Category: Summer 2015

So August 6th is an important day. Let’s just get this out there now at the outset of this post. Both of my grandmothers were born on August 6th, something I referenced five years ago. So I have a soft spot in my heart for August 6th. That’s pretty simple.

So what took place today, on THIS August 6th? Celeste flew to Washington DC to hook up with her maternal grandmother. This is the first time the 15 year-old flew by herself and it took place on a flight in the United States. That’s no small thing. Chloe had her usual work day, the last before she and Alex leave for a road trip to southern California and back. That’s a big deal. Ella sent me, via text, that Bill Hader will be guest starring on Brooklyn 99 this fall. That’s exciting. And Melinda and Christine had pedicures, the first for Christine in her life.

See, it’s a big day.

On top of that, Bérnard sent me this picture and I think it’s swell. Max and Théophile, Celeste’s older brothers, in Nantes. Max, you are looking fine.

August 6th. A good day.

So I got a text from Ella around noon today (she had probably just gotten up, given her evening school routine). In it she told me to go look up “Joe Donlon” on Twitter. An obedient father, I did just that and discovered the Twitter handle pdxpeacock. Turns out Joe Donlon is a news anchor for KGW-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland.

It also turns out that Mr. Donlon had dinner at OCI last Friday and sent out a tweet about it. With his tweet was the accompanying picture which I grabbed via a screenshot.

So last Friday was Ella’s FIRST night serving and she made Twitter. Yes, I know, EVERYONE makes Twitter. But is everyone referred to as a “restaurant star of the future?”

So we were all just sitting around after dinner tonight, Melinda, Chloe, Christine, Celeste and me, enjoying an after-dinner cocktail (a Ricard Lemon Drop, for those of you scoring at home). The conversation centered on a plan for tomorrow evening in which we’d all take the ferry to Bainbridge Island in time to come back at sunset, something that affords some pretty incredible views. I happened to mention a time not too long ago in which Melinda and I were on a ferry and saw some orcas. Christine lit right up.

Christine likes orcas.

Chloe then commented about the time in Squamish back in March, 2014 when a pod of orcas cornered some dolphins while she was at school. She said it was a huge deal and even prompted the marine biology instructor to send all of her students to the waterfront to observe. Here’s a YouTube video of the event.

Anyway, Chloe moved us all over to the computer so she should show us what she knew. Christine was entranced.

If I had a good photo I’d focus today’s post on the fact that Melinda, Christine, Chloe & Celeste spent the afternoon on paddleboards on Lake Washington. Courtesy of Chloe’s maternal grandparents (Melinda’s parents), Chloe is a member of the Seattle Yacht Club. Among the many privileges of being a yacht club member is being able to check out the club’s paddleboards. Earlier this week, Chloe rented four for this afternoon. Count up the people – Melinda (1), Christine (2), Chloe (3), Celeste (4), and you get the picture. In the nearly 100 degree day in Seattle, they stayed cool. But they did not have a camera; in other words, no photo.

Me, I TRIED to stay cool while responding to email, setting up some things related to my work on the subject of kindness, and otherwise kept things tidy for PSCS and at home. Not too exciting. Well, other than me setting up a music streaming account at Mixcloud, hence today’s title and that funky photo above.

Meanwhile, in Portland at OCI Ella had her first day as a server. Ho hum, another day for Ms. Ella Shaw and her moving forward in the world of culinary arts. Say, if you’re in Portland in the next month you should get dinner at OCI some weekday night. Ella just may be your server!

I took this photo less than 30 minutes ago. My plan was to capture both Christine AND Melinda, but the part of the picture that had Melinda’s face would not meet with her approval for publication (yes, I value not incurring Melinda’s wrath). So I cropped it to just include Christine. Well, technically, Melinda is in the picture, too. Those are her hands holding her iPad.

After enjoying the delicious shrimp & corn salad I made for dinner, the two friends relaxed on lounge chairs in the backyard, what I saw as a photo opportunity. Why they needed a blanket when it’s been super hot in Seattle today, I don’t know (Bérnard, ask C & C about their trip to the Lake Washington with Melinda).

Soon after I had taken the upper picture, we all chatted with Ella who was home early from her first day of classes. She sounds great and excited, and now has Day One behind her. In typical Ella positive fashion, she told us how nice everyone is. In terms of a photo, I present this one of the bottom half of her school clothes, another of the selfies she sent out yesterday.