Back To "Normal"

Whoa. Sorry for the time away. I've been hosting Michelle for the week and I was distracted by the giant tub of cookie dough we made and consequently consumed. It doesn't take much to distract me. At least it was a worthwhile cause. But she has gone home now, so it's back to blogging, working out, and lots and lots of Netflix.

So last weekend I went to Seattle for a wedding--Joe's old roommate, Mo, got hitched in a forest filled with treehouses. It was gorgeous, Joe kept making the same jokes about Star Wars, fun times were had by all.

The wedding ended a bit earlier than some were ready for because of the venue, so a few of us went out to a bar. The bar we landed at was filled with a bunch of pinball machines. As always when I find myself surrounded by pinball machines, I searched for the one Katie and I experienced as children. She will back me up on this--we believe it was S&M themed. YES, SERIOUSLY. All I remember is there was a picture of a sexy woman in black leather with big black hair, and when the ball hit a certain point, her voice would croon, "Don't touch me THERE!"

It was horrifying.

Anyway, it wasn't there. In fact, there were actually NEW pinball machines. Like a "Tron: Legacy" pinball machine. Which was weird. It was like a version of 2011 where the internet didn't happen. My life without Google flashed before my eyes. It was grim.

We drank a few beers and right when we decided it was about time to go, a guy in a Mexican wrestling mask walked in. He was about 5'4", 110 pounds. When we noticed him, Teo muttered to us, "Hey, Nacho Libre over here..." and we grimmaced with him. Next thing we know, the guy in the mask lifted it off his face and screamed directly into Teo's ear,

"JACK BLACK WAS A BITCH!!!" (<--Please imagine this also in 72pt font, it really drives the point home.)

We all sat straight up in our chairs, our eyes round as saucers. The man put his mask back over his head and walked on. God, humans are weird. Sajid laughed and said, "I think he was joking." Teo wiped the side of his face and said, "It didn't FEEL like he was joking." We were still chuckling when Jared came over and asked, "Who was just screaming? It wasn't the guy in the mask, was it? Yeah, he tried to light my face on fire."

Amazing.

Really, it was a great long weekend. Joe and I both loved Seattle. Here's what we realized: we were both raised in the suburbs and have fond memories of suburban living: riding bikes, playing in the yard, that kind of thing. But we like the options of activities that a city gives us. What's great about Seattle is that is has the feel of a suburb (clean, quiet, safe), with the amenities of a city (restaurants, bars, public transportation, museums). We were both quite impressed. Also the only litter we saw ever was Starbuck's related, which I find fitting. It was definitely the kind of city I could see myself living in, if only it offered me anything professionally. Sadly I don't work for Amazon and can't work from home quite yet, so it's not an option for now. Oh well! It was a great place to visit, and with our married friends there (and a few aunts out that way) we have an excuse to go back!

Here are a few pictures from the trip, just to prove that I actually DID go there.


(That's me, eating one of the best donuts from one of the best donut places ever, Top Pot. If you are in or around Seattle, go there immediately)


(My view from the plane, obv, as the Space Needle doesn't go THAT high. That's Mount Rainier)


(Pike Place Market. AKA, Tourists Walking Around Without Looking Where They're Going, plus a lot of fish.)


(See? Fish. GROSS. People were touching them. It was horrifying. You always hear about Pike Place and how they throw the fish, but it's really more of an occasional toss, so I didn't get a picture of it. I had to settle for these monsters with their mouths open and their eyes all looking at me. Shut up, fish, quit looking at me like that. If I had my way you'd still be alive in the ocean.)