The Santa Train

Today the Otterlee and Jenkins fams rode the Santa Train in North Bend. It wasn’t the longest of journeys — the brochure said three miles but it felt like three hundred yards. Nevertheless it was a fun way for us to spend a Friday afternoon. A few pics:

The train arriving at the station.

Mom and Finn standing in the queue.

A view from inside.

Brother and sister.

Sidekick Grant makes an appearance.

About as close as we can get to them posing.

Uh ... if only we could have a caption contest.

This part didn't go so well ...

Jayne, Otter and Grant Otterlee.

Our fam -- and if we're not careful, our Christmas family photo for 2009.

How the Tiger Saga Impacts the Jenkins Fam

Believe it or not, this last few weeks is the not the first time “Tiger Woods” and “addiction” have been mentioned in the same sentence around here. Although I’ve had control of it lately, I had my own Tiger addiction of sorts. Not sex, mind you — Tiger shirts.

I’d go on Ebay, enter a bid, and occasionally be the high bidder. Okay, more than occasionally. At last count, I have somewhere near 37 Tiger or Nike golf shirts. I’d guess 75% of them were from Ebay. Hate to say it, but I’ve probably spent close to a thousand bucks on Tiger- and Nike gear over the years. (That I’ve had the same set of irons since 1997 may help balance that out.)

Several of the no fewer than 38 Tiger and Nike golf shirts I've purchased over the years.

I’m not sure I can wear the Tiger duds anymore. Okay, I can probably wear them — they’re still sweet lookin’. But I’m going to feel a bit strange every time I put one on knowing that I spent my hard-earned money helping support a serial adulterer. Worse, I’m not particularly keen on looking like an adulterer myself.

All this leaves my golf clothing plans very much up in the air. No way I’d ever wear Adidas as long as they’re paying Sergio Garcia. I like Phil Mickelson, but if there’s a worse dressed player on Tour I’m not sure who he is. Greg Norman gear is outstanding, but they don’t give it away and the Ebay market is a fraction of what the Tiger garb market is.

I suppose I can wear some of the hundred or so golf shirts I already have.

Something tells me Reese and Finn, who both want to go to college, would appreciate that.

Thanksgiving 2009

Today the Lippmanns and then the Otterlees joined us to celebrate Thanksgiving 2009. No drama, no episodes, just great food and friends. A few pics:

Ronnie did a great job on the table.

Sophia may be Finn's biggest fan.

The family Lippmann.

There's a device I could have lived without.

Finn with his momma.

Reese and me.

Jayne, Grant and Mark Otterlee.

Reese with Grant and Auntie Jayne.

The host and hostess.

Reese, pondering the meaning of life in Ollie's daybed.

Very, very full.

Still wondering if Otter has teeth.

Back From NYC

I just returned from four days in New York City. Got there, door to door, for $11 — frequent flier miles [$10], a ride from Norman to the airport, a bus ride [$1] from LaGuardia to 96th and Broadway, a 26-block walk to Fang’s place at Trump Place.

Unfortunately I did not take a camera. Thus, my pics are all iPhone jobs, which makes this officially –>

My Worst Blog Entry Ever.

Here are the pics I did take:

Fordam U at Lincoln Center. I went here for Fall Semester 1988.

The Hotel Lucerne on 79th and Amsterdam. I lived on the 12th floor for $440/month when I went to Fordham.

This is just a chimp on Park Avenue. No particular connection to me.

I didn’t take these, but I need more for this entry, which is so lackin I’m almost embarrassed to publish it:

The University Club on 54th and 5th. Carl, Fang and I had dinner here on Friday.

Filene's Basement on 79th and Broadway. Great store, but the cool stuff was XL or bigger.

The campus at Princeton. Visited Suzy and Carl in the town on Sunday.

Trump Place on 69th and Riverside. Stayed here on Fang's couch.

A view from inside the Time Warner Center. Not your mom's shopping mall.

Walker's in TriBeCa. Met Bob and Ann Beth Stebbins here for dinner on Monday night.

I think it’s time to invest in a camera.

Better Late Than Never: The Jenkins Family Jack-o-Lantern

Tonight Reese and I carved up the Jenkins family jack-o-lantern for 2009. We waited until the 25th to get rolling on it — I thought six days with a pumpkin was sufficient, but I’ve noticed some of the neighbors — mainly Norman — got after it earlier. Not laziness here — I’m just not a huge fan of having holiday decor out for weeks at a time — except for maybe Christmas.

A few photos:

Ready to start carving.

Ah, there's nothing like the feeling of a pumpkin's insides -- yuck.

The kids jack-o-lantern photo 2009 brought back memories ...

of my all-time favorite ever Reese pic.

Ruminations on My First Month as a Fantasy Football Player

We’re through Week 4 of the 2009 Cascade Fantasy Football League season, my first fantasy season ever. So far I’m 4-4 — not bad for a rookie. I promised I wouldn’t use the family blog to ruminate about fantasy sports — can’t imagine Reese and Finn will care two toots about how my running backs did by the time they’re old enough to read this — but I have to do it just this once.

Fantasy makes the NFL an addictive proposition. I’ve watched more pro football games this year than I did all of last year. Sundays are officially couch time at casa de Jenkins. I feel like I’m living a beer commercial without the beer.

I’m doing it with smoke and mirrors. My running backs, Larry Johnson (KC) and Leon Washington (NYJ) have a combined total of eight (8) points in eight games. By way of comparison, Antoine Winfield, a Minnesota Vikings cornerback, scored nine (9) points last night — and he plays defense. If Johnson or Washington doesn’t get on track soon, the bubble’s gonna burst. My wide receivers aren’t much better. Larry Fitzgerald has been okay with 18 points in three games, but Terrell Owens has only eleven points in four games. Ted Ginn had six points in one game — and zip the rest. Zach Miller gets the ball toss to him — er, over his head — by JeMarcus Russell. ‘Nuff said.

This is about what Larry Johnson has done for me so far this year -- nothing.

At the beginning of the season I chagrined that I picked Ben Roethlisberger instead of Darren MacFadden with my first pick. Turns out I made a great move. With 50 points in four games, Big Ben has literally carried my entire offense this year. He’s the 7th rated QB in the league. MacFadden has a whopping seven points in four games for Al Davis’s Dumb Dumbs. I hope for his sake he can get out of Oakland before his career is officially ruined. Put him on the New York Jets and he’s a household name.

I dreaded picking him, but Big Ben is carrying me.

I have the best defense in the league. Aaron Schobel and James Harrison have been monsters with 23 and 21 points, respectively. (Compare that to my offensive players and you’ll see the smoke and mirrors.)

It’s still early to be forecasting the ‘09 MVP, but I’d be willing to betcha (uh oh) that it won’t be a running back. Aside from Adrian Peterson, the league is light on dominant running backs this year. I’d put even money right now that the MVP will be either Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, or Tom Brady. It’s too bad Betcha’s not still around …

I better stop now …

The Skoochies Reunion

Oh to be 15 again.

Actually I’m glad I’m not, but for one night it was pretty fun.

I attended the first-ever Skoochies reunion party last night at the ol’ Skoochies (our pics I everyone’s). The party was organized by a gal named Holly, who put the whole thing together through Facebook. At last count the Facebook Skoochies fan club was 2900 old new wavers strong. Lots of them were on hand.

The club’s West Seattle branch started with a pre-func at Jay Tando’s hotel room, about four blocks east of the crime scene and just a block south of Denny Park, where Ian Ross chipped my front tooth in 1985. Jay, Brad Miller, Brian Fischer, Leon Moody, Joel Aro, Thom DiMitriou and select significant others were among those on hand. We had wine coolers, Olde English, and a play list straight from KROQ circa 1982 — seriously 80’s stuff.

At Jay's pre-func before the main event.

Out on the balcony.

Part of the Kennedy crowd.

We made it over to the big Skooch by 10 pm and proceeded to dance the night away. We ran into Julie Ferkingstad, Brian Mahn and Brian Folino. Jay, Julie and I closed the place down around 2 am — three hours past my usual bedtime.

Joel, me, Julie and Brian.

The crime scene on Sunday morning.

Good fun was had by all. I haven’t danced that much in the last ten years combined. Nor have I stayed out that late since, well, since Mtv played music.

Overall verdict: it was great fun, but I’m sure glad I’m not in that scene anymore. Once a decade is probably fine.

I’m sure Reese, Finn and Ronnie agree.

POSTSCRIPT: Jay and I made it over to West Seattle to see our old buddy Gary Smith on Monday. Regrettably he did not make it to Skoochies night — didn’t feel well, he said. Seemed fine on Monday:

Jay, Gary and me.

Finn’s First Birthday Party

Last night we officially celebrated Finn’s first birthday. We had lots of family friends over to the house. Night went off without incident. Eli Moeller snapped some great pics with Ronnie’s camera. Among them:

Norman doing my job better than me.

Betty, Finn, Ann, Logan and Eric.

Ronnie and Veronica Moeller.

The Richardson fam.

These balloons would soon be in the sky ...

and Reese and the other kids got quite the chuckle.

A rare site -- me lifting a finger in the kitchen.

The Jenkins and Otterlee fams.

Modest appearing, this cake was quite tasty.

Gettin' ready to blow out the candle.

Finn checking out his cake.

Kimberly, Sophia and Alan Lippmann.

Tamir, Finn and Reese enjoying the cake.

A rarity at house parties -- everyone out of the kitchen.

Closin’ Down the LBC

Last night we joined the Prices for a Clamless Clambake at Laurelhurst Beach Club. There, too, were Sam and Hwashing Heyworth, old friends of the Prices and (now) new friends of ours. We ended up closing down the place — not such a mighty feat, I admit, when it closes at 8 pm. Sam confirmed for me that Ben Roethlisberger only three one touchdown on Thursday, not three, which only reconfirms my worst fear that I’m goin’ winless this year in fantasy. (More.)

Anyway, a few pics:

Me, Finn, Ronnie and Reese.

Sam H. and Grace P.

A finnicky eater.

Hwashing and Sam Heyworth.

Reese in timeout.

Grace and Roy Price.

My First Ever Fantasy Football Draft

Yesterday I attended my first ever fantasy football draft. I’m playing in the Cascade Auto Glass Fantasy Football League, run by my good buddy Brad Nelson. Paul Sharkey, Norman Cheuk and Tim O’Brien are also members.

About 16 of us spent a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in the basement of Fox Sports Grill drafting players for ‘09. I inherited Larry Fitzgerald as a keeper on my team. Among the other big names I nabbed: Ben Roethlisberger (whom I stupidly nabbed over Darren McFadden), Terrell Owens and Larry Johnson. Deion Branch — not sure what I was thinking there.

I think I made a big mistake picking him ...

instead of him.

Anyway, I was up at 4 am this morning lamenting my Roethlisberger-over-McFadden decision.

I think I’m going to be addicted.