Saturday, April 5, 2014

Day 4: Seattle to E-ville



Day 4: Seattle to E-ville

QOTD
The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle
And the hills the greenest green, in Seattle
Like a beautiful child, growing up, free an' wild
Full of hopes an' full of fears, full of laughter, full of tears 
Full of dreams to last the years, in Seattle 
. . . in Seattle!

Weather: Clear and cool right from first light, from 50s to 60s; a gorgeous spring day; intermittent clouds in E-ville, enough rain to postpone the A’s game due to wet infield


The morning is a bit of a kerfuffle: normal ride on elliptical and Grape Nuts and fruit, then taking care of some financial stuff that required THB using a cell phone (hmmmm…really?), talking the bank through a transaction (THB did not have on-line access to this account), receiving a fax at S&C’s (with much assistance from DB), and pretty soon THB had used up his monthly tech quota, and probably took care of half of May.

Hey, no problema, instead of going to Tacoma Art Museum it left time for visiting the Frye Museum with an interesting exhibit of Noguchi 1930 work done in Beijing in conjunction with a Chinese guy (whose work is way more sophisticated).




Bike rack? Tree protector? both?



Lunch at The Whale Wins, which is right next door to Joule, last night’s dinner spot. The food is great; not so the delivery. The kitchen doesn’t produce a single dish for over 45 minutes (making us think that at this rate, we’ll be on the 6pm flight instead of the 4pm flight). That includes an appetizer, which is an oh-so-challenging sliver of cheese with a panforte nero (say what? a soft small sliver of walnut bread) on a slight wash of oil. In other words, an appetizer that could’ve been prepped at 10am. Concurrently, comes a complimentary serving of bread and the now ubiquitous salted butter ($4 if not comp’d). Shortly thereafter (though not under an hour after we sat down): wilted (and tough to cut without a steak knife) dandelion greens with garlic, mint, lemon, red wine vinegar (dominant flavor, otherwise THB would not mention it), grated egg (maybe ¼ teaspoon ) and crispy (actually, not crispy) ham. Still, tastes great and when can you boast about eating those things that grow in your front lawn.




Whale and Joule share a warehouse with a sporting goods retailer

Kind of like loft living: the walls don't go to the ceiling

The offices above the restaurant

This dish is followed by herring rillette on (great) toast with pickled shallots. As our flight isn’t until 4pm and we’re feeling a bit more secure, we order dessert: giant meringue crumbled up with whip cream, preserved lemon and lemon curd. THB does major damage, thankfully not worried about his diet after Doc Wulff gave him full clearance (and drugs to counteract THB’s diet).
 
You can't miss 'em, the meringues are front and center as you enter

$4 worth of bread minus the other two slices (salted butter included)

THB needs to go on a dessert diet

HOW EARLY DO THEY START DERINUIKING IN THIS TOWN?

Given the issues with delivery, the waitress (who kept her equanimity throughout, though incapable of pushing the - open - kitchen staff) comps the bread, cheese, dessert and extra iced tea so the bill comes to $25 before tip. A bargain. 

Back to Fox Car Rental, where you have to go into the “office” at car pickup point to get a receipt. Good news: we’re in time to save a day’s rental.

PRE works great at SeaTac, Alaska is on time, it’s great to be back in E-ville after a great trip. One month down, five more (in a row) to go on travel.

New addition to the collection

If you're interested, THB can forward you the images that are going up for sale

Friday, April 4, 2014

Day 3: Seattle



Day 3: Seattle

QOTD
Seattle, I don’t know why
You stand under the clouds expecting to stay dry
Can’t you see the day you’ll ever win
That battle is the day they’ll take the rain out of Seattle

Weather: Same-same, cool in morning, then….different: it rains pretty much from 3 until 7.
Seward Park

Chloe the dog

More of Seward Park





After Grape Nuts and fruit, we took a walk with S&Chloe in Seward Park. It is spring, and some things are on the cusp of blooming and others are past their peak.
SAM entrance

THB and DB head off for some art: Seattle Art Museum and galleries, with lunch at the restaurant in SAM, Taste. Lunch of pasta with green pesto for THB, burger for DB, one arnie, $42. SAM has a show of late work by Joan Miro, DB likes it and THB thinks it looks like old-man work: too basic.


The losers in Super Bowl loan a piece to winners

THB is glad 9ers fans didn't have to put up with this piece of crap

We tour the local galleries and stop in at one, James Harris Gallery, where we have a relationship with Jim: the last time we were in Seattle and trying to arrange a meet-up with one of his artists, Akio Takamori, he and DB are exchanging phone calls and e-mails until one morning we get on the light rail and Jim is on the same car; arrangements made. This time, we arrange a meet-up in E-ville as Jim will be in SF and San Jose next week. Oh, and we buy one of the Akio pieces that Jim is re-selling from a bunch that one collector purchased in 1999. Nothing like serendipity.
What floor are we really on?
E&J give THB a nifty bread bag

London Plane plain bread bag

After rescuing our car from one of those in-between floors, we get back to S&C’s to do a bit of rest-up, then THB drops DB off for a gyrotonics class (THB things this is something where they teach you to either how to make gyro’s underwater or make some specialty drinks with unflavored bubbly water, all while wearing workout clothes) and hangs out until it is time to meet S&C at Joule, a Korean-meets-Northwest share plates.



We share: smoked tofu with honshimeji; wild rice with dates and smoked peanuts; black rice risotto with salted cod; sesame noodles with winter greens and shingiku; Chinese broccoli with walnut pesto; kale rabe with black bean sauce; roasted cauliflower and bonito with smoky yogurt; maitake mushroom with pine nut gremolata; halibut with red curry and pickled apples; two big bottles of beer; one vodka gimlet; tonic (not gyro?) with bitters, $95/couple. It is a lot of excellent food, we can’t finish everything and there’s no room for dessert.
The angels want to wear my new shoes

One more overlap, Bob again

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Day 2: Seattle



Day 2:  Seattle



QOTD

In too deep, can’t think about giving it up

But I never knew love would feel like a heart attack

It’s killing me, swear I never cried so much

Cause I never knew love would hurt this fuckin’ bad

The worst pain I ever had



Weather:  Sane as yesterday, starts in low 50s and overcast, by mid-afternoon low 60s and sunny

In-house FC


DB and S go for a walk with Chloe the dog and THB rides the elliptical; the NYT with Grape Nuts and fruit, THB is right at home!

THB is on E-ville committee chaired by Ann
Ann is BAM featured artist, this piece is in the lobby


Kathy Venter

Akio Takimori


With S driving, we hit BAM (Bellevue Arts Museum) and The Henry (museum on UofW campus) with lunch at Cactus in between. BAM usually has very interesting to above average shows and today is no different: large ceramic figures on one floor and a great crafts show (with figurative plates) on another.


How spicy was it?


Cactus: spicy brisket tamales with cole slaw and a spicy lemonade (cilantro, jalapenos) for THB, DB has an unusual chile relleno (red chile!) with tamarind-strawberry lemonade and S has tortilla soup and half a salad, $58 total.



DB and THB on UofW




The Henry has a side benefit: we revisit the cherry trees on the tail end of peak blossom period on the campus. In full bloom, the trees attract people from all over, including Japan. They are special. And, The Henry includes a James Turrell skyspace, where we spend some time basking in Turrell’s genius.



Dinner at home, a cider and crab sandwich tasting. Oh, first we had a cider cocktail. THB had a hard time standing after that, it was very good and very strong and very tall. 

Part of Tieton Cider Works line-up

Then, if THB remembers correctly, we tried two different types of ciders with two different seasoned crab sandwiches, and the dry cider was great with the non-mayo crab sandwich. Chocolate and brandy/cider after dinner drink. Is it a wonder that these postings don’t make sense?

Finally, here are some pics of S&C's collection (not nearly all); maybe, just maybe, those of you who have been to E-ville and/or the beach can see why we are friends!

Chester

Bob

Leslie
Bennett

Gaylen

Terry x 2

Richard

Hank

Akio (sideways?)

Meg

Deborah

Kenna

Joe

David

Iris
Chester again

Cynthia

Marilyn

Bennett again