July 18th -- Woke up early and traveled to the Anacortes Ferry to British Columbia. My family mercilessly defeated me at Hearts. Our friend Heather picked us up. She gave us a tour of Victoria. We visited with her family. Corey (her son) made us specialty pizzas. (He works at the Number One Pizza Place in town.) One was "The Canadian" and the other one was his own recipe which he dubbed "The American."
Heather and Alan have a pair of cats, both of which are endlessly entertaining. Alan has built them a Catio. (A patio for cats.)
In honor of our new animal friends we watched Zootopia.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Sun Country - (Summer Day 61)
July 17th - Woke up, ate a sub-par breakfast, listened to the manager argue with a disgruntled customer, and checked out of our room. I'm not in a great mood today. But it was nice to return to the golf course and visit a bit more with assorted relatives.
Cheri and I walked down to the railroad bridge. Jacob, Mackenzie, Emily, and I hit golf balls at the new little driving range. We also stopped by the Club House. I was sad that they don't sell ice cream bars anymore! Boo! (*Wade hates change of any kind*)
All of the second (third?) generation of cousins remind me of the past. It's a good feeling.
Sun Country has changed in enough ways that it doesn't seem as mystical with nostalgia to me anymore. Maybe that's not quite true. The feel of the place still floods me with childhood memories and sensations. But maybe now I've talked about the past too much. Each terrain has a different narrative I retell to myself, and sometimes others, over and over again. It feels like the ghost of a ghost now. But that's not a bad thing.
Watch, tonight I'll have another golf course dream (this is my most common recurring dream, btw), and it'll recharge all of the wonder and foreboding I have for this location.
We left Sun Country around 2:30pm. We made it back to Camano Island around 5pm. I think Mr. Knightley missed human contact. He befowled his cage in protest of our absence!
Cheri and I walked down to the railroad bridge. Jacob, Mackenzie, Emily, and I hit golf balls at the new little driving range. We also stopped by the Club House. I was sad that they don't sell ice cream bars anymore! Boo! (*Wade hates change of any kind*)
All of the second (third?) generation of cousins remind me of the past. It's a good feeling.
Sun Country has changed in enough ways that it doesn't seem as mystical with nostalgia to me anymore. Maybe that's not quite true. The feel of the place still floods me with childhood memories and sensations. But maybe now I've talked about the past too much. Each terrain has a different narrative I retell to myself, and sometimes others, over and over again. It feels like the ghost of a ghost now. But that's not a bad thing.
Watch, tonight I'll have another golf course dream (this is my most common recurring dream, btw), and it'll recharge all of the wonder and foreboding I have for this location.
We left Sun Country around 2:30pm. We made it back to Camano Island around 5pm. I think Mr. Knightley missed human contact. He befowled his cage in protest of our absence!
Warrior Dash (Summer - Day 60)
Well, only thirty more days until I'm back in front of a classroom. Gotta make the most of these days of summer. Today we did just that.
We awoke at the crack of dawn. We drove out Bonney Lake, met up with the rest of the Siler Clan (Cheri's family) and then we ran the Warrior Dash 5K. I wore a fuzzy Viking Hat the whole time.
I wasn't really looking forward to this event, since I'm not an exercise kind of guy, and I just spent the last week sitting around Lake Chelan stuffing my face. To my surprise, I managed to keep up with Emily and Kayla. (Mackenzie and the other teams were far out of my reach, however.)
The last mile felt a lot like Full Metal Jacket. Lots of obstacles. Lots of mud.
After that festival of fitness, we drove to Cle Elum to join the Riach Family gathering. We missed the Float Down the River -- but Jill and her kids got to do that. I had a nice time talking with my cousins and uncles and friends of the family, many of whom I haven't seen in years. I talked with my Great Uncle Wallace about the good ole days, and he told me about my grandmother's childhood years.
It's always dreamlike when I'm at the Sun Country Golf Course. It's the cornerstone of so many childhood memories -- most of them good, certainly not all.
In town, we stayed at an Econo Lodge. Our room was fine, but poor mom got stuck with a smoking room. Pew!
We awoke at the crack of dawn. We drove out Bonney Lake, met up with the rest of the Siler Clan (Cheri's family) and then we ran the Warrior Dash 5K. I wore a fuzzy Viking Hat the whole time.
I wasn't really looking forward to this event, since I'm not an exercise kind of guy, and I just spent the last week sitting around Lake Chelan stuffing my face. To my surprise, I managed to keep up with Emily and Kayla. (Mackenzie and the other teams were far out of my reach, however.)
The last mile felt a lot like Full Metal Jacket. Lots of obstacles. Lots of mud.
After that festival of fitness, we drove to Cle Elum to join the Riach Family gathering. We missed the Float Down the River -- but Jill and her kids got to do that. I had a nice time talking with my cousins and uncles and friends of the family, many of whom I haven't seen in years. I talked with my Great Uncle Wallace about the good ole days, and he told me about my grandmother's childhood years.
It's always dreamlike when I'm at the Sun Country Golf Course. It's the cornerstone of so many childhood memories -- most of them good, certainly not all.
In town, we stayed at an Econo Lodge. Our room was fine, but poor mom got stuck with a smoking room. Pew!
Who You Gonna Call? (Summer - Day 59)
Cheri and I woke up around 8ish. We went to the Barnum Point Inn. The girls were already making their own breakfast. (That's how they roll at this B&B). Mom, the girls, Cheri and I walked up and down the coast. More Bald Eagles at which to gaze. We left the Inn glad to have accomplished a long held day dream. This place will be turned into a nature preserve in the very near future, and there's a good chance the Barnum house will be torn down. So, this might have been our last chance to visit this place.
At Mom's house, I spent the rest of the day reading a new book -- actually it's an old book. I found a collection of Stephen King's Bachman novels for only 55 cents at a second hand store in Stanwood! I also packed for tomorrow's trip to Cle Elum. There's a family reunion (on my mom's side) happening over the next couple of days.
Oh, and since it was July 15th, the girls and I watched the new GHOSTBUSTERS movie. Very fun. An enjoyable reboot -- though I'm not pleased with reboots in general. I was happy all of the haters have been wrong. (At the very least, this is far better than GB2).
We watched it at the Stanwood cinemas -- my third time watching a show here... I wish this little movie house was better loved. It reminds me of the run-down Lynnwood Fourplex from the days of Yore. The Ghostbusters standee had several holes punched into it... showing you the troll mentality of today's movie going public. I can't help but think that it reveals an misogynistic undercurrent. As a father of two strong, intelligent women, I am glad there's a new comedy out there that's showing female characters who love science and adventure.
At Mom's house, I spent the rest of the day reading a new book -- actually it's an old book. I found a collection of Stephen King's Bachman novels for only 55 cents at a second hand store in Stanwood! I also packed for tomorrow's trip to Cle Elum. There's a family reunion (on my mom's side) happening over the next couple of days.
Oh, and since it was July 15th, the girls and I watched the new GHOSTBUSTERS movie. Very fun. An enjoyable reboot -- though I'm not pleased with reboots in general. I was happy all of the haters have been wrong. (At the very least, this is far better than GB2).
We watched it at the Stanwood cinemas -- my third time watching a show here... I wish this little movie house was better loved. It reminds me of the run-down Lynnwood Fourplex from the days of Yore. The Ghostbusters standee had several holes punched into it... showing you the troll mentality of today's movie going public. I can't help but think that it reveals an misogynistic undercurrent. As a father of two strong, intelligent women, I am glad there's a new comedy out there that's showing female characters who love science and adventure.
Goodbye Lake, Hello Sound (Summer - Day 58)
July 14th: It's always sad to go home after camping, or in our case glamping. We grew accustomed to this place. I suppose a week is a long enough time in which to do nothing but lounge around and eat and play in the lake. But I wasn't sick of it yet. I think I could have gone a few more days.
However, this hasn't been an ideal spot for writing. I haven't been able to hunker down and concentrate, so perhaps it's best we move on to the next sequence of Pacific Northwest adventures.
After we packed up and parted ways, the girls, Cheri and I drove back to Camano Island. We didn't stay at my Mom's house long because she reserved a room at a local bed and breakfast, the Inn at Barnum Point. This is the house that we can see from my mother's front porch. We've always marveled at it, because it's a big house surrounded by lots of land, sea, forest. It seems lonely.
My mom decided we needed to finally go there, mainly to walk to beach and touch a big boulder that is accessible only during very low tides. SPOILER ALERT: We never get to touch the boulder.
The room was large and had an unintentional retro 90s feel. Because of the isolation, the place did have a horror movie setting feel to it. The girls and I kept coming up with scary movie scenarios. Fortunately, none played out.
Maddy joined us after work, and since the cousins were going to be talking all night (and it was going to be a little crowded) Cheri and I decided to head back to the yellow house. But before parting ways for the night, we dined together at the Crow's Nest. Decent fish and chips (aka tater tots).
We also walked along the beach at Barnum Point before nightfall. Lots of Bald Eagles, as expected, be we also happened upon a baby seal. We believe he swam off to be with his mother. At least that's the story I want to read.
However, this hasn't been an ideal spot for writing. I haven't been able to hunker down and concentrate, so perhaps it's best we move on to the next sequence of Pacific Northwest adventures.
After we packed up and parted ways, the girls, Cheri and I drove back to Camano Island. We didn't stay at my Mom's house long because she reserved a room at a local bed and breakfast, the Inn at Barnum Point. This is the house that we can see from my mother's front porch. We've always marveled at it, because it's a big house surrounded by lots of land, sea, forest. It seems lonely.
My mom decided we needed to finally go there, mainly to walk to beach and touch a big boulder that is accessible only during very low tides. SPOILER ALERT: We never get to touch the boulder.
The room was large and had an unintentional retro 90s feel. Because of the isolation, the place did have a horror movie setting feel to it. The girls and I kept coming up with scary movie scenarios. Fortunately, none played out.
Maddy joined us after work, and since the cousins were going to be talking all night (and it was going to be a little crowded) Cheri and I decided to head back to the yellow house. But before parting ways for the night, we dined together at the Crow's Nest. Decent fish and chips (aka tater tots).
We also walked along the beach at Barnum Point before nightfall. Lots of Bald Eagles, as expected, be we also happened upon a baby seal. We believe he swam off to be with his mother. At least that's the story I want to read.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Lake Chelan (Summer - Days 52 thru 57)
We recently returned from a one week stay at a rental house in Lake Chelan, right on the water. I kept a journal during the vacation. Here's a run-down.
July 8th: We arrived at Lake Chelan for our trip within a trip. We are staying at a cool two story house with members of the Siler clan. The drive was about three and a half hours.
There are so many snacks here. It feels like Craft Service. There's so much delicious junk food. We're all going to leave this place with much fatter selves.
July 9th: Well, I suppose what I should do today is work on staging ideas for Around the World in 80 Days.
For the most part, the day consisted of paddle boarding and inner tube rides. I did the latter and Cheri did the former. I've been brainstorming new ideas for a chapter book.
I read a couple more chapters of Doctor Sleep. It's getting very engaging. The rest of the day we've been sitting around snacking.
We watched Cloverfield Lane 10, which I enjoyed until the film's third act. Then it seemed like an expanded
July 10th: We went to Blueberry Hill for breakfast. She returned home afterwards. At the rental house, I read a chapter and then took a nap. The girls played on the paddle boards with their cousins. We watched the movie JAWS.
July 11th: More of the same relaxation. Worked more on my chapter book idea. I also began making a vision board to go with my Wish List.
The snacking continues. Mike (Cheri's brother) fell in the lake while trying to moor the boat.
We watched WE'RE THE MILLERS... But halfway through I went to bed. I finished reading Doctor Sleep.
Oh, I forgot to mention, we won Goldie Awards! Cheri earned one for Hello Dolly, as did Mackenzie for her lighting design. I won best supporting actor for Bullshot Crummond.
July 12th: Yet another day in paradise. THis one seemed to fly by the fastest. Worked on the chapter book (it's about bugs). I finally broke down and checked my email on Cheri's phone. Eldridge Plays said they would like to send me a contract for "Director's Nightmare!"
Most of my creative efforts focused on the vision board. More cousins arrived today. NEw blood! We've been playing lots of Hearts, and this evening the kids played a heated game of Risk.
Mike took the grown ups on a boat ride to look at the beautiful homes along the lake.
July 13th: Our last full day at the lake was a good one. The water was so calm, standing upright on the paddle boards was easy! Cheri and I went out on the water twice. Just about everyone except me went out on the inner tube. I believe all of the teens jumped off the diving board at least once.
At night, we watched Best in Show, then organized our stuff before going to bed.
We survived the week! And I believe fun was had by all.
July 8th: We arrived at Lake Chelan for our trip within a trip. We are staying at a cool two story house with members of the Siler clan. The drive was about three and a half hours.
There are so many snacks here. It feels like Craft Service. There's so much delicious junk food. We're all going to leave this place with much fatter selves.
July 9th: Well, I suppose what I should do today is work on staging ideas for Around the World in 80 Days.
For the most part, the day consisted of paddle boarding and inner tube rides. I did the latter and Cheri did the former. I've been brainstorming new ideas for a chapter book.
I read a couple more chapters of Doctor Sleep. It's getting very engaging. The rest of the day we've been sitting around snacking.
We watched Cloverfield Lane 10, which I enjoyed until the film's third act. Then it seemed like an expanded
July 10th: We went to Blueberry Hill for breakfast. She returned home afterwards. At the rental house, I read a chapter and then took a nap. The girls played on the paddle boards with their cousins. We watched the movie JAWS.
July 11th: More of the same relaxation. Worked more on my chapter book idea. I also began making a vision board to go with my Wish List.
The snacking continues. Mike (Cheri's brother) fell in the lake while trying to moor the boat.
We watched WE'RE THE MILLERS... But halfway through I went to bed. I finished reading Doctor Sleep.
Oh, I forgot to mention, we won Goldie Awards! Cheri earned one for Hello Dolly, as did Mackenzie for her lighting design. I won best supporting actor for Bullshot Crummond.
July 12th: Yet another day in paradise. THis one seemed to fly by the fastest. Worked on the chapter book (it's about bugs). I finally broke down and checked my email on Cheri's phone. Eldridge Plays said they would like to send me a contract for "Director's Nightmare!"
Most of my creative efforts focused on the vision board. More cousins arrived today. NEw blood! We've been playing lots of Hearts, and this evening the kids played a heated game of Risk.
Mike took the grown ups on a boat ride to look at the beautiful homes along the lake.
July 13th: Our last full day at the lake was a good one. The water was so calm, standing upright on the paddle boards was easy! Cheri and I went out on the water twice. Just about everyone except me went out on the inner tube. I believe all of the teens jumped off the diving board at least once.
At night, we watched Best in Show, then organized our stuff before going to bed.
We survived the week! And I believe fun was had by all.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Wade in Action (Summer - Day 51)
Sometimes I can't take myself anywhere. Even to the kitchen.
If you haven't figured it out yet from this blog, I'm kind of a boring idiot. I do a lot of stuff backwards or just plain wrong. Usually I'm pretty good at faking competence. But today, a series of stupid little things happened. Here's the run down:
#1) I decide to make chicken in the oven. (Based upon Cheri suggestion that I cook dinner, and that the dinner be chicken, and that the oven be used.)
#2) I open up the oven door to see if it is empty -- because my mother sometimes puts a frying pan in the oven. Not sure why she does that, but keeping in mind we are related to each other, perhaps there's no need to ask.
#3) Since I am taller than the oven, I don't have an ideal view -- I don't look all the way back, but it seems that the oven is empty.
#4) I am wrong. There is a frying pan in the oven AND a spatula with a plastic handle.
#5) I type on the computer until my alarm goes off ten minutes later -- the oven should be pre-heated, so it's time to put in the chicken.
#6) I am about to open the oven door when I notice the distinct smell of melted plastic.
#7) I discover toxic smoke and the roasted utensils within. I grab a kitchen towel and carefully remove the 450 degree pan.
#8) One kitchen towel is not enough to constrain the heat of the handle which begins to tell my hand, "Hi there, I would like to burn you."
#9) To avoid a burnt hand, I set the scalding hot frying pan and melted spatula on the doormat.
#10) The door mat (also made of plastic?) melts to the frying pan.
Fun was had by all.
In other news, we are preparing to go glamping at Lake Chelan. Last year we went camping in a tent. This year, we've learned our lessons, and Cheri's family is renting a house right on the water!
By the way, starting tomorrow, there is a good chance that I will be in a land without wireless! So, this blog might be going dark for about seven days! (Since nobody reads this, that's not a big deal, right?)
I finished "The Twilight Cone." Then, I formatted the play, as well as the other one-act (Director's Nightmare). By the end of the day, I sent them off to publishing companies. Snap!
Oh, I almost forgot the best thing that we did today! We went out to Barnum Point, a place that has a Bed and breakfast right on the sound. We have stared out at this blue house for years wondering what it's like. We're going to be staying there next week (since they will be closing up for good this year) and we finally went out o the point. There was at least a dozen bald eagles flying around. Amazing!
If you haven't figured it out yet from this blog, I'm kind of a boring idiot. I do a lot of stuff backwards or just plain wrong. Usually I'm pretty good at faking competence. But today, a series of stupid little things happened. Here's the run down:
#1) I decide to make chicken in the oven. (Based upon Cheri suggestion that I cook dinner, and that the dinner be chicken, and that the oven be used.)
#2) I open up the oven door to see if it is empty -- because my mother sometimes puts a frying pan in the oven. Not sure why she does that, but keeping in mind we are related to each other, perhaps there's no need to ask.
#3) Since I am taller than the oven, I don't have an ideal view -- I don't look all the way back, but it seems that the oven is empty.
#4) I am wrong. There is a frying pan in the oven AND a spatula with a plastic handle.
#5) I type on the computer until my alarm goes off ten minutes later -- the oven should be pre-heated, so it's time to put in the chicken.
#6) I am about to open the oven door when I notice the distinct smell of melted plastic.
#7) I discover toxic smoke and the roasted utensils within. I grab a kitchen towel and carefully remove the 450 degree pan.
#8) One kitchen towel is not enough to constrain the heat of the handle which begins to tell my hand, "Hi there, I would like to burn you."
#9) To avoid a burnt hand, I set the scalding hot frying pan and melted spatula on the doormat.
#10) The door mat (also made of plastic?) melts to the frying pan.
Fun was had by all.
In other news, we are preparing to go glamping at Lake Chelan. Last year we went camping in a tent. This year, we've learned our lessons, and Cheri's family is renting a house right on the water!
By the way, starting tomorrow, there is a good chance that I will be in a land without wireless! So, this blog might be going dark for about seven days! (Since nobody reads this, that's not a big deal, right?)
I finished "The Twilight Cone." Then, I formatted the play, as well as the other one-act (Director's Nightmare). By the end of the day, I sent them off to publishing companies. Snap!
Oh, I almost forgot the best thing that we did today! We went out to Barnum Point, a place that has a Bed and breakfast right on the sound. We have stared out at this blue house for years wondering what it's like. We're going to be staying there next week (since they will be closing up for good this year) and we finally went out o the point. There was at least a dozen bald eagles flying around. Amazing!
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