My Tale of Two Cities

Last weekend I went back to San Francisco to visit. I attended My and Ya's beauuuuutiful wedding! This was my first wedding ceremony in my adult life, and I'm sure there'll be a few more to come. We had a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge over water from a cozy hilltop church. We also had 80* Tiburon afternoon sunshine, I'm pretty sure I gained a shade after sitting through that. The vows were so touching, I was laughing and crying and my body was so confused. Calvin officiated, and it made the ceremony even more entertaining! I loved being there, and I could see how happy they were. Ah, WEDDINGS! The dinner was fun too, and the photo booth was pretty awesome. The speeches from the bridal party were lacking but the dj was good! And with lots of alcohol and a Chinese banquet you know I'm happy!!

On Sunday, I watched football with David, Alex, and Gary - they're all in my league. And I kicked David's butt after he tried to trick me into benching Gore! Good thing I'm not THAT gullible. It was a nice relaxing day and I actually felt like I lived in San Francisco again. Normally I feel rushed, and I feel like a visitor, but Sunday was a taste of what I formerly knew as home. I also got to see Tupac and friends, and then Bear later. I LOVE DOGS!! And and and Gary's roommate made us Rolo/Ritz sandwiches!

Monday I had lunch with my mom and my brother, we went to the Pancake House on Taravel and the food was sooo greasy. But we had a good time chatting, and that actually was the first time I'd been in Sunset in over a year.. maybe even two years? For dinner Monday night we went to Shabu for Chad and his mom's birthdays! That was fun, and I ended up sitting near Erwin who I haven't seen since middle school probably? We laughed a lot and I got to spend time with Andy. After dinner, we went to Andy and Alex's apartment to watch Mean Girls. YES!

Before leaving on Tuesday, I got to visit BMW and see my old coworkers! It was SO NICE to finally drop in and catch up because it's almost all the same staff. And I really miss working there! Well, I don't miss the pay or the customers, but I have so many fond memories of those coworkers. David picked me up to get lunch at Prime Dip and we brought it to Alex's to eat with him. Lobster dip! So good.

<3 .="" a="" able="" afternoon="" airport.="" and="" at="" back="" because="" before="" being="" between="" br="" but="" cities..="" city="" d="" decide="" departure="" feel="" feels="" few="" flew="" for="" from="" happy="" him="" his="" home.="" home="" hours="" i="" in="" is="" like="" matt="" me="" moment="" my="" new="" not="" now.="" now="" only="" picked="" realized="" really="" return="" right="" seattle="" see="" seen="" sf.="" so="" that="" the="" this="" to="" torn="" two="" up="" very="" was="" which="" wi=""> It makes me wonder where my home will be in a few years. It could be here, it could be in San Francisco, or who knows what could happen? It could truly be anywhere.

Tech Life

I got a new job, what a relief! It's definitely next-level in terms of technical concepts, and I'm absolutely surrounded by smart people. I'm drowning in brains. Such a nice change from being surrounded by incompetent people in previous jobs! Great benefits, excellent location, and tons of perks. I love being in a challenging environment where there's so much room to grow, and people are so helpful and intellectual that it's impossible not to.

This is what I needed to really stay in Seattle. The opportunity at hand is certainly a milestone in my career and I'm going to love it for a long time - I can already feel it.

Electric Run Seattle

Before tonight, I had seen tons and tons of photos on Facebook, IG, etc. from the Electric Run events in different cities. And I wasn't impressed. It seemed like another trendy 5k but with a generic rave theme that didn't appeal to me.

This morning I had barre class, attempted to play tennis with Sean and Matt, and then as a spur of the moment thing Matt bought me a ticket to do the Electric Run Seattle with him and a few others. Oy vey, I was definitely not in shape for a 5k.

We took off running at the Start line because we were so anxious to begin, but after about 15 minutes I couldn't keep pace with the group. I ended up walking and somewhat jogging on my own for 3/4 of the run, but I got to take in all of the creepy and awesome parts of the semi-decorated Puyallup fair grounds. A lot of the course was winding through empty stables with some pretty cool lights set up. There were bubble machines and foam machines to play in! And there were interesting glow structures, lots of places to stop and take pictures at, and even animal-shaped shrubs with display lighting. My favorite part of the course was an intensely long row of gigantic circular arches that changed colors to the sound of music. The arches also had a strobe lighting effect and it seemed to be synced with the scratches and drops of the mixes.

Even though I can think of a handful of things the event can improve on, I enjoyed the experience! The short rave concert after was alright, we were definitely wishing for some trap music though. Maybe next year? In the meantime, these sore legs will hopefully tone down some before Vegas in 7k, or days.

It's CLAMMER Time!

Today we went to Dosewallips State Park for clamming at low tide! The weather was absolutely perfect, and even though we got off to a rough start this morning we made it just in time. Excellent first clamming experience on a beautiful beach. We even all caught our permit limits!

Now I've got 40 assorted clams (mostly horse clams) that I haven't decided what to do with. But best of all, I got to play with sand dollars, shrimps, crabs, a seastar, and other little sea creatures in the mud! Love my Seattle adventures and Seattle friends!!

Woodland Park Zoo

I finally got to go to the zoo! And we saw the cutest little baby jaguars. Took lots of fun pictures and in the photobooth we chose the worst photo (instead of the best, since it seemed so boring). Ugh, LOVE SEATTLE SUMMER!

Losing Weight & Gaining Time

When I first got back from Miami, I gained 2 lbs. But then I lost it again and was 119 lbs this morning. Not complaining! Went to Tia Lou's last weekend for Mike's birthday and had a BLAST dancing, especially with the folks that went to Miami.



We also went to Major Lazer last night, and boy was today a rough Wednesday!



But the losing weight I'm referring to in this post's title is not about pounds. It's about something far more heavy. The Friday after we got back from Miami, Victor and I had a serious talk about our relationship. For probably the second time ever. That's right, we never were able to communicate seriously about anything because we just took things day by day. And as our days passed, our relationship snowballed into something real. But was it real enough to last? I figured we should quit while we were ahead, and save the friendship. To my relief, he agreed. And since Friday we've actually been able to hang out as friends. This is by far the cleanest, most healthy break-up I've ever had. Although it's hard to let someone go after enjoying their close company for over a year, I can honestly say that I'm okay with knowing that we'll be able to remain close friends.

And now I have more time to enjoy Spring and Summer! It's starting to warm up in Seattle, and I can't wait to see what the rest of this year has in store. I'm so thankful for lucky transitions in Seattle, and the amazing people that make it possible. I'm starting to think that it'll be tough to move away when the time comes. But only time will tell.

Terrace Club: Mariners vs. Orioles

Awesome seats, and an amazing time with great friends.

Rock The Bells & Reno Rubfest

Summer has been INSANE - a vicious cycle of anxious planning, being really busy, and then ending up absolutely exhausted!

The job search is still ongoing, I had a resume workshop with a professional and learned a ton about how to better customize each application. Although he assured me that my content was solid, I definitely feel that the advice he gave me on the delivery will help me tremendously. And so I apply, and wait, and apply, and wait again.

I've also been working remotely nights and weekends again. Thankfully, my assignments have conveniently fallen between big events so I haven't had to choose.

The weekend before last, I went to Rock the Bells in Mountain View! Salt 'N Pepa was wildly entertaining, with the baby daddy and the husband on stage - I love their dynamic! I also thoroughly enjoyed Ice Cube, he is an AWESOME entertainer. The way he transitioned from one hit to another kept us on edge, and he always dropped the beat at the perfect moment. Watching DMX was pretty great also, until he started preaching about God. I don't mind that he's deeply religious, but I didn't pay to see that. DJ Quik and Bone Thugs were good, but I wish E40 and Too Short were there - they would have completed by perfect RTB lineup. Overall, it was an amazing weekend. We stayed over at Hiep's friend's house in Mountain View on Saturday night and had a giant sleepover. SO FUN! <3 br="">
This past weekend, for Labor Day, Charles, Victor, and I went to the Rib Cookoff in Reno (dubbed the rubfest per miscommunication between Alex and myself, LOL). The ribs were excellent as always, and I'm glad this has become an annual tradition. Charles was cracking me up the entire trip, from the airplane rides, to the ridiculous comments he made throughout the weekend, and his overall loveable personality. I'm glad Charles and Victor made the trip this year, I think everyone enjoyed the company through and through. We went to a new club in Reno called Rise, and it totally blew our minds. The venue was definitely on part with San Francisco clubs, maybe even on the same level as LA clubs! Beautiful, open spaces with easy access to drinks and awesome music. We had such a blast dancing our butts off!

For September, I think I'll be taking it easy. I've got two remote work assignments the next few weeks, and I'm going to start a 24 Day Challenge (diet) mid-month. I'm trying to slim down before Moonlight Masquerade on 10/13, and definitely before FreakNight! All of this yummy food and experimental cooking has given me a nice, juicy, spare tire. Not cute.

Summer Shenanigans

So now that summer is in full force, I've had more going on and less time to update this here blog! This weekend was a pretty productive one - made sangria, planted broccoli and tomato seeds, cooked up a batch of corned beef, went to Jozelle's No Pant's birthday party, grilled lightly seasoned chicken hearts, ordered Vibrams for hiking, made pate, and started watching United States of Tara! PHEW.

Over the past few weeks there was the Capitol Hill Block Party, hanging out at Juanita Beach, bbq at the Zante's house, wing cook-off between myself and Victor (I won, btw) and so much more. I LOVE SUMMER IN SEATTLE!

My 26th Birthday - Part 1

This year, I had my first birthday in Seattle! And 26 just so happens to be one of my lucky roulette numbers.

It started off just after midnight, when Alex and Andy called me to sing the happy birthday song. I seriously love them, so so sweet. The first person though, to wish me a happy birthday at 12:00AM on the dot was Victor! And then Albert, and then my beautiful serenade from my Al Pals. I went to sleep a happy girl.

And consequently, I woke up a happy girl! Heard Like a G6 on the radio on my way to work. THAT'S MY SONG!!!! The day went by without a hitch, probably because I was in such a good mood. It was also the first day of summer, and BOY WAS THE WEATHER GORGEOUS. After work I felt like getting crawfish - ended up texting people last minute to see who was free.

When I got home from work, I found a box of Trophy cupcakes on the stove. I got really excited, and immediately thought "IS THAT FOR ME??" -- thankfully it was. Otherwise I would have been waaaay disappointed, haha. Matt got me cupcakes <3 a="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4t_ozaOi_Y1pBb1B8h7IdlCLaXQCAxCYC6hAa66LEsgvebxUcRiKSHxXi3DhJIE0ShxHB2L_7uODbqzTepfvkn0XggI7CSdJXdkbXDfOqsaNH5NQPlAgNYA4DC-vd0Qa6FPsFGflyLI/s1600/194819_10101382274677273_1721487280_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">



Had dinner at The Cajun Crawfish and people actually showed up! Paul, Dang, Theresa, David, David, Matt, and Victor were there - I totally thought it was just going to be me Matt and Victor (the obligateds, haha). Even though it wasn't a Red Crawfish kind of experience, it was still good. No garlic noodles unfortunately, but they had deep fried frog legs that were amazing.

After dinner Victor gave me the Game of Thrones book set (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) which I am SO VERY EXCITED to start reading, if you can't tell? Haha. This birthday was really low-key, but I enjoyed it so much. This year was about the little things, and quality not quantity. But as per usual, the partying must go on... this weekend, I just picked up tickets for Paradiso on Saturday..... TO BE CONTINUED!!!!

Summer Night in Seattle

Can't get enough of this song - it really captures the emotions that I associate with summer nights in Seattle. It's positive, warm, soothing, but at the same time it's exciting and intense. Like when the weather is amazing and there's nothing else you'd rather be doing, you just take a deep breath and feel overwhelmingly relaxed. And it's so overwhelming that it's almost like anxiety. No? Is that just me?

Winter Wonderland - Snow BBQ Awesomeness

So when Matt and I heard a huge storm was coming this week, we decided to load up on groceries in case we got snowed in. And well, since we were already at Safeway, we decided we might as well stock up our liquor cabinet while we were there.

We decided to expand our horizons, so instead of grabbing a bottle of Jack or Patron, we picked up some whiskeys that we thought looked cool. We were both very happy about our decision to try new things.

With the anticipation of snow, JR and BJ came over and we had a onesie party! I was very excited because I very recently got a Paul Frank onesie and was just waiting for an occasion like this. Needless to say, we were toasty as could be last night. We stayed up late just hanging out and talking. There were old cartoon classics playing in the background, it was definitely good times.

We woke up this morning to SNOW SNOW SNOW! After waking up Tuesday morning and expecting snow (then being very disappointed), it was awesome to get the call about not having to go into work. We cooked up a hearty breakfast that was yummers! I spent a lot of my morning staring out the window, watching car wheels spinning on the patches of ice on our block.

After breakfast, we all went over to the Zante house to play in the snow. There was probably double the amount of snow in Lynnwood than there was in our neighborhood. Everything was covered in snow and looking gorgeous. We started by making snowmen, and I got to practice my ball rolling techniques. I think I've much improved since last time! We pumped up the boom box and were dancing in the snow. It was a jolly good time. Even Reubs came out to play, he's such a cutie!

Someone got the ingenius idea to build an igloo. So we started patting down snow even though we weren't sure exactly how an igloo is built. In any case, we got hungry from all of that grunt work! We took a break and picked up groceries to have a bbq. MY FIRST SNOW BBQ!!! And it was so good. Snow BBQs are awesome because the fire also warms you up!

After eating, we had more energy to build on! But first, we trudged down the block and up the hill for some sledding. Also my FIRST TIME SLEDDING! It was really scary at first, but still very fun. The snow looked so pretty in the night, the sky was dark but because the snow was reflecting the light it seemed still bright outside. Almost like a sepia effect? We had to stop sledding after JR and Matt got hurt. Old geezers.

We went back to our igloo, and kept patting away. We eventually decided to call it a fort instead and quit for the day. Everyone was exhausted! It turned out pretty well, I think it was very impressive and I'm proud to say that it was my first snow fort. :)

Snow days are the best. We DEFINITELY didn't have those in California. Skipping work to play in the snow and drink? Yes please!

SNOW!

I am pleased to introduce you to, my first snowman! The snowing season is now underway. :) There was a teensy bit of snow yesterday, lots more snow today, and according to the weather forecast we're in for snow for at least a few more days.

How does it feel, you ask? Simply enchanting. The only times I've ever experienced snowfall were in Tahoe - they were tiny, miserably cold snow flakes that didn't look like flakes at all. BUT TODAY! The snow was powdery and flaky, and the most wonderfully delightful thing I've experienced in Seattle yet. Matt woke me up this morning to show me the snow, and when I finally got out of bed I bundled up and went upstairs to the roof. I made a snowman! Or at least, what I thought was a snowman. Matt joined me later on and after he told me I was supposed to roll the balls in the snow to even them out and make them fluffy, I made a much more proportionate snowman. They don't show you these things in the movies!

As the snow cleared up later in the day, so did my excitement. Truthfully, my time here in Seattle is become less and less blissful. Things have been unwinding since New Year, and my future is now very uncertain. Things with Victor have boiled down to us just being friends, which I'm totally grateful for, but not very happy about. The feeling of being so lucky and cared for all of the time has now turned into two feelings 1) at times feeling lucky for the fun new friends I have made, and 2) at times feeling sad and left out, wishing that things had stayed the same.

Dealing with the negative emotions in my life is exponentially worse being 800 miles away from the people that I know and love best. The weekend before last I spent two days doing absolutely nothing, just laying in bed feeling so discouraged that I couldn't muster the motivation to shower or eat. Being in a new city and feeling alone is scary, and so unpleasant. But I'm sure that this would have happened eventually, no matter where I went. Sadness seems to be inevitable for me.

There are also changes in my work situation recently, and it's only a matter of weeks before I'll be out of a job. There are plans to move me to a different shop, but so many things can happen at this point. Leave it to me, the worry wart, to wring my brain about everything. So many things scratching at the back of my brain. I'm exhausted and so discouraged, but I'll just keep smiling through it.

I still have fanastic moments here though, like this morning with my first snow experience. Or even just hanging out with Matt and partying with the guys. I went to karaoke with Menie last week, and we had a BLAST. Her friend and his friend joined us, and I almost went to Whistler with them the next day. I know it would have been an amazing trip, but I was feeling sick and didn't want to risk getting sicker on the road. Every day is a new adventure, and I'm trying my best to shake the feeling of loneliness and missing certain someones to enjoy the opportunities that come up. It's tough, but it's the best I can do. And the best I can be is all I've ever wanted to be - that's why I never have any regrets.

My First Christmas in the PNW

Alex flew up for Christmas this past weekend, and our adventure began Thursday night in Seattle. We drove down to Portland on Friday evening and decided to stop in Long View to visit Charles! We got caught up chatting with Charles, playing scratchers and the lotto, and ended up staying longer than expected.

By the time we got to Portland it was past midnight! We met everyone up at the Barrel Room - LOVE that place. It was my first dueling piano experience, but there was also an outdoor dance area with a club dj setup! I had fun even though I barely drank anything. I'd like to go back there one day.

On Saturday afternoon we went to get brunch at Jam on Hawthorne. I ordered the corned beef hash and it was SO GOOD. I also poured some of my coffee into Chad's milk and we made a masterpiece! It was yummy. We did some shopping before we headed back to the house and I took my nappety nap.

We had family dinner later that night and there was SO MUCH GOOD FOOD! After dinner we went to Peacock Lane to check out the houses. The pretty lights were a lot cooler than I was expecting. I can't believe San Francisco doesn't have a block with decorated houses. I surely wouldn't mind living in one of those areas, maybe not in Portland though.

We went back to the house and watched Jingle All The Way. The movie was so cheesey, starring two of my least favorite actors - Sinbad and the Governator. It was okay, Selena seemed to enjoy it at least. After the movie we opened gifts. David is such a sweetheart, he got gifts for Alex and myself! I think mine was the better of the two, the most adorable polar bear ear warmers. Perfect for winter!!! The gift-opening ceremony was heartwarming, my family never did anything like that.

After the gifts were all opened, it was around 1 AM. The young adults decided to partake in a game of high card low card, for half shots. Alex and Wilton ended up taking the game to the next level, and they continued to drink into the wee hours of the morning. They both paid the price, HAHA.

The next morning, we went to Legin for dim sum with the family and Wilton didn't make it. I'm surprised Alex did, he was a mess the night before... standing-up sleeping HAHAHA. Dim sum was pretty good, I actually liked the chicken feet there!!! That's impressive in itself. I left shortly after we got back to the house because I didn't want to drive at night. Unfortunately, I hung out with Charles and Sunny too long during my visit in Long View and I ended up driving up in the dark through a storm. It was SCARY. I very seriously considered pulling over and getting a hotel room for the night because it was absolutely pouring and I could barely see anything. Luckily I got through it and a few hours later I was at home unpacking.

I changed and headed to Victor's house for Christmas dinner. I was late for serving but I got to eat everything except for the asparagus. Darn! Oh well. All of the food was delicious, especially BJ's wings and JR's mom's flan. After dinner we drank boots and hung out. It was a merry Christmas indeed!

My first Christmas in the Pacific Northwest was delightful, fun, and so much more. I'm very thankful to have been invited to celebrate with the Huangs, and as always they were a blast. And such wonderful hosts! I had a very Merry Christmas, and again I am reminded of what excellent company I've been blessed to keep.

Discovering the Seattleite Within

Over the past few weeks, I've started to become more attached to Seattle.

In one sense, literally - I just registered in Seattle and took out a new insurance policy in Washington. This is something I hesitated to commit to these past months because I wasn't sure I'd be staying. Now I'm sure, I'm staying. Well.. for a significant amount of time at least.

And in other sense, emotionally; I found myself very offended when Alex, Anthony, and their friend came to visit this past weekend and would not stop complaining. What could they possibly complain about, you ask? Well they said it was boring, that there weren't very many people, and that they had nothing to do. And I suppose if you show up somewhere with no plans, don't meet up with people or try to make new friends, and don't even try to enjoy a new place... then you certainly won't have fun, will you? I was very annoying. So, very, annoyed.

But some good did come of their visit. I met them at Pike Place the day that they arrived and got to have my first Piroshky Piroshky, and also my first bowl of Beecher's mac n cheese! And OH YUM, piroshkies are so good! I think I've only had one once before in my life, and I do not remember it being so tasty. One of my new fave foods :) I should go to Pike Place more often!

And on Saturday we drove up to Vancouver to party. Unfortunately, in Vancouver, the drinks are so weak that each of us was completely sober the entire trip even though I at least was drinking double my normal intake. It was .. fun.. but we definitely weren't having as much fun as the locals. I was actually glad to be home on Sunday - I think I would have enjoyed the weekend more if I'd stayed home and watched movies with Charles and Matt.

Anyhoo, here comes Christmas just around the corner. I already made my holiday rounds last week in San Francisco and spent plenty of time with my mom and brother. Colby actually came out with my friends, which was pretty cool. I think he had fun and I hope he joins us more often! I miss my family, but it's okay because I know they're doing well. I'm going to try and visit less because I've been back and forth every month since I moved. Even though I fly when flights are relatively cheap, they're really not THAT cheap. And I spent a lot more on gifts this year then I usually do. But hey - what the heck right? I'm making more money than I ever have made, even though it isn't much compared to everyone else.

This also seems to be the seasons of visitors :) Alex will be here this week, and Eric and Jen are coming first week of January. Exciting exciting! I hope people visit in the summer as often as they do in the winter, because I want them to see the lush Seattle beauty in full-force.

Gypsy Souls

As pop music makes a painfully slow and awkward transition from hip-pop to house-pop and dubstep mashups, I find myself only able to enjoy the lyrics of country songs. They are so sweet, simple, sad, and basic. I love the raw emotion and the references to a more humble life than so many artists out there try to project.

But yeah, I do love me some of the high energy house. And the Old School Lunch on Kube93, during which Matt and I text each other selections from our fave high school jams (that ghetto shit). Though, at the end of the day, a little bit of country helps me unwind.



Speaking of colder weather, the Seattle temperatures are dropping and the end is nowhere in sight. It's exciting! The other day I was driving and got caught in traffic during the hailstorm, and I was thinking -- if it starts snowing I'm screwed, why didn't I get 4wd again? LOL. It's okay, heated seats and 10+ settings on my windshield wipers have helped tremendously thus far.

Come on winter, GET AT ME BRO!

Taco Tuesday & Tailgating

Over the past few weeks, we've really started to get to know our neighborhood. The teriyaki place nearby is pretty good, Ezell's chicken is... not very good, and the sushi place is REALLY GREAT! On Friday after playing a few tiring games of Hole in the Wall (best game ever btw) we found Toyoda on Yelp and ventured over, definitely a fantastic find.

But Tuesdays, Tuesdays will be taco nights. Yesterday when I came home during lunch, Matt asked me if I wanted anything from Target. And I don't know what made me think of tacos (maybe it was the T in Target), but I suggested that we make tacos for dinner. BEST IDEA EVER. It should be tradition - I love love love tacos. They're like nachos but don't get soggy as fast. And I EXTRA LOVE nachos! <33333

This past weekend, I went to my first Seahawks game and we tailgated from 9am. It was actually supposed to be 8am but our car didn't get there until 8:30 or something. I usually don't like picnics because they're boring, so I didn't think I'd like tailgating. But I actually had fun! The chili was amazing and the cornbread and steak were really good. I wanted to take a nap in the car but I didn't want to be rude, I usually don't get up until 11:00 or later on Sundays! The game was a hoot, I don't even remember watching the teams. I think we spent most of the time drinking and wandering the stadium. The day went by REALLY quickly and after dinner at Genki I think everyone went home to sleep. Some people came to Victors to drink more, but everyone was exhausted. Good times, and a great experience.

New Horizons - Apartment & Bungie Jumping!

Last Friday, after work, Matt and I did our walk-through at the new place and then started hauling all of our crap in. Moving in hungover was not fun, I should not have gotten wasted in Kirkland on Thursday night. The boys did all of the heavy furniture lifting but it was mostly Matt's anyway. I had to drag my laundry bags of clothes, along with the other boxed items that I've amassed all by my lonesome! SUCH A WORKOUT! It ended up being a really late night, and not everything got finished. My bed was only half built, so I slept on the couch but I was so exhausted it didn't matter.

I spent Saturday cleaning the kitchen and my bathroom - wiping everything down and sanitizing. I went to Fred Meyers, Safeway, Dollar Tree, and a few other places to get household essentials. I was too tired to even think about cooking so I went to Victor's for dinner, he was trying to make pork but he accidentally made curry. It was delicious though! We went back to my place to pre-drink, and then we all headed to HG Lodge. My first real Seattle clubbing!! The club was nice looking, clean, and the people were more than decent. Mostly skinny asian girls and clean cut asian guys, then a few odd balls here and there. The most amazing thing is that there is NO dress code. Hat, sneakers, probably sweats even. You can wear anything in Seattle?! That's something to get used to.

Sunday we went BUNGIIIIIE JUMPING!!!! It was sooooo crazy. I was terrified, horrified, petrified, anything that ends with "fied" I was! The feeling of freefalling is like nothing I've ever felt before, and then the bouncing around after the initial fall is kind of like when you fly up on a peak on a roller coaster, except it's 5x more intense. I was so tense that I couldn't even scream! It was amazing though, and now that I know that I won't die from jumping I want to do it again. I'm sure I can really enjoy it next time! The people there were really nice and it was a spectacular experience. I wish it wasn't a 3 hour drive away, but I think it'll be worth going at least once more! When I think about the fall, I can still remember what it feels like and it gives me chills. That two hundred foot drop is insanity man. LOVED IT!

Settling into Seattle

I'm two and a half weeks into this new chapter of my life.. and everything is GREAT! I'm catching on pretty quickly at the new job - I've already been entrusted to check customers in and estimate on repair orders! I still have a lot to learn with how to explain services to customers and upsell, but I think it will come in due time. On a daily basis I balance books and do lots of that maths. I'm getting better at it. LOL

Things I love about Seattle so far:
- Radio stations: such awesome music! If I made my own radio station it would play exactly what 89.5 FM plays here.
- THE WOLF! My favorite morning show from the Bay Area (Fitz in the morning) is still on the air in Seattle. SUCH A TREAT!!!
- Gorgeous weather: I haven't had to wear, nor borrow, a jacket since I first got here! The weather is simply perfect at the moment. People keep saying it'll start raining anyday now, but hey it's been sunny and warm for 2.5 weeks!
- Nice people. Everyone here is nice! My new friends, my coworkers, my customers at work - no one is rude or condescending. HUH?! I know!
- Easy mornings: When I get up at 7:15 AM, the sun is already fully up! It's so easy to get out of bed.. so much moreso than it was in SF. I'm just a tad bit worried about when winter sets in and the sun doesn't come out until late. Oh well, I guess I can worry when the time comes.

Over the past week, Matt and I have been making preparations for moving in together. We found a place near where I work, and it's also convenient for Matt to take the bus to his work. It was a tough choice! After viewing a handful of complexes we got our options down to two, and we ended up applying for the cheaper, more convenient and smaller unit. The one we almost chose had tennis/bball courts, 4 pools, a duckpond, and a gym. It was also huge and really nice! But Matt would have had to take two buses to work from there instead of one, and I'd have to drive to work instead of being in walking distance.

I think either choice would have been fine though. And I don't regret the decision we made. We're moving in on Friday! We already got our furniture and we're still in the process of getting other household things together. Exciting! I'll post pics next week :)

Settling into Seattle

The drive up was rough, but I was expecting it to be. The first six hours were the worst, mostly because I was so excited I didn't really sleep the night before. The traffic in Portland was horrendous, and I will do everything in my power to NOT have to take that drive ever again. My mom wasn't bad, she didn't irritate me that much. It was kind of distracting when she kept telling me to "look" at things though, because I actually look when someone points. I am guilty of doing the same in Alex's car, LOL.

Aside from being endless, the route was very scenic and the weather was quite nice. I only got hit by a rock in the windshield once, and it hasn't spiderwebbed yet *fingers crossed* -- overall I'm glad to be here. I had dinner at Aunty's house as soon as we got to Seattle. It was nice to see Seattle family after what must have been ten years? The house looks a lot different from what I remember seeing as a child. Smaller, and prettier. Driving around Seattle with Klaus was weird, because I felt like I never left SF.

I got to Victor's after 10, unpacked, and showered. I charged my Kindle while I was getting ready for bed and got to fire that bad boy up. SO COOL! I went to sleep, but was awoken by Matt and JR, who wanted to say hello. Those two are so silly. I slept soundly that night(after they left me alone), and woke up refreshed.

Saturday morning I had an appointment to view Clocktower Apartments, which I didn't like too much. I'm sad that there aren't any vacancies for the complexes that I wanted to live in, but still looking around to gauge my options. I went to buy some stuff during the day, and read some Kindle. On Saturday evening, I went with Matt to Eric's goodbye party. I got to see Menie! And I met a bunch of people, also caught up with people that I had met before. It was Hawaiian themed food and fun times, YUM! Saturday night Victor came back from Cancun, and there was crabbery at the house. My first day in Seattle was a SCORCHER.

On Sunday, we went to Walmart to get a fan because the house is SO HOT!! We had lunch at 5 guys burgers and fries and it was deeeelicoius. The portions there are CRAZY, but I like it! Came back to the house and watched Shark Week, until we went to an early dinner with Charles in Kirkland. I had some really good dungeness corn clam chowder!! This is why I LOVE Seattle! Sunday was an early night, because I had a big day to get ready for. And of course, I was restless and couldn't sleep. Story of my life!

Monday was my first day at the new job, it was pretty easy and straightforward. First days usually are though. I wouldn't say I LOVE it there, but it's not horrible. I have to admit though, I missed BMW and DA because the people I work with now aren't sassy enough. I know I won't get any hilarious, NSFW jokes, or shameful Youtube links anymore. Sigh. I guess we can't have it all. After work, I met with my Aunty, my Uncle and my mom for a bite to eat at Panera. We caught up and I said my goodbyes to my mom - I'll see her in a month though. After dinner, we had Tetris Battle and watched Limitless. LIMITLESS WAS SO GOOD! Way better than I was expecting. I need me some clear pills!

I really like Seattle so far, but I'm getting restless without having found an apartment yet. Matt is moving out too, so we're looking at 2bdrms and I think it'll be easier, as well as more affordable. Hoping to find something this weekend, otherwise I'll just take what I can get so I can finally unpack and stop living out of boxes! The weather is absolutely gorgeous here, and I haven't had any griefs yet. Hopefully things will stay this way <3.