Mariners 3, Angels 0

This afternoon Steven and I joined Roy, Katie and Claire Price for an afternoon out at Safeco Field. The M’s beat Mike Scioscia’s California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels 3-0. (More.) Felix Hernandez pitched eight innings of shutout ball to beat Scott Kazmir, who made his debut with the Angels after a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Regrettably the Prices had to leave after the fourth inning — Roy had a poorly-timed meeting — but we snapped a few pics beforehand:

A view from our seats.

Roy, Katie and Claire Price

Steven and I waiting for foul balls.

Steven with the foul ball he caught off the bat of Mike Saunders.

Group photo with too much light in the background.

The Fam Hits Forks for Surfing and the Twilight Tourilight,

Yesterday Ronnie, Jon, Danielle, Sara, Reese, Finn and I headed northwest to Forks to do the Twilight tour. We left the house at 5:02 am, caught the 5:40 ferry to Kingston, then drove three hours to the far west of the United States. We snapped a few pics along the way:

Reese and me on the Kingston ferry, 5:40 am.

The Hood Canal Bridge: no connection to Twilight.

Ronnie, Reese and me in front of Lake Crescent. (Finn was sleeping, and he wouldn't have looked at the camera in any case.)

Danielle, Ronnie, Reese and Sara at Lake Crescent.

Sisters.

Once we got there we stopped first at La Push so Jonathan and I could surf for a few hours:

Ronnie and me at First Beach, La Push.

Sister and brother.

Ronnie and Finn at First Beach.

Reese, leaving her shoes behind.

Finn and Sara.

Jon and me -- after the beating.

Very, very hungry.

La Push is where the guys in Twilight allegedly surfed. Then we went to Forks:

Sara and Danielle in front of the one thing that was actually in the movie.

We snapped a few pics in front of the “Bella truck,” but Jon thought it was strange that this was neither the color nor the model of Bella’s actual truck.

Jon in front of a red truck that sorta looks like Bella's.

Ditto.

Come to find out — Twilight wasn’t actually filmed in Forks! It turns out it was filmed in Kalama, Oregon.

Me at Dr. Cullen's alleged parking spot.

Home of the Swans? Not really.

I suppose I should have known this, but I didn’t think to research whether the Twilight tour was a sham.

Why the movie wasn’t filmed in Forks is an interesting question. According to a local we spoke with, the folks at Summit Entertainment bowed out when, two days before filming was scheduled to begin, Governor Chris Gregoire’s office demanded that the production company cough up more fees and taxes. They declined and went to Oregon. The news stories that addressed the question leave that part out. They say the fees were just too high in the first place, that Forks was just too far from anywhere, and the company decided to go to Oregon from the get go. Where the truth lies? I wouldn’t count on the government telling us.

The next Twilight is supposedly being filmed in Vancouver, BC — this after the state legislature passed a bill to attract Twilight to the Evergreen State. That Twilight’s producers would skip over the story’s actual setting state but film in the areas right around it instead (Oregon, British Columbia) suggests to me that something bad happened between the production company and state government, and that Twilight won’t be coming to Washington anytime soon.

A great family day out, no doubt, but it would have been nice to know that the Twilight tour was a sham before we ferried and drove across the state to see it. I know we’re not the only ones who fell for it — we met a gal in the hardware store who said the same thing. I’m glad I didn’t come all the way from France to see Bella’s (Kristen Stewart’s) truck. Then again, if I came all the way from France to see a one-stoplight town, it would serve me right.

Jonathan Sees the Elephant

This weekend Jonathan and I did the Civil War reenacting thing up in Ferndale, near the U.S.-Canada border. It was Jonathan’s first reenacting experience. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough gear to go around so I watched the battles from afar. That gave me ample time, however, to snap pics with my iPhone. A few of them:

Over a game of Shut the Box (memo to the WSGC: we didn't play for money).

Chillin'.

The flag of the 4th.

Just about ready for battle.

Jonathan Gets a New Look

Nephew Jonathan arrived Saturday night with a new look. Compare this to

this.

We aren’t much for scaring the kids and neighbors unnecessarily, so Monday he got himself a haircut. Last night I threw some gel in, and now he looks like

this.

Rhonda and I think it’s quite the improvement. Both Jonathan and his girlfriend, who apparently calls the shots, are thanking their lucky stars that it’ll grow back. Whatever. In the meantime, it looks like

Reese caught the bad hair bug.

Hawaiian Day, Squared

Today the Jenkins family attended dose Hawaiian-themed parties. The first was Grant “Smith’s” first birthday party up at Jane and Marc’s in Edmonds (pics).

Grant hits the big Numero Uno.

Another shirt that doesn't get a lot of action.

The second was a soiree thrown by Roy and Grace Price down at the beach club. We didn’t take the camera to Grace and Roy’s so we didn’t get pics, but Norman did take this one of yours truly:

That's thirty feet if you're measuring.

It was a fun day for the Jenkins family but one overcome by sadness. Uncle Cole went back to Phoenix.

We’ll miss him, but he knows he’s welcome back any time.

The Family Hits Port Gamble

This weekend Cole, Rhonda, Reese and Finn joined me for some Civil War re-enacting at Port Gamble on the south end of the Kitsap Peninsula. Never been there (or even heard of it) but it was a pretty cool place I gotta say. I really can’t see any reason why it couldn’t be a destination along the lines of a Friday Harbor. It’s certainly a lot closer to Seattle.

Anyway, we got lots of pics from the re-enactment. Among them:

I followed it up with a Father’s Day round of golf at Washington National on Sunday morning . . .

What a difference eighteen hours makes.

Reese Turns the Big T-W-O

Reese celebrated her 2nd birthday today. And it was not uneventful:

It started with all the gals doing tea . . .

followed by an afternoon snack . . .

followed by a trip to the outlet mall, where dad picked up a cool pair of yellow shorts for $15 . . .

followed by an evening barbecue at the Cheuk's, where Sofia fed Finn like a prince . . .

Reese received great presents from her wonderful friends and family . . .

and the camera recorded the birthday girl's every move.

Reese and Finn Fly Their First Kite

Uncle Cole, Reese, Finn and I flew kites today at Magnuson Park. It was the little ones’ first venture into the glamorous world of kite flying. Fun was had by all.

'Up there, just under Obama's soaring deficits, is our kite . . . '

Click here to view the rest of the day’s photos.

The Jenkins and Smith Families do Easter

The Jenkins and “Smith” families did Easter today and broke in the new, if not nearly complete, Casa de Jenkins. What otherwise should have been a great if rainy day was ruined for me courtesy of Kenny Perry’s Masters collapse. Nonetheless we did get a few good pics:

Easter table by Rhonda. Well done.

The Jenkins and 'Smith' families in the new dining room.

Mamma Smith with son Grant.

Finn and Rhonda.

Grant and Reese, wondering about their futures in a post-Obama world.

Reese, Finn and Grant having an important pow wow.

Finn and Uncle Cole.

Reese Attends Her First Barbecue

Okay, well it wasn’t exactly a barbecue — only the nuclear family and Cole were present. But there was a barbecue on the premises — our new $299 CharBroil job from Lowe’s — so it was at least arguably “a barbecue.” Reese — er, Archie — enjoyed her first ever burger.

A few pics:

Reese, with the shark looming.

My new toy in the background.