nudle

Scotland 2011.

We returned from Scotland last night after a long day of travel. The kids and I were shutting down from exhaustion, while Ewan stayed optimistic, pointing out how bright the sky still was as we drove home from the airport around seven o'clock. But I always feel energized the day after returning from Europe. We all woke at six and I finished my run before eight. I'm pretty sure I gained four pounds over there, with Mary's good cooking and a couple late-night visits to the Clyde Bar to listen to broad Scottish accents.

Yesterday I sat next to Mike, a charming chemist, on the flight from London to Chicago. He runs Eli Lily's diabetes research arm. "I have two words for you: diet and exercise," he said after I pressed him to talk about his work. I asked because the other day I heard the statistic that among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9 percent, had diabetes in 2010. Um, that's a lot. So I ran this morning, then followed that up with a BLT with a soft-boiled egg for breakfast. Okay, there was no L but the B was turkey bacon, and the bread was wheat.

Then again, I've requested French dip sandwiches for dinner (it's my birthday tomorrow), so I will have to run again.

Iona is upstairs learning "Here Comes the Sun" on the guitar with Jim and Lake Washington is glittering with reflected sunshine. 

We had a great time in Scotland. I'm learning that dealing well with jet lag is part management (Nytol, Benadryl, gin) and part acceptance. I'm learning to say no most days when offered wine with lunch, and that helps some. Mary and Iain were amazing hosts as always. I love hearing the family lore, looking at Iain's photos and family movies and spending time (too short) with Ewan's parents and sister's family, including three-year-old Mia and five-year-old Finlay. Mia will probably take over the world, Finlay will charm the pants off it, Iona will dreamily paint it and Han will entertain it. It's nice to be certain of your children's future, if only for five jet-lagged minutes.

The bonus of our trip was that we got to see Ewan's fun sailing friends and their children the first couple days we were there.

Tomorrow I turn forty-four. I'm going to spend the day writing, with luck and the help of our much-loved babysitter. I've been having a tough time buckling down on my second draft of this book, but tomorrow I'll be ready to put some scratches on paper. I don't have a choice, as it's burning a hole inside me. 

Ready, set, go.

The Scottish Christmas that Wasn't.

Bathrobes and a Christmas show

We miss you, Mary, Iain, Finlay, Mia, Craig, Claire and Dylan (and other Kretzdorns). A fie on Heathrow and its inability to handle three and a half inches of snow.

It took until yesterday to get into the groove of not being in Scotland, and to wind down. We had to remember how to be all together -- for both of us adults there is some letting go of control that has to happen.

Telling Iona we weren't going was hard, and she was disappointed. She had watched and listened to me worry about it Monday, so she was prepared, but it took a trip to the Children's Museum Tuesday and ice skating with her friend Siri on Wednesday for her to feel better. Even Han and I got on the ice. I wonder what he thought when we put him atop two sharp blades, then put him on a slippery, cold floor to move in circles with a hundred and fifty other unsteady people. He didn't complain, though. The two of us lasted fifteen minutes, then were off in search of lunch. Iona could have stayed on the ice all day. 

Thank you, nice lady who offered to take our photo

Then we dragged Siri to the east side to the British Store for staples like Branston Pickle, treacle cake and sausage rolls. Then to a nearby farm for one of their few remaining Christmas trees. The farmer said they'd been closed since Monday, but since they live on the farm it's not difficult for him to sell to last-minute people like us. We got to talking, the farmer and I, and his son was among those delayed in Amsterdam on his way home from Dublin.

Yes, I messed with the color on this one

Intrepid explorers

 
I did nothing to this, shot by Ewan with his iPhone

Our tree is a grand fir, and so fat and majestic I feel it's a shame it was cut down. It smells wonderful.

Yesterday we had lunch at Thirteen Coins, with so many leftovers it wound up being dinner too. We shopped for a long time for turkey and Brussels sprouts and pie and Molly Moon salted caramel ice cream with caramel sauce for Christmas, and because we had no food in the house. Then we went home and napped. We got up and decorated and then watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. Boy, does that show stand the test of time.

And here we are on Christmas Eve morning. I stayed up too late last night reading on my new Kindle (a gift from Ewan). When I rose at 7:45 it was so dark I thought it was six. It is supposed to rain buckets today, five inches they say, so we were surprised that there was a beautiful sunrise. Today I have a list of things I would like to do that is long and we shall see how it works with what others want to do. My list is: 

Read Night Before Christmas out loud to the kids
Get some exercise
With Iona, make a gift for Ewan
Read some more (on my Kindle I have Grapes of Wrath and Hunger Games -- guess which will win?)
Write something in my notebook
Drink Champagne 
Watch Elf, starring Will Ferrell, which I have never seen
Be nice

The one thing I will probably accomplish today is:

Feed children

*******

 

 

Getting used to each other.

Of course, I have to do everything more quickly now, and can do only half as much.

Han is teaching us to care for him. Some lessons:

1. Hold me all the time, preferably standing (walking is best)
2. I only like the ugly baby carrier so don't even think about looking hip
3. I will only sleep if I am lying on you
4. The less sleep you have the easier it is for me to practice mind control
5. Make sure I have a full belly, but please know it is bottomless
6. I might reward you with a smile and a laugh if you demonstrate full understanding of the above

Above: the exception.

Four people in three coach seats for eleven hours.

He likes dad best.

Likes to eat.

Below: Seoul adventures...

Goodbye to hotel, featuring Iona in hanbok:

Traveling to Seoul.

We got our travel call yesterday! We got our travel call yesterday. We got our travel call yesterday!?!#*!? We leave for Seoul Saturday to finally meet Han (which is what we call him; his foster mother named him Han Byeol Kim) or Angus, which will be his first name, or Hangus, which is what friends suggested upon hearing our two chosen names. I also like to shorten Angus to Gus because there is a small Gus at school with whom I'm a little in love. And then a friend of mine calls him Little King, because the agency photographs the charges in a small gilded throne with a red pleather upholstery.

Angus Han Byeol Kim, the boy with many names. We are about to find out who he really is, perhaps as soon as Monday. I'm excited as I write this. Since yesterday my feelings have ranged from elation to anxious irritation. Never as far down as sadness or despair, though, and I'm taking that as a good sign.

I really did expect this call for travel to come two or even three weeks ago, and there has been that recurring theme underscoring my recent days and adoption in general, the theme of I Control Very Little And That Is Uncomfortable, a theme that Scott helped me articulate today. Maybe I will someday be able to turn that into Lettin' Go And Chillin' = Enlightenment. Lots to think about here.

So Iona has just gone off with friends through dinner (good for her, good for me) and I'm hitting rush hour in search of last-minute pureed carrots and plums, disposable diapers (what does he weigh?), more small gifts for Korean caregivers, videotape, snacks for the plane, milk which we are out of, and maybe a new pair of sunglasses to make the shopping trip fun. Plus a skirt, because they're more formal there, and my old, soft khaki shorts simply won't do for meeting Little King.

Disneymania.

Guess where we are?

My Seattle.

Restaurants

Salumi (meat, meat, meat and go early and still stand in line but the sandwiches are worth it; only open Tues-Fri 11-4; you can buy cured meat online!)

Matt's in the Market (get a table that looks out over Market; pork sandwich is great)

Other Coast Cafe (east coast style sandwiches; Ballard and downtown)

Bakeman's (122 Cherry St near Pioneer Square; unfancy; classic sandwich cafeteria; cheap)

Mee Sum Pastry (in the Market; are humbow Chinese sandwiches? Good take-with-you food; cheap; get the baked ones)

13 Coins (overpriced and frequently surreal, but quintessential counter chic; there's one downtown off Denny and one across the street from the airport; open 24 hours)

El Puerco Lloron (Market Hillclimb; eat outside on a sunny day)

Canlis (fancy; from their web site: "At Canlis, you cannot be overdressed." Queen Anne)

Cafe Campagne (Market)

Etta's (Market)

Pink Door (good bar; we hung out here in college)

I hear Le Pichet on First near the Market is good

Lockspot (good if you're visiting Ballard Locks; old Ballard ambiance, if you can use that word for a place like this)

Added: Since I eat there so frequently, Shiro's; what a genius with fish he was until he retired; the place is still open and still serving good sushi and I'm still there once or twice a month; and Shiro sometimes shows up still on Friday nights (Belltown)

Bars

Comet Tavern (we used to drink Pilsner Urquel and smoke Lucky Strikes here in college; Capitol Hill)

Pink Door (we used to drink red wine and pick up boys here in college; Post Alley above Market)

Cyclops (funky bar that used to be a cafe on another street called Free Mars and I used to go there in college; I met the owner at Iona's pottery camp a couple weeks ago which made me reflect on how things have changed since college; Belltown)

The Local Vine (high design and great wine plus tiny delicious food; Belltown)

Music

I don't go to clubs any more but this is from my friend Ron, who is an expert on the subject. He made me go to shows back in the day. Most of the great music I've seen is because of him and my sister's fake ID.

These are the pages to bookmark:
KEXP events

KEXP calendar

Ballard is the most fun right now. The Tractor is the same as always (maybe a bit more diverse) and the Sunset is great for unbroken local bands. (Added by me: High Dive in Ballard too.)

The Comet has some good random shows lately too and good energy when there is a band playing. I also like the Rendezvous (but hate Belltown now). Both these places are unpredictable which gets them a star in my book.

Chop Suey will inevitably get the B-level bands that the Croc used to get. If you are into the newest thing and read popmatters or pitchfork you have to keep an eye on Chop Suey.

Neumos and The Showbox get the A-level people. Lots of sellouts.

Triple Door gets the has-beens and the occasional hipster show.

Thanks, Ron.

Movie theaters

Central Cinema (movies with drinks)

The Big Picture (cheesy but I love movie theaters that serve drinks)

I haven't to these theaters to since we moved back, but I used to love them:
Harvard Exit (Capitol Hill)

Egyptian (Capitol Hill)

Seven Gables Theater (University District)

Neptune (U District)

Attractions

Pike Place Market (touristy but I will always love it)

Seattle Center Fun Forest for kitschy rides (you might need kids to enjoy this; give the roller coaster a miss -- it hurts; available for a limited time only because they're gonna take it all away)

Central Library (Rem Koolhaas)

Parks

Waterfall Garden Park (this is really one of my favorite places; I should go there more often; 219 Second Avenue South)

Sound Garden (it was a park before it was a band; a trek from downtown and very limited hours; next to Warren G. Magnuson Park on Sand Point Way)

Seward Park (south of us on Lake Washington)

Discovery Park (sometimes my sister makes me run here and it's big; between Ballard and Magnolia; Ballard Locks are close by and worth seeing when the fish run and you can eat at the Lock Spot)

Arboretum (git your dose of dappled sunlight here; I have great memories of driving too fast through here to get to a college boyfriend's house)

Book stores

Elliott Bay Book Company (for ambiance and recommendations; Pioneer Square)

University Bookstore in the U District (has everything including art supplies)

Speaking of art supplies, Daniel Smith in SODO (south of downtown)

...and, OT but speaking of SODO, visit Urban Hardwoods (on Colorado Street; we bought our table there)

Seattle Mystery Bookshop (close to Pioneer Square and Bakeman's so go for lunch then buy a page turner)

Peter Miller Books for design and architecture books (First Avenue; it's full of itself but what can you do? Go buy books you'll never actually read anyway)

Fantagraphic Books in Georgetown (Georgetown is great but Fantagraphics is really great)

Shops

REI downtown (go for the retail experience but get your ski gear used at Alpine on Leary)

Archie McPhee (visit this geeks' paradise for all your novelties; Ballard)

The shop at SAM (for gifts; Second Ave)

...if you're at SAM visit DeMedici Ming if you like paper and there's this cool Asian store nearby that has beautiful, expensive things

Leaving Helensburgh.

I went to the Post Office just now, and as I walked through the rain I thought (again) about how different Helensburgh is from Seattle. Look right before you cross. There are gooseberries and black currants and langoustines. Everyone else's credit card has a chip embedded in it. One pound is worth two dollars, so an eraser* costs two dollars and a modest bottle of wine costs twenty-five. There's little exuberance; people are understated and polite and don't get up at the planetarium to close the door on the latecomers, even though they want to. Tuna sandwiches are called tuna mayonnaise sandwiches. The tabloid section in the supermarket is huge, and it seems like there are gratuitous photos of busty young girls on every advertisement (advert). If a road is closed it means adding three hours to your journey, because it appears there is a road shortage in Scotland. Some of the roads are narrow and single track, which means people drive at high rates of speed toward each other and sometimes collide. Things can be really old here: stone walls, castles, towns, lineages. Dukes, Marquesses, Earls and Countesses, Viscounts and Lords and Ladies are called peers. Some of these people own castles. Not one single brand of fruit juice is fortified with calcium. Instead of being bitten by mosquitoes, we are eaten alive by invisible things called midges. Go for a wander up the hill and you stagger back home two hours later, glad to be alive (never before have I encountered grass so aggressive). Cows have long hair and attitudes. Ale has less flavor but Indian food has more. It seems like everyone is a painter.

As always, Mary and Iain have been incredibly kind and gracious to us. We had a wonderful time. We leave tomorrow, at the crack of dawn, to catch the first of three planes home. With luck we may have time for a beer at the Charleston during our Chicago layover; we are sorry to be leaving, but that will be something to look forward to.

------------------------

Addendums:

*Erasers are called rubbers.

And, lovely, beautiful, brilliant and gorgeous are used to describe baked goods.

Maui: day two.

Got up around 5:30 yesterday morning. Found an alternative to the $30 breakfast buffet -- the $16 breakfast burrito. Top-notch; egg whites, spinach, turkey bacon, cheese, salsa. Healthy breakfast offsets the buffet we hoovered up last night at the Japanese restaurant: tempura everything, potstickers, crab legs, sushi, brownies, chocolate fondue (brownies WITH chocolate fondue).

Yesterday morning I hit the pool with Iona hours before the water slides opened. Had lunch, then in the pool for another three hours. The slides at this place are unbelievable. Lots of tame, easy, open grades from pool to pool that make Iona happy, and two steep, fast, long slides that are like crack for Ewan and me. We can't get enough. Up the stairs, down the slides. Play with Iona for a while, then start arguing with Ewan about who gets to go back up the stairs first, to get a fix.

Iona was undecided about going down the 'scary' slides. Four times we stood at the dark mouth of the tamer of the two while I reassured her that she could do it, pieceacake, brave girl like her, if you sit up you go slower than if you lie down on your back. She wrung her hands and snapped her fingers and, each time, turned around and let the four-year-old boy behind us go. "I don't like the dark ones. I like to be in the light," she explained. All this with Ewan at the bottom of the slide waiting for her to shoot out, there to catch her.

There's also a rope swing that dumps you into a deep, small pool. It's not my favorite, since every time I do it I get water up my nose, but I could stand there for an hour watching kids and adults swing out and do flips off it into the water.

Before I left I bought these ladies' tankini swim suits at Nordstrom. The two tops I bought (both black) are this nice, heavy nylonish fabric that's snug over the breasts but a little loose under, like a comfortable tank top. Hides the flat stomach I never had and really don't have now after lugging around a ten-pound baby in there six years ago. But I didn't predict how much playing in the water I'd do here, and having wet, heavy fabric flapping around the midsection is irritating. So in between sliding yesterday I visited Quicksilver, a shop here in the hotel, where apparently everything is in junior sizes -- 3, 5, 7, that sort of thing. I realized the sizing thing when I couldn't get my left arm into a size S rash guard. I bought a size L, black with day-glo applique, and a pair of bright green short board shorts, so now I can swim in actual clothes instead of yanking at a swim suit. Play clothes.

It strikes me here, at this watery playground, that adults don't get enough opportunities to play. Yesterday Iona expressed an interest in going to the morning camp offered by the hotel and I thought, who will play with me? Ewan has to finish a proposal and be on some conference calls this morning. So I selfishly forgot to sign her up, and we're going to the pool after breakfast.

Day three, up at 5:30 again this morning, and haven't had coffee yet. Off in search of.

Maui: the first day.

We got here about 1:00 today, but couldn't get into our room until 3:00 so we wandered around in our long sleeves and long pants and shoes with socks like uninformed, overdressed, hot, tired aliens from another planet for two hours. We're staying in a mall, but it's a very nice mall with a sushi bar and the sushi bar has a chocolate fountain. It's more like Disneyland here, actually. No garbage. No crankiness. Lots of purple orchids. Though if Disneyland had purple orchids they would cost $24.95 apiece and here people are draping them on you, putting them on your check and laying them on your pillow as if there is no purpose higher in life than getting rid of all the damn purple orchids. We saw a tiny lizard and swam and went down some water slides. I didn't go on the scary, long water slides yet; it's terrifying enough getting used to walking around practically naked. I wonder if, before we leave, I'll get to the point where I don't yank at my bathing suit.