San Francisco!

Joe and I got back today from a wonderful long weekend spent in San Francisco. We were first time visitors to the city and quickly came to love all that we saw. It probably also helped that we had sunshine everyday with comfortable temperatures. We stayed with Joe's friends in Oakland and covered a lot of ground in just 3 days while getting quite familiar with the city's public transportation system. I think my biggest surprise was how expansive San Francisco is! It definitely takes time to get from one end of the city to the other and there is no way you can do it on foot. On Friday we took the BART (their subway system) to an area near the financial district that sits right on the bay. Our first attraction to visit was the Ferry Building. It is now remodeled to include lots of specialty shops for food and gifts. Lots of people grabbing lunch and eating by the water. This area was once the only port into the city before the bridges were built. From there we hopped on a trolley (very cliche of us I know :-) to the very touristy area of Fisherman's Wharf. Lots of seafood restaurants, shops, and street performers. Right in that area is a section dedicated to the sea lions. There were over 100 just lounging about on the docks sunning themselves and talking talking to each other. It was really cool to see so many in their natural habitat. We made our way to Ghirardelli Square and the delicious chocolate (loved the free sample! :-) and then we walked the hilly streets to Coit Tower. We took an elevator to the top and got some great views of the city in all directions. First day was about 10 hours with most of it spent in the sun and on foot. Sleep found us easily that night before taking on the second day of playing tourist. Saturday morning we were given the pleasure of tasting the city's best scones (according to Matt) and getting a glimpse of the amazing Farmer's Market that Matt and Brianna get to visit every Saturday. The choice of fresh produce paired with the very inexpensive prices made me very envious. We get them to some degree here in Seattle but not quite as impressive. From there it was time spent on the BART and city bus to land at the Legion of Honor art museum which sits on top of hill with again wonderful views. It is also a popular spot for wedding party pictures as we saw 4 different parties getting their picture taken. The museum's building is quite impressive and the art is very old. From 1500-19th century with an introduction to some 20th century artists. I got my Monet fix before leaving and was having flashbacks of art classes with the different artists name I saw in print. From the museum we accidentally stumbled upon a path to a cliff walk along the Pacific Ocean. It was an accidental surprise that was quite stunning. A combination of art and walking found us ravenous and we were fortunate to stumble upon a well known diner that sits on the edge of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The food was good and the window seat was nothing to complain about. From there we made our way to Golden Gate Park where we found groups of people enjoying BBQ's, archery, and of course more wedding photography. We stumbled upon Ocean Beach which is at the far end of the park and I definitely felt the need to put my feet on the sand. An interesting (and jam packed) bus ride dropped us off in the neighborhood of Haight Ashbury which was the mecca for all things hippie back in the day. The streets are filled with vintage stores, cafes, bars, and of course lots of tie dye. Some great houses fall at the end of the block with the home of Janis Joplin falling in the mix. The house today is a beautiful purple but I was told that when she was living there her quarters weren't quite so impressive. The bus ride home took us past the "Three Sisters"- a famous set of row homes right by a park. For those of you familiar with my favorite show from growing up "Full House"- I think this set of row homes can be found in the closing credits.
Sunday found us in the car heading to Berkeley's campus. A beautiful college campus with a great college feel on the surrounding streets. We had lunch in the park and then wandered the streets checking out the houses and their interesting architecture. From there we ventured on a very windy road to Muir National Park to see the Redwood trees. Lots of people had the same idea as the place was packed and it was a hike from the car to the entrance once we were able to park. After time spent in the city it was nice to spend some time in nature with some beautiful surroundings. We ended the day driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and enduring lots of traffic. I guess no city is immune to it.
Although our search for "Danny Tanner" came up short, our time spent exploring the city was well worth the travels. It would definitely be a city Joe and I would consider living in if it wasn't for the state turmoil, the expensive prices, and the fact that it really doesn't lessen the gap of 3,000 miles from the east and west coast.

Giving Back

Saturday was a day of giving back to the city of Seattle. I teamed up with an organization called "Seattle Works" for their big volunteer day. It's an organization for 20 and 30 somethings that's geared toward volunteering around Seattle. Yesterday was their big fundraising day which took in about $75,000 dollars! We were on different teams with different jobs throughout the city for the first 3 hours followed by a big after party in Seattle Center by the Space Needle with everyone. My team was given the task of pulling weeds in the natural habitat areas at Green Lake Park just north of the city. There were about 20 of us on site and after very vague directions and our choice of gardening tools we got to work. More often than not we found ourselves asking is this a good plant or a bad plant? There was a very helpful woman that would help us with this decision but if she was busy elsewhere we took to the plant with our "hackers" (I'm sure there is a more technical term for this gardening tool). After almost 2 1/2 hours of hacking and picking and piling and dumping we had had our fill. We definitely left the area looking more "polished" than when we arrived so I'm assuming it was a job well done. :-) In a way I found it very therapeutic to "zone out" in nature while doing my task.
Today Joe and I visited the Seattle Art Museum for the first time. They were showcasing an exhibit on Kurt Cobain and although I have no interest in his music, he is a legacy of Seattle and it was interesting to see the different artists take on his rise and fall. Paired with the Kurt Cobain display was one of Andy Warhol. We got our Seattle and Pittsburgh all rolled into one. :-)
Walking downtown today and watching the people walking about was a good reminder that summer is just around the corner. You can feel the influx of people down around the Pike Place Market.
Looking forward to the week ahead as we are spending the long weekend in San Franciso. California here we come! (another state to check off my list:-)

Gotta Keep Running

Oh my throbbing feet! I sit here this evening with my feet up trying to give some much needed air to a very ugly blister on the bottom of my foot. How did it get there you ask? It started last weekend with a 9.5 mile run. My running schedule continues to increase in mileage and I think I found my (and my feet) breaking point! I had my mapped out route along Lake Union and winding through the different neighborhoods an around mile 8 I started to feel pain in my feet and my toes. My poor toes have never felt this way and I really thought they were going to turn blue! I was very quick to remove my shoes after my run (I did make it through the whole thing!) and although there was no blue coloring I did have a nice blister under the arch of my foot. After a little TLC complete with ice cubes and cold water (thank you trainer Lauren!) my feet were back in working order for the week.
Another long run came yesterday- this one 11 miles. I never thought I'd be running in the double digits! Amazing what a little determination can do! The sunshine was out in full force and I chose a run along Lake Washington. My route took me by some VERY expensive houses with beautiful views, parks with BBQ's and picnic spots, and right along the water where I was so close I could touch the water with my fingers. I was in good company once again with other runners and cyclists. My route took me all the way down to the tip of land known as Seward Park. Joe and I had driven down once before and walked around the park so I knew what I was heading to. By the time I got there I was around mile 7. Sailboats were out, families were enjoying the sunshine and so I couldn't just bring myself to turn around continue back. Instead I spotted a little white ice cream truck advertising shaved ice. At this point I'm hot and thirsty and some sugar and ice certainly sounded good so I gave myself a "pass" for a little break. I enjoyed my shaved ice and took in the scenery before continuing home. Right around mile 8 or 9 again I started to get the pain at the bottom of my feet and in my toes. Maybe it's their way of telling me enough is enough but I still had a few miles to go. After almost 3 hours on foot (I had about a mile walk back to my car after the 11 mile run) I was glad to let me feet breathe. In place of my recovering blister was an even bigger and uglier one than before along with a blister on my heel and 2 on my toes. I have to think that people who run have ugly feet right up there with dancers. I am now on a mission to find a fix for my throbbing feet. First up- some specialty socks that soak up sweat and allow some breathing. We'll see how this goes.....
Along with my runs and enjoying the sunshine, I've also been able to experience two more music venues in the city and some very talented musicians. Besides the beautiful scenery and the eclectic style of Seattlites, the music scene has to be on my list of best things about this city. In a weeks time I've seen acoustic, southern rock, and a Napolean Dynamite look alike that could hit notes that most females can only try to reach. The creativity and talent out there is amazing!
Joe and I ended out weekend at the Japanese Gardens for a little stroll through the world of colorful flowers and Bonsai trees. There was a feeling of serenity in the garden with all of nature around. Wish I carry that feeling outside of the garden wall and into everyday life.

A Hard Goodbye...

Most (if not all) of you know by now that this was a tough week for the Tingley family as we had to say goodbye to Grandma. I've spent this past week both emotionally and physically exhausted as I am filled with memories of Grandma. It was Grandma who first got me interested in drawing as we used to sit at the living room table with a huge Holly Hobby book in front of us. After we colored in the picture we used to fill in the empty space around it with our own drawings of suns and flowers, and houses with chimneys and smoke coming out of them. In the summer Grandma played baseball with us in her backyard using this red fat plastic bat that would send the ball flying. In the winter Grandma helped us to make igloos and dig out and opening so that we could crawl inside. I have a picture in my mind of Grandma killing a snake with a hoe as Lauren stood by and watched while Regan and I raced inside the house. I remember walking downtown and going to the drug store and buying candy for a nickel and sleepovers on Saturday nights watching the Golden Girls and Carol Burnett- the 3 of us crammed into Grandma's bed. There were countless times as I got older sitting at Grandma's kitchen table drinking coffee or hot chocolate and just talking. I do believe there was even a time when I was younger that I told Grandma that I wanted to drink coffee just like her so that I wouldn't get too tall. And of course there were the family gatherings at Thanksgiving; all of us sitting down along the long table with Grandma's jello and whip cream right in front of the grandkids. Each night when I close my eyes, these thoughts are what fill my head before I can finally find sleep. I'm grateful for the almost 29 years I had with Grandma and I will forever remember the love she had for all of us.

As I sit here and type tonight I can barely breathe through my nose and haven't tasted anything in 48 hours. Maybe I have my kiddos to thank or maybe it was just my time to get a spring time cold. Needless to say, much of my weekend was spent on the couch watching reruns of bad reality television. The sun did make an appearance and stuffed nose or not, I still had a training schedule to stick to. Yesterday I went for a walk and ended up wandering the downtown stores. How nice to combine exercise with one of my favorite past times. En route to downtown I stopped at the bank. I had to catch myself from staring at the customer in front of me. He (or she depending on how you look at it) was dressed in a short trench coat, a really bad wig, and knee high patent leather boots. He/She whipped out a large stack of bills and asked in a very feminine voice how to make the bills smaller. At this point I'm wondering if I'm in the presence of a transvestite hooker and it only got worse as I waited behind her(him?) and noticed that she(he?) was in a desperate need of a good leg shaving. Gross! The rest of my afternoon allowed me to bear witness to protests, a group of teenagers wearing Elmo birthday hats on the corner by Macy's and the filming of a movie. I don't think this movie is something that will hit theaters but there was a small crew and video cameras. For a moment I thought maybe I was bearing witness to the Japanese film that is being shot here which follows the story of the rise of Japanese immigrants and their subsequent fall out of Seattle. I then realized that my where abouts didn't really provide any good backdrop to history with the Lesbian bar on the corner and the homeless guy selling newspapers across the street. Instead I probably just saw students filming something for class. Again the thoughts in my head were creating much more entertaining stories than the reality of what I was seeing.
Despite my stuffiness I got my 3 mile run in today followed by more bad television. It seemed for every hour that I was up and functioning, I needed another hour on the couch. Thank goodness I wasn't scheduled for a long run this weekend as I probably would have keeled over somewhere. Hoping this cold leaves me quickly..............

Well the good news is that I'm able to sit here and type so I must have survived my 8 mile run today :-) It was a beautiful day here and I was in good company with many bikers and joggers this morning as I began my run. I chose a portion of a trail and I've seen signs for time and again but never really knew what it was. The beautiful thing about trails is that are mostly flat and something that I can handle. I started out along the water at Lake Union and wove around the outskirts of the University of Washington and then back behind a neighborhood I never knew existed but was quite pretty. With the sunshine and fresh air as my motivators (that and the little voice in my head that would not allow me to stop) I finished 8 miles in just under an hour and a half. I felt great afterwards and might just have learned what it means to get a "running high." Of course my toes hurt, I gained a blister, and there was some pain in one leg but other than that it was a triumphant experience! I must admit that this part of my weekly schedule came after my "easy walk" on Fridays as my trainer (Lauren) calls. Just to be funny I sometimes will send her "Dear Trainer" e-mails about something I did or failed to do. My e-mail to her on Friday went something like this...."Dear Trainer- Does it count as an easy walk if I'm wandering around Capitol Hill trying to find a bar with an open seat to enjoy a glass of wine and a few bites of dessert? Her response included the words "drop and give me twenty for the dessert." She's a tough one but keeps me on track!
We continued the nice weather day with brunch at a cafe that sits back in one of the neighborhoods. It's ranked as one of the top 10 brunch places and is known for its scones and cinnamon buns as well as its ambiance. It is a converted old Victorian home complete with the old fashion claw foot tub in the bathroom. We've found that with the good places you always have to wait; filling your mind (and stomachs) of the anticipation of what's to come. This place did not disappoint! I had probably the best raspberry scone I've ever tasted. A nice reward after my run. Our day continued with a walk through the Fremont market and sitting on the bank of the canal watching the boats go by.
I've been doing pretty good with trying new recipes throughout the week but I was defeated by a mango this past Thursday which left me a bit derailed off course. I was trying a recipe for Mango salsa and bought the mango on Sunday thinking that 4 days would be plenty of time to ripen. As I went to cut into the mango I wondered if there was a pit, or seeds, or something else hard that kept my knife from cutting through. The middle still remains a mystery to me as I never did get to the inside. The outside was soft enough to cut (and I use this term loosely as it was more like rip apart) the exterior. The recipe called for me to "dice" the mango. What does dice really mean? Dice or chop, to me they mean to cut without taking off your finger. I'm sure chefs everywhere would be insulted by my statement but at the end of the day there is the trusty food processor to refer to in your time of need.

Thank you Amanda for pointing out my 3 week absence. :-) After my trip out east and then settling in last week I completely forgot to update last night. Luckily I'm now back on track. I really enjoyed my Spring Break visiting with friends, getting my baby fix, and of course seeing so much of my family. Miss you guys! With the exception of the unexpected snowstorm I drove through (is Mother Nature trying to tell me something?) it was a wonderful trip. As I waited at Newark Airport for my return flight I sat looking out the window staring at the New York City skyline and felt nostalgic for Broadway musicals and roasted peanuts from the street vendor. I made friends with the girl sitting next to me who is from Washington and just spent her first time in NYC on a solo trip. I was eager to hear what she did and so she got out her map and took me through her week. I gave her credit for spending the whole week alone in New York. After my celebrity sighting in Chicago (Rick Fox from the Lakers) I was hoping to double my luck and spot someone in Newark. No such luck.
My week brought routine again (and some pretty bad jet lag on Monday). We had an unexpected weather surprise on Thursday- a hail storm like I have never seen! It just kept coming. The preschoolers were in awe and thought it was snow. It's neat to see young minds discovering things for the first time. Luckily the sun made a grand appearance this weekend. I got a nice run in along Green Lake Sunday morning before Joe and I wandered downtown. Of course the nice weather brings out the Seattle spring/summer fashion. There really is nothing like it.
Trying to get through the busy week and prepare for my 8 mile run on the weekend.....the longest so far. Hope I can make it