Denice and Henrik

Goodbye Gloria

Henrik — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:52:14 +0000

Another epoch is over. Gloria, the last surviving part of Franglor's restaurant and Denice's aunt, passed away this morning. Denice and I went and saw her two weeks ago, and then again on Saturday. She had deteriorated, but she still recognized us and seemed reasonably pleased to see us.

She really lit up twice. Once when

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Denice was giving her a leg massage, and once when we put on Aretha Franklin. She even said 'yeah' when we asked if she remembered 'Respect'.

She went peacefully, which is always nice, and with her mental capacities still working for the most part.

Glo, Respect!

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Diamonds are a girls best friend

Henrik — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:44:53 +0000

Diamonds are a girls best friend
Originally uploaded by Henrik

I just wanted to let everybody know that my lovely wife was awarded a Diamond Award for her work selling real estate in 2007. Wow! Congratulations!

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to the Outer Limits.

Denice — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:11:27 +0000

At night we sit in bed (me with my cuppa hot cocoa) watching old 1960s episodes of one of my favorite shows The Outer Limits via NetFlix online. We've watched I think 5 episodes so far. Think we have over 40 to go. One of my favorites is The Galaxy Being. The black and white video quality is crystal clear. The sound is excellent. Some of the props are hilarious (like the asteroid that's supposed to be levitated around a room with mental energy but you can see the fish line suspending it from above), and the computers and databases that look like painted cardboard, and the simple sound effects like the genetically mutated monkey (the monkey was a ratty stuffed spider monkey and the crazy sound it made was exactly like dentures clacking together.) The episodes are simple. They're black and white. The acting is dramatic and oddly disconnected at the same time. The story lines are uncomplicated and wise. Even though the episodes are from the 1960s the stories are about humanity, the human condition, and how technology and science can affect the human experience. At the end of each episodes there's a moral spoken to the audience from the host in the form of a summary of the story. Gives one something to ponder as they regain control of their horizontal and vertical. This excerpt is from The Galaxy Being, truly one of my favorites with reaching spiritual implications. http://www.theouterlimits.com THE GALAXY BEING Allan Maxwell owns and operates a radio station. He sacrifices his station's transmitting power to send signals to outer space. By feeding the signals he receives through a television circuit, he is able to construct a three-dimensional image of the radio waves. One day, without warning, a new image takes shape on his screen -- he is communicating with a creature from deep in another galaxy! Allan is called away from the transmitter by his wife, Carol, though he promises the creature he will return. In his absence, Eddie, a substitute disk jockey goes on the air and turns the station's power up. The creature is drawn across space and time and materializes on the earth. Anxious to find Maxwell, the being begins to search the town. Although its intent is peaceful, its powerful radiation can burn and destroy anything in its path. The creature finds Maxwell and they return together to the broadcasting shed. By now, the police and army have been alerted. They surround the shed and threaten to destroy Maxwell, his wife, and his new-found friend. The creature tells Maxwell that by the rules of its own people, it can't go home; but, by turning down the station's power, it can release its own mass and disintegrate. If it stays on earth, the people will come and man's own fear will destroy him. Thus the creature makes the ultimate sacrifice, giving up its life. But the people of earth have learned a new lesson -- there are powers in the universe inscrutable and profound. Everyone must learn to live together if the world is to survive.

August 19 - nice day for a birth day

Denice — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:56:24 +0000

August 19 I like my birthday month. I like my sun sign, Leo. People say I'm an odd Leo. Maybe that's because of a Gemini rising. Dunno. But I had a nice birthday. Henrik lavished me with things this girlie adores -- aromatherapy soap, bath salts, and a jar of Royal Jelly Body Butter smooth enough to endure purgatory for. We shared coffees with friends and a very large slice of rhubarb strawberry pie at a Caffe Ladro and then enjoyed dinner at our favorite restaurant, Waterfront Seafood Grill, on Pier 70. Most exciting were two surprises -- one thing Henrik created ... a blog for things real estate ... Seattle-Avenue.com ... and one thing Henrik arranged ... a couple days on Orcas Island based at Rosario Resort and taking a keel boat sailing course by Orcas Island Sailing! The sailing company sent us a study book and materials to read before we arrived. The class was held entirely on a 26' sailboat. There were four students (Henrik and me, a brother and sister) and our instructor, Philo. Everything was hands on, from the time we arrived at the dock on the first morning to the time we finished the intensive class and took the exam the next afternoon. I saw my first herring ball and seagulls, mud sharks, seals, and an eagle feeding on it. We had wind appear and disappear, a little weather perk up, and fog. Mostly it was shorts and t-shirt weather. I was happy with a few deer sightings, one very close up. The sailing class was total review for Henrik, his goal was to learn the English sailing terms because he knows them in Swedish and Dutch. The sailing was 95% new learning for me. My brain was overwhelmed the first day and my hands hurt. The second day my brain felt mushy and I wanted to turn off my thinker and float through a day mindlessly. I wonder if our room at Rosario is haunted. I swear I saw dark, black, shadow male figures harmlessly creeping around our room in the middle of the night having come from outside through the glass slider.

http://www.cbbain.com/henrikbrameus

Denice — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:34:18 +0000

Henrik passed the exam and received his real estate license recently. He held his first solo open house last Sunday and will be BRILLIANT working with buyers. http://www.cbbain.com/henrikbrameus

Friday September 14

Denice — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:28:55 +0000

We've been working on the boat and sailing when we can. Mostly organizing which was hugely needed. Lemon Pledge is a wonderful product and I'd like to hug the Navy Officer who told us that's what he uses to keep the Admiral's ship looking spectacular.

We've decided on a new color theme for the boat: basic black and white. Our first interior design investment were two simple curtains that we made to separate the forward sleeping area and the bathroom. Future design projects will include looking for nice b/w fabrics for interior cushions and pillows, painting the boat, replacing the exterior sail and tiller covers. I also have a new name idea for the boat: B/W

We took my brother Mike and his wife Aileen sailing last Friday as our official "first" guests. Unfortunately, there was no wind. The water was often smooth as glass and awesomely reflective. Excellent waterskiing conditions for salt water! We tried sailing for two or three hours then decided in order to get to Whidbey Island we needed to use the motor. The original plan was to moor at the Langley dock on Whidbey Island for the day, have lunch, grab a coffee, walk around the shops. We arrived just before 5:00 PM, shops were closing for the day, and we needed to eat dinner and motor back before dark because, as Henrik just learned, our running lights don't work. Even with no wind it was a nice day on the boat and we had several "confirmed" seal and sea lion sightings.

Thursday, September 13

Denice — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:21:33 +0000

Henrik had his green card appointment. He fussed about it the entire night before, organizing a file and notebook of photographs and documents with more diligence than I've seen him tend to anything EVER. He wanted to leave really early for the appointment so we couldn't be late. We stopped for a coffee so we wouldn't be ridiculously early and with unforeseen traffic backups we arrived right on time, paid the stupid $5 cash for parking, proceeded through the security checkpoint and to the second floor where we were called by a nice interviewer who was working there after retiring from a 20-year Navy career. The appointment lasted less than 10 minutes and was painless. Since Henrik is now able to work and travel, it's pretty much as things were -- though we have much less money coming in the household and neither of us have health insurance. At least we know Henrik won't get booted out of the country and I'll have more time to learn Swedish in a comfortable fashion.

Denice — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:16:55 +0000

We have a lot of plans and ideas for the realm of real estate things and plan to begin sharing them on January 1 2008.

Kula recently had a tumor on the side of her belly removed and her teeth cleaned. Her fur is slowly growing back but she still has a soft and very cute naked patch by her tummy and she doesn't really like us messing with it or looking at it. Henrik discovered that although she's afraid of squeaky toys and doesn't like balls or fetching, she likes to chase small limes. Another oddity is she really loves to eat raw baby carrots.

Pawka also had a vet visit and is reportedly well. It appears he may be older than I thought; age can’t be confirmed because he’s a rescue. He had vaccinations, an ear cleaning, and a pedicure. He's due for another vaccine and needs to get his teeth cleaned and some extractions. Two days ago he lost his collar so Henrik got him a new shiny, smooth, orange, reflective, Mod looking collar. Our home is turning more Mod as time passes but that’s another subject.

Summer going, Autumn coming

Denice — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:15:06 +0000

My days and nights have been filled with work and play this summer; downtime for casual writing, and my energy for it, has been limited. I'm sure there will be more writing with the coming of Autumn and Winter when outdoor activities are limited.

Interview Done

Henrik — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:04:20 +0000

Today was the day for our interview and we arrived to the USCIS just on time. Although I knew I had all the paperwork (and all the copies) I was still slightly nervous. That was unwarranted, since we had a very nice ex-navy man doing the interview. He was just formal enough, and I was a tad surprised that he swore us in before we started. But he wanted the the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and that was what he got.

Now I have to wait for that plastic card...

More water adventures

Henrik — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:03:45 +0000

Texting
Originally uploaded by Henrik

As an annual tradition (this is the second time) Denice and I go out with the US Navy when they are here for Seattle Seafair. This year we went with the frigate USS Rentz. It was a much smaller ship than USS Chung-Hoon, which we sailed on last year, but the weather was unbelievable. I was in shorts and t-shirt from early morning until afternoon. OK, it was a bit chilly as we were hading north into the wind, but going the other way... Man, it was like a vacation.

In the end they did cook us a big barbecue on deck, and although it was good it was not like last year. But I'm up for going boating again next year.

A day on the boat

Henrik — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:00:56 +0000

Denice at the helm Originally uploaded by Henrik Some days are made for sailing. Tuesday was one of those days. Denice and I had business in Everett, and what a luck that our boat is moored there as well. The day was f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c. Warm, sun, clear blue skies and wind! Although it's only our third or fourth sailing trip together I cannot get over how Denice seems to be born to sail. She steers great, catching the wind just right, learns new things very fast and seems to have no fear of things most people fear when they are new to sailing. That is "tipping over" among other things. Pretty soon I'll be able to just sit back and have her do all the sailing.