“The Prisoner of Zenda” is a great and quick read for Oktoberfest.

“The Prisoner of Zenda” is a great and quick read for Oktoberfest.  I love this tale about mistaken identity, trading places, Germany in the Summer, travel and the great outdoors.  I also love Oktoberfest and the celebration of the harvest, feasting and great beverages.  I also love to read.  Having been to Germany and traveled there many summers, I can appreciate the great woods and forests, as I have hiked in the Black Forest and eaten wild raspberries there.  I have also visited many German castles.

The film version with Peter Sellers is also well done and captures the spirit of Ruritania and Anthony Hope, the author, would be proud!

I recently accomplished and completed a quest.

I recently accomplished and completed a quest.  Travelling all over Washington and Oregon, the great Northwest, I have finished all of the experiences and obtained all of the location stamps to complete my Mcmenamins passport and become a Cosmic Tripster.  I had many great experiences along the way, great road trips and some memorable overnight stays.  I also encountered some very interesting people, ate some great food, discovered some new cultures and totally secluded places far from the tourist main destinations.  I have also tasted some wonderful brews, wine and assorted beverages, heard some great live music and fed my soul.  Now, I am contemplating a new passport and starting the journey all over again!

Medieval architecture lives on in the Northwest of America.

As a lover of quests, travel, discovery, scavenger hunts, exploring and relic hunting, I find many things that are not on travel brochures and are off the tourist’s routes.  This most recent trip to Oregon, I discovered a medieval cathedral that has been built into a restaurant and decorated inside most exquisitely.  There are large stone towers, in which medieval nooks with benches and table have been set up.  There are floor to ceiling tapestries and coats of arms, as well as knights standing guard in full armor.  This is truly a place everyone should visit.  It is called John Barleycorns, the name reflecting both nature and magic, which this establishment embodies.

I made traditional beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

I made a traditional roast of beef with Yorkshire Pudding this past week.  I rubbed the roast in fresh Thyme and made the Yorkshire pudding with the beef roast drippings. I also made roasted red potatoes, the traditional English way, crisped and crunchy on the outside, melting on the inside.  I added green beans for the vegetable and then whipped up some fresh mushroom au jus.

Since I became a professional referee 6 years ago, I still enjoy officiating NHL prospects.

Since I became a professional referee 6 years ago for the National Hockey League, I still enjoy officiating NHL prospects in the Western Hockey League every year.  It is so much fun skating with these young players who are so strong, tall and fast.  Their skill is impressive and I enjoy the verbal sparring and the one-liner jokes that we share with each other.

Besides officiating other professional sports such as the National Lacrosse League and the Professional Golfers Association, I do enjoy officiating the NHL the best.  I am just thankful for the Seattle Thunderbirds organization for giving me the continual opportunity and I am thankful that I can keep up with these skaters on the ice year after year.

That’s me, holding back that giant!