gas works park

Now that Bret and I are enjoying the freedom of easy travel that car ownership brings, we've been out and about a little exploring the area around us. Last week we went to a really neat place not too far from us called Gas Works Park. It was once the site of Seattle's Gas Light Company plant but was turned into a park in 1975. It's probably one of the coolest parks I've been to because one, it still has ruins of the old plant which is different and two, it's right on the shore of Lake Union with a gorgeous view of the city and the surrounding neighborhoods. 

For all those movie lovers out there like myself, here are some other reference points: the house from Sleepless in Seattle is visible from the park and the paintball scene from 10 Things I Hate about You was filmed there. So there you go. Here are some pictures from our visit.

Yes, I realize that I look 13 in this picture.

Maybe even 12 in this one. Whatever.

The hill you see in these next couple pictures is actually our neighborhood, Queen Anne. 

We came on a Thursday so it wasn't too crowded. Since then we took Bret's parents (who were here last Sunday) to see it and it was packed with people and kites. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me then, too.

wish granted

Ever since I've been in Seattle I've wanted to go boating on Lake Washington. I've driven by it and over it on the floating bridges so many times and finally a week ago, I got my chance. It came as no surprise that our friends Doug and Ashley Clark would grant us this pleasure. They've already helped us out in so many ways like moving us in and letting us borrow both their car and computer when we were desperately in need, so why not a boat ride too?

Doug's parents have a place on the lake with a boat so it was perfect, and the weather was perfect too! We saw some amazing houses (including Bill Gates' house which I took a picture of but it doesn't do it justice), went swimming, had a delicious BBQ after and I even got sunburned. It was awesome. 

Are we not the palest people you have ever seen? Hence the sunburn. Truth be told that's why we moved to Seattle. It's the perfect excuse.

The Clarks are moving this weekend to Issaquah, a nice suburban area about 25 minutes outside the city. We're so excited for them to have a a nice new home but we'll miss them a lot. Thanks Clarks for making the dream come true!  (you haven't seen the last of us).

In other wish-fulfilling news, we finally have a new car! It's wonderful. In fact, I want all of you car owners out there (so basically everyone) to go take a good look at your vehicle and think to yourself, "How lucky I am to have a transportation device!" Because you really are. Those of you who have ever been without one for awhile will know what I mean. 

This was the second time in our marriage where cars have failed us and we needed a new one. For that reason I think I'll always be grateful to have one no matter how nice or not nice they are. Just the fact that they get from point A to point B in such good time and with such low hassle is simply amazing to me now. We did finally get a newer, more dependable car so let's hope this won't ever happen again. Shoot, did I just jinx myself? Special thanks to the Hudsons for all they did to help make it possible. We love you guys!

in honor of you, miss giddens

bumbershoot

The word bumbershoot may be a silly nickname for umbrellas but it's also a famous Seattle music and arts festival. There, you just learned something new. Anyway, the festival lasts three weekend days that are packed full of musical acts, dance performances, visual art exhibits and plenty of food and craft booths. There's other random things like comedy shows and a famous poster mall called Flatstock. We only attended the last day (Labor Day) and it was definitely not enough time to see it all.

(I like this picture of Bret because from far away he looks happy

but if you zoom in you'll see he's actually annoyed. visual trickery.)

Despite the rain of the early afternoon, we had a great time with our friends AJ and Grace, seeing such known acts as the Black Eyed Peas, Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse.

Those were all very good but I think my favorites were the artists that aren't as well known. Oren Lavie, for instance.

Many of you are probably aware of his awesome music video, but I really love his vocals too. Very chill and soothing. The best part about it was that his venue was so small and intimate. I'm also a fan of music that involves the cello so that's a bonus. Please enjoy this clip and look for some good new music coming from him soon.

Another person I loved but had unfortunately never even heard of before was Janelle Monae. She looks cool doesn't she? She is.

If you aren't familiar with her you should probably look her up. She's super unique and soooo vocally talented. When I say unique I mean she throws down some serious dance moves, sings about sci-fi stuff like being a robot and does such things as painting on a canvas during a song and then throwing it into the crowd (probably knocking someone out). Not to mention the hair do. Seriously, check her out. It's refreshingly original. ( You should maybe look at this too)

Like I said the other acts were great too. The Black Eyed Peas were surprisingly better live than I thought they would be. I totally forgot how many hits they've had too. It was super fun.

So here you go, a little Black Eyed Peas clip.

bus adventures

Bret and I are still without a dependable method of transportation. This has meant a lot of quality time with the public bus system. So that's why I've decided to start a brand new segment called, bus adventures!

So last night Bret and I took a bus to attend dinner and a movie for a date night. When we got on the bus we were the only people on it except maybe one other person. At the next stop, a guy got on yelling wildly about being a war vet or something. He was clearly inebriated and a little forlorn looking to be honest. Of course out of all the empty seats on the bus, this guy decided to go to the very back and sit as close to the two of us as possible. 

This man proceeded to tell us all about his life, which I'm going to tell you now. Chris (that's his name) is a 47-year-old war vet that served in Granada and was shot in the back twice, has two illegitimate children one of which he hasn't seen in 8 years and he used to cut meat at the grocery store but not anymore. I also learned something new from Chris: evidently being "in the bubble" means being addicted to meth, which one of his babies' mama is. I wish I could quote some of the things he said but most of them involved some kind of profanity so I probably shouldn't. Bret was really great at being friendly and engaging. I tried to add in my two cents now and then like, "Thanks for serving our country" but he kept acting like he couldn't hear me very well until he finally said, "Did you loose your voice or something?". I just nodded and Bret did most of the talking after that.

When he finally asked about us and discovered we were Mormons from Utah, he seemed quite in awe about it. Soon after he got this information, it was his stop. But before he left he announced to the now full bus that we were Mormon (not in a negative way but more like we were a newly discovered species of human). As we drove away I saw him announce to the people on the street "there's Mormons in there!"

Hey, at least now when he hears of or thinks of Mormons again, he can remember that couple on the bus that sat and listened to him talk. At least, that's what I'd like to think. It's more likely, given his condition, that he will have no memory of us.

family to the rescue

Bret and I have been lucky enough to have had an abundance of family visitors over the last month or so since we've been here. We can't say enough how much we appreciate the support and excitement our family has shown us in regards to our move. It has meant the world.

Bret's dad was the first to come, taking his son out to baseball games while I was still in Utah and Bret had nothing but an aero mattress to come home to. Since then, the visits have gone as follows: (WARNING: another long, picture-filled post ahead. Continue at your discretion).

The Bowens (my sister Sarah Jane and her husband Nathan and daughter Norah) came the same week we moved in. Nathan grew up in Bellevue and most of his family still resides in the area which is great for us cause we know they'll visit often, especially now that they're in California.

Nathan's parents have a gorgeous place on a small lake outside the city that we visit often for good conversation,  gourmet dinners and quality r&r. They've always made us feel more than welcome - indeed - like part of the family.

Obviously, we feel right at home there.

It was great to have the Bowens over at our new place. Too bad it was basically a giant mess at that point, full of boxes and everything. Norah didn't seem to mind though. Hopefully it will be sorted by their next trip.

It looks like Norah is wearing a clown hat in this picture. It's just the birdcage (yes, the birds are still with us).

Wondering how we got them here? Like this:

It was a long drive for all of us.

Next in town was my mother. She overlapped a day with the Bowens and then went with a friend and Nathan's mom up to Vancouver and Victoria, Canada for a few days. The rest of the time she spent with us (and in every quilting store in the greater Seattle area). Bret worked most the time but on his day off we took a ferry over to the islands.

(I thought these clouds were cool)

We spent most of our day in Poulsbo, a quaint little town settled by some Norwegians a hundred years ago. It's a charming place that plays up its heritage making it a favorite of my mothers.

It's also home to one our favorite bakeries.

This pretty much sums up Bret's experience. Just kidding, he was a good sport.

This past weekend, Bret's sister Carynn and her husband Jamie came to stay for the holiday weekend. We were happy to show them a new side of Seattle, what most tourists don't see anyway, and they in turn helped us pick up furniture and look at potential new cars- not to mention brought us joy and adventure.

We did all sorts of exciting things like Ikea furniture-making parties.

... and playing sophisticated games that challenged our strength and wit. 

We also ate at several amazing restaurants, went shopping and witnessed some crazy raccoon antics. Thanks for the good times Hudsons!