Yurts in Tolt McDonald Park

On the picnic theme.

We were particularly motivated today because we knew that our power would be off for part of the day.  When and how long?  We didn't know.  I'm hoping that if they do this work, we won't lose power when the November windstorms start blowing.

I picked out Told McDonald Park in Carnation.  I'm always fond of the Snoqualmie Valley.  Pick up a Subway sandwich in Duvall.  Very pleasant park with lots of picnic tables and a foot bridge across the Snoqualmie River.  Plus they had some very attractive camping options including these yurts which sleep a bunch of people, have electricity, heat and furniture.  Drawback?  No flushies or showers.

But a possibility.

We enjoyed our trip and took Teddy.  He did pretty well being left in the car for short periods of time.

Good thing we went because when we came home, the power was on but it had been off almost the entire time we had been gone.

Martin Selig's Nazi Story

Last night, I attended a fund-raiser for the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.  With my buddies from the archive committee.  Martin Selig, a wealthy influential office space developer, got a special award.  He gave a little speech; with my favorite part of the evening.

He and his family escaped from Nazi Germany in 1939 and came to America.  He told of going back to Arnstein, a small town in Bavaria, a few years ago.  He said his grandparents owned a small department store there.  The local Nazi commander owned a small bed and breakfast, a 'tzimmer,'in this small town.  He visited the tzimmer and saw a picture of the owner, the head Nazi, on the wall.  He took the picture off the wall and threw it into the trunk of the car.  In its place, he tacked up his business card and left.

I love the image.

Susanna and Megan's wedding invitation

I think it came out really well.  Susanna and Megan's wedding invitation packet.  I tried to match the color.  I like the coral and navy together.  Susanna's design natch.  This actual wedding, the formal part will have a small audience, less than 50.  T-shirts?  OK.

All the work

This picture from one of our white boards show all the tasks that Dennis had to do to set up my new computer.  And more.  I freely admit that I would not be able to do it.  He even bought me a camera so I can use skype from my machine.

In the middle of this, we switched our internet from cable to Century Link DSL.  They didn't show up four times but turns out that once Dennis set up the modem, it worked fine.  But I lost ESPN3.  That was the 'free' part of ESPN.  I watched a lot of stuff there.  Now, it turns out that if you care not a cable customer, you can't even get ESPN3.  Dang.

All that work.  But I'm back.  But we still don't have a backup plan.

Naomi's classroom

Everybody has a week off in Korea.  Naomi, in Mokpo, doesn't really have anybody to hang out with and not much to do.  So she went to Seoul (at least a 5 hour train ride) and met up with some of the EPIK people.  She has been on her own in so many Asian cities, pretty astounding.  She's back in Mokpo now, safe and sound.

She thought the principal wanted her to decorate her classroom.  Pictured.  But she only came with 2 suitcases, has little money, etc.  She says there's hardly any room to decorate.  Windows on two sides of the classroom, the front has the blackboard.  She doesn't think anything sticks to the cement on either side of the blackboard.  But she has two sisters who are eager to help, just say the word and they will collect materials to send to her.

She's not sure how....

Computer failure

My computer failed on Sunday.  I thought I had regular backups but, turns out, I didn?t.  Why does backup ALWAYS fail.  All my work, pictures, aaack.  Brought it to a data recovery place and paid priority.  It's Wednesday and I still don't have it.  They say, they recovered the files though the disk drive was failing.  However, they've found some malware and they need to fix it so it's safe.  They told me not to worry but not sure it will be done today.  Naomi used this place with good results.

Dennis went to Frys and got me a new PC and has spent a lot of timessetting it up.  Good thing he's retired!  I have an image of my files from April and a recent printout of all the writing.  But I really really want my files back.  Aaaack!

Update:  I did get the rescued disk today and, thanks to Dennis, almost everything is set up.  Some new problems.  Still don't know the best backup option.

Whew, this has been a long 3 days and approx $800 later....

I love Lake Crescent

There's something about that ancient mysterious lake that grabs me.  And I really liked that lodge.  I would go there again.

Here's a panorama picture of the lake that Dennis took.  And a picture of the lodge.  I'm standing by the edge of the lake.  The main part of the lodge, our room was the middle window of group of five on the second floor.

Musing on the 1899 Garden Bazaar

I found this illustration yesterday from the Nov 21, 1899 Post Intelligencer.  The 1899 Garden Bazaar put on by the newborn Ladies Auxiliary of the newborn Temple de Hirsch.  The congregation got together that very same year.  March?  August?  I'll have to figure that out.  But a very short time later the Ladies Auxiliary (which, at the beginning, was limited to unmarried women, which meant daughters at that time), put on this elaborate affair in the Armory (which I believe was a building downtown, not the Armory at Seattle Center).  The made over 3K which was enough to buy their lot at Marion St. and Boylston Avenue.  They built a first story but, a few years later, when they had enough to complete the building, they discovered it would be too small.

I'm stunned at the size of the undertaking.  They did not originate this idea, charity bazaars had been around throughout the 19th century, especially in England.

The PI described the scene:

No one in entering could fail to be impressed with the beauty of the scene.  A canopy of green was overhead, made of evergreens in long festoons, and through the spaces gleamed in bold relief the bright color of national flags and bunting.  On the floor everything was a turmoil of merriment.  Young ladies in charming gowns were on all sides beseeching the unwary man to “buy, buy, buy.”  Some of them are dressed as gypsies who told fortunes, others were in Japanese costumes selling Japanese of all kinds, and the pretty “Rebekah” induced everyone to buy lemonade from her well.  In all the booths were colored lights, some of the displays being most elaborate, and the gleaming out in the relief from the evergreens and flowers made an artistic and charming ensemble.

It was somewhat formula, the Japanese booth, Rebekah at the well, etc.  A precursor to today's fund-raising auction.  But these were so elaborate.  An earlier article declared that 100 builders and decorators had worked into the night to get it ready.

Most organizations wouldn't even attempt something of this scope now.  Nobody has time any more.  Also, the successful merchants had to buy in.  The women sold items; they had to get those items from somewhere.  So all the adults we in on it, sharing the risk.

And, now, the event even if it is elaborate like this would get no press.  No way for those 117 years from now to hear about the event. 

Will we lose our present in the future?

Me playing Jenga yesterday

Here I am playing Jenga (a game with these stacked up wooden pieces where you have to remove a piece and hope the whole thing doesn't go over) at a backyard barbecue put on by Seattle Pops for workers and family.  Susanna is helping me.  All these young women (mostly athletes) have such great fine motor coordination.  I lost this round.

The house was in the trees.  We went away on Aug 29 and came back Aug 31 and it was already fall.  You can see most people are kind of bundled up.

Lots of food!  Thanks for inviting us.