Storm’s Birthday Party
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The morning after, I read a note Storm left a note on the kitchen table saying this birthday party was the best ever!
Protected: Diatribe Series #1: Why Does “Terrorism” Happen?
Mouse in the House
Part of the reason for replacing the gas range, besides the fact that it is literally falling apart and has only one working oven and one knob shared between the four burners, is that some mice were living under it!
My housemate Marc was courageous enough to set up a live trap for the mice, and since then, we have captured three mice and forcibly relocated them in Maoist fashion to the top of Bernal Hill. So far, none have returned, as far as we know.
OK, so these aren’t pictures of the real mice. I got these mice at the Pirate Store on Valencia St. to fool my housemates… and it worked!
Here’s a picture of the gas range that Sears is supposed to deliver and install today:
Then, we just need the range hood delivered and installed so we don’t smoke ourselves out of the place (picture of hood was not taken in our kitchen).
Exterior of Mom’s New Condo Building
We have an accepted offer on a new condominium for my mother to move from Rochester, NY, to join the rest of the clan in Seattle. Occupancy is pending financing and closing of the deal, scheduled for October 11. I’m planning to visit Rochester to help her close the deal, pack up her stuff and dispose of the rest, including selling her townhouse there.
Here are pictures of the exterior of the building which houses her condo. Within the next three to five years, construction is scheduled to begin on a metro station with links to downtown and the airport, as well as further north, that will result in the tearing down of buildings to the right as you are facing the condominium building.
Interior and Views From Mom’s New Condominium
What a relief when we walked into this place and found a condominium all of us, especially Mom, felt could be her new home in Seattle.
The Views —
The views from the top floor corner unit include Mount Rainier and the Olympics, although a hazy day in Seattle made them difficult to see in these pictures.
Here’s the living room:
The guest room or dining room:
The master bedroom:
Master bathroom:
The Kitchen:
Guest bathroom (near front door):
Common Areas in Mom’s New Condo Building
Pictures of the common areas in Mom’s condominium building–
The Front Lobby (under construction):
The last picture above is of a common newsroom area, still under construction, which will have wireless Internet access.
Rooftop Garden (accessible up one flight on the stairway just outside the door of the condominium):
Assigned Parking Spots (second one is similar but one floor up from actual assigned parking spot):
Visiting Family in Seattle
My father, who has a nasty cold, picked me up from the airport and we bonded in conversation about the sad state of the world as we drove. He dropped me off at the rest of the family’s place and I got a round of hugs from all but Abigail, who was already in bed and prefers head butts anyway, and Zach, who was a bit shy. I even got two hugs from Alex.
After reading a couple of bedtime stories to Sam, my mother and I sequestered ourselves in the living room. She sipped on a bit of the Vermeer chocolate liqueur I brought her as a present, while I had some on top of some mint chocolate chip ice cream.
She told me how much she is enjoying being with her grandchildren and wants my assistance in taking care of them during the weekdays while I am in town.
We also talked about her impending move to Seattle and about her financial situation. Luckily, she brough the folder of documents I need to prepare a financial summary for her. The amount of the inheritance from her mother is unknown to us, although not to her brother, my uncle Mark, whom she doesn’t want to ask for fear of annoying or angering him.
Terry Is a Gay Thief!
Before heading to Seattle, Terry paid me a visit yesterday for some yummy sex followed by Tartine’s morning buns and a southern Indian brunch at Dosa’s then a hilarious movie called “Eating Out” and some more yummy sex.
He recently told me a story about when he was a child. He had gradually pilfered more and more cash from his elder brother’s cookie jar, full of his savings, until Terry started to feel really guilty about it. He went to his sister for his advice and said, “There is something I really need to talk with you about.” She replied, “Is this about you being gay?” He said, “No, I stole some of my brother’s money and want your advice about what to do.” “Sit him down and explain what happened… it will turn out fine.” Then Terry went to his brother and said, “There is something I really need to talk with you about.” His brother replied, “Is this about you being gay?” “No, it’s not! Remember your cookie jar with the money in it?” “Yeah.” “Well, I hope this doesn’t make you mad, but I’ve been taking some of it from time to time and now it’s all gone.”
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Here is a great recipe for vegan blueberry muffins from my housemate Marc.
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks or 5/8 cups) margarine, melted or at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 flax eggs
3/4 cup soy milk
1 3/4 fresh (or frozen) blueberries
1. Make 2 flax eggs.
2. Preheat over to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease muffin tins lightly with vegetable oil (spray works).
3. Sift and mix thoroughly the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar together into a small bowl.
4. Mix the margarine, vanilla extract, flax eggs, and soy milk together in a large bowl.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, until the batter is thoroughly mixed.
6. Fold the blueberries in gently.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Do not allow the batter to overflow any of the muffin molds.
8. Bake the muffins on the center oven rack until golden around the base and toothpicks come out clean when stuck in the center.
Optional Modification:
Replace all or part of the margarine for a low-fat alternative using a 1:1 ration of unsweetened applesauce. E.g. For half the fat use 5 tablespoons of margarine and 5 tablespoons of applesauce.
Flax Egg:
Flax eggs are simply a 3:1 ratio of water and flax. To make 1 flax egg mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed, the finer the better (coffee grinder works well), with 3 tablespoons of water. Mix up with a fork and for better results let soak in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours. You should notice an egg-like consistency after letting it soak.