Traveling with Anna and finding a bargain

Today, Tuesday, started out with a frantic search for information. John had neatly put some information--including how to get to work--into a binder and because he is committed to having all of that in one place and not scattered about. However, he decided to hide it in the hotel room, as it did have a copy of my prescriptions and other info in it that might be tempting for someone to take.

Well, I was awakened by a groan and frantic noises as John searched for the binder and couldn’t find it. He couldn’t remember where he had put it, and had a terrible feeling that he had left it out and that someone had taken it. The poor man was in terrible despair. He went out to the rental car to see if he had left it there, but no, it wasn’t there either. We drove to all the places we had gone that we might have taken it out, but no, it wasn’t there either. So he made some calls and got directions to work, while I promised to look further.

I had promised Anna H of Kalitsu’s Compendium blog that I’d go thrift store shopping with her, but I felt that it was a bit more important to find that binder, so let her know that I might not be accompanying her. I went downstairs to see if any of the maids had seen it, but no, they had not.

So I sat quietly in the room, composed myself, and thought about it, going over the last day or so and reviewing John’s movements here, and thinking, “if I were John, where would I have hidden it?”

In less than five minutes, I knew where he had hidden it, and indeed there it was. (We have been married for a long time, yes.) So I called his office, left a message that I had found it, and then called Anna again, telling her that all was well and that I would very much like a tour of places I’d need to know about, including thrift shops.

Anna is a sweet gal with kind eyes, about my age; she’s our Federal Way United Methodist Church’s pastor’s sister. It looks like she and I have a good deal in common, in that she’s also a knitter and a writer, and it was nice making friends.  She promptly came over to the hotel, picked me up, and off we went.

Our first stop was to the NATO base library, where I picked up two books to read. I intend to read much more than I have in the past; I used to read at least a couple of books per week, but ever since I’ve started writing novels, it’s shrunk considerably. I’m ashamed to say I’ve probably read only a couple of fiction books per YEAR. Bad, bad, bad me. I picked out Jennifer Crusie’s and Bob Mayer’s Don’t Look Down, and a book called The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini. Anna recommended this last one, and I thought I’d give it a try.

We then went to the Netherlands, to a town called Brunssum--yes, I’m that close to the border--to two thrift shops. I was surprised to find that the thrift shop carried not only plants, but live birds. It was dim and rather dusty, and I looked around, but didn’t find much of interest to me at the moment, although Anna found a nice office chair appropriate for her sewing area.

We left to go to the second, which I thought was better organized and well lighted. I spotted a table I liked, but didn’t buy, as I want to wait until we find a house to rent before I buy any furniture. Believe it or not, I found a real Japanese teapot, which I did buy, as it was only 2 Euros, and I really wanted a teapot here at the hotel.

And then...my, oh, my. I turned around a corner and what should I find but a spinning wheel! Not just any, but a Louet S20. Not just any Louet, but one that was beautifully painted with folk decorations on it. I know I let out an audible gasp, and said, “oh, my God!” especially after I saw the price. I think it was only 25 Euros. That translates to around $35. It was in perfect working condition, except for a small piece near the footment that could be easily replaced either by a flexible piece of plastic or a piece of leather, and given perhaps a dusting. And that’s all. To give you an idea of what such a spinning wheel would normally cost new, it can be around $300 to $400 unpainted back in the US. But this one was painted with a beautiful folk design, came with a skein winder, and three bobbins, also beautifully painted. Something that beautiful, with solid action and great working condition, with only one small, fixable thing to make it absolutely perfect...well, I don’t think it would go too far to say it could very well cost $400 to $500 in the U.S.

If you want to see a picture of it, go to:

http://kalitsu.livejournal.com/225378.html

And scroll down until you see that lovely, lovely spinning wheel. As you see, Anna bought it, and I will be teaching her how to spin with it. But dang, what a bargain! As John put it, it’s like finding an immaculate ‘67 Chevelle in perfect running condition for $4,000, but you have to buy new tires.

I was very excited about this find, so much so that I chuckled over it all the way back to the hotel.

John and I had dinner not long afterwards at a steakhouse not far from the hotel. We decided to try Chateaubriand, which was delicious. I have often heard of this dish, but didn’t know what it was until now. It’s a lovely, tender steak surrounded by different vegetables, including Brussels sprouts. I usually detest Brussels sprouts, but decided to try it anyway, and was pleasantly surprised. It was not the overcooked, smelly vegetable I often encounter in the U.S., but seemed to be delicately steamed or sauteed so that there was no strong flavor or smell at all.

I should mention that we are on “actuals”--that is, John’s company pays for our food up to a certain amount until we get a place to live. Since I am limited by the hotel room’s kitchenette as to what I can cook, we end up going out almost every evening for dinner.

Boo hoo.

Not.

Good eats in Gig Harbor

As my mom’s surgery was of the outpatient variety with minimal anesthesia, we decided to go to lunch afterwards. Gig Harbor has become decidedly upscale since my high school days. The town proper has more shi-shi shops than before, and there seem to be far more private sailboats and motorboats now than fishing boats. The restaurants along the harbor are of the Anthony’s Home Port sort. On the east side of Highway 16, the new Franciscan medical and Multicare facilities have encouraged the spawning of mixed-use retail areas, including shops that definitely cater to the upper middle class consumer.

Part of me likes the shiny new development, which helps increase employment in an area that has a great disparity in wealth: in the Key Peninsula area, those who live there are either very, very rich, or very, very poor. Part of me is wistful for those little out-of-the-way, not-very-shiny places that serve good quality food at decent prices, but I am willing to let those go in favor of shiny places that help people make a living wage. However, the small restaurants that have something different and unique about them survive and thrive, as I soon found.

We at first thought we would go to Anthony’s Home Port, as it would obviously serve seafood, which my mother had a hankerin’ for, but it was closed for a private party. Our attention turned to a small restaurant right next door, the Marketplace Grille. My hopes rose upon entering, for even though the waiting area was but a low partition away from the kitchen, and the décor was not shiny, and the scents were rich and marvelous. Though we were the only ones waiting, the place was clearly busy. My mother and I were escorted past the kitchen to a back room, which had a gorgeous view of the harbor with Mount Rainier peeking above the evergreen tree-lined hill in the distance. Our server looked African American, but her accent told me she was from somewhere in the Caribbean Islands.

There was calamari on the menu, which my mother ordered, and I ordered the halibut fish and chips. Now, I don’t care for fish and chips much, as they are either the breaded kind that is overcooked, or the battered kind that has a soggy interior, where the thick fried batter exterior ends up sliding off onto the plate in a rather sad mess. But, for me, it is a test of a good seafood restaurant to see what the fish and chips are like, so I decided to try it. If attention is paid to the most common and least item on the menu, then chances are good that the other dishes are of quality, too.

Though it took a while to get the food, it was worth the wait. Halibut is not my favorite fish, as it tends to have a strong fishy aftertaste (yes, yes, I know, it’s a fish, therefore…), but one steaming hot bite convinced me that this was the best halibut fish and chips I’ve ever eaten. The lemon slice’s inner edge was dipped in what looked like ground chili powder or paprika (or other red spice), and once squeezed over the fish, deposited a light spray of mixed lemon juice and spice over it all. The fried batter crust was thin and crisp to the teeth, and beyond it was the soft halibut, with no soggy doughiness between crust and fish at all. It was a lovely contrast of crisp crunch and immediate fish goodness afterwards. The crust stayed firmly on the fish and never fell off into a mess, yet the fish inside was fully cooked and moist.

The chips—French fries—did not disappoint. They were cut thin and well cooked, again to a crunch on the outside to a brief softness of potato on the inside. No mushy thick bits here, nor tough over-cooked exterior, but crisp, lightly herb-brushed sticks. The flavor had a touch of chive and cheese, perhaps parmesan. They really did not need to be dipped in ketchup or tartar sauce, though these were available.

The traditional cole slaw was on the side, but even that was kicked up enough to notice, as the occasional bits of chopped dried cranberries gave the slaw sauce the delicate sweetness it needed, without either the overpowering sweetness or dull blandness you often find in a restaurant cole slaw.

Mom had the fried calamari, as I mentioned, and these, too, were different. They also seemed to have been cooked with the same thin crisp batter, but instead of being just plain, the batter in this case had a hint of spice in them as well. Again, the calamari was cooked to tenderness and not to rubberiness, and the crust was crisp. We expected the accompanying pink sauce to be the same-old same-old 1000 Island dressing that is usually served with seafood, but this sauce was not sweet, but had a tart and very slightly spicy taste. Delicious!

I asked our server about our meal, and she revealed that Chef Richard is from the Caribbeans, and that everything is made from scratch. Though I like a spicy dish, the spice added to the sauce and the fried crust on the calmari was not strong at all, but just light enough to support the basic flavors of fish and calamari--anything stronger would have overwhelmed the delicate calamari taste. The halibut was traditional fish and chips all right, but the subtle addition herbs and spices, plus the crisp thin batter crust, brought it way above the ordinary. Even if you are not a fan of spiciness, you will not object to the amount put on these seafood delights.

The price was decent, too. Lunch with iced tea and diet Coke added up to just a little more than $27, total, a touch more than $13 each.