San Diego - Part One

February is usually a cold, foggy and drizzly month in the Seattle area, so BowlingWidow and I thought it would be the perfect time to continue what we’ve been calling our “Because We’ve Never Been There Before Tour”.  Most people we know have been to San Diego.  But not us.  Until now.

Even though February is probably not the best month weather-wise to visit San Diego (say, THAT’S why those airline tickets were discounted) we thought that partly sunny and the low-60s is still a giant step up from what we were waking up to every day.

We decided that three nights was a good length of time to get a good visit in and get a glimpse of what life there is like.  We ruled out going to big theme attractions such as Seaworld and the San Diego Zoo.  I’m sure they were grand, but as time has gone on we see less value in paying sixty bucks a piece to see a canned presentation.  Even if there is a slight chance of getting a front row seat to watch a killer whale chomp off the arm of an 8 year old innocently trying to share his cotton candy with it.
 

San Diego from the Coronado Peninsula

No, we elected to go with the three “B’s”:  breweries, beaches and Balboa Park.  And a few other things as well.  After a late-lunch visit to In-N-Out Burger, we checked into our hotel which is called The Dolphin.  It’s been around for years and reminds me of the motor inns we’d stay at on long road trips when I was a kid.  It was clean, quiet, had a great location in the city and the staff was great.  Even the eccentric old man, who was apparently the owner, became a pleasure to interact with after keeping our eye on him for a bit.

As the afternoon progressed, we decided it was time to look for one of the 56 microbreweries that San Diego boasts.  I’ll have more about those in Part Two of this blog topic, but we headed to the community of Ocean Beach for the beer and some hot wings at a place called Pizza Port.  They must have known we were coming as jumbo hot wings were just 35-cents each that night.   I think we were both filled up for less than 5 bucks.
 

Surfers at Ocean Beach

There also happened to be an open market a few blocks long which was closed to vehicles.  Apparently it’s every Wednesday from 5pm to 7pm.  We checked it out, then walked along the beach and took a few really nice sunset pictures with my world class Motorola smartphone camera.

We found that there are a lot of young people in Ocean Beach and in fact I believe it’s the most popular retirement destination for twentysomethings, most of whom have surfboards.
 

The Famous Hotel del Coronado

Here’s a bit about what we saw and did in San Diego, in no particular order:

Balboa Park – This place is more than just a big lawn with lots of trees and trails.  Sure they have that too, but it’s also home to a whole host of museums with topics that range from natural history to botany to miniature railroads.  There’s also a Shakespearean playhouse on the premises.  Note that while it’s free to get into the park, the museums generally cost a few bucks to visit (although not nearly as much as the zoo).
 

The Botanical Building at Balboa Park

Old Town – We love the idea of an “Old Town” in each city we visit, but to be honest this one can be skipped.  We took a guided walking tour (free) and got some good historical information about San Diego but it’s largely a tourist trap with souvenirs and what appeared to be overpriced restaurants.  Try as they might to dress this place up and give it an identity, but we weren’t too impressed.

Little Italy – Little Italy, on the other hand, was a nice place to spend an hour or two.  It is in fact little, just a few blocks along the not-so-aptly named India Street.  There are restaurants to fit every budget and a few interesting delicatessens scattered throughout.  I wish we would have been able to take some fresh salami or cheeses with us on the plane, but we had to settle for some good conversation with the deli workers instead.

Hotel del Coronado – This is a quite famous older, luxurious hotel on the Coronado Peninsula.  Kind of fun to roam around the property and know that you’re not actually paying $400 a night to stay there.  There’s also a nice beach nearby.
 

The Surf Near Hotel del Coronado

Cabrillo National Monument – Go here for the best view of San Diego.  It’s also a park that pays tribute to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a 16^th century explorer who was the first European to set foot on the United States west coast.  I’m generally not a fan of documentary films at interpretive centers (I’d rather spend time roaming around and seeing things of interest) but I will say that this 25 minute film about Cabrillo was well worth sitting through.

Ocean Beach – As I mentioned this part of the city is great for hanging out at for a while.  And if you’re a fan of fish tacos as we are, going to South Beach Bar & Grill in Ocean Beach is a must.  And don’t think that you can eat three or four of them.  It’s simply not possible unless you’re a competitive eater.  After having two each we were ready for an afternoon nap on the beach boardwalk across the street.

Sunset at Ocean Beach, San Diego

Mission Beach – Just north of town, Mission Beach seems to go on for miles.  It kind of reminded me of Lincoln City, Oregon but instead of kite shops there were surf shops on every block.  And a surfer on every wave (well, they tried to catch waves but some are clearly better than others).  If you want to take a nice long walk or jog on the beach this is the place to do it.

For a city of more than a million, San Diego was surprisingly easy to get around in.  We stayed in a great location that seemed to be near everything we wanted to see.  Yeah, I could see us going back again for another visit in a few years.

MOHAI

On a recent rainy Saturday afternoon (are there really any other types of winter Saturdays in Western Washington?) BowlingWidow and I decided to venture out to the new Seattle Museum of History and Industry (or MOHAI) just south of Lake Union.  We’d been to the MOHAI many years ago, in fact before Muffinheadedboy was born, at its original location near the University of Washington.  But it’s now in a much bigger building that recently became available for use.

An Old UPS Delivery Vehicle:  They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore

The museum exhibits touch on just about everything with a Seattle stamp on it.  Often times this is done with humor, as in the short film which chronicled The Great Seattle Fire of 1889.  I suppose they chose to go slapstick with this one because it was so long ago and nobody actually died in the fire.

There are pop culture references and artifacts galore, including the current Seattle in the Movies special exhibit that salutes the city’s many great appearances on film and television.  This includes TV shows such as Here Come the Brides and Twin Peaks as well as films like Sleepless in Seattle and Harry and the Hendersons.  Well, maybe Harry and the Hendersons doesn’t count as a great moment in cinema.  I think I’d just as soon forget that it was made.

J.P. Patches' Famous Coat

The 1979 Championship Trophy

The place is filled with things that range from early state railroad equipment to World’s Fair memorabilia to J.P. Patches’ coat to the Sonics’ 1979 NBA championship trophy to the grunge and current Seattle music scenes.  There’s even the giant “R” from the old Rainier Brewery hanging proudly in the main hall.

The Main Lobby and The Big R

It was a good way to spend three or four hours (you’ll want to allow at least that amount of time for a good visit) and was well worth the 15 bucks for a ticket.  Have fun…..and Keep Clam!

Like Hockey But With Balls

No, I’m not being crass here.  That’s the 2013 promotional slogan for the Washington Stealth National Indoor Lacrosse League team that plays its home games at Comcast Arena, just down the road from us.  I had never been to a lacrosse game of any kind and it was their home opener so I thought I’d drop in and see what I could learn about it.

The Washington Stealth Play at Comcast Arena in Everett

Well, it is in fact like hockey with balls.  Instead of a puck, ice and skates we have a ball (that looks about the size of a tennis ball), artificial turf and tennis shoes.  And of course hockey sticks are replaced by a lacrosse stick with a small net at the end to hold the ball prior to passing or shooting.

Just as in hockey you have six players per side (including the goalie).  There are penalties for infractions as well as the occasional dust up.  There is also a 30 second shot clock to prevent teams from playing “keep away” and killing time to protect a lead.

Fans Toss Tennis Balls at the "Bulls Eye" in a Halftime Contest

The 6,500 fans in attendance obviously enjoyed the scoring pace, which is far greater than in hockey.  In this particular game the Stealth hung on to win 13-12 against the defending champion Rochester Knighthawks.  I may just have to go to another game or two this season.

What I Did On My Holiday Break

Condo life has afforded me some opportunities to do some things that previously took a back seat to chores such as raking leaves, cleaning roofs/gutters, and all the other stuff that goes with maintaining a wooded half-acre.  This time of the year, we get a generous bunch of holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day (courtesy of my employer) and this is the first time we haven't been churning through the rain and mud in late December just to try and keep the place looking respectable.

This past Friday, I took a short drive to Issaquah, WA to have lunch and visit a guy I used to work with (and for) more than 25 years ago.  Dick Rosenkranz was the Tooling Manager in the Boeing group that I was hired into back in May of 1986.  Dick was responsible for large parts of several big government contracts.  He was good at what he did but that's hardly the reason that I keep in touch with him to this day.

Dick Rosenkranz With BowlingJoe

 He made coming to work a lot of fun.  How many managers have you seen who bring their trombone into work to give an impromptu concert?  Or taxi remote control airplanes up and down the aisles of the work area?  I'll bet not many.  Especially in the age of politically correct, buttoned-down, image-conscious managerial hacks that roam our offices these days.

Dick is in his eighties now and is enjoying a much-deserved comfortable life at what looks like a pretty nice condo development that has everything.  His wife is in an assisted living facility next door, a mere two minute walk for him to see her as he does every day.

We talked about old times and ex co-workers who are still alive as well as those who have moved on.  He suggested that I write a book of stories about some of the characters we used to deal with in those days.  Well, if only I could find an audience that would find a MEAC funny (or even know what that is).

Most of all though we laughed.  A lot.  Before I left him, he told me that was the most he'd laughed in a long time.  Me too, Dick. Let's not wait until the holidays to get together and do that again.

The Ministry of Silly Walks Clock

In my younger years I was a bit of a fan of the series Monty Python’s Flying Circus.  Not as big of a fanatic as some of my friends, but many of their sketches were funny in the 1970s and to me they’re still funny today.

They brought us “Twit of the Year” and a hilarious soccer match bit between German and Greek philosophers (spoiler alert: Socrates scores the only goal of the match).  And then there was Ministry of Silly Walks featuring John Cleese, which lampooned England’s thick bureaucratic structure.  Rather than try and explain the scenario in this post, you can watch it here.  Even if you’ve seen it, it’s worth seeing again.

I recently saw a “Silly Walk” watch that was being marketed that included Cleese’s crazy legs as the hour and minute hands.  Wondering if there was a corresponding clock for sale, I did some searching but came up with nothing.  So I took things into my own hands and grabbed an unused but functional clock out of the garage.

Using nothing more than Silly Walk images that were on-line, glue, scissors, and some light cardboard backing, I made my very own custom Silly Walk Clock.  Here’s the result:
 

My plan is to rotate it amongst the members of our Plummeting Tortoises Book Group, making it our official clock.  And if anyone knows these guys it’s an extremely appropriate clock.  Whoever is the next book group host will get to take the clock to his residence for the month before and during the meeting, and then give it up to the next host.   Each of us will have the honor of it gracing our living space for three months out of the year.

BowlingWidow has expressed interest in me making another clock to occupy a permanent place in our condo.  She really has no idea what she’s asking for though.  It may inspire me to take up public Silly Walking as my next hobby.

Time Passages

I spend a lot of time thinking about the notion of time.  Perhaps I spend too much time doing this.  I developed a very simple theory about time and why it seems to accelerate as we advance in years.

First, let’s assume that we have no conscious knowledge of any past lives we may have led and the clock starts to tick from the time we’re hatched from our mothers.

When we reach the age of ten, an interval of one year constitutes 10% (give or take) of the length of our lives to date.  Fast forward to the age of fifty, which is near where I’m at now on this journey, and that number is reduced to 2%.

Let’s do some simple math:  10 divided by 2 is equal to 5.  Therefore, I profess that time seems to travel five times faster for a 50-year-old than it does for a 10-year-old.  The good news for us AARP types is that, while time will continue to “move faster” for us, the rate at which it’s changing won’t seem to be as fast as it was when we were younger.  And that’s just about the only silver lining I can come up with on this topic other than to say we’re all wiser or something like that.

What do you think?  Spot on or B.S.?  I’m sure someone else must have thought of this but in the off chance that I’m the only one, this concept is officially copy written, patented, and proprietary so you can send me $20 if you want to use it in a public setting.

In the meantime, I think I’ll spend the next few minutes of whatever time I have left listening to the song that inspired this post:  Time Passages.

Thoughts About 2012 and Beyond

I rarely write about my political views on this blog because, frankly, I’ve seen how social media has fractured relationships that would have otherwise been okay.  The conversation usually goes something like this:  (insert political party or candidate here) is ruining our country and only the presence of (insert other political party or candidate here) can save us from impending disaster.  And then civil discourse takes a back seat and it starts to get personal, etc.  Just like everyone else, I have opinions but will only attack the issues and the people behind the issues.  Not friends, acquaintances, family members or anyone else who might be reading this.

People who know me know that I tend to lean Democratic, as (a) they actually have a chance to win elections and (b) they more closely represent my viewpoints on most issues.  But  every now and then though, I’ll vote Republican for what I deem to be good reasons as I did this year in our state gubernatorial election.

There’s something though that I always remind myself of before I cast my vote:  Democrats and Republicans all work for the same people.  Money talks and their campaigns are being funded by PACs (they really need to go away), insurance companies, banks, hedge funds, energy conglomerates, and so on.  And they expect a return on their “investment”.  I have no expectations of anything getting better strictly by virtue of who wins or loses a presidential election.

Having said that, I do try to assess what kind of a future might be looming by trying to understand a political  party’s platform.  Four years ago, I dropped a blog post regarding how thrilled I was that Barack Obama was elected.  Four years later, I’m not nearly as excited and have come to understand just how polarized we are in this country.  There are nearly three times as many annual filibusters in the Obama years as the “W” years, for example.  Lots of people with a –R at the end of their names really dislike this guy.  Because he’s a Democrat?  Because of his policies?  His race?  Yes, yes, and (unfortunately in 2012) yes.

Has Obama done a perfect job in his first four years?  No he has not.  But despite the ideologues who refuse to work with him, and want to see him fail no matter what the cost to the middle and lower class, we are slowly coming out of the long-term mess caused largely by a person I consider the worst and most irresponsible president we’ve had since I’ve been on this rock.  And that even includes Nixon.  I could go on about Bush but why bother.  He’s yesterday’s news.  Let’s learn the lessons we’ve had to learn and move on.

Here are a few things that I'd like to see happen this term (not that anyone has consulted with me on this):

•  Obamacare needs to get roots.  It HAS to be a priority, end of sentence.  We’re getting older as a demographic and unless there’s a plan like this in place, the day is not too far off when far too many of our citizens (and their family members) will have to decide whether or not to go bankrupt to stay alive.  Then we can all watch every other form of consumer spending bite the dust along with it.   If tax increases are necessary then so be it.  Tax the wealthy at the rates they paid 20 years ago.  Alter the laws and tax structures so that the Mitt Romney's of the world aren't rewarded for moving their millions offshore.  Heck, tax me a bit more.  I’m not rich by most definitions but am doing okay and am fine with that if we can avoid turning away our disenfranchised.  And by the way, at the risk of being called a “socialist” (a word bantered around by some righties in a completely misunderstood fashion) I’m for a single payer system as well and believe health care needs to be available to all.

• Related to this, we need to make sure that big businesses (such as insurance companies who would just as soon exempt you due to a pre-existing condition as see that you’re treated) play by the rules as opposed to circumnavigating them so that a few lucky VPs at the top of the food chain can get rich.  I think we all saw how well that worked with the lending industry a few years back.  If they can’t police themselves, pass legislation and send a few to the Greybar Hotel.  The rest of the corporate lab rats will see this happening and start to push the button that doesn’t deliver the electric shock.                        
• Get out of Afghanistan.  Enough said.  And let’s use the money we’re not spending on wars to start fixing our infrastructure before it crumbles away.  The shelf life is closer than we think.

I could go on, but I’m up to more than 700 words on this post already.  So I'll just say here’s to hoping that during the next four years we decide to look out for one another with more conviction than we have in recent memory.

“A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi