hp's blog

It's like a heat wave...

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:05:49 -0700

This is about as hot as it ever gets in Seattle, even mid-summer. I had planned some pie-baking over the weekend, but did it last night because I sure as heck won't fire up the oven when it's in the mid-80s.

We've had some lovely fresh local rhubarb, which I've turned into a couple of Rhubarb Custard Pies:

pie

I'll be gone next week - in Chicago on business, with a quick visit up to Northbrook to visit my Dad's wife. I'm on a rather challenging work project currently and the distance from the client (who is based in Chicago) doesn't make it any easier. Mostly I work with clients who are local (in Seattle). I am hoping the Chicago trip gives me some traction there. I am hoping for some decent weather to make up for what I experienced in my February visit.

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Chicago

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:40:49 -0700

The weather thankfully was not nearly so frightful as my last trip. In fact, less snow on the ground meant more vegetation was exposed... and more deer were around in our first stop - my Dad's wife Carol's house. The deer are not so shy. But then again, they are probably quite hungry.

Who me?

While at Carol's, the three of us went to Lyric Opera. I just love how the Lyric Opera House is integrated into the bottom of a office tower.

Lyric, from across the river

Inside, Dmitri Hvorostovsky did not disappoint. He and the entire production of Eugine Onegin were just stunning.

On Monday, Drake and I moved our base of operations downtown. Tuesday I lead a workshop for a client who is based downtown.

Tuesday night, we had a lovely, lively dinner at Topolobampo. I normally don't take photos at restaurants, but I couldn't help sneak a shot of the dessert. In the middle, those are warm, mole-filled donuts, topped with warm chocolate sauce.

O.M.G.

Tuesday morning we were out for a walk down Adams St. to the lake. On the way back, we stopped in at Millennium Park, including the Cloud Gate:

From the outside

Look straight up from the inside

And back now in Seattle, signs of spring--the cherry blossoms are blooming.

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Packing procastination

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:02:50 -0800

Ten more minutes and really... I'll start packing. We leave tomorrow for Chicago--a mix of personal (family) and business. We are also going to catch (the dreamy) Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the role of Eugine Onegin at Lyric Opera.

Hvorostovsky

But enough goofing around...

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The continuing hell that is Chicago's weather this winter...

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:31:12 -0800

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM CST TUESDAY.

A MIX OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW HAS BEGUN ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL START CHANGING OVER TO ALL SNOW THIS EVENING. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM THIS STORM WILL BE IN THE 5 TO 7 INCH RANGE. SNOW WILL BEGIN DIMINISHING TOWARD DAYBREAK TUESDAY.

WINDS WILL BEGIN INCREASING TO AROUND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH TONIGHT. ONCE THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND...IT WILL LIKELY START BLOWING AND CAUSING SOME NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS...COMBINED WITH BLOWING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS.

Radar

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Chicagoist

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:09:47 -0800

A few days after I got back from Chicago last week, I checked recommended feeds from my GoogleReader. Oddly enough, near the top was the Chicagoist blog. Now, I live and work in Seattle, but was born and raised in the Chicago area. Google didn't recommend the Seattleist blog--only the Chicagoist one. It was as if Google somehow knew I just got back from Chicago (similar to when it seemed to know I was both blonde and lived in Seattle--though I can't find that post right now, but it was serving up ads for both Seattle and blond jokes on the same page).

Anyway I've been enjoying news bits from Chicago in my RSS reader. Yesterday it included a video of an old Burt Weinman Ford ad. Anyone in Chicago during the 60s and 70s will remember these.

Image... a 1977 Ford Pinto... just $1888 full delivered price

Bert Weinman Ford with Linn Burton (Commercial, 1982)

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Sweet home Chicago

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:59:19 -0800

I arrived to sub-zero temps (-2, -25 wind chill) Sunday night and departed Tuesday in the midst of a classic lake-effect snow storm.

ORD 02/12/2008

They originally listed my flight as on-time. Ha! There were a few revisions on the flight departure time:

United's "Easy Updates"

10 departure time revisions, 4 gate changes, and 4 hours later, it looked like we were going to take off. But, first, let's de-ice that plane.

De-ice1

De-ice2

But we did finally take off, which was more that a lot of flights did. And the trip was well worth it business-wise (new client) and personally (I took a quick trip up to Northbrook to visit my Dad's wife Carol). Chicago is having one hell of a winter this year, as shown in this shot of Carol's patio (I took this before the Tuesday storm):

Carol's Patio

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Where I (weather whimp) am headed today...

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 07:16:51 -0800

Damn.

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My (work) world

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:49:20 -0800

Taking Care of Business...Everyday

I've been working hard and long but it's OK. My current client provides portfolio management software to financial planners. They've got a great system and we're making it better. The papers on my desk are bits and pieces of the current user interface -- chopped up and recombined. I refer to these fragments as I design the new interface.

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

This project, which I started in late September, ends in another three weeks. My next project is already on the radar. I leave Sunday for Chicago, where I'll meet the new client (on Monday). After the meeting, I'll pop on the Metra to visit my Dad's wife Carol. I'll stay overnight at her house and have most of the day Tuesday to visit.

The forecast is not looking very Seattle-like. At all.

Forecast

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Opera + da Bears = Chicago

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:08:31 -0800

Bear Down, Chicago Bears sung by Lyric Opera's Bryan Griffin

A comment on YouTube on this video:

Only in Chicago does the opera come out and support the football team. We were at the Lyric on Saturday night for Fledermaus and for the bows, the entire cast came out waving Bears banners, wearing Bears scarves and hats. Love the Lyric. Love the Bears. Love Chicago.

In 1985 (the last the Bears were in the Super Bowl), my mom had a symphony concert on the Sunday afternoon of one of the playoff games. The Chicago Symphony started the program with a symphonic version of Bear Down Chicago Bears. Needless to say, the crowd went wild.

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