2024, education, Family, Food, Kids, Technology, Travel

Where in the World is XDFBen?

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A rhetorical question really. The photos will give it away. But I hardly ever get to say this so couldn’t pass it up.

A college sponsored vacation? Well, sure! At least for me. Kelly and daughter are the bonus on the trip.

Thirty four years ago we came here on our honeymoon. A year ago when I knew this event would be here, I said we couldn’t pass it up. And now I keep asking, do you recognize anything? Nope. Even the famous places, I know we were there, but not much recollection. And that’s ok. The weather was beautiful Sunday – Tuesday.  Wednesday was cloudy and Thursday It rained in the evening.

One day we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Standing on the deck watching the water, it was just beautiful. I tried to get that to be an indelible memory. I made a comment to Kelly that I thought it was pretty cool go back to an island we had been at 34 years ago and she pointed out we were on Whidbey Island, not Bainbridge Island. Damn. I don’t know where I got Bainbridge from. Well, I’m a writer, time to change the narrative! From now on, we went to Bainbridge Island as part of our Honeymoon. Wasn’t much to see there, it’s 55 minutes between returning ferries, and we were back to the dock in time to catch the next one returning to the mainland.  We all enjoyed the boat ride.

Tuesday we rode the Ferris wheel, we went to the aquarium, and we visited three used bookstores. Everything’s expensive here, but some of the food has really been good.

We hit some of the other tourist attractions, and got to watch them toss some fish.

Wednesday was the first day of the USITT conference, the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, and I am now a certified MEWP operator. Mobile Elevated Work Platform. Scissor lift, genie lift, all those big bucket things you see at construction sites or theaters. It was a good class.

Thursday I attended a soldering workshop and wired up a little LED strip,

got my hearing tested for free, saw a famous Broadway lighting designer and listened to her speak: Dawn Chiang.

Friday was a class on organizing your shop, which I’m hoping will be useful for home, as well as a class titled “the psychology of stupidity”. I’ll fill you in on that next week.

The convention Center: Two buildings, 6 floors. Getting my steps in. Not to mention how far UP HILL it is from the wharf to downtown. We were never lost, but I went the wrong direction multiple times. 

We rode the light rail and monorail, we met some friends here and had supper at their house, I made a couple new friends, and more surprising was the fact we three survived all being in one hotel room together for a week!

The people watching has been great!

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. 3,21, because down syndrome comes from the fact those kids have three copies of the 21st chromosome as opposed to two. That’s why it’s also called trisomy 21. Daughter is a pretty interesting kid. Lots of people will smile at her and make conversation with her, she says hello to a lot of people, and animals just love her. She’s kind of fun to hang out with.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE CERTIFIED IN?

56 thoughts on “Where in the World is XDFBen?”

  3. We head to Tacoma April 2 to spend a week with ourbdaughter. Glad you are having such a nice time! Certified? Hmm. I will have to think about that.

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  6. I always smile when I think about the professionals in Canada who are called Certified Public Accountants. I sure wouldn’t want to go to a Certifiable Public Accountant!

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    1. I am nominating you for Certified Chicken Soup Maker-Helper. I froze the batch you brought into single servings. I suspect during the snow I will have quite a lot of it.

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  9. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    Seattle is such a fun place to visit. It looks like you are having fun. A few years abgo I enjoyed visiting the Fish Market and the tour of “Underground Seattle.” There is also a breakfast restaurant called The Biscuit B-i-t-c-h. I drink my office coffee from the mug I bought there.

    I wish I had expertise or certification in choosing building materials. The bathroom medicine chest selection process is causing me to be certifiable. AAArrrrrgh.

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      1. Back in 1973, an episode of The Night Stalker, starring Darrin McGavin, was set in the Seattle underground.
        The link leads to that episode (hopefully). Your price of admission is making it through the lengthy introduction.

        Liked by 3 people

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    2. Jacque–

      I found two matching medicine cabinets this morning. One is in the garage while the other one awaits pick up at the Burnsville Menards. WooHoo. I did it.

      I am going for a short visit with Lou, taking with me the contraband caffeinated coffee and a Rice Krispie Bar, as well as Nurse Phoebe. Then I get a massage.

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  10. Hearkening back to yesterday, today is a cozy day. The storm is moving in, the groceries are all bought, Husband made a Guinness Beef Stew last night , and I have a snuggly dog at my side. I hope Ben and family don’t have travel plans messed up by this enormous storm.

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  11. I have applied for the Windmill Operator job in Holland, MI for the tourist season. I’m hoping to be certified to pull levers and turn knobs, but I have no interest in becoming the miller (mulder in Dutch). If I get the job, I’m going to order namecards.

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    1. I think it would be fun to be a Mulder! We just got some lovely durum atta flour for chapati. We have a grain grinding attachment for our Swedish mixer, but I am not brave enough to start buying grain and grinding my own flour.

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      1. That requires bravery? Back in the ‘70s we had a hand crank flour mill. The make was Quaker something if I remember correctly. We “bravely” produced some whole wheat flour and actually made baked goods from it but that was a lot of work and the product was not notably superior and we didn’t have an obvious source for the grain—we weren’t growing it and didn’t know anyone who did—so the mill is long gone.

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  12. I used to be a Certified Food Handler. I know, it sounds goofy, and essentially it is a very low bar.

    OT -Martha, our cat, has gone missing. She wanted to be let out last night, nothing unusual in that. It is, however, unusual that she hasn’t returned. She rarely ventures out of our back yard, she’s a pretty stand-offish cat, but we have been unable to find her. Hope she returns soon. We’re both worried about her.

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    2. I’m guessing that she might have gone into the neighbor’s garage, and that they inadvertently closed the door and she was unable to get back out. But she’s fine. Promptly ate dinner, and is now complaining about something, not sure what. We’re back to normal.

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  14. I am about to take off for the Nursing Facility to check on Lou before the snowstorm. I am a big believer in advocacy and being sure the staff knows someone is watching carefully. So I will pop in now and maintain a lot of communication through the storm. My siblings and extended family did this through my mother’s stay in an SKF while the place had to cope with COVID. Nurse Phoebe is staying home today.

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  15. I am still certified to work above ceilings in hospitals. It’s part of infectious disease control. There are protocols to be followed depending on site location. A surgical lab has the highest rating. To replace a single acoustical tile in one takes at least four hours for two workers what with all the enclosures to build and equipment to control air flow. Full bunny suits are nasty warm!

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      1. It’s vital, as removing the tile opens the room to whatever might be above the ceiling besides dust.

        The final step before removing the tile is to insert a camera probe and look around. During training for this, the instructor put a fake mouse up there. The other team got a syringe. You never know what might be there, so now surprises!

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  18. been to Seattle but never spent much time there. Headed off to the Olympia national forest

    had a friend take me on a quick tour that included skid row. Can’t remember other sites but I liked the vibe

    like Vancouver and Vancouver island and Bellingham halfway between Vancouver and Seattle

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  19. I have a first class FCC license I attained in 1977. As far as I know they don’t expire. They don’t issue them anymore, so I guess it’s a collector’s item.

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