Leaving Seattle
Here is what it is like, leaving Seattle.
For days, the televisions and radios have been telling us that traffic on I-5, the major interstate, will slow to a crawl for a month as serious repairs are made to the overpasses and bridgework supporting the freeway.
Remember the bridge collapse in Minnesota? I-5 is THE major route in and out of Seattle, traffic is unbelievably heavy, and yet . . . without regular inspection and maintenance, infrastructure fails, and a failure in mid-town Seattle could be catastrophic. The stoic Seattleites would much rather be inconvenienced than suffer a catastrophe, so they are all working to find alternate routes.
My drive through Seattle was a breeze. It was the last day before the closure. I was in prime time traffic. I don’t know if everyone thought the closures had happened already or if half the population is on vacation, but the drive was a delight – and the roads were dry.
My least favorite part of every trip is trying to get my bags to the check-in. Once, I left my bags in my rental car while I went for a cart, only to find on my return that the car – and my bags – were gone! It took half an hour to get the car back again. Now, I lug my treasure filled bags with me to the baggage cart section, wishing I were in Kuwait or Doha where someone would be running up to me with a cart, offering to cart my bags.
Check in is always another delight – because my ticket, even though it is an e-ticket, is booked in Kuwait, I have to wait for a real person to check me in, I can’t check in online or through one of the machines. But, by the grace of God, it all goes smoothly, and I am on my way to the gate.
But because I give myself plenty of time to get across town, I always have plenty of time before my flight, so I go to the food court. I love this food court. You could get Burger King, and a lot of people do, or you could get a wide assortment of organic foods, and a lot of people do, or you could get sushi and udon, which so many people do that they are usually sold out in short time. My favorite is a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
I have my favorite place to sit and eat, and I love to look at the airport art work. Look at the light fixture. . . I don’t think it is a Chihuly, but just look at it! In the middle of the food court! Isn’t it just gorgeous? Doesn’t it remind you of a very cold river, in the shallows, flowing over rocks?
Royal Treatment
It’s back to Purgatory for me – the start of two full days travelling to get back to Kuwait. The day dawns cool, but the clouds are high and the roads are dry.
Seattle is undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade, and most of the lanes on the major interstate close tomorrow. Public announcements are on all the radio and tv stations about finding alternate routes, and today was the last day all lanes would be open. I was afraid traffic would be heavy, so I started early, but it was surprisingly light.
Turned in the rental car, got checked in, everything is cool so far. Go to stand in the security line and – as usual – I get sent to the “Royal treatment” line.
I am so used to it that I don’t even groan any more. I have my computer, my little plastic bag with face cream, mascara, etc. all in one bag, and I have little footies to put on when I have to take off my shoes. I am SO prepared.
What I am not prepared for is for them to tell me in an angry voice to take the liquid out of my purse. I say – as all guilty people do – “I don’t have any liquid in my purse!”- and they throw my purse at me and tell me to go through it and take out the liquid, and they give me a small plastic bag.
I go through my purse again – it has a lot of zips and pockets – no liquid. I put a very humble look on my face and hand it to her and say “there is no liquid!” and they yell at me “she’s going to take it!” and they run it through again. And then I have to wait in a small booth (again) for the full bag hand inspection for explosives and for the pat down check.
Those who know me will know why this is so funny. I am not dangerous looking.
They pat me down. They magic wand me. They tell me I can put my shoes back on as they wipe down my handbag and my carry on. Guess what – no liquid. They stamp my ticket, but . . .no apologies, no nothing. Just “you can go now.”
I’ve had this happen for five years now, almost every trip. It doesn’t matter whether I pay cash in person or pay by credit card online – I get the royal treatment.
On top of that, my plane is seriously delayed. They are bringing in another plane to substitute for it. I hope I will make my Kuwait connection – and I really really hope I have time between flights for a shower. I’ve also lost my KLM card somewhere in all these changing flights and confused reservations and they are being stinky about believing me, even though my frequent flyer status is on my ticket, on my boarding passes and in the computer. More royal treatment.
Hydroplanes in Dubai?
This article is excerpted from the Seattle Times on July 29th. Hydroplane racing is big in Seattle, and when I saw this article, I thought how perfect the Gulf, with it’s smooth, glassy surface, would be for these incredibly exciting races.
In Seattle, people take their own boats to the hydroplane races and tie up at specially designated sites. It’s like one big huge boat party, people dancing, kids floating around in inner-tubes and floats, good food, all in addition to the excitement of the races. Having hydroplane races in Dubai would be amazing.
(Photo from Tacoma News Tribune Sports.
Several people in the pits said Saturday that representatives of Dubai are looking into holding a race.
“They’re very interested in having us bring our boats over there,” said Erick Ellstrom, crew chief of the Miss Ellstrom Elam Plus. “They love hydroplanes over there.”
Apparently, a delegation from Dubai was scheduled to be in attendance at Seafair next week to take in a race firsthand. Ellstrom said that apparently won’t happen, but that the Dubai group might attend the race in San Diego next month.
It might sound like a fanciful notion, but Dubai has gained an increasing reputation as a sporting destination, which was detailed recently in a lengthy story on ESPN.com. That story quoted one Dubai official as saying the goal is “to use sport as a platform to attract global exposure” for Dubai.
While logistics might seem like a nightmare, veterans pointed out that it might not be much different than the days when a race was held in Honolulu, when the boats were transported by ship.
Apparently, part of the connection between Dubai and hydros is the business association with Boeing, which has taken on an increasing interest in the sport.
Read more at The Seattle times: Next Stop on the circuit . . . Dubai?
Credit Card MixUp
They must have thought we were stark raving out of our minds. In the middle of a crowded dinner-time restaurant, the three of us are out of control. Normally bordering on dignified, we are whooping with laughter, tears are streaming down our faces and we are laughing out loud, totally out of control.
The waitress brought the bill for my Mom, who was treating, but when she brought it back for my Mom’s signature, my Mom said “this isn’t my credit card!” She looked at it closely . . . it was my sister’s credit card.
“How did I give her your credit card?” she asked my sister, who looked baffled.
“I can’t imagine!” she responded. Mom had made it clear that this evening was HER treat, and we hadn’t even reached for our wallets this time.
This was our third dinner together in ten days. We have switched off paying, and we figure that the switch must have happened either a week ago, or five days ago. But . . . and this is the truly horrifying part – both have been charging on the switched cards! As the total implications dawned on us, we were horrified – and our reaction was this hysterical laughter as they tried to figure out what they had charged on each other’s card.
The horror is this – neither of them had noticed they were not using their own card. And no one, at any store, noticed that the signature on the charge slip DID NOT MATCH the name on the charge card. My mother charged several times, my sister charged a few things, but no one ever questioned the fact they were using someone else’s card.
This is horrifying. it is only hysterically funny because it was my mother and sister, and they had to work out who owes what to whom – and the total lack of privacy as two grown women have to tell each other what they have charged. That is laughable. But we are still totally appalled that it could happen, and that it was never caught nor challenged. Amazing.
Blood Pressure: Self Monitoring
Many people in the US take their own blood pressure once or twice a day to be sure they are not experiencing overly high readings.
I have done this, but I also find that just taking my blook pressure makes me anxious enough to cause a rise in the pressure. I take it two or three times to get an accurate idea, and when I have it checked in a doctor’s office, I ask them to do it manually, as those results – at least for me – are more accurate than the automatic models. And did you know you can get different readings depending on which arm they use?
Taking control or worrying yourself sick?
There are several reasons why your GP might be sceptical about self-monitoring.
It could be a hangover from earlier times when it meant doctors training patients in the complicated art and science of using a manual blood pressure device. Modern devices pose much less of a challenge.
Even automatic machines are open to bias: it’s easy to round figures down or simply ignore unusually high results. In my experience, this can apply equally to doctors, and some modern machines memorise readings so you can’t fiddle the records.
More simply, doctors worry that patients will worry. They worry some people will develop an obsessional and unhealthy interest in every peak and trough of their blood pressure. I’ve certainly seen people panicked unnecessarily by a one-off high reading.
But perhaps the main reason is that most automated blood pressure monitors on sale to the public haven’t been properly validated, or have been shown to be inaccurate. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which issues guidance for doctors, says using home-monitoring devices as part of primary care needs more research.
Golden rules of self-monitoring
Other doctors may have a different view, but if a patient of mine wanted to buy one of these devices this is what I hope they would do.
First, discuss it with me. We can talk about how to use the machine properly, how often and when to take readings, and how to interpret them. For example, the threshold for high blood pressure is generally lower using home monitors (more than 135/85 is high) than in the clinic (more than 140/90 is high).
Without getting too obsessive, when it comes to long-term monitoring I’ve found the European Society of Hypertension advice works well – take two morning and evening readings each day for one week every three months. Alternatively, you could take readings on one day every week.
Things that temporarily affect blood pressure
Anxiety
Exercise
Meals
Tobacco
Alcohol
Pain
Time of year – blood pressure’s generally lower in summer
Time of day – blood pressure’s usually lower when you’re asleep
Second, before my patient handed over their hard-earned cash, I’d strongly advise them to check up-to-date information on which devices have been properly validated.
Just because a monitor is on sale – and even if it has a ‘CE’ mark (indicating it meets European standards) – it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s accurate or reliable.
Luckily, this job is done for you by the British Hypertension Society.
Third, choose an upper arm monitor as these have been shown to be the most reliable, but always make sure you have the right sized cuff to fit your arm – too small or too large and the reading can be inaccurate.
In general, wrist and finger devices aren’t recommended because they’re easily influenced by changes in circulation, and the measuring cuff is not always at the level of your heart, which it should be.
Benefits of self-monitoring
Despite some doctors’ reservations, the tide seems to be turning.
Self-monitoring can be useful in detecting white coat hypertension. This is a phenomenon affecting up to one in five adults, in which blood pressure measurements taken at your doctor’s or in a clinic are high even though your blood pressure’s normal the rest of the time.
You can read the whole article at BBC Health News.
Prosper the work of our Hands!
In todays readings, Psalm 90, verse 17 says:
17Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!
So this is my prayer – for myself, for my friends, for my readers. Today, may God prosper the work of our hands!
Chevy’s Fresh Mex
At one time Adventure Man worked in Saudi Arabia, and came home every three months craving Mexican Food. His all time favorite restaurant was Chevy’s, which specializes in FRESH FRESH Mexican food.
Mom may be 84, but she is always up for a new experience. I asked her if she would like to try Chevy’s, and she was sure she would like to try it. You ROCK, Mom!
Mom’s Tostada Salad with beef:
My Spicy Salmon Fajita:
Totally delicious, but too much food! We brought home enough food for two or three more meals!
Where is Pensacola, FL?
It isn’t only my Kuwaiti friends . . . . many of my American friends don’t know where Pensacola is, either.
Pensacola is almost in Alabama.
You can see it at the far left of the map. It has a big bay, and a barrier island with a gorgeous, white sand beach. It is fairly unspoiled, as Florida goes, with more moderate temperatures, and some slight shift in seasons.
Port Gamble
Port Gamble is always a great place to stop, stretch your legs a little, walk around the beautifully maintained old company town, snap a few photos . . . .and have some delicious locally made ice cream. (I had raspberry sherbet, sorry, it disappeared before I could photograph it for you.)
God blessed us with a gorgeous, cloud free day in the Pacific Northwest for my Mother’s birthday, and a great road trip, alhamd’allah!
(Yes, we can make a birthday spread out over a week or two in our family!)
Louche
In a recent post, I described New Orleans as a “louche” city. I’ve had several back channels asking about the word LOUCHE.
I believe that the original meaning in French was “cross-eyed.”
The Free Dictionary says it means “Of questionable taste or morality; decadent”
It also says it is from the old French “losche” meaning squinty eyed, and from the old Latin “luscus” meaning blind in one eye.
Die Net says it is an “adj : of questionable taste or morality; “a louche nightclub”;”a louche painting” [syn: shady]
The most fun definition was at Geocities , also, in my opinion, the most complete:
[adj. LOOSH] Someone who is louche has questionable taste or morals, or they could be lacking in respectability. If you’re imagining a squint-eyed character who makes you suspicious or anxious you’re not far off from this word’s origins. Louche is a borrowed French word (meaning cross-eyed) derived from the Latin luscus which literally meant blind in one eye. First used in the English language in the early 19th-century, louche refers to character, behavior, or appearance. …
But in looking all this up for you, I found one more definition I had never heard before:
A wine troubled by the presence of suspended particles which cause it to be cloudy.
From Geocities/Cool words
When I described New Orleans as louche, it has the meaning of someone like an aging courtesan, who looks pretty good as you are walking up to her, but when you get close you can see that her dress has seen better days, her make up is a little streaky and she needs a good wash. And there is that questionable morals or respectability. . . 😉
Doncha love new words? And I learned something, too!
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