Seriously... it is a wonderful day today!

I just got news that there will be no trial, and the crazy man pled. I do not know all the details, but I know I do not have to be a witness. The crazy thing is my friend Jeff called and invited me to Siesta Key, Florida and I said I could not go because of court, and there was the crazy man, messing with my life again... Well, I got the good news and immediately booked a plane ticket. So I am taking a red eye there and one back but whatever... I can chill on the sugar like sand with my friend and go ocean kayaking and celebrate Cinco De Mayo and just be happy in the hot sun!

I am going to go to Tom's and work out at his gym, and then hang out there.... and count down the days till Florida!

Tonight Tom and I went to Anthony's on Pier 66 for some dinner. I like going here because it is an easy walk from my apartment and you can eat on the waterfront. We ate outside, which was fine when the sun was out, but as soon as that sun went behind the clouds, we were ordering blankets (luckily they stock blankets for cold patrons!) We split the mussels, but they were not as good as I remembered them at the upstairs Anthony's. I had the Ahi bowl (what I always used to get in 2005 before my friend would take me to the airport) and Tom had the Mahi Mahi Tacos. Both our meals were really yummy. Also, Anthony's is pretty affordable if you eat downstairs at the "Bell Street Diner" vs. the upstairs. Oh, if you ever go here and have the chance to get corn on the cob, order it!



Then we went back to Tom's house, but only after stopping at the party store to pick up some M&M's and Nestle Chocolate Chips in hopes Mike (Tom's roomie) would make cookies - thus breaking his diet. It did not work. We watched some sitcoms and then Tom drove me home, so the crackheads wouldn't get me...

I am all stressed about this court BS I have to deal with, but it will all be over soon! The defense attorney wants to interview me, but has not yet. I am hoping the 23 page letter I wrote to the prosecutor will be sufficient enough and the douche will plea it out. I love Washingtons laws on assault, because even if you were scared/did not want to press charges, they make it very easy for you - because the city presses the charges.

And now, bed.

Dan and I went to Sams club and bought bulk products. I am not usually a fan of Walmart brands - but in this time of high prices, I had to do it. Plus I have a free membership through work. I now have enough toilet paper to last me through the summer.

Afterwards we went kayaking at Moss Bay - I swear, I should just work there I am there enough. We went to Westlake Whole Foods first and got some lunch to bring with us. We ended up eating lunch at Gasworks park and oddly enough there was a couple next to us - and her name was Elise, also.

We came to my house.. took a nap then woke up and I made dinner. We ate that, drank a few Corona's and then Tom texted he was at Del Rey - so we went to Del Ray, surprise surprise. I go there so often I should probably buy stock in that place. We hung out with Tom's friends and one of his friends randomly met a girl there that he originally met on Match.com. She got wasted which was pretty funny, but you should never do that on a date! Let alone a random internet date.

It was pretty crowded at Del Ray, so we headed over to Cyclops for some Session Lager in a bucket. We hung out there for a bit, and I also found out I was the only one at the table that did not have a match.com account... weird.

Dan and I went home and I cooked up eggs over hashbrowns. It was yummy and needed to soak up some of the beer. Then we went to sleep.

Today I took a nap, and now I am working. Lame, I know. I am going to clean, too and maybe go for a jog/walk and then go to bed early tonight!

Well, last night my friend Dan called (a different Dan) and wanted to know if I was down for the Mariners game. Of course I was! So we met up at Del Ray for happy hour, had a few beers and some food then took the free ride zone bus from 1st and Bell to 1st and Jackson. We had to walk a few blocks to the stadium and during this walk is where we first got the Rickshas idea.

We bought some tickets off a scalper... who wanted us to pay a lot more and he decided he would do a coin toss and if he won we would pay $50 and if we won we would pay $40.. He gave me the coin to toss - I checked to make sure it had a heads and a tails, and I flipped let it land on the ground... and tails it was. He won... Then we got some free Rockstar Energy drinks and headed to Safeco, where Dan had to sneak in the Rockstars. We grabbed some beers - I was drinking Full Sail again, and Dan was drinking Pyramid Hef. The good beers are expensive there! We watched the game, ate a few garlic fries, made a plan to streak the field at an upcoming game, drank some more beers... Oh and I got a new hoodie at the team shop...




The M's lost to the Athletics... then the game ended and we decided to take a Rickshas ride from Safeco to Ivar's. We didn't exactly know where the Rickshas was taking us, but we just went. Here is the video:



We ate at Ivar's - the chowder is SO GOOD! I had the red, Dan had the salmon. We took some pics, then were just going to walk to my apartment.






Well, we leave Ivar's and oh my, another Rickshas. Here is the video of that one:


We walked across the Pier 66 bridge, up Bell to my apartment. We got some beer from the party store and then hung out in my apartment. We were going to sit on my balcony and watch crackheads, but none really came. Maybe calling the police is working!!

We ordered calzones from Amante and it was yummy! Oh, also, we dropped something off my balcony to the one below and had to design and build something to get it off. We ended up using a wire hanger, a long tape measure, and a lot of sticky packing tape. After fishing a bit, we got it! It was quite funny and we laughed quite a bit.

Then Dan went home - and I went to bed super late that night. Oh, by the way... my friend Dan is so much fun! - Happy, Dan? :)

Oh, I forgot, I got served a subpoena today. For those of you that know, I have court on May 6, as a witness, and I am dreading it so much!

If you are an avid reader of my blog, which I don't even think my Mother holds this title, you probably know I like to go out. I work from home, so as soon as 5:00pm hits, I am out of this house!

Well, last night was no different... Except, when I woke up this morning, on the bathroom floor, I realized that maybe my going out needs to not involve Tequila. I will say though, the only thing worse than waking up on the bathroom floor, is waking up on the bathroom floor with your hair and clothing reeking of cigarette smoke... Thankfully that is illegal in Washington public places ;)

First I met a friend at Belltown Pizza. We had the Margherita pizza and I had some Full Sail Draft while my friend Vishal was drinking Mack and Jack's, I think. I've always liked the pizza at Belltown Pizza. The crust is not too thick and still has a bit of flour on it - which I love. Plus, they have decent prices for Belltown.

After that we went to Del Rey. We met Vishal's friends because one of his friends was moving to San Fran the next day. This is where the Tequila came in... Shots were had around the table... And I think more than one. We stayed there for awhile and Vishal's friends went home.

He and I then went to Tost in Fremont for Marmalade. Marmalade is like improve for like funk/hip hop? It was amazing really and so much fun. The bar was pretty packed for a Thursday night, but not too packed where you cannot get around. I liked the decor, and the walls are dark with swirlie type designs. I also liked the type of people there, so different than Belltown. No one was dressed up or down too much and everyone I seemed to meet was just really chill. Oh and this was one of those bars that actually had a good ratio of men to women, not all men like many bars. Two cons though... the bathrooms are singles and unisex and they did charge a cover, which I think this is the first time I have ever been to a bar that charges cover - except for the "dance" type clubs in Pioneer Square, or if it's a "concert".

As many people know, I can drink beer all day, but alcohol, I cannot handle, even just 1 or 2 shots. I guess it is true, that old saying, one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor... Which leads me to the floor... Apparently I came home and then my myfriend had called cuz he was across the street. He came over after he was at Belltown Billards... He was being kind of weird, sometimes he gets... I don't know... he is kind of sensitive... I don't want to get into my theory as to why... but apparently I didn't want him there, as it gave me reminders of the early behavior of my crazy ex...I guess. I yelled at him to leave, or something... He gave me a blanket and pillow in my bathroom and then I fell asleep (which was very nice!). It has been a long time since I felt the need to sleep on the bathroom floor! I am not really sure what I said to him, but apparently it was not so nice because he was pretty mad at me. Alcohol is stupid, and I am back to just beer and wines for now. Anyway, sorry Moss if I said anything mean, but you know, it happens. People do stupid shit when they are drunk that they do not often remember.

Oh here is a video I wanted to share. This was taken in the end of March when my friend Tom and I went to Pulsbo, to his step-sisters house, for Easter. We were on the ferry and it was SO SO windy. It is poor quality, but you get the idea.

Tonight I met a friend at La Carta De Oaxaca. It is a yummy Mexican restaurant in Ballard, also the restaurant I went to with Jeff a few weeks back. I love the salsa bar, especially since I love salsa. It is always so busy, so there is always a wait, but very worth it. I might go ahead and say... 3rd fav restaurant in Seattle thus far?

Oh, and that picture of the sign was taken outside of the restaurant...

After that we walked to this small, but cute, bar called Hazelwood. This dual level bar is intimate, dim and yet still inviting. The actual bar is downstairs and has maybe only 4-5 stools, which were all in use when I was there. To the left you can walk up the stairs to a dimly lit room adorned with a local artists photographs (I am assuming for sale). Chairs are foregone for smoky grey sofas that allow you to get intimate with your guests, or random strangers depending on how busy. There is also a red button upstairs that turns on a light when you look through the periscope type thing, it is just calling you to press it.

The cocktail list was anything but ordinary and I think I would want to try most drinks. They have beers, too, but you will not find your crappy Bud Light type of beers, thankfully. I have a feeling this is the type of bar you should probably keep to yourself, because if too many people know about it, then it wouldn't be as cool.

Upon leaving Ballard, while walking to the car, this man and women approached us with a sob story of his wife's purse was snatched, and they needed cash to stay at the Starlight hotel down the road. Being the nice guy my friend is, he said he didn't have cash on him. The man tried his best to keep being dramatic about his sob story and then said he would walk us to the ATM. He claimed he would send a check... but seriously, one - I don't buy the story and two - if you are the type of person that cannot random come up with 60 bucks to stay at the hotel, how are you going to be responsible enough to send a check to a random stranger? Perhaps I am just so sick of the street people...

Today (Tues) is my 1/2 birthday.

Sunday night I went to Dan's house... cooked dinner and chilled. I made shrimp pasta with a white wine/garlic sauce and baked garlic to spread on french bread.

I went home Monday morning, worked all day, then met my friend Michael at Umi Sake House (yeah, I go there a lot.) We talked, I had to tell him a story, he had to tell me stories... it was good to catch up.

After I got home, I worked some, then watched Monday night sitcoms, which I had not done in awhile. Oh, I totally dig the shows How I Met Your Mother and Samantha Who.

After that I kept working and also got to witness a pimp sell his hoe to a crack smoking/drug shooting upper John. Yeah, I totally saw her give him a BJ and then have sex. It was horrible. I called the police about 2 minutes into it, but 20 minutes later when they finished up (I didn't watch the whole time!!), they police still had not come. That life is so weird, but really, there is no need for having to witness that where I live. It is funny, when you tell people you live in Belltown... they assume two things... one, you somehow have tons of cash and live in a million dollar condo, and two, it would be so cool to live in Belltown. I admit, it's convenient to live here. I walk everywhere, I love being by the water, by the bars, by downtown, by the market... but in all honesty, and I never thought I would hear myself say this, I think I am ready to move a bit north, to a less crack/prostitute/crime infested area.

Anyway, today was a weird day... some weird stuff happened that I am not going to blog about... but then Dan came over for a bit... we ordered Thai from Bell Thai, but he only stayed a bit and went back home.

Now I am going to work some more, till I fall asleep... Oh, and Jeff sent me the script for his movie, so maybe I will start reading that.

Oh, and apparently, they just announced more quake fault lines in the Seattle area... which made me find this:

I had yet another one of my busy Pacific Northwest weekends. The weather was pretty chilly the past few days, in fact it snowed Friday.. Just some flurries in Belltown, but some places got a few inches, which is not very common, especially in April.

Friday after work, I took a nap - which was much needed after the late night I had on Thursday with Scott. I woke up, showered, my friend Ed came over and we just hung out. We ordered food from Bell Thai which delivers. The food was good, wasn't great, but they have free delivery which, on a cold night, makes it taste even better! The guy taking my order was adamant that I could only pay with cash, though I think they take cards, too. I am sure I will be ordering from there again, just based on the $10 minimum delivery fee but probably would not go there if I was walking. We then watched some bums/crackheads (including a really thuggish drug deal), Ed took a spill on the balance board, we watched that Benny Lava YouTube video a few times and watched the dance moves. I think it would be funny if it was spoofed with English speaking people saying the fake subtitles.

Saturday I woke up, got dressed and what not. Moss came over because we were going apartment shopping in my area. We saw the apartment I think he is going to get, we came back and drank some tea, talked, then we decided to go to the Underground Tour. The Underground Tour consists of going to "Old Seattle" which is about 25 or so feet lower than where Seattle is currently built. You do learn a lot of the history of the city from the tour guide, and you are trudging through old basement type tunnels that were shops, stores, bars or roads underground. If you go, wear decent shoes and take a pass on their lunch deal. It is one of those touristy things to do, I am glad I did it, but if you were a tourist and only had a few days, I would skip this one and do more fun touristy activities like Ride the Ducks, Bank of America Building Observation Deck, The Argosy Locks Cruise, or going on a guided tour in a kayak at Moss Bay.

After that we went to Del Rey for cheap happy hour and we got a bit tipsy. We came back to my apartment, but not before I yelled at some crackheads for pissing by my apartment. The one followed us and said something to Moss about my ass or something... maybe he thought Moss was my pimp???

Moss left, I took a quick nap, then showered, called Dan, but he was sick... called Tom to try to get him to come out - but he never called back, got dressed and took a cab to Fremont. We pre-drank at Moss's friends house for a bit before going to Red Door. I wasn't a huge fan. It was crowded, a bunch of douchebag looking college kids, tons of white boys though - and way more men than women. Shots were like 8 bucks or so, Dos Equis were like 4 or 5 bucks each. We were not there too long before we were on our way to Ballroom. We made a quick stop at a hotdog stand, where I got a veggie dog, and then somehow ended up at High Dive for a bit. I lost Moss in there cuz I knew someone, and then he almost left without me. I was so pissed. He thought the guy I was talking to I was trying to mac on or something... but I was in no way doing that.

Anyway, then I got over the pissy part and we went over to Ballroom. It was full of college kids or younger kids, more girls than the last place. The music was decent, it was crowded and the bathroom was too small and the lines were long. I had fun though, dancing and I think I attempted to play pool?? They also serve pizza late night, if you are feeling hungry, though I didn't try it. Also, a girl with a really tall heel stepped on my toe, and my toe is all bruised now :(

Moss and I then came back to my house, he crashed here (as it is way more fun than his current living situation), and then after waking up we attempted to go to Macrina Bakery for breakfast. Their menu looked amazing, but it was overly busy and a long wait. We walked across the street to Cyclops and had breakfast there. They have a decent breakfast menu, but I did not end up getting what I ordered, which was an egg scramble and got a tofu scramble instead. Talk about being disappointed, tofu?? I mean, I dig tofu, but when you are expecting an egg breakfast to cure your hangover, the last thing you want is tofu. I mentioned it to our waiter, and they offered to make me a new one and take it off my tab, which was nice. I did not want to wait for a new one, so I ate the tofu.

I took Moss home, called Tom to maybe hang out one day since we have not in forever, then I came back to my apartment, did the dishes, and got back into bed. Since it is 4/20/2008 today, the TV channels are making a big deal out of it and have funny stoner comedies on today. It was kind of exciting. I fell asleep to Half Baked on G4 channel and woke up a little later to watch the Pistons/76ers game. Yeah, that was sad. The Pistons lost - I don't want to talk about it.

I am going to work a bit now, try to tie up some loose ends before my work week, and then maybe order some food or maybe sushi, yum?

The NBA approved the move, that was a given... now the lawsuit is in effect. I really hope this move-saga ends with the Sonics staying here, in my favorite city... NBA owners approve Sonics' move, pending litigation And of course David Stern is still behind Clay Bennett, they are boys. And from what I hear, from people who would know, David Stern is a douchebag.

Oh, and thank yous go out to Paul Allen and the Trailblazers and Mark Cuban and the Mavs!

I know many movies are remakes of old movies/stories... and sometimes they are amazing, examples are The Departed, Oceans 11, even Mr. Deeds with Adam Sandler (maybe it is because of my love of John Turturro's acting)... but today on E! - yeah, I watch E! - I saw a story that made me not so happy...

When I was a kid, along with many other girls of the 80's, my favorite movie was Teen Witch. It was a story about an unpopular girl, Louise, that finds out on her 16th birthday that she is a witch and has special powers which she uses to become the most popular girl, embarrass her teacher in retaliation for outing her birth control pills in class, win the heart of the captain of the football team, Brad, not to mention get backstage passes to her favorite singer's concert...

My sister, friends and I must have watched this movie hundreds of times. It was a very popular sleep over party pastime. To this day I still remember all the words, the songs, the cheesy 80's raps, and suddenly I find myself wanting a digital copy of this movie, so I can watch it again. Actually, I am going to do that, and have my sis watch it with me when I go to Detroit in June. Yeah, I am that cheesy.

Well, back to E!, they announced that there was going to be a remake of Teen Witch, and that it would star Ashley Tisdale. Here is a news story: Ashley Tisdale Remakes 'Teen Witch'

I am glad that this movie is worthy of a remake, but will they still say "Look how funky he is..." I know it is impossible to keep the 80's nostalgic factor afloat, and I am feeling a bit bummed that this movie needs a remake... Just release it again ;)

Today is the day that we find out if the Sonics are moving, well, sort of... minus the court case that is pending. How can the Sonics leave Seattle? They have 13 picks coming up, they will get better... people will go. Sure, Key is an old arena, it has no parking, the seats are tiny, the suites need updating (and maybe more suites added)... But build a new stadium (not in Redmond, please), do not move the team... Even though my Pistons only come to town once a year... no one knows how much I look forward to that one game with my first love.

Last night I hung out with my friend, as he is leaving tonight. I raided his pantry and freezer (he was moving anyway!). I am kind of sad he is leaving... but... that's life...

I judge people. We all do. I think many people judge someone the moment they meet this new person. We recognize something about this new person that is familiar, or maybe we associate them with someone we already know... subconsciously or consciously... and we think we know all about them within five minutes. Sometimes we are wrong, and we misjudged... but other times we are dead on.

Yesterday, I figured out that the original opinion I had about someone, and their intentions, was completely true... which is neither good or bad... but allows me to sit here - with a smirk on my face - and say... damn, I am right again...

And the funniest part... had the timing been a bit different, had this been a few months back, my outlook on the situation would have been warm and inviting and more than willing to explore the situation... but, as we all know... life is all about timing...

It's mid morning here in Seattle... the sky is a uniform grey... I like that description of the color... anyway, I am a bit tired today. I had Dan over for dinner while I cooked, (sun dried tomato and shrimp pasta) and my exhausted self fell asleep early while he twittered around for a few hours trying to fall asleep.

This morning I had an interesting email... one that I don't often get... just a general "what's up"... I knew that there was more behind it, so I answered it and it turns out it was just an intro to an - just wanted to let you know I am moving back to Detroit... My random friend that I met in Detroit that lives about 2 miles from me in Farmington Hills... and lives about 5 blocks from me here in Belltown... is moving back to Detroit. I am happy for him that he got this awesome job with my first love, the Detroit Pistons... and really the Sonics were not where he should have been... but, somehow it was so comforting to know that there was someone here that knew me by way of knowing my home? I do not know if that even makes sense... And as an added bonus, I got all the free Sonics tickets I needed.

That got me thinking about random friendships I have had in the past few years. I travel a lot, for work, for pleasure. I have lived or done extended visits to countless cities... so I have met my fair share of friends. Some are friends for an hour, a day, a few weeks... or life long. Sometimes you can have an intense and amazing friendship with someone over, let's say, three weeks in Minneapolis, that is so meaningful you could not imagine your life without having met that person. Other times you can bond with a friend over a Piston's Brawl, shot of Tequila, and the thought of one day moving on from your city... Or, sometimes you can even meet someone over a setback, like at a car repair garage in Manchester, Tennessee... who will forever leave a thumb print on your heart...

Sometimes there is so much that goes into meeting someone... For example, with my basketball friend... It was me being late, Jeff being hungry, us wanting Olga's, me being dressed up all weird, Jeff going to the bathroom, me talking to my friend about my flight back to Seattle... etc... Actually, goes back before that... Jeff and I becoming friends again, after not being friends for awhile... Or most recently, in Vegas, for work... running into an old friend that we had had a falling out due to a situation neither of us could control.. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, with a new friend... and now the old friend and I are back in one another's lives...

Perhaps I am ranting, or feeling a bit... melancholy... but I know that when life changes, relationships change... and I am OK with that... but it still feels bittersweet...

I have been very busy these past few days with life and work. I've been working... Lame, I know. I did do something crazy and very unlike me though... I went to the Eastside!!! It was semi warm out, and I felt like driving my car. Plus there is nothing like the view of Mount Rainier from the 520 bridge. It really is one of the prettiest drives in Seattle. My friend Nick and I went to Inchin's Bamboo Garden in Redmond. I was not that impressed. Service was slow, the food was just OK (our noddle dish was bland as can be), and when asked how the food was Nick kind of said it was not that good and our waitress was kind of weird about it and did not offer to comp our bad noodles, just brushed it off as the kitchen's fault. I will not be going back there, especially since it is on the Eastside. I will say, however, it is nice to go to restaurants and not pay Belltown prices.



I was in bed semi early when my phone rang, and it was Dan. So, I put on some real clothes, got into my car and picked him up. We got back to my house and really, I was so exhausted we just went to bed. We watched random things on TV for awhile, and eventually I made us my fav sandwich... consisting of... tomato, fresh mozzarella, spinach, red onion, avacado, cucumber, balsamic vinegar and a bit of salt and pepper on the bread I always get from Metro Market. Oh, Dan had turkey on his, and rarely do I put meat on mine, but I put chicken breast on mine. Yum.

Saturday we slept in longer than we had planned... but got up... I made breakfast of french toast and berries. We made it out of my house by about 11:30, then went to Dan's house so he could shower and get ready - which takes that boy all of 12 minutes...!

The weather was so beautiful, it was a very very sunny 72 degrees. We went to Moss Bay and rented kayaks. We went all around Lake Union, through that canal at Montlake into Lake Washington, through the Arboretum, up by those random art pieces off of 520... etc. It was so amazing, paddling towards the mountain. We hung out in the waves for a bit, then headed back. We were gone for awhile, approximately 4 hours. Then I dropped Dan at his apt, I headed to Whole Foods.

At Whole Foods I picked up food to grill for us. We grilled on my rooftop deck...Steak for Dan and Salmon for me. I also made baked potato and asparagus, not to mention a spinach salad with lots of veggies. We also drank a few Pyramid Hef's...

Then we went back to my apartment, we were pretty sunburnt so instead of going home, we ended up just hanging in my apt, talking a lot, drinking beer, watching bums off my balcony... talking some more and then falling asleep to SNL.

Sunday was rough because I think we were a bit hungover but we went to Kingfish Cafe for Brunch with Dan's brother. I had the buttermilk pancakes, they were pretty good, but I wanted some scramble that has meat in it, without the meat - they couldn't do that because it was already pre-mixed or something.

After lunch I went to Tom's apartment. He had been in Tennessee for his brother's wedding, so it was the first time I had seen him in a bit. I ended up falling asleep for a quick nap on his comfy chair and then waking up and ordering Umi Sake House take out. We ate there, watched some Big Brother, and then I went home and worked some more.

Yesterday I actually went to Umi Sake House again with my friend Tony for happy hour. Then today I worked a lot!! And old friend, Pilot Mike, called me today and it was nice to catch up. I also had to drop off my payment to the MI Treasury, yeah, I owed Michigan tax, blah! I took it to the post office at 5th and Wall. I think it is independently owned, or something, because it is half post office, half store with odd and random items like Endust and sparkle hair clips and they do not take credit cards. But the nice thing was... at 4:30pm on tax day - no line!!

Now I am here, home, working, just got off the phone with an old friend from Montreal, Jeff... We had had a falling out, but apparently are back in one another's lives... funny how that happens... a lot.. and nice, too.

Last night I worked, worked out, then (after a shower, of course) met up with Moss and his boys at Belltown Billards. We played pool, we danced... I had a good time. I have not really hung out at Belltown Billards,but it is a odd and diverse crowd on Thursday nights. I was surprised how many people were there, either playing pool or dancing on the dance floor. Drinks are pretty expensive there and I kept receiving warm Coronas. I have also been warned to never leave your tab open there, always close it out, because they have a rep of charging you for drinks you did not purchase.

At one point Moss and I were standing at the bar and this older man, like 60 maybe?, came up behind me, put his arms around me and very drunkenly slurred into my ear... "I am sorry, I am dancing like an asshole." I said, "That's O.K."... as I tried to pull away. He kept holding on to me and then went on to tell me how he was financially sound and if I went home with him he could take care of me. At this point I am grabbing Moss to help me out here, because the old man had me in a bear hug.... Moss then thought I knew him or something, because he did not think a random stranger would act like that.

Moss and I drank and bit, he ended up chilling here for the night and I drove him home this morning, then went to Metropolitan Market to get some basic groceries and toilet paper... because I have been out since Wednesday. I thought I had another 4 pack, but I was wrong. Well, Metro Market had Vernors, which I had to buy... and I got so excited by the Detroit pop... that I forgot toilet paper!!! Now I am going to have to go to Ralph's to get some and pay like 12 dollars for one roll.

Later today, around 4pm, I am going to see the Dalai Lama, and then Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at Key Arena. I am super excited. It's called Seeds of Compassion. How often do you get to see the Dalai Lama? Yeah, excited. I'll update all about it tomorrow.

Oh, and a fun link... My friend Ed sent me this link about Taco Trucks/Vans in Seattle. Seattle Taco Trucks

Today I went to Noodle Ranch, in Belltown, for lunch. I had never been before, even though it is right across the street. Well, it was yummy! I will go there again, for sure. The portions were big, too and I easily had lunch and dinner out of it. I will go there next week and try their Udon.

I worked more, took a nap, took out my recycling (it is so weird that there is no deposit on cans/bottles here!), went to the gym then came back... showered and met a friend at Amber for a quick drink. I got a girlie drink, which is not something I usually do. It was a mango kamikaze-tini type of drink, with a sugar rim and all. It was pretty good, but there is no way I could drink more than one with all that sugar.

I got home about 11, then worked, and now... bed!

My phone calls about the crack smoking people from yesterday are getting a bit of buzz in my neighborhood, apparently. Hopefully they will help make a difference and get more police presence on my block. I love my apartment and where I live and do not want to be forced to move to Queen Anne or Cap Hill just to escape the bums and feel safe in my own neighborhood...

Last night, after work, I picked up Dan and we went to Whole Foods on Westlake. I like how that Whole Foods is merchandised, it is very new and very clean. We purchased a bunch of food and went back to Dan's apartment and I cooked dinner. Then we watched Forrest Gump, which I have never seen... I know, who has not seen Forrest Gump? It was late and I slept there last night and then woke up, drove home and now taking a quick break from work to write this.

It is pretty sunny out today, but with clouds. I love the clouds over the bay because they are always bright and puffy. I think I might go to a free Wi-Fi place today and finish some work...

And a side note, I often watch the local news on KING 5... and they had two Michigan stories (both involving fires, ironically), including the story of a fire at a senior citizen complex in WB, I am assuming the JCC senior apartments based on where it was located... Even though generally only bad news travels fast - and far - it is still semi comforting to see a story from my local area... and makes me that maybe "home" is not really that far away...

So, Monday... Well, for a Monday it was a beautiful day. I woke up, went to my doctor for a general check up at 5th and Olive. I walked there, which is a bit odd sometimes. Drunks are out at 8:30am, drinking 40's... I walked on 2nd to Virginia then up to 5th and over to Olive. I do not understand why Seattle is not more strict on the bums... but I digress...

Today, after I got back I worked until about 5 when Jim called me and we went to Umi Sake House, again, for happy hour. We then came back to my apt, sat on my balcony and watched the sun go down, and watched crackheads underneath us sell drugs and smoke crack. Yeah. I called the police, but they did not show. Sad.

Now I am going to do a bit more work, then watch some E! and go to bed!!!

So, this weekend was pretty low-key. Friday night I went over to Tom's for a bit, waited for Dan to call... we just rented a movie from Blockbuster in Queen Anne then went to his place, watched it, and fell asleep early.

Saturday we went all over including rode the Monorail, which is cash only and $2 bucks each way for adults. I also feel it is even more pointless than the Detroit People Mover. He lives right by Westlake, so it was easy, but really we were being lazy and could have just walked it.

The Monorail ends at Seattle Center, which includes the Pacific Science Center, where the IMAX is located. We saw Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure. It was only 30 minutes long, but it was a pretty interesting story about Ernest Shackleton and his journey to Antarctica that did not go as planned, to say the least.

After the IMAX, we crossed the street to Cafe Darclee where we had yummy panini sandwiches and coffee. I first discovered this cafe with a friend in 2005 and have been many times since. The crepes are quite good and the selection of ingredients is impressive.

Today, also a chill day, was spent cleaning my apartment (it was much needed!), hanging out with my friends, and then hitting up happy hour at Umi Sake House.They have an excellent happy hour, great prices, great food. The service is a bit slow, but the prices and happy hour selection make you forget about it. Also, the restaurant is set up much like a house including a three season type back porch. You almost feel like you are eating at your wealthy friend's screened in porch.


After that I walked to Endless Knot (cannot find their website to link), this really cute little boutique type store at 1st and Bell. They always have cute dresses in the windows and their prices are totally affordable. One thing I learned though, if you see something you like - buy it! They do not stock a lot of the same thing and their merchandise is forever changing.

And now... time for bed...,

My friend Jeff is visiting from Detroit (which is my hometown...) In true Jeff fashion, we have been going out and everything has been "wasted lives"... which basically means that we drink too much and act like fools. That seems to happen when you are celebrating, which lead me to say this morning over breakfast - I am never celebrating again.

I am not sure why most celebrations involve a lot of alcohol, but they always seem to. I am fine when it is just beer, or wine... but get those shots in me and I become - well, annoying. I am sure this happens to most people.

So, to break it down... Jeff, Charlie, and I went to Del Rey for happy hour (in Belltown - $3 Dos Equis, $4 small plates). They have a great staff, amazing women's bathrooms, the food is excellent - especially for a bar, tons of options! Fri and Sat gets pretty busy at night, so you might not get a table and they often have a line out front. I like sitting in the large booths that can easily hold 6 people comfortably. Also, they always play great music.


Then we met up with Jim at the Sonics Game (they lost, again), Jim's House in Greenwood, some awesome Mexican restaurant in Ballard, Ozzies (denied entry due to Jeff being too drunk), Pesos (though Jeff was kicked out for being too drunk), Dick's for late night burgers for Jeff, and finally... my apartment. It was a rough day today, to say the least.

Then today we went kayaking on Lake Union (rented at Moss Bay (they seem to be the least expensive in the area, nice boats, too) and Tandoori Hut for Indian Buffet... then I dropped him off at SeaTac because he is going to Portland for a few days before coming back up here on Sat. I am sure Saturday night will be another "wasted lives" night...

Until then... enjoy some pics from the eve...









Here is a LINK to the full album... ;)

so, i have been meaning to start/update this blog for awhile...

here it goes...

some things i've learned about living here.. in seattle...
(this is a never ending list)

so pesos has a great happy hour on food specials... but douches that take advantage of it... somehow i ended up giving break up advice and life info not only to my dining partner, moss, but to a random boy at the table next to mine... some girl that apparently was his best friends ex was trying to get on him.. hardcore, but his best friend has just broken up with her..

I had had some Syrah... so that helped the advice flow..

oh i never leave belltown, well, rarely... today, lower queen anne is where i was... it was interesting... lots of douchebags... but different than the belltown douchebags... like spikier hair and not dressed up at all... odd, i know...

anyway, i've been drinking wine... so maybe this made sense? comment if you wish...