tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73489702009-11-23T19:37:22.102-08:00They call me <em>The Universe</em> but really, I'm not that big.bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.comBlogger844125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-80465491582840272222009-11-23T17:13:00.003-08:002009-11-23T17:31:57.930-08:00

Just got back from the grocery store. To the tune of $281 or so. That's with $50 in "savings" from coupons and club card discounts.I would have liked to get a nice, unprocessed turkey, but the choices are slim up here. Did I wish to pay $2.99 for a 22 pounder? No, I did not. So give me the frozen, injected bad boy for $.99/lb. I'd have taken the store brand for $.37/lb., but they were all too

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-36166908416004657062009-11-22T19:10:00.003-08:002009-11-22T19:24:23.783-08:00

Great show last night. After the encore, as we were leaving, I had a chance to chat briefly with Patrice O'Neill, who has joined the group on the departure of Ashley O'Keeffe.I thanked her for having come to Pete last month, and expressed my disappointment that it wasn't a full house. As it happens, she's a Joy Sea Gull too, having been born in Irvington and raised in Laurelton. I told her that

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-30382692743488941432009-11-21T15:11:00.002-08:002009-11-21T15:22:04.943-08:00

Some years ago we were unable to attend an intimate performance by Uncle Bonsai at Andrew Ratshin's house because of a typically nasty windstorm in November. We had no power, and we wouldn't have been able to get across the Hood Canal Bridge because of high winds. And the ferry from Kingston to Edmonds, just north of Seattle, is on the other side of that bridge. Well, all the ferries to the

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-78179515824073764122009-11-20T15:10:00.002-08:002009-11-20T15:42:00.556-08:00

Sunbreak! This afternoon arrived in splendor (if you ignore all the detritus scattered about from the past week of wind storms) with blue skies and a fresh, crisp 48°F. hobbitt began his 2-week-plus vacation today, but he had an appointment with the health department to get the H1N1 flu shot (he's at risk and has orders from our doctor) and possibly the pneumonia shot, so I marched the dogs

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-71763447838551266232009-11-19T22:37:00.001-08:002009-11-20T10:41:10.879-08:00

The bread turned out very good, but with little hint of the Tabasco. Next time I'll up the ante in that regard. But it's slicing beautifully and makes a great sandwich. I went through a bag of bread flour very quickly this time!I think I'll turn my attentions to whole wheat bread now, or maybe some rye. I haven't baked with rye in years.

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-16070280845639444132009-11-18T17:00:00.003-08:002009-11-18T17:07:17.174-08:00

Mrs. P called me early today to recommend we trot the creatures around the block before the big limbs started falling off the alders. Good call!Then what to do with the rest of a rainy, extremely windy afternoon?So I leafed through my beloved Bernard Clayton's Complete Book of Breads, a stained, dog-eared, very-well-used tome, until I found something that appealed to my mood as well as the

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-58720204333329042642009-11-17T19:58:00.002-08:002009-11-17T20:02:16.726-08:00

The storms of the past few days have left us with a newly-sculpted beach contour and lots of woody debris. Add to that a quarter acre of seaweed washed up along with some unfortunate jellyfish and crabs.The beach changes every day. It's easy to see this in the daytime, but at night it can be a bit trickier. Except not tonight. The slope of the beach has changed dramatically since the night before

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-60199711805629621402009-11-16T17:10:00.003-08:002009-11-16T17:15:32.081-08:00

The wind eased up enough this afternoon for Mrs. P and I to walk the dogs a couple of laps around the block. I wouldn't have ventured out earlier, considering the amount of debris flying around.What we failed to consider, however, was how the rain was taking the place of the wind. The brim of my baseball cap made for a remarkable waterfall. The coat I was wearing is not waterproof, nor does it

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-74518879324393259802009-11-15T19:39:00.002-08:002009-11-15T19:51:15.839-08:00

I probably blog a lot about the weather here. So guess what this entry is about?Right now it's very windy - we're expecting 30-40 mph winds with gusts to 60 mph tomorrow. Then it's gonna get really windy. Tomorrow night is supposed to bring 40-50 mph winds with gusts to 70.That should be fun, right? Our fridge is full (we can stay fed), our propane tank is full (we can stay warm and cook on the

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-16945167391742009182009-11-14T23:30:00.000-08:002009-11-15T03:13:46.833-08:00

Yep. Fell asleep in the chair. Knows how to back date the blog. Isn't taking any of your guff.

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-82161256726009685632009-11-13T20:12:00.002-08:002009-11-13T20:16:17.438-08:00

At present I'm trying to figure out how I can visit friends in Chicago, Cleveland/Akron, and Lexington this spring, and whether to drive or fly, and if the latter, how to arrange it (3-legged trip or 3 round trips).It's a conundrum for sure. Right now we're not feeling so flush, after almost a year of reduced pay. So the entire prospect seems far-fetched. If I drive, I'd want to take the older

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-7112235937602175682009-11-12T12:38:00.003-08:002009-11-12T12:49:27.476-08:00

Last night, for the first time ever since living here, I slept with the bedroom windows shut. And I slept like a baby.In truth, it was an oversight. I did all my usual get-ready-for-bed prep, and simply forgot to open the blinds and crank open a couple of windows. Then, of course, I was too lazy to get up again to open them.The room was very cool, as it is most nights, since we turn on the

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-40795980697277532462009-11-11T19:34:00.005-08:002009-11-11T19:38:14.924-08:00

After being unhappily awake until approximately 4:15 a.m. Pacific time:Cleaned up kitchen. Straightened up dining room table and dusted. (Thank you my amazing hobbitt for vacuuming.) Taught a friend how easy it is to bake bread (particularly if you have a honking KitchenAid stand mixer). Gabbed. A lot. Because most of the work of bread baking is waiting around doing nothing.Now tired, achy.

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-84614613573378302402009-11-10T18:18:00.004-08:002009-11-10T18:29:59.304-08:00

We have his'n'her sinks in our master bath. We both use the one straight ahead as you walk into the bathroom. The one on the left is relegated to soaking my houseplants when I water them every six weeks or so. This will factor in to any renovations we ever undertake in the bathroom (and I have dreams, I do!) because as nice as it is to have two sinks, it would also be nice to have more storage

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-14988973396757643242009-11-09T12:55:00.003-08:002009-11-09T13:23:38.412-08:00

I woke this morning to the sounds of a steady wind and lovely rain. It's the most luxurious music I can imagine for sleeping. Doesn't help all that much for dog walks, though.Out back we have three specimen maples - a paperbark, coral bark, and another Japanese maple whose name I do not know. The coral bark was stripped of its leaves in the last wind storm, though its branches positively glow,

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-78186748741776629512009-11-08T18:57:00.003-08:002009-11-08T19:08:09.850-08:00

Chairs have been procured, lecture was attended, and we'd have taken care of our friends' cats if only the key they gave us worked in the lock. I'm still trying to track down someone who might have one. But the cats go outside, and they have gravity feed water and food trays. Mostly what I'd have been doing is scooping the ginormous litter box inside the kitty condo. So I think they'll be okay

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-46451448430045328082009-11-07T20:11:00.003-08:002009-11-07T20:17:03.487-08:00

We headed down to Poulsbo today to see about a new executive chair for hobbitt. He was leaning back in his old one - waaaaay back - in order to get a kiss from me, and the chair just borked. The back side rails actually split just above the seat. It was quite a jolt, though he didn't fall, which was a Very Good Thing.So he found a very nice chair at the office supply store, and yes, it is rather

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-12656742211512984812009-11-06T18:09:00.003-08:002009-11-06T18:18:26.552-08:00

We had quite a wonderful wind storm all day yesterday, with interesting gusts not that far away. I read today that a weather station about 3 miles south of Hurricane Ridge recorded a 105 mph gust! While enjoying lunch with a friend in her second-floor apartment, I was able to enjoy a view of the bay and its whitecaps, and listen to the constant whistling of the high winds against her

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-20521559668063727102009-11-05T00:26:00.002-08:002009-11-05T00:59:46.335-08:00

I am often surprised at the cold-heartedness I find among my circle of friends. And no, I'm not saying they treat others with malice or even disinterest. In truth, I'm sure they'd give me the shirts off their backs.Yet sometimes their words seem mean and ugly to me. This happened today, in a conversation I wasn't participating in, but overhearing anyway. I was shocked at the disrespect I heard

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-74417622542735716522009-11-04T00:46:00.005-08:002009-11-04T01:01:24.779-08:00

It's just been the past few days that Eddie (top, about 15 lbs.) has begun running around again. Zach has always been too quick to chase him, and probably a bit rough when he catches up. Axel (lower, just over 5 lbs.), on the other hand, is a rocket all around the house, up and down the furniture, and clawing his way up either of the two cat trees. And he's figured out that the best time to do

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-36651345416806381872009-11-03T00:23:00.003-08:002009-11-03T00:32:01.416-08:00

Okay, so I've browned meat two nights in a row. Last night, chicken breasts dredged in flour and tossed in shimmering oil. Tonight a 4 lb. roast beast, in oil just beginning to smoke, before roasting it at 225° for 90 minutes, then turning off the oven but leaving the meat inside the oven another 50 minutes. Holy wow yum! But I digress.Both nights I've had the pleasure of watching oily vapor waft

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-38585272723249264232009-11-02T18:17:00.001-08:002009-11-01T20:35:06.046-08:00

Suffice it to say that our dogs are not adjusting well to the time change. They have their own ideas about when they should be fed and walked. But I remember from years past that our own habits change mightily with the stupid clock adjustment. Our night walk with be much earlier, because we can run Zach on the laser pointer any time after 6. At high summer, he won't even get the laser pointer.

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-33417351289270718412009-11-01T01:02:00.002-07:002009-11-01T01:26:22.747-07:00

Change happens slowly at the labs. Recently we rearranged the furniture in our bedroom. The side tables and bureau and chest were found in an upscale consignment shop. We bought our bed from Ikea 15 years ago, in October. The lamps are from hobbitt's bachelor digs. We've wanted to change them out for 20 years, but have never found anything we like - at all - let alone better than these uglies. To

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-10915521164811331272009-10-20T18:23:00.003-07:002009-10-20T18:26:52.444-07:00

The motherboard on my spiffy Dell laptop died on the evening of the 8th. To compound that misery, our cable internet service has been up only about half the time in the past month. I'm about 2/3 of the way to restoring the laptop. I have our finances and my email back - and that's a huge relief for me. I have a clue what's going on with our banking and with meetings and whatnot. Anyway, that's

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348970.post-85906618178657207172009-10-11T14:42:00.002-07:002009-10-11T14:56:12.896-07:00

So hobbitt took off for a well-deserved adventure on Wednesday morning. I'm expecting him to return home on Tuesday evening. We're managing. The dogs are coping with the much-later-than-usual first pee and meal of the day. The cats haven't noticed any significant change from their routine, of course. However, they've shredded one of the honeycomb blinds in the dining room and the night before

bhdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745845682132788731noreply@blogger.com2