Cedar Falls Getaway!!!

Today, I had occasion to visit the City Light generation facility at the Cedar Falls Municipal Watershed: A vast wilderness enclave up in the Cascades that supplies most of the water for the Seattle area.

It's pretty high security, but there were some electrical services to inspect, so off we went in the Prius: Myself, a senior electrical hostess, and a crusty old engineer who has been with The Major Concern since the invention of electricity.

We toured the remains of the original company town, we visited the powerhouse, We looked at the Dam (The Major Concern's original dam!) and it was all quite interesting. The powerhouse, one of those turn-of-the-century industrial brutes, has high palladium windows with absolutely breathtaking views of the forests and mountains. Some of the windows maintain their WWII era coating of black paint, which only serves to remind how dreary the war must have been, even in remote locations like Cedar Falls.

The Penstock Tubes, which carry water from the dam to the powerhouse, run along supports that at points are high above the ground. An open grate walkway runs between them, so you can look down at the river as you walk alongside the gigantic pipes.

But the best part was when we took a side road down to the namesake of the town: Cedar Falls. Despite it being a wet and dreary day, the falls were gorgeous.



But all good things come to an end, and we had to go back to Seattle, where I had to rush down to a dismal new apartment complex, and visit a damaged meter at an adult bookstore in White Center.

For Old Time's Sake.....

Darlings, I have some interesting things to say recently. But first, I have to post this yet again. (I think I do it once a year or so)

This Looney Tunes Cartoon is one of the seminal events in my life. To know me is to appreciate it....

Zip!

One of my favorite number in one of my favorite musicals: Rita Hayworth performing "Zip" in "Pal Joey". Enjoy!



Oh hell - while were getting all show-tuney, let's throw out my second-favorite number from this same musical. Sinatra performing "The Lady is a Tramp"

It's Back!!!!

Darlings, rejoice! Seattle's venerable Andy's Diner is back!!!

Well, it's not Andy's anymore. Now it's called the "Orient Express", but things could be worse. The bar is pretty much exactly as it was before (except for a weird divider thingy they've put down the middle of one half of it.) and I'm told the food is really quite good (I was just there for a drink).

And for those of you who have reproduced, there is complimentary child care on Friday and Saturday nights.

One odd thing is that they've replaced most of the tables and chairs in the dining areas with high-backed booths, which makes the rail cars feel more like the contemporary Amtrak Superliner diners, but I'm a sucker for a banquette, so I'm cool with that.

So head on down south, and visit the good folks at The Orient Express!

Veteran's Day

Being a bellweather for good taste, I believe that it is important to pause, in a tasteful manner, on Veteran's Day, and think about those who gave their lives in the service of the country.

Whether is was a real war, or a manufactured war, they did their best, and gave their all, and we shouldn't forget that.

So, I offer you this poem. I had to memorize this thing, back in the days when kids had to memorize poems, and it's always sort of stuck with me.

~~~~~

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Just as we feared....

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck proves me right....

That ridiculous Pomeranian of a woman, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, has proved my point on gay marriage while on "The View" the other day. She even apparently made up a Swedish priest who was supposedly jailed for not marrying the gays. (Prop 8 made it explicitly clear that this was a governmental ruling only, and would have no effect on religions)

Talk about dumb blondes...

Sweet Release.....

So this morning I was listening to NPR as I made breakfast, and they had an interview with a group of listeners about the election. One woman in particular annoyed me very much: A single mother of bi-racial children who said she voted for Palin because she was "a mom like her".

I started to lecture to the dogs about how dumb this woman was, how you don't vote for te Vice-President, and what a dreadful person Sarah Palin is, when it hit me: It doesn't matter. She lost.

I guess I'm still in shock that the Democrats have won, and won big.

Of course, when Skanky Sarah comes back in two years and starts running for President, idiots like that women will once again matter. But for now - who cares?

btw, I hope that the revelations about Palin keep coming, and I hope there's people digging for dirt on her, because she's dangerous. Stupidity and ambition are a dreadful combination, and she's got a bad case of both.

OK, next up: Let's talk about holiday preperations. Metlox or Silver Pine, Tablecloth or placemats? Crystal? And what to do for a centerpiece!!!!!

New Blog!!!

Because its ongoing renovation is starting to create a buzz, I've decided to do a side blog about the King Street Station. I know nothing about architecture, and not much about railroads (except where to find the lounge car), so it seems right.

Like The Good Taste Chronicles, expect it to be highly opinionated, not particularly dependent on facts, and published sporadically.

Come visit at kingstreetstation.org!

White Christmas

So there I was, skulking around in the downtown Salvation Army, when I came across it: A white Christmas tree!

I know white Christmas trees are nothing new. But I think this year might be the right year for one. I'm kind of bored by the silver aluminum one, so I may kick it down to The Lodge this year and go with something new. Or new to us, at least.

So I shelled out the six buck and hauled it home. It's only missing one branch (which may still be someplace at the Salvation Army) and is what you might call nifty. With some pink lights, and turquoise ornaments, I think it will be quite pretty. I actually thought of spray painting the whole thing pink, but just thinking about that made me tired. What if it were ruined? I'd be out six bucks!

But first we have to get through Thanksgiving, don't we? So stay tuned.....

The Problem with Gay Marriage

Tempering our enthusiasm for the Obama victory is the passing of Proposition 8 in California. While the one has only a peripheral relation to the other, there is a lot of talk in certain circles about how "the blacks" are responsible.

Needless to say, I don't want to go there. It's counter-productive and, I think, a red herring. To me, what makes gay marriage controversial is the word "marriage".

While I am not a religious person, I spent an awful lot of time in churches in my youth. I was the longest running altar boy at St. Peter's Catholic Church, and I was, for a brief time, a religion minor in college (That was before Women's studies and after modern dance, if I remember correctly). That's all behind me now, of course, and has been for ages. I may not remember much, but I remember this: To religious people - who make up the majority of people in this country - marriage is a sacrament performed by the church.

There's an awful lot of people out there who don't pay a whole lot of attention to things outside their immediate world (work, home, church, etc). They may not have a problem with gays, or with gay relationships, but a "gay marriage" amendment appeals to them because they think that, without controls, "the gays" are going to force their church to perform gay weddings. This perception is often reinforced by their ministers who usually have their own agendas, need a hot button issue to help raise money, and are not particularly bright to begin with.

You may think this sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Remember darlings - not everyone is as intelligent and perceptive as we are. In fact, most people aren't. In the big picture, that's a good thing, because stupid people are easily manipulated, and somebody has to buy all the crap that is manufactured these days, or we'd all be in a soup line somewhere.

So what is my solution? Easy. Get the government out of the sacrament business. Stop issuing marriage licenses, and start issuing civil unions. For everyone. If you feel the need to get "married", you go find a church that marries your kind of people. While it's not talked about much, there are quite a few denominations out that that marry gay people. There'd be even more if there was more demand for it. (You'd be amazed by how quickly even the most inflexible theology gets changed when there's money to be made.)

This does not eliminate all of the arrows of the anti-gay crowd: They'll still bleat about the children, and about Adam and Steve, but let's face it - as a society, we don't care about the children (other than sometimes our own children, or the use of cute children as a way to sell products), and anyone who thinks that two people of the same sex sharing a mortgage is anathema is probably not reachable anyway. But it gets religion out of the picture, and keeps that separation of church and state all tidy. It's the perfect solution for the Libertarians, the liberals, the cloth coat Republicans, the Socialists, the Democrats and - most importantly - the harried Christian who doesn't pay much attention to things, has a hard time dealing with nuance, and has a short memory.

Ironically enough, it would also benefit the churches: There's many a romantic out there who want to "get married" - not just get a government license. Right now, they can go to City Hall or Vegas or someplace and get it done quickly and on the cheap, and still say they're "married". In my solution, they would have to seek out a church, and probably even have to sit through a few marriage lessons. For many a dying religion (and I'm looking at you, Catholicism) it would be a great recruitment tool, and a nice source of income. But alas churches, as we all know, are not run by smart people. If they were smart, they would be doing something productive. Like decorating, or being a traveling electrical hostess.

So that's my solution. Get out of the marriage business.

Yes, We did...

Ah Dear Readers, the last few weeks have been the proverbial roller coaster around here at Chez Vel-DuRay: The demise of poor Sputnik, and the election of Obama.... I feel like a wrung-out sponge that was left on the drainboard of a particularly well-appointed kitchen.

I'm sure I'll have more to say soon. But for now, I bring you this somewhat oldie, but still very much goodie. Yes, we can, and yes we did. Who'd a thunk it?



Oh, and by the way, it's looking more and more like I was right

Les Misbarak!

Don't forget to vote, Darlings! Do it for Sputnik (yes, I'm not afraid to play the dead pet card. This is too important. And anyway, Sputnik would be pleased by an Obama presidency)

RIP Sputnik

I hate to have to tell you this, but our beloved Sputnik was euthanized this morning after a blessedly brief illness. (Basically, he had feline lymphoma)

Sputnik was a kind old soul (despite his reputation for being the World's Most Evil Kitty) and I will miss him dearly. But it was his time, and he died peacefully, knowing that he was loved. What more can you ask for?

The funny thing is that right as the vet left the room with Sputnik after he had been put down, my phone rang: It was the Professor and Midge (who had no idea what was going on), and their ringtone is "When The Saints Come Marching In". I didn't pick it up, and it didn't occur to me at the time, but it's almost like Sputnik had his own little New Orleans funeral.

Sputnik, wherever you are, thank you for being my friend for the last thirteen years. You were a class act.