Seattle Stories

As I've mentioned before, my sister Samantha and brother in law Travis moved to Seattle last year (sad). So, B and I decided to go visit them to celebrate the new year, as we miss them and neither of us had ever been to Seattle. We left on December 31 and stayed until January 4 - the longest vacation B's had in a LONG time. I felt happy she could take some time off and even happier we got to spend it together. :)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I started to get sick on the Monday before New Year's Eve. By the time we left for Seattle, I wasn't feeling all that great. However, I was determined to push past it for B, my sister, and for myself, as I wanted to enjoy the trip and to see the city. Overall, I think I did okay. Here's a run down of the five day weekend:

Wednesday:
We arrived safely in Seattle, and our checked bag did too - yay! I never take that for granted after the five day outfit in Israel! Samantha was waiting for us, and we were soon on our way to her place in Kent, a suburb of Seattle.

Unfortunately, we saw something horrible along the way. As we waited to turn left at a busy intersection, we noticed a guy crossing the road we were attempting to turn on, against the light. He appeared to be intoxicated, and was trying to stop traffic by holding up his hand as he walked as his friends watched. The cars whizzed by him, but he made it halfway. I thought he would stop at that point, but unfortunately he continued on. One car missed him by inches, and then suddenly I heard a horrible bang. A car had smashed directly into him, and he flew into the air with such force that his pants came off. We thought for sure he was dead, and we wanted to stay as witnesses for the driver (the poor person had no chance, as it was dark, rainy, uphill, he had the green light, and the guy was wearing dark clothing). However, we were forced to turn left onto the road, and then turned around as soon as we could. We passed the scene, and we could see the EMTs/paramedics treating him as if he was still alive. Unfortunately though, there was no place for us to pull off safely. We really have no idea if the guy lived or died, and we couldn't vouch for the driver. Yuck.

After all that, we were quite shaken up, and we couldn't stop talking about it for a while. Clearly the guy was an idiot, but no one deserves to die for that. I hope he made it, and I hope the driver can find some peace too. Any one of us could have been that driver, and I think we all recognized that. Life is crazy!

We eventually collected our wits and continued on to arrive safely in Kent. Samantha and Travis's new home is great! Huge, lots of space, nice floor plan, etc. We even had our own guest room (now called our room I believe!). Since it was new year's eve, we debated whether we should head into the city to see the fireworks. Ultimately, we decided to stay in and play rock band, as it was chilly and rainy. We had a great time and went to bed not too long after midnight (it was after 2:00 CST afterall).

Thursday:
On Thursday, the four of us went to the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project museum. I thought the space needle was great, and I really enjoyed the views of the city. It was definitely cold and windy on the outside observation deck though - yikes! I also enjoyed the EMP, but not as much as I thought I might. The visit confirmed that I have NO musical talent, but I still manage to look pretty dang good rocking out with the instruments. Too bad there has to be sound! :-P

On Thursday evening, we went to dinner at a restaurant in Kent, the Zephyr - it was not great. They were out of a ton of stuff, and they screwed up the meals. They torched my salmon and then served it with some sort of rice that smelled so bad that Samantha wouldn't even taste it! I tried it, and it was NOT good. After dinner, we went back to the house and chilled - a good day.

Friday:
On Friday, I felt horrible in the morning, so I stayed in bed to sleep. Samantha and Beth went to Silverdale to run some errands and passed through Tacoma on the way. Beth can now legitimately sing that song that goes, "I've been to Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA" as she's been to all those places. Pretty cool. Anyway, they were kind enough to stop for meds and tea for me, and when they arrived home, I got ready to leave the house (slowly).

When I was ready, we journeyed back into Seattle to visit Pike's Market, and I loved it. Samantha said it was not really busy, so I can't imagine what it's normally like! I loved looking at all the stuff for sale, and I loved the view of the water (was that Puget Sound? I forget.). We enjoyed some delicious crepes and then bought some dried fruit (most of which we forgot in Seattle - bummer. Samantha, please enjoy it for us!). We walked around for a long time, and we saw the place where they throw the fish and the first ever Starbucks too! I definitely loved the market, and I think I would frequent it often if I lived out there.

After the market, we visited Samantha's church. It was nice to see where she sings each week. The place is huge - comparable to the Basilica or Cathedral here. Very nice - they are lucky to have her, as she's quite talented. She didn't even have to audition, as her experience preceded her. Nice!

After visiting the church, we decided to head back toward Kent. Samantha drove us past Safeco and Qwest fields - cool to see. I am looking forward to catching a Mariners' game at Safeco in the future!

As we drove back to the burbs, we decided we wanted Chipotle. Samantha suggested we stop at the one in Tukwila (another suburb), but I stupidly said let's get it in Kent so it will be warm. We agreed that was a good idea, and went to the Kent Chipotle...where it turns out they had no food to make burritos. Literally - no tortillas, no salsas, and no spices for the meat. Unfortunately, they didn't tell Samantha until AFTER she had ordered. I said no thanks, not going to waste points on horrible, non-Chipotle, Chipotle. We were all bummed, as we were craving Chipotle big time. In fact, we were so bummed that we decided to go BACK to Tukwila to actually order decent food. We arrived to find a well stocked restaurant, and then finally we were on our way back to Kent. That was a delicious burrito, well worth the drive in my opinion. Thanks, Samantha!

Saturday:
On Saturday, Samantha made us a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and the spicy potatoes B taught her to make (if you hadn't noticed, I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon in Seattle. Oh well). After that, B, Samantha, and I headed into the city for the Underground Tour. Like Jerusalem, Seattle is a city on top of an older version of itself. It's a long story that I don't feel like explaining, but basically you can go underground and see parts of the old town as it existed before being trumped, literally. I really enjoyed the tour, as the guides were informative and hilarious. B really enjoyed it too, and that made me happy, as she was really looking forward to it.

Oh, before the tour, we visited Samantha's office at Amazon. She works in the tallest building in Seattle, and her desk provides a view of Mt. Rainier on clear days. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so we couldn't see the mountain. Oh well - it was neat to see where Samantha spends her days!

After the tour, we went to a really cool toy store (Magic Mouse?), and Samantha bought a fun new game - the Smartass Game. I think that's the right name. After the toy store, we hit up a local Italian restaurant, DeNunzios. The place was a riot, as it was a tiny joint in a basement (continuing our underground theme) with a crazy host/waiter. The waiter, Tonelli, a flaming gay man, literally made me spit out my gum, though I'm not sure why, as the place was in a BASEMENT for pete's sake. Not a four star joint. Probably not even three, but B and Samantha thought that was hilarious. Anyway, we enjoyed our meals and each other's company (and we even enjoyed Tonelli), and then it was time to go (but before that, Samantha said something so funny that Beth spit out her water all over me and Samantha - Samantha could barely speak she was laughing so hard at that point. We still can't remember what Samantha said, but the whole thing was pretty dang funny). However, before we left, Tonelli insisted that he should take our picture, though we aren't sure why. We let him do that, and then we were on our way back to the burbs for our last evening in the pacific northwest. It's sad how fast vacation goes.

Sunday:
We had to wake up early to get to the airport, and I was feeling AWFUL by this point. B took care of me, and after a long shower, I was at least able to function. As we drove to the airport, B said, "hey, is that Mount Rainier?" Samantha looked back and said, "why yes, it is" or something similar. As I said above, the weather had been dreary the entire time, but it finally cleared enough for us to see the big mountain on our last day. It was beautiful, and I'm glad we got to see it. Good job, B!

After we said good bye to Samantha (sad), we caught our flight and were headed home. B's sister Aviva picked us up in Mpls (our bag made it home too!), and then it was off to run some errands. Finally we headed home and I got to rest...for another whole week of illness! Ick.

Recap:
We had a great time in Seattle, and we especially enjoyed spending time with Samantha and Travis. I miss them a lot, and I'm looking forward to our next trip out. Hopefully when the weather is nicer, as all that grey does get a bit old. ;) Plus, we want to do some of the more outdoorsy stuff, like the national parks and Mt. Saint Helens (which is also a national park I think). Plus, there's always baseball - clearly that's a priority! :)

Thanks to Samantha and Travis for hosting us - we love you guys!

My vote goes to the candidate who supports 3 day weekends!

Honestly, I might be able to put politics aside to vote for someone who pledged to implement mandatory, permanent 3 day weekends. Two days just aren't enough to get everything done, have fun, and rest. Hell, three might not even be enough. Let's go for four! Okay, okay, I'll settle for three. We do need some form of an economy in America after all...

This weekend was once again filled with activities. On Friday night, B and I went to the Twins game for the second time in one week. This time, we didn't bring good luck, and the Royals smoked the Twins 7 to 1 or something close to that. Ouch. Liriano looked awful, which might not bode well for the playoffs. I mean post season. Sorry B. Regardless, I still believe they can make it - Go Twins! Also, go Tigers, beat White Sox! Woo hoo!

On Saturday, B and I lazed around my place a bit and then ran a few errands. Later on, we got dressed up for our evening activities: dinner at Bellanotte and then Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco! It was a great date - great food and a great show. I had never seen any Cirque show, and B had always wanted to go, so I ordered tickets long ago. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but it was truly quite amazing. The performers did things that simply seem impossible: trapeze artists flying through the air and catching each other by their ankles with no nets below, climbing poles and hanging off them by their feet, crazy tricks on a bicycle, a man balancing in the air by holding onto another guy's head, and flying through the air over stacked people off of a swing amongst other things. Simply amazing. The performers have to be both incredibly strong and totally graceful all at once - not an easy combination to master! If you have a chance, I highly recommend checking out any Cirque show. Definitely better than any circus I've ever seen! :)

I slept in late on Sunday, and that was really nice. Definitely needed I guess. Finally finished the antibiotics for the sinus infection, and I swear it's still lingering. Maybe it's allergies. Anyway, after I woke up, I headed out to Chaska to visit my parents and especially my mom, who had her surgery on Wednesday. She seems to be in great shape, compared to her knee surgery anyway. Her pain seems manageable, and she's in good spirits. This is quite the relief, considering how awful things went after the knee replacement. Please continue to send good thoughts her way as she recovers!

While in Chaska, Dad and I stopped over at the church festival in town (for the parish I grew up in - my parents still belong). Immediately upon arrival, I ran into a grade school classmate. It's definitely a small world - great to see her. We also saw a bunch of other familiar faces, and I enjoyed a greasy homemade cheeseburger. Awesome. It's crazy how things change but stay the same all at once.

After the festival and a bit more time at my parents', I stopped at Target for groceries and a few other necessaries and then headed to B's. Once there, I made dinner, did some laundry, and did the dishes. Now it's already quite late, and I feel like I need an extra day. Thus the title for today's post. Two days simply aren't enough. I think we should all revolt and demand more leisure time. Together, we can do it! Ha. A girl can dream...from her office on Monday morning! :)

PS: An early Shana Tova to B and all my Jewish friends!

Go Twins!

The Twins are fighting for the American League Central Championship, and the next three games against the Chicago White Sox are crucial. To control their own destiny, they really need to sweep the Sox. A tall challenge, but I think they can do it if the pitching staff gets its act together. The bullpen has been brutal to watch (well, the starters haven't been too swell either), and they can't afford any more performances like that.

In exciting news, B and I are going to two more games: one on Wednesday night when they play the Sox and then one on Friday night when they play the KC Royals. I hope the game against KC matters, but that all depends on the Sox series. My point: GO TWINS! Time to pull out the homer hankies!

PS...

The Twins rock! 3 out of 4 from Chicago - that's not too shabby at all. I love those guys...too bad about Casilla's injury though - he was playing really well. Now if we can only figure out how to win against teams from NY and Boston, life would be grand!

I love the Minnesota Twins!

I've always loved the Twins (seriously, I watched them when they REALLY sucked), and this season, they are amazingly fun to watch. They really shouldn't be competing, yet somehow they are; this is true despite the blow out last night by the dreaded Yankees (sorry, B). And besides being good, they are truly a class act organization. Justin Morneau was incredibly gracious after winning the home run derby, noting that everyone will remember Hamilton's performance, not his victory. The night after that, the man goes out and gets two hits and scores the winning run in the All-Star game. Still no bravado or arrogance. Joe Mauer is the same, and so are the rest of the guys for the most part. I simply love that - talent AND class. Many professional athletes can learn from my Twins.

It's too early to say how things will turn out for them this year, but I do know this: win or lose (though I do prefer the winning), the Minnesota Twins rock, and they make me love the game of baseball even more than I already do. Now if they could only beat the dreaded Yankees...(sorry B!).

Go Twins!

Random Road Trip

On Saturday night, B and I decided to go to the Twins game on Father's Day...in Milwaukee. Her family was also going, and it's really not that far from the TC. So, we bought tickets, packed up the car, stopped in Chaska to visit my dad for Father's Day (you're the best, Dad!), and hit the road...right into a giant thunderstorm! It was so windy I had to hold the steering wheel with both hands and concentrate really hard on driving in a straight line. B helped out, but Matty slept peacefully through the whole thing! Thanks, Matty! After we outran the storms, we had no problem and pulled into B's parents' driveway at about 2 am.

The next morning, we awoke and hit the road to Milwaukee. The drive took about 1.5 -2 hours, and we arrived in plenty of time. Traffic was a bit nuts, and I got a little snarky at B - sorry bout that. Anyway, we parked, got our tix, and went to our seats, which were literally in the first row of the lower deck in the outfield - directly above the Twins' bullpen! We were so close that I could have conversed with the players! Really, really cool seats.

Unfortunately, the Twins lost, but it was still a really fun game. However, and this didn't really put too much of a damper on things, we had one of those REALLY annoying fans behind us. The kind that gets drunk and then starts shouting really stupid things at the opposing team. He was obnoxious, and at one point, I actually muttered something toward him and he shut up for a bit. Our seat neighbors also said something to him, and they verbally sparred for a bit. Really, I'm all about cheering for one's team, but there is no need to be a total douche at the game. His friend had a girlfriend with him, but douche was single...I wonder why?

After the game, B's family actually got to go on the field (they had special father's day tickets which were sold out by the time we decided to go). It was really fun to watch them play catch and run around a bit, and we got some good pics of them doing fun stuff. What a cool idea in general - I have never been on a major league field and would love to check it out some time.

We then headed back to Neenah to pick up Matty, and after dinner and a crazy detour in Stevens Point, we were on our way back to Mpls. Here's to random road trips - I love you, even at $4 a gallon (thank god I drive a Civic!)!

Time goes by...so slowly...or not. - myspace blog post

I guess I haven't written for a while again (patience folks, patience). Life is seriously flying by these days. What with work and various Harry Potter activities, I barely have time for sleep! I can't believe school starts August 22nd (or something close to that). That gets a major thumbs down, as I'm LOVING having a life again. I love seeing people, meeting people, doing fun things, and not having to study. Alas, if I actually want to BE an attorney, I must complete my third and final year.

As I know you are all dying to know, here's a recap of what I've been up to as of late:

1. The Harry and the Potters concert. When Karen and Paige invited me to go, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I knew the concert was being sponsored by the Mpls Public Library and that it was at a park, but other than that, no clue. Well, let's just say H and the Ps is good stuff. Totally silly, totally dopey, but I also couldn't stop smiling the entire time. Indeed, I even found myself singing/dancing along. How can you not dig a band that promotes reading and shouts out references to various scientific terms, such as ATP (and a bunch of other things I cannot spell)? I also really enjoyed seeing all the different types in the crowd enjoy the show (kids, teens, young professionals, people like my parents, etc.). H and the Ps: a nerdy boy's dream band. I say this with much love. Good times all around.

2. The Aquatennial Torchlight Parade. Okay, this was quite honestly the worst parade I've ever seen. There was no music, and the few floats were totally lame. The parade mostly consisted of various emergency services vehicles. Did you know that the Saint Paul Fire Department has a fan boat (they might actually have a bunch, because the one I saw was numbered 21)? Are there a lot of river fires that need attention? Did we develop a bayou? I know my firefighting knowledge is limited, but I didn't follow. Anyway, this parade also had tons of different pageant winners, but they were from places like Robbinsdale and other suburbs. I don't follow; isn't the aquatennial a Mpls festival? Finally, there were also random high school bands, none from the city. All quite odd, and the whole thing lacked in entertainment value. Boo.

3. Sweeney's. I met up with some school friends and had a few drinks out on the patio. No complaining at all here. Good times.

4. Working like crazy (which involves lunches and more drinks, diet coke for me). I've been putting in quite a few hours at the office, but I'm still enjoying the job. In fabulous news, my bridesmaid's dress still fits, even after all the many crazy lunches. I just have to hold out until Friday now, but I'm not out of the woods yet, as I have a lunch EVERY day this week. Insanity. Fun, but insane too.

5. The Art Car Parade. I went to the art car parade on Saturday, which I think is also part of the Aquatennial festival. Who knew I was so dedicated to the Aquatennial? Not me, but I went with it anyway. Now this was a pretty interesting parade. Fortunately for Karen and Paige, I found us some lovely seats on someone's yard (which was quite uncomfortable actually. The grass was dead, and for a brief while, I missed the lush suburban lawns of my youth). The parade was neat, but because of traffic issues it went rather slowly. Obviously, we had no patience and took off for beverages, where we met the lovely ABB and Tobias. Food and drinks for all, and the memories of the scratchy yard were soon lost.

6. HP 7. I read the entire book on Saturday (well, into Sunday morning actually). I very much enjoyed it, and that is all I will say because I don't want to give anything away to my friends who haven't finished.

7. Twins game. I went to the Twins game with my dad, Sarah, and Carolyn on Sunday. Unfortunately my team did not get the job done. Clutch hitting is lacking, and it's painful to watch at times. Also, the two guys behind us clearly should have just stayed at the office, as they only spoke about business (quite loudly) for the entire game. I feel like I should have had paper and pen ready to go so I could record stock tips. They annoyed me to no end, and I think they even annoyed my dad. I bet they don't even know who won the game. Boo to that.

8. Drinks at Lake Valusek. I met up with two school friends tonight for dinner and drinks at Lake Valusek (aka Karla's backyard with a fountain). Karla made fabulous food and mojitos, and I got to spend time with two fabulous, smart, funny, attractive women. What more can you ask for?

9. Preparing for K and D's wedding. I haven't done tons, but I've been trying to help out. I'm very excited for the big day on Friday, and again, as I said above, I'm relieved my dress fits. I better go with salads all week.

10. Trying to spend time with Sarah (and talk to her) before she leaves. I'm very much in denial about the move...thank God for cell phones (with the same service plan), IM, email, and airplanes. It's gonna be rough.

Okay, so that was obviously more than a recap. I just feel like I've been doing tons of stuff...I wish I had blogged about H and the Ps much sooner, as that experience truly was unique. Alas, I delayed and now words just don't capture the magical evening in Pershing Park.

Well, enough for tonight. Love to all my peeps!

I think I'll go to Boston - myspace post

So this weekend I'm off to Boston (Northampton really) to help Sarah find a place to live when she moves in August. It's going to be a crazy whirl wind trip, as we leave tomorrow afternoon, fly to Chicago to meet her mom, and then land in Boston a little before 11. We then pick up the rental car and drive to Northampton. Then it's non-stop apartment shopping on Saturday. I think Sarah booked about 7 appointments in a 6 hour period. I'm not sure how that's going to work, but we'll manage somehow. We then fly home mid-day Sunday. I already feel tired thinking about it!

It's too bad the trip will be so short as I love Boston. Oh well, once Sarah lives there I'm sure I'll be out there a lot. My hot straight girlfriend Hooch already said she wants to go for fall break. Woot!

On a random note, the paralegals took us out to lunch at Fogo de Chao today. It's a Brazilian steak house, and you literally can eat 15 different types of meat. You have a coaster type thing, and if you flip it to green, they keep bringing meat. At one point, I was eating yet my plate was getting fuller. It was totally nuts. They also had a full salad bar and sides. Needless to say, a severe food coma set in after that meal. If you like meat, I recommend the place. Cool experience, but a bit crazy if you think about it.

Anyway, after this summer, some of you might not recognize me as it seems I'm going to gain a massive amount of weight from all these food adventures. If you see me rolling down the street at some point, you know what happened. Seriously.

On a fun note, I also went to two Twins games this week, tickets courtesy of lawyers who couldn't use their season tickets. The seats were great and I had excellent company for each game. All in all a good week, but I'm already tired! Oh well, at least I don't have homework.

I hope everyone has an excellent weekend and that at least some dancing takes place. Adios mis amigos!