Looking for a book...

I'm looking for a book. A specific book, entitled, "A History of Wenatchee, the Apple Capital of the World". The problem is, it's a pretty rare book, and usually goes for around $85 to 100 dollars.
I was able to check out a copy of it in Seattle, and it's a pretty detailed history of my hometown. If you see a copy for cheap, lemme know :)

One of the things the book mentions is the old Spanish Castle along the Columbia River. When I went home for hunting season last year my uncle Rick and my Dad told me stories of visiting the Spanish Castle when they were kids. Apparently this guy built it for his wife, then they put in a dam and it was buried underwater. They told me of the guy's son who flew an airplane there and they used to play in it. At least I think that's how the story goes. I wish I knew more about it. This picture is of the foundation of the Spanish Castle.

After some more Googling, I found this about the castle:

"TRINIDAD -- The development being proposed for the Columbia River, four miles west of Trinidad, is across the river and slightly north from where a cattle baron built a large home, known as the Spanish Castle, 89 years ago.
Construction of Spanish Castle was completed in 1918 at a cost of more than $20,000 by Lester Coffin, according to reports in The Wenatchee Daily World.
Coffin and his brother were Yakima-based cattlemen and "lords of the Tarpiscan range who counted their horses, cattle and sheep by the thousands," according to a May 21, 1927 World article.
Coffin dreamed for years of having a home along the Columbia River, resembling the residence of a Mexican president of the early 1900s.
The location he chose, on the river at the mouth of Tarpiscan Creek, was two miles into Kittitas County from the Kittitas-Chelan County line. It was remote and almost inaccessible.
An earlier rock house at the site had burned. Construction materials for the new house were hauled in over the rough Colockum Pass Road in covered wagons. Some materials were brought in from across the river.
The house had 13 to 17 rooms, including a spacious entrance hall, a reception room, living room, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and an indoor pool. Coffin didn't get to enjoy it. Just a few days after it was done, he died in a Wenatchee hospital.

Cool video

Irony vs. Coincidence

It grates every time I hear someone confuse these two things. Here is a little lesson I stole from another website because she says it so much better than I can (good thing it's not a link to stealing from websites, eh?). I'm thinking of adding a new word to the dictionary that would make these two terms interchangeable. Maybe Ironidence, or Coincidic.

from ehow.com

1. Step 1
   

   The definition of irony according to the online Webster dictionary is: incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result.

2. Step 2

   Keeping the meaning of irony in mind, realize that in a nutshell it means that a situation turns out exactly opposite of what you would expect.

3. Step 3

   Recognize verbal irony when someone makes a statement like "Nice weather we're having out there" when it is pouring down rain and lightening outside. The opposite of what is said is what is meant.

4. Step 4

   Recognize an example of situational irony when a man makes his living examining air bags in a factory to make sure that they are in working order, but dies in a car wreck because he failed to check his own airbag.

5. Step 5

   Recognize dramatic irony when an audience is aware that a situation is a certain way, but the character in that play or movie is unaware of that situation. The character is going to be surprised or upset in the end because the result is going to be the opposite of what the character expects.

6. Step 6

   Another example of irony would be a lady writing a song called Ironic but there really aren't any ironic examples in her song. Well, a few of her examples may qualify.

7. Step 7

   The definition of coincidence according to the online Webster dictionary is: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.

8. Step 8

   An example of coincidence would be seeing a friend in another town you both happen to be visiting at the same time.

9. Step 9

   Another example of a coincidence would be that you are thinking of your husband and decide to call him. You pick up the phone to call him but he is trying to call you at the same time.

Grocery Store Maps

Why doesn't ever grocery store have a map of what's in each aisle? Why God, why?

I was going to make a map for my wife last Christmas because I knew she would love it. Then I forgot about it. She just told me that she made a list the other day when she was grocery shopping and it reminded me that I had these pictures. Maybe a future business venture?

The worst movie I saw last week

Let the Right One In...

I wish I were a more articulate man, so that I might articulate how god-awful this movie really was.

Let's just sum it up thusly:

Don't let this one in to your dvd player.

The Current State of Things

MJ is dead and I don't feel any emotion about it at all. Not that I expected to, but I guess if anything it's maybe just relief that we don't ever have to hear about him again. He did it to himself. You know what...you wanna live the childhood that you never had? Do it privately. Don't be a freak then say that people just don't understand you.

The thing that boggles my mind is that there are people out there that care. Or that are pretending to care. I understand the tributes and news stories, but people that you would expect to be making fun of the guy are talking about what a tragic loss this is. When was Michael Jackson last relevant--1992? In Romania? Probably the only person's death I could care less about is Ed McMahon (d'oh!).

In happier news, we had a great Father's Day. Lexi made me some ties from white paper she colored on then laminated. I even wore one to work last Sunday. I'll see if I can't get some pictures up. The night before I had just remarked that I certainly hoped I wouldn't get any ties for Father's Day, but I was thrilled when I saw these. And my wonderful wife bought me a speaker system for the ipod that I can use at work.

Last Saturday we also went to the Tigard Balloon Festival for the first time since we've lived here. It was a blast. I'm not lying.

First off, my wife woke up at 4.30 because we'd heard you need to get there early, because there are tons of people. I got up closer to 5, and by the time we'd left here it was probably 5.15. Got there at 5.30 (it's only a couple miles away at Cook Park). I'm pretty sure we were the first ones there. Ok, there were a few people milling about, but I'd say one would be safe to arrive at 6.30 and not miss anything. They have a pancake breakfast, so we got some p-cakes and coffee and found a table where we could watch the festivities.

The festivities really just consisted of watching them blow up hot air balloons, then proceeding to fly away in the hot air balloons. It was really neat though. I'd never seen them close up before, and the kids had a blast. Two hours later, they'd all flown away and we flew the coop as well. I wa hoping to go home and right back to bed, but kids never seem to want to do the same as the adults. That night we were able to drop the kids off at the babysitter's and go out for dinner to the Outback. I know it's not that exciting, but I haven't been to the Outback in years and the Bloomin' Onion was calling. Hmm, now that I write this, it's calling my name again.

Haystack Rock -- Cannon Beach -- Yes, the rock from Goonies!!!

Park Pics