I'm Toning Up for my Norwegian Lover

I hurt. After...holy crap, a YEAR, I finally joined a gym again and have now gone a total of twice. In order to give myself energy for my workout today, I ate approximately 3,000 pretzle thins at work - soooo delicious. After I moved up here I ran a bit, but then I mangled myself at Christmas and it was all downhill and up calories from there. So I'm back, baby, and weaker than ever. Here's hoping my muscles remember how to do something other than sit.

Unrelated to exercise, I found out that Sondre Lerche's new album comes out September 8th. I can't wait for two more months. I can't! it's too long! But now I have something to look forward to. You know what else I have to look forward to? SONDRE LERCHE IS GOING TO BE IN SEATTLE IN SEPTEMBER!!!! WOOOOOOOO!

He's only smiling because he doesn't know we're married yet.

Maybe I'm ever so slightly excited. I've missed him! And he'll be playing at the Triple Door, a right spiffy venue. Alas it's not as awesomely intimate as the Troubadore, but it's got more candlelight and lights on stage that make it look like the band is in space. Tickets go on sale on Saturday and I am so buying mine immediately. Thusly, I shall prove my love.

Lord, Smite This Music...

I don't think I've mentioned it, but my choir is performing a piece that was commissioned (read: brand spankin' new) for us ... and it's KILLING us. Over the weeks we've been rehearsing we've sloooooooooooowly grown fond of a few certain parts but the majority is still just unbearable and difficult (Direct quote from a singer last night during break: "Can you spell 'painful'?"). Our concerts are this Thursday - Saturday and I cannot WAIT for it to be over. We had a last minute rehearsal on Saturday afternoon (hooray?) and every night this week is rehearsal/performance (rehearsal didn't even END until 10pm on Monday). Let's just say that while I know we desperately need all the practice we can get, I am NOT pleased that THIS is the reason I haven't really been home except to sleep since Sunday. The only thing that makes it better is that Liz promised we could go see Transformers 2 on IMAX on Sunday. Nothing clears horrible choral music out of your head like 2 hours of robots fighting and blowing shit up. Later this weekend I will also post the only thing that kept me sane during this process: the series of (slightly blasphemous?) cartoons I did wherein the composer is a completely oblivious devil who doesn't realize that his music is making God cry. Stay tuned - we'll see if I survive.

Eat, Eat, You're Skin & Bones!

My sister came up for a visit last weekend and it was GREAT. Fortunately my sister and I actually like each other a whole lot (though we wouldn't make for any good dramatic films involving awkward holiday homecomings with tears and bitter recriminations that end in the realization that even though we fight we love each other and we're all we've got - how unfortunate). We started the weekend right with a trip to the Triple Door to see The Portland Cello Project. I'd heard of them from the sister but hadn't listened to them -they were great! And it was actually like seeing about 6 mini concerts because every few songs another guest artist would come out and there would be 2-3 totally different kinds of music. There was pop (covers of Justin Timberlake, anyone?), classical, trumpet-infused folk, soulful delicate folk, modern indie girl rock, and straight up cello. We also went to the symphony (yeaaaah comp tickets!) where we heard Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain, a 20th century violin concerto (interesting, and ultimately enjoyed it) and Stravinsky's The Firebird. The funny thing is that, though I've been in the symphony hall plenty, I've only done it as a performer, so I had no idea how to go about entering through the front door - I honestly didn't even know where the entrance to the hall was. My main reason for attending was The Firebird. I'd never heard all of it, but I do love the ending - I think "rousing" is a good word for it. Verdict: Awesome (I would be the worst music critic ever). In between concerts there was a LOT of eating. Man, do Sis and I love to eat and boy are we good at it. And Liz got to come along for the gastronomic ride. The best discovery was a Puerto Rican restaurant on Market called La Isla. I pass it all the time and don't know why I've never been in, but we LOVED it. Shrimp, rice and beans have never tasted better. They have a plantain sampler plate! Their margaritas are EXCELLENT (and pretty sturdy)! Their happy hour is AWESOME! ($2 plantain plate, anyone?) They bring my favorite flavors into one place: garlic, cilantro and margarita. Damn, I love eating. That was a good weekend.

Holy Crap! It's the Sun!

I believe I mentioned in an earlier post how much happier the sun makes me here in Washington than it did in Santa Barbara...

Sorry for the bad image quality, I am neither a technological nor photographic wizard, so just go ahead and click on it to see a bigger version.

Seattle, Seattle, It's a Hell of a Town

My visit with Jessie went just swimmingly. Wait, you're telling me you don't know who she is? Shame on you. This is Jessie:

Girl + fake monocle = hip

She flew up from So Cal to visit for the weekend and we had a BLAST. Saturday we did the Underground tour: hilarious/fascinating. It's about Seattle literally building themselves an "underground". They were built far too close to the ocean which meant high tide brought all sorts of unpleasant problems and led to them (after a fortuitous fire that destroyed 33 city blocks) rebuilding the city at a higher level. The tour takes you through the lower levels and our guide was hilarious, occasionally bursting into song, unrelated to the tour - what's not to love? We also went to Pike's Market, up the Space Needle and spent all time between those moments walking around the city. After the Space Needle we sat by a fountain for a rest and were delighted to realize there was a prom happening somewhere near. Every few minutes high school students would walk into sight and Jessie and I would judge their attire harshly: mostly ill-fitting and extremely slutty - one has to hope that their parents didn't see them before they left the house or else they are guilty of both bad taste and not caring if their daughters are propositioned every few minutes by strange men on the street. However, there was a boy in a white dinner jacket, black bow-tie and black pocket square who saved the day. Well done, you. We partially crippled ourselves with the long day of walking, but it was worth it. Saturday we went to Bainbridge Island by ferry. I've never driven my car onto a ferry before and it was tragically entertaining.

View from the Ferry on the way to Bainbridge

It was an adorable place. We only explored a few blocks, but had a wonderful afternoon: gorgeous weather, good company, tasty lunch and interesting sights. There was a children's science museum type place thing dealy on Bainbridge. Out front was this sign which confused and frightened us in the best way possible:

Shaun seems to have some species issues

The weekend was finished with the best damn ice cream I have ever tasted ever. It was from a bright little place called Mora. Jessie got Mexican chocolate ice cream - light and just a bit spicy and utterly delicious. I got "dulce de leche swirled with dulce de leche". That's right, caramel swirled with caramel.

I'll have caramel swirled with joy, please!

All in all it was one of the best weekends EVER and I was so sad to see her go. Now she just needs to move up here. I am working on my strategy. Namely constant harassment. It can't fail!

Awwwwww! I like you!

Nom Nom Nom!

You know how pregnant women are supposedly hungry all the time and have cravings? Well if that already happens to me, what's going to happen when I'm really with child? If you've spent more than an hour with me you know that at some point I'm bound to suddenly say, "I want a taco!" or "I could really go for a Cinnabon" or "Mmmm, bacon". 95% of the time this has nothing to do with the current conversation or else I'm just blurting into the silence. I'm currently eating applesauce. Five minutes ago I had a hard boiled egg. Which followed the hummus and veggies. Which I ate after consuming half a package of Saltines. Which was right after my lunch. Speaking of which, pizza sounds delicious. But not as good as pork ribs. Dinner last night was two peanut butter and honey sandwiches plus a hard boiled egg, two pickles, an oatmeal cookie (which I salted), some rice crackers, a couple of shrimp and some cherry tomatoes. When I'm actually pregnant maybe I'll STOP having cravings.

If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands

JESSIE'S COMING TO VISIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!

Can you tell that I am excited to see my friend? I am. It's been three long months since our last weekend visit (in our old SB stomping grounds) and now she will grace the Northwest with her presence. I love that gal, she's one of the glorious people I discovered after I graduated Westmont. I knew her while I was a student, we sat together in choir and I knew she was awesome, but we didn't actually hang out and become real friends until I'd graduated, don't know why. And now I'm doubly excited because we're going to do touristy things like the Space Needle and Pike's Market. I've done those before, but not in quite a while. I actually haven't done much in Seattle due to my classic "Meh" attitude towards getting out of the house. I was that way in Florence (Russ and I spent a whirlwind day during our last week trying to get in things we'd spent 4 months not doing) I was that way in SB, I'm that way everywhere. I really want to make an effort to actually get to know the city I live in. I'm making strides (small ones -- stridettes?) in Ballard, and now that it's turning into spring (slowly, slowly into spring) I have high hopes for myself. A winter indoors really makes you want to spend all your time outside as opposed to SB where I never felt like I was missing an opportunity because, heck, it was going to be just as sunny tomorrow. So Jessie will visit and we will romp and prance and tour and whatever the hell it is you do. We might even, dare I say it, take a ferry somewhere! And look! It's (for the moment) beautiful and bright and sunny out my window. Life is wonderful! Huzzah!