Fight & Win, Go Sounders!

After living in Seattle for 3 years, Josh and I decided it was about time we go to a Sounder's game. We heard that the games were a lot of fun, and we definitely found out why! 

We went to our first game on Saturday, 8/3. I was excited to see what all the hub-bub was all about with the Sounders. Generally speaking, I'd rather play the game, than watch it. Although I do remember enjoying the Real Madrid game I went to Madrid (which I later learned had some very famous player involved - ha, I just went to be social - sorry soccer fans). But I was curious if I might enjoy watching soccer since I did play it competitively during my younger years. 

We parked in Pioneer Square, which is apparently the "thing" to do. Everyone that walked beside us to the stadium was geared up in their Sounder's paraphernalia - all pretty much green.

Then we arrived.

I could feel the excitement buzzing around me. There was a band playing, people were crowding around drinking and eating, and just a overall all cheery jive. 

We found our seats, and we were very impressed with how close we were to the field (section 105, row U). I almost felt VIP. Almost.

Once seated, the real excitement began. Now, let me tell you, there is a ritual to being a Sounder's fan. And somehow everyone knows about it. Josh and I just rolled with the punches and followed the fans around us.

First, the clapping. Suddenly people raised their hands up. Just raised them, and after about a minute, the hands all slowly started to come together. Slowly the clapping began - the whole stadium coordinated, mind you. Then it grew faster and faster, until it began a wild, rage of claps.  

Next, the announcing began. Players from the other team were announced. And after each name of our opponents, there was a big "boo" from the crowd (aren't we good sports?! ha). Then our team was announced. Again there was a ritual...the announcer would say the players first name, and the crowd would follow by shouting of the last name.

Time out: okay, and this might be the exact order of events, but you get the general idea.

Then, came the fire from the goal posts - yes fire. There were two blow torch type things on the end of each goal post, and those fired off at the very same time that the field (and I learned later that both the goal post fire & fireworks boomed when the Sounder's scored). 

Oh, and the fun doesn't stop there. 

One thing that the fans loved to do was hold up their Sounder scarves with "Sounders FC" facing the field. My favorite was the scarf that said, "Pride of the Northwest." Guess I need a scarf now. 

Of course, there was all the National anthem. They brought out a flag and everyone. I love that!  

More cheering. There was also a moment when they let off a bunch of green streamers. 

Now, here's the kicker.... Little did we know, we chose THE game as our first. The latest Sounder player was announced before the game. The new guy came out with a announcer wearing a hoodie. Funny thing: Before I caught on to what was happening, I thought he must be some famous rapper because they played this video. But this was an incorrect assumption.

The announcer dude said, "So Dempsey, we hear you've been touring the West coast looking for a new home. Did you find anywhere you like?" Then Dempsey unzipps his hoodie to reveal the green Sounder's jersey. The crowd went completely wild. Even a flag that said "Keep Calm and Dempsey Watch" was raised. (This guys must be good. I bet he probably has a pretty big ego, too. I would too if people held up signs and cheered for me like that - ha!)

After all that, the game started.  And we stood the whole time. Everybody stood the whole time. I felt I might be shunned if I sat. That, and I wouldn't be able to see anything. But it all added to the fun & excitement. Look at us having a good time:

Heather & Josh - Sounder's Newest Fans

In my opinion, we owned the game. We had control most of the time. We saw some penalties, some yellow cards, some corner kicks, and some good passing.

Sorry, here's Soccer for Dummies if you don't know what I'm talking about. 

The cheering kept up throughout the game. There was one section at the end of the field, which I believe is called "the nest" that cheers the whole time. You look over there and the fans are bouncing up & down the entire game. They hold up flags, and then did some crazy arm "wave" thing where they held up their arms to the left, and then to the right. It was like a sea of arms waving. Pretty wild stuff. 

At the end, we beat Dallas FC (btw, we played Dallas), 3-0. Booya! There was even a great penalty kick at the end.  

Playing the Game

We left the game as Sounder's newest fans. I definitely want to go again this season. It was a fantastic time (probably helped that we won, but hey). I even have a Sounder t-shirt that I wear proudly. 

Gooooooo Sounders!!!!! 

Something Fishy

Something is fishy, something is very fishy... 

That something fishy would be the Ballard Seafood Fest. Surprise! It's supposed to be fishy; it's a seafood fest. The very name has fish in it

That's where we spent our Saturday afternoon this weekend with my friend Beth. We all went together last year, too, but oddly enough we didn't do anything seafood related. In fact, the post was called Fried Goodness because Josh got a fried Twinkie. (Side note: did you know Twinkies are back?). This year we went with the purpose in partaking in the festival's name: seafood fest.

Our first seafood experience was to eat it. Beth and I got halibut tacos, while Josh got oyster sliders. We all gave it two thumbs up...or would this we six thumbs up? 

After lunch, we went to the lutefisk eating contest. Maybe not such a great idea after eating, but it all ended up okay.  

Okay, lutfisk. Now this is interesting. I know about it from my Swedish heritage. I'm 25% Swedish - on my mom's side, and more specially my grandmother. I grew up hearing the tales of lutfisk (I guess Swedish spell it without the "e"). My mom always brings up her Uncle George and how grandma would make it at Christmas for him. Uncle George apparently liked to let it slither down his throat. Ick! Let me tell you, it doesn't sound pleasant to let something "slither down your throat," does it? Lutefisk is basically a white fish that's dried, and then reconstituted in lye. I'm sure you're springing off your chair to go try some. ; ) 

Anyway, we decided to watch a lutefisk eating contest at the Seafood fest. There were three rounds where each contestant was given a portion of lutefisk. The person that ate it the fastest, wins. I know you're dying to see the video, so I capture it for you (this was the final round)..

I knew you'd enjoy that video. The grey haired guy won. He engulfed that fish. I think the trick was to not breath in the lutefisk fumes and just open your throat, and let it slither down. Hee hee. 

The rest is less exciting. We roamed around the booths, which had all sorts of goodies. Basically more like a regular festival or fair. But we got our fish experience, and now I feel complete with my Seafood Fest experience.  

On an ending note, here's a close up look at lutefisk along with the O'Lutefisk Christmas song we listened to when I was growing up - enjoy!

Lutefisk, want a taste? 

Into the Wild

Elf, Bison, and Bears! Oh my!  

That's right, Josh and I had a wildlife encounter the other weekend (yes, I'm a bit behind on my posts - deal with it). There is a wildlife park (or is it a wilderness preserve?) about an hour and half away from Seattle called Northwest Trek. We decided to leave the urban life behind for the day, and get up close to nature and animals. 

I think the best way to describe this place is to say it's like the Pacific Northwest's answer to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego.

Wait. Whoa whoa whoa. Time out people. This is serious. The Wild Animal Park is now called the Safari Park? What? I was just about to hyperlink that for you, and found this out. My childhood. My memories crushed. How could they? Why would they? They should have called me first before making such big decisions. Tear. Okay, back to the post...

It's like the Pacific Northwest's answer to Safari Park (just doesn't feel the same). If you don't know what that is, then I just don't know what to say to you. Oh alright, for your sake, I'll give is a whirl. It's basically animals in a huge enclosure where animals roam freely. Then they put people in a tram and bring you though for a look at animals in their natural habitat. 

Josh enjoying a sammie

Now, the Northwest Trek doesn't have quite the diversity of animals as the Wild Animal Park (I'm sticking to it), but you do get to see some pretty cool animals.

Before Josh and I went into the wild, we had a nice picnic lunch. We picked up sandwiches in Columbia City on our way down to the park . I got my sandwich from the Columbia City Bakery, and Josh got his at the Jus Bar. I thought mine was better, and he thought his was better. That's how we are. 

We took the 2pm tram and Sadie was our guide. The tram was a bus (I tell you this because I had envisioned a train type of tram). Josh and I were second in line, so we got prime seats in the first car on the left (note: if you go, sit on the left, better viewing on the ride). The tram ride was an hour long, and I never once got bored.  

The tram doesn't just go around the perimeter, but takes you though the enclosure. At one point, the Roosevelt Elf were right next to the tram, and crossing the road in front of the tram. I could have reached out and petted the darn thing. I decided not to since Sadie said not to, and I didn't watch to get a elk bite. But, it was pretty cool. 

When you go on tram rides such as this, rarely do you get to see all the animals in the enclosure. Uh hello, they are supposed to be in their natural habitat, so it should somewhat be like real life, right? I don't see you walking by a bison everyday...

Well, lucky us, we got to see every animal on the tram ride. That means we saw: Bighorn Sheep, Bison, Blacktailed Deer, Mountain Goats, Moose, Roosevelt Elk, Woodland Caribou, and Trumpeter Swans. Bam! All the animals. 

After the tram ride, there were still plenty of animals to check out on the walking tour. Although we had luck with the tram ride, we must have caught animal nap time. We didn't get to see the cougar, lynx, or wolves. Although, we did see the beaver & otter swimming, the porcupine & badger sitting, some owls perching, and the wolverine & fisher sleeping (we saw some others sleeping & sitting animals, too). 

All in all, a fun day, in nice weather, looking at cute (and sometimes interesting) animals. Can't beat that! To round out a great day, Ion the way home, I got a taste of a new frozen yogurt shop, Black Bear. It was like froyo Pacific NW style (in that the decor had a wooden bear, antler chandelier, etc) . Oh, I loved it. Yum! And Josh was happy with a Sonic limeade. 

Then, on the way home, we stopped for a sunny view of Mount Rainier at Clear Lake. That was that.

Rewind to the Fourth

Obviously since I blogged early on the actual Fourth of July, I didn't get to tell you anything about my day. Obviously. No, that doesn't mean that what I shared that day wasn't important (and if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? READ IT). But I know what you really wanted was to hear about me. I mean, isn't that what everyone wants? To know what I'm up to? (Hmm maybe that's just me that thinks that....) Well, you're wish is my command.

Josh and I didn't do all that much in the beginning of the day. We were invited to our friends house for dinner and fireworks, so I decided to bring dessert. As you know from Baker's Corner, I love to bake and I seize any opportunity to try out a new recipe. However, I'm going to save the details for my next Baker's Corner post (oh, the suspense!). I will tell you what I made, though, and that's a peach galette. 

Our friends, Tricia, Torrey, and Kaia, invited us for dinner. Actually, they invited us to a BBQ to be more precise, which is a very important detail since this is a Fourth of July post, and what's Fourth of July without a BBQ really. I'll tell you...just a plain old BBQ. So we enjoyed some burgers, hot dogs, and sausages. Oh, and corn on the cob, broccoli salad, and baked beans. Can't get any more American than that! Nom nom nom. 

Then there was dessert. Tricia made a very cute, and patriotic flag cake with the most delectable frosting (I like that word, delectable). How to describe it...hmm....oh, I got it, like marshmallows & buttercream frosting's baby! HA! On top of that, we had the peach galette. Needless to say, we were not lacking in the sugar arena (no complaints here says my sweet tooth).

After food came fireworks. As you can see, we had some of our own to play with (thanks Tricia & Torrey). Kaia, however, did not like the loud cracks from the fireworks. She was too cute covering her ears! But the big show came later at 10:20pm. Yes, it stays light out late up at this latitude! I tried to take some fabulous pictures, but it just didn't work out. The best I got was with my phone, believe it or not. I know someday I'll be able to capture those fireworks for you like a pro. But this time, I just sat back and enjoyed them.

And that there was a true blue Fourth of July holiday. I even work red, white, and blue. Go America! 

America the Brave

I'm feeling extra patriotic this year. I think this is due to a direct correlation to the amount of U.S. History I've been reading and watching lately. This sprung up a few months ago after I finished reading my third-something World World novel. I realized I'm always reading about the history of other countries, but I never really read much of things closer to home. This moved me to start reading about my country. 

Motivated by my new mission, I started asking for recommendations on Civil War books. My family, being history buffs, had a bunch of recommendations. I landed with Confederates in the Attic because both my mom and a co-worker mentioned it. So that's where I started.

If you don't know anything about this book, let me lend some insight. The author, Tony Horwitz, is a war correspondent who is back living at home in Virginia. He wakes up one morning to find a reenactment happening in his backyard. 

This triggers his boyhood passion about the Civil War, and he embarks on a trip throughout the South. He visits battle sites, participates in reenactments, and makes conversations with all sorts of folks on his way. The funniest part is when he goes on a Civil wargasm -- Tony and a diehard enactor follow the war in a week dressed the part.

While reading,  Josh and I started watching the Ken Burn's series The Civil War.  This series is jammed packed with facts and stories. Although, I have to admit, it's pretty slow. And they do play a lot of images with music and quotes. Not quite action-packed, but interesting nonetheless.

Oh, and we also watch Lincoln recently, too. I thought the movie was very good, but should have been called the Thirteenth Amendment instead. Daniel Day-Lewis does a great job, too. As a kid Lincoln was my favorite president. I don't think much has changed. 

Side Note: Doesn't that man look angry on the cover? Geez. 

About a week or two ago, Josh and I finished Mad Men, and were in a TV dry-spell. Did I ever tell you we don't have cable? Well, now you know.

Josh mentioned John Adams, and after watching a preview, I was onboard with the idea. We watched the first episode on Sunday. I was hooked.

Wow, I never KNEW all this about John Adams. What an amazing man. And I'm learning so much. I can't believe how much I have not retained from my education. It's sad. Luckily, I have great parents that took me to historical places on trips, so I remember more from those experiences than anything. But, still, I have a lot to re-learn! 

I keep thinking about how brave our founding fathers must have been. Think about it - Britain versus the 13 colonies. Holy cr*p. That's like a chihuahua going up to a great dane (or Josh's analogy - David & Goliath). It's like rebelling against your parents. They protected and financed you, but they punished you as well (ha!). It must have taken a lot of guts to declare our independence. 

I really thought that there was just a bunch of patriotic guys running around deciding to go to war. But in reality, they tried to be peaceful and the decision weighed heavily on them. It also makes me realize how glad I am that I live in present time - can you imagine!?

Anyway, I won't go on much more about it. I love how when I watch or read history it inspires me to go online and learn more. It's like a learning domino effect. You should try it! 

So, as I said before, I'm feeling very patriotic. The lengths our ancestors went through to give us the country we live in today. I'm so proud of our country and what we have built. 

God bless America! And Happy 4th of July! 

Summer Jamming

I think it's here.

By golly, I think it's here.

That's right, SUMMER.

And I'm really to roll down my windows, put on my sunglasses, and start to jam to some hit summer songs. Yeehaa!

Let me share some of my latest jams with you. I know you want to hear since everyone knows my taste is music is spot on. Eh hem, except for that phase I went through in my younger years l when I listened to Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys...ummm yea, that happened. But I've grown in my music tastes, and I think you'll like my Summer Jams. 

Let's do this! 

Imagine Dragon - It rarely happens that I like every song on an album, so this is pretty big folks. Big. I'm having a hard time telling you my favorite songs. It started with Radioactive (which I heard on the radio, which prompted me to buy the album). Then On Top of the World, and Demons. Or maybe It's Time. You get it; this is a awesome album.

OneRepublic - Again, this caught my attention with a song on the radio, Feel Again. But when I checked it out on iTunes, I thought I might like the whole album. I am very selective when I buy songs. Sure, it's only $0.99 or $1.29 a song, but it generally takes me a few days to decide if I should buy or not. Silly me! Anyway, I took a dive and bought the whole album. And I'm enjoying it, especially Counting Stars and If I Lose Myself.

Alt-J - You probably have heard Breezeblocks on the radio. First, I liked the song, then I thought it was okay, and now I like it again. It's definitely a different sound. Josh bought the album this time. I really enjoy this one while I'm working since it's so chill. And my favorite song is Taro. 

What do you think the album cover is? It looks like the inside of an eye to me. That's weird. 

Daft Punk - I haven't bought this album, but I still might. I actually need to go preview all the songs. But I like the one song so much I thought I'd share it with you, and I did buy this one song off the album. It's Get Lucky. 

Mackelmore - Seattle in the house!!!! Guess what, this is a Seattle band. I probably should buy the latest album, Heist. I did buy the song Can't Hold Us. I'm grooving to it in my car (nah nah nah nah). You might have also heard of Thrift Shop or Same Love. Pretty catchy.

Put down that sunroof, and get jammin' (or groovin' if that's how you roll).  

Seattle's Past

​It's raining here today. I know what your thinking, "uh, no kidding Heather, you live in Seattle." Okay, fine, but I say, who cares if it rains, you just need to know what to do to keep entertained. For instance, a few weekends ago, Josh and I hit up a museum here called MOHAI. 

MOHAI = the Museum Of History And Industry. ​Not only is is a fun word to say, but the building is neat, too. It sits right on the edge of Lake Union. Apparently, the building was originally the Naval Reserve Armory built in 1941-2, with Moderne and Art Deco features. 

​MOHAI

That's the outside of MOHAI; the inside is also very interesting. ​It's true to its name and houses the history of Seattle. The majority of the museum is on the second floor. The exhibit is setup in way where you walk through the history. It starts out with the Native Americans that lived in this area, and the first settlers, and ends basically at present day. I goes over the logging and shipbuilding industries. Did you know it was the gateway to the Alaska Klondike Gold Rush? 

We ended up spending much more time there than we thought - probably about 3 hours. And it could have been longer, if we read absolutely every sign and go through all the exhibits in-depth. 

Here's some photos from the exhibits -including Lincoln Toe Truck (as in towing), the first UPS truck, a Ford truck (yup, Model T Fords were built here for a while), and a US Mail plane. Cool stuff.

​Inside MOHAI

So next time you're in Seattle and you find that it's raining, feel free to check out MOHAI. ​

Couch TV

I'm going to share with you a great relaxation tip. I know this is probably one you've never heard before, but I'm feeling generous. The technique is called "couch TV" - which is pretty much how it sounds. Basically, you lie down on the couch, and watch TV. It's actually quite an amazing way to relax. I try to do it every night after around 9pm.​

A key component to couch TV, is a show. Actually, it's quite pivotal. If you don't have a good show, you won't stay on the couch. Here's some recommendations from yours truly:​

Once Upon a Time

I love fairy tales and Disney, and this show is the mother load. It takes every Disney or fairy tale character and brings them into one show. It's awesome.

I was definitely a Disney show watcher when I was younger. And I was in love with all the Disney movies - Aladdin, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty...I watched them all. And what's great, is this show is a bit more grown-up, so I don't feel too silly watching it. 

Although, I think Josh regrets telling me about the show since now he has to watch it, too. (We only have 1 TV in the house...)​

Downton Abbey

Warning: This show is dangerous. It sucks you in, and then you can't stop. You'll end up watching episode after episode. The good news is that it is totally worth it. And another plus, men will watch it - or as Josh says, "it's like a soap opera men will watch." Pioneer Woman has some fun things to say about the show, too. 

This show is full of drama, love, tragedy, and happiness. Although, Season 3 had me crying a bit more than usual...and the season finale, well, just watch and then we'll talk.

New Girl

This one cracks me up. I seriously laugh every episode. And guess what...this is another one Josh will watch with m! He played off the first season like he was uninterested, and then all of a sudden when discussing what to watch, he suggested New Girl. HA!

You need to watch it. Nick is my favorite character. Okay, all of them are funny. It's takes the small things in life ​and makes an episode about it (similar to Seinfield). Watch this clip and get hooked.

Modern Family

When I first saw an episode a while ago, I thought I didn't like it. Then I just decided to start watching it a few months ago. Now, I am excited when I see there is a new episode to watch on our Hulu Plus account. It's just a fun, everyday type of show. Another one that just takes real life things and makes a show out of it. And the characters are pretty funny. I think I imagine myself like Claire, in a way. 

Watch a bit about Phil..​.

Roses are Red

Well, I had every intention of wishing my readers a Happy Valentine's Day on Thursday when it was actually Valentine's Day. But, as they say, better late than never. So, now I wish you -- Happy Valentine's Day (belated)!

Not only was I late wishing you a happy Valentine's, but my co-workers, as well. I had a master plan of making cake pops to bring into the office that day. Wednesday turned out to be a looong day at work, and by the time I got home and had dinner, it was 9pm. Well, "forget that!" But I did follow through and made them Thursday night for a post-Valentine's Day treat for everyone. They were a hit!

I made red velvet cake balls with dark chocolate and sprinkles. I learned a lot in my cake pop class - thanks Diane! I went to great lengths to make these cake pops happen. I headed up north to a special baking supplies store to get all the goods. But it felt nice to see all the smiling co-workers faces. 

Valentine's Red Velvet Cake Balls

Flowers and Cards

If you want to try and make them on your own, a girl that took the class with me wrote a more detailed post - feel free to try! And get ready to get your hands dirty. ;-)

My hubby was sweet for Valentine's day. He came home with some flowers for me...how thoughtful. Isn't getting flowers so nice? I like having fresh flowers in the house - just lightens things up. These were a very pretty mix of roses and other flowers (no, I don't know the other flowers names...poor things, everyone knows a rose's name, but what about those other flowers?).

And what's Valentine's Day without a card? My gift to Josh was an awesome card. It says that he's a fox with a monocle. I thought the card was a great find. Then I made him chicken enchiladas for dinner.

We celebrated "for reals" on Saturday night by going out for a lovely meal at Tom Douglas' Lola. It was quite delicious. And we went all out - cocktails, appetizer, meals, and desserts. Whoa! Big time. All thanks to a Christmas gift from my in-laws (they are the best gift givers - love them!). It was a special night and was the prefect ending to our Valentines Day. 

Love you guys! ❤

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!

Christmas Spirit

It's almost Christmas! 

I'm out of work. I'm with family. I'm sleeping in. Everyone is in the Christmas spirit. Weeeeee!

You can ask Josh, but I'm a Christmas fanatic. I just love it. I listen to Christmas music non-stop, I watch as many Christmas movies as possible, I bake cookies, and I love seeing houses all glowing with lights. It's a magical season. 

You know what brought a twinkle to my eye? That there was Christmas spirit at SeaTac. We saw those 18th century carolers, and a one-man band marching around the terminal. I just loved it.

I love wrapping and decorating for Christmas, too. Did you see my awesome wrapping paper? It's octopi wearing Santa hats and presents. Too cool. Or, how about my ornaments. The Frango makes me think of my Grandma Ruth - she loves Frangos. 

Another favorite is all the Christmas cards that come in the mail. I love seeing the pictures, reading the notes, and hearing from friends and family. And I love that people do it snail mail...electonic is just not the same.

And I know I already wrote about my cookies, but don't thse just ooze Christmas? And they are deliclious in your tummy.

If all this doesn't get you in the spirit, then I don't know what will. I hope you are feeling in the spirit. Now turn up the music and deck the halls!

Christmas is a-Glow

Look at our Christmas tree! It's all a-glow. Isn't it beautiful? I have a secret on how to take this photo. Check out this blog. Or, here's the stats: ISO 3200, f/1.8, ss30th. Note: You'll need a DSRL camera. 

With the same camera settings, I also got these shots:

 

As for the tree, we bought it the first weekend of December. Growing up my family always bought the tree mid-December. For me, this always seemed way too close to Christmas. You put all this effort into decorating it, so why not enjoy it for the whole month. So now, that's exactly what Josh and I do. 

Here's us at the tree lot. We caught a nice 30 minute window of no rain. Sweet!

The Christmas season is here, and I'm all a-glow! 

Give Thanks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

As corney and cliche as it sounds, today I've been thinking of how thankful I am for my husband, family, friends, and country. I love you all so very much. Now...let's eat Turkey!

Okay, not quite yet with the turkey. It's still in the oven, but it smells heavenly. It's just Josh and I this year sharing a little feast of our own. I'll share photos and recipes later (if it turns out good that is, if not, I don't want to share any "loser" dishes, ya know?!). 

We started our Thanksgiving out with some Peet's Coffee (I had a delicious Gingerbread latte...yum!). I thought their coffee carrier turkey was too cute:

 

While I cook and wait for my food, I thought I'd enjoy a nice glass of sweet, sparkling white wine. I just bought it at Whole Foods this morning - Fior d'Arancio. So delicious. Me and sweet wine! Probably why I'm so sweet (cough cough). And you guesssed it, we're having Brussels sprouts as a side dish (see the prep work going on behind my glass?).

And while you wait for your supper, or get over the food comma, have some laughs with this guide to Williams Sonoma that I found. HA! 

Circling Seattle

Back at the beginning of October, Josh and I visited the latest addition to the Seattle skyline, the Great Wheel Seattle (or simply known as a ferris wheel). 

It's a pretty cool ferris wheel on the Seattle waterfront. It is enclosed, so less freaky for me (recalling my freak-out going in the Chicago ferris wheel). And it keeps out the rain. Luckily, it wasn’t raining when we went around (but it rained shortly after--hey, this is Seattle, what do you expect?). 

 

You know what else? It goes around not just once, but five times. That’s five times more than Chicago’s wheel (sorry Chicago, just sayin’). 

As you circle around, you can see Puget Sound, ferries, and skyscrapers. 

 

I think just the ferris wheel itself is cool. All the beams, and the shape. It just interests me. Is that weird? 

 

All in all, it’s a nice addition to the Seattle skyline. We enjoyed our go-around, and it was a great activity for Josh’s birthday.

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye summer, it's been nice, hope you find your paradise ... I've really enjoyed my stay, but I must be moving on. Come on, sing along...

Okay, that was dorky, but that is literally what I start singing to myself when I hear, "goodbye summer." That's me; welcome to my world.

Now let's officially say goodbye to summer by revisiting some moments (via Instagram):

 

In June, Josh took me to Cave B Inn for my birthday. We stayed in a Yurt. It was so beautiful there, but so windy. We thought we were going to blow away that night.

I switched decades this year. I turned the big 3-0. Sigh. Ahh well, doesn't really feel much different anyways.

 

After living in Seattle for two years, we finally made it to the Woodland Park Zoo. I realized that I was spoiled as a kid with the San Diego Zoo. But, who doesn't like to see giraffes and tigers?

I made my first ever whoopie pie and it won Crowd Favorite at the Oddfellow's Annual Whoopie Pie Contest. Mine was a lemon lavendar whoopie pie. Yummie.

  

My parents came and visited us, and we all headed out to Leavenworth. It was hot, but the pretzels and beer made up for that.

Seattle gave us some awesome weather. We got to see the sun for three entire months, it was glorious. This sunset was taken over in West Seattle.

 

For work I went out to New York City for a two day onsite. I got to slip away for a few hours and be a tourist. Now, I want to go back and be a total tourist.

Or, why not be a tourist in your own town? Josh and I like to do that. We go downtown to Pike Place Market and walk around. I just love the flowers there. I heart Seattle.

 

I really enjoyed this morning. The sun was shining, I had a steamy cup of coffee, and my PB and banana biscuit was on its way. Loving the mornings (only if it's after 9am though - one must sleep in).

Josh has had a hankering to go to the EMP Museam forever. When a German girl visited us (that's another story), we took her here. It was the history of Seattle music. A fun music if you're into music. 

 

We rarely see Mount Rainer in the winter/spring because it's so gray and rainy. Summer is the magical month when we drive around town and can see the mountain towering in the distance. You know what I think when I see it, "man, what if that think erupted!" (Yes, I'm morbid like that).

We took our annual, big trip to Vegas and Zion. This is the Eiffel Tower in Vegas, not Paris (but if we were in Paris, that would have been awesome). But Vegas was fun, especially since the last time I saw it, I was about 8 years old. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas (or not).

 

As I said above, our big trip for the year was in Zion. My in-laws where there and we all had a blast. The picture is of our "backyard" for the week. Not too shabby, eh?

I baked a ton. Even in the warm weather, I baked. I love baking. These nutella banana cookies were the bomb.

 

You can't let summer go by without a little happy hour and mojitos. Mojitos are a fav of mine.

I rocked these pink heart sunglasses. I'm pretty cool. And that ice cream was oh-so-good.

And that, my friends, was our summer. Now...

Hello Fall. 

You had me at Pumpkin

It's no secret, I love pumpkin. When fall hits I get super excited because it means pumpkin time. If you add pumpkin to any food name, I'm instantly attracted to it. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pasta...you get the idea. 

For me, Saturday was a pumpkin-full day. For breakfast it was pumpkin pancakes, then a pumpkin smoothie in the afternoon, and to top it off, Pad Pumpkin for dinner. Can it get any better? Well, getting dessert would have been nice, like a pumpkin froyo, but I guess you can't get everything.

 

So the pancakes were quite good. Next time, I might add more sugar (maybe double it) because I have a pretty crazy sweet tooth. If you put maple syrup on top, though, that does a pretty bang up job. Here's the recipe. It's actually pretty quick & easy. You should do it.

Then there is the pumpkin smoothie. When I had my first sip, I knew there was a reason why I was stalking Jamba Juice the past few weeks. It was heaven...pumpkin pie in a smoothie. Can I even call it a smoothie? It's so creamy, good I think it must be a shake. Oh man, go to Jamba. Do it.

A tip from a girl that loves Thai food: get the pumpkin stuff. Pad pumpkin, pumpkin curry, pumpkin whatever, it's guaranteed to be delish. They use kabocha pumpkin, and it's so tender and sweet. Yumm.

So, anyways, that was my day of pumpkin. But, it doesn't stop there. Pumpkin must be had all season. Here's so ways to get more pumpkin:

Pumpkin Beer and Cider - Now, I don't like beer. Not one bit. Josh is always trying to get me to drink beer. So, I tried pumpkin cider. It was awesome. This had none of that hoppy stuff, just plain sweet. Go try Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider, you won't regret it. Or, if you like beer, so far, Josh's favorite is Pumking. 

Pumpkin English Muffins - My mother in law told me about these precious things. How can you go wrong? With a lil' butter or cream cheese. A nice late-night snack. Oh yes, these do exist.

Pumpkin Froyo - This is my FAVORITE. If you know me, you know why. My two loves froyo + pumpkin married together in total awesomeness. 

The list is endless, here is all sorts of Pumpkin Treats, but I have my eye specifically on this one next, Pumpkin Cinnamon Strusel Coffee Cake. Oh gosh, or these bad boys. Or, have I died and gone to heaven cupcakes. Eh hem, muffins anyone? Too much to bake, too little time. 

Pumpkin is the best. Now EAT IT.

Remembering

Today is a day of rememberance. Eleven years ago today was a day our country will never forget. A day full of tears and saddness, and yet we united and grew stronger. Just take a moment to stop and think. Think about how lucky we are to live in our great nation. We're pretty luck, huh?! I think so.

Hard to believe eleven years ago I was a sophomore in college. Getting a morning call from my dad informing me our nation was under attack. I went to Santa Clara's Benson center and watched the tradegy unfold on the television. It still gives me shivers.

Just the other week I was visiting NYC. I got the chance to walk by ground zero, and see the new buildings rising from the rumble. That too gave me goosebumps. It was amazing to see the new towers rising upward. It's going to be beautiful.

That's it. I just wanted to stop and remember. I hope you did too. 

Celebrate USA

 

Not only is the 4th of July a great day to celebrate our wonderful country, but it's also a holiday and we get the day off work. Woot Woot. 

I have to say getting a Wednesday off was a bit random, and sort of threw me off a bit, but hey I'll take the day off. And it was a lovely day at that. The best part, I got to sleep in. Ahh, sleep. 

Josh and I had a pretty low key 4th. We went for a walk at the Arboretum in the early afternoon. Then later in the afternoon I tested my whoopie pie recipe. Yes, whoopie. I am entering into a bake-off competition on Tuesday (more to come on that).

Then for dinner we BBQ'd some hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn. And enjoyed that with some juicy watermelon. Can a meal get any more American? Yes, add whoopie pie for dessert! 

The day ended with a walk up Queen Anne hill to view some fireworks. Hurrah for America!

 

Just Sayin'

Sometimes I just go onto Etsy to just browse around. Often it's for jewerly, pillows (did I mention I love pillows? pillows and blankets - it's cuddle thing), or just cute posters or signs. I get lost in the next > next > next nature of website browsing. What if, on the next page, is something I absolutely MUST have?! Not that I'll buy it or anything, but it's always good to know what I like. 

So just the other day, I was doing just that, browsing Etsy, and came across this poster. I thought it perfect, not that I'm going to buy it, but I thought I'd share especially since I apparently think I'm some sort of big deal. Or maybe I am? I mean this is MY blog isn't it?

And I definitely want to give credit to this artist, ParadaCreations.

Odds and Ends

So, it's probably been too long since my last post. People are probably giving up on my whole blog thing, right? Wait, no? You're still there. Whew. I was worried.

I really just haven't had anything much to write about. Life is going well, but nothing crazy exciting. Nothing, at least, worthy to earn a whole blog post to itself. So, that's why today's post is going to be a mumble jumble of things that Josh and I (or just me, or just Josh) have been doing lately.

1. Eating Out.

Last Friday we were having dinner in Ballard, and we felt like grabbing some dessert. We headed over to Hot Cakes and shared a S'mores molten chocolate hot cake. It was pretty dang delicious. This place is "hot" right now - all sorts of articles and news about it such as the Serious Eats blog.

I went out for sushi last week, to Momiji Sushi, with my co-workers. If you know me, you'll know I'm not a huge sushi eater. I like fish, but cooked fish. Maybe I just haven't had the right sushi? I really want to like it - it's a texture thing. So, I ordered a specialty roll with tempura veggies - delicious. But we over did it with the ordering. The entire table was laden with sushi. No joke. The blurry picture I have here doesn't do it justice.

2. Baking.

Did you know I pretty much backone sweet thing a week? Crazy. Last week I made this Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. I'd never used rhubarb successfully before until now. It seems the trick is to have the rhubarb sit in sugar for 30 minutes. Yum.

Yesterday I tried to make blondies for the first time ever. They are basically the inverse of brownies. These were from a blog I read called Joy the Baker. These were chocolate and ginger blondies. A tip from someone who's made and eaten these: eat them at room temp. Better that way; trust me.

3. Visiting Vashon.

We also have visited another Puget Sound island, Vashon. We wanted to do an outdoor activity with our friends Aaron and Liddy, but not go too far outta town. We found a hike along the water in Vashon and gave it a try. It was a lovely walk/hike along the water. And there was driftwood. Liddy tried to bring it home, but we got told by the gate man that we couldn't take it. Sad.

 

4. Shopping.

We went to University Village this weekend. I enjoy this mall because it reminds me of the malls at home - outdoors. It's not so fun in the rain, but when the weather is nice. Love it. I got some new bowls at Crate and Barrel because my bowls when crashing to the floor (after the crisp baking) and broke. 

5. Video Games.

I actually don't play, but Josh does. Generally, when I'm doing something on my computer (e.g. writing a blog post), Josh grabs the chance to play. And he got a new headset, so I don't have to hear. How sweet.