Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Second Street Grill in Yakima, WA

Rachel and I went to The Second Street Grill in Yakima, WA for lunch the other day. Rachel mentioned it was a new restaurant and was convenient since it was across the street from her work. When I walked in, I thought 'Am I really in Yakima?' This place was too nice and fancy looking for Yakima. To my surprise the place was packed and there was actually a wait to get seated. Instead of waiting we decided to sit in the bar area. It felt like a nice sports bar with a number of TV's. The place felt very warm and cozy with dark brown wood floors, brick walls and black tables.

The menu had a large selection of american food. They had pizza, burgers, sandwiches, steak, pasta and seafood. Rachel and I split two appetizers; a shrimp peanut (thai type) pizza and some tuna, chicken and shrimp skewers with peanut sauce. This was enough food for us, so we didn't need to order an entree. Entrees were anywhere from $9 - $35 dollars.

Here is a pic from Yakima's 'On Magazine'.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Hanger Cafe Georgetown Seattle

A few months ago I read an article about this awesome crepe place in georgetown, so we decided to go check it out. The place is called Hanger Cafe and it's located at 6261 13th Avenue South (on the south end of Georgetown.

The place is a small old house in georgetown that could maybe hold 35 people. It was pretty packed when we got there, but we got lucky with one table open in the back. We all ordered the
Hangar Crepe
Eggs, ham Swiss, cheddar, thinly sliced red onion, Roma tomatoes and baby spinach topped with a roasted poblano and basil vinaigrette and crème fraiche. $7.75

Man, this crepe was delicious!! The flavors made it melt in your mouth. I really wanted to try one of their sweet 'dessert' crepes, but we had to wait 45 minutes just to get one crepe. There was a big party of 15 people that came in right before us.

The waitress was nice enough to warn us that there would be a long wait before we ordered and made sure that was ok with us. She made sure to keep us happy by refilling the coffee.

I'm going to go back soon and try that sweet crepe :)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

El Gaucho Bellevue opens Nov 2008

Bellevue is getting pretty swanky with all the new high end restaurants including El Gaucho. El Gaucho opened a few days ago in the City Center Plaza, Ave. N.E. and N.E. 6th St.

Other high end restaurants that are in Bellevue:
Palomino
McCormick & Schmicks
Joey's
0/8 Seafood Grill
Pearl
Maggianos
Melting Pot
Daniel's Broiler

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Apple Cup 2008! Cougs vs Huskies

Washington State Cougars (GO COUGS!) vs University of Washington Huskies (BOOOOO) is this Saturday, Nov 22 12:00p at Washington State University: Clarence D. Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA.

Since the Village Pub in Magnolia has new owners, it's not a coug bar anymore. There's no point in driving all the way out to Magnolia to watch the game. We are probably going to the Fremont Dock to drink and hang out while the game is playing on their tiny TV's.

Go Cougs!!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Salsa Dancing Century Ballroom Capitol Hill

Wes, Monica, Raymond and I all went Salsa dancing last night for the first time. At the Century Ballroom on capitol hill, they teach a lesson and then have open dance like a bar. Wes and I have been taking Lindy Hop lessons there, but this was a totally different style of dance. You use more of your hips and it seems slower than Lindy Hop.

During the lesson you learn the steps by yourself and then you partner up with someone and go around the circle switching partners every few minutes. Having different dance partners is great because you get to learn different ways to move.

I really want to take some lessons and learn more moves!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Endless Shoes Nauty Monkey Flats

I love shopping from Endless.com shoes! You get free over-night shipping on business days and you don't have to mess with the shoe sales guys. I ordered a pair of shoes on Friday evening and got them Monday afternoon. So really it took a bit longer than over-night, but it was worth it.

How do you like my new shoes: Naughty Monkey Game Over ?

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Seattle Wedding DJ Sounds Unlimited

After attending the Fall Bridal Show back in September, I received some calls from Vendors. A few of them called once or twice, but there were two that really annoyed me. It was Sounds Unlimited a Wedding DJ and Superior Services - a company that gives you a free trip if you attend their meetings and watch a video. There will be separate blog post for Superior Services.

Sounds Unlimited is apparently Northwests Best DJ Service and has received lots of awards from Seattle Brides Mag and etc... Well unfortunately I was not able to find out if they were good DJ's or not because the sales guy kept calling and calling until I got annoyed with them.

It all started off when I entered a contest to win a free DJ for my wedding at the Fall Bridal Show. Ben Gaul or Benjamin Gaul called me and left a message saying I was picked in their drawing and I won 2nd place, which is free music for my wedding. After not being able to get a hold of him for a few days he finally told me I won a free CD for my wedding. Are you kidding me, who cares about 1 CD. I then sent him an email with my address so he could send the CD to me. They wouldn't send it in the mail, they were going to make me drive all the way up to Lynnwood to get it. PLUS, I would have to make an appointment to talk about my wedding DJ ideas to get this CD.

After that I didn't call them or email them back. Ben Gaul kept calling at least once a week and sent over 8 emails in 2 months. I finally emailed him back telling him that we were going to find a local DJ and he kept prying to try to find out who.

He emailed me again after I didn't email him back asking if I was still looking for a DJ. I already told him I'm looking for someone local to our wedding.

This was the last email he wrote me:Hello Jodi,
Thank you very much for letting me know you’ve found a DJ. I mean that. Sincerely. I swear, there are brides out there who must think all DJ’s have a psychic network that tells us when a couple has chosen their entertainment, and why do we keep calling?! May I venture so far as to ask the Who and the Why? You said “local DJ”, but I show your address is Seattle. Way local for us. Usually, our competition only gets to book a client if Sounds Unlimited is booked solid that day. I don’t mean to come off as braggadocios, but we don’t keep winning all these awards by accident, and easily half our business is referral from brides and vendors who have seen our work in person. Consequently, the DJ you’ve chosen over Sounds Unlimited must either be truly exceptional, or exceedingly… Affordable? Either way, could you tell me who you chose to be your DJ? Thank you again for considering Sounds Unlimited, and I know you will have a spectacular wedding. Warmest Regards, Benjamin Gaul


My reply:
Ben, You seem like a nice guy, but I couldn't deal with all the calls and emails. It was just too much. I considered you guys at first, but after calling/emailing so many times it drives customers away. It takes many months for people to decide on a DJ, so 2 calls/emails would be enough if your company is that well known for being superior. Good luck on future endeavours, ~Jodi


Brides, my advice to you is don't give this company your email or phone number unless you know for sure you want to book them.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Coconut Halibut Recipe

I found an awesome recipe today from Food Down Under for Baked Coconut Halibut. The only thing I took out of the recipe was the green chiles. I thought they would take over the coconut flavor and ruin the taste.

I baked for 3 people; Wes, my bro and I. I baked it 5 extra minutes since I use halibut steaks.

Here are the ingredients:
1/2 lb - Halibut fillets finely chopped
1/6 cup - Vegetable oil
1/2 cup - Grated fresh coconut
1/2 lrg - Onion finely chopped
1 - Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 - Canned mild green chiles chopped
1/4 tsp - Salt
1/2 tsp - Curry powder
1 tbl - Unsalted cashews chopped
1/2 tbl - Lemon juice
1 - Eggs lightly beaten

Saute coconut in 1 tablespoon oil until lightly browned. Saute onion in remaining oil until tender but not browned. Add garlic, chiles, salt, and curry powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add coconut, nuts, and halibut. Cook 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Mix lemon juice with eggs and add to skillet. Divide halibut mixture among 3 oiled squares of aluminum foil. Wrap tightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Crystal Mountain Wedding

Wes and I are having our wedding next summer up at Crystal Mountain Lodge. We decided on this place, because this is where our first date or 'hanging out' was :)

I looked at a lot of other places, but they were either too expensive or had no character to them. Crystal Lodge has a real meaning to us and it will be perfect for our special day. Wes and I both love the outdoors and love to ski!

Whether you're having a small wedding or large wedding they can provide space from 75 to 400 people. Crystal has their own caterer, but it's pretty good prices and you can adjust the menu to your budget.

There are three different ski lodges you can stay overnight at. Take a look at the here: http://www.skicrystal.com/Plan-Your-Trip/Lodging

Monday, October 6, 2008

Seattle Wedding Dresses

Wes and I have been engaged now for about a month and a half and have already tried on tons of dresses.

Here are the dress shops I've been to so far and what I think of them:
I Do Bridal - Wallingford. I had to make an appointment and they didn't tell me til I got there that I would only get 1 hour to try on dresses. I felt rushed the whole time and they made me and my sister share a dressing room (she was trying on bridesmaid dresses). The workers were nice, but I didn't feel comfortable there. They also wouldn't let us take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.

Pearl and Lace - Burien. This is by far the best dress shop I've been to. Right when my friend and I walked through the door, they greeted us with a big smile. You don't have to make an appointment here and you can take pictures. They also won't bug you if you don't need help. The main lady that works there was so helpful and even put on a veil/hair piece so I could see how it looked with the dress. My friend even got to try on dresses for fun. I had such a great experience here, I would recommend it to everyone. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.

Amanda's Bridal - Redmond. You do need to make an appointment, but I made it the same day and they had an extra room open. They only have two dressing rooms and they space is very small. It's hard to look at the dresses since they are all shoved onto the rack barely fitting. I did find the dress I really liked from Pearl and Lace here. The lady who works there was very nice and helped me lace and zip up all my dresses. She would not let me take pictures and didn't give me a list of my dresses, only kept it on her file. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,100.

Cicada - Seattle - This store in downtown seattle looks like homemade dresses. They make all there own dresses, but I wouldn't want one that looked homemade. They had a lot of cute accessories, but none of the dresses really stood out to me. They were pretty plain. I can't remember prices, since I didn't try anything on here.

Bellevue Bridal - Bellevue. You do not have to make an appointment, but it's recommended since the shop is so small. They are about the same size as Amanda's Bridal in Redmond, but they space out their dresses so you can shop them easier. There are about 3 to 4 dressing rooms and one big mirror in the back. The ladies that worked there were very nice and would let me take pictures. The prices are very affordable; from $600 - $1,300.

La Belle Reve - Bellevue. I made an appointment the same day I went in, but once I got there she had someone else trying on dresses and was pretty snotty. She made it sound like I was in the way and I had to move out of the way of the other girl. There are only two dressing rooms and one huge mirror in the the shop. I found a cute Casablanca dress there for $900, but it was too plain for me on the bottom. The shape fit my body really well. The prices are pretty affordable; from $800 - $3,000.

The Bridal Garden - Kirkland. I had to make an appointment here and they were pretty nice, but seemed a bit stand-off-ish. The dresses are pretty pricey, anywhere from $2k - $6k. I tried on quite a few dresses and they had to dress me putting the dress over my head. The two dresses I liked were $2,500 and $5,455. I guess I'm not getting those! They wouldn't let us take pictures here.

All That Shimmers - Lakewood/Tacoma. This was my second favorite shop after Pearl and Lace in Burien. The owner was there and she was the only person working, because her co-worker wasn't able to come in until later. There are about 4 dressing rooms and two small mirrors. I tried on a ton of dresses and I didn't have to make an appointment. I was there for about 2 hours and the lady helped me when I needed help. They also have my bridesmaid dresses that I'm going to get. The prices are pretty affordable; from $900 - $1,900. They let you take pictures here!


I'm going to check out these dress shops on Oct 12th. Has anyone been to them?
Proms & Promises - Kenmore
Cynderellies Closet - Edmonds
A Princess Bride - Bothell

Friday, October 3, 2008

Dogs can get Married!

Did you know dogs can get married at FidoFest this weekend in u-village? For as little as $10 per dog ($20 per couple), they can get hitched! A minister will be onsite to marry any two pooches who would like to be joined together for the rest of their doggone lives. Your dogs will have a complete wedding ceremony, complete with a veil and bow tie, vows, exchange of biscuits and an official Certificate of Muttrimony. All funds raised will go to the Seattle Humane Society.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Soup Daddy Soups on Fairview

Looks like there's a new Soup Daddy's on Fairview and Harrison, right by the Seattle Times. I don't even like soup and I love the soups at Soup Daddy's. They make a mean gumbo soup with tons of flavor. Their caesar salad is also a great addition to this soup for lunch.

Does anyone know if they are moving out of Pioneer Square or if this is a second Soup Daddy's?

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Lord - Marcus and Catherine on Gossip Girl...OMG!

Can you believe The Lord/Marcus and his Step Mom Catherine are hooking up on Gossip Girl? Marcus is suppose to be dating Blair and Catherine is suppose to be having an affair with Nate Archibald.   I think Marcus is out of High School, but Blair and Nate are still in High School.  That's pretty illegal for Nate to be messing around with Catherine.  But dang, does this show have some awesome drama!  I love the show and I wish it was on more than once a week. 

Monday, September 22, 2008

Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Shake at Tully's

Around 3:30, my co-worker asked if I wanted to walk down to Tully's. And for us to walk down to Tully's, is to take the elevator down to the 1st floor and walk about 20 feet to the right.

I decided to get crazy and get a shake, but I couldn't make it easy. The vanilla bean looked good, but I also wanted some chocolate in it. The Barista mentioned that the chocolate shake is soooo good, so I decided to mix the two flavors together to make a Vanilla Bean & Chocolate Shake. It's basically just non fat ice cream with a little milk. WOW was it yummy! The guy said the ice cream was non-fat, but I wonder how many calories are in it??

Friday, September 19, 2008

Boom Noodle and Blue C Sushi coming to Bellevue Square

A few weeks ago I was doing my daily walk in the morning stopping by starbucks on the way to work. While I was walking by bellevue square on bellevue way and 7th, I noticed two big signs Boomnoodle.com and Blue C Sushi. Two new restaurants to bellevue square, I'm so excited. I'm so sick of all the food around Bell Square.

Blue C Sushi is in Fremont, U-village and Southcenter in Seattle (and Lynwood), but this is its first Bellevue spot. It's the conveyor belt style sushi where you choose each plate by color/price. There are 5 different colors/price points to choose from. Green - $1.50, Yellow - $2.25, Orange - $2.75, Light Blue - $3.25 and Dark Blue is $4.00.

Boomnoodle.com I haven't heard of before I saw the sign. They do have a location on Pike street in downtown Seattle. This place isn't necessarily a noodle place, it's a blend of small plates, chilled noodles and salads, hot soup and noodles, and Japanese specialties prepared in a wok.

Both restaurants plan to open this Fall/Winter!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Who's your Top Model in America's Next Top Model?

Have you been watching America's Next Top Model Cycle 11? I can't believe there has been 11 cycles of this show, that's so many! There are some crazy models this season.  Isis and Nikeysha look similar Clarks look reminds me of Jessica Simpson, McKey is a boxer girl, Elina is from Seattle and Sheena is from Harlem.

My favorite in this order are:
Analeigh - She is so beautiful and not the boring typical blonde beauty. There's just something about her that makes you turn your head, when she walks by.

Elina - She isn't model pretty, but there something about how she stands out in each photo she's in. Jay said she looks like Angelina Jolie.

Lauren Brie - Her look is very young and fresh.

Next would be Marjorie (the french girl) and Sheena the girl from Harlem.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Herve Leger Dress

This dress is soo cute, if only I could afford it, O yeah, and look good in it.

Herve Leger Bustier Strap Dress



Herve Leger Bustier Strap Dress
Contrast banding emphasizes curves, horizontal knitted strips keep them in check.
From the pioneer of the "Bandage" dress
Molds and sculpts the wearer's body
Double flat straps
Crisscross accents
Contrast strip down center back
Back zip closure
Contrast bands at hem
About 18" from natural waist
Rayon/nylon/spandex; dry clean

$1,350.00

Jodi's Life Update

There have been a lot of changes in my life in the past month and a half. First, I got promoted at work, then Wes proposed (and of course I said yes), next Wes got a new job, and finally I'm almost all moved in with Wes.

How has your July/Aug been?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Clarks Milkshakes in Artic, WA

I'm totally craving a Milkshake from Clarks Restaurant in Artic, WA (by Aberdeen/Montesano). It's been about a year since I've had one and they are soooo soooo yummy :) The make their milkshakes with homemade ice cream.

Here are the different flavors you can get: (you can pick a few and mix them together!) I got a hot fudge marshmallow one last time and it was delicious.


Shake, Sundae & Crater Cone Flavors
Chocolate
Spiced Apple
Blackberry
Peach
Strawberry
Lemon
Peanut Butter
Walnut
Pineapple
Blueberry
Caramel
Lime
Vanilla
Root Beer
Fresh Banana
Coffee
Butterscotch
Red Raspberry
Wild Cherry
Orange
Coconut
Marshmallow
Maple Nut
Pumpkin
Hot Fudge
Eggnog
Black Raspberry
Grape
They are open from Sunday - Thursday: 6:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Who is better Nastia Liukin or Shawn Johnson?

Who do you think is a better gymnast, Nastia Liukin or Shawn Johnson?

Nastia is very flexible and elongates all her moves, but is very lanky and swings her legs all over the place. When she casts to a high stand on the bars her back is all arched and it looks horrible.

Shawn Johnson's gymnastics is very strong and each skill is stuck with perfection. When you watch her do each move, you can feel the trust that she will stick it. When I watch Nastia, I'm very unsure if she's really going to stick the move or fall.

They are both great gymnasts, but I believe Shawn Johnson is overall a stronger gymnast.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Hart's Cove, Lincoln City

My family, Wes and I all went to Lincoln City at the end of July. On Friday, Wes and I didn't want to go to Newport, OR with my family (because I had been there so many times) so we decided to go on a hike.

Earlier in the week Wes was reading an article about hiking to Harts Cove and how it just opened for the year. It is 2.7 miles each way, so about 5 1/2 miles total. The first 1/2 to 1 mile are steep switchbacks, the middle of the hike is up and down (but pretty flat) and the end is a huge hill with a meadow looking over the Pacific Coast.

The switchbacks were downhill on the way, but uphill on the way back. This made the last 1/2 mile of the hike the hardest. I think this hike is rated difficult only because of the switchbacks.

While hiking in the middle there were a ton of trees that fell over the trails in the huge wind storm this past winter. The forest service cut a huge chunk out of these trees, so there could still be a trail. We saw banana slugs, tons of birds, stinging nettles, a strange poisonous fruit called Oregon Manroot or Coastal Manroot. We also heard tons of Sea Lions, but never saw them at the cove. They must have been at the next cove over.

Once we got to the meadow, it was a huge hike down through weeds and flowers up to my chest. At the end of the tiny path through the meadow, we came to the end of the cliff looking down either at the Pacific Ocean and/or Hart's Cove.

Hart's Cove is located in the Siuslaw National Forest. If you are coming from Lincoln City 3 miles past the junction of Hwy 101/18, then travel north 3.3 miles to Forest Service Road 1861, west of Highway 101. The trail head is located at the end of the road, approximately 4 miles.

Here are some pics:
Pic next to the sign after we finished the hike:
The view of Hart's Cove from the edge of the cliff in the meadow.
Walking down the Meadow over looking the Pacific Ocean.
The poisonous fruit called Oregon Manroot or Coastal Manroot
Wes counting how old this tree is..... over 200 yrs old!
Me pushing the huge tree up the hill after I sawed it in half..... hehe
Can you find Waldo in the meadow... o wait I mean Wes ;)

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

What Softshell Jacket should I get?

Does anyone have a softshell jacket that they love? I need to get one, but I want to make sure it's versatile. I would like to use it for a casual everyday coat in the cold, windy, rainy seattle, under my ski jacket and hiking, depending on the weather. Should I get a light weight or mid weight softshell? I was thinking more of a mid weight, since I get so cold so fast. It would need to be water resistant and windproof, but also breathable. I found a great one at REI today, but the color was pretty bland.

Take a look at REI online The REI Neo jacket is the one I tried on today, but I really liked the Marmot Leadville Jacket. They didn't have it in the store in my size, but they have it online. Which one looks good to you?

Monday, July 28, 2008

Tully's Sweet Matcha Powder

Since my favorite Matcha Tea place Koots closed in Lincoln Square, I have to resort to Tully's or Starbucks for my Green Tea fix. Compared to Koots, Starbucks and Tully's Green Tea Latte's are no good, but they do the trick. Personally I like Starbucks, better than Tully's because the flavor is more rich. They never put enough matcha in the Tully's latte's.

The other day I was in Tully's waiting for my green tea latte, so I decided to browse their merchandise. I came across a small tin of sweet matcha powder. All you have to add is milk and ice cubes if you perfer and stir. Wallllaaa, you have a green tea latte (probably 10 or 15 drinks) for almost the price of one drink at Tully's.

Friday, July 25, 2008

This past week

I know I haven't posted for a little over a week, but it has been an awesome week. I got a promotion at work and now I'm on vacation in Lincoln City, OR with my family. Wes and I went on a 6 mile hike today out to Hart's Cove... pics to come.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Express is now an E-commerce site

The only place where I can find affordable jeans that fit me are Express. I love browsing their site, to see what new styles and trends they can come up with. They always have something cute to buy, but you could never get it online.... until just recently. Express just launched their , E-commerce website. That's right, it's not just a branding site anymore. I think this will do great business for them. Anyone in the retail industry should and needs to have an e-commerce platform to succeed.

Here are some of my top picks of the season: (looks like they haven't loaded jewelry yet on the site)


dELiAs store at Southcenter Mall Tukwila, WA

My all time favorite clothing brand when I was a teenager was Delia's. They only had stores on the east coast at that time, but apparently they are expanding now. They are opening a store in Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, WA. Dates are TBD, but I wish this happened 10 years ago. I can still find a good piece here and there, but I'm a little to old to buy my wardrobe there. It's comparable to Wet Seal or Pac Sun in demographic.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Queen Anne Chocolopolis

After work Wes, Kokanee and I took a walk around Queen Anne. We stumbled upon a new chocolate store on the south end of queen anne avenue at the top of the hill called Chocolopolis. The lady that was working was very personable and willing to help with questions. She said they only made two different types of chocolate in the store today and the rest was bought from other companies.

They have a whole selection of european chocolates, the theo chocolates, phinney chocolates and many more. I decided to try 1 single chocolate for $2.00, but it was really good. It was White Chocolate Pistachio Marzipan Truffle and is part of the Amedei Chocolate family from Italy.

Here's a pic from the outside of the store:

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Seattle H&M

YAH!!! H&M is finally opening one of the three stores in the Seattle area on July 25th at 10am in Southcenter. Time for a shopping spree.....Wes can I borrow some $$$ ;)

H & M
867 Southcenter
Phone: (206) 246-0019
Hours: Mo-Sa 10a-9:30p; Su 11a-7p

Monday, June 30, 2008

It's 2008 and Walmart's got a new Logo

It's about time Walmart re-did their logo after 16 years. I really like the new one, but it looks similar to the logo in the 60's in lowercase letters.

Here are some from previous years/decades:


Sunday, June 29, 2008

Fremont Movies

It's finally warm enough to start the Fremont Outdoor Movies. Take your pick:

Saturday, June 28 - Movie: Superbad - Fake ID Night
Saturday, July 5 - Movie: Hot Fuzz - Law Enforcement Night
Saturday, July 12 - Movie: Project Moonbase - TWISTED FLICK - Outer Space Night
Saturday, July 19 - Movie: Ghostbusters - I Ain't Afrad of No Ghost Night
Saturday, July 26 - Movie: An Inconvenient Truth - Save the World Night
Bring your bike for the "Bicycle Fashion Show"!
Saturday, August 2 - Movie: The Omega Man - TWISTED FLICK - Zombie Night
Saturday, August 9 - Movie: Cloverfield - Big Giant Monster Night
Saturday, August 16 - Movie: The Iron Giant - Robo Night
Saturday, August 23 - Movie: Hairspray (2006) - 60's Night
Saturday, August 30 - Movie: Juno - Safe Sex Night
Saturday, September 6 - Movie: Fireball XL5 - TWISTED FLICK - Puppet Night
Saturday, September 13 - Movie: TBA - Pre-Oktoberfest Night

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Have you ever heard of a slanket?

Do you get cold sitting at the computer or on the couch watching tv or in the chair reading a book? If you answer yes to this question, then I have the perfect thing for you. It's called the Slanket ! Apparently it's the best blanket EVER!

It looks like a robe, but it's a blanket that you can wear with armholes. You don't need to worry about the cold air coming in, because there's no chance this slanket will fall off of you like a regular blanket.

Would you buy one?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I was on 100.7 The Wolf

Listen to me win a $50 gift card to Applebee's on 100.7 The Wolf for guessing what was in Lobo's lunch box!

Monday, June 9, 2008

OMG, I signed up for Twitter

After about a year of Wes bugging me to sign up for Twitter, I finally did. Take a look at my page and sign up or let me know your twitter name. Here I am: http://twitter.com/jodil

Saturday, May 24, 2008

La Isla Seattle

Wes was taking me out to dinner last night and I told him I could eat anything but Thai, since I ate that for lunch. We found a Mexican place online, but once we got to Ballard we couldn't find it. We parked, got out of the car and started walking around. I looked across the street and saw La Isla, a Puerto Rican restaurant, so we decided to eat there instead.

La Isla Seattle started out as a small vendor in the Sunday Fremont Market. After 5 years, they found a tiny little spot with outdoor seating in ballard to put their restaurant: 2320 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107.

It was about 6:45pm when we arrived and there were only two tables left out of about 15 in the whole restaurant. 30 minutes later tons of people started to come in and there was such a large wait people started sitting outside in the freezing 50 degree weather.

The food was great!! Here's what we ate:

Appetizer - Gandules Dip...$6.99Scrumptious blend of onions, garlic, red peppers, green pigeon peas, olive oil, vinegar and spices. Served with five (5) tostones (smashed and fried plantains)

Drinks - 10 Cane Mojito...$11.00
The most delicious and smooth mojito you will ever have, well worth the price

Jodi's Entree-Camarones Entrees...$15.99
Butterfly Prawns sautéed in olive oil, white wine, and butter served up with your choice of three sauces: A la Criolla - sautéed bell peppers and onion in a red creole sauce create an original and exciting blend.

Wes's Entree-Pez Gato...$13.99
Breaded catfish strips, seasoned in adobo & lime juice, fried to a crispy golden brown

Monday, May 19, 2008

Canoeing in Lake Washington

Yesterday Wes and I rented a canoe at the UW Waterfront Activities Center (WAC) right behind the husky stadium. Since the day was so nice (sooo rare in Seattle) there was about a 30-45 minute wait to rent the canoe. Once we got our canoe we started to paddle out into Union Bay in Lake WA. I was pretty nervous, since I had only been in a canoe once when I was a little kid. The only thing I could remember about canoes was they flip over easily and you can't get back into them.

First, we had to cross the Montlake cut, where all the big boats go through. It was pretty scary with all the big waves. We made it to the other side of the cut to go under the 520 bridge. I had to duck my head to go under the bridge, it was so low. There was a lot of wildlife, that I had no clue was there. We saw turtles, cranes, lots of ducks, geese, fish, and like 10 people jumping off the 520 bridge into the water.

The weather was perfect and it only cost $15.50 for a little over two hours. If we had a UW student pass or alumni pass it would have been cheaper. They are open from May 1 - June 30 Monday - Friday: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm and Saturday - Sunday: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm.

Here are some pics from Wes:

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Seventh Church on Queen Anne

Wes and I went for a walk today around his neighborhood and walked by this cool looking historic building. It looked like an old church that was under construction.

After doing some research I found out that this was the 81 year old Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist. They have been trying to sell the church for the past 20 years, due to its dwindling congregation and deteriorating church. They almost sold it to a man that was going to demolish the historic building and probably build town homes or condos.

Neighbors protested tearing down the building and won. Soon after they The Seattle Church of Christ bought the church for $1.56 billion dollars. The 270 members of this church will start attending services there once the construction is completed.

The Seattle Church of Christ is holding an auction to raise money called "Another 100 Years" on May 31, 2008 at 6pm. It costs $60 dollars, but you'll get Chicken Skewers, Canapes, Empanadillas, desserts, red & white wine, & more. There are tons of awesome items that are going to be auctioned off. Anything from a Holland America 7 Day Cruise to 2 Passes to Silverwood Theme Park to a River Rafting Trip for Two from Orion Expeditions. Take a look at all the other items to be auctioned off; here.

Here are pictures of what the old church use to look like.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Blue Ginger Sushi Bellevue

Last Tuesday I had a gymnastics meeting at 7:15pm, so I had about 2 hours to kill after work. I decided to eat at this sushi and Korean grill that I had drove by tons of times next to the gym. The sushi restaurant: Blue Ginger Korean Grill & Sushi is located at 14045 NE 20th Street Bellevue, WA 98007.

Since I was by myself, I sat at the sushi bar. The sushi chef was quite the food artist! I ordered the sushi deluxe plate with 9 pieces of sushi and a spicy tuna roll. Before my food was ready, the sushi chef made a tempura tuna roll and gave it to me on a beautiful decorate plate.

Then after I had my delicious sushi the chef made me a dessert. It was an orange made into the shape of a cat with two swords, whip cream in the belly and a cherry on top. He had sliced the orange in the center, so I could easily pick pieces of the orange up with a tooth pick and eat them. It was the coolest looking dessert I had ever had.

Right before I left, he was cutting up a radish. I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but once it was done, it looked like radish chandelier... so cool.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

5th Day in Mildenhall, England

We were all thinking about going to Stonehenge, so I set the alarm for 7:30am. I was way to tired, Nicole wasn't up and Tim didn't have any clean clothes, so we didn't end up going. I slept in till 11am, man I was tired.

We met Jess and Matt back at the reception hall and ate some brunch. I guess they do this on the weekend for everyone that lives on the base. It's a buffet style all you can eat brunch. I had a lot of carbs; biscuits, waffles, potatoes and a Turkish pudding roll.

Once we got back from brunch we went to Jess's place and hung out for a bit before Jess, Nicole and I went to the cathedral in Ely, England. What a beautiful place to see. It almost reminded me of the Notre Dame in Paris. After we walked through the cathedral we walked around the downtown of Ely, but everything had closed by 5pm, even the coffee shops. How weird is that. I guess they don't work as much as us.

We were thinking of eating at Prezzo's in Ely, but it didn't work out with both families, so we headed to Cambridge and had dinner at Nando's. I got the same thing I ordered last year when we went to Nando's; the Mediterranean salad with chicken.

There was an arcade/bowling alley right next to Nando's, so we played a few games after dinner and I didn't win anything. It was pretty lame.

We headed back and I packed, played on the computer and went to bed.

4th Day in Mildenhall, England - Wedding Day!

Today was the big wedding day for Jess and Matt. It started off by waking up around 7ish to go get our hair done in Newmark. Jess, Nicole and I were all getting our hair styled and Jess was also getting airbrushed makeup put on. They said it wasn't supposed to smear when she cried or if it was raining. The girl that did my hair had no clue what she was doing. She washed my hair and then took around 30 - 45 minutes just to blow dry it. First off, you don't need to wash your hair before you style it, because it won't hold as well. Then they tried to sell me products they were going to use in my hair, without telling me they were going to charge me. Then the girl started to curl my hair, she wasn't going to fast, so the main lady had to come over and curl the other half of my hair. The main lady finished like 15 minutes before my hair stylist. She was sooo slow, that it took about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, just to blow dry and curl my hair. I could have done that myself in 25-30 minutes at the most. The hair stylist took so long that we only had 30 minutes to do our makeup and get dressed before pictures. We had to pick up the flowers and head down to a church in downtown Mildenhall to get pictures. We were about 10-20 minutes late, which wasn't too bad. The weather was beautiful and the sun was peaking out, with only a bit of rain. The boys of course went to the wrong church and were late. Then they had to get pictures in the pub across the street.

After pictures we all meet at the church on base and made sure everything was in order and all the decorations were up. We had one of Matt's friends get us all taco bell, because none of us had ate lunch. The whole bridal party sat in the church and ate taco bell, it was pretty funny.

It was almost 3pm (when the wedding was supposed to start) and all the guests had arrived, but the chaplain wasn't there yet. They couldn't get married, if he didn't come. Everyone was a bit freaked out when it turned 3pm and he still wasn't there. The guys called around and finally got a hold of his wife and she said he's on his way. He showed up around 3:15 - 3:30. No one really knows why he was late.

The wedding was beautiful! There were about 90-100 people there. The chaplain kept messing up his words when he was talking, like he hadn't prepared or something. Jess and Matt started crying during the ceremony, it was very cute!

After the wedding we headed to the reception building that was also on base, it was about a 5 minute walk from the church. They started the first dance and threw the bouquet at the beginning and then we sat down and ate. I didn't catch the bouquet :(

The food was delicious. There was a mixture of everything, from spaghetti to vegetarian to meat dishes. Nicole (maid of honor) and Tim (best man) gave their speeches and we toasted and did all the traditional stuff. Like when everyone clangs on their glasses with their silverware, the bride and groom have to kiss.

Once everyone ate cake, they were ready to get their move on and dance. Everyone our age stayed and dance from 6 - 11pm, it was really fun. There were the cheesy songs, like electric slide to cool songs like Superman from soulja boy. A few of us learned the Superman dance before they played the song, so it was fun to do it with the music!! I did a lot of dancing and even some country 2 step dancing with one of Jess's friends who grew up in Texas.

It was time to head out, so a lot of us went to the Galaxy, a club on base. I played some pool and talked to some of Jess's friends. There wasn't a dance floor in this club, but they had one upstairs, so around 1pm we went upstairs to do some more dancing. The crowd was pretty trashy, so we didn't dance much. After the club closed we walked back to the hotel and hung out for a bit before we all passed out.

3rd Day in Mildenhall, England

We woke up at 7:15am in the morning and had to make it to the church by 8am for rehearsal. We were all running late and had to pick up Jess's bro, but we made it around 8:10am. The chaplain was ready for us and the rehearsal lasted about an hour or so.

We ran errands the rest of the afternoon in Lakenhealth and downtown Mildenhall in the market. Matt's family was flew in the night before, so we finally got to meet them at the BXtra for lunch. This was the first time Jess had meet them, I think she was a little nervous. We headed back downtown and I got a pedicure and Jess and Nicole got manicures at Vy Nails.

After getting our nails done the girls all meet back at Jess and Matt's house and put together the rest of the wedding decorations. All the guys meet us at the house we all BBQ for most of the night. The last few hours we went to the reception hall and decorated all the tables. We cut the flowers and put them in vases and set the rest of the table decorations up, so we didn't have to do it the morning of the wedding.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

2nd Day in London & Mildenhall, England

Today, we headed into London to shop and just walk around the city. Jess drove us (Nicole, Mark, Tammy and I) all to the redbridge station about 1 1/2 hours from Mildenhall and then rode the train into downtown London. We got off at Oxford Street and went to the H&M. One of the of my favorite stores that will be coming to Seattle in August!

We walked all the way to Piccadilly Circus and then to the Victoria station and had lunch over there. I ate at Spuds U Like, a fast food potato restaurant. What a great idea to have a baked potato restaurant. It's very healthy and filling for fast food.

After lunch we walked to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, Big Ben/Parliament, across the Thames River and down past the London Eye. I had seen all of the last year, but it was neat to see again. We stopped at a sweets place along the river and I got some caramel fudge gelato. The rest of our crew got some yummy chocolates.

We decided to head back to Mildenhall and grab some dinner. We cooked a frozen lasagna and watched the tv series Dirty, with Courtney Cox's in it. It's actually a pretty good show, kinda addicting.

Before we went to bed, we played Rock Band for 2 -3 hours. I'm starting to get good at guitar, drums and even singing!!!

I think I'm only going to get 4-5 hours of sleep tonight.. TIME FOR BED!!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Flight and 1st day in Mildenhall, England

Right now, I'm about to go to a pub in Mildenhall after being up for over 29 hours. My journey started Tuesday morning at 6am when I woke up in Seattle and spent the morning with Wes. We hung out, got coffee, etc.. before he took me to airport around 9:45am (pacific time).

My first flight was about 4 1/2 hours to Cincinnati. I sat next to this friendly guy from Seattle who runs a shoe company called Chooka . He was on his way to the Kentucky Derby to meet with some business clients and try to get celebs to wear his products (rubber/rain boots). He ended up falling asleep right when the movie "The Golden Compass" started playing. It was an interesting fantasy movie. It has hit the press, because of the controversy to its reference with 'god'. I would recommend watching it, it was pretty good.

We landed and I had to catch my 8:00pm (eastern time) flight to London/Gatwick. There was about an hour to spare, so I walked up and down the international terminal and grabbed some food. The flight to London was pretty empty, so I got my own little area to myself. Being unlucky, I picked a row, that its arm rests didn't move up, so I couldn't lay down.

Guess what movie they played first on this flight... o yeah that's right "The Golden Compass" AGAIN! During the 2nd movie, I was trying to fall asleep, but really only dozed off and on for about 45 minutes. After 8 hours of sitting in that seat, we landed at 9:15am in London!!

It took me 4 transfers to meet Jessica up at the Redbridge station on the Central Train up north. From the airport I got onto the Gatwick Express to downtown London (30 minutes), then transferred to the Victoria to the Central Train (15 minutes), then took the central train up to Leystone (25 minutes) and finally switched Central trains so I could make it to redbridge (15 minutes). I was only 45 minutes late to meet Jess, but she had only been there about 25 minutes.

It takes about an hour to drive back to Jess's house in Mildenhall. We got there and started playing Rock Band and then ran some errands. Nicole and I had to get passes to go onto the airforce base to run errands with Jess, so that took quiet a while. Once on the base, we got coffee, chatted with the caterer, went to the store and hung out with Jess's Mom and Bro.

After running all those errands, we ate at a Chinese restaurant called Dragon House for dinner. It was very good and they didn't over stuff you with food. Once we were full we headed back to Jess's place and played some more Rock Band. I'm starting to get good at the drums!

Since there was still 4 hours left of the night, we headed to a Mexican restaurant were we drank, ate and had some good conversation. The restaurant/bar was pretty empty, so we took off and headed to the tanning salon. I did the stand up for 5 minutes and then we went home for bed.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Beantown on Boston Townhomes - Queen Anne Hill

I've been watching all of the new construction happening on the northeast side on the top of queen anne hill. Most recently they have been building these new, hip, industrial, modern, trendy townhomes on Boston and 3rd. I've been trying to find information about these townhomes online for the past month, but couldn't find anything. Today, while I was driving by, I grabbed a flyer with the real estate company on it.

These townhomes are 2 to 3 bedrooms ranging from $469k - $589k. I think that is a pretty decent price for a brand new place in queen anne.

Take a look at the online listing: Beantown on Boston $469,000

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Puget Sound

Has anyone volunteered for the Big Brothers & Big Sisters program? I'm really interested in it and I think it would be a fun and rewarding experience. If you are interested in spending 1 hour with a kid once a week either in a school or community environment, then this might be for you.

Here are the two programs:

Community-based Mentoring : For as little as 2-4 times per month, Bigs and Littles meet in their community to share fun activities and a little bit of themselves. Learn more »

School-based Mentoring : Bigs and Littles meet once a week for an hour in schools to talk and have fun and work on academics. It’s not about being a tutor … it’s about being a friend. Learn more »

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Aurora Bridge Suicide Project

The Aurora Bridge (highway 99, in between Queen Anne and Fremont) is the suicide bridge of choice in Seattle. You are able to walk across it on the side walk and can easily jump over the fence off the bridge. Not only do these suicides affect the jumper, they also affect all the people who work and live in the areas below the bridge. On average someone jumps off the bridge every three months.

Recently they have started a prevention strategy, by installing suicide signs and phones that you can dial the suicide hotline. This year they are starting to design new tall fences that prevents people from being able to jump and commit suicide. They will start constructing these fences in 2009.

Project Facts

  • On average, someone attempts suicide by jumping from the Aurora Bridge every three months. In 2006, nine people jumped from the bridge to their deaths. This tied 1972 as the worst year on record for suicides from the bridge.
  • A community non-profit, Seattle Friends, is working to eliminate suicides from the Aurora Bridge.
  • The Aurora Bridge was built in 1931 and is officially named the George Washington Memorial Bridge. The Aurora Bridge has been the site of more than 50 suicides since 1995.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

911 Call Rescue Rope 3700 Aurora Av N April 16th 10pm

Wes is stuck going north on 99 right before the aurora bridge. He thinks that someone might be jumping off the bridge, because there are tons of flashing lights. I took a look at the emergency 911 website and there were 19 units called and the emergency was titled "rescue rope". So either, some did really jump off the bridge or a car fell off the bridge.
Here's a screenshot of #5 on the 911 website:




Once I found out what happened, I'll update my blog!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Tumwater Falls

Have you been to Tumwater Falls in Olympia, WA? Wes surprised me and took me there this weekend. What a great place to take a short walk and enjoy the outdoors with your family. They even allow dogs to walk around, unlike Snoqualmie Falls.

While we were walking down to the falls, a garden snake slithered right in front of Kokanee's feet. I pulled her back and screamed so loud, but I really think snakes are cool. Wes was laughing at me.


Friday, April 4, 2008

House being moved on Lake WA

Today after work around 6pm , I was driving over the 520 bridge and saw a house on a barge being pushed/pulled by a tugboat. Why is this house being moved over Lake WA? Does this cost more than moving a house by a semi on land? Where were they moving it to and from? So many questions... Take a look at this pic and tell me what you think?


Here's the picture zoomed in:

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Jamba Juice - Free Breakfast April 8th, until 10am

Next Tuesday, April 8th, Jamba Juice will be giving away free breakfast until 10am. You can get a 12oz drink at participating stores. Check out the menu here: Jamba Juice Breakfast Menu

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Toll Approved for 520 Bridge

Does anyone live in Seattle and work in Bellevue or vice versa? If you do, get ready to pay anywhere from $6 - $10 dollars a day to drive round trip across the 520 bridge. There has not been a toll approved for the I-90 bridge, but expect one to come. People are going to try to avoid the toll on 520 and drive across I-90. This is going to create an I-90 mess, even worse than the current 520 mess.

The $6 - $10 dollar toll is going to cover an expansion of the 520 bridge. This new six lane floating bridge is expected to be completed in 2015.

Since the toll will be in effect starting sometime next year, are you going to move across the lake or find another job? At $10 dollars a day, 5 days a week, that's $2,400 a year. Is your commute toll+gas+parking worth that?

Seattle Times Article: Gregoire OKs tolls for 520 bridge

Monday, March 31, 2008

My Nieces are almost 3 yrs old

I just had to brag, because my nieces are soo cute! They are turning 3 yrs old the end of April.

Here's a picture of them at an Easter Egg hunt at church:
Another Easter Pic:

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Ashlee Simpson Before and After

Did you like Ashlee Simpson before plastic surgery or after? Even though she had a lot of work done, I really like her red hair and the way she has matured in her fashion. She doesn't look like she's a teenager anymore.

-----------------Kids Choice Awards 2004---------------------------Kids Choice Awards 2008-----------------------

Monday, March 24, 2008

McLeod Residence Pics

Wes is member of The McLeod Residence and this private art group is now open to the public. Here are some pics of Wes and I at the McLeod Residence before it went public. Right after these pics Wes rocked the bass playing Rock Band!

Pic 1


Pic 2

Here's some more info:
"McLeod Residence, located at 2209 Second Avenue in Belltown, is a commercial art gallery open to the public Thursday - Saturday, noon-6pm. The lounge is currently open Tuesday - Sunday from 6pm-2am."

Sunday, March 23, 2008

BBQ Salmon Salad Recipe

Last Friday, Wes was flying home from Denver and would get in around 7pm. I thought I would surprise him with a delicious dinner. This is what I came up with:

Drinks:
Big Sky IPA Beer (he had never tried this brand and he loved it, score!)

Appetizer:
Crab Cake Tarts

Main Course:
BBQ Salmon Salad
- Salmon, that I marinaded that morning in Caribbean jerk marinade. When I got home from work I BBQ'd the salmon for about 30 minutes
- Romaine Lettuce, chopped up
- Cucumbers sliced and surrounded the outside of the plate in a circle
- Walnuts crushed
- Gorgonzola Cheese
- Lentils
- Tomatoes only on my salad
- Balsamic Vinaigrette to top it off

Dessert:
I had cookie dough ice cream, but Wes doesn't like dessert, so he had a beer!

He said this was the best salad EVER!!! I think i might have to agree with him. Sorry I didn't get a picture :(

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Trip to Bend, Oregon Day 3

Even though today we were going to sleep in I still woke up at 6am and Wes slept in until around 8 or 9. We kind of sat around and watched a movie until it was time to fill our belly's with some food. We ate at this local place down the road from our hotel called The Victorian. My old co-worker said it was the best breakfast place around town.

After lunch/breakfast we used our free ice skating passes and skated at our hotels ice rink. You would think that it would be freezing cold since the rink is outside, but the sun was coming down on us and it was warm enough to take off our jackets.

Once we got tired of ice skating we headed down to the Old Mill Theaters to see the movie Vantage Point. The movie was about how the President Ashton (William Hurt) is attending a global war on terror summit in Spain. Then an attempted assassination of the president is told from several different perspectives.

For dinner we headed back downtown and ate at Toomies a delicious Thai restaurant. This place is a bit expensive for Bend, but the food tasted great and they had a jazz band playing in the front of the restaurant.

Once we got back from dinner we took advantage of the 3 hot tubs the hotel has and went in them and the dry sauna until bedtime.

Here are some pics of today:
The Victorian - breakfast place we ate at.

Me skating backwards

Wes karate chopping the air with his skate blade...

Trip to Bend, Oregon Day 2

Wes and I decided to catch the 8am free hotel shuttle ride up to Mt Bachelor to go skiing, even though the weather wasn't looking so good. When we were almost up there, I realized I forgot my goggles. So, we rode the shuttle back down and back up again. Luckily it only takes 25 minutes to get up to the mountain, so we were back up there by 9:30am. It was so cold, windy and snowing up there, that we only took a few runs the 5 hours we were up there. The snow was actually really nice, new and light powder, but it was just too cold.

We ate lunch at the Scapolo's Bistro in the Pine Marten lodge at the top of the hill. Then before we went home we stopped at the Clearing Rock Bar in the West Village lodge at the bottom of the hill.

When we got back into town we met up with my old co-worker Kelsey at another brewery in Bend called Cascade Lakes Brewery. They had some really good beers. For dinner Wes and I headed the a mexican restaurant the Kelsey recommended downtown called El Caporal. It was some of the best spicy salsa I've ever had.

Here are some pics of the day:
Wes and I in the Shuttle up to Mt Bachelor

Cascade Lake Brewery - Bend, OR

Wes wearing his new headband... sexy!

Trip to Bend, Oregon Day 1

Instead of driving the long 6 hours to Bend/Redmond, OR, Wes and I decided to fly. We left Seattle around 7:30am and arrived in Bend a little before 9am. I got out of the 30 person airplane in Redmond and said to Wes sarcastically "where are all the other planes?" The airport was even smaller than the Yakima airport.

We grabbed our luggage from the only baggage claim, got into our Kia Sportage rental car and drove the 19 miles to Bend, OR from the airport. Since we couldn't check into our hotel until 3pm, we decided to check out the city of Bend. First, we drove through downtown, then to the Old Mill district and ended up on century drive eating breakfast at McDonald's. Wes had been craving hash browns and I always love the breakfast burritos. It has been a long time since I have actually sat down and ate at Mc D's. We looked out the window to see all the pretty snow falling.

After breakfast we found our hotel, the Seventh Mountain Inn to drop off our bags. We knew we wouldn't be able to check in for another 4 hours, but we thought we would give it a try. We had time to fill, so we walked up and down the streets of downtown and stopped at some cute boutiques and a local crepe/cafe shop called Batter and Beans to get some coffee. There were some comfy chairs in the front that we sat in and watched people and their dogs walk by. Wes ended up falling asleep in the chair, with his head back, mouth open and started snoring. I had to push him to wake him up, it was pretty funny.

It was getting pretty cold, so we got back in the car to warm up. We drive up to Tumalo Falls , not knowing that there was a 2.5 mile hike in the snow to actually get to the falls. We just made it to the parking lot and turned around to drive back to the Old Mill District. The Old Mill District is a cute, modern, new part of town that has nice shops like REI, Ann Taylor, etc... and a movie theater. We were going to see a movie, but there aren't too many good one's playing right now. There was a salon (Salon Estilo) up above some of the shops and I really needed to get my hair cut, so they squeezed me in. I let the stylist Shelby Reitan do whatever she wanted and she gave me a great cut!

We could finally check into our hotel, so we dropped off all of our stuff and headed to the Deschutes Brewery for dinner. The food was great bar food. When we left after dinner around 7:oopm, there was a 45 minute wait outside, so make sure to go early.

On the way back to the hotel, we made a stop at Rays grocery store to get a few things. Once we made it back to the hotel we hung out for a bit but went to bed before 10pm. OLD TIMERS!

Here are some pics:

Wes passed out in the coffee shop


The road/creek before the Tumalo Fall hike

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Caffe Senso Unico in Seattle

This morning after I got my stitches taken out of my mouth at the oral surgeon, I stopped by Caffe Senso Unico on 7th and Olive Way in downtown Seattle. It's a cute little Italian coffee shop that offers Italian language classes. I didn't get a chance to see what date or time they are at, but you could swing by for a great coffee and a nice quiet atmosphere. They don't have rice milk, but they make a pretty good Chai Tea.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

David Hernandez use to dance at Dicks Cabaret

David Hernandez from this season's American Idol supposedly quit his job from Dick's Cabaret to try out for the show.

Here's the full article from King 5 : 'Idol' nearly mum on contestant's past

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Dinerware Company

Over the past month I've been to a few bars that have this software system that runs their business called Dinerware. Dinerware is a touch screen point of sale software system that is used in restaurants and bars. It takes just a few simple steps to add a new item, change a price, adjust the daily special and more.

This program not only speeds up the bartenders in helping their customers, but it saves the bar/restaurant money from human mistakes. It definitely helps out the Cafe Venus/Mars Bar with their fast service, even though they always have awesome people working there. The Bar Loft in Ballard was the other place I went to that had this system and I don't think it helped them out very much, or maybe they just needed more staff.

You might see the Dinerware logo driving south on the ballard bridge because their company is located on 4511 Shilshole Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107. Look for this logo:

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Made the Best Smoothie Ever today

Since I've been stuck at home eating only cold and soft foods, I created a very yummy smoothie today. It even tasted better than the one's at Jamba Juice.

Here's what I used:
1 fresh pear - cut off the outside skin layer before you slice the pear
1/2 cup of milk - I used non-fat
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 container of Yoplait Light Harvest Peach yogurt
1 handful of Wawona frozen assorted fruits from Costco

Then you blend it all up, make sure the frozen fruits are blended and then Drink & Enjoy. It makes about 1 - 2 servings.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Danny Noriega sure does look like Jessica Alba

I found a picture of Danny Noriega this morning from last nights show and you can see the similarity more in him and Jessica Alba than the pictures I found on my blog post last night.

What do you think now?