Sonoma

Tom and I have many wonderful memories of living in New Zealand. Among our favorites was a weekend exploration of Hawke's Bay wine region with our Kiwi friends. It seemed only fitting that Elsie and I should resume our world-wide exploration of wine regions - this time on the U.S. soil of Sonoma.


Along with others attending the surgery conference, we took a scenic hour-long bus ride from downtown San Francisco to Sonoma. Our first stop was Artesa Winery - perched atop the highest hill of a 350-acre estate.











Artesa's architecture and winemaking traditions honor its Spanish heritage. After an informative tour, Elsie and I honored tastes of Artesa's Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

From there the tour drove us to a frustratingly short lunch stop in the city of Sonoma. We could have done some serious shopping in the charming boutiques surrounding the city square - had we had more time.

Our next stop was Kunde Family Estate, located on an 1,850-acre estate in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Five generations of the Kunde family have been producing wine for over a century.


Our tour took us through grapevines on our way to the wine cave where we learned that actor Seth Rogen had been married earlier that month, and where (more importantly) we did some barrel-tasting and sampled Kunde's award-winning Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel.

Reunion!

The American College of Surgeons' Annual Clinical Congress attracts surgeons from all over the world. We were especially thrilled that this year the conference attracted our good friends Elsie and Etienne Truter from New Zealand. Elsie and I had plotted our rendezvous in San Francisco for months and months.

The Truters became close friends during our six-month living experience in Rotorua where Tom practiced surgery with Etienne and I practiced having fun with Elsie.

San Francisco is arguably one of the best restaurant cities in the world. Choosing dining spots for the four of us was a culinary delight - a little like picking what ride to take next in Disneyland.




The task was made even easier with a little advice from my niece Beth Rasmussen. Like her mother, Beth is a true foodie. Interestingly, Beth became acquainted with Emily Luchetti, Executive Pastry Chef for the highly rated restaurant Farallon. This acquaintance led to an opportunity for Beth to serve as a "guinea pig baker" for Luchetti as she wrote her latest cookbook The Fearless Baker. Beth appears in the cookbook! Naturally, Beth arranged an autographed copy of this beautiful cookbook for her favorite Aunt Sue. And naturally, I made one of our dinner reservations at Farallon.


So our San Francisco reunion with Elsie and Etienne began with a fabulous dinner at Farallon. Non-stop chatter was interrupted only long enough to eat our memorable multi-course dinner. Needless to say, we all ordered dessert.

Ticket to Ride

After registering for Tom's meeting at the Moscone Center, we bought a 7-day Muni pass and caught a bus to Fisherman's Wharf. It was a beautiful day to reacquaint ourselves with the beauty and historic charms of San Francisco. As we road the bus from downtown to the Wharf, we took note of the skyline, the hills, architecture, and ultimately San Francisco Bay.


This particular bus ride became more of a matinee than we could have ever predicted. The bus was relatively crowded, particularly for a Sunday afternoon, but we both had seats until we came to one of many stops. After several blocks, an elderly black man with a walker boarded, so Tom quickly gave up his seat for the mumbling old guy.


We then proceeded up one of San Francisco's infamous hills to another stop. "Wheelchair coming on board!" the bus driver loudly reported. "Wheelchair coming on board!" he emphasized.


This stop required a bit of fanfare as we waited for the bus ramp to lift a black woman pushing a wheelchair to board. The hoopla continued, because multiple "reserved for the elderly/disabled" seats had to be vacated to accommodate the Wheelchair Pusher.


Before she sat down, we all noticed cigarette smoke wafting up from her well-packed wheelchair. A rough-looking sleeping guy awoke to the sights and smells and exclaimed, "You can't smoke on this bus! There's no smokin' on buses!"



The Wheelchair Pusher defended herself and declared, "I done thought I put it out - it must be in here somewhere." A nearby young woman stepped in, rummaged through the passenger's belongings until she found the smoking cigarette and extinguished it.


Meanwhile, the chastising continued at ever-increasing decibels. The Sleeper, who was still annoyed for being disturbed, resumed yelling at the black woman, "You're taking up FIVE seats!" And indeed she was.


People in the back of the bus - who couldn't really see what was going on - defended the"disabled" woman, saying, "Give her a break, man - she's in a wheelchair."

Banter continued between the Sleeper and pretty much everyone else. After he'd had enough, he pulled the "Stop Requested" cord and exited at the next stop.

After the Sleeper left, the elderly man with the walker settled it once and for all. He squarely looked at the Wheelchair Pusher and summed everything up by saying, "You ain't in a wheelchair. You's PUSHIN' a wheelchair."

Things were relatively quiet for a few more blocks until the driver announced, "Wheelchair coming on board! Wheelchair coming on board!" Once again, we passengers toward the front of the bus rearranged ourselves to make room for a tiny Oriental woman who was dressed to the nines.


At this point, the elderly black man with a walker reported to the entire bus - in his loudest voice yet - "REAL wheelchair comin' on board. REAL wheelchair comin' on board."

She said not a word as she was lifted onto the bus and steered to an open spot by her picture-worthy son.


We eventually made our way to the Wharf and Ghiradelli Square, but we agreed the bus ride was definitely worth the price of admission.

I Took My Heart to San Francisco

Thanks to the 97th Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, I packed my bag and tagged along with Tom to San Francisco. We landed in Oakland and immediately caught an airport bus that connected us to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). BART zipped us to San Francisco's Civic Center and to an easy 4-block walk to an apartment we rented through VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner).


Our cute studio apartment was cleverly converted from a warehouse, and we found it to be charming, convenient and close to public transportation. We quickly dumped our bags there and hit the San Francisco ground running.

For the Glory!

Port Townsend residents and visitors can count on a potpourri of annual festivities throughout the summer and fall months, including the Wooden Boat Show and the Port Townsend Film Festival. But the season culminates on a particularly raucous note with the "Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Skulpture Race."


Now in its 29th year, the festival is a weekend-long series of events, celebrating the ingenuity and whimsy of mankind.


A kinetic sculpture is a human-powered, artistically enhanced vehicle that must travel through sand and mud, stay afloat on water, and conquer hilly, silly neighborhoods.


The whole shootin' match begins at low noon with a parade down Water Street.


No one is immune from the watchful eyes of roaming Kinetic Kops who randomly issue tickets to spectators failing to get with the program. If you aren't in costume or if you aren't moving sufficiently to the beat of the jazzy parade percussion, you just might find yourself with a deduction of points.


Clearly this is not to be taken lightly as shame shrouds anyone getting caught for breaking the kinetic law (as seen below).


However, Kinetic Kops may also choose to award Glory Points to spectators who happen to suit their fancy, as was the case with this particular Husky fan.











The parade lines up at the US Bank building parking lot where competitors and spirited participants receive instructions from the Kinetic Commissioner.



An award is given to each racer whether they want it or not, but the most highly coveted prize is the "Mediocrity Award" which goes to the sculpture that finishes in the middle of the pack.


Entrants must pass a brake test and an elaborate safety inspection. At this stage, the Kinetic Commissioner verifies that each rig is equipped with key essentials, like a spare tire, whistle, life preserver, and a teddy bear. It is interesting to note that pit crews must be human, and the rules clearly point out that, if necessary, DNA tests may be required.


Bribing the field of judges not only helps but is highly encouraged. It is clearly pointed out that cheating is not a right, but a privilege. After all, it's for the glory!


We weren't able to attend the Saturday Night Koronation Kostume Ball to witness the coronation of the 2011 Rose Hip Kween, but it was positively thrilling to meet true royalty - the oldest living Rose Hip Queen!



Washington's Governor Christine Gregoire was also in town for the festivities. Apparently she didn't earn any Glory Points from the Kinetic Kops either.

Cheese, Louise

It felt like we were back in New Zealand during a visit to Whiskey Hill Diary just outside of Port Townsend. Diana Dyer officially opened her one-woman operation in 2008 after several years of making cheese for family and friends. With a herd of purebred registered does, Dyer claims her goats are truly "career girls" that work hard on her farm. If the critters aren't producing milk, they're producing kids for sale to other dairies or for show stock.


We drove into Whiskey Hill Farm amidst the sights and sounds of talkative goats and wandering chickens. Our objective was simply to buy goat cheese, but it wasn't clear how to go about making a purchase. We wandered around the outbuildings a bit until we stumbled upon Dyer in the midst of milking to of her does. Claiming she was on vacation, she said, "If you want cheese, help yourself - the refrigerator is outside."



Sure enough, we found a small fridge just outside the milking area. Buyers are simply instructed to choose their cheese (or eggs) and leave cash in the tupperware on the door. $15 later, we acquired some "Houston Blue" and "Greek Feta."


Before leaving the farm, I had to make acquaintance with the career girls along with the equally friendly pygmy goats. We subsequently learned that we could have purchased Whiskey Hill Farm cheese at a number of area Co-ops, grocery stores, or creameries, but this was far more entertaining.

A Maritime Center

Along with its Victorian influence and stunning natural scenery, Port Townsend is well-known as a maritime center for independent boat-builders and related industries and crafts. Much of the daily life around here is influenced by water.

Whether it's transportation


Whether it's boat-building


Whether it's fishing


Whether it's recreation




















or Whether it's Weather