Rainy Days Bring Out the Blue in Olivia
While Eliana was at a birthday party, Olivia stared out the window at the rainy skies. She turned her lips into a frown when we wouldn't let her play outside in the rain, but she cheered up pretty quick when I mentioned something about eating a fruit roll-up.

Party Favors
Eliana was invited to attend a birthday party. After returning home, she insisted we take a picture of some of the party favors:

University of Washington Golf Center
I stopped by the Husky Golf Center at the University of Washington on my way back home from downtown this afternoon. My brother-in-law Matt is the head golf coach there and recently finished the construction of a brand-new state-of-the-art million-dollar golf center on campus. He gave me a personal tour. I was blown away. Check out the video of the UW golf center yourself.

Story Time
We are traveling to Paris next month. To prepare, Kristy rented a dozen or more children's books from the library about life in Paris an has been reading them to the kids on most afternoons.

Restaurant Review: Serious Pie

Without question, the unique characteristic of Serious Pie is the uncharacteristic list of pie toppings: soft egg, dandelion greens, delicata squash? After I glanced over the menu, I decided to go with the special of the day... a pizza topped with venison sausage and caramelized onions. I dined for lunch with a friend and he ordered the roasted chantrelle mushroom and truffle cheese pizza. As a beverage, I ordered up a root beer. My friend ordered up a bottle of cane-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola (Hecho en Mexico). Nice option.

There is only one size of pizza sold at Serious Pie and we were informed each pie is intended to "serve one person", e.g. "personal". But really, each pie is enough to serve 1.5 persons. A single pizza is just a bit too much for 1 person, but too small for two. I failed in my attempt to consume my pizza, it was just too big. Perhaps we should have ordered a salad to share and a pizza to share instead(?)... our neighbors to my immediate left (and by "immediate" I mean they were literally sitting next to us on the same table) ordered a salad and a pizza, both to share. Probably a good way to go for the next visit.

The establishment is a true charcuterie. The venison sausage on my pizza was made on-site and we observed several other sausages, pancetta, and other meats curing behind the counter on the way out. Impressive.

Embed Internet Explorer in Firefox
Now that we have permanently switched to Netflix (and dropped Blockbuster Total Access), we have been enjoying the flexibility of being able to stream movies to the PS3 as well as any computer in our house. The quality of the streaming isn't great (optical discs are in no danger of being replaced any time soon IMHO), but there is no question that the convenience of instantly available TV shows and movies (albeit not the top shelf stuff) is hard not to appreciate. For example, I can strap my laptop to our recumbent bicycle and access Netflix content as I sit and exercise (I just started watching Season 1 of Lost)... it's very nice! The one downside of Netflix on-line is the requirement that Internet Explorer be used. Boo! **hiss**

Enter IE Tab, a plugin for Mozilla/Firefox that embeds Internet Explorer in a Mozilla/Firefox tab. No more need to switch between the browser that I prefer (Firefox) to the browser that is teh sux (Internet Exlorer). I love this plugin. Highly recommended.

Product Review: Netflix
Not long ago, Netflix became available on the PS3. I had been looking forward to its arrival since we bought the PS3 in early 2008. We signed up immediately. In December, we gave Netflix a trial run (and kept our Blockbuster Total Access account active just in case). The cost for the Netflix service is just a bit more than the equivalent Blockbuster plan. It would be the same rate except that Netflix imposes a surcharge for access to Blu-Ray discs (Why?).

The "by mail" service that both Netflix and Blockbuster offer is pretty much exactly the same. The Netflix turnaround times are quite fast... on the order of 3 postal service days. I'm not going to miss driving over to Klahanie to exchange our movies for the free rentals. We'll get just as many movies by mail from Netflix as we would from Blockbuster (we average about 4 per month), so we aren't losing anything there. What we are gaining is the Netflix instant streaming service. It really isn't as great as it could be, but it is good enough. About 95% of the movies available instantly on Netflix are utter crap, but there is still has enough options to keep us entertained. The fact that the streaming is available on both the PS3 and any computer in our house is just icing on the cake. I use this feature all the time.

I do like the web interface at Blockbuster better than the one at Netflix. The advanced search and sorting features at Blockbuster made it very nice to find a lot of movies that I would be interested in. With Netflix there is much more reliance on computer-derived "suggestions" than I would like. Also, why are there not any "search by genre" methods available. When I searched "Christmas" in Netflix, I'm given a list of results of movies whose title includes the word "Christmas". Over at Blockbuster, they just had a "Christmas" genre button I could click and get a list of pretty much every movie pertaining to Christmas under the sun. I could then sort the results based on release date or rating and easily find something to watch. With Netflix, it's an exercise in bashing your head against the wall it seems. I hope this part of the Netflix experience improves... sooner rather than later.

But all in all, we are very pleased with the new service. We terminated our Blockbuster account this month and I doubt we will renew it.

Olivia's "Mouse"
Olivia is a darling little girl... spunky and stubborn, but still darling. One of the "ahhhh shucks" things that she does is mispronounce words in memorable ways; such as when she used to call me "Dan" or how she says "sunkeen" instead of "something". Lately, I have been hijacking the mispronounced words myself and using them in everyday conversation... in good fun mind you, never to tease. Today at the breakfast table:

"Olivia, stop playing at the table. Take sunkeen off your plate and put it in your mouse."

At which point, Berkeley and Eliana look at me and start to laugh while I give everyone a wink.

Olivia's most noticable mispronunciation lately has been her very cute predisposition to pronounce "mouth" as "mouse". Such as:

"Take a bite Olivia."

"But Dad, I still have sunkeen in my mouse!"

or:

"Come over here and let Daddy give you a kiss."

"Okay Daddy, but kiss me on my cheek not on my mouse."

So much fun.

Breakfast in Bed
I spoiled the girls and allowed them to have their breakfast in bed this morning. We have the late-morning/early-afternoon Church block this year (11am-2pm); it's nice to just relax in the morning and soak the day of rest in for a few extra hours before Sunday Service begins.

Movie Review: 9

The Hanging Fruit Roll-Up (Redux)
Ever since this (18 months ago), Olivia has been begging for me to hang a fruit roll-up from the pot rack again. This afternoon she got her wish:

Weekend Getaway
As a kindness and to repay work done on New Year's Day at the Thurmond home, Matt and Kathy are watched our kids while we spent the night at the Hotel Sorrento. Our stay at the Sorrento was very pleasant, quiet, romantic, and luxurious. Yesterday evening we dined at the Hunt Club at the hotel, had dessert at Gelatiamo, and enjoyed a performance at the Symphony. Following the concert, we returned to the Fireside Room and had a small snack of some very cheap yet very scrumptious appetizers from the happy hour menu. We sat near the piano and caught the tail end of a live jazz trio (bass, piano, and vocals).

In the morning, we left the hotel to have breakfast at Le Pichet, a small French bistro on 1st Avenue just north of the Pike Place Market. After breakfast, we had planned on catching an early show of Avatar at the Seattle Cinerama (Seattle's marvelous old-school theater), but instead we drove up near the South Lake Union area to visit the Tesla Motors Seattle Showroom. We took turns taking a Tesla Roadster Sport out for a test drive. Kristy took the test drive first (it is a 2-person coupe), and I went second. The car is insanely fast (0-60 in 3.7 seconds) but I wasn't looking at the speedometer per se, I was more interested in the digital amp meter that showed how many amps were being pulled from the battery pack. I got it up to 693 amps during one street start at an intersection. The acceleration is breakneck. Kristy has been dead set for several months on getting the 5-series-sized Tesla sedan (the Model S) due out in 2012; I think this experience did nothing but cement her resolve to get one. She has a small poster of the Model S taped up on a wall in her office. If the poster featured a scantily-clad swim suit model, then her office decor would be almost indistinguishable from that of a pre-pubescent teenage boy's bedroom. I insist that I need to take a risqué photo of her and then photoshop it onto the hood of the car in the poster... she has declined each of the dozen or so times I have asked. But maybe if I ask one more time it will be the charm.

The weekend was very nice, but the Tesla experience was the cherry on the top. To my fellow Puget Sound neighbors, it is well worth a visit!

Restaurant Review: Le Pichet

Kristy and I stopped by to eat breakfast at the small French Bistro, Le Pichet this morning. The restaurant is located in a small quaint space on 1st avenue just north of the Pike Place Market. The menu is a bit small and does not offer the "traditional" breakfast menu that Americans would be accustomed. However, they did have one item "Œufs plats, jambon et fromage" that looked quite appetizing. We both ordered the "Œufs" (eggs) with a glass of fresh OJ, some Pain au chocolat (to share), and some Pain et Beurre. The Pain et Beurre was served with a confiture of orange and possibly apricot(?)... a very lovely medley of flavors. The eggs were phenomenal. I made an inquiry about the recipe and was delighted to learn that preparation is quite simple: in a shallow porcelain au-gratin dish add a bit of butter, then a thin slice of ham, crack two eggs on top of the ham, then generously top with thin slices of gruyère cheese. Broil until eggs are over easy and serve hot with a side of Dijon mustard. Great little dish.

Summary: Recommended.

Symphony Review: Mozart Symphony No. 40 and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4
Kristy and I are enjoying a weekend out together that includes a visit to the Seattle Symphony for the performance of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 (listen in part here) and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 (listen in part here). Most people are probably quite familiar with Mozart's No. 40 (we have it on CD and listen to it from time to time), but this was the first time I had heard the Bruckner piece. It was quite lovely and had a hypnotic effect on me. I loved how involved the horn section (and also the percussion section) was in the Bruckner piece; quite a contrast to that of the Mozart piece we had heard before the intermission. We had not been to a symphony performance for awhile... it was good to be back in Benaroya.

Movie Review: King of California

Nevertheless, Miranda humors his father and works with him side by side as they uncover the clues and break the cartographic codes while following the trail to the lost Spanish gold. As the movie progresses, the two rediscover the fondness they once held for each other as father and daughter. Charlie confesses to what a bad parent he has been and Miranda begins to understand how important this newest obsession is to her father. Eventually, Charlie declares that the lost treasure is buried beneath a Costco and the two of them hatch a plan to infiltrate the facility and dig up the treasure.

Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

The film opens with some very funny text that submits to the audience that this movie is based on a true story but that any likeness to persons is unintended, well except for one person who is named and is subsequently called out (in text) as a "Bitch". Very funny. The text fades to black and the next scene opens on a shot of two persons, Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Deschanel), holding hands on a park bench. On Summer's hand is an engagement ring. The film then flashes back to various of the "500 days" in the relationship (from Tom's POV) that led up to that point. The different phases of the relationship are unfolded in pretty much linear order. There is the flirting, followed by the first date, and eventually things proceed to the "next level"... but everything isn't coming up roses (as Tom soon discovers) and the classic opposition of "expectations" versus "reality" unfolds.

Recommended viewing.

Olivia Starts "Big Girl" Preschool
We promised Olivia that after she became potty trained we would start her in "big girl" preschool over at Sammamish Learning Center. Her first day is today. She will be attending Miss Louise's class (just like Eliana did) three mornings per week on MWF.

A couple pics:

Natural Beauty

Baby Jack Jack's Blessing
The newest little cousin to my kids, Baby Jack Jack, was blessed today at Church. Kristy's mom and dad flew up from San Diego for the event.

After Church, we all dined together at Laura's place in Gig Harbor. Of course, whenever family gets together we play some board games. The kids passed the time by playing some rock band.

Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog

Yet on the other side of the coin there is my 5-yr-old daughter, who was completely enamored with the film from beginning to end... and will never tire of movies such as these. She stayed glued to her seat from the beginning of the movie to the very end and only made any movement when she wanted some popcorn or candy. She was genuinely disappointed when the movie was at an end because she was enjoying it so much. So +1 there... worth the price of admission.

Every New Year Begins With Family
A tradition around here is to have breakfast over at the Thurmonds. Matt puts out quite a protein-lovers spread: eggs any style, bacon, ham, sausage, steak and eggs (but not this year), and more ham. This year I ordered up two eggs over easy, ham, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. Always good stuff.

After breakfast Matt, Scott, and I tore up some of Matt's ceiling downstairs to install some lights in his bonus room (where he keeps his ping pong table). We installed 4 can lights and ran up some wire to his kitchen island where we installed two new receptacles. No need to run an extension cord now to the island for the benefit of the fondue pots! I'm all warmed up now and ready to tackle the can light install project in our family room. Welcome 2010.

December 2009 Photos
The December 2009 photo galleries are now closed. Unlike last year, there was no snow in December... so Christmas-themed photos dominated. 2009 seems to have flown by, we can't believe that it is already 2010! The December galleries can be reviewed at Berkeley's web site, Eliana's web site, and Olivia's web site. Or just access the galleries directly using the following links:

Berkeley's December 2009 Gallery ... (7 years, 5 months old)
Eliana's December 2009 Gallery ... (5 years, 9 months old)
Olivia's December 2009 Gallery ... (3 years, 5 months old)

The New Year
We were delighted to be invited over to the Howeys to celebrate New Year's Eve where we spent the evening with the Devine family and the Gu family playing board games, chatting, and eating. We brought along RoboRally and played a crazy 7-player game (with three flags) that ended up taking the better part of 2 hours to complete. The gameplay was quite hectic with so many players and made for much more "power down" events and "robot deaths" than I had heretofore experienced with tame (by comparison) 4-player sessions. Everyone said they had a fun time when it was finally over... but I don't think anyone is looking forward to playing again (apologies to all for my lack of foresight). The kids all had a fun and lovely time playing with their compadres. Thanks to the Howeys for being such gracious hosts and throwing the whole thing together at the last moment.

Movie Review: La Vie en Rose

However, despite the somewhat formulaic content of the film, it features some brilliant acting by the lead actress Marion Cotillard. Like Meryl Streep in our recent screening of Julie & Julia, she completely envelopes the role and becomes the person she is portraying. And like Streep, Cotillard's performance completely makes this film.

Eliana and Her Roller Skates
Eliana received some roller skates from my Mom and Dad for Christmas. She had pretty much roller skated non-stop since then. I hope our floors are up to it.