Category: Summer 2015

I considered calling this post “TMI” because I was going to tell you all about the colonoscopy I had today. You know, once you hit 50 (I’m 52), you’re supposed to have your colon checked for polyps.

The pre-procedure involves an extended period of not eating, an extended period of drinking 4 liters of an unpleasant-tasting liquid, and an extended period of allowing the unpleasant-tasting liquid to liquefy and expel the contents of your colon. The procedure itself involves being drugged, which made it the most pleasant part of the experience. This photo of me was taken by Melinda seconds after I was roused back to consciousness. And from what I was told, I have no polyps, which means my next colonoscopy won’t take place for 10 years.

Good thing I didn’t tell you about my colonoscopy, right? Really, TMI.

Instead, I’m pleased to present this photo that was sent to me within the last hour by Chloe and Alex. That’s right, as I wasn’t telling you about my colonoscopy, Chloe and Alex were being served by Ella at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland. Ella is an old hand at this by now, having served Melinda and me last Thursday. As they were eating, Chloe sent me this text, “The food is sooo good!”

By this time tomorrow, Chloe and Alex will have returned to Seattle, their road trip vacation to California behind them. Ah, all good things must come to an end, I suppose.

I think there’s a colonoscopy pun in there somewhere….

That’s right, we have officially adopted Celeste for the next four months, meaning Melinda and I now have three daughters. I’m thinking of pitching this as a TV show called “My Three Daughters” and I’d like the modern equivalent of Fred MacMurray to play me.

Just who would be the modern equivalent to Fred MacMurray, though? I honestly have no idea, but I like that it could be George Clooney. Maybe I just like the idea of George Clooney playing me. It’s our incredible resemblance, you know. George and me, doppelgangers.

Anyway, Chloe just sent me this photo of her and Alex watching the San Francisco Giants have a big inning at home against the Nationals. They put up 6 runs and I got to see a couple in a text-video Chloe sent. Technology is pretty cool.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle Celeste made three different salads for dinner tonight. Given it’s her first full day in Seattle without her mom and she’s going to be here until December, Melinda said she needed to start contributing. As such, three salads and Melinda was in heaven. It looks more like dishwashing duty to me.

Ella sent this picture via Snapchat yesterday and I think it’s a semi-selfie of her in one of her classes. Clearly, she is being studious. Just where are the other students, though? And if this culinary arts thing doesn’t work out, maybe Ella could take up photography. She seems to have an eye for it (get it, an eye?).

First, Melinda and I just returned from SeaTac with Celeste who has been back east visiting family for the last week. It was a long travel day for Celeste, in that her plane was delayed out of Washington DC and then she had to sit on the ground at SeaTac for about 30 minutes for a gate to be made available. See how happy she is to be done with air travel for a while?

Next, here is a picture I took of Ella in Portland this afternoon. Framed by the entrance to her micro apartment, she is prepping for her class on restaurant management that she had today. Yes, as you may have gathered from last night’s post, Melinda and I drove down to Portland yesterday to be served by Ella at the OCI restaurant. The meal was fabulous and the service perfect. I’ll post more about that soon, along with a couple more photos.

I *met* Fish Astronaut back in 2011 while my family was living in France.

I say *met* because Fish and I have never met in person. We met online because he and I have similar musical tastes. We both connected to a social network site called last.fm (in fact, go check out my profile) and were directed to each other. I “friended” him and then saw his great artistry. I asked if he’d illustrate one of my online kindness classes. He quickly agreed. See that first collaboration here.

In the last 4+ years, Fish has provided dozens and dozens of images for Melinda’s and my Kind Living project. A couple of years ago, Jon Ramer, founder of the Compassion Games, asked if he could use some of Fish’s images to help promote the annual games. Fish again complied. Yesterday, Fish sent me 10 new images for the upcoming games (they start on September 11th and I facilitate something called The Secret Agent of Compassion) to go along with 5 he had sent earlier.

I present one of these new images tonight so YOU can admire Fish’s artistry.

Does Fish have a name other than Fish Astronaut? If he does, I don’t know it.

I’m calling this post “Empty Nest” because Melinda and I are the only two in our home tonight.

22 year-old daughter Chloe is in southern California on a road trip vacation with her boyfriend, Alex. Yes, that’s the two of them in this picture and I think they are at Venice Beach. 18 year-old daughter Ella is, of course, attending culinary arts school in Portland and at this very minute (~9pm) should be helping close up the school’s restaurant. 15 year-old French “daughter” Celeste is in Washington DC, having had an adventure-filled travel day that involved lengthy weather delays. And BFF Christine is 7+ hours into her flight to Amsterdam, the first and most lengthy of her two flights home to Nantes.

So what did Melinda and I do tonight with our empty nest? We had a PSCS board meeting to attend, of course…

So tonight is Christine’s last night in Seattle, Yes, she heads out tomorrow afternoon for the long flights (note, plural) home to Nantes. Losing 9 hours along the way, she’ll likely be home some time a week from next Tuesday. Well, you do the math. A nine hour flight to Amsterdam, plus nine hours lost for time zones, plus a 90 minute layover in Amsterdam, plus a 90 minute flight to Nantes, then the drive home from the Nantes airport. It all adds up to a week from next Tuesday.

Anyway, because of the significance of this being Christine’s last night with us, I wanted, in fact I strove, to get a poignant photo to share with you all. This is what I got, Christine and Melinda during our 60 minute wait for pizza at Mioposto Pizzeria. Clam Bake pizza. Yum.

Two years ago I think it actually was a little more poignant on Christine & Bérnard’s last night in Seattle…

Chloe and her boyfriend Alex left Seattle a little after 5 this afternoon, the start of a nearly two week road trip to southern California and back. They’ve mapped out what sounds like a pretty fun agenda, with stops that include a variety of “couch surfing” opportunities. Stop #1, Portland, OR and Ella’s micro apartment.

Given the size of Ella’s apartment (150 sf), there really isn’t space for a couch. So the “surfing” the travelers will be doing tonight is more of the “floor” variety. But I think Chloe was pretty excited to have the first stop of her vacation be her sister’s apartment in Portland. She, herself, sent me this photo, along with these text messages:

“Made it to Portland!”

“At Little Big Burger!”

“Ella didn’t get one because she’s on a budget :P”

“And she’s eaten already.”

“Just Alex and I are starving.”

“But we’re buying ice cream after and she’s indulging!”