Andy Smallman

Melinda, Chloe, Ella, Chloe*, and I took Théo to a Seattle Sounders FC soccer match tonight. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for root beer floats. Théo said he enjoyed being in a grocery store at 10pm and, as you can see, thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Seahawks paraphernalia in front of the cheap beer. Melinda took a picture so his parents can be proud of his budding Americanism.

About that soccer game, the Sounders played the San Jose Earthquakes and were heavily favored to win. Instead, the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie. The game was actually a little frustrating for Sounders fans. They outplayed San Jose, but were tied 0-0 at the half.

During the intermission, Théo and I hustled down to the concessions to get cheeseburgers, garlic fries, and root beer (more American training), returning to our seats in time to see Seattle score a goal in the first minute of the second half (during the only time during the whole match that we were seated). They completely controlled the play after that, up until San Jose scored 20 minutes later on a fairly cheap goal. Despite a plethora of chances and shots, the Sounders could not regain the lead.

On Théo’s training, I believe he videotaped the playing of the American national anthem before the match began.

Today’s moral – It turns out that some Calvados cocktails taste better when you don’t drink them yourself.

Let me explain…

It’s been a busy PSCS day for Melinda and me, complete with a board meeting that took place from 6-9pm. As such, we really didn’t see a lot of Théo today and I don’t have a new picture of him. Ella and Chloe* took him to the beach and then, after plying him with hot dogs for dinner, took him to see a movie. After the board meeting, Melinda and I stopped in at Frank’s for a light meal and a cocktail. We’ve gone often enough that the bartender recognizes us and extends us the kindness of appearing to be glad to see us when we come in. We went in tonight after several weeks absence, most of which happened because we’ve been in France, as you know.

Speaking of France, soon before leaving Melinda couldn’t find her fancy new Ray-Ban sunglasses. She turned the house upside down, PSCS upside down, both cars upside down. They were not to be found and she was distressed. She gave up finding them…

So, like I said, we went to Frank’s tonight. Upon arriving, the bartender greeted us warmly and then hustled into a backroom. He came back with this statement, “You didn’t by chance leave a pair of sunglasses here last time you were in, did you?” He had found them after we had left last time and, not wanting to put a pair of Ray-Bans in the Lost & Found, had tucked them away for when we returned. It was a spectacularly kind and thoughtful thing for him to do and Melinda was visibly touched.

Glowing from this exchange, I asked the bartender if he knew of any Calvados cocktails. Calvados, as you may know, is an apple brandy from Normandy in France. I am so taken by it that while in Normandy this year Théo’s dad, Bernard, took me to a farm where a man makes his own. We got to sample it and Bernard made sure I came home with a 10 year-old bottle of the best. Anyway, the bartender at Frank’s tonight recommended a Widow’s Kiss, pronouncing it his favorite cocktail. I accepted his suggestion and a few minutes later he came back with it. In a word, incredible. In four words, it’s MY favorite cocktail!

We added oysters, a salad, and some deviled eggs to our evening snack and sat back reviewing the prior 15 minutes or so — Melinda’s sunglasses, Frank’s, Calvados, oysters. We wanted to find a gesture to match what we were feeling.

Having completed our snack and cocktails, we drove home, picked up the 10 year-old bottle of Calvados, then returned to Frank’s and presented it as a gift to the bartender.

I’m posting for a second time today because, well, these photos and these stories just need to be shared. First, as I mentioned, we took Théo to a hamburger restaurant called Uneeda Burger in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Théo carefully contemplated the menu, considering some of the signature burgers before settling on the “classic.” But he doctored that one up, adding bacon, cheddar, and a fried egg (see photos). He also managed to slosh down a salted caramel milkshake, in the process telling us the only other time in his life he’s had a milkshake is when he had his wisdom teeth removed.

After the meal, Melinda, Ella (who is finally feeling better after having been sick in bed the last 3 days) and I took Théo to Gas Works Park. I think Melinda was reminiscing about our last night in Seattle last summer with Théo’s parents, Christine and Bernard.

Hey, we had a French chef make dinner for us in our Seattle house tonight! How about that?! But what does our French chef make?

Tacos!

I find that kind of funny. But funny in a delicious sort of way, down to the fact that our French chef made the tortillas from scratch. Delicious!

He got some under chef help from Chloe (no asterisk) and her boyfriend, Alex. My job was to be awakened from my evening bout with jet lag to come to the table to eat. It was tough going there for a minute, but I managed to get up. And I managed to eat. And to eat. And to eat.

Now it’s time to rest up from eating and in preparation for going to bed.