I’m listening to a book on tape during my commute from our home in Gig Harbor to our office in Seattle. The actor Kirk Douglas has written nine books in his retirement and this one was written at age 90 years. The book Let’s Face It, is, like his other books, enjoyable. One story I enjoyed was about his close friend, the late Bert Lancaster. The two were together at a dinner honoring Douglas. Lancaster noted that Douglas wasn’t eating…
I'm not a real fan of bullfighting because I can't get past the problem of the cruelty of the sport. However, ever since reading Ernest Hemmingway's 1932 book Death in the Afternoon I have been a huge fan of the courage, skill and art of the matador. My favorite quote from the book deals with timing and courage. Hemmingway writes about the concept of "Ver Llegar" or "to watch them come" which he describes as the ability to watch t…
We are home. We left London on a sunny afternoon. London is eight hours ahead of Seattle time so, we arrived on a overcast cold afternoon in Seattle, tired and jet lagged. I have piles of newspapers to thumb through (I’m afraid I might miss something important) lots of mail to read and accumulated bills to pay. There are also suitcases to unload and contents put away. Dirty clothes to be washed and unfinished business to be faced. Unfortunately, the computers…
Today is Sunday June 1st. This will be brief because on this French key board the A, W and M are all in different places then our key board so it is one finger typing for now. Our drive from Paris was pleasant with Alan who lives near here and speaks very good English. The hotel is a very old farm remodeled into a hotel outside of town. We ate in the hotel last night: The food is very good…
Today is Friday May 30th and we are in Paris staying in the wonderful George V hotel. Our suite has a narrow balcony area with a view of the Effile Tower and the city.. Last night we ate at the Le Cinq restaurant in this hotel which is worth visiting Paris for by itself. A modified menu in which each small course is accompanied by a wine and all of it delicious. Waiters dressed in tuxedo's with tails. The lobby…
We left Ravello on Monday morning and were driven across the mountains to Puglia and our hotel Masseria San Domenico. It was a three hour drive through grape, olive and wheat area. It was 93 degrees outside and was beautiful. Our driver had trouble finding the hotel – stopping in the middle of the road to check his map with lights flashing. He also drove between 95 and 100 mph on the autostrada so we kept and eye open the…
Sunday >May 25, 2008. We went to Mass this morning at the church in the square. It was 1st communion day and the steps were full of parents. Women dressed up and men in suits. Boys with a white monk robe and girls in white dresses. Each girl was given a large Easter Lilly. The priest gave the children a talk (too long) at the top of the stairs and led the children inside where the sat on each side…
The sun is out. The weather very warm and the view from the Hotel Caruso spectacular. Today is Saturday May 24th. We arrived by way of Seattle to London, short lay over and on to Rome.After a night at La Posta Vecchica on from Rome by car for a three plus hour drive to this hotel. The route across the mountains made Amalfi drive easy. Like Whatcom County's Chucknut a straight road. High up into the mountains along a windy road….
Senator Joe Liberman, who bills himself as an "independent democrat" has written an Op Ed in the May 21st Wall Street Journal titled "Democrats and our enemies." He tries to justify the fact that he is a traitor to the democratic party and explain his support for the Republican John McCain.The fact he is willing to write in the this publication for capitalist's attacking Barack Obama while supporting Senator McCain confirms once again that he is not "Independent Democratic" at all. He is…
Susan Schell of the Peninsula Gateway has written a front page article about purse seine fishing and Gig Harbor. Her article Fishing for Harbor Heritage is well written. The photo below is of John Stanich who owned the fishing boat Welcome and who lived in Gig Harbor. Below that is a smaller shot of the Welcome on her way to the fishing grounds in Alaska. The article and photos had particular significance to me because I fished on the crew…
