Seattle, part deux

Where did I leave off? Pike Place? 

To recap: Went to Seattle, almost caused a security crisis at Harrisburg with a black bag, ate somewhere good, found dahlia farm, Mexican food, fire, pancakes, shopping for shoes that apparently don't exist, wedding stuff, Pike Place. 

All caught up?  Good. 

We ended our afternoon in the city at Serious Pie, because I couldn't find Seatown Snack Bar, and I don't really care about non-Tom Douglas restaurants when I have three days to do everything that I can in Washington.  Plus, I have only tried three of their pizzas, and I had yet to sample their most unique pies: the pizza formerly known as Green Eggs and Ham.  They use to call it that, way back when it opened in 2006, which I can't even believe sometimes that four years have gone by in my life.  How different everything was four years ago.  But, I digress....

It was called that because it is piled with some kind of green, like arugula or whatever was in season, thinly sliced Italian ham, and a soft fried egg, on an olive oil based pizza.  When you cut into it, the egg breaks and the yolk becomes your sauce. 

It was just okay.  It probably would have been better if we weren't sitting next to a group of moms who were talking about their kids and how cute they are, and then somehow getting on the subject of one of the boys almost cutting his lip clean off.  And how it was all bloody and just dangling there.  Pizza wasn't great after that story.  I'm a nurse, and I was grossed out.  So, you know it's a bad story when this nurse who has a kinda unhealthy obsession with Tom Douglas food thinks his pizza is just okay.

We drove back to Kitsap county in a hurry because I had dinner reservations at 7.  It was pouring, as it did all weekend (because it's getting it out of the way for next year, right?  Right?!?), and I didn't want to take the ferry because I don't really like the ferry because you have no control of your destiny like you do when you're driving.  Unless it's foggy out, because that's really cool on the ferry.  Anyways, it took forever due to the rain.  We saw three accidents and apparently people there still don't know how to drive in the rain.  Ironic. 


I met my friend Nettie at the best restaurant in the greater Bremerton/Silverdale area, The Boatshed.  We had some catching up to do, after a long, weird year, of, well, shit.  Just shit.  That's the best way to describe it.  We needed to catch up, and make up, and we did it beautifully.  So, now the world is right again and she's back in my life big time and Seattle just became a little more sunny.  Thank you, Nets.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for Sunday in which I got to take a nap. 

And I had breakfast early that morning with my mom and her best friends.  It turned into a three, going on four, hour breakfast, in which I became an honorary member of their Breakfast Club.  We brought the dahlias too, so I think the whole diner knew we were kinda special and were entitled to a three, going on four hour breakfast. 

They're pretty stinkin cute too.  They'll kill me for posting this picture, but I don't care.  Bring it. 


I headed back to PA on Monday, but not before a ferry ride over to the city, and a dinner at Salty's.  This was the only sunny day of my trip, and I finally got to see my mountain.  It arrived just in time.  There are visits where it's raining, or overcast, and I think to myself, "OMG, (just like that too, abbreviated) what am I going to do if I don't see a single mountain this trip?".  This trip was pretty close to that kind of experience. But, it showed up.  Well, half of it did. 

See it? 

It was a good trip.  Had it's ups and downs, just like any trip, but it was productive and that's what I wanted.  I got some good food in me, sat in front of a fire, fell asleep to the rain, and blew kisses at my mountain.  I didn't camp in the backyard like I wanted to or play the piano, but there's always next time.  Well, maybe not next time for the camping because I'm coming back in January.  Although, there would be less bears at that time of the year. 

It's good to be home though.  It's good to be back in the swing of things, counting down the weeks until graduation. It's good to be in my bed, next to the snoring dog, who continues to lay as far center in the middle of the bed as she can.  I'm far away from my home and family, but I can still eat Chukar Cherries in the kitchen, and light evergreen candles in my bedroom and pretend that things are closer than they appear.  We'll be back for good someday.  I promise. 

100

I've been putting off writing this post for awhile, because it's a significant milestone, and I didn't want to just write about nothing.  Well, let's be frank, I've put this off for three days. That's nothing.  Most of these posts have been about my dog or my garden.  Or my dog in my garden.  Not so much about me, or about where I came from, or where I want to go. 

That's what this blog was suppose to be about, wasn't it? 

I was seriously going to set goals for myself ala that Julia Child blogger, who's a butcher now, I think. But, who has time for setting goals?  This blog was going to be about Seattle, and how much I miss it.  How much I resented living in Harrisburg with all of it's crappy food and too much snow.  How I'm different from the people here and maybe better because of that. 

And, now here I am, writing my 100th blog post.  Thinking to myself, I'm different, but not better.  I'm from Seattle, but not defined by that, totally.  I'm sitting here thinking, it's far too late to be typing on this computer.  I should be sleeping and dreaming. 

But, I couldn't resist. 

This was another busy week, dominated by school and work, and dogs who like to run away for fun, and fiancees who study too much.  I finished a paper at 1:30, and thought that I was 5 minutes away from calling it a night.  But, it's been three days, and I felt that itch.  I didn't want to wait until tomorrow, even though I have a free evening lined up.  I'm aware that I will have to get up in a couple hours and hand in that paper, but I'm kinda loving life right now, and I want to write about it. 

I was feeling that feeling again last week.  The feeling that the happy part of my brain had just malfunctioned, and the constant blah and bleh was moving in.  Depression ain't no joke people, and I've gotten to the point in my life where I can feel it coming on.  It has it's own aura.  Like, I could hear it coming up the steps and about to knock on the door.  So, I had a couple back-to-back days of just going through the motions and getting through the day.  Unmotivated.  Unimpressed. But, unharmed.  And, just as fast as it arrived, it started to pass, leaving me with the reminder.  To stay vigilant. 

Like a diabetic has to watch it's sugar intake, I have to watch my happy juices.  Especially in a time of crisis that is nursing school.  So, I exercise.  I go outside and stand in the sunshine.  I smell the roses. I cuddle up to dogs, which happen to smell just awful at the present moment, snoring in my ear.   I put on Journey songs and dance in the basement.  Or, this song, which would have been my summer song if I had known about it.  I schedule date nights. I call my girlfriends.  I read this blog, and post like this. And this blog and this one too.  And, if those don't work, I tell myself to just smile and fake it. 

Yet......

I've made it to 100.  So, I must be succeeding. 

It's almost 3:00.  I'm just getting started. 

It's kind of difficult to reveal stuff about yourself in blog form, without reverting to facebook tactics, like "25 things you don't know about me" , or those surveys that we use to email everyone back in high school.  Anyone remember those?  Predetermined questions, which included "who was the last person you said hello to" or "what was the last thing you ate".  We'd fill them out, send them to our friends, they'd make a copy and delete our information, and then fill in theirs.  Golden days. 

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I miss the bathtub in my old apartment.  It was the same size as the one I use now, but I could get my Zen on better in the old one.  It was white, and this one is tan.  My mom probably has an art analogy that she could insert here. 

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Today, some guy that I'm going to marry stole his iPod car adapter from my car.  But, I really wanted to listen to my new music.  So, I took my headset for my phone and connected it, and attached it to my right ear.  Half of me was driving and listening for cars, and the other half was rocking out. 

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All I really want to do tomorrow is get happy hour with my guy and drink cold beer on the cold sidewalk tables in front of an Irish bar.  Which is crazy because I use to hate beer.  He must have Pavlov-ed me or something in the last four years. 

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When I want to recreate those lovey-dovey feelings that new love always brings, I put James Blunt's first CD or Ben Lee's green CD in, and it comes rushing back. 

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Next year, after the wedding, we're going to get another dog.

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In my journal, you know, that striped one that will change color over the years, I wrote:  I dream of-- thick evergreen forests, vacant pools, running, firefly hills, dancing, Italian towns, tanned shoulders, classical music, rainy nights, Larrabee, layers of warm blankets with cool sheets, a hiker. 

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My favorite quote right now: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.  

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My second favorite quote: "Will you act right so she doesn't think there's something wrong with you?"  a patient's mom, when her little girl was acting like a goofy-nine-year-old.   I love it.  And I recite it in my head when someone is acting ridiculous.   


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I miss the water the most.  And then the mountains.  But, mostly the water.  The rivers, the ocean, the sound.  Hence, the name of the blog. 

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I was seriously giddy earlier in the week because my post had three comments.  Three. That's a new record. Thank you.


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Okay, now I'm tired. 

Happy, happy 100.

Seattle, part 1

We're having a lazy Sunday this weekend.  The sun is shining, the dog is napping by the backdoor, football is on for the next eight hours, and I have a free afternoon ahead of me.  It's one of those afternoons where I can really do whatever I want.  Whether it's making a jump start on the week ahead, or vegging until I've had my fill, the afternoon is mine. 

I actually like Sundays in the Fall.  Yes, in the past I've fussed and made a big deal about the amount of television that's consumed on a day like this.  And now that he has Direct TV with the Sunday ticket, there's even more football around.  But, with most relationships, compromise is inevitable.  So, he can have his Sundays for football, and I can do whatever I want to do. 

So, I'm going to catch up, make a jump start,  and I'm also going to veg. 

Catching up

I went to Seattle a little over a week ago, flying out on a Friday.  The date was technically our pre-anniversary: one year until the big wedding day.  It was kind of surreal.  I kept thinking about how things would look and feel this time next year.  I thought about the upcoming year and all that we'll have to accomplish in order to have the wedding that we want--finishing school, finding our careers, travelling, organizing everything from the opposite coast, finally getting to the size that we want to be.  All a lot to cram into our year, but worth it.  

I had to wake up at 4AM in order to catch my first flight from Harrisburg to New Jersey.  Yes, I know, New Jersey, who wants to wake up early for that?   The flight took off at 6ish, and if you know anything about Harrisburg International (yes, international...they have flights to Toronto) Airport, you pretty much need to be there by 5:45 in order to get through security and on the plane.  So, I went through security, got my bottle of water and magazines on the other side, and sat and waited for the plane (which happened to take off late).   

And I keep hearing the same announcement over and over.  "There was a black bag left in the Hudson News store.  If you're missing your black bag, please return to claim it."    Followed by, "A cane was left at security, if you're missing your cane, please return to security."   All I'm thinking is, what a bunch of freakin morons!  I'm thinking that the next announcement will be something like, "Someone has left their dentures at Starbucks.  If you're missing your teeth, please return to Starbucks." 

Stupid right?  So, I'm sitting there, listening to these announcements, reading a wedding magazine, which happened to be featuring an article on the best cameras to take on your honeymoon.  And at that moment, I jump up, rush to the Hudson News, and claim the black camera bag that I left there about 20 minutes before. 

Yep.  


The rest of my travel to Seattle was fine.  I paid six bucks on the long flight from NJ to WA to watch TV on the back of the seat in front of me.  Best. Purchase.Ever.  I'd have paid 20 bucks.  So, I caught up on my television consumption, was introduced to the first few episodes of Nurse Jackie (brilliant), and breathed a sigh of relief when we approached my city, flew over the Space Needle and Quest field, and touched down.  

The air is different there.  I've probably said that before.  It's cooler, it's purer, it's got, like better oxygen or something.   I don't know. 

Mom and I got lunch in Olympia, at a place that I can't remember the name of, and search engines aren't finding for me.  Anyways, it was good, and the place was nice looking, and I was able to have salmon for my first meal home, so it gets an A in my book.  Check it out.  Ha. 

And then, oh and then.  We went to the Dahlia farm.  The whole reason we're getting married in October is because I want me some dahlias.  But, I didn't want to go through a florist or run down to Pike Place and get whatever we could find.  A couple of months ago, I found a dahlia farm online and we set up an appointment with them for the first day that I came in.   

They had me at hello.

It was one of those fields that I'd want to run to K in.  But I'd be like, "Don't you dare step on a dahlia!" and it wouldn't be romantic and such. 

We met Andy, and his lovable dog Aggie, and just went through the field.  Rows and rows of dahlias in all shapes, textures, and colors.  We told him that we preferred pink and white flowers, but secretly I would have taken anything.  Anything.  So, we walked by each pink and white flower, he asked, "How do you like this one?" and we were pretty much like, drool, head bob up and down. He'd cut the perfect dahlia from each row, hand it to us, and we'd just keep going.  

And then he said, "We give everyone a free bouquet when they first visit us for an order."  Seriously?  Seriously.  We went home with easily 30 flowers. 

Needless to say, we placed our order for next year.  How could we not? 

They work out very nicely. 

Friday night concluded with a trip to a real Mexican restaurant, which is necessary everytime I come home because Harrisburg has awful Mexican food.  You can quote me on that.  

We also had a fire, which was good timing because it rained the rest of the weekend. 

Saturday morning, Mom and I headed over to the city to start crossing stuff off of our list.  The first priority was breakfast at Lola's.  It really is the best way to start off the day. 

People, I had cucumber lemonade.  It is amazing.  Almost as amazing as those pancakes that the Tom Douglas people make.  One thing is for sure, I will be able to tell you what I'm going to eat this time next year.  

The rest of the day was spent doing wedding stuff, which is probably really boring and I'm not going to go into it.  Because, this isn't a wedding blog ya know.  We looked for wedding shoes, but I'm not going to talk about that because we came up with nothing, and I was all set to brag and blog about the incredible pair of pink shoes that I was going to find.  Pink, yes.  But, there was nothing. 

We also went to Pike Place to look at more flowers, order some seafood, and get those mini-doughnuts that they sell at the entrance of the market.  That corner of the market frustrates me so.  People gather to look at the flying fish guys, who are only going to throw something if you buy something.  The gawkers were yelling, "Throw something!".  I hate it.  I'm a market snob, I guess.  We bought some crab and smoked salmon, and then got a dozen each of the cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar mini-doughnuts.  I want those at my wedding, for reals. 

The flowers weren't bad either, but I already fell in love with Andy's.   

So, that's me catching up for now.  Expect part 2 later this week. 

As for the jump start, I think I'll do some school work tonight, pay some bills, and try to cross a couple things off of the list(s).  We have a busy two weeks ahead of us with school and work, and you know, that freakin amazing Halloween party that we're throwing. 

I'll veg too tonight.  Maybe a hot bubble bath with Ingrid Michaelson music.  Or a walk with the puppy in the cool autumn air.  And of course, the season finale of Mad Men tonight.  Tear, July can't come fast enough!  

The Fall List

I got home yesterday after cramming as much as possible into four days in Seattle.  I nearly left my camera in the Harrisburg International Airport, dealt with 3.5 days of rain, and sat in New Jersey while my connecting flight home was delayed by a half an hour, then an hour, and then three.  Today, I had a test and completely forgot about a 5 point assignment, and beat myself up over the result of each far too harshly.  Because, I'm tired and I'm anxious, and there's a lot and a little to do at the same time. 

So, there will be a post about the trip, and all of the ups and downs, but I'll get to that another day.  My bag won't be unpacked for awhile, so it's fitting that there won't be a post right away. 

There is a new header though, and that Fall List that I promised last week.  

I came home to an abundance of yellow and red trees.  It's like Fall decided to officially leave it's mark while I was gone.  The garden has changed too, and there's not much left to do to it at this point, but to let the leaves of tomato vines crisp and the flowers wilt like they will.  Maybe the plants can contribute to a Halloween party, and that will be their final hurrah. 

Last week, I told you all about the rain.  It was a rejuvenating rain, and plants and veggies got their second wind.  It seems now though, the cold has caught up with the season, and it's just too cold to be a marigold right now. 

Our puppy pool is still in the ravine from the bad storms we had.   

To which, I'm sure Lilly is just fine with that. 

Not all is lost though.  We have signs of life outside still.  In the form of pumpkins.  Crazy, beautiful pumpkins. 

Tonight, K and I were all shippy again, passing in the night.  Each of us busy and on different wave lengths and schedules. I find myself increasingly frustrated because I have yet to have established a routine for myself.  I thrive with routines.  I rely heavily on lists.  I feel lazy after days like today where I can't come up with anything productive that I've done.  And I get to the point where I feel like I can't even blog properly, without it turning into a "and then we did this, and then I did this, and the dog did this" kind of writing.  Yes, I know at these kinds of moments, I should just hit save, and close the laptop. 

Sometimes, I feel like something's missing.  Yes, we're busy with school and with work, but something's missing.  I always feel like there's something that I need to see and experience.  Or, I feel like what I'm doing isn't good enough.  Right now, I feel unfulfilled.  I know that all I should be doing right now is taking tests, studying, turning in assignments, and working.  But, it isn't enough for me personally.  I don't want the next 8 weeks to be colorless.  I don't want to just survive until Christmas, I want to thrive. 

So, here goes.




The Fall List
Not to be as fantastic as The Summer List, because more is expected in the Summer.

Throw the 1st Annual K and C Halloween Party

Pick a pumpkin from a patch

Pick an apple too

Bake an apple pie

Start a new scarf for K

Take Lilly on a Trick-or-Treat walk

Capture the fall leaves on the camera

Transform the house for the party

Start a Fall routine

Become a Fall runner

Buy a fab new sweater

Trade flats for boots

Fill the basement with Fall scents

Finish a book amidst the studying

Write a thank you note to the doctor who saved Lilly last year

Take a hike

Have more dates like these:

Coming home after a long shift last week to kielbasa, chips, wine, and smores.  And a well-lit fire.  I didn't give you the mad props that you deserved babe.  Good job!    You just can't beat a date night outside, under the stars, with the garden putting on a show.  

Today was weird.  I did nothing with it.  I know it's because I travelled yesterday and I haven't gotten back into the swing of things.  It might take a couple of days.   But, I've done this before and I recognize this feeling, and I have to force myself to go to sleep, let go of the day, and start over again tomorrow.  My equilibrium will balance. 

At least I'm not still in New Jersey, right?

Fall Back

We've had 3 days in a row of rain tossed together with some scattered showers and sprinkles (not actual sprinkles, that's a Seattle term, like "it's sprinkling outside").  You know what that means to me?

Fall has arrived. 

In like a Lion, I think, if this were spring and March.  Anyways, Fall is here and it's soggy and gloomy outside.  And people are still panicking and complaining, and I'm still feelin pretty good about it all.  Like, I have a one up on everyone because I've been through this before and I know I will survive.  But still, this weather makes me sleepy and if it continues for weeks it makes me kinda depressed.  Rain has to be balanced just like everything else in life. 

I'm in the computer lab at school, post-test, avoiding everyone like the plague.  There is one thing that I hate most in this world.  Above groundhogs, snakes, aliens, Seinfeld, the Ravens (that one's for you K), anything with the word Jagger in it, administrators who confiscate baby-duckies from the courtyard at nursing homes, and the part of Wyoming that doesn't have Yellowstone and Jackson Hole.  I hate talking about test.  I hate swapping answers, I hate feeling like you were wrong to pick C when everyone picked B, even though the right answer was C.  I hate thinking back on something that you can never change.  I just want to turn in my test, pack up my bag, and move on. 

So, I'm hiding out right now and typing.  Something I haven't done for awhile. It feels good.

I have a feeling this is going to be another long post.  The last post was kind of ridiculously long.  It would have been overkill if not for the strategically placed .......................... that divided up the sections. 

Tonight will be a busy night.  I know that right up front.  I faced that as I got out of bed today, hitting the snooze button an extra time because Lilly decided at 7:01, it was a good time to snuggle.  How can you not hit the snooze button?  It will be busy tonight because I have to do two days of work in one, in order to turn things in early.  That's because I won't be in class on Friday, because I'll be on a plane, headin to Seattle, to cram as much as I can possibly get done into four days. 

We're going to visit a Dahlia farm to check out wedding flowers. We're going to eat at Lola's and maybe Seatown Snack bar, and show Dad the church and reception site.  We're going to meet with the reception site lady.  We're going to show Dad the rehearsal dinner site.  We're going to look for back-up wedding flowers at Pike Place. I'm going to meet with an old friend and try to catch up while wiping the board clean to start over again.  I'm going to try to fit in a fire, and maybe camp out in a backpacking tent in the backyard.  I'm going to cook something. I'm going to visit with my brother. I'm going to have an early breakfast with my Mom's best friends and show off that honkin' rock. I'm going to talk to K three hours behind and have major flash-backs to when we did that for a year and a half, and realize how far we've come and all we take for granted. 

And, I'm going to get a haircut.  Not really though, just a trim because I have to have long hair for the next year. 



Tonight or tomorrow, before I go, I'm going to make my Fall List.