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.
:: Posted by rus on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:58 pm
:: Filed under /links/video
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.
:: Posted by rus on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:49 pm
:: Filed under /pro_tips
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
| Title: | 9 (2009) |
| Rating: | 4/10 |
I was mildly disappointed by the film,
9,
a dystopian view of a post-apocalyptic earth. The film, to
be sure, is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The animation
is brilliant and quite lovely to behold (the little characters
remind me of the main protagonist from the PS3 video game
Little Big Planet). However, the narrative is
just not substantive and falls flat against the dazzling back
drop of the high-definition scenery. Basically the film
operated in a kind of a reverse Harry Potter fashion,
where the robot-creator breaks apart his soul into 9 pieces
and puts a piece into each of the 9 puppet-robots. The 9
robots then go out and kill this huge robot that they
accidentally resuscitated. Uh, OK. Whatever.
:: Posted by rus on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:46 pm
:: Filed under /reviews/movies
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
| Restaurant: | Le Pichet |
| Cuisine: | French Bistro |
| Rating: | Great little cafe! |
| Price: | about $10 per person |
| Location: | 1933 1st Ave, Seattle |
| Website: | www.lepichetseattle.com |
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
| Title: | King of California (2007) |
| Rating: | 6/10 |
In King of
California, Michael Douglas plays Charlie... a
recently discharged mental patient that believes there is
lost Spanish treasure buried somewhere in the suburban
neighborhood surrounding their California home. Charlie
must convince his daughter Miranda (Even Rachel Wood) so
she can help him with treasure quest. Miranda, however,
has grown used to her father's delusions and wants to
ignore this current endeavor and resume the self-sufficient
life she had grown used to living - a life independent of
her father's involvement. The gulf that separates the
father and the daughter is quite large.
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.
:: Posted by rus on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:46 pm
:: Filed under /reviews/movies
Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer
| Title: | 500 Days of Summer (2009) |
| Rating: | 8/10 |
500 Days
of Summer is quirky enough to bring a breath of fresh
air into the typical romantic comedy. The film lacks the
clichés and tired gags that make so many of these
types of films totally forgettable. Instead, the film
features lots of witty dialog, an unconventional method of
storytelling, and top-rate acting (kudos to both Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) and Zooey Deschanel). Also to the film's
great benefit, it doesn't
feature a "happily ever after" ending that I am loathe to
endure (although the film does end on a hopeful note).
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.
:: Posted by rus on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:57 pm
:: Filed under /reviews/movies
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
| Title: | The Princess and the Frog (2009) |
| Rating: | 5/10 |
Eliana and I went to see
The
Princess and the Frog this evening. Kristy, Berkeley, and
Olivia saw it previously while we were in Utah (Eliana had to miss
it because she was sick). Admittedly, a 40-yr-old man is not the
target audience for this film and, as such, I cannot honestly say
that I was smitten with this film. Disney certainly has put out
far
worse in the past, so I shall not say this was a terrible film.
However, I found myself several times looking at the clock and
thinking to myself "OK, only X more minutes and then this thing is
done!" Why? Well, because I've seen this movie about three dozen
times or so... the Cinderella-like story is all too familiar now
that I have two movie-loving young girls. Poor girl has dreams of
making it big and "marrying her prince", but must overcome some
sort of obstacle. The obstacle isn't an evil stepmother in this
movie, but the Prince's jealous under-appreciated second in command.
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.
:: Posted by rus on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:50 pm
:: Filed under /reviews/movies
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
| Title: | La Vie en Rose (2007) |
| Rating: | 6/10 |
Kristy and I watched the French movie
La Vie
en Rose tonight while folding laundry (laundry never ends!).
It is a biopic on the life of
Édith
Piaf, a French singer and cultural icon. Ms. Piaf led a life that
is what you might say is prototypical for this type of movie: a
troubled childhood (raised in a brothel), rebellious tendencies as an
adolescent (leaves home to live on the street), untapped musical
talent (sings in run-down bars to make ends meet),
almost instant stardom (discovered at a club), unfulfilled romantic
relationship (an affair to a married man), and then (of course) alcohol
and drug addiction (which led to her early demise).
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.
:: Posted by rus on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:46 pm
:: Filed under /reviews/movies
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.
|