After I updated last, I had my first interview with the
chef/owner of 3 of Seattle’s best restaurants. I met him at one of his restaurants, Sitka and Spruce, and
we chatted for about 20 minutes.
It started out slightly awkward just because it was my first interview
and I wasn’t sure how my questions would work or how things would flow, but he
was super helpful and had some great insights. I've definitely improved since then, and in a way, I hate that I interviewed him first, because he's a James Beard winning chef, known for his octopuses dishes, and also just a super nice guy.
After the interview I headed to meet up with Dennis (a good friend of mine I know Oxford who was in Seattle for the week) and
Claire (who I also know from Oxford, Dennis' girlfriend who is originally from Washington) for dinner, and then we went back to the apartment they were renting for
the weekend. The place had an
enclosed rooftop lounge and so we made drinks and hung out up there and just caught
up. It was SO good to see some
familiar Oxford faces and to get to catch up with Dennis on my side of the pond
(if not on my normal coast!). I
didn’t get home until around 3AM, so the next day I mostly slept in and lounged around. I wrote up more about my
interview and did some transcribing, but that was really about it.
The next day I was determined to go hiking somewhere. Unfortunately, I hadn’t researched car
rental options until that morning and a same day rental was just more than I
was willing to pay. After some
research, I settled on going to Discovery Park, which is IN Seattle, but has
some “hiking” (okay, very landscaped walking) trails, beaches, overlooks, etc. It ended up being such a great
decision. I’m just in awe that a
city has a park like that in it… sure, I’ve seen parks that big or bigger, but
this is just a different feel… it feels very much like I’m in “nature” or
“wilderness” (to any NSEPer reading this… yes, I just wrote that. I might hate myself a little. Why did NSEP ruin those words for
me!?).
I walked through some of the wooded trails initially and
then went up to one of the overlooks over a bay. I could see Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains on
either side and the view was spectacular.
Also, whoever says it rains all the time in Seattle… lies. I’ve been so, so lucky with sunshine and mid-50s almost everyday. After spending some time at the
overlook, I hiked down to the beach, where I sat and read for about an hour on
a dry piece of driftwood until I was starting to get cold.
Great view of Mount Rainier
The next day, I had a sushi lunch with a friend of a
friend. It was supposed to be
either a set up or just a friend while I’m in Seattle, but it was SO
awkward. He was a perfectly nice
guy, but even as friends we were on totally different wave lengths and I think
we both parted knowing we will never see each other again. After lunch, I walked to Trader Joes
and picked up ingredients to make dinner.
I’d been wanting southern style food so I made homemade mac and cheese, baked shredded carrots, and braised greens.
It turned out great and was exactly what I’d been craving.
Tuesday of that week was supposed to be filled with market observation,
and I got a bit done, but I also went to
Kerry Park first since it was a crystal clear day and it’s such a gorgeous
overlook of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier. It was worth it.
Then I did a bit at the market, and then found a great coffee shop to do
some organizing and writing up of my findings thus far. I also posted an instagram/fb photo of
Kerry Park and when I did another friend from Penn messaged me and said to get
in touch because he lives there now.
We ended up meeting up for dinner and even though I haven’t kept in
touch with Manfred it was really great to see him and catch up… as well as to
eat Than Brothers Pho which might be my new favorite thing.
View from Kerry Park
Sunset by the market with a great view of Rainier
Fresh GPO at the market
Wednesday was supposed to be filled more market time, this
time in the international district, but then I heard from a friend that one of
my close friends from UGA had been in a terrible ski accident on Saturday and
was in ICU with 10 fractured ribs, a punctured lung,
a broken collarbone and a traumatic brain injury. I hurried home because I needed time to process and to to find out what I could. The information was scattered and
after calls and texts to multiple people, it seemed clear that while he seemed
to be out of the woods survival wise, that there was no way to know what his
recovery from the brain injury might be. I was in shock.
Bobby has always been that friend who is just there for me. When I had the flu freshman year, when
I spilt horse hormones all over me and was crazy (sadly, this really did
happen), when I had a bad concussion, when my cat had to be put down, even when
I was just in a bad mood and we would go to one of the empty athletic parking
lot and (try to and generally fail) spin donuts in his BMW or drive through the carwash because I’m a child
and still think drive through car washes are really fun. Basically, Bobby is just a really good
friend. Most people will tell you
how smart he is, and that’s true, one of the smartest people I’ve met, whether
at UGA, Penn, or Oxford, but it’s more than that. He’s got a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and acts very
utilitarian, but he’s really one of the nicest guys I know.
I spent the morning and the next few days alternating
between fieldwork and trying to get things organized in terms of coordinating updates for people and organizing a fundraising effort with another one of Bobby's good friends, which took awhile because
anything we did we wanted to clear through his parents and they had plenty on
their plates without being bugged constantly. It was time consuming, but not in a bad way. I like feeling like I’m doing something even if it’s just organizational when something like this happens... I have a hard time being patient. And after a hectic day or two, things calmed down some it was completely fine balancing these things with
fieldwork.
Thankfully, even though I am far from either of my "homes" (Oxford or GA), I still had great people in Seattle checking in on me and basically making sure I was handling everything okay. My friend Matt came out to my side of Seattle one night and had dinner and a beer with me to help take my mind off things. It was a nice evening, but afterwards, I just wanted to get back home… I still just felt like I was processing so much. The next night, another Oxford friends, Ted, was in town. Ted actually is at UPenn for med school and a PhD, but I met him when he was on a 6-week research stint at Oxford last spring. Again, it was amazing and so unexpected to get to have him in Seattle. We went to dinner at Tap House which has more than 160 beers on tap (we each got a sampler of 4 mini glasses before deciding on our favorite!) and then we went to Yard house which has more than 120 beers on tap. It was a really fun evening out.
Thankfully, even though I am far from either of my "homes" (Oxford or GA), I still had great people in Seattle checking in on me and basically making sure I was handling everything okay. My friend Matt came out to my side of Seattle one night and had dinner and a beer with me to help take my mind off things. It was a nice evening, but afterwards, I just wanted to get back home… I still just felt like I was processing so much. The next night, another Oxford friends, Ted, was in town. Ted actually is at UPenn for med school and a PhD, but I met him when he was on a 6-week research stint at Oxford last spring. Again, it was amazing and so unexpected to get to have him in Seattle. We went to dinner at Tap House which has more than 160 beers on tap (we each got a sampler of 4 mini glasses before deciding on our favorite!) and then we went to Yard house which has more than 120 beers on tap. It was a really fun evening out.
Cone heads/necks?
The next morning, I met up with Ted and his colleagues (he
was in town for a conference) and we wandered around Pike Place market. They bought all sorts of cheese and
wine and fruit and bread and it was fun getting to help sample everything. Afterwards, I stopped by the
store and bought things for dinner, and then headed home.
The next morning (Monday, Feb 23) Dad was in Seattle for a layover and he came
up to my part of Seattle and we ate at the Bryant corner bakery which is more
like a little café/diner. They
give you SO much food but it’s always really fresh and good. Dad showed me the new plans for the
kitchen remodel and we talked a good bit about ideas for the screened in porch,
too. After it took Mom and Dad so
long to agree on paint colors, I was skeptical that this remodel would happen
this year, but I am apparently wrong!
Things are moving right now and I’m really excited (both for them and
for me since I’ll be moving home… hopefully towards the end of the
renovations.) After breakfast, dad and I went to Kerry Park for the views, and
then Dad had to head off. I went
to the library that day because I needed to organize lists of who I still need
to reach out to, and send some follow up emails to hopefully organize more
interviews.
Tuesday was another library day, but it was nice… the public
library near where I’m living is really nice with huge windows and lots of work
space and so I really enjoy being there.
Still, after awhile it was time for a change of scenery and I moved to a
café for lunch. Then back to the
library, and then in the afternoon to a bakery for a cookie and tea while I
worked. It was a solid day and
then that night for dinner I made bimbibap… maybe not a really authentic
version, but I think it turned out pretty good, and I think Dan and Kate (the
super nice couple I’m living with who have also been so kind and generous to me) liked them too. It also became clear on Tuesday that Bobby would
definitely be moved from Albany to the rehab facility in White Plains that Friday and so I made arrangements to fly out to NYC for the weekend to visit him.
Wednesday I finally made it to the
aquarium because even though that has nothing to do with the octopus as a food
animal, I think it’s had a lot to do with shaping the octopus to be an icon in
Seattle and to making it a more familiar animal to people… which might make it
more “edible” in cultural terms. I
got to the exhibit, introduced myself to the employee, and started
chatting. He was SO helpful, and
after a chat, he introduced me to the floor manager at the aquarium, who showed
me around behind the scenes, introduced me to some biologists and technicians
who have special interest in the octopus (though unfortunately there is no
longer an octopus expert on staff since Roland Anderson passed away a couple of years ago). But I got to see some staff only areas
and talk to all sorts of interesting people and even meet the head of research
at the aquarium. I also got to
hang out by the octopus exhibit and just watch people watching the octopus… and
I know others have written this too… but I’d swear that when I watch either of the octopuses, that they are watching
me back.
A week dedicated to this amazing animal
Meet the octopus!
Edie
Helpful diagram
Favorite fish friend
Ink camouflage
Another favorite fish
Octopus paraphernalia
Suckers
After a full day of research, I had to run to target for a
few things, and then nordstroms to get a pair of shoes that I could take to NYC
(when I flew out to Seattle I didn’t plan to go anywhere that would be 20
degrees and snowy and I packed no warm shoes or waterproof shoes other than my
rainboots which while dry are FREEZING in really cold weather). I found a pair of ankle boots that I am
obsessed with and Kate and Dan gave me some waterproofing/weather proofing
spray for them and they have grippy soles, so was set to neither fall nor freeze in NYC.
Thursday I had an early morning skype call with my advisor
(this 8 hour time difference to England makes it rough) and for once, I think
he was actually reasonably happy with what I’ve done and where I am… which is a
good feeling. I was also upfront
about taking a few days off to travel this weekend (and the reason) and he was
understanding, which was really appreciated. Then I had a doctors appointment (nothing major,
prescription refill) and then ate pho and packed and caught up on a few other
things that I’ve been falling behind on (again, nothing major, but person
emails, paying a few bills, a few vet school things I’ve been wanting to look
into, etc.)
That Friday morning I woke up at 4:50AM to get up, get dressed
and head to the airport. Kate and
Dan were also traveling for the weekend and even though their flight was leaving an
hour after mine, they insisted that I was being ridiculous and that they would
just drive me and be a bit early for their flight, which was so, so nice of
them since it made such an early morning. I got a seat on the flight I wanted (which is feeling
more and more like a rare luxury as a domestic non-rev) and settled in. Once I
landed in NYC, I touched base with Bobby and he seemed open to a visit, so I
headed into the city, and then caught a train from Grand Central (that place
never gets old) to White Plains.
My first impression was how overall, Bobby seemed pretty
normal. Not completely though…
there were some very obvious gaps in memory and some odd tangents and
rants. Still, overall, he was most
definitely Bobby, which was so amazing to see. I also think he was tired from the move that day (he moved
from Albany to White Plains on Friday, and so that might have made him more
tired and slightly less oriented than normal.) We basically just hung out in his rehab room for awhile, and
I also go to chat with his parents some, who I’d never met but who were so kind
and accommodating all weekend. When visiting hours were over, the Rosenbleeths
drove me back to the White Plains train station, along with another visitor to
the rehab hospital who was having a hard time getting a cab. She was such a nice lady and we rode
the train back to the city together before parting ways.
Once back in the city, it was late, but I made my way from
Grand Central to the West Village, and met up with Rocky and Christie, who took
me back to Bobby and Mason’s apartment.
I stayed in Bobby’s room, and his roommate, Mason, is another friend
from UGA who was also there. I also
got to meet Mason’s new girlfriend, Emily, who I really liked. That night we all hung out, played
music, had a few drinks and all just caught up on life. I finally got to bed pretty late. The next day, between the time change
and the previous early morning, I was exhausted, but I finally made it out of
bed and to brunch at Hudson Clearwater with Rocky and Christie. The food was delicious and it’s a cute
spot. From there, we walked to see
the still frozen Hudson, and then headed back to the apartment. We arranged to meet Mason at Grand
Central to all visit Bobby later, and then we hung out for a few minutes while
Mason ran to get food with Emily.
Hudson
When we got to Grand Central and found Mason, he’d bought
tickets for all of us and said if we ran we could probably catch the next
train, leaving in two minutes. I
was wearing heeled boots and I had a suitcase of Bobby’s belongings but I took
off after Mason, with Christie and Rocky beside me. Mason finally grabbed the suitcase from me, and we all made
it… Christie said she was seriously impressed by my ability to sprint in heels
:p We played catch phrase on the
train up and at one point, Christie started laughing after taking a big drink
of water… trying not to spit it out everywhere, she jumped up to run to
bathroom in our carriage… and walked in on someone… which only made us all
laugh harder. Needless to say,
Christie lost most of the water…
We caught a cab to the rehab center from the train station
and after some waiting around, found Bobby in a meeting/fun room rather than
his room. He already had visitors
with him, and we all sat around and talked and joked and ate. After the first group headed off, we
started a game of trivial pursuit…. Only the cards hadn’t been updated since
the game was created so we didn’t do very well…. The questions were all about
things that were way, WAY before our time… We stayed until they kicked us out,
and Susan was nice enough to drive us back to the train station. Once back in the city, Mason, Christie,
and Rocky headed off to dinner and I ran to change clothes and head to Zach’s
goodbye party.
Rocky, Mason, Bobby, me and Christie
Zach is a friend of mine from Penn and it just so happens
that he is moving to Shanghai. His parents threw him a huge goodbye party that weekend and
I just happened to be in town for it… it was a great way to see a huge chunk of
Penn friends all at once. I ran
into Zach and another IAA guy almost as soon as I walked in, and then after
chatting with them for awhile, we saw the rest of the IAA crew. It was so good to see everyone, and the
food, drinks, and band were amazing.
It was a really good night, but I definitely stayed out entirely too
late.
Old friends in New York: Anant and me
The next morning, I was trying to check flights for Wynne
(Bobby’s sister was using a buddy pass to fly out). I didn’t have the wifi password at the apartment and Mason
wasn’t up yet, so it was slow going, and thankfully Dad was also watching. Unfortunately, Wynne didn't get on, so
then it was trying every which way to get her to NY to see Bobby. Finally, we picked an option, and I
showered, grabbed lunch, picked up a few things for Bobby and headed to White
Plains. Susan met me at the train
station (she was so nice to chauffer me around so much!)
I got to spend some time with Bobby and then his boss showed up (who asked if I was looking for a job and suggested I send him my resume... which I'm not, but still super nice! They are looking for new people in their Portland office if anyone reading this is interested?) Anyway, after a bit his co-workers came in, and we all hung out until visiting hours were over at which point Susan drove us all back to the station and we trained back to NYC together. Just in the time I was in the hospital it must have snowed 4 or 5 inches.... the car was covered when Susan was taking us to the train station and it was nuts how hard it was coming down. Since we were out of the city it was actually quite beautiful... but seeing it and then leaving was perfect... I have no desire to deal with it daily.
Monday I woke up to check on flights, did some cleaning of Bobby's apartment, washed my hair, and then decided the stress and lack of sleep were getting to me and so I took a mid morning nap, which was actually the best thing I could of done. Later that afternoon/evening I got on my flight back to Seattle but strong headwinds made it a 6.5 hour flight, which seemed to take forever.
Tuesday morning I was glad I'd taken that nap because I got up and got ready and then headed off to an interview that I've been really excited about. It was with a chef on Bainbridge Island (an island right off Seattle that is super cute and reached by ferry!) and he has had a lot to say about the octopus on blogs and in the media. He also likes to play with ideas of disgust and awe in his food and serve things like an entire pig head, etc, which all plays into questions of edibility that I am interested in.
I got to spend some time with Bobby and then his boss showed up (who asked if I was looking for a job and suggested I send him my resume... which I'm not, but still super nice! They are looking for new people in their Portland office if anyone reading this is interested?) Anyway, after a bit his co-workers came in, and we all hung out until visiting hours were over at which point Susan drove us all back to the station and we trained back to NYC together. Just in the time I was in the hospital it must have snowed 4 or 5 inches.... the car was covered when Susan was taking us to the train station and it was nuts how hard it was coming down. Since we were out of the city it was actually quite beautiful... but seeing it and then leaving was perfect... I have no desire to deal with it daily.
Monday I woke up to check on flights, did some cleaning of Bobby's apartment, washed my hair, and then decided the stress and lack of sleep were getting to me and so I took a mid morning nap, which was actually the best thing I could of done. Later that afternoon/evening I got on my flight back to Seattle but strong headwinds made it a 6.5 hour flight, which seemed to take forever.
Tuesday morning I was glad I'd taken that nap because I got up and got ready and then headed off to an interview that I've been really excited about. It was with a chef on Bainbridge Island (an island right off Seattle that is super cute and reached by ferry!) and he has had a lot to say about the octopus on blogs and in the media. He also likes to play with ideas of disgust and awe in his food and serve things like an entire pig head, etc, which all plays into questions of edibility that I am interested in.
After the interview I wandered around Bainbridge which has an adorable downtown, and then I headed back to Seattle, stopped by trader joes to get supplies for dinner, and then headed home to skype with Mom. For dinner, I made a zucchini, mushroom, asparagus quiche (with tarragon, garlic and rosemary and asiago cheese) and it was pretty tasty if I do say so myself.
The next day I had a quiet day catching up on reading and such, and then the next day, I headed out to a suburb of Seattle called Maple Valley to meet a few octopus hunters for an interview. Basically, about 3 years ago a guy in his late teens/early twenties and his buddy went to a dive park and hunted an octopus in front of a beach full of people.... surprised by the graphic attack in what most people view as a place for relaxation and observing wildlife, the city of Seattle went into an uproar. I got to sit down with this guy and his friend, and hear their side of the story. I got tons of useful information, but in terms of describing a bit more about the situation, you can read the article about it that was published in the NY Times here (also mentioned is Chef Matt Dillion who I mentioned at the beginning of the blogpost): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/magazine/the-octopus-that-almost-ate-seattle.html?pagewanted=4&_r=2&
The next day I spent at some of the markets. The trouble with doing so much of my research in markets is that I spend entirely too much money, including buying myself a jade ring that I've been eyeing pretty much since the week I arrived. I've worn it non-stop since, so I suppose that makes it not a terrible purchase.
After the market I spent time at the aquarium, watching Edie and Ink, the two resident octopuses who were really quiet that day, and also watching the seals and some of the tropical fish, and also the otters. Basically, the aquarium has become my favorite spot in Seattle, and even when I'm not really officially researching, I really love being there. After the aquarium, the weather was still gorgeous, so I walked along the water front, stopped for a salmon burger, and ate it in the sunshine, in a park, overlooking the sound.
Muppet eel (not its real name)
Harbor seals make me happy
Edie
Edie
I voluntarily had this photo taken and now I regret it.
More Edie
Book at the aquarium
Wanted this so badly. Resisted the urge.
Saturday, I did some reading, took a run (the hills in Seattle are brutal but the views are amazing), and just had a pretty quiet day. I don't like trying to go to the markets or the aquariums on Saturdays because the workers are too busy to talk to me and the places are so crowded that you can't really move. That night, Kate and Dan took me to a place called Thrive, which serves vegan, and largely raw food. I was skeptical, but Brittany and Todd (Oxford friends and roommates from Seattle) also had strongly recommended it, and I am SO glad I went because it was delicious. Afterwards, we all went for a beer at Toronado, which is a bar only about a block away, and then we went to Third Place, which is another pub that is kind of in a basement but such a cool space with all this natural wood and lots of books... so I loved that one. From there, we headed home to play with Annie (the cat) and get some sleep.
View during my run
Various shots of Annie
Sunday I was supposed to go to the zoo with Matt, but he had some last minute things to take care of before his family visited and decided he couldn't come, so I decided to explore UW's campus (which is gorgeous) and more of the U District and "the ave" (the main strip of stores and restaurants the runs beside campus). It was sunny and warm and definitely a day well spent.
Monday I worked most of the day, and that evening, I made dinner for Kate and Dan. The weather was still great and after the time change, we had plenty of light left to grill. I bought a nice piece of salmon to grill, and also made veggie kebobs (peppers, onions, zucchini and mushrooms), roasted potatoes, and made a salad. Dinner was delicious if I do say so myself.
That Tuesday I finally went to the international district and scoped out seafood markets but while I found tons with octopus, none of it was local, or giant pacific octopus, so while interesting, it wasnt exactly what I was looking for, so I only spent a half day exploring instead of a whole day. The next day I spent all day cooking, trying to leave Kate and Dan's freezer stocked up before I left.
Thursday was spent at the market and aquarium. I had an amazing salmon sandwich from a famous grill in the market, and also splurged on a ginger beer, which is really just ginger, and carbonated lemonade and might be one of the most delicious drinks ever made.
Sculpture outside the aquarium
Ginger beer!
Friday was busy- I checked out the Burke museum (which is the anthro/natural history museum at UW) and also wandered UW's campus to see the cherry blossoms. Then, I just took a long walk through some of the residential areas around UW.
"Octopus" bag at the museum
Cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms
Saturday I spent literally the entire day trying to map out what classes I need for vet school (every vet school has slightly different requirements so while I knew the main things, I wanted to decide where I wanted to apply based on admission rates and tuition and ranking and such and then make an exact list) and then trying to figure out when UGA offers each of those (some are only offered in the fall, etc) and figuring out which lower level classes I need to take some of the more advanced requirements, etc. It took forever, but I do think I have it all sorted.
After a stressful day, Kate and Dan decided to show me some of the breweries in Ballard, so we headed to Stoupe, which, wouldn't you know, has a big octopus mural on one of their outside walls! I had a pilsner, which was good, though probably not on the Czech level :p and then we headed to our next stop, Reubans. I had a porter here, which was amazing. I was really, really pleased with it. From there, we headed to Shiro's, which was on my list of "must try" places since I moved to Seattle. For those of you who have seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Shiro was Jiro's apprentice and moved to Seattle to open a restaurant. While the restaurant is now no longer owned by him, it has maintained its reputation as the best sushi spot in town. It lived up to the hype and was absolutely incredible. It seems crazy that sushi can taste THAT good (and I love sushi). After dinner, we headed to a pub near the U-district called Kate's Pub, where we had a final beer and listened to some pretty great live bluegrass.
Octopus using the tap at Stoupe
More octopus art that we saw that evening while walking around- this is a relatively famous print of a mosaic.
Sunday through Wednesday were pretty uneventful. I visited all my favorite spots one last time (the aquarium, pike place market, kerry park) and had a few final interviews, including a really great one that added a good deal. I also packed, and Matt and I had a goodbye dinner at a place called Tango, which was really delicious.
As this was the end of my fieldwork, I will say this about the octopus: it is a crazy beautiful and intelligent creature, and seeing and interacting with them leaves no doubt about that... but they are also so alien and so very un-human that I worry that nothing I could ever say will capture the essence of one. They are truly incredible creatures and while my dissertation hasn't gone exactly in the direction I had hoped, I am grateful that I've had the opportunity to dedicate a year of my life to learning about this crazy creature. Below are a few of hundreds of examples of octopuses popping up everywhere in Seattle.
Dish towels
An octopus lamp
Gorgeous glass blowing by Chihuly
More of Chihuly's work
Thursday I got up and headed off to pick up my rental car and then started my trip/roadtrip around the Olympic peninsula. I started on the northern side of the peninsula (driving counter clockwise) and the first day I got to see gorgeous views of Lake Crescent, the mountains, and also I made it around to the Hoh Rainforest where I took a short hike, and also saw the Hoh River and a herd of elk.
The hike was amazing- it was a bit eery and of course the first thing I saw upon setting off was a big sign that said the best way to avoid cougar attacks is to not hike alone (oops...), but it was also so beautiful and peaceful. The area was almost completely deserted and it was pouring rain, but so calm and quiet and lush and green. It felt really old, and somehow very... alive. I can see why it was a sacred place for many of the first nations peoples in the area.
That evening, I stayed at Misty Valley B&B, which was an adorable place with a super comfortable bed, amazing views, and a 3 course, crazy delicious breakfast (spiced apples, cinnamon roll, and true, custard soaked french toast, all homemade).
Mountains
Lake Crescent
Hoh River
Elk!
More elk!
More of the Hoh River
More elk
More elk
Misty Valley B&B
Friday after the amazing breakfast, I set off to finish my drive, stopping along the way for short hikes along Ruby Beach and the coast, and also in the Quinault Rainforest. Again, the spaces were all so beautiful. The "beach" was nothing like what I think of as a beach... rocky and grey with crashing waves and very loud and energizing rather than peaceful and quiet, but it was really cool.
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach
Tide pools at Ruby Beach
The Quinault Rainforest
The Quinault Rainforest
More of the Quinault Rainforest
That night I got back to Seattle and quickly realized that flights from Seattle to Atlanta were filling up quickly. I unpacked from the rainforest trip and finished packing for home, and was up at 4:00AM the next morning and off to the airport to try to get on the first flight. After multiple failed attempts, I decided to fly through Las Vegas. I took the very last seat out of Seattle to Las Vegas and upon landing, realized I was likely stuck. I missed getting on the Atlanta flight by one seat, and after that things went from busy but possible to "uh-oh". I spent the rest of the day, and overnight that night in the Vegas airport waiting on red eyes and early morning flights (things I do not recommend: sleeping on the floor of the airport in Vegas). By 10:30 the following morning I had not slept much for the past 2 nights and I clearly was not going anywhere anytime soon, so Mom and Dad nicely called around, arranged early check in for me at the MGM Grand, and got me a place to crash.
I headed to the hotel where the comedy of errors began. First, it was that the girl checking me in didnt realize the room had been pre-paid by my parents, so that took forever, then she told me I couldn't check in early (which was the only reason I was at that particular hotel). I was so exhausted that I just about had a meltdown and she thankfully found me a room. Upon getting to my room and unpacking the few items I had (thankfully toiletries, clean underwear and an extra top with everything else being in checked bags) and getting undressed to shower... the shower handle comes off in my hand. I call the front desk, because really, all I want in a shower and a long nap, and they decide to change me room. They tell me they have electronically changed my key and I should be good to go. I find the new room and try to get in, but of course the key doesnt work... a house keeper approaches me to see if I need help, and upon seeing my key (which has the first room number on it) becomes convinced that I am trying to get into the wrong room). I finally decide just to hike back through the massive hotel to the front desk, at which point I am told I can't access the new room because I "don't have early check in". I almost pulled my hair out. Thankfully, someone finally got it all sorted, and I got a shower and a long nap.
When I woke up, flights looked even worse, so I just went to grab dinner at Pub 1842 in the hotel. It turned out to be delicious (Korean bbq salmon burger might sound weird but was seriously amazing), and they had one of my favorite beers on tap (which I paid for a small one and the guy brought me a big one). When I got back to my room, I called mom and dad and we had a very real chat about the fact that it was now Sunday night and I very likely might not get home until Thursday or Friday... so I decided to buy a ticket. The cheapest one was like playing hopscotch, but I did that and headed off the next morning from Las Vegas to Phoenix, Phoenix to Charlotte, and CHarlotte to Atlanta... mom picked me up at the airport (where she randomly met a friend of my Uncle's from where he lives in TX while waiting on me) and I finally got home around 1:00AM Monday night/Tuesday morning.
I was home in Madison from March 31 until April 6, so pretty much exactly 2 weeks. Andie was home for the first few days that I was home and it was really nice to have some time with her and Mom. In that two weeks I also managed to see lots of old friends (Bobby, who was moved to Atlanta and seems to be doing much better), Ryan, Colleen, Larkin, Margaret, Merideth/farm people, Shelli, and others, including tons of family friends at a wedding shower for an old friend, which was also really nice. I also got to ride several times, spend plenty of time with Lucy (who is loving the warm weather and getting to hunt bumble bees... one of her favorite past times up there with napping in sunbeams, eating popcorn with Mom, and playing frisbee with Dad) and Clayton, organize my schedule for the fall (it's official... I'll be at UGA in the fall preparing to apply to vet school), help dad build a raised garden bed, groom Annie, visit Daisy, and generally enjoy the gloriousness that is GA in the spring (sunny and 75-80).
Raised garden bed waiting to be filled with soil
Lucy kisses
Daisy has aged a good bit... but she is as sassy and happy as ever
Malone Farms gorgeousness
Annie is still a wooly mammoth and currently in a stall to fend of the spring founder, but for a 30 year old pony, she is looking pretty great.
