La Vida Desconocida

A Busy January

2012-01-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm really behind on the backlog but I don't want to go even further in the hole so I'm getting January done before going back to September.

January is usually a month of rest and recovery. Not for this girl! I started it out big on New Year's Day by planning a trip to Mexico with my friend Jacob. I hate planning things too far in advance and we leave THIS SATURDAY for a week in the coastal town of Chacala - did you know you can get to Puerto Vallarta in a 4.5 hour direct flight?? - and I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. In fact, I don't contain myself - I've been jumping around saying things like "a week from today we'll be laying on the beach/drinking on the beach/in a hammock on the beach/hiking in the jungle near the beach!!" Everyone but Jacob hates me.

Birthday Girl

I turned 30 on January 5. At the time it was a little traumatic but I think I've settled into it. During the day I went to the Olympus (aka Korean) spa in Lynnwood, where I got a body scrub - if you've never had it done, trust me when I say that the amount of skin they get to come off your body is disturbing at best. On my way home I got a call from someone trying to deliver flowers which is scary for me since I've only ever gotten flowers twice, both in semi-creepy situations, but luckily they were from my fabulous friend Annie in Los Angeles. Thanks Annie for not only breaking my creepy flower streak, but going to extremes to make sure you ordered my favorite flowers.

That night I had a party in the back room at Liberty on 15th to celebrate. It was, if I do say so myself, an incredibly fun night. To get to the room you have to walk through a door that looks like a wall and then you stumble into this large area filled with couches and good lighting. A steal at FREE to rent, but you do pay in lost time trying to reserve and then confirm your reservation. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, though. My sister Anne plus Morgan and Nathan made different kinds of cupcakes, people drank freely even though it was a Thursday and therefore a work night, and a lot of people stayed way later than they intended. I have a lot of blurry photos from the evening, and this is me giving what I think was a pretty bad speech:

My sister Tessa and I were the last two left and we spent an hour singing along to her iPhone music - everything from Disney (a lot of Disney) to Don McLean to Amy Winehouse to Garth Brooks to Billy Joel. The staff were highly amused by us. This is me singing and gesticulating to the song "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocahontas, I believe:

The next day started a birthday weekend at a coworker's house in Plain, WA. The pass was clear and the drive was lovely, with a requisite stop at the 59er Diner for lunch before finishing the last few miles off. Once there we split into two factions: snow and spa. Amber and I suited up to frolic in the yard while Dustin, Jacob, and Robyn headed for the hot tub, where they spent most of the weekend. Anne got me these amazing snoveralls for Christmas (I've been told they're called 'bibs' but snoveralls is a WAY BETTER WORD) and I can't get enough of them:

Unfortunately our plans to build a giant snowman were foiled when we discovered that week-old snow is hard as, well, ice. Instead we found a sled in the shed and did a little gentle slope sliding before deciding to build a cooler for our drinks next to the door. This took longer than you would have thought (you can barely see the hot tubbers in the background):

That night Robyn made her mom's amazing homemade beef noodle soup and we did some more hot tubbing before turning in.

The next day the rest of the troops descended on us and Amber, Shawna, Katie, Toddler J and I headed to local Wenatchee State park for cross country skiing while everyone else stayed behind to laze. The park was not only gorgeous, but almost completely empty - talk about tranquil. Here is Lake Wenatchee. We were lucky to get a clear day and the mountains reflected perfectly in the water.

Amber and me before I put my skis back on:

We brought a sled to pull Toddler J around in and did some serious sledding down a massive hill. Everyone went twice and I was somehow really bad at it! The way I was sitting or steering or something kicked all the snow up in my face, blinding me so I couldn't really see if I was about to hit a tree. I guess I never learned how to sled as a kid. Here we are at the top of the hill:

That night Katie, Shawna, and Amber made pulled pork mole tacos (I pulled out all the ingredients and made them for us to eat twice after dinner that night) and Casey followed up with a delicious tres leches birthday cake. Robyn had written some "Elizabeth trivia" and Katie and Casey tied for the win.

It's amazing how much lazing you can fit into a short weekend and we took full advantage of the cozy house by sprawling all over it:

The next day was Sunday and Dustin made my favorite breakfast, biscuits and gravy with eggs and hashbrowns. There was also considerable mimosa consumption by the non-drivers.

After breakfast we all took off in separate carloads, with the original group staying a few hours longer for one last hot tub and a quick walk in the snow. Here are Jacob and I on a nearby pedestrian bridge:

Thank you to my friends who made this weekend so special!

Snowpocalypse 2012

I think the whole country knows that Seattle got a nasty week of snow/slush/icy rain two weeks ago. I admit that we are sometimes wimps, as the LA Times proclaimed us, but this was a particularly nasty week and hey, no one calls us wimps but us! This article is a good explanation of why Seattle shuts down when it snows - stop judging us and blame the hills.

Not too much to report on the snow week. I did have to go to work since I live so close, but don't worry - I wore my snoveralls. Obviously.

In the evenings I watched the drunks sled down Denny a few blocks from my house and I consumed 2 seasons of Say Yes to the Dress on Netflix. Overall not too traumatic but I was glad when it melted.

Winter Wedding Bells

Our dear family friend Jamey was married on January 21 and my whole family turned out for the affair. The wedding was the Saturday after the snow and even as of Friday the streets were still a mess. Luckily it warmed up enough to melt the street ice, and what was supposed to be a day of dumping rain miraculously turned into a gorgeous, sunshiney afternoon. What a lucky break! The reception was at Shilshole Bay Beach Club and the sun set over the room - bright and beautiful.

I can't remember the last time my family was together and dressed up - probably another wedding - but we so rarely get family shots that these are already dear to me. You'd never know it was January in Seattle!

We had so much fun seeing old friends, dancing the electric slide, and avoiding the bouquet.

The very next day I got even MORE family time as we celebrated my mom's and my birthdays, including MORE gourmet cupcakes by Anne. Confidential to my family: I love the hell out of you guys.

Weekend Visitor

My friend Meagan was supposed to come up for my birthday weekend but the flu waylaid her for a few weeks. She came up this weekend instead and we had a blast. Friday night we had a dozen oysters at Taylor Shellfish Farms before going for a late dinner at Terra Plata, both in nearby Melrose Market which I highly recommend checking out.

The next day we went to Ivar's for lunch - touristy but good - and then giggled our way through Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. I'm embarrassed to say this is the only photo we took all weekend:

That night I made kimchi fried rice with the last of the old batch and the first of the new (both so good) and Nick and Jacob came over for a game of Settlers of Catan. After that the four of us headed to a Jet City Improv show in the University district and our jaws hurt from laughing so much - man they're funny.

Sunday was a lazy day of shopping and a late brunch where we played rummy and drank warm drinks before heading to her aunt and uncle's incredible condo over Kerry park for dinner. It flew by but I have it on good authority that I'll see her again soon.

And now it's January 30 and I'm somehow caught up for the month!

Sayonara, Sallie Mae!

2012-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

My big goal last year was to pay down debt - a combination of car, credit, and student loans - and from January 2011 to January 2012 I was able to cut it in half.

Today I had my last and biggest milestone of this 12-month push: the VERY LAST STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT I hope I ever have to make. A year ago I owed them 5k.

My favorite Fridays are those rare paydays that fall on the 13th. I have to say, today's was especially satisfying!

A Shameless Appreciation for Acupuncture

2012-01-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

I feel like sometimes acupuncture is on that list of things we admit to doing with eyes turned downward to avoid the smirk such a confession might draw. Well, I refuse to hide under the Western rock of shame any longer! I've been getting acupuncture on and off for about two years, and in August I made a concerted effort to get acupuncture every Saturday morning at the inspired Community Acupuncture Clinic in Columbia City as part of a physical and spiritual cleanse. I know I should give the community clinics on Capitol hill a try but I just love CAPCC.

The sky’s the limit in terms of what I’ve sought help for with acupuncture, and I always see results. Physically, it has effectively eliminated my lock jaw and carpal tunnel in my right wrist; it eases the tightness in my shoulders and neck from sitting at a desk; it helps my thick blood flow so I don’t get sore calves from minor clots; and it has, on more than one occasion, relieved intestinal issues.

On another level, I often request points to raise my energy level, release stress, and help me with anger/sadness/resentment/whatever I’m feeling that I want to work through. One especially memorable time I felt an extreme heaviness concentrated around a needle in my shin until it built to a level where it imploded on itself, leaving me feeling light as air. Very intense and incredible to experience. Even when I don't have such tangible sessions, I always leave feeling like my batteries have been recharged and I spend the rest of the day at total peace. I wish I could go every day.

I had a conversation about the benefits of acupuncture with someone recently and he was pretty science-snobby about it: “It’s just endorphins being released into your body.” “There’s no science to back it up.” I feel bad for closed-minded people who need more evidence than a centuries-old practice and a person in the flesh describing the countless health advantages she has reaped. And really, who cares WHY it works? The fact is, it works miracles for millions of people. I'm not from the show-me state but even if I were I'd still buy into acupuncture because I've seen and experienced first-hand what a blessing it can be.

If you’ve been considering it I can’t recommend it enough, and I especially encourage you to check out a community acupuncture clinic near you. It's less expensive and has a warmer, cozier feeling - the shared energy of multiple people receiving acupuncture at the same time is both comforting and powerful, unlike the often sterile, lonely rooms of private acupuncturists.

Have you done acupuncture? What was your experience like?

p.s. Happy birthday to my mom today! Mom, you're so awesome.

Backlog: September White Water Trip

2012-01-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

I've been a wee bit remiss in writing lately due to the frenzy of the holidays and being way too busy for my own good (oh, and I turned 30 - more on that later).

Anyway, I've cleared some time in my schedule so without further ado, let the backlog continue.

Months before September, my diligent sister Anne saw a Living Social deal for white water rafting. Flash forward a few months' worth of scheduling conflicts, and 5 out of the 7 of us - plus my friend Katie - were on our way to the Tieton river near Yakima for an afternoon of watery fun.

The ride itself was pretty fun; we all piled into my dad's van with snacks and blankets for the 2+ hour drive. The weather was a perfect 75 or so and when we arrived they were barbecuing a huge lunch to feed the morning rafters who had just finished, and us afternoon rafters about to begin.

After chowing down we received our ultra-sexy wetsuits...

...while Tessa found a familiar face - a girl she knows works for the rafting company, and this connection hooked us up with the best guide acquaintance could buy: Pickles. Here he is teaching Tessa how to flip a boat:

After a safety talk and a quick lesson on commands and dos and don'ts, we were getting ready to pile into our boat when Pickles noticed that we were pretty low on air. The portable pump was broken. After staring at the boat in contemplation for a few moments, Pickles shrugged and said something along the lines of, well, it'll be an interesting ride! I think he was happy for the challenge.

We put into the water and immediately started working quite well as a team, something Pickles complimented us on several times. After the first mini-rapid, everyone was screaming and laughing and completely hooked.

Look at how in sync our oars are!

The thing about having less air is that you ride really low in the water and flop about, making each rapid feel significantly larger but also providing a lot more opportunity to fall out. Although a few people in other boats did get bounced into the water, we didn't lose a soul and had the most hilarious time being the joke 'low rider' of the bunch. I highly recommend riding with less air if you ever have the chance.

The Tieton is a really shallow river and is apparently one of the most technically difficult in the area. We never would have known since Pickles was such a competent (and cocky but what outdoors enthusiast isn't at age 23?) guide. The ride was the exact right amount of time; just as we were starting to get cold and sore, it was over.

After peeling off our wetsuits we took a picture with Pickles...

...and piled back into the van to have dinner in nearby Naches at a local dive - the "Walkabout Creek Saloon" - recommended to us by the guides (who ended up filing in about 30 minutes after we did). Burgers and tater tots digesting, we set off for the drive home with just about everyone in the car passing out except my trusty dad behind the wheel.

I have a feeling that wasn't the last time the Archers will hit the rapids!

Just Garden Fundraiser: the long version

2011-12-10T06:40:00.002-08:00

You can read the short blog that I wrote about this event at the Miller CC Garden site here. Here is more of the same, plus some back story, details no one cares about but me, and a little snarkiness.

First, the lead up: My dear friend Justin asked me way back in early September if I wanted to help him throw a fundraiser - maybe a small dinner? - for the Just Garden Project, which his friend Stephanie runs. Anyone who has ever met me knows I'm genetically wired to plan any event in my path so of course I said yes. I also thought it was a good opportunity for the Miller CC Garden (which I essentially manage as the "volunteer coordinator," a volunteer position unto itself) to get some name recognition and do something great for the community. After many fits and starts of picking a date and location, we settled on Saturday December 3 at Justin's house as a Secret Cafe style dinner with two seatings: 4-6 and 8-10.

Justin and I had a few planning meetings in which we brainstormed where to get donations, what we would need in terms of kitchen items and place settings (which was, by far, the most complex logistical feat considering 20 people across 5 courses), and how we'd find 40 people who wanted to give us $40 each. We each put in a lot of leg work getting donations from the community and although there were a few weeks when it was sort of touch and go, we ended up with tons of local sponsors (Full Circle Farms, Loki Fish, Calf & Kid Artisan Cheese, Stumptown Coffee, Essential Bakery, Madison Market Co-Op, plus personal donations from my parents, Justin's friend Paul, and a girl I know through a friend who, incredibly, gave us 26 BOTTLES OF WINE and a bottle of champagne just for me) and 32 reservations (thank heavens, 20 at each dinner would have been way too big). Then, the weekend itself was upon us.

When I got off work on Friday, Justin and I went grocery shopping together, dropped everything off at his house, and then went our separate ways to work on our long lists of to dos. Justin had a house to clean, potatoes to mash, and carrots to roast; I had most of the menu to prep and I didn't get started until 8:30.

I couldn't have done it without Katie and Shawna who came over and helped me until the wee (VERY wee) hours of the morning. Here I am at about midnight, roasting the 8th or 9th squash:

The next day I slept in until about 10 and then got busy by going to the University district farmer's market to pick up salmon and my parents' house to get a table and chairs. Once home I fried all the white bean croquettes, packed up my car with tons of food and other supplies, and made it to Justin's around 2 in time to start setting up. I was running a little behind but luckily my new friend and neighbor Dustin came up, finished the frying while I took a shower, and helped me load my car, so I was only about 10 minutes late.

Justin had to go pick up the other volunteers so for awhile it was just a girl who also volunteers at the Miller CCG named Katy plus me, and the two of us put the 3 tables in every possible configuration across the two connected rooms (laughing a lot in the process) before finally settling on the best layout. Then Justin showed up with the other volunteers and Robyn appeared shortly thereafter, and we all sprang into action on many tasks: arranging flowers, setting the tables, ripping lettuce for salad, slicing bread for crostini, arranging roasted garlic (I'd roasted 12 heads the night before), bleu cheese, goat cheese, and fresh bread nicely on the tables, and about a dozen other things that needed to get done. It was really amazing how well we all worked together, especially since most of us didn't know each other. But the ability of everyone to anticipate exactly what needed to be done made for an unexpectedly smooth evening.

Here is a picture of the guests at the second seating; you can just barely see the third table in the second room:
Here are some pictures of the food. I wish I'd taken more of the prep, the beautifully laid tables, the guests and volunteers, and better pictures of the meal, but it was so busy it was hard remembering just to snap these few.

Course 1: Red leaf and arugula salad with roasted beets, chopped almonds, and pomegranate seeds:
Course 2: Roasted ginger masala squash soup garnished with chives:

Course 3: Herb and mushroom risotto (which I slaved over, TWICE - one for each dinner - until my wrist and forearm felt like they were going to fall off):

Course 4: Option of Keta salmon with garlic and rosemary spread or white bean rosemary croquettes (which were unexpectedly and INSANELY GOOD), plus roasted honey Dijon carrots, mashed sweet potatoes and mashed Yukon potatoes (this plate was so big and people were already so full that we packed a lot of these to go):

Actual frying of the croquettes; we reheated on broil which worked like a charm:

Course 5: Option of baklava, pear cake with rum sauce, or vegan chocolate pot (all three made by friends of Justin - bless them!) with French-pressed Stumptown coffee:

Can I just say -YUM! The food was so freaking good, one person asked 'where the chef had studied' and many others asked for the recipes.

The 4-6 seating was such a fun crowd and donated a significant amount of money so we were all sort of high on our success until we realized we had to do it again. We quickly threw the table cloths and napkins in the washer, ran a load of dishes (otherwise we did everything by hand - Robyn and Katy were the real stars there), started plating the salads and heating the food for dinner #2, and had the tables set just in time for the first guests to arrive.

The second dinner was somehow even more smooth since we'd figured out timing (for instance, I started the risotto earlier...) and also it was a smaller group, BECAUSE (warning: snarkiness):

1) Someone who had RSVPed for the first dinner for 2 people brought 3 adults, plus a toddler. Justin, who is incapable of being annoyed by broken social codes, was thrilled at the extra guests; I, who have to breathe deeply to control my social code annoyance on a daily basis, was highly irritated that it made us look like we weren't prepared to seat the number of guests we had and also gave an audible 'really??" about the presence of a toddler; luckily the dynamo volunteers scrambled to set an extra place and the group helped contribute to both the fun atmosphere and the increased donation.

2) Two people who had RSVPed to the second dinner didn't show. No call, no email, nothing. This was obnoxious unto itself, compounded by the fact that they were the only two vegan reservations we had at either dinner. We designed the entire freaking menu around them which took a lot of thought and consideration (cooking with olive oil instead of butter broke my heart a little), bought special ingredients (for instance, nutritional yeast so their risotto could have the same Parmesan texture), and made them a special dessert... and, nothing. I was pissed. I wrote a very nice email the next day saying we were sorry to have missed them, we hoped everything was ok, and it wasn't too late to donate to the organization. NO RESPONSE. I just couldn't let it go so a week later I wrote a short, slightly bitchy one-liner which of course instantly got a response. People are so predictable. (End snarkiness.)

The no-show really was my only complaint about the whole night since the extra guests in the first one were so jovial and generous. I still can't believe how well it went, and I had a blast with the volunteers -we had so much fun drinking champagne, eating what didn't get served (we ended up having almost the exact right amount of food for everyone, including volunteers, to eat, with just a little left over) and just horsing around in general, all while being very productive. My kind of crew:

Here are Justin and I at the end of the night - we look pretty dang good all things considered!

Between both dinners we raised $1,500, which was our goal and is the cost of building a new garden for a low-income family. Pretty cool that we directly helped a family feed itself.

A lot of people asked us if we'd do something like this again. I don't plant on hosting a fundraiser again any time soon, and I was swearing up and down that I was going to put a stop to my event-planning-for-free madness, but knowing me, yes -we'll probably do it again next year.

Backlog: August highlights

2011-12-06T18:15:00.003-08:00

I have a vague memory of August being the redemptive sunny month this summer. Here's what I did with it.

Pop-Up Picnic

Amber invited me to an event on Thursday, August 4 called the Pink Pop Up Picnic. The address was withheld until the day before, and the only details were that it would be in the Capitol hill area, participants should wear white with pink bling and bring a picnic to enjoy, preferably with fancy accouterments. It ended up being at Volunteer park on a beautiful, sunny evening which definitely contributed to the excellent turn out.

Here is our sweet set up complete with pink sheet, white lace table cloth, pink plates and napkins, and fresh flowers:

Here we are all decked out:

Amber and I had Pimm’s Cup in Mason jars, plus veggies and quinoa that Amber brought and a fresh corn salad that I made. It was such a warm night that people lingered long past dark, which if you can think back to early August you will recall that sunset wasn’t until around 9. It was a really fun event and I’d definitely go to another one. Here's the host thanking us for coming:
Blue Angels!

The Blue Angels fly in Seattle every August for Seafair, and I am one of the few adults who has lived in an area where they fly who still likes them. The Blue Angels should annoy me – flagrant waste of fossil fuels and taxpayer dollars – but my mom’s lifelong obsession with planes, things that go fast, and things that are LOUD has rubbed off on me and I can’t help but love them.

K lives in one such neighborhood and I’ve spent the last two years enjoying the thundering flyovers from her yard. She was kind enough to watch them with me this year, and I think my enjoyment of them might have rubbed off a little.

Nathan and Morgan Get Hitched

After all the planning and dressing up like Kurt and Courtney and making of decorations and more planning, it was finally time for the wedding itself on Saturday, August 13. I like this date because it means sometimes their anniversary will be on Friday the 13th. Sadly what would have been their first one is being ruined by a leap year so it won’t come until 2021- their 10 year anniversary.

I have to say, the day went off without a hitch. It was a nice enough day to see Mt Rainier from our hotel room across from the Tacoma Art Museum and a clear night with the moon visible. Everyone pitched in and worked together seamlessly, and the bride and groom were cool as cucumbers. Sweet ceremony, endearing toasts, yummy food, plenty to drink, and lots of good mingling. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Here is the set-up, with many thanks to Jen et al for realizing the light stringing vision Morgan and I had to a T:

A slightly funky picture of both of us but it's the best I have:

They had a hilarious photo booth set up; this one is tame but cute:

This was my first major event and I surprised myself by how well I handled it. During set up there was a line of people waiting to ask me questions but I never missed a beat, I kept things on track, and only almost lost my cool once when at the very end during clean-up I dropped a box and shattered the remnants of a bottle of whiskey and several vases. Luckily Casey and Joey were right there and swooped in with broom and dustpan, allowing me to wash the wasted whiskey off myself and take a few deep breaths. Not bad!

Once the wedding was over, however, I take absolutely no responsibility for the shenanigans that went down at the hotel.

Moving the kegs down to the lobby which Jacob cajoled the hotel staff into offering as an alternative to us being loud and causing complaints in the rooms:

My hair was Texas-style big when I took it down to go swimming; unfortunately I didn't quite capture it:

I was happy to take advantage of the pool that Jacob managed to get a guard to open for us at 2 am, though as one of two sober attendees (the other person was by choice; I was simply at a place where I could not get drunk after such a long day of being "on") I did feel obligated to monitor irresponsible pool behaviors and offer such motherly scolds as "water stays in the pool!" and "no launching each other into the shallow end!" all of which were duly ignored. Still, I more than enjoyed my long swim.

I didn't get much sleep that night and was mostly dead the next day, but in a good way.

Shanda Turns 40

You know how sometimes the friends of your friends become your friends? Well, Robyn has brought me a lot of good ones over the years, including Shanda who celebrated her 40th birthday at La Luna on Queen Anne on Saturday, August 27.

The evening didn’t start off very smoothly with the staff at La Luna somehow not getting the memo that the restaurant was closed for a private event – when we showed up it was filled with diners, despite Robyn’s constant contact and day-before confirmation with the manager. They stopped seating people and started giving them the bum’s rush, but not quickly enough, so there was a confusing overlap between party guests and diners for awhile. Luckily everyone had cleared out by the time the guest of honor arrived and it was smooth sailing from there. There was an open bar AND an open menu – a classy way to turn 40 in my opinion. Get your friends drunk and then feed them whatever they want! Luckily it was a nice night so we were able to enjoy the outdoor tables, and the staff at La Luna really went above and beyond to make up for the initial snafu.

Here is Shanda with our two accomodating (and sometimes fire-breathing) bartenders:

Robyn, Jacob and me looking fabulous:

I'm sure I did a lot of other stuff in August (mostly gardening) but these are the highlights!

Backlog: The rest of July

2011-11-28T08:30:00.003-08:00

Now that I've written a novel about the the first four days in July I'm going to finish the month out as quickly as possible.

Weekend 2: Thao and Mirah, West Seattle Fair, and Clothing Swap

The second weekend in July I saw Thao and Mirah play at the Crocodile, the first time I'd been there since they revamped the space. Justin, some of his friends and I started the evening at Local 360, my new favorite restaurant in Seattle. Inexplicably, I wore blue eyeshadow:

The desserts (like everything else they serve) were divine, and I still salivate over the carrot cake whoopie pie:

Led to Sea opened and I loved the music so much I bought the CD. Thao and Mirah were also spectacular and their album has been more or less on repeat on my work computer ever since. But, why does there always have to be one drunk asshole who ruins it for everyone else? One of the reasons I usually don't see live music; the fans ruin it.

That Saturday I went to the West Seattle fair with Jacob on a sunny Saturday. We got a lot of compliments on our matching hats:

The Sunday of that same weekend I hosted another wildly successful clothing swap, which is getting bigger every time and turning into a quarterly affair.

Weekend 3: French Crawl and Cabbage Battles

The next weekend, Robyn and I went on a “Bastille Day” French bar crawl on Friday night. Then I spent the entire weekend, unexpectedly, at K, M, and Toddler J's house. We spent Saturday in the garden, combating aphids on our cabbage. Then I went back on Sunday to make experimental kimchi with all the cabbage we couldn’t rescue (after doing a thorough job of cutting out all the colonies and then blasting each leaf with water). Here's K displaying a colony:

It was our first time making kimchi, and one of the writers of the many recipes we consulted said the only containers she had that were big enough were the drawers from her refrigerator, an idea we borrowed:

After a lot of research and hemming and hawing over which method to use we ended up making two kinds using a 'salt brine' technique.

They were delicious and I made batch after batch of kimchi fried rice with it:

Weekend 4: Wedding Planning and Beach Party

The following weekend my friend Annie was in town for the evening and I decided to make all her dreams come true by throwing her a dinner party and letting her invite whoever she wanted, a true gift for a girl who collects people in every city she's ever breezed through. I invited Casey and Joseph and they brought their charming friend Jordan as well as a random out-of-towner (the older brother of one of Joseph's friends I think) whose name I forget, and Annie produced a hodgepodge which, much to my surprise, ended up being a terrifically fun group. We moved my dining table into the living room and used the leaves for the first time to make a giant table using the couch as seating for one side.

The guest of honor and host:

Dinner was delicious, much wine and champagne was consumed, and we stayed up quite late chatting until I literally had to kick the last 3 people out so I could get some sleep for my big Saturday.

On Saturday Morgan, Jacob and I trekked to the Tacoma Art Museum to do a site visit for Morgan and Nathan’s pending wedding which I helped plan/coordinate. That day started productively with a huge breakfast at Fresh Bistro, a quick drive to Tacoma and a thorough meeting at the museum. As we were driving home we all decided the best thing to do once back in Seattle was get drunk, which we did through a combination of booze at my house and happy hour tequila (plus nachos) at the Saint. It ended sillily with Nick and BK crashing later on to play some drunken/giggle-filled Catan. Highlights included getting up onto my roof for the gorgeous view (since locked down by management), group intonation/chanting, and Morgan snorting water from her nose (twice).

The next day my friends Brandi, David and I decided to have a beach party at Magnusson park because summer had finally hit. I dragged along my co-worker Regis and Jacob and BK came too, plus a bunch of B and D's friends. It was a gorgeous, relaxed day with some float-toy action in Lake Washington and plenty of snacks. Regretfully I have no pictures from this entire weekend outside of Annie's dinner.

Weekend 5: Courtneys and Kurts and brunch

The following weekend (5 weekends in July!) was Morgan’s highly-anticipated bachelorette party in which we fulfilled one of her dreams from college: to have a pack of Courtney Loves running around town. So, we all found wigs and appropriate costumes in the weeks proceeding and dressed up as Courtney during a prefunk at my place. This picture is deceiving since I look kind of cool in it; rest assured I was a hot mess.

Here we are during a photoshoot at Cal Anderson park. Lots of people stopped to gawk; one woman asked to take a picture with us, who we happily obliged.

So artistic:

We hit several spots on Capitol hill including Bimbo’s for drinks and dinner, the Rock Box for hilarious private karaoke, and finally Barca where, much to Morgan’s surprise, a pack of Kurt Cobains was waiting for us!

It was a really fun night.

The next morning we celebrated Joseph’s birthday with a delicious brunch prepared primarily by Casey including piles of bacon and their favorite pirogis. I didn't take many pictures since we were all still recovering from the night before but it was a very pleasant way to spend a fuzzy Sunday.

That was on Sunday, July 31 so that officially wraps up July.

Phew!

Let the backlog begin: 4th of July camping

2011-11-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

I have quite a few posts I want to write that date back to July (don't even mention Mexico, maybe for the one year anniversary of that trip I'll finally post it) and I'm going to just start WRITING THEM ALREADY. I'll start with my only camping trip of the summer in July and work my way to the present.

Olympic Peninsula Trip

Somehow in my nearly 30 years of life I have never been to the Washington state rain forest. To rectify this gross oversight, Adam, Nick and I went camping on the Olympic peninsula over 4th of July weekend. We stayed at Mora, a gorgeous campground near Rialto beach. We left Thursday after work (Nick drove so the Matrix did not come on a road trip with me for the first time since I got it) and made it onto the 5:30 ferry. It was dark when we arrived and we were worried about getting a spot since it was first come first serve, but the grounds were half empty and each site was large and quite private. They all filled up by Friday though. Even in the dark we were very selective about our site.

It was well-chosen! We had this fascinating nurse log in our site:

We got the tents set up, made a small fire, and hit the hay fairly early. The next morning (Friday) we all commented on how well we'd slept, something that never happens for me when camping. We started with a delicious breakfast, complimented by this ingenious toaster:

We then made an unexpected decision and drove to Cape Flattery, the most Northwest point in the continental U.S. It hadn't even been in our plans but somehow that morning we were all on the same page about it.

First, though, we had to drive though Forks, which has been consumed by Twilight fever. It doesn't seem be as booming an industry as they might have hoped, considering many stores had fully changed their names (with little imagination, admittedly - see below), every single place we went - even museums - had cutouts of the characters, etc., yet the town still seemed mostly empty. It was semi-disturbing.

We got a few last-minute supplies in Forks and got the hell out of there. The day started overcast but quickly burned off to sun and intermittent clouds, and we were excited that our weekend was off to a decent start - the forecast was a lot of rain.

Although Cape Flattery was about an hour and a half away it was worth it for the view and for the bragging rights of having been to an extreme corner of the country. Here's Nick on the short trail to the viewpoint checking out a huge, fungus-covered tree. I think they're called Chicken mushrooms, the ones that look like little shelves.

As we rounded the corner of the trail we were met with this stunning view:

The water crashing in and out of these natural caves was mesmerizing:

We enjoyed the view, made salami sandwiches at a picnic table near the trail, and then found our way back to camp. We passed this beach along the way and the boys obliged my desire to get out, tromp around on the rocks, and look for crabs. Adam was especially helpful in turning over the larger rocks and every time there would be a dozen or more tiny black crabs scurrying away. I hollered and jumped away like I was surprised each time.

We got back to camp in time for the ranger talk on grey whales, and grilled a whole salmon for dinner.

Saturday started with gorgeous sunshine, so we spent it entirely at Rialto beach just a mile down the road. After a breakfast of salmon scramble and potatoes, we made the short journey and spent several hours chilling out with the giant driftwood.

Wes, our weekend mascot, was especially glad to work on his tan:

The beach was filled with perfectly smooth, round rocks. Since I'm terrible at skipping stones, I made a tower of them instead:

After lazing about, reading, napping, and soaking up some unexpected sun, we returned to camp for lunch – Nick’s tasty African stew – and then went back to the beach for the remainder of a low-tide, clouded-over afternoon:

Adam and Wes went back to the same great driftwood-encased spot we'd scouted earlier that day to read, while Nick and I set off on a long beach hike to see Hole in the Wall, which Wes wasn’t allowed to do (no dogs past a certain point). We used this opportunity to test out the walkie-talkies I'd gotten, which have a fairly decent range it turns out.

Rialto beach is beautiful, with giant rocks jutting out of the water like an artist placed them there intentionally:

Nick and I had never been to Rialto before and were under the impression that Hole in the Wall was a lot farther than it actually was, so when we came to this formation after what seemed like only a few minutes of walking...

...somehow our two college-educated brains decided this huge hole in the wall couldn't possibly be THE Hole in the Wall, so we continued our hike for quite some time, which was OK with us because there was a lot more to see.

The sand at low tide was formed into these parallel ruts that I couldn't stop admiring:

There was also a lot of worthy marine life to explore, including tons of anemones, this strange pink algae, and starfish everywhere (though not in this photo):

Here we are well past Hole in the Wall; we probably went another three quarters of a mile, including scrambling over some giant rocks and through ocean water that hadn't quite left with the tide yet.

At one point after this I gave Nick my fleece since I was hot after the rock climb and my camera to put in his bag, and then we separated for awhile so he could advance to see if HitW was in front of us. Unfortunately this meant I didn't capture any of the next 30 minutes, which I spent in absolute, incredible isolation on vast swaths of rocks covered in mussels and barnacles. I walked out for what seemed like a half mile from the shore, trying to step carefully on bare patches of rock, finding small blowholes where the ocean was spouting up between breaks in the rock, inhaling some of my favorite smells: sea salt, decaying seaweed, shellfish, rain; in short, a beach in the Pacific Northwest. I was so grateful to be so alone with all this beauty... for about 20 minutes. I spent the next 10 shivering cold and cursing Nick for having wandered so far ahead of me, leaving me no choice but to wait until he decided to return of his own accord. As we walked back it started raining but we found Adam in a pleasant mood considering we had left him for probably an hour and a half longer than he'd expected and the weather had turned.

We got back to the campsite just in time for that night's ranger talk, which left me with the inescapable knowledge that the acidification of the oceans is (among other horrors) preventing shellfish from attracting calcium carbonate to make their shells, resulting in 'functional extinction' for many species and a strong likelihood that our oceans will be dead in our lifetimes. Depressing doesn't begin to describe it.

(There were actually a lot of people there, just sitting in the back rows.)

I had gone to the talk alone and left Adam and Nick to prepare dinner, and when I got back a baked potato, fresh ear of charred corn, and a perfectly cooked steak awaited me. After that I insisted on making s'mores, one of which Adam begrudgingly ate so I didn't have to eat alone. If I had known his dislike for them was so strong I would have eaten his but it was a nice gesture. We stayed up really late that night and at one point noticed the sky had cleared so we walked to a nearby open meadow and laid looking up at the stars until we were too cold to resist our sleeping bags.

Sunday morning - the 3rd of July - Nick made us a healthy breakfast of yogurt, granola, and fruit (plus coffee - what is it about camping coffee that is so great?) before packing up camp and heading home via the Quinalt rain forest. We had decided on Quinalt since dogs are restricted from national parks but not national forests. Our first stop was actually the best part of the whole day, a sweet, small rainforest walk we had entirely to ourselves called Maple Glade. Wes had to stay in the car for this one. Here are Adam and Nick admiring some trees:

It's so hard to capture how lovely this place was, but this moss-covered tree shows some of it:

It was an interpretive trail so every few feet there were signs pointing us to a section of the brochure that told us the history of that particular spot. This meadow was formed by something really interesting that now, months later, I sadly can't remember. I could probably dig up the brochure if I really wanted to...

Sunday was by far the most beautiful day, and we took out all the remaining food for a "what's left?" lunch at a picnic table in a wide grassy meadow near Maple Glade. By the end of eating I was as close to hot as I got all weekend. Then it was on to Quinalt proper. On the way we passed the ocean and had I known that the highway cut inland after that I would have insisted on stopping to enjoy the few sandy beaches WA state has. But we carried on and did two short hikes in Quinalt, one in an area that suffered extreme damage during a famous storm about 8 years ago. It was interesting to see how nature had been affected and how it was rebuilding itself.

The next stop was the World's Largest Spruce tree:

Apparently there's another one almost as big in California but this one has the official honor. We took the obligatory photos, and that concluded our trip! We hightailed it back to Seattle and were in town by about 6 pm, with plenty of time to prepare for our nation's birth the next day. (I spent it gardening at K, M, and Toddler J's and then watched the Lake Union fireworks from the roof of my building that night.)

Not bad for my first trip to our state's rain forest. I can't wait to go back again soon, hopefully next year, and check out the Hoh and everything else I didn't get to this time around.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-05T15:22:00.002-07:00

This year’s Halloween started on Saturday with Robyn and some of her friends. I was impressed by the caliber of our costumes – no one punked out!

Amanda was the "Toof Fairy" and made a terrifyingly authentic chola, which I hope isn't wildly offensive, I think actual cholas own the term so I'm saying it with respect here and this is clearly an admiring tribute:

Last year I tried to be Diana Ross but when I curled my hair I ended up with cute pin curls and went as a silent movie star instead. This year I wore the same amazing gold and black pantsuit but got a bonafide Diana Ross wig to make it happen for real:

We headed down to Norm’s in Fremont pretty early (7:30) to secure a table. Unfortunately the Sounders and Huskies games were both on so that early in the night it was all sports fans and no costumes. But we snagged the best table in the house and settled in. Soon the costumes started pouring in and again I was impressed with people’s effort. I’m not sure what was in the air that got people in the mood but this year seemed like an especially good year for costumes.

There was a big group of Star Wars characters with an impressive array.

Professional Chewbacca costume this guy was really tall so it made quite an impact:

This girl’s Death Star took a week to make:

Hans Solo frozen in carbonite was my favorite:

I also really loved these girls’ hand-made Black/White swan costumes, which happened to be one of the “trend” costumes (we saw at least five of them but they were the best):

Other trends included lots of Star Wars (even outside the group) and an inexplicable number of Where’s Waldo. I saw at least seven.

I was the DD and after giving the group rides home around 1 am I was headed back to my place when I saw a very sad-looking team of Angry Birds at the bus stop outside Robyn’s house. It was clear they had just missed their ride so I shuttled them down to their destination, Dick’s on lower Queen Anne, and told them to do a random favor for a stranger to keep the good karma going. They were funny and very grateful, and somehow I ended up with a devil’s tail in my backseat; not a part of any of their costumes or anyone from my group. Perplexing!

I decided to take a pass around Capitol Hill to see what was big among the gay, hipster, and fake-ID crowds. The only common theme was skin (oh, slutty Halloween), though I did see an impressive trio of Tetris blocks and a funny female Hugh Hefner with a very tall male Bunny. After that I called it a night, doused my face in olive oil to remove the fake eyelash glue and gobs of liquid eyeliner, and slept like a champ.

On Monday I wore the wig again but put on a black dress with red socks and a red belt and went as Little Orphan Annie's evil twin. We had a pumpkin carving contest at work and my department was robbed - look at how scary this thing is! We even had a mini strobe light in it which created these freaky light effects:

It actually looked scarier 4 days later:

That evening I went to see Toddler J as a bumblebee (he ran around yelling "I'm a bumblebee!" which was cuter than the costume) and give candy to the very few trick or treaters that came by. We ate most of the good candy ourselves.

All in all a respectable Halloween.

From jungle to nursery

2011-11-03T09:17:00.009-07:00

A few weeks ago I decided to do something about the jungle growing in my living room. I went to Lowe’s and bought potting soil and tons of pots and started splitting the hell out of my wandering Jew, peace lily, aloe, and spider plant. So far this project has spanned two weeks and about 20 hours of labor. Can you see why I put it off?

I started with the unwinding of the wandering Jew. It had cascaded almost to the floor but it’s clever enough not to touch; instead it starts snaking its way back up in a tangled mess, so that when I did get it unwound some branches extended nearly six feet! The only thing to do is cut it into sections and root it in water, which can take as little as a day – these roots are feisty! I feel guilty doing this because I end up discarding a significant portion of the branches, but they start to die at the top and it gets unsightly and out of control, so it’s really best for both of us. This is not the best picture, but by the time I finished unwinding and cutting (two hours later) there were probably 200 individual strands strewn about my apartment:

After that I separated most of the baby spider plants from the offshoots and rooted them in water for several days. This is a painless process since they are actively seeking a place to root and are only too happy to be separated from the mother. How cute are they?

Next up was the lily. The poor thing hasn’t been repotted in I don’t know how long since it came to me from a friend, and it took me half an hour just to get it out of its pot. My bathtub was the loser here:

I ended with the aloe, another guilt-inducing project since you literally have to pull the babies from the mother and sometimes they don’t want to let go. But I have a lot of practice splitting this aloe, which started as limp plant someone at the gym where I worked in college brought in one day. Since then I’ve probably split it at least 6 times, making this round the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughters of the mother plant.

And now I have this to deal with:

8 spider plants
5 Jews
4 aloes
3 lilies
5 combination aloe/jew; lily/jew, spider/lily pots
And, 2 parsley plants reclaimed from the outdoor garden before it got too cold

What am I going to do with all these plants?? I considered setting up a bootleg stand outside the farmer's market and selling them but it was rainy on Sunday and I didn't muster up the enthusiasm to load them into my car and try to hawk a bunch of plants that I prefer go to good, loving homes - after all, I've had them for generations.

I do want them off my dining room table, though. I'm open to suggestions and requests - a modest donation gets you as many lovingly, freshly-potted plants as you can handle!

Internet Intervention

2011-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

As most people close to me know, I haven’t owned a TV in years. This is not because I’m a snob. It’s because I’m an addict.

Until recently I didn’t even have internet in my apartment, but once I got it the natural follow-up was a Netflix account. The combination of chilly weather and unfettered internet access has turned me into a Netflix junky. So far I’ve seen tons of movies, most of Pawn Stars, most of The League (I'm an unlikely fantasy football fiend), and all three seasons of Arrested Development (for the second time).

Most recently and embarrassingly I engaged in a marathon of the TBS show My Boys. To my credit, this show has sentimental meaning since when I lived in Philadelphia the only worthwhile channel I got was TBS, and when I was in Argentina for the first time I spent several depressed weeks with e-coli and general malaise watching American television. When I see the title I still pronounce it with a bad Spanish accent: “Siguente… Mey Boiz.” But I was watching upwards of 7 episodes in a row, each time swearing it would be the LAST ONE before I’d make dinner/clean my house/write a blog/do yoga/go to bed. Thank heavens it was only 4 seasons long.

I decided it was time for an intervention and have imposed a Netflix (and all other sources of TV on the internet) moratorium for the month of November, excluding 2 hours on weekends. Think I can do it?

Cozy Cooking

2011-10-30T12:20:00.004-07:00

Now that nine months of grey are upon us, I’ve been spending most of my free time in the kitchen making comfort food. My winter cooking goes in trends - I’ll make the same dish over and over until I'm sick of it. Past season obsessions have been salmon lasagna (this spanned multiple years), arroz con pollo (in Argentina), and pear molasses bread (last year).

So far this season there are two frontrunners: Shepherd’s pie and roast chicken. I did both this weekend.

Tastes Like Chicken

I roasted the third chicken of the season on Friday night, when I had Casey and Jacob over for a mini-Thanksgiving (no turkeys on the shelves just yet) with stuffing, green beans, a lot of gravy, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream (thanks to which Jacob discovered that using a hand mixer is really fun). I didn't take any pictures because we were too consumed by the spread to stop to take a photo.

What I love about roasting a chicken is that it’s super easy, insanely delicious, and leads directly to one of my timeless cozy meals: soup. With the three chickens I’ve made chicken with wild rice, chicken with barley, and today, chicken noodle. I go to my parents’ house most Sunday evenings and this time dinner’s on me! I also love that I can get a organic, free-range chicken for $10-$15; a package of organic chicken breasts runs more than that and I’m a sucker for a good value. I also prefer cooking with whole foods as often as possible and it doesn’t get more whole than an entire chicken.

Now All I Need is a Flock

Shepherd’s pie started one day with an abundance of garden cabbage...

...and some other random veggies and potatoes I didn’t know what to do with. I’d never made it before but I winged it and it turned out so well I've made it at least four times since then. Shepherd’s pie is great because you can put absolutely anything into it. Today’s has leftover chicken (there was so much that it served for both soup and casserole), caramelized onions, broccoli, carrots, beet stems, cabbage, and is topped with mashed potatoes of course (the only real requisite). I season it with Dijon mustard, oregano, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Luckily I have a willing food audience among K, M, and Toddler J where I will be spending Halloween evening tomorrow, because this pie is massive. I can also count on them to have cheese in the fridge which really brings the deliciousness and top-crispiness to a new level. Here's today's in the assembly stage:

Isn't this the most beautiful carrot you've ever seen?

I'm also strongly on the soup wagon, but that supersedes all trends. In addition to the chicken soup, I've also made spinach soup a few times and I think five pumpkin/squash soups. What can I say? I'm a sucker for roasting things.

Happy cozy eating to all of you in a wintry climate!

My love affair with glass

2011-09-19T14:57:00.005-07:00

Over the past year, the presence of glass jars in my kitchen has steadily increased. I don't collect them as decoration, though the myriad jars filled with sundries adorning my two built-ins certainly form a work of art in my eyes:

It started years ago when my mom gave me four antique hermetically-sealed jars with study metal screw-tops:

I've gotten so many compliments on these jars, and at one point my mom even hinted she might take them back. But they have been in constant use in my kitchen and I won the argument that they are more appreciated in my house; right now they hold almonds, two kinds of wild rice, and Bhutanese red rice, respectively. But otherwise I was still mostly using plastic for storage.

This took a turn last fall thanks to a jamming session with some friends. We made over 100 jars of canned goods, some of which are still waiting to be enjoyed in one of my built-ins. As I emptied these jars I washed them and found they could be filled with all manner of things. I currently have the following stored in jars, tucked into cabinets or functionally displayed: Four kinds of rice, quinoa, lentils, popcorn, falafel mix, oats, flour, almonds, pecans, walnuts, sugar, tea, coffee, and possibly something else hidden in the bowels of a high cabinet, waiting for the day when I find it and crack it open, only to find its still-fresh contents ready for use, without any unwanted added chemicals or smells that we can thank plastic for. There's a jar of gazpacho in my fridge that I've been drinking like a savory cocktail, and another one with bacon fat that I use to saute onions and fry eggs. Jarred pesto and two kinds of soup are chilling in my freezer.

This summer I took it to a new level by transporting things out of my house in glass jars. Last week I gave my boss a jar filled with pumpkin soup - a much nicer presentation than a plastic container. I frequently show up to events with giant Mason jars filled with iced tea, homemade lemonade, or in the case of the white-and-pink picnic I attended with Amber, two icy Pimm's Cups:

There's something undeniably sexy about glass: it's functional art, sturdy yet elegant. And it doesn't make your food smell, retain food smells, or off-gas chemicals like plastic does. Plus, lids are universal - gone are the days of searching for the one lid that fits a tupperware, thanks to one of two sizes fitting any jar in my kitchen. Glass can be reused over and over again, and a good jar is nearly indestructible: I can't tell you how many times I've dropped one and jumped back, expecting to feel the shatter of glass shards against my bare feet only to smile gratefully as it recovers from the resounding THWACK in a resting position on its side, perfectly intact.

This is a love affair for the ages.

Dear Fall: I accept you

2011-09-14T15:01:00.004-07:00

After three cloudy, cranky days, I've made my peace. This weekend I beat my opponent in Week 1 Fantasy Football. Last night I cut into a ghost pumpkin I grew, roasted half of it with olive oil and masala and turned it into a delicious pumpkin soup. This morning I put on tights and boots.

It's fall. And I'm ready to embrace it.

I think people in Seattle were more cantankerous than normal this year about the fleeting summer. It got off to a slow start, and though the last few weeks were gorgeous, we were just settling in to the reality of not needing a sweater at night when the warmth was once again taken from us.

No one lives in Seattle for the promise of sunshine and we're usually conditioned to accept with pleasure the warm days we get, without (too much) complaining about the mostly cool summer months. These last two years, however, people have been vocal about their displeasure. Angry even. I think the root cause is fear: 10 years ago, a bad summer was just that; one summer. In the era of climate change, the fear is that every summer might be worse than the last one.

It's true that the Pacific Northwest is projected to turn into a wetter climate in the coming decades, but we're also projected to get more heat - maybe even drought - in the summer months. So I say we embrace these cool summers while they last and remember to appreciate our seasons as they are while we have them this way.

Happy autumn, Seattle.

Getting Down on Friday

2011-09-09T10:36:00.002-07:00

I'm really looking forward to the day - hopefully in the not-too-distant future - when the lyrics to Rebecca Black's "Friday" don't immediately invade my head every Friday morning. Why, brain, why??

It's a jungle in here

2011-08-21T18:13:00.004-07:00

Strange disturbances are afoot in my apartment, causing all the plants to go absolutely haywire with new growth and flowers.

Peace Lily

My friend Merryl gave me this lily right before she moved to Colorado, and I really can’t take much credit since she was nearly this big when I got her and was a constant producer of 2-4 lilies at a time. But she certainly hasn’t suffered here and consistently shoots up new flowers every time another one dies back - if you look closely there are 5 lilies in this photo.

Split-leaf philodendron
This one I can take credit for. Another Merryl gift, only when I got him he was three anemic leaves rooting in a vase of water. In terms of sheer size, the philodendron wins – his leaves are ENORMOUS and every new leaf is larger than the last. He’s shooting out aerial roots in the hopes of finding soil to steady what’s becoming a top-heavy operation, and I can’t decide if I’m going to give it to them. How big can I let this plant get??

Wandering Jew
This is one of two plants I cared for last summer for my college friend Justin, both of which were in pretty dire straights when they came to me (not that Justin is not a diligent plant caretaker - he is). The Wandering Jew was a few scraggly branches with a lot of dead leaves that I repotted and gave a lot of sunlight to when still living in my last house. It started recovering right away, but it literally took off – look at it! – in every direction it could go once I got it into this apartment. Again, it makes the case for a bigger home, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be suffering as is.

Aloe Vera

The aloe was the other plant I took from Justin, and I really didn’t know if it was going to make it, it was so weak and yellow. Even a new home and months later I was still nursing it, but once the days started getting longer and I relocated it to a prime windowsill spot, it steadied itself (previously propped up with chopsticks) and got bigger. Then one day a few weeks ago I actually squealed when I saw… baby aloes!!

Interestingly enough, both the Jew and the Aloe are descendants of plants I nurtured in college, both of which have families scattered far and wide since I was constantly giving starts away. They might even have relatives in south America since I smuggled cuttings in.

Succulent

I don’t know what kind of plant this is but I have had it for years. For most of its life it shared a little two-sided planter with an African Violet, but I recently separated them and gave them both bigger homes, splitting this succulent from the growing baby it had produced. At first both parent and kid were a bit unhappy but I’ve been noticing new growth over the past several weeks, and then another, much louder cry of joy – the start of the first flower it has ever produced! I actually did a little dance.

Lipstick

The Lipstick plant is another one from college and has a delightful story. When Justin and I were living together in 2003-4, the Lipstick was struggling and, despite my many attentions, died. In the process of trying to nurse her with the lightest spot in the living room and ample water, a weed rooted itself and Justin, the life-loving hippie that he is, refused to let me throw it out. All summer the weed grew (of course we watered it), and just as it was bursting open into an obnoxious array of seed-spewing flowers which caused me to rip it out once and for all, I noticed the tiniest little shoot beneath it – the Lipstick plant, thanks to the best spot in the living room and regular watering, had come back. Nothing can kill her now.

My friends Jeremy and Adam cared for the Lipstick (and Jade, next) for years while I was gallivanting around, and I only just got them back when I moved into this apartment last October. Apparently they were as happy as I was at the reunion, because the Lipstick plant did the unthinkable – she flowered in the winter. And now, from June to August, despite a relative lack of sunlight, it has been flowering again. Lipstick plants produce the most gorgeous, oozy flowers and are not named by coincidence.

Jade

When I got the Jade back in October, it had had a rough go of things but was making a slow recovery (they’re slow in general). I took it home, gave it a shower and a new home, and willed it to thrive. A few weeks later, a tiny baby popped up (cue squealing) but suffered because it was below the rim of the pot and didn’t get any sunlight. I delicately moved it to a temporary home so it could get big enough to rejoin its parent, and it has been so adorable to watch grow. (For a picture of the parent, look back at the lily shot - it's quite big!)

Spider

I have had the Spider plant longer than any other. I can’t even remember where or how I got it, but I do know that first my mom and then my friends Brandi and David cared for it for years. It’s a strange situation asking for a plant back, especially after so much time has passed, so I generally consider caretakers the new owners unless they decide to return the plant to me unsolicited. Brandi and David were rearranging and didn’t have a good spot for it, so I happily reclaimed my old friend and gave it a high, sunny perch. Around the same time the succulent made a flower and the aloe made babies, the Spider – apparently not wanting to be outdone – upstaged them both by producing several shoots for future baby plants. Did I make an audible cry of exultation? You bet I did!

African Violets

Apparently, some people struggle to keep these admittedly finicky plants happy, but mine are in a constant state of flowering and always generate new leaves. I’ve had the big one for years (it of the former shared home with Succulent), the little purple one for slightly fewer years, and the little pink one was a gift from my siblings for my birthday. They’re all healthy and happy - in fact, I think they might get a little TOO much light, which can bleach their leaves.

Clover

It seems unfair to leave the Clover - my most faithful and constant plant – out of this list, like punishing a steady performer when rewarding someone who did something great once. I had always admired this plant when it belonged to my childhood friend Casey in college, and when he moved to Africa he left it to my care. In the 10 years I’ve known it it has never had a new home, never failed to produce new clovers when an old one is pulled out, and never stopped sending up new flower stalks. Even through its different homestays while I was away, it remained exactly the same. I love this little plant, opening and closing its triangular leaves every sunrise and sunset so quickly you can actually watch it happen. (Check it out in the Succulent picture.)

Plant Lover (me)

I really don't know where or when I started to find such joy in plants but my love of outdoor gardening is rooted in my origins as an indoor gardener - if you think this is a lot of plants, consider that when I moved out of my house in Madrona to go to Philadelphia in 2006 I had upwards of 50 plants. When I'm old I won't be the crazy cat lady, I'll be the nutty plant woman.

Cult of Done

2011-08-17T09:48:00.004-07:00

My friend Casey just sent me this graphic and it really speaks to me right now:

I have a lot of projects up in the air that I can't seem to get traction on (including a half-dozen half-written blogs) and I've been beating myself up over them, which has only resulted in my being even less productive. I'm going to adopt the Cult of Done Manifesto for the next several weeks and see if that gets me anywhere. If you see from one to six new blogs in the coming weeks you'll know it's working...

Bread and Meat: Philadelphia for the win

2011-07-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

At long last here is my Philadelphia post, 2 months late, in my typical chronological and overly-detailed format. I swear it has been written for weeks; I think I dragged my feet on uploading and correctly inserting the 35 photos in this post. Yeesh.

Thursday-Friday May 19-20: Redeye, baby

When I bought my airfare, the itinerary I wanted was $100 more than one with a layover on the way to Philadelphia (nonstop on the way back though) so I sucked it up. Sadly 2 weeks later it was the same price I paid, but there was no way to know it would drop so much. I looked at it as an opportunity to see Milwaukee for the first time.

Despite having reserved a window seat online, I ended up in the middle. Also, Frontier has personal TV screens but you have to pay $6 to watch TV or $8 for a movie. The movies were lame so I bought TV, which I found out was just normal channels filled with commercials and, in the middle of the night when I was watching, infomercials. Lame. And if I may, for a moment, wax poetic about a major gripe against Frontier airlines: what’s up with the sour flight attendants? Both legs of my trip were staffed by incredibly irritable, obviously embittered employees who spoke to the lowest common human denominator, resulting in condescending and too-frequent announcements. I mean, I get it: it’s a crappy job. I hate the general public too. But perhaps what they fail to consider is that their behavior toward us is more likely to reduce the rest of us to the lowest common denominator out of annoyance with the way we’re being treated.

Anyhoo… we landed in Milwaukee at about 5:30 am with an incredible sunrise over our descent. I snapped this photo from the terminal, first in a regular resolution and then in high definition. It’s amazing what a difference high def makes:

After trying to get comfortable on two chairs pushed together, I gave up and sought out breakfast. I had a nice enough server who was just really bad at serving. Instead of pouring me coffee she gave me a cup of hot syrup. Also, my flight was delayed 30 minutes so I was leisurely reading my book while waiting for my check, but how could she have known that? I mean, if you work in an airport, people might be in a hurry. Then suddenly my flight was restored to its original departure time and they started paging my name and even THAT didn’t get her hustling to charge me. I ran to the gate, which they had closed, and they gave me dirty looks as I boarded, which I deflected by saying, you’re the ones who told us it would be late! On the plane I sat next to a tiny nun who, once we got off, had a gorgeous driver waiting for her (so much for a vow of poverty?) while I had my dear friend Matt in his trusty truck.

Friday Fun Day

Since I landed at 11 am it made sense to take the day off and have a long weekend. I dropped off my things at Adam and Lydia’s new digs – a gorgeous loft in the Italian market:

Then Matt and I ventured to a nearby Asian mini-mall for Vietnamese food and some random shopping which resulted in a jade and cool pot as a housewarming for A and L. We then checked out Matt's MFA show. I’m proud to say that Matt just completed his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Delaware with a focus on what I consider experimental photography. I really dug his pieces, and actually liked most of the artists from his school.

The University of Pennsylvania’s MFA show was in the same building, and although there were quite a few more students showing I can’t say I liked more than 2-3 of them. I’m not a good judge since contemporary art is not my bag (what can I say, I prefer representational art) but I am certainly capable of appreciating it when it is well done/takes a certain degree of skill to pull off. I’m sure all the artists put in quite a bit of work so I won’t go into detail about what I didn’t like.

After that Matt dropped me off for a quickie nap, and then Adam, Lydia, Millar and I caught a Phillies vs. Rangers game. I scored us pretty decent field-level seats in the outfield just off the third base line:

It was a fairly low-key game thanks to two great pitchers (we got to see Halladay) and only lasted about 2 hours 10 min (nothing compared to the 6+ hour game we were originally going to see - Phils won in 19 innings later that week). The weather was mostly cooperative with a few showers. Although I enjoyed the game, I’d have to say the highlight was this ridiculous Primo’s Italian hoagie Mike brought to share, ready-cut into fourths - this is half, not 1/4:

The hoagie tied with the four of us trying our arms in the free pitching area – Adam was definitely the big performer there.

Saturday – Let the sun shine and Apocalypse Later?

I started my Saturday by wandering through the Rittenhouse fair. Walnut street was shut down but most of the vendors were just from the stores along Walnut, so that was a bit underwhelming. There was live music though, and a few particularly kickin' groups.

I made my way over to West Philadelphia to have lunch with Matt, Katharine, and Ben. By the time I arrived I was properly sweating from the heat. It felt both great and strange to be wearing so little clothing and yet be so warm. Matt experimented on us with his first Dutch Baby attempt – third try was a charm! Here's the first try, when he realized he used 2 cups of flour instead of 2 tablespoons. ("Uhh... is it supposed to be this thick?")

After a few hours of catching up and enjoying the absolutely perfect, sunny, breezy day, all three of them walked me to 30th street station for my Bolt bus to New York at 5 pm. I’m usually a Chinatown bus kind of girl, but I’d heard great things about Bolt – air conditioning, wifi, electric plugs, and not filthy – and I have to say I was impressed. Six o’clock came and went without anyone floating away or major earthquakes striking, and I was grateful not to suffer judgment in the middle of New Jersey on a bus full of strangers.

A quick subway ride uptown and I was at Beth’s apartment to drop my stuff, then back downtown we went to meet Kim, completing our Americans in Argentina trio:

After a quick glass of wine we headed to Zampa for our 9:30 reservation (oh, New York), where my recent NYC-transplant buddy Taylor and two of Kim’s friends met us to round out the evening. Beth did a stellar job of ordering enough food and wine to keep us all happy, and we had a really pleasant meal. After that we had a drink at a nearby bar where the DJ was totally rocking out to the early 90s. A special request that he play La Bouche resulted in not one but TWO songs to sing along with. That was good enough for us and we called it a night. Here I am with Taylor before heading to bed:

Sunday – damn the weather

Sunday was meant to be Kim’s graduation party from Cornell medical school in Central Park. It was one half of those things: since the weather refused to cooperate, the party was relocated to Kim’s apartment which is fortunately large by any standards, let alone Manhattan’s. She had a great turnout and Beth and I stayed for a few hours chatting with her friends and family. Taylor came as well, winning her the prize for most effort put in to see me, making two trips to the Lower East Side in a 24-hour period by relying on faulty NYC transportation.

After the party we had a few hours to kill before my bus so Beth and I went shopping. I bought two pairs of shoes at DSW and, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit, two items from Forever 21, one of which is… wait for it… a romper. They are apparently in style, or so the 30+ racks boasting a variety of jumper styles and fabrics would have me believe. A slice of pizza later and I was on the bus back to Philly, where Adam and Lydia were waiting for me with a home-cooked meal and some quality Sunday night HBO programming.

Monday in the Philly office

I agreed to work a 10-7 schedule during my week on the east coast to keep time with my west coast team. At first I thought this might be annoying, but it turned out to be perfect since most people in the Philly office keep a similar schedule. Also, it was nice to sleep in and walk leisurely to the office.

My first day there was just like old times, and after catching up with everyone I set up my computer with zero snafus, a total and unexpected relief considering past connectivity issues there – flying a tech guy to that office to get it wired properly was the best idea they ever had!
The day flew by and soon it was time to meet my friends Erica and Dan for their weekly ritual of drinks and dinner at Alfa, a convenient 2 blocks from my office. Mike and Katharine also met us there and I dragged my coworker Kyle from the office. What should have been a low-key evening turned into somewhat drunken disorderliness. I’m not really sure how that happened – who boozes on a Monday?? – but I have some great take-away stories as a result. No I'm not going to share them.

Tuesday is carb day

I was in bad shape Tuesday morning, but I woke up early and was unable to go back to bed so I showered, did my hair, and put on a nice outfit so that I looked the part of a professional even if I didn’t feel it. I had no choice but to indulge in one of the famous “street meat” food cart breakfast sandwiches. My favorite is turkey bacon and egg (no cheese) on a hoagie roll. It costs $1.75 and is sure to induce food coma, not generally what one is looking for at the start of a workday but my situation was dire. Of course once I tried to eat it I noticed the bastard had put that disgusting white American cheese on it, and I actually verbally exclaimed “that bastard!” much to the delight of my conference room officemate. I cannot express how much I hate this cheese. So, back down I went to correct the mistake, after which I enjoyed every last bite. (Yes I am aware that cheese on a breakfast sandwich is a first-world problem.)

Shockingly I felt better once I digested through the coma, and was in prime shape for dinner with Adam and Lydia at one of everyone’s favorite Italian BYOs in the city, La Viola. (If you are unfamiliar with this most delightful feature of many of Phila’s dining establishments, let me enlighten you: due to the high cost and limited availability of liquor licenses, many places are BYO – this can be a bottle of wine, a handle of hard alcohol, even a keg if you so desire - awesome!)

I stopped at the Garces Trading Company on the way to benefit from the coolest wine store in the city. (Less awesome Phila feature: all wine must be sold in a state-run store.) It’s a wine store within a great restaurant, stocked only with quality wines and staffed by wine experts who help you pick a bottle based on your preferences and likely food choices, all at fixed state prices. Score.

We shared mussels in red sauce and sautéed mushrooms to start. I had gnocchi with peas and pancetta in a red cream sauce, and Adam and Lydia each had versions of fettuccine/spaghetti with seafood. YUM. I did a lot of glutenous eating (and gluttonous for that matter) and managed to not gain a pound, so I'm officially off the gluten-free diet and pretty dang happy about it.

Wednesday – called an audible

Wednesday night was supposed to be trivia night, but the previous MC was apparently fired for being a racist idiot and not much enthusiasm had been garnered among the group for his replacement. So, at the last minute when we realized we had a tiny team, Millar, Katharine and I decided to call an audible and eat dinner at nearby Zavino, a great wine bar with really tasty gourmet pizza and outdoor seating.

I should mention here that the weather was unseasonably hot for most of my trip. Although the forecast promised thunder storms literally every day I was visiting, I was privy to nary a storm which was sort of sad since we don’t get them in Seattle. But I can’t complain that the sun was out every day, even though it was closer to 90 than 80 which is what I usually hope for during my May visits. Considering it was in the 50s and raining almost every day in Seattle, I will definitely not complain further about the heat. Or my tan, which I got. Sort of.

Thursday – work happy hour

It wouldn’t be a trip to Philly without getting the office crew off premises to a work happy hour. After a full day at the office, about 15 of us lumbered out into the 95 degree heat to Vango, a completely random and slightly trashy club that is empty during happy hour and has unexpectedly good food. Considering I drank more than my fair share on Monday and I generally only get drunk about half a dozen times a year, I took it easy.

Friday - Rooftop glory

After a full last day at the office I packed up my work station and bid adieu to my Phila coworkers. After that I headed to the Art Museum area for a rooftop party. My friend Claire - really Adam and Lydia's friend Claire who I have adopted for my own - was in town from her temporary home in Washington, D.C. to dog sit for some friends who had a ridiculous house. Claire put together a lovely spread and hosted us all on her friend's incredible roof patio where we wined, dined, and socialized in style.

Saturday - It's not Memorial Day Weekend without a BBQ

I started the day off right by getting my community acupuncture on. I cannot recommend it highly enough! After that I went to the store to get fixins for a refreshing caprese salad to bring to Matt and Katharine's, who decided to host a barbecue, somewhat in my honor, on Saturday. They always pull out all the stops and made buffalo bleu cheese burgers, pork/veggie and shrimp/pineapple kabobs, tuna pasta salad, and the famous white-wine and fruit drink known as Clericó in Argentina. Here's Erica helping Katharine prepare:

Others brought some really fabulous side dishes, including Ben who made his famous Scotch eggs. I'd heard the legend of these from the group before but could never quite wrap my head around what a sausage-coated deep-friend hard boiled egg would look or taste like. I'm here to show you what it looks like, and tell you that it tastes DIVINE:

Right across from their house in West Philadelphia is a cute little park where we set up camp. It was a perfect spot with picnic tables and a horseshoe pit (at which I was an utter failure despite my history of being not so bad at throwing games) and the weather could not have been better. Here I am in the park with another Matt friend of ours, in my now-famous romper:

Here is Matt slaving over the barbecue:

Once everyone had digested we had a rousing 2 hours of kickball in the school playground across the street. Although I was ill-shoed I did manage to run all the bases to score once, and didn't totally suck in the outfield.

It was a great day filled with delicious food and old faces, mostly from the poker circuit I adopted as a way to make friends when I first moved there. Thanks Matt and Katharine!

Sunday - happy birthday Lydia!

Sunday was Lydia's golden birthday (when you turn the same age as the day of the month on which you were born) and we started it out by going to the zoo with her friend Tiffany, in from NYC as a birthday surprise. None of us had ever been to "America's oldest zoo" and it was pretty entertaining. It was definitely hot so the animals were lethargic, but we did manage to catch giant tortoises mating and some pretty entertaining monkey/ape action.

After that the three of us headed to Sidecar for lunch, an old favorite of Lydia's and a solid eatery. We took it easy that afternoon - they watched the poor kid crash into the wall in the last lap of the Indie 500 while I made Lydia the closest I could to "golden" cupcakes (they say "Happy Golden Lyds"):

That evening a bunch of us met at Jamaican Jerk Hut, which has a huge yard and delicious (though slow to come) food. It's also a BYO and we were not lacking in that department:

They had some board games scattered about and Tiffany and I decided to play Life. Two sisters were quick to catch on that there was Game Playing and invited themselves to join us. It had been the older sister's dance recital that day and they were too cute to resist, though the 3-year-old's stubborn refusal to share anything definitely hindered the game and caused me to say something along the lines of "I don't have to be nice to you - I'm not your mom" as I pried my car out of her hands. Here's Tiffany with the girls:

We stayed at the Jerk Hut a good long time, commandeering the stage at one point to embarrass Lydia with a dreadful rendition of the Happy Birthday song, but I'm biased since I think all renditions are dreadful.
Overall it was a fun day and I think Lydia had a great golden birthday.

Monday - Free Holiday Entertainment

Plans for Labor day weekend gradually decreased in grandeur from a weekend in the Poconos, to an overnight at the beach, to a river rafting trip, to what we finally ended up doing which was swimming in a river a mere 20 minutes away. Which was the perfect thing to do. All I wanted was to go somewhere I could submerge myself in water, and that's what I got.

Erica, Dan, Matt, Katharine and I decided to check out the nearby Devil's Pool which is on the Wissahickon river (or creek, depending on who you ask) in Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country. It's called Devil's Pool because people jump off of high rocks into shallow water and, not surprisingly, die all the time as a result. But it's supposed to be really cool and you have to hike a little ways to get to it so we thought it might not be crazy crowded. Right.

We packed a serious picnic, including a grill that Dan and Erica bought for the occasion, and hiked it all in to the site. It was a madhouse! After briefly picking a rocky location that people cut through, we found a much better spot to settle into next to the river away from the "pond" and the masses. We set up shop, busted out the grill, and got to work enjoying the beautiful day. Even though it was PACKED it was still really fun. Randomly, about 70% of people there were Puerto Rican. I found myself eavesdropping and even speaking unintentionally to passersby in Spanish. Here's a glimpse of the crowd:

It didn't take long for me to want go to swimming in the very slow-moving river, and it was at this point that I realized I'd come on a swimming trip with a bunch of non-swimmers. So, I swam up the river to where kids were jumping off rocks into a slightly deeper area of the river (you could stand in most places), and then I swam down the river, got out, and walked across the rocky, barbecue-packed plateau to the pond itself, where more kids were jumping off higher rocks into shallower water.

Back at our camp, kids were also jumping off several high trunks and a rope swing, happily into somewhat deeper water with a very muddy bottom so I didn't have to worry about anyone dying in front of my eyes. (Note that there is pineapple on our grill, a BBQ fave of mine that I've passed on to my friends.)

In my absence food was prepared with vigor. Look at Dan's face - now that's rigorous effort!

After eating I did manage to get most of the group into the water - thanks to Erica for staying behind to watch the stuff and for taking pictures!

Although it did get considerably more crowded throughout the day, we had a super pleasant time and stayed until most day-trippers had left and the creepy evening crowd was descending.

Before going we cleaned up our site, of course, and then noticing how much trash people had left behind, my totally awesome friends decided to go on litter patrol and leave the park in slightly better conditions. I helped, of course, and also shamed people into picking up their garbage, making such comments as, you're going to pick up after yourselves before you leave, right? Right.

Thanks to my rad Phila friends for being willing to do whatever random activities I come up with, and for driving and buying food and grills as the situation demands!

Tuesday May 31 - Action-packed last day

I didn't fly until Tuesday evening and managed to talk Millar into taking the day off work to play with me. We met for breakfast at Reading Terminal, and by breakfast I mean warm, buttery Amish pretzels which put all other pretzels to shame. Then we went to the courthouse to watch Adam in action for a few hours, something I've always wanted to do.

After that it was back to Reading Terminal for Sang Kee's wonton soup (a delicious deal at $1.81), Famous 4th Street cookies, and iced tea. Random combination, especially on a 95 degree day, but when you only have one opportunity to eat something in a year, you make odd choices.

Millar is part of a running group that does random things, and he needed help buying a dress for their upcoming Prom Run. So our next stop were the trash-tastic stores on Chestnut where the ladies enthusiastically helped us look for a dress. He tried on these four, ultimately deciding on the lower-right corner option (the only dress I would have actually worn myself):

Then he had to accessorize, of course. A silver clutch, silver headband with a butterfly, and silver necklace rounded out the outfit. God bless you and your incredible personal security, Millar.

Since I don't know how to not pack a zillion things into a day, I conned him into driving me to South Philly to buy a bag of potting soil and a pound of Isgro's Italian cookies to share with my Seattle coworkers the next day:

Then we said our goodbyes and I met Matt at Adam and Lydia's, where we repotted almost all of their plants (I like nontraditional host gifts) and gathered up my belongings. Matt gets mad props for both picking me up and dropping me off at the airport, and for that I rewarded him with something totally disgusting: a Pat's cheesesteak:

It is as gross as it looks, and I did want to die after eating it, but try as I might I couldn't reconcile the thought of a Phila trip without a cheesesteak. So I loaded up on low-quality meat, dense bread and goopy cheese-wiz just in time to sit on an airplane for 6 hours. It's actually fairly genius, since the only thing you can fathom afterward is taking a nap. The flight was uneventful: thank you, US Airways flight attendants, for being so pleasant.

Once I got into my apartment I burst into tears and cried for an hour, not uncommon with me after leaving one place for another - I don't think I've ever entered U.S. customs without crying, which makes the customs agent either 1) friendly and sympathetic or 2) very uncomfortable. Either way they usher you through, so drug runners, take note. Is it because I'm sad to have left? Tired from travelling? Sick from the food I justify eating on travel days? Probably all of the above, but it took me a solid week to pull out of the depressed rut (the weather didn't help) and overcome the urge to get on the next flight and move back to Philadelphia. Man, I love that place.

Don't be sad, Seattle. You're still my number one. Even if you don't have cool vacant lots like this:

June Update

2011-06-30T10:00:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick run-down on what I did the month of June.

*Started a rad new volunteer opportunity with a fledgling community garden, part of which involved attending a fascinating class on pest control hosted by Seattle Tilth.

*Saw three movies thanks to SIFF. I also saw Bridesmaids, which was funny, touching, and really awkward.

*Showed a coworker from Philadelphia the sights on what was the most gorgeous day of the year thus far. We went up in Smith Tower:

Took a ferry to Bainbridge:

Went to the sculpture park where we saw this incredible nurse log at the "vivarium":

And finished the day with a driving tour of Capitol hill, Madrona, Leschi, and Columbia city, ending at the taco stand.

*Saw my friend John from college who I hadn't seen in years and who visited on a whirlwind weekend, and finally met his delightful girlfriend Lauren.

*Enjoyed a Gaia skin care party crafted by my talented aunt Karen (I'm totally obsessed with the toner) and hosted by my always-accommodating mom.

*Worked several days in K and M's garden. The back yard is shaping up nicely, with some much appreciated plant donations from my mom's always gorgeous garden and some fabulous raised beds built by M into an otherwise unruly and slanted piece of the back yard.

*Met K's dad and stepmom for the first time in the many years I've known her and had a delicious and inspired dinner party with them and some other friends of ours.

*Got four amazing free tickets and took my parents and Russ to the Phillies-at-Mariners game on Father's day. It was the first time I'd ever seen a winning game!

*Hosted Katharine overnight and took her to the new Rn 74 for happy hour and my favorite, Local 360, for dinner, where we ate a variety of random meats and a gourmet s'more. Later we drove to West Seattle where we took this skyline glamour shot:

*Went to a Solstice barbecue at Golden Gardens, which was a combined birthday party for my friend David, where I made the best s'more ever. If you're keeping track, that's s'mores two nights in a row. Heaven.

(If you look closely you can see there is a windsurfer under the sun.)

(The chocolate is a melted Reese's peanut butter cup!)

*Attended several Gay Pride events, the most noteworthy of which was Prom Rugby in which men played in prom dresses and women played in tuxedo-esque garb. It was a fundraiser with various levels of donations and rewards; for $25 you could get two players to change clothes and teams, which Morgan and I got behind.

*Went to the Gay Pride fair on Broadway with Robyn and some of her friends on Saturday, and then the parade downtown on Sunday with Toddler J on my back and his mom and another friend as enthusiastic attendees. That parade is LONG! We lucked out on the weather and had a great time.

*Made serious progress on my first major sewing project - a wrap dress - with lots of help from Morgan and Casey. Here is the top half before I sewed it to the bottom. It's made from two different colored bedsheets, is too big, and has weird front pleats, but I love it anyway and hope it's wearable after some alterations and a dye job. No matter what it's been a really valuable learning experience.

And that's June, more or less! This afternoon it's off to the Olympic Peninsula to go camping for a long weekend. Although it is the rain forest, we're hopeful it doesn't rain on us the entire time.

Happy 4th of July!

Note: The Philadelphia blog is 100% written and the photos are picked and re-sized, but I'm a dolt and left them on a jump drive... which I left at home. Will post next week.

Volunteering is good for the soul: Miller CC Garden

2011-06-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share that I recently became the Volunteer Coordinator for a new pilot program community garden at the Miller Community Center in my neighborhood, Capitol Hill.

The Seattle Parks Department is starting nine such pilot gardens in an effort to connect communities with each other and with a sustainable, nourishing food system. In addition to the vegetable garden there will be cooking demonstrations and community meals, and during the school year local students will be largely responsible for caring for the garden, integrating it into educational opportunities. Bleeding heart liberals, rejoice!

The Miller CC Garden is a fledgling project, with raised beds getting built the second week in July and the first planning/working party tentatively scheduled for July 21.

In addition to coordinating volunteers - of which I'm thrilled to say there are quite a few interested parties - I've started a blog and, believe it or not, a Facebook account for the garden (if you want to "like" the project, search for Miller Community Center Garden).

Can we talk for a moment about how creepy Facebook is? I created this account with the Miller CC email address and didn't use any personal information, yet it still managed to recommend that I "friend" two dudes I knew years ago in Philadelphia and whose email addresses I don't even have in case FB was able to somehow leach its way into another open browser where I was logged into my personal account. HOW DOES IT DO THAT? Reason number 1,687 why I'm not on Facebook, at least not personally.

Anyhoo, I've been searching for just such a volunteer opportunity and I can't believe something exists that so perfectly connects so many of my passions - gardening, building community, sustainable food education, delicious food, and language acquisition (one of the local schools primarily serves English language learners) literally fell into my lap.

I fully accept the premise that volunteering is an inherently selfish activity because it makes us feel warm and fuzzy, because frankly, I like feeling warm and fuzzy. Hooray for giving back to get something out of it!

Three Flicks at the Seattle International Film Festival

2011-06-24T11:10:00.003-07:00

I was in Philadelphia for most of SIFF this year but managed to catch three movies toward the end.

Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Seach for a Kool Place – Egyptian theater, Thursday 6/2, 9:30 pm

The description for this movie was right up my alley – “found” footage made into a documentary about 1960s drug culture. And the movie itself was quite interesting, beautifully edited – and incredibly so considering the major hurdles the filmmakers had to jump to put together something cohesive – but it was somewhat slower than one would expect from a movie about a psychedelic-filled cross-country bus trip.

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame – Egyptian theater, Monday 6/5, 9:30 pm

I have a soft spot for martial arts flicks and this one promised spontaneously-combusting government officials and a fight sequence with chainsaw-yielding puppets. Although there was some good humor and enjoyable action, the plot was a bit too jumbled for my tastes – a “plot doily” as my movie viewing companion described it. Lest you all clamber to argue that martial arts movies are not dictated by the same constraints as western cinema, never fear, you’ve been beaten to it by a coworker who put me in my place.

Por El Camino – Pacific Place, Thursday 6/9, 7:00 pm

This road trip movie was set in Uruguay, directed and produced by Brasilians, and starred an Argentine and a Belgian. By far my favorite movie, it produced both nostalgic and violent reactions as I watched the main character display so much of what I liked and loathed about the Argentine culture, specifically the upper class, all juxtaposed against the stunning undeveloped Uruguay landscape with cuts to pulsating, hideous Punta del Este, where the rich and famous – and those who want to gawk at them – flock in January and February. I resisted being a know-it-all as I listened to audience questions and speculation, and I suffered feeling utterly foolish as I tried to explain to the filmmaker (both the director and lead Argentine were there for the U.S. premiere) how his editing choices had captured a culture I tried on for size for two years, only to fumble over my Spanish. He was nothing if not sweet and I know I projected my own memories of being wrapped up with the rich and cool of the southern cone but not quite belonging, but I still walked away feeling a bit silly, like the only-sort-of-cool-kid trying to join the really-cool-kid group instead of just being content with where she is.

STIFF – maybe next year

I tried to get to several STIFF events – Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, which is always held right after SIFF ends – but I didn’t quite make it. In theory I like the idea of more independent films (we’re talking truly independent, like you or me grabbing a camera and deciding to make a movie) but I don’t know that I necessarily love the way they harp on SIFF. Since when does success mean they’ve sold out? Although some of SIFF’s sponsors are questionably corporate, there’s no denying that SIFF connects a lot of people with a lot of movies they’d never otherwise see, and they’re able to do it year-round thanks to a lot of local support.

I encourage everyone to expand their viewing of independent movies - there are some incredible things to see that you'll never watch at an AMC, and a great way to do so is through any local film festival you can find.

OCD tip: to regain a sense of control, try scrapbooking

2011-06-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

I know I owe a Philadelphia blog, which is mostly written, I just have to add pictures to it. (Don’t even mention the Mexico blog. One of these days…)

Before that, I’d like to briefly talk about the mental struggle I’ve been experiencing since I got back from Philadelphia, which was a delightful trip and has me thinking about moving back, which happens every time. (Today it’s 100 degrees there which dampens my desire to relocate.) Seattle weather has been wintry and depressing and it has everyone Down in the Dumps, which affects us all differently.

For me, for whatever reason, I feel a loss of control over my environment; I'm fractured, disorganized, without direction. I tried to alleviate this by hiring my friend Brian to finally hang everything that’s been leaning against the walls since October while I simultaneously cleaned out every drawer, nook, and cranny in my house. However, as a minimalist I haven’t gathered much and that didn’t give me the satisfaction I was craving. Then I saw it: the giant plastic tub filled with 11 years’ worth of scrapbooking material.

Back in November I bought a bunch of scrapbooking supplies and was determined to make a winter project out of it. My last major scrapbooking initiative was when I was a senior in high school, 11 years ago. I put together books of school work, written work, photos, and random memorabilia, and I’m still grateful to my young self for taking that initiative. Since then I’ve been collecting memories and storing them in a variety of manila envelopes and plastic bags at best, with most items loose which I gathered into the one bin the last time I moved all my stuff.

For whatever reason, that didn’t happen this winter, and it’s been a persistent, unfinished nag since then. So on Tuesday night, when I got home at 8 with a few drinks in me and the urge to do something productive, I busted out the bin and got to work.

Four hours later, this is what my living room looked like, and still looks like:

It’s hard to see but there’s a little semicircle against the couch where I was sitting, and surrounding that circle are about 9 stuffed manila envelopes and several filing folders, plus all the stuff on the floor. Believe it or not, this is Highly Organized.

I got through all the organization of items into categories and/or chronological groups. Simply sorting through everything was really the hardest part, since I had to look at every individual item, ascertain what it was, whether or not it was important enough to scrapbook, and if so, find its appropriate category or year. A few observations/random notes:

It’s scary how terrible my memory is. There were things that didn’t jog my memory, even a tiny bit. For instance, I was a volunteer English teacher in Philadelphia for two years and I saved all the class rosters. Out of 4 classes, only ONE STUDENT’S NAME rang a bell. This actually made me so upset/depressed that I had to put them away in a folder.

Even on the things I did remember, I have always been dreadful at remembering WHEN things happened. So, to get things in the right place, I sent many texts asking random questions like “What year did you act in the Twilight Zone?” and “What year did I visit you when you were that band’s tour manager in Philadelphia?” I was often cursing myself for not dating items with the year – so many notes and other items with just the day and month. IDIOT. (Likewise for first names vs. first AND last names.) Also it's strange to me the things that don't have years on them, such as airline ticket stubs.

I think it’s sweet how many things I save, but not practical to scrapbook them all. So, I enjoy the items for the memory jolt they give me, but discard quite a few of them in favor of saving the really good ones and not being overwhelmed by too much material down the line. I have a similar approach to photos - I delete a lot of them so that when I'm old I don't have 500,000 to sort through.

I found so many cards from my dear Grandpa Joe that I actually had to put them away to read later because every time I came across one I got a little teary. He was a wonderful letter writer and card giver and it was just too touching to deal with in my high-gear sorting OCD headspace.

Speaking of things I found, a $200 savings bond that Gramma and Grandpa Archer gave me for my high school graduation - score! I knew I had it, I just didn’t know exactly WHERE it was. It’s now worth $148, which I suspect is the same it would be worth once it gets to $200 once adjusted for inflation, so I’m going to cash that sucker in.

I may be a recluse for the next few weeks. Once I start a project, I can’t go back...

How I became a wine blending expert in under 2 hours

2011-05-16T07:55:00.005-07:00

When my friend Jacob asked me if I wanted to redeem a Groupon with him for a “wine blending class” in Lacey, WA (an hour south of Seattle) in which we'd end up with six bottles of our own blend, I of course said yes because I adore random activities. I’m happy to say that it far outweighed even our loftiest expectations of randomness.

Jacob (who is like a brother - ask anyone, we bicker like siblings) and I both love a sleepover and my couch is unbelievably comfortable, so Sunday morning started with this...

...followed by homemade frittata and coffee before we hit the road at about 10:45 to make it in time for our 12:00 class. It was pouring rain which was fine by us – a sunny day would have made us want to ditch and hang outside, especially after this spring of winter weather.

We rolled up right on time to Classic Winemakers, a combination "micro winery" and retailer. Since neither of us knew what to expect, it seemed normal that there were people perusing the inventory sipping glasses of wine while carboys of wine occupied every available space in the small store. Why not?

Soon, our brewmaster Andrew led us into a separate room in the back - also filled with carboys, barrels, and other wine accoutrement - where there were four wines on tap and sets of 2 and 4 wine glasses waiting. So, this was going to be a private class... we had no idea if we'd be with a group in a classroom or what! Andrew told us we'd be tasting four wines, gave us a brief description of each, and poured them out for us: a merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and tempranillo. They were all pretty sweet with the latter two being the driest.

Once we'd tasted them, he showed us the next set of wine glasses with large syringes in them, plus a small measuring cup: these were our "blending" tools. We were to make four different blends of our own, and then choose the one we liked best. That was it. Andrew left us to our own devices to blend.

We jumped right in with a 75% merlot/25% tempranillo blend. Yuck - too sweet! Next was a 75% shiraz/25% tempranillo blend that we liked pretty well. Third we tried 50% shiraz and 25% each merlot and tempranillo. Nope. At this point we were pretty sure we'd go with blend #2 and decided that, what the hell, we'd try 25% of each for our fourth and final blend. We couldn't be sure if it was our destroyed palates but it was actually quite tasty! We got Andrew to taste it and told him he could make fun of us if it was terrible, but he actually seemed to like it. This was our blend: the 4x4.

Our next task was to "recreate" the blend to make sure it tasted the way we wanted it to, and then Andrew brought us six empty bottles, a bottle with measurement marks on it as a guide, and a funnel, and once again left us to our devices. It was hardly an exact science and each bottle ended up with a different composition, but we weren't too worried about it. We tended toward more shiraz and tempranillo and called it good.

Once bottled, Andrew came back with a manual corking machine and let us pick our own color of cork - we went with a classic black. He gave us a quick demo and we corked the rest ourselves.

Next we moved on to labels. We chose a farm motif and Andrew showed us how to use the label making program on the computer. Jacob is a designer and I'm in marketing so we spent a semi-absurd amount of time designing our label.

It's worth noting here that Jacob had been pouring himself single-serve "4x4" blends right from the taps and at one point even moved on to drinking our rejected blends. To categorize him as "in the bag" would not be unfair. I, as driver, remained what we called in college "essentially sober," i.e. BAC below .08, but I was certainly not an innocent bystander to the one-off drinking of 4x4s. During one such pouring, I managed to knock one of the reject blends all over myself. After insisting on a photo for full documentation of the event, I hurried to the front counter where they sprayed me down with "wine out" or some such miracle spray - I'm happy to report it washed up beautifully.

Labels finally designed and printed, we carried our bottles to a flat rack to wipe them clean of our fingerprints and adhese the stickers. The very last step was the cap. We had originally thought we'd use a black and gold topper to match our label, but at the last minute inspiration struck and we chose a bright yellow finish to our bottles.

They have a fun heat machine where you stick the topper on the wine and then heat it for three seconds:

Voila! Totally professional-looking bottles of our own blended wine. Behold, Archerstone Estates "4x4" blend, May 2011:

The whole thing took about an hour and a half. After turning in our voucher and tipping the very accommodating and chill Andrew, we headed back into the rainy afternoon, disoriented and amused by the complete randomness of what we'd just done. A decision was quickly made to Eat Lunch Now, and we pulled off one exit later into the Nisqually Bar and Grill, which was surprisingly light-filled with great servers and amazing burgers:

Full from lunch and tired from the day's excitement but fully sober, I got behind the wheel for the haul back to Seattle. Also full from lunch and still buzzed, Jacob did his best to stay awake and keep me company. Traffic was blessedly light and we were both relieved to be back in my apartment by 3:30. Jacob was so happy he promptly laid down on the couch and slept for 2 hours while I puttered about, waiting for my laundry to finish. This is one of many positions I laughed at during his "best nap ever": (All photos reproduced with Jacob's permission!)

A brisk walk, a bowl of pho, and a terrible movie finished off a hilarious Sunday.

We're currently accepting applications from qualified applicants to help consume a bottle of Archerstone 4x4 - interested candidates should submit an essay entitled "Why I want to drink a bottle of mystery blend."

p.s. We took some great videos as well. Once I edit them together I'll share.

Where Did April Go?

2011-04-29T12:38:00.002-07:00

Is it just me or did April fly by? Here’s a quick summary of how I filled the month. Despite being kept quite busy at work, I did manage to fit some fun in. In April, I:

Went to an "Arctic-themed" costume party with Marin, complete with an ice sculpture of a polar bear. (If my costume looks familiar, there's a reason for that.)

Welcomed home my dear friend Amber from a year teaching in South Korea with an Asian-themed dinner and birthday party:

Rocked out at Casey’s incredible fashion show, where he debuted his intensely impressive clothing line:

Won two out of three games of Settlers of Catan during an epic gaming night.

Bought a Bernina 1979 classic sewing machine. Isn't it gorgeous?

Started taking lessons from Casey, who currently has me sewing “squares of insanity” in which you stitch gradually smaller squares separated by exact distances. This one is 3/8ths of an inch:

Hiked Rattlesnake Ledge with Amber on the first 70+ degree day of the year. I don't know why I like this picture so much... it seems sort of seventies-esque, no?

Gorgeous views from the top. That lake will be killer to swim in this summer.

Baked my first gluten-free, dairy-free cake in honor of my sister’s birthday. It turned out pretty well - super dark, not too sweet, and very dense.

The frosting is an amazing chocolate coconut mousse that could not be easier to make.

Started seedlings indoors (tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, cilantro) and planted potatoes, radishes, carrots, arugula, and snap peas outdoors at the thriving estate of K, M, and J. Pictured: garlic, fava beans, and leeks planted last fall; arugula, carrot, and radish seedlings.

Generally swooned over the adorable and wildly vocal toddler J as he nears the 2-year mark. I swear he knows the name for every object in every book we read. (That's a butterfly! That's a kite! That's the letter B! That's a fire engine! THAT'S A DIGGER!)

Started playing tennis – poorly but enthusiastically – with Morgan.

Helped my friend Jacob purge 8 years of his life as he finally moved out of his apartment while engaging in psychological warfare on his consumerist habits, especially in the purchase of books and mustard.

Wore a skirt which has not fit comfortably in 2 years, thanks largely to going (mostly) gluten-free and to thrice-weekly kettle bell swing sessions in my living room. (Image courtesy of thefitnessworkout.com)

And, that's April for you. I’ve scheduled my annual spring visit to Philadelphia for May 20-31, and there are several other exciting events on the docket, so I’m really looking forward to what the next month has to offer!

Changes: six months later

2011-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

Back in September I wrote a post about the many changes going on in my life, including a commitment I made to myself to lead a healthier life by prioritizing the things that would make me happiest – “Operation Choose Joy” is what I called it – focused largely on getting my diet and exercise in order. I set some six-month goals, so here is the six-month update. My initial focus was on exercise. I joined the same gym my sister goes to and we started working out together once or twice a week. I also started swimming, which I have always loved, and I walked to and from work as often as weather and time would allow. I started making small changes to my diet too, mostly based on bringing my lunch to work rather than eating out. It’s amazing what that does to one’s diet AND bank account! I also focused on portions and just making better decisions in general – no fried food, hardly any sugar, alcohol, dairy, or red meat. I also stopped drinking coffee since caffeine has always made me feel sort of blah. From October to February I lost and have kept off about 10 pounds, which is great – I’m proud that I stuck with it and feel like I’ve adjusted my habits for life. However, at 10 pounds, I hit a wall. It was impossible to lose another pound even though I was working out more than ever, largely thanks to my sister signing us up for boot camp. I behaved over the holidays and during my two January weeks in Mexico was really active and only ate twice a day so didn’t worry too much about what I ate at those meals, though it was mostly good, whole foods. By February 15 I was at the same weight despite all my efforts and I got really discouraged, slowly spiraling into bad food habits and more or less abandoning the gym. Luckily that didn’t last too long! In the first week of March I snapped out of it, started doing Nia which is a sort of cheesy but totally awesome dance class, got back in the habit of walking to work, and committed to a March 15 “gluten free” start date. In 2007 I went gluten free for about 8 months, during which I felt amazing and dropped some serious lbs. I’m slightly allergic (like a lot of us are) and my body is so much happier without it. But then I moved to South America and my gluten free life went the way of the Dodo. Now I’m starting again and so far, so good. I should clarify that I’m not a 100% stickler: there is gluten in soy sauce, for instance, but I haven’t cut that out. I’m mostly focused on the big offenders: pasta, bread, crackers, cookies – anything that has flour as a primary ingredient. I’m also going “low carb” in general, so I’m not replacing pasta with brown rice pasta, or noodles with rice noodles. Instead I’m eating a lot of vegetables, legumes, and lean protein. So that’s my update. Spring just started so I have a full season left to get into bathing suit shape. Overall I’m proud of my progress and my commitment, and grateful that I have a healthy self-image so that even with some lbs to go, I think I have a pretty rockin’ bod. And things are grand in the rest of my life, too.

I adore my apartment. It's such a wonderful space, I feel good in it, and I love that other people love to spend time in it. I have done some serious cooking in that kitchen, including for some 15-20 person parties.

I really like my new position and am about to have my seven year anniversary with the company.

My hair is getting long.

I meditate and get acupuncture and massage therapy - hella zen up in here.

I became Toddler J's unofficial godmother and get to see him all the time (he's almost 2).

It's spring! K and I started gardening last week - there's nothing like the smell of freshly turned earth.

I'm going to start learning how to make my own clothes.

Life is (what we make it).

Long weekend in Los Angeles

2011-03-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent 4 days in Los Angeles visiting friends and extended family. I flew in late Wednesday night and had a generally grumpy day turn into a truly magical evening. My dear friend Annie picked me up at the airport (yeah Glendale!) and we wound our way to her Swiss chalet complex in West Hollywood where her delightful roommates and a friend of mine I had not seen in 10 years awaited us. Here is that complex is by daylight:

Back to the waiting friend: I had heard hide nor hair of Jamie Grace, one of three people with whom I connected emotionally during my single year at Loyola Marymount in LA, since the last day I saw her in May 2001. A few months ago she found my blog and left a comment, prompting me to e-stalk her, get in contact, and arrange for this very fortuitous meeting in WeHo (yes, people really call it that). We convened around 11 and what I thought would be an hour of chit-chat turned into 4 hours of fascinating, often deep conversation and debate. Even at 3 am we were still lively but everyone had to be up early so we forced ourselves to bed. J.G. stayed over too, and I was especially grateful for the chance to catch up on her and the fantastic things she’s done with the last decade of her life.

I had originally wanted to get to Disneyland right when it opened at 9 am, but we decided fighting traffic wouldn’t be worth it and let ourselves sleep in a bit. After a nice morning of tea and more catching up, Annie and I were underway by 10. Traffic was pretty light and parking was a breeze – hardly any cars in line! We got on the tram to the park at 11:00, exchanged the vouchers my friend Taylor generously gave us for two park-hopper tickets, took our picture with the Mickey flowers, and entered my favorite childhood destination.

I had never been to the park with anyone except my family and we all have a very strong association between Disney and familial bliss. But Annie was the perfect Disney partner, letting me be totally bossy about what we were going to do. I had never been there any time except August (the month of our annual family vacation to visit family in LA) and I was grateful that I had booked my trip for the first week in March before spring break started. The parks were virtually empty! Within our first hour we had been on Space Mountain, ridden the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and seen Captain Eo - a hilarious though badly-aged 3D adventure starring Michael Jackson and directed by George Lucas from 1986 that they resurrected after MJ’s death.

Normally any one of those would have had an hour-long line – at least –so I was giddy. I had downloaded an iPhone application that tells you ride wait times and we checked it all day, with me frequently exclaiming things like, “Only five minutes to get on Pirates of the Caribbean??” We didn’t get a single fast pass because the two lines started at the exact same place.

In Disney we also did, in this order: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (usually there is an inexplicably long line for this), Big Thunder Mountain, paused for a soup bread bowl and churro, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and the Jungle Book cruise. Then we crossed over to California Adventure. I hadn’t been there since it opened 10 years ago and I got to go to a preview day for free as a member of the press when I worked on the newspaper at LMU. We started with Soarin’ over California (so, so cool), then got really wet on the water ride. Luckily it was a beautiful day and a few minutes in the sun had dried us off. We then waited in the longest line all day for the Toy Story ride, which admittedly was one of the most fun things we did all day. It’s like a video game! We were in stitches laughing. We followed that up with Screamin’, a killer roller coaster, and then walked through the animation studios which I remembered being cooler 10 years ago.

Our last stop in CA was the Tower of Terror. My least favorite sensation in the world is that of losing your stomach, and it seemed to me that an elevator ride that dropped you over and over would pretty much be that feeling, over and over. But, both my mom and sister insisted I do and I knew I’d never live it down if I didn’t. The line for the ride is really cool and sets the mood beautifully – the premise is a Twilight Zone episode in which you’re in the classic Hollywood era at a fancy hotel. The normal elevator is broken, so you have to take the freight, which some years ago during a lightning storm caused its occupants to disappear. I made friends with a 7 year old girl (who had been going on it since she was 4!) and her mom who didn’t particularly like the ride but was cool enough to take her daughter every year. The four of us rode together and our “elevator operator” could not have been more perfect for the role: bombshell ‘50s blonde with a deep voice and a wry sense of humor. The doors closed, Annie’s hand clamped down on my thigh, and up we went, slooowly. The ride is different each time so you never know how high you’ll go or how many times they’ll raise you back up and drop you again. When you get to the very top they open the doors so you can look out on the landscape, which was very cool. Actually, the whole ride was really cool! Since they actually push you down and don’t just drop you, I didn’t have that horrid weightless stomach-loss feeling and I would admit that it was probably my favorite ride all day. Here is the picture they took of us at the top:

If we had had more time we would have ridden Tower of Terror again, but I wanted to get back to Disney to ride the Storybook boat at night so back across the parks we went. As we were entering Disneyland again, something happened which has never happened to me before in the 18 visits I’ve made to the park. There, just as we walked in, stood the mouse himself: Mickey, with nary a crowd to be seen around him. I stopped dead in my tracks and stammered, “It’s… it’s Mickey. Look. Mickey. Mickey Mouse.” Of course we got a picture with him, and I don’t even care how bad it is – it’s freakin’ Mickey Mouse! He never just strolls around the park on his own. Usually you have to stand in line to see him in Toon Town which, let’s face it, who does that? Someone told me that he’s only ever out at one park in the world at a time. If that’s true it makes the sighting that much more rare and awesome.

From there we went to Storybook which gives me the warm fuzzies from a childhood of idolizing the boat guides, beautiful women in long dresses who would sometimes let me sit on the bow of the boat with them. I almost regret riding it, because although it is as cute as I remembered, the costumes have changed, our guide was shrill, there were fat people in the boat (since it was built in the ’50s when people were smaller, it breaks all the time because we’ve gotten so fat, which made me very protective of the little boat), and someone took probably 100 flash photos in the 4 minutes we were on the water. Ah, well.

After that we also rode Pinocchio because there was no line. Those kids rides really have terrifying imagery! By then the park was closing down so we strolled down Main street, choosing to enjoy the shops rather than hurry back across to see the light show at California Adventure, which we didn’t even have seats for so the likelihood of seeing much was slim. We got a caramel apple and flattened some pennies, then boarded the tram and drove happily away from the happiest place on earth.

Annie dropped me off in Glendale at my Gramma’s house around 10 pm. I slept like the dead in a very cozy bed and woke up to her smiling face and a nice cup of coffee. Being in that house is another cherished childhood memory, and I’m grateful that so much has stayed the same. Gramma sends everyone a daily update and for the last several months has been writing her life history for us to enjoy. It’s been so interesting that I wanted to do something with it, so we spent the morning going through old photo albums filled with incredible pictures and documents. She very trustingly let me borrow them so I can make digital copies and hopefully turn it into a book with her memoirs for the family to have. It was so interesting talking about all of that history that when she asked if I wanted breakfast, I looked at my watch and it was after noon. So we got dressed for lunch instead, hitting up a sweet tea house in Glendale called Favorite Place where the owners know her and gifted us two delectable red velvet cupcakes for dessert.

After that we drove to Forest Lawn memorial park in Glendale where there is a small but interesting museum. Apparently in the building next door there is the largest painting of the last supper in the world, but we missed the viewing time and instead focused on the stain glass exhibit in the museum, which was quite a sight. Some of them were as old as the 12th century. We also toured the sculpture room, where I was stunned to come face-to-face with a Moai from Easter island. You very, very rarely see these outside of Chile and I was mesmerized for some minutes in front of it.

By the time we got back to the house it was time for my aunt Sandy to pick me up. She was in the area and agreed to collect me so my cousin Lana didn’t have to make the brutal round trip in Friday afternoon traffic. The hour flew by as we caught up, and we had a glass of wine at their beautiful house in Malibu before Lana whisked me away to Santa Monica for dinner at a “hipster Chinese restaurant” with more family members (Lana’s husband Karl; her sister/my cousin Lauren and her fiancé Nick) and some of their friends. You can bring your own wine which was cool, and the food was great – a high compliment from someone who worked in Seattle’s International District for years and knows her Chinese cuisine! After that we hit a few bars but didn’t stay out too late.

The next morning while Karl went surfing, Lana and I had a nice fruit, granola, and Greek yogurt breakfast and then went on a hike in nearby Temescal Canyon. It was so close we were able to walk to it. The hike was perfect, just the right level of difficulty so we were sweating but could still maintain a conversation. The views from the top were impressive, though Lana lamented that it wasn’t more clear over the ocean. I didn't take a camera with me but I borrowed this from Google (thanks, Alan Fogelquist):

On our way back we stopped for lunch at a happening café called Vida. There are always famous people out and about in Pacific Palisades so I was disappointed that all we saw was someone from The Hills, and definitely not someone I recognized.

We took quick showers and then were on our way to her sister/my cousin Larissa and her husband Justin’s house for a family party. They recently had an adorable baby girl and I managed to hold her for a few minutes before she was stolen from me. Between my aunts and Gramma it was hard getting a piece of her.

My extended family is huge – my grandparents had 4 kids and each of them had 3 or 4 kids. Plus, it’s only bigger now that my cousins are getting married and having their own kids. Even with my family and another family missing from the fray, there were still close to 20 people there. It was so great to catch up with everyone, and Annie came to meet the troops. Dinner was delicious - lasagna followed by chocolate ganache cake – and the last of us didn’t leave until 10 pm we were having such a ball.

I spent that night at Gramma’s again and on Sunday Annie came over for lunch (she wins for putting in so much effort to see me). After that she had a movie shoot and Gramma and I went to Descanso gardens, a sort of botanical garden meets arboretum. The camellias, cherry trees, and lilacs were in bloom and it was another beautiful day.

We sat for awhile in the Japanese garden and then checked out a camellia competition. Hundreds of blooms were on display, and we puzzled over what made one a first-prize bloom versus the second-prize next to it, and wondered what the different categories meant. It’s fascinating to think about people creating their own camellia strains and entering them into competitions.

From there we visited Gramma’s mom, brother, and my Grandpa, who rest in peace on a beautiful hill in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. We went on March 13, and March 15 would have been Grandpa’s 91st birthday. (Happy birthday, Grandpa!)

We had to go straight to the airport from there, wrapping up my action-packed four days in Los Angeles. I wish I had more time but I fit a lot in and it was really wonderful to spend so much time with Gramma and to see as many people as I could.

February Update

2011-02-28T16:09:00.005-08:00

I just realized that if I don't post today, it would be the first time I didn't write at least once in a month since I started this blog back in 2007. Talk about lazy blogging!

First, a Mexico update: I have been languorously writing about my trip as the mood and memories strike. The ultimate result will be a series of detailed posts with pictures, but I'm going to stop making promises about when that's coming.

Second, why haven't I been blogging in general? You might think it's because life doesn't seem quite as exciting now that I live in the U.S., but my weeks continue to be filled with varied and interesting activities even and maybe especially when I'm stateside. For instance, in the month of February I have:

Gone to a Heroes and Villians costume party:

Hosted a very successful clothing swap and brunch:

Participated in (and cooked for) multiple board game nights (Settlers of Catan, how we love thee)

Been speed dating (Yes, again! I can't get enough of awkward social situations)

Cheered for a friend's Roller Derby Team

Survived cross country skiing:

Taken the Underground Tour for the third time (third time was enough)

Cooked countless delicious things - I love winter food and getting a bi-weekly produce box keeps me on my culinary feet.

Delighted in numerous brunches, lunches, and dinners with friends and family.

So, why haven't I written in unecessary detail about any of these events? I blame it on not having the internet at my apartment. But how can you LIVE without the internet, you ask? Easily. I also don't have a TV - it's the dark ages at my house and that's the way I like it. But I realize my laziness isn't fair to the 5 of you who regularly check in on me, nor to future generations who will pour over my every word (ahem), nor to future me who will wonder what I did with my youth and be grateful for this convenient record, so I will try to do a better job of writing in the future for all of our sakes.

A mythical event explored: speed dating

2011-01-26T06:17:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I’ve been a lazy blogger and need to write at least one and probably two blogs about my Mexico vacation (which was fabulous, incidentally). But vacation blogs take me forever to write since it also requires sorting through pictures, etc. and we all know I’m incapable of leaving out even the minutest detail, so I just haven’t prioritized that necessary 3-4 hour block of time in my post-vacation schedule. That schedule included a week of sleeping 10-11 hours a night, and then once I snapped out of that it turned out I had a lot to do after 2 weeks out of the country and a week of nothing but work and sleep.

One of those things was – you guessed it – speed dating. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how utterly obnoxious it is trying to date in Seattle. Thanks to the Seattle Freeze, even natives like me have a hard time meeting people, new friends or otherwise. That was one motivation for going to speed dating.

The second and more influential motivation was the shroud of mystery and hilarity that surrounds speed dating; a sort of urban legend, if you will. Think about it: it's often discussed and portrayed in movies, it's sometimes the subject of a joke or funny conversation, but how many people do you know who have actually attended a speed dating event? Very few, I bet.

I had planned on attending an event in January with a friend, but then she decided to go out of town so I conned a coworker into going with me. Neither one of us knew what the night would hold, but we approached it with light hearts and low expectations.

Here's how it worked: Tickets were sold for three age groups, 21-33, 30-41, and 40+ (overlap intentional so people could choose if they were on the cusp). Then, as you sign in, you are given a number. Ever the rule follower, I made sure we got there right at 6:30, and as a result we were the first two women to sign in, so our numbers were F1 and F2. You then go on a 5 minute "date" with 10 men in your age group. I dated M1-M10. After each date, you circle 'yes' or 'no' next to that person's number. If you both circle 'yes,' you get each other's email addresses the next day.

My night couldn't have started on a more perfect note in terms of the awkward/hilarious situations you would expect from such haphazard pairings. My first "date" was a 22-year-old "wealth manager." He was sweet enough but looked like he was 15, and when he found out I had been at my job for 7 years his jaw dropped as I watched him mentally calculate how old that must make me.

I have to point out that of 10 men, 7 of them were not from the U.S. and all 7 of them worked for Microsoft. This appears to have been a coincidence since the event was in no way Microsoft-centric, but it was certainly an interesting element. Probably the most painful/memorable was when my friend went on a "date" with one such fellow who professed that his goal in attending speed dating was to "meet a wife and take her back to China" (to which my friend replied politely, "Well, good luck!") and then in the very next round - i.e. his date with ME - he asked me out on the spot. Yikes.

Overall the people were pleasant and interesting and I only anxiously awaited the 5 minute bell to ring twice. Having the same conversation over and over was a bit tiresome but I tried to mix it up as did a lot of the men, resulting in such questions as "What was the best Christmas present you got?" and "If all jobs paid the same, what would you do?" and "If you could date any cartoon character from your childhood, who would it be?" (My answer was Disney's Robin Hood, of course. What a fox!)

It was a fascinating anthropological event which unto itself would have been worth it. But, at least in my case, it did not fail to produce the results so many people attend these events hoping for, so it was a double success in my book. Overall I heartily recommend speed dating to the curious singleton!

I love Christmas

2010-12-26T14:34:00.002-08:00

I really love the Christmas season, and for some reason this year was even more enjoyable than years past. Maybe it’s because last year was the first Christmas I’d ever spent away from Seattle, so I had two years’ worth of build up. The early advertisements didn’t bother me and I happily listened to Christmas music at every opportunity, only reaching my saturation point on Christmas day itself – perfect timing.

I planned my company’s holiday party, attended a lovely Hanukah dinner (mmm, latkes!), and went to half a dozen other Christmas parties and dinners - including a Santa-themed pub crawl and a dinner where I roasted my very first duck - before the big day. The duck was delicious!

The most memorable of these was Adam’s yearly Christmas party, in which guests are advised: “don’t come as you are . . . come a little bit better.” This results in a normally casual group transformed into a sharply dressed crew. Adam goes all out, including providing a top-shelf bar meant to last well into the night, decorating to the nines, and dressing as Santa and subjecting himself to an hour or more of Santa pictures. I didn’t make it home until 6 am and it was definitely the party of the year.

Contrary to the stereotypical stress-inducing family, mine is a joy to be with on Christmas day (and otherwise). We have very few obligations and a long-standing tradition of staying in our PJs all day – no one comes and no one goes. We make Chex Mix, drink hot buttered rum, watch movies, and play board games.

Of course, before all of that we open presents. Ever since we were kids, my parents have treated Christmas as the one day of the year when we’re extravagant, from sweet to savory, from decorations to gifts. Growing up without a lot of money, this was a particularly touching feat, one we didn’t fully appreciate until we were adults. This year was no different, but now that the kids are adults we give each other great gifts, too. All in all a very satisfying and relaxed morning of ripping open wrapping paper, pausing to eat overnight waffles, and finishing off at a leisurely pace. Another difference is that as adults we can stretch gift-opening until the early afternoon. Here is my sister displaying a fan of incense samplings and my dad figuring out his new Kindle in the background:

The only bummer was that I got the 24-hour flu, from about 2 pm Christmas day until pretty much right now. It was, as the flu goes, quite mild, which doesn’t mean it was fun (I’m not sure which was worse, puking or missing out on all the good eats) but at least I recovered quickly because I go to Mexico tomorrow!

I’ll be touring the Yucatan peninsula for the next 2 weeks. I’ve been dying to get back to Mexico ever since my last trip when I went to Oaxaca and the Southern coast for my 24th birthday. Five years later I’ll be spending New Year’s and my 29th birthday amid Mayan ruins and next to the Caribbean sea.

So, happy end of the holiday season to all of you, stay tuned for vacation highlights, and I'll see you in the new year!

Backlog blog #5: Manu Chao plays Seattle

2010-12-17T12:15:00.005-08:00

Manu Chao has long been one of my favorite musicians. His were the first songs I could sing all the way through in Spanish, I have very fond memories of my Spanish boyfriend singing me Manu Chao songs when I studied abroad in Sevilla, and I never tire of hearing the same albums over and over again.

So, even though I am famous for disliking live music, I have now been to two Manu Chao concerts in the same calendar year.

I had the opportunity to see Manu Chao last year in Argentina and I jumped on it - taking a bunch of Americans and one Brasilian with me - because he so rarely plays in the U.S. It was a memorable show and I was grateful to have seen him.

Imagine my surprise when, on the first day walking to work from my new Capitol hill apartment in October, I passed the Paramount Theater and its placard announcing Manu Chao for the very next week. I quite literally did a double take, even rubbed my eyes to make sure it wasn't a mirage. Sure enough, he was doing several shows in the U.S. on the west coast, and Seattle was his first stop. Of course I had to go to his first Seattle show ever!

The natural choice for a friend to accompany me was my co-worker Ilona, a woman who loves languages, foreign culture, and a good beat. I bought us tickets at the box office and we counted down the days until it was show time.

The show was fantastic. I couldn't help but compare the two shows, and here are my thoughts.

Similarities:

Energy. That man brings an insane, inhuman amount of energy to every show he does. This is especially evident in his jumpy movements and the frequent beating of the microphone against his heart and head, which actually is a pretty cool sound effect.

Repeated sounds. At each show, Manu and his crew seem to zero in on a short, catchy riff that they repeat, and repeat, and repeat... in Argentina this went on for nearly an hours' worth of encores. To be honest, it was getting pretty old by the end of what was a 3.5 hour show.

Crazy long encores. So, so long. Like, almost as long as the show itself, both times. Though he kind of cheats by using that repeated riff... Oh, ooooh, oh, OH, OH, oh.

Price. Totally reasonable in both cities.

Differences:

Band size. In Seattle, it was just Manu + his lead guitarist and a drummer. In Argentina, there must have been 10-12 musicians on stage. Still, the energy level was incredible.

Venue. In Argentina, thousands of people packed into a free-for-all stadium with minimal security and virtually no rules - smoke 'em if you got 'em kind of scene. Compare this with the uber-anal Paramount theater, where the employees seem to go out of their way to destroy as much of the show's magic for you as possible.

Each venue had its advantages and disadvantages. In Argentina, it was crazy and awesome and you could go anywhere you could maneuver yourself. Of course, this also involved a lot of pushing and illegal drug activities, and in a closed stadium that much cigarette smoke was a disgusting detractor.

In Seattle, you bought your seats ahead of time and even though the open, downstairs area wasn't anywhere CLOSE to full by Argentina standards, the "I-think-my-job-is-really-important" Paramount ushers wouldn't let you budge from where you were assigned. Hell, they wouldn't even let you inch into the aisle to DANCE a little, rushing at you with a flashlight in the face to corral you back to your proper place. And, the stage crew was embarrassingly bad, constantly interfering with the band. I thought Manu Chao was going to pop one of them when after about 3 altercations (including one where Manu actually tripped over one of them in his way) the stage crew guy wouldn't hand him his guitar, apparently fiddling with a string for about 2 solid minutes ... are you kidding, guy?? It was so bad I was actually embarrassed, like blushing and groaning and fidgeting uncomfortably embarrassed for the impression Seattle's stage crew was causing. But, the air was clean and I wasn't scared for my life.

Shorter sets. In Argentina, there are no limits to how long a show can go, and with a crowd of 10,000+ that can be a long time. Although his show in Seattle was certainly long by Seattle standards, it was nowhere near the almost too-long show he did in the south.

Dance crowd. Of course Argentina blows Seattle out of the water for the dance scene, because EVERYONE DANCES. Like, duh. Why go to a Manu Chao concert if you aren't going to dance? Passive, boring Seattle was a little more restrained up in the balcony seats, but some of us were definitely going crazy (much to the dismay of those sitting near us.) I have to give it to Seattle, though: those on the main floor actually had a mosh pit going, and a pretty solid one at that (is there anything Seattle goers won't mosh to?), plus several successful crowd surfers.

In short, I was delighted to be at both shows and particularly pleased to have two very different Manu concerts under my belt. You better believe that if he's ever in a city when I'm there again, I'll continue adding notches to my Manu Chao belt!

And, thus ends my backlog - I'm finally caught up. Next you can expect something about Christmas, and then I'm off to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico for 12 days where I'll spend New Year's and my birthday. I'll blog from the road if possible, but if not you know you can count on a 'super comprehensive' (aka stupidly long) blog with photos on my return.

A non-traditional Thanksgiving

2010-12-17T07:06:00.001-08:00

As everyone must know by now, I love Thanksgiving. But, I am not beholden to a single Thursday in November to celebrate it; in fact, I’m fairly indifferent about its specific date. So when Robyn suggested an out of town retreat I jumped at the idea of a few days of R&R.

Of course, only a crazy person would fly over Thanksgiving break so we searched for a local option and came up with the Bonneville Resort on the Columbia River. Bingo! We booked ourselves for 3 nights and several spa treatments and patiently awaited our mini-break.

There was some temporary concern when the storm hit that we wouldn’t be able to make it out of the city, but luckily by Wednesday morning the streets were more or less OK and the freeway was free and clear so we got out without a problem. Along the way we made a random stop in Kelso to go on a wild goose chase for a UPS store that the iPhone promised us would be there, and it was. Not two hours later when we stopped for groceries, of course, there was a UPS next store. We also hit up Five Guys Burgers, my absolute favorite fast-food-but-not-fast-food place that has magically migrated here from the east coast. By the early afternoon, after some gorgeous scenery along the way, we pulled up to luxury itself – 3 days with nothing to do.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since you can never tell in pictures what a hotel will really be like and it seemed as if it might have a 70s flair, but I was pleasantly surprised. 70s flair aside, the hotel itself is quite grand – I’ve never seen such a majestic room (outside of Vegas) OR such a giant fireplace. Here is the view from our room:

After getting settled in we made our way down to the spa for our 4:00 appointment: a mineral water and essential oil bath followed by a “wrap.” The bath rooms are quite sweet, with deep tubs separated by screens in dimly lit rooms. After 30 minutes of soaking we were ushered into the wrap room, where we were tucked within an inch of our lives into hot blankets, a cool towel covering our eyes. It sounds so simple, yet it was probably the most enjoyable spa treatment I’ve ever had. We left there moving about 10 times slower than when we went in, and lazed in our robes in the tropical pool room for a solid hour before heading back to our room and going to bed by 8 pm.

The next morning was Thanksgiving and we started it off right with mimosas in bed. Then we went downstairs to the most unexpectedly wonderful surprise: FREE BUFFET BREAKFAST. I’m not talking about some dinky little continental affair; this was a full-blown feast including coffee, juice, fruit and oatmeal, bacon and sausage, potatoes, and the best parts of all, an omelet station AND a waffle station. Free. Every morning.

Sometimes we’d look at each other with a gleam in our eyes and we’d know we were thinking about free breakfast. In fact, that free breakfast was such a great deal that we managed to spend almost zero money on food, having brought groceries with us for most meals. The only time we dropped any cash was on the Thanksgiving meal itself. But that’s later… after The Bridge.

I had done some scouting on things to do in the area and came upon what sounded like a promising description of some nearby hot springs. Also nearby was the Bonneville dam, which Robyn was not as into touring in the freezing weather as I was, but it was pretty cool to look at from afar:

Anyway, we decided that on Thanksgiving we’d venture out to check out these hot springs 20 minutes away. We bundled up...

...and off we went further east through several one-horse towns until we came to the Carson Hot Springs Resort. It was a wee bit, how shalle we say, dilapidated?

We went into the main building and asked a bored but pleasant man where the trail started. We didn’t reveal our plans since it was a gray area whether or not it was legal to access them. He pointed us behind the hotel and we started the mile hike across partially frozen but otherwise easy terrain. The directions we were following were sketchy at best but we did manage to find the suspension bridge mentioned:

Yikes! The river was thundering beneath us and we were both terrified to cross, so of course we had to, yelping like scared baby animals all the way. Here is the view from halfway across:

Once on the other side we saw the ‘piece of string’ alluded to in the shady directions which was really a rope and started a very careful scramble across some frozen rocks. When my water bottle fell out and crashed 20 feet to the ground below, and when I saw that after these rocks were more rocks, even more frozen and even more vertical, we very wisely surmised the danger and backed up out of there. (This was one of the many times I have been grateful to be a level-headed, non-thrill-seeking woman.)

Back across the bridge we went, where we encountered two locals who informed us that to get to those hot springs you actually have to scale a vertical wall and that the best way is via raft or other water vessel. I wanted to track down the idiot who wrote the original instructions and tell him what a moron he was, but then again I was the moron who was basing my experience that day on a stranger’s vague description, so I didn’t have anyone to blame but myself.

Safe and sound at the end of the trail we applauded our sound judgment – AND our crossing of the bridge – and started back, stopping to cross the Bridge of the Gods, kind of a lofty name for this unimpressive overpass:

It cost us $1 each way and we were surprised to find that we were in Oregon on the other side, though if we’d stopped to think that we were on the Columbia it probably wouldn’t have come as a shock (like I said, spa life had slowed us down some). We stopped and had sandwiches with a flock of geese, crossed back over the bridge, made our way to the hotel, and sat by the pool for several hours reading before it was time to feast.

Imagine, if you will, a Thanksgiving in which you neither have to cook nor clean, coupled with unfettered, unlimited access to all your favorite dishes: this is the beauty of a gourmet Thanksgiving buffet.

We went back for seconds and thirds and had more than our fill of Thanksgiving classics: requisite turkey, potatoes, and stuffing; green bean casserole made with fresh green beans; tons of veggies and salads and soups and cheeses; and a good variety of pies (which some a-hole next to us actually had the gall to say was a 'thin selection.' Really, guy? How many kinds of pie do you NORMALLY have on Thanksgiving?) There were also non-traditional items like prawns (which we did some damage to) and a prime rib (which we didn't touch). We ordered a bottle of champagne which they let us take back to the room with us, tub and all. Here I am after dinner posing next to our favorite place in the hotel, the "area of rescue":

It was another early night for us, though I stayed up watching Avatar for the first time. I was glad I hadn't wasted any money on this lame adaptation of Pochahontas in the theaters. And don't try to tell me that the 3-D was worth it - I'm so sick of 3-D! It gives me a headache after 20 minutes.

The next day was Friday and we had a soak, wrap, and massage scheduled for the afternoon. As wonderful as all that was, there was something magical about our Wednesday soak and wrap that just couldn't be beat. Afterward we went to the pool, books and robes in tow, and spent some more quality time doing more nothing. There was a hot tub outside called the 'pool of tranquility,' and since it had snowed it was fun being outside in the frozen white landscape engulfed in steaming hot water.

By Friday evening I was getting a little restless - so much nothingness can be tiring! - so we did something a little more active: played UNO for about 2 hours. Not surprisingly, we were in bed early.

Saturday we woke up to our final free breakfast and our final swim in the pool, and we were underway by check-out at noon. My car was covered in snow, which I removed using a tennis racket randomly kicking about in my car. (Note to self: get an ice scraper.)

Snow-covered car aside, the weather was once again on our side and the roads were clear. The views were gorgeous and we stopped at Cape Horn to get some pictures. I love this one because it's hard to tell the difference between sky, cloud, fog, and water:

Of course I had to snap a shot of the Matrix for posterity. This car is going to have quite the photo album:

We got back to Seattle on Saturday evening at about 5 - virtually no traffic! - and spent the night chilling out in our respective apartments before reuniting for one last Thanksgiving weekend event on Sunday: the Christmas Tree farm.

Robyn has gone to the Carnation Tree Farm for the last 5 years and this time I was her guest of honor. I didn't get a tree - the saw is just for the picture - but I did get some garlands which are lovely hanging over my French doors, wrapped in white lights.

Here is Robyn loading up her mini-tree:

Although I love my family and love spending holidays with them, this was a happy and restful way to spend the long Thanksgiving weekend. Hip hip, hooray!

Backlog blog #4: A special visitor for a special occasion (aka EAT MORE CHILI)

2010-12-10T15:51:00.004-08:00

Several years ago, my Seattle friends started a chili cookoff tradition. It has had many iterations, from specific judges to popular judging, from straightforward categories and rules to mind-numbing mathematical messes necessitating an excel spreadsheet to calculate the winner.

This year’s cookoff was held for the first time at Ray and Jen’s house, and when I was talking about it to my buddy Mike, one of the first friends I made when I moved to Philadelphia, he became utterly giddy. “Yo Arch, do you think I could come out there for this chili cookoff?” he asked eagerly. A short time later he had booked his ticket for a long weekend in October and I began laying the groundwork for this year’s chili entry.

After having been a judge and a straight-up interloper for several years, last year I entered for the first time. I chose the vegetarian category and won with ‘Moli,’ a mole-chili combination that I whipped up from scratch – yes, even the mole part – and that one attendee in particular still talks about longingly (Morgan, you know who you are). I had a reputation to uphold, so one weekend about a month in advance I went crazy with three different versions of the same experimental chili idea I had, roasting whole tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to create a truly 'from scratch' recipe. (The pot on the left is the start of applesauce from the great apple harvest.)

Bubbling away:

It centered around lamb, which was delicious, but the rest of it didn’t really knock my socks off - not surprisingly, eggplant was NOT a winning addition to a chili, though the leftover puree did make a delicious baba ghanouj - so after a night of taste-testing I went back to the drawing board.

The next week, K and I were trying to come up with something to make for our neighbors who just had a baby. As is our wont, we scavenged the fridge, freezer, and pantry, and came up with a wild rice, sage, and squash soup. It tasted like Thanksgiving, a light bulb went off in my head, and the Happy Thanksgiving chili was born.

Fast forward to Mike’s arrival in Seattle. Born and raised in Brooklyn and a longtime resident of Philly, he had never been to the West coast. I had just moved into my apartment less than a week before but was determined to have it ready for my first guest of honor. We packed a lot into the first few days, much of it food-based: I took him to the best bowl of pho at Pho Bac in the ID; to Tacos el Asadero, the taco bus on Rainier; and for a gyro in Pioneer Square. When he mentioned he’d never heard of, much less been on, a floating bridge, we drove across I-90, through Bellevue, and then back across 520.

Mike is part of a running and drinking club called the Hash House Harriers, and he found a Seattle chapter which took him on a grueling run in the rain and the mud through Lincoln park in West Seattle. Before I dropped him off we stopped for the glamour shot with Seattle’s skyline:

Later that night he didn’t realize how lucky he was when some of the runners decided to drive to Capitol hill to sing karaoke at the Crescent - a bar that you can see from my apartment - until he was ready to go the short distance home, at which point he was overcome with relief to get so quickly out of the rain and his wet clothes and onto my super comfy couch.

Mike was on his own that night because it was my 10-year high school reunion. It was over stimulating and underwhelming at the same time, but I’m glad I went on that walk down memory lane. It was great to reconnect with some people, and fascinating to see how some people had changed. Of course, most of us were exactly the same. I think the 20 year will be even more interesting.

The next day was Sunday - Cookoff Day. I had started the chili in the crockpot the day before, so Mike and I went to eat breakfast pizzas and watch football at Bill’s Off Broadway before hitting up the cookoff. He was in awe of how early football here goes down, especially the Monday night game which for us starts at 5:20 and ends by the time it had started on the east coast.

A few hours later we found ourselves in North Seattle, surrounded by crockpots of various size and smell. Ray and Jen did a spectacular job setting up the competition in case of rain, but we were lucky to have the sun shining down most of the afternoon. Here is part of the sweet set-up in the basement, which opened onto the driveway and front lawn:

I think there ended up being 14 chilis across 3 categories, all of which the majority of us were able to work our way through. Here are a few taste-testers eating out of leftover mugs from Ray and Jen’s wedding, the perfect chili vessel!

My personal favorite was a whiskey plantain chili, followed by Nathan and Morgan’s lamb with polenta, followed by my own Happy Thanksgiving which had a few kinks in the beginning that I managed to even out by judging time. The base consisted of roasted and blended pumpkin, tomatoes, turkey gravy, and chili peppers, plus dark turkey meat, hunks of pumpkin, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and French’s Fried Onions on top. It was Thanksgiving in a mouthful.

I happily came out victorious in the ‘meat no bean’ category. Next year I will have to up the ante by entering ‘meat with bean’ in the hopes of securing a trifecta of wins. Here are this year’s winners:

You can also read about the cookoff and see more pictures on Ray and Jen's blog here.

By the time we went home we were a little fatter and a lot happier. We went to bed with lofty goals for the next day, Mike’s last full day and a Monday I had taken off. But, fate had other plans.

Mike is an early riser and I was secluded in the cave of my bedroom, so by the time I rolled out at 9 am he was nearing his breaking point: WISDOM TOOTH ATTACK! I felt so bad for him but there’s almost nothing you can do for that kind of pain. I started by giving him some pain killers and recommending he call his dentist and insurance provider to get a list of oral surgeons in Philadelphia, since clearly those suckers had to come out. After a few false starts he got the nicest woman in the world on the phone who scheduled him for a consultation the very next day, with the promise of surgery on Thursday. The only problem was, Mike didn’t fly until the next morning. Cue the call to the airline, where we got him on a 12:30 flight that night with a minimal fee since he was technically flying in the same day as his original flight. PHEW! With all of those details ready to go for his return, there was really only one thing left to do: drink the pain away.

Our original plan had been to take the Underground tour, go up in the Smith Tower, Columbia tower, or the Space Needle, and take a ferry ride to Bainbridge and back. We did pretty well after several drinks at the J&M Café in Pioneer Square and I think Mike managed to enjoy the Underground. We hit up the Smith tower where Mike got glamour shot #2 with the Space Needle:

By that time the booze was wearing off and the pain was coming back so we skipped the ferry, choosing instead to go to Tukwila to retrieve Harriet. (I both blame and thank Mike for this random incident in my life, since it all started the first night he came into town with the innocent phrase, “Have you ever seen a Lionhead bunny?” followed by about an hour of obsessive Google imaging and Craigslist searching.)

Once we had Harriet safely tucked away inside her shiny new cage, we meandered over to the Redwood, my friendly neighborhood bar a block away, to watch Monday Night Football. I have never watched so much nor learned so much about football as I did that weekend. Mike also helped me cultivate and refine my fantasy team, and I’m happy to report that I am in first place in my league and going to the playoffs next week. Holla!

Mike got safely on the plane, had his consultation and surgery, and while convalescing crafted this insanely awesome creation as thanks for my hostessing. A straight dude who can crochet is one in a million in my book.

He’s already plotting a return trip for the cookoff next year, and this time plans to enter a chili of his own. Bring it, Mike!

Week-long Birthday BONANZA

2010-11-24T11:09:00.001-08:00

Apparently everyone is born in November. In 8 days (from Friday, November 5-Saturday, November 13) I celebrated 5 birthdays, one of which was out of state.

My Dad looks exactly the same as he did 10 years ago

So does my Mom, for that matter, but it was my Dad’s birthday and I was going to be skipping the family party that weekend (see next header). Instead, I went up on the Friday before and we had a chill celebration which included French Bread Pizza (the love runs in the family), chocolate chip ice cream (his fave), and the gift of a hoodless sweatshirt, something that is remarkably hard to find. He’s about as low-key as you can get so he probably wouldn’t have even noticed if we didn’t celebrate at all, but it’s always nice to see the folks.

Meagan’s Dirty 30

My friend Meagan and I met during my one year at LMU 9 years ago. Since then we have never lived in the same city, so we’ve seen each other less than 14 days total since then. Regardless, we’ve maintained an important friendship, so when I got the invite to her 30th birthday party in Santa Rosa, California for November 6, I booked a ticket – 30 hours for her 30th birthday, from Saturday at 2 pm to Sunday at 8.

I was lucky to find a cheap flight into Santa Rosa itself, an airport so tiny you can still greet people at the (one) gate. Meagan picked me up in the flesh and we hugged it out, reveling at the unbelievable idea that it had been more than 3 years since last we met (when I visited her in New Hampshire). She whisked me away to her parents’ house, who were out of town but seemed to trust her to throw a party.

For not having lived in her home town for a decade, she drew quite a local crowd, many of whom she had gone to high school with. She also had several out of town guests, and Ian trumped my distance since he came from Vancouver – international guests are so exotic!

There was a keg of good beer, a beer pong table painted bright gold – Ian and I crushed it – and plenty of assorted booze and eats. I did garner some street cred when it was revealed that my present to Meagan was a whole salmon I had purchased that same afternoon at Pike Place market and carried on the plane. We barbecued half of it and I cut the other half into filets to be frozen and enjoyed at will.

Her friend Rachel definitely won for best presents, though: customized beer bottles with pictures she had gotten from Meagan’s mom, plus a hand-carved Scrabble board. I was drooling with jealousy over that board.

Other than pong, highlights included a small but admirable dance party and a hilarious game called some dude’s name that I kept forgetting. We hardly even noticed that it was raining, and enjoyed some good times over the outdoor fire pit despite the unseasonally cold weather. (WTF California, I leave Seattle for 30 hours and you make it rain??) It's ok, we kept warm by dancing:

The next day was an exercise in lazing around, which was really pleasant. Here are Meagan and Clare the dog chillin' on hangover day:

I made a random breakfast bake with leftover party food (my specialty) and we talked trash through the movie Twilight. I was so sad when I had to catch the airporter to Oakland – no such luck getting a reasonable flight out of Santa Rosa on Sunday – and much more bummed when I found out my flight was delayed. Fortunately my sister Tessa came to the rescue and picked me up from the airport, so I only got home about 30 minutes later than I was expecting since I had planned on taking the light rail. Regardless, waking up for work the next morning was not much fun.

Fortunately Meagan will be in Seattle in December so I’ll get some more of her sooner rather than later.

Robyn – Low Key, Baby

On Wednesday of that same week – 11-10-10 – Robyn had her birthday. It was a really chill gathering at Barolo in the Lake Union part of Seattle, a swank restaurant with a killer happy hour. Highlighting for the 1,000,000th time why she is such a stellar friend she was completely understanding when I was only able to stay for 45 minutes since I desperately needed a new home for Hattie or risk eviction and it was the only time the new owners could come get her.

Of course, the party didn’t end with me leaving; I hear it ended many hours later at a bar in Ballard. Robyn always knows where to find the party!

K’s Gourmet Dinner

K’s birthday is the very day after Robyn’s, which means next year her birthday will be 11-11-11. Trippy. We arranged for her to have day-long childcare so she could go to the spa, and then we had a delightful dinner at another friend’s house. I love K’s friends, and this love is only heightened by their ability to kill it in the kitchen. We had the fanciest salad ever, plus roasted squash and cauliflower, chicken with pasta, mushrooms, and artichokes, a vegan carrot cake that was so good I went back for thirds, and some apricot bars I could have sworn were made by the almond roca people. We also had some very lively discussion about the state of our education system – it’s always nice to be stimulated intellectually, especially when there is a bottle of wine at hand.

Jacob’s Game Night

This past Saturday was my friend Jacob’s birthday celebration (also an 11-11 birthday) which went down on a rain-soaked Ballard evening with some animated rounds of Catch Phrase during which the birthday boy took significant liberties, followed by lemon cake with chocolate and apricot sorbet. My contribution? A jar of rum I’d been soaking with clove-stuffed lemon slices and cinnamon sticks which I turned into hot toddies. Does anything taste better than a hot toddy in wintry weather?

After the birthday boy left, those still standing hung around for some Settlers of Catan. I had planned on getting to bed at a reasonable hour and being productive on Sunday, but staying out until 2:30 am playing board games was all worth it when I sneakily won game #2.

Side note: “Happy Birthday” has to be the worst trick ever inflicted upon the tradition of birthdays. Think about it: it’s the ONE SONG you are socially obligated to sing on a regular basis, and it is so, soooo painful. If it must be sung, I prefer it in double time – it’s much easier to hit the right notes and keys, it doesn’t drag on and on, and it actually sounds like people have some enthusiasm and mean what they’re saying. Can we just all agree to sing it fast and get it over with??

I think I’m off the hook for birthdays for a little while.

Up soon: more backlog posts, my cell phone evolution, and spending Thanksgiving at a spa.

Holy snow!

2010-11-22T22:51:00.006-08:00

It has been snowing since last night in Seattle. We aren't talking snow flurries, people. We're talking knock-em-dead howling winds that whip across the roofs and penetrate every microscopic opening in the foundation, and tiny snowflakes that mean business. It's 25 degrees and dropping. I can't remember a November storm like this.

This morning I got suited up and made my way the mile to work on foot. I snapped this picture along the way, the perfect blend of one of the best falls I can remember with the start of winter:

Here's the view from my apartment this morning and again when I got home. Probably another 2 inches have fallen since the second one, and I would guess we have 4-6 inches by now.

My office emptied out around 2, and there had been so little movement that by the time I left at 6 the lights had turned off. (Not trying to tout myself as an overachiever, I just had something I had to finish. Trust me, I wanted to leave at 2 too.) My walk home was 30 minutes of zero-visibility skidding, but I still made way better time than the poor bastards stuck in cars or on buses. With a vehicle stalled or skidding out on every single road, traffic was stopped in all directions. It took people two hours to go two miles. Some gave up, abandoned their cars, and walked. Luckily all Metro buses had chains on their back tires starting this morning; apparently someone got the right idea after the 2008 debacle. I was scoffing at the alarmists who required Metro chains in the seeming calm of the morning, but by the afternoon I was applauding their good foresight.

A jet slid off the runway at Seatac, closing the airport down. The Alaskan Way viaduct and the West Seattle bridge are closed - two events I can't remember ever happening in my life. Most schools are already closed tomorrow. Thousands of people are without power, and I'm shocked I'm not one of them. Instead, I'm snug as a bug in my cozy apartment - heat is included in the rent! From my perch atop the 3rd floor I have been listening to the strange noises my radiators make while dreamily staring out the window at the mean weather, but I have to admit, I'm lonely.

This is the first time I have ever been alone when it snowed. Part of me wants to run outside and throw snowballs and drop to the ground and make a snow angel, but it feels a bit silly to do that on my own, even on Capitol hill where I'm sure I could find a bevy of insta-friends to do it with. Well, maybe not tonight... it's UGLY out there. But tomorrow they're predicting sun and 26 degree weather - a perfect snow day! (Until it all turns to ice.) Unfortunately I can walk to work, which means that's probably where I'll end up unless HR sends out the unlikely announcement that the office is closed. Cross your fingers for me and my snow day!

(Snow art on my way home. I couldn't resist!)

**UPDATE**

Not 20 minutes after I hit "publish" on this blog, my friend Brian sent me this text: "There is a party at Bellevue and Denny! Bring a cookie sheet or other improvized sled!"

I live 2 blocks from this intersection and had been hearing semi-strange rumblings from that general area. Luckily I was still mostly decked out in my snow gear so I got suited up the rest of the way and headed out at 12:30 am to catch the party. This is what awaited me:

About 30 people milling around with new additions constantly arriving, going like gangbusters down Denny on makeshift sleds. This included rubber lids, plywood planks, air mattresses, wheel-less skateboards, an ironing board (epic fail), and most notably, garbage dumpsters. They were by far the fastest and most reliable way to get to the bottom, and by the time I left they had started racing. I shot a few videos and uploaded this one last night; my apologies for the weird format.

Predictably, someone had gotten hurt and when I arrived there was an ambulance taking him away. The rumor mill said he broke both his legs but who knows what actually happened. A little later a too-drunk dude with a bloody nose and mouth tried to start a fight about 10 seconds after I said, that guy is drunk and looking to fight. But neither of those events affected the general merriment much, and I was shocked when I realized I'd been there for an hour.

I did take a few nips of whiskey but did not go down the hill. Apparently this is always where people gather on Capitol hill in the snow since Denny gets shut down at the mere whiff of inclement weather, and now that I know sledding central is the perfect distance from my house - close enough to walk easily but far enough away that the hooting and hollering doesn't keep me awake - I have plenty of time to try it out.

Today I did come into the office because HR only issued a "stay home if you can't safely commute" email. There are, I think, 6 people in all, 3 of them from my 5-person team. Now that's dedication!

Thus ends my random pet ownership

2010-11-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Meet Katie:

Katie is 15 going on 16, owns a pony, and does 4H. She also now owns Hattie, the Lionhead rabbit that was mine for a whopping 4 weeks.

My landlords discovered Hattie and told me that either she had to go, or I did. So, I found Katie, and I can’t imagine a better owner for Harriet the Lionheart. She will love her and take very attentive care of her, especially since Hattie is now destined for the spotlight as a Show Bunny. (Turns out that pedigree came in handy after all.) I expect big things out of her.

Backlog blog #3: September Hodge-Podge

2010-11-15T10:51:00.006-08:00

In the interest of feeling like I’m finally catching up on these backlogs, I’m going to roll a few events that happened around the same time into a single entry.

September 18: Vogue has never looked so....

First up was SHADE, a Vogue Ball put on partially by my dear friend Casey to benefit the Lifelong Aids Alliance. It was also a fashion show, and Morgan and I got more than we bargained for in our front row seats. T and A abounded and I was very nearly impaled by a stiletto. It was pretty awesome.

Then came the Vogue-ing, and as always it was a joy to watch Casey dance. Although he killed it in the group routine, in my opinion he shines his brightest doing his solo improvisational work. To everyone’s delight they left the runway intact and let us all ‘work it out,’ which I did more than once.

Here I am in my get-up. I was trying to make my hair Really Big. It was also pouring buckets so I went with the fashionable rain boots to complete the outfit. The bartender asked me if I was in the fashion show, which I took as a compliment.

September 24: FBPP

Second was the French bread pizza party, which K was trying to convince me was my ‘going away party’ since I was moving. As someone who has had more than her fair share of going aways and actively avoids them, AND since I was trying to convince my roommates that they weren’t rid of me that easily, I was just calling it a good excuse to make some delicious food.

I am a sort of foodie but my tastes, while varied, are in no way high-brow. To wit, my absolute favorite type of dinner party to throw (other than Thanksgiving, of course) is a French bread pizza party. Here’s why:

1) Delicious
2) Easy – people make their own food!
3) Varied – people get to eat exactly what they want to eat
4) Interactive – especially good for people who don’t know each other that well
5) Crowd pleaser – who doesn’t love FB pizza??

This was probably the most successful FBPP I’ve ever thrown, with long-distance friends Megan who lives near Portland and Mark and Sarah visiting from Madison, plus two toddlers, the younger – and much smaller- of whom absolutely terrorized the other, leading to my now-infamous line, “You’re bigger than him, you can totally take him!” How cute is this photo? You would never have guessed from how demure Toddler J looks here that he was the terrorizer.

We wrapped up the meal with an apple crisp, a pear crisp, and a molasses cake. The next day I ate FB leftovers for breakfast and made another pizza using all the leftover toppings for lunch. Had there been any left, I could have easily eaten it again for dinner. My love for FBP runs deep.

September 25: Italian Festival

When Robyn asked if I wanted to go to the Italian festival I first said, the what? Then I said, of course! I’m always down for a festival, and I am a little embarrassed to admit I had no idea that Seattle even hosted such an event.

It turns out a lot of people outside the Italian community don’t know about it, even though it’s held at the very public Seattle Center. This is one of those festivals truly supported and primarily attended by the community in question, similar to the Greek festival (also going on that weekend, which I sadly missed) and dissimilar from, say, Oktoberfest in Fremont. We were surrounded by authentic, Italian-speaking, bocci-ball-throwing, pizza-crust-tossing Italians. And I’m not stereotyping here – we witnessed a children’s pizza dough tossing contest going on right outside the building that housed a Very Serious bocci ball tournament. We also watched teams stomp grapes, ate sausages and gelato, and drank Italian sodas.

Unfortunately I don’t have any still images from this event because I took my video camera instead, and although I do have quite a few videos, if you have followed this blog at all, you know I’m the WORST at editing them together! I keep promising a video blog and it is on one of my many lists, I believe the one titled ‘long term’. It will happen, eventually.

Backlog blog #2 - Mustache party!

2010-10-30T06:37:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago Robyn asked if I wanted to attend a Tom Douglas event at the Palace Ballroom downtown. It was an “Extreme beer and mustache” party. Even though it was pouring rain and traffic was more stop than go, we were determined to get our mustache on. Here we are preparing for the rain:

As soon as we walked in we were greeted with a ‘mustache making station’ full of sample patterns and creepy, hairy cloth. I opted for the classic eye-liner stash. Our friend Shanda met us there and together we were quite the trio:
I’m not sure why mustaches and extreme beer go together, but to match the beer was some really weird food. That was good for me since I’m not much of a beer drinker (though I did enjoy the peanut butter brew). Among the delicacies were pickled pig ears (kinda weird), fried pig feet (DELICIOUS), and donuts with peanut butter sauce.

Apparently Robyn and Shanda have a long history of ‘dares’ in which Robyn gets dared to do something ridiculous for a minor reward… and always does it. That night it consisted of approaching a group of 3 good looking, seemingly single dudes and doing a series of moves with her mustache. Now, I will do all manner of ridiculous things, but when it involves strangers I get wicked embarrassed. I. Was. Dying. I even hid in the corner while she started it, but got the courage to watch the end. It ended up being just what those dudes needed because they were total drips.

Of course, after all that beer the extreme food hadn’t really cut it so we headed over to Mama’s in Belltown for some greasy Mexican food. I left my mustache on and got a lot of stares and comments, which resulted in us crashing the table of a reunion of random guys who had flown in from around the country (possibly for a wedding). Somehow they managed to get all three of us riled up: me because someone was shouting that Boston sports are the best of all time (I loathe Boston sports teams and fans); Robyn because one of them said he was pretty sure that "Chilean sea bass is on the GOOD list" for seafood you can eat (it's actually one of the worst); and Shanda because one of them said that "animals don't have rights."

Fake mustaches: check. Weird beer and food: check. Greasy Mexican: check. Fighting with total strangers: check, check. Good times!

Backlog blog #1: Autumn bake-a-thon

2010-10-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

What is it about the fall that makes you want to bake your heart out? For the few weeks before I moved I was cooking like crazy. This was partly due to a large harvest of apples for the organization Lettuce Link. Morgan, Adam and I picked close to 200 pounds of apples from a huge tree in Ballard. The ones that weren’t nice enough to donate to the foodbank we took home in giant bags. K and I cooked from my 2 bags of apples for about 3 weeks. This included apple sauce, multiple apple crisps, and two apple pies plus two mini turnovers:

The one with the heart cut-outs was for our friend's birthday and the one with the owl and "mouse" cut-outs was for us:

The apple bags also provided a giant pot of apple butter, using my grandma’s recipe. This led to my first ever canning experience. It was easier than I thought!

I was also prepping for this year’s chili cook-off. I won in the vegetarian category last year with Mole chili and knew I needed to bring it big time this year. So, I did a weekend of trial chili cooking and made three experimental versions including lamb and fava beans, eggplant, and avocado. I started everything from scratch, including roasting my own tomatoes and other veggies (the start of some applesauce is also pictured):

Eggplant chili was not my best idea ever. The rest of it was tasty, but non of it was award winning. So, I started from scratch and did experimental chili weekend #2, this time with 3 versions of what I ended up submitting. Here is round 1; close, but no cigar:

Then one weekend K and I started going crazy in the kitchen and produced a ton of muffins and apple bread, and also this pot of wild rice, squash, and sage soup that we made up based on what we had in the house and brought to some friends who just had a baby. It was like Thanksgiving in every mouthful, which inspired my second chili idea. More on that in the chili cook-off post!

Even though it's no longer my kitchen I think many more such inventive and productive days will take place there. (That is some foreshadowing for a planned "jamming and canning" day taking place tomorrow . . . I can hardly wait!)

Cali, the best little white dog ever

2010-10-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

This post is in memory of Cali, the Westie that brought us so much happiness these last 10 years.

My parents and Tessa got Cali right after I went to LMU in August of 2000. They named her Cali since, at the time, Anne and I were both living in California (or at least that's what they told us). She was a shelter dog and my mom won a very competitive lottery to get her. It was clearly meant to be.

The last few months Cali hadn't been feeling so hot and it was eventually discovered that she had cancer. Last weekend she was put to rest. My mom says that she's with Abbey now (our first childhood dog who we had for almost 15 years) and Abbey is telling her how spoiled she was, which is true, but she more than kept up her end of the bargain with lots of love and entertainment. I especially miss watching her run laps around the house like an insane wind-up toy and Tessa getting her to "roooooll over!"

I resisted writing this post because it was so sudden I couldn't wrap my head around it, but after visiting the house and seeing it without her in it, reality sank in.

RIP, Cali. You are and will continue to be missed!

Epic Tale of an Easy Move

2010-10-17T12:50:00.001-07:00

I wrote most of this as it was happening and before I knew it it was 4 pages long. I figured I’d go back and edit it down but now I’m feeling too lazy, so I’m posting it in its entirety. I encourage all but the most dedicated (or bored) readers to scroll for pictures and ignore the rest.

Friday, October 1: “Easiest Move Ever”

Friday after work I met Robyn at my building to pick up the keys. Then it was down to Columbia city to meet Casey and Joseph and load our cars with my well-packed goodies which I had arranged on the stairwell for easy transfer (plus M’s truck with my sweet new dining room chairs). Joseph described it as the easiest move ever, which I’m totally grateful for because I hate asking people for help. (I will never move without movers again – see why below.)

I think Casey and Robyn were competing for most hard-core mover. I frequently saw each of them stack a heavy box on top of a heavy box (Casey: “It’s not that heavy”) and hoof it up the 2 flights of stairs to my apartment and sprint back for more, while I was totally gasping for air with my one box.

The time span between when we started loading in Columbia city to when we finished unloading in Capitol hill – including 20 minutes of drive time – was 1.5 hours. Not bad! I meant to take pictures but it went so fast I didn't get a single one.

I took Casey and Joseph out for Mexican at El Gallito afterward, and had taken Robyn to Catfish Corner before… I may or may not have had two heavy, fattening dinners. But hey, it was moving day! Which I applied, more or less, to the whole weekend.

Saturday: There’s always time for acupuncture and a party (especially if you have movers)

Saturday was jam-packed. It was my last night/morning a the Columbia city house, which naturally started with waffles and acupuncture (where I got extra needles for ‘energy’ and ‘stress’ to help me through the move). After that K and I separated our kitchen items and I packed more of my stuff and headed over to Capitol hill (with a pit stop at Lowe’s) to clean the disgusting carpet pads before putting down my gorgeous Persians. (Did I mention it’s been a lifelong goal of mine to own Persian rugs, and I realized that dream thanks to this awesome woman? She only sells hand-knotted rugs and it was so fun choosing which ones to get.) I bought a huge “palace rug” and a runner with bats embroidered into it for protection, both from small villages in Iran. So awesome. Here's the palace rug (it's 12 feet by 9 feet):

K came later to help me put away my new kitchen and unroll and position the Persians, and then – bless her- came BACK (with Toddler J, snacks, and flowers) to help me decide where to put the furniture. Which brings me to… the furniture.

Robyn and I had gone to Sansaco the weekend before where I bought, for the first time in my life, new furniture. I got a micro suede chocolate brown chaise lounge couch with a huge ottoman. It is so, so comfortable.

I also got a bedroom set (of which only 2 of the 6 pieces of furniture are actually in the bedroom and I sold the frame that came with it), and a big, beautiful, dark wood trunk. I also bought a new bed. Not only was all of this delivered to me, but I talked the furniture guy into swinging by the Columbia city house to pick up a dining table and a desk that K generously gave me on ‘long-term to permanent loan.’

Can I just say that I have never been so happy to pay for a service?? For $200, two people who were not me or any of my friends or family hoofed ALL MY SHIT up two flights of stairs, removed the packaging, assembled items, and positioned it all exactly where I wanted it. I gave them each a sparkling water and a $20 tip and we were all happy.

I spent a lot of Saturday making discoveries about my new space, some delightful like my vacuum fits perfectly in the little closet next to the door. So does Toddler J:

Also, I have adorable kitchen cabinets that open every which way, and my bathtub is abnormally large. Others not so great, like my showerhead still wasn’t fixed; the toilet doesn’t flush properly; there is only one electrical outlet in the bathroom and it’s near the ceiling; and I had measured poorly and although my dresser fit in the closet, the drawers couldn’t open (nice work, Arch). It’s fun discovering all the personality traits that make me feel more and more intimate with a space I hope to occupy for a long time. I might even throw a “it’s been 6 months and I’m not moving!” party.

Saturday night was Robyn’s 6th annual wine party which is always a scene unto itself. I double-whammied Robyn since not only did I NOT help her with the party, but I made her help me move as well. Mad props, RB. The party, as always, was a ball, and even though I was exhausted I was among the last to leave, and even gave people rides home. Despite a new, comfortable bed my calves were aching from all the up and down. From my front door it’s 2 flights of stairs up, but from my parking garage it’s 4. I will become very intimate with these stairs over the next few days.

Sunday: IKEA yes, football no

Once my legs were appeased by aspirin, I slept well in my new bed in my new room and woke up later than usual on Sunday morning (“usual” and “late” being relative since I woke up before 10, whereas not 2 years ago 10 would have been early) and, failing to get a hold of any of my football buddies I decided to take the plunge and go to IKEA, thinking – naively – that I would make it back in time for the 1:00 games.

Oh, IKEA. What a trip that place is. It’s so freaking huge. I started getting discouraged when after 30 minutes I only had 1 thing in my cart and had to stop for fuel at the café – I resisted the 15 meatball special (and by “resisted” I mean “gagged at,” especially since one could, if one wanted to further clog an artery, add 5 more for $2) and got a bowl of Italian wedding soup which probably had my weekly sodium allowance but I felt better and continued on the trek. By the time I got to lighting I was super punchy and going through the curtains was an utter blur, but I somehow managed to make it home with a cartful of mostly relevant and useful items, 2.5 hours and $500 later. Considering the most expensive thing I bought was $40 (and the next most expensive was $15), that was a lot of hoofing up the stairs from my car to the apartment. Here's my receipt, for posterity:

It’s funny… I’ve moved an average of once every 6 months for the last 5 years. But never once during those moves did I have to furnish an apartment. I completely forgot how much STUFF you need in a household. Ok, “need” is totally relative because I absolutely did not NEED a dining room table runner or candlestick holders or under-cabinet lighting, but I wanted them to make my apartment feel more like my home.

I spent a good portion of the rest of Sunday scraping IKEA stickers off all my purchases and screwing the knobs into the 25 drawers on my dresser, sideboard, and end tables, and didn’t watch a minute of football. I did, however, win my fantasy game, which made me the dark horse winner two weeks in a row.

Monday: Back to work and finding things to put in all these drawers

I wasn’t rested when I got to work on Monday but I was thrilled to be walking to the office, plus I was pretty well moved in, except for my bedroom which was a disaster. The apartment has been painted so many times (and the wood has warped over the years) that nothing closes like it should, and the bar to hang clothes on in my closet was so abnormally large and so coated with paint that it was impossible to get a hanger over it. This – along with many other things – will get fixed on Tuesday.

I spent a lot more time unpacking and organizing Monday night after meditation class. A lot of my giant bins have been packed for a year – since I left for Argentina – and it was a little like Christmas opening them up. Some things I was really excited about, and others I was totally baffled by why I had saved them in the first place.

Late Monday evening my friend Brian came over to assess some projects I’d asked for his help fixing. I gave him my keys for him to come back the next day and go to town.

Tuesday: 95% done. Awesome.

True to his word, Brian spent the better part of the day working on my apartment. He: installed a new closet rod (hanging up clothes has never felt so good); sanded down several surfaces so doors would close properly; hung a shelf above my stove (which involved some customizing); hung lighting under that shelf; and installed a new faucet since I didn’t like the one my kitchen came with. He also solved a conundrum with a lamp in about 30 seconds that I spent a good 15 minutes scratching my head over.

I also (finally!) got the landlord to get the maintenance guy to fix my showerhead, and it was my great and pleasant pleasure to realize that, despite being on the top floor on a hill, I have very reasonable water pressure!

Meanwhile, Brian and I went to my friendly neighborhood bar, the Redwood, literally a block away. I bought us drinks and dinner and then he finished up the last job and we each went on our merry ways. Thanks for coming through for me, BK!

Tuesday night I finally felt like I could do two very important things: go grocery shopping and do laundry. I needed all the basics so even though I spent $100 at Trader Joe’s I came away with nothing for lunch the next day, but did stock my wine cabinet and bought multiple types of oils, condiments, and dried goods.

It’s hard for me to settle into a new kitchen since almost everything I cook is a combination of random ingredients in my fridge plus standards in my pantry. Since I have no random ingredients, plus no spices since I can’t find spice jars I like, cooking is almost impossible. But once I get started, watch out! I have a feeling great things will come from this kitchen.

Once I got home and hoofed my groceries up the stairs it was time to start laundry. Luckily I secured both detergent and a roll of quarters from the store. The building has 3 washers and, I am embarrassed to say, I occupied them all at once. But it was late at night and a special circumstance – I had to wash all my linens and towels that had been sitting in storage for a year, and I had to get it done before Thursday to accommodate an incoming guest. I swear I’ll never do it again! No one seemed to be waiting in line so I think I got away with my laundry faux paus.

Wednesday: Market dinner and the last 5%

Wednesday I met K to show her the mostly finished apartment and then we headed to the farmer’s market and made dinner, a Wednesday night tradition. We made tuna ceviche and chicken tacos and it was delicioso. I also picked up (almost all of) the rest of my stuff and the last big missing piece: my plants! My windows felt naked without them and they really make the space pop.

Last thoughts

I LOVE MY APARTMENT. It has great light, layout, energy. It’s spacious but cozy and not only does everything go together, but it’s all my taste and style. Minimal but comfortable. Dark woods, browns, and reds. Soft lighting. I do still have to think about hanging up some wall decorations of which I have plenty, but I’m in no hurry. For now I’m letting the rugs and the plants be decoration enough.

With all things considered (including movers and other incidentals like feeding my friends who helped me) I’ve spent 10% of my annual income on this move (living the American credit card dream) but considering I bought all new furnishings plus an entire household of random goods I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.

There's no place like home!

Meet Harriet the Lionheart - er, head

2010-10-16T18:43:00.003-07:00

The 'what strange thing did you do?' comments have it!

Meet Harriet, my new Lionhead bunny. She's 8 weeks old, loves hay, water, and my friend Nathan's lap, and is apparently supposed to get cuter once she's fully grown. I call her Hattie for short.

They're called Lionheads because of the mane of fur around their face (and legs) that is separate from their main mane. Yes, she's two-maned. As she gets bigger the longer mane will become even more pronounced. She'll also probably put on about 1 more pound, rounding out at an even 3 lbs. She's actually a 'show bunny' with an official pedigree and all, which might sound expensive but I assure you was not.

People say bunnies are often mean and smelly, but Lionheads are known for their sweet temperament and for potty training themselves, and so far no offensive smells have permeated the place.

During the day she stays in her cage, but when I get home I let her out to roam. She likes hiding under my toilet and my side table but does a fair amount of exploring as well. If she's really digging life she'll do what's apparently called a 'binky' which is literally a jump for joy in which she hops up in the air and kicks her legs which causes her whole body to twist around before landing again. It's pretty ridiculous.

To get her used to me I put her in a 'bunny trance' once or twice a day which involves flipping her over and cradling her like a baby. She'll stay in that position indefinitely, but not voluntarily. Apparently it takes weeks for bunnies to bond with you... unless you're Nathan (and/or wearing a gray sweater) in which case she will actually LEAP OVER A TABLE to get to your lap, which I unfortunately missed seeing last night. She stayed put for a good 30 minutes.

So, there you have it. I am a pet owner. I'm working on getting attached but if it doesn't take for one reason or another I have a coworker with a house full of kids she's promised a 'cage pet' to once they move in November as a back-up plan.

Special thanks to Mike - without you this never would have happened! (Time will tell whether or not that is a genuine or ironic thanks...)

A confession and a disclaimer

2010-10-13T23:42:00.009-07:00

Don't be fooled by the title... neither of these topics is even remotely newsworthy. (If you're surprised, you must be new here. Hi, I'm Elizabeth. I write about unimportant things, but I write it so well that sometimes people are tricked into thinking it's interesting. Everyone has a talent!)

Confession: I'm lazy

Tonight was my first free night in, I think, 15 days. I savored the thought all day and had lofty ambitions of how I would spend my time after work which included going to the gym, cleaning my kitchen, and posting my stupidly long account of the move plus starting on a whole list of backlogged entries and pictures to go with them, which at this point includes:

September bake-a-thon including my first ever canning experience
French bread pizza party - the last hurrah of my Columbia city days
Mustache party hosted by Tom Douglas
Vogue/fashion benefit show in which I was almost maimed by a stiletto on the catwalk
Italian festival at the Seattle Center
Mike's epic visit from Philadelphia
10 year high school reunion (weird, weird, weird)
Chili cookoff - the tradition continues to be a kickin event
Unexpected addition to my apartment (or, as Robyn put it, probably the most random thing I have ever done)
MANU CHAO IN SEATTLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

I did clean my kitchen but that was about as far as my motivation extended. What did I do instead? I caught up on the shows that I watch when I need an evening of doing nothing else: Glee, 30 Rock, and Community. As a non-TV owner, I have to say Hulu is awesome for those times when I want a TV fix, even if it did continually depress me by showing a commercial for a non-profit that helps people battling terminal illnesses pay for their prescriptions. (I know it's a lovely organization, but when we have to FUNDRAISE to get people medication, clearly something has gone dreadfully wrong.) I have to say, I don't feel at all guilty about being in the same position now that I was 5 hours ago.

Disclaimer: I'm sorry if you feel the need to read and/or care about this

I have been giving some thought to why I blog, or more importantly, why other people might think I blog. I find myself explaining that this is like a journal that I let other people read. I write because I have a terrible memory and want to remember things that happen, and I publish it because I know there are about 5 people who seem to enjoy reading every long-winded entry, plus a few dozen more who skim and/or look at the pictures. I also need the motivation of a visible forum to actually write. (See header #1 re: lazy.)

But sometimes when I re-read posts I can't help but think that, if I were an outsider, my reaction would be, "That chick is a wee bit self-important." So, for the record, please let me state that I totally do not care one way or another if you read/skim/look at photos/catch up twice a year. I'm not on Facebook so I can't really give anyone grief for not visiting a special website dedicated just to me, all me, all the time. (Note: this does not apply to my mom, who I do habitually guilt trip for not reading and who is ironically probably my most faithful reader. I love you, Mom!)

And, just in case the cogs in your head are turning (if you're even reading this...) and you're thinking back to some exchange we've had in the past... If I ever ask 'did you read my blog about...?' it's more as a point of reference so I don't tell you the same thing you already read.

So, that's it for now. Is it incredibly self-important of me to think anyone would even care about this disclaimer?

Just to prove that I'm totally sans blog ego... I'll take votes on which blog post listed above you're most interested in me writing first. Please post your votes in the comments section, so that I know people love my blog and would be devastated if I stopped writing.

A Year Ago Today

2010-10-01T09:21:00.004-07:00

I have once again fallen into the negligent blogger category, but it's not for want of material! I actually have several posts kicking around with lots of fun pictures. But life just keeps getting in the way of documenting it.

One year ago today, I arrived in Argentina for the second time. I remember the flight and my arrival very clearly - I had tons of electronics I was sure customs wasn't going to let me get away with, but they didn't even blink. I remember Sol picking me up and going back to her (our, for a few months) apartment and getting into the single bed that smelled kind of funny and taking a long nap, and then going out afterward to buy sheets and a comforter and other household items and getting unpacked and then sleeping for another long while. I did a lot of sleeping/lazing around in that apartment; it wasn't until I moved in with Amy that my funk lifted and I started being active and social and feeling happier. Of course I also decided not long after that that I would be returning to the states - probably forever- earlier than I had planned, and that relief helped me really enjoy the rest of my time.

Now, exactly one year later I'm making another move, this time to my own apartment on Capitol hill. I just have to get through a full day of work, pick up the keys, and then start moving boxes tonight. My new furniture gets delivered tomorrow and then it's off to IKEA for the remainder on Sunday (after football of course).

It feels like I've come a long way in a year and I like the symbolism of choosing to really settle in on the anniversary of the last time I abandoned country.

I hope to welcome you all to my new home - with new furniture for the first time in my life! - soon. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates with photos. Once the craziness has died down (my schedule for the next 10 days is kind of insane) then I'll work on the blog post backlog.

Happy October to all!

Seattle Storm for the Win!

2010-09-17T15:49:00.004-07:00

For those of you who know anything about Seattle sports, you know that we're a loyal group of fans with a bunch of losing teams. Sure, the Mariners were hot for a few years around 2000, and the Seahawks went to the Superbowl in 2006, but neither team has ever won a championship. The Sonics won waaay back in 1979, and before that our only championship win was for a long-defunct hockey team who somehow managed to snag the Stanley Cup in... wait for it... 1917.

Which is why the Seattle Storm, our WNBA team, is so awesome. They won the championship in 2004 and again last night against Atlanta, making them by far our hottest team.

When the Sonics were (illegally!) sold to Oklahoma city in 2008, the Storm were scheduled to go with them. But a group of high-powered women got together and formed Force 10 Hoops, LLC in order to buy the Storm. Most people were much less sad to see the Sonics go once we knew we got to keep the Storm, our good basketball team.

My friend Joseph talked me into going to the home game on Tuesday. I've always wanted to go to a game and I'm glad he suggested in because it was a blast.

I hadn't been in the Key Arena in probably 15 years, but seeing it again reminded me that the demand for a new basketball arena by the Sonics owner really was just an excuse to relocate; the venue is in great condition, very user-friendly, comfortable, and modern.

Unbelievably and a little sadly, tickets were not even close to being sold out and we were able to get $28 nosebleeds which still had a great view. Here's a shot Joseph snapped before the game started:

Not being sold out notwithstanding, the fans that do come out for the Storm are dedicated, loving, and LOUD. I had my fingers in my ears for the better part of the second half because it was so overwhelming. Apparently the Storm is the most formidable team to have to play when they have home court advantage.

Although Tuesday's game was off to a rocky start with Sue Bird barely able to make a basket, they got themselves together for the second half and definitely deserved the win. The event itself had some fun elements, like a 12-year-old who rocked the Star Spangled Banner on his electric guitar; an all-kids dance troupe to perform at time outs; and a free-for-all Conga line during another such time out (I had forgotten how LONG basketball time outs are.) The mascot was pretty silly and they periodically played and performed the most ridiculous song called the Stank Legg, but I understand it's a family-oriented franchise and they definitely deliver on that point.

Another fun point was that several Seahawks players were at the game, including Matt Hasselbeck. After the Seahawks' dynamite win on Sunday it was fun to see them out supporting their city teammates and also reminded us that we just might have another good team on our hands.

I really got into the team and the game, and was especially taken by Lauren Jackson and Swin Cash. I will definitely follow the team more closely next year.

When I heard last night that the Storm had won the whole enchilada in Atlanta I was thrilled. Good for them, and good for Seattle. Maybe next year ticket sales will better reflect the fact that they are a winning team, deserving of a city of supportive fans.

(Last night's celebration photo borrowed from Getty images. Please don't sue me.)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-09-12T15:30:00.001-07:00

Normally I would avoid such a cliche and cheesy title but it's just too fitting to avoid. I keep referring to these ominous "changes" in my life. Although I tend to use this blog as a record of specific events, it seems like a reasonable way to disseminate personal information as well. So here goes.

Saturn is a powerful planet

For those of you familiar with (and who believe in) the Saturn return, you'll understand when I say that I expected this to be a transformative year in my life. I'm not sure when Saturn's effects are supposed to die down but it's certainly caused quite a stir in my 2010 thus far.

Staying power

The first big change started around the first of the year (also very near my birthday) when I came to the sudden and decisive realization that I was ready to live - and stay - in one place. Having lived abroad three times and constantly planning for more travels, many people doubted if I'd ever stop in one place for longer than a few months. But, my last bout of Argentina living was a clear sign that I was done casting about. The thought of living a portable life made me cringe; even now looking at my giant suitcase gives me a certain dread. So I resolved to come back to Seattle and Stay Put, which I did. I even bought a car.

Down and out...

But, after a few weeks all the heavy emotions attached to Seattle came back, and they were worse than ever. Why was I so unhappy? Why did I feel isolated in a city filled with family and friends? Would anything ever satisfy me? I decided to seek help in answering and hopefully resolving these issues and found it in the form of a truly incredible woman who works with the energy of emotions and aims to restore joy in people's lives.

... but not for long!

I was a healthy amount of skeptical but have long believed in the power of energy (not just ours but of all living things) and my skepticism vanished in the wake of feeling instantly better. Seattle now pulses with a welcoming energy and I feel better than I can ever remember. I won't go into more detail since it's a very personal experience and one that not everyone will necessarily believe in; I list it here because it is undeniably one of the many big changes I've undergone and which has helped facilitate other changes, all very positive in nature.

Joy Is Watching

One such change is what I like to call "Operation: Choose Joy." If you've been looking closely enough at pictures of me you'll notice that I've put on some weight in the last few years, mostly because I felt happy enough and was lazy enough to keep eating and behaving the way I had been without enacting any sort of plan to get to a more healthy place. But choosing joy means making positive and deliberate choices, which I started doing slowly and carefully about 2 months ago to find what works best without getting frustrated or giving up like I have done so many times in the past.

In the last few weeks I've started a full-fledged campaign, not just to lose weight but to feel GOOD, physically and emotionally. This time I know it will stick because I finally have the resolve, the resources, and the support to make it work and to make the changes lasting. So, look for a March 5 post (the 6 month anniversary of my first "weigh in") at which time I'll reveal my progress and future goals. For right now I want you all to know that I feel freaking FANTASTIC. I wake up every morning with a smile, and although it's been hard some days not eating certain foods, I was pleasantly surprised to open a menu the other day to a page of deep-fried appetizers and feel a little queasy looking at them.

Some things never change

I've been with the same company for over 6 years - yes, even when I was living abroad - and even though my job is awesome, meaningful, creative, all that good stuff, I was getting restless with doing the same work year after year. But I really love the company and want to continue doing great work with the organization, plus we're growing like gangbusters and it's a good place to be. So, I applied for and was offered a job in the marketing department, which I officially start on September 20. I will be responsible for most of the customer-facing writing as well as a lot of project management and who knows what else. It's a fairly undefined job with a tremendous opportunity for growth and I'm scared but excited to start. I am sacrificing some of the conveniences of my other job - no more working from home and I have to keep a fairly normal 9-5 schedule - but the chance to work in collaboration with our VPs and CEO, some of the most intelligent people I've ever known, is more than worth the adjustment.

Movin' on up

To help with this adjustment, and also since it seems like a natural and forward-moving decision at this new junction in life, I'm moving to an apartment that is much closer to the office. It was a bittersweet decision since living with K, M, and baby J (now toddler J, he can really move!) has been a treasured experience for me. Being part of their family has been immensely beneficial, for all of us, but it's time for me to grow up and forge my own life. For the first time since I sold everything in 2005 at a garage sale, I'll own furniture. My name will appear on utility bills. There will be no built-in alarm clock!

But it's a change that I get more and more excited about every day. I always loved living alone and furnishing a space is fun, not to mention having a home all to oneself. If the kitchen is messy it's because it's my mess, and if I clean it no one else will mess it up. Plus, I won't have a garden so I'll still help cultivate theirs. I'm pushing for chickens and bees next year...

I'll be on Capitol hill and the prospect of being a 12 minute walk from the office and living in a dense urban environment surrounded by everything a happening 'hood has to offer makes my toes tingle. I love the area and the building is one of those great 1920s brick affairs. I'm on the top floor, have hardwoods, built-ins, and a giant tub, as well as a dedicated remote-control access garage space (this is a serious score in a neighborhood infamous for horrid parking). The move happens October 1 if anyone feels like lending a helping hand...

Single white female

I mention this last not because it's the most important but because it is another change that bears mentioning - especially since I announced him to the world not long ago - but isn't as impactful as other things going on. Suffice to say that I am single once again. It was neither dramatic nor traumatic, and I'm grateful for the experience as a bridge from being lonely yet emotionally unavailable (though ironically it was not me who was unavailable this time - karma, you get us every time) to being a woman who makes her own happiness and will bring that joy to a healthy, mutually committed relationship.

What's next?

I've joined a gym and am getting back into swimming. I'm also going to start playing tennis with my sister Anne (if the weather will ever cooperate). I am starting meditation classes tomorrow, and I'm going to (finally!) start baritone ukulele lessons again at the end of October. I'm looking for a place on Capitol hill to volunteer and I'm in the midst of planning two vacations in the upcoming months, now that I get paid vacation time again. I'm anticipating a very full and meaningful remainder of 2010!

Are you freaked out yet?

When I started talking about some of this with my friend Meagan she had this to say: "You are freaking me out. What have you done with Elizabeth Archer?" Never fear! I'm still me. I still scowl at people who make out in public, curse at bad drivers, sleep with a teddy bear, shower infrequently, and eat (some) high-fat foods. I'm just a happier, more fully realized version of me.

I don't know when these changes will stop or at least slow down, but I have to think it's soon. I mean how much more can a girl handle in a single calendar year? Saturn, can we call truce?

(Me with a - what is that? - outside the gaming convention in Seattle over Labor Day weekend. Robyn and I couldn't resist stopping for a photo op on our urban hike that day.)

Day Trip to Mount Rainier

2010-09-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: I cannot take credit for any of these photos! Thanks to Ray, Jen, and Morgan for letting me pilfer theirs.)

As you may remember, back in July when I visited Mt Rainier for the first time in my life I immediately made plans to return in August. That trip came and went two weeks ago and although the plan was modified about a dozen times it ended up being a really great experience.

I had reserved two campsites on the A loop at Ohanapecosh for the 8 people who initially said they wanted to go. Through a variety of events in many of our lives, this number was whittled down to just a few campers but a lot of people who wanted to go for the day. Eventually we decided to caravan in two cars and make it a long day trip.

The day started, as all great day trips do, at a greasy spoon on Rainier Avenue (appropriate, no?) called the Silver Fork. The 8 am rendezvous time was more or less observed and we made great time in ordering (a hard feat considering the large and tempting menu), eating, and getting the hell out of dodge.

Sufficiently sated, we split into two groups - one to grocery shop and one to forge ahead to make sure we got to the campsite by noon. I cancelled one reservation and got a refund but kept the other so we could have a place to hang out. But, if we didn't make it by noon, they had no obligation to keep it for us.

Here I am with Ray after a quick and successful shop. Jen pointed out that we kind of match:

Once on the road it was easy sailing, though Jacob's car was not exactly pleased with the elevation gain. We made it to Ohanapecosh at about 12:15 after a minor detour (I was convinced we were making the same navigation mistake we made the first time but it turned out I jumped the gun). Luckily it gave us a chance to snap this photo of the mountain with a puff:

Fortunately the advance car made it at 11:59 (turns out they'd had some detours of their own) and the site was ours, all ours. The weather was cooperative and while it was chilly in the shade it was quite warm in the sun. Here are Morgan and Jacob after the car ride:

We needed firewood so a group was sent to nearby Packwood while the rest of us went down to check out the river.

What a difference a season makes! Six weeks earlier the river had been dangerously high and fast; the roar could be heard from the entire campsite. In late August it was lazy, low, meandering. I took some time to sit atop a rock (which was underwater last time) and contemplate life (there's been a lot to contemplate lately) and feel generally grateful, as I always do in such circumstances, for my blessed life.

Once the firewood was at hand we built a real clothes-ripper as my Mom would call it (because it's so hot you have to rip off your clothes... get it?). While building up to sausage-roasting temperatures, Ray took the opportunity to jump over things, like the picnic table and skeptically willing people seated in camp chairs. (If you ever need a surefire way to find out 1) if someone trusts you and/or 2) if someone is really your friend... ask to jump over them.)

Before, during, and after jumpfest, we feasted on potato chips and hummus, tabouleh salad, and sausages roasted on forest-foraged sticks. Here's Nick with his stick:

There was a throwback to college as we played a favorite card game called 13, and then the real campfire highlight... s'mores! I still had fixins left over from Mt. Rainier camping trip #1 and was determined to get them eaten. I am a s'more aficionado and take pride in the patience and skill necessary to cultivate the perfect golden brown marshmallow. Since this trip I have started "watching what I eat" and "making good choices" like "exercising." Writing about s'mores makes me want to smear roasted marshmallow and melted chocolate all over my face since then I don't technically have to list it in today's food journal... right?

I digress... after some more campfire downtime, another trip to the river, and a tour of the visitor's center, we headed to Sunrise at about 4 pm for the actual, intended purpose of the original trip: wildflowers! We really only had time for one of the two main spots and decided against Paradise since, if given the choice, I'll avoid crowds. I had also gotten a great vibe from Sunrise the first time around and was eager to see what it looked like without the snow.

Up we went through the curvy roads and stunning views, stopping at the panoramic vista about a mile below Sunrise proper to snap this self-group portrait:

The nice part about going so late in the day was that most people were already headed back to their campsites or home for the night. (This was, incidentally, also the nice part about being at the campsite during the day: everyone else was at Paradise or Sunrise or hiking somewhere and it was empty!) So we had the trails mostly to ourselves. (Though we were curious about the fact that, as we were leaving toward dusk and with nary a soul in sight, the parking lot was still full of cars - where were all of these people?? The Wonderland trail perhaps?)

We started up a "nature trail" and it took me a few minutes to realize that, even though I came back exactly when the park rangers told me to, the wildflowers were not quite as wondrous as had been advertised. Sure, they were pretty and abundant, but had either peaked, hadn't quite reached their peak, or were at their peak but just not as glorious as most years due to an inclement summer. Check out the meadow in this one taken on our trip:

Compared to this one which I borrowed from America's Best Idea:

Despite the lackluster meadows, I wasn't disappointed. There were still plenty of flowers and there was one in especial abunance which was odd and awesome and I loved it. I would call it a mop-head alien flower, but its actual name is "Western Anemone," which is almost as cool.

The weather was still on our side and the views during our hike were stunning. I love this shot:
Once we got to the top of the nature trail (about a mile), a few of us decided to trek further up to a peak (another mile and a half) while the rest did an extended nature walk. It was no easy climb - we were at a pretty significant elevation and it was all uphill - but it was worth it once we reached the top. What a glorious sensation, feeling almost even with Mount Rainier! (Of course we were nowhere near its 14,000 foot elevation, but perspective is a funny thing.) It was cold and windy but sunny and we took a few minutes to bask in our surroundings and take some photos before heading back down.

Jen got this great shot by balancing the camera on my backpack on a rock:
Ray took a series of panoramic shots that he has promised to put together and share with us. Here's Jen trying to get out of the way of one:

In a lot of ways I think any hike down is worse than up - it's certainly more impact on the body and by that time you're tired and potentially getting a bit stiff. But, we made it in good time and when I looked back up at the peak we'd just summited I smiled in gratitude at the weather's cooperation; just 30 minutes after we'd been up there enjoying stunning views, it was covered in a dark, mean cloud.

Here's a shot of our descent:

We were tired but satisfied and climbed back into the cars for our return home. We stopped in Enumclaw for some hot beverages which were oddly difficult to procure (I broke into a Safeway Starbucks to get Morgan some hot water) and then it was back to Seattle without event.

I walked into a disbanded party scene and gratefully ate the leftovers my roommates had yet to put away, then made an overnight waffle batter to enjoy the next morning with our houseguests.

It was the very definition of a Red Letter Day. I hope to make Rainier an annual event... until we meet again, Mountain.

Lake Coeur d'Alene (man that's hard to spell)

2010-09-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed by how long it has been since I last posted. As much as I love keeping a blog and knowing that it's a record that I'll have forever, sometimes life gets in the way of updating said record. It has been an eventful - nay, transformative - few weeks, dear readers. I promise that I'll make quick work of updating it, starting with a long weekend in Idaho 3 weeks ago.

My friends Robyn and Paul own and manage a marina on Lake Coeur d'Alene (CDA to locals) in Idaho on the southern part of the lake. Saturday, August 21 was the marina's 100 year anniversary party, and I volunteered to help them pull it off. It was great for them since I'm a useful person to have around at events, and it was great for me since it was a long weekend on a beautiful lake in which I got to indulge in two of my favorite things: delicious diner-esque food, and free stuff. There is nothing like knowing the tab is on the house! Of course, I tried not to abuse the freebies.

The lake is gorgeous. Here is a view of the marina and the lake from the cabin porch where we stayed: (look closely for the nearly-full moon!)

We left Thursday afternoon and unfortunately got stuck in some random brush-fire-related traffic, so a 5-hour drive turned into about 8. By the time we got there we had just enough energy to make our beds and have a quick "manager's meeting" since the brothers who run the marina generally sleep there during the busy days. I loved being included, so maybe I should admit that I got to partake in THREE things I love, the third being having some authority/power. Again, I tried not to abuse it, though I definitely pulled rank over the 16-year-old helpers when I felt like driving a golf cart.

My friends wake up EARLY. We were up and at 'em by 7 am and that was sleeping in for them. This was Friday, the day before the big bash. This way was spent in running errands to the city of Coeur d'Alene about a half hour away including picking up the sno cone machine and 6 sheet cakes from Costco, making signage, coordinating with the staff, and a late afternoon swim with Robyn's dad. The water is dark but extremely clear and it is populated with big, bold fish that were not afraid to swim with us.

The next morning - party day - started even earlier at about 6 am. We wasted no time in getting right down to business hanging historical photos, twisting and draping streamers, blowing up balloons, setting up chairs and tables and taping down tablecloths, and on and on. There was plenty to do and it's a wonder I found time for free breakfast in there (but if you were worried, never fear; I did).

Probably hardest working of all were Robyn and her dad, affectionately nicknamed "White Stag" (it's a great story). Check out their awesome t-shirts; we all wore them but Robyn and I styled ours up by cutting off the sleeves and tying ribbons around each shoulder to create a 'boat neck,' for which we received many compliments.

I was tasked with manning the sno cone machine, which was set up next to the free airbrush tattoo lady on the lawn across from the restaurant. The day got off to a slow start but by mid-afternoon things were in full swing. We had normal sno cone flavors and also an 'adult' version which could be any flavor plus a shot of vodka or rum. Although we did sell quite a few of these, the majority of the consumption was by "upper management." Just because we were working does not mean we weren't enjoying the party.

Here I am at the antiquated hunk of metal churning out some shaved ice. Notice the sweet syrup bottles - I made them the day before and was proud of my handiwork

After a good long stint as the sno cone operator I took a break to eat some barbecue and watch the kids' games on the other lawn. I preceded these games by making a loud announcement via the DJ's microphone to all in earshot - that is, everyone on land and dock - about the various games and prizes. I believe at this point I was as buzzed as I was going to get that day, which I'm proud to say was hovering around what we liked to call in college "essentially sober."

The kids' games were really fun to watch and I got to run the video camera for a few of them. Here is a shot of one of the potato sack races:

Then there was adult tug-of-war whose prize was supposed to be a Derailer (and through some bad communication ended up being SIX of them). Imagine, if you will, a Mai Tai in a bucket with 6 straws. That, my friends, is a Derailer. It is a sight to behold.

The final game event was another tug-of-war, this time between the marina staff and "upper management," or Robyn and Paul plus their friends who they had talked into helping them. Of course everyone wanted the staff to win, and win they did, in a big way. I will never forget Robyn's dad screaming, "Pull! Pull dammit, PULL!" Robyn was so into it she got a giant rope burn on her arm from being dragged across the sand, refusing to give up.

A few of us went swimming afterward to wash off the dirt and the shame of loss, at which point I observed Robyn do the most amazing thing I have ever seen: a silent karaoke (in which the singer is listening to the song on headphones) of "Baby Got Back." She knew every word and danced her booty off for the entire 4 minutes. This most amazing record was broken mere ours later when Robyn and the same instigator of the silent karaoke did the Gator on the dance floor. Words are not enough... Note that in the video, it's just one dude; in real life it's supposed to be six dudes doing that same movement while hopping over a seventh dude on the floor. I can't imagine why this dance went out of style...

At various points during the day I decided I wanted to drive the golf cart. There were some teenagers helping out with the carts, ushering people from a far-away parking lot to the marina and back. So, a few times I pulled rank, booted one of the sulking teens, and drove to my heart's content. I even drove at night, holding a Mag light up as a headlight through the pitch-black back-woods Idaho roads. Good times. It was during one of these night shuttles that a 10-year-old boy gave me a $5 tip that his dad had given him to give to me. I thought about protesting but took the cash and tipped with it at breakfast the next morning - the only $5 I spent the entire weekend.

Let me take this opportunity to say that people in Idaho like to PARTY. This crowd was not messing around. There was a daytime DJ, then a popular local band that played from 6 to 10 to which people were dancing like crazy (and during which an overly intoxicated man - he'd gotten his fair share of the Derailer prize - with no warning just fell forward, striking the bridge of his nose on the stage. Yikes.) Then there was a late-night DJ and people were STILL dancing, even though most of them had been partying since about noon.

The festivities finally started to wind down at about midnight and we all fell into bed, exhausted after a 18-hour day.

We lucked out on the weather since Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day and Sunday was the first day of rain they'd had in weeks. We packed up the car, drove back to CDA to drop off the sno cone machine and take a tour of CDA since Paul insisted I should see it, and then started the long drive back. The highlight was pizza in Ellensburg. The lowlight was crappy traffic directly outside Ellensburg until Snoqualmie. Overall I had a great weekend and now I can say I've been to Idaho instead of just having driven through it.

Upcoming blogs to pique your interest: "Day Trip to Mount Rainier" and "Ch-ch-ch-changes: is this my life?"

Thanksgiving: not just for November

2010-08-15T11:32:00.006-07:00

It’s no secret that I love Thanksgiving. I love it so much that I try to cook a Thanksgiving meal about twice a year – why limit such a delicious spread and the concept of giving thanks to a single day? So when I saw that the weekend weather was going to be cloudy and filled with showers – the perfect weather to cook a heavy meal - I made some last-minute plans to host a Thanksgiving last Sunday.

My last two Thanksgivings went down in Argentina (click here for the first and the second). Although both dinners turned out really well, finding the right ingredients was always a struggle and my shopping had to be done over the course of a week and about a dozen different stores. Certain things I compromised on – making blueberry instead of cranberry sauce – but I special imported French’s fried onions and a turkey baster both times, because neither of those items has a suitable substitute.

So imagine my pleasant surprise when, even in August, I only had to go to 3 places to get everything I needed in the good old US of A. First I called Bob’s Quality Meats in Columbia city and had them take a 14 pound turkey out of the freezer for me. Then I hit up MacPherson’s, the world’s greatest produce stand on Beacon Hill. Finally, I went to Safeway for the staples: pumpkin pie essentials, bread for dressing, fried onions, black olives and gherkins (a must in my family), and so on. The only thing I couldn’t find this time of year was fresh cranberries, but luckily I’m experienced making blueberry sauce. I also couldn't find a pumpkin from which to truly make pie from scratch, but there's always the fall for that.

Day 1, Saturday: Preparation

Thanksgiving is really a two-day cooking affair. While it can all be done in one day, certain things are easier and more delicious when prepared in advance. On Saturday I did my shopping and got right to work. I:

• Started the process of making perfectly good bread go stale
• Made ranch and tzaziki dip, plus cut up the vegetables for crudités
• Roasted vegetables for a carrot/cauliflower/tahini salad (a new addition to my standard T-day spread and not one I will repeat – it just didn’t “go” with everything else)
• Chopped and assembled a Waldorf salad
• Patiently simmered blueberries in water, sugar, orange and lemon juice, and ginger
• Soaked fruit in white zinfandel, vodka, and cinnamon for a light, summery spritzer
• Made pie crust plus 2 pumpkin pies and 3 tiny extra pies with leftover crust and filling (one of which Ryan got to eat that night since pumpkin pie is one of his favorites and I love a happy audience).

It was also Seafair weekend, so I took a break to watch the Blue Angels buzz our house a few times (we’re in the path between Boeing and Lake Washington so there’s a lot to see from our front porch). This is not zoomed in:

I was in the kitchen from about noon to 7 pm before heading out to a birthday party/house show. Suffice to say I was tired but satisfied with my progress.

Day 2, Sunday: Happy Thanksgiving!

I took it easy Sunday morning because the bird didn’t need to go in until about 1 pm and I could do the rest of what I needed to get done while it cooked.

Like most of my Thanksgiving dishes, I always make the turkey the exact same way: stuff it with an apple and an onion, rub sage butter all over it, baste it in a white wine broth, and cover it in bacon. There are usually 2-3 rounds of bacon for a total of about 2 pounds. Yes, it’s delicious to eat. Yes, it makes ridiculously good gravy.

While the bird cooked, I:

• Watched the Blue Angels fly their last show
• Roasted a head of garlic
• Assembled the stuffing (I make it with apples, celery, and pecans)
• Prepared the green bean casserole (fresh beans are a must!)
• Boiled and mashed the hell out of potatoes, served two ways: one buttery, sour creamy, and garlicky, and the other bleu cheesy
• Did some general clean-up and set-up around the house (I am a big fan of cleaning as you go!)

I didn't take a lot of pictures and my camera died right as we started eating, but my sister snapped this one which I like a lot. If you look closely there are a lot of details captured:

I love Thanksgiving dinner because most everything can be made ahead of time. The only real coordination needs to come at the very end, which has the potential to be a very stressful 30 minutes. This is the time the bird comes out and rests, the stuffing and green beans go in the oven, and the gravy gets made.

Gravy is a pain in the you-know-what to make. I spent about a year learning how to make and fix gravies, and while at this point I can almost always salvage a gravy gone wrong, there remains that nagging worry in the back of my head that it might go irrevocably wrong. The gravy is really the glue that ties the whole plate together. Let’s face it, without gravy, a Thanksgiving meal is incomplete. No pressure!

Luckily the gravy turned out perfectly, as did the rest of the food. Here's Tessa enthusiastically - and then self-consciously ("can I start??")- making the first plate:

About 10 of us sat around my living room, going back for seconds and thirds and giving thanks for, at my request, “trivial things.” (It always bugs me when giving thanks devolves into “I’m grateful for my friends and family and for this meal.” Those are good things but not exactly creative!)

I waited a few minutes before pushing pumpkin pie and fresh whipped cream on the crowd, which was enthusiastically received despite protests of “too… full….” Yep, just like Thanksgiving in November!

The next day K, M, baby J and I ate Thanksgiving round 2, and leftovers were generally enjoyed for a few solid days. I also produced one of the most delicious turkey soups I think I’ve ever made, the last of which is waiting to be eaten or frozen (the latter being more likely since it’s going to hit 95 today). All in all a Thanksgiving well celebrated.

For me, Thanksgiving has become a meaningful and important ritual. I’m grateful that people are willing to celebrate it as often as I’m willing to cook it!

Midweek Vacation to Vancouver

2010-08-06T12:19:00.017-07:00

This week I did something really, really fun. It did not involve commuting, or sitting in front of my computer, or anything work related like you would expect from a normal Tuesday-Thursday stretch. Instead, I went to Vancouver, Canada. Way more fun!

So, why the workweek weekend, you might be asking? Ask Ryan, my delightful new beau who works weekends. Not only is he smart, funny, patient, and generally awesome, he's also smoking hot. Observe:

He'd never been to Vancouver (or so he'd thought) and I'd only ever been for underage drinking, so it seemed like a fun thing to do now that my project at work has (finally!) ended.

Day 1: Tuesday

We set out Tuesday morning - in the Matrix of course, my car loves road trips - and made excellent time. We zoomed through the border (though not without wearily eyeing the 2-hour wait to cross back into the USA) and easily navigated to Delta, the 4-star hotel I got a killer deal on by bidding on priceline. I love staying in fancy hotels and I love a good bargain, plus the location was fantastic - in West downtown nestled between Gastown, Chinatown, and the end of Granville street - so it was a win-win-win.

We valeted the car, dumped our bags, and immediately set out on foot for dim sum in Chinatown. Even though we couldn't find a place that served from carts we were more than satisfied with what we got, thanks to the super friendly security guard who recommended Jade Dynasty to us. (Canadians are so nice!)

Chinatowns across North America looks pretty much the same, but this was something I'd never seen. They look like something straight out of Jurassic Park, right?

Also, Vancouver seems to be really into discount meats. This is one of several we saw, and not just in Chinatown either.

Then we checked out the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, which was a really sweet, serene space in the middle of downtown. It featured turtles and the biggest Coy fish I've ever seen. You can't see it here, but it's surrounded by high rises:

Our short walk back to the hotel included passing a block of empty storefronts whose sidewalk was filled with the city's transients. We were both interested in why they would gather there - some sort of agreement that the authorities would not hassle them if they stayed together in one place? - but a subsequent walk past that same block the next day revealed that it was home to a recycling center that paid them for their collected bottles and cans. It was interesting to contrast Vancouver's consistent rating among the best cities in the world to live in with the seemingly high level of homelessness.

But, we were on vacation so we didn't dwell too long on the plight of the world's less fortunate and instead quickly checked into our room, changed into more breathable clothing (we were so lucky with the weather), and hopped a bus to Stanley park to rent bikes and tool around. Here's Ryan with his sweet ride (he's used to being on two wheels and owns a sick motorcycle).

I insisted on a one-speed cruiser - the woman told me it had pedal brakes like that was a bad thing, hello childhood! I got it with a basket and I was delighted that it was bright yellow. Once we started riding I tried a few motions shots with mixed success. Here's the funniest of them:

I stopped to take this one. How cute are we?

Stanley park is huge - 1,000 acres! - but really user-friendly. We toured the 8 kilometer Sea Wall, which had separate walk and wheel lanes. The nicest part was that the wheel lane is one-way: not dodging traffic removes a lot of potential stress and allowed us to really take in our surroundings, which were gorgeous. Here's a shot toward the beginning of the trail:

Here's another taken toward the end. There were tons of people on the beach and even a few in the water.

The weather was perfect and I was just so happy and grateful to be exactly where I was. My favorite 10 seconds of the entire trip was a downhill stretch where I got going a little bit fast and just relaxed into the breeze. I couldn't help but laugh at my good fortune to lead such a fun life.

Here are our bikes under the Lion's Gate bridge. I love this photo.

After we turned our bikes back in we decided to walk down Robson street, the main downtown/shopping corridor. We couldn't believe the quantity of sushi restaurants, but indulged in a Slurpee and kept walking with a resolution to eat sushi for lunch the next day. We took a left at Granville, paused to listen to a great violinist busker, and then walked past the hotel to the edge of Gastown. By that time we'd been walking for about an hour and were hungry again, so we had a light dinner at an immense restaurant called Steamworks (800 seats!) with a view of the 2010 Olympic stadium. (Zoomed in here.)

By this time we could have easily called it a night, but after relaxing in our room for a few hours we decided to head out again. I wanted to try a tapas restaurant that had been recommended to me called Bin 941. I am a tapas junkie after having lived in Spain but also sort of a snob about them since often a so-called 'tapas' restaurant is nothing of the kind. So imagine my disappointment when we found the spot and it was filled with $17 entree-style, non-Spanish items! We hightailed it out of there and started walking back toward the hotel via Granville, the nightlife center of the city.

On the way we passed a very promising, authentic-looking tapas restaurant but by that time we were pretty beat down from a long day and opted for late-night room service. (I love room service. The food is rarely good and always overpriced but I just love getting a meal delivered on a tray with mini condiments and being able to charge it to the room. Added bonus that what we ordered was actually quite tasty!)

Day 2: Wednesday

We woke up bright and early on Wednesday and started with breakfast at Scoozi's, a Greek-style dinner by the hotel. After that we hopped a bus to Granville Island - which is not an island at all - to go to the public market. I was expecting more fair-style vendors, and we didn't spend much time among the produce, meat, and seafood stalls, though if I had a kitchen in Vancouver to cook in I would have gone buck wild.

After briefly considering and the discarding the idea to take a ferry across False Creek we hopped back on the bus to get us a little closer to our next destination and then walked the remaining 2 miles through a non-touristy part of town, which is always a refreshing change of pace. We were headed to Science World since it turns out we both love kid-oriented entertainment. As we got closer Ryan stopped dead in his tracks and said, "Wait a minute... is this where they had the '86 Expo??" Turns out he'd been to Vancouver before after all. Here it is for those of you who might have gone as well.

We didn't end up paying the $20+ for the science center -it was under construction, filled with day-camp groups (the kids are not what we love about children's entertainment) and woefully lacking a planetarium. Right next door was a Sky train station which connected directly to the station outside our hotel, so we got some more public transportation under our belts.

By this time we were ready for that sushi lunch and figured we'd explore Gastown and eat there. Here's a shot of the Harbor Center (sort of like the Space Needle, revolving restaurant and all) from Gastown:

Considering the dozens of sushi joints we'd seen, this seemed like it would be a breeze... not so, my friends. We walked through the entire neighborhood and soon found ourselves all the way back in Chinatown, hungry, hot, and edging on grumpy. But we quickly formed a Plan: buy Ryan some swim trunks for the Stanley park pool at a discount Chinatown shop, take a bus back to the hotel, eat a snack at the taco stand next to the hotel I was dying to try, put on our swimsuits, take the bus back to Stanley park, and eat at one of the many sushi places we had passed the day before. Which is exactly what we did. Here is the pinche taco place; it definitely hit the spot.

Once back on Robson by the park we ended up at Momo sushi which was on the list of places I'd read about. It was exactly what we were looking for. There was a table right outside and it was on a side street so the traffic and pedestrians from Robson didn't bother us. It was also cheap and, most importantly, freaking DELICIOUS. Four small tacos cost us $12; two giant sushi lunches (I couldn't even finish mine, a rarity for me) was $23. The lesson here is that there ARE bargains to be had, even in the most expensive of cities.

After we ate we walked back into the park where we hit up the aquarium, overflowing with families on a Wednesday (we kept commenting on how grateful we were that we hadn't come on a weekend) but wholly enjoyable. We watched an incredible 4-D Planet Earth show which was the best I'd ever seen (it had me and the entire theater shrieking) and then stuck around for a Beluga whale show. Usually the thought of aquatic mammal shows makes me a little sad, but it was pretty interesting to watch and was short enough that I didn't feel like they were being made too much a spectacle of. Plus it was three generations of whales - grandma, daughter, granddaughter - which tickled me for some reason. My camera didn't take great shots of them, but here's a fun one:

Then it was time for the pool at Second Beach. We had biked past it the day before and I was sad we didn't have our suits with us to hop in then and there (instead we went swinging - a happy alternative). The aquarium and the pool are not close - it's a huge park - so we got in a cab. Had I been any less vacation-euphoric I would have been angry by our cab driver's obvious dawdling and detours to jack up the price, but not walking the distance and having something to laugh about (he was one of those people who drives a cab through the park every day but knew nothing about it, you know the type) made the $15 ride worth it.

Ahhh, the pool. It was beautiful. Right on the water, not too crowded, perfectly heated, with a twisty slide that we tried out despite funny looks from the kids in line (kids who cut us and we let them). It was so pleasant just floating around together with no one getting in our way, especially since the day had been so hot and the aquarium so crowded. Ryan says this was his favorite part of the trip and it was a close second for me behind bike riding.

Having learned that cabs in Vancouver are pricey, we walked out of the park and bused back to the hotel where we relaxed and got ready for dinner. We decided to hit up the second tapas restaurant we'd found on Granville and I was blown away by it! It's called Cafe Barcelona and was probably the most authentic tapas I've eaten outside of Spain. It was expensive because it's Vancouver but it was definitely within the right price range for small plates, plus they hit everything right on the money. The biggest tapas test for me is always tortilla española, which they executed perfectly: more potato than egg, served at room temperature without any frills. The waitress left something to be desired but hey, they wouldn't have been attentive in Spain either.

The last time I was in Vancouver was for my 20th birthday, of which I have very vague memories. But when we walked past the Two Parrots bar on Granville, memories flooded back of getting a little tipsy and making Canadian friends in that bar. Having revisited Ryan's past trip, we decided to revisit mine and got drinks in this fabulous dive before calling it a night.

Day 3: Thursday

We crossed so much off the list in days 1 and 2 we decided to check out a different part of town before confronting our scary-long border crossing wait. We drove across the Lion's Gate bridge into North Vancouver where we found an excellent diner called Moodyville's. They served free-range eggs with the most intensely orange yolks I had ever seen and both of our breakfasts were delicious.

Then we walked down to the water where we found another public market, this time with some fair-esque vendors. I bought two beautiful bracelets and some maple syrup cream cookies (they are dangerously good). Here's a view of downtown Vancouver from North Vancouver (zoomed in):

Clearly we were both avoiding the border so on our way back we stopped to do a little more wandering in another hip part of town we'd noticed on our drive in. Eventually we couldn't put it off any longer and geared up for the border, newspaper at hand to entertain ourselves. As we got closer we kept waiting for traffic to slow and then stop in the same place where we'd seen it on Tuesday, and waiting... and waiting... holding our breath and trying not to get too excited that the back-up didn't seem so bad. The heavens were smiling upon us and it took a piddling 30 minutes until we were back in the USA. The Matrix is good luck! (Refer to both the Mt. Rainier and Lavender festival posts for its history of saving me tons of travel time.)

My steering wheel had been vibrating a little too intensely for comfort and I knew I needed two new tires anyway, and since we had all the time in the world to kill, we decided to find a Les Schwab in Bellingham and eat lunch downtown while they hooked me up. Turns out that you can't only get 2 new tires on a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but they ended up charging me $100 less than I was expecting, plus they balanced it which fixed the vibrations and it drove so much nicer with four new tires, so it was fully worth it. I also got to relive an experience I often think about from my days of visiting friends at Western: the potato burrito. Freaking yum.

Now, gentle readers, you might expect that after 3 continuous days together, filled with what could have been high-stress situations that might accompany travel + car troubles, we would possibly be a little sick of each other, and definitely ready to get home. But we proved to be such compatible travel companions that we weren't grumpy but rather still happy to be together, plus avoiding rush hour through Seattle seemed like a good idea, so there was really only one logical choice for our next move: outlet shopping.

That's right. We went on vacation. I dealt with the stress of needing 4 new tires. And then we went shopping together. Serious, two-hour-long, multi-store shopping. And you know what? We were just as happy together at the end of those 2 hours. (Insert contented sigh here.)

All good things must come to an end, though, and after stopping off for a view of Seattle I didn't know existed, our vacation was officially over. Here's the view from West Seattle:

I have a feeling this was the first of many vacations together...