The Weatherman

After several beers last night I woke up in a haze this morning. Today we hit some closer sites. We spent about an hour at each of the following:

St Patricks Cathedral - your basic European cathedral. Very beautiful inside (and out if it wasn’t plastered with scaffolding) and amazing stained glass windows. It is setup with informative displays about the history of the church and Dublin.

Christ Church Cathedral - this is the oldest building in Dublin dating back to the 11th century. They provided an excellent pamphlet explaining everything you needed to know about the church. It contains a crypt which was probably one of the coolest areas we’ve seen.

Dublin Castle - very odd place. It’s a mish-mash of architectural styles and materials caused by fires in different parts requiring rebuilds. They did excavate a section around one of the original towers where the moat existed. You can still see the water flowing underground and the original outside of the tower - very cool.

That’s it! We are done. Very, very tired. Right now we are hanging out in the hotel lobby (needed a change of scenery from the room) doing the internet thing. I went ahead and converted a bunch of photos (from raw to jpg) and I am in the process of uploading some photos now so I can post on the blog - stay tuned (obviously the photos are showing up).

Back to being tired - haven’t had a good night sleep yet. I’ve been getting around to 5 to 6 hours per night - could it be the Guinness? Not sure but the hotel is quiet and comfortable so it is not a problem there. I feel it catching up with me now so I’ll probably sleep well tonight.

Street in Dublin - going to work.

Christ Church Cathedral

The River Liffey.

The Brazen Head.

Smitty the Cat (he killed mice and when he died the workers had him stuffed) at Jameson Distillery.

I forgot to mention that we did the tour at the original Jameson Distillery. Very lame tour. They miniature replicas of the equipment used in the process - it’s no longer a working distillery. It was basically an educational tour on how to make whiskey. The cool part came at the end - I was one of 6 people who volunteered for a whisky tasting (3 Irish, 1 Scotch, 1 American). Definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip considering I’m a huge fan of Irish whisky - not so much of Scotch or American whisky.

St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Crypt at Christ Church Cathedral.

Goofy colors on Dublin Castle!

Go here to see all of the Ireland photos.

A bit of a cool breeze  blowing out at Alki Point

Both of these were mucked around with in Aperture.

Since I’m not working between Christmas and New Years, I actually have time to update the blog. 

Sunset just south of Alki Point.

Another shot…notice the water is blurred a bit.  These were taken with no tripod (trying out my IS lens).

From Highland Viewpoint.

We are supposed to get snow tomorrow…hopefully I’ll get some good pictures.

On Saturday we did some trick or treating in Alaska Junction (downtown West Seattle). Zach and Nate were both looking good, even though Nater only had the hat on for his costume.  We walked around to the local businesses getting candy.  It started out good but got fairly crowded as the afternoon went on.  We made a quick exit and headed home.

Before I get to the photos, a little update. Last week was a nasty week at work. I was busy every day with some fairly involved things. Steph had her first week back and that went fairly normal for her. Otherwise not much new to report

From L to R, Matthew, Dominic, Drew, Jacob, and Zach (he’s so cute)

The family including our little lobster head.

That sure is a bright flash! Getting ready for school.

What a cool ride man!

PEPS on Wednesday will be at our house. We are all meeting here a little early then heading out trick or treating. Unfortunately we only have one little pumpkin - sad, I know. But we have plenty of candy unfortunately.

We went to Remlinger Farm out by Fall City this morning looking for pumpkins. Zach, Dominic, Drew, and Matthew were all present searching through the pumpkin patch. Fortunately for us parents, the rain held off and it was pleasant fall morning.

Here is a movie of our adventures today.

Now for some photos.

Zach all ready to go.

Matthew looking good in his Boston RS hat.

Drew and Debbie checking out a possible pumpkin.

Dominic posing for the camera.

Mom and Nate strolling around.

I’m cool!

Nate wearing his pumpkin hat.

Autumn!

More photos can be found here.

This morning we had a low cloud cover but had a view of the snow covered Olympics which were free of clouds.

If you click the image you can choose to see it with higher resolution.

Ok, it isn’t what you think.  Zach is in this phase with putting his hands down his pants.  Actually, I guess it’s common at this age since some of his buddies are doing the same thing.  Not a big deal…unless he’s pooped in his pants.  Yep, this happened yesterday.  Steph asked Zach if he had poops and he said “Yes.”  So, Steph said “Let’s go get fresh pants.”  As she began to walk away, Zach stuffed his hands down his pants and pulled out some poop. Lovely!  She was able to get him before he painted the walls, floors, and furniture with his poop.  So, disaster averted this time.

This morning we drove over to the Ballard Locks to check out the boats and the Salmon spawning.  The entrance to the fish ladder was loaded with Chinook salmon - we were able to get a close up view looking through the ladder windows.  What big fish they are!

Nate sleeping in Grandma’s arms.

Zach and mom looking at the boats.  Yes, I goofed around the brightness, saturation, and contrast.  I think it turned out pretty cool.

Zach watching the boats.

Nate not so much into the boats.

Looking down at the bottom of a drained lock.  The tide was very low and this was the lowest I’ve ever seen it at the locks.

Here is a picture of Zach playing at the park…we actually have some video of him on this beach (previous post has video).

A scenic photo at Lincoln Park

Not much else to report. Brian is coming up on Wednesday for work so we will see him later this week. Grandma is coming up the following weekend, and Marla, Simon, and Sohpie are coming up the weekend after that…so we have some busy-ness in our future.

Here is a new run I did last night:

Hmm…MapMyRun.com is all jacked up…it is saving the stats on the run but not the map…this is annoying…Anyway, it was a 4.42 mile run.

Another beautiful Gatewood sunset…

And an opossum (me thinks)? Update:  I have been informed that this is actually a mole.

It wasn’t a mice or rat…the only other option I could think of was a gopher.

Nate Update: He went to the doctors for a weight check…He is 7lbs 1/2 oz…which is 5 1/2 oz more than 2 days ago. So he is gaining a decent amount of weight and going in the right direction.

Zacher was in daycare today so that help lower the stress level a bit in our house. It’s tough watching a toddler and a new infant when it’s blazing hot. We took Nate to Elliot Bay Brewery for lunch - he slept the whole time, which was nice of him.

Our Wednesday night PEPS group met at the wading pool at Lincoln Park tonight - what a great place after a hot day. The water was perfect and boys had a great time in the wading pool - although it’s pretty large - probably more like a wading pond. For those who don’t know, this wading pool is refilled each day and provides hours of cool enjoyment for many younsters.

That being said, why are Dominic and Zach splashing in the mud next to the pool…cuz they are boys!

Nate getting some food…

The other day we (grandma and I) took Zacher to the zoo…here are some images from that trip…

Zach pointing out the hippos.

Up close and personal with Mr Giraffe.

Zach’s favorite, the bears.

And some movies…from the 4th of July - a few hours before Steph’s water broke. And from the hospital after Nate was born.

Steph is going out with the women to get her nails done tomorrow…so I’ll be watching Zacher during that time. Otherwise I need to raise the crib mattress, do some office work, some gardening, and continue to clean out garage. Nothing too exciting going on - oh well.

Steph inquired at West Seattle Blog about good take out places after Nathaniel shows up…here are the comments (a good showing I might add).

Zach playing on the slide at the park last weekend.

Took some photos from Duwamish Head looking back toward Seattle at sunset.

Seawall looking toward Alki at sunset.

Check out this picture from 9pm tonight when it 70 degrees and no wind (high of 80 today) - taken about 3 blocks from my home. The sun is setting to far north for me to watch it from our deck.

Zach throwing rocks into the Sound at Lincoln Park.

Update: Just killed a fairly large indoor spider…most likely a Hobo Spider based on its speed and size…that’s the other thing summer brings around here.

Finally got a picture up with Zach and his cast.

Last weekend we spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on the Olympic Peninsula. On Friday we caught the 8:45am ferry from West Seattle to Southworth and then drove up to Port Townsend. We had lunch at the Public House followed by ice cream at Elevated (yummy stuff).

After lunch we spent some time at Fort Warden (where they filmed An Officer and a Gentleman). We went to Marine Science Center and checked out one of the artillery batteries. We then drove down to Anderson Lake where I strolled along the shoreline for about a half hour. We finally checked into our rustic cottage (emphasis on the word rustic) - Bay Cottage. We ended the day playing in the sand on the beach - Zach loved that part.

The next morning we drove up to Hurricane Ridge for a view of the Olympics. Zach got to play in some snow and he definitely loved that. We drove back into Port Angeles for lunch and followed that up with a drive into the Elwha River valley. The waters in the lake and river was a very beautiful blue-ish green since they are fed by glaciers and snowmelt.

On the way back to Discovery Bay we stopped off in Sequim at Railroad Bridge Park. This was a wonderful place for Zach since it provided a very long straight trail that was elevated so it was easy to keep up with him.

The next day was gloomy and we didn’t have much of a plan. We drove out to Fort Flagler State Park and played on the swing for a bit, but it was really windy, cloudy, and about 50 degrees…so we were not too keen in hanging out. We then drove around for about an hour before settling in Port Townsend for lunch. Zach was tired and cranky and made lunch and walking around difficult. We decided it was best to head home since the place we were staying at was not great for a toddler (small space, not real clean, lots of rust, no tv) and the rain would have kept us inside. Coming home was the right choice - Zach needed to get back on schedule and our home was more comfortable then the cottage we were staying at.

Here are some photos from the trip.

Get dirty on the beach.

Zach on the beach in the late evening.

The Elwha River

View into the forest at Railroad Bridge Park.

Zach and mom strolling at Railroad Bridge Park

We just got back from our Bay Area trip. We flew down on Thursday afternoon from Seattle to SFO, and Zach was awesome on the plane. My dad picked us up and we had dinner with my parents. Later that evening we drove down to our hotel - a Marriott by hwy 92 and hwy 101.

On Friday we took Zach to Lin and Rick’s for the day while Paul and Steph visited some old work friends. Paul also stopped by Keeble and Scuchat in Palo Alto where he purchased some Cokin filters for his camera - yes, more camera toys. Friday evening was spent in the old hood with Bob & Sandy and the Rossi’s. Good food and lots of drinking - nothin has changed

Saturday morning we went up to see Paul’s grandparents in South City where Zach got to play in the dirt. And Saturday afternoon was the big Birthday party.

I want to extend a big thank you for everyone who attended - it was really great seeing all of our friends. And another big thank you to Mom and Bev for putting the party together - it was perfect! Great job!

We spent Saturday evening at Brian and Karen’s where Zach ran around for several more hours with Cole and Mckenna. We flew home on Sunday morning and again Zach was an angel on the plane. Maybe because he was a holy terror in the terminal beforehand. He threw a tamtrum for the 20 to 30 minutes before getting on the plane - I had to use every atom in my body to not open a can of whoop ass on him! Seriously, I am now thinking about therapy! Not to mention the 200 people watching us and hoping to god this devil child doesn’t go on their plane. All the screaming before the flight caused him to sleep the whole time on the plane.

Here is a video at grandpa’s and here are a few photos.

My grandpa standing with his faithful tractor.

Zach playing in the dirt.

Some wood.

BTW, I didn’t have a chance to take photos at the bday party - if you have some in electronic format - please email them over. Thanks!

We had a high temperature of 83 today and it was 80 at 6:30pm (officially SeaTac hit 85 and the hotspot was Kirkland at 89). We spent the whole evening outside…actually, we spent about an hour at Lincoln Park letting Zach run around and then the rest of the evening in our front yard.

I bbq’d some fish up…but unfortunately I had a little too much beer and overcooked the fish. Well, actually, it turned into leather. Anyway, I took Zach out on his tricycle with Dominic. Heidi and Sash (Dom’s parents) made sure I didn’t walk Zach into any cars…since I had a little too much beer. Anyway, Zach has spent the last hour dumping toys on Steph and now he is heading to bed.

I did take some photos tonight…enjoy.

Close up of Zach while playing in the sandbox at Lincoln Park

Zach and his sand toys.

Zach climbingup the slide.

Sea rocks along the shoreline in Puget Sound at Lincoln Park.

Tonight’s sunset - taken about 3 blocks from our house. We can see some of the Olympics and part of the Sound from our porch.

Morning at Seacrest Park

View of Seattle skyline on the way home.

Tanker with Mt Rainier in the background.

Two photos of flowers in our yard using my Canon 70-200 f/4L on my new tripod.

And the sunset from Clearwater Beach, FL…yes, I was there last Monday night.

First Paul decided to buy some toys.  I picked up a new lens - basically a walk-around lens.  It is the Tamron 28-300mm…it size and versatility make it a great lens to take when you don’t want to lug a bunch of stuff.  It’s small but with a huge range.  I also bought a tripod and tripod head - Manfrotto 3001 and Manfrotto 3265.

Next we drove to Gregg’s Greenlake Bicycles to get Zach his 2 year bday gift from Nonnie and Papa - a Kettler Tricycle.  Then we came home so Zacher could nap.  Paul mowed and trimmed the back lawn while mom and Zacher napped…or not.  Zach didn’t take a nap…oh, we’re screwed!

So at 4pm, Paul has the wonderful idea of going to Lincoln Park so Zacher could ride the tricycle.  All started out well…then Zach staged a protest.  Mom and dad wanted to go one way while Zach had other plans.  Finally, dad won (he’s stubborn you know).  He carried Zach all the way to the point…with Zach screaming very loudly in his ear.  I’m sure everyone thought I was beating him.

We sat out on the point while Paul took pictures and Zach beat mommy with sticks.  Not really, Zach was hitting a picnic table with sticks.  Zach actually rode the tricycle most of the way back.  We stopped off at the store for some wine (yes, we needed it).  We got home and I put together a little snack for Zach but by the time I got it to him he was asleep in our bed.  The end.  Oh, here are some pictures.

Look at me cruise…the chicks dig my helmet!

I know I’m cute.

You keep taking pictures dad.

Look I can push it too.

Come back!

View towards Vashon Island (or just north of it)

They finally let me swing.  Just wait till they try to take me out of the swing.

Dropped by Lincoln Park this afternoon for a run and some pictures.

Overlooking the Puget Sound.

Quiet Path.

Grove of trees.

Wow - Seattle in the Spring is incredible.  The leaves are coming out and there are lots of blooming trees.  We have three trees in our yard with an abundance of blooms (still researching what they are - maybe crabapple and Washington Hawthorn - but not sure).

This morning we took a walk along the water at Lincoln Park with Zach, and then we let him swing for about 10 minutes.  I took some pictures of the scenery and of Zach of course.

Yesterday we picked up a toddler bed for Zach - so last night was his first night out of the crib.  He was a champ.  It took a little longer to get him down since he wanted to walk around, but otherwise it was a normal night.  He’s also had two naps in the new bed.

Not much gardening this weekend - I did some mowing, planted some lawn seed in a few bare spots.  Otherwise I enjoyed it and relaxed.

Zach pointing at a doggie

Mom and Zach strolling at the Park
Looking north from Lincoln Park

Quiet morning stroll