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.

A weekend update:

This weekend I attended the Red Bull Soapbox Derby in Fremont (a neighboorhood of Seattle that would be something similar to let's say... Brooklyn, except Fremont has a huge statue of Lenin at its center). If you are unfamiliar with soapbox derbies, they are races of contraptions on wheels that can only be steered, not powered in any way. Not by pedals, not by engine, nothing... Essentially you build something on wheels, sit in it, and hurl yourself down a street that has an incline that is hopefully not too scary. The goal is not only to be the fastest to cross the finish line, but to have the most creative soapbox. And to actually cross the finish line. Surprisingly, there were quite a number of soapboxes (like the tikibar on wheels) that didn't make it even past the first turn.

Items i saw flying passed me on Saturday included... a toilet, banana, oolaroid camera, sushi roll (salmon roe, of course - i mean, we ARE in Seattle), baby carriage and a K2 ski (467 cm). I do not have photos of this experience to share with you because, quite simply, it was raining.

Yes, i said raining. So I've had my first weekend of rain. But clearly, this does not stop Seattlites. They just dress accordingly. Even the kids in the strollers are totally happy sitting in the cold rain. The outdoor decks of bars and cafes are filled regardless of the weather. I truly believe that after a while, Seattlites don't even notice that it is raining.