I got back from our camping vacation to the Oregon Coast a few days ago (Monday). We aborted our trip because there was an “atmosperic river” hitting the West Coast, and the level of wind and rain that was anticipated made camping with a five-year-old and an infant rather not fun. The last night be camped out (at Beachside State Park south of Waldsport, Oregon), the rain came down hard and it was quite windy. As the weather reports predicted even worse weather the following days, we just left. I went back home immediately while the rest of the family came back a couple of days later. They took a slower route back along the Columbia River and through Western Washington.

I would like to point out that I found out about the “atmospheric river” when I got home; the weather reports merely predicted rain, wind, and more rain and wind.

I got up early with the Bonasaurus and amused her until the rest of the family woke up. We had pancakes and veggioe strips for breakfast; made from a huge bag of just-add-water mix that we had gotton from Costco. I then got her down for an early nap (she did get up wicked early after all), but she refused to be put down and I was forced to hold her in her dark bedroom for and hour plus.

During that time, AC picked up Amanda and the Kai and they went to Goodwill. Lonan got some sort of robot toy, and I think Amanda got some other things.

After they came back, we all relaxed at home until everyone decided to go to some sand pit place in Georgetown and entertain the kiddies. I gather the place is used mainly for indoor beach volleyball games, but in betwen those people just come and bring their kids. Our kids had a good time. Or least that was what I was told.

Back home I cleaned up. Other than the usual house chores, I had been trying to clean up and put away all of our camping gear. When I had gotten home, I put everything out in the backyard to clean and to dry out and it had rained for a lot of our camping trip. Every had dried out by yesterday, but I was fooled by the sunny weather, and left home to pick up our car tabs and check out the townhouse attic (for access to the HVAC system as I need to clean out the ductwork). A crazy thunderstorm came in fast and soaked everything before I could make it back home. And it has been raining since then, so all the camping stuff has remained wet.

The next week or so is supposed to be sunny, hot, and rain-free, so I should be able to put everything away by tomorrow evening.

I also kept an eye on Brulee. This morning there was a lot of noise coming from the henhouse, and when I went to let the chickens out, I witnessed Comet completely beating up Brulee. She had blood all over her neck feathers and it looked like a bit of her comb was missing. Bad chickens! It is behaviour like this that makes it a lot easier to contemplate culling them in time. Anyways, I kicked Rock and Comet out of the henshouse and left Brulee inside where she would not be bothered and could heal up in peace.

I went to Seward Park to run. It was ok, but I am in noticably worse shape than I was a couple of months ago.

After the run, I got gas for the auto and went to the mother-in-laws as they returned there after the sand pit experience for the Bon’s second nap. I played the Star Wars Lego Xbox game with the Kai. After a while (and a Ross trip by Amanda and Lonan that resulted in a bedside clock and cutting boards), we went back home.

I made pesto and rotinni with garlic bread. It was all good. I was also going to make kale salad with our non-thinned out plants in the garden, put after picking some, the leaves proved to be tougher than expected (mainly because they were growing straight up since I had not gotten around to thinning them again), so I just cut everything up and marinated it with olive oil and lemon juice and stuck it in the fridge for tomorrow.

BK came over and picked up Lonan as he is spending the night at her place.

I removed Brulee from the henhouse and put her in a kitty carrier for the evening so that the other two chickens would torment her. She is in the downstairs bathroom at the moment. I am sure she is totally stressed out, but at least this way her comb and neck will heal up. Tomorrow (and probably longer) I will keep them seaprated again. The blood drives the chickens bonkers

The Bon is asleep. Amanda is asleep on the couch. I have finished writing my daily stuff. Maybe I’ll play a video game before calling it a night.

I am camping in Oregon with the family. Internet access is spotty. We are in Nehelam Bay State Park; we were also here four years ago with the Kai. I am resting in the tent with the bonasaurus who is napping right now. Amanda and the Kai are finishing up with our laundry and may investigate Manzanita before returning.

We considered going to Geraldine’s Counter today, but decided against a heavier breakfast. Instead we walked down to the Columbia City Bakery and get smaller stuff and tea and coffee. BK joined us.

Afterwards, we walked back home. SDK and DC came buy for a few minutes before DC had to go to the airport. MM and NM packed up and said farewell to everyone, and I drove them to Pier 91 in Interbay. I had never been to the cruise docks in Interbay before; only the one on the waterfront at Pier 66 (?). Anyways, Pier 91 is definitely in a more incovenient place in comparison to Peir 66 as their are no good transportation options back to anywhere useful (especially since people will typically be carting luggage around). MM and NM will be back in town in a week, but of course we will be on vacation camping. They get back a 8am or something like that and don’t fly out until around midnight, so they probably will get to my house and hang out before going to the airport. Unfortunately, there is no easy/inexpensive way to do so. They will probably get a cab to my house from the cruise terminal ($50?), rest at my place and perhaps go to Columbia City for dinner, and then grab their stuff and walk to the train station to make it to the airport.

It was good to see them for a couple of days. It is hard to believe I had not seen them in ten years (my wedding), and it seemed like we had never been apart.

While I was gone, Amanda took the opportunity to get more bokbok food since they may run out while we are off camping. Upon my return, she and her mom and Baby Jae headed off somewhere north to borrow a Yakima storage crate thing from someone. I was beat for some reason and passed out on the sofa while the Kai played with legos upstairs with SDK, although I think SDK passed out on the bed,

Upon their return their was a cool halo thing around the sun. It was same effect that causes sundogs, but there was only the halo and not the two sundogs. It was still cool, though, and I got a few pictures.

We had dinner at St. Dames. It was good, although I guess the torta appetizer we got had a stare tortilla and we returned it and they made us a quesadilla instead.

Amanda staked the fruit trees outside and setup up the tree gators with her sister. LK, SDK, and her mom then went back to the townhouse, while we bathed Baby Jae and got her to sleep.

I noticed that the dryer that is in our neighbor’s backyard actually works. I had thought they just put it back there because it broke and they had not gotten around to getting rid of it. But, no, it is actually plugged in and they were using it this evening.

Amanda is now catching up on work before vacation and I did some cleaning and my daily writing. Once the writing is done, I see more cleaning in my future.

We had to go to Lonan’s future elementary school (Kimball Elementary) to sign a few papers related to the summer program and the before/after school care. Amanda had filled out the paperwork earlier, but had forgotten to sign something, and they needed the paperwork perfect before processing.

I had never been to Kimball before and was stuck with how small (in student population) it was. It also seemed that the building and grounds were in serious need of capital improvements. Or not exactly inprovements, but basic maintenance.

His new teachers seemed nice enough, although one seemed barely 18 years old. I think she is a current education student, though.

Afterwards, I dropped Amanda off at Harborview, and returned home. Eventually, SDK and D came by to pick up LK as they were going to Ride the Ducks. MM and NM were not really into riding the ducks, so instead we headed out to the Seattle Center to check out some museums and the Space Needle and other attractions. Baby Jae was with us.

It was still fairly cloudy when we got to the Seattle Center, so they deferred the decision to go up it for later. We decided to eat llunch first, so we went to the Armory building. NM got old of those pie things while MM and I got falafel. I also got a very large fry because I am a gluttonous individual.

After lunch we went to the Experience Music Project. When I had last been there, the EMP and the Science Fiction Musuem were separate organizations with separate adminsions even though they are in the same building. Now, while I cannot speak to the separateness of the organizations, there was only one admission fee for both places. Technically, though I do not think the Science Fiction Museum Exists as such anymore, as it seems to be folded into the EMP part.

There were both rather enjoyable, although completely different than when I had last been perhaps seven years ago.

We headed out and sat by the International Fountain for a while. MM and NM eventually decided to not go up the Space Needle. It costs something crazy like $21 dollars nowadays anyway.

We then headed back to the car, but MM and NM stopped in the Bill and Melinda Gates Visitor Center. I stayed outside as I wanted to stop holding the Bonasaurus and I wanted to give her a chance to run around for a while since I had been holding her for so long.

They were gone for quite a while, but I expected that as I knew the visitor center was very museum like in and of itself. The Bon had fun running about the area outside which was filled with low rocks to sit on and chairs and tables for a small cafe.

We headed out to the Olympic Sculpture Park when they got back. I found it fun walking about the sculptures as always. There were actually constructing a new one which basically looked like the rood of a house sticking up out of the ground. Art, ya know.

We then headed back home, but stopped at the fruit stand to get some fresh fruit as I was unsure if we had any at home.

Amanda called and wanted to eat out, but I thought that staying home would be better, so Amanda just came back with her mom and sister and D and we ordered pizza which Amanda left to pick up.

We ate, that sat around talking, then SDK, BK, and D left, then we put the kiddies to sleep.

I busted open one of our good wines… Erath Prince Hill Pinot Noir 2004. It seemed a past it prime for a couple of years to me, but I enjoyed it anyway. Amanda said that I better finish it, but of course, I saw no problem with that.

Amanda, MM, NM and I talked for quite a while, but now everyone is going to sleep. I needed to stay awake to finish my daily writing, then I will call it a night and sack out on the couch again.

D is leaving tomorrow, as is MM and NM. I will take them to the terminal around 11am. I think SDK will be staying at our place tomorrow. She will be leaving next Monday.

I was supposed to pick up our car registration tabs today as the Prius’s if going to expire while we our going to be in Oregon, but we can still pick them up on Monday and will it matter in Oregon if our tabs are expired? Technically, our registration expires in the middle of the month, but the tabs on indicate the month, so why would anyone care until next month when we are obviously deliquent. So, we could wait until we get back to pick the stickers up.

My old high school (and junior high, and elementary) friends MM and NM came into town today! They are celebrating their 20th wedding aniversary (I know, crazy) by going on a cruise to Alaska and are staying with me for a couple of days before it starts.

As usual, I dropped Lonan off at school and then took Amanda to the University of Washington. On the way back I dropped off Baby Jae with her grandmother who offered to take her so that I could hang out with my friends (and to take her to Amanda for lunch).

I met them at the airport around 1145am. They both look pretty much the same as high school or college really. That certainly isn’t true for me. They definitely look the same as when I last saw them which curiously enough was my wedding ten years ago. Time flies.

They were hungry as they had been up for twelve hours at that point. Nancy wanted to eat somewhere only in Seattle, so we went back home to drop off their luggage and then went down to Columbia City and ate lunch at Geraldine’s. MM actually had an Avocado and Pepperjack Omelette even though it was practically dinner time for him. He had asked me what was good and I told him we really only ate breakfast here normally, but the aforementioned omelette was awesome. I always feel funny about suggesting such things since people like different stuff, but he loved it and said that he had never thought to put avocados in eggs before (even though he likes avocados). I had a veggie burger, and NM had BBQ I think.

They actually felt like going out and seeing some of the town which surprised me as I would have thought they were exhausted. Which they were, I am sure, but perhaps they wanted to get on west coast time before their cruise). I did have to go to Lonan’s preschool graduation, so we could not go too far, so I thought to take them to the Olympic Sculpture Park. On the way, since the weather was nice, I changed my mind and took them to Pike Place Market as one never knows what the weather will do. And the Market was one of two places they wanted to see (the Space Needle is the other).

So, we went to the market. We walked around (mainly the top level). They saw the fish throwing place. I took them to the Gum Wall and NM chewed up a piece of gum and added it to the wall. Since we were there, we walked to the original Starbucks.

We also went to the newish city Target that opened up recently. I had not realized that it is only a block away from the Market. MM wanted to pick up some storage bags for the trip. I should have bought a new iron there as this morning our iron died which is causing chaos with Amanda’s morning routine (as basically most of her work clothes need a bit of ironing before wearing). I did not want to lug it around, though.

After walking about the Market, we went down and walked about the waterfront a bit, but then headed off for home so that they could rest a bit.

After hanging out a bit at home, I picked up Amanda and Baby Jae from BK’s place (Amanda had caught a ride with someone at work back home), and we all went to LK’s graduation. All of us included SDK and her friends J and D.

The graduation was a chaotic as one might expect when preschoolers are involved. LK actually went through the graduation ceremony last year, too. As part of the ceremony, they sing songs, and this year they actually sang more songs than last year and even tried some choreography. They did sing songs in spanish and mandarin as well as English. I felt that last year was more polished, but they only sang three songs last year with no dance moves.

Back home MM and NM were still awake, although they did nap a bit. We talked for quite a while until the sun finally went down, and then we called it a night. Of course, the kiddies went to sleep way before then.

I as usual am not asleep yet as I had to finish muy daily writing. MM and NM are sleeping in Lonan’s room while Lonan is sleeping with Amanda in our room. I think I will just sleep downstairs tonight. Amanda suggested that I sleep in Jaelithe’s room, but I think that would be a bad idea as she will wake up and see that I am in the room and want to play and then scream when she realizes she is in the crib while I am in the bed and loudly inform everyone about the unfairness of it all. So, ya, I think I will sleep downstairs.