Seattle

We flew into Seattle WA this time and I braved the driving experience for the first time… This is what we arrived with! then we had to fit all of that plus more shopping into this… to make the drive through the mountains to here… Yay, we made it!! from the airport, through the highways and flyovers to the interstate and outwards into the country we travelled… all on the right side of the road- sorry Gail for the few scares as I wandered across the lanes…. thankyou so much to whoever posted a hint on facebook the night before we left… ‘lefty loosey, righty tighty’ – it was my catchphrase at every turn and worked like a dream…. we came…….To teach for these lovely sisters…  Their wonderful little barn is sure a destination to go to… Tiny – but soon to be doubled in size, they have not wasted an inch of space – with inspiration quilts, fabrics, wool, patterns in every nook and cranny….Yes even the loo! (restroom,toilet, lavatory, dunny, ladies)   After drooling for awhile (and Gail was much less restrained than me I must say) we settled into our hotel for the night in readiness for a great weekend of classes ahead. more about that tomorrow… hugs Helen

Gay soccer player Robbie Rogers joins LA Galaxy via Rickey.org ‘I don’t know what I was so afraid of’: Gay soccer player Robbie Rogers joins LA Galaxy LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robbie Rogers is joining the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer in another step by openly gay athletes in professional sports. He told The Associated Press his fears about returning to soccer were eased by the strong support he received from family, fans and players, including Galaxy star Landon Donovan. Now Rogers is ready to accept his role as the league’s first openly gay player. “I don’t know what I was so afraid of,” Rogers said Friday. “It’s been such a positive experience for me. The one thing I’ve learned from all of this is being gay is not that big of a deal to people.” “People are just really growing and accepting and loving,” he added. “Those other things are just not that important to them. I think as the younger get older and the generations come and go, I think times are just becoming more accepting.” The 26-year-old player had retired in February on the same day the former U.S. national team player publicly came out in a blog post. Last month, NBA veteran Jason Collins came out, and Rogers spoke with Collins on the day of the center’s announcement. “I would have thought more athletes would have taken that step, I guess,” Rogers said. “People have seen how accepting everyone has been of Jason’s and my story. I think it’s going to take just more time and more athletes coming out. It’s all about seeing that it’s not something to be afraid of. It’s not going to hurt your career.” U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe came out last year before the London Olympics and plays for Lyon in France. She’s expected to join the Seattle team of the new National Women’s Soccer League in mid-June. Brittney Griner, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury, and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx are among that league’s openly gay players. Sheryl Swoopes, a retired WNBA All-Star, came out in 2005 during her playing days. The two-time defending champion Galaxy will announce a deal Saturday to acquire Rogers, who came out in February while simultaneously announcing his retirement. Rogers is an MLS veteran who spent the last two seasons in England. About a month ago, Rogers decided he wasn’t truly ready to give up soccer. He trained with the Galaxy in recent weeks and hoped to continue his career in his native Southern California. The Galaxy made it happen by giving up high-scoring midfielder Mike Magee in a trade with the Chicago Fire, who held Rogers’ MLS rights. “I want to get back to soccer, which is what I love,” Rogers said. “I get to do something I love, and I get to help people and be a positive role model. I’m really excited to set a great example for other kids that are going through the same thing I went through. It’s a perfect world for me, a perfect world.” Rogers isn’t likely to debut for Los Angeles immediately, although coach Bruce Arena thinks Rogers already is in decent shape despite 18 months with little match experience. Arena figures Rogers could be a strong contributor to the Galaxy by July. “Certainly the league, and I think the fans, are going to be receptive in a real positive way,” Arena told the AP. “But we’re not in this to pioneer social issues. We’re trying to win games as a team, and we’re trying to produce the best team we can. Robbie has shown us that he has the potential to still be a real good player in our league, and that’s what we’re hopeful of.” Rogers is mindful of the place he’ll take in the culture when he steps on the field this summer, but the skilled, speedy winger is even more excited to contend for MLS titles and another chan

#Yankees make it official: Curtis Granderson to 15-day disabled list, Brennan Boesch recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 25, 2013 Curtis Granderson has officially been placed on the 15-Day DL due to his broken knuckle in his pinky finger. Brennan Boesch has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to probably sit on the bench and watch Ichiro play. This should surprise no one who has been following the Yankees in 2013. The one bright side is that the Yankees are not hurting for outfielders at this time. Having said that, it would be nice to get some injured players back for more than a week or two. Granderson showed teammates his hand and received a lot of pats on back in dugout. Now Ichiro is stretching. Could mean X-Rays for Grandy. — Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) May 25, 2013 Curtis Granderson left tonight's game with a fractured left fifth metacarpal (knuckle on pinky finger). — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 25, 2013 Granderson's Fractured fifth metacarpal is same injury that A-Rod suffered last year, when HBP in Seattle. Missed 36 games, about 6 weeks. — Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) May 25, 2013 Just as it looked like Curtis Granderson was beginning to put it together at the plate after returning from a broken arm he suffered in his first at-bat of Spring Training, it looks like the Yankees are right back where they started. Granderson was plunked on the hand and was replaced by Ichiro Suzuki in the field the following inning. As Curry notes above, he was sent for X-Rays which, as Hoch notes, revealed a fractured knuckle in his pinky finger. The Yankees plan to release more information after the game and I'll update this post when that information is released. Maybe they will have a timetable for his return at that time. Stay tuned, but it looks like plenty more everyday Ichiro is in our future. Update: Girardi said Granderson will miss a minimum of 4 weeks. — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 25, 2013 Just as I type this, David Phelps is coming out of the game after being hit by a line drive that appeared to injure his elbow. Why are you so cruel, baseball? Haven't we suffered enough? Update: X rays negative on David Phelps. Right forearm contusion. — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 25, 2013 More From Pinstriped Bible 2013 Yankees Mock Draft Discussion #2: Shortstops Yankees injury updates and depth chart battles Can Travis Hafner continue to produce?

Posted by news intern Ansel Herz The Broken Bridge: There was no posted height limit on the I-5 Skagit River bridge and the bridge had a history of "high load hits" by trucks. The Mayor of Burlington had reportedly lobbied for years to upgrade the bridge. Here's how to get around the freeway closure. How Central American Migrants Cross the Border: They huddle near water pipes, catch rides on freight trains, and fight off drug cartels, according to a reporter who embedded with them. Holder Approved Going After FOX Reporter: Why, though? As The Daily Show points out, the guy reported that North Korea would respond to sanctions with more nuclear tests, which is kind of like reporting, "Jon Stewart is Jewish!" Mom Says Police Killed Her Son For No Reason: Police in Fife say that after a long standoff with a belligerent suspect, they shot and killed him when he dangled his son over a balcony. The man's mother tells a very different story. She says the police rescued her grandson, and then, "Not even two seconds later they ran down the driveway, in the gate, ramrodded the door and then I heard two shots." Look, More Riots in Europe: Take note, Goldy. About 30 cars were set ablaze in a fifth night of violent protests by poor and largely immigrant youth in Stockholm, "despite Sweden's reputation for equality." Africa Still Rising: The African Union is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a summit, and Ethiopia's Prime Minister says the organization's Pan-Africanist aspirations remain relevant to this day. Brazil will cancel $900 million in debt in order to boost ties. Thomas Sankara and other African revolutionaries would be proud, one hopes. Two Full-Time Rangers at Seattle Parks: Interim SPD Chief Jim Pugel says uniformed but unarmed rangers will patrol Cal Anderson and Occidental Parks, working closely with police, linking homeless people with services and settling small disputes that arise. Intermittent Sun and Rain Showers This Memorial Day Weekend: That's according to Cliff Mass, anyway. Enjoy it! [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Matt Johnson and Wade Webber talk to Brad Evans on his move up to US National Team. They also talk to Play by Play man for the LA Galaxy John Schrader and Soccer Annalist for ESPN Taylor Twellman.

I don't know how closely you are following the NBA Playoffs since the Utah Jazz did not make it. But here's a quick refresher: the four teams left are the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers. The final four of the NBA isn't always the four best teams -- this is the case with the NCAA as well. But they are the teams that win at least 8 playoffs games in the same season. Let's go a bit farther back and look at the final four of the NBA for the last 20 years. NBA Final Four Year Western Conference Eastern Conference 1 1994 Houston Rockets Utah Jazz New York Knicks Indiana Pacers 2 1995 San Antonio Spurs Houston Rockets Orlando Magic Indiana Pacers 3 1996 Seattle Supersonics Utah Jazz Chicago Bulls Orlando Magic 4 1997 Utah Jazz Houston Rockets Chicago Bulls Miami Heat 5 1998 Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers 6 1999 San Antonio Spurs Portland Trail Blazers New York Knicks Indiana Pacers 7 2000 Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers Indiana Pacers New York Knicks 8 2001 San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia 76ers Milwaukee Bucks 9 2002 Sacramento Kings Los Angeles Lakers New Jersey Nets Boston Celtics 10 2003 San Antonio Spurs Dallas Mavericks Detroit Pistons New Jersey Nets 11 2004 Minnesota Timberwolves Los Angeles Lakers Indiana Pacers Detroit Pistons 12 2005 Phoenix Suns San Antonio Spurs Miami Heat Detroit Pistons 13 2006 Dallas Mavericks Phoenix Suns Detroit Pistons Miami Heat 14 2007 San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz Detroit Pistons Cleveland Cavaliers 15 2008 Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons 16 2009 Los Angeles Lakers Denver Nuggets Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic 17 2010 Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Orlando Magic Boston Celtics 18 2011 Dallas Mavericks Oklahoma City Thunder Chicago Bulls Miami Heat 19 2012 San Antonio Spurs Oklahoma City Thunder Miami Heat Boston Celtics 20 2013 San Antonio Spurs Memphis Grizzlies Miami Heat Indiana Pacers As you can see, some of the same teams keep popping up. Team Final Fours Team Final Fours San Antonio Spurs 9 Indiana Pacers 7 Los Angeles Lakers 8 Detroit Pistons 6 Utah Jazz 5 Miami Heat 6 Dallas Mavericks 3 Boston Celtics 4 Houston Rockets 3 Chicago Bulls 4 Phoenix Suns 3 Orlando Magic 4 Seattle / OKC 3 New York Knicks 3 Portland Trail Blazers 2 Cleveland Cavaliers 2 Denver Nuggets 1 New Jersey Nets 2 Memphis Grizzlies 1 Milwaukee Bucks 1 Minnesota Timberwolves 1 Philadelphia 76ers 1 Sacramento Kings 1 Not all of these teams have actually won the ring though. In fact if you look down the list the teams that get to the final four the most have star power, a great defense, or both. The teams with the great offenses and star power seem to falter in the ultimate goal (Phoenix, Utah, Seattle, New Jersey, Milwaukee). So I guess if your main deal is to build a championship team you need some stars to help you win the close games and you need good defense. The Miami Heat have their hands full with the Indiana Pacers (tied 1-1 right now with the next 2 games in Indy). Miami plays great defense too, but here we see that defense can be the equalizer. The Pacers don't have the stars that Miami has but they have the players and system to win games against the super impressive Heat. In fact, Indy could be up 2-0 at this stage as the first game went into overtime. I'm going to break down the offense, defense, pace, and success rate of all of these 20 years worth of NBA Final Four teams after this season is over. But right now our current Utah Jazz team is

Travis Wood takes on Homer Bailey as the Cubs continue their series in Cincinnati. Wood is one of the few Chicago staters with a record in line with his ERA. All the bad luck of the other starters seems to get channeled into good for Wood. With a low strikeout rate, his ERA is much better than his FIP, and over two runs better than his xFIP. Bailey has yet to allow a home run at home this season, despite the ball parks tendency to help fly balls out. Young lefties battle in Tampa Bay as Vidal Nuno of the Yankees faces Matt Moore. Nuno kept right-handed batters at bay so far as they are 6 for 27 against him with three walks and a double. Moore goes for his ninth win in ten starts as he tries to stay undefeated this season. Matt’s weakness is home runs, but that’s about the only way to score against him. Twelve of the 14 runs he allowed this season were driven in the by seven homers he allowed. Batters are just 2 for 38 against him with runners in scoring position, one of those hits a home run. While not a game of the day, I thought the Cardinals game against the Dodgers featuring John Gast and Ted Lilly was worthy of a mention. If the two pitchers married, they could use Gastly as a last name. Finally, the Rangers send Derek Holland against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez. Holland is another LHP destroying right-handed hitting, as his righty opponents are hitting just .230/.271/.382 against him. Hernandez comes off his worst start of the season. The Indians managed six runs against him despite striking out eight times in five innings. Enjoy!

Jesus Montero’s 2013 season has gone about as badly as it could have. Montero was sent down in part because of his defense, as the Mariners seem to be finally moving towards giving up on his ability to catch, as it is apparent (as it was to Baseball America years ago, who kept projecting him The post What Went Wrong: Jesus Montero’s 2013 appeared first on Seattle Sports Central | #1 Seattle Sports Blog - News - Forum - Rumors.

As the Eagles assistants met the media for the first time this week, the overall theme appeared to be one of resisting labels. Yesterday we noted how defensive coordinator Billy Davis refused to label the D a 3-4 or 4-3 preferring instead to call it a "multiple" defense. On the offensive side of the ball, it was much the same thing. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said that whatever you want to call the offense, they're really not teaching fundamentals that are so much different than what they've done his whole career. "I like to say when we, as coaches, look at plays there's a lot of things that are familiar. Some people call it navy suits. Some people call it blue," Shurmur said. "When I look at it, there's a lot of things that we're going to do that we hope are exciting, but right now we're just teaching the offense and the basics and the fundamentals and try to get the guys up and running." When Shurmur was brought in, the general consensus was that he would work with Kelly to install an NFL style West Coast based passing offense to go with Kelly's already run based system. You'll remember that a lack of NFL passing concepts is what concerned Ron Jaworski about Chip Kelly's offense in the NFL. Shurmur says you're not going to get the Eagles offense by looking at Oregon. "We hope that you're seeing an offense that's extremely effective running the ball and throwing the ball. That's what we're hoping to do," Shurmur said. "I think, again, people are trying to paint this that what Chip did in college and say, 'It's this and they'll do that.' I don't think that's the case. They were very effective at running the football. It was a no-huddle-based offense. It was also a very effective passing offense. We'll see." Perhaps the biggest issue that Shurmur and Kelly will face on the offensive side of the ball this year will be who gets the start at QB? He says he's hoping that the choice will be obvious when the season begins. "What we'd like to hope is it's going to be very obvious who the starter is," Shurmur said. "Again, we've got a lot of training sessions left. We've got a full preseason, four preseason games. I think as we go through it and we add more and more to what we're doing; we're hopeful it'll be obvious to everyone who the starter is." On a team where the job is truly up for grabs this does seem to be the most sensible way to do it. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks traded for Matt Flynn, drafted Russell Wilson and basically just let the two battle it out all summer. Wilson came out on top and the team obviously benefitted as a result. The Eagles QB competition is a bit different given that there's the veteran Michael Vick in the mix. But Nick Foles & Matt Barkley make for a similarly intriguing pair of young guys like there were in Seattle.

Amazon has unveiled plans to build a set of giant biospheres at its Seattle HQ