Last Day !

This is a typical scene here where the girls have thoroughly enjoyed being lazy, catching up with reading and movies and just hanging out............ Bella makes sure that she's on someone's lap at all times.

It has been a wonderful five days with lots of good food and relaxation.

Tonight they fly home at 7:30 so there's still one more day of fun.

Little BIG Burger - Portland's Newest ----

Sunday we ventured out on the Streetcar to the Pearl District where we checked out the latest burger joint - this one serving a very limited menu of your choice of a regular burger, cheese burger or veggie burger. Truffle fries and drinks round out the menu and that's all............... We compare it to an upscale In-And-Out and the prices are great - $3.75 for a cheese burger and $2.75 for fries that feed at least two people. It was great and I'm looking forward to introducing it to Ashley and Cindie next weekend.

Following lunch we had to stop at Powell's Book Store, Sur la Table, Whole Foods and Anthropology. The girls treated themselves to dinner out last night at Pok Pok which is now their favorite Portland restaurant. Roger and I raided the refrigerator that is still filled with an immense amount of left overs so we had a "buffet supper" last night.

Oh............. My..................

Cooking and eating has been the primary activity this weekend and we have finally reached the point of no return.................. no more cooking.......... and no more eating - I'm kidding about the eating. Anyway, the plan is to take a walk in the morning and find a place for breakfast. Tomorrow night the girls are going to dinner at Pok Pok and Roger and I get to choose from a huge amount of leftovers in the 'fridge.

Tonight was Mexican night - Lori took charge and cooked dinner using some of the left-over turkey. It was a fabulous meal but I'm guessing that Pam didn't care much for the kitchen clean up.

Turkey Day

This is the turkey on its way into the oven. You'll notice that the little girl had to have surgery before she could be cooked.

When Roger opened the wrapping he found that about a third of the turkey had a huge cut into it so he had to reattach the cut part to the body.

He spent over a half hour stitching but it was worth the effort because she cooked up beautifully. The turkey was glazed with orange juice, honey, lemon zest and parsley and it was served with a caramelized fruit and pasta dressing decorated with baked apples and prunes. The combination of flavors was amazing.

Pam and Lori's flight went smoothly - they made it through security with no problem and the flight was on time.

We have the usual Thanksgiving Day problem - a huge amount of leftovers but no one is complaining. There's pecan and pumpkin pies still waiting to be cut into so we'll go to bed with very full tummies tonight.......................

Chayote...............

Am I the only one who didn't have a clue what this spiny thing is? Roger is an adventuress shopper so when he found this in a market he talked to the produce man and learned that it is a squash.

First you have to navigate through the spines - very sharp - which need to be removed before you can cut into it. The shell is hard - somewhat like an acorn squash. The meat is a cream color and fairly firm (nothing like a summer squash).

I checked the Internet to find some cooking ideas and finally decided to do something very basic and simple. After getting rid of the spines and cutting into the squash, I discarded the skin and core and just sliced it into random shaped pieces. Tonight I sauteed some green onions and red bell pepper in olive oil, added the chayote and a little water. With a lid on the pan it took about 20 minutes to cook into a simi crunchy squash. It has a mild flavor but it's very delicious. We served it with rice and pan fried fresh salmon. We've decided to add this vegetable to our future shopping list.

Ready for TURKEY DAY !

It has been an eventful week - a couple of unexpected blips like Tuesday when I looked forward to a "Me" Day and had an appointment for a pedicure and manicure. It appears that the girl who made the appointment, didn't understand and made the appointment for Dec. 23 instead of Nov. 23.

Yesterday was our last minute grocery shopping day for fresh vegetables and fruit and to pick up our order for a natural free-range 12 pound turkey (ordered two weeks prior). Oopps - they gave my turkey away and offered a 15 pound Norbest to take its place. To avoid an embarrassing melt-down, Roger assured me that he would find the turkey that I wanted if he had to go to every market in Portland as he led me out before I started foaming at the mouth.............

Well, within an hour he did just that so we have this cute little 11 pound fresh, natural, probably virgin turkey in the 'fridge just waiting to sacrifice for our Thanksgiving.

Lori and Pam will land at PDX about 3 p.m. so my goal is to have the turkey in the oven and everything else prepared or prepped so we can relax and enjoy being together. Bellas had a bath today and she's already excited because I mentioned the word "airport" which she understands.

It has been a busy week of preparation for their visit and our only regret is that Mike and Teresa aren't able to join us. We spent Thanksgiving at their house last year and we have wonderful memories of a fabulous day and dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends and family. As we reflect on the past year I'm certain that each of us has a long list of things to be grateful for.

Roger and I wish you a wonderful day with those that you love...............

WAITING - - - - - - - - - -

I was sure that I could send a photo of SNOW tonight but we keep waiting - the city vehicles are chained and prepared - the news says it's coming - but........................

Something to do when it snows.................

If you want to spend a little time "bowling", copy the following to your web browser. It's guaranteed to frustrate you but it's also fun...................

http://ak.imgag.com/imgag/product/full/ap/3040935/graphic1.swf

Did you say SNOW ???

The latest weather bulletin is that we're likely going to see snow in downtown Portland starting later this afternoon.

The day started with sunshine but now the sky is a steel gray color and it's really cold outside.

At the party last night we met a couple who live near Mt Hood and they had to trek through a lot of snow to make it for the evening.

Dinner and Cararet For OUR HOUSE Charity

Allison learned about a local organization that provides services for people with advanced HIV.

One of their fund raising programs is a series of parties and dinners that are hosted by local people in their homes.

Last night was the first one that we attended and it was an enjoyable experience.

The house is a "party house" with a large wet bar upstairs (bigger than my kitchen) where we were offered hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and wine of our choice. Live piano music was offered in the living room (In the photo Allison is enjoying the music played by one of the hosts before dinner).

Dinner was served downstairs where they have another bar, room to seat 35 dinner guests and a stage equipped with a sound system and baby grand (yes there's one piano in the living room and another in the party room).

After dinner we were entertained by six talented cabaret singers (all with fabulous voices) and sometimes a few naughty lyrics. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and it is always a good feeling to know that part of the donation is going to help people in need. We have more evenings planned in the coming months so we're looking forward to the next experience.

More Stuff.............

Fall is the favorite time of the year for both Roger and me so each day we enjoy the smell of cool clean air and the sight of colorful leaves (mostly on the ground now).

Anything exciting or new happening? Well......... no............. but for us that's not a bad thing. I don't suppose that you would think that our trip to Costco today was news-worthy - but we had a really great time! All that food - books - Christmas stuff - more food - well, you know what I mean. The refrigerator is cleaned out, organized and loaded.

A FROG Test

If you copy this web site to your browser you'll get a game that tests your skill in moving three frogs to opposite sides. Roger and I had a lot of laughs because at the beginning we goofed up every attempt. When we finally figured it out, it turned out to be really easy!

http://www.sonnyradio.com/leapfrog.htm

Heat and SNOW...............

The "Heat" is inside with both heat pumps sending out warm air with the help of a couple of space heaters in the bedroom............... Yes, it's really that cold - plus it's raining - SO - that means snow, already starting to come down to lower elevations. Here in Portland? No - we're at sea level but we'll likely see snow on the surrounding hills.

Our week is busy; Roger is fine tuning his research notes in preparation of starting to write his book and he's looking into some Community College courses in English while I'm busy selling vintage pens and watches for David. Keeping busy keeps us out of trouble (most of the time).

We're proud of ourselves - already purchasing some Christmas gifts and preparing for Thanksgiving and visits from our "girls"............ Pam and Lori for a long Thanksgiving weekend, and the following week, Cindie and Ashley. We're planning menus and activities and we're excited to have all of them visit. It's a great start to the holidays!

Life in a highrise condo............

After making coffee and getting the day started, Roger came into the kitchen to tell me that we had no water. Having no water on a Sunday means trouble. The tower is divided into three sections so if someone is having some construction in regard to plumbing, eight floors of condos lose their water, generally for about one hour. This is scheduled and only happens on weekdays.

As we discovered shortly, our friends Stewart and Mari and Lynne and Gary both has sewage overflowing into their condos. They are on the ground floor so what comes down.......... ends up there.

It has been a nightmare for both couples with a lot of work that needs to be done during the holidays. Mari has already canceled a trip to Texas to visit her daughter and they are presently staying at the Marriott until work can be done to put things back in order. It surely calls to attention our dependence on things that we take for granted.

We didn't get our showers until late afternoon but we are grateful to have the water restored.

Something About Nothing.............

Here it is.... another week already gone... and it seems like I should have some accomplishments to show for it - let me think ----------------

I've actually been very busy listing items on eBay for my friend, David. He goes to the most amazing estate sales, waits in line for hours and manages to buy the most premium items. I don't have the patience so he does the work, buys the things and I sell them for him on eBay. He pays a commission that takes care of my eBay expenses and a reasonable hourly wage and we have developed a partnership and friendship. This week I've been working with some gorgeous watches and some very interesting fountain pens and other writing instruments. It's been a learning experience for both of us as I do a lot of research before describing each one.

Roger has finished his research so next week he's going to start writing a book about his exciting (and often difficult) life experiences focusing on the Iran Revolution that changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in their country.

Wednesday we enjoyed a leisurely lunch this week at Le Bouchon, the French restaurant where we had our first date but that was the extent of our social activities.

SO, we continue to be busy and content - loving the gentle warmth of Fall in Portland and looking forward to the holiday season.

Roger and I wish you all a peaceful and happy weekend..........................

Expensive WATCHES & FOUNTAIN PENS - ANYONE???

Mont Blanc? Omega? What's your dream?

I'm presently selling an amazing collection of previously owned high end men's wrist watches and fabulous fountain pens and ballpoints. The photo here is a MontBlanc ballpoint.

I'm selling them for a client who purchased them at an estate sale. Apparently the former owner was a collector (who didn't know when to stop). I haven't counted the items but the box is full and I'm working a minimum of six hours each day to research, photograph and list the items. To see the items for sale, go to: www.goldturtle.com

Elections...............

What an Election ! I know that we're not supposed to "talk" about religion or politics but I like to break the rules............

I'm curious to know how my California friends think about all the money that Meg spent to be elected and then went down the tube. I've met her several times at eBay conventions and I found her to be a very intelligent and savvy business woman but I keep thinking about all the good that money could have done for others.

I remember Jerry Brown well. He was governor when I was a very young DMV employee and I remember the angst when he froze wages and made the state agencies cut back to the "bone". Now that I'm old, I'm thinking that maybe he has the right idea - but who knows??? If I still voted in California I would have had a hard time deciding.

In Oregon, our Governor race is presently 3,400 votes apart between another "oldster", Kitzhaber (Democrat), who was a former Governor of Oregon. His opponent is Dudley (Republican), a former sports star. It may be awhile before the results become final and there's already talk about a recount, lawsuit, etc. (Life is very complicated in the political world).

I Wish I Was In S.F.

What a game and how nice to see San Francisco win the World Series !

7 p.m. PST and the GIANTS Are AHEAD

This is too good to believe........................