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Sunday/ the third time, a charm 🏅

Argentina has won the World Cup for a third time (also in 1978 and 1986). Congratulations to Argentina and to Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi (35) during the World Cup Final today in Lusail Stadium, Qatar. Messi scored a penalty kick (23′), a goal (108′) and another penalty kick in the post-game shoot-out.
Eight years ago in the 2014 WC Final against Germany, Messi had struggled to make an impact large enough to secure victory for his team.
[Picture by Adrian Dennis/​AFP/​Getty Images]
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Saturday/ the cold and damp 🌫

In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
– From ‘The Sound of Silence’ by Simon & Garfunkel (1964)

I stepped out of my house into the cold to take a few pictures of the fog, late last night.

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Friday/ never mind the snow ⛄️

There’s a little snow on the way this weekend for the low-lying areas around Puget Sound, say the meteorologists.

This picture appeared in the South African newspaper Die Burger (‘The Citizen’) today, obtained from a Facebook post. Rudi, Patrick, Jacques and Ferdie are South Africans working on a farm near Nekoosa, Wisconsin. They refused to let a little snow and 25 °F temperatures stop them from their doing their regular barbecue.
Yes: better believe it when a South African says ‘Nou gaan ons braai’ (‘Now we’re going to barbecue’). Those are four favorite South African words. 🤗
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Wednesday/ the World Cup Final is set 🏆

So on Sunday it will be Argentina 🇦🇷 vs. France 🇫🇷 for the World Cup Final— a clash of two titans in the world of soccer.
It’s a welcome distraction for Argentinians, living in a country where the rate of inflation now stands at an incredible 100%.  (Inflation in the US for November was 7.1%).

Les Bleus (‘The Blues’— France) beat Morocco 2-0 today. Morocco made history by being the first African and first Arab team to reach the semifinal. They played in Al Bayt (‘The House’) Stadium. Its construction had reportedly costed US$847 million.
[Still image from FS1 TV channel broadcast]
La albiceleste (‘The White and Sky Blue’— Argentina) overcame Croatia by 3-0 on Tuesday. The picture depicts the roof of Lusail Stadium, built at a reported cost of US $767 million.
P.S. A 2021 investigation by The Guardian newspaper revealed that over 6,500 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka died between 2010 and 2020 during in Qatar— a high percentage of that probably during the construction of World Cup venues in Qatar.
[Still image from FS1 TV channel broadcast]

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Monday/ sunlight ☀

Hey! The sun was out as I walked down to the Capitol Hill library to take my books back.

I stopped by the QFC grocery store— and had picked out a few things when the fire alarm went off.
We all had to leave everything on the spot, and go outside.
I waited for a while in the cold, and then gave up and left.
I am lucky to have plenty of food in the house, and a house that is warm inside.

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Sunday/ International District ⛩

I took the light rail to Seattle’s International District station today, just as the gray sky was turning into black. (King Street Station for the inter-city Amtrak trains is nearby).
There will be dry weather and sun this week, but the highs will only reach 42°F (5°C).

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Saturday/ rain ☔

Here are today’s pictures— a little bit of everything at a soggy Seattle Center. (I see the city got 5.15 in. of rain for November, so not too far off from the average).

The McDonalds building on 5th Avenue North has been demolished (it has been gone for a few months now).
The site will be used for a new 9-story office building .. or maybe not right away, now that the local economy has softened somewhat.

 

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Friday/ the agony and the ecstasy 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

‘This is one nutty World Cup, people’
– Commentator Alexi Lalas

I watched most of the two World Cup matches today. Both ended in penalty shoot-outs, so thrilling finishes to both. It must be painful to lose with penalty kicks, though (as Brazil and The Netherlands did).

So Tuesday it’s Argentina 🇦🇷 vs. Croatia 🇭🇷 for the first semi-final.
On Wednesday it will be
( France 🇫🇷 or England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ) vs. ( Portugal 🇵🇹 or Morocco  🇲🇦 ) for the second semi-final.

The France-England and Portugal-Morocco quarterfinal matches are played tomorrow.

Sad news is that sportswriter Grant Wahl (48, USA) died today in Doha, while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal. He was reportedly working very hard and not sleeping well, and fell ill with a respiratory illness (not Covid).  

England flags everywhere, here at the Kirby Estate in London. ‘We know there are more than 400 flags up’, says one resident. Hmm .. I do spy a flag for Spain and one for Brazil there on the right, and that’s OK. And if I may say so, I love France, but I hope England will come out on top 🙂
[Still from a video clip posted by Reuters @Reuters on Twitter]
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Thursday/ good news and bad news

Wow, great news that basketball star Brittney Griner will be home soon.
The Biden Administration could not (yet) secure the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan who was detained in Moscow in 2018.

There are many other Americans being wrongfully detained by foreign governments as well. A State Department official remarked recently that the number is between 40 and 50.

Basketball player Brittney Griner (32) was swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout (55). The Kremlin had pushed for more than a decade to get him released from prison in the United States.
P.S. I would have loved to travel to Russia, but I am inclined to agree with those that say the US State Dept should lump Russia with Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen (countries on the travel ban list for Americans).
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Tuesday/ Senator Warnock wins

Senator Raphael Warnock (D) prevailed over Herschel Walker (R) tonight in Georgia’s run-off election.
That means democracy in Georgia still works, more or less.
(Walker did not lose by much, even though he is utterly unqualified to be a US Senator. Today, election day, a work day, the polls were open only from 7 am until 7 pm. Georgia election officials, supported by the Republican Party, tried to prevent 70,000 citizens from voting early on Saturday Nov. 26. At the end, 13 judges had rejected Republicans’ effort to restrict voting, and the voters won back their right to cast early votes).

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Monday/ new album pages📄

The blank stamp album pages that I had ordered from Denmark, landed on the porch on Saturday, and I tried them out today.

The first two pictures below are my existing, preprinted pages and pockets, from German company Leuchtturm. They run from 1961 through 1981.  The pages from 1982 onwards are now out of print. I scoured Ebay and the internet, but could not find a used set.

So I am trying out Leuchtturm’s blank pocketed pages, to stand in for the years starting in 1982. I printed ‘South Africa — Suid-Afrika’ and the year on paper strips that go into the top of the page. It looks OK. Maybe I need cream-colored paper to print on— or is that being too persnickety?

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Sunday/ a ferry ride 🛳

I tagged along with Bryan for a trip to Hansville, today.

Downtown Seattle. Checking out the 1200 Stewart St apartment towers from Denny Way. Construction has almost ground to a halt, it seems. About 10 of the 45 stories are still completely bare, and all of the floors still need balcony rails.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The twin bridges connect the city of Tacoma with the Kitsap Peninsula and carry State Route 16 over the strait called Tacoma Narrows.
Route 307. This is just north of Poulsbo, driving north towards Hansville.
Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal.
On the Wenatchee ferry.  Departing Bainbridge Island. The Marine Vessel Wenatchee is a Jumbo Mark-II-class ferry that was launched in 1998, and has been doing service on the Bainbridge Island-Seattle route alongside the Tacoma.
On the Wenatchee ferry. A view of the Seattle skyline from inside the doors on the passenger deck. There is a bone-chilling windchill outside on the deck.
On the Wenatchee ferry. The view from the car deck down below.
Arrival at Seattle Ferry Terminal. 
Pioneer Square. This is the Sinking Ship Parking Garage, with the iconic 1914 Smith Tower behind it.

We drove south and around Puget Sound to get to the Kitsap Peninsula, and then took the ferry from the Bainbridge Island Terminal to get back to Seattle.

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Saturday/ snow patrol 🌨

There was more snow on Friday night, with about 2 inches on the ground on Saturday morning.

I ventured out into the cold for a few pictures before the start of the USA-Netherlands World Cup match.
Congrats to Oranje for the win!

 

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Friday/ cold and gray ☁️

Sunlight and heat were in short supply today (the high 38 °F/ 3°C), but I ventured out for a short walk before it was completely dark.

Looking west from 14th Avenue and East Thomas Street. The Space Needle has its ‘Christmas tree’ on.
The bright colors and lights of the Red Balloon Company toy store bring some much-needed cheer to 15th Avenue ..
.. as does the neon sign for Victrola Coffee nearby.
The remodeling at Coastal Kitchen restaurant is almost completed (a 63-year old drunk driver had crashed his vehicle into the entrance some seven months ago). The restaurant is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday Dec. 6 —for dinner and weekend brunch.