The Return of Sugar

Hallelujah. Heard today that Pepsi is coming out with two new Pepsi products and one Mountain Dew product that will contain a blend of cane and beet sugar in place of corn syrup. I sigh happily with fond memories of how soft drinks tasted when I was young. Hopefully, Coke is not far behind (Coca Cola...do you hear me). And yes, they DO taste different. One of my favorite things about a good mexican restaurant with connections to Mexico/central america (like La Cabana del Tio in Clearwater, Florida) is that they will have Coca Cola and Orange Soda brought from Mexico/Central America...I love it! So soon at a Publix, QVC, Genauris, or Vons near you...

More Cool Stuff from my trip to Seattle

Had dinner over Jennie & Aaron's (my niece and her hubby). my brother Bill and Laurie were there, nephew Rob, and the little ones (Laurel, Will, and James). And my "little one" Jason. Jennie made homemade pizza, Bill and Laurie made salad, Jason made dessert, and I....ate. It was great...everyone was in a good mood.

Fun Times While in Seattle

Arbor: Visited Jason's old school, Arbor Schools. Wow...what a walk down memory lane. Great to see Mary O'Brien (and her son Sean who is now student teaching there...wow...last time I saw him he was 16!).

Had lunch with Sensei Randy Holeman from Karate West where Jason and I used to train when we lived in Issaquah. Had a great lunch, getting caught up on all our lives. Randy and Ken Watrous continue to build a wonderful organization at Karate WEst and beyond.

Scenes from a Great Week

Jason and Yaric at Cutter's for Easter lunch

in front of the oystersPike's Place Public Market on a lovely gray Easter Sunday

Jason's new hair gadget, pretty cool

Jason and the Pike's Place Market pig

Our Old House in Mirrormont

Jason and Yaric in front of the old "gnome house" on Mirrormont Lake

Jason and Yaric in Mirrormont

Jason, Peggy Wiggums, and Yaric

Jason and Yaric at Black Diamond Bakery - love those donuts!

On the Waterfront - Yaric (and Jason)

Laurel at the Market

Jason (in his new Hat) and Annette

Jennie, Will and Laurel peer in at the harbor seals

Jennie admiring Elliott Bay

River Otters at the Seattle AQuarium

Do you see the fishies?

Laurel and Will

Laurel keeps on eye out for fishes and splashy ducks

Ka-Pow Ka-Boom

Jason and Yaric flew in yesterday afternoon and we headed straight up to the University District to meet with Aaron (Jennie's Hubby). We were off to the rifle range...boys excited...mom interested. The rain held off and Aaron had ear plugs for all of us...so we were set! It was pretty fun (after I got use to the concussion-making Ka-booms of the guy and his rifle two stands over).n Afterwards we ate at The Ram in University Village. Where Jason had the biggest hamburger I have EVER seen...it came with a knife...a knife inserted into the hamburger like Excalibur in its stone. Should have taken a picture of that burger...but have some good photos of the boys shooting:
Shooting Range: Kenmore Shooting Range: http://www.wcwinc.org/range/indexR.htm Dinner was The Ram: http://www.theram.com/washington/seattle.shtml

The View from the Emerald City

Landed at SeaTac airport in Seattle last night. My first trip back in 3 years and my first long visit in...probably 8 years. Meeting Jason and Yaric today when they fly in from Florida. Really looking forward to our time here.

Stayed near the airport last night at a La Quinta on 188th and Hwy 99. Walked in around 10 pm and realized that I had landed in the land of Gnomes. ? At first I thought it was an anime thing...until I saw the sign...this way to GnomeStock. Capes, leather, pointy hats, more leather, wild hair, forest accoutrements. Of course, this morning the "gnomes" look like...well techie geeks (said with a full measure of affection for techie geeks)...like they could attend Full Sail. Jason would fit right in. Having done some research...there is something called Gnome.com...which is a search engine. maybe the staff? I googled Gnome Stock and only came up with "Gnome Stock ticker applet"...which does not sound like a party invite. And BTW none of these people are short and oddlooking...at least not in morning light!

Other interesting things this morning. Saw on KOMO news, that a farm out east of Seattle, called Friendly Haven, is renting out Easter Chicks. You get a small batch of them for 30 bucks for the week with a 25 deposit. They say no one actually wants the chicks for longer than a week. no kidding. I wonder what the loss rate is? Boy I bet those little chicks have stories to tell back at the barnyard.

This La Quinta is a bit worse for the wear...old building. there wasn't enough room in the eating area so I ate on a couch holding my cereal bowl in my lap (and they were out of hard-boiled eggs). My toilet was running occasionally...but I met the handyman in the hall and he fixed it right away...very pleasant chap. Parking is horrible..they had to give me a parking pass so I could park behind the Denny's next door...sigh. However, it was a reasonable price, clean, and convenient.

Off to costco to buy shampoo!

Saturday in ST. Pete

We visited with Mom today. Tried to get her answering machine working, think it isn’t working with the “ring signal” they use at The Fountains. Always something. Took her for a run to the Publix, got her signed up at the Pharmacy, bit of shopping. And lunch at Ted Peter’s Smoked Fish (who also has killer grilled hot dogs). We sat in the shade on picnic benches and enjoyed cold rootbeer in a mug and hot dogs. It was lovely today…right around 80 with no humidity.

Earlier we drove down to our favorite “manatee” spot on coffee pot bayou. There were 3 manatees coming up to drink at the storm drain. At one point we could see all 3 of them. They are such beautifully sweet creatures. They all had old scars evidencing run-ins with propellers from water craft. But the scars seems to be pretty old…new regulations and signage may be creating a better environment for them.

Green Heron under a dock

Dinner Time

Cosmos - a neighborhood dog


Where'd the manatee go???
Manatee watching

Met with John and Emil at the house. Emil had built a scaffolding so jerry and I could climb up to the second floor for the first time. It was really exciting. They’ve been doing framing inside so we can see our bedrooms, bathroom, and closet. Walls are going up around the upstairs lounge. Views are great. Space is great. Love it, love it. Roofers were there doing the “stuff” that will go under the tile. (pics are up at http://www.annettesspot.blogspot.com/ - the house blog)

Dinner tonight was at the Crab Shack on Gandy…I had my favorite: blue crab claws sautéed in butter and garlic. Jerry had mussels which oddly were soaked in butter? A little unusual and not the best way to show off the mussels. Strange. Good gulf of mexico oysters.

(addendum on Monday)

On my way home to Philly...rain/storm delayed in Tampa. Mome seems to be settling in pretty well given how much is new and hard to remember. She loves her new bed, her view, and her new flat screen LED tv. We had dinner with her last night...took her to a fish and steak restaurant right on the water in st pete beach...she loved that...got to watch a pelican preen itself for the whole time. She said she really believes she's moved to a beach town now (as if her view of the Gulf of Mexico wasn't clue enough!!!)

Manatees at Play

Our house, once its finished, is located one short block from Coffee Pot Bayou in St. Petersburg, Florida. Where 23rd Avenue deadends into Coffee Pot Bayou is a favorite hangout for manatees especially during the “winter” months. They like the warmer waters (because its shallow), the supply of vegetation growing in the bottom of the channel, and the fresh water that discharges out of the storm drain (they like to drink it!). There are often one or two manatees that will lay just below the surface and will very slowly raise to the surface, snuff and snort, and they lower themselves smoothly back down below the surface. This morning there were 2 (we think maybe 3) manatees located just a little further out than we normally see them and they were much more active. They were rolling around, “waving” their tails and little fins, and of course, snorting and snuffing. Playing? Mating? Young un’s. Don’t know…but it was sure a great way to start off the morning

No Children, No Pets

We are renting a small furnished one-bedroom apartment in St. Pete a few blocks from the house we are remodeling. There are about 8 units in two one story buildings that face out onto a small center brick courtyard landscaped with palms and tropical plants. We stayed here last year for a few months when we were working on plans and permitting. From the first time I saw the apartment and the complex there was something familiar about it, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was familiar. Why did it seem I’d been here before?

This week when we were unloading I heard the palms rustle in a stiff wind. And with the rush of the wind, it came to me: ‘no children, no pets’ by Marion Holland, one of my most favorite books from childhood. A peach colored book that I still have nestled on my “favorite” books shelf at home. I don’t remember the whole story but what I do remember is a young boy moving to Florida from somewhere decidedly not Florida and moving into a small “florida” apartment. There is a hurricane and colorful neighbors. It’s the story of the hurricane that I remember…and the sound of the winds through the palms. For years I suspect that book was the only thing I knew about Florida. And now I’m moving to Florida and staying (for now) in a little Florida apartment.

Lunch with Sheriff John

Have you ever had a memory flash triggered by the smell of food or the taste? I’m sure we all have. The other day it was a bacon sandwich that did it for me. We were having lunch with John and Susan at Brophy’s on Snell Island Blvd. I took that first bite of a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich on white bread and in a flash and for an instant I was 7 years old, sitting on our rose colored sofa, eating a bacon sandwich, and watching Sheriff John on TV. When I was 6 and 7 I was sick a lot, allergies, bronchitias, etc. So I was home from school a lot. I spent many days laying on the rose colored sofa in our living room watching cartoons and Sheriff John on our TV in the corner of the room. Mom would make me lunch and bring it to me on a TV tray. So many, many lunches with that handsome, toothsome fellow, Sheriff John (Put another candle on your birthday cake, your birthday cake……).

Ignoring the daily news, St. Pete Celebrates the Festival of States (The Twilight Parade)

For our second year in a row, we went to St. Pete’s (Florida) annual Festival of States parade held each year on a Thursday evening towards the beginning of April. In recent years it has been held the Thursday before the start of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

The evening was delightful with temps in the 70s and breezy. The sky’s few clouds turned pink in the setting sun just before the parade reached us on Beach near Grayl’s Hotel. There was a really good turnout of oldsters and youngsters, dogs in strollers (yes, I said dogs), kids in strollers eating foot long corn dogs, and throngs of people in their beach chairs. Parents stood with their infants and toddlers at their first parade. A “first” memory to build upon as they come back year after year until the “little” ones are big enough to run out into the street to claim one of the mardi gras bead necklaces on their own.

Michael Andretti was the Grand Marshal with his racing team in cars following him including Danica Patrick (one of Jerry’s favorites). The Second Time Arounders (http://www.secondtimearounders.com/) band and drill team performed early in the parade (and in fact was the only band this year…I suspect a time of the economy). Fresh from their Macy Day Parade performance in 2008 the Second Time Arounders boast a rifle corps, baton twirlers, pompom drill team, flagsters, and of course the band…a huge band…there were at least 20 saxophones, 30 trumpets, 8 tubas, etc. etc. And they are good. And it always gives me a lump in my throat to watch them. I don’t know why. I guess because I’m kind of weird about marching bands in the first place and its thrilling to watch a band made up of people who so love band music that despite (or maybe because of) “advanced age” (heehee) they will march, practice, and perform to their hearts content.

Fireworks followed the parade. Parade goers meandered over to the park overlooking the marina and listened to the Second Time Arounders perform while waiting for and then watching the fireworks. Again…I love band music so thought it was a really good addition this year (although listening to Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer played with tubas is a little scary). It was a delightful evening.

Osprey Go Shopping!

Osprey go to Sweetbay Groceries

This evening we were driving around looking for a “fluff and fold” Laundromat (sadly not a successful journey). In South St. Pete along 9th street south (Martin Luther King ) we came upon a Sweetbay grocery store and small strip mall. As we drove in search of the elusive fluff and fold I could hear the high pitched crywarble of an osprey. Quickly rolling down the window I saw one in flight over the parking lot and heard another one cry from the far corner. In short order, we tracked down an active nest with at least one juvenile osprey in a next nestled in the crotch of a tall parking light standard, right in the middle of the parking lot. One parent was perched on an adjacent light and the other circled overhead. Getting ready for bed as the sun set.