The Weekend In A New York Minute

Last week flew by in a library induced haze of LinkedIn job boards, and now low & behold here we are back at the start of a new week. A short one though. Which means the weekend provided that elusive extra 24 hours. Did I take advantage of the bonus time? If taking advantage means cooking the entire 10-slice package of bacon on a Sunday morning instead of the usual half, than yes I most certainly did.

Bacon Late Bloomer | Recently, within the last six months or so, bacon has risen up the ranks on my list of morning breakfast staples. Salty. Crispy. Greasy. Yes duh where have you been, Ana?? Growing up the daughter of a nutritionist, that's where. Why it took another 10+ years for these crunchy slices of pork heaven to make their way onto my breakfast plate, I have no idea, but hallelujah count me in as officially converted to the uncured honey maple congregation. (Favorite brand so far: Applegate)

Curl Challenged | Evidently, this blog is quickly becoming a self-help guide on how not to take care of nice things. First the ruined sneakers, now the curling iron. Up until a couple years ago, my stick straight locks would not hold a curl to save their life, then along came this miracle worker, followed by a year of voluminous wavy bliss. The honeymoon period could never last, though. All this time I've been stowing my curling iron with the cord wound tightly around the barrel. Big mistake. Only after it completely shorted out mid-attempt at the above beachy waves, did a quick google search later reveal my glaring oversight. Don't make the same mistake! 

Wine & Cheese Please | At the risk of sounding like a late twentysomething cliche, spending a Friday night with friends chatting late into the wee hours over trays of brie and red wine, might just be the best kind of Friday, don't you think?

Fair-Weather Fan | As an NYC transplant from the Pacific Northwest, I have a lot of hometown pride when it comes to anything Seattle related. With one exception: our historically lackluster sports teams (ahem dearly departed Sonics). However, the Seahawks have dominated this football season, culminating in Sunday's nail-biter of a game sending them victoriously off to the Superbowl. And there I was cheering along like the true bandwagoner that I am. #gohawks, indeed.

Enjoy the short work week, folks!

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A Weekend Out West

I learned two lessons this weekend: 

1. Washington State needs to master the art of the air conditioner. 

2. Something kind of magical happens when you explore your own hometown as a tourist, especially when it's with someone experiencing all the sights, sounds, smells and seafood for the first time. 

In honor of Kev's inaugural visit to the Pacific Northwest, Seattle pulled out all the stops & threw on her Sunday best of sunshine and blue skies. Notwithstanding the slight heat wave going on (90 degrees! Constant sweat! No A/C anywhere!), all four days we were there, the sun-drenched streets and sparkling waters of the city just dazzled. Even as a jaded local, I was thoroughly seduced by her nautical charms.

Like professional tourists, we packed every day tightly with the major sights and spots the city has to offer.

Pike Place Market... where Kevin discovered the infamous "gum" wall, the first Starbucks store from 1971, and the salmon throwing fishmongers. The gum wall went over exceedingly well.

The Great Wheel...where we took in spectacular views of the Seattle waterfront while sweating bullets in the tiny ferris wheel car that had a broken A/C. We were like bugs under a magnifying glass.

The Space Needle... where we squinted our way to approximately 5,000 selfies without much success.

Experience Music Project... where Kevin reconnected with the 1990's version of himself who loved Nirvana and punk rock. Also known as 2013 Kevin.

Alki Beach... where we attempted to stage a jumping photo montage. Nailed it.

The Seattle Underground Tour... where we discovered how idiotic the founding fathers of Seattle were in building the original streets at sea level when measured at low tide. Turn-of-the-century sewage pipes are no match for the force of a rising ocean. A lot of poop jokes ensued.

The Ballard Locks... where we were able to take a good hard look at what we'd been eating at every meal the last three days (eek!).

Oh, and can't forget Kaitlyn & Dave's wedding...where we watched my childhood friend tie the knot in a beautiful ceremony and took awkward photo booth pics that probably should never see the light of day let alone this blog.

Of course, a visit to Seattle is not complete without one dip in the ocean. Or at least a feet-only semi dip.

Did we miss anything!? 

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Rooftop Midsommar

Happy (belated) start of Summer! I know, I know--two days late, but who said we can't celebrate the official kick-off of beach season all week long? Super Moon knows what I'm talking about.

To celebrate the summer solstice, because he is hip & cool and does things like mark the celebration of solar calendar holidays, my friend John Travis and his roommates invited peeps over to the roof deck of their apartment building for an official "Midsommar" party (the traditional Scandinavian spelling according to google) complete with a towering Swedish maypole.

In true John Travis style, he and several others built the maypole with their own ten hands and $120. In case you don't know John, he likes to build things. In college, to spruce up an otherwise plain porch at the off-campus house he and a few classmates shared, John constructed fully-functional saloon doors that swung in and out making visitors feel like Clint Eastwood out of a scene from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. So this epic maypole was no surprise. In case you're curious about making your own, beware the streamers. I'm told they spent over four hours constructing them!

John's apartment building, located just a few subway stops over the river in Williamsburg, provides amazing views of Manhattan. Especially at sunset, which was conveniently timed to just as we arrived!

Being the incredible hosts that they are, John & his roomies (plus girlfriend Rachel!) had whipped up a full spread of homemade salmon lox + potato salad, grilled spicy sausage, a whole spiked watermelon, plus party favors in the form of flower head wreaths and bracelets. No detail overlooked, I tell you.

I tried very hard to showcase the flower bracelets at all times.

Of course, with a bona fide maypole in our midst, an awkward photo shoot was inevitable, during which we struggled against unpredictable billowing streamers.

The maypole dancing continued well into the night, long after the sun dipped below the horizon. And let me tell you, posing with streamers is exhausting. By the end of the night, with the rest of the party still in full swing, I snuck off to "nap" until the others were ready to head home. Thankfully, Kristin managed to capture the moment beautifully.

Thank you John, Max, Greg, Jake and Rachel for having us!

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From My Heart To Yours

Happy Valentine's Day to all you love bugs out there! In spite of the cheesy hallmark nature of the holiday, I like to think of today as just another chance to tell your family, friends and loved ones that you heart them. So get to it! XO

Photo credit: StudioDIY

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