little black journal

Whoa – where have the past two days gone?  It was a busy-but-fun kind of weekend, as we hung out with friends, cheered on our Giants, and partook in Halloween festivities.

Shane and I spent Friday evening at Lounjin Cafe up in the U-District, hanging my artwork on their walls for a month-long showing.  It was a last-minute request, made through a connection from my show at the Q Cafe last July, but I was happy to oblige, and let a few of my pieces see some daylight after months of being stuck in my upstairs closet.  Check it out if you’re in the ‘hood – and order a glass of Sake!  Art is often best paired with a drink.

Saturday morning brought book club, and some quality time with the ladies.  Books are often best paired with coffee, so I was content to sit around a table at Espresso Vivace and sip my perfect latte, while discussing Little Bee and watching the rain fall outside.  One of those I-love-Fall kind of moments…  After book club, I jetted home to finish up my costume preparations for that evening’s Trunk or Treat party, taking place at our church.  We had volunteered with our community group to decorate a couple of cars and dress up for the mobs of sugar-hungry kids that would be attending.  The rail foiled our plans for being outside, but we took over the cafe space adjacent to the church and made our vision come to life indoors.  We had agreed on a Wizard of Oz theme, and were proud to have all of the characters represented, from the Tin Man to the Good Witch to Dorothy herself.  I was the Cowardly Lion, and Shane and Jason rocked their Lollipop Boy outfits – it was certainly an evening to remember (though the image of those two Lollipop Boys might be better off forgotten…).

Today was surprisingly, wonderfully sun-shiny, so we took advantage of the weather and headed over to Discovery Park after church to take a walk with the Rust clan and enjoy what may be our last moments of clear skies for awhile.  The G-man played in puddles, Shane and Jason chatted it up about taxes and the latest ballot measures, and we all shuffled through the fallen leaves that served as reminder that November is just around the corner.  Hard to believe how fast the past couple of months have flown by.

And tonight was spent at home, taking in the Giants win with our fellow fans, eating bowls of hot soup and slices of pumpkin pie as scores of Trick-or-Treaters came to the door in their costumes.  Kinda sad to see October come to an end, but it is definitely going out on a very, very good note.

It was a cold, wet weekend in Seattle, but, in true Northwestern form, I didn’t let that get me down.  We spent Saturday night keeping tradition alive, taking part in our third annual dumplings-making/pumpkin-carving party. I believe I may have eaten more dumplings (as in, 15?) than I actually made (as in, 0), but I had a good excuse for my lack of participation; I was in the living room watching THE GIANTS WIN A SPOT IN THE 2010 WORLD SERIES! There was much celebration as Wilson struck out that very last batter – I believe I even witnessed a joyous embrace between Shane and Jack at some point, though they will likely deny it. With our stomachs full of dumplings and our faces plastered with victorious grins, we were ready to focus our energy on our pumpkin-carving bonanza. I spent the next hour elbow-deep in pumpkin guts, but ended up with a nice little haunted house jack-o-lantern to show for my efforts, while Shane basked in baseball glory with his SF logo. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang worked on the props for our Wizard of Oz-themed car decorations, for next weekend’s ‘Trunk or Treat’ (stay tuned for photos of the group decked out in our scarecrow/lion/tin man/Dorothy outfits).  It was a lovely, cozy evening among friends, complete with hot apple cider and long bouts of laughter. I love Fall…

Today I tried my hand at being one of the guys, and spent the day with some fellows from work, tailgating and then cheering at the Seahawks game. Not gonna lie – when the guys mentioned drinking at 10 am, I was hoping they meant mimosas, but it turns out I can drink Coors Light for breakfast with the best of them. The game was fun (much credit to Shane for teaching me how to hold my own in a conversation about football), and I was incredibly thankful for our covered seats as we watched rain pour down on the field.  It was cool to see the Seahawks win, and surprisingly easy to get swept up in the energy of the crowd.  Still, it felt dang good to get home, slip into my sweats, and curl up on the couch with my hot cup of tea.

And that’s the stuff that Fall weekends are made of…

When Shane told me last Spring that he wanted to buy a subscription to MLB-TV, so that he’d be able to watch all of the Giants games from the comfort of our living room, I cringed a little bit.  I imagined the countless Sunday afternoons we’d have to spend parked in front of the TV, rather than getting outside to enjoy the summer weather; the evenings that I would have to escape upstairs to get away from Shane’s post-loss funk; the fabulous pair of shoes that money could buy me…  But much to my surprise, the more I saw of the Giants, the more I fell into fan-dom.  I’ve always liked baseball, and if I’d ever had to choose a favorite team, the Giants would have been it, but it wasn’t until this year that I truly got behind them.  I learned all the players names and knew their trademark accessories and rituals; I cheered for Buster when he made his stunning debut and shouted at Sandoval throughout his steady decline; I found myself putting the game on even when Shane wasn’t around, checking standings on my iPhone and daily wishing defeat upon the Padres.  I was hooked.  And so I was stoked when the Giants made it to play-offs – what a year to become a fan!  We haven’t been able to watch the last few games at home, since we cancelled our cable, but have found an awesome little sports bar called Auto Battery in Capitol Hill where we can spend our evenings cheering on our team.  It’s been a lot of fun – Jack and La V have joined us there as fellow Orange-and-Black fans, and we’ve found instant camaraderie with the handful of other Giants supporters that frequent the bar.  Tonight was a big night – we all jumped to our feet, cheering and shouting and clinking our beers as we secured our place in the National League Championship Series.  Woot!!!

I’ll leave you with this video, currently making the rounds on YouTube – Let’s go Giants (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap!)…

Yes indeed, I turned another year older yesterday – I am now the big 2-9 (the number some how feels smaller if you insert a hyphen between the digits).  We have a big weekend-long birthday bonanza planned a few weeks from now, in celebration of Shane’s, La V’s, and my birthdays (all in October), so I was happy to lay relatively low yesterday and save up my party energy for a later date.  But still, the day was filled with several special moments, much to the credit of my thoughtful husband and very special friends.

We started the day with breakfast at Geraldine’s, feasting on French toast and eggs and bacon and endless cups of coffee with several friends.

I decided to set aside the afternoon for some ‘me-time’, and headed up to Lynnwood to check out a spa I’ve heard lots of good things about.  I spent almost three hours moving from the soaking pools to the tea room to the various heated rooms, repeating the cycle multiple times.  It really felt like relaxation in its purest form, and I headed home feeling rejuvenated and cleansed.  Turns out I may have been wrong all these years, when I told girlfriends who were making time for facials and massages and pedicures that “I’m not really a spa person”.  Shane’s birthday present to me was a generous gift certificate to a different Seattle spa, so I’ll be digging further into my “spa philosophy” in the weeks to come.   I’m always looking to become a more well-rounded person, after all…

Saturday evening, we dined on Thai food in Capitol Hill with Jason and Nancy, and then headed right around the corner to meet up with several other people at our friend Karen’s dessert party/fundraiser.  Karen is quite possibly the most talented dessert-maker that I know, and so it was a double-bonus to be able to feast on her “chocolate profiterole topped with red wine raspberry sorbet and a blackberry compote”, while also contributing to her upcoming trip to Tanzania to visit Brian and Nicole.  Well-done, Karen!  The look on La V’s face says it all…

Enjoying so much goodness all in a single day had me beat by the time 10 pm rolled around, so I was happy to spend the remainder of our evening at home, catching up on Project Runway and cozying up on the couch with my very favorite person.  Being spoiled is exhausting!

Jason asked me at dinner last night to list my three biggest highlights of the past year, and I feel so blessed that it was hard to pick just three.  28 was good to me.  And I’m thinking/hoping/planning that 29 just might be even better.

I graduated from high school with Amanda, Josh, and Kelly way back when, and was thrilled when Amanda called me last month to tell me they were coming to visit.  It had been far too long since we’d seen each other, and I’ve been looking forward to the chance to catch up and be silly with some of my oldest, dearest friends.  And so Shane and I have spent the past couple of days playing host, eating and drinking and playing and laughing.

We kicked off Friday with breakfast at Both Ways Cafe, near Seward Park.  This has become one of my favorite breakfast places in Seattle, for the warm, cozy setting just as much as the food.  We sipped our lattes and spread jam on our perfect buttermilk biscuits, thrilled with the promise of a sunny Seattle day.  Then we watched the sun disappear behind a pile of gray clouds.  Go figure.

But we weren’t going to let gray skies keep us down.  After breakfast, we headed to UW to rent a couple of canoes and spend some time paddling around Lake Washington.  We wound our way through the arboretum, rowing our way through patches of lily-pads, under canopies of leafy green trees.  And this is why I love Seattle…

Friday night, after a quick happy hour downtown, we walked over to Safeco Field to take in the Mariners vs. A’s game.  Amanda and Josh are huge Oakland A’s fans (I don’t hold it against them), so they were stoked to watch their team cream Seattle.  It was a fun night – not much of a game, but still, the garlic fries were good, the weather was perfect, and really, there’s nothing like a lively rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ with friends during the 7th inning stretch.

Saturday morning we pointed our car east toward Yakima.  Amanda’s grandpa lives there, so we dropped her and Josh off for a visit with him, while Shane, Kelly, and I headed over to Red Mountain to do a little wine-tasting.  We started at Tapteil Vineyards, and picnicked on the patio while enjoying a couple of their Cabernets.  We then headed to Fidelitas, a cool little winery with modern interiors and an extensive tasting list, the highlight of which was their Merlot.  Our last stop in Benton City was Cooper’s Vineyard, a brand-new winery that seems to be getting a lot of positive buzz.  This was by far our favorite stop of the day – the wines were fantastic, and the time we spent chatting with the winemaker made every sip even tastier.  His genuine enthusiasm about sharing the fruits of his labor with us was infectious – I’ve never been so engaged in the act of wine-drinking.  On our way back to Yakima, we stopped in Zillah for one last tasting, and then…we…were…done…

After a long day of driving, nothing sounded better than a round of pizzas from Tutta Bella and a couple of scoops of ice cream from Full Tilt. As if our breakfast pastries from Columbia City bakery and our cheese-and-salame picnic lunch wasn’t indulgence enough…

We bid farewell to our visitors this morning, sad to see them go, but thankful for a weekend full of fabulous memories.

The past couple of days have been perfectly chill and weekend-ish.  Sad to see them come to an end…  We spent Friday night with a couple of neighbor/friends, eating peach pie, watching a movie, and getting caught up with each other’s goings-on.  As darkness comes earlier and earlier, I see lots of weekend movie nights in our future – this is a good thing.  I like a fancy night out on the town, but I love an evening spent lounging on the couch.

I was up early(ish) on Saturday to kick off the day with a run, and for the first time in awhile, I felt like I flew through my 3-mile loop, rather than trudging through it.  Shaved 20 seconds off my best time for that route (woot!).  I’m wondering if the aforementioned peach pie had anything to do with this sudden burst of energy?  I was so happy with my progress that I decided to counteract it with a trip out to Red Hook Brewery to meet up with Shane, Jack, and La V for lunchtime burgers.  Shane and Jack had taken advantage of the sunshine and made the 25-mile trip on their bikes (stopping only once on the way for a wine-tasting detour – I’m so proud of them…), but since I’m not really the cyclist-type, I was happy to hop in the car to meet up with them.  We scored a perfect table out on the patio, where I could soak in the surprisingly warm rays of September sun.

Saturday afternoon, I dropped Shane off at Lakewood so that he could play a round of disc golf with Jason and the G-man, then parked myself at nearby Dubsea Coffee for a latte and some ‘me-time’.  I was totally impressed with the quality of the cafe’s space – I think I’ve found a new way to occupy my time while Shane is tossing frisbees.  Lots of natural light, rotating art exhibits on the walls, and a ceiling painted the most perfect shade of turquoise.  I found a cozy little table by the window, pulled out my book, and was completely in my element.

Saturday evening I pleasantly surprised Shane by asking him if he wanted to head out for a late-night cocktail (something ‘out of the ordinary’ for us…).  We headed out to Tavern Law – a little bar in Capitol Hill that we’d heard has a cool speak-easy vibe and killer cocktails.  My gin/lime/cranberry/lavender/egg white concoction was delicious, and Shane’s gin/Lillet/apricot/Absinthe drink was right up his alley.

Today was spent mostly at home, watching the Giants beat the Padres (holla!), cleaning up the house, and doing a bit of yardwork.  I was happy to find that the plant I thought I’d killed during the mini heat-wave we had a few weeks ago is actually sprouting some new leaves. With a little more work and some TLC, I’m hopeful that we’ll have a lovely, flourishing backyard by the time next summer rolls around.

We’re wrapping up the evening with a bowl of ice cream and a crappy movie (anyone seen Date Night?).  All-in-all, a rather perfect couple of days.

Happy, happy Friday!  Looking forward to another chill weekend at home.  And we’re off to a perfect start – just pulled a lovely peach pie out of the oven and we’re heading out the door in a few minutes to share it with friends. Shane and I have committed to taking advantage of our plan-free day tomorrow and doing ‘something out of the ordinary’, but we’re not sure yet what that is – I’m hoping it involves dessert.  Or maybe a good foamy latte.  Or a new pair of shoes.  So many possibilities…  Other than that, I’ll be working on an art project or two, getting caught up on the latest episodes of Project Runway, and taking one final stab at sprucing up our backyard planter beds before Fall officially sets in.  And I suppose I should get around to sewing the missing buttons onto my two favorite coats – looks like t-shirt weather is gone, gone, gone…  But pie weather is definitely here, so I’m still a very happy camper.

Bon weekend!

The past few weeks have been busy – lots of long hours at work, miscellaneous events on the calendar, and nights spent falling asleep with my ‘to-do’ list flashing before my eyes.  Which is why I was indescribably thrilled to hop in the car after work on Friday and head toward the little lake-side house we had rented for the weekend with a couple of friends.  And I was overjoyed when we pulled into the driveway and found that ‘lake-side’ truly meant lake-side, with a back porch and hot tub that looked right onto Mission Lake, a little dock, complete with a canoe, a row-boat, and a paddle-boat, and a fire pit that screamed to me “Eat s’mores HERE!”  Within minutes of our arrival, I had slipped into the sweatpants that would become my weekend uniform, Shane and Jason had tossed dinner on the grill, we had cracked open a bottle of wine, and I was thinking, ‘Life is good’.  Once darkness fell, the gentlemen got the fire started and we dessert-ed on s’mores under the stars.  I fell into bed that night with a smile on my face, reveling in the feeling of all of my “to-do’s” being very far away.

Shane was up at dawn the next morning, eager to explore our new digs – he and Jason had already taken a spin around the lake in a canoe before I had even considered opening my eyes (which is why I must credit him with the photo below – the sun was much higher in the sky by the time I got out of bed).

Saturday was spent sitting on the dock with my book and my mug of peach tea, napping on the couch, paddling around in the canoe, soaking in the hot tub, rinse and repeat.  Everything a vacation should be.

Grilled kabobs for dinner, another bottle of wine, and the day came to a close with us sitting at the table, talking, drinking, laughing, eating… Over the past few months, Shane and I have spent countless evenings sitting around the dining room table or standing at the kitchen counter chatting with Jason and Nance about…life, I guess.  Our conversations flow so freely that it’s hard for me to pinpoint what exactly we talk about – I just know that at any moment I may be asked a soul-baring question, or I may be laughing out loud over Jason’s attempt to rap along with 2Pac.

Sunday was more of the same, which was perfectly ok with me.  I lounged, wandering from the couch to the dock and back again.  And Shane got to spend some more quality time with his best bud, G-man, which is always a good thing.

Sunday evening, we all piled into the rowboat for a cruise around the lake.  The tour-du-lac took a bit longer than expected, since Shane and Jason spent more time rowing us in circles than rowing us forward, but still, a good time was had by all, and our captains eventually navigated us safely back to the dock.

I put a lot of ’effort’ this weekend into resting, while Shane and Jason chose to focus their energy on playing.  Seriously, these boys played hard this weekend.  Whether it was darting off to the frisbee golf course for a ‘quick’ round of 18 holes, mad-ballin’ at the hoop in the driveway, busting out the croquet set buried in the front closet, jumping in the lake (then the hot tub, then the lake, then the hot tub…), or trying out the assortment of boats at our disposal, it was so fun to just watch ‘boys be boys’.

Sunday evening meant another dinner fresh off the grill, more talking/drinking/laughing/eating, and one final soak in the hot tub.  It was hard knowing that we’d have to bid farewell to our little lakeside paradise the next morning…

And sure enough, despite my resistance, Monday morning rolled around we were off to catch an early ferry back to Seattle, so that I could get back to the office to work toward my Monday night deadline – the phrase ‘back to reality’ smacked me right in the face with a string of stressful meetings and a thirteen-hour work day.  Yuuuuuuuuuck.  But the peace and calm was certainly nice while it lasted, and the upcoming three-day weekend holds some definite relaxation potential.  Even if our own little backyard doesn’t have a view quite like this:

Oh, this weekend was so perfectly ‘weekend-ish’, full of good food, good times with friends, and a good dose of relaxation.  I didn’t have my camera with me at all over the past couple of days, but my handy iPhone captured the highlights:

Shane and I celebrated the end of the work week Schnell-style, and met at a bar downtown for some Happy Hour action.  Penn Cove mussels, garlic fries, and frothy pints of beer – these are the reasons it’s called ‘Happy Hour’.

We spent the rest of the evening with our friends Jason and Nancy, feasting on Jason’s tasty home-baked pizzas.  This one was my favorite – olive oil, onions, avacado, arugula, mmm…

Saturday morning was my monthly book club meeting with the ladies – which means a latte and buttermilk biscuit.  I’m afraid the book is secondary, really.

We spent Saturday afternoon at my office’s summer picnic, eating burgers and putt-putting a round of mini-golf.  Turns out I am terrible at mini-golf, but Shane can putt like a pro.  Go figure.

After church this morning, Shane and I headed over the Ballard Farmer’s Market.  Seemingly endless rows of fresh produce, brightly colored flowers, and locally made specialty foods.  And mini-donuts.  Let’s not forget the mini-donuts.

And finally, an afternoon spent doing some shopping, followed by a quiet Sunday evening at home.  Did some housework, some reading, and a yoga session that I will pretend can counteract the french fries, the pizza, the buttermik biscuit, the burger, and the mini-donuts.  Right.

Our p-patch plot, planted 10 weeks ago with tiny little plants in neat little rows, has recently turned into something of a jungle.  We’ve had boatloads of lettuce, summer squash that seems to double in size overnight, and crisp, sweet snap peas that are usually munched on as we make the walk from the garden back to our house.  Just call me Farmer Kelly…

The tomatoes and strawberries aren’t yet ripe for the pickin’, but they show definite promise.

All in all, we feel like we’ve done pretty well in our rookie year of veggie-gardening.  But there are definitely things we’ll do differently next year – a couple of words to the wise:

- Don’t assume that one of those dinky little 2-foot stakes is all you need for your peas – our vines outgrew those things in a matter of minutes, and everything would have been much simpler if we’d built a trellis from the get-go.

- 12 lettuce plants is far too many for a two-person household.  I’m sick of salad.  I was actually relieved when some of our plants started to bolt and needed to be removed.

- Squash and zucchini plants grow freakishly fast and get freakishly big.  Just sayin’.

- Gardening is rewarding and fun, but watch out – it can cause marital tensions; I got very defensive last week when Shane accused my squash plant of crowding his strawberries.  How dare he.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be seeing more signs of red next time we go out there!  I’m ready for a good, juicy tomato.