Sharks Stadium Series game + Real Escape (Time Travel) + Seattle takes over SF

Quite the whirlwind weekend in San Francisco! Matt and I flew in Thursday night, and got to join Beer Club with Alex and Andy. Nan and I also had a secret club meeting. But the first rule of secret club is you do not talk about secret club. We tried a few beers and chatted for a bit before heading home.

On Friday, Matt and I walked downtown to shop for clubbing clothes. Matt actually ended up buying a lot of clothing but nothing for clubbing! I couldn't find anything for clubbing either, but I bought a pair of jeans and a jacket. Meh, not bad. We had Sushirrito not once, BUT TWICE that day. I've been waiting forever to try it, and it was everything that I had been dreaming of!!!

Round 1:

Round 2:

In the evening, we met people up for dinner at Playground. This is basically our tradition to prepare for escape games, but I'm not sure how effective it is. The Time Travel Lab was not a success, unfortunately. But we were close to escaping again! We were on the last clue. YET AGAIN. This game was really exciting, and required more physical activity than the Mysterious Room game. I think the third time will be the charm. And we need Alan. And we probably shouldn't drink soju beforehand. 

We ended up going to Temple afterward. There was some kind of crazy traffic/street closure happening downtown and it took me FOREVER to get there via Lyft. My driver was really interesting thought, and we were chatting about hockey! It was pretty awesome. I actually wasn't sad to be late, LOL. Menie and Charles (and everyone else) were at Temple! It was SO FUN to party with everyone again... and I'm glad we went there because the music was on point. After the club, we headed back to Alex's to hang out. The Seattle people left early, but I ended up napping and then waking up to join the SF people in the AM. We didn't go home until around 6:00 AM. I don't know how they do it...

On Saturday, Alex and Andy picked me and Matt up to head to the STADIUM SERIES GAME!!! However, before we got to the freeway, Andy decided he didn't feel well enough to go. So we dropped him off at home. And then we headed to the STADIUM SERIES GAME AGAIN!! We tailgated for a few hours and caught the very end of the rally. 

It was so cold at night! And when we realized we were sitting in the section where the wind cuts through the stadium, we knew we had to buy more clothing. The game was relatively boring and low scoring, and sadly the Sharks lost. I did have tons of fun hanging out at that gorgeous Levi's stadium though! And of course, I was in great company. The celebrity performances during the breaks were... dated... but entertaining in their own ways. 

A photo of the newest Sharks fan in my life, in his new gear. 

And a photo of the oldest Sharks fan, in his old gear LOL.

By the time we got back to the city, we were just tired and hungry. We went to Tonight Soju and watched k-pop videos!!! What an awesome way to end an awesome day. I really wanted to see Sharkie at the game, and that was the only thing I was disappointed about. Oh well, next time.

On Sunday, Sean and Sarah came to Hayes Valley to meet us at Chantal Guillon. OMG their macarons are the best I've ever had! I got some for my coworkers too because I knew they'd enjoy them just as much. In retrospect, I wish I had bought more.

We also stopped by Blue Bottle to get my favorite iced coffee. Mmm! And the sun was shining, and all was good in the neighborhood. These are some of the moments that make miss San Francisco so much. 

The next stop was Japantown, where we had lunch at Ramen Shalalala. It was okay, I didn't love it. I don't think I'd eat there again. Before we left for the airport, we stopped by for some BBQ and QT at Alex's. It was really nice to sit down and chit chat with everyone before the weekend was over. I even got to see BEAR!! All of the Seattle folks looked exhausted. And I think we all were. Too much fun!!

Nick + Steph + arugala

More visitors!!

On Sunday, Nick and Steph came over to play with Forrest. We ended up chatting for a few hours (with the Sharetea that they brought over *yesss*) and it was so nice to catch up! I used to go clubbing all of the time with Nick, and it made me think of how far we've come now. He and Steph are engaged and planning to buy property, they are so grown up! =P

When Matt came back from his bike ride, we talked some more before heading to Some Random Bar. I had a delicious Coffee Old Fashioned and the Seafood Bisque dish. Both were delicious! Because it was Sunday, they were flipping coins for beer orders - if you guessed heads or tails correctly, your beer was only $1! Matt got two beers, and guessed wrong both times. HA!

Then we walked over to Shiro's and had our real dinner there. Matt and I decided not to get the omakase, because we've done it before and wanted to try other things. The highlights of the night were the Black Cod, Geso Karaage (squid legs),  and the Geoduck Butter dishes. They were really delicious! I also ordered the regular sushi dinner, and everything was yummy! I'm actually glad that I didn't get the omakase. It was Steph's first time, and she did the Shiro's Omakase. She was disappointed and I don't blame her. The courses didn't even come out in the correct order. She was right when she said it wasn't worth $75!

We headed over to Feierabend after dinner, to get liters with Sean and Sarah! Matt finished his punchcard and got the t-shirt. I drank 1.5 liters of the coffee beer (coffee bevvies seem to be a theme) and was full of regrets when I couldn't sleep later! I have 7 punches now!!! At this rate, I'll get my t-shirt by 2018?

This morning, I did some work while I couldn't sleep but I had the day off for Presidents Day. Matt was working from home, but we did get to sneak away for lunch at Serious Pie with Nick and Steph. We ordered the yukon potato pizza (the only one that we didn't order with Nan and Alex last week) and it was amazing. Like a pizza made of chips! And of course we ordered the egg, prosciutto, and arugula pizza again. Nick and I also ordered the "Daily Shrub" drink, which was fruity and vinegary. Very interesting, I liked it!

I spent the rest of the day at the park with Forrest. We haven't been able to have long park visits since winter started, and now he's snoring in my lap. What a weekend!

a game of shadows

contemplating life

Valentine's Day 2015

I never get out of bed before noon on Saturdays. But when I do, it's because Matt surprises me with flowers, breakfast, and Fran's caramels!!

When I wake Forrest up in the morning to pull him out of his kennel, he rolls onto his back and I put my palms against his back before lifting his body out. Matt did the same thing to me to get me out of bed before noon, HAHA. Such a nice surprise!

We had a low key, relaxing Valentine's Day at home with our other valentine (Forrest). For dinner, we tried Black Bamboo for the first time ... we've actually been meaning to try that restaurant since we moved into the area but kept finding excuses not to. It was so good! I could be a vegetarian and eat their salt and pepper tofu everyday. =)

Now we're watching the NBA dunk contest. And dayaaaaaaamn!

Planning to finish out the night with Gone Girl. The end to a perfect Valentine's Day.

Valentine's date 2015 (Canlis)

This year we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day early. Not because we're rebels, but because there were only two reservations at Canlis available this week... and they were not on Valentine's Day.

Did you catch it? I said Canlis. CANLIS!!! The restaurant that I've wanted try since before I even moved. The restaurant that has taken me 3 years to finally experience. The restaurant that one of my coworkers used to work for, and even she only has good things to say about. MATT TOOK ME TO CANLIS!!!

So after work we got all dressed up, and were on our merry way. The customer service was flawless Fah-law-less. As soon as we pulled up to the restaurant, the valets were ready to greet us and opened our doors. Immediately upon entering, a kind lady welcomed us and offered to take my jacket. We were seated in the lounge, where the lovely pianist was playing JAMS! And when I say jams, I mean songs that I hear on the radio and know the words to. Yes, I was definitely singing along. We were only in the lounge because we were 15 minutes early, but I could have stayed there longer. By the time we decided what drinks we wanted, we were seated at our table!

We decided to do the four course menu, and chose the foie gras, potato leek soup, oysters, and scallops for our first and second courses (in order). My favorite of the chosen starter courses was BY FAR the potato leek soup. It was absolutely delicious, and the crepe-like bacon-shaped piece with the creamy sauce and caviar.. WOW. All I can say is WOW. I was truly impressed. 

But BEFORE we even got our first and second dishes, we were served these lovely treats! The middle one was a grape coated with fancy things, the one to the right was a sea bass something, the one to the left was a tiny roll (warm) with a rich and creamy cheese filling, and all three of them were equally divine. Even the olive dinner rolls were served freshly toasted and so satisfying.

So for our main courses, we decided to both do the MUSCOVY DUCK FOR TWO, which was a 14-day dry-aged duck breast, roasted whole and accompanied by orange marmalade, fennel purée and chipollini onion brûlée. It was my idea to order it, but I'm sad to say that I didn't really enjoy it. I found the duck to be, yes, perfectly toasted and moist and beautiful; however, the meat was too gamey and greasy for me. It must have been my taste buds, because Matt loved the duck and devoured every last bit on his plate! We have the rest of my plate sitting in the fridge. Unfortunately, we were so excited about the duck that I forgot to take photos. GO FIGURE!

During dinner, we each had one drink and one glass of wine. Matt ordered the Yamazaki 12 year, which he enjoyed very much. I ordered a gin cocktail that was WAY too strong for me. I passed it along to Matt about halfway through, so I could enjoy my wine with dinner. For dessert, Matt chose a tart, and I chose the creme brulee. I thought that my creme brulee was good, but not phenomenal. Matt doesn't usually eat desserts but he sure ate all of that tart!

The whole night I was watching people, watching me. That means that the chefs, servers, hostesses, and valets all had eyes on the tables the whole night. And the service was .... just impeccable. The end of dinner was wrapped up with surprise macarons (espresso and red velvet) from a gorgeous wooden box, and a peanut butter jelly Canlis chocolate bar. They have their own chocolate bars! And it was so good that I couldn't stop myself from consuming most of the bar before remember to take a picture. The bar was so soft, the components so flavorful, and the textures perfectly balanced.

As we paid for our bill, we couldn't have been happier. Even though I didn't love my duck main course, I really loved almost everything else! The view of the city from the restaurant is quite the backdrop for a special night. The music, the staff, the ambiance... I had no complaints at all.

After leaving the table and walking toward the door, a lady popped out of the coat closet with my jacket right as I approached the front of the restaurant. And yes, the rumors are true; our car was indeed ready for us in the driveway as we exited the doors.

What a wonderful and perfect evening to celebrate Valentine's Day with Matt! I'm so glad we went to Canlis, and I feel wonderful that I have someone who I thoroughly enjoyed spending those moments with.

Nan + Alex + arugala

Nan and Alex (and Charles) came to Seattle, and we just kept eating... and drinking... and eating more. And all of the weight that I lost in the past month and a half... IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE! *sob*

The notable meals were Bear and the Bee, Walrus & Carpenter, Red Cow, Serious Pie, Stoup, and Reuben's (beer is a meal right?). For partying, went to TIA LOU for Nick's belated birthday. Two bottles and a few long islands later, it was everyone's birthday... especially David's. Oy vey, cleaning up the apartment is a nightmare. Probably won't have people over for a while. We also did our usual food spots like Brouwers, Boiling Point, and Menchies. I think they had a good time. I think they must also feel fat...

Milan-Torino at Bear and the Bee

The spread at Boiling Point.. Alex got the Taiwanese spicy one LOL

Red Cow gave us smoked trout for their 1 year anny

The oatmeal stout nitro from Reuben's

Awesome wall decor, also at Reuben's

And Stoup!

Bottle service!!

 Bottles all gone! 

Not pictured... the seven pizzas we ordered at Serious Pie. And they were SERIOUSLY GOOD! But Matt and I ended up taking the leftovers which didn't help... with the feeling fat. In fact, I felt so fat, that I actually cooked today. And we're really into arugula right now because we had some at Serious Pie.

And more arugula. Save me, arugula! From all the gluttony I have committed!

Couch to 8k

Last year I signed up for the F5 St. Pat's Dash 5k and the Beat the Bridge 8k. I ended up deciding not to run the 5k (the morning of...) because it was raining. And I am lazy. I ran the 8k without any training and successfully beat the bridge, but just by less than a minute and was hurting for a few days after.

THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT!

Sarah and Matt have signed up for the St. Pat's Dash, so I won't be able to bail last minute this year. HAHA. Accountability! And I'm signing up for the timed group, so I've already started training in hopes of not embarrassing myself. Additionally, I want to do well at Beat the Bridge. And even though I'm sure I can beat the bridge, I want to beat last year's time (1:01:56 Time and 12:28 Pace)!

I got fitted for proper running shoes today. Turns out I'm a slight overpronator and the Brooks Defyance 8 shoes were the best/most comfy for me. I'm so glad that I went to seek advice! I also now know that my previous pair of running shoes was too tight. I didn't have the toe space that I have now... and it makes a world of difference.

Here's the game plan for the training:

I'm intentionally easing into running because I don't want to hurt myself. I only just broke in my new shoes today on the treadmill, but I felt great during the run and I was able to jog longer than ever before without stopping. 15 minutes with no break!