Merry Christmas to Everyone!!
....and by everyone I think I mean just me as I certainly don't expect anyone to be checking this 9 months after my last post. Needless to say I apparently feel victim to that nasty blog demon who prevents anyone from being consistent on their blogging for more than a year. I can hear the weeps and moans now...
But enough of that, I'm back in Georgia after a very interesting year and a half on the left coast. Never thought I'd be so happy to return, but then again I never thought I'd be so unhappy out in Seattle. Sure the weather, the lefties, the lack of sun, the absence of good food, overly politically correctness, (and did I mention the rain??) all led to a desperate need to return home, but the real meat in the sandwich is how much I missed my family and friends. I knew I'd miss them all, but I had no idea the extent at which I would do so!
So I'm so glad to be back in the South (although no promises to continue to be so happy come summertime) and maybe - just maybe - I'll add some good ole' South storytime items on this page in the future.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A quick debunking
....of Seattle weather, that is.
HOWEVER... the rainfall is LESS than it is in Atlanta (and yes, I'm sounding like my mom ;) ). It turns out it does in fact rain often around here...BUT the rain is entirely different than the "rain" I know. Back home rain is almost always in the form of thunderstorms, which, well .....they storm in and storm out. They can start at the drop of a hat and they can leave just as quickly... Fact is, thunderstorms are simply unheard of here - I have only heard thunder here ONCE. Seriously - just one roll. And that wasn't even until this last month. Vanessa said she once saw lightning here, but I'm still not convinced she didn't just blink too fast... It doesn't storm here at all! Which, surprisingly, is a little sad. I never imagined how much I would miss those days and never realized how much I enjoyed watching (and smelling - who knew?!?) a storm a brewin' sitting together in the garage... Oh to watch a storm roll in!!!
As for the rain here, we actually get less yearly rainfall than Atlanta. Really! But it does rain more often here, it's just that it's a VERY mild rain. Honestly it is probably better described as a mist or a drizzle...but it does rain often throughout the entire late fall to early spring, but definitely not every day. I understand the general perception (not to mention the marketing goldmine), yet living here is entirely different than what I had imagined. It is a mild nuisance, not a factor in my overall mood.
Clay might be a bit different - whether it's because he works and lives in the same exact room or because he just generally is more affected by natural light I don't know, but he was definitely the only one of us to comment on the direct sunlight.
As for the overall temperature of Seattle vs. Atlanta - it is MUCH more similar than I would have ever imagined.... In Atlanta the highs vs. lows tend to range about 20 degrees per day while in Seattle it is only 10. So the average temps are super close in nature throughout the year, but Georgia gets the extremes on each side of the average - in fact Atlanta saw a much colder winter than we did here. The only time the averages are much different is in the summer where Seattle averages a cool 85 degrees. Nice, eh?!?
Bottom line? Summers in Seattle ROCK - so much so that the locals LIVE for them......but late fall thru early spring are a little tougher. Definitely not unbearable, just a little annoying. Nothing a good pair of rain boots and a good raincoat (with a hood!) can't outdo!!!!
Miss you and love you all,
-e :)
Yes.
It rains.
HOWEVER... the rainfall is LESS than it is in Atlanta (and yes, I'm sounding like my mom ;) ). It turns out it does in fact rain often around here...BUT the rain is entirely different than the "rain" I know. Back home rain is almost always in the form of thunderstorms, which, well .....they storm in and storm out. They can start at the drop of a hat and they can leave just as quickly... Fact is, thunderstorms are simply unheard of here - I have only heard thunder here ONCE. Seriously - just one roll. And that wasn't even until this last month. Vanessa said she once saw lightning here, but I'm still not convinced she didn't just blink too fast... It doesn't storm here at all! Which, surprisingly, is a little sad. I never imagined how much I would miss those days and never realized how much I enjoyed watching (and smelling - who knew?!?) a storm a brewin' sitting together in the garage... Oh to watch a storm roll in!!!
As for the rain here, we actually get less yearly rainfall than Atlanta. Really! But it does rain more often here, it's just that it's a VERY mild rain. Honestly it is probably better described as a mist or a drizzle...but it does rain often throughout the entire late fall to early spring, but definitely not every day. I understand the general perception (not to mention the marketing goldmine), yet living here is entirely different than what I had imagined. It is a mild nuisance, not a factor in my overall mood.
Yes, I get annoyed a few times a month at my "chronic cold, wet thigh" (only I say that, never heard the locals name it as it's probably the same thing as "Tuesday" to them) and the constant wetness and dirt that gets sucked up the cuff of all of my jeans, but overall I have yet to feel a dismal, dark, cloudy feeling come over me during this past season or two...
Next we'll debunk the whole sunless Seattle myth. It's admittedly true that Seattle gets MUCH less sunshine than Hotlanta, but it isn't as "dark" as I would have expected a city without sun to be.... There are definitely more clouds (that are much lower in the sky) and if I make it a point to look up from time to time, I realize that the sun is, more often than not, hidden behind clouds. Sure, if I thought about it, I would realize that I haven't seen a cloudless sun in a few days, but quite frankly I don't notice. For me the allegedly gloom and doom that accompanies "the rainy season" just isn't there.
Clay might be a bit different - whether it's because he works and lives in the same exact room or because he just generally is more affected by natural light I don't know, but he was definitely the only one of us to comment on the direct sunlight.
As for the overall temperature of Seattle vs. Atlanta - it is MUCH more similar than I would have ever imagined.... In Atlanta the highs vs. lows tend to range about 20 degrees per day while in Seattle it is only 10. So the average temps are super close in nature throughout the year, but Georgia gets the extremes on each side of the average - in fact Atlanta saw a much colder winter than we did here. The only time the averages are much different is in the summer where Seattle averages a cool 85 degrees. Nice, eh?!?
Bottom line? Summers in Seattle ROCK - so much so that the locals LIVE for them......but late fall thru early spring are a little tougher. Definitely not unbearable, just a little annoying. Nothing a good pair of rain boots and a good raincoat (with a hood!) can't outdo!!!!
Miss you and love you all,
-e :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Patty's Day!!
May your pockets be heavy,
may your heart be light,
and may good luck pursue you each morning and night.
may your heart be light,
and may good luck pursue you each morning and night.
My friends are the best friends -
loyal, willing and able.
Now let’s get to drinking!
All glasses off the table!
Bricks and mortar make a house but the laughter of children makes a home.
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! :)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
SJI Day 2: praries, wildlife, and hail
So after getting a wonderfully comfy night's sleep in our B&B (weedless though it was), we packed up and went downstairs to a great breakfast (Mom - random shout out - it wasn't Cascadian Farms yogurt - it's Cascade Fresh - yummy AND gelatin-less!) and then we ventured out to explore the rest of the island by car.
First up: South Beach. MUCH different from the only other South Beach I've been to, it was surrounded with prairie land, dark sand, tons of rocks, and miles and miles of 
beautiful driftwood. We also saw lots of wildlife - several deer, a couple fox, and a few local hippies. One of the foxes was particularly entertaining as it was just as curious about us as we were him - he was also quite the poser - I swear he knew he was being photographed... The other cool sighting from this park is Canada - you can literally see Victoria, B.C. in the distance just across the water. How cool is that??After a nice walk on the beach (and Clay insisting I NOT take any d
riftwood. Punk.) we headed north for Lime Kiln Pt. Park - also known as Whale Watching Park. It was beautiful!! Although we didn't see any whales (the prime season for that is in the summer), I swear a saw a few porpoises even though Clay seems to think they were just waves... I definitely can't wait to go back during the high season to see the whales for sure! As we continued to meander down the trail, I was so intrigued by the trees (here are a few of my faves:
We then arrived at the little lighthouse as seen on the right: cute, eh?? After looking around the lighthouse, hovering around at each nook and cranny to try to spy a whale, and heading back up the trail, Lime Kiln Pt. was a thing of the past.... For now! :)Lastly we decided to drive up to Roache Harbor - this provided MUCH debate as I say "roach" while Clay continues to insist on the incorrect pronunciation "row-shh"....silly Clay. But the joke was on both of us as we drove up towards town and it was almost entirely shut down for the season.... And while the weird things abounded, it began hailing. That's right, not rain, not snow, but hail! We ventured out into the dippin' dots falling from the sky looking for a place to eat, but alas the off season got us again when all restaurants were closed.
Back to Friday Harbor we drove and found a delicious Mexican restaurant - still no queso (of course!), but super yummy rellenos and salsa. Perhaps in our honor, perhaps for the old guy sitting at the bar - this Mexican restaurant came equipped with Nascar blaring on every tv in the joint, but despite that oddity, the Mexican in the kitchen made it authentic and yummy!
Then lastly we hit the Whale Museum for some 
pretty cool looks at whale artifacts, skeletons, videos, etc. before heading back on the ferry. The 
sail back to the mainland was even more beautiful than the one on the way over - the sun was shining and it was such a gorgeous day! Here's the final pic of the post from that ride home:
All in all it was a great trip and you should all make it a point to come see for yourselves!! :)
Love,
-e :)
Monday, March 9, 2009
A San Juan Weekend...
Hola chicos and chicas!!
It starts with a drive 1.5 hours north of Seattle to a small town where the ferry comes and whisks you away on a beautiful 1.5 hour ferry ride to the islands (there are no bridges to the islands or in between them, so you can only get there by boat or plane). Our first stop was Orcas Island where we took a quick drive around the island in hopes of seeing the islands from the highest lookout tower which is on Orcas. Alas our weekend is foreshadowed upon a 25 minute drive that ended in a very small, yet very drive-ending sign that said "closed for the season". DOH! Ok, fine. We can continue on. If we hurry we can even catch the very next ferry and have virtually no time pass at all....
Alright Captain Jeeves - on to Friday Harbor! And make it quick! (but not toooo quick!!).
Clay and I had a WONDERFUL getaway weekend visiting the nearby San Juan islands. I'm not gonna lie to you - things started off a little rocky - but the weekend was redeemed without a doubt.
It starts with a drive 1.5 hours north of Seattle to a small town where the ferry comes and whisks you away on a beautiful 1.5 hour ferry ride to the islands (there are no bridges to the islands or in between them, so you can only get there by boat or plane). Our first stop was Orcas Island where we took a quick drive around the island in hopes of seeing the islands from the highest lookout tower which is on Orcas. Alas our weekend is foreshadowed upon a 25 minute drive that ended in a very small, yet very drive-ending sign that said "closed for the season". DOH! Ok, fine. We can continue on. If we hurry we can even catch the very next ferry and have virtually no time pass at all....So quickly Clay drives back around the mountain up around the horseshoe-shaped island so quickly that I start to get one of my typical road-trip-induced, sun-shining-rapidly-in-and-out-of-trees, whiplash around the rural, mountain switchbacks until we arrive (early) to catch the next ferry. Whew. We made it. We saw the 'downtown' of the tiny island, we drove through the state park, know where to go when the observation tower opens up, and found a quaint little campground equipped with paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, fire pits, and cute bath houses...
Alright Captain Jeeves - on to Friday Harbor! And make it quick! (but not toooo quick!!).
A short yet scenic trip from Orcas got us to Friday Harbor where excitement turned into a moment of panic as we pulled into the dock... Anyone notice anything wrong with this pic? T
his is the Clay (in uniform, of course!) standing next to the freshcape and the dock is right behind him..... Ok did we get into the wrong lane? Are we actually in line to go to another island?? Because I KNOW they don't expect us to BACK OUT of the ferry!?!? Our fear grew with each inch we got closer to the dock convincing us that the ferry wasn't going to turn around... Uh oh - we see some cars pointed the other direction. We need to be in THAT lane! Uhhhhh we're Southerners - we don't have none of them ferry things down there! HELP! So Clay got the nerve to ask one of the many ferry employees standing around waiting to secure us and they chuckled a little at the silly Georgians and assured us we would all turn around inside the ferry. Phew! Yeah...we knew that all along...we're just testing you.......
his is the Clay (in uniform, of course!) standing next to the freshcape and the dock is right behind him..... Ok did we get into the wrong lane? Are we actually in line to go to another island?? Because I KNOW they don't expect us to BACK OUT of the ferry!?!? Our fear grew with each inch we got closer to the dock convincing us that the ferry wasn't going to turn around... Uh oh - we see some cars pointed the other direction. We need to be in THAT lane! Uhhhhh we're Southerners - we don't have none of them ferry things down there! HELP! So Clay got the nerve to ask one of the many ferry employees standing around waiting to secure us and they chuckled a little at the silly Georgians and assured us we would all turn around inside the ferry. Phew! Yeah...we knew that all along...we're just testing you.......So we venture up onto the island and are immediately greeted with an adorable little town with lots of restaurants, shops, and bed and breakfasts. I (of course) had done plenty of shopping around online and found the cutest B&B to stay at with the best deal and I was even more impressed in person!! Neither of us have stayed in a B&B before but we decided to finally brave 
the lack of anonymity that a large hotel provides and even choose a room (the cheapest of course) that had a shared bathroom down the hall. Gutsy, eh?? Well when we got there the owners gave us a free upgrade since it was so empty and we got a larger room w/our own bathroom (score!). All of the rooms that weren't filled (95% of them) were left open so we dropped of our stuff and ventured through the 3 floors of rooms peeking into each (they were all adorable!!!) and we even checked out the 2 shared bathrooms (all very roomy and clean and nice). We also looked at the cute sitting areas scattered throughout, the business center and tiny library for anyone to use, and the several shared decks - I'm in love with this place! So check it out if you're ever on San Juan Island: Bird Rock Hotel.
the lack of anonymity that a large hotel provides and even choose a room (the cheapest of course) that had a shared bathroom down the hall. Gutsy, eh?? Well when we got there the owners gave us a free upgrade since it was so empty and we got a larger room w/our own bathroom (score!). All of the rooms that weren't filled (95% of them) were left open so we dropped of our stuff and ventured through the 3 floors of rooms peeking into each (they were all adorable!!!) and we even checked out the 2 shared bathrooms (all very roomy and clean and nice). We also looked at the cute sitting areas scattered throughout, the business center and tiny library for anyone to use, and the several shared decks - I'm in love with this place! So check it out if you're ever on San Juan Island: Bird Rock Hotel.Ok so what to do now? Well eat or shop? Eat it is. A few recommendations from the owners and we were off for a great dinner followed by drinks at a bar where we were entertained by the locals and had a Washington first. I can't believe it took almost a year for it to happen, but it did. In all of it's glory. One of the locals was being super friendly and talkative - ok a bit TOO talkative. I should have picked up on that when he showed us his certified marijuana patient card, his certified marijuana growers card, and his Oregon NORML card (all laminated of course) - but this peach is a bit too naive I guess. After not picking up on the hints he became more direct - I told him no, I don't do that, and he asked a few more times and then finally said "I've got a pound in my car right now!". Uh, no thanks man! Shortly there after we dashed out just in time as he spilled his 6th tequila shot on the bar. Once we had escaped and were safely out of sight, Clay said "I got some weird vibes from that guy". "Nah," I say "he was just trying to sell us weed." Ahhhhh - I guess we're officially Washingtonians now, eh?
Ok our next day will be a new post.... I gotta go find a guy.......... Just kidding!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Flying High in Seattle
So Clay and I finally went to the Boeing Museum of Flight which is just 10 mins from our place - I loved it even more this time than I did 8 years ago - definitely one of my favorite museums ever! We only had 4 hours there and I swear we could spend another 4 we
eks there exploring everything. The normally $14 admission is cut to $3 with my MSFT card and I can't wait to go back with everyone who visits!
eks there exploring everything. The normally $14 admission is cut to $3 with my MSFT card and I can't wait to go back with everyone who visits!Probably my fave exhibit is the huge 6-story gallery with planes galore, each with their own stories (pictured to the left). This huge room is right next to the space exploration exhibit and right below the tower exhibit which teaches of air traffic control, dispatchers, the phonetic alphabet, etc. However, one of my favorite memories from my first trip was of walking through an old Air Force One so I had to show Clay that plane (w
hich has moved across the street and now also has a Concorde to walk through and the very first 737 and 747 ever made). That's the 747 to the right - notice the small blur of khaki and red underneath the plane - that's Clay standing under the plane to show you how huge it is!! I was disappointed that the 747 didn't have an internal tour as I've always wanted to see a double-decker plane with the spiral staircase, but the Concorde and the AF One didn't disappoint... Did you know that the AF One has a doggie door for the president's office on board and the Concorde literally grows 6-10 inches while in air due to heat?!?! How crazy is that?!? It could cross the atlantic in just under 3 hours and many rock stars used it to quickly get from country to country for shows. Rough life, eh?? Too bad they're all grounded now due mostly to the one accident in France in 2002 and the manufacturers are now more interested in fuel efficiency than speed.... Oh well - another part of history now I suppose.
hich has moved across the street and now also has a Concorde to walk through and the very first 737 and 747 ever made). That's the 747 to the right - notice the small blur of khaki and red underneath the plane - that's Clay standing under the plane to show you how huge it is!! I was disappointed that the 747 didn't have an internal tour as I've always wanted to see a double-decker plane with the spiral staircase, but the Concorde and the AF One didn't disappoint... Did you know that the AF One has a doggie door for the president's office on board and the Concorde literally grows 6-10 inches while in air due to heat?!?! How crazy is that?!? It could cross the atlantic in just under 3 hours and many rock stars used it to quickly get from country to country for shows. Rough life, eh?? Too bad they're all grounded now due mostly to the one accident in France in 2002 and the manufacturers are now more interested in fuel efficiency than speed.... Oh well - another part of history now I suppose.Speaking of history the last exhibit we looked at (which I think is al
so new?) is a history of WWI and WWII pilots and aviation - what an eye opener. There were stories, pictures, and planes from both wars and each had their own personal account and/or artifacts which were all so moving. The model of a trench and the stories of hours spent down in them and the lives lost were particularly frightening. I can't even imagine what our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers went through to protect our freedom. Thanks again guys from the bottom of my heart.
so new?) is a history of WWI and WWII pilots and aviation - what an eye opener. There were stories, pictures, and planes from both wars and each had their own personal account and/or artifacts which were all so moving. The model of a trench and the stories of hours spent down in them and the lives lost were particularly frightening. I can't even imagine what our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers went through to protect our freedom. Thanks again guys from the bottom of my heart.
All in all it was a super day and a super trip down aviation's memory lane - I'm just looking forward to going back with each of you, and in particular to return with mom and dad so Clay can hear all of their personal stories and insider knowledge to add to the exhibits! :)
-e :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
So many photos, so little blog!
Ok seriously behind, I know! So what's been going on in the great Pacific Northwest you ask? Lots!
First of all we had another visitor last week! My mom came to see the flower show (well and us of course!) last Tuesday and stayed for a week - it was great to see her! Not only did she coo
k us food, but she walked Clay (you see I'm tired at the end of my day and I walk to and from the bus each day so I'm ready to crash on the couch and escape into some tv - while Clay has been sitting on the couch watching tv (ok, and working too) and is ready to go out and do some walking when I get home), chipped in on some AMAZING vinegars for us at Pike Place Market, ventured throughout the Seattle neighborhoods with us, and even joined us on our weekly Library/Rock Bottom Brewery Sunday walk.
k us food, but she walked Clay (you see I'm tired at the end of my day and I walk to and from the bus each day so I'm ready to crash on the couch and escape into some tv - while Clay has been sitting on the couch watching tv (ok, and working too) and is ready to go out and do some walking when I get home), chipped in on some AMAZING vinegars for us at Pike Place Market, ventured throughout the Seattle neighborhoods with us, and even joined us on our weekly Library/Rock Bottom Brewery Sunday walk. 
Our weekend was then filled with a drive around the different Seattle neighborhoods. So the first picture above is from Alki, which is the West Seattle Beach that has amazing views of the Seattle skyline, a tiny bit of beach, and several local restaurants and shops. The other two are taken from Gas Works Park (aka the park where the naked cyclist parade ends). We got to the park just in time to watch the sun go down - I'm sure my mom has some great pics, but at this point our camera pales in 
comparison to hers, so I'll have to wait for her to send us the pics from our next stop: Kerry Park (home of the view used on Frasier for the view from his condo).
On Sunday we got to walk around downtown and cap it all off with some Fire Chief Ale at Rock Bottom - how perfect is that??
comparison to hers, so I'll have to wait for her to send us the pics from our next stop: Kerry Park (home of the view used on Frasier for the view from his condo).On Sunday we got to walk around downtown and cap it all off with some Fire Chief Ale at Rock Bottom - how perfect is that??
On Monday she sadly departed for Atlanta, but she promises to be back in April :)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
I simply cannot stop smiling
...and for that I'm sure to be sent on an express bus to hell, but can you bear with me while I gloat a little? I promise I know how tough the economy is - and I know all too well the complications that come with these times - and I know I'll get hit by karma in the end....but golly gosh darnit there is just no wiping this enormous grin from my face!!!!!!!
So what on earth could send this peach into such utter enjoyment??? Well the demise of my enemies of course! More specifically - Shaftrust. During my tenure there the stock climed to a high of $90 (I take full credit of course), and after I left the stock dropped 67% down to $30. Quickly visions of greedy execs who insisted on options danced in my head, and I had a mini-gloat.
Well kids I just took a peek and the news is even better. CLEARLY the Wall Street analyst shave now been officially alerted of my departure, because guess where it stands now?!?!?!?
That's right - you read that right - not ninety, not even nineteen, a mere NINE DOLLARS folks.
I know I'm awful, I'm a horrible, horrible person, but gosh darnit I can't stop smiling!! Mulleted man hands devil woman is going down! This is what happens when you treat Erika poorly people! It's like the day arsehole Tony jacka$$ was fired from Hewitt....revenge is so sweet!!!
Now to my friends still stuck there I promise this isn't directed at you, for I wish you only riches, and you are all underappreciated, under-rewarded peeps and they are too greedy and ungrateful to include you in their exec plans anyways (jerks!). I am still thinking of your 401k matches, but you all have plenty of time for those to bounce back! Join me in thoroughly enjoying the greedy old men who get all the $$ - guess they'll have to sell a couple cars, cut back on their house miads and landscapers.
Now for my song of the day: The_allamerican_rejects_gives_you_hell blast it and grin and smirk and rejoice with me!!!
ps-yes I'm a bitch for this posting, please forgive me - I promise I'll start to feel guilty and regret it......later.
So what on earth could send this peach into such utter enjoyment??? Well the demise of my enemies of course! More specifically - Shaftrust. During my tenure there the stock climed to a high of $90 (I take full credit of course), and after I left the stock dropped 67% down to $30. Quickly visions of greedy execs who insisted on options danced in my head, and I had a mini-gloat.
Well kids I just took a peek and the news is even better. CLEARLY the Wall Street analyst shave now been officially alerted of my departure, because guess where it stands now?!?!?!?
$9.
That's right - you read that right - not ninety, not even nineteen, a mere NINE DOLLARS folks.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I know I'm awful, I'm a horrible, horrible person, but gosh darnit I can't stop smiling!! Mulleted man hands devil woman is going down! This is what happens when you treat Erika poorly people! It's like the day arsehole Tony jacka$$ was fired from Hewitt....revenge is so sweet!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Now to my friends still stuck there I promise this isn't directed at you, for I wish you only riches, and you are all underappreciated, under-rewarded peeps and they are too greedy and ungrateful to include you in their exec plans anyways (jerks!). I am still thinking of your 401k matches, but you all have plenty of time for those to bounce back! Join me in thoroughly enjoying the greedy old men who get all the $$ - guess they'll have to sell a couple cars, cut back on their house miads and landscapers.
Hey boys - I hear McDonalds is hiring.
Now for my song of the day: The_allamerican_rejects_gives_you_hell blast it and grin and smirk and rejoice with me!!!
ps-yes I'm a bitch for this posting, please forgive me - I promise I'll start to feel guilty and regret it......later.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sight Seeing Saturdays
So lately Clay and I have been trying to visit the many points of interest around Seattle music - 
not only are we huge music lovers in general, but the grunge movement and the guitarists who got their start here are nothing short of amazing!!
Not too many years ago Paul Allen opened his "Experience Music Project" (EMP), but visiting there several years ago, I was severely disappointed and am not in any hurry to return to the blatant (not to mention boring) showoff of his music collection. So instead, we were left to venture the random sights and memorials on our own....
Enter first Mr. Jimi Hendrix, a guitar hero for Clay for sure. Hendrix died at the very early age of 29, choking on his own porcelain god impurities at
the time his father lived in good ole' Renton, WA (similar to Tyrone, GA in both proximity to big city and in redneckedness). He was first buried somewhere else, but when his dad realized that fans wanted a place to come visit him (and when the checks were cashed, I'm sure), he wanted to give Jimi the proper burial place he deserved. Thus the memorial to the right - it was quite impressive. Carvings of his lyrics in his own handwriting, his signature, his pictures, and one or two dozen plots circling the memorial for his family to join him in the future. It was beautiful.
Then to complete the Hendrix experience, we heard there was a Jimi Hendrix statue in Capital Hill (aka the Midtown Atlanta of Seattle) we needed to see. And so to Cap Hill we drove.... We got to Broadway and Pine (the intersection of the statue) and looked and looked - drove around it twice and finally got out to try to find this statue... Surely it's actually a model of Hendrix himself and not some abstract art that we saw from the street??? So we look, we venture close to the art at Seattle Community College (located at the same intersection), but no Jimi.
He seriously couldn't have blended in more, couldn't have been more random! I guess the only thing that made sense in this busy intersection was that it happened to be in front of a music store - I guess that was the big connection?? A monument in and of itself, Clay and I had to walk into this store - surely one of the last remaining brick and mortar music stands left in the country.(!) It was ok. I guess. It was no Zune marketplace ;) But alas, our Hendrix experience has been completed. Check!
Next on to my personal fave - Mr. Kurt Cobain. The lead singer of Nirvana, he was a leader of our generation and a genius sadly too sick for this world. Unfortunately his crazy wife won't bury his remains or even tell where she scattered ashes, so the only remnants of his last days remains at his house where he took his life (unless you believe al
l of the conspirators who say that he was actually murdered and his suicide note was nothing more than a brain dump and a letter to simply leave his wife). The neighborhood was much different than I would have ever imagined - extremely quiet and conservative feeling, the address wasn't even posted anywhere... Of course I'd done my research so I'm confident we found the right house - I wonder who lives there now - but for sure it is inhabited by someone who doesn't want any visitors or spectators... Not shy, I still took pics and still walked up close - he was a hero of mine, dangit! I deserve to feel a part of his life. Thus the pic above :)
So our musical tour ends here, a reminder of the great Seattle musical influences of the past - if only such brilliance would spring up here again.... Well short of me and Clay of course! ;)
So happy musical times everyone - go put on your favorite album and enjoy the healing power of some kick-arse music!!
not only are we huge music lovers in general, but the grunge movement and the guitarists who got their start here are nothing short of amazing!!Not too many years ago Paul Allen opened his "Experience Music Project" (EMP), but visiting there several years ago, I was severely disappointed and am not in any hurry to return to the blatant (not to mention boring) showoff of his music collection. So instead, we were left to venture the random sights and memorials on our own....
Enter first Mr. Jimi Hendrix, a guitar hero for Clay for sure. Hendrix died at the very early age of 29, choking on his own porcelain god impurities at
the time his father lived in good ole' Renton, WA (similar to Tyrone, GA in both proximity to big city and in redneckedness). He was first buried somewhere else, but when his dad realized that fans wanted a place to come visit him (and when the checks were cashed, I'm sure), he wanted to give Jimi the proper burial place he deserved. Thus the memorial to the right - it was quite impressive. Carvings of his lyrics in his own handwriting, his signature, his pictures, and one or two dozen plots circling the memorial for his family to join him in the future. It was beautiful.If only Steph had such a monument that she deserves....
Then to complete the Hendrix experience, we heard there was a Jimi Hendrix statue in Capital Hill (aka the Midtown Atlanta of Seattle) we needed to see. And so to Cap Hill we drove.... We got to Broadway and Pine (the intersection of the statue) and looked and looked - drove around it twice and finally got out to try to find this statue... Surely it's actually a model of Hendrix himself and not some abstract art that we saw from the street??? So we look, we venture close to the art at Seattle Community College (located at the same intersection), but no Jimi.
Surely it would be obvious?!?
FINALLY.
He seriously couldn't have blended in more, couldn't have been more random! I guess the only thing that made sense in this busy intersection was that it happened to be in front of a music store - I guess that was the big connection?? A monument in and of itself, Clay and I had to walk into this store - surely one of the last remaining brick and mortar music stands left in the country.(!) It was ok. I guess. It was no Zune marketplace ;) But alas, our Hendrix experience has been completed. Check!
Next on to my personal fave - Mr. Kurt Cobain. The lead singer of Nirvana, he was a leader of our generation and a genius sadly too sick for this world. Unfortunately his crazy wife won't bury his remains or even tell where she scattered ashes, so the only remnants of his last days remains at his house where he took his life (unless you believe al
l of the conspirators who say that he was actually murdered and his suicide note was nothing more than a brain dump and a letter to simply leave his wife). The neighborhood was much different than I would have ever imagined - extremely quiet and conservative feeling, the address wasn't even posted anywhere... Of course I'd done my research so I'm confident we found the right house - I wonder who lives there now - but for sure it is inhabited by someone who doesn't want any visitors or spectators... Not shy, I still took pics and still walked up close - he was a hero of mine, dangit! I deserve to feel a part of his life. Thus the pic above :)So our musical tour ends here, a reminder of the great Seattle musical influences of the past - if only such brilliance would spring up here again.... Well short of me and Clay of course! ;)
So happy musical times everyone - go put on your favorite album and enjoy the healing power of some kick-arse music!!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Fog, Flurries, and Furries
Hi peeps,
So as Ginny so wonderfully reminded me, it's time to get back to my touristy roots and show you what's happenin' in good ole' Seattle. Thus, I bring you: fog, flurries, and furries.
Not sure if I've mentioned it on here or not yet, but gosh darn if this city doesn't remind me of San Francisco every time I turn around. Now I don't think I've ever been to San Fran (or at least I don't remember), but trust me when I say I've watched enough "Party of 5" and "Full House" to truly know San Fran - I'm practically a resident. That said, (ah!!! visions of man hands and mullets and old ST comp team attack), this city is borderline stalker copycat quickly approaching restraining order level... I had no idea when I moved here what a hilly city this was, how windy it would be, and how friggin foggy it would get! Don't get me wrong, the good parts of SF are here as well like the obvious waterfront (for which every day I try not to take for granted the fact that I like 3 blocks from the water and see it everyday on my walk to and from the bus stop, the grocery store, or the local sports bar), the local fish (and produce!) markets, the coffee shops (I recently heard that you aren't a true Seattlite unless you can thread an automatic sewing machine needle by hand), and there is even the recent addition of a new street car (funny story - they knew that they wanted to name it "... Transit" like the other public transportation vessels, and it's in the area that's south of Lake Union. Wasn't until after they had their grand opening and cut the ribbon that they realized "South Lake Union Transit" had an awful acronym prompting many
entrepreneurial types to sell the now famous "Ride the S.L.U.T." t-shirts.....) but I digress. Point being this is one hilly, windy, foggy city. It was pretty cool the other day when a co-worker said "you know I saw on the news this morning that the only part of the needle you could see was the very top - it was completely foggy up until that point" and I was able to reply "yeah, I saw that!"....from my living room!!!
But on to the flurries.... I keep hearing "this is so unusual for Seattle!", but I'm 99% positive those people are smoking crack. Ever since I moved here people say things like "oh it's not usually this cold", "this is so weird for Seattle", and "this is definitely a weird year", but I seriously call B.S. Seattle. Upon probing in the slightest, one finds that this "unusual", "rare" weather and snow has now been happening for at least 3 years...folks, this isn't unusual anymore! I'm not sure who thinks that global warming is happening, but it sure
as heck ain't happenin' up here! Thus the flurries. Not that I mind them at all - in fact I quite like them, I just wish the locals would quite being so darn surprised. It's basically like people in Atlanta saying "what??? pollen???? this is sooo weird.", "it's not normally this hot and humid", or "sorry newbie, I can't figure out why we keep seeing mosquitoes - these are definitely not the norm!". Needless to say it doesn't usually stick (truthfully), but it has been flurrying a bit lately. Kinda picturesque while walking around downtown (which we love to do and do a lot!) to tell you the truth.
Crap this is getting long - wind it down, 'Ka.
So lastly for the furries... In our continual quest to experience Seattle to it's fullest, we recently ventured to a Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey game. Pretty cool, eh?? I mean we've definitely enjoyed the Atlanta Thrashers before and when we heard that Seattle had a hockey team that just opened a new venue south of Seattle we were stoked to go! So what if they're minor league, we thought...hockey is hockey and surely they know hockey even better up north! I mean we're only 2 hours away from Canada, eh!
...and so we ventured last Saturday night. We drove, and drove...and drove some more. Finally!
Kent, Washington (how do you like that, Sandi?!?). Ok - looks like the suburbs....looks like pretty far away...but hey, I've been to friggin Gwinnett Arena (hard to admit but it was FOO for crying out loud!), so the Kent ShoWare Center can't be that far behind. We get there just about an hour before game time - too late to walk to the nearby "downtown Kent" for food, but apparently also too early for the doors to be open. So we wait with all of the other fans for them to open the doors and think that surely there is plenty of vendors inside for some yummy food. We wait and wait - ahha! They're opening!
Enter the furries.
So as Ginny so wonderfully reminded me, it's time to get back to my touristy roots and show you what's happenin' in good ole' Seattle. Thus, I bring you: fog, flurries, and furries.
Not sure if I've mentioned it on here or not yet, but gosh darn if this city doesn't remind me of San Francisco every time I turn around. Now I don't think I've ever been to San Fran (or at least I don't remember), but trust me when I say I've watched enough "Party of 5" and "Full House" to truly know San Fran - I'm practically a resident. That said, (ah!!! visions of man hands and mullets and old ST comp team attack), this city is borderline stalker copycat quickly approaching restraining order level... I had no idea when I moved here what a hilly city this was, how windy it would be, and how friggin foggy it would get! Don't get me wrong, the good parts of SF are here as well like the obvious waterfront (for which every day I try not to take for granted the fact that I like 3 blocks from the water and see it everyday on my walk to and from the bus stop, the grocery store, or the local sports bar), the local fish (and produce!) markets, the coffee shops (I recently heard that you aren't a true Seattlite unless you can thread an automatic sewing machine needle by hand), and there is even the recent addition of a new street car (funny story - they knew that they wanted to name it "... Transit" like the other public transportation vessels, and it's in the area that's south of Lake Union. Wasn't until after they had their grand opening and cut the ribbon that they realized "South Lake Union Transit" had an awful acronym prompting many
entrepreneurial types to sell the now famous "Ride the S.L.U.T." t-shirts.....) but I digress. Point being this is one hilly, windy, foggy city. It was pretty cool the other day when a co-worker said "you know I saw on the news this morning that the only part of the needle you could see was the very top - it was completely foggy up until that point" and I was able to reply "yeah, I saw that!"....from my living room!!!But on to the flurries.... I keep hearing "this is so unusual for Seattle!", but I'm 99% positive those people are smoking crack. Ever since I moved here people say things like "oh it's not usually this cold", "this is so weird for Seattle", and "this is definitely a weird year", but I seriously call B.S. Seattle. Upon probing in the slightest, one finds that this "unusual", "rare" weather and snow has now been happening for at least 3 years...folks, this isn't unusual anymore! I'm not sure who thinks that global warming is happening, but it sure
as heck ain't happenin' up here! Thus the flurries. Not that I mind them at all - in fact I quite like them, I just wish the locals would quite being so darn surprised. It's basically like people in Atlanta saying "what??? pollen???? this is sooo weird.", "it's not normally this hot and humid", or "sorry newbie, I can't figure out why we keep seeing mosquitoes - these are definitely not the norm!". Needless to say it doesn't usually stick (truthfully), but it has been flurrying a bit lately. Kinda picturesque while walking around downtown (which we love to do and do a lot!) to tell you the truth.Crap this is getting long - wind it down, 'Ka.
So lastly for the furries... In our continual quest to experience Seattle to it's fullest, we recently ventured to a Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey game. Pretty cool, eh?? I mean we've definitely enjoyed the Atlanta Thrashers before and when we heard that Seattle had a hockey team that just opened a new venue south of Seattle we were stoked to go! So what if they're minor league, we thought...hockey is hockey and surely they know hockey even better up north! I mean we're only 2 hours away from Canada, eh!
...and so we ventured last Saturday night. We drove, and drove...and drove some more. Finally!
Kent, Washington (how do you like that, Sandi?!?). Ok - looks like the suburbs....looks like pretty far away...but hey, I've been to friggin Gwinnett Arena (hard to admit but it was FOO for crying out loud!), so the Kent ShoWare Center can't be that far behind. We get there just about an hour before game time - too late to walk to the nearby "downtown Kent" for food, but apparently also too early for the doors to be open. So we wait with all of the other fans for them to open the doors and think that surely there is plenty of vendors inside for some yummy food. We wait and wait - ahha! They're opening!Enter the furries.
.....and the kids
......and the kids and the furries and the kids.
EVERYWHERE! 
Surprise, surprise, I've heard it's not "usual"... but I think I've made my point about how much I trust the locals and their sense of "norms". And just so you know - the pic above only shows maybe one third of them (ew - what's with the furrie convention?!?!). The arena was small so all seats are good - heck, we even saw a Seattle team win (finally) - but I think the long drive to the burbs, the lack of any good venue food, and last but MOST important, I think the attack of the furries was enough to scare us away for at least a little while!
Nonetheless, if anyone visits and wants to see a minor league hockey game we'd be happy to take you.... We just might not join you inside the venue ;)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
MS Layoffs
Just in case any of you are listening to all of the MS news.... They have announced 5,000 job cuts, 1,400 which will happen today and they have also emphasized that HR will definitely be hit.... but still no more details than that.
I'll keep you posted in between panic attacks.
I'll keep you posted in between panic attacks.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A last minute steal!!!!
Super late notice, but if there's anyone who's interested, the direct flight from ATL -> Seattle this Saturday-Mon or Tues is only $218!!!!
ORRRR - fly out of B'ham anytime by 5/31 and pay only $174!!!!
Hurry up and book - come one, come all!!!! :D
ps-should I stop dreaming now?? ;)
ORRRR - fly out of B'ham anytime by 5/31 and pay only $174!!!!
Hurry up and book - come one, come all!!!! :D
ps-should I stop dreaming now?? ;)
I owe you all a HUGE....
...apology.
For some random reason I started looking back through my blog today (ok perhaps not that random, but more on that later). Looking at my current front page entries I quickly became quite disappointed in the quality of my recent entries. I feel I have let you down, and for that, I apologize.
This revelation led me to take a trip down memory lane to determine if my talent has drastically decreased or if it was never there to begin with....
Although I haven't made a final decision yet, the good news is that I'm happy to report an immediate return to original blog Erika. Not only do I pledge to more frequent entries, but I also hereby vow to return to the brilliantly witty Erika of my beginnings. (HA! I kid, people! Well not about returning to my witty southern roots, but about the brilliance of said entries...)
But.........now that I've said what I promise to do for you, I ask you one favor in return. Only one, I promise. From here on out, you all must SWEAR to me that you won't let me go limp again. Promise?? Deal? Deal.
Call uncle, call boring, call me absent, call me Judy - just promise not to call me sufficient.
Love and miss you all,
-your rededicated e :)
For some random reason I started looking back through my blog today (ok perhaps not that random, but more on that later). Looking at my current front page entries I quickly became quite disappointed in the quality of my recent entries. I feel I have let you down, and for that, I apologize.
This revelation led me to take a trip down memory lane to determine if my talent has drastically decreased or if it was never there to begin with....
Although I haven't made a final decision yet, the good news is that I'm happy to report an immediate return to original blog Erika. Not only do I pledge to more frequent entries, but I also hereby vow to return to the brilliantly witty Erika of my beginnings. (HA! I kid, people! Well not about returning to my witty southern roots, but about the brilliance of said entries...)
This politically correct NW has sucked the fun out of my bones and I vow to stuff all the fun back in dagnabit!
Ok?? Ok. Ok!
But.........now that I've said what I promise to do for you, I ask you one favor in return. Only one, I promise. From here on out, you all must SWEAR to me that you won't let me go limp again. Promise?? Deal? Deal.
Call uncle, call boring, call me absent, call me Judy - just promise not to call me sufficient.
Phew!
Thanks. :D
Thanks. :D
Love and miss you all,
-your rededicated e :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Microspotting
So it's been at least a whole week since I preached the gospel that is my employer which must mean it's about time to hit you guys up with another session...
One of the first people I met at orientation was a guy I sat next to named Tom (who happens to have been born and raised in Atlanta - bonus!) and when we were talking about what we were hired to do here at MS, he said he writes games and was going into the Entertainment and Devices group. Perfectly normal, right? Yeah...except he doesn't know anything about programming. Huh? Turns out he's really a drama/film major - a pen and paper type-writer hired to write the stories, dialog, etc. for games. How cool is that??
Since then I've learned there are a lot of different jobs at Microsoft that I wouldn't have thought of before coming here (it was super weird seeing an apple laptop on my MS bus until I realized we have people here who work on MS products built for macs...). Well another super cool job is this girl named Ariel - she is a journalist hired by MS to write about what it's really like to work here.
It's a very entertaining blog and it gives you a glimpse of all the different type of people who work here - some of them the typical geeks you'd think of - and some of them you'd never in a million years think would work at "the evil empire"...
So take a look and you'll get to see the type of people I get to work with! :) http://www.microspotting.com/
-e :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
SERIOUSLY - your dance card can't be THAT full....
So the verdict is in.
The 9 (+)! month trial period is over, and I'm ready to state my opinion. I know this is a national matter and I know this might have adverse reactions, but it's high time the truth be told! I'm ready to stand up for the truth.
Washingtonians are frozed.
That's right.
Not a typo.
Not frozen,
not freezing,
not chilling,
but officially froze-ed.
(Yes, if you move cross country, you officially have license to make up words. See: G-dub's "strategory" or Jake's "vee-cation" and "bah-ronco" (I know a bit of a technicality here since technically he moved to Alaska far after he invented those words...but call it foresight and succumb to it like I have - trust me, you'll like it.)).
At any rate................... A girl moves cross-country, a girl has NO ONE local to the city, she TRIES to invite others to do things, but to no avail.
I heard from a senior coworker when I first moved here that it takes "AT LEAST 1 year" to meet people....and I have been trying to remind myself of that mantra ever since. Still doesn't make it any easier to invite others all to no avail.
Thank goodness for Clay, Vanessa, Bill, and Joe. Were it not for them I would be packing my bags immediately - but instead I will just whine on my blog and long for the days of yore...the days of southern hospitality.... of friendly families with arms wide open, a genuine concern and caring for new-in-town folk - and even - dare I say it...for non-locals!
Damn yanks!
Damn hippies!
Damn hipkies!
(if you don't get that word, please see 1st paragraph for explanation...)
I don't know if it's the mason-dixon line run west, the higher altitude and longitude, the lack of fried food and waffle houses and chic-fil-a's, or simply because all the people in this city were born and raised here and brain washed into staying and never leaving and therefore already have their dance cards full...but hello people!
Southerners ROCK!!
And despite our clever wit and well-placed sarcasm, we are not evil. I promise to not even expose you to a rebel flag or a potentially-almost-slightly-politically-even-questionable statement.
Weesh!!
I am seriously missing my like-minded sisterhood of the south. I miss my GRITS (girls raised in the south, of course - never was a fan of the food) and I miss my fried green tomatoes.
Ok................thanks for letting me vent - I feel much better :)
Now close your browser and go invite a newcomer to town for dinner or a local tour - ok?!?!?
ps....hmmmmmm.....maybe it's because people just don't like us?!?
pps...............NAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ;)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
DOH! A second pause and a few links....
I know, I know.....It's been a few weeks and I have yet to blog about ATL - so sorry! It's just so many pics, so many memories and field trips, it's all just too overwhelming!
BUT in the meantime (AGAIN), I'm just so thrilled at my thriftiness I just HAD to share (and I promise this isn't even about MS or the usual Amazon, just another random purchase site that I love (piperlime.com) and all of its sister-sites (old navy, gap, and banana).... but you see not only have I convinced Clay to check out the local Goodwill for recent purchases, well, my mom taught me well. She taught me all about rain checks on a sale day and price adjustments after the sale day. But did you know you can get them even when you order online?!? Neither did I, but I tried it randomly yesterday and sure enough IT WORKED!! I ordered a few shoes off said site and then I get the awful "you know that shoe you bought?!?! it's now $20 cheaper!!" email, and so I dug and dug...and there I found it! 14 days later and I can get a credit for the price difference right back on my credit card! Go me!
Cool, eh?!?!? Ok, well I thought so. But I digress....
The other link I wanted to send is a link to a bunch of pics I've posted online lately... I know most of you are already on facebook and can therefore ignore this message, but for those of you who have avoided the devil-book (and are therefore still happy with your lives as they are and not sitting around seeing how great your old classmates can make themselves appear online), check this out if you'd like to see some pics from Atlanta and a few other recent trips: here, here, and here :)
Love and miss you all like always!!!!
E :D
Wow - do I sound like a wimp or what?? ;)
BUT in the meantime (AGAIN), I'm just so thrilled at my thriftiness I just HAD to share (and I promise this isn't even about MS or the usual Amazon, just another random purchase site that I love (piperlime.com) and all of its sister-sites (old navy, gap, and banana).... but you see not only have I convinced Clay to check out the local Goodwill for recent purchases, well, my mom taught me well. She taught me all about rain checks on a sale day and price adjustments after the sale day. But did you know you can get them even when you order online?!? Neither did I, but I tried it randomly yesterday and sure enough IT WORKED!! I ordered a few shoes off said site and then I get the awful "you know that shoe you bought?!?! it's now $20 cheaper!!" email, and so I dug and dug...and there I found it! 14 days later and I can get a credit for the price difference right back on my credit card! Go me!
Cool, eh?!?!? Ok, well I thought so. But I digress....
The other link I wanted to send is a link to a bunch of pics I've posted online lately... I know most of you are already on facebook and can therefore ignore this message, but for those of you who have avoided the devil-book (and are therefore still happy with your lives as they are and not sitting around seeing how great your old classmates can make themselves appear online), check this out if you'd like to see some pics from Atlanta and a few other recent trips: here, here, and here :)
Love and miss you all like always!!!!
E :D
Friday, January 2, 2009
A temporary pause...
So I promise to blog TONS more about my wonderful trip back home later, but Clay took this adorable video of our condo on New Year's Eve and I just had to post... So watch, enjoy, and start making plans to come see it for yourselves!!! ;)
Love,
E :)
Love,
E :)
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