Wandering Through Bellevue and Seattle
It is absolutely amazing the amount of chaos that can happen in a house with five children in it at once. And they're all perfectly well-behaved children, too, which is amazing in and of itself, but it doesn't really seem to make much of a difference in the level of running around and noise.
*grin* I'm actually getting a few moments to Just Myself.
It's been a really busy day. We all fended for ourselves for breakfast, and then we all left at the same time to get out the house. We took our van and their two rental cars, and headed out in a carivan that headed all over the place.
We started on Somerset, and went up the hill to see the view from the top, and then around to see the Rainier side, and then down to the High School that both John and Bernt went to together to have them get out and have their picture taken together.
From there we headed up to Bellevue and through Auto Row to the new, Big Whole Foods store, where everyone went ooooh and aaaaah and bought lots of different things.
From there we headed through Medina to peer at the wall in front of Bill's grounds. Then we went across 520, got a bit lost and then found the water front with all the house boats. We got out, peered at things, and then took some pictures and had snacks that weren't quite enough for lunch. From there we headed into the city and showed them the Troll under the Ballard Bridge. Since the parking there was relatively easy, we parked there and walked into town in order to look around.
We ended up caught for a while at Dusty Strings, a place that sells just about every stringed instrument there is along with a few percussion and wind instruments that were mostly for kids. I was particularly fascinated by the ukes sitting around, having just seen "Surf's Up", I was very interested in them. It seems such a small instrument, it must be easy to play? No? *grin* I wasn't quite sure if I should pay the $150 to just try, but wow it was very tempting. Hee.
After that, we all scattered to find food. There was a park by the channel, where everyone met up and we all sat in the sun and ate our food and watched the water and the bridge rise and fall for the various ships that go through. JOhn and I had found a PCC, and he and Jet chose pizza. I found a chicken pot pie that I thought might not be bad on my teeth, but I was wrong and they ached terribly afterwards. *sigh* It's going to be a while before it all heals up, I know, but I am still impatient about it.
After eating, we all headed back to the cars and headed into the city. On a Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon, after lunch, we headed to Pike Place Market. It was insane, I know, but they really wanted to see it. So we did.
What was even more insane was going to the very first Starbucks on Pike Place. The place was a complete zoo. Filled and packed with people in lines to make their orders and then to get what it was that they ordered. I met a co-worker from Longmont, CO in line. *laughter* It had to be there. She was there for a vacation, and it really amused me to see someone from Colorado while we were *there*.
There was an acapella group out on the sidewalk, and after listening for a bit, I bought the only thing I bought while we were there, a CD of their music. They had just recorded it while standing outside that Starbucks and singing for the crowds there, and it was familiar and comforting to listen to.
We then took one part of the group to watch the Flying Fish while Isabel got her Market Spice Tea. Then another group wanted to see it, too, and I said, "Hey, why don't we get a fish for our dinner?" So Isabel braved the fishmonger and got a whole Copper River Sockeye. We then headed home. The kids ran all over the place while Isabel got the salmon into the oven. John and I headed to the grocery store to pick up some vegetables and other things to go with the fish. I got green beans and had a mild reprieve and got the green beans all stringed, snapped, and cleaned before I put them into boiling water for just about seven minutes. When they were tender but still a little crisp, I got them out and then threw them into browned butter with a bit of dried thyme and the lemon pepper John and I brought from our kitchen. I wanted them very well seasoned.
It was a great dinner. The salmon was rich and moist and absolutely perfect. I loved the crisped skin.
Dessert was just raspberries and yogurt. Which folks loved well enough. Then everyone but me went off to the lake and I have a few blissful hours of quiet. I ate one of my rice puddings that I'd bought at Whole Foods with my raspberries, as I really have a much bigger sweet tooth than the Rostyki usually indulge. I also read Dead Beat, one of the Dresden books. I really enjoyed it for once, mostly because of Butters, the guy that starts out ruled by his fears, but Harry helps him face them head on. I guess it might be the Developer in me. Hee. But I loved it.
Kathy pegged it when she said that the Dresden Files were potato chip books, fun, crunchy, and you can't just stop at one. Not all that much substance to them, either, but they're fun for all that. So I'm enjoying them for what they are, not despising them for what they're not. *grin*
Steps Taken Today: 16,042
*grin* I'm actually getting a few moments to Just Myself.
It's been a really busy day. We all fended for ourselves for breakfast, and then we all left at the same time to get out the house. We took our van and their two rental cars, and headed out in a carivan that headed all over the place.
We started on Somerset, and went up the hill to see the view from the top, and then around to see the Rainier side, and then down to the High School that both John and Bernt went to together to have them get out and have their picture taken together.
From there we headed up to Bellevue and through Auto Row to the new, Big Whole Foods store, where everyone went ooooh and aaaaah and bought lots of different things.
From there we headed through Medina to peer at the wall in front of Bill's grounds. Then we went across 520, got a bit lost and then found the water front with all the house boats. We got out, peered at things, and then took some pictures and had snacks that weren't quite enough for lunch. From there we headed into the city and showed them the Troll under the Ballard Bridge. Since the parking there was relatively easy, we parked there and walked into town in order to look around.
We ended up caught for a while at Dusty Strings, a place that sells just about every stringed instrument there is along with a few percussion and wind instruments that were mostly for kids. I was particularly fascinated by the ukes sitting around, having just seen "Surf's Up", I was very interested in them. It seems such a small instrument, it must be easy to play? No? *grin* I wasn't quite sure if I should pay the $150 to just try, but wow it was very tempting. Hee.
After that, we all scattered to find food. There was a park by the channel, where everyone met up and we all sat in the sun and ate our food and watched the water and the bridge rise and fall for the various ships that go through. JOhn and I had found a PCC, and he and Jet chose pizza. I found a chicken pot pie that I thought might not be bad on my teeth, but I was wrong and they ached terribly afterwards. *sigh* It's going to be a while before it all heals up, I know, but I am still impatient about it.
After eating, we all headed back to the cars and headed into the city. On a Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon, after lunch, we headed to Pike Place Market. It was insane, I know, but they really wanted to see it. So we did.
What was even more insane was going to the very first Starbucks on Pike Place. The place was a complete zoo. Filled and packed with people in lines to make their orders and then to get what it was that they ordered. I met a co-worker from Longmont, CO in line. *laughter* It had to be there. She was there for a vacation, and it really amused me to see someone from Colorado while we were *there*.
There was an acapella group out on the sidewalk, and after listening for a bit, I bought the only thing I bought while we were there, a CD of their music. They had just recorded it while standing outside that Starbucks and singing for the crowds there, and it was familiar and comforting to listen to.
We then took one part of the group to watch the Flying Fish while Isabel got her Market Spice Tea. Then another group wanted to see it, too, and I said, "Hey, why don't we get a fish for our dinner?" So Isabel braved the fishmonger and got a whole Copper River Sockeye. We then headed home. The kids ran all over the place while Isabel got the salmon into the oven. John and I headed to the grocery store to pick up some vegetables and other things to go with the fish. I got green beans and had a mild reprieve and got the green beans all stringed, snapped, and cleaned before I put them into boiling water for just about seven minutes. When they were tender but still a little crisp, I got them out and then threw them into browned butter with a bit of dried thyme and the lemon pepper John and I brought from our kitchen. I wanted them very well seasoned.
It was a great dinner. The salmon was rich and moist and absolutely perfect. I loved the crisped skin.
Dessert was just raspberries and yogurt. Which folks loved well enough. Then everyone but me went off to the lake and I have a few blissful hours of quiet. I ate one of my rice puddings that I'd bought at Whole Foods with my raspberries, as I really have a much bigger sweet tooth than the Rostyki usually indulge. I also read Dead Beat, one of the Dresden books. I really enjoyed it for once, mostly because of Butters, the guy that starts out ruled by his fears, but Harry helps him face them head on. I guess it might be the Developer in me. Hee. But I loved it.
Kathy pegged it when she said that the Dresden Files were potato chip books, fun, crunchy, and you can't just stop at one. Not all that much substance to them, either, but they're fun for all that. So I'm enjoying them for what they are, not despising them for what they're not. *grin*
Steps Taken Today: 16,042