The-Dream & Oktoberfest at Leavenworth

One of my favorite R&B artists, The-Dream, came to the Crocodile on a Wednesday night and the concert was SO GOOD! He opened for Hudson Mohawke... but now that we no longer live in Belltown, it was getting too late on a weeknight to stay out and see the main act. But anyways, OMG! So, The-Dream had some suh-weet dance moves and his voice was just as amazing live as on tracks. He did all of his classic songs that I was looking forward to, EXCEPT for Love King! Booooooooo. But that was the only disappointment for his show. We even had to wait an extra 45 mins for him to come on, but it was all worth it in the end.

For the weekend, we rented a cabin in Leavenworth during Oktoberfest! Everyone arrived at different times on Friday night, and we stayed in to do games, PJs, and family dinner. We ended up with lots of junk and frozen food, LOL. For games, we started off with Guesstures and then played Telestrations. SO FUN! Friday night flew by quickly, and then Saturday we headed downtown for Oktoberfest. We reserved a private shuttle to/from the event and it was a FANTASTIC idea because we didn't have to worry about parking or getting DUIs.

Leavenworth is such an adorable town! I felt like I was walking down the streets of Beauty and the Beast, and I could run into Gaston at any of the beer halls. The official event was smaller than I expected, but was a really interesting experience. The brats and turkey legs were so delicious, and I enjoyed the lively live music in the tents. We explored the streets of Leavenworth outside of the official event and checked out some shops. Eventually, we re-entered the event to get some more beers, and headed back to the cabin early. Everyone was so tired from Oktoberfest that only a few of us were still awake at 10 PM. SO LAME! I stayed up past midnight because I couldn't sleep, and I wished everyone else had stayed awake for our last night. Oh well.

The cabin trip was perfect, and I definitely want to plan a repeat trip to Leavenworth! However, now that I've experienced Oktoberfest, I'm not dying to go back for the official event. We waited in line a lot, and it was pretty crowded in most areas. Maybe we can go on an off-week and still get the seasonal beers at local bars, without the crowds. Regardless, I'm still so glad that I finally went!

Corinna's wedding + mini high school reunions

On Friday evening, I had dinner with Anita, Cindy, Kanomi, Lauren, Lisa, and Anna - most of my closest girl friends from high school. Aside from catching up with Anna and Lisa over brunch, and running into the others at weddings, I haven't seen much else of them! Witnessing Kanomi, Lauren, and Cindy as mothers was wonderful and eye-opening, and it really hit home that most of us are in that next phase of life (married or kids, or both). It's hard to catch up on ten years of life, but I'm so glad that we had dinner. Kanomi suggested that we get a private room reservation, and the Izakaya Kou tatami room did a pretty good job of containing the children… and hopefully muffling some of the screaming. LOL. We parted ways after dinner, and I met up with Andy, Matt, and Alom at Andy's place. We headed to the Castro, to meet up with Charles and Angie. It was a crazy night at Beaux, and Matt's first time in the 'stro - and WHAT a first night it was. After clubbing, we stopped by Brian's place to hang out with the Cotopaxi participants, and the craziness continued. A night out in the Castro always means a painful morning to follow.

I look forward to weddings, because I love to witness the happy moments. Corinna's wedding happens to be especially meaningful to me, not only because she was one of my close friends in high school, but also because I was still close to her at the very beginning of her relationship with Jon! Nancy was my hot date for the wedding, and I couldn't have asked for a better one. We had SO MUCH fun catching up and she had me cracking up all day and all night. Corinna's ceremony, venue, and outfits, were all flawless. The weather in San Rafael was perfect for the outdoor ceremony, and it ran like clockwork. Even Corinna's dog walked down the aisle - it was the CUTEST thing watching Race drag the little kid around. From Corinna in her stunning dress, to the details on the flower petal bags, and the lush greenery, it was absolutely picture perfect.

After cocktail hour, we moved indoors for the reception. The hall was HUGE and well-lit with wonderful floral pieces (which we later found out were arranged by Nixon!). The party favors were Asian snacks and adorable fun fact cards with all different statements about the bride and groom. The ONE TIME I didn't order the steak at a wedding, it was actually decent. I did enjoy my mushroom ravioli, though, so I wasn't disappointed. I loved that Corinna and Jon asked for volunteers to demonstrate kisses for the crowd, and that they then duplicated the kisses in an adorably mocking way. What a great idea! The reception flew by as fast as the ceremony did, and before I knew it we were dancing with Corinna to some awesome throwbacks. We actually stayed after everyone else had left, and spent some more time with Corinna before heading to karaoke.

We got back to the city after midnight, and Amy, Nancy, Drew, and I went to DO RE MI. LOL. Regina met us up there too, and I think we were karoke-ing for 3+ hours. It was so fun that I don't even know where the time went! We even ran into Kirby there, and he sang with us too. I thought about how great it would be to move home, and every weekend could be as awesome. And then Sunday morning rolled up on me and I re-thought, boy I'd be hungover every weekend if I moved back. HAHA. Growing up in the city was rough at times, but as I look back at my formative years I appreciate every person and every experience more than ever. I had some really good times, with amazing people that still invite me to their weddings after 5+ years of not seeing each other. That is really something special. And during dinner, Nancy recalled that her most vivid memory of me was when Danny was getting ready to defend me (which I can hardly remember the details of). Through the night, a few other people mentioned Danny too, and it reminded me of how much I regret not attending his funeral. Even though we ended up having our differences later in life, he really was so very dear to me those first years in high school. Had I been a more mature person, I'd have known better than to miss it. That's one regret I'll never be able to shake. 

On Sunday we hung out with everyone at Dolores Park for Lisha's birthday. Lots of people came out and I tried to be as social as possible even though I was exhausted and hungover. I think the best part was when we sang happy birthday to her in the middle of the park, in front of a gazillion strangers. How cool! I don't know if anyone got that moment on video, but I hope someone did. Before we flew out, we watched Babadook with Andy. O, M, G, creeeeeeeee-pyyyyy.

Literary relief

The past few weeks at work have been stressful, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming. With regular day-to-day tasks, intense project work, meetings, and a few curve balls, I've pushed myself to find balance by exercising more and reading. The work gym finally set up the ExpressoHD machines properly, so I've been really enjoying my evening bicycle rides.

I stayed home with Forrest over Labor Day weekend to catch up on TV, eat healthy food, and most importantly... sleep to my heart's content. I've also just finished Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. Chelsie recommended it to me when we were on doing our regular hikes over the summer, and I'm so glad that I finally got around to reading it. I found some moments in Cheryl's story to be really bizarre and disturbing, but overall I appreciated how brutally honest she was in sharing the raw moments of her adventures. I can tell how close I felt to the author because I use her first name (as if I know her, HAHA).

The weather is cooling down, and football season has begun. My fantasy league collapsed at the last minute, so I don't have any interest in watching football this season. Maybe it was meant to be, because now I have time to watch some hockey! Although, I must admit, I am pretty disappointed that I don't have a league.

I signed up for a couple of short writing classes this semester, because I'm afraid that I won't be able to juggle the craziness at work with the stress of school/homework. Especially with our HK/Korea trip coming up in a few months! I think I can focus on school more next semester, and still be on track.

But I do have an exciting update! I finally requested a standing desk at work, and they installed a really awesome power-adjustable desk that has an LED silicone lever thing. I also upgraded to a Herman Miller chair. WHY DIDN'T I ASK SOONER!? :)

Nan, Wiz/Fall Out Boy, and Mount Rainier

The past three weeks have flown by! Typical summer speed. Nan came to visit, and we ate lots and drank a fair amount - as expected. It was a short weekend trip, but we managed to squeeze in some good eats and a seafood bake before she left. Shrimp, crab, corn, and Korean goodies!

We also saw Wiz Khalifa and Fall Out Boy at the White River Amphitheatre that same weekend. Both sets were SO GOOD, and they even did two songs together. I went more for Fall Out Boy, and the guys only wanted to see Wiz; I ended up loving Wiz's stage presence just as much. And when Fall Out Boy did "Dance, Dance' and 'This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race,' I felt 19 again!!!!!!! I ended up buying one concert t-shirt for each performer. I had so much fun!

Work has been really busy, and I'm working on a few projects that are really stressful but exciting. They're totally worth the stress because these projects will directly impact my team (and work processes) in the long run. I'm hoping to take more classes in Fall, but I guess we'll see how my schedule looks in a couple of weeks. I attended the PSBJ Washington's Best Workplaces event at Safeco field last week, and had a blast. As cheesy as it sounds, I still feel so lucky to be loving my job and my company.

It's been at least a few weeks since the last nature adventure, but today we hiked Mount Rainier with Nick and Fei. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in state parks. The Fremont trail was really easy, but a good workout nonetheless. We also got some great views! And I've always wanted to explore Mount Rainier. =)

On the way up! 

WE SAW A MARMOT. 

Forrest and Mandy do Rachel Lake Trail

Unlike our regular (and local) 4-mile hikes, Rachel Lake is an "intermediate" rated 8+ mile hike just past Snoqualmie Pass. And boy, it sure was challenging.

The first 2 miles were what I was expecting for an "intermediate" hike. We breezed through the first half of the incline, with our group of 10, and only stopped twice for photos. The second 2 miles of the incline were treacherous and steep! The giant rocks, slippery stream crossings, and intimidating tree roots in constant succession were difficult for me. Although, the others who are actually in shape fared better... of course.

At the end of the ascent, we relaxed at Rachel Lake, which I had assumed would be at the bottom of the mountain. No, it's between 2 mountain peaks! And it's beautiful, with refreshing icy water to dip your tootsies in. It felt SO NICE to get those hiking boots off for a while. During our break, Forrest befriended and cuddled up with a nice man who had a beach towel. These dogs ain't loyal!

After enjoying the scenery, we headed back down the mountain. The first half of the descent was ROUGH. More rough than ascending, methinks! I stepped gingerly through the trail, low and slow, and I was especially careful because Forrest was pulling me downhill. It was stressful scanning between my footing, the high brush whipping my face, and the leash to make sure that Forrest had enough slack or support when he made his own calculated leaps. By the time we got to the second half of the ascent, I was so relieved to not be going downhill anymore. But our exhausted legs still had 2 more miles to go. I felt like it was never going to end. Matt, Forrest, and I finished our 3 bottles of water shortly after we had begun descending. The summer mid-afternoon sun was beating down on us.

This is, by far, the most difficult hike that Forrest has experienced, and toward the end he literally gave up. He normally pulls for the duration of our hikes, and can't contain himself. Today, toward the end, he didn't want to lead anymore. As I was walking, I felt a strong resistance from the leash, and when I turned around Forrest had turned on his side and was being dragged on the gravel. POOR FORREST! After some encouraging words, he was on his feet again to finish the hike. I was elated when we finally reached the parking lot! The first half of the group had finished ~30 minutes before us, and were waiting with the cars running and A/C on full blast. LOL. Matt and I finished about 10 minutes before the last of us.

On the way home, we stopped for refreshing beverages and ended up getting Icees from Burger King for FREE! Best way to end a hike. The dogs were both pooped, and Matt, Chelsie, and I were tired too.. until we got the Icees!

Pretty sure I shouldn't do any more intermediate+ hikes until I start working out regularly. Even though today was fun and challenging, I'm mostly happy that I didn't hurt myself. I must say, though, that the struggle was worth it for the occasion. We had a good group of people, gorgeous weather, and amazing PNW terrain. Can't complain about that!

Wicked the musical, at the Paramount!

I've wanted to see Wicked for years, but every time I checked showtimes it was either sold out or no one was interested in joining me (because they'd already seen it). This week, somehow the stars aligned, and Christina ended up with extra tickets to see Wicked at the Paramount!

And they weren't just any tickets. They were VIP entrance, with access to the private lounge, and balcony seats that were front and center. Christina's brother had been on a waiting list for a year to get those tickets, and I was ECSTATIC that they thought to ask us!

We met up near the VIP entrance and took a few photos with the Wicked truck. And then we headed into the private lounge where we enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and a round of drinks. When we arrived at our seats, I was so impressed by the view. I don't think seats get any better than that at the Paramount.

The first act was phenomenal, enthralling, and captivating from beginning to end. I was almost in tears by the end of the defying gravity scene! I loved the jokes, and I really loved Galinda's character. It was very Mean Girls at first, and then became a bit Hunger Games (the Emerald City reminded me of the Capitol), and throughout the musical I was reminded of Legally Blonde. At intermission, I was a ball of adrenaline and I even thought to myself... I'd LOVE to be in a musical! The singing, the dancing, the costumes, and energy. The perfect timing and props!

We got another round of drinks, this time in sippy cups, so that we could enjoy them at our seats. Luckily, we had access to the private bathrooms, because the line at the general restroom was horrendous. The second act was almost as amazing as the first, and I was at the edge of my seat for every minute. Prior to seeing Wicked, I had only a very vague idea of the plot. I really appreciated the angle that it took on the traditional Wizard of Oz events, and I think the musical was REALLY well done.

I am so happy we got to go. I love Wicked! I had goosebumps because it was THAT good. <3