Thursday, June 30, 2016

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

woensdag 29 juni 2016

woensdag 29 juni 2016 Everything you need to know about wildfires in one map. See the fires and the smoke.
Thanks to KRTV Ch. 3 in Great Falls, MT - Studies: more wildfires, more scorched land. This scorches my mind - Trump’s Response To Istanbul: More Torture! Wha? Who are these crazy people in St. Clairsville, OH?
It's a pretty day... for a bike ride, a walk to the library... Chrystal blue skies. Nice breeze. The kids love rolling down the hill. I roll down with them. Diapers, lunches and naps. One of the kids wants make me triangle pancakes. At home, I watch France 24. Istanbul airport attack bears hallmarks of Islamic State group.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

dinsdag 28 juni 2016

dinsdag 28 juni 2016 Climate change is here! It’s happening now, in brutal and very frightening ways. Lake Isabella, CA - the most destructive wildfire this year. Deadly and destructive floods in W. Va. 13th consecutive months of global temperature records.
It's only 7:00 AM Pacific! Let's compare and contrast. At 7:00 PM Pacific. Los Angeles in a cool 66 degrees while Phoenix is boiling at 109. (Feels like 109°) Their high was 113°
The 12th day over 110° mark. That's crazy! It's not natural. I am here all sweaty and stinky after a hard day. We brought the kids inside because it was 73° in Bellingham. Too hot for us. In Los Vegas, the kids would want to put their coats on.

Monday, June 27, 2016

maandag 27 juni 2016

maandag 27 juni 2016 Restless night. I should've showered. Turn on Stephanie Miller. She chats with the Rude Pundit about the Brexit - A Few Upsides of the Brexit Disaster.
An old warrior of American swimming... Ryan Lochte's 400 IM miss and injury could derail Olympic prospects.
The Rio Olympics are right around the corner. It's my first day back at work. We have low numbers - 10 kids. Four teachers. Easy-street! Back to my place. Watch Voyager - Dragon's Teeth. It's quite a space battle at the end. They take in particles from the radiogenic atmosphere in order to boost Voyager's dwindling power supply. Impulse is restored to Voyager. After clearing the planet's thermosphere, the ship is able to go to warp and escape the conflict.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

zondag 26 juni 2016

zondag 26 juni 2016 Seattle Pride 2016. Sunday's parade is dedicated to the 49 victims of the Orlando gay nightclub.
Up in Bellingham... I take a bike ride. Easy to Boulevard Park.
I need to go farther. Thanks, Henry, for the tuna fish salad sandwich. You're cute.
I love Fairhaven. Hey! My little friend Elmo guards the bike trail.
Orange crush. Cruise up and down the Lettered Streets.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

zaterdag 25 juni 2016

zaterdag 25 juni 2016 Machine Gun Kelly's reaction to Cavs' win!
Just trying to get through the day. Why? Brexit? It's insidious. 5 reasons why Americans should care about Brexit. What's the right thing to do? Watch Star Wars, of course. You get 1 QUARTER PORTION.

Friday, June 24, 2016

vrijdag 24 juni 2016

vrijdag 24 juni 2016 Please, Don't Go! There the go.
It's a major schism. See the map. It seems that England rules all. Tom Daley... How did you vote? ALCOHOL? Take your baby by the hair... Dance Hall Days on the Stephanie Miller Show. No shirt? Please, keep your shirts off, Cavs. President Obama to Cavs coach Tyronn Lue: 'Tell J.R. and everybody to put on a shirt' Just say Laissez-faire!

Thursday, June 23, 2016

donderdag 23 juni 2016

donderdag 23 juni 2016 The weather problems - Tornadoes? - in Chicago delay almost everyone. My flight UA #1440 takes off near Midnight. Thank goodness that I can sleep most of the way to Sea-Tac. Land at 3:15. Uff da! No wonder that they call this the Red-eye!
I hang out in the food court for a little while. Suck on a tall soy latte. The airport is steadily getting busy for the first flights out today. Alaska flight 454 SEA to LAX Departure 5:00 AM at Gate C3. Let's go! Nooooo... I'm going to Bellingham. Train to downtown @ 5:04. Rain.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

woensdag 22 juni 2016

woensdag 22 juni 2016 It's National Onion Ring Day! It's my last day in Ohio. So, we go to visit dad again. Smile, dad!
You cannot escape it. The Cavs' victory parade is playing on TVs everywhere... even at dad's place. Huge crowds. Estimated 1.3 million in downtown Cleveland. Two thirds of the population of Northeastern Ohio. Back at the house, I watch for myself. Some great speeches. The Cavs have some incredible personalities. Shirtless personalities! Dan and Lisa take me to CAK. It's ironic. I am all alone at TSA. Weird. Weather makes for delays, however. Making new plans. (?)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

dinsdag 21 juni 2016

dinsdag 21 juni 2016 It breaks my heart, but the NRA has won again. The New York Daily puts it blatantly on their front page.
I can't believe that the NRA is invincible. Congress can't be "impossible" in the sense that nothing is possible for them. I like to think about the possibilities. The paper says, Senators who rejected modest gun controls voted “in favor of continued mass killings.” That's cynical. We will be the change the world needs. We need to honor those who want peace. We need to help those who are anti-gay violence and anti-immigrant violence. Let's honor those shot and killed in Orlando last week.
A healing bike ride is in order. See West Side Bike Ride... and more.

West Side Bike Ride... and more!

dinsdag 21 juni 2016 It's a beautiful day for a bike ride. Dan knows Cleveland like the back on his hand. On this bike tour, I realize that Cleveland is very bike-friendly. The car is parked at W. 61st.  We start at a coffee shop called Gypsy on the Southeast corner of West 65th and Detroit Avenue. This is a trendly little neighborhood. We zig-zag down a bike path to the waterfront - Edgewater Park.
Downtown beckons. We can see it from afar.
First, we head back up through the West Side Little Italy to lovely Ohio City... one of the oldest neighborhoods in Cleveland. Across from Phoenix Coffee (and the WSCH) is...
St. Ignatius H. S. The St. Ignatius mall is beautiful.
We cross the Cuyahoga with the Detroit - Superior Bridge and visit the Superior Viaduct.
I guess that I get greedy... I want to see more. So, we ride over to the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame. But we don't go inside.
We head up E. 9th to the Convention Center. By now, I need water.
We turn around and ride down W. St. Clair to The Flats. Yeah! Bathroom and hydration near Merwin's Wharf.
I can see a Red Line train going across the bridge.
Once we decide to go back to the car, it doesn't take long by bike. The car gets caught in traffic on the way home. Conversation makes the ride home quick and pleasant.

Monday, June 20, 2016

maandag 20 juni 2016

maandag 20 juni 2016 Good Morning Cleveland. Up with Terrence Lee. I love your Twitter - @TLeeTV5. It's a happy NewsNet 5 set... basking in the glow of victory after last night's Cavs win.
How do you end a drought? With water? Not really, you end it with champagne. Words of wisdom from Leon Bibb. YES! After 52 years... FINALLY! Posted by Fox Sports Ohio: We drive 60 miles to Eastlake to visit my brother and his family. My niece Rachel and nephew Alex are all grown up. Of course, we talk a lot about the Cavs. The reception at I-X is flashing on the TV. Nice pizza party. My nephew - Daniel - shows up with his wife. I have the best family! Thank you, Jayne, for hosting this little re-union.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

zondag 19 juni 2016

zondag 19 juni 2016 Turn on SNL. It's a repeat, but it's still good. Pete Davidson - a native Staten Islander who wears Brooklyn sweats - joined the Weekend Update lineup for a discussion on the former pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan who won a lawsuit against Gawker. I adore Pete's boyish charm, but this is not kid-appropriate. Geyer's Grocery has Colonial Club Vodka. Made in Cleveland. Oy, veh! Say Happy Father's Day to dad. Mom shares a photo album with him.
Dan and I take a trek into downtown Cleveland. We park at Puritas and take a train to W. 25th. We stop at Bar Cento for a refreshment. Nice to re-visit Ohio City. I get a Leffe Blonde. We need to walk this off... across the Hope Bridge.
Down into the thick of things. The fans swarm downtown, and we feed off the Cavalier vibe. It feels like we shall defy the odds and win this judging the spirit of the people... especially here at 402 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114. Pedestrians are blocking traffic.
The Indians game has just let out, so more people pile into d'town Cleveland, but we take the Blue Line to Shaker Heights. I want to find my old apartment building. Is this it? North Moreland.
It's a challenge to catch a train back. They're packed to the max. OH NO!
Two trains. Too full! What are we going to do? We wedge ourselves on the next one. It's a boisterous little train. LET'S GO CAVS! LET'S GO CAVS! LET'S GO CAVS! Wow! We boogie on back to Wellington. Just in time for the start of The Game. Dinner at Fort's with the game playing a every screen.
Cavaliers 93 - 89 Warriors!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

zaterdag 18 juni 2016

zaterdag 18 juni 2016 Midnight movie - The Giver. Beautiful movie. Stay human. I'm just an ordinary human. My window faces east, so the sunrise wakes me up... early. Catch up with Rachel Maddow.  She tells the story of the Elliot Morales - Convicted of Hate Crime Murder in West Village Shooting. Another story of a self-hating gay - Omar Mateen. Gay self-hatred is real. Turning the shame and anger in on oneself can have terrible results. Subway for breakfast again - Flatbread Black Forest Ham, Egg (no cheese). Dan invites me on a bike ride through the suburbs and around Wellington Reservation... before it gets too hot. What a great ride! So green and vast. Nice flat trails. A picture from the one hill.
Walking around. I think this is the last of the cicada bugs.

Friday, June 17, 2016

vrijdag 17 juni 2016

vrijdag 17 juni 2016 Check KGO Bay Area and San Francisco News - Warriors fall to Cavs in Game 6, force Game 7.
Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Warriors guard Stephen Curry collide during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) The birds and the cicadas wake me up. Millions of giant cicada bugs cover everything in this Ohio city. Nice visit with dad at Keystone Pointe. Clinical Expertise for Their Special Needs. The facility is bigger than I expected. We head back to Wellington to eat lunch. Fort's serves huge portions! More leftovers for the frig. It's a beautiful day to wander around historic Wellington.

Wellington played a pivotal part in an event that contributed to the Civil War: September 1858, a runaway slave named John Price was seized by United States Marshall Lowe in Oberlin Ohio with plans to return him south by the first train in Wellington. 

Plans were thwarted however, by a large crowd at the American House Hotel in Wellington. The people involved were indicted by the United States Grand Jury for violation of the "Fugitive Law". Ohio had clearly taken a stand against slavery!
Town Hall - constructed in 1885 - is a unique mix of Byzantine, Greek, Gothic, and Spanish architectural forms.
Some of the houses are over 100 years old. Well cared for. Lush lawns. Huge oak, maple and ash trees. Then I wander down to the new underpass - O'Keefe Way.
Cavs Game 7 watch party tickets sell out in minutes... and show up on EBay. Dan and I wanted to go!

Thursday, June 16, 2016

donderdag 16 juni 2016

donderdag 16 juni 2016 Don’t miss @jayleno on @FallonTonight — starting NOW! #JayLenosGarage. Cringe! Jay Leno Lifts the Hood on Second Season of 'Garage'
Doze off during Seth Meyers. Snarky. UPDATE: Donald Trump responds to Seth Meyers’ Late Night ban.
Wake up to strange noises. Dogs panting. Cicadas. Rumblings of a thunderstorm. Lightning! The rain comes pouring down.
That's it, man! Hillary wins! Oprah Endorses Hillary Clinton For President. Game over, man! Game over! Cleveland... Ohio! All the news on Channel 5 is about the big game at The Q - LeBron, Cavaliers pushing for 'best words ever, Game 7'

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

woensdag 15 juni 2016

woensdag 15 juni 2016 I'm a bit worn out from the hustle and bustle of Seattle. Traffic was bad. Rush hour jammed things up. The Sounders vs. Timbers game was starting, too. So, the train was crazy busy with soccer fans. It took exactly 4 hours from my door of my home in Bellingham to the Airport Station. TSA took only 10 minutes. Greetings from Sea-Tac.
Sea-Tac has nice strong Wi-Fi. Thank goodness! I got sick of CNN fast. Breaking news: Child Possibly Taken By Alligator. I AM HERE! Google map. I walked all over the place... people watching.
Arrive in Chicago. O'Hare is busy already. What smells so good? Pretzel dogs! Auntie Anne's... And there's no line. That's my breakfast. Wander around the airport. I am that little blue dot in the middle of this vast facility.
Buy a Chicago Cubs t-shirt. My flight to Ohio is late because of storms across the country. But we head out. What a great view of the skyline and the blue water of Lake Michigan.
The jet lag, the heat and the humidity come down on me like a ton of bricks. 89 degrees. Mom, Dan and I eat at the Fort's. I take a shower and bike around town.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

dinsdag 14 juni 2016

dinsdag 14 juni 2016 I'm still reeling from the massacre in Orlando. Watch France 24. Millions of people around the world have joined together to light candles and hold vigils in memory of the 49 people killed in the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Landmarks across the world - from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to Sydney's Harbour Bridge, have been lit up in rainbow colors to show their solidarity with the LGBT community. Turn on Stephanie Miller. She's really upset with Donald Trump. In a speech Monday afternoon, Trump reiterated his proposed ban on Muslim immigration, and accused Muslim American communities of knowingly harboring the terrorists who committed recent attacks. Then CBS News broadcasts eyewitness accounts from a couple people. Angel Colon, one of the survivors of the attack inside Pulse Nightclub, describes the execution scene.
MST3K Reunion! I won't be able to go. Meeting at work. Boo hoo!
Trip down to Seattle. Traffic out of Bellingham. A cute guy on the Bolt Bus is reading Daring Greatly. Reading is sexy. The pass is always beautiful. Seven minutes of green trees and very tall hills. It rains a little. Listen to KUOW. Hopefully, checking in at SEA-TAC will be fairly easy.

Monday, June 13, 2016

maandag 13 juni 2016

maandag 13 juni 2016 Sadness. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Congressman Alan Grayson, whose district the shooting at a gay nightclub took place, talks with Stephanie Miller about this terrible tragedy. Ride the bus into town. I get a gingersnap cookie at the Bagelry. Where are the cute guys? It's a little rainy today. The rain lets up for us to play outside. Sam reads Little Bitty Mouse at lunchtime. Fantastic art.
Some nice tangy tomato soup at The Co-op. Nice to spend time with the kids... instead of doing chores. Almost an empty bus going home. Turn on the news. Thousands have gathered at the #OneOrlando vigil to honor the Pulse shooting victims.
I see flags at half-staff in Bellingham. Thank you, Bellingham. Prayers for the victims and their families.
Bellingham vigil for those killed in Orlando set for tonight.