Sept. 08, 2014 - Refresh

A few weekends back Mari awoke on a beautiful Saturday morning and began stressing out about, well specifically about nothing, but generally about the inadequate size of our apartment in combination with the collection of oversized furniture we own. Really, it was just one of those grouchy side effects that rears its head from a 6 1/2 month pregnant woman, but we took it as beckoning call for change. The result of this stressed out grouch sessions was that we decided to take pictures of several items in our house and post them on Craigslist for sale. Out with the old, in with the new. Time for a breath of fresh air.

Gone

 Gone

 Gone

 Gone

It all really boiled down to the fact that Mari has always found the couches uncomfortable. Because they were leather they were always sticky in the summer and cold in the winter. The shelf was abandoned because realistically it only holds junk. And the long 8' computer desk was a remnant from our student days and is now a tad too long, plus we could use this extra space for the future baby items headed our way. All in all, we decided it was time to hit the refresh button on our living room web page.

Unfortunately, the part of that equation with lack of foresight was that we were left with an empty, crappy looking apartment for a few weeks, with limited sitting options and a kitchen table as a computer desk, and everything that was once stored in a shelving unit stacked around the room.

But today, finally our prayers were answered. Mari found the needle in the haystack on Craigslist. The four leaf clover and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow all rolled into one. A Kasala Sydney Sectional. This is the pic from the Craigslist ad. Only 18 months old and in exceptional condition.

Now we can finally resume semi normal lives and once again relax in the comfort of our own living room. Yet, we are still on the look out for a new, compact computer desk and exquisite kitchen table. The hunt continues.

Sept. 07, 2014 - Ice Cream Cruise

Well we finally did it. It only took a year or so, but we finally made it down to the Sunday Ice Cream Cruise located on South Lake Union. This boat cruises the waters every Sunday, on the hour every hour between 11 am and 5 pm.

I believe we first noticed it last summer when Mari and I were out on a walk around the lake and happened to run into a friend if mine with his son. He pointed over to the boat and explained that his parents were in town and they were just about to board and enjoy the day with a cruise around the lake. Ever since then, there hasn't been a month that has gone by where we don't promise to take the boat "this coming Sunday".

The boat is named The Fremont, and costs $11 per adult, with a capacity of approximately 42 people.

The boat docks literally adjacent to the MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) located within the beautifully constructed South Lake Union park.

The cruise traveled northward along Eastlake towards the University Bridge, then turned west and looped back around returning south along Westlake. There was a little history given along the way by the Captain and his loud PA system. He also pointed out little insights and personal experiences, as well as unique sites to see like the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat.  As it was a beautiful day, the lake was loaded with other water craft. We saw big yachts, small yachts, giant yachts, motorboats, sail boats, kayaks, and paddle boards. As well as the occasional inflatable boat. Plus the shoreline was littered with people in shorts and bikinis taking in the cool lake waters.

It was nice to see our neighborhood from the other side for once. It was really a site to behold. Very enchanting. The breeze was nice and cool, and there's just something special about being on the water on a hot summer day. 

Now, if we can only make it to the MOHAI one of these first Thursdays. That's another one that's been on the list for years.

Sept. 05, 2014 - Oddball Festival

Friday was an excitingly short day at work. I left just after noon to race home and grab Mari as we had tickets to attend the Oddball Festival at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn Washington. Somehow as the stars align in this universe, that morning I also stumbled upon a Craigslist ad for a used Britax B-Agile combination stroller and baby seat for $175 in Covington WA. Which as luck would turn out, just happened to be on our way to Auburn. Everything looked good and we purchased the set.

 
We have started the slow accumulation of baby stuff in preparation of our December due date. The stroller combo now joins forces with the changing table we bought a few weekends back. Both of these items were strongly suggested as essentials, and from here forward we will pick up additional supplemental items knowing we have the strong foundation already in place.

I am writing this on the beautiful sunny afternoon of Sunday Sept. 7th. Today, Mari is 6 1/2  months pregnant. We are into our third trimester and the excitement is building. At the Oddball festival on Friday, the weight of the pregnancy was growing on Mari so we had to take an early seat on a wooden planter to rest her back and relax for a bit out of the heat of the sun. We spent the early part of the festival watching the crowds and listening to the local comedians on the side stage while waiting for the main show to begin.

The line-up for the show was amazing, yet even still, I was regretting the fact that Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, and Chris D'Elia were not on the bill as they were in some other cities. We took solace in the fact that we saw Bill Burr just last year, and Chris D'Elia is coming soon. Gaffigan is still on the to-do list. That said, I was really disappointed about the set times. The first half of the main stage acts only got a measly 15 minutes each.  In actuality it turned out to still be amazing, and they all killed, but I was hoping for 30 minutes sets.

We originally had lawn seats, but because the show was not sold out we were able to upgrade to closer, covered seats for an additional $10 per ticket. This was a great choice, not to say that the lawn seats were bad. They were great, but I was worried about Mari's pregnant and aching back sitting on the lawn for too many hours.

Overall, the show was entirely amazing. We laughed our asses off. High-lites for me were Jeff Ross, Demitri Martin, Hannibal Burress, and of course, the legendary brilliant and creative force known as Louis CK. He killed it. Just like we knew he would. He is continuing to forge a new path in modern comedy.

It was a gorgeous day at the amphitheater. With Mount Rainier keeping an eye on things from a distance.