FANFEST

This past Saturday, Dave, Alex, and I went to the 2012 Mariner’s Fanfest! This is a fun event at Safeco Field where hundreds of baseball fans come to meet the players, walk around the field, hit some balls, and enjoy some cold beers at the stadium. It is essentially a big event to get people excited about the upcoming season; based upon Dave and Alex’s behavior, I think the event was pretty successful!

One of the first things we did at the event was test out our arms at the speed pitch. While waiting in line, the boys made a bet. Whoever threw the fastest would enjoy a beer on the other’s dime.

Alex threw at 74 MPH; we then went to the beer garden where Alex enjoyed his prize beer. Dave came in a close second. Despite both of them having shoulder surgeries, they still throw faster than me…

While Alex enjoyed his beer, we listened to the “Boeing Dugout Dialogue.”  It was pretty cool listening about the history of the Mariners and famous baseball moments from the GM himself!

pure joy

We also participated in the 710 ESPN Seattle Home Run Challenge. While Dave and Alex swung for the fences, I just tried not to look too clueless while hitting off the T. We got to go onto the field and attempt to hit the ball over the centerfield wall. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys get excited about being in the field and aiming for the homerun; they basically reverted back to teenagers.

 WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO BEGIN!

SIDENOTE – Emily and Kyle visited!!

I got to spend a long weekend with Kyle and Emily, it was amazing! Luckily they came to Seattle on a Thursday night; we spent Friday walking around the market and enjoying the sun! On Saturday, we woke up to SNOW. The majority of the weekend consisted of playing cards, drinking champagne, and watching movies. Being snowed in is always fun when you have great company!

*Thanks for my parents for hosting me, Alex, Emily, and Kyle for two days!!

Christmas 2011

This was a wonderful holiday season; I am very blessed to have so many loving people in my life. Although enjoyable, this season was extremely busy! For Christmas Eve, Alex and I went to church with the Crawketts. I hadn’t seen the Nativity Scene in a very long time; it was so fun seeing the kids dress up and sing.

The Crawketts

Heading to Church

We spent Christmas with my family. We cooked apple crisps and watched James Bond during the day with my wonderful parents, clearly a very traditional day. Around 5, after Bobby, Amy, Lee, and Beth joined us, we had a blind tasting of four nice bottles of whiskey. We tried Four Roses, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Booker’s, and Blanton’s; Jack Daniel’s and Four Roses were my favorites. Jack was actually the most popular overall, thanks to Alex for bringing it!

Bobby and Amy

Mom and Dad on Christmas 2012

Olicer's 3d Christmas

The morning after Christmas, Alex and I headed into Seattle and hopped onto a ferry. This was my first time taking this ferry! We headed over to Port Townsend to spend three days with the Crawketts; I was so happy to spend the time with Alex, Deb, Phil, Lauren, Dan, Tim, Mike, Sam, Whitney, and Hannah!  

This was my first time in Port Townsend, so Alex and I spent the day exploring the town before heading to the fort. We enjoyed lunch at the Silverwater Café; they serve a delightful Bloody Mary! After window shopping and enjoying the antique stores, we headed to the Port Townsend Brewery and met up with Tim and Lauren. Although I don’t drink beer, I did try a few which were on tap. The beer was great! As souvenirs, we bought a few fun glasses which serve as perfect whiskey tumblers.

Once we got to Fort Warden, I immediately understood why coming here became a tradition for the Crawketts. The historic buildings and houses sit on the 19^th century fort, right next to the ocean. While staying at the fort, we threw around the football, ate delicious meals, drank a significant amount of wine, played games, hiked, and enjoyed each other’s company.  The games were probably my favorite part of the trip, luckily everyone was equally as competitive as I am (believe it or not)! I also really enjoyed the hike. For over three hours, we explored the fort and learned about the history. For those you may know what I’m talking about, I survived the Pit of Despair!  

Album Cover

Lauren and I are the same height...

The Newbies

NOTE: For all those Twilight fans, Port Townsend is located not too far from where the movies were filmed. It is as beautiful and lush as it appears in the movies!

I want to be an Avatar

In terms of being a tourist in my own city, I have had a very busy two weeks! I was fortunate enough to have friends from DC in town, actual tourists visiting Seattle for the first time. We had brunch downtown, walked around Pike Place Market, took pictures at Kerry Park, explored the EMP, and ate at Ivar’s. Here is a sneak peak at our fun weekend!



Jess and Josh at Kerry Park

Kerry Park is located on the south side of Queen Ann. Standing in the park, you have a spectacular view of the city, including downtown, Elliott Bay, the West Seattle Peninsula, Bainbridge Island, and Mount Rainier… not too shabby!



Jess and I have known each other for almost two years now; we met at training for Accenture. She is such a fun positive person, truly a pleasure to have as a guest! Now it's my turn to plan a trip to the East Coast :)

In this picture, we are standing in the “Changing Form” statue at Kerry Park.

After Kerry Park, we went to the EMP; we luckily snapped this picture before being told flashes weren't allowed!

The EMP is also known as the Experience Music Project. Located by the Space Needle, the museum features the history and exploration of populate music and science fiction.

While we were there, we explored the Can’t Look Away – The Lure of Horror Films and the Avatar exhibits. Although both were interesting, I particularly enjoyed the Avatar exhibit. The creation of the Pandora world along with the characters is amazing.

I want to be an Avatar... but do these shoes make my feet look fat? 

After walking around the Seattle Center, we refueled at Ivar's. You can't come to Seattle without trying the clam chowder, fish and chips, and oysters at Ivar’s. Alex, Jess, and I enjoyed Oyster Shooters… actually pretty delicious!  

The day after our Seattle adventures, we went wine tasting in Woodinville. This picture was taken while enjoying a tasting at Brian Carter Cellars, definitely a winery worth checking out. We recommend the Abracadabra!

The Tour Guides /  Resident Tourists

An Evening Worth Blogging About

I’m sorry to ALL of my followers... I haven’t blogged since May!  It’s been a very busy summer but this Friday, I got to do two new things...

Accenture hosted a networking event at the Aquarium, located by the Seattle waterfront. We got to tour the Omnidome, see the exotic fish, and have a glass of wine on the deck. While walking around, we got to see sea otters and seals. My favorites! We lucked out with a beautiful sunny Seattle evening which made it even better!

 While sipping on a chilled Rose, we enjoyed the sun, caught up with friends, and took fun pictures.

After the Aquarium, Alex surprised me with dinner at Salty’s.  I’ve always wanted to go! We ended up with an amazing table right on the water; I took a few pictures ;) 

 

We ordered cocktails for eachother once we were seated. I had the OMG: a mixture of Champagne, Grapefruit Vodka, Grapefruit Juice and a splash of St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. Alex had the Pear Basil Martini: Grey Goose La Poire and Pear Nectar muddled Fresh Basil. Both were delish!

For dinner, we had sushi with fresh crab along with king crab, oysters, clams, and salmon sashimi.  A true Seattle dinner in West Seattle!

Pictures with the Fremont Troll

Today’s adventure involved breakfast and a visit to the Fremont Troll! 

When trying to pick a new breakfast spot, Steph immediately thought of “Fat Bastards.” This Ballard tap house serves breakfast on the weekends and was recommended by her hairdresser. Known for its burgers and wings, we thought we’d give their breakfast a shot.

We arrived to find that “Fat Bastards” is actually called “Bad Albert’s Tap & Grill”…. same thing really! Well this friendly, somewhat undiscovered, spot served a great breakfast. When comparing the cuisine, Bad Albert’s doesn’t beat the 5 Spot; however we got seated right away and got to watch sports while we dined.  Can't beat that!

  

After filling up on eggs and sausage, Steph and I headed to the Fremont Troll. Located under the 99 bridge, this sculpture is one of the most famous tourist sites in Seattle which neither of us had been to before. The gray and rough looking troll, grasping a Volkswagen bug, was built in 1990 to rehabilitate the neighborhood.   It can be seen in movies like “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Love Happens.” Even on a rainy Sunday morning, Steph and I were two of many tourists enjoying the troll’s goofy demeanor.

Resident Tourists:

• Stephanie Hayes
• Courtney Lau



Bachelorette Fun @ Pink

On Saturday, I went out with a group of girls for Tara’s bachelorette party. We started at Chopstix and then danced until 2 AM at the Pink Ultra Lounge.  This was the first time I really went dancing in Seattle and I had a blast! The club was great and the crowd really had fun with our bachelorette games. I think the highlight of the night is when Tara got a lap dance in the middle of the club!

Resident Tourists:

·         Tara Stephen

·         Cidney Falk

Cheers to New Adventures!

Although I’ve lived in Seattle for the majority of my life, I have lots to see, try, climb, eat, and drink! In an effort to further explore my city, I’m starting this blog. I'll be posting pictures and journal entries describing my exciting new adventures!