rises in downtown and then over Seattle and out over Lake Washington. Flying by "home", can see it "down there" even though I was on the wrong side of the plane. Across the lake again and on out over Northgate (the mall is massive!) and a new loop over Ballard and Wallingford. A couple of really nice views over the zoo, back out over Lake Washington again and then looping around over the SR-520 bridge to prepare for descent and landing on Lake Union.

Even though the ride was pretty short (~30 minutes) it really gave a great sampling of "everything Seattle"; all the major neighborhoods, the views - only better, the lakes and the sound. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is not afraid of heights!

Back on the "ground" and ashore, time for lunch. John decided to drag us up on Capitol Hill for a brew and a bite to eat. Very good fish&chips and ever better OktoberFest brew.

During our "fun" daytime activities, wife was home studying for her test. She was "allowed" to join us for the evening though. John&Jan had planned dinner at one of their favorite watering holes, "Purple Cafe" in Woodinville. As soon as I see goat cheese, polenta, and meat on the menu (not necessarily eaten together), I know I will not leave a place hungry! Not the case tonight either.

As always, an evening with good friends, good chat, good food and some good wine, things can not go wrong!

Thanks John&Jan for a wonderful b-day (and wife of course for breakfast in bed and presents).

Zeattle Tunnel?

I'm not an engineer, so my comments here need to be reviewed by experts, nor am I a commuter and use the viaduct on a daily basis. Heck, I don't even live in Seattle. I'm an Eastsider with a love for this region! I "found" it in 1994 and moved here a couple of years later, making the Puget Sound area "home"!

As wonderful as this area is, it is also amazing how hard it is to make "real" decisions on badly needed public projects. Be it mass transit, new roads, schools. Is it something in the air that makes it harder to make decisions here than in other parts of the country (or the world)?

For some $4+ billion we can reclaim our waterfront, just like San Francisco did in the early 90ies. For some $3 billion, we can replace the existing elevated freeway with one that is deemed safer and more modern. Tough choice. Money is needed for a massive amount of public projects in the state, not just along Seattle's once wonderful the water front.

Therefore, why is it so expensive to build a tunnel in Seattle?
Gothenburg, Sweden, just opened up a major underground tunnel along its water front. It is a modern 6-lane traffic tunnel, a bit shorter at about a mile, but it was built for 3.2B SEK (~$450M), or a fraction of the projected cost in Seattle. The first project decision was made in 1991, 1995 the budget was set to 1.8B SEK (~$250M) and the construction phase was to last 4 years. When the construction finally started in 2000, completion was scheduled for fall of 2005. Well, as any large project, it took longer time and turned out to be more expensive. The tunnel finally opened up in June of this year, 6 months late and 400M SEK (~$60M) over (the final) budget. About half he cost increase over the 6 year project is attributed to increases in labor and material costs.
Sweden is NOT an inexpensive place to build in, salaries are high (as are the taxes), and I dare to say that the end result might have a even higher quality than similar projects in the US. So question remains, why so expensive in Seattle?

Gothenburg finally got out of the quagmire of indecision and got its tunnel. Was it worth it? Was the money well spent? I dare to say that the vast majority will love this new tunnel. It gives downtown Gothenburg a chance to reconnect to the waterfront - sounds familiar - and yes at a high cost, but looking back through history, people will instead ask why this was not done earlier! In fact, Gothenburg is now on its way of planning a major "under-the-city-tunnel" for light rail and express trains. It start to sound more like Paris!

I spent a lot of time in Norway in the 70ies and 80ies. Driving through the capital city of Oslo was the same as utilizing the most precious real estate possible; the waterfront! All traffic passed in front of the Akershus Palace, City Hall, effectively cutting off the city from its water - the beautiful and majestic Oslo Fjord.

In the late 80ies and early 90ies, a new tunnel (and a system of toll plazas around the city) was built. This new tunnel is leading traffic essentially the same way we traveled along the waterfront, but now deep UNDER it. Getting rid of the cars changed the city dramatically. What used to be a congested thoroughfare lining an otherwise dead waterfront, has now turned the Norwegian Capital into a "Venice of the North".

The city has been reconnected to the water, there are parks, bars, restaurants, and people walking, enjoying their newfound city. The extremely dull Oslo of the 70ies is no more, thanks in large part to getting rid of the cars from the waterfront.
As a side note, most people also seem to accept the car tolls as something worth paying (about 20% of the toll revenue fund public transportation projects), dramatically changing the initial negative notion since they now actually see they get something in return. It is not just a fee, but a fee that provides something in return!

Hence, Seattle, and Seattleites (it is after all YOUR city) need to dare to be bold. Make a decision that is good not just for the slim pocket book of today, but also for generations to come. Whatever you do, its impact will last at least my life time!

That said, if the city can survive without the viaduct during a long construction phase of a tunnel, the city can probably manage without it all. But then again, I do not use the waterfront for commuting on a daily basis, nor do I rely on goods transported on the Alaskan Way.

But are there alternatives worth to be investigated? Just as an elevated tall bridge has been proposed, one needs to ask if the tunnel does need to be where the viaduct is today? Why can it not be built out of modular concrete sections that are being sunk out in Elliot Bay, essentially placing the route of the tunnel a bit west of its proposed location. Underwater tunnels have been built before. Such a design and location will allow for the Alaskan Way viaduct to be fully "operational" during the vast majority of a tunnel project. Maybe the savings of being able to use the viaduct will justify the added cost for a "true" underwater tunnel.

With the City Council's decision of last Friday, the city has dared to be bold, but also a bit cowardly by putting the final decision - and the political outfall - in the hands of Governor Gregoire. That is not fair!

Free at Lazzt

After wife having "run" Phoebe through glass, resulting in 10+ stitches on her (Phoebe's) rear right paw, multiple headaches for me, a dog needed to be bedbound, although she only wanted to run, dog has finally gotten rid of bandage, stitches and can now be "her own" again.

All that for a lousy morning's run in the wrong park. Folks, don't do it. It is not worth it! A hurt dog is a really painful excercise (for its owner). Try restraining something that only wants to be happy and mobile!

Only in Zeattle

It's already a few official days into the fall. The sun is shining from a clear blue sky and the temperature is more what can be expected in July (a normal July). Out on the boat and decide to pass through the locks and hit the sound, despite the late afternoon.

Drop wife off in downtown (needed to head home early) and swing over to West Seattle to pick up some friends. A little northerly (but warm) breeze gives a bit of a chop heading back north. We check out the Coast Guard in their small, but "loaded" boats "chase" the ferries and the large Crusie ships in and out. It is sort of fun to see this "dance" of these small boats alongside the colosses they are there to protect, but one can not stop to wonder if this is really the best way we spend our tax dollars. Is there a real threat, or are we just led to believe there is one in order to keep the country on its toes, and allow for more of the restrictive measure we are faced with every day.

As we enter Shilshole bay we can see a number of big seals feasting on the abundant salmon population. The seals toss and tear the salmon high into the air, to the excitement of the seagulls overhead. Pretty fascinating to be able to see this "artistry" almost in the middle of a major metropolitan city!

There's a bit of wait for the big lock to fill up, but it is still warm, the sun is slowly setting, and we enjoy the quiet time tied up. Only distraction is some -sshole in a vessel ahead of us who does not have the sanity to turn off his big diesel engine as we wait. He just don't seem to get the "winks" that people are tossing his way.

Well into Lake Union I take my friends down to Blackfish Marine and the little guest dock they have. Time to take the dog for a walk as well, since she has been enjoying the ride so far, but w/o any chance to do her "duty".

Take off again, just the two of us, out on a dark Lake Union. Navigation light on; check!
Despite that, and the late hour, I see, or rather hardly see them. There are still a large number of boats running around w/o any lights. Heck, even the few kayakers that are out are easier to spot than the other (power)boaters. A few of the boats are older, but I did not know that they needed to keep the "antique" (invisible) running lights as well. On a slow and clear evening like this, nothing is likely to happen, but it does not take much; more boats, rain, or a little patch of fog, in order for the situation to get dicey.

If you read this, and have a boat - ANY boat - please check to ensure that you have proper gear for your running lights and that they also work.

Dog and I get through the MontLake Cut and out into Lake Washington. It is dark, really dark, but I scan the horizon, spot only a few boats far away and decide to speed up in order to make it to the dock. Even this late it is amazingly warm. Hard to believe it is almost the end of September.

At the dock dog jumps off and walks around while I tie up the boat. It is so good she no longer, like when she was a puppy, just decides to take off on a venture. Instead she hangs around to ensure "the coast is clear".

All in all, this was just a(nother) great day in the Pacific northwest!

SwediZh Election - a perZpective

After years of social democratic rulers, Sweden has finally gotten a clear election winner that stands for something new. Fredrik Reinfedlt will replace Goran Persson (the mobster) as Sweden's new Premier Minister. The 41-year old Reinfeldt is smart, well articulated, and certainly more "polished" than the man whose seat he'll soon be taking over. None of these qualities will hurt him in his efforts to "restructure" some of the Swedish government provided services (they are great, but like everything they get stale with time and in need of some minor tuning), nor will it hurt him in an international perspective. His wife, Filippa, is the leading lady in the City of Täby, where their party got the majority of the seats and will not need any "partners" to govern this time.
(photo of Fredrik Reinfeldt by Ulrika Vendelbo)

Not so of course on the national level, where Fredric Reinfeldt is forming a coalition goverment based on the "Conservatives" (Moderaterna), the "Liberals" (Folkpartiet), the "ChistianDemocrats" (Kristdemokraterna), and the "Center" (Centerpartiet).

Almost 80% of the elecorate cast a ballot, a good number even with Swedish standards, and Mr. Reinfeldt's party had its best election since the 1920ies.

Democracy is a priviligde and voting should be seen almost as a requirement. I can still not understand the system here in the US. Only a small fraction of the population excercises their right to vote, even less really do spend any time to get educated and informed about what they are voting "for" (or against). In such a system, a people get the politicians they deserve, as is demonstrated by the current government.

Having a system where you need to register to vote is borderline un-democratic. Just the mere fact that you are a citizen, it should also - automatically - grant you the right as well as the ability to vote. Citizens should also acknowledge this right and excercise it. We would be living in a very different country - and world - if people actually did make the effort and went to the polls.

That said, King County is planning to make all elections "absentee" elections. Crazy idea!

"Voting day" is a special day and the walk up to the polling place, chatting with neighbors and friends along the way, is something special. Just putting an envelope in the mail, or worse tap the finger on an electronic "voting machine" just does not make true democracy justice.

On the other hand, local goverment works in many ways better here in the US, or at least in Kirkland where we live. It is easy to get involved, easy to get your voice heard, and you actually CAN make a difference. Maybe City of Kirkland is unique, but if so, it is a good model for how things actually can work!

Around the U.S. in a kayak?

Renata Chlumska, the beau of Goran Kropp, an adventurer who died outside Vantage in the fall of 2002, set out last summer (July 4th) to circumvent the U.S. in a kayak, on bicycle, and on in-lines. All on her own. A crazy feat? Well, maybe not for someone that has made it in to a living doing stuff that others only talk (or dream) about. Renata has done more in the few short years she been part of the "adventure circuit", than most do in a life time.

Today, Renata completed the circumvention by making it back to Seattle and docking along Lake Union's eastern shore. She was greated by an eclectic mix of Swedes, news media, supporters, as well as a few of the friends she met during her almost 15 months in the kayak.

For me it was fun since I ran into Urban Wikstrom, a buddie from the University. I had not seen him in over 16 years. He is still in the adventure business, now making a documentary over Renata's "voyage".

You can read more about Renata's adventures here.

CatExchangeZ...

About three weeks ago, Oskar, my furry Christmas gift of 2000, did not come home. We have had no signs of him since that Monday evening, and my guess is that he was taken by a coyote. Hope it was quick!

Oskar was an indoor/outdoor cat that always came in for the night. We tried when he was young to keep him strictly indoors, but it would just not work. He went nuts! Oskar enjoyed the time outside and was always sitting along the driveway, waiting when we came home, or hiding under the Japanese Maple, stalking the birds.
Although I know some will disagree, I strongly feel cats have a better life - albeit sometimes shorter - if they can enjoy themselves in the outdoors as well. Sometime it is not the length of life that counts, but how it is lived. Oskar lived a good life!

I was not ready for a new cat, any new animal, but today; a day after coming home from MI, hours after starting Nursing School, wife came home with a "box" containing a big black cat, Louie. I should have suspected something when it took five hours to drive the 10 miles from Bellevue to Kirkland.

I gave wife the silent treatment since I did not approve of how (yet another) animal was introduced to this house!

Louie is good cat though. Although it's only been a few hours, he seem to feel at home and has no problems with the dog, 10 times his size, or the other cats! Only the yorkie tries to make a point and cannot sit still when Louie walks down the hallway. This for sure will be an interesting time!

Back to the vet...

Wife is about to leave tomorrow for visit to brother in MI. Decided we'd better take big dog in for a check-up at a different clinic, since foot does not seem to heal. The laceration is deep, pad almost sliced off, and the flesh looks like "cow's tongue" (a delicatessen in many countries). It is not infected and looks healthy, it is just not healing.

Woodinville Veterinary Hospital is staffed by two very seasoned and skilled veterinarians (plus the fact that they a just plain very nice). We normally see Dr. Frey, but this time Dr. Marsh is there to look at the foot. Judgement is given, as he also manages rightfully so to look very concerend. "If nothing is done, this can take two-three months to heal. Everytime she puts her foot down, the two pieces of the pad moves and get no chance to "re-connect". New stitches highly recommended, but that also mean we have to put her down for a while".

We decide to have new stitches put in and manage to get an appointment for tomorrow.

RedHookZoo and run...

During what must have been a week moment at Everyday Athlete, I agreed with wife to run the Super Jock'n Jill half-marathon on LaborDay. I think I really only wanted the cool blue shirt, but I agreed to be signed up as well. Some of you remeber me running a half-marathon in July, only to be beaten by the wife. This time it should be different!

Over the next weeks, wife was training hard. She joined a runner's group, did speed work-outs in midweek, and distance on the weekends. Me? I was tied up digging up the yard - and enjoying the weather. I did not get one mile's training in prior to this "event".

The morning of the event, we also had a silent argument of who was to take the dog out for a walk before we left for the early start. I guess I "won" since I decided to stay in bed for another hour. Hence, wife was like a bee when we finally left to drive over to the start.

It was early, way too early for my taste, but it was later than the (stupid) 7AM start for the last race. We got there w/o problems, parked, and walked over to the start area.

I had been over (for hours) the day and evening prior at a neighbor's Labor Day party. It was fun, and a lot of new faces. Sure, a few beers, but nothing excessive. I also remembered to gulp down some serious amounts of water before going to bed. Despite the early morning, I felt sort of great.

The gun went off and the crowds were on their way. Tried to stay with wife but realized that I had a slightly faster pace this morning. Took mark a a pair running together. They seemed to be keeping a pace that I liked and decided to follow them, only to pass them after appr. 3 miles. At four miles, my pace was still just over 7 minute miles - way too fast. But it felt good so I kept it up.

At six, there was a long and devilish uphill into Bothell, it did good to slow down my pace. I knew how long this race was to be (13 and some miles), but I only had a faint idea of the actual course. After looping through Bothell, we did a number of (unnecessary) loops at the U of W, Bothell Campus. More hills! There's nothing that can kill a runner's mood as fast as "running in circles". Once down FINALLY, on the trail again, I had a very good hunch of how much I had left to run. At the ten mile sign, I stopped to walk a little and fight with opening of the two Clif Gel packages I had been using as "dumbells". I almost expected wife to catch up to me here. She had trained and was in very good shape.

A guy (father) with twins in a runner's stroller had passed me earlier. I was duly impressed over how he could drag his kids around - and keep up such good speed (as well as manage the uphills). Well, out on the flats again he was forced to slow down and I passed him easily. In fact, I passed quite a few people that had sort of glided past me earlier. Looking for the eleven mile sign, but it was nowhere to be seen. Darn, I really needed a time mark. Continue running and suddenly there is the twelve mile sign. OK, only a little more than a mile left. This feels good...

To my big surpise - again - the finish line comes earlier than expected. I do not pass any 13 mile mark as I had anticipated. The race is only 12.89 miles (20.74 km) which in my book is no "full" half-marathon. Sort of a few yards short...

But, checking the time, I pass the line at 1h48m17s. I had not seen wife passing me, could it be that I was really ahead of her all the time. Grab a bottle of water and return quickly to the finish area. As I look for her I see my old colleague Tomas just racing in to the finish line. I beat him? He has trained a lot (at least accoridng to his wife). Just as he passes, I hear my name called out and wife is sitting on the grass, only to point out that my white running shirt is blood stained. I had no idea, but it seems like the synthetic shirt has rubbed my nipples so they started bleeding. Does not hurt, but the bloodspots are more like big splashes. Ok, that was both the first and last time I run in a "non-cotton" shirt.

We moose around in the area, eat some goodies, and look for Tomas and his wife. Meet up with them, chat for a while and enjoy the wonderful weather and setting. Had originally planned to go in to Redhook and have a few beers (rehydrate) but end up heading home for a shower and some rest. All in all a great day (I beat both wife and Tomas...) :-)