little black journal

We are 22 days into our third annual frugal January, and although we’ve done extremely well in our efforts to live on a shoestring budget, some sacrifices have seemed harder than others.  The lunchtime hour has proven to be tricky – not just because that Chipotle burrito sounds soooo much more appetizing than my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but because I often rely on lunchtime as my chance to get out of the office and take a breather.  Whether it’s for a bite with the ladies to catch up on office chatter, or for a latte at my favorite cafe to catch up on my reading, there are days when I absolutely need to unchain myself from my desk to recharge.  So…what to do?  Can’t go grab a bite.  Can’t head over to Macy’s to peruse the shoe department (shopping without even the remote possibility of buying is no fun at all).  Can’t even go sit in a cafe.  Ugh.  Luckily, my office is only four blocks away from the Seattle Public Library, which is absolutely free to hang out in, and also happens to be my most favoritest building in the city.  Score!  Yesterday, in need of a break from the pre-deadline stress that’s been buzzing in my head for the past few days, I grabbed my book and headed up the hill to this funky-shaped, diamond-gridded reader’s oasis.  And I tell you, this place blows me away every. single. time.  There is so much I love about this building, from the innovative plan of the book ‘spiral’, to the intense, saturated colors that surprise you around every corner, to the reading rooms flooded with lovely natural light, even on an overcast winter day.  Being able to regularly spend 30 minutes or an hour here almost allows me to let go of my grudge that I can’t buy a latte.  Almost.

I woke up this morning feeling a little antsy, so I turned to Shane over our breakfast and said, “Let’s have an adventure today.”  Now, considering our January routine of hunkering down inside on the weekends, spending Saturdays napping, reading, and watching football, even a walk around a block could be deemed an ‘adventure’.  It being our month of frugality and all, with no non-essential spending allowed, we haven’t made it out of the house a whole lot.  So we threw around a list of ‘free dates’ and decided to drive 15 minutes south of our house to check out Kubota Garden – a Japanese garden we’ve been meaning to visit since we first heard some friends talk about it a couple of years ago.  I had my thermos of hot tea in hand, my coziest scarf wound around my neck, and we were off!  I was thrilled (seriously, if you knew how many hours I’ve spent on the couch over the last couple of weeks, you would think I had a case of either agoraphobia or mono).  The second we got in the car, it started to rain – bummer…  But I convinced myself that it might not actually be raining 5 miles south of our house, and rain always seems to be falling harder than it really is when you’re driving through it, so we pushed on.  And…we pulled up to the garden entrance and found that it was indeed raining in Renton.  Go figure.  But I was determined to have my adventure, dammit, so I coerced Shane out of the car and we did actually enjoy a pleasant (but wet) stroll through the garden.  I was able to snap a few pictures, breathe some fresh air, and do something out of the ordinary, which was really what the day was all about.  Plus, after our chilly little outdoor bout, my special spot on the couch felt so much warmer, and the hot chocolate I made tasted so much sweeter.  So it was worth it.

When Shane told me last Spring that he wanted to buy a subscription to MLB-TV, so that he’d be able to watch all of the Giants games from the comfort of our living room, I cringed a little bit.  I imagined the countless Sunday afternoons we’d have to spend parked in front of the TV, rather than getting outside to enjoy the summer weather; the evenings that I would have to escape upstairs to get away from Shane’s post-loss funk; the fabulous pair of shoes that money could buy me…  But much to my surprise, the more I saw of the Giants, the more I fell into fan-dom.  I’ve always liked baseball, and if I’d ever had to choose a favorite team, the Giants would have been it, but it wasn’t until this year that I truly got behind them.  I learned all the players names and knew their trademark accessories and rituals; I cheered for Buster when he made his stunning debut and shouted at Sandoval throughout his steady decline; I found myself putting the game on even when Shane wasn’t around, checking standings on my iPhone and daily wishing defeat upon the Padres.  I was hooked.  And so I was stoked when the Giants made it to play-offs – what a year to become a fan!  We haven’t been able to watch the last few games at home, since we cancelled our cable, but have found an awesome little sports bar called Auto Battery in Capitol Hill where we can spend our evenings cheering on our team.  It’s been a lot of fun – Jack and La V have joined us there as fellow Orange-and-Black fans, and we’ve found instant camaraderie with the handful of other Giants supporters that frequent the bar.  Tonight was a big night – we all jumped to our feet, cheering and shouting and clinking our beers as we secured our place in the National League Championship Series.  Woot!!!

I’ll leave you with this video, currently making the rounds on YouTube – Let’s go Giants (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap!)…

I graduated from high school with Amanda, Josh, and Kelly way back when, and was thrilled when Amanda called me last month to tell me they were coming to visit.  It had been far too long since we’d seen each other, and I’ve been looking forward to the chance to catch up and be silly with some of my oldest, dearest friends.  And so Shane and I have spent the past couple of days playing host, eating and drinking and playing and laughing.

We kicked off Friday with breakfast at Both Ways Cafe, near Seward Park.  This has become one of my favorite breakfast places in Seattle, for the warm, cozy setting just as much as the food.  We sipped our lattes and spread jam on our perfect buttermilk biscuits, thrilled with the promise of a sunny Seattle day.  Then we watched the sun disappear behind a pile of gray clouds.  Go figure.

But we weren’t going to let gray skies keep us down.  After breakfast, we headed to UW to rent a couple of canoes and spend some time paddling around Lake Washington.  We wound our way through the arboretum, rowing our way through patches of lily-pads, under canopies of leafy green trees.  And this is why I love Seattle…

Friday night, after a quick happy hour downtown, we walked over to Safeco Field to take in the Mariners vs. A’s game.  Amanda and Josh are huge Oakland A’s fans (I don’t hold it against them), so they were stoked to watch their team cream Seattle.  It was a fun night – not much of a game, but still, the garlic fries were good, the weather was perfect, and really, there’s nothing like a lively rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ with friends during the 7th inning stretch.

Saturday morning we pointed our car east toward Yakima.  Amanda’s grandpa lives there, so we dropped her and Josh off for a visit with him, while Shane, Kelly, and I headed over to Red Mountain to do a little wine-tasting.  We started at Tapteil Vineyards, and picnicked on the patio while enjoying a couple of their Cabernets.  We then headed to Fidelitas, a cool little winery with modern interiors and an extensive tasting list, the highlight of which was their Merlot.  Our last stop in Benton City was Cooper’s Vineyard, a brand-new winery that seems to be getting a lot of positive buzz.  This was by far our favorite stop of the day – the wines were fantastic, and the time we spent chatting with the winemaker made every sip even tastier.  His genuine enthusiasm about sharing the fruits of his labor with us was infectious – I’ve never been so engaged in the act of wine-drinking.  On our way back to Yakima, we stopped in Zillah for one last tasting, and then…we…were…done…

After a long day of driving, nothing sounded better than a round of pizzas from Tutta Bella and a couple of scoops of ice cream from Full Tilt. As if our breakfast pastries from Columbia City bakery and our cheese-and-salame picnic lunch wasn’t indulgence enough…

We bid farewell to our visitors this morning, sad to see them go, but thankful for a weekend full of fabulous memories.

The past couple of days have been perfectly chill and weekend-ish.  Sad to see them come to an end…  We spent Friday night with a couple of neighbor/friends, eating peach pie, watching a movie, and getting caught up with each other’s goings-on.  As darkness comes earlier and earlier, I see lots of weekend movie nights in our future – this is a good thing.  I like a fancy night out on the town, but I love an evening spent lounging on the couch.

I was up early(ish) on Saturday to kick off the day with a run, and for the first time in awhile, I felt like I flew through my 3-mile loop, rather than trudging through it.  Shaved 20 seconds off my best time for that route (woot!).  I’m wondering if the aforementioned peach pie had anything to do with this sudden burst of energy?  I was so happy with my progress that I decided to counteract it with a trip out to Red Hook Brewery to meet up with Shane, Jack, and La V for lunchtime burgers.  Shane and Jack had taken advantage of the sunshine and made the 25-mile trip on their bikes (stopping only once on the way for a wine-tasting detour – I’m so proud of them…), but since I’m not really the cyclist-type, I was happy to hop in the car to meet up with them.  We scored a perfect table out on the patio, where I could soak in the surprisingly warm rays of September sun.

Saturday afternoon, I dropped Shane off at Lakewood so that he could play a round of disc golf with Jason and the G-man, then parked myself at nearby Dubsea Coffee for a latte and some ‘me-time’.  I was totally impressed with the quality of the cafe’s space – I think I’ve found a new way to occupy my time while Shane is tossing frisbees.  Lots of natural light, rotating art exhibits on the walls, and a ceiling painted the most perfect shade of turquoise.  I found a cozy little table by the window, pulled out my book, and was completely in my element.

Saturday evening I pleasantly surprised Shane by asking him if he wanted to head out for a late-night cocktail (something ‘out of the ordinary’ for us…).  We headed out to Tavern Law – a little bar in Capitol Hill that we’d heard has a cool speak-easy vibe and killer cocktails.  My gin/lime/cranberry/lavender/egg white concoction was delicious, and Shane’s gin/Lillet/apricot/Absinthe drink was right up his alley.

Today was spent mostly at home, watching the Giants beat the Padres (holla!), cleaning up the house, and doing a bit of yardwork.  I was happy to find that the plant I thought I’d killed during the mini heat-wave we had a few weeks ago is actually sprouting some new leaves. With a little more work and some TLC, I’m hopeful that we’ll have a lovely, flourishing backyard by the time next summer rolls around.

We’re wrapping up the evening with a bowl of ice cream and a crappy movie (anyone seen Date Night?).  All-in-all, a rather perfect couple of days.

When I first came to Seattle and started looking for a place to live, I began evaluating neighborhoods based on criteria like proximity to downtown, rent prices, sense of safety, etc, etc, etc…  But in the end, it all came down to the coolness factor, and Capitol Hill had me at hello.  I chose a small-but-comfortable studio apartment at the west edge of Capitol Hill, loving the fact that I could walk to work, walk to the grocery store, walk to any number of stellar cafes, walk to the bars, walk to the park, walk to my art classes at Seattle Central – I had just about anything I could possibly need right at my fingertips.  On average, I must have put about 15 miles a week on my car.  It was fabulous.  Plus, by living in such a hip, urban area, I was able to convince myself that I was actually cool by association (whether this is true or not is still TBD).  Once Shane moved to Seattle and we got married, there was never really any question that we would stay in the ‘hood, and we scored a perfect one-bedroom apartment in a lovely old brick building, just three blocks from where I had been living.  Life was good on Capitol Hill – we went out to dinner at Chez Gaudy or La Spiga on a moment’s notice, I spent my Saturday mornings Bauhaus Cafe, and on sunny afternoons, I would grab my book and head over to Cal Anderson Park to lay on the grass and watch neighborhood residents splash in the fountain.

Nearly a year after we’d settled into our apartment on Union Street, when we started looking to buy a place in Seattle, it was hard to make the decision to leave the Hill and transport all of our belongings four miles south to our spacious-but-not-nearly-as-hip townhome in Columbia City.  In the end, I really believe it was the right choice for us, as we have fallen in love with our home and our neighbors and our greater neighborhood, but still, I think I left just a small piece of my heart back in Capitol Hill.

Which is why, when I found myself with a wide-open afternoon yesterday, I decided there was nothing I would rather do than grab my camera and spend a couple of hours strolling down Pike and Pine, pretending once again that I was one of the cool folks that actually belonged there.  I had read a good review of Porchlight Coffee on 14th, so I started there, then proceeded to wander toward Broadway, detouring through Cal Anderson Park, then Value Village’s book aisles, and slowly making my way back east.  It’s a little disappointing to see several not-so-charming vanilla condo buildings popping up around the neighborhood, but the underlying fabric of old brick storefronts, poster-plastered telephone poles, and trendy coffee shops on every other corner still exists, and that makes me happy.

Cool/uncool, hip/unhip, young/old, etc, etc, I suppose Capitol Hill’s greatest charm is in its ability to draw me in and make me think there’s no where else I’d rather be sipping my latte.

Oh, this weekend was so perfectly ‘weekend-ish’, full of good food, good times with friends, and a good dose of relaxation.  I didn’t have my camera with me at all over the past couple of days, but my handy iPhone captured the highlights:

Shane and I celebrated the end of the work week Schnell-style, and met at a bar downtown for some Happy Hour action.  Penn Cove mussels, garlic fries, and frothy pints of beer – these are the reasons it’s called ‘Happy Hour’.

We spent the rest of the evening with our friends Jason and Nancy, feasting on Jason’s tasty home-baked pizzas.  This one was my favorite – olive oil, onions, avacado, arugula, mmm…

Saturday morning was my monthly book club meeting with the ladies – which means a latte and buttermilk biscuit.  I’m afraid the book is secondary, really.

We spent Saturday afternoon at my office’s summer picnic, eating burgers and putt-putting a round of mini-golf.  Turns out I am terrible at mini-golf, but Shane can putt like a pro.  Go figure.

After church this morning, Shane and I headed over the Ballard Farmer’s Market.  Seemingly endless rows of fresh produce, brightly colored flowers, and locally made specialty foods.  And mini-donuts.  Let’s not forget the mini-donuts.

And finally, an afternoon spent doing some shopping, followed by a quiet Sunday evening at home.  Did some housework, some reading, and a yoga session that I will pretend can counteract the french fries, the pizza, the buttermik biscuit, the burger, and the mini-donuts.  Right.

This weekend was indeed full of bliss, with just the right balance of relaxation and productivity, a smattering of self-indulgence, and lots of time spent hanging out with Shane, who I’ve missed in the midst of our busy schedules.  After a morning run down by Lake Washington yesterday, I decided I had earned the right to a big ol’ breakfast and convinced Shane to head over to Both Ways cafe with me (easiest sell I’ve ever made).  This is one of our breakfast faves in South Seattle – a cute little spot tucked away on a quiet corner near Seward Park, offering solid breakfast fare, complete with perfect buttermilk biscuits and extra creamy lattes.

We caught up with each other over eggs, bacon, biscuits, and coffee, then headed down to Southcenter to catch the early showing of Inception.  It felt a little strange to be heading into a movie theater at 11 am, but when we discovered that shows before noon are offered at ‘pre’-matinee extra-discounted prices, I got over it (you all know I love a good deal).  Shane I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some shopping, napping, and then capping off our lovely day with pizza at Tutta Bella and ice cream at Full Tilt (insert happy sigh of satisfaction here).

I spent the evening with some girlfriends, taking part in what has quickly become a fun tradition for all of us.  Every few months, we each dig through our closets, pull out those items we love but just don’t wear anymore, and gather at La Verne’s house to swap clothes, accessories, and lots of laughs.  It was a fabulous evening, and I think we all walked away happy with what we had scored at our ‘free boutique’.

(photo courtesy of La Verne)

Today was heavier on the ‘productive’ side of things, with a couple of hours at the office and a couple of hours out working in the yard, but the evening couldn’t have been more relaxing, with a Rum and Coke in hand (Shane is trying his hand as bartender these days) and the Giants vs. Dodgers game on TV.  I’m not sure where my recent affinity for baseball came from (maybe out of need for a reason to veg?), but stretching out on the couch with Shane and cheering on the Giants has become one of my most favorite evening pastimes.  And as an added bonus, I think Shane falls a little deeper in love with me each time I spontaneously jump off the couch and let out a “woot!” in favor of his team.

All in all, an utterly fantastic weekend (unless you’re a Dodgers fan – hehe…).

Ummm…Hi, June! Where did you come from, and why are you passing me by so very quickly? Wowsers, life has been busy lately, and I feel like I am running at breakneck speed just to keep up. It’s good, though. I wouldn’t have wanted to turn down any of the things that have kept me on my toes. For example:

Shane and I were invited by a friend I work with to check out the Sounders game on Saturday night. Soccer is quickly becoming my new favorite sport, as I’ve had the chance to attend a few games over the past year and have developed a mild case of Sounder Fever. Yes, there is a bit of monotony in watching the guys run up and down and up and down the field, but the surge of energy that flows through the stadium whenever they score a goal makes all that waiting well worth it. Lucky for us, the Sounders were in fine form on Saturday and scored four goals, which meant lots of jumping out of our seats, clapping our hands, cheering loudly, and catching the glittery confetti that rained from the sky. Good stuff.

Sunday was my first day back in the print studio since my class ended last fall. I had almost the entire day to myself in there and was in art-making heaven, with Bon Iver piping through my headphones, a table full of brightly colored paint to mix and smear and roll, and a printing press just begging to be put to use. I got a lot of stuff of done, much of which I left in the studio to dry on the racks, but here’s a little peek at some not-quite-finished pieces. I am in love with this process, and am trying to figure out what our dining room would look like if we swapped out our table for a printing press. I’m kidding. Kind of.

And now, I am beat. As in, ready for the weekend!

Oh, what a weekend…  Busy, but full of so many good things.  The weather in Seattle was phenomenal, and we spent every moment possible outdoors, loading up on vitamin D.

On Saturday morning, we headed over to the International District to volunteer with our friends from our community group at Danny Woo Garden.  This is a community garden which was created for elderly immigrant residents living in this area just south of downtown Seattle, to foster their connections to the earth and to the surrounding neighborhood.  It is an amazing space, terraced with patch after patch of vegetables, fruits, and flowers, tended to by a generation and a culture of people that have an intimate knowledge of and respect for the soil.  Our mission, as part of our church’s urging to ‘bless our neighbors’, was simple:  do whatever needed doing.  This meant weeding, digging, planting, transplanting, sowing, building, chopping, and generally having a blast doing our small part to support the growth and sustenance of the garden.  Once we were all given our tasks, we divided and conquered, and accomplished what I would like to think was a pretty decent chunk of work.  Four hours after our arrival, peas had been planted under a new supporting trellis, much of the garden waste pile had been broken down and prepared for compost, the flagstone path in the children’s garden had been mended, several planter beds were freshly cleaned of weeds, and we were one dirty, tired, happy bunch.

The G-man was a huge help that day – what he lacked in ability, he made up for in spirit:

The dudes, ready for action.:

Shane and Jack were labeled our ‘trusty swordsmen’ and were given the task of chopping up some the larger garden waste for the compost pile.  I can’t decide how I feel about this photo – funny, or kinda scary…?

Michelle, Jon, and I were put on a ‘fern rescue mission’ – moving several struggling ferns from a sunny spot to the this shadier space in the garden.  Here they are, mid-mission:

Some of the gang (Shane was supposed to snap a photo as Jack was in mid-jump, but he’s a little quick on the trigger…):

Some garden lovelies:

It was fun to see us all rally to get things done, and the intent of the garden to build relationships rang true as we labored together, laughed together, and pigged out together as we rewarded ourselves with Vietnamese sandwiches from the deli down the street.  And I gotta say, the good, good earth feels especially good when enjoyed under the sunshine with some of your very dearest friends.