How?

How can I ever forget how much I love southern greens? Good lord.

woowoowoo

1. Our tree that Nolan gave me! My mom is being a goofball in the background, but this was the best one (of the tree :) ) that I took.

2. Dana, Jenna and I laughing. This was at Manuel's. We sat down, started laughing, and didn't stop till we left.

3. Emilyyyyyy! The reason why I went to AZ! That picture was taken in the baby room she made, its pretty adorable.

4. Gas Works park! Seriously, the entire time Danae was here the wasn't a cloud in the sky.

5. Goofballs

6. Danae doesn't like this picture as much as I do but I feel like it completely captures her essence. Love it.

7. Friends and pictures and sunny seattle!

exhaustion

I feel like my life has been a party lately. To be honest, I am kind of tired. Lets re cap:

1. Arizona May 15 - May 18

2. Danae comes to Seattle May 20 - 24

3. As I am driving Danae to the airport, I get a text message from Jennylyn (I was in orchestra with her in high school, she took a lot of really great pictures at the wedding, too) saying that she is with her cousins in Kent, WA and driving to Seattle! So I met up with her and her family for a bit downtown.

4. In the same period that I am driving Danae to the airport, I get a call from a mysterious 951 (Southern California) number. This is always fun because while Nolan always forgets, (for it could be anyone) I know immediately who it has to be. It's Danny Hilberg and he is in Seattle, of course. He is in town for folk life and his friends band is touring. He stays the night May 25 and leaves on the 26.

On the 26th, I wake up and feel crappy. Some sort of chesty coughy sore throat type thing has set in and I have to work at 4 o'clock. So I spend all morning and afternoon in bed. Danny leaves around 3 o'clock.

5. As I am riding my bike to work at 3.45 I get a phone call. Its Elly and Grant and their three friends. Elly and Grant are the couple we met in Lima, Peru on our 2nd to last night there. They live in Victoria in BC. They went to Sasquatch (a huge music festival up here by the gorge) and one of the cars they drove broke down on the way back. Elly and her friend end up coming to Trader Joes to borrow my phone, because of course theirs is dead. And while the car is being worked on overnight the 5 of them stay at our house. They left really early this morning to get on the road because they were all supposed to be back at work today again.

Anyhow, I am really tired. I think I will post a picture post today too.

Ughghghg

Blogger just deleted my post when I tried to publish it. It was long. It was not saved. I am irritated.

AZ was good.

Danae is here.

I finished the garden before I left, radishes are growing. Turnips, broccoli, and zucchini grow in the back.

Busy!

Nolan found a partially saved draft! Love him!


So a quick update on my trip to Arizona. It was really nice. I got to see everyone I wanted to for the most part. Its always hard coming into town and spreading myself thin. I feel like people's feelings get hurt like I don't want to hang out with them a lot. I think I also need to be realistic too and not making 2nd or 3rd plans too with people. Sometimes it works out, but most of the time it doesn't. But anyways! It was a really nice trip. Friday afternnon I was picked up by my dad and we went out for sushi! The night consisted of really good friends going out to Manuel's for dinner (Libby, Dana, Gina, Mackenzie, Bonnie, Kirsten, Christophe, and Jenna) and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, it was so good it hurt. Dinner was followed by going to Casey Moore's (its an outdoor bar) and I just kind of invited everyone from different groups to come out and SO many people came! I won't even bother to type it all out, for fear of forgetting someone, but it was really really fun. Saturday Chris and Kirste had a family brunch. Then I went to Babies R Us to get Emily a gift. I printed off the registry, and realized how much that place STRESSES me out. I panicked and got a gift card, haha wow. And then went to the baby shower which was really good! Dancing on Saturday night with Bonnie, CHristophe and Kirsten. And relaxing with Dana on Sunday!

I got back on Monday and my friend Danae (in Phoenix) planned a road trip up here (before I planned my trip to AZ) and she was to arrive Thursday night. Well, she wound up getting in on Wednesday night instead. So we have been together ever since then. She actually is flying home tomorrow (her friends are going on a longer road trip). But I realized that I kind of love playing hostess. Its real fun.

The garden! OK, so I thought it was going to be impossible to finish it before AZ but I did! I got everything done 45 minutes before I had to be at work that day. Aaaaaaand the radishes are already sprouting!! We just noticed it 2 days ago! And in the back, where we have our planter box that we had in Portland, we have a TON of turnips sprouting and zucchini squash and broccoli!

I will post pictures of the garden soon! In fact, there is a lot of grass that is sprouting up that I need to get rid of right now!

AZ

Hey, I have been working on 'working' the soil for the past two days and I am sore from that + work. Ow. We have been meeting so many of our neighbors since we've been out working on this ghastly project. It has been fun. My goal (which is seemingly less visible) was to have everything planted before AZ. We've finally finished manually tilling the dirt. Now we have to add soil , plant food seed and more soil. UGHHHHH. Its not really that annoying, just a lot of work. I've actually become REALLY obsessed with it. And I think it might be the coolest thing I've ever done. And once the plants start growing.....even just sprouting, I will be freaking out.

We started this project and since then they passed a bill where you don't have to have a permit to garden in these spaces anymore (I think its weird that you did). So hopefully a lot of people will be turning these spaces into food gardens!

I will be on a bus at 5.38 tomorrow morning heading to the airport. My flight leaves at 7.28 and I get into Phoenix at 1.10 pm. I'm sure I'll be exhausted since it will be non stop hanging out and telling people that "No, I don't have a job using my degree yet". I'm already irritated just thinking about that part. But mostly I'm so excited. A lot of people rsvp'd to my facebook invite to hang out at Casey Moore's and go to Manuel's tomorrow night. I think like 19 people so far. Weird. I forgot how many friends I have there.

Anyways. Gardenzzzzzzzzzzzzzz time!

Food

So I think about food a lot. What is good to eat, what makes sense to eat, my blood type and food, taking pleasure in eating things that are bad for me, trying not to cook food to get more nutrients, etc etc. It is so exhausting, especially working at a grocery store and having that on the mind all the time. I talk to people about the food that they eat. They tell me things that they have heard or things that they believe: yogurt is good for you....for yeast infections and getting protein and stomach aches; dairy is bad for you....for your stomach and your heart and for disease. Soy, meat, wheat, gluten, fish, frozen food AHHHHH.

It's driving me crazy. But I still like hearing about it. I don't feel gullible. But sometimes, after having a pro dairy conversation with someone I will have yogurt on my ten. Or sometimes, after talking about raw diets i will go and buy a bag of broccoli and eat it raw. And sometimes I will just want something warm and fast and I will buy the most disgusting thing we sell, frozen mac and cheese and eat it and immediately regret it. Not only mentally, but physically too.

And then I type all of these people that come in and how they shop and I try to figure them out. There are those young parents that I never want to be that just buy massive amounts of frozen food because its cheap and easy. And the ones who spend a lot of money on all organic nicer stuff, because its good for you. Anyways, I am going crazy and learning a lot about how people shop.

I guess thats all. Hahaha

At 11 am, I am going to have my first Zipcar experience. I got a truck to get garden stuff at Lowe's today. I am SO excited.

1. 2.
3. 4.
5.

1. We went to a BBQ on Friday at Chris Goad's. Daniel and I work with him. We played dice and ate tofurkey dogs for a few hours.

2. On Thursday, some people from Cornish Schoool for the Arts came in and bought 300 bottles of wine from us. Daniel and Paul did the carry out for it and they invited the store essentially and anyone who wanted to come to the senior show the next day. So after the BBQ we walked downtown from the hill.

3. So much good catered food there! And we didn't even know anyone haha.

4. Sam and Devin (co workers)

5. Yesterday I started mapping out garden stuff. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but we have a space in our from yard that is 13x31 feet that we can plant stuff in. It's kind of overwhelming and really exciting. We just need a ride to Lowe's at this point before we can start planning. It's kind of stressful, and I am thinking about signing up for zipcar to get it done. Siiiiiince, we don't really know a lot of people with cars.


Today is beuatiful. It has been really amazing lately, but only on the weekends. Its supposed to be grey and rainy again this entire week, and then be sunny next weekend. Thats how its been the past 3 weekends too. Its fun, I think.

Happy Birthday Mama!

1. 2.

3.4.

I got an email from my mom saying she wanted more pictures of me. So, here are some from last night and today.

1. Last night I made enchiladas for Seis de Mayo. And Nolan had a work friend over, so we ate em!

2. Thats me during the enchilada bake (in Mama McFarland's old apron)

3. Today I ran errands and went to my favorite place, Pho Than Brothers.

4. My delicious treat, Pho Chay (Veggie Pho)

I have been sleeping SO SO much lately. And it seems like I'm still tired when I finally get myself up. I'm not sure what thats about. I'm eating alright. I haven't been staying up much later after getting off work. Maybe the mold stuff in our house is affecting me, but then again the boys haven't been sleeping as much as I have. I have no idea. Also, I'm not pregnant, so stop thinking that right now.

Also, for those of you who are trying to comment, but can't figure it out...I'm pretty sure you have to have a Gmail account or one of the accounts from that drop down when you comment.

Cinco!

Today Nolan and I slept in and cuddled and giggled in bed all this morning until he had to leave for work at 2. He made what we like to call "Nolans world famous beans and tortillas" for breakfast. It was SUCH a nice and fun morning.

Then Daniel and I went to the Elysian Brewing Company for a burger and a beer. I have never been there and surprisingly, neither has Daniel. It was a good time, and kind of over priced.



Then we walked a few blocks to get coffee. I heard someone yell my name, and turned around to see my new favorite person I've met in Seattle, Tim! We work together. He was at Cha, a bar coupled with the burrito restaurant Bimbos celebrating Cinco De Mayo. Daniel had found an enormous palm leaf and gave it to Tim. We went in and had an unexpected beer with him and his friends.

Then we went to Cafe Vita (next door, not a picture that I took). But ended up leaving because their outlets on our side of the wall werent working so we couldn't play computers.

And now we are at Online Coffee (I didn't take this one either). Its funny being in this coffee shop again because I haven't been in here in two years. This is where I did the majority of my semester's work when we used to live here. I walked in and immediately thought of my European Geography class. Haha.

At this point in the day, I have to go to work at 5 until midnight and I am finding things to occupy myself with until then.

Mrraaaaah

Hurcut

Today I woke up in a panic with errands on my mind. I made a smoothie to go for myself. It consists of frozen mangoes and bananas, yogurt, almond milk and honey all thrown in a lidded jar and into my backpack. YUM portable smoothies.

My bicycle took me downtown to 1st and Virginia, where I get my hair cut at this really cool and over priced place called Vain. It's also really cool because its two blocks North of the market. Today Bash (the guy I get my hair cut from) wasn't in and I got a 15 dollar hair cut from the apprentice there.

I got my hair cut today so that people like my hair when I go to Arizona. I mostly got it cut for my mom. She doesn't necessarily fancy me with short hair, so I figure it might as well be decent looking and trimmed if its going to be short. Love you, ma :)

I bought my ticket yesterday and it always ends up being more expensive than I want it to be. Guhhh. I get in Friday at 1.10 pm and Monday my flight leaves at 4.20 pm. I think that will be the perfect amount of time. I want to maybe invite everyone to hang out on Friday and Sunday at Caseys and Four Peaks respectively. Last time was really overwhelming making appointments with people. I will still be doing that with at least a couple people, but I am not going to stress about it this time. If people want to hang out they can see me in Tempe and thats all there is to it.

I have been trying to upload a video for quite sometime in here, but I am not sure that it is working.

Coffee

Yesterday was nice. We lazed around a lot. And I put little Nolan down for a nap because he wasn't feeling well.

Prior to that we ate Ethiopian food on our kitchen floor. The restaurant is on 22nd and Union and literally two houses/doors down from where we lived a couple months ago.

Before going dancing, we had a pre dance party at our house. It was a decent night all in all.

Tougo is the coffee shop we come to when we want to use internets (my current locale). It is closer to our house than Stumptown, with mediocre coffee.

This is Katy's Coffee. Katy, the girl who owns it, is adorable. this is the closest coffee shop to us. We always have coffee at the house but we come here for emergency bagels and coffee. We don't internet here because the lobby is so small.

This is where Josh works. Zoka Coffee company, which Josh says has the best espresso in Seattle. There are two locations. One in Greenlake (pictured here) and one in U Village. Josh just got promoted from a barista at this store to the assistant manager at the U Village location. He starts there in a week. Anyhow, we always have really incredible coffee and tea at home because of Josh. Oh, goodie.

This accidentally turned into a post about the coffee shops we go to. Woops! I feel bad for places that mostly (or only) have Starbucks.

Subject

I just finished organizing all of the pictures we have on our computer by month and year taken. It feels so good! I still have to go through the wedding photos and put the other 3 disks on here.

Yesterday I spent a decent amount of money at Target. Also I went to type "Target" and it came out "Trader". Weird.

I got a bathing suit (I have had the same bathing suit since I was 16 or 17), a hoodie, a rake, squash seeds, body wash, aluminum-free SCENTED deodorant (thank god), glade candles, and other Target delights.

Yesterday was gorgeous....

That was on the West Seattle Bridge coming back east after Target. Oh, Mt. Rainier.

Last night Katey, Marla, and Emily came up from Portland and are staying through tomorrow. We are going dancing tonight at R Place (I think? or maybe Neighbors, I don't know). It should be a good time though.

Also exciting is that Matt Goslar, who I've known since I was 15, lives in Kent now (30 minute drive). He randomly knows Katey and came out with us last night with his two roommates Michael and Natalie. I think I have seen him once since high school.

I'm gonna go eat some tasty somethings.

The Grooviest Dancer

Nolan, Daniel and I are at Stumptown right now. Its a Portland based coffee shop, but they have two locations here. Stellar coffee, and a short jaunt from our house.

Kristie just moved from West Seattle to Madrona (where we lived basically when we were here 2 years ago) and she is going to Target today. She has a car and invited me to join her. There are no Targets on or near the hill, so I'm sure you can imagine my excitement.









Right before we moved into the new place, our cat Frank got hit by a car in front of our old house (which was on a busy street). We found this video the Nolan accidentally took of Frank and I and its so sweet and sad. I'm going to try and put it up here...



This has been a hodge podge of pictures/videos uploaded, but I'm excited. I took this picture this morning and super zoomed in . I am obsessed with the mountains here. Obsessed. Its not often that you get to see them though.















I'm going to go and get maximum Vitamin D.