A Christmas Letter to my Dad

Dear Dad:

It seems strange to write a letter to you like this. I mean, you’ve been gone now for the last two Christmases--this will be the third since you passed--and in many ways, life has moved on...as you told me it would, years ago. It's also strange to write this because you and I wrote each other very little.

And yet, tonight after Deena had gone to bed early, and I was wrapping the Christmas gifts, I found myself thinking of you. 

It still seems strange sometimes to go back home and not see you there. (Though there is a nice comfy chair there you’d love, I’m sure.) It’s really hard this time of year; I remember all the years you took pictures of us kids at the top of the stairs...and the year we all beat you to it. That flash had to be visible for a three mile radius! I remember bit and pieces from both birthdays and Christmases past: The 100 in 1 electronic kit, the Starfleet Academy manual (and Enterprise blueprints), and all the LEGO are still in my possession. (As well as more electronics, Star Trek books, and even LEGO than I ever thought I’d own in a lifetime.) Making stuffing, and having you taste it. Trips to Helen and Louie’s in the motor home. (Or, as Amy put it, “Barbie’s Dream Home.”) 

I’ve tried to hold up my end of the bargain. I promised to be a good son and watch Mom for you. I’ve tried to keep an eye on Mom without being a pest. You’d be proud of her; she gets around pretty good these days. She’s active enough, gets out of the house, and drives. She flies on her own, too. 

When we went to the Big Island, we had a GPS you’d have laughed at. My little unit butchered every Hawai’ian name. We all still laugh about it. (That, and trying to find Diamond Lil’s in Salt Lake City.) 

I’m still helping clean up the house as well...I’m going to want to discuss with you some of the more interesting findings. For example, I know you knew nobody was using serial bus ports on computers; USB connections work so much better. So why were there, what--a half dozen or so?--adaptors for serial busses? Plus the cables? 

I don’t even want to know why there were hundreds of 5 1/4 inch floppies. I do want to know where you hid the slides. Part of my early life is on those, and I’d really like to rediscover part of that. 

So many things. I know all the medals you earned in the Navy. I wish I knew how you earned them all. You never really talked about them, or much else of you Navy time. I understand why as a vet myself. I also never knew you cared much for baseball, much less were a Yankees fan. I know you never totally understood my tastes in music. (That’s okay...I never totally understood yours, either.) But you did instill a love of good music, which means I’ll never like rap. 

I also know you never could quite figure out what I saw in some of the girls I dated. That’s cool; you weren’t dating them...I was. You and Mom taught me to look past certain things, and see the person inside. I learned to see certain qualities I knew you and Mom didn’t see. That’s okay too. (I’m still trying to get the “being a good husband” thing down as well, and I am wondering if I’ll ever get it right. Even approaching 19 years of marriage--after 4 years of dating on top of that--I’m still trying to get things right.)

You’ve missed seeing me with the quartet. We have fun, and we do reasonably well. (We are getting better every week.) You watched me compete with barbershop choruses at all levels, yet due to work/guests from out of town (I don’t remember which) missed the only Command Performance I ever had in both intermediate and high school. That was hard for me to understand at the time. There were other things I never understood: how you could solve algebra in your head, and I couldn’t get the same answer twice. (And then there was the time I got one answer, you had another, the book had a third...and my instructor got a fourth answer and none of them matched.)

I remember when you told us as a family we might have a chance to live in Europe while you would be in the Middle East. As much as the education I would have gotten would have been a benefit, given the way things have turned out in the Middle East, it’s better that deal fell through.

You taught me to honor my commitments, even when not a pleasant thing to do. I guess that’s part of what pulled my butt through Moody and TEDS: I made a commitment, and by gar I wasn’t gonna quit. (No matter how badly I wanted to turn tail and run.) 

You taught me how to change a tire, spark plugs, headlights and taillights, several wiring harnesses, my own oil and oil filter, and the fuel filter. These days, I’m lucky if I can find the latch to open the hood. Changing my own oil is out of the question...no place to dump it. You also taught me to use the right tool for the job. 

In some ways, that’s a lesson I’m still learning; again this year I cut the wrapping paper for the gifts with my Swiss Army Knife. (Some things never change.) You’d have been proud of me. Yes, I still have a knife that weighs a ton. But hey--I’ve carried Swiss steel since 1976-77ish. Why stop now? 

As much as I miss you, though...I wouldn’t dream of asking you to come back here, even for a minute so I could say goodbye properly. Not only have you earned your rest, I couldn’t be that selfish to take you away from the presence of God Himself. 

And that brings me back to Christmas, and wrapping gifts. Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year. Knowing you’re with Him has helped--and continues to help--me deal with the fact you’re not going to be home for Christmas. It’s been hard to not find you something. I miss sending you e-mails and swapping jokes and puns. 

Mostly, though...I just miss you.

I’d better sign off now. It’s late, and I need to get some sleep. Give my love to everyone there. 

Love,

Matthew

Thoughts on Communion

The first Sunday of the month, I took communion. No great surprise that; communion is usually served the first Sunday of the month in many churches. 

But for some reason, this communion reached me deeply. It wasn’t the message (though that was good). It wasn’t the music--though that was quite good as well. It wasn’t even the act of taking communion proper; I’ve taken communion for a good many years now in a number of settings ranging from one done in a serviceman’s ministry I belonged to at Great Lakes to a Catholic church in Concord, CA, and a lot of places in between. (Okay, in all fairness I knew at the time that Catholics practice closed communion. I took it anyway.) 

No, what brought me comfort this day was the ritual of communion. In the United Methodist Church, we often start communion with the Great Thanksgiving (also known as Word and Table 1): 

The Lord be with you. And also with you. 
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. 
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The liturgy, of course, continues on from there. But for some reason, it was the mechanics--the doing of the liturgy, as many have for years, decades, and centuries before me, and will do long after I’ve been translated to glory, should God tarry--that spoke to me. 

The bread and cup, that representation and reminder of what Christ did on the cross for you, me, and the rest of the world is not like anything else in any other religion. Just a quick look at the Wikipedia page shows only Christian references (in terms of religion, at least). 

“Take, eat, and be comforted; Drink, and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood shed for you, shed for you”

(From the musical “Celebrate Life”)

The thought that others around the church universal were taking communion-- many of whom were using the Great Thanksgiving as well--and of those who had gone before, using the same liturgy spoke volumes to me that day. I can’t really explain why I found it so comforting. 

But take comfort in it I did. 

On further reflection, I contemplated that sometimes it is the actual act of taking communion that speaks. After all, this is the remembrance of the Last Supper. It is the revisiting of the Lord Jesus Christ’s last meal before His crucifixion, and all that means to the Christian. Sometimes it is the bread and cup itself, and partaking of it reminds us of the Wedding Feast to come. 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of

witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that

clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race

that is set before us.” (Heb 12:1, NRSV)

And yes, sometimes it is the mechanics of why we do what we do. That reminder of the great cloud of witnesses, those saints and loved ones that have gone before, looking down and cheering us on to the finish line, as we try to run the race. I can imagine my grandparents, Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, Billy Sunday, my Dad, D.L. Moody, my “maiden aunts”, John Wesley, and everyone else translated to glory looking down on us...all of us. Wesley’s own thoughts on this verse: “A great multitude, tending upward with a holy swiftness, of the power of faith.”

It is, in the final analysis, that power of faith that carries us. The mechanics of the liturgy reminded me of that power of faith that day. 

Enough for now. 

Your World Champion San Francisco Giants

It had to happen, eventually. The law of averages finally had to catch up; surely it had to this year...didn't it? 

Last night, it finally did. 

After 33 years of waiting, I can finally say it: Ladies and Gentlemen, YOUR WORLD CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS!

Wow. It seems a bit surreal to a Giants fan that still has his program from his first Giants game...in 1977. (Charlie K, I don’t think I can say thank you enough for introducing me to the Orange and Black.)

I didn’t think this year was going to work out. I mean, back in August the Giants were, what? 6 1/2 games back of San Diego?  Then came September and they went 18-8, and took NL west from San Diego on the last day of the regular season. 

Then it was playoff time. They split a pair at home, then swept Atlanta at Turner  Field. Then to Philly--split a set there, won two at home, then had to go back to Philly. They couldn’t possibly win it there. But they did, and suddenly they were in the World Series.

And then it happened. 11-7 and 9-0 in the first two games. On to Texas, where I honestly expected them to lose. (They did, 4-2.) They won game 4 in a masterful game pitched by a man just barely old enough to buy a beer, Madison Bumgarner, 4-0. 

And then came game five. Tim Lincecum did what he does best: served up 8 innings of really good pitching. Brian Wilson took over in the 9th, and that was that.

This year makes up for a few things. You know, like 2002 when they collapsed to the Angels--THE ANGELS, for cryin’ out loud! Like 1994, when the strike did damage beyond the diamond. Like 1989, when more than the team collapsed: the Cypress structure, the Marina District and part of the Bay Bridge collapsed as well. (That was painful for me personally as I was in school in Chicago that year.) Like 1985, when they dropped 100 games--100!!!--and I was in Navy Boot Camp, and had to suffer through a miserable summer being away from home...and having to hear that the Giants had “...blown another game.”  And yes, like 1978 when they had some great players...and lost toward the end of the season to the Dodgers. 

There’s been a long line of Giants greats. Oh, sure--Willie Mac, Willie Mays, Orlando “The Baby Bull” Cepeda, Juan Marichal. Jack “The Ripper” Clark. Will “The Thrill” Clark. David Dravecky. Vida Blue, John “The Count” Montefusco, Robby Thompson, and Gaylord Perry. Steve “Bedrock” Bedrosian. Bob Brenly. Dave “Rags” Righetti. Yes, both Barry and Bobby Bonds. Jose Uribe. The Alou brothers. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Jeff Kent and JT Snow. So many more.

Now you can add to that list Tim “The Freak” Lincecum, Brian “The Beard” Wilson, Juan Uribe (Jose’s nephew), Edgar Renterria, Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Brian Posey, and the rest of the crew.

Managers: Roger Craig, Frank Robinson, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy. Class acts, all of them. Might as well mention owners and managing partners as well: Bob Lurie, Peter Magowan, and current principal shareholder Bill Nuekom. Congratulations, Bill!

A lot of good memories, too. All those night games at the ‘Stick. I still have my Croix de Candlestick, earned--the hard way--in a late night extra-inning game more years back than I want to admit. It’s the only place I’ve ever been where the American flag blew to the left and the California flag blew to the right...at the same time. You could always tell the tourists at the ‘Stick...they were blue by the middle of the fourth. (Locals brought parkas and sleeping bags.) We won’t talk about the fog. (Or that miserable crab mascot, either.) 

And when I couldn’t go to a game, I often listened on the radio or on TV. Lon Simmons, Hank Greenwald, Ron Fairly, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. KSFO at first, then KNBR. TV was KTVU forever, with a lot of the same names.

I have a lot of Giants gear: The warmup jacket, a jersey, wristbands, several fitted hats (one of which still fits), pennants, buttons, a tie, programs, Giants magazines, some pocket schedules, a stuffed bear in a Giants t-shirt, and a baseball card of me in a Giants jersey and hat. (And even more stuff, including several years worth of Mother’s Cookies baseball cards.) I know I’ve driven people crazy sometimes--I’m okay with that. 

This came so fast that San Francisco fans didn’t quite know how to celebrate: only five known arrests as of this morning. Me? I celebrated quietly, made a few phone calls and called it a night. Too much to do today.

However...I’ve been a Giants fan for a long time, and this has been a long time coming. 

I tip my hat to the G-Men...the World Champions!

Reflections on a Sunday

It’s 10:00 pm on a Sunday night and I’m back in my boyhood home, the house I grew up in. I’m in my old room, and while it’s still my room, Mom made a few changes some years back. The walls are cleaner and a lighter shade of blue then when I lived here daily (though I am grateful the doorframe is the same color blue as my room was originally). The bookshelves that held Star Trek models and books as well as my latest LEGO creation aren’t here either; I have all that with me in my current domicile. (Well, okay. The models are in storage, as is half of the books and a fair amount of the LEGO.) The bed I slept in is over at my in-laws for now in their guest room; I am sitting on essentially a queen sized futon, which in a sense is also a part of my life: things Japanese have formed part of who I am as well.

There are other reminders of my life here: The Norman Rockwell Barbershop quartet picture is hanging up on a wall, as is a beautiful picture of a church (showing my ministry and faith). The napkin holder I made in 7th grade is sitting on a shelf, still in need of Varathane. (But after 32 years, why do it now?) Some Navy stuff is here as well, including a picture from when I was in boot at Great Lakes. A picture from my wedding is on the wall, showing family--far too many of whom have gone to their eternal reward.

I am home for a week, and my bride of nearly 19 years will be joining me at the end of the week. So tonight, it’s me and my thoughts before I turn in. And to be frank, my being here couldn’t have come at a better time for a number of reasons I won’t bore you with here.

It is with all this in reference that God met with me tonight. Oh, nothing major--no burning bush or anything like that--but a chance for me to rest, to be His child by returning to my childhood home. A chance, in the words of Twila Paris, to “..drop my sword, and look up for a smile.” 

You see, sometimes for those of us in ministry--any ministry--we get to the point where we can’t fight the battle any more. We get tired, weary...we get discouraged and sometimes wonder if we ever made, or will ever make, a difference. I go through this in my position with Master’s; I wonder if anything I do ever impacts people, or if I have ever made a difference. 

Today though, I got a glimpse of that. I could see the hand of God all over my day and my trip.

First off, Mom had Joel Osteen on this morning. He was talking about “Staying Open to Do Things God’s Way.” That caught my attention, as I find myself far too often trying to keep things in nice, neat little boxes. That got me to thinking: am I truly being open, or do I insist that God do things my way?

Then we went to church, and I crashed choir. Actually, Mom invited me to try and sing with the choir at the church I grew up in. Being a decent singer, and wanting to attend church with Mom, I went--figuring the worst case scenario would be I would end up sitting in the Sanctuary. 

I was welcomed like lost family, got handed a robe and music by one of my former youth leaders, introduced around, and sang during the service. It wasn’t a difficult set of songs, and the stuff from the hymnal was sight-readable for the one song I didn’t know. Some folks remembered me, and I met some new folk as well. I was reminded that I have made an impact, if for no other reason that those folks remembered who I was.

It was good to be in God’s house this morning. 

Lunch was spent with Mom and some friends of the family at a Mexican place that Dad loved to eat at. It was a leisurely affair, and followed once we got home with a nap and some football.

It was good to be at home this afternoon.

Then I had some time to myself, and spent it in God’s Word. And was reminded that: (A) I was not to worry (Mt. 6:28-34), (B) that God will care for me (Mt 25:34-40), and (C) that my job was--literally--to keep the faith (Mt 11:25-28). 

Let me make no bones about it: we live in uncertain times. No job or ministry is secure. Elections are in another week, and that can have some upheaval to it. (But enough about my lunch.) The economy is a roller coaster ride. News is bad from all parts of the world: Cholera in Haiti, unrest in the Middle East, drug wars in Mexico, chronic unemployment at home. It seems like everywhere one turns, things are falling apart, and you’re not sure if you can trust anything--or anyone. Heck, bedbugs are all over even. What’s up with that?

Tonight I was reminded that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And while tomorrow is another day and will have trouble enough of its own, God is already there, and will take care of things if I will but let Him.

Praise God, He is trustworthy. You can take Him at His Word. It is good to be reminded of that, in that still, small voice.

Part of the care I need to do this week is to take care of myself. That means getting some rest. Which I am now going to do.

Enough for now. 

A Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of times, it was the wor...wait, I think that line’s already been used.

However, this really is the tale of two cities--Seattle and Las Vegas.  (Mostly Las Vegas, though.) I just returned from a trip to both; and while there are some similarities, there are quite a few differences as well. 

Seattle is where Deena and I spent a fun weekend with 400+ attendees (and over 10,800 guests) at BrickCon, the Northwest’s premier annual LEGO convention. (The premier bi-annual LEGO event-BrickFest-is coming back to Portland next year.) Las Vegas is where we flew to immediately following BrickCon, as she had a conference to attend. I got to go along and spend a few days working from a suite in the Palazzo hotel that was only 130 square feet smaller than our apartment. (The Palazzo is a five-diamond resort, by the way.) Since this was work related for her, they paid for her room, her meals, the conference proper, her travel...and she still drew a paycheck. I got to work from the 38th floor, which had a heck of a view, and managed at least three quarters of work one day, and a half day the next.

So what are the similarities?

Seattle is home to Boeing, grunge, the Mariners, and Starbucks. Las Vegas is home to gambling, large hotels, the 51’s (a minor league team), and has a Starbucks on almost every corner and in many of casino hotels and shopping areas.

Seattle is virtually surrounded by water; Puget Sound is to the west and Lake Washington lies to the east. There is Mount Rainier to look at. Las Vegas is in a desert with the Spring Mountains off to the west. In all fairness, neither city is terribly clean; Seattle has the edge because it is the Northwest and we tend to recycle more here. 

Before I go any further: I need to say that I enjoyed my stay in Las Vegas. I had a good time, and I know that many people come here and have good times. I wouldn’t bring a child with me though, unless that child was at least 21. Las Vegas really is for adults only. That is one thing I do like: the fact it is a place for grown-ups. That upside is also a drawback, however.

Las Vegas is like an amusement park for adults. Sex, slots, and alcohol flow freely here. Rita Rudner--a well known Vegas comedian-commented on the whole women’s body thing not long ago on Mike Huckabee’s program on the Fox News Channel: She went in for a mammogram and found there was a two drink minimum. There are cards on the ground with nude women on them, and phone numbers. That alone should scare any decent person silly. 

When one goes to Disneyland, you know it’s not real. But there is a certain charm, if not a magic, to it. You see Cinderella’s Castle, or Tomorrowland, and you know it’s not real. But you go along with it, and it’s fun. You see the rides, you see the characters, and you understand it’s the ultimate interactive storybook. 

I guess it is that adult amusement park theme is probably why I don’t care much for Las Vegas...everything here isn’t real. (Including, I suspect, the bodies of a number of showgirls. Implants and airbrushing do work wonders.)  Much like Disneyland, you’ll get taken for a ride, all right. Las Vegas is totally designed to remove any inhibitions you have, and separate you from your hard earned cash. If a casino isn’t beckoning to you, the high priced food, booze and expensive jewelry and clothing tempts you. (We won’t discuss the legal “escorts”, however.)

That’s why so many people like to come here. A chance to at least pretend you’re one of the rich and beautiful for a few days, the hope that maybe this slot machine or that poker table will at least pay for the trip, if not make you a millionaire. That’s okay with me too, as long as it stays here. Nothing is sadder than seeing people come back from Las Vegas and trying to maintain the Las Vegas Boulevard lifestyle on Main Street.

I’ll cheerfully admit that during BrickCon, everything we all built was unreal. It was all done with LEGO, after all. But that’s part of the magic of one of these conventions. For a few days, we create a magical little place, with space people and aliens, pirates and cowpokes, knights fighting dragons and saving damsels, trains that run on time past neat clean houses and happy little people. Businesses line little streets that have no potholes. Heroes fight villains, and even mecha-Godzilla is relatively safe. The moonbase has a little Starbucks, even. That’s life in the magic little world we create.

In Las Vegas, though, that magic is on an industrial level. Fantasy is what makes Las Vegas what it is: a unreal, unobtainable world, where every woman is beautiful, every man is good looking, and everyone is lucky and a winner. There’s pirates here too, fighting sirens. New York City is only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. Venice, Italy is a few blocks from that; and it’s always sunny and pleasant in Venice. (And, I suspect, cooler and less humid as well.) Heck, I can travel several continents on foot and be back in my room in time for lunch. 

That’s another issue: the buildings on the Strip are so huge, there’s no perspective. I walked from the Palazzo to New York New York and back. That’s only 3.6 miles roundtrip. But it seemed like twice that...and yet, didn’t seem that long at all. That’s the problem with the perspective here: you just can’t gage how far is far. 

Finally: the thing that made Las Vegas isn’t called gambling anymore. They now call it gaming, and while it is still what made Las Vegas what it is, it’s getting out of hand. (Not just here, but all over--but I’ll save that for another time.) Now, I enjoy a good game of poker as much as the next guy, and I’ll play 21 every so often, and on occasion have even played a few slot machines. But this is way far beyond that. The slot machines here really are designed to entice you: Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Star Trek (that one made me cringe), several others named after TV shows or well-known movies (The Wizard of Oz is one)...and the eBay slot machine.

eBay the slot? What’s next...the iPod slot machine? Now there’s an interesting concept...maybe it could pay off in iTunes credit.

Enough for now.

On Travelling

They say travel broadens your horizons. (Sadly, it isn’t my just my horizons that have gotten broader; my waistline really should be included in that equation.)  Traveling as much as I have has given me a perspective on certain things in life that I would not have had I stayed closer to home.

On my Facebook profile page I have two tabs for maps. One is of countries I’ve visited; the other is cities I’ve been to. The international cities were pretty easy to fill in...the US stuff’s been a bit harder, because there’s been so many. I hadn’t really realized how much I’ve traveled until I filled in the maps. I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Guam, Japan, Ireland...and have been in just about every state in the union. I have the pictures, by and large, to prove it. Most of them have been taken from the time I was in high school on. Traveling is generally a safe, fun thing to do (unless you are moving, and then it’s a royal pain). It can, however, have its dangers: I have a flat spot on the bridge of my nose where some serious yardage of Daytona Beach, Fl. sandblasted it away body surfing. (Ask me about that sometime.)

In the last few years I’ve had a chance to go to a couple of the Hawai’ian Islands. I can hardly wait to go back. I’ve also recently been to Victoria and Vancouver, BC. I’m already thinking about what I want to see when I return there.

Having gone to Hawai’i as an adult means that I ate in more of the local restaurants, saw a few more sights than I might have otherwise, and learned more about the culture and appreciated it more as a result, instead of the “been there, done that” which would have resulted had I gone there as a teenager. 

And that’s one of the problems of having traveled so much as a younger person. You have to go back to see what has changed and sometimes it’s better, and sometimes you find places that were more fun or more “magical” at the time have changed. You look at them and wonder what the big deal is/was. I still feel somewhat that way about Las Vegas. I’m going back soon for a few days, and I intend to see a few more things than I did my last trip. Having said that, there’s not all that much I really want to see. A few days should do it.

They say wherever you go, you can’t see everything in one trip. Once again, “they” are right. When we went to the Grand Canyon, we didn’t try to see it all in a day. The same held true for Las Vegas, Montreal, Killarney and Cork, and several other places we’ve been. (And yes, there are places we’ve been that if we never go back it won’t really break our hearts, if you know what I mean.)

This article really comes down to places I’d like to go back and see more of. For example, on O’ahu, since we were there for a Sweet Adelines convention, I want to go back and explore some more of the island, without having to worry about getting Deena back for rehearsals and competition. I want to spend more time on the beaches, especially Waikiki. As an aging surfer, I’d like to leave a lei at the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, and have a chance to actually surf there this time. I want to spend more time on the North Shore in general, and at places like Waimea Bay and Hale’iwa. And there’s more I’d like to do even after that.

On the Big Island, I want to take the observatory tour. I’d like to go back to Volcanoes National Park, and see lava flowing this time. I’d like to tour the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation. I’d like to see more of Hilo, and spend a whole day just loafing around Kona proper. I’d like to surf here, too. 

This only covers the two islands I’ve been to. I also want to go to Maui.

I’d like to see what Killarney looks like these days. I’d love to take the Ring of Kerry tour again, this time with a digital camera. Same with Blarney Castle. I’d like several days to really explore Cork. I want to go back to Montreal (again, without a barbershop convention like we did in 2003) and spend several days there poking around a bit more. I’d like to spend a whole day in Niagara Falls, ON. See the falls, from both sides of the water again. See a bit more of the city itself. I enjoyed going back to Victoria, BC for a day last month. I hadn’t been there since 1983. I knew I couldn’t even begin to do that city justice in a day. Two days in and around Vancouver, BC wasn’t enough, either. I need to return to both because there’s just so much more to see.

Oddly enough, I don’t care if I go back to Guam. The few memories I do have are kind of special, and I don’t want them ruined by what things look like today, because I know there’s been a lot of development there over the last batch of years.

Enough for now.

2010 vacation, part three

Thursday, August 19:

Today we did some of the parks around Vancouver. We left camp and crossed the border at Aldergrove. We started off at Lynn Canyon, which has a suspension bridge over the canyon. For those who know me, you know I’m not overly fond of heights to start with, and crossing this bridge was...interesting, shall we say. 

Once across the bridge, we hiked down to Twin Falls, which is pretty, then hiked back up to the car and went to lunch. This was at the Black Bear Pub, which was a pleasant find for us. We then proceeded to Lighthouse Park and hiked down to the lighthouse...and back. 

We decided we wanted to drive up Cypress Mountain. The view would normally be quite spectacular...but smoke from the fires up north and some overcast conditions made the view a little less than optimum. We also discovered that Cypress Mountain was taking down some of the Olympic stuff. We got what pictures we could, and then headed off to find a SkyTrain map. 

Our journey took us to Park Royale Mall off Burrard Street. There was a BCAA office there; we figured surely they’d have a map. No such luck. They recommended either the library or London Drugs. So we went into the mall, stopped at Murchie’s for tea, then headed down to London Drugs. 

No luck there. They recommended the library as well. 

We wandered back up the mall, stopped at Murchie’s and bought some tea to bring home (they have an excellent Earl Grey), and went into the Bay. I was looking to buy another shirt, but they didn’t have the size in the color I wanted. So I bought a few Olympic souvenirs and was signed up for their points card, and after some discussion of what sounded good, we headed to Surrey for dinner. 

Dinner was at Moxie’s Classic Grill. Deena and I had eaten in the one at Windsor and liked it, so this was actually a good choice. After dinner, we went to the concierge (This Moxie’s was located inside the Sandman Suites hotel) and asked for a SkyTrain map. 

No joy there...he recommended the library. 

We drove a bit more, found a train station, and I hopped out of the car. No maps there, either. 

At this point, it was approaching 9:00 PM, so we decided it was time to head back to camp. Back on the TC-1 over to Aldergrove, cross the border, and return to camp. Deena decided to try online for a map. 

The story of our trip: the wi-fi went down. (Actually, all along our trip, wi-fi was spotty at the very best, and non-existent a great deal of the time. Which may well have been A Good Thing.)


Pictures:
Lynn Canyon, Lighthouse Park, Cypress Mountain BC

Friday, August 20:

This morning we were not moving too fast. Took the bus/truck entrance into BC, stopped at the Visitor Info center at Surrey. Very nice, lots of information. 

No maps of the transit system. She didn’t recommend going to the library, at least. 

Driving into Vancouver proper, we started off at the Nitobi Memorial Japanese Garden at the University of BC. It’s really beautiful and serene, except for the trucks that drive past in the rear. 

Then came lunch. After a brief excursus in which we found that the Westward Ho restaurant was located in the local golf course (which leads to things like $15 CDN hamburgers), we ended up at a place called “The Diner.” 

Three words: Eat here. Now. Our server was one of the owners (we suspect) and it is the quaintest British pub. The food was good and plentiful, everyone was friendly and we left feeling like we were family.

Across the street was a Safeway, so we went in so Dan could purchase batteries. We also were able to purchase tickets for the SkyTrain...and they had maps as well. Much joy!

From there, we headed into downtown Vancouver. Parking at the Olympic Station on the Canada Line of the SkyTrain, we started walking, hoping to find the Olympic cauldron. 

We walked past the Plaza of Nations, which is somewhat disappointing because (A) all the flags of the various nations are gone, replaced with national, provincial, and city flags, as well as the flag of (B) the casino that now holds the property.  Stepping inside the casino and asking about the cauldron, they pointed us toward Chinatown. We had a walking tour planned through there anyway, so off we went. 

We walked through Chinatown, past the world’s thinnest building and other points of interest. Walked through the Gastown district, past the steam powered clock and the spot where they named the city. Stopped into a souvenir stand and asked about the Olympic cauldron. The guy behind the counter replied he didn’t have any for sale. 

We kept walking. We passed the Japadog stand, which had been featured on the Travel Channel. We kept walking toward Canada Place; we wanted to see what the cruise ship was blocking. Stopping in the RCMP Post store (where I purchased a postcard and a RCMP collar pin) I asked the whereabouts of the cauldron.

God bless the RCMP! 

They told us we were just a few blocks away. I told the gents behind the counter about the directions given us by the casino people, and one rolled his eyes and the other simply scowled. I suspect this is not a new issue.

Continuing the walk, we got to Canada Place and walked around that. Hiked might be a better term as it is rather good sized. (They park cruise ships there, after all.) We then hiked over to the cauldron. It’s not as large as I thought it would be, but you certainly can’t miss it. 

Finally, it was time to get on a train and sit for a few miles. We rode the Canada Line to the end quite literally; just past the Richmond station about 36.5 metres-- roughly 40 yards or so if that much--the track simply ends. Portland’s Tri-Met should use the signs in the station: “Way Out” instead of “exit.” (If you’ve been to Portland, you’ll understand. If you haven’t...there’s no way to explain it.) 

It is now dinner time, and a great deal was found at a White Spot: a small salad, a White Spot burger, and homemade blueberry pie...$9.99 CDN. After that, down to The Bay where I purchased a blue shirt and an Olympic shirt as well, and got credited points for my purchase in Victoria. 

Back on the train, off at Olympic Station, and back in the car for the trip over to Richmond for the Richmond Night Market. 300 booths, 50 food vendors, and a capacity to hold some 15,000 bargain hunters. Deena got a nice Alpaca jacket/sweater thing for $60; I got three t-shirts for $10. 

Once the crowd got to be a bit much, and since there were lasers and uneven lighting which is not good when you’re light sensitive, we finally left. Heading down BC-99, our last stop in Canada was at the duty free store. A small purchase there to shed some Canadian paper currency (I don’t mind keeping change--I repatriated enough of it this trip--but having $10 CDN in paper was not really in my plans), we crossed at the Peace Arch crossing and back into the US for the final time this trip. We returned to camp about 11:30PM, tired but content and ready for bed.


Pictures:
Nitobi Memorial Japanese Garden, UBC
Vancouver, BC

Saturday, August 21:

They say that all good things must come to an end. 

Today was a travel day, as we finally had to head home. We got up, broke and cleared camp, and drove into Lynden for breakfast at Dutch Mothers. If you walk out from here hungry, it’s your own fault. Wandered around Lynden a bit, then into the car and south on the I-5. Stopped for a stretch at City Blocks in Tacoma (a major LEGO studio; Dan Parker makes his living with little toy bricks), and then dinner at Country Cousins in Centralia.  Took another stretch break at Fry’s Electronics (and got a slush from Sonic afterwards), then dropped Dan off at his place...

...and finally returned home ourselves. The cats were glad to see us, and after unloading the car and checking mail, we called it a trip and a night. 

On the one hand, I could have used one or two more days. On the other, it was about the right length to be gone. Lots of pleasant memories, and plenty of pictures to boot. Like 755 pictures. Perhaps digital cameras are too much of A Good Thing.

Enough for now.

2010 Vacation, part two

Tuesday, August 17:

This morning was the only morning we set an alarm. We had to- we needed to  board the ferry not later than 7:45ish, passports in hand. The ferry took us from Port Angeles to Victoria, BC. I haven’t been to Victoria since I was in high school. But I had been there, so I got to play tour guide today. 

Crossing the Straits of Juan de Fuca was quite the journey. The Straits were a little rough; and as this was a smaller craft (no cars, just people) we had quite a ride. Once in Victoria, however, we actually saw quite a bit.

We started off with a tour of the Parliament building. It’s rather nice as government buildings go. From there, a block or so over and a walkthrough of the Fairmont Empress hotel. It is lovely, and if you have the opportunity (and deep enough pockets) to do a high teas there, you really should. The Empress is also home to the Victoria Convention Center, which we walked through and then out to Douglas Street then back around to Government Street. 

We continued up Government to the site of the former Fort Victoria, part of which is now a wonderful little Irish pub called Irish Times. The special today was Irish stew with Rosemary dumplings and it was a winner. 

After lunch, we continued up Government street to Chinatown, then doubled back down Broad Street, stopping in a few interesting little shops and a Starbucks to cool off for a bit as it was getting quite warm) and then taking some time to check out the Bay Centre. 

The Bay Centre is anchored by The Bay, as in The Hudson’s Bay Company (“since 1670”), and I did some shopping there. It’s a cross between a Macy’s and a Kohl’s: A lot of high end stuff, and some clothes that those of us on a budget can afford. I bought a t-shirt. It doesn’t have anything on the front or back; I can wear it wherever and whenever I want. 

From the Bay Center, we walked over to Munro’s bookstore and Murchie’s Tea shop. Munro’s has a lot of good books; if you like books this is a must stop and explore. Murchie’s has some wonderful teas there, and a lot of very nice looking goodies. We decided that a gelato was in order, however, so we wandered back down Government street to a gelato place and enjoyed some of that as the day continued to get warmer and muggier. (It was only about 78 degrees F--I was quoted 26 C by a mall rep in The Bay Center--but it was also 60 percent humidity.) We all did a little more souvenir shopping, then wandered around the back of the Parliament building and took some pictures there. Wandered into the Queen’s printer’s, then over to Confederation Square to take some pictures. 

Something to drink was now in order, so we wandered into Jonathan’s restaurant in the Royal Scot hotel. After cooling down a bit, we walked down Quebec street and found the Harbour Towers--where I stayed last time I was here--and then finished the day by strolling around Laurel Point Park. 

Finally, though, we had to board the ferry to return us to the States. (A much smoother trip than this morning, I might add.) Once back, we dined at the Hiway 101 cafe in Sequim then returned to camp. 


Pictures:
Victoria, BC

Wednesday, August 18:

Today was a travel day, so not too much exciting stuff. We packed up camp and said goodbye to Port Angeles. It was time to leave the land where “Twilight” was set and move our base of operations to Lynden, WA. After a stop at Fort Worden State Park, some wandering around Port Townsend, and lunch at the Bayview, we boarded a much larger ferry than the one we rode yesterday over to Victoria, and headed over toward Keystone. A leisurely drive across Whidbey Island, and finally hitting the I-5 North. 

Today also marked the easiest boarder crossing I think I have ever had. No questions, nobody bugging me for a passport...just walked across the border. And back. And over again to take some pictures, then back again. And nobody stopping me and playing 20 questions. 

You can do it yourself at Peace Arch Park. There is this little island of relative calm where you can park just short of the border, and walk around and cross the international border. (In all fairness, though, you can’t get too far before you hit customs. I recommend you have your passport on you just in case.) Washington State maintains Peace Arch State Park on the US side, and BC maintains Peace Arch Provincial Park on the Canadian side. It is this lovely little chunk of calm in the middle of a lot of traffic. I did have one good laugh there: in the Peace Arch itself, there is a set of gates with the wording “May these gates never be closed.” 

I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about that...they’re bolted to the inside of the arch. 

After wrapping up there, it was off to the Lynden, WA. KOA to unpack and set up camp. A drive through Lynden was next on the list, then dinner was at Jake’s BBQ. There is some good steak here and you should take advantage of it. 


Pictures:
Peace Arch Park

Enough for now. 

2010 Vacation, part one

Over the next few days, I’m going to post our vacation itinerary online. Pictures will be up toward the end of the week, and I’ll link each day as appropriate. 

Friday, August 13:

We took off today, for parts north. It was hot, we got the car packed and hoped we had everything. Picked up Dan, and headed north. Had dinner at Marinepolis Sushiland, picked up a few things at Whole Foods, and stopped for the night at the Quality Inn in the Longview area. 

You were looking for something exciting here?

Saturday, August 14:

No rushing today: Got up, had breakfast, reloaded the car, and headed toward Port Angeles. Stopped so I could stretch at Cabela’s, and enjoyed lunch at the Ram brewpub and restaurant. Got a recommendation on a place to eat in Port Angeles called the Okasan. Sounds intriguing. 

After a leisurely drive north--a drive where Deena drove and I napped--we arrive at the Port Angeles/Sequim KOA, unpacked a bit as we are here for a few days, then headed into town to get the lay of the land. Took some pictures from the port area, then headed back to camp to get dinner and s’mores going. We also enjoyed the ice cream social the camp put on.

Sunday, August 15:

Olympic National Park is a very pretty place, and not really for the weak of knees. You have to hike anyplace worth seeing...but that hike is worth every minute of the trip. I highly recommend if you come here with a full water bottle, a sturdy pair of hiking boots (preferably well broken in), and appropriate hiking socks. I don’t think waltzing around in your tennis shoes or flip-flops is a wise idea. I also recommend good hiking clothes, as there are a number of microclimates in the park.

Today we “conquered” Hurricane Hill and Sol Duc Falls. Sol Duc Falls is a relatively easy hike at .8 miles each way, and has some pretty scenery. It’s a bit out from Port Angeles--about half an hour--but really should not be missed.

Hurricane Hill is another story. 1.6 miles each way, and it’s a steep climb in parts. Don’t be in a hurry unless you are in prime shape...and on this hike, “round” does not qualify as a shape. We ran into an 89 year old woman, hiking and taking her time doing it. She made, I am sure. We did too. Allow 90 minutes each way; if you’re in a hurry this is not a hike you want to undertake. Also in summer, do it in the morning...less crowded, less bugs, and cooler temps work in your favor. We did Hurricane Hill first, had lunch, then went on to Sol Duc Falls. Lunch was out of the cooler, and dinner was at a place called the Bushwhacker. There’s a nice place to eat. We did the all you can eat salad bar--they had homemade chicken gumbo and clam chowder on the bar as well as homemade bread. 


Pictures: 
Hurricane Hill
Sol Duc Falls

Monday, August 16:

Today we went for a hike in the Hoh Rainforest. This is more like an hour or so out of Port Angeles. Got there, had lunch out of the cooler, and proceeded to hike 3.3 miles into the rainforest, along the Hoh River trail. 

Note: rainforest does not equal cool/damp. It was another hot day, and there are bugs here, too. Everything I have said about hiking gear goes double here. Don’t let the sign fool you: The elevation looks like it only rises about fifty feet over 3.3 miles. 

The sign lies. What it doesn’t tell you is that there is a lot of upping and downing, especially near the riverbank. You have been duly warned. 

We were in search of one square inch of silence. Rather than explaining it myself, I’ll simply link to it and let you read about it: http://onesquareinch.org/. We found the spot, and found the rock, but did not find the jar of thoughts. 

We made it back out, and went into town for dinner. We had dinner at Okasan. There is some really good food here, and the waitstaff is as honest as the day is long. Go there and eat, if you like good Asian cuisine. Don’t let the exterior fool you; it may look like a dump but it really isn’t. 

We returned to camp, and partook of the hot tub this evening. It was much needed!


Pictures:
Hoh Rainforest

Enough for now.