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.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
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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