Getting Soxy in Seattle

As I was walking along the beach the other day, I came up with a simple, but BRILLIANT idea for a new Red Sox t-shirt: "I'm Dead Soxy". However, I Googled it merely moments later, and much to my dismay, it seems as though it wasn't as original as I had hoped. Back to the drawing board.. In order to quell my minor depression, I decided that I'd visit the hometown team itself to draw some inspiration from my dear Dirt Dogs, and boarded a plane up to Seattle where they'd be battling a 3-game series against the Mariners. While the Sox were certainly high atop my agenda, even higher was a pair of college cronies whom I shall lovingly refer to as 'Bacon & Eggs'.

I first visited Seattle about 2 years ago. Except it was March. And it rained. A lot. Contrary to my preconception about the weekend's forecast, I walked off the plane into 70+ degree weather. I was forced to acknowledge that this was not only warmer, but much sunnier than it has been in San Diego over the past month (fondly known as 'May Gray' in SoCal). Once I was quickly humbled, I opted to join Bacon & Eggs in taking advantage of the weather rather than indulging in the playful banter of "my city is better than your city". Before our journey to Safeco Park on Saturday night, we frolicked in the verdant scenery that encompassed much of Ballard. And, yes, we really did frolic courtesy of the energetic spirits of our companions, two Australian labradoodle puppies. Think wind-up toys with sharp nails. Jersey & Bailey tuckered us out so much, that we all took a 2-hour nap before BBQ & beer time.

Finally, the moment had come. Off we went to the ballpark. Through Pioneer Square and past Qwest Field, I saw it: Safeco Park. Now, I've always wanted to visit this stadium because of the spectator proximity to the bullpen. Fortunately, this was the only game of the series that looked to promise a positive outcome for the Sox. With that said, Jonathan Papelbon would inevitably finish the game. We scurried down for a spot flush against the fence that would allow us to get an extremely close-up glimpse of the closer with the crazy eyes. As I fought through several rows of people, I found myself pinned against the fence, less than 5 feet from my goal. It honestly felt orgasmic.

..Yet more importantly, I can now truly understand why Bacon & Eggs love their life in the Pacific Northwest.

Troopin' Travelers' Guarantee

As promised in Shooting Up With a Space Needle, visit Ben's Flickr page to see more of his fabulous photos.

Happy Friday, folks!

Seattle: Shooting Up with a Space Needle!

I typically reserve Fridays for preaching about social responsibility & global non profit organizations, but I have a tiny surprise that I want to share with you today instead. Though my post title might suggest dirty habits, I promise that the Space Needle photos you're about to indulge in will pacify your fears about my [lack of] substance abuse.

My pal, Ben from Seattle, was kind enough to give me access to pieces of his artistic genius. If you like what you see, then stay tuned! I will be adding a link to Ben's Flickr page once he updates his account.

Enjoy!

Discovery Park, Discover Seattle

A couple of years ago, I went to visit my good friends, Bacon & Joe. Now residing in the Grunge Movement capital of the world, they call Seattle home.

It's true - initially, my desire to head to the Pacific Northwest was fueled by my early 90s obsession with the lead singer of Nirvana. If we could only visit one landmark, then it was going to be Kurt Cobain's pad. Bacon & Joe did grant my wish, but also enthusiastically showed me that there was much more depth to this city, a place dedicated to music, culture, and the performing arts.

On my last day in Seattle, we hiked around Discovery Park taking advantage of its many walking trails. Located in the Magnolia neighborhood, Discovery Park was created in the 1970s and is arguably the best place in the city to see some of Seattle's wildlife. From the park's south meadow, you can catch an awe-inspiring view of Puget Sound. The park's South Beach (not to be confused with Miami's famous plage) is certainly worth a visit as well, just be prepared for the hike back to the parking lot.

My one regret about this last minute adventure: my shoes. We sort of decided to venture through the park on a whim. The skies had just cleared, a rare feat for Seattle in mid-March. Unfortunately, my feet were enclosed by uncomfortable high-heeled black boots.. You be the judge.

Feast your eyes on these.





And lastly, a random view of the Olympic Peninsula.. too pretty to keep out of this post.


**Photos courtesy of Bacon - thanks, Cath!**

Chillin' in Seattle and Freezin' at Mount St. Helens

Mi hermano (my brother, for those of you who don't watch "Arrested Development" or speak Spanish), Kris, moved to Seattle, WA for three months for work, and being the mooch of a sister that I am, decided that my friend Meriel and I should go out to visit him for a long weekend. Ahhh shucks, I'm not really that selfish, from that moment in Jr. High that I first heard Pearl Jam, I knew I would, nay, must visit the mecca of Indie music known as 'Seattle'.

While we saw some AMAZING live music at a seemingly endless number of clubs - I've legit never been so impressed by the vibe of a live music scene - and saw some really cool landmarks:

Pike Place Market

The Space Needle. Which is accessible via a monorail...the concept of which still boggles my mind. What's the f-ing point of a MONOrail that isn't in a loop. I just don't get it, I don't...also was the only sunny day of the entire trip!!

Not to mention Easy Street Records in the Queen Anne neighborhood for a little Pearl Jam worship and alterna music worship. Okay, this might not be a true landmark, but dude-ski it is where the band played a live concert, and they sell all sorts of rare singles and records.

It actually turns out that one of the most enjoyable (and at the same time disappointing) moments of the entire trip was when we decided to hop in the fire red Pontiac Grand Prix (rental car - woot woot), and take a road trip to Mount St. Helens about 96 miles outside of Seattle. Going to see a volcano, fun times, right? Well...I think I may have forgotten to mention that it was November...

We start out the morning, hit our first Starbucks of the day, and start busting down the highway listening to Johnny Cash and Black Star. It actually really isn't a bad drive (not overly scenic though) if there isn't bad traffic, and you've got some good, sleep deprived conversation. The weather was overcast as it had been all weekend, but nothing too messy as we took the exit off the highway. However, as we got closer to the Mountain and higher in elevation, the snow started to come. While snow would normally excite me - if i were heading to a mountain with chairlifts and groomed pow-pow - we were going to see an active volcano, and I WANTED to see that gosh dern volcano. Going 15 mph for the last 5 miles due to treacherous roads, I think we all kind of realized there would be no volcano peeping that afternoon, and we were right.

Complete white-out at the base of the Mountain only allowed us to see about 20 ft out of the observatory. Even with this disappointment, I still feel like the trip was a success.

Main accomplishments:

1. The observatory (even without the view) at Mount St. Helens does a great job of telling the story of the eruption that occurred in 1980, and paying tribute to those who perished.

2. Had some great bonding time with mi hermano and my friend.

Minor accomplishments:

1. I hit mi hermano with a snowball at the base of a volcano
2. I got the most delicious Taco Bell at the end of the day.