I had a terrible night of sleep, maybe wasn't He's Just Not That Into You wasn't the best idea before I went to bed, so when it was time to get ready for my flight I was not too thrilled. Mom dropped me off at the airport and I was happy everything went easy once I got there. I had a layover in Minneapolis before my final destination in Seattle. I feel like airplanes could do a little better than the really measly bags of peanuts :P.
I landed at the Sea-Tac Airport and began maneuvering my way across town. Advice: Don't put a $20 bill in the ticket machine for the Light Rail, unless you really like $1 coins :P. The Light Rail was awesome and I loved being able to sit and see the scenery. I made it downtown and tried to figure out how to find the bus and in my obviously confused state a nice fella tried to help me out and told me to go check out the fish market.
Since the directions Amanda mentioned waterfront I thought, forget the bus I'm pretty sure I can just walk this one out. I took the advice to see the fish and made my way to the Public Market. I was tired, hungry, irritable and ready to no longer be carrying my bags around so I don't really think I was really able to fully take this in with any appreciation. From there I found a bench by the water and took a seat and enjoyed the view.
After sitting for a while I decided it was time to figure out the ferry situation. I got my ticket and boarded the ferry just before it was about to leave, perfect! On the ferry I sat and listened as a grandfather explained the sights to his grandchildren as they asked numerous questions, it was quite adorable I must say. We arrived at our destination and I walked to find the yarn store Amanda suggested but realized I had gone in the wrong direction so I found a bench and listened to some tunes while doing a crossword until Amanda found me.
We were finally together again after more than 3 years! YAY! We went to Town & Country for some groceries and headed to her living quarters. She made me a delicious salad for dinner!
And spinach quiche! I was definitely ready for something more than snack food by the time we got to her place and I was happy to be fed so well. My mood definitely improved after this :P. We stayed up chatting for a while, catching up on the current events of our lives. I was definitely ready to sleep so we retired for the evening.
She also made me some really delicious oatmeal the following morning for breakfast which brought a whole new light to my world on the topic of oatmeal! Add some freshly canned peaches, nuts and honey and you've got something much better than oatmeal! After breakfast I helped bag and get things ready for the farmer's market. It turns out that I am a really good fluffer of bags, I am aware as to what these means in other lines of business :P.
I also helped plant and had a chat with Anne about jobs and such. With my view on jobs these days I think I made her feel better about having her own business :P.
After having a discussion about how we wish people would have more dinner parties Amanda got a text from some interns at another farm for a potluck, how wonderful! We weren't quite prepared for a potluck but she grabbed some bread and wine and we were on our way! It was a night filled with conversation, stories and delicious food!
The owner of the farm is a lively gal, full all of sorts of stories. Even as a non-meat eater, she told us a story about a class she took in college where she learned how to butcher animals and they were required to try everything they cut up. If I were to eat meat again, this is exactly the kind of class I would want to take! We tired out and headed home with full stomachs and happy spirits :).
Saturday was weed mat laying day on the farm, which Amanda was not fond of and I quickly learned why! Oh my, that is not a fun project! I was happy to give her some company though and I felt I really overcame something when I was able to pick up animal bones without hesitation, though I didn't think much about it beforehand :P.
We called it a day and were ready for lunch. She introduced me to spring rolls which was also another life changing opportunity. Oh my goodness, I love them! I learned that you definitely want to get good quality spring roll sheets though, otherwise you will be dealing with more splits than you'd wish for. The peanut sauce was unbelievably good. I envy her ability to season things :P.
After lunch we set out for the Point No Point Lighthouse. It was a cool and gloomy day, no necessarily something new for the Pacific Northwest but we weren't in the mood to be uncomfortable all day so we strolled on the beach a bit and I picked up some shells. We then decided we had had enough and happily went back to the car.
We headed back to Poulsbo and stopped at the Mora Iced Creamery for a treat. She heard that the ice cream was supposed to be really good but we were sadly disappointed. The ice cream was icy and I much prefer mine to be creamy!
We leisurely strolled around for a bit and soon decided we were ready to be inside so we headed back to the farmhouse.
I had mentioned Mexican Lasagna so while we were out we got the ingredients to make it happen. The best part was cooking it in cast iron! I definitely need to get one! We indulged in our creation and discovered that one of our long lost housemates in AmeriCorps had a baby. Say what?! If you knew her, you would understand why this is a little scary :P.
I woke up early on Sunday and rather than sitting around debating it, put my tennis shoes on and hit the pavement for a run. When we later drove over the hills I decided that I really accomplished something because some of those things were quite steep! I got back and Amanda made breakfast again! Scrambled eggs over arugula was a great idea and I got to try some of her canned jams!
We hung out for a while and I finally finished my first strawberry hat, a real success since it only took 2 months! We got ready and went to catch the ferry. We took the second pan of lasagna so we could feed her boyfriend, Michael, that evening. I wasn't aware that we would be taking her car on the ferry so I thought I would be carrying a cast iron skillet filled with lasagna all over the place. I was delighted to find that was in fact not the case :).
We exited the ferry and headed to Michael's, where I was of course greeted with dogs exited to get all up in my business :P. We talked to Michael for a bit and decided it was time to get to the antique store! What a huge place this was! We got peanut M&Ms just to keep us going :P.
She debated it for a while but finally decided she would get this cookbook, to accompany her new meat grinder! I was mostly on a mission for recipe cards which I have not been able to find anywhere! I asked the guy at the counter if he knew where I could find some and he recommended a stationary store. Now, I could have figured that out on my own, I want vintage cards! I know they are available online but I enjoy the hunt through antique and secondhand stores so I will continue my search!
Reese's Pieces also called my name as we made our way through the store. We finally made our way around the whole store and were ready for lunch!
We went to Northwest Tofu after she raved about how good her last experience was. The 2 of us definitely did not need 4 dishes but I can assure you that we made sure to get it all down, even when it started to hurt! I relearned how to use chopsticks and by the end was pretty comfortable with them. My favorite was the fried tofu dipped in soy sauce, mmm!
After lunch we weren't feeling much like walking around so we went to El Diablo Coffee to knit and digest. I followed Amanda's lead and got a limonada which was utterly amazing. I was happy they were out of lemon so I had to try lime instead, which was better than I ever would have imagined! We found a table and go to work. We sat and did some people watching with conversation overhearing :P. We heard a really ridiculous conversation about men and a really intense conversation about life so both ends of the spectrum were examined.
When we finally felt like moving again we went to Goodwill. I found a really great pair of jeans, proudly my only purchase though if I lived there I would have gotten myself in trouble! I loved that the book section was organized in categories, much like in a bookstore. Overall, I could definitely tell I wasn't in Council Bluffs anymore where white washed jeans and Wranglers make up most of the jeans section :P.
At the start of our day out, Amanda saw a car on the side of a street that she liked and wanted to talk to Michael about. We got back to his house and the search began with a lot of close calls but nothing that was an exact match. The only way to know for sure was to go back and find it so Amanda and I set out filled with excitement, not knowing whether or not we'd find it. As we drove along we were starting to get further than she remembered it being so are hopes were fading. Then, suddenly there it was! What threw off being able to search for it on the internet was that it said Ford on the back but the body is European. Regardless, we were thrilled to find it and drove back in a state of sheer bliss.
It also helped that we had dinner waiting for us when we got back, dinner that originated in the farmhouse, took a car ride to the ferry, floated with the ferry, and took another car ride to Michael's house, which made it that much more exciting! Our night definitely ended on a high note!
After Michael, Amanda made breakfast, she has a way with eggs!
Oatmeal was also involved, in the hope that it would stick with for a while, but we knew better :P.
After breakfast we loaded up and headed to see the Ballard Locks. I understand that the water rises and somehow the boats go through to the other side but we were looking at the fish ladder so I'm still a bit confused :P.
Breakfast didn't last long and we were ready for lunch after we left the Locks. A light lunch of soup and salad overlooking the water sounded ideal so we went to Ray's Boathouse. The tomato basil soup was ridiculously good and due to the creaminess, really filling.
We shared the Cherry Apricot Salad which definitely took me by surprise. It was the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
We tried to kill some time while digesting so we could clear some room for ice cream. It was cloudy, cool, a bit rainy and windy so we didn't feel much like outdoor activities so we went to a used bookstore. It was a good thing that I had no room for anything else in my luggage or I would have gotten carried away on this trip! After we were done there, we decided to go knit for a while in the Seattle Center, located by the Space Needle.
We decided we had ample room for ice cream and headed back to the car. On the way to Maggie Moon's she showed me where she use to live and her favorite park in the city. Who wouldn't love living in an apartment with a view of the water?! We arrived at Maggie Moon's where the smell of freshly made waffle cones welcomed us. I was taught that the kid's size is the way to go plus chocolate topping so I had the "Scout" Mint with chocolate. I was more than delighted with my choice. Ice cream with thin mint cookies? I'm in! This wasn't even in the same ballpark as the ice cream we had the day before!
We headed downtown and roamed the Public Market for a bit.
You would think they would sell local fish though! Sadly, a number of things at the market didn't appear to be local :\.
We stopped in at Beecher's where they make cheese in the store! Samples were galore and happily tasted away, especially me :). Soooo incredibly delicious! Could we really look any happier? :P
Amanda was in search of some unmentionables so I got to experience Nordstrom, which is reminiscent of Van Mour in my world. While she shopped around, I found a comfy chair and got some knitting in. A couple came in and the male seemed really thrilled to be spending the day shopping. We somehow managed to come up with a business plan where we would create a club where you rent underwear, just the upper portion, and there's no dressing rooms because the fog machines make it so you can just change in the middle of the room. It was also decided this would have to be on Capital Hill, it seemed like the only logical location. Well, as our plans were finalized Amanda was finished and we had to part ways. Look for this outstanding opportunity in years to come :P.
After a near meltdown, Amanda found her parking ticket exactly where she initially looked and we found the car. From there she dropped me off at the library to meet Matt. I didn't expect he'd be there on time so I headed for the knitting section as recommended by Amanda. I no sooner got to the section and he sent me a text saying he was there. I headed back down and saw that face I hadn't seen for so long! We roamed around for a bit then headed for the bus. We got to his apartment, which was like a Pinterest-aholics dream come true :), and I happily dropped my bags.
I had the lucky fortune of seeing the neighborhood hoarder out the window. He was rummaging through the dumpster, as would be expected, before we headed to dinner. I decided a veggie burger sounded good so he took me to Uneeda Burger. The burger was good and the hand-cut fries were great! Get your own next time, Matt!
After dinner, we went back to the apartment and watched the Voice. He was kind enough to give me Goldie, the treasured house blanket, to keep me warm for the evening. We both fell asleep on the couch, just like the old days!
I was treated to some really fancy oatmeal for breakfast the following morning :P. After some half-hearted studying on his part and knitting on mine, it was definitely time for lunch so we went to Homegrown, a sustainable sandwich shop! The sandwich was hearty and the homemade chips were crispy! A record store was the next stop, where I could have gotten myself into a world of new vinyl additions to my collection but resisted.
We headed for a different neighborhood and cruised through some stores while waiting for Full Tilt Ice Cream to open. 2 scoops in a waffle cone is a steal and the ice cream was so rich and creamy!
With our cones in hand we went to Gasworks Park, where a scene in 10 Things I Hate About You was filmed. As I saw others run by, I felt like a heifer as I walked up a hill with ice cream in hand but I soon got over it :). We were humored as we walked past this guy as his kite crashed into the ground :P.
We were on a schedule so on the way to our next destination I got to see the Fremont Troll, quite the art piece :P.
We were early for the big event of the day so we checked out the Fremont Antique Mall. The highlight was this beautiful selection of vintage Pyrex! Good thing I didn't allow myself to consider purchasing any :P.
This lunchbox is priceless!
Time for the main event! Matt scheduled a tour of the Theo Chocolate Factory!
We had the peppiest tour guide I have ever seen but she knew her chocolate! She informed us that she was theater major, as though we couldn't figure that one out :P. The most memorable fact was that most chocolate found in stores, gas stations, etc. contain less than 10% chocolate. Lame! I excites me to know that Theo Chocolate can be found in Whole Foods and though it isn't local at home, at least it is fair trade, processed in America and contains at least 40% chocolate!
We had a multitude of samples throughout the tour, the were the fancy truffles at the end.
Here are the happy samplers themselves! Matt had a little stubble and had to wear a beard mask, which made my day :D. After the tour we were taken to the gift shop, where nearly ever chocolate was on sample and between the tour and gift shop I definitely sampled $6 worth of chocolate :P.
I had to guy some of the delicious goods after all that sampling :P.
We resided back to the apartment where he got busy preparing dinner. I finally got to meet Kevin and due to my love of Lady Gaga we formed an instant bond. The quinoa bowls were fantastic! Kevin left for dog sitting so Matt and I hit the couch for some more of the Voice and I even got a special serenade of Britney's "Sometimes." It was as though she was there in the room! We dozed off on the couch again until woke up and got ready for bed.
Wednesday was an early morning so we could make it to the studio by 8! In his frugalness, we had quite the trek so he didn't have to pay for parking, luckily he bought me a hot chocolate to make up for it.
We had the best time! It was so much fun! I let as many people as I could know that they should listen in and we were getting requests all over the place. Making digs at Dave throughout most of the show as he secretly listened at his desk was amazing. I am so happy he asked me to be a part of the final In the Basement broadcast!
We didn't have breakfast before we left in preparation for Eltana's wood-fired bagels! Oh my goodness, I love all things wood-fired! And they made it look like a happy face, amazing!
After breakfast we sadly had to part ways so he dropped me back off at the library, where I sat for a couple hours to limit the amount of time I had to haul my belongs around Seattle. I looked up a couple places of interest and set out in search of them. A woodworking shop was by far my greatest find, though the things that interested me were pricey! After my browsing it was time to make my way toward the ferry. So I didn't get cranky due to hunger, I stopped by Beecher's to get some macaroni and cheese. They aren't lying when they claim "world's best!"
I found a used bookstore on my way through the Public Market and was serenaded by the shop keeper, what a schmoozer :P. This book brings to light what I've been trying to tell people for years! It's a real disorder folks!
After a long ferry ride with the most talkative group imaginable next to me, I finally arrived in Bainbridge and waited for Amanda. We got potstickers from the store which turned out to be utterly disappointing.
The tempura vegetables were amazing though! A Fry Daddy is definitely not necessary! The sweet potatoes and broccoli were my favorites while the green beans didn't do much for me. This is the kind of meal you eat if you want a good nights sleep!
It was rainy out so I spent the day inside. I danced to some online Zumba videos, hoping no one could see me through the windows :P. I did find a really amazing dance to Lady Gaga's "You and I" that made my day.
We were preparing to make cookies when Amanda got a call to help process a chicken from the farm. This was a somewhat traumatic experience for me, I really didn't need to see chicken testicles or the eggs that were growing inside it :P. While she was doing that I made some red wine vinaigrette for my salad and threw a frozen veggie burger in the oven for dinner.
While she was tending the chicken I was busy in the kitchen making cookies. Her supply of all-purpose flour was limited so I used what was available and added buckwheat and soy flour to make up the difference. Our hopes were not high that the would turn out but you never know until you try! I wanted to be able to eat the dough without fear of salmonella so I used watered down yogurt in place of the eggs. The dough was better than I anticipated so I raised my hopes for the cookies! They turned out great! Never let limited supplies stand in your way!
It was raining out but I was able to help Amanda pick kale under plastic cover and then we bagged greens for the market. I started taking the backs off her fabric samples so we could do a small sewing project. This turned out to not be nearly as fun as I'd hoped but I am a glutton for punishment :P. The tempura vegetables were more of an ordeal as the oil got to hot and her thermometer broke, nearly causing a grease fire. Luckily, not flames were spotted at any point! Once we got things under control we were on a roll and everything turned out just as well as we hoped.
We had a mellow evening and I was really tired but decided to make a late night grocery store run due to hunger. Surprisingly, I got an egg salad sandwich which was vaguely satisfying. Nothing quite like eating right before you are ready for bed :P.
Saturday was market day! Selling at a market has been somewhat a dream of mine for a while now so I was pumped! We set everything up and waited for the bell to indicate it was officially time to start selling! A real highlight of the day for me was when I met a girl who looked like a real life version of Pippi Longstocking, this is totally a compliment because I love Pippi! After a sample of a pesto pastry Amanda found, I had to get my own! I've been noticing that I have been choosing savory over sweet more recently, hmmmm.
I got some dried mangoes on our late night grocery run to share while we were hard at work. I talked to some girls selling ceramics and after a good, long chat ended up spilling salsa all over their table cloths. I felt like such a fool! Luckily, I got a free massage later in the day which made me feel slightly better :P
We ended up selling all of the sorrel, a goal for the day, and we didn't have to discount very many things!
Having the cupcake lady right next to us only ended in me getting 2 cupcakes, which is impressive since I wanted to try most all of them! They were some of the best cupcakes I have ever had and for only $2 a piece, I felt like I was ripping them off! We had a long wait for Peter to pick up the supplies so when he finally arrived we were ready to get everything loaded as fast as possible and hit the road!
After everything was unloaded, I tried to be vaguely productive for a while but decided it was in my best interest to take an hour and a half nap instead! I felt much better following that and was happy when it was chocolate milk time! I have not been a milk drinker for over 4 years but I threw that out the window to partake not only in milk, but chocolate whole milk. I literally tastes like a melted milkshake!
I was in charge of spring rolls for dinner and I finally got better with the wraps.
After we at the spring rolls we realized that curry was unnecessary but we had to at least sample a little. The girl knows how to use her spices and flavors!
We both woke up far too early for a Sunday morning so I decided to make some buckwheat crepes filled with cooked apples. I was actually quite surprised with how well these turned out. I love the handmade ceramic plate under these beauties! http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/02/basic_buckwheat_crepes
We spent the morning cleaning and due to a bedbug scare Amanda finally had the inspiration to get the rest of her belongings put away and organized. After a previous debate as to whether or not we would go to a rainforest 3+ hours away, we decided a trip to Port Townsend sounded much less stressful and daunting. That was until we headed out with a near empty tank of gas. To be honest, I was somewhat looking forward to running out and seeing how things would play out, just for the adventure of it.
The picture below was taken while listening to the Elizabethtown soundtrack, another mutual love we share, specifically during Elton John's "My Father's Gun," because in my opinion this is the perfect road trip song.
We made it to Chimacum before stalled out and filled that baby up! The Chimacum Corner Farmstand is filled with wonderful, locally made goods! I loved that a number of people road their bikes to the farmstand!
We made it to Port Townsend, where we found a knitting shop and from there wandered into a store filled with boots and came to find it was a one day only sale. Perfect! The lady knew so much about boots it was incredible. Initially, I don't think Amanda allowed herself to be as excited about this as she was in the end. She had a ball! I was impressed she only came out with one pair!
We had a debate about lunch and in the end I decided we should go to the Dogs-A-Foot because I have never been able to get a veggie hot dog from a stand before. I must admit that this was probably more exciting for me than it should have been :P. I even went for spicy toppings, just to really have the full experience of trying something new. Delicious and so very filling.
We walked out by this large sailboat.
Where we had this lovely picture taken!
We sat for a while and Amanda ended up taking a nap so I walked around a bit. I love seeing sailboats everywhere!
It was then time to head back, Amanda hadn't noticed before I pointed out that the road signs have George Washington's profile on them! You don't see that in Iowa! We stopped at a quilting store on our way home to pick up batting for our sewing project!
Shortly upon arrival, we started our sewing journey. The pattern definitely threw us from some loops, and by us I mean it confused Amanda because I didn't even try to read it :P. She sorted them out and we got everything cut out. We both sewed our first zippers! Michael and I couldn't figure out how to rethread my machine so I called it a night shortly after :P. This was the pile of samples we had to choose from, of course I had to organize them in a logical fashion :).
We got right to it the following morning, that's what you call ladies on a mission! Amanda finished hers well before I ever dreamed about it and the excitement of seeing her flip it right side out was wonderful! My OCD got in the way of a quick finish but I finished, and that's what counts!
Ahhhh, here they are! We were so proud of ourselves for having completed such amazing bags and it took us less than a day!
It was time to hit the streets with our new creations so we went to the Post Office so I could get some postcard stamps. Then, to a liquor store so she could get the necessary supplies for her chicken. Our final destination was to the grocery store where this pesto pizza found its way into my stomach and I enjoyed every second of it. When we got back, I finished packing and we listened to some tunes and talked about relationships, a subject we frequently found ourselves discussing throughout our time together. It was then time for me to go to bed because 6 am was just around the corner!
This was my sleeping space during my stay. I loved cranking the heater and wrapping myself in all those blankets! She took me to the ferry station, where we sadly had to say our goodbyes before I needed to make my way to the ferry and she needed to head back for work.
By some miracle, I had no trouble maneuvering my way to the airport, which made me feel like I really knew what I was doing! That was until I got to the airport and tried to check into the wrong airline :P. See you later mountains! Hopefully next time I can see you up close and personal.
The didn't come up with something better than a measly bag of peanuts in the 2 weeks since my previous flight :P.
I didn't have a lot of time after I landed in Salt Lake City before my next flight but I needed something to eat. A pretzel was the most reasonably priced thing I could find, and by reasonably I mean less than $7. Of course I was stuck behind a bunch of people who didn't understand the idea of hustle. I was quite pleased with my almond pretzel though!
This was my last chance to find Elizabethtown style love on my trip and of course it didn't work out but it was for the best :). What a great 2 weeks I had, I am thankful for having 2 such wonderful hosts!
I landed and when mom picked me up reality set back in. While a trip away was needed and made me feel better, it didn't magically erase all the things that made me need a getaway. Just have to take it day-by-day! We went to Blanc for dinner and once I get home I headed straight for the shower in the event that bedbugs really were in Amanda's apartment and made their way into my life. All my clothes went immediately into the washing machine and everything started getting back to normal.
