Aaaaand we're back.

Everyone asked me what I miss, if anything, about the North East. I don't think I really knew what it was until I went back:

1. Bagels. And not just because my company very kindly and generously provides free bagels every friday (and free, as I always like to say, is good). Out here, big, doughy bagels are very hard to come by. You know the kind, ones that are so enormous, they could feed a family of four, but if you really wanted to, you could squish them into a ball that fits into a single fist? Yeah, we don't have those here.

2. Radio. Yes, they do have radio stations here, but not the kind I'm used to. They don't have talk radio, or even decent news radio stations. Forget about morning shows - I honestly cannot understand why those don't exist here. I guess that is what coffee is for? But the music stations are truly subpar. I mean, I have yet to find a SINGLE station that plays Bonjovi. And that is just wrong.

3. Sushi. Now this might come as a total surprise, considering that the PNW is a seafood heaven, but I have to say that NYC has Seattle totally beat on sushi. So far anyways. It isn't that it is BAD here, I was just expecting that the "mid ranged priced" sushi joint in Seattle to beat what NYC had on the whole, just on principle. So if you come out here hoping to have the most amazing raw fish ever, stick to the oysters.

To my family, special thanks for putting me up, feeding me and lending me cars over the past two weeks. I miss you too.

Here beginith the Holiday Hiatus.

I leave for NJ today for two weeks of East Coast fun. Ergo, there will be no further posts on this blog until after Christmas. When I return to the West Coast, I immediately be thrown into "host" mode for two weeks as I entertain friends. We will be doing touristy stuff together, so I assure you that the posts will return with a vengance.

Hope everybody has a fabulous holiday season.

Yesterday I embarked on an adventure. I had heard that there was a river about 2 hours from the city where I could see bald eagles feeding on salmon in December/January. When I woke up to brilliant clear skies for the first time in over a week, I grabbed my camera and GPS and took off.

I knew the road i was aiming for, but didn't really know what to expect, or really what i would see. I just wanted to find me some eagles to watch. The drive turned out to be stunning. Occasionally, I'd see an eagle flying above me as I drove along the river. I decided to follow one, and wound up here:



And farther down the road....



Then I saw some snow capped mountains in the distance and tried to get as close to those as possible. I've never seen those purple mountains mentioned in "america the beautiful" until yesterday:

They say that you learn something new every day. Yesterday, I learned enough for almost a whole week:

1. Nothing good can come from walking under a ladder. I am not a superstitious person generally, so when I saw the ladder leaning across the sidewalk in front of me, I naturally walked under it, which resulted in me immediately smacking my right leg right into a metal pipe sticking outside a building. Lesson learned.

2. Stephen the Master of Pain is not invincible. Apparently he had worked his legs out the day before yesterday and he was walking around like an old man. He couldn't even hand me my weights, which he normally does. When we walked up the hill together after our session, to allow him to keep up with me, I had to practically crawl and he still had to beg me to slow down. I hate to admit it, but I did derive some satisfaction from this.

3. If I ever have a son and he gets a tattoo that covers his entire chest, I'll kill him. Even if that tattoo is of a beautiful angel.

4. In Seattle, I have reached "siren" status. Yesterday, while walking in my 'hood, I nearly caused a traffic accident. Not because I darted in front of cars... no... because a guy in a pickup truck INSISTED on stopping for me even though he had the greenlight on a major street in rush hour. I know you are dying to know what I was wearing when I literally stopped traffic... in Seattle.... so here we go:
Gap Jean Skirt (length: to the knee, at least 2 sizes too big)
White Puffy Jacket (bought at Costco)
Black Knee High Nine West Boots (to cover the purple egg on my right leg)

Now granted, I was listening to Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones, so maybe there was a subconscious saunter, but seriously folks... I know that if I had worn that outfit in NYC, I'm pretty sure the fashion police would have run me over.

When you hear the term, "Laser Opera," what exactly comes to mind?

1. A bunch of opera singers playing laser tag?
2. Puccini meets Pink Floyd's "The Wall?"
3. Laser eye surgery while listening to Wagner?

Honestly, considering that this event took place in something called the "Laser Dome," I kinda was hoping it was option #1, but it turned out to be more like #2. Somebody needs to put light sabers into an opera SOMEWHERE already.

The concept was to put a laser lights show to some famous arias. The audience lay on the floor (armed with popcorn and wine) looking up at the dome while laser artists (bet you didn't know they existed) made interpretive laser pieces to the music on the fly. The art ranged from soothing, to hypnotic, to something that could be the precusor to brainwashing (no, the opera is never over when the fat lady sings...). I'm not going to lie, at some points, i thought i was getting motion sickness. Never thought that was possible while listening to opera, but hey, you learn something new everyday.

As many of you have probably heard, western WA has been totally socked over the past few days with very heavy rains. The city itself has been wet, but since almost all of it is on some sort of hill, we've not had to deal with flooding. Mostly just rivers running down the streets because the catch basins are full of leaves - but nothing too bad.

About 10am today, the sun started to peak out - that was when I saw my first rainbow of the day. At 2pm, after a final downpour, I saw my second, in a different location, but it was a double. I don't think i've ever seen three rainbows in the span of 4 hours. Must be a sign. Not sure what kind of sign, but it has to mean something. Either that or I'm gonna start having a serious craving for Lucky Charms.

Since I've been hitting the gym with increasing regularity, I have been wondering when exactly did jumping rope become an exhausting activity?? Growing up, I have found memories of skipping around my parents' driveway while singing some silly "miss mary mack" tune.. and doing this for what seemed like forever. Now, if Stephen, the master of pain, asks me to jump rope for two minutes straight, I'm not only completely spent, but I can't even get more thant 10 jumps together without stepping on the rope or something else equally klutzy. So when, exactly, did I lose this ability??

Tonight I went to a ski conditioning class... and you know you are in ski territory when a class like that is totally packed. I rarely go to the gym in the evening because I often have social plans, but I'm beginning to think I might have to change that up once a week. The beautiful people clearly come out after work.

But back to skiing... still haven't gone yet, but hope to this weekend if the snow hasn't been rained away. This weekend it even snowed in the city - and quite a bit, but now it is 60 degrees and pelting with rain. Such a tease.

Everybody keeps asking me if i've been skiing yet. The answer to that is still no. Which is driving me nuts because LOOK at all teh snow i can see from my living room:

A week ago, I broke a tooth. Well, I actually just chipped it. As a grinder, this is unfortunately something I do with some regularity. Today, I got it fixed. New to the area, I hadn't found a dentist yet, but on of the people who had been to my ski camp is a dentist, so I went to him. Had no idea what he was like apart from a couple of emails about skiing, but was confident that somebody who goes to Momentum is good enough for me.

I have never been to such a fancy schmancy dentist in my life. I felt like I was on extreme makeover. Scented candles, aromatherapy pillows... sunglasses to wear in the chair... gadgets that monitor the anesthetic injection so that you don't feel the stuff going in...chapstick as you leave because your lips have been pulled apart for 10 mins... I half expected them to offer my champagne and a massage.

I wish i could go back to this guy... dunno if i can afford him!!

Deja Vu. The most recent sunrise. Note the Christmas tree on the top of the Needle.

Aaaannndddd I'm back...

It has been a fabulous week with my family here in Seattle. We had a lot of laughs, food and bonding. It had been a long time since we had been on "vacation" together as a group and it was just as much fun as I remembered it.

We did a lot of touristy things. Many of which I had not done before. I will list the highlights of these below with a brief review of sorts for those who may be interested in visiting Seattle in the future:

Space Needle: This is an obvious stop, but I wouldn't go on a day that isn't at least 85% clear. The view of the city and the mountains is fantastic. You can also use a telescope to see my bedroom window.

Experience Music Project: There are two reasons to visit this museum.. the building itself (designed by Gehry) and the chance to pretend you are a rock star. Literally. There are recording studios in which you can try your hand at drums, guitar, keyboard, turn tables.. you name it. It is a total and complete hoot.

Underground Tour: This tour basically explains how the city was built after a fire more or less leveled it in the early 20th century. This is interesting because the way that the city was rebuilt made absolutely NO sense. You will feel very smart indeed.

Leavenworth: This Bavarian (yes, I said bavarian) village is about 2.5 hours from the city - obviously you need a car. It is a beautiful 2.5 hours through the Cascade mountains. The drive is truly amazing, the village is very entertaining. You will feel like you've stumbled into the German section of the World Showcase at Epcot Center - but bigger, and clearly in Seattle, because they have a "Sturbucks." (that's with a "u")

Pike Place Market: This is another must see. If you have a chef in your group, this is super fun. Watch their eyes grow wide and see them run. Don't worry about losing them in the sea of humanity, they inevitably find their way back - dying to show you what amazing purchase they just made. Be prepared to visit the market more than once.

So my parents arrived in Seattle last night. They have been here before for a short trip several years ago, but I don't believe they spent much time in the city itself. So which attraction did they go see first? The Utilikilt store. Yup. I'm not kidding. There are photos that I have not yet seen of my father shopping, but when I have them, I might be given permission to post them here.

And in case you were wondering, when your personal trainer says, "and now we are going to do strip sets," this does not mean what you think it SHOULD mean. There is no removal of clothing of any kind by either the trainer or the trainee...only increments of weight, which I quite honestly think qualifies as false advertising. And I believe that I've stumbled across a great idea here. I mean, my trainer is incredibly well built and I think that all of his female trainees would benefit from such an incentive. But maybe that is just me.

For those of you who are loyal readers of this blog, I apologize for taking nearly a week to post. I realize that there is no excuse, but I'd like to blame the fact that work was a little nutty last week, I'm getting ready for my family to arrive for a week and well... Steve the trainer has been very busy beating me to a pulp. I am happy to say that I finally have video footage of the guy who does the Backstreet Boys dancing while running on the treadmill... turns out he is an actor in "high school musical." If I can ever figure out how to put it onto the computer, I'll be sure to share.

Saturday was a very PNW (Pacific Northwest) day. I got up at a ridiculous hour for a Saturday and headed out with friends to the grand opening of the new REI store in Issaquah (about 15 mins outside the city). Going to REI, for those who live here, is a religious experience. REI is essentially, LL Bean, Campor, EMS, all rolled into one but a whole lot better. If you need it to experience ANYTHING outside in the PNW, you can be guaranteed to find it at REI... and in a variety of styles, colors and prices. The flagship store in the city is practically a tourist attraction. They have a climbing wall. They have hiking and mtn biking trails you can use to test out gear before buying it. They have the most amazing return policy imaginable. You could use a pair of boots to climb Mt. Rainier, hate the boots and return them. no questions asked.

Now Saturday's trip was by no means my maiden voyage. When new comers arrive at Seattle, one of the first thing they are asked is, 'have you been to REI?' When people realize that you haven't been yet, they practically jump all over themselves offering to take you on your first trip. I have become an REI member and fan since I was exposed in my third week here. I have also given them some of my money, so it was not hard to convince me that I really wanted to try to be one of the first 200 people to walk into the new store and earn myself a nalgene bottle and $100 gift certificate. We ended up missing the cut by about 30 people (there were people who camped out all night for the honor) but we did get free pastries and coffee as we waited on queue. Somebody even got the queue to do a wave.

But that wasn't it for my PNW day.. oh no... after spending about an hour shopping (got a great softshell jacket and sweater) I raced back into the city for a shellfish cooking course at one of my favorite restauants in Seattle - Flying Fish. It was taught by the chef herself and it was so awesome, I think i have to go to all of them. Instruction, three courses and unlimited wine.. all for $45. I now know a lot more about the different mussels and oysters around here, as well as how to make sea urchin sushi - which, as much as i like the stuff.. turns out to be pretty gross while still in the animal...and not just because of what you are actually eating..

And.. to top it off, it rained all day.. making it a perfect early winter PNW day.

Every morning in Seattle is a lot like Christmas morning. You never know what you are going to find when you get out of bed. It could be raining. It could be so fogged in that you get vertigo from standing on your deck. OR... the sky can be so clear that you can see exactly how much the snowline has fallen since you were able to see the mountains last.... And these aren't even the highest mountains... or the skiable ones....

Several years ago, when I went to my first Indian wedding in India, a friend of mine was kind enough to break down the 4 major principles of Indian dancing prior to the first evening of dancing:

1. The airplane: This is exactly what it sounds like. Arms outstretched, upper body swaying like a turning airplane.

2. The motorcycle: Essentially, this is a shoulder move. You roll them forward as if you were revving up a motorbike. You can also roll just one shoulder.

3. The light bulb screw: Lift your hand (or hands) up in the air and screw in an imaginary light bulb.

4. Clapping: This can be thrown in whenever, however you like.

I am happy to say, that following these four principles in any order and combination is still good enough to totally fool any Indian into thinking that I know exactly what I'm doing on the dance floor. Last night I went to an Indian dance club, which was the first opportunity I had to dance Indian in over 4 years. I had guys asking me if I had taken classes. Wondering how I could possibly know so many dance moves. I was asked to show off my best dance move. Such pressure. I think i came up with a cross between principle #2 and #3 with a foot stomp thrown in for good measure. I had the whole circle doing it - a group of indian guys following a blonde chick who is totally faking it. I know you can picture it.

Last night I went to my first rock concert in Seattle. If you can call Billy Joel "rock." Billy always gives really good concert, so of course it was an exceptionally fun evening. He even played some Hendrix (we are in Seattle afterall) which brought the house down, in addition to some AC/DC which was equally unexpected and entertaining. I think the older set which took up the majority of the audience was throughly confused by the brief diversion into headbanging territory.

But I think one of the best parts of the evening was that it took me all of 7 minutes to WALK to the arena. It took me longer to GET OUT of the building at the end. What a change from having to fight the traffic and paying stupid expensive parking rates...ahhhhh.... sooo much more pleasant.

So it is November... and i'm *still* waiting for the weather to turn like everybody has been telling me, warning me that it will. I dunno, but i think they are all lying.

Here's what friday evening looked like from my apartment:



And now for the latest installment of my "artsy fartsy" series:

I have discovered where the place to be on Sunday mornings is in Seattle. And lucky for me, I can walk there from my apartment. The queue to get in to this place is no less than 50 people EVER. People get dropped off by the bus loads. Parking is nearly impossible for blocks.

Where is this hopping, heaving hotspot? Why the Swedish Cultural Center, of course, when they are serving up their world famous Swedish pancake breakfast. For $7 a person, you get 6 enormous pancakes, a huge slice of ham and all the berries and whipped cream your heart desires. There's music. And dancing.

Now, being under 70, I was definitely in the minority at this event, also one of the Few without a walker, cane, etc. ThE thing about the older set is, they LOVE to talk to the youngins, so I had a total blast - the food was excellent as well. Following things overheard at my table and on queue:

"I've never seen it so crowded here. Damn Norweigians are taking over."

"Ech...The band doesn't sound very good today."

"You want to learn Swedish?? Why? You know in Swedish, we have a 'he,' 'she,' 'it' and 'it.' We have TWO 'its.'"

"These pancakes are ok. My wife makes them better."

Today, I purchased myself a personal trainer. If you are a loyal reader of this blog, you know by now that I go to my gym regularly, but besides enjoying the view and occasional entertainment, I've not really seen much of a difference in my physique. I haven't had a trainer in a while - previous experiences have been less than satisfactory - but i figured if i got a hot guy to train me rather than a woman, maybe that would help. The thought process being, if you work out with a toned male body, you get really motivated to have one yourself. A hot female body, that is.

The guy behind the counter happens to be a trainer and by far the hottest of the staff, so of course he is the obvious choice:

Me: So how does the the personal training program work?
Steve: Are you interested in being trained? Do you have any goals?
Me: I'll be honest, even though I'm a firm believer that there are parts of a woman's body that should be somewhat wobbly, I have bits that are more wobbly than I think they need to be. So essentially, I'd like to be less wobbly.

Steve falls into a fit of laughter. I, of course, am totally serious about my goal.

Steve: Ahem... well uh.. we'd have to come up with a way to quantify "wobbly."
Me: Fantastic. (with a twist of my shoulders and a tilt of my head - picture somebody asking someone to the middle school homecoming dance) Steve, will you be my trainer?

So today, we had our first session, which included what was probably the single most humbling experience I've ever had in my life. This stud measured my body fat content. He actually pinched my fat and MEASURED it. In multiple places on my body, including my midsection. So now, not only does he know how old I am and how much I weigh, but exactly how many pounds of fat I carry around.

Steve: Well, that is kinda high.
Me: Well I DID warn you about the wobbly bits. At least the percentage is a number lower than my age.. that has to be a good thing, right?

On the upside, he also measured my oxygen intake, or something, and it turns out, i'm in the "elite" category. This is what makes Lance Armstong so amazing. So i can use oxygen like Lance. Whoopee. Doesn't seem fair that I still have wobbly bits.

Disclaimer: If you are NOT an NHL hockey fan, most of this story will be lost on you.

Yesterday, while purchasing cookie sheets, the girl behind the counter asked for my ID, to which she responded, "NJ... wow." To that, the woman behind me responded, "Are you by any chance a NJ Devils Fan?"

Me: Uh.. yeah, actually, I've got their flag flying from my car right now, even though I realize that while living in Seattle, a completely hockeyless city, this flag's significance is totally lost on 95% of the people.

Woman: Scotty Gomez is my godbaby.

Me: GET OUT.

At this point, the two of us got so excited about meeting each other - me, obviously because I'm huge Scotty Gomez fan, her, because i'm sure that in Seattle she hardly, if ever, gets to show off her godson to somebody whose response to her gushing is equally as gushy. The entire line at the counter was engrossed in our exchange. People stopped shopping. The register stopped ringing. I now know way more about Scotty than I ever thought i needed to know. There were stories about diaper changing. She assured me that he didn't move to the Rangers for the money(sure...). I also know that he just broke up with his girlfriend - a statement to which i responded by flipping my hair.

We spoke for nearly 30 mins. It totally made my day. I made her promise to tell him that she met one of his biggest fans in Seattle and that that fan forgives him for being a traitor.

Last night I went to a concert featuring these musicians: www.rodgab.com. I had no idea what I was in for, but this was simply one of the most amazing things i've ever heard. I officially have become a groupie. I highly highly highly recommend seeing these two if you ever have the opportunity. it does not matter what kind of music you like, you will be in awe and totally enjoy yourself. They play guitar like i've never seen guitar played. And the girl - her right hand looks like it channels something from another dimension.

Seriously, you'll thank me.

Up until now, when biking alone, I've been biking more or less exclusively on Mercer Island, which is the island where Bill Gates lives. I have enjoyed my rides there because the loop is very pretty, traffic is light and truthfully, the route is pretty flat. Around here, you have to be careful about hills. You could be quite happily spinning along and then all of a sudden you are attempting to go up an incline that results in you having to get off the bike and and push it up. For like half a mile.

At a professional meeting recently, I met somebody who lives on Vashon Island, another picturesque location just a short ferry ride from town. He told me that Vashon was a roadie's dream, so when the weather cleared up one afternoon, I decided to give it a go. I was assured that it was impossible to get lost on Vashon, but I brought a map with me anyways.

While on line to purchase a ticket for the ferry, I saw several other bikers and was encouraged that I had indeed chosen a desireable biking location. The ride over was quite eventful, thanks to my first ever "hippie hit." Now, i know that sounds like something illegal, but i assure you it was not, but it did make me giggle. A hippie, complete with dreads, piercings, jewelry, hit on me. For the life of me I still cannot figure out what it was about me that made him approach. I was dressed about as sporty as possible. The only thing that possibly could have attracted a hippie was that I was being "green" by using my bike to get around. Either that, or the pool is a LOT smaller than i thought it was in Seattle.

At any rate, I get on my bike at the dock and head off, having waved good bye to the hippie and immediately hit a killer hill. That went on for ever. And ever. and then it turned right. Then left and kept on going. I have since read my guidebook, and for Vashon Island, they do mention that it is an excellent place to ride, once you get past the killer hill at the ferry.

I make it to the top, totally exhausted, only to realize that i'm going downhill again. Horrified that this means i'm most probably going to have to go back up this incline AGAIN, i take a random turn that looks flatter.. for now. After several miles of (relatively) flat riding, i come across two farmers who look like uncle jessie from Dukes of Hazard.

Me: Hi. I was wondering if i showed you a map you'd be able to tell me where i am on it.
Jessie: Where do you want to go?
Me: Not uphill.
Jessie shows me where I am on the map.
Me: So where does one go around these parts to see something really pretty?
Jessie: We feel the whole island is beautiful.
Me: Yes, well, I don't have a lot of time, I need to get back to the ferry before it is dark.
Jessie: This here road (points to map) is nice, but it is pretty steep. Sometimes even cars have to turn around 'cause they can't make it up. Best to take the truck route. There won't be trucks there now, so don't worry about that.
Me: Whoo! I'll take it.

At least i know now, that when i see a guided ride on Vashon advertised, I shouldn't do it. Not until i get my hills skills up to par. Here are some photos from the island and the ferry ride back:

The one question I get asked the most by people i meet here is, "so what brings you to the Pacific Northwest?"

I always change my answer. But now i know what i should say every time. "Because there is stuff like THIS in my back yard."

Oh what a beautiful morning.....



This was taken less than 10 mins ago.

Here are some photos i took while on a bike ride on what i like to call, "Gates Island" because that is where Bill Gates lives. Haven't found his house yet, but he probably owns the whole island...

I've never ever lived close enough to a body of water that i could see from my home. Not even a swimming pool. Now, I live two blocks from Puget Sound, which is where the Port of Seattle is. This is where a lot of the stuff we get from Japan (like cars) comes in. And of course there are all the cruise ships. So now, for the first time in my life, I actually see ships of all shapes and sizes coming and going. I've gotten very good at recognizing the ferries and cruise ships, which are a multiple daily occurance. But the tankers.... when i get to see one of those go by, it is very exciting because they are bigger than anything I've ever seen in the water. They take over my entire camera view finder. Since Sunday, the same tanker has been hanging out right in front of my building in the middle of the Sound. The thing is, almost every morning i wake up to see it facing a different direction. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the heck it is doing. The only thing i can come up with is that it is practicing "parallel docking."

Getting much more proficient with the tripod:

I never thought it would happen, but yesterday, as the sun was setting, I watched from my living room as usual and was like.. it's nice, but i've seen better...I had to scold myself. "Larissa, apparently, in the not too distant future, you won't be seeing anything like this for months on end!! For SHAME."

So some recent photos:

Friday, it rained most of the day, except for this one moment:



And then there was sunrise this morning:




Oh.. and there was significant snow fall in the mountains over the weeekend. How do i know? Because i can SEE it from my living room.

Here are some more cool pics:

From the suset on Saturday, taken from my apartment deck:




this is from my hike on sunday - some fall color WA style:



and this is just damn cool. Taken just a few minutes ago from my deck...

As many of you know, I am very prone to blonde moments. This is a good one:

From the photos of my apartment, you can see I have a fireplace. I've been staring at this fireplace since I moved in and longing for the moment to give it a whirl. Now that it is actually "chilly" enough, I've become more gungho. But this fireplace is electric, fake, you know... the kind that has a switch somewhere that just automatically throws the fire into motion. I was not sure where this switch was or how the settings worked, so when I finally had a friend come over to help me put the glass top on my dining table, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I had a guy around to help me figure out how the fireplace works. Here is how the exchange went:

Me: Ok, I'm looking for the switch for the fireplace. How about this one on the wall?

(Turns out to turn on one of the deck lights)

Me: Oh. Dang. I don't see any other switches outside the fireplace... I don't like sticking my hands randomly into hearths... Oh, how about this lever here?

Friend: Uhmm... that's a flue, Larissa.

Me: Really? Are you sure? (as I open and close the flue several times for good measure to check that no flames will just suddenly pop out somewhere, still convinced this has to be a fake fireplace)

Friend: Yes, I'm sure. Did you not notice the chimneys on your rooftop deck? You are there enough to take pictures...

Me: Oh, is that what those are. Huh.

Finally pictures of my apartment. Very basic, nothing exciting, but I'm pleased with it. I need to get up the nerve to actually hang things on the wall....

For the past few days, the weather has started out incredibly foggy in the morning. No rain, but so foggy that i can't see the building next to me. By about noon, it all burns off and the day is just perfecto. Yesterday, a friend of mine and I decided that we really wanted to break in our new hiking boots, but felt that just wearing them around town would be not enough of a walk to sufficiently christen them, so we got in the car and just headed east to the mountains.

My impression of WA is that you can just drive down a highway and you'll see trail heads posted everywhere. It is so nice when things live up to your expectations. We drove until we saw something pretty, turned off the expressway and started to look for trailhead markers. Found one for "Little Si," and figured, "little." We can certainly handle something called "little." We have brand new boots, afterall.

The hike was beautiful with fall colors (yes, they have those here too) and not too challenging. Until we did most of the return in the dark. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but we got back with no drama. Never knew that a cell phone light could be soooo helpful.

In case anybody was wondering, the following make baking a successful batch of my prized cookies very challenging:

1. Not having bowl. A corning ware dish is NOT a suitable replacement.

2. Not having an oven that works. This makes knowing what temperature the oven is at VERY tricky.

3. Not having measuring spoons. Eyeballing ingredients like baking powder is not really recommended.

4. Not having a spatula. Using your fingers and a knife to remove cookies that are stuck to the tin can be very destructive.

In response to the overwhelming number of "what happened next" requests regarding yesterdays blog:

Nothing. I found out his name and that we are practically neighbors. (that got him uber excited because that was yet ANOTHER crazy thing we had in common. Another thing to keep in mind, I had an audience during this exchange. My group was all over 30 and finding this very amusing. As flattered as I was that this guy thought i could be younger than 26 (he actually guessed i was 25, I responded that i wasn't, and attempted to leave it at that. "24?" "Nope.. don't watch the show either") and i look like i'm in the Zone, he wasn't going to get me to go out with him because:

1. He looked like he just started drinking legally and probably wasn't that good at it yet.

2. I thought he was gay. Once my mind thinks that, it is usually pretty hard for me to switch it back.

But his enthusiasm should be noted and commended. I know where he hangs out in my 'hood, so if I really feel like another laugh, I know where to find him.

In Seattle, there is something called, "the freeze." This has nothing to do with the weather. It is a social phenomenon that newcomers feel with the locals. It describes the difficulty transplants feel in getting the locals they meet to "stick" as friends. When I say "locals," i'm referring to those who were born and bred here. And while everyone here is super duper friendly, I have definitely run into "the freeze." I'll email people i meet and they will never contact me back. Guy or girl, doesn't matter. Or, they will take WEEKS to reply. It is such a different social dynamic here. So much slower. So passive.

The passiveness mostly applies to the men. I am so used to the aggressive NYC guy who makes a snap judgement in about 10 seconds if he's even going to entertain talking to you. This always seemed so harsh to me, but on some level, it is super efficient. Here, so far anyways, I've found that I'VE had to make the necessary introductions. For the most part, I've been freezed out eventually anyways, but that is besides the point. Until last night. Last night I got hit on by a local, it cracked up the entire crew i was with and it went a little something like this:

As I emerge from the ladies room i get approached by a total stranger who looked about 22:

Guy: So are you here with the Zone party?
Me: I'm sorry, the what?
Guy: You know, the Zone.. you look really fit and your sweater is very cute so I'm just assuming that you are part of the group from the Zone who are here tonight.
Me: OH.... the Zone, as in the diet..with all those energy bars.. no, i'm not.
Guy: Well, i love your Ralph Lauren sweater, I used to work there and it looks great on you.

(at this point, i realize that a guy has pointed out to me that my sweater is RL, and naturally assume this guy must be gay)

Me: I bought it at Costco this afternoon.
Guy: Coscto! Wow. So do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Nope.
Guy: You have GOT to be kidding me.
Me: I've only been living here for 5 weeks. Give me a break.
Guy: Where are you from?
Me: NJ.
Guy: Wow, my family lives in Ramsey, you know where that is?
Me: Yup.
Guy: We have SO much in common! What are the chances? So how old are you?
Me: I'm not going to answer that.
Guy: Well, I'd love to take you out sometime, but I only date women who are old than I am.
Me: I assure you, this is not an issue (on SO many levels).

(but let me get this straight, a guy who looks 22 is CHECKING to see if i'm older than he is???)

Guy: Why don't you guess my age.
Me: 27
Guy: I'm 26! how did you guess? Wow, you are amazing!
Me: Yeah, that's me. I'm in the Zone.

I know i've already posted today, but I just couldn't WAIT to put this up. THIS is what sunrise looked like this morning. The shots over the city are facing east, the shot over the water are facing west. And yeah, that is Mt. Rainier.

Did i mention that i love it here?

Last night, I participated in "Hellacious Square Dancing." This is not the name I've given the activity, it is what the evening is actually called. It should come as absolutely NO surprise that this took place called Tractor, the bar I went to on Saturday. This is definitely not your "4th grade gym class" or "senior center" square dancing. NO siree. The place was packed with guys and girls averaging about 35, and not only was I sweating from the constant running aroud (or swinging, do tee doing, etc), but my brain was in pain from the strain of trying to get the steps right. It was truly astounding to me that something like square dancing could be too complicated for a bunch of seemingly educated, intelligent adults. But I had a total blast and plan to go again. If only just to laugh at everybody else.
Things heard during the course of the evening:

1. "Your cheeks are going to start to hurt if you don't stop smiling." "Too late."

2. "Inside arch the outside under." (HUH?? The caller kept yelling this over and over and I i still have no idea what she was talking about.)

3. "Are you a guy or a girl?" "Not sure. I *think* I'm a girl."

4. "This is definitely NOT a blond proof activity." (No... definitely NOT)

I love my gym. Not only is it very clean, open and has lots of fun classes and endless aerobic machines, it has a view of the Sound, so even if i don't have time to go outside for exercise, i can at least look out on the water and Cascades as I burn my calories.

Today, however, I discovered yet another reason to love my gym. Today, they provided me with entertainment. Well, the gym didn't exactly, but I encountered a fellow gym goer who is a joy to watch and makes my workout seem a lot shorter.

Yes, this is a guy, and yes, this guy is hot, but this is TOTALLY besides the point. While he is on the treadmill, running 7 mph, so he is essentially sprinting, he appears to be rehearsing the upper body movements of his audition piece for the Backstreet Boys... or maybe for a background dancer for Madonna. It was awesome. His legs are going at a clip, but his arms and head are doing dance moves that are graceful and complicated while sweat is being flung in every direction with each maneuver. Whenever he was dissatisfied with his performance, he'd jump off the machine while it was still moving, regroup and start over.

He did this for 30 mins. Needless to say I seriously hope he becomes a regular.

On Saturday, I decided to try something new for me, and at the same time, very Seattlish. I attended Reverbfest, a musical festival used to showcase only local talent. The venues for this festival were all over Ballard, a cute "Hobokeny" area that I had only flown through on my bike or driven by on my way to take pictures of the sunset. I thought that this would be a great chance to explore a new area as well as try on "alternative" music for size. Who knows, I just might see the next Nirvana or Jimi Hendrix. Sure, there was a part of me that thought there was no way a Jersery girl and Bonjovi fan like me would ever be able to blend in with the tattooed, body pierced, multicolored haired, alternative crowd, but then I remembered that my brother is coming for a visit in November and he will probably want to go to a cool place that has live music. The mental image of the look of total disappointment he would give me if I told him that his very unhip sister had yet to brave the Seattle music scene was enough to get me to go. So armed with a fleece and Ipod playing U2 (the closest I had to alternative tunes), I headed off into the world of fishnet stockings and dark lipstick (on guys, girls, same difference).

The first venue was at a tea room. Picture Phoebe in "Friends" with her guitar singing about whatever came to her mind. I had no idea what he was singing about nor did I have any idea when the songs were actually over, but I thoroughly enjoyed my grilled apple and basil on pumpernickel pannini.

Not deterred, I consulted the festival schedule and settled on going to "Tractor," considered to be one of the best venues for live music in Seattle. Perfect. The name of the band playing, "Animals in the Night" also sounded very promising. I thought that name screamed with the possibility of at least one hot band member... or maybe one with a mowhawk or chains or something.

I flashed my wristband at the bouncer (who was wearing a black utilikilt - I dunno about you, but when a guy in charge of security is dressed in a skirt, he just seems a whole lot less intimidating, no matter how much he has pierced) and ordered myself a cider (in a huge can - which is a first ever for me - never seen cider in a can) and head to an open table. From what I could see, the band had 5 members, which included 2 MAC laptops. I kid you not, these two laptops were at times being played like a keyboard. I had never seen or heard anything like it. I mean, of course I would rather have a hot bassist or lead singer to drool over, but this was cool too. Not enough for me me to become a groupie of course, but I enjoyed the experience.

Looking around the bar, there were lots of fans standing - I had three chairs (the only three remaining chairs in the place) at my table and nobody made any attempt to sit in them or even ask me if they could use them. I guess my "top 40ishness" was still oozing and making me a pariah. You can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't take the Jersey out of the girl. No fooling this group. Maybe next time I'll breakout the leather pants.

What happens when you work from home everyday. In no particular order of importance:

1. It becomes very clear that you cannot under any circumstance, have "fun" food, like peanut butter, ice cream or nachos in the apartment. See, when you work in an office, you can keep the fun food in the office fridge so that you are not around it every second of your day, ergo, it is easier not to eat all of it in one sitting. I now work where I live and there is no escape from any fun food stored in my fridge or pantry. So, the fun food, for the most part, has gone away.

2. You discover that it is very possible to go until the end of the work day without washing your face, brushing your teeth, hair, whatever, and without the state of your personal hygiene bothering you in the least.

3. You reconnect with some of your favorite clothing from college, such as sweatshirts, thick socks, yoga pants and scrunchies.... As soon as you remember that you are still wearing your PJs. And that usually happens after you go downstairs to the lobby to check your mail and you run into a neighbor in the elevator still in your pjs. This has, in fact happened repeatedly and I still do it beause I figure, what are the chances of running into anybody in the middle of the work day at home?

4. It becomes critical to your sanity to actually get dressed up when you do go out for the evening simply because you've been in lounge gear all day. I now have become quite high maintenance because I dont have to get up early to do my hair if i am going out after work. I already got up early. I have at least 2 hours to primp before anybody goes out during the week. A girl can do A LOT in two hours to get ready, if she wants. Like even remember to put on earrings.

In Maine, there is a running joke that goes a little something like this: If you dont like the weather, wait a minute, and it will change." This is exactly what happens here too. The mornings are cloudy, misty, dark... cold. Then, at about 2pm, this is what happens:




And then by sunset, you get this:

Tivo Thighs

Everyone's heard of "thunder thighs." Well, today, I discovered that I have "tivo" thighs.

Tivo Thighs: (noun, plural) Thighs that are so big that when you are on hold for a Tivo customer service rep while using a headset to keep your hands free because you've been waiting for way too bloody long, they manage to hit the phone disconnect button after you have placed the phone on the floor next to you as you multi task and fold laundry. TWICE.

In response to this revelation, I went to my first ever boxing class at my gym, led by a guy who has a blond pony tail almost as long as mine.

Mark: I see you brought your boxing gloves, this is important because they protect the bag.
Me: Clearly, you have never seen me box. I assure you, the bag is in no danger.

He put me on a bag opposite a 75 year old man. Very funny.

Throughout the class, there were periods where everyone walked around the room with hands in the air (wearing gloves). The exact purpose for this confused me.

Me: So why am I walking around with my hands in the air?
Mark: Because it is hard to do.
Me: Oh. Not because "Rocky moments" are an important part of every boxing class?

Seriously, he had to see that comment coming. I mean, we were all super sweaty and jogging around with our hands in the air with gloves on. COME ON.

I haven't posted pictures in a bit, so here are some from last week's sunset on Wednesday. It was spectacular. These are taken from the waterfront in downtown. The photo of the space needle, i realize it is a little out of focus, the tripod was not cooperating so i had to hand hold, but that one is of sunrise.