My long weekend was stupendous! I did the following things... Kickboxing, Photo Rejuvenation, Shopping, Ponti's Seafood and Grill, Little Si, BBQ, Roller Coasters, Space Needle, more Shopping, fresh salads and a new love for Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing.
My friend, Crystal, convinced me to try this Light Therapy at the Osmotics counter at Nordstroms. I have no idea what will happen to my skin... will I be rejuvenated? What are your thoughts on this new treatment?
Friday
Highlight: Meditation
A strange night... I became known as Carpool... because, i offered myself up to be a carpool. I was carted to a going away party for this girl, Meredith, who is moving to New York. It was a crazy party filled with potential pot smokers and gay theatre boys. It was fantastic! Meredith's Dad was amazing... he's vegan and meditates. We talked about it for almost the entire party! I ate brownies (hopefully they were spiked) and drew pictures!
Saturday
Highlight: Fishy swimming from Seattle to Redmond
Dawni-Rae kicked my ass and I napped. The evening hours prompted me to take Erica downtown Seattle to eat a little food at Thai Heaven and Skee ball! I won a purple plastic Buddha. Erica named him Billy. I finished off the night with a few bites of some soy cream! Mmmmm!
Sunday
Highlight: Hanging out with James
I finally managed to drag myself to the Seattle Museum of History (MOHAI). It was pretty cool. It's amazing to see documentation about racism... Of course, I always knew that it was prevalent - but it's an unpleasant reminder when you actually see it. There were a lot of interesting bits from the Lewis & Clark Exhibition. After the museum, I stopped off at the Black Cat Cafe and met up with my new scottish friend, James. We went down to the Seattle Fair and he ate some of the local food and stared at photographs. I met Erica in the evening for a nice walk and we watched the movie... Spanglish. Cute movie.
"I don't know you - but I hate you. I hate you. And this is all I've been shown and I don't have a mind of my own. I think you're ugly and your kind bugs me. You bug me... and this is all that I know. I don't have a mind of my own." - Jacqueline Rendell
Friday
Highlight: Receiving a great big hug from Chip.
I was a grumpasaurus rex for some of Friday... I had just decided to return to my state of vegetarianism... when I forgot and ate bacon. The rest of the day scrounging for protein was difficult, so I'm going to have to find an easier way to eat protein during the day. This was my problem being vegetarian... oh, sure, there are a ton of options - but let's face it folks... tofu tastes like crap unless it's (deep) fried. Mmmmmm! Chip circumvented the grumpiness by being Chip and off we went on a short hike to Annette Lake. How I have missed my Chip!
Saturday
Highlight: Sitting in the grass overlooking Seattle and feeling a warm breeze against my face.
I broke the 'E' string on my violin. My kickboxing instructor, Dawni-Rae, decided that today's class would be 2 hours of absolute violence against the body. My plan to traipse around Seattle was interrupted by sheer exhaustion, so I went home and cleaned instead. My apartment is spotless! As the evening hour approached, I thought I'd go out and try my hand at some evening photography. I arrived at Bellevue Park and took some nice low-light shots (and played on the kiddie swing set) and then headed out to Gasworks Park in Seattle for the nighttime cityscape. There was some kind of commotion in the distance... bombs, fireworks, whatever.
Sunday
Highlight: Hanging out with my friends, Lisa & Jen!
It rained. Most notably, my friend opened up her own cafe near U-Village called The Black Cat Cafe. She has yet to have an official grand opening, but she is planning it soon. I finally (after 2 weeks) dropped by to see the cafe and spent quite a few hours hanging out by their faux-fireplace. It was amazing what she did with the place. What a creative brain!
Black Cat Cafe
5000 30th Avenue NE, Seattle
Directions:
520-West
Exit: Montlake Blvd and continue along this street
Slight LEFT on 25th Ave NE
RIGHT on Blakeley Street
Park!
----------------------
Bunny's Random Quiz
Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.
Cultural Creative - 94%
Materialist - 94%
Postmodernist - 88%
Idealist - 75%
Existentialist - 75%
Modernist - 44%
Romanticist - 31%
Fundamentalist - 0%
In the theology of the Church of the SubGenius, a mystical substance or quality that is the prerequisite of all human happiness.
What a surreal day yesterday - I am spent. I took the amazing abs class and was told I was too strong to do it the easy way (yes!) and when that was finished I wasn't quite dead, so I headed off to what I thought was step aerobics. Was it step aerobics? No. Was it kickboxing? No. It was a combination hip hop-strip tease class! Ha ha! Fantastic! Also, because I thought the instructor was just being odd and friendly she asked who wanted to go dancing one Saturday night with her and I (of course) jumped up and said YES! ME ME! So er... I've had one class of hip hip - strip tease, and now I've gotta prove myself on the dance floor. Sweet. I can't wait! To finalize this rather odd Wednesday, my violin instructor told me I was ahead of schedule and that I was a quick study.
--------------------
Dream Sequence: I'm in the middle of a war zone. I'm not freaked out and feel very casual about it. Our camp is invaded and I hide (get this) under a table. I find a young man and woman with a small child. The tablecloth (ha ha) is lifted up and a solider shoots and kills the man and woman. I grab the child and run. I meet up with a male friend at a grocery store and we're browsing the aisles. Apparently I know that men just walk up and abuse women to put them in their place and a couple guys in the store walk up and just slap my face. Despite the fact that I want to rip their hearts out, I take it, as I don't want to be captured. My friend and I are then discovered, so we start running. I'm scaling walls and leaping over walls, falling great distances... and then running and running. My friend is right behind me. We hide out in a bathroom, where I find a childs toy covered in dirt. I wash it off and I give it to the baby. She giggles. I pick her back up when I hear footsteps and we take off again. My friend is captured, but I keep running. I find the US Embassy and run inside. I ask for a bottle for the baby, but they bring me food. I ask again for a bottle for the baby. I see my friend being dragged off by the police out the window and then I wake up. What a nutty dream.
Highlight: The State of The Union and $8 water from the W Hotel
Last night I went out with my friend Texas Steve to see Thievery Corporation at Premier in Seattle. It was incredible! The bass was thumping against my chest so much I think my rib cage shattered at one point. My favourite song was a reggae beat mixed with mystical lounge sounds... I think the lyrics were "broadcasting lies" or something to that effect. T-Steve and I grooved to the music all night long (ok, that's midnight for me now)! After the fabulous concert we headed back to the W and plopped down on the grandiose king bed to listen to a CD and drink some $8 water. He actually let me keep the super cool carafe too!
"Vague impression lingers in the back of my mind." - Rob Hedge
Saturday
Highlight: First Outdoor Climb!
I spent the day climbing for the first time outdoors at Exit 38. It was my first outdoor climb and although the very first one was only a 5.6 - I was terrified! I got the hang of it pretty quick and was dragging myself up a 5.8 by the end. I hope to get to at least a 5.9 and maybe even try something with a little more exposure. I'm getting used to feeling vulnerable on the exposed hikes, so maybe it won't be so much of a leap to climbing!
Sunday
Highlight: Twinkie in the Mailbox
The hike up Mailbox Peak was incredibly difficult. I slogged up there with a couple of friends and through some miracle made it to the top! It was incredible... a full 360 view of the cascades. You wouldn't believe it. We put a (indestructible) twinkie in the mailbox as a tribute and wrote our friend, Sameer, (who couldn't join us) a letter... not only because he is crazy and will hike this trail, but... okay, there's nothing else. He's crazy.
I'm reading a wonderful new book, Independent People by Halldor Laxness. I'm only halfway through and social obligations are making it difficult to find a good chunk of time to just sit and read, but maintaining relationships is a higher priority! I just love my friends!
I also love my horoscope yesterday... "Why do you now face a particular problem? Who cares?". Ha ha! It is so appropriate to a situation I face with a friend. I had the best discussion with him last night; I was really interested in what he was saying; I found a tiny bit of renewed admiration for him as a person... and then... not.
"Ten years from now I'll be boring, crazy, or dead, and the scary part is I don't know which of those I prefer." - Cat and Girl
Saturday
Highlight: Sending quotes from a book via sms to friends
It starts off like anything should; a giggle, a sarcastic remark, laughter, odd behaviours and the comfortable silence. It is my brother's company I enjoy for hours, drifting in and out of the clouds. We arrive on time and my Dad waves from the line of people stacked on top of each other waiting for lovers, friends and family. He instantly comments on my figure (praises mind you), but I'm irritated nonetheless as he never once asked me how I was. So, suffice it to say it's off to a great start. A battle soon ensues over whether or not I'm going to join him on some errands the next morning. I say no, he wills me to come with him. I say no, he demands it. I say no. Seconds upon arrival I reduce myself to a rebellious teenager furrowing my brow and speaking against the gales coming out of my father's mouth.
Sunday
Highlight: Running in a light snow fall.
I wake up at noon, so it looks like I'm not going to attend to my Dad's errands afterall. Yay! I put on my sweats and head outside for a run. It's a little chilly as I run through Mennonite farmland, but it feels incredible to be outside with the snow falling softly around me, kissing my neck and disappearing into my skin. It started to hail briefly, so I headed back to the Inn for a quick shower so I won't smell on my tour of St. Jacobs. It was here that I met up with my old friend inspiration. Hello Inspiration!
Monday
Highlight: Walking into Tim Hortons at 10am in formal wear.
My Dad's wedding was incredible and my family is well... taken straight out of some scary television show. I swear, there's enough drama to feed an entire series of soap operas. I send my thanks out to Steve Hickson, my sunshine in the hail, the smile in the morning, the saviour among Germans... it was so great to be home.
Tuesday/Wednesday
Highlight: Bowling at Palasades
It is nice to have gone home for a visit... yes, home. Despite the claims of Seattle being my home (Eric), I think my heart still belongs to Canada. I believe it's the rhythm of life, a way of being without judgment, a sense of freedom to the soul that I just can't find here. It's passion with purpose and smiles without shackles.
Scott Walmsley - You rock in my heart ;-)
"I was unsupervised. I had a real good time. Until I... I hit my head" - Mono Puff
Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.
I'm older than I was a couple seconds ago.
