Hiking with Saul

I use the verb "hiking" loosely in describing the long walk we took yesterday. I still feel a little shaky after the flu, so I thought of things that could get my brother and I out of the house and into an abnormally warm and sunny day. There are several parks nearby that I have yet to visit this summer and I decided on one that was a few blocks away.

Kobayashi Park, our park of choice for the excursion, is located in University Place near Chambers Creek. It is currently open while the housing structure is under construction. From what I understand, the property used to be owned by a couple who had a small house and pool overlooking the creek. The couple tried selling the house, but instead turned it into a rental home. The rental home eventually became too much of a liability and is now under construction. Supposedly it is being turned into a gazebo for public use. 

The park has two distinct sets of trails, the easier of which we explored. It was a good outing to say the least.

Our signature "bored" look. Well, close enough.

Cirque du Soleil: Totem

Months ago, I had the opportunity to attend Cirque du Soleil's Totem in Portland. This post has been a long time coming - for some reason I could not stop myself from raving about how much I loved Totem and how much I wanted to run away with the circus. I think by now I have finally formed a semi-coherent message.

Just looking at this photo makes my heart race. The entrance to the grand chateau.

As soon as I saw the tents from the highway, I squealed. There is something about the swirl of blue and yellow that excites my inner child. The circus is here! The circus is here! I look forward to seeing the strange costumes, listening to the beautiful music, and watching the amazing acrobats perform. Every show is unique, but each re-ignites my imagination. Entering the tent is similar to walking through the wardrobe into Narnia; a magnificent world lies within.

The inside of the tent. The umbrellas changed colors sporadically.

It is pronounced To-tem, not To-tem. That is one of the first things I noticed about the show. The next thing I noticed was the staging and lights. There was a mountainous rock placed at the base of a hill-like structure. A life-like stream of water was projected over the structure leading down to the rock. It seemed as though the audience was amidst a rainforest with reeds swaying at the top of the hill.

My brother and I stare in awe as we walk through the tent's entrance.

One of the things I will always appreciate about le Cirque is its theatricality. It always has the perfect mix of flair and humor balanced with a message. For several shows now, I have taken in the performance then reflected on its meaning. Sometimes I will purchase the program to gain insight into the story flowing through the performance, but oftentimes a deeper message is presented. Either that or I truly do find meaning in nothing...

I do love a good bucket of popcorn.

Staging and lighting - beautiful as ever.

Apart from a wonderful message and beautiful audio and visual effects, I enjoy spending time with others who appreciate the performances. Each have their own thrilling feats and incredible designs that are only possible in Cirque du Soleil. Take a moment to consider that circuses, in essence, celebrate the spectacular. It seems that no organization does it best than le Cirque.

My family and I posing after the performance. Or at least trying to.

Spring Break, Day #6

Though today was not terribly exciting, it was not bad either. I redecorated my room somewhat and finally made the decision to try out the bottom level of the bunk bed. It looks... promising.

After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt, I took some time preparing for the outdoors - sometimes also considered dressing. The weather did not look like it would change from lightly overcast, so I decided to take the risk and wear a skirt I bought on the shopping trip with my sister. I think I made a good choice.

The first destination of the day was a tea shop just off the corner of 11th and Glisan called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge. A friend of mine had recommended it to me a while ago, but I never made the time to try it. Well today was the day I did - and I am so glad! The staff was friendly upon entering and even recommended a drink for me when I could not seem to make up my mind. I took their recommendation for a Heat Wave bubble tea (always a good choice for me) and it was delicious! The place was not only clean, but cosy. I studied there for a bit before moving on with my day.

My next stop was the public library - no surprise there - to drop off a few books and pick up a couple more. I lucked out and found BJ Novak's novel on the shelf which I am very much looking forward to reading. I also picked up a book entitled Why Zebra's Don't Get Ulcers. It claims to be a guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. A book I had read previously, Insomnia by Gayle Green, recommended it so I placed a hold on it as soon as I could.

Just down the street from the public library was Target. The convenient location could be dangerous for some people, but I pride myself in having established particular habits that prevent me from spending most of my time (off campus, and second only to the library) and money there. Usually I have a detailed shopping list as well as bags to carry my items home. This time, however, I thought a casual stroll would be fine what with it being nice day and spare time I had. I ended up buying replacement lightbulbs for my lamp, a Maybelline Baby Lips, a soy candle, a bag of Bugles, and a tin of Yan-Yans.

Of course, upon exiting Target it began sprinkling. A quick dash to the streetcar stop secured me a spot under cover from the rain, although it did not protect me from others' titters about the inappropriateness of my outfit for the conditions. I did bring an umbrella, but - silly me - it was tucked under my recent purchases. Fortunately the streetcar came and whisked me back to the safety and warmth of home.

Upon returning, I settled in bed to read and eventually fell asleep. And here I lay, still in bed, typing this while watching a show called Michiko & Hatchin.

Spring Break, Day #4

Today was a beautiful mess. I woke up at 11am (do not judge me!) and started preparing for a picnic my sister and I had planned for the day. She was already at work and I had pretty much free range of her apartment, so I goofed around in the kitchen until I realized I was running late.

Our picnic was simple: turkey sandwiches with Pringles and CapriSun. The location, however, was far more notable. We ended up lunching on the viewing deck of the Newport Bay Nature Preserve. I wish we had more time to explore! From what I could see (and could not see, for that matter), the Preserve covers a substantial area that seems to have been badly burned. Although it its restoration appears stunted, I am confident of nature's impeccable powers of adaptation and regrowth.

Afterward, it was back to studying and watching movies for me. On my watch list for the day was the rest of American Hustle and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. I have to say, I loved American Hustle much more than I thought I would. Also, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters was not as bad as I imagined... In fact, I rather enjoyed it! I think Greek mythology is fascinating as is anything involving Greek mythology.

Once my sister returned from work, we celebrated our last night together with Chinese food for dinner, watching FaceOff, and having a packing party. My sister and I both leave tomorrow for separate trips and decided it would be easier to pack our things simultaneously. It was much more fun than packing alone!! I even helped her plan out some makeup looks for her trip. I am no beauty guru, but it was nice to have some "girl chat" about makeup and other beauty products we are loving.

As hard as I think it will be to leave tomorrow, I am content with what time we spent together this weekend and hope that I can visit again sometime sooner than later and that life will not get in the way of that plan.

Spring Break, Day #3

My Spring Break checklist is near complete. I have successfully slept in (10am), eaten good food (sushi, Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out, salmon, etc.), finished a book (Sea of Hooks - review to follow), spent time with my sister, watched movies, and caught up on my YouTube subscriptions. I have even had a little opportunity to study!

My sister has unfortunately had to return to work, but I have had the freedom to do all the lazy bits and bobs of a typical Spring Break. In fact, the majority of my checklist was completed today. What can I say? It's been an eventful Monday.

It is weird to think that I have one more day with my sister before heading back to Portland. She and I are mentally inseparable. Lately, what with me still being in school and with her working, it has been harder and harder to stay in touch. My schedule is, for lack of a more succinct way of putting it, not really conducive to my family's schedule.

I have always said I make time for those I love, but lately it is seemingly more difficult than normal. Times like this, when I can spend quality time with my family, I despair going back to school and the rigorous schedule I uphold. As much as I love nursing, growing up is hard.

Knowing that my family is a "weakness" of mine, I have conversely been able to use them as a strength. I know I can rely on them for support as well as motivation. I have several photos of them surrounding focal points in my room and look to them whenever I start to feel stressed. Of course, I pray as well, but it is nice to have a physical reminder to relax.

Anyway, I am determined to make the most of all the time I have with my family. If that means doing whatever they want to do or making all the arrangements, so be it. For the meantime, I will do what I want in preparation for spending quality time with them.

Spring Break, Day #2

I realize that though vacation is a time for relaxation (i.e. sleeping in and avoiding normal obligations), I cannot use it as an excuse not to attend mass. Thus, the first item on the agenda was to visit St. Norbert's Catholic parish. It is a lovely, small, parish community that is home to a fantastic choir. Not only did I enjoy mass itself, I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with a companion.

Next, my sister and I went to get pedicures at a local nail salon. The Victoria Nail Salon was a little bit more expensive than I would normally go for, but I thought why not give it a go. The nail salon had a variety of complementary snacks and beverages as well as a plethora of magazines to choose from. The pedicure itself was wonderful. I chose the rejuvenating therapy pedicure which consisted of pumice scrub for calluses, a paraffin treatment for dry skin, and a full leg and foot massage in addition to the pedicure.

After our pedicures, my sister and I went to pick up groceries. My sister wanted to properly celebrate my 21st birthday with me, so we bought ingredients to make sonic screwdrivers. The drink is based off of a British science-fiction television series I am obsessed with called Doctor Who. A sonic screwdriver is very easy to make and it only requires three ingredients (I will do a post on it later). Needless to say, it is now my favorite drink.

One of the key parts of the day was my nap. It was a BRILLIANT nap! I slept from just after lunchtime until around dinnertime, missing a FaceTime session with my mom (sorry Ma!) and several episodes of Parks and Recreation.

For the evening, my sister made a delicious salmon dinner - which I will definitely replicate and post at a later date. We settled for the evening to watch About Time and Thor: The Dark World. I loved About Time and thought the special effects of Thor were awesome! I would definitely recommend both movies.

Spring Break, Day #1

These posts are in no way meant to be bragging about my good fortune. I would, however, like to share my happiness and vacation antics.



Today started off with a nice lie-in and reading. My sister was kind enough to inflate a HUGE air mattress for me and created my own room in her living room, so I had a comfy place to read and relax while I mentally prepared for the day. I am currently reading Sea of Hooks by Lindsey Hill, a novel which I will absolutely review once I have finished it (it is fascinating).

After we ate breakfast, my sister and I headed off to Venice Beach. The area and the houses in the surrounding area are beautiful! The town is similar to its namesake in the sense that streets are intersected by canals.

Spending time at the beach was fantastic. The weather was perfect when we arrived - sunny, but just windy enough to counteract excessive warmth from the sun. While we worked on our tans, we listened to music, read, and talked.

Afraid of ripening sunburns (and our hunger pangs), we departed for our next location - Olvera Street. Known for the enlivenment of the Mexican culture, Olvera Street is home to a multitude of shops and restaurants which are shrouded in vibrant colors and skull paraphernalia. My sister and I meandered through several shops and found a few things to take home.



Next we visited Santee Alley a few blocks away in downtown LA. Santee Alley was a bit different than I imagined. Instead of an alley of outdoor shops similar to Olvera Street, Santee Alley was a conglomeration of shops enclosed in a four-block radius of two parallel avenues. Most of the shops had extremely reduced prices or an ongoing sale, which resulted in huge bargains for all shoppers.

To conclude our day, we stopped by In-N-Out for dinner. Embarrassedly, I asked for a sticker to put on my water bottle when our order was up. I was given the option of children's or bumper stickers, so I initially chose the latter, but when questioned further I faltered. In return, I received a few of each. Needless to say, In-N-Out is a wonderful place.

Traveling with Liv: The Link

Last week, my brother, mother and I took a trip to Seattle aboard the Link. We drove to Tukwila and boarded the Central line Link into Westlake station. The trip was only to try a different form of transportation into the city, but it proved to be an adventurous one!


My brother has an affinity for many forms of transportation, including light rail. He was more than excited to take the C-Link and wanted to return to the station as soon as possible.

Initially our plan had been to take the Link into Seattle, do a little shopping, grab some lunch, and head home. Unfortunately we left later than planned in the morning and spent less time in Seattle than we anticipated.

Saul had chosen where to sit when we boarded and, as I anticipated, he chose the front of the Link. It just so happened the seats faced the opposite direction we were traveling. He was surprised, maybe even a little uncomfortable, and kept saying, "Libya we're going backwards!"

After the first stop, Saul was no longer preoccupied with the motion - instead, he marveled as traffic and landscape rolled by. Although the journey only lasted about 20 minutes, the excitement was imprinted on Saul's face the rest of the day.

The Westlake Station put us about a block away from the Westlake Center and by the time we arrived in Seattle the three of us were hungry, so we headed straight for the food court. There we enjoyed various noodles from the Noodle Zone, depicted below.

Although my mother and I could have gone for a little shopping, all Saul wanted to do was hop aboard the next Link home (or any other Link for that matter!). On the way back to the station, my mother and I detoured to a few shops in search of more Seahawks gear.

On the way home, I took a few videos which I hope to compile into the next "Traveling with Liv" episode for the video series on YouTube. I will announce it as soon as I am finished with it.

Upon arriving in Tukwila, despite our general exhaustion magnified by the afternoon sun, my brother and I raced to the car to grab the front passenger seat. I won this time. Nothing, I repeat, nothing could have made the trip better.

Adventuretime: Snoqualmie Falls Edition

Last night I had the most incredible night of sleep I have had in weeks! Thus, I was a little disheartened the moment Saul came barreling into my room to wake me up for our day of adventure. Fortunately, after a little pick-me-up at Starbucks, I was more than ready to get going - I was excited! I cannot remember the last time I visited Snoqualmie falls, but I can say that it has been quite a while.

The trip to Snoqualmie was short, but sweet. My fellow passengers and I entertained ourselves with lively conversation and music... and the (not so) little one with snacks and a movie. Although Saul does tend to enjoy the journey more than the destination, he was in very good spirits when we arrived.

Today's good weather had drawn out many families to the park. I do not know if it is usually that busy, but I was grateful for the multitudes of families (especially those with pets) that were taking the trail. Not only were they a source of entertainment for Saul (the pets, mostly), they were a reminder that coming back up the trail would not kill us.

The trail was fairly steep - not a problem going down, of course, but a bit of a struggle coming up. (There is a separate parking lot closer to the lower falls viewpoint for those with difficulty hiking). In truth, I do not think any of us considered it an obstacle. We were too busy enjoying being outside on a lovely day being near such a magnificent force of nature.

The view was beautiful. I know it is literally just water flowing off a cliff, but it the sheer magnitude of the water was astonishing. What can I say? It's the little things.

We ended the trip by enjoying a lunch of sandwiches and soup at Rose Ridge Cafe & Deli. There is much to say about an owner who recognizes pretty much everyone in town and welcomes strangers as friends. Walking off our lunch, we explored the area and found a neat statue in front of the community center.

After the detour, we reluctantly returned home to shower and settle down for the evening. Overall, a fantastic day.

Following the Funny Feeling: the Tale of a Stray Dog

This morning my dad had the uncanny idea that today would be a good day for a walk with our dog, Echo. We bundled up and got started walking down the street, noticing that the sky was getting darker as we distanced ourself from home.

Dad and I had barely left the neighborhood when we saw the stray dog, sniffing around the bushes. Echo greeted the dog in his normal fashion as I reached for her name tag. In place of her name tag was the number for what turned out to be the local Animal Control agency. As I called the number, trying to figure out what to do, our neighbor drove up and offered his assistance. None of us recognized the dog from our neighborhood so we decided it was best to take her to the Humane Society.

I, of course, grew attached to the dog in the short time we new each other. I nicknamed her Hattie, partially after the character in the novel I recently read, but also because she escaped our hands three times (hat trick). She is very well behaved and friendly and not to mention gorgeous! How could I not become attached?

Fortunately we were able to drop her off at the Humane Society and got a number to call in a few days to see if she is doing okay. Hopefully her owners will find her.

Strangely enough, my dad insisted on going on a walk, despite the fact that it was down pouring. He later admitted that he had had a funny feeling about it and decided to follow it. Thank goodness we did, otherwise we might not have been able to help Hattie!

Take An Unplanned Road Trip: The Point Defiance 5-Mile Drive

Point Defiance Park is home to Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and was the key location of my unplanned road trip. I have been to the park before, but I have never properly explored it. Today was the day!

The weather was awful - stereotypical of the Pacific Northwest. As soon as my brother returned from school, we packed up and took off in the direction of the park. It was soon decided my brother would be my navigator, so I handed him the map I had made and maneuvered through the streets of Tacoma to our first pit stop.

We arrived at my grandparents' house and ate a quick snack, detailing our plans for the afternoon and looking over the map. After saying goodbye, we continued our journey to Ruston Way and drove along the waterfront before reaching the park. Once there, we put aside the map and followed along the 5-Mile Drive.

The drive led us to several viewpoints which overlooked the Puget Sound. On this horribly rainy day, the sight of the Sound was a welcome compensation to the alternative moisture that seemingly provoked us from all angles. I took as many pictures as I dared of the flora and the fauna as we drove slowly along the winding path through the park.

It was a wonderful couple of hours spent wandering, although I would have loved to spend more time enjoying the scenery by foot. The mini-road trip was a perfect start to the weekend and tickled my sense of adventure. I will always enjoy traveling and I look forward to wherever the road of life takes me next!

Ding-Dong-Ditching

While I am not officially labeled a disturber of the peace, nor am I a Marauder with access to the Marauder's map, I did successfully pull off a prank. A nice prank, of course.

A friend of mine have a long-running joke about giving cupcakes as a sign of how much one cares for another. Up until now, it was just a joke that we teased each other with, but Saturday night I took it to another level.

Fortunately there is a fantastic cupcake shop nearby in downtown Tacoma called Hello, Cupcake. I picked up a few of my friend's favorite cupcakes and drove to his house and - you guessed it - left the cupcake box, rang the doorbell, and ran away!

Just around the corner, I hopped back in my car and waited to see his reaction. He walked out, looked around, looked down, and smiled.

Mischief managed!

Resourcefulness + Creativity = Surprise!

Don't judge me. I've never been very creative.
Plus, I didn't have any poster paper. Or many markers.
Or someplace completely dry to shelter it from the rain.

Today my aunt returned from a very long, arduous business trip. Having been away from home quite awhile, my aunt deserved a proper homecoming.  With the skills resulting from many years of procrastination and mischief, I made it my mission to provide a nice, if not amusing, reception.

It was surprising how easy it was to track her flight information down without her knowing. Long story short, I utilized her check-ins on Facebook and crossed the information with flight details from the departing and arriving airports.

Once I had her flight information, I sent her a few text messages to throw her off my scent. (Not really, I just figured I would check up on her while I could without seeming conspicuous.) Then I looked up streetcar and Max line schedules and formulated a plan to get to the airport at the appropriate time. After constructing my plans and setting the necessary timers, I proceeded to design a beautiful poster to present to my aunt upon arrival (or wave fanatically as I ran toward the escalator my aunt was descending, squealing). It turned out better than I expected. I even gathered a supply of Halloween candy for her, complete with a festive decorative bag!

My plan was foolproof! Despite the drizzle, I made it to the airport with just enough time to settle in at the designated baggage claim carousel for her flight. Instead of waiting to see her, I texted her to come to the carousel. Honestly, it would have been better if I had not texted her, but I was so afraid I had missed her arrival despite having check the arrivals compulsively on my journey to the airport.

Sesame bananas are ridiculously satisfying with tea...

Anyway, my aunt was pleasantly surprised by my presence and I was satisfied with her reaction - and with having her home, of course! Getting to walk around Portland in search of coffee and ending up at a Chinese restaurant at 10pm, catching up with my aunt over tea and fried bananas made all my efforts worth it.

Also, we both got the same fortune from the fortune cookies we gave each other... Coincidence? I think not.

AIDS Walk Portland 2013: Generosity

Today was beyond memorable - I attended my first AIDS Walk where I met many people, drank lots of coffee, and yelled my lungs out. IT WAS AWESOME.

To start off my day, I went to mass where I was greeted warmly by a fellow parishioner, Ernest. Then I walked to Starbucks to get breakfast (I would have eaten beforehand, but sleep was more enticing) where I coincidentally met another fellow parishioner, Mark, who works there. He paid for my breakfast bagel!

Anyway, once I arrived at the actual event, I was in such a good mood that nothing could have rained on my parade. Literally. It didn't. Rain on the parade, I mean. We were really fortunate with the weather, because almost as soon as most of the tents and supplies were packed away, it poured.

I signed in, got my bright yellow (or neon banana as I like to call it), and was ushered straight to the food tent. CAP was very generous with the food options and coffee distribution! I wandered around, greeting fellow volunteers and complimenting walkers' costumes (and occasionally photo-bombing peoples' selfies - true story). After I had photographed the most adorable puppies - Chuchi and Guerrita - I saw a volunteer sitting by herself with a cup of coffee and decided to introduce myself.

"Are you volunteering by yourself too?"

"Yes! Let's be best friends!"

...And that is how I became fast friends with Lauren. She had participated in the AIDS Walk several times with a friend and had decided to continue the tradition, despite her friend not being able to attend this year. We were both route monitors, so eventually we went our separate ways.

I arrived to my location about an hour and a half before I was actually needed there. I was stationed at the last corner before the finish, meaning I did not see anyone until the first walkers rounded the corner. Also, I did not realize that because there would be so many people they would need to close down the ENTIRE INTERSECTION! I spoke with a transit policeman who explained the situation before anyone got there, so I did not look quite as flabbergasted as I might have been.

Once the walkers arrived, I started cheering and clapping. Why not? Everyone was so quiet! In my mind, the AIDS Walk was something to be excited about! Sure enough, a homeless man joined me in cheering and more and more people caught our enthusiasm. Lauren immediately ran over as she rounded the corner and helped us make some noise. IT WAS SO INVIGORATING!! We rounded up the last of the walkers and headed on down the street to the square where most of the people were already dispersing.

My observations throughout the day concluded that today was a day of great generosity. Not only for me, personally, but for others. I took the streetcar home and talked with a few team members who had raised $7,443. That is no small feat! Even the number of volunteers today was astounding! And the turnout? Incredible! From what I have heard from previous participants, the turnout today was smaller than the last few years, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but it kind of is. I mean, if the cold and clouds had deterred people from attending, I can only imagine how much more crowded Pioneer Courthouse Square would have been!

Updates: Nursing school, Portland, Challenges, and etc.

I am writing this from my cozy room in the Linfield Good Samaritan School of Nursing campus in Portland, Oregon. In brief, this last month has been a whirlwind of classes, exploration, food, and friends - and I'm loving it! Classes are going well, I have enjoyed exploring Portland and the surrounding area, food is expensive and SO GOOD, and friends are my favorite. My favorite class at the moment is actually lab/clinical because of the hands-on nature and the clinical advisors are very informative and fun. I have ventured out every week to explore Portland, including the Saturday market and part of the Pearl District. As there is no cafeteria on this campus, I have had fun grocery shopping and cooking for myself - though with NW 23rd nearby, my friends and I decided that Friday night dinners would have to be a thing.

Moving on: I failed to complete the August photo-a-day challenge, however, I will be attempting the challenge again in October with a better understanding of what to expect. I am so very close to completing the AFI Films challenge, but with little access to a movie library I am a little set back. I have renewed motivation to complete the challenges now that I have gotten settled with nursing school, although I have to say I am renewed in my motivation to become a nurse as well. I feel as if I have studied harder the last few weeks than I can remember.

I suppose my point is, I am a full-time nursing student but I will continue contributing to this blog as much as possible. :)

Tacoma Ethnic Festival

Today my family and I went to the Tacoma Ethnic Festival. My friend Nathalie (mentioned in an earlier blogpost) was performing so we tried to make it, but by the time we got there they had already finished. Sorry Nat! We had been to Ethnic Fest last year so we knew where we would immediately head - the main stage for music and dancing. They always seem to play great music. And it was perfect weather for dancing barefoot! We met up with Nat eventually and stayed to watch some of the other performers. There were Hawaiian hula dancing, Korean drummers, and (pictured) Korean dancers.

In between performances we meandered around the vendors. Eventually we decided to take the plunge and hit up the food vendor area. BEST IDEA EVER!! By that time I was so hungry - I hadn't eaten much for breakfast because I was anticipating the Ethnic Fest food. There were so many options to choose from! Now I normally am quite practical with spending money, but when it comes to food, I lose it. Whenever I see food that I want to try or food I know I like that I can't necessarily make for myself, I go for it. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "foodie" but I love food!
I love cooking and eating and conversing about food.

If you, by chance, are like me and don't quite consider yourself a foodie but are a lover of cooking and food in general, check out the book Try This: Travel the Globe Without Leaving the Table by Danyelle Freeman. It is an easy read that provides a great overview of several culture's cuisines as well as some general tips on etiquette and dining. It's definitely opened my mind (and mouth!) to trying new kinds of food. Also, if you have the chance, read Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. It is the novel that the 2009 movie was based on. Although I don't like the book, I liked the idea of setting out on a culinary adventure. Thus, the books inspired me to add the Julie & Julie project challenge to The List.

Anyway, I'm grateful I had Nat and my brother along to help me out. Nat helped guide me through the food vendors and their offerings and my brother helped me finish my selections! Great teamwork, don't you think?

Disclaimer: all the food and beverages I had were DELICIOUS, so I won't waste my time repeating myself.

My first selection was a peach lemonade. I'm a sucker for lemonade and peaches in general, so the idea of the combination was very appealing. I like my lemonade slightly tart and although the peach flavor sweetened it a bit, it was still pleasantly tart. They even stuck half a lemon in there!




My next selection was a corn on the cob. I grew up loving elotes (Spanish for corn on the cob) so this was also a no-brainer! I had always thought that elotes, made the Mexican way, were slathered with butter and sprinkled with paprika and salt. Nathalie informed me that they put mayonnaise on it, so that's what I did. PERFECTION. I'm still not sure what makes elotes in Mexico so freaking good though.


Next we hit up the crêpe stand for a little dessert. If there's one thing you must know about me, it's that I absolutely love crêpes! I don't know what it is about them... Maybe their versatility? They can be served with fruit tucked inside for breakfast, chicken and spinach for brunch, or whipped cream for dessert. Sometimes I simply slather the insides with jam for a quick breakfast. They can be made and stored for later (a college girl's favorite type of food, although they're not as good as fresh-made crêpes).

The crêpe stand had a mixture of both dessert crêpes and brunch crêpes. At this point I was filling up and didn't think I had room for a chicken artichoke crêpe, so I opted for a sweet one. I've been craving chocolate a lot lately - so much so that I recently tried making chocolate crêpes. They turned out great! Granted, I'm not a professional crêpe maker nor am I a connoisseur of crêpes. Nat ordered the fresh strawberry crêpe with powdered sugar and cream and I orded the chocolate turtle crêpe with powdered sugar, cream, chocolate and caramel syrup, and crushed peanuts.

The last thing I ordered was curly fries - because just when I thought I was stuffed, I saw them. Oh the shame.

Adventuretime: Argosy Cruise to Tillicum Village

My friend Nathalie and I have a thing about making last-minute plans. Our mutual friend has a habit of making them and typically the plans go awry. We're used to our friend's way of socializing and we share the same views about it, so we trust each other whenever we make last-minute plans. This past Monday, I was taking my brother to the library when I got a call from her about going on a cruise in Seattle later that afternoon. 

Nathalie and I are huge Starbucks addicts.
I know, I know, for shame.

 Now, as much as I hang out with Nathalie, I almost never get to talk with her alone in person and the ride up to Seattle was the perfect opportunity. We got to the pier with plenty of time to spare, so of course we stopped for a Starbucks!
We found out right before leaving that the name of the vessel we were sailing on was the Goodtimes II. We thought it was appropriately named.
Since it was a lovely day, we sat in the front seats of the top deck's bow and caught some sun. Oh, fun fact, Nathalie and I were "twinning" that day - occasionally we wear the same sort of outfit, if not the same clothes. (I like to think of it as "tWinning.")
It happened to be a dinner cruise complete with a guided tour. A few other characters onboard also kept us entertained on the trip to Blake's Island, where Tillicum Village is located. Along the way, the tour guide mentioned that some pathways were made out of broken clam shells and thus, the word for clam also meant the word for path. Soon after arriving, we were offered a mug with clams in them whose shells we were expected to drop and crush, as a contribution to the pathway.
The inside of the lodge was huge! There were a few fire pits for baking the salmon we ended up eating for dinner. There was a great array of food - salad, stew, risotto, green beans, roasted tomatoes, fruit, molasses bread, and of course, salmon. They even served single apple pies with caramel for dessert! The salmon and molasses bread were absolutely DELICIOUS. Although they were out of the loaves of bread in the gift shop, Nathalie got the card of a lady who said she would leave as many loaves as we wanted at the pier in Seattle for us to pick up. That's going to be a thing!*

I loved that you could have a bit of everything -
but I think I went overboard (pun intended) on the salad.

The show itself was awesome. I only recorded some of it, because I wanted to get the full experience. One of my favorite stories told was of how birds got their songs. I will never overlook a wren again - it was the hero of the story. The masks that they used were ridiculously cool. Nathalie and I talked to one of the performers after the show and found out that each mask weighed around 40 pounds. I believe it! Some of them, like the one pictured have strings to snap the beaks together. The performer also explained the significance of a mask I was particularly interested in. He said the mask was a symbol of how there are the ancestors and living ancestors as well because the old ways have been passed on to the living elders.

A photographic summation of my trip.

The trip back was very relaxing - so much so that I started falling asleep! Fortunately it was a tad breezy and I ordered a nice, cold ginger ale to keep me awake. We wandered around the pier a bit to watch the sunset before heading home. To complete the evening we stopped and talked about our afternoon over piña colada flavored bubble tea.

Lemon and honey ginger ale is my favorite!
But so is Nathalie. 

Overall it was a lovely trip and I am so grateful I have a friend like Nathalie in my life. :)







*I forgot to mention: this phrase has been used more and more frequently. It's a weird shorthand for saying, "I like that this exists and I want it to happen to me."