It's mid-March and I haven't posted a word to this space in 2017. So I figured I'd start with my annual year in review entry, even though it's 2.5 months overdue.
January
Since this was more than a year ago I'm struggling a little to remember. I know it was cold AF in Flagstaff and I know we got at least one MHC snow day, which was AWESOME. In January I also finally bit the bullet and bought plane tickets to Seattle! This month Jerbs and I started talking seriously about moving to the PNW. Also, the X Files returned for a little mini run of new episodes, which I was suuuuuper excited for, and which was ultimately very disappointing. I remember that Jenny got sick in January and got her first ever prescription medication, so . . . I guess that was a milestone for her. I also had a good review at work this month, even though I didn't get the raise I wanted.
February
I turned 31! My 31st birthday was pretty freaking great. I got to spend it with Jerbs and felt very loved by my family, friends, and co-workers, which is always nice. Plus I ate a Brewer's Platter, and any day that involves that is a good day. At work, I got a better raise and, as the hospital deal talk ramped up, I found that I would potentially get to keep my job when I moved. That was seriously one of the best things to happen to me last year, and I feel so fortunate to have MHC in my life. It was a leap year so we had a February 29th and sadly, I didn't have any yellow and blue clothing that fit to wear in honor of the day.
March
In March, the hospital board voted to officially go through with the deal with MHC, and I can't even describe the weight lifted off my shoulders when I really knew I wouldn't have to find a new job in WA. This month we celebrated Max and Hollie's adoption anniversaries--3 years and 2 years, respectively. My car hit 100,000 miles and we discovered Brandy's for brunch. I honestly don't remember much else happening that month . . . probably lots of just planning for the move and bitching about our next door neighbor. I do remember that at the end of the month, one of my former MHC co-workers, who's still very much a part of the MHC family, suffered a very terrible family loss that absolutely broke my heart.
April
Based on scrolling through my Facebook and the pictures on my phone, April was a pretty uneventful month. I worked out once or twice and took pictures of my pets and worked my two jobs. We had nice weather in Flagstaff though!
May
In May the hospital merge became official, and my work family grew a whoooole lot right at the beginning of the month. It was stressful, overwhelming, exhausting, and AMAZING. I am so unbelievably proud of my work family. Also in May I found out that my sorority chapter's charter at NAU was being pulled, effectively ending the existence of TBS at NAU. Theresa came to town and we went to an outgoing sisterhood ceremony, which was really a lovely experience that I'm grateful for. Also in May, Jerbs and I went to see Alton Brown's live show, which was really weird and random but also really, really awesome! (So awesome that we're going to see it again next week in Portland, ha). And of course, the big event in May was our trip to Seattle, which was both fun and terrible, because while Seattle was and is awesome, I was so effing sick the entire time. However, even though I wish I'd been well enough to enjoy it, I'm really glad we went.
June
The first thing I remember about June is the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. I can't even begin to put into words the horror and heartbreak I felt seeing the news about that break. It is such a terrible, sickening thing, and that it was even possible for it to happen just . . . I don't know. I lost a lot of faith in humanity that day and I'd be lying if I said I was fine now. But the night after the shooting was the Tony awards, and the show of compassion and honoring the victims there was very moving. I also discovered Hamilton, the musical, and seriously listened to nothing else for the next 2 months.
July
July was a fun month. Jerbs and I spent a quiet Independence Day at home and watched the fireworks from our porch, as usual; it felt a little reflective because it was our last one in Flagstaff, and I thought about that a lot. Also in July, a bunch of TBS alumni came to town for a sisterhood ceremony/camp out deal, which meant I got to see Theresa and Jenna, plus some other sisters I hadn't seen for years. It was amazing to see everyone, and even though it was sad that it was because of the charter being pulled, I'm so, so, so glad it happened. I will be the first to admit that I'm terrible at keeping in touch with people, so on the rare occasion I get to be social with old friends, it's wonderful. The weekend after the campout I went to Vegas with Theresa and her in laws and had a freaking BLAST. I seriously have such a great time with them, hands down one of the best weekends of the whole year. While we were there, one of Theresa and Jenna's good friends from SLC (who I met at their wedding and became fast friends with) was randomly there too, so we got to meet up and hang out with him. It was awesome and well worth the long drive.
August
We packed and moved stuff to storage and I realized that nothing was going to happen as planned with the move and more or less flipped out. My dad and Jillian came to visit as well, so that was nice. I had my last day at SHF. What I'll always remember most about August of 2016, though, was that a deep, horrible, and completely unexpected tragedy hit my MHC family right at its core. I cried for days while I tried to get things together for the move, I broke down to my mom over the phone, I leaned on my co-workers and let them lean on me. I still don't feel fully recovered from what happened. MHC still doesn't either. It's one of those things that causes an irreversible change: we're flourishing as a clinic but we'll never, ever be quite the same as we were before this happened. I will never forget parking my car, thinking about nothing other than how happy I was it was Friday and how my dad and sister would be there that afternoon, then being met before I even went inside by a co-worker so I could be given the bad news before I saw anybody else. Walking through the halls to my office that day, my co-workers just looked like how I felt: drained, shocked, pale. It was truly a haunting experience. For reasons, I'm not going into more detail than that. On the last day of August we moved out of our apartment. On the day we were moving out, Theresa called to let me know that something had happened and TBS' charter pull was not happening after all, and basically our sorority gets to continue existing as if nothing ever happened. I honestly still don't know exactly what went down, I know there was some kind of drama with the DOB and ADOB, but that's the extent of it. Still, I'm happy to know that Alpha Chi gets to go on.
September
This is the month Jerbs and I moved to Washington. I still don't want to talk about what a terrible experience that was so I'm not going to. Other than moving into our apartment, this was the month I started working from home, which is super weird but also really nice. Jerbs mostly job hunted this month, so I got to explore our new city by driving her to interviews and then finding nearby coffee places with free WiFi where I could work from my laptop. Oh, I bought a new laptop this month, which was very exciting! Also this month, Jerbs found out that her cousin (who she grew up with and is more like a sibling) was pregnant. The weather was crazy nice here so we did a little bit of outdoor exploring around town, mostly just walking the dogs at parks and stuff.
October
Jerbs found a job this month, which was a huge relief to us both! (Long, long story as to why she didn't have a job before we got here, but that's part of the whole moving related trauma so I'm not going to write about it). She's working in medical billing (woohoo!) doing basically what I used to do at MHC. I'm really proud of her, and she seemed to really like her job/co-workers right off the bat. One of our best friends from college had a beautiful baby girl last October, and we were both super thrilled about that! We're both SO excited to eventually meet her. This month we went to Portland to see Game Grumps Live, and that was AWESOME! We had SO much fun at the show! That same weekend we had a huge storm, so downtown Portland was basically a river (we most definitely walked through water that went over the top of my boots at one point . . . Jerbs was wearing cons so she was pretty unhappy). Regardless of how wet we got, it was totally worth it, and I've been a Grumps fan ever since.
November
What I remember most about November is the fucking election. Needless to say I was disappointed in the results, and I've been steadily more disappointed in what's going on. My sweet little nephew turned 8, which makes me feel suuuuper old. I experienced having to change the clocks for Daylight Savings Time for the first time, which was trippy. The first day after the change, it was so dark at 5 PM when I went to pick up Jerbs at work that I actually had to turn on my headlights, so that was weird. Jerbs and I spent Thanksgiving at home and this year we actually cooked our own turkey and sides instead of buying the precooked ones, I was proud of us and our dinner turned out really well! The best part of this Thanksgiving was that since Jerbs is now in a medical field that isn't urgent care, she had the same days off as me (Thurs., Fri., Sat., and Sun.) so we got a long weekend together. This month, after Thanksgiving, I pretty much stopped eating fast food and started cooking for myself!
December
We went to Jerbs' work Christmas party, which was fun. It was at a nice restaurant on a golf course and the food was really good. Jerbs got us an electric griddle through this little silent auction they do so that was cool, we've used it quite a bit since then. It is seriously GIGANTIC though, so it's hard to store. This month I cooked a lot and got more used to that. I also made us new Christmas stockings and a garland and stuff, our place looked super cute for the holidays. The worst part of this month was that we didn't get to go home for Christmas. I was really sad about that, because I've only ever spent one Christmas away from my family (when I was engaged and we spent Christmas with his family), and it was hard. So I know that I need to plan better for 2017 so I can be home for Christmas. We went to Seattle on Christmas Eve for Jerb's birthday; we went to Pike's market and a Harry Potter themed gingerbread house exhibit at a hotel in downtown Seattle (apparently the gingerbread houses are an annual thing, and there's a different theme each year, so we'll be going again in 2017). Then on Christmas day we made ham and stuff, and exchanged a few gifts, and mostly it was just another day. For NYE, we went to a ramen place in downtown Olympia that was really tasty, then came home and just watched a movie. It was very low key and uneventful.
And that's it. All in all . . . not really the best year, mostly a mediocre one with some shining moments. I'm hoping 2017 is leaps and bounds better, and I'm hoping to blog more going forward. I used to love this little space so much, and now it's so neglected!
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
3.20.2017
8.04.2016
Twenty Eight Days
Today the countdown on my phone says 28 days until we move. That's only 4 weeks and holy shit, that's insane.
I'm starting to hit my panic mode. I don't know why exactly but I'm just starting to stress big time about all of this. I feel like not enough's done, like I'm not ready, like I'm not really engaging and this is all just kind of happening too fast. Which is stupid, because I've known this was coming for a really, really long time. But seriously, I feel like we got back from our trip, and at that point we had 3 months until the move and that was plenty of time, and then I blinked and now it's August and we're down to 4 weeks to get everything ready to go. It's unreal.
I'm telling myself that it'll be OK. Everything's going to work out however it's supposed to and in the meantime all I can do is keep packing and preparing as much as I can.
But I'll be very glad when all this is over and we're moved and settled.
I'm starting to hit my panic mode. I don't know why exactly but I'm just starting to stress big time about all of this. I feel like not enough's done, like I'm not ready, like I'm not really engaging and this is all just kind of happening too fast. Which is stupid, because I've known this was coming for a really, really long time. But seriously, I feel like we got back from our trip, and at that point we had 3 months until the move and that was plenty of time, and then I blinked and now it's August and we're down to 4 weeks to get everything ready to go. It's unreal.
I'm telling myself that it'll be OK. Everything's going to work out however it's supposed to and in the meantime all I can do is keep packing and preparing as much as I can.
But I'll be very glad when all this is over and we're moved and settled.
6.04.2016
Seattle
I was so looking forward to writing this post. For a long time I'd imagined coming back from my trip and writing a blog post about how insanely awesome Seattle was and what a fantastic time I'd had there, and unfortunately, that's not the post I'm going to write.
It has nothing to do with Seattle. I actually really loved Seattle, and I definitely felt a deep soul kind of connection to the PNW. I definitely still want to move there.
But. I got sick right before we left, and spent my entire vacation just getting sicker. I felt like total shit most of the time we were there; there was one day where I felt mostly OK. So yeah. Definitely not the trip I'd imagined and definitely not how I wanted my first impression of Seattle to be, and I'm still pretty effing disappointed. But what can you do, right?
We left on a Tuesday. The Sunday before that Tuesday, I woke up with a really, really sore throat. Ever the optimist, I told myself it was nothing and that I'd just slept with my mouth open and/or too close to my fan or something like that. But I was really tired all day too. The next morning (the day before we left) I had a sore throat, ear pain, chest congestion, and a runny nose. Lovely.
I definitely wasn't going to skip the trip, though, so we got up at the butt crack of dawn on Tuesday and made our way to Las Vegas. We stopped in Kingman and dropped the dogs off with my mom and sister, they were thrilled to be there! They seriously love my mom, I think they'd live with her if they could. We also stopped in to see Jerbs' parents, they are very not happy about this move, but that's for another post.
We got to the airport a little behind schedule, but then checking our bags and getting through security went waaaaay faster than we'd expected. We had time to chill at the airport and eat breakfast and that was actually really nice. I bought cough drops at the airport too, because my throat was killing me. Our flight left on time, I let Jerbs have the window seat for the trip and I was in the middle of the row. The guy next to me took off his shoes which was disgusting, but other than that it was a good flight. It was Jerbs' first ever flight and she did great with it! I was proud of her. The only bad part of the flight (other than the barefoot guy) was how my ears felt when we landed. They already hurt since I was sick, so the popping as we descended felt absolutely awful, I legit almost cried. And to top it off, my left ear never unpopped, I couldn't hear out of it until Saturday. That was awesome.
But we made it to Seattle. I teared up when we were off the plane, because I was just so overwhelmed that we were FINALLY there. This was a trip that had been put off and postponed so many times because of all the bullshit that went on in my life, and I just felt so good to have overcome that. As soon as we were off the plane, even when we were inside the airport, we could just feel water in the air. That was nice. We got our rental car and drove to our hotel, which ended up being not nearly as nice as expected, so that was disappointing. It was definitely NOT worth what I paid for it. And since I was sick I was even grumpier about it than I would have been. We had dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel, then found a Rite Aid not far from where we were staying so I could buy cold medicine and Vicks. After we got back to the hotel Jerbs fell asleep and I watched the finale of DWTS (because even vacation couldn't stop me from watching Nyle win! I called that shit from night one!). I didn't sleep well that night.
On Wednesday we did touristy stuff. We went to the Space Needle, which I actually thought was really cool. Maybe because it is such a touristy place, I was expecting it to be a little underwhelming, but it was awesome. The views are just incredible, and I had the best Italian soda ever at the little cafe at the observation deck. My purse broke while we were there, though, which, combined with being sick, made me think maybe Seattle just didn't want me in it. I am not exactly rational when sick and away from home. I definitely want to go to the Space Needle again, and this time I want to do it at night. After the Space Needle we had lunch at a pizza/biscuit place in downtown Seattle, and it was delicious but overpriced. Then we made our way to Pike's Place Market, which is about when I started to just . . . fade. I felt so sick and yucky. But we explored the market, and I got this amazing hazelnut pastry at a place called Piroshky Piroshky. Seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten, it was incredible. There was also one of those living statue guys and he tried to grab me as I passed him, and I was so out of it I didn't react. He was disappointed haha. I think at this point I was running a fever and I was exhausted, so Jerbs and I walked to a Target on the next block and I bought Nyquil so I could sleep. That night I took Nyquil as soon as we got to the hotel (or maybe when we got in the car to leave Pike's, I don't remember) and just PTFO'd. It was glorious.
The next day, Thursday, we drove to Tacoma, ostensibly to look at some apartments. Right off the bat, Tacoma didn't give us a great vibe. Not necessarily a bad vibe but . . . I don't know, it didn't feel very homey. It didn't feel like somewhere we could live. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant we'd heard about before our trip, called Pacific South. I'd been looking forward to their biscuits and gravy, and then the gravy just tasted like onions, so that wasn't great. Then we went to one of the complexes we'd liked there, and the woman in the leasing office was extremely rude to us and impatient with us, and that was kind of the last straw for Tacoma. I'm sure it's a lovely place but after that, I kind of said to Jerbs that I wasn't really feeling it. She agreed. We'd planned to spend the whole day there, exploring and getting a feel for the town, but I really wanted to see Olympia. So we drove to Olympia. We explored a little park on the waterfront there and then just drove around, looking at the city. And we really liked it, and we really thought it seemed like somewhere we could live. We went back to Seattle and went to Ikea, because we were right near it and I love Ikea and we want to get new furniture when we move. Also I love those meatballs. Then we went to a sushi place, because Jerbs wanted sushi. She liked the place we tried, I just got stir fry and it wasn't bad. Then we went back to our hotel. I think this was the night that I had a minor freak out about being sick and decided I wanted to go home. I just like to be home when I'm sick, and I wanted to be in my own bed with my dogs, so I definitely had an I don't care how much it costs I am leaving right now moment. Jerbs talked me down. The Nyquil helped.
The next day, Friday, we went to Olympia. Olympia is 65 miles south of Seattle, but it took 3 hours to get there. The highway was just packed, presumably with people heading out of town for the long weekend. Finally got to Olympia, went to the complex we really liked, and actually met the manager and everything. She was great. The complex was full so she wasn't able to show us an actual apartment, but we saw the clubhouse, and she said it's pretty much the same flooring/appliances/cabinetry as the apartments, so we have a good idea of what it feels like. We really liked this place, and it's very reasonably priced, so it's our first choice. Since we got there so late that was the only place we got to go to, but we did have dinner at this pizza place called Vic's and it was amazing. While we were there, after we'd ordered, this couple came in with their daughter. They approached us and said they'd never been there and asked how to order, and I think being mistaken as a local is a good sign we can live in Olympia!
On Saturday, I actually felt OK enough to do something. We started with brunch at this place called the Wandering Goose, seriously incredible biscuits and gravy. They're known for their biscuits, and for good reason. Then we went back to Pike's. It was much more crowded on a Saturday than Wednesday (not surprising) but I was happy to be there without being miserable. Jerbs wanted a Piroshky, and the line was super long, so while she waited I went to a little souvenir kind of shop and got stuff for my family. (I pretty much got everyone mugs, I got Jillian a bag, and I got Austin and my dad Seattle shirts. I also got Dad a can coozy with the skyline on it, and I got Austin a Seahawks pennant). After we wandered some more, we went to the pier and took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. That was actually my favorite part of the trip, it was so much fun to be out on the water. It was cold and cloudy and windy but Jerbs and I sat on the deck the whole time. On the island, we went for a walk on the Waterfront Trail, which was beautiful, and then we explored the downtown area. We got pastries at a bakery and then ice cream at this awesome little ice cream store, it was so tasty. Then we took the ferry back to Seattle, and the view of the city skyline under the grey sky as you're approaching it was just unbelievable. One of the prettiest things I've ever seen. I was so happy. After the ferry we had dinner at a Mexican place in Renton, because I wanted to try at least one Mexican restaurant while we were there. It was delicious. Then it was back to the hotel to pack.
On Sunday we headed for the airport. We had a mild moment of panic because since the airline we were flying on was so new to the area, they did not have a dedicated customer service counter. So we had no idea where to go to check our bags. That was a really shitty feeling but we did eventually figure it out and got our bags checked and all that. Security was pretty quick too, which was nice, and then we found a Sbarro's right near our gate, so we had pizza for lunch. (The Sbarro's in Flag closed quite awhile ago and we--especially Jerbs--miss it). Then we flew home, and I got the window seat, but luckily for Jerbs, the person on the aisle was much better than the guy on our first flight. She was a nice lady and she'd brought a coloring book, so definitely our kind of people! This flight was a little less smooth, I had fallen asleep and we hit turbulence bad enough to wake me up and make us have to put our seat belts back on. The lady next to us was fascinated by the desert, she was talking about how she hadn't been to Vegas since she was 21 and eloped there, and we were telling her about living in AZ. She really was lovely.
We got off the plane, got our bags, got the car (and paid the outrageous fee for parking at the airport for 5 days), and headed home. We stopped in Kingman and picked up the dogs, then went to my dad's and then to Jerbs' parents. (And OMG her parents were just terrible about the whole thing, her mom was going on and on about how she just can't see us living in Washington and do we know the cost of utilities and groceries and it was just ridiculous). Eventually we got back to Flagstaff, Hollie was very happy to be home and the cats were happy to see us. It felt so nice to sleep in my own bed!
So that's that, our trip to Seattle. Like I said, not the trip I'd been dreaming of but still fun. And really, not long from now we'll live an hour away from Seattle and we'll be able to visit whenever we want, so I'm not too worried about all the stuff I didn't get to do on this trip!
It has nothing to do with Seattle. I actually really loved Seattle, and I definitely felt a deep soul kind of connection to the PNW. I definitely still want to move there.
But. I got sick right before we left, and spent my entire vacation just getting sicker. I felt like total shit most of the time we were there; there was one day where I felt mostly OK. So yeah. Definitely not the trip I'd imagined and definitely not how I wanted my first impression of Seattle to be, and I'm still pretty effing disappointed. But what can you do, right?
We left on a Tuesday. The Sunday before that Tuesday, I woke up with a really, really sore throat. Ever the optimist, I told myself it was nothing and that I'd just slept with my mouth open and/or too close to my fan or something like that. But I was really tired all day too. The next morning (the day before we left) I had a sore throat, ear pain, chest congestion, and a runny nose. Lovely.
I definitely wasn't going to skip the trip, though, so we got up at the butt crack of dawn on Tuesday and made our way to Las Vegas. We stopped in Kingman and dropped the dogs off with my mom and sister, they were thrilled to be there! They seriously love my mom, I think they'd live with her if they could. We also stopped in to see Jerbs' parents, they are very not happy about this move, but that's for another post.
We got to the airport a little behind schedule, but then checking our bags and getting through security went waaaaay faster than we'd expected. We had time to chill at the airport and eat breakfast and that was actually really nice. I bought cough drops at the airport too, because my throat was killing me. Our flight left on time, I let Jerbs have the window seat for the trip and I was in the middle of the row. The guy next to me took off his shoes which was disgusting, but other than that it was a good flight. It was Jerbs' first ever flight and she did great with it! I was proud of her. The only bad part of the flight (other than the barefoot guy) was how my ears felt when we landed. They already hurt since I was sick, so the popping as we descended felt absolutely awful, I legit almost cried. And to top it off, my left ear never unpopped, I couldn't hear out of it until Saturday. That was awesome.
But we made it to Seattle. I teared up when we were off the plane, because I was just so overwhelmed that we were FINALLY there. This was a trip that had been put off and postponed so many times because of all the bullshit that went on in my life, and I just felt so good to have overcome that. As soon as we were off the plane, even when we were inside the airport, we could just feel water in the air. That was nice. We got our rental car and drove to our hotel, which ended up being not nearly as nice as expected, so that was disappointing. It was definitely NOT worth what I paid for it. And since I was sick I was even grumpier about it than I would have been. We had dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel, then found a Rite Aid not far from where we were staying so I could buy cold medicine and Vicks. After we got back to the hotel Jerbs fell asleep and I watched the finale of DWTS (because even vacation couldn't stop me from watching Nyle win! I called that shit from night one!). I didn't sleep well that night.
On Wednesday we did touristy stuff. We went to the Space Needle, which I actually thought was really cool. Maybe because it is such a touristy place, I was expecting it to be a little underwhelming, but it was awesome. The views are just incredible, and I had the best Italian soda ever at the little cafe at the observation deck. My purse broke while we were there, though, which, combined with being sick, made me think maybe Seattle just didn't want me in it. I am not exactly rational when sick and away from home. I definitely want to go to the Space Needle again, and this time I want to do it at night. After the Space Needle we had lunch at a pizza/biscuit place in downtown Seattle, and it was delicious but overpriced. Then we made our way to Pike's Place Market, which is about when I started to just . . . fade. I felt so sick and yucky. But we explored the market, and I got this amazing hazelnut pastry at a place called Piroshky Piroshky. Seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten, it was incredible. There was also one of those living statue guys and he tried to grab me as I passed him, and I was so out of it I didn't react. He was disappointed haha. I think at this point I was running a fever and I was exhausted, so Jerbs and I walked to a Target on the next block and I bought Nyquil so I could sleep. That night I took Nyquil as soon as we got to the hotel (or maybe when we got in the car to leave Pike's, I don't remember) and just PTFO'd. It was glorious.
The next day, Thursday, we drove to Tacoma, ostensibly to look at some apartments. Right off the bat, Tacoma didn't give us a great vibe. Not necessarily a bad vibe but . . . I don't know, it didn't feel very homey. It didn't feel like somewhere we could live. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant we'd heard about before our trip, called Pacific South. I'd been looking forward to their biscuits and gravy, and then the gravy just tasted like onions, so that wasn't great. Then we went to one of the complexes we'd liked there, and the woman in the leasing office was extremely rude to us and impatient with us, and that was kind of the last straw for Tacoma. I'm sure it's a lovely place but after that, I kind of said to Jerbs that I wasn't really feeling it. She agreed. We'd planned to spend the whole day there, exploring and getting a feel for the town, but I really wanted to see Olympia. So we drove to Olympia. We explored a little park on the waterfront there and then just drove around, looking at the city. And we really liked it, and we really thought it seemed like somewhere we could live. We went back to Seattle and went to Ikea, because we were right near it and I love Ikea and we want to get new furniture when we move. Also I love those meatballs. Then we went to a sushi place, because Jerbs wanted sushi. She liked the place we tried, I just got stir fry and it wasn't bad. Then we went back to our hotel. I think this was the night that I had a minor freak out about being sick and decided I wanted to go home. I just like to be home when I'm sick, and I wanted to be in my own bed with my dogs, so I definitely had an I don't care how much it costs I am leaving right now moment. Jerbs talked me down. The Nyquil helped.
The next day, Friday, we went to Olympia. Olympia is 65 miles south of Seattle, but it took 3 hours to get there. The highway was just packed, presumably with people heading out of town for the long weekend. Finally got to Olympia, went to the complex we really liked, and actually met the manager and everything. She was great. The complex was full so she wasn't able to show us an actual apartment, but we saw the clubhouse, and she said it's pretty much the same flooring/appliances/cabinetry as the apartments, so we have a good idea of what it feels like. We really liked this place, and it's very reasonably priced, so it's our first choice. Since we got there so late that was the only place we got to go to, but we did have dinner at this pizza place called Vic's and it was amazing. While we were there, after we'd ordered, this couple came in with their daughter. They approached us and said they'd never been there and asked how to order, and I think being mistaken as a local is a good sign we can live in Olympia!
On Saturday, I actually felt OK enough to do something. We started with brunch at this place called the Wandering Goose, seriously incredible biscuits and gravy. They're known for their biscuits, and for good reason. Then we went back to Pike's. It was much more crowded on a Saturday than Wednesday (not surprising) but I was happy to be there without being miserable. Jerbs wanted a Piroshky, and the line was super long, so while she waited I went to a little souvenir kind of shop and got stuff for my family. (I pretty much got everyone mugs, I got Jillian a bag, and I got Austin and my dad Seattle shirts. I also got Dad a can coozy with the skyline on it, and I got Austin a Seahawks pennant). After we wandered some more, we went to the pier and took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. That was actually my favorite part of the trip, it was so much fun to be out on the water. It was cold and cloudy and windy but Jerbs and I sat on the deck the whole time. On the island, we went for a walk on the Waterfront Trail, which was beautiful, and then we explored the downtown area. We got pastries at a bakery and then ice cream at this awesome little ice cream store, it was so tasty. Then we took the ferry back to Seattle, and the view of the city skyline under the grey sky as you're approaching it was just unbelievable. One of the prettiest things I've ever seen. I was so happy. After the ferry we had dinner at a Mexican place in Renton, because I wanted to try at least one Mexican restaurant while we were there. It was delicious. Then it was back to the hotel to pack.
On Sunday we headed for the airport. We had a mild moment of panic because since the airline we were flying on was so new to the area, they did not have a dedicated customer service counter. So we had no idea where to go to check our bags. That was a really shitty feeling but we did eventually figure it out and got our bags checked and all that. Security was pretty quick too, which was nice, and then we found a Sbarro's right near our gate, so we had pizza for lunch. (The Sbarro's in Flag closed quite awhile ago and we--especially Jerbs--miss it). Then we flew home, and I got the window seat, but luckily for Jerbs, the person on the aisle was much better than the guy on our first flight. She was a nice lady and she'd brought a coloring book, so definitely our kind of people! This flight was a little less smooth, I had fallen asleep and we hit turbulence bad enough to wake me up and make us have to put our seat belts back on. The lady next to us was fascinated by the desert, she was talking about how she hadn't been to Vegas since she was 21 and eloped there, and we were telling her about living in AZ. She really was lovely.
We got off the plane, got our bags, got the car (and paid the outrageous fee for parking at the airport for 5 days), and headed home. We stopped in Kingman and picked up the dogs, then went to my dad's and then to Jerbs' parents. (And OMG her parents were just terrible about the whole thing, her mom was going on and on about how she just can't see us living in Washington and do we know the cost of utilities and groceries and it was just ridiculous). Eventually we got back to Flagstaff, Hollie was very happy to be home and the cats were happy to see us. It felt so nice to sleep in my own bed!
So that's that, our trip to Seattle. Like I said, not the trip I'd been dreaming of but still fun. And really, not long from now we'll live an hour away from Seattle and we'll be able to visit whenever we want, so I'm not too worried about all the stuff I didn't get to do on this trip!
5.16.2016
Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science
Last night was Alton Brown Live, and OMG it was freaking awesome. It was absolutely nothing that I was expecting (because honestly what are you supposed to expect when a chef goes on tour?), but it was so good and so, so worth it.
First of all, Alton Brown is a much better singer than I'd have expected, and during the show he plays guitar and has a keyboardist and a drummer on stage with him. He opened with a song called "Science: Heck Yeah!" that was very entertaining. Then he talked about what he'd do if he was the God of food (which he says will only happen if current God of food, Anthony Bourdain, is killed or kidnapped). Then he talked about GMO's and sang another song about a GMO protester who told him how GMO's will bring about the zombie apocalypse (that song was a cowboy waltz). After that he brought a mobile bar on stage and had a volunteer from the audience come up to play a game called "Spin Your Poison," which ended with him mixing a gin, brandy, and soy sauce cocktail and then playing with liquid nitrogen to make it not so disgusting.
Then there was an intermission and the second act was all about popcorn. It opened with the third song of the night, which was a pop synth song about popcorn. There was also a giant air popper called Astro Pop, and an eventual popcorn explosion that was pretty amazing to watch. Also in this portion of the show was a part where Alton and his second audience volunteer sucked helium and read a scene from Pulp Fiction, which was awesome. Alton kept joking that he's going to make a whole show where he just does movie scenes on helium with various celebrities and call it A Helium Home Companion with Alton Brown. (For the record, I would watch the hell out of that).
After a Q and A (where all the questions came from Twitter), he did another song called "Mise en Place" that was set to the tune of "Edelweiss" from the Sound of Music. Side note: this was especially hilarious because Jerbs and I have a weird inside joke related to the song Edelweiss. Basically, a few years ago, not too long after I'd moved back to Flagstaff, there was a point where I realized Jerbs had never seen the Sound of Music, and we ended up watching it one night when it was on TV. I honestly don't remember now exactly how it came about but somehow we ended up having this weird joke where we basically sing Edelweiss in this weird voice, and now whenever we hear that word or song we crack up. So Alton Brown singing something to its tune was just . . . amazing. It felt very full circle. He started playing and Jerbs and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing, and kept laughing until we cried. The people next to us probably thought we were nuts but whatever, it was such a perfect moment.
After that song Alton got a standing ovation so he did another song called "Airport Shrimp Cocktail," which has been stuck in my head ever since. And that was that. By then it had been 3 hours since the show started but I still wished there was more. It was really just so, so great. Alton Brown is quite an entertainer, and there's something about seeing a guy who's a self professed nerd doing a show that is just so completely all of his own making and selling out venues doing it that is really inspiring. I loved every second of it.
Oh, at one point in the Q and A, he called himself a high functioning sociopath, which is a Sherlock reference, and I was the only person in the audience who got it and cheered. It made me feel special lol.
Other than the show, we also went to Hobby Lobby (dangerous dangerous dangerous, it was a good thing I hadn't gotten my new debit card at the time) and Hastings (so nostalgic). And we had dinner at Red Robin, since we don't have one here in Flag. And we had In and Out on the way out of town, because we can't go to Prescott and not get In and Out.
All in all a great weekend, I can't wait for Alton to tour again!
ALSO, 8 DAYS UNTIL SEATTLE!!
First of all, Alton Brown is a much better singer than I'd have expected, and during the show he plays guitar and has a keyboardist and a drummer on stage with him. He opened with a song called "Science: Heck Yeah!" that was very entertaining. Then he talked about what he'd do if he was the God of food (which he says will only happen if current God of food, Anthony Bourdain, is killed or kidnapped). Then he talked about GMO's and sang another song about a GMO protester who told him how GMO's will bring about the zombie apocalypse (that song was a cowboy waltz). After that he brought a mobile bar on stage and had a volunteer from the audience come up to play a game called "Spin Your Poison," which ended with him mixing a gin, brandy, and soy sauce cocktail and then playing with liquid nitrogen to make it not so disgusting.
Then there was an intermission and the second act was all about popcorn. It opened with the third song of the night, which was a pop synth song about popcorn. There was also a giant air popper called Astro Pop, and an eventual popcorn explosion that was pretty amazing to watch. Also in this portion of the show was a part where Alton and his second audience volunteer sucked helium and read a scene from Pulp Fiction, which was awesome. Alton kept joking that he's going to make a whole show where he just does movie scenes on helium with various celebrities and call it A Helium Home Companion with Alton Brown. (For the record, I would watch the hell out of that).
After a Q and A (where all the questions came from Twitter), he did another song called "Mise en Place" that was set to the tune of "Edelweiss" from the Sound of Music. Side note: this was especially hilarious because Jerbs and I have a weird inside joke related to the song Edelweiss. Basically, a few years ago, not too long after I'd moved back to Flagstaff, there was a point where I realized Jerbs had never seen the Sound of Music, and we ended up watching it one night when it was on TV. I honestly don't remember now exactly how it came about but somehow we ended up having this weird joke where we basically sing Edelweiss in this weird voice, and now whenever we hear that word or song we crack up. So Alton Brown singing something to its tune was just . . . amazing. It felt very full circle. He started playing and Jerbs and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing, and kept laughing until we cried. The people next to us probably thought we were nuts but whatever, it was such a perfect moment.
After that song Alton got a standing ovation so he did another song called "Airport Shrimp Cocktail," which has been stuck in my head ever since. And that was that. By then it had been 3 hours since the show started but I still wished there was more. It was really just so, so great. Alton Brown is quite an entertainer, and there's something about seeing a guy who's a self professed nerd doing a show that is just so completely all of his own making and selling out venues doing it that is really inspiring. I loved every second of it.
Oh, at one point in the Q and A, he called himself a high functioning sociopath, which is a Sherlock reference, and I was the only person in the audience who got it and cheered. It made me feel special lol.
Other than the show, we also went to Hobby Lobby (dangerous dangerous dangerous, it was a good thing I hadn't gotten my new debit card at the time) and Hastings (so nostalgic). And we had dinner at Red Robin, since we don't have one here in Flag. And we had In and Out on the way out of town, because we can't go to Prescott and not get In and Out.
All in all a great weekend, I can't wait for Alton to tour again!
ALSO, 8 DAYS UNTIL SEATTLE!!
5.01.2016
122 Days (2016)
It's the first of May! The official start of summer!
Not that you would think it was even remotely summer time based on the weather . . . it's cold and rainy and it actually snowed pretty hard last night and we've had the big heater on a lot the past few days. I really don't mind it, I like having extra blankets on my bed still and getting to snuggle under them, and I like being able to wear sweaters and boots to work.
But either way, it is May 1st, which means that the 122 days of summer time is here.
This year, those 122 days will be devoted to completing the AZ Bucket List we've made--all the things we want to do before we leave AZ in the fall. I'm actually really glad we decided to wait until September to move, because as nice as leaving earlier would be, getting to spend the whole summer here and move as it ends feels somehow fitting. I like it when things tie up nicely like that.
So this summer we'll be doing as many FUTS trails as we can, hopefully taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Havasupai (just to name a few). I'm planning to do the Climb to Conquer Cancer in August with my sister. And of course, we'll be packing and cleaning and getting ready for the big move! I'm looking forward to summer and doing a lot of fun Flagstaff/AZ stuff before we leave.
In a couple weeks we're actually going to Prescott to see Alton Brown live, so I'm looking forward to that. Jerbs is really, REALLY looking forward to it, so it should be fun!
Here's to my last summer in Flagstaff!!
Not that you would think it was even remotely summer time based on the weather . . . it's cold and rainy and it actually snowed pretty hard last night and we've had the big heater on a lot the past few days. I really don't mind it, I like having extra blankets on my bed still and getting to snuggle under them, and I like being able to wear sweaters and boots to work.
But either way, it is May 1st, which means that the 122 days of summer time is here.
This year, those 122 days will be devoted to completing the AZ Bucket List we've made--all the things we want to do before we leave AZ in the fall. I'm actually really glad we decided to wait until September to move, because as nice as leaving earlier would be, getting to spend the whole summer here and move as it ends feels somehow fitting. I like it when things tie up nicely like that.
So this summer we'll be doing as many FUTS trails as we can, hopefully taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Havasupai (just to name a few). I'm planning to do the Climb to Conquer Cancer in August with my sister. And of course, we'll be packing and cleaning and getting ready for the big move! I'm looking forward to summer and doing a lot of fun Flagstaff/AZ stuff before we leave.
In a couple weeks we're actually going to Prescott to see Alton Brown live, so I'm looking forward to that. Jerbs is really, REALLY looking forward to it, so it should be fun!
Here's to my last summer in Flagstaff!!
1.17.2016
Plane Tickets!!
Today I bought plane tickets to SEATTLE!!!
Jerbs and I are officially going there in May to explore and apartment hunt and I am so freaking excited I can't stand it!!
We've been kicking around a visit for a couple months now. We knew we needed to go, obviously, because we don't want to move somewhere we've actually never been, and I'm absolutely not willing to move into an apartment without seeing it first, but we'd had trouble choosing dates. Plus every time I'd find decently priced plane tickets I'd end up chickening out and not buying them.
I was getting frustrated with myself but I think it was all for the best, because today, just for the heck of it, I looked for plane tickets, and found some that were only around $85 each, roundtrip from Las Vegas to Seattle (this particular airline is launching its service between those cities in March, so if I hadn't waited I'd have never known about the cheap tickets). So I texted Jerbs to make sure the dates we'd pretty much decided on would really work, and I booked the flights! We fly out on May 24th and fly back on May 29th! I'm still in shock that I finally bit the bullet but oh my God I'm excited!!
In 129 days I'll be on a plane to Seattle. It feels so freaking amazing to finally be moving forward with this! I'm just . . . overwhelmed. And hoping that the next 4 months don't drag too terribly much.
Jerbs and I are officially going there in May to explore and apartment hunt and I am so freaking excited I can't stand it!!
We've been kicking around a visit for a couple months now. We knew we needed to go, obviously, because we don't want to move somewhere we've actually never been, and I'm absolutely not willing to move into an apartment without seeing it first, but we'd had trouble choosing dates. Plus every time I'd find decently priced plane tickets I'd end up chickening out and not buying them.
I was getting frustrated with myself but I think it was all for the best, because today, just for the heck of it, I looked for plane tickets, and found some that were only around $85 each, roundtrip from Las Vegas to Seattle (this particular airline is launching its service between those cities in March, so if I hadn't waited I'd have never known about the cheap tickets). So I texted Jerbs to make sure the dates we'd pretty much decided on would really work, and I booked the flights! We fly out on May 24th and fly back on May 29th! I'm still in shock that I finally bit the bullet but oh my God I'm excited!!
In 129 days I'll be on a plane to Seattle. It feels so freaking amazing to finally be moving forward with this! I'm just . . . overwhelmed. And hoping that the next 4 months don't drag too terribly much.
1.01.2016
2016 Goals
I'm not really in the mood to make a list of New Year's Resolutions this year, because it gets kind of discouraging making the same ones over and over again and not accomplishing them (which I know is totally my own fault). But I still wanted to touch on some of the things I want to accomplish this year.
As usual, I would like to lose weight. I need to get in shape, both because I'm sick of how I look and because I want to be healthier. I work in cardiology and I see what happens to people who don't take care of themselves and I don't want to be one of those patients when I'm older.
I want to rededicate myself to my mental health. Not that things are terrible in this area right now, but I feel like I've kind of . . . I don't know, been less diligent the past year. I want to be consistent with it.
I want to focus on my writing. My goal is to write 1000 words of creative writing a month. I think that's doable.
I also want to be better with money and really start working on building my credit. Jerbs and I want to buy a house within the next few years.
I want to travel. Last year I learned that I am completely capable of traveling so I definitely want to do more of it this year. Particularly, I want to finally go to Seattle.
And speaking of Seattle, I think one of the biggest goals for this year is to finally move to Washington. I really feel like it's just time, and like Jerbs and I are finally in a place where we could actually make it happen. The thought of actually moving is overwhelming and kind of scary but also really, really exciting. I've (mostly) loved the past few years in Flagstaff, and things here have gone far better than I'd have expected, but I have never felt like staying here long time is a real, sustainable option.
I also wanted to pick a word for this year, and the word I picked is BOLD. So I'm going to try and be BOLD this year!
As usual, I would like to lose weight. I need to get in shape, both because I'm sick of how I look and because I want to be healthier. I work in cardiology and I see what happens to people who don't take care of themselves and I don't want to be one of those patients when I'm older.
I want to rededicate myself to my mental health. Not that things are terrible in this area right now, but I feel like I've kind of . . . I don't know, been less diligent the past year. I want to be consistent with it.
I want to focus on my writing. My goal is to write 1000 words of creative writing a month. I think that's doable.
I also want to be better with money and really start working on building my credit. Jerbs and I want to buy a house within the next few years.
I want to travel. Last year I learned that I am completely capable of traveling so I definitely want to do more of it this year. Particularly, I want to finally go to Seattle.
And speaking of Seattle, I think one of the biggest goals for this year is to finally move to Washington. I really feel like it's just time, and like Jerbs and I are finally in a place where we could actually make it happen. The thought of actually moving is overwhelming and kind of scary but also really, really exciting. I've (mostly) loved the past few years in Flagstaff, and things here have gone far better than I'd have expected, but I have never felt like staying here long time is a real, sustainable option.
I also wanted to pick a word for this year, and the word I picked is BOLD. So I'm going to try and be BOLD this year!
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