Last full day in Washington. *Sniff, sniff* The Epilogue is the final Washington Canada blog posted Saturday or Sunday. Thank you for reading my vacation blog.
Friday September 2, 2005 at 11:00 A.M. No Plan . . . Just Do It
Steve didn't have any activities planned for Friday. He said to play it by ear. I agreed. The first stop was QFC supermarket, the market that had the 2 DVDs for $10.00. We were more inclined to purchase the two DVDs because there were no plans for Friday evening. (BTW, my flight leaves on Saturday at 5:20 P.M.) We choose to delay purchasing the DVDs to the evening so that we don't carry the DVDs in the car. In the meantime, we purchased breakfast. We purchased donuts and orange juice.
The first stop on the No Plan . . . Just Do It day was to drive to Southworth for a quick drive by. We listened to a Johnny Cash CD. The town is really small with a few retail shops. Steve told me one person purchased several parcels of land including the retail shops and plan to develop the area.
The second stop was Manchester. The weather was partly cloudy at the time, and there was lingering fog in Seattle which made the Seattle view not 100% clear. The temperature was around the 70s. In Manchester, we stopped at the house Steve’s Dad is buying. The house was in escrow at the time. We looked at the outside, walked around the backyard, and looked through the windows.
After Manchester, Steve and I drove along Puget Sound, then Rich Passage, and Port Orchard. During the drive, we passed by the United States Navy jet fuel storage containers. There was an odd fuel smell as we passed by.
Friday September 2, 2005 at 1:15 P.M. Time To Shop
We arrived in the city of Port Orchard and visited three used books stores and a pawn shop. Steve wanted to get a soda and I needed to go to the restroom so we visited Kentucky Fried Chicken first; unfortunately, the line was too long and we took off. In one of the used book stores, I purchased "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas Stanley. Steve recommended the book.
The next stop was Walgreens on Bethel Road where we purchased drinks for the continued drive west of the Puget Sound. Puget Sound separates Seattle and the many peninsulas west of Seattle. Steve suggested we visit Bremerton, the city where Olympic College is located and the college he attended, and where we can eat lunch. I didn't have a problem.
We drove on Washington Highway 166 and then drove on Washington Highway 3 to Bremerton, and finally exiting to Washington Highway 304. On Washington Highway 304, there is the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard which is before the Sinclair Inlet. When we drove on Washington Highway 3, we drove along the Sinclair Inlet. Washington Highway 304 takes drivers directly to Bremerton and to the Seattle ferries. The ferry time from Bremerton to Seattle is approximately one hour. I took lots of pictures of the boats at the naval shipyard. All of the boats I saw were aircraft carriers and destroyers. And there was an adult book store along Washington Highway 3 and before the shipyard :-))
Bremerton is a quiet town. Lots of homes built in the 1950s. The weather remained partly cloudy and in the 70s. Simple signal lights like the drive to Port Angeles and at Victoria, British Columbia. Most of the city resembles San Luis Obispo located approximately 1.5 hours north of Santa Barbara. (The last time I visited San Luis Obispo was in 1998.)
We ate at Sizzler on Wheaton Way at 2:25 P.M. I was surprised to see a Sizzler. Sizzlers are rare in California. In Sizzler, customers order their meals and pay first at the cashier before being seated. When Steve and I looked at the menu posted on the wall, we were scared when one of the workers surprised us asking if we needed helped. The worker noticed my black bag I was carrying. The black bag contained necessities for traveling. The outside of the bag has an anime drawing. Apparently, the worker is an anime fan and said it is cute. We talked a little about anime. Then we ordered our meals. Steve and I both ordered the Steak Lunch. Before we left Sizzler, I gave the worker my webcard which contained my webpage address and my email address so the worker can look at my anime cosplay pictures.
When we left the Sizzler, I noticed there was an Albertsons that sells gasoline. Oh, yeah, gas prices in Washington were going up due to Hurricane Katrina. Steve's Dad who was in California during the vacation told Steve that gas was over $3.05 a gallon in his neighborhood. And there was a McDonalds that was closed. A closed McDonalds in Washington? What a weird sight considering a ton of McDonalds dominating Washington.
Friday September 2, 2005 at 3:05 P.M. Olympic College
Steve drove around the outside of the main entrance of Olympic College. Olympic College is a much smaller De Anza College located in Cupertino, CA. The next stop was Tacoma where there is a Half Price Books store. We headed back on Washington Highway 310 to Washington Highway 3 and then to Washington Highway 16. During the trip, we debated on how important age difference is in a relationship. I said "Yes, age difference matters." Steve said, "No, age different doesn't matter." The entire time on Highway 16 from the Junction to Gig Harbor was like driving on Interstate 80 to Reno. Before passing the bridge across The Narrows, I got a good look at the Toll Plaza under construction with the new bridge.
We arrived in Tacoma at approximately 4:00 P.M. We shopped at Half Price Books store on Tacoma Mall Boulevard. The book store is really organized and easy to walk around compared to the other Half Price Books Steve and I visited. We stayed in the bookstore for 1.5 hours. Steve was having a blast purchasing many books from his list. I purchased "The Big Book of Beatrix Potter," one of my books on my wish list. I have to comment on the men’s bathroom. The bathroom is very, very clean and decorated with posters and fliers on shows, concerts, plays, movies, events, and public service messages. Anyone who owns a retail place and needs to decorate the bathroom, try the idea of posting posters and fliers. It probably increases the chance the bathroom remains clean `__*
The next bookstore was Borders on 38th Street and across the street from Half Price Books store's outdoor mall. We didn't stay too long. I purchased Tsubasa Chronicles Volume 2 manga for the plane trip back to San Jose. I know I'm going to finish Volume 1 and I needed extra reading material.
We walked across the street and visited Costco. Steve purchased The Simpsons Season 4 and Season 5. Costco had a special where the customer purchased Season 5 and another season and the customer receives $10.00 instant savings. Since Steve purchased The Simpsons DVDs, the entertainment was set for night time. The plan was to watch Simpsons and eat pizza for dinner. Great plan!
Friday September 2, 2005 at 7:15 P.M. Pizza Time
We went to Round Table Pizza on Olympic Drive in Gig Harbor. We ordered a medium pizza. My half was the combo and Steve's half was pineapple and ham. The pizza took 15 minutes to make. During the wait, Steve and I walked to FredMeyer to purchase drinks and breakfast for Saturday morning. We came back to Round Table early and Steve played Star Trex: Enterprise video game where you have to shoot Borgs.
After picking up the pizza, we drove back to Steve's Dad home. No need to stop at QFC to purchase the 2 DVDs for $10.00. There was plenty of Simpsons. For the rest of the night, we ate pizza and watched Simpsons. I stayed up to 3:00 A.M. :-O
Author’s Note: The vacation length was 8 days and 7 nights. I choose 7 parts instead of 8 parts because the last day of the vacation nothing really happened. I can explain the activities on the last day in one paragraph; in addition, I want to share my thoughts and I felt Epilogue is the better title for the last day in Washington. I know the logic doesn't make sense :P
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
I’m Tired Today Because I Tried Sudoku
I’m at work and I’m half tired because last night I tried Sudoku. Sudoku is a game where you fill a grid such that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. I was introduced to the game from Monday’s San Jose Mercury News. On Monday, I read the instructions how to play and last night I tried to play the game. I went to sleep at 2:30 A.M. *Yawn, yawn*
Sudoku is a fun game. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to learn and to play. For the remainder of 2005, I plan
•to upload Anime Expo 2005 cosplay pictures
•to update my resume
•to update my webpage
•to read more books on my list
•to register at De Anza College for a night class in business which I’m interested for Winter Quarter 2006
•to create another cosplay costume because I want to multi-cosplay (two cosplay costumes should be good enough for a busy guy like me)
•to create a Infinite Thank You card, to complete some of my 2005-2006 goals
•to research stocks
•and anything else that innovates me
Yeah, I can say Sudoku is a mind game that helps innovate my mind; unfortunately, I have to make a choice. To repeat, Sudoku is an addicting game. And since I played to 2:30 A.M. last night, I didn’t get other stuff done on Tuesday :-< Grrrr!
Later today, I hope to post Washington Canada Vacation Blog Part 7 of 7. I post the Epilogue to the Washington Canada Vacation either later Saturday or Sunday. The epilogue contains the events on the day I flew back to San Jose. Nothing really happened on the last day and I choose to name the last vacation blog as the “Epilogue.” The Epilogue also contains my thoughts on the vacation.
*Yawn, yawn* Time to eat lunch ^__^
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Sudoku is a fun game. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to learn and to play. For the remainder of 2005, I plan
•to upload Anime Expo 2005 cosplay pictures
•to update my resume
•to update my webpage
•to read more books on my list
•to register at De Anza College for a night class in business which I’m interested for Winter Quarter 2006
•to create another cosplay costume because I want to multi-cosplay (two cosplay costumes should be good enough for a busy guy like me)
•to create a Infinite Thank You card, to complete some of my 2005-2006 goals
•to research stocks
•and anything else that innovates me
Yeah, I can say Sudoku is a mind game that helps innovate my mind; unfortunately, I have to make a choice. To repeat, Sudoku is an addicting game. And since I played to 2:30 A.M. last night, I didn’t get other stuff done on Tuesday :-< Grrrr!
Later today, I hope to post Washington Canada Vacation Blog Part 7 of 7. I post the Epilogue to the Washington Canada Vacation either later Saturday or Sunday. The epilogue contains the events on the day I flew back to San Jose. Nothing really happened on the last day and I choose to name the last vacation blog as the “Epilogue.” The Epilogue also contains my thoughts on the vacation.
*Yawn, yawn* Time to eat lunch ^__^
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Washington Canada Trip Part 6 of 7
Heading to the top, man. <:-)
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. Trip to Seattle
The first morning activity was take pictures of the view from Steve's Dad house. Steve and I saw the part of the harbor that was on fire yesterday. The wood was warped and twisted. Looking with binoculars, there were people on the outside watching, TV news crew, emergency vehicles, construction equipment, a tug boat, and rubber-necking cars. The information Steve's Dad received on the cause of fire was a boat exploded.
Nothing to eat in the house, we went to McDonalds for breakfast at 10:30 A.M. Steve went to Wells Fargo Bank first to make a deposit and withdraw spending cash.
After breakfast, we drove to Downtown Seattle. The expected weather was sunny with a few clouds for the day. Great weather. Not too hot. It was a little more on the humid side which was O.K. for me. During the drive on Interstate 5, I got a better look at Downtown Seattle including SAFECO field, Qwest field, and the Space Needle. The Space Needle stood out among the other buildings and sports dorms.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 12:15 P.M. Arrived At Seattle Center
We arrived at the Seattle Center where the Space Needle is located. Fortunately, we visited Seattle Center on Thursday because Labor Day weekend, the Seattle Center hosted the 35th annual Bumbershoot which is an arts festival. The booths were being set up throughout the center. Before we visited the Space Needle, we went to the Center House to go to the restroom. The Center House is a food court, and the foot court is the biggest I have ever seen. THE BIGGEST!! The place was not busy; however, there were plenty of places to eat and places to sit down.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 12:45 P.M. Space Needle
Skipping lunch, we arrived at the Space Needle. The ticket price was $13.00. We went up the elevator all the way to the top. During the elevator ride, parts of Seattle Center can be seen. The view at the top of the needle was hard to describe in detail. Every point was an awesome view of Seattle, the canal, the bay, Mount Rainier, SAFCO field, Qwest field, downtown . . . basically anywhere I could see, the view kicked ass. Having binoculars helped a little. There was too much to view. I took too many pictures of the view XD
We stayed at the Space Needle for an hour. Fortunately, I didn't get sunburn. I get sunburn really easy. On the elevator ride down to ground floor, additional part of Seattle Center can be seen. We stopped at the gift shop were I purchased some magnet souvenirs of Seattle. Steve showed me the menu of the Space Needle restaurant named Sky City. Reservations and formal attire are required. Sky City rotates in a circle for guests to view the entire scenery of Seattle—just like The Simpsons episode where Principal Skinner dated one of Marge's twin sisters (who I forgot . . . damn, how embarrassing) and went to the restaurant for dinner. And, yes, the prices are expensive and the minimum food charge is $25.00 per guest. The Prime Rib is $44.00!!! Steve is going to eat at Sky City for his birthday.
After the Speed Needle, we visited the arcade for about 15 minutes. Steve and I played air hockey. Steve won 7 to 6. It was close.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 2:30 P.M. Downtown Seattle
We took the monorail from Seattle Center to Downtown Seattle. The ticket was $3.50 round trip. The monorail ended at Westlake Center, a multi-level shopping mall. We skipped the shopping mall because most of the stores are clothing stores.
We exited the mall and headed down Pine Street and walked towards Elliott Bay to Pike Place Market, an open market selling food, flowers, plants, arts, crafts, and T-Shirts. During the walk, the buildings and surroundings reminded me of Downtown San Francisco. The major exceptions are little crowds, cleaner, and almost no hills; however, during commute times the traffic is heavy. There are developments with high rise office buildings under construction.
We arrived at Pike Place Market and just walked around. The parking meters are computerarized meaning the meters accepted cash, coins, and credit cards. When paid, a receipt is printed and must be placed on the automobile's dashboard. Talk about advance parking meters. Where are those parking meters in the Bay Area?!?
The first shop was an ice cream parlor. We each purchased ice cream cones. The rest of the shops we visited were used book stores, a magic shop, and a store which had rare science fiction toys and games. Steve wanted a picture of Darth Vander and a Stormtrooper which are man made costumes seen in anime conventions and science-fiction conventions. Steve also wanted a picture of Han Solo frozen in carbon from Episode V and Episode VI. Whoever made the Han Solo did a great job. The detail is excellent. I took pictures for him. As for books, I purchased the World Poker Tour "Shuffle Up and Deal" book and Steve purchased "The Worldly Philosophers."
The final stop at Pike Place Market was the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market. The market is well-known for the happy and enthusiastic workers who toss fish around and entertain the customers who walk around their store.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 5:00 P.M. Late Lunch
We arrived back at Seattle Center's Center House and had a late lunch. I ordered a hamburger and Steve ordered spaghetti. We left Seattle Center around 5:45 P.M.
The last stop in Seattle was Pioneer Square which is located next to Qwest Field. The only store we visited was The Elliott Bay Book Company, a multi-level book store with wooden floors that creak when you walk and wooden shelves as if the wooden shelves are the originals built in the 1800s. The book store is a true, old-fashion book store. Everywhere you walk, you feel like you are in a book store in the old days (gee, whatever that means =__=) The basement is a café with books on the shelves where the customers can pick up a book and read while drinking coffee or eating a meal. After the book store, we walked around an open plaza area where there were vendors selling their arts, crafts, and paintings.
We enjoyed a relaxing drive leaving Seattle and heading back to Gig Harbor. We stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner at 8:30 P.M. Then we stopped at QFC supermarket to purchase soda. QFC stands for Quality Food Centers. There was a 2 DVDs for $10.00 special on selected movies. Steve and I thought about it and choose to wait for tomorrow if we choose to purchase a DVD each. $5.00 for a DVD is terrific.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. Trip to Seattle
The first morning activity was take pictures of the view from Steve's Dad house. Steve and I saw the part of the harbor that was on fire yesterday. The wood was warped and twisted. Looking with binoculars, there were people on the outside watching, TV news crew, emergency vehicles, construction equipment, a tug boat, and rubber-necking cars. The information Steve's Dad received on the cause of fire was a boat exploded.
Nothing to eat in the house, we went to McDonalds for breakfast at 10:30 A.M. Steve went to Wells Fargo Bank first to make a deposit and withdraw spending cash.
After breakfast, we drove to Downtown Seattle. The expected weather was sunny with a few clouds for the day. Great weather. Not too hot. It was a little more on the humid side which was O.K. for me. During the drive on Interstate 5, I got a better look at Downtown Seattle including SAFECO field, Qwest field, and the Space Needle. The Space Needle stood out among the other buildings and sports dorms.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 12:15 P.M. Arrived At Seattle Center
We arrived at the Seattle Center where the Space Needle is located. Fortunately, we visited Seattle Center on Thursday because Labor Day weekend, the Seattle Center hosted the 35th annual Bumbershoot which is an arts festival. The booths were being set up throughout the center. Before we visited the Space Needle, we went to the Center House to go to the restroom. The Center House is a food court, and the foot court is the biggest I have ever seen. THE BIGGEST!! The place was not busy; however, there were plenty of places to eat and places to sit down.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 12:45 P.M. Space Needle
Skipping lunch, we arrived at the Space Needle. The ticket price was $13.00. We went up the elevator all the way to the top. During the elevator ride, parts of Seattle Center can be seen. The view at the top of the needle was hard to describe in detail. Every point was an awesome view of Seattle, the canal, the bay, Mount Rainier, SAFCO field, Qwest field, downtown . . . basically anywhere I could see, the view kicked ass. Having binoculars helped a little. There was too much to view. I took too many pictures of the view XD
We stayed at the Space Needle for an hour. Fortunately, I didn't get sunburn. I get sunburn really easy. On the elevator ride down to ground floor, additional part of Seattle Center can be seen. We stopped at the gift shop were I purchased some magnet souvenirs of Seattle. Steve showed me the menu of the Space Needle restaurant named Sky City. Reservations and formal attire are required. Sky City rotates in a circle for guests to view the entire scenery of Seattle—just like The Simpsons episode where Principal Skinner dated one of Marge's twin sisters (who I forgot . . . damn, how embarrassing) and went to the restaurant for dinner. And, yes, the prices are expensive and the minimum food charge is $25.00 per guest. The Prime Rib is $44.00!!! Steve is going to eat at Sky City for his birthday.
After the Speed Needle, we visited the arcade for about 15 minutes. Steve and I played air hockey. Steve won 7 to 6. It was close.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 2:30 P.M. Downtown Seattle
We took the monorail from Seattle Center to Downtown Seattle. The ticket was $3.50 round trip. The monorail ended at Westlake Center, a multi-level shopping mall. We skipped the shopping mall because most of the stores are clothing stores.
We exited the mall and headed down Pine Street and walked towards Elliott Bay to Pike Place Market, an open market selling food, flowers, plants, arts, crafts, and T-Shirts. During the walk, the buildings and surroundings reminded me of Downtown San Francisco. The major exceptions are little crowds, cleaner, and almost no hills; however, during commute times the traffic is heavy. There are developments with high rise office buildings under construction.
We arrived at Pike Place Market and just walked around. The parking meters are computerarized meaning the meters accepted cash, coins, and credit cards. When paid, a receipt is printed and must be placed on the automobile's dashboard. Talk about advance parking meters. Where are those parking meters in the Bay Area?!?
The first shop was an ice cream parlor. We each purchased ice cream cones. The rest of the shops we visited were used book stores, a magic shop, and a store which had rare science fiction toys and games. Steve wanted a picture of Darth Vander and a Stormtrooper which are man made costumes seen in anime conventions and science-fiction conventions. Steve also wanted a picture of Han Solo frozen in carbon from Episode V and Episode VI. Whoever made the Han Solo did a great job. The detail is excellent. I took pictures for him. As for books, I purchased the World Poker Tour "Shuffle Up and Deal" book and Steve purchased "The Worldly Philosophers."
The final stop at Pike Place Market was the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market. The market is well-known for the happy and enthusiastic workers who toss fish around and entertain the customers who walk around their store.
Thursday September 1, 2005 at 5:00 P.M. Late Lunch
We arrived back at Seattle Center's Center House and had a late lunch. I ordered a hamburger and Steve ordered spaghetti. We left Seattle Center around 5:45 P.M.
The last stop in Seattle was Pioneer Square which is located next to Qwest Field. The only store we visited was The Elliott Bay Book Company, a multi-level book store with wooden floors that creak when you walk and wooden shelves as if the wooden shelves are the originals built in the 1800s. The book store is a true, old-fashion book store. Everywhere you walk, you feel like you are in a book store in the old days (gee, whatever that means =__=) The basement is a café with books on the shelves where the customers can pick up a book and read while drinking coffee or eating a meal. After the book store, we walked around an open plaza area where there were vendors selling their arts, crafts, and paintings.
We enjoyed a relaxing drive leaving Seattle and heading back to Gig Harbor. We stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner at 8:30 P.M. Then we stopped at QFC supermarket to purchase soda. QFC stands for Quality Food Centers. There was a 2 DVDs for $10.00 special on selected movies. Steve and I thought about it and choose to wait for tomorrow if we choose to purchase a DVD each. $5.00 for a DVD is terrific.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Watch Wall Street
Hello. I hope the Washington Canada Vacation Blogs are entertaining (for the few who are reading it HA, HA, HA). Last Saturday and Sunday, I accomplished many activities on my To Do list; although I wish I completed more. Oh, well. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
I purchased my second classical rock CD which is The Rolling Stones Forty Licks CD, a two CD set of their greatest hits at Costco on Saturday for $18.99. Not bad price. My first classical rock CD was Fleetwood Mac The Dance CD. The story is two weeks ago, I cleared out my old CDs to make room for classical rock music. Today’s rock and pop music are too commercialized. The classics are classics, and I have been enjoying classical rock for a year.
The other activities I did last weekend were uploading Part 5 of 7 for my Washington Canada Vacation Blog, reading Built to Last and the 22 Short Erotic stories <:-), mailing an anime DVD box set someone purchased from my half.com store, watching some college football, watching some 49ers vs. Cowboys football including the 49ers screwing up in the 4th quarter, shopping at Costco, cooking Saturday’s dinner, and taking my neighbors to the airport.
The last activity was watching Wall Street starring Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, and Daryl Hannah. My friend and several business books recommended the movie. I’m 2/3rds completed. I could not watch the movie in its entirety because I had sooo much to do. I love the movie so far. It looks like Wall Street may appear on my all-time favorites list. Most of the content and scenes from the movie which was made in the late 1980s still applies to today’s business scene.
Tonight, I’m going to upload Washington Canada Vacation Blog Part 6 of 7. Thanks!
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
I purchased my second classical rock CD which is The Rolling Stones Forty Licks CD, a two CD set of their greatest hits at Costco on Saturday for $18.99. Not bad price. My first classical rock CD was Fleetwood Mac The Dance CD. The story is two weeks ago, I cleared out my old CDs to make room for classical rock music. Today’s rock and pop music are too commercialized. The classics are classics, and I have been enjoying classical rock for a year.
The other activities I did last weekend were uploading Part 5 of 7 for my Washington Canada Vacation Blog, reading Built to Last and the 22 Short Erotic stories <:-), mailing an anime DVD box set someone purchased from my half.com store, watching some college football, watching some 49ers vs. Cowboys football including the 49ers screwing up in the 4th quarter, shopping at Costco, cooking Saturday’s dinner, and taking my neighbors to the airport.
The last activity was watching Wall Street starring Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, and Daryl Hannah. My friend and several business books recommended the movie. I’m 2/3rds completed. I could not watch the movie in its entirety because I had sooo much to do. I love the movie so far. It looks like Wall Street may appear on my all-time favorites list. Most of the content and scenes from the movie which was made in the late 1980s still applies to today’s business scene.
Tonight, I’m going to upload Washington Canada Vacation Blog Part 6 of 7. Thanks!
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Washington Canada Trip Part 5 of 7
It's nice being back in the U-S-of-A :->
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 8:45 A.M. Going Home
Steve and I left the hotel around 8:45 A.M. He saw a place yesterday to eat breakfast along Highway 99. There is a Chevron station that has Self Service and Full Service. After a 30 minute drive outside Vancouver, we arrived at International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Richmond. Steve ordered a Pancake special and I ordered the sausage and egg. The waitress is very pretty. (More on a separate blog entry.) I had some Canadian money and I needed to spend all of it. Fortunately, the bill was easy to split. After paying the bill, I had $10.00CAD remaining.
We headed south on Highway 99 to the U.S.A. and Canada border. The weather was cloudy with grey skies. We saw a few residential development projects. Many of the homes being built are single family residence and high density housing projects. Steve tried to find some retail stores for me to spend my $10.00CAD. Steve spent all of his money at a gas station for food and drinks. Most of the scenery is open land and farming. The drive reminded me of driving down U.S. Highway 101 from San Jose to Santa Barbara.
We arrived at the border checkpoint at 10:45 A.M. We lined up waiting to be inspected by U.S. Customs. It was like a toll booth were cars lined up waiting to pay the toll, except the wait was longer and traffic lines moved much slower. I took pictures of the stones that marked the International Boundary United States and Canada border and the Peace Arch that stated "May These Gates Never Be Closed." The monument reminded when the borders were closed from 9/11. And there is a nice, brown wooden sign that says "Welcome to the United States of America in red, white, and blue colors with the Statue of Liberty, the Capital Building, St. Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Space Needle.
We waited in line 50 minutes to be questioned by U.S. Customs. Just like the Canadian Customs, our passports were inspected and questions were asked to make sure we were not suspicious. Steve said the U.S. Customs are more cautious than Canadian Customs. He is correct. U.S Customs took pictures of Steve's car, checked the license plate, and measured the weighted of the car. We passed the border gate around 11:40 A.M. We were back in the United States on Interstate 5. It was nice seeing the red, white, and blue flag flying at the border gate. And it was nice seeing State of Washington license plates, gas stations in gallons, and speed limits in miles per hour. I didn't spend my $10.00CAD bill. Oh, well. An $8.00USA souvenir. I also kept Canadian coins from denominations of $0.01CAD, $0.05CAD, $0.10CAD, $0.25CAD, $1.00CAD, and $2.00CAD.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 12:45 P.M. Lunch and Craps
At 12:00 P.M., we stopped at a rest area to stretch and go to the restroom. The rest area was sunny. The trip from the border to the rest area was cloudy and there were thunder storms. Then at 12:45 P.M., we stopped at Tulalip Indian Casino at the Tulalip Indian Reservation. The reservation is approximately 34 miles north of Seattle.
In the casino, we ate lunch at one of their restaurants. I ordered the chicken stir fry and Steve ordered the chicken special.
From 2:00 P.M. to 4:20 P.M., we gambled. Steve played Let It Ride, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette. I played Craps only. I regretted playing Craps late because the table I played Craps, the table was on fire for 30 minutes and I started playing at the latter end of the table on fire. In addition, before I started playing, the table halted play for 10 minutes because the table needed a new supply of chips. Fortunately, the table remained hot while I played. I hesitated to play craps earlier because Steve wanted to go to the Emerald Queen Casino which was the first casino choice we were supposed to go. I wanted to save my money for the Emerald Queen Casino. Steve won $1.00. I won $101.00 for a net gambling winning of $81.00 because I lost $20.00 at the Seven Cedars Casino on Day 2. Good call for me XD
Traffic started to congest as we drove towards Downtown Seattle at approximately 5:15 P.M. The weather was sunny and mild. The traffic is like the traffic back in San Jose and Silicon Valley: lots of cars and traffic does move. I also noticed there are no potholes on Interstate 5 as we drove to downtown and from downtown. When we arrived in downtown, the drive was like driving U.S. Highway 101 in Downtown Los Angeles. There are carpool lanes just like in California. All of the exits include the interstate exit number which also indicates the miles mark. I saw Safeco Field where the Seattle Marines baseball team plays and Qwest Field where the Seattle Seahawks football team plays. Then I saw Boeing's buildings and their airfield. And finally I saw Mount Rainier. Steve said Mount Rainier can be seen anywhere in and around Seattle and there is always snow on top.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 6:15 P.M. More Gambling
Since Seattle was planned for Thursday, Steve suggested we visit the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. It was not a problem for me. I didn't plan to gamble because I was $81.00 ahead. I didn't want to lose my winnings ;-) Before we entered the casino, I was carded by security. CARDED!!! I showed him my ID and security allowed me in. People think I look 22 years old. Really?!? My hairline is receding ^_^
When we entered into the casino, it is dark and gloomy. Boy was I glad I gambled at Tulalip casino. Tulalip is big and bright for an Indian casino. By the way, none of the Indian casinos we visited has a mall or a section devoted to retail stores like the big Las Vegas casinos. There is, however, areas devoted to live entertainment. None of the Indian casinos Steve and I visited have a hotel.
Steve did not do well at Emerald Queen. He lost a lot of money. The craps table was cold. Steve did terrible at Blackjack. Every ace the dealer showed, the dealer either has Blackjack or successfully had a 21. In one hand, the dealer showed an ace. Obviously, Steve and the other players refused Insurance. The dealer checked the hand and it was not blackjack. The players were dealt their cards. Then the dealer played the cards. The dealer had two aces. The dealer dealt a card and it was a nine. Two aces plus a nine equals 21. All of the players were shell shocked and could not believe it. "The two dealers were brutal," said Steve. Steve did like the looks of the female pit boss `__* What did I do? I walked around the casino and watched Steve played Blackjack and Craps.
At 9:15 P.M. we ate dinner at the casino. I ordered the fried chicken and Steve ordered the ribs. Drinks were free.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 10:00 P.M. Gig Harbor
We arrived at Gig Harbor. The first stop in Gig Harbor was to get some food and water. We stopped at FredMeyer supermarket on Olympic Boulevard. The second stop was to check Steve's Dad boat located in the harbor. There was a fire in the harbor earlier in the day. Fortunately, the fire was no where close to Steve's Dad boat. The boat was safe. Steve told me the fire was the major story in years in Gig Harbor. The last event which was big was when the Chief of Police of Tacoma shot his estranged wife and himself in a murder suicide.
The final stop was Steve's Dad house which overlooks the harbor. We took our suitcase in the house and settled in. We watched a little TV. Then we went to sleep.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 8:45 A.M. Going Home
Steve and I left the hotel around 8:45 A.M. He saw a place yesterday to eat breakfast along Highway 99. There is a Chevron station that has Self Service and Full Service. After a 30 minute drive outside Vancouver, we arrived at International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Richmond. Steve ordered a Pancake special and I ordered the sausage and egg. The waitress is very pretty. (More on a separate blog entry.) I had some Canadian money and I needed to spend all of it. Fortunately, the bill was easy to split. After paying the bill, I had $10.00CAD remaining.
We headed south on Highway 99 to the U.S.A. and Canada border. The weather was cloudy with grey skies. We saw a few residential development projects. Many of the homes being built are single family residence and high density housing projects. Steve tried to find some retail stores for me to spend my $10.00CAD. Steve spent all of his money at a gas station for food and drinks. Most of the scenery is open land and farming. The drive reminded me of driving down U.S. Highway 101 from San Jose to Santa Barbara.
We arrived at the border checkpoint at 10:45 A.M. We lined up waiting to be inspected by U.S. Customs. It was like a toll booth were cars lined up waiting to pay the toll, except the wait was longer and traffic lines moved much slower. I took pictures of the stones that marked the International Boundary United States and Canada border and the Peace Arch that stated "May These Gates Never Be Closed." The monument reminded when the borders were closed from 9/11. And there is a nice, brown wooden sign that says "Welcome to the United States of America in red, white, and blue colors with the Statue of Liberty, the Capital Building, St. Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Space Needle.
We waited in line 50 minutes to be questioned by U.S. Customs. Just like the Canadian Customs, our passports were inspected and questions were asked to make sure we were not suspicious. Steve said the U.S. Customs are more cautious than Canadian Customs. He is correct. U.S Customs took pictures of Steve's car, checked the license plate, and measured the weighted of the car. We passed the border gate around 11:40 A.M. We were back in the United States on Interstate 5. It was nice seeing the red, white, and blue flag flying at the border gate. And it was nice seeing State of Washington license plates, gas stations in gallons, and speed limits in miles per hour. I didn't spend my $10.00CAD bill. Oh, well. An $8.00USA souvenir. I also kept Canadian coins from denominations of $0.01CAD, $0.05CAD, $0.10CAD, $0.25CAD, $1.00CAD, and $2.00CAD.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 12:45 P.M. Lunch and Craps
At 12:00 P.M., we stopped at a rest area to stretch and go to the restroom. The rest area was sunny. The trip from the border to the rest area was cloudy and there were thunder storms. Then at 12:45 P.M., we stopped at Tulalip Indian Casino at the Tulalip Indian Reservation. The reservation is approximately 34 miles north of Seattle.
In the casino, we ate lunch at one of their restaurants. I ordered the chicken stir fry and Steve ordered the chicken special.
From 2:00 P.M. to 4:20 P.M., we gambled. Steve played Let It Ride, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette. I played Craps only. I regretted playing Craps late because the table I played Craps, the table was on fire for 30 minutes and I started playing at the latter end of the table on fire. In addition, before I started playing, the table halted play for 10 minutes because the table needed a new supply of chips. Fortunately, the table remained hot while I played. I hesitated to play craps earlier because Steve wanted to go to the Emerald Queen Casino which was the first casino choice we were supposed to go. I wanted to save my money for the Emerald Queen Casino. Steve won $1.00. I won $101.00 for a net gambling winning of $81.00 because I lost $20.00 at the Seven Cedars Casino on Day 2. Good call for me XD
Traffic started to congest as we drove towards Downtown Seattle at approximately 5:15 P.M. The weather was sunny and mild. The traffic is like the traffic back in San Jose and Silicon Valley: lots of cars and traffic does move. I also noticed there are no potholes on Interstate 5 as we drove to downtown and from downtown. When we arrived in downtown, the drive was like driving U.S. Highway 101 in Downtown Los Angeles. There are carpool lanes just like in California. All of the exits include the interstate exit number which also indicates the miles mark. I saw Safeco Field where the Seattle Marines baseball team plays and Qwest Field where the Seattle Seahawks football team plays. Then I saw Boeing's buildings and their airfield. And finally I saw Mount Rainier. Steve said Mount Rainier can be seen anywhere in and around Seattle and there is always snow on top.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 6:15 P.M. More Gambling
Since Seattle was planned for Thursday, Steve suggested we visit the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. It was not a problem for me. I didn't plan to gamble because I was $81.00 ahead. I didn't want to lose my winnings ;-) Before we entered the casino, I was carded by security. CARDED!!! I showed him my ID and security allowed me in. People think I look 22 years old. Really?!? My hairline is receding ^_^
When we entered into the casino, it is dark and gloomy. Boy was I glad I gambled at Tulalip casino. Tulalip is big and bright for an Indian casino. By the way, none of the Indian casinos we visited has a mall or a section devoted to retail stores like the big Las Vegas casinos. There is, however, areas devoted to live entertainment. None of the Indian casinos Steve and I visited have a hotel.
Steve did not do well at Emerald Queen. He lost a lot of money. The craps table was cold. Steve did terrible at Blackjack. Every ace the dealer showed, the dealer either has Blackjack or successfully had a 21. In one hand, the dealer showed an ace. Obviously, Steve and the other players refused Insurance. The dealer checked the hand and it was not blackjack. The players were dealt their cards. Then the dealer played the cards. The dealer had two aces. The dealer dealt a card and it was a nine. Two aces plus a nine equals 21. All of the players were shell shocked and could not believe it. "The two dealers were brutal," said Steve. Steve did like the looks of the female pit boss `__* What did I do? I walked around the casino and watched Steve played Blackjack and Craps.
At 9:15 P.M. we ate dinner at the casino. I ordered the fried chicken and Steve ordered the ribs. Drinks were free.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 10:00 P.M. Gig Harbor
We arrived at Gig Harbor. The first stop in Gig Harbor was to get some food and water. We stopped at FredMeyer supermarket on Olympic Boulevard. The second stop was to check Steve's Dad boat located in the harbor. There was a fire in the harbor earlier in the day. Fortunately, the fire was no where close to Steve's Dad boat. The boat was safe. Steve told me the fire was the major story in years in Gig Harbor. The last event which was big was when the Chief of Police of Tacoma shot his estranged wife and himself in a murder suicide.
The final stop was Steve's Dad house which overlooks the harbor. We took our suitcase in the house and settled in. We watched a little TV. Then we went to sleep.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Washington Canada Trip Part 4 of 7
Half way there. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 9:00 A.M. Driving the Canadian Freeways
We woke up around 8:00 A.M. without eating breakfast. We choose to eat breakfast along the road. We needed to take a ferry to travel from Victoria to Vancouver. We drove on Highway 17 from downtown to Swartz Bay where the ferry is located. Steve kept a close watch of the speed because Canada uses the metric system and the speed signs are in km/h or kilometers per hour and the speeds changed many times. The maximum speed he drove was 50 miles per hour. And it was raining.
We stopped at McDonalds for breakfast in Saanichton. The McDonalds is the nicest and cleanest McDonalds we ever saw. The common areas has street light posts that acted as indoor lighting, indoor plants and TREES, a huge indoor playground for the kids, and the décor to simply explain is like a middle class home's living room. I should have visited the bathrooms. It's probably better than my bathrooms at home. I ordered the Sausage McGriddle and Steve ordered the pancakes.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 11:00 A.M. Entering the BCFerries
Before I go on, I forgot to mention all times are in Pacific Timezone. I didn't experience any jetlag or adjustments.
I purchased the ferry ticket at the BCFerries ticket booth. BCFerries is the company that runs the ferry system in British Columbia. The ticket booth is like a toll booth—drive up to an open ticket booth lane that issues tickets for Vancouver. After purchasing the ferry ticket, we lined up on the road along with the other cars waiting for the ferry to arrive. The destination from Victoria to Vancouver is from Swartz Bay on the Vancouver Island to Tsawwassen on the British Columbia mainland.
The ferry Steve and I rode is huge, huge, huge!!! There are three levels for automobiles, trucks, and buses, and people are allowed to stay in their cars if they choose. We parked in Deck 4 which is the upper level for automobiles. The common areas are two floors which included a cafeteria, three arcade areas, gift shop, workstations, play areas for children, and a formal buffet. I even looked at the Ferry schedule. Some destinations take 15 hours!!! My goodness. The cafeteria is big and busy. We could have eaten breakfast on the ferry.
The trip time is 1 hour and 35 minutes. The name of the BCFerries Steve and I rode is named "M.V. Spirit of Vancouver Island." I wonder what "M.V." stands for? I did the same activities and walk-arounds on the M.V. Coho Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria: I walked around the entire ferry and took pictures of the outside scenery; unfortunately, the rain affected the ferry trip such that I really limited my time outside the ferry and the rain clouds and fog limited picture taking. Steve mostly read his book on Feudal Japan. In the gift shop, I purchased magnets and maps for souvenirs. The Canadians are really friendly. In one instance, I maneuvered around the magazine section, and I needed to say "Excuse Me" to pass by a worker. When I said "Excuse Me", six people around me moved. Talk about politeness. Doesn't happen in San Jose =__=
After getting off the ferry we drove on Highway 99. Parts of Highway 99 are sophisticated. One stretch of the road there are lane signals. Lane signals tell drivers which lanes are open and which lanes are closed. It appears during commute times, Highway 99 opens extra lanes to move traffic faster for commute traffic and close extra lanes for reverse commute traffic. The maximum speed Steve drove was 90 km/h or 55mph.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 1:00 P.M. City of Vancouver City Limits
We arrived at the city limits. The sky was grey and Vancouver rained during the drive and during the entire day. Steve played his James Bond Greatest Hits CD. Gas was never a problem because Steve filled up the gas tank at Port Angeles, and we were glad because it felt weird to get gas in liters . . . and Steve drove a Volkswagen Bug which has great gas mileage.
Our destination was Downtown Vancouver where the hotel is located. We needed to drive by Marpole, South Granville, Shaughnessy, and Fairview neighborhoods before reaching Downtown Vancouver. These areas are like Santa Barbara, California including the homes, neighborhoods, and the shopping districts; in addition, the area is diverse with many stores and restaurants representing different cultures and different sexual orientations (if you know what I mean *nudge, nudge*) The drive reminded me when I was 5 years old visiting my grandparents in Santa Barbara for which the surroundings, the grey skies, the homes, and neighborhoods were 100% authentic and represented my memory accurately.
When we crossed the Granville Street Bridge, I noticed a lot of development in Downtown Vancouver. It appears Vancouver is growing. Downtown Vancouver kinda reminded of Downtown San Jose; however, the buildings are unique—the looks of the buildings I never seen before. We checked in the hotel and choose to visit the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park for the activity of the day and to eat lunch. And yes, the rain continued.
When we drove on Pacific Street and Beach Avenue and along English Bay and Sunset Beach to the Vancouver Aquarium, there are a lot small apartment buildings that looked like Santa Barbara again. The signal lights are simple like in Victoria.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 3:00 P.M. Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park. We drove along the Stanley Park for 20 minutes. For me, it's the first time I drove around a park. The closest I drove in a park was Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and me and my friends drove through just to get to Highway 1. No scenic tour. There is a public pool at Stanley Park, and there were people in the public pool despite the rain. I believe the pool is a wading pool where people just go to the pool to get wet and play around.
Vancouver Aquarium was really busy. I think the rain and that the kids' summer vacations being almost over were the reasons for the packed aquarium. Compared to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, Vancouver Aquarium is really small. We entered the aquarium, paid admission, and the first stop was getting lunch. I like to tell everyone I donated $2.00 to the aquarium and I got a S.O.S. sticker which stands for Save Our Seals. Hee, hee, hee.
The rain kept pouring as we ate lunch. We saw the Belugas exhibit and they were swimming as we ate lunch. I ordered a burger and Steve ordered pizza. After lunch, we walked around the entire aquarium. We started viewing the outside attractions including seeing the sea lions, sea otters, and a dolphin show. The dolphin show was packed with spectators and their umbrellas. I was fortunate I got a spot and was able to see most of the show. I had to stand on my toes to view some of the acts.
After viewing the outside activities, the rest of the time, Steve and I walked around inside. We saw sharks, giant fishes, alligators, jellyfish, sting rays, seahorns, and entered the Amazon Rainforest. Man, the rainforest is really humid. I felt awkward viewing the maps of Canada on the displays and animal explanations. I'm used to viewing the California map when I visit the Monterey Aquarium, SeaWorld-San Diego, Disneyland, and other amusement attractions in California. The final stop was viewing the dolphins at the lower level of the aquarium. There is the Clownfish Cove where kids can touch the smaller sea animals. Kids, make sure your parents stick with you ^_^
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 5:30 P.M. Dinner Time
We ate dinner at a high class, fancy restaurant named "The Crime Lab." There was nobody there and the food came pretty fast. After dinner, we walked around parts of Downtown Vancouver. Downtown reminded me of Downtown San Jose—quiet during the evening time. We visited a few stores. Most of the shops closed at 7:00 P.M. (for which, in my opinion, most retail shops should close around 7:00 P.M. because everyone needs to have leisure time).
We arrived back at the hotel around 8:00 P.M. and we channel surf. We saw the catastrophic damage Hurricane Katrina caused to New Orleans and part of Mississippi and Alabama.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 9:00 A.M. Driving the Canadian Freeways
We woke up around 8:00 A.M. without eating breakfast. We choose to eat breakfast along the road. We needed to take a ferry to travel from Victoria to Vancouver. We drove on Highway 17 from downtown to Swartz Bay where the ferry is located. Steve kept a close watch of the speed because Canada uses the metric system and the speed signs are in km/h or kilometers per hour and the speeds changed many times. The maximum speed he drove was 50 miles per hour. And it was raining.
We stopped at McDonalds for breakfast in Saanichton. The McDonalds is the nicest and cleanest McDonalds we ever saw. The common areas has street light posts that acted as indoor lighting, indoor plants and TREES, a huge indoor playground for the kids, and the décor to simply explain is like a middle class home's living room. I should have visited the bathrooms. It's probably better than my bathrooms at home. I ordered the Sausage McGriddle and Steve ordered the pancakes.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 11:00 A.M. Entering the BCFerries
Before I go on, I forgot to mention all times are in Pacific Timezone. I didn't experience any jetlag or adjustments.
I purchased the ferry ticket at the BCFerries ticket booth. BCFerries is the company that runs the ferry system in British Columbia. The ticket booth is like a toll booth—drive up to an open ticket booth lane that issues tickets for Vancouver. After purchasing the ferry ticket, we lined up on the road along with the other cars waiting for the ferry to arrive. The destination from Victoria to Vancouver is from Swartz Bay on the Vancouver Island to Tsawwassen on the British Columbia mainland.
The ferry Steve and I rode is huge, huge, huge!!! There are three levels for automobiles, trucks, and buses, and people are allowed to stay in their cars if they choose. We parked in Deck 4 which is the upper level for automobiles. The common areas are two floors which included a cafeteria, three arcade areas, gift shop, workstations, play areas for children, and a formal buffet. I even looked at the Ferry schedule. Some destinations take 15 hours!!! My goodness. The cafeteria is big and busy. We could have eaten breakfast on the ferry.
The trip time is 1 hour and 35 minutes. The name of the BCFerries Steve and I rode is named "M.V. Spirit of Vancouver Island." I wonder what "M.V." stands for? I did the same activities and walk-arounds on the M.V. Coho Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria: I walked around the entire ferry and took pictures of the outside scenery; unfortunately, the rain affected the ferry trip such that I really limited my time outside the ferry and the rain clouds and fog limited picture taking. Steve mostly read his book on Feudal Japan. In the gift shop, I purchased magnets and maps for souvenirs. The Canadians are really friendly. In one instance, I maneuvered around the magazine section, and I needed to say "Excuse Me" to pass by a worker. When I said "Excuse Me", six people around me moved. Talk about politeness. Doesn't happen in San Jose =__=
After getting off the ferry we drove on Highway 99. Parts of Highway 99 are sophisticated. One stretch of the road there are lane signals. Lane signals tell drivers which lanes are open and which lanes are closed. It appears during commute times, Highway 99 opens extra lanes to move traffic faster for commute traffic and close extra lanes for reverse commute traffic. The maximum speed Steve drove was 90 km/h or 55mph.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 1:00 P.M. City of Vancouver City Limits
We arrived at the city limits. The sky was grey and Vancouver rained during the drive and during the entire day. Steve played his James Bond Greatest Hits CD. Gas was never a problem because Steve filled up the gas tank at Port Angeles, and we were glad because it felt weird to get gas in liters . . . and Steve drove a Volkswagen Bug which has great gas mileage.
Our destination was Downtown Vancouver where the hotel is located. We needed to drive by Marpole, South Granville, Shaughnessy, and Fairview neighborhoods before reaching Downtown Vancouver. These areas are like Santa Barbara, California including the homes, neighborhoods, and the shopping districts; in addition, the area is diverse with many stores and restaurants representing different cultures and different sexual orientations (if you know what I mean *nudge, nudge*) The drive reminded me when I was 5 years old visiting my grandparents in Santa Barbara for which the surroundings, the grey skies, the homes, and neighborhoods were 100% authentic and represented my memory accurately.
When we crossed the Granville Street Bridge, I noticed a lot of development in Downtown Vancouver. It appears Vancouver is growing. Downtown Vancouver kinda reminded of Downtown San Jose; however, the buildings are unique—the looks of the buildings I never seen before. We checked in the hotel and choose to visit the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park for the activity of the day and to eat lunch. And yes, the rain continued.
When we drove on Pacific Street and Beach Avenue and along English Bay and Sunset Beach to the Vancouver Aquarium, there are a lot small apartment buildings that looked like Santa Barbara again. The signal lights are simple like in Victoria.
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 3:00 P.M. Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park. We drove along the Stanley Park for 20 minutes. For me, it's the first time I drove around a park. The closest I drove in a park was Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and me and my friends drove through just to get to Highway 1. No scenic tour. There is a public pool at Stanley Park, and there were people in the public pool despite the rain. I believe the pool is a wading pool where people just go to the pool to get wet and play around.
Vancouver Aquarium was really busy. I think the rain and that the kids' summer vacations being almost over were the reasons for the packed aquarium. Compared to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, Vancouver Aquarium is really small. We entered the aquarium, paid admission, and the first stop was getting lunch. I like to tell everyone I donated $2.00 to the aquarium and I got a S.O.S. sticker which stands for Save Our Seals. Hee, hee, hee.
The rain kept pouring as we ate lunch. We saw the Belugas exhibit and they were swimming as we ate lunch. I ordered a burger and Steve ordered pizza. After lunch, we walked around the entire aquarium. We started viewing the outside attractions including seeing the sea lions, sea otters, and a dolphin show. The dolphin show was packed with spectators and their umbrellas. I was fortunate I got a spot and was able to see most of the show. I had to stand on my toes to view some of the acts.
After viewing the outside activities, the rest of the time, Steve and I walked around inside. We saw sharks, giant fishes, alligators, jellyfish, sting rays, seahorns, and entered the Amazon Rainforest. Man, the rainforest is really humid. I felt awkward viewing the maps of Canada on the displays and animal explanations. I'm used to viewing the California map when I visit the Monterey Aquarium, SeaWorld-San Diego, Disneyland, and other amusement attractions in California. The final stop was viewing the dolphins at the lower level of the aquarium. There is the Clownfish Cove where kids can touch the smaller sea animals. Kids, make sure your parents stick with you ^_^
Tuesday August 30, 2005 at 5:30 P.M. Dinner Time
We ate dinner at a high class, fancy restaurant named "The Crime Lab." There was nobody there and the food came pretty fast. After dinner, we walked around parts of Downtown Vancouver. Downtown reminded me of Downtown San Jose—quiet during the evening time. We visited a few stores. Most of the shops closed at 7:00 P.M. (for which, in my opinion, most retail shops should close around 7:00 P.M. because everyone needs to have leisure time).
We arrived back at the hotel around 8:00 P.M. and we channel surf. We saw the catastrophic damage Hurricane Katrina caused to New Orleans and part of Mississippi and Alabama.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Back To Five Day Work Week
This week is a full five day work week. Blah :-P It’s the first time in three weeks. Monday September 12 I took the day off from work for personal reasons, Monday September 5 was Labor Day, and Monday August 29 was my Washington and Canada vacation. I hope to finish the Washington Canada Vacation Blog at the end of the week or the beginning of next week. I’m working on Day 4 of 7 or Part 4 of 7.
Yesterday when I got home from work, I mowed the lawn and cleaned the entire house. I gotta help out in the house. And I did some of the cooking. Cooking is a skill everyone should know. In the long run, cooking has its benefits including eating healthier and lowering the monthly food bill XD
I hope today is an easy day at work. Usually when I want an easy at work, the work day is a hard day. And when I anticipate the work day is hard, the work day actually becomes easy. Go figure!
Lastly, Fanime Con website is back online. Great news! Thank you to the staff of Fanime Con for bringing the website and the bulletin board back online.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Yesterday when I got home from work, I mowed the lawn and cleaned the entire house. I gotta help out in the house. And I did some of the cooking. Cooking is a skill everyone should know. In the long run, cooking has its benefits including eating healthier and lowering the monthly food bill XD
I hope today is an easy day at work. Usually when I want an easy at work, the work day is a hard day. And when I anticipate the work day is hard, the work day actually becomes easy. Go figure!
Lastly, Fanime Con website is back online. Great news! Thank you to the staff of Fanime Con for bringing the website and the bulletin board back online.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Washington Canada Trip Part 3 of 7
Part 3 of 7 is my first time in a foreign country. Enjoy!
Monday August 29, 2005 5:30 A.M. It's Morning, Already
We woke up at 5:30 A.M. to make sure we got a ticket for the 8:00 A.M. first ferry to Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. I looked out the window and the rain clouds from yesterday were breaking up. We drove to the port and successfully purchased the ticket. We parked the car and we walked back to the hotel for a continental breakfast. The Bank of America was along the way from the port to the hotel. I tried to withdraw money from the ATM again. The ATM didn't accept my card. What gives, man?!? We arrived at the hotel for breakfast. We watched the news that Hurricane Katrina was scheduled to hit New Orleans Monday evening and oil prices were going up. After breakfast, we walked back down to the port. I took pictures of downtown Port Angeles from a higher point since the hotel was located at a higher elevation. The city was really quiet.
Monday August 29, 2005 8:00 A.M. The M.V. Coho Ferry
Steve and I exchanged American Dollars to Canadian Dollars. The exchange rate at the time was $1.00CAD for every $0.80USA; for example, if I had $10.00CAD, then $10.00CAD is worth $8.00USA.
The M.V. Coho Ferry arrived on time. We drove inside the ferry which has a lower deck for the cars and an upper deck for the passengers. Passengers are not allowed to stay in the cars. The ferry is an old boat with seats, signs, floors, and décor built in the 1950s. The boat still worked, though XD Vending machines provided food, drinks, and newspapers. There was a small café. Passengers can walk along the outside of the boat and seats are provided for people who wanted to watch the ocean view. I both walked outside and sat inside to reduce the chances of me getting sick. Steve read his book on Feudal Japan most of the time. While I was outside, I took a lot of pictures including a rainbow. I used binoculars to view part of the scenery. While I walked around the boat to familiarize my surroundings (which I like to do in new places), I saw lots of lifejackets, inflatable rafts, and other life saving equipment which reminded me of the movie "Titanic."
Monday August 29, 2005 10:00 A.M. Welcome to Canada
My first time in a foreign country. Wow! Unbelievable ^__^ I never thought I visited a foreign country. Ask me five years ago and I said "Never" because of my current life situation careerwise and incomewise.
We drove out of the ferry and lined up to be checked by Canadian Customs. A Canadian Customs Officer checked our passports, inspected our questionnaire cards we were required to complete, and asked questions. The officer cleared us and we were on our way to Downtown Victoria. The purpose of the questions was to make sure we were not suspicious.
We drove around downtown seeing the Legislative Buildings, Empress Hotel, and the heart of downtown. After driving around downtown, we arrived at the hotel to check in. The room included a balcony which we saw Steve's car in the parking lot. I watched the weather report on TV and the temperatures are in Celsius because Canada uses the metric system. LOL! My cell phone also worked, and it appeared under a Canadian carrier. I'm guessing the Canadian carrier is under the Cingular network which is my provider.
Monday August 29, 2005 11:40 A.M. Downtown Victoria
We parked in a parking garage in Downtown Victoria on Yates Street. Different parts of Victoria look like northern Downtown San Jose, parts of San Francisco, and downtown Santa Barbara. The buildings are really not unique, at least to me??!!?? Perhaps I don't know enough architecture to describe any uniqueness in Victoria :-|
For lunch, we ate at Old Vic Fish & Chips on Broad Street. (BTW, the telephone area code is 250.) We ordered the Fish and Chips lunch special which included a can of Coke. The can contained English and French language. In Canada, the official languages are English and French :-O When we left the restaurant, it rained.
Monday August 29, 2005 12:30 P.M. First Used Bookstore
I like to mention that in Victoria, when someone crossed the crosswalk, the cars stopped. I didn't see a car fail to stop when a pedestrian crossed the crosswalk. Unbelievable!!! And Victoria's signal lights are super simple. Each intersection side usually has two signal lights and a Don't Walk signal. Major intersections have two left turn signals for turning left and three signals for going straight and turning right. Victoria has a very simple signal light system.
Our first shop was Russell Books on Fort Street. I purchased a book on the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, a book recommended by Steve, and a fiction book containing 22 short erotic stories <:-O
Throughout the early afternoon, we walked around downtown Victoria visiting shops and window shopping. Steve purchased a James Bond Greatest Hits Used CD at a New & Used CD store on Yates Street. There was one store that was closed that sold old toys in the 1980s. The window displayed the Star Wars Millennium Falcon in the original box, G.I. Joe Headquarters in the original box, and Transformers Starscream Commemorative Series II unopened.
At 2:00 P.M., we visited The Bay Centre on Victoria Eaton Centre, a small, multi-floor, indoor shopping mall. I noticed in the information booth that British Columbia has a government-run lottery like the State of California. Steve ate a quick snack at the food court; in particular, the food court has an A&W which is rare to find in California. I ordered a bottle water. It felt weird paying bottle water with a $2.00CAD coin. After the food court, I purchased an umbrella at Access store because Steve's second umbrella was broken, and I didn't want to use a broken umbrella. Was I glad I purchased an umbrella because at approximately 3:30 P.M., Victoria experienced major thunderstorms.
BTW, Canadian currency from $0.01CAD to $2.00CAD are in coins. $5.00CAD and up are in paper currency.
Monday August 29, 2005 at 5:30 P.M. Dinner Time
We left downtown Victoria and ate at Santiago's Café on Oswego Street for dinner. Steve ordered the Salmon burger and I ordered the Quesadilla. I forgot to tell the waiter to hold the beans. I hate beans :-( Dinner went by really quick and we choose to walk to the legislative buildings at the corner of Government Street and Belleville Street. I took pictures of the building and the surroundings including the Harbour Walkway and James Bay.
Driving back to the hotel, I noticed Victoria has its share of problems like San Jose; for example, there is graffiti and there is homelessness. I saw a homeless shelter. I also saw some commercial development. Nothing big though. We arrived back at the hotel around 7:00 P.M. and we relaxed at the hotel channel surfing and reading books. I started reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Very interesting book; unfortunately, for me, the book is hard to read. Steve recommended I read book during my leisure time such that I was in a boring mood.
BTW, Victoria is located on Vancouver Island. To reach the British Columbia mainland, one must use a ferry or airplane. There are no bridges as far as I know.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Monday August 29, 2005 5:30 A.M. It's Morning, Already
We woke up at 5:30 A.M. to make sure we got a ticket for the 8:00 A.M. first ferry to Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. I looked out the window and the rain clouds from yesterday were breaking up. We drove to the port and successfully purchased the ticket. We parked the car and we walked back to the hotel for a continental breakfast. The Bank of America was along the way from the port to the hotel. I tried to withdraw money from the ATM again. The ATM didn't accept my card. What gives, man?!? We arrived at the hotel for breakfast. We watched the news that Hurricane Katrina was scheduled to hit New Orleans Monday evening and oil prices were going up. After breakfast, we walked back down to the port. I took pictures of downtown Port Angeles from a higher point since the hotel was located at a higher elevation. The city was really quiet.
Monday August 29, 2005 8:00 A.M. The M.V. Coho Ferry
Steve and I exchanged American Dollars to Canadian Dollars. The exchange rate at the time was $1.00CAD for every $0.80USA; for example, if I had $10.00CAD, then $10.00CAD is worth $8.00USA.
The M.V. Coho Ferry arrived on time. We drove inside the ferry which has a lower deck for the cars and an upper deck for the passengers. Passengers are not allowed to stay in the cars. The ferry is an old boat with seats, signs, floors, and décor built in the 1950s. The boat still worked, though XD Vending machines provided food, drinks, and newspapers. There was a small café. Passengers can walk along the outside of the boat and seats are provided for people who wanted to watch the ocean view. I both walked outside and sat inside to reduce the chances of me getting sick. Steve read his book on Feudal Japan most of the time. While I was outside, I took a lot of pictures including a rainbow. I used binoculars to view part of the scenery. While I walked around the boat to familiarize my surroundings (which I like to do in new places), I saw lots of lifejackets, inflatable rafts, and other life saving equipment which reminded me of the movie "Titanic."
Monday August 29, 2005 10:00 A.M. Welcome to Canada
My first time in a foreign country. Wow! Unbelievable ^__^ I never thought I visited a foreign country. Ask me five years ago and I said "Never" because of my current life situation careerwise and incomewise.
We drove out of the ferry and lined up to be checked by Canadian Customs. A Canadian Customs Officer checked our passports, inspected our questionnaire cards we were required to complete, and asked questions. The officer cleared us and we were on our way to Downtown Victoria. The purpose of the questions was to make sure we were not suspicious.
We drove around downtown seeing the Legislative Buildings, Empress Hotel, and the heart of downtown. After driving around downtown, we arrived at the hotel to check in. The room included a balcony which we saw Steve's car in the parking lot. I watched the weather report on TV and the temperatures are in Celsius because Canada uses the metric system. LOL! My cell phone also worked, and it appeared under a Canadian carrier. I'm guessing the Canadian carrier is under the Cingular network which is my provider.
Monday August 29, 2005 11:40 A.M. Downtown Victoria
We parked in a parking garage in Downtown Victoria on Yates Street. Different parts of Victoria look like northern Downtown San Jose, parts of San Francisco, and downtown Santa Barbara. The buildings are really not unique, at least to me??!!?? Perhaps I don't know enough architecture to describe any uniqueness in Victoria :-|
For lunch, we ate at Old Vic Fish & Chips on Broad Street. (BTW, the telephone area code is 250.) We ordered the Fish and Chips lunch special which included a can of Coke. The can contained English and French language. In Canada, the official languages are English and French :-O When we left the restaurant, it rained.
Monday August 29, 2005 12:30 P.M. First Used Bookstore
I like to mention that in Victoria, when someone crossed the crosswalk, the cars stopped. I didn't see a car fail to stop when a pedestrian crossed the crosswalk. Unbelievable!!! And Victoria's signal lights are super simple. Each intersection side usually has two signal lights and a Don't Walk signal. Major intersections have two left turn signals for turning left and three signals for going straight and turning right. Victoria has a very simple signal light system.
Our first shop was Russell Books on Fort Street. I purchased a book on the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, a book recommended by Steve, and a fiction book containing 22 short erotic stories <:-O
Throughout the early afternoon, we walked around downtown Victoria visiting shops and window shopping. Steve purchased a James Bond Greatest Hits Used CD at a New & Used CD store on Yates Street. There was one store that was closed that sold old toys in the 1980s. The window displayed the Star Wars Millennium Falcon in the original box, G.I. Joe Headquarters in the original box, and Transformers Starscream Commemorative Series II unopened.
At 2:00 P.M., we visited The Bay Centre on Victoria Eaton Centre, a small, multi-floor, indoor shopping mall. I noticed in the information booth that British Columbia has a government-run lottery like the State of California. Steve ate a quick snack at the food court; in particular, the food court has an A&W which is rare to find in California. I ordered a bottle water. It felt weird paying bottle water with a $2.00CAD coin. After the food court, I purchased an umbrella at Access store because Steve's second umbrella was broken, and I didn't want to use a broken umbrella. Was I glad I purchased an umbrella because at approximately 3:30 P.M., Victoria experienced major thunderstorms.
BTW, Canadian currency from $0.01CAD to $2.00CAD are in coins. $5.00CAD and up are in paper currency.
Monday August 29, 2005 at 5:30 P.M. Dinner Time
We left downtown Victoria and ate at Santiago's Café on Oswego Street for dinner. Steve ordered the Salmon burger and I ordered the Quesadilla. I forgot to tell the waiter to hold the beans. I hate beans :-( Dinner went by really quick and we choose to walk to the legislative buildings at the corner of Government Street and Belleville Street. I took pictures of the building and the surroundings including the Harbour Walkway and James Bay.
Driving back to the hotel, I noticed Victoria has its share of problems like San Jose; for example, there is graffiti and there is homelessness. I saw a homeless shelter. I also saw some commercial development. Nothing big though. We arrived back at the hotel around 7:00 P.M. and we relaxed at the hotel channel surfing and reading books. I started reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Very interesting book; unfortunately, for me, the book is hard to read. Steve recommended I read book during my leisure time such that I was in a boring mood.
BTW, Victoria is located on Vancouver Island. To reach the British Columbia mainland, one must use a ferry or airplane. There are no bridges as far as I know.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Washington Canada Trip Part 2 of 7
Part 2 of 7 is completed. Thank you for reading :=) Enjoy!
Sunday August 28, 2005 9:45 A.M. Heading To Port Angeles
The second day in Washington Steve planned to visit Hurricane Ridge in Port Angeles. Before we drove out of the neighborhood, Steve drove to the pier for me to take a morning picture. Oh, by the way, Steve's neighborhood is next to the highway.
We drove Northbound U.S. Highway 101 from Lilliwaup to Port Angeles. Steve installed a six CD changer in the trunk of his VB Bug where he put six classical rock CDs. The first CD we listened was Fleetwood Mac "The Dance." Great choice such that I purchased the CD when I came back home, and when I listen to the CD today, I remind myself of the drive to Port Angeles.
The drive reminded me of driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon in Arizona and driving from San Jose to Reno—at least the mountains and forest part. There were lots of grey clouds. We wondered if it was going to rain in Port Angeles for which if it did, the Olympic Mountains could not be seen from Hurricane Ridge.
For breakfast, we stopped by Loggers Landing in Quilcene. There was a bookshelf where people could pick up a book to read or take a book from the shelf in exchange for giving a book to the shelf. The tables and chairs looked like they came from a computer company in the 1970s. Steve told me he met a lot of people from California who moved to Washington. With the thought in my mind, I correctly guessed the waitress and the cook were from California just by the way they talk, and I think they are husband and wife.
Steve ordered the pancake breakfast and I ordered the sausage and eggs meal. The pancake Steve ate was as big as the plate. A very big piece of pancake indeed Steve said. Like the roadside dinner yesterday, the food was another reminder of the good'ol true restaurants that served real restaurant food without today's concern for eating healthy *__*
Sunday August 28, 2005 11:30 A.M. Ahead of Schedule, We Arrived at Port Townsend
We turned off Northbound U.S. Highway 101 and drove Eastbound Washington Highway 20 to Port Townsend. We drove by the U.S. Coast Guard Point Wilson Light which is a light tower. There were motorhomes and campers nearby. And we quickly drove by Old Fort Townsend. If I remember correctly, the fort was there to protect the Americans from the British who occupied Canada a long time ago 0:-)
After the brief drive around the peaceful neighborhood that reminded me of Santa Barbara, we stopped at downtown Port Townsend to visit a few shops and used bookstores. The first store we entered, a used book store selling old and rare books, I heard the radio which announced Hurricane Katrina as a Category 5 heading to New Orleans, and people who could not leave New Orleans had to seek shelter in the Superdome. The best description of downtown Port Townsend is a city still in the 1920s with early 1920s architecture—stores on the first floor and apartments on the second floor with the looks of the 1920s.
Sunday August 28, 2005 1:30 P.M. We Arrived at a Rainy Port Angeles
I want to make a minor, trivial comment. During the drive to Port Angeles, there are signaled intersections with the simplest signal lights I have ever seen; for example, the common signal is three lights on a "hanger" and the Don't Walk signal: one for the left turn and two for going straight, and the hanger is a straight line, not curved whatsoever. AND THERE ARE NO POTHOLES!! NONE!! In San Jose, the lights get complex regardless of how busy an intersection is. When I was a kid, I loved signal lights such that I drew intersections with signal lights on paper :-)
Before we checked in the hotel, we shopped around downtown. The CD we were listening was Jimi Henderx. Unfortunately, downtown was deserted with few shops open. We choose to visit Hurricane Ridge even though Port Angeles rained like it was winter. Along the way listening to The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" on the two lane road, I took two pictures of two deer on the road. It was the first time I saw deer on a mountain road. We arrived in Hurricane Ridge and guessed correctly. There was nothing to see because of the rain and the clouds covering Olympic Mountains. It was like fog. I purchased three magnets of Hurricane Ridge for souvenirs at the gift shop.
We ate at Jack In The Box for a late lunch around 4:30 P.M. Because of the rain and Downtown Port Angeles felt deserted with few shops open, we headed to 7 Cedars Casino, an Indian Casino. It was my first time in an Indian casino. The casino is small which did have a $2-$4 limit poker table and bingo, and there was a good turnout according to Steve who visits Indian casinos occasionally (right Steve? XD). I lost $20.00 playing craps. The craps table was cold. We ate dinner at the casino. I ordered the Prime Rib and Steve ordered the Salmon. When I walked to the bathroom, I looked at the televisions showing Hurricane Katrina getting closer to New Orleans. I learned Indian casinos don't charge tax for food and goods because the casino is in Indian land and not part of the government.
Along the way back to the hotel, I took pictures of rainbows and the sunset. We arrived back at Port Angeles and acquired information that the first ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia leaves at 8:15 A.M. such that we had to wake up at 5:30 A.M. to make sure we got on the first ferry. Then we visited Bank of America for which I needed to withdraw some cash. The ATM didn't accept my card. I called 24 hour support and Bank of America said there was nothing wrong with my account. I planned to try again tomorrow morning after we got the ferry ticket. When we arrived back at the hotel, Steve watched "Return of the Jedi," his favorite Star Wars out of the six movies. We went to bed around 10:00 P.M.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Sunday August 28, 2005 9:45 A.M. Heading To Port Angeles
The second day in Washington Steve planned to visit Hurricane Ridge in Port Angeles. Before we drove out of the neighborhood, Steve drove to the pier for me to take a morning picture. Oh, by the way, Steve's neighborhood is next to the highway.
We drove Northbound U.S. Highway 101 from Lilliwaup to Port Angeles. Steve installed a six CD changer in the trunk of his VB Bug where he put six classical rock CDs. The first CD we listened was Fleetwood Mac "The Dance." Great choice such that I purchased the CD when I came back home, and when I listen to the CD today, I remind myself of the drive to Port Angeles.
The drive reminded me of driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon in Arizona and driving from San Jose to Reno—at least the mountains and forest part. There were lots of grey clouds. We wondered if it was going to rain in Port Angeles for which if it did, the Olympic Mountains could not be seen from Hurricane Ridge.
For breakfast, we stopped by Loggers Landing in Quilcene. There was a bookshelf where people could pick up a book to read or take a book from the shelf in exchange for giving a book to the shelf. The tables and chairs looked like they came from a computer company in the 1970s. Steve told me he met a lot of people from California who moved to Washington. With the thought in my mind, I correctly guessed the waitress and the cook were from California just by the way they talk, and I think they are husband and wife.
Steve ordered the pancake breakfast and I ordered the sausage and eggs meal. The pancake Steve ate was as big as the plate. A very big piece of pancake indeed Steve said. Like the roadside dinner yesterday, the food was another reminder of the good'ol true restaurants that served real restaurant food without today's concern for eating healthy *__*
Sunday August 28, 2005 11:30 A.M. Ahead of Schedule, We Arrived at Port Townsend
We turned off Northbound U.S. Highway 101 and drove Eastbound Washington Highway 20 to Port Townsend. We drove by the U.S. Coast Guard Point Wilson Light which is a light tower. There were motorhomes and campers nearby. And we quickly drove by Old Fort Townsend. If I remember correctly, the fort was there to protect the Americans from the British who occupied Canada a long time ago 0:-)
After the brief drive around the peaceful neighborhood that reminded me of Santa Barbara, we stopped at downtown Port Townsend to visit a few shops and used bookstores. The first store we entered, a used book store selling old and rare books, I heard the radio which announced Hurricane Katrina as a Category 5 heading to New Orleans, and people who could not leave New Orleans had to seek shelter in the Superdome. The best description of downtown Port Townsend is a city still in the 1920s with early 1920s architecture—stores on the first floor and apartments on the second floor with the looks of the 1920s.
Sunday August 28, 2005 1:30 P.M. We Arrived at a Rainy Port Angeles
I want to make a minor, trivial comment. During the drive to Port Angeles, there are signaled intersections with the simplest signal lights I have ever seen; for example, the common signal is three lights on a "hanger" and the Don't Walk signal: one for the left turn and two for going straight, and the hanger is a straight line, not curved whatsoever. AND THERE ARE NO POTHOLES!! NONE!! In San Jose, the lights get complex regardless of how busy an intersection is. When I was a kid, I loved signal lights such that I drew intersections with signal lights on paper :-)
Before we checked in the hotel, we shopped around downtown. The CD we were listening was Jimi Henderx. Unfortunately, downtown was deserted with few shops open. We choose to visit Hurricane Ridge even though Port Angeles rained like it was winter. Along the way listening to The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" on the two lane road, I took two pictures of two deer on the road. It was the first time I saw deer on a mountain road. We arrived in Hurricane Ridge and guessed correctly. There was nothing to see because of the rain and the clouds covering Olympic Mountains. It was like fog. I purchased three magnets of Hurricane Ridge for souvenirs at the gift shop.
We ate at Jack In The Box for a late lunch around 4:30 P.M. Because of the rain and Downtown Port Angeles felt deserted with few shops open, we headed to 7 Cedars Casino, an Indian Casino. It was my first time in an Indian casino. The casino is small which did have a $2-$4 limit poker table and bingo, and there was a good turnout according to Steve who visits Indian casinos occasionally (right Steve? XD). I lost $20.00 playing craps. The craps table was cold. We ate dinner at the casino. I ordered the Prime Rib and Steve ordered the Salmon. When I walked to the bathroom, I looked at the televisions showing Hurricane Katrina getting closer to New Orleans. I learned Indian casinos don't charge tax for food and goods because the casino is in Indian land and not part of the government.
Along the way back to the hotel, I took pictures of rainbows and the sunset. We arrived back at Port Angeles and acquired information that the first ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia leaves at 8:15 A.M. such that we had to wake up at 5:30 A.M. to make sure we got on the first ferry. Then we visited Bank of America for which I needed to withdraw some cash. The ATM didn't accept my card. I called 24 hour support and Bank of America said there was nothing wrong with my account. I planned to try again tomorrow morning after we got the ferry ticket. When we arrived back at the hotel, Steve watched "Return of the Jedi," his favorite Star Wars out of the six movies. We went to bed around 10:00 P.M.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Washington Canada Trip Part 1 of 7
Hello. Part 1 of 7 of my Washington and Canada trip is posted on my Blog. I hope to post more parts on Saturday or Sunday because I am going to work on my vacation Blog this weekend. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!
Saturday August 27, 2005 11:00 A.M. Arrived at SeaTac, Washington Airport aka Seattle Airport
I woke up at 7:30 A.M. to take the Southwest 9:05 A.M. flight from San Jose to SeaTac, Washington. SeaTac is the name of the city the Seattle Airport is located. The flight was full. And the flight was my first flight which lasted more than one hour. Fortunately, I read my Full Metal Alchemist and Tsubasa Chronicle mangas to pass the time. My friend Steve, who organized the vacation, waited in baggage claim and we headed out of the airport. I took pictures of Port of Seattle police cars parked in the short term parking garage. The parking garage looked exactly like the garage at San Jose State University's 10th Street Parking Garage, except much, much bigger.
We drove on Interstate 5 and Washington Highway 16 to Gig Harbor where we ate at Taco Time for lunch. (Interstate 5 is in California, Oregon, and Washington where it ends at the U.S.A. and Canada border.) Taco Time and Del Taco in San Jose serve similar food, and I think Taco Time serves better tasting food.
Saturday August 27, 2005 1:30 P.M. Lots and Lots of Safeway Supermarkets and McDonalds
My first impressions of Washington were lots and lots of Safeway supermarkets and McDonalds, and no potholes on the freeways and city streets. The roads suck big time in California! We arrived at Safeway in Belfair (I think it's Belfair?!?) to purchase shampoo, soap, Q-Tips, food, and water.
After Safeway, Steve drove the scenic tour on the way to his home city in Lilliwaup. The highways we drove were Washington Highway 3, Washington Highway 106, and U.S. Highway 101. The cities we drove by included Shelton where we stopped for gas, Potlatch, and Hoodsport. Many homes we saw are along the Hood Canal with great views of the water and surrounding trees and mountains. The views reminded me of Lake Tahoe when I visited in 1988. The home prices are cheaper than home prices in the Bay Area which are very DAMN EXPENSIVE!!! :-xx However, demand is increasing big time for water front homes and prices are skyrocketing.
I saw a few small Indian casinos, a traffic accident where a full size pack-up truck turned over, and a Wal-Mart where there was a protester.
Saturday August 27, 2005 3:30 P.M. Arrived in Lilliwaup
After a nice, relaxing drive with winding curves along U.S. Highway 101, we arrived in Lilliwaup. Downtown Lilliwaup is a general store, gas station, community center, and post office. Minutes later, we arrived at Steve's home. Steve's home has a small water creek and berry trees in his backyard.
After putting my suitcase in his home, we walked along the neighborhood and walked at the pier. The neighborhood is along the Hood Canal where people were fishing, boating, and relaxing. The views reminded me of Lake Tahoe again.
(BTW, U.S. Highway 101 goes in a circle along the Olympic Mountains.)
The rest of the afternoon we played board games, watch a few episodes of The Simpsons and Dilbert on DVD. I had an allergy attack with a runny nose. The temperature throughout the day was in the high 60s and low 70s--great weather for me. I managed without taking any allergy medications.
Saturday August 27, 2005 6:30 P.M. Remembering the Greasy Food
We ate dinner at a roadside dinner. After we ordered our meals, we played pool. We didn’t finish the game because the food arrived quickly. Mainly bikers occupied the restaurant.. I really didn't like the smoking. Oh, well. The television showed a NASCAR race, and when the race was over, the next showing was the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds."
The really greasy food reminded of the good'ol true restaurants that served real restaurant food without today's concern for eating healthy *__* I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak without gravy and Steve ordered the Prime Rib.
After dinner, we went back home and watched more Simpsons and Dilbert. When I watch the boss in Dilbert, the boss reminded me of a few co-workers at work :-P We went to bed around 10:00 P.M.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Saturday August 27, 2005 11:00 A.M. Arrived at SeaTac, Washington Airport aka Seattle Airport
I woke up at 7:30 A.M. to take the Southwest 9:05 A.M. flight from San Jose to SeaTac, Washington. SeaTac is the name of the city the Seattle Airport is located. The flight was full. And the flight was my first flight which lasted more than one hour. Fortunately, I read my Full Metal Alchemist and Tsubasa Chronicle mangas to pass the time. My friend Steve, who organized the vacation, waited in baggage claim and we headed out of the airport. I took pictures of Port of Seattle police cars parked in the short term parking garage. The parking garage looked exactly like the garage at San Jose State University's 10th Street Parking Garage, except much, much bigger.
We drove on Interstate 5 and Washington Highway 16 to Gig Harbor where we ate at Taco Time for lunch. (Interstate 5 is in California, Oregon, and Washington where it ends at the U.S.A. and Canada border.) Taco Time and Del Taco in San Jose serve similar food, and I think Taco Time serves better tasting food.
Saturday August 27, 2005 1:30 P.M. Lots and Lots of Safeway Supermarkets and McDonalds
My first impressions of Washington were lots and lots of Safeway supermarkets and McDonalds, and no potholes on the freeways and city streets. The roads suck big time in California! We arrived at Safeway in Belfair (I think it's Belfair?!?) to purchase shampoo, soap, Q-Tips, food, and water.
After Safeway, Steve drove the scenic tour on the way to his home city in Lilliwaup. The highways we drove were Washington Highway 3, Washington Highway 106, and U.S. Highway 101. The cities we drove by included Shelton where we stopped for gas, Potlatch, and Hoodsport. Many homes we saw are along the Hood Canal with great views of the water and surrounding trees and mountains. The views reminded me of Lake Tahoe when I visited in 1988. The home prices are cheaper than home prices in the Bay Area which are very DAMN EXPENSIVE!!! :-xx However, demand is increasing big time for water front homes and prices are skyrocketing.
I saw a few small Indian casinos, a traffic accident where a full size pack-up truck turned over, and a Wal-Mart where there was a protester.
Saturday August 27, 2005 3:30 P.M. Arrived in Lilliwaup
After a nice, relaxing drive with winding curves along U.S. Highway 101, we arrived in Lilliwaup. Downtown Lilliwaup is a general store, gas station, community center, and post office. Minutes later, we arrived at Steve's home. Steve's home has a small water creek and berry trees in his backyard.
After putting my suitcase in his home, we walked along the neighborhood and walked at the pier. The neighborhood is along the Hood Canal where people were fishing, boating, and relaxing. The views reminded me of Lake Tahoe again.
(BTW, U.S. Highway 101 goes in a circle along the Olympic Mountains.)
The rest of the afternoon we played board games, watch a few episodes of The Simpsons and Dilbert on DVD. I had an allergy attack with a runny nose. The temperature throughout the day was in the high 60s and low 70s--great weather for me. I managed without taking any allergy medications.
Saturday August 27, 2005 6:30 P.M. Remembering the Greasy Food
We ate dinner at a roadside dinner. After we ordered our meals, we played pool. We didn’t finish the game because the food arrived quickly. Mainly bikers occupied the restaurant.. I really didn't like the smoking. Oh, well. The television showed a NASCAR race, and when the race was over, the next showing was the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds."
The really greasy food reminded of the good'ol true restaurants that served real restaurant food without today's concern for eating healthy *__* I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak without gravy and Steve ordered the Prime Rib.
After dinner, we went back home and watched more Simpsons and Dilbert. When I watch the boss in Dilbert, the boss reminded me of a few co-workers at work :-P We went to bed around 10:00 P.M.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Frustrated And Sane At Work During Late Hours
I’m about to leave work after working 12+ hours. My position doesn’t require long hours. What I feel now and what I want to share is I feel frustrated that I have to work long hours today, and I had plans later today including picking up my prescription, continue my Vacation Blog and reading books.
I also feel in control . . . sane if I may say so. I haven’t thrown anything in my cubicle, uh, wall. I actually don’t have a cubicle. I actually work at a wall! LOL Anyway, I guess I’m one of the lucky workers who is able to keep their cool. I know tomorrow is another day.
In addition to feeling both frustrated and sane, I also have feelings I can’t describe :o| I feel confused. I feel normal, in control, pissed off, and wondering what’s going to happen to me tomorrow all at the same time I’m finishing my work.
I really can’t blame the broker who made the request. When the broker makes a request, the criteria is always confusing and incomplete, and part of my job is to interpret and ask the questions to complete the request. It sucks. I can’t do anything about it. The request is time consuming, there were problems, and the request is needed tomorrow for a presentation.
The broker even had the nerve to email me asking me if I’m still at work. It’s better to call me. The broker works at home. Have the consideration and the sincerity to call me to at least talk about it. Emails are crap. Make the effort to call the person or person(s).
Wow! Towards the completion of the request, I received a call from my company’s office in Honolulu, Hawaii. Perhaps, the call was supposed to happen for me to take a break. It’s an example of using the telephone to call someone. Calling creates credibility and sincerity. Now the HVAC turned off. I have to go to the HVAC timer to turn on the HVAC. The next minor inconvenience is I have to find the automatic light switch turnoff and turn the lights back on.
Well, that’s it for tonight. Time to go home taking my usual route. I can’t read tonight. It’s going to be too late. Maybe I play some video games to relax. I rarely play video games because I’m busy. I hope to upload the first part of my Vacation Blog tomorrow. BTW, if I screwed up the request and the broker complains, kiss my ass *__X
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
I also feel in control . . . sane if I may say so. I haven’t thrown anything in my cubicle, uh, wall. I actually don’t have a cubicle. I actually work at a wall! LOL Anyway, I guess I’m one of the lucky workers who is able to keep their cool. I know tomorrow is another day.
In addition to feeling both frustrated and sane, I also have feelings I can’t describe :o| I feel confused. I feel normal, in control, pissed off, and wondering what’s going to happen to me tomorrow all at the same time I’m finishing my work.
I really can’t blame the broker who made the request. When the broker makes a request, the criteria is always confusing and incomplete, and part of my job is to interpret and ask the questions to complete the request. It sucks. I can’t do anything about it. The request is time consuming, there were problems, and the request is needed tomorrow for a presentation.
The broker even had the nerve to email me asking me if I’m still at work. It’s better to call me. The broker works at home. Have the consideration and the sincerity to call me to at least talk about it. Emails are crap. Make the effort to call the person or person(s).
Wow! Towards the completion of the request, I received a call from my company’s office in Honolulu, Hawaii. Perhaps, the call was supposed to happen for me to take a break. It’s an example of using the telephone to call someone. Calling creates credibility and sincerity. Now the HVAC turned off. I have to go to the HVAC timer to turn on the HVAC. The next minor inconvenience is I have to find the automatic light switch turnoff and turn the lights back on.
Well, that’s it for tonight. Time to go home taking my usual route. I can’t read tonight. It’s going to be too late. Maybe I play some video games to relax. I rarely play video games because I’m busy. I hope to upload the first part of my Vacation Blog tomorrow. BTW, if I screwed up the request and the broker complains, kiss my ass *__X
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Lots of Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters? Need stamps? Go to the Post Office
Two days ago, I had lots of nickels, dimes, and quarters when I played penny poker during my college and my role playing games days. The coins were in a box. I was going through the coins and I remembered I was out of stamps.
I used the loose nickels, dimes, and quarters, go to the post office vending machine available 24/7, and buy a pack of 20 self-adhesive stamps. The pack cost $7.40. Buying the pack of stamps was a great choice to get rid of my coins. I don't have to spend time packing the coins in paper coin rolls and I don't have to spend the coins when buying goods at a market which holds up the line.
Moreover, if you have kids, bring your kids to the post office and have them insert the coins in the machine. They are going to have fun . . . hopefully, they are tall enough to insert the coins into the vending machine.
BTW, the vending machines don't accept pennies XD
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
I used the loose nickels, dimes, and quarters, go to the post office vending machine available 24/7, and buy a pack of 20 self-adhesive stamps. The pack cost $7.40. Buying the pack of stamps was a great choice to get rid of my coins. I don't have to spend time packing the coins in paper coin rolls and I don't have to spend the coins when buying goods at a market which holds up the line.
Moreover, if you have kids, bring your kids to the post office and have them insert the coins in the machine. They are going to have fun . . . hopefully, they are tall enough to insert the coins into the vending machine.
BTW, the vending machines don't accept pennies XD
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Back Home In California
I had a great vacation in Washington visiting my friend and in British Columbia, Canada. The Canada trip is my first time in a foreign country. I was on vacation for seven days and the plan is a seven part blog series on my Washington and Canada trip.
Also, I plan to have a five part series in which I ask questions about me. It’s a Q&A on me. I ask the questions and I answer the questions. It’s called AutoQ&A.
And there are thoughts and journal entries on everyday life in between. Please visit soon. Thank you XD
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
Also, I plan to have a five part series in which I ask questions about me. It’s a Q&A on me. I ask the questions and I answer the questions. It’s called AutoQ&A.
And there are thoughts and journal entries on everyday life in between. Please visit soon. Thank you XD
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
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