Dormer--Deck Rail, Floors, Paint, Closets!

I've been busy at work and consequently slacking on the blog. Lots has happened on the house--the deck is finished, the exterior plumbing/drain connections are complete, the floors have been sanded and refinished, drywall is taped and mudded, most of the paint is up, and we have closet doors in both the bedroom and bathroom. The project is nearly complete! We should be able to move our stuff upstairs after Christmas.

Snow in Seattle

A few times a year, it actually snows enough here to make it feel downright wintry. This is from the snowstorm we had on December 1st, right before the torrential downpours started.

Record-Breaking Rain

Sure, everybody knows it rains a lot in Seattle, but this is precipitation at an unprecedented level of intensity. From the Seattle Times:

The heavy rainfall that continues to pound the region today could break the one-day rainfall record, last set four years ago.

"We're going to come close; it looks good to break it," said Jay Albrecht, a forecaster for the National Weather Service. "It's raining one-quarter inch an hour."

The last record was 5.02 inches, set Oct. 20, 2003. But as of this morning, about 2 ¾ inches has fallen in the past 24 hours in the Seattle area, and the Weather Service says 2 or 3 more inches could fall through tonight.

In addition to all of the havoc the weather is causing for cars, it has made certain intersections pretty difficult to navigate on a bicycle as well. This morning's commute to work was probably the wettest ride I have had in several years.

American Thanksgiving

This year we decided to do something completely different. Since our friends the Moores and the Mahoney-Schaefers were all staying in town and also up for a little holiday variety, we decided to rent a cabin up at Hyak and have Thanksgiving there. Amy found us a sweet place big enough for all three families on VRBO about 45 minutes from Seattle. It was great! There was just enough snow on the ground for sledding, but not enough for the nearby ski resorts to open, so there not too many people up there for the holiday. We had a great time cooking, playing, chatting, and playing Scrabble after all of the kiddos were zonked out. The game got really interesting when the two scientists (Chris and Amy) started talking about, ah, unorthodox methods of reproduction used by marine invertebrates. We haven't had that many belly laughs in a long time. I bet we'll do this again next year.

ENSLAVED

I went to a rock show the night before Thanksgiving, and it was the first on in a LONG time. Enslaved played at El Corazon, and they played an amazing set. The band is from Bergen, Norway, and they started out back in the early 90s as a death metal band distinguished only by the fact that they dressed like Vikings and sang their songs in old Norwegian. However, starting at around their fourth full-length, they started to sing in English and introduce elements of progressive metal to their songwriting. By the time Below the Lights came out, they were using a goddamn mellotron! And flutes! And every album just keeps getting better; their last two, Isa and Ruun, both won Norwegian Spellemannprisens (roughly equivalent to the Grammys) for Best Metal Album. If you like heavy music, and you have not listened to this band yet, I strongly urge you to check them out. For those of you subscribing to Rhapsody, most of their catalog has been added over the past couple of months.

Anyway, the club was not that crowded (probably because it was the night before Thanksgiving!), and I was able to get right to the front of the stage for most of the set. Highlights for me were Violet Dawning, As Fire Swept Clean the Earth, Return to Yggdrasil, Fusion of Sense and Earth, and Ruun. Nice to feel the ol' chest cavity rattling from the double-kick drums once again! ALL HAIL TRUE METAL!!

How to Build a Time Machine

Yesterday Liam was talking about a time machine he was planning to build. Curious, I asked him what parts he would need for this device. Without hesitating, he rattled them off. He was so certain and matter-of-fact that I had to write it all down:

• Old video screen
• Binoculars
• Camera
• Some vegetables
• Leaves
• Meat (like turkey, chicken, or a pig)
• Sugar
• Pictures of dinosaurs
• Soda cans
• Cardboard
• Straws
• A windmill

I inquired a bit about some of these ingredients, and Liam explained that the meat and sugar will attract the carnivores, and the vegetables and leaves will attract the vegetarians. The pictures of dinosaurs will serve as a field guide. The straws will be used in self defense against any dinosaurs that might try to attack Liam and his fellow intrepid adventurers (the trick is to stab them in the eye). When I asked about the windmill he said, "that will be the power supply, because there might not be electricity where the dinosaurs are."

The time machine will be located in the secret hideout of the upstairs after the construction project is finished. I'll send an update after he returns from his first trip.

Dormer--Backyard Excavation

The week before last Dave excavated a huge pit to connect the wastewater pipe to the sewer. He had to rent an excavator for the job, and to Liam's extreme delight, Dave let him help! Here are a couple of shots Amy took during the digging. Of course, now we'll need to think twice before Liam asks us if he can "dig in the backyard!"

Dormer--Drywall

Last week, the drywall guys worked their magic and completely transformed the upstairs. It's starting to look like habitable space! The mudders and tapers have made one visit so far, apparently they'll have to make a few more before we're ready for paint, trim, etc. This was definitely a very satisfying step in the process.

Dormer--Insulation and Skylights

The pace has quickened once again on our little construction project. Last week the insulation went in, and we tried to get the highest R values possible given the constraints of the construction method--R-19 in between the 2x4 framed exterior walls, and R-38 in the ceiling and everywhere else. We also had three locally produced opening skylights installed on the north side of the house, and already the effect has been tremendous.

Good News for Cycling in Seattle

Well, they finally did it. Several months ago, Mayor Nickels pledged to make Seattle "the best city for cycling in America" and on Monday the City Council adopted the Bicycle Master Plan. I was somewhat involved with this effort, at least to the extent that the Seattle Bicycle Facilities Collaborative's findings were incorporated into the plan itself. In any case, it sounds really ambitious:

The 10-year Bicycle Master Plan calls for 118 miles of new bike lanes and 19 miles of trails, as well as lane markings and signs to create awareness of cycling across the city.

And, unusually for a plan of this nature, there is actually some money for implementation:

The city has budgeted $27 million for cycling projects out of a $365 million transportation levy voters approved last fall. The money, and a timeline, set Seattle apart from other cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley and Baltimore that also have cycling plans, Hiller said.

I think this is absolutely fantastic news, and I think momentum for cycling will continue to build as the ramifications of Peak Oil and climate change continue to unfold. The full article can be read here.

Halloween!

The week of Halloween culminated last Wednesday with the actual holiday--Liam dressed as Speed Racer (Amy did a fantastic job improvising a costume out of some clothes from Goodwill and a helmet borrowed from Antigen), and Loki was a frog, same costume he wore for the Pumpkin Prowl. Amy dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, in yet another improvised costume that looked really great. We walked our block with the Moores, and the kids got quite a haul. I think this is largely because grownups tend to overestimate how many kids will be coming by (at least here in Seattle) so they compensate by giving LOTS of candy to the kids that do trick-or-treat. Consequently, we had a boatload of candy at the end of the evening. Last year, we decided to let Liam self-regulate his candy consumption, which did not work quite as we had hoped; at about 1:00 in the morning, he woke up and puked all over his bed. Fortunately, he very clearly remembers that incident, so this year he was far more restrained. All in all, a great Halloween.

Update on the SoCal Fires from Grandpa

Here is my Grandpa's experience of the San Diego county fires, in his own words:

I've received so many out-of-state emails asking about my personal reaction and health as the result of the devastating So. Calif. fires. I thought I should cover this subject here in one email, and send it to all my extended family. You probably read a lot about the fire in the newspapers, and saw many pictures on TV of the damage, so I'll stick to my reaction from Solana Beach.
I was having breakfast on Sunday morning, looking out the window, and noticed that the Santa Ana winds were blowing hard toward the ocean, even strong enough to bend the tall palm trees. That was not too unusual because that's expected when the SA winds blow, but along with the winds came a hazey overcast. As the day wore on, the haze turned into what I thought was smoke, so I turned on the TV to learn that there was a large area of fire around Ramona which is about 50 miles inland, and it was spreading fast toward the ocean on a line through Rancho Penasquitos, Lake Hodges, and Rancho Santa Fe (which is only 5-10 miles from here). I wasn't worried too much during the rest of Sunday, but on Monday when I woke up, I turned on the TV and found that the fire had spread fast through Ramona to Rancho Penasauitos wiping out hundreds of homes on the way. Firefighters were arriving from all over Western U. S. , and those who were in the path of the fire were told to move out of our homes,-- some areas completely, other areas optionally. It was optionally for Del Mar and Solana Beach. So I spent the rest of Monday and Tuesday watching the fire spread closer and closer,-- saw several homes in RP go up in flames, and wondering if I should leave Solana Beach. By this time the air was very smokey and leaving a layer of light ash over everything, On Tuesday, I regularlly get a visit from our Sheriff Volunteer, who, when he came brought me a mask to wear.
I got a visit from my good neighbor, Hugo, who said he had driven his wife and son to Oceanside to get out of the fire path, but he wanted to stay here in Solana Beach until he was forced to leave. And Hugo said he would be glad to take me with him, if he had to leave. He would be my life saver, so to speak. That was reassuring. So I prepared an emergency going away bag to carry my important papers, bank books, wallet, small radio, batteries, medicines, toiletries, nightgown, sweater, etc., and put it where I could grab it fast if I had to leave in a hurry. The fire continued to come closer, across Lake Hodges, and into the North side of Rancho Santa Fe (10 miles from here). burning several houses on the way. By this time, however, the firefighter crew had grown larger, the wind a little lighter, and the fire progress slowing down. The many fire areas around the county are now being contained and out of danger. But what an experience! I hope you never have one like this. I'm in pretty good shape, for an old geek, and things are returning to normal here in Solana Beach. Love, -- Dad, Gramps, Uncle, Ray

I'd say that was a close one!

Stevenson Grandparents Visit

My parents were in town last weekend for a quick visit. It seems to have become a tradition for them to visit in October, (which is fine with us!) and we all enjoy the Pumpkin Prowl at the Woodland Park Zoo. This was our fourth year, and I think it's fair to say a fun time was had by all.

My folks also pointed out that even though they've visited Seattle dozens of times, they'd never ridden one of the numerous ferries that criss-cross the Sound. Since we were fortunate to have glorious weather for the duration of their stay, we decided to head over to Bainbridge Island. The fall colors were in full swing, we walked the beach at Fay Bainbridge State Park, then headed to the other end of the island to walk in the woods at Fort Ward State Park. We had lunch at a great little spot called the Treehouse Cafe, and made it back to Seattle in time for the Prowl. It was a great visit!

The Ones that Did Not Make It

Being a tomato in Seattle is hard, even in the best weather. Unfortunately, this summer was particularly and unusually cold and wet, and although we had a fairly decent crop of tomatoes, there were a LOT that didn't get quite enough sunshine and warmth to ripen. We'll try the brown-paper bag trick with these guys but I think it might be better to find a recipe for fried green tomatoes. Suggestions, anyone?

Dave the Builder

So this is the guy who's been making all of the amazing progress on our house--Dave Fasoldt, of Fasoldt Construction. In addition to being an amazing builder and an all-around nice guy, he is also our neighbor.

Dormer--siding

Earlier this week the siding went up. Starting to look like the rest of the house!

Dormer--Windows

About a week and a half ago, our builder put the windows in--just before the rains began in earnest. They are all fiberglass casement windows, and the two in the reading room have interior wood trim. Hopefully they will last a long time!

This is Not Good

My 95 year-old grandfather lives in Solana Beach, California, and it would be an understatement to say I am worried about him. I talked with my dad this morning, and he is pretty close to flying out there to bring him back to Phoenix. I can't imagine how horrible it must be in San Diego county right now, so many families losing everything. Fortunately there have not been many fatalities, which I think says a lot about the emergency responders. I really hope those winds die down soon!

Oxbow Organic Farm

This year we split a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box with our awesome neighbors Becky and Chris and their kids Colin and Darby. The farm providing the weekly goodness is Oxbow Organic Farm, and at the end of each season they invite all of their subscribers to the farm for a tour and barbecue. It was great fun--we piled into a hay wagon and got to see the actual fields where our broccoli, chard, tomatoes and peppers are grown. Halfway through the tour we piled out and the kids each got pick a pumpkin from the patch. Then all of the visitors got together for a great pot luck lunch with a live bluegrass jam in the background. Best of all, the weather was absolutely incredible, especially for this time of year--blue skies and 72 degrees. The only bad part of the visit was getting stung in the neck by a yellow jacket, but I'm feeling much better now.

Liam is Learning to Spell!

OK, he didn't really spell this one all by himself, but when he asked me to spell a word that used all of his letters it was the best I could come up with.

Giving Thanks Like a Canadian

A couple of weekends ago we were fortunate to be invited to attend a Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration at Jen's house (or, as our expatriate friends from the Great White North like to call it, "real Thanksgiving"). Amy is one of only two American toxicologists at her work--the rest are all Canadian. We also made a fair number of Canadian friends during our stay in St-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec when Amy was going to McGill. In any event, we had a great time, and the turn out was amazing. I was hoping for both English and French renditions of O Canada, but then Amy reminded me that this was a dinner, not a hockey game. Liam was psyched because his buddy Caitlin was there, but they were clearly not having any fun at all. :)

Dormer--Wiring

The last two days of this week was all about wires and electricity. We now have modern wiring up top (goodbye knob-and-tube), recessed lights, wiring for exterior lights, a shower fan, phone lines, and main floor smoke alarms, wired from above. Now we just need to pick out some fixtures!