Been a little while since I've last posted, relatively. Zero posts in 37 years and now 7 in two months, a flurry!
Past couple of weeks have been filled with the joyful pitterpatter of visiting grandparents. Very much enjoy seeing them and showing them the city but LOVE having them out here to put Samson down to sleep. Yes, bedtime is a very special, intimate time spent with your child that should/must be cherished but that gloss wears off after you've been in there for 60 minutes and he MUST look outside his window for the umpteenth time to say "hi" to the moon and the Jeep.
Anyhoo, did a couple of pretty great things over the weekend that I think are worth sharing. Saturday morning started off with breakfast at Easy Street Records, which has quickly become our go-to for weekend breakfasts. The boy gets their blueberry muffin. It's oversized and they halve it and then put it on the griddle and serve it up carmelized. It's pretty teriffic.
After an extended wait to sit down the boy was a little crabby. A waitress gave him some crayons and a piece of paper to color and he flung the paper off the table. The person sitting next to us (who was not hit with the paper) picked it off the floor and returned it and said very sternly to Samson, "that is not acceptable behavior," which coming from a stranger startled the boy (and me) and did not help the situation. Wasn't about to get aggro with this guy but my temp was raised. And then this guy's order came and it was biscuits and gravy with eggs and sausage on top . . . with a side of steak. It was ridiculous and made me laugh. I mean, unless you're on a farm and have been up with the roosters and tending to your crops and livestock there is no need for a breakfast like that.
Undeterred, we ventured to the Pacific Science Center. Great place for Samson, think of it as a step up from a children's museum and step down from a full-on science museum. They have a mini-planaterum and did a program for kids where they got to look at some constellations and hear stories behind them and then do a dance and play with some noisemakers. They also had snakes and robotic dinosaurs and a ton of different puzzles to play with.
This is their giant Rubik's Cube (no sh't, right) which made its debut at Burning Man a couple of years ago. There is a monitor where you can move the colors and try to solve the cube. I lasted about three turns and when finding out that I couldn't peel off the stickers and solve it that way (admit it, you did that too!) gave up.
They also have a butterfly house there that was awesome. Even without the butterfiles the house was great. Besides keeping it humid and 80 degrees (Julie was ready to move in) they had funky trees and ponds for the butterflies to hang out.
There was still plenty left unexplored at the PSC and can't wait to get back there. They also have those machines with molds that make little statues. Aren't those the best!!
Saturday afternoon was time for a family walk and we headed down to Lincoln Park and a stroll along the coast. Great coastline down there with amazing views, lots of seagulls, huge trees to climb on, playgrounds and picnic areas. If we keep with the beach birthday party theme, this would be a great spot for it. Samson's 3rd Birthday Luau, it's coming . . .
Saturday dinner, well, it wasn't the best. We had to go to Tukwila (a town near the airport) to return something at the mall and were faced with limited non-mall dining options. I suggested Sizzler. What a mistake. Don't want to come off as judgy or hoity-toity (too late?) as the place was packed but it was pretty brutal. If I'm the thinnest guy at the restaurant, something is wrong. I had nothing but fond memories of hitting up the Sizzler back in the day with EDog but man was it a disaster this time. So Saturday, a pretty great day bookended with fat obnoxious people eating steak for their meals (remember that guy from breakfast).
Sunday we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Not sure of specifics but it felt a lot larger than Vashon Island. I'd call Vashon Island quaint, but that isn't Bainbridge. Pretty huge waterfront and a downtown that extended for a couple of blocks. Some (more) research would have helped us here as we were there before most places were open so we had to do some aimless strolling. We landed at an outdoor shop, where Julie got a new purple winter jacket and Samson got a busted lip. The tent display got the better of him this time!
We lunched at Bainbridge Island BBQ and it was fantastic. Hot peanuts on the table while you wait and delicious brisket and pork sandwiches. There was a sign in the restaurant that made Julie and I wonder. Sign said something like 'food will take longer than you expect, everything is cooked to order.' Which is basically impossible for BBQ, right? "One brisket sandwich, please." "Okay, we'll start the brisket now, come back in eight hours."
But whatever, the food was delicious and worth whatever wait it took. The pitmaster came out and spoke with us for a bit and told us the secret to the flavor was his use of grape leaf wood. First time hearing that one. Best 'cue we've had in a while. Thanks BIBBQ. Wanted to do some more exploring but lunch ended right when a ferry was about to depart back to Seattle. Still plenty left to do on Bainbridge Island.
It was also a pretty big rivalry weekend for me and Doug. ASU vs UofA on Saturday and then we played each other in fantasy football. And while fantasy football is a big deal, I would gladly trade that win to get the Territorial Cup back. Can't believe ASU lost. UofA was friggin 2-8 heading into the game! But hey, with a win this Saturday and a UCLA and Utah loss, we can still play in the Pac 12 championship game and earn a trip to a BCS bowl. A Sun Devil's gotta dream . . .
But enough of that. Hope everyone has some fun planned for Thanksgiving. We're doing smoked turkey breast and beyond excited to go see the The Muppets on Friday.
Wakka wakka!!
- JLips
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