Dude! Happy Birthday to Me!
It is my birthday, and I am filled with joy!
This has been a really fun weekend so far. We came up here (to Olympia) on Friday afternoon. Alex picked me up from my school observation, and we hit the road. Traffic was not so good, but we got in around dinnertime. We went out with Jason and Heather (Jason's girlfriend) and had Italian food. Yummy Italian food. As in, made by real Italian people Italian food. alysaundre approved, and you know Italian food is good when alysaundre approves. Then we hung out with Jason and Heather for a bit. Jason made me a chocolate cherry cake! We get to eat that today. Yaaaaaaay! It has ganache frosting! We would have eaten the cake on Friday, when it was fresh, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep on Jason's couch for a wee bit and had to be awakened to go back to the apartment. But that's okay.
Yesterday, we went to Seattle. But first, we went to the comic book/gaming store. The comic book/gaming store is moving to a new, spiffy place soon. We got to see the plans. The owner is really excited. We bought lots and lots of Pirates (to play with on Sunday), as well as a couple of board games that we've been looking for and a big, fuzzy, purple, six-sided die for Alielle to learn her numbers on. ^_~ (Overheard in the shop: "Well, let me put it this way. He's not a part of reality-based society, if you know what I mean.") As the Birthday Girl for the weekend, I got to decide what to do after that. I really wasn't certain, because I've only been to Seattle once in my memory, and that was last year. We did most of the touristy stuff then. Yesterday, we saw the Space Needle (as in, we walked up to it, pointed, and said, "Look! It's the Space Needle!"). We also went to the Experience Music Project, which I had never seen. That was pretty cool. I got to learn all about Jimi Hendrix and see the giant guitar sculpture. Now, I have to actually sit down and listen to some of Hendrix's music. I know I've heard a bit of it, but I'll pay attention this time. I love how music is part of culture and culture is part of music. EMP also had a "Music of Disney" exhibit, but, to be honest, I really wasn't that interested. Besides, there were too many small children everywhere. (I had several "Damn kids! Get off my lawn!" moments yesterday. It made me feel old.) We also saw an exhibit on the history of the electric guitar. That was fascinating.
While I loved the EMP, I loved the attached Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame even more. That was absolutely awesome. The exhibits made me realize that there is a lot of fundamental sci-fi that I haven't read. I have decided to make a book list, starting with Farenheit 451, and read my way through it. I think this is part of my responsibility as a future English teacher. The Sci-Fi Museum also made me want to write, and research authors and their influences, and write some more. It was fascinating to read about how much sci-fi has been influenced by politics and what's going on in the world at the time. People--particularly writers--are incredibly interesting.
Following our time in the Sci-Fi Museum, we sought out our true goal--Weaving Works. We found out that they closed at 5:00, so we hurried on over. I am now wishing that we had gone there quite a bit earlier, though that would have meant that I would have taken home far more than I did. Did you know that Weaving Works (calling this place "a yarn store" would hardly do it justice--they have spinning, knitting, and weaving supplies by the truckload, and the fiber! The yarn! *goes into raptures*) gives you a discount if you come in within a week of your birthday? I really wish I would have picked up more sock yarn. I didn't know about the birthday discount until I got to the counter, alas. I didn't even go near the 100% silk, though now I wish I had. Next year. In any case, I picked up some silk/merino in two lovely colors at 20% off (this wasn't the birthday discount; this was just a sale that made it easy to justify my purchases), some blue sock yarn (Lorna's Laces, I think?), some orange varigated sock yarn of the same type (for kittens, believe it or not), and some orange varigated cotton, also for kitten purposes. (Fear not. The silk/merino and blue sock yarn are for socks.) Alex picked up a ton of weaving thread in various colors and some couching cord in gorgeous silver. Everything that wasn't 15% off was 20% off, and I also got Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's new book! Huzzah! Also, Weaving Works has punch cards. Ours is almost full. Also, since we're Oregon residents, we didn't have to pay sales tax! The ladies at Weaving Works were lovely and friendly, we had a wonderful time, and alysaundre says we need to go back sometime without Jason. (We didn't want to bore Jason.) Maybe we'll head back to Weaving Works around alysandre's birthday.
We went to the Ram (one of my favorite restaurants of all time) for dinner last night, and that was delicious. I had a beer. It was very good. I also had food in the form of fajitas. Those were also very good. We chatted with Heather, who is in the last quarter of her student teaching (go, Heather!) and had been writing lesson plans all day. Then we all went back to Jason's. Heather had to go home and crash, so the rest of us watched Donnie Darko. That was a severely bizarre movie. It was very well done, but it's a movie that cannot really be explained--it has to be experienced. I think I'll watch it again in about a year so that I can see what I missed while I was going, "WTF?" After the movie, alysaundre and I went back to the apartment and to bed.
This morning has been relaxed and nice. We're going to head over to Jason's in a bit here and cook/eat Bachelor Chow (which is really yummy) and drink coffee before nifty people come over for gaming. We're going to play Pirates and other board games and generally relax today. And eat cake! Cake is imperative! I will also probably knit non-Egil's things.
I found out this morning that I now have a paid account! Thank you, lady_anyanka! *snugsnugsnugs* I shall have to make more icons and explore the new powers given to me by the Paying.
And now, I must fetch alysaundre away from his video game and announce my extreme hunger to him. I leave you with this message from Cute Overload:
It's Dangerous To Go Alone. Take This!
This has been a really fun weekend so far. We came up here (to Olympia) on Friday afternoon. Alex picked me up from my school observation, and we hit the road. Traffic was not so good, but we got in around dinnertime. We went out with Jason and Heather (Jason's girlfriend) and had Italian food. Yummy Italian food. As in, made by real Italian people Italian food. alysaundre approved, and you know Italian food is good when alysaundre approves. Then we hung out with Jason and Heather for a bit. Jason made me a chocolate cherry cake! We get to eat that today. Yaaaaaaay! It has ganache frosting! We would have eaten the cake on Friday, when it was fresh, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep on Jason's couch for a wee bit and had to be awakened to go back to the apartment. But that's okay.
Yesterday, we went to Seattle. But first, we went to the comic book/gaming store. The comic book/gaming store is moving to a new, spiffy place soon. We got to see the plans. The owner is really excited. We bought lots and lots of Pirates (to play with on Sunday), as well as a couple of board games that we've been looking for and a big, fuzzy, purple, six-sided die for Alielle to learn her numbers on. ^_~ (Overheard in the shop: "Well, let me put it this way. He's not a part of reality-based society, if you know what I mean.") As the Birthday Girl for the weekend, I got to decide what to do after that. I really wasn't certain, because I've only been to Seattle once in my memory, and that was last year. We did most of the touristy stuff then. Yesterday, we saw the Space Needle (as in, we walked up to it, pointed, and said, "Look! It's the Space Needle!"). We also went to the Experience Music Project, which I had never seen. That was pretty cool. I got to learn all about Jimi Hendrix and see the giant guitar sculpture. Now, I have to actually sit down and listen to some of Hendrix's music. I know I've heard a bit of it, but I'll pay attention this time. I love how music is part of culture and culture is part of music. EMP also had a "Music of Disney" exhibit, but, to be honest, I really wasn't that interested. Besides, there were too many small children everywhere. (I had several "Damn kids! Get off my lawn!" moments yesterday. It made me feel old.) We also saw an exhibit on the history of the electric guitar. That was fascinating.
While I loved the EMP, I loved the attached Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame even more. That was absolutely awesome. The exhibits made me realize that there is a lot of fundamental sci-fi that I haven't read. I have decided to make a book list, starting with Farenheit 451, and read my way through it. I think this is part of my responsibility as a future English teacher. The Sci-Fi Museum also made me want to write, and research authors and their influences, and write some more. It was fascinating to read about how much sci-fi has been influenced by politics and what's going on in the world at the time. People--particularly writers--are incredibly interesting.
Following our time in the Sci-Fi Museum, we sought out our true goal--Weaving Works. We found out that they closed at 5:00, so we hurried on over. I am now wishing that we had gone there quite a bit earlier, though that would have meant that I would have taken home far more than I did. Did you know that Weaving Works (calling this place "a yarn store" would hardly do it justice--they have spinning, knitting, and weaving supplies by the truckload, and the fiber! The yarn! *goes into raptures*) gives you a discount if you come in within a week of your birthday? I really wish I would have picked up more sock yarn. I didn't know about the birthday discount until I got to the counter, alas. I didn't even go near the 100% silk, though now I wish I had. Next year. In any case, I picked up some silk/merino in two lovely colors at 20% off (this wasn't the birthday discount; this was just a sale that made it easy to justify my purchases), some blue sock yarn (Lorna's Laces, I think?), some orange varigated sock yarn of the same type (for kittens, believe it or not), and some orange varigated cotton, also for kitten purposes. (Fear not. The silk/merino and blue sock yarn are for socks.) Alex picked up a ton of weaving thread in various colors and some couching cord in gorgeous silver. Everything that wasn't 15% off was 20% off, and I also got Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's new book! Huzzah! Also, Weaving Works has punch cards. Ours is almost full. Also, since we're Oregon residents, we didn't have to pay sales tax! The ladies at Weaving Works were lovely and friendly, we had a wonderful time, and alysaundre says we need to go back sometime without Jason. (We didn't want to bore Jason.) Maybe we'll head back to Weaving Works around alysandre's birthday.
We went to the Ram (one of my favorite restaurants of all time) for dinner last night, and that was delicious. I had a beer. It was very good. I also had food in the form of fajitas. Those were also very good. We chatted with Heather, who is in the last quarter of her student teaching (go, Heather!) and had been writing lesson plans all day. Then we all went back to Jason's. Heather had to go home and crash, so the rest of us watched Donnie Darko. That was a severely bizarre movie. It was very well done, but it's a movie that cannot really be explained--it has to be experienced. I think I'll watch it again in about a year so that I can see what I missed while I was going, "WTF?" After the movie, alysaundre and I went back to the apartment and to bed.
This morning has been relaxed and nice. We're going to head over to Jason's in a bit here and cook/eat Bachelor Chow (which is really yummy) and drink coffee before nifty people come over for gaming. We're going to play Pirates and other board games and generally relax today. And eat cake! Cake is imperative! I will also probably knit non-Egil's things.
I found out this morning that I now have a paid account! Thank you, lady_anyanka! *snugsnugsnugs* I shall have to make more icons and explore the new powers given to me by the Paying.
And now, I must fetch alysaundre away from his video game and announce my extreme hunger to him. I leave you with this message from Cute Overload:
It's Dangerous To Go Alone. Take This!