Snapshots from Victoria.
 My goodness, there is a lot to photograph in Victoria. A plethora of goofy statues (bears, meese, and so on), Point Ellice House where we played croquet and drank tea at our own private garden party, flowers and more flowers, the harbor, Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley, the city's eclectic residents...including Darth Vader on violin. To view the entire album, visit our collection at Shutterfly. There is a mix of photos from three different cameras!
Back from Canadia.
 We are back from Canadia! We spent the weekend in Victoria, which is located on an island off the mainland. We drank tea in a garden, played some croquet, gawked at a dog with a wheelchair, and enjoyed The Butchart Gardens. The gardens were pretty spectacular despite the Disneyland-sized crowds and spotty weather. Jill departed this morning, so it's back to normal for us now. Going to miss having her around, but we were sure glad that she could share Memorial Day weekend with us! I'll share more pics from her visit later...
This is the state of our country.
I just woke up to hear that the latest winner of American Idol garnered more votes than any presidential candidate *in history*. Really, seriously? This fact frightens, disturbs, and saddens me. I'm honestly at a loss for words.
Here she comes.
 Jill arrives from Chicago tonight! There have been quite a few times where we have thought "Jill and Dan would just love this" since moving here. So, it'll be fun to share Seattle with her. After a bit of local sightseeing, we're off to Victoria BC for the weekend. Looking forward to that, too. Especially because we get to ride The Clipper on the way there. A boat covered in a giant Union Jack! Who could ask for anything more?
First show.
I played my first full-band show in Seattle last Friday, with my latest group AltSpeak. Considering we played a bit of a dive (albeit in a swell location), the turnout at Rainbow was excellent...I had no idea that I knew that many people in Seattle! It was a great night, and we all definitely had a blast. PS, people in this city get really trashed.
Evidence that a show happened here.
   {...and judging by my focus, evidence that alcohol was involved, too!}
Skeletons.
 MySpace freaks me out. I enjoyed Friendster back in the day, but that fad eventually faded, and now a new animal has taken over. A big part of me wants to join in just so I can have Pam from "The Office" and Bloc Party as my "friends". The other part of me spazzes out at the thought of the skeletons in my closet that might come out to spook me. I guess I'm going to succumb to the pressure, stop lurking under Shawn's login, and just join in. { Above: In a field in Brighton, England, 1995 -- young and skeleton-less}
Dear crazies.
 Why, oh why, do the two drunks harassing people at the market bus stop have to sit right next to me once the 56 arrives? They tried to board through the back, only to wind their way back to my secure area right at the front. My only defense is to plug in the ipod and pretend that I'm sleeping. Why (once the drunks finally get off) does there have to be a gawking old man sitting directly across from me wearing dirt-covered, blood-stained jeans while he roto-rooters his nose? My only defense is to sit there, trying not to stare, comforted by the knowledge that (at a minimum) I can outrun him. { Read Joe's very own crazy report from Chicago }
Gas Can.
A couple of days ago I departed the bus and noticed a guy standing on the sidewalk with a gas can in one hand, and, of course, a cigarette in the other. This obviously couldn't end well, so I hurried past him down the street. About half an hour later we left the house to walk to the grocery. On the way, we passed Gas Can Guy again, this time sans cigarette, who felt the need to tell us "I bet you're having a better day than I am!" One could only assume that to be true.
The good guy (finally) wins!
We are all sorts of pleased right now because the good guys finally won The Amazing Race! BJ and Tyler were such a treat to watch. They always took a few minutes to simply enjoy their adventure and, more importantly, showed a lot of respect to everybody they came in contact with. Much more satisfying than the unjustified finale of Survivor on Sunday...
The Big Apple.
 Whoop, whoop! We're planning a week-long trip to NYC/Boston at the end of July. Plenty of time to visit Scott and Dave, eat yummy food, shoot lots of photos, catch a taping of Conan, and see Editors and Bloc Party (on separate nights). This is our year for rock-and-roll vacations apparently...
Blading again.
 Dare I say it? It might actually be getting warm and, more importantly, dry here! It's even supposed to be 85 degrees here today. Go figure. So, thankful for the warm and sunny weather, S and I spent the weekend rollerblading. Saturday, we circled Green Lake twice, followed by a lengthy skate along the beach yesterday. I have to say, it was the *most* enjoyable workout I've ever experienced. The only negative thing about it was that we did not spot our favorite beach dogs--a pair of Pomeranians who are often seen wearing matching jackets or sweaters. They're so dang cute. During the Olympics, they even donned little red, white, and blue vests. Aww.
Expressing ourselves through bumper stickers.
Today, I witnessed the strangest Calvin-peeing sticker on a car. No, he wasn't peeing on a Chevy logo. He wasn't even peeing on the number for some Nascar driver. It wasn't even the one where mischievous Calvin decides to straighten up and pray to the cross. This was the most bizarre, most abstract Calvin-peeing sticker yet. He was peeing on a word. The word, you ask? ADDICTION. That kooky Calvin. What will he think of next?
A note to homeowners.
A piece of advice to our homeowner friends: Once you have purchased, *never* go back to renting. Your landlord will harass you about the water and garbage bill even though you recycle everything possible. Spaghetti will come up in your sink and you alone will know that you don't even have spaghetti in the house. Your neighbors will stomp around loudly above you, unaware that wearing shoes on wood floors actually makes noise. Also, they will leave bags of litter critters for you on the front porch to come home to after a long day of work.
When we weren't resting...
         We were going to the market, going up the needle, eating, feeding the gulls, sitting at the beach, getting in a bus crash, going to a baseball game, making bracelets, shopping, brunching on a train, playing board games, having fun.
Buggering off.
 It's amazing how void and lonely it feels when our visitors leave. Each time, I am reminded that I am *not* cut out for goodbyes. When I told a friend in London (many years ago) about my hating goodbyes, he said that I needed to stop "buggering off" because I was coming and going so frequently. Each time I left those friends, the distance between us always left me heart broken. This whole experiment has really ripped open those same old wounds. Is it worth it? {Pic above: my sweet Grandma on the brunch train yesterday}
Chillin' on the beach with my fam.
 Enjoying time with my grandma, mom, and sister this week... Planning to post pics soon!
Our favorite things about Seattle (so far).
 In light of a recent post about Alki, and in celebration of my mother, grandmother, and sister arriving tonight (!), we want to share some of the best things we've discovered here in the past seven months. The weather has been generally crappy, but we've kept busy exploring the city and its many neighborhoods. We're saving Oregon and other parts of Washington for the impending dry season (which we hear may not actually start until June!). Until then, these are spots we enjoy on a regular basis: - Green Lake.
Lots of dogs, lots of people watching, Peet's for coffee, and good exercise too. - Alki Beach Park.
Our own neighborhood beach. Amazing views of the city and mountains. - Pike Place Market.
The birthplace of Starbucks. Also home to my favorite cheese shop, Beecher's. - Neumo's.
This is the Radio Radio of Seattle for us. Not as swank, but better shows... - The Seattle Public Library.
Hands down the coolest library I've seen... sort of looks like a pile of scrap from the exterior, but the interior reveals that it's truly an architectural marvel. - KEXP.
Not a physical place, but a definite spot on our radio dial. John Richards' Morning Show is a dream come true. And, no commercials! - Easy Street Records.
We love eating breakfast at our local record store. Yup, that's right... breakfast and CDs finally come together under the same roof. - Red Hook.
Seattle has many great microbreweries--Red Hook, Pyramid, Hale's, Mack and Jack's. Some offer amazing free tours (that include free beer!), as well. - Metropolitan Market.
With places like the Metropolitan Market, grocery shopping is almost tolerable. - Many amazing restaurants and dessert spots, too!
Agua Verde, Tutta Bella, Blue C Sushi, The Celtic Swell, Pies-n-Pints, Cupcake Royale, Bottega Italiana, Top Pot Doughnuts.
Muze.
I've come a long way from my University employment days just 8 months ago. Being part of the "real world" has been a learning experience for sure. The latest chapter is that my company, Loudeye, has been officially purchased. Fortunately no one here was laid off, and we are all now Muze employees! This is definitely a positive outcome, giving us some much-needed stability. Here's the writeup in the Seattle Times.
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