Goodwill adventures and dim sum

It rained all day yesterday in Seattle, almost an inch, but that warm rain we get when the storms come up from around Hawaii. I was downtown to meet John and friends for lunch, so I stopped at that enormous, headachy Goodwill Store on Dearborn. I've been looking for woolly baby clothes to get Nova through the frigid winter, and Amanda will be happy I have a bag of cute, almost new outfits for her. That baby is growing so fast, hopefully she'll wear them once or twice before spring. I also found a cool vase in the "vintage" section at the Goodwill, and bought it for $12 on impulse. It looks tacky in this picture, but actually has a nice, muted arts and crafts look. Hey, grandchildren really are fun to shop for!

Dim Sum is a popular Chinese lunch in Seattle. Every three months or so, a group of John's co-workers from Boeing clock out early on Friday and head up to Seattle for lunch at the Jade Garden restaurant in Chinatown. I love dim sum so I'm happy to tag along. And the Boeing group is fun because several nationalities are at our table: Korean, Filipino, American and Chinese. It's great having a Chinese expert when you eat dim sum. Not only can he explain what you are eating (sort of) but he can converse in Chinese with the staff and order special dishes. The restaurant staff push loaded food trolleys between the tables, you pick and choose, and the table shares many small dishes. There is usually something for everyone, and if it isn't on the cart, they are happy to make it. And before you know it you have eaten many shrimp dumplings, and don't especially want any dinner.