Christmas was merry

Manfred cooked the traditional turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry, etc.  It was so good. And we have been eating leftovers since. Yum!

  

 

  Best Holiday wishes to all. 

Yesterday we had pizza while watching the end of the NFL regular season.  Our 2 teams are #1 in the AFC & NFC.  Ergo, both have bye next week, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

Christmas preparations

The Tree and the house are decorated, Bill is here, Manfred is baking stollen and thawing the turkey. 

  All is good. 

Let it snow

Woke up to snowscape in Port Orchard yesterday. By noon it was mostly gone. 

  

  

Today the weather is very dark & grey.  Thank goodness for Xmas lights. 

We are working on Xmas decor, tree, etc., and Xmas cooking. 

Bill is coming on Monday, Dec 23. 

Unthinkable loss

  What the ...?  Last week, when Denver was winning magnificently, it wasn't broadcast in our area. This week, on Thursday Nite FB, we were all set to watch them win at home against an inferior team, but noooooo.!??!  Electrocuted by silly San Diego in Bronco Bad Land.  27-20 - Pathetic. 

Kathy and Doug came and got their truck, but Bill didn't see them. !

Back from SoCal

We went to Tijuana, Mexico, because Manfred broke two of his beautiful new teeth. After our trusty dentist had fixed them, we went to stay with best friends Charles and Diane Fitzgerald in Encinitas, near San Diego. Then we all drove to Palm Springs, where Bill Jones had already arrived from British Columbia. So we were now 5 happy people driving on to Indio, where we had reserved a WorldMark penthouse apartment, with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a hot tub on the balcony. 

 

We had a very nice time, enjoying the resort and the spa. The highlight was attending the Palm Spring Follies -- a traditional follies show, but all the performers were over 50 years old. It was a fab show,

 and Manfred got a hug from one of the "showgirls."

Kathy and Doug visit

   
Bill's sister and her husband spent the night on their way to Florida. Much fun, but too short. Doug is a wood carver and also paints Pacific NW native art:

Whazzup?

Got new glasses about a week ago - they are better than b4.

Bill has managed to spend all and go into red.
His sister & her husband are coming to stay here next week
The shed and outdoor outlet got wired up for $250, but now we have to pay.

I've been installing led bulbs in various lights.

Get your luggage here

Our carry-on luggage site is operational and open for business.

 It's called travel-smart-luggage.com. 

It's all about traveling smart, which means 

CARRY-ON LUGGAGE ONLY!

Which means:

* No luggage charges

* No searching for the right carousel 

* No waiting for your bag to finally appear

* No damage from the gorilla they keep in there. 

* No chance of your luggage going astray. 

The amount you save on luggage charges will pay for your new bag on the first trip or two. 

We travel so much that we wanted to help others to get good prices on

 .   luggage that will save them money and make their travels more enjoyable. 

Also, we get to try out various bags at great prices. 

Go and check it out. We've put everything on sale, just to get it started. 

: )

Happy Halloween

Also our 32nd anniversary. 🎃

Bill bought a smoker

He and Manfred have been working on it, and some of the salmon, for two days.

They are still soaking fish in brine. Will smoke later today. 

My glasses are still lost. Need to get new ones. 

Birthday dinner

October 16, 2013
Went to the local Mexican restaurant, Puerto Vaillarta, for birthday dinner. : D

Very good but huge, and Manfred ate all my leftovers. : (

Didn't get to do juice fast Wednesday or Thursday so it's today, Friday. 

Can't find my glasses, which are there on my sweater. We searched all day yesterday. 

Bill came yesterday, on my birthday. Will probably stay a couple of weeks. 

Fasting

On October 9 we started a new rule:  no solid food on Wednesday, or if not Wednesday, Thursday.  Juices and other drinks only. 

Visit w/ Robin, meet Natalie

Yesterday we met with Robin in SeaTac and met Natalie for the first time.  I hope we will see a lot more of her. 

Back home again

We'll probably be here most of the time until we leave for Mexico the day after (American) Thanksgiving.

We got back late, after an enjoyable drive along the Columbia River to Fairview, then a stop in the Apple Store in Tacoma. There I tried to find out why our devices wouldn't charge on some adapters, and Manfred and Bill went to Red Robin for burgers.

On Thursday, we drove north along Long Beach to WorldMark Surfside, which is also a golf course. Good views of water, but further away. Smaller, older resort.

Broncos are 3-0 after beating Giants (with the other Manning) last week and the Raiders last nite on MNF. Sportscasters can't say enough about how great they are, but the last 2 games were too easy. They got away with mistakes. Better opponents will make them better, I hope. Seahawks beat the poor Jaguars in another too-easy game, and are also 3-0. Jaguars have bad hats, makes them look bad, play bad. ;)

WorldMark in Long Beach

On Monday we drove to Long Beach, WA, leaving at 11a.m. and arriving at 4 p.m., having stopped for a leisurely lunch on the way.  This is at the mouth of the "Mighty Columbia" river, and we (including Bill) are staying in a WorldMark resort here.

Today, we drove across the 4.1 mile Astoria Bridge to Astoria OR and down the coast to Seaside, where there is another WorldMark resort. I like it a bit better than the one we are in, because you can see the water from the lobby and most of the rooms. We saw their penthouse, so we are really looking forward to staying in the penthouse in Indio, in December. 

But we haven't really experienced the longness of "The Longest Beach in the World," yet (28 miles). We have only experienced the width of it, which is long enough -- about half a mile at low tide -- when we tried to walk straight out to the water. It's drivable all the way, if we can convince Manfred that the salt won't ruin his car. 

  

  

This is exactly how it looked today, cloudy. 

Season opened well -- Yayyyy!

The Broncos creamed the Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens. The same Rotten Ravens that squeaked the Broncos out of the playoffs in double overtime last season.  Vengeance is sweet, especially at 49 - 27. That's after giving the Ravens a free turnover touchdown, and throwing away a turnover TD given them by the Ravens.

 the horse got a lot of exercise. 

Peyton Manning threw for a NFL record tying 7 touchdowns, w/ 0 interceptions. 

Nothing happening

Bill has gone back to Canada. He'll return around Sept 12. 

We saw the movie "We are the Millers."  It was very funny. 

End of NFL preseason, Seahawks are lookin' good. 

WorldMark update

WorldMark by Wyndham is the timeshare outfit we have credits/points with. We were going to buy 3,000 more credits, which would bring us up to the next level - Silver. They charge $2.50 per credit, so it would have cost $7,500. We canceled that sale and subsequently bought some from a broker, instead: 5,000 credits for $2,300 = $0.46 per credit.  The only problem is that they don't count toward Silver status, which has some perks.

Bill is still here, and he is going halfers on this deal. We are making use of the credits -- going with Bill to Long Beach WA next month, and we have just booked 4 days in December at Indio/Palm Springs - a 3-bedroom condo we can share with Fitzgeralds and Bill. 

 Long Beach, at the mouth of the Columbia River, is about 3 hours' drive from where we live in Port Orchard. The other side of the river is Oregon. 

WorldMark at Indio CA.

Jobs movie

Joel came with a friend to see the movie about Steve Jobs. Bill is here. We went to the Apple Store first, then to Red Robin for burgers, then to Port Orchard to see the film. It was so-so. 

Uh oh! Cancelled sale

We discovered that there is a WM-credits broker right here in Port Orchard. We went to see her. They sell WM credits for $0.40-$0.50 per credit, instead of the $2.50 the WM agent wanted.  

We will probably get some later, but now we have 24+k, with 17k coming in April. The only difference is that the "used" credits are not added to TravelShare. 

Got more WorldMark credits

Now we are "SILVER" -- that means we have 20,000 credits.  We had to pay $2.50, but there are bonuses, $3000 & something else. So, we have at least 2 weeks stay in most any place per year. 

   

   

  

That last photo is the RCI resort we stayed at in Hungary.  

Kombucha Tea 101 - for dummies?

It's not that complicated, folks. 

How to make Kombucha Tea. The hardest part is finding the glass jar to make it in.  Here's Kombucha* demystified, Kombucha* for everyone. Kombucha* "as easy as 1-2-3." 

* aka Manchurian Mushroom Tea, Karagasok Tea, others. 

By the time you got here, you have probably read a myriad of intimidating instructions and dire warnings. Now if you can just forget all that, here's the nitty gritty basics.  It's sooo easy. 

First get a 1-gallon glass jar (like 4 pickle or mayo) from thrift store or restaurant, & a SCOBY. 

1) make some strong, sweet tea:

--  e.g. 4-5 bags black tea, 3+/- quarts water, 2 cups white sugar.

2) put the cooled tea in the jar, 

--  top up with water, 

--  add the SCOBY, and

--  cover with cloth

3)  let sit for 8 days, then

--  remove SCOBYs (now there are 2), 

--  strain liquid into bottles and 

--  refrigerate. 

Further NOTES:

If you have friends that make Kombucha, ask them for a SCOBY ("culture"/"mushroom"), they have plenty. Size does not matter. Otherwise, you can buy one on eBay, quicker and easier than growing your own from store-bought Kombucha tea. Don't pay more than $5 total. If you can get more glass jars, get them, so you can have more batches going, and get friends started. You can use plastic, but it will damage your SCOBY over time, and probably compromise some benefits. It's OK to use porcelain, like a crock pot or sauerkraut pot, even a mixing bowl, you just can't see what's happening. You can start with a 1/2 gallon jar, or even a quart jar. You can cut the SCOBY culture into 2 or more, since size is immaterial. The Kombucha SCOBY should not touch metal or anything other than glass, plastic, porcelain, wood, sweet tea, vinegar. 

(1) You can use black, green or oolong tea. Don't use Earl Grey, herbal, or flavored tea. When I make it, I use approximately 3 quarts water, add sugar and 3 black and 2 green tea bags, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit on burner overnight.  Do not use less sugar or any other than regular white sugar. The sugar is not for you, it's for the Kombucha SCOBY culture, which needs the energy from sugar to produce the healthy Kombucha drink and the new SCOBY.  Same goes for that over-brewed tea.  

(2) When I remove the bags and put the tea in the jar, I top it up with tap water to the beginning of the curve in a 1-gallon jar (just under 4 quarts). All that about adding finished Kombucha tea or vinegar is not necessary for making the Kombucha; it is just for the acidic pH to prevent mold. I have been making this for over 25 years, with no "starter," and only got mold once in all that time. It makes its own acidic pH after 2-3 days.  The cloth is to keep out bugs and airborne contaminants, but the mixture must breathe.  You can use a coffee filter. Secure with rubber band to keep out insects. Write down date. The SCOBY might sink or float, it doesn't matter. 

(3) The liquid will become golden. Mother SCOBY does not grow, baby should get to be about 1/2 inch.  You can leave it longer. More days = more sour. I like 8 days, hubby prefers 10 days. Taste it with a straw until it is what you like. If you are taking it for diabetes (highly recommended), leave for at least 9 days.  If it's too sour to drink, use as vinegar in salads, etc. or sweeten w/agave nectar.  

Use a plastic strainer or cheesecloth, not metal. Separate and rinse off the 2 SCOBYs and refrigerate in zip-lock bag or container with a little water.  They will keep like that for months. 

Always use a strainer when pouring your Kambucha into a glass or cup. Even refrigerated, it continues to produce the makings of a new SCOBY -- gelatinous stringy thingys, not pleasant to drink (but very healthy). If you leave a little Kambucha in a glass for a week or so, it will have a tiny baby SCOBY floating on top, with no mother. 

After the tea is made, it will continue to ferment, even in the fridge. 

If it's is in sealed bottles, it will effervesce.  If you want sodapop-like carbonation, you can leave it capped at room temp for 2-3 days (but beware bottle explosion). Research www to learn more, after you have made a batch or 2. 

<--  Here it has achieved its golden color in a Mason jar, with paper towel cover, and the other is being kept in a EZ top bottle to get fizzy. 

Remember. Kombucha's SCOBY culture has survived for over 2000 years, and it depends entirely on human beings to provide it with the food and care it requires. So it must be very hardy and extremely tolerant. It must also have been providing perceivable benefits in exchange for all that trouble. 

Happy fireworks in Seattle

Bill is here

Bill arrived on July 1.
Tuesday we went to see The Lone Ranger.  It was totally funny and enjoyable.  Crazy outrageous, like Pirates.

I found and bought at Goodwill four 1-gallon glass jars for making Kombucha tea. We have been looking for months, for 1 glass jar or equivalent, now we have 5. 

We also found a good frozen yogurt place. 

It's still very hot, and the fireworks have started early. 

OMG! A customer! Our first!!

Amazing! But true. 

Some nice lady found her way to our luggage website. 

And she ordered TWO SUITCASES!!. 

I think a notice came in about it, but I didn't see it, because I've never seen one b4. 

I found out because she wrote to ask when they had been shipped.  

Anyway, I had the bags shipped to her, plus a Bible cover, to thank her for her patience. 

Now I have to figure out how to get paid.  The $$ is being held up because we never finished the paperwork, but we're not sure how to do that. 

This is what the site looks like. It is www.travel-smart-luggage.com   

I don't know how she found it. 

She says she uses google, but I couldn't find it there searching "carry-on luggage"

But it came up #6 in Bing. 

Longest day

Today sunrise is at 5:14, and sunset is at 21:10. It starts getting light at 4:00 a.m. and it doesn't get really dark until 10:30 p.m. 

But after today, the hours of daylight will get shorter each day until the Winter Solstice in December. By then, the figures will be reversed--it will start getting dark at 4:00 pm, and it won't be really light until 10:30 am. 

So we will enjoy our hours of daylight while we can. 

Bill's visit

Bill came on Sunday and is leaving Thursday morning. Yesterday we went to the Apple Store in Tacoma and had a very good session, learning stuff about music and iCloud. 

  Us @ Apple store. 

Today we saw the movie Epic -- very fun and beautifully done.  

Chuck and Diane last day

It's been a really good time -- going on the cruise to Alaska, then staying in the WM condo in Leavenworth, then having some time with them here in Port Orchard. 

Yesterday we did the Sunday brunch in Gig Harbor, and there was a fair, with classic cars. 

Unfortunately, I came down with a horrendous cold. 

 

Back from Leavenworth.

We spent 4 lovely days in Leavenworth. This is a Bavarian-style town, built by 

Bavarians in the Bavaria-like hills of Washington State in the USA. 

With our good friends and traveling companions, Charles and Diane Fitzgerald. 

Our WorldMark condo had this view from the terrace.