To Portland and back....

My update is a day late this week as we were in Portland for the weekend and just got back today. I must backtrack first to Friday when Joe's parents arrived for a 7 day stay. They couldn't have arrived at a better time as the day was crystal clear and the views from downtown were beautiful. They had friends that happen to be in town at the same time so we met them for dinner down at a restaurant by the Market. We had a seat right in front of the window over looking the Sound with views of the Olympic Mountains as we watched the sun set. We couldn't have asked for a better view if we tried. Saturday morning we got up and drove to Portland to explore the weekend Market right downtown. I didn't realize how big it was going to be! It's located right under one of the bridges by the river. There were so many different kinds of vendors from pottery to jewelry to paintings to photography to cat toys. We enjoyed walking amongst the crowd and exploring. From there we made our way to our hotel which was about 20 minutes from downtown. We had a little downtime before finding our way to the rehearsal dinner (Joe was in the wedding) which was another 20 minutes away down open roads and in a little neighborhood. Joe's friend Matt was the one getting married and his parents rented a house and hosted the rehearsal dinner there with a caterer. It was an eclectic group to say the least and I had some interesting conversations and made some interesting observations of people. I was grateful to the brides' brother for being into football as I actually got to watch a Penn State game on the west coast-a rarity! (although by the end I was sorry that I did- it was a sad ending!) The wedding wasn't until 4 on Sunday so we passed the afternoon with a little shopping and lunch. I was the emergency relief for the groomsmen who forgot his white undershirt and the ride for the groom and his groomsmen when they weren't sure another way to get to the wedding. The wedding and reception was at a really neat facility- it felt barn-like with the wooden planked floors. The ceremony was outside and then we made our way to another part of the property where the tables were outside but the bar and dance floor were inside. I made a mistake in wearing heels as I caught my heel more than once in the spaces between the boards. The wedding color was a deep red with beautiful arrangements of fall flowers for the centerpieces. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and it was a nice night. Our first west coast wedding with some definite differences but enjoyable none the less!
We woke up today and headed back to Portland to see the Rose Gardens that are located within Washington Park. It was amazing to see all the different kinds of roses and surprisingly there were a lot still in bloom. We wandered the Pearl District and Powell's bookstore before grabbing lunch and then heading back to Seattle. We were met with very fall like weather here and I just might make it through a week without sweating at work! Joe and Colleen are here until Thursday so Joe has the job of playing tour guide with them.

Husbands Can Be Good For Many Things........

As our 3 year wedding anniversary approaches, and after 5 years of being together, I sit here reminded of the many things husbands are good for.......Mine in particular is good at cooking delicious food and thinking beyond my staple of chicken and rice, helping me find my love of nature (or maybe just like- it depends on whether or not I have a flushing toilet nearby), exposing me to every football game that is on on Sundays, feigning interest in Broadway musicals, and the biggie today- putting together furniture. I'd like to think of myself as an independent female; one who does not have to rely on my husband to get things done. But alas- I am ready to admit defeat and give in to chivalry. Okay maybe not chivalry persay-Forget holding doors open, or pushing in my chair, I'm talking hard labor on furniture with lots of pieces. I will not even attempt to hold the screw driver when instructions and lots of wood pieces that may or may not fit together are involved. I will steer clear of the pile, the frustration, and the unpleasant call to the furniture company. I will admit whole-heartedly that I prefer the opposite sex to put together furniture; not that I couldn't do it but it's much easier to stay out of the line of fire. And after 3 hours we have a wonderful new table thanks to my dear husband!
And on another quick note- We went to see the Broadway musical WICKED last night and it was AMAZING!!!! Makes me wish I could sing or at least carry a tune. The staging was phenomenal and the lead female roles were simply incredible. I was so excited to be able to indulge my love of musicals being this far away from NYC!

Feels Like An Indian Summer

Dear Mother Nature,
Just because it is now September does not mean that you need to continue giving us summer weather. It feels like an Indian Summer out here and not in a good way! After starting the week off with 70 degree weather, the temperature spiked to the mid 80's leaving me sweaty and confused. Where is my favorite time of year where the sun is out but the air is cool? I doubt that we will be seeing any changing colors on the leaves as they have been brown for months with no life in them left. What am I to think when I have sweat pouring off of me with no reprieve in sight? I have cute cardigans and long sleeve shirts begging me each morning to be let out of the closet for the day only to be rejected for minimal yet "professional" clothing that leaves my arms bare and my body room to breathe. If you're listening Mother Nature please hear my plea.
Sincerely,
"Baking" in Seattle

Made it through another four day work week followed by a low key weekend. The kids are settled back into school and now it's time to start focusing. After figuring out the nuts and bolts, it's now time for me to start actual therapy sessions this week. I feel a little pressure as most of my kids I had last year which means they are familiar with most of my materials. I've tried to get the creative juices flowing which is why I will be doing an art project (horse puppets anyone?)with my new kindergartners in an attempt to get them to like me. Bribery at its' finest! I've spent some time at the toy stores, the "teacher" store, and Target looking for some new therapy materials to start me off. I tend to get carried away which is why I spent too much money on everything monkey for a bulletin board. I figure if I'm going to spend hours each day in a room I at least want something cute to look at! Nala was a big help last night as I was making flash cards and she was making a game out of swatting at the excess paper and then making a bed out of paper, index cards, and a magazine. She doesn't let us do anything without her input! (You should see her help us make the bed).
Joe and I made attempts to fain interest in the Seattle Seahawks today and went to a sports bar for the football game. Yes it's fun when the whole restaurant high-fives for good things and "ahs" for the bad but I really could have cared less for the team on the TV. I kept sneaking peaks at the Giants game that was playing on a little screen in the corner. I guess once an sports fan of east coast sports, always a sports fan of east coast sports. (I just won't say that out loud to a Seahawks fan).

Who Knew Seattle Had a "Gum Wall?"

Love a rainy day on a long weekend. Yes I said rainy! We actually have had measurable rainfall this weekend and it seems to just keep on coming. The last few days have really felt "fall-like" with chilly temperatures and a slight breeze. It was the perfect opportunity to do a little furniture shopping on Saturday as Joe and I have talked for quite some time about buying a table for our apartment. We've been using a hand-me-down since we've moved in and although it's quite functional, it's also quite big! I've had my eye on the pub-style tables for a while now and we were fortunate to find just what we were looking for- bar stools and all. Now our living room/eating area hopefully will not crowd each other so much! Saturday night I went to the longest running Improv comedy show downtown below the market. When we got to the ticket booth I was amazed to see that the whole outside wall was covered with chewed gum! Yes it sounds gross but it was also pretty neat to see as the colors and shapes sort of create this mural on the wall. Only took me a year to find something so eclectic!

This entire weekend has been the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle Center right around the Space Needle. Bumbershoot has been going on since 1971 and has artists that represent in music, film, comedy, dance and theater. Sydney and I got tickets for yesterday as one of my favorite musicians, Jason Mraz, was headlining. We woke up to pouring down rain and had thought we'd be walking down in the late morning but instead drove down and took the monorail (my first time!) to the grounds. Its pretty neat the way they have it set up with 5 different stages for music and then other buildings to stage the theater and comedy along with craft vendors and food vendors. By the time we got down there the rain had subsided for the moment and we walked around a bit and saw one of Seattle's local bands. During their set I saw some of the most eclectic group of people dancing (off beat) with their natural hair flowing, barefoot, with a unique sense of style. I couldn't help but stare a bit. The rain started again so we decided to seek refuge at our apartment with a movie for the afternoon before heading back down to the show at night. We were fortunate enough to get standby tickets to see a comedy show that included acts from Comedy Central and the Daily Show-very funny! We then made our way over to Jason Mraz. We were inside a huge stadium with many many people sharing their love of the same music. This is the second time I have seen Jason Mraz perform since living in Seattle and he did not disappoint! He had a full band with saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bongos, and drum and really put on quite the show. I'm a sucker for amazing live music and can't get enough! The rain luckily held off except for a few sprinkles. The festival is going on again today but I think one day in wet weather is all I can handle. I've instead decided to visit another era in movies and have been enjoying the work of Marilyn Monroe and Carey Grant. I figured it was about time that I expanded my horizons a bit!