A relaxing evening down (or up) in the "Flamingo Lounge" with some great cocktails, snacks, and some good jokes. Good thing with the Flamingo is that you can come as you are - as I did today.
I walked out of two days of cleaning out the attic (removing old fiberglass insulation) and straight into the Flamingo. And I wasn't thrown out. There was no bouncer, or a locked door. Just someone yelling from the inside "come on in".
Scott and Daryl; Thanks for a great and relaxing evening. Exactly what I needed after fighting the dust up there!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Great NeighborZ - 1
A house is a place where one park one's "stuff". A home is a place where you live and (hopefully) also enjoy life (and park your stuff). Part of that "enjoying" is having great neighbors - as we do - in multiples.
Just came home from the traditional "Martinka Holiday Party", a longstanding tradition in this part of town. And, as every year, it was an enjoyable evening with friends, brew, and food. All of it great. Fun to see such an eclectic bunch of people in one place.
Just came home from the traditional "Martinka Holiday Party", a longstanding tradition in this part of town. And, as every year, it was an enjoyable evening with friends, brew, and food. All of it great. Fun to see such an eclectic bunch of people in one place.
Monday, December 24, 2007
MiZZing it but finding it!
Christmas (not really a religious holiday) is very important in Sweden. For Americans to really understand how important, one likely have to compare it with Thanksgiving, the big difference that Christmas in Sweden can (during good years) be a two week long holiday - filled with traditional ceremonies (nah, that sounds too serious but you get the idea), tons of food, drinks and desserts. It is a deep rooted celebration to Winter and all good it brings (as long as there's snow of course). The actual Christmas holiday (three days, December 24, 25, and 26) is normally spent over at relatives, but then many take off for the mountains (in Scandinavia, or the Alps), and this "season", Christmas is not rreally ending until January 6, providing for a long extended holiday that started on December 21.
Living far away from one's birthplace and where the rest of the (birth) family resides, sort of takes away some of those traditions, traditions that have been engraved through the hard work of parents and grandparents over the years. You sort of just miss out on them after a while. Missing them when the Christmas season arrives, but still not that badly.
Out of the woodwork pops Magnolia. Born in Portugal, she's spent some years in Sweden and now she's happily married to a Swede up here in the Pacific Northwest.
Even with only little Swedish time under her wings, Magnolia prepares THE BEST Swedish Christmas buffet this side of the Atlantic. Truly amazing (dare I say better than mama's?) for someone that was not born/raised there.
For the 2nd year we had the honor of being invited over to her and Mats' house to "feast", since there is no better description on what they manage to cook up.
Big Thank You guys for a wonderful Christmas eve, with EVERYTHING that could be expected - and more!
Living far away from one's birthplace and where the rest of the (birth) family resides, sort of takes away some of those traditions, traditions that have been engraved through the hard work of parents and grandparents over the years. You sort of just miss out on them after a while. Missing them when the Christmas season arrives, but still not that badly.
Out of the woodwork pops Magnolia. Born in Portugal, she's spent some years in Sweden and now she's happily married to a Swede up here in the Pacific Northwest.
Even with only little Swedish time under her wings, Magnolia prepares THE BEST Swedish Christmas buffet this side of the Atlantic. Truly amazing (dare I say better than mama's?) for someone that was not born/raised there.
For the 2nd year we had the honor of being invited over to her and Mats' house to "feast", since there is no better description on what they manage to cook up.
Big Thank You guys for a wonderful Christmas eve, with EVERYTHING that could be expected - and more!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Traditional ChriZtmas Run
Today was the day when we were going to meet up with wife's old fiancee (recently moved from Detroit to Portland), do some sight seeing and go for a bite to eat.
I had some X-mas errands to run in the morning, and also needed to take the dog for a walk. Met up with wife and Ken around two in the afternoon at the house (after they had had their first encounter in almost ten year to themselves), and we drove down to Brouwers in Fremont, a "Flemish Grand Café". It is a fairly recent addition to the neighborhood, maybe a bit too upscale for some (at least from a "regular Budweiser beer drinker's" standpoint), but this place rocks. Food is excellent, and the selection of beers is outstanding, of course with a heavy lean towards what comes of of the "low countries" (Netherland and Belgium) in Europe. Needless to say, there is neither Miller or Budweiser in sight - truly a good thing.
After a small feast and chat at Brouwers in the company of Susan, who's just returned back from New Jersey, we went out to Ballard and Olsen's Scandinavian Foods, a "must-go" destination this time of year.
With Ken and wife waiting outside with dog (treated with food from passers by and a nearby restaurant), I'm inside picking out the ham, pickled heering, the "sylta", some Norwegian smoked lamb sausage, and the traditional marsipan pigs. Unfortunately, Olsen's is out of Rödkål, so they place a courtesy call up to another Scandinavian outpost in Ballard, Scandinavian Specialties, where they still have plenty (Christmas is not Christmas without Rödkål on the table). We leave that store with a bit more than just Rödkål, but with filled bags, it is sure to be another great Christmas.
It is wonderful that even in this day's changing Ballard (condofication), there's still room for several Scandinavian outpost. And they are not really competitors, they complement each others.
For a regular grocery run, Ballard is far too far of a drive from Kirkland, but this time of year, it is just a given destination!
I had some X-mas errands to run in the morning, and also needed to take the dog for a walk. Met up with wife and Ken around two in the afternoon at the house (after they had had their first encounter in almost ten year to themselves), and we drove down to Brouwers in Fremont, a "Flemish Grand Café". It is a fairly recent addition to the neighborhood, maybe a bit too upscale for some (at least from a "regular Budweiser beer drinker's" standpoint), but this place rocks. Food is excellent, and the selection of beers is outstanding, of course with a heavy lean towards what comes of of the "low countries" (Netherland and Belgium) in Europe. Needless to say, there is neither Miller or Budweiser in sight - truly a good thing.
After a small feast and chat at Brouwers in the company of Susan, who's just returned back from New Jersey, we went out to Ballard and Olsen's Scandinavian Foods, a "must-go" destination this time of year.
With Ken and wife waiting outside with dog (treated with food from passers by and a nearby restaurant), I'm inside picking out the ham, pickled heering, the "sylta", some Norwegian smoked lamb sausage, and the traditional marsipan pigs. Unfortunately, Olsen's is out of Rödkål, so they place a courtesy call up to another Scandinavian outpost in Ballard, Scandinavian Specialties, where they still have plenty (Christmas is not Christmas without Rödkål on the table). We leave that store with a bit more than just Rödkål, but with filled bags, it is sure to be another great Christmas.
It is wonderful that even in this day's changing Ballard (condofication), there's still room for several Scandinavian outpost. And they are not really competitors, they complement each others.
For a regular grocery run, Ballard is far too far of a drive from Kirkland, but this time of year, it is just a given destination!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Christmas Zoo a la 2007 (no "elfing"...)
OK, here's a sneak peak of the 2007 issue of the family Christmas Card. Some of you will get a paper version, some of you will have to settle for the electronic ones here. At least you'll get more of them to enjoy...
Needless to say, putting all these guys in the same frame is not easy. First you have to convince the wife that the "photo thing" is worth while doing, then after a while she thinks it is a great idea and starts to decorate (everything of course outside the frame and not visible), then some hair and make up, and at last one has to chase the animals.
Willow (grey cat) literally hates Louie (big black cat and newest member of family) and just getting those two together in the same room is a chore. White Kiddie is unfortunately slowly dying of old age, and is standing on very shaky legs on the back rest. Add to that that the dogs do not like to have cats "behind" where they (cats) cannot be fully monitored, and you have a "zoo". Still, it came out "OK", with me running over to the camera for every shot...
Merry Christmas everyone!
Ho, Ho, Ho
Beth, Per-Ola, and the "zoo"
(all photos clickable for larger version)
Needless to say, putting all these guys in the same frame is not easy. First you have to convince the wife that the "photo thing" is worth while doing, then after a while she thinks it is a great idea and starts to decorate (everything of course outside the frame and not visible), then some hair and make up, and at last one has to chase the animals.
Willow (grey cat) literally hates Louie (big black cat and newest member of family) and just getting those two together in the same room is a chore. White Kiddie is unfortunately slowly dying of old age, and is standing on very shaky legs on the back rest. Add to that that the dogs do not like to have cats "behind" where they (cats) cannot be fully monitored, and you have a "zoo". Still, it came out "OK", with me running over to the camera for every shot...
Merry Christmas everyone!
Ho, Ho, Ho
Beth, Per-Ola, and the "zoo"
(all photos clickable for larger version)
Monday, December 17, 2007
Not many updates reZently, but keeping busy..
There's not been much movement on this blog recently, but I'm busy running electrical wires, CAT5, coax, and the completion of insulating the new addition.
In parallel also working up on the new "third" floor preparing so that can be insulated properly (most bang for the buck and the biggest indoor comfort factor improvement). Not really fun work since it involves moving around dusty old fiberglass insulation mixed up with sawdust, dry leaves, dust from the roof construction, and the occasional old birds nest and yellow jacket nest.
For more boring details, head over to KirklandZoo is Building.
In parallel also working up on the new "third" floor preparing so that can be insulated properly (most bang for the buck and the biggest indoor comfort factor improvement). Not really fun work since it involves moving around dusty old fiberglass insulation mixed up with sawdust, dry leaves, dust from the roof construction, and the occasional old birds nest and yellow jacket nest.
For more boring details, head over to KirklandZoo is Building.
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