Fresh - Fresher - Freshness!

Broke Computer

My laptop broke (I’m posting this via my blackberry)

I have some great post when it’s repaired.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Bumping Out of the Restaurant Rut

As stated in this post (yes, I know the pic is broken. It happened when I upgraded the blog) we’ve been in a restaurant rut.

And as I related I’m reporting back.  We finally got up enough nerve to face our critics due to not eating at home and hit the bricks.    First things first.  We wanted to go somewhere we’ve never been before but it needed to be close.  So using Taste Everything Once’s browse by tag I used “South Hill”.   Worked like a dream.

From there it was a pretty easy browse to find a place we’ve never been.

Our first choice was Olive Oilz near 30th and Regal.  Unfortunately by the time we made it out of the house it was closed.  Not having a ‘Plan B’ I was beginning to feel like we were circling the drain and heading for the same ‘ole rut.

Luckily I was saved by a tickle in the back of my brain recalling a radio commercial that talked about Laguna Cafe.  A “local” establishment.  So off we headed.

Walking in the door we were seated almost immediatly and then greeted (rather overzealously) by the owner.

I had what they called a chicken pot pie that consisted of some chicken bits in a good sauce over a piece of pita bread. BrightSpirit had what she described as a pretty tasteless mushroom ravioli.

If I had reviewed the web site prior to eating there I would have discovered that it probably wouldn’t have been the best choice of places to go.

Oh well.  Tomorrows bicycle adventure to De Leon’s will be good.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Quick Bicycle Related Post

Ride

Sunday (the 4th)

8:30 am
Meet at the carrosell, carosell, carrosel, merry-go-round

Heading North to DeLeons for breakfast

Organized by Mr. Awesome, John Speare

More info

Hope to see you there

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Blag Update

I’ve upgraded to the newest version of Wordpress and a new style.  Now I’ll be spending the day a couple of days customizing.

Sit back, relax and check back.  It’ll be fun.  I guarantee it.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Busted!

The Wife really doesn’t like the living room television on unless we’re watching a movie.  Understandable as most programming is complete drivel (except Bugs Bunny or Sponge Bob). So the other evening I’m sitting on the couch and what am I doing?  Watching TV of course.  Wifey walks in and as I scramble to find the remote she glares at me, looks at the television and says;

“Opera? You’re watching Opera?” (And no, it’s not a typo. I’d never watch ‘Oprah’)

My reply?  “Uh, the remote’s broke…?”.

Dang!  I guess I’ve been outed.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Phew!

Man, I have a lot to say.  Where to start?  Talk about the snow?  Well, not directly, but I’ll certainly mention it.

Bicycling?  Let’s start there….

I was all jazzed up to ride to the fire department on Monday.  Scheduled to be on duty at 5pm I had it in mind that the roads wouldn’t be all that bad and it’d be a nice easy ride on Studly (that’s the bicycle with the studded tires on it).

Then on Sunday morning at 5am my pager went off with a notification of a fire at a church.  Thinking it would be an easy 2 or maybe 4 hour affair I jumped in my car to help out.

Well, 3-alarms and 16 hours later I staggered home.  It was an all out conflagration in the regional headquarters of the 7th Day Adventists.  A 60,000 square foot building, our efforts were significantly hampered by 5-foot deep snow and the fact that the closest fire hydrant was over 3000 feet away.

At hour 10 I was still standingPhoto courtesy of Chief Brian Schaeffer, Spokane Fire Department

By my rough count there were 7 fire departments there with approximately 70 people and around 20 different apparatus (fire/ladder/water trucks for you non-firefighters out there).  And it wasn’t enough.

There are some spectacular photographs at the Flickr site of one of the Members of the church.  They can be seen via this link.

So, was that all?  Nope, not quite.  I was called back to the scene on Monday around noon (a tad too tired and sore to ride the bike unfortunately) to drop another 20,000 gallons of water on the debris pile.  After that was done I was on my “regular duty” at the station.  Still being on duty on Tuesday a couple of us took a truck over to put one more load on the pile when the City of Spokane (my department’s immediate neighbor) started working on their own 3-alarm fire.  We went to their aid and manned one of their stations while they did their thing.  Of course it couldn’t be as easy as sitting in a recliner and watching TV.  We didn’t even make it to the station when we had to go on another fire.   It was pretty small and after clearing that on the way to the station we caught a roof collapse call.  After that came a pretty basic first aid call and then we were sent home (thankfully).

So, where was I?  Oh yea, bicycling.  Well, it’s just like my buddy Pat says here….I’m just going to have to “Make The Best Of It”.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

P.S. If any of ya’ll out there reading this were at the fire.  Thank you so very much for your help.

Brian, it was fun.  Let’s do it again.  And we did have it stopped. The stick went up a bit too soon and as you know, “when the stick goes up, the building comes down”.

Hello? What time is it? Heck, What DAY is it?

Oh man.  I’m beginning to feel like my friend Pat. Not that I’m an international jet setter (I run more along the lines of an inner-city bicycle setter), but I just got done working 2 overnight 12-hour shifts.  Not the type where I’m at the fire department and get to sleep.  Nooooo, that would be too easy.   These were the type where I had to stay awake and “alert”.  Ugh!

I haven’t worked a shift like that in well over 10-years.  Staying awake wasn’t a problem.  And even sleeping during the day wasn’t too much of an issue.  But on day 2 when I’m arriving home at noon my body is saying, “Hey man, it’s light out.  You should be outside shoveling or riding your bike.  Anything  but thinking about going to sleep.”  So I did the next best thing.  I drank a beer on an empty stomach after being awake for what seemed like days.

Wooo!  Let me tell you what.  Two things occur when you do that.  Fox News is hilarious and one can compose some really good blog posts.

Now, if I can remember what was so funny I’d post it.

Oh well.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

One Talented Daughter

Actually I have 6 talented daughters.  But this post is about Orianna.  She has an artistic talent that I haven’t seen since my Sister Vickie.  I remember asking Vic about her talent and her modest reply was “I took a few art classes”.  Ok, well I could take a hundred art classes and it’d still look like an 8 year-old drew something after drinking a quad mocha.

Let’s talk about Onna.  Onna turns 14 this year (or maybe next) and has been home schooled till now.  Like Vic, she has a natural talent.

At 8 years old she took a blob of wire, tissue paper and made this wire figure

Cute?  Yes.   Now, at 13 (or maybe 14) a real talent is begining to show.

I've watched her draw anime pics like this free hand.

One day while at Fresh Abundance she noticed a stack of really long twist ties that are used to hold lettuce and such together.

It’s difficult to tell in the post, but the one on the right is a guy petting a dog.

And for your viewing pleasure here’s a pic that *I* did.  (with a little help from Microsoft Paint)

I'm thinking I should stick to bicycle riding, beer and blog posts

What say you?

Till later,

Jacque - Out

Snow Daze

Yes, I’m still here.   Thanks.

My first post of the day is concerning the topic that is effecting us all.  No, not the fact I don’t have any beer in the house.  I’m referring to snow.  At my house on the South Hill I’m guessing we have around 30 inches or so.    Ugh!  I’m glad I’m able to walk to work to Sacred Heart Hospital, though I am pretty effectively trapped and unable to drive to my fire station.  Luckily there hasn’t been any fires, just a few false fire alarm activations and minor crashes.

I spent my “formative” years in Northeastern Ohio where snows like we just received were a yearly occurance.  Once thing I distinctly remember is walking to school (12 miles and up hill both ways of course if you asked my kids how difficult I had it) and being so thankful of the folks that were considerate enough to shovel their walks.  Trudging through calf deep snow was difficult enough.   I also recall thinking that whan I became a “adult” I would keep my walk cleared for those that need to use it.  And you know what?  I have and I do.  It doesn’t matter how tired or sore I am, it always gets done.

One Snow Path (can you believe all this fell in 2 days?)

The snow/ice bike is sitting on the porch still decorated from the Festivus ride (more pics here and here) along with Bruce.  As soon as the roads are back to two lanes and aren’t quite as dangerous I’ll be back on it.  Bruce will be moving into the basement.

Lonely Bicycles

That’s it for this post.  More to follow.

Till later,

Jacque - Out

It’s Time…

…to break out the studs (not to be confused with Pat, John, ,Hank, Jeff, Derek, Greg or me).

On another note; do any of ya’ll out there have two square 4-gallon pails with lids I can use?  I’m going to build my own panniers.

Till later,

Jacque - Out