a ramble that overcompensates for my previous terseness
I had a totally awesome weekend, yo. It was part of my time-release birthday celebration.
On Thursday night, Bailey drove me-and-him up to Seattle, where we were borrowing the guest room from his cousin Frank. We stayed up too late watching "So I Married an Axe Murder" and drinking orange juice + pear vodka (surprisingly delicious) and just talking without having to deal with a bunch of other people. (Bailey's housemates are cool people, but I really like the few times we get when we're by ourselves, and neither of us is busy driving a car and we're not about to fall asleep.)
I didn't fall asleep until about 1:50, and Bailey not until after 2 am (we know this because I fell asleep on the couch during the Daily Show rerun, and Bailey fell asleep after), which was stupid of us because we had to be out the door by 7:15 the next morning. I had to catch the Greyhoudn, and Bailey had to get to DCCC training. My phone alarm started going off at 6:30, but because I'm a super nice girlfriend I let Bailey sleep in until 6:45. Between us getting out the door a little later than intended and the traffic thickening up near downtown, we got to the Greyhound station later than the print-out told me too. The line to the single counter-person was ridiculous. But she was super kind to me when I picked up my tickets, possibly because I looked ill (not enough sleep + plus not enough breakfast = sad looking me) and even without priority boarding I was the third person in line for the bus. The first person was a missionary who visits Vancouver BC every week to help take care of IV drug users in a really skeevy neighborhood that he says is the nearly official "if you're an IV drug addict, go here" section of the city. He knew when the bus would come and was sort of scary looking but really nice. The second person was a nice lady that he was talking too.
The bus ride up wasn't bad at all! We weren't late at all, and I realized halfway up that since I'd forgotten water, I could totally ask Adrianne to pick some up for me, so I did. I drink half of it as soon as I was done hugging her when I got into Fairhaven. We bussed up to campus and I talked more than is entirely healthy.
Now we abandon the near comprehensive narrative and go in for the highlights:
The bus, though? 30 minutes late in getting to Bellingham, and then, the driver had a legally-mandated coffee break of 15 minutes. While we were waiting, the bus going up to Canada arrived. The border patrol guy ended up, I think, taking away a lady with a heavy accent, lack of passport, and trouble understanding his questions.
Eventually, we were on the road! It was BORING. I nearly took another nap. But I realized as we were going along that the weather was amazing, and it held all day!
Bailey got me at the station, and we had the most fantastic touristy day I've ever had, anywhere. Ice cream at Pike Place, pictures at Kerry Park, saying hello to the Troll, and a spontaneous visit to Archie McPhee's. Then, shopping in the U-District. The Goodwill there is one of my favorite clothing stores of any sort, and I got one of my favorite Threadless shirts of all time (out of print on Threadless; with tax, about $3 at the Goodwill!) + skanky-going-out-clothes, while Bailey picked up shorts and two nice button up shirts. We nearly got some cool stuff at Red Light Clothing Exchange, but all the prices were just a bit too much to justify. We had sandwiches at the Jimmy John's, for Bailey's nostalgia, and mine was probably the best straight-from-the-menu sandwich I've had from a large chain of sub sandwich shops. I'm sure Bailey's sandwich was good too, but 1) I did not eat it and 2) I've always found that something you eat because you have been wanting it for months is never as good as your memory.
We had vague plans to go out that night after we returned to Frank's, but instead we stayed in and watched Moon, starring Sam Rockwell. I normally don't like sad movies, but I really enjoyed Moon. I think that's equal parts Mr Rockwell and the fact that, while it is a sad thinky drama, it was science-fictional sad thinky drama. I also made Bailey watch some Leverage (The Two Live Crew Job) and we rewatched the "Modern Warfare" episode of Community. Community is one of those shows that Bailey and I both love. We ordered pizza from Pagliacci and watched some of Kill Bill, and I wanted so much to stay awake for the Lucy Liu fight, but I zonked out super quickly. I know I went to the bathroom during the O-Ren Ishii backstory, and got back to the couch before it was live action again, but the last thing I really remember is The Bride up in the katana room looking at the blades.
This morning we watched The Mask (why? because it was on, I guess, and because Bailey was 10 when it came out and there is no movie as awesome as the movies that come out when you're about 10, no matter how your taste changes later) and got ready to go. Bailey had never gotten in touch with the two girls who had wanted to see him, but the guy he wanted to see was free for a quick coffee-shop meet-up, so we met up with him. Super nice guy, but definitely the kind that makes you feel like a total underachiever. I mean, he's about to go to Yale for his PhD in infectious diseases after working in research at UW for several years.
ETA this paragraph, but not the one below it : Then we hopped in the car and came back. On the way, Bailey and I saw a disproportionately high number of Priuses. I think we saw 6 between Frank's and the coffee shop (about 5 miles) and several more on the drive down. At one point there were two red Priuses, identical year and make, one next to us and one in front of us. Creepy. Going through the JBLM area I pointed out to Bailey how many more trucks and SUVs there were here than in Seattle, and claimed there were fewer Priuses, but it turns out I hadn't noticed we'd passed on just a bit back. It was weird.
So, in conclusion, Bailey and I got back today from a weekend of fantastic living, and I just wanted to brag a bit.
On Thursday night, Bailey drove me-and-him up to Seattle, where we were borrowing the guest room from his cousin Frank. We stayed up too late watching "So I Married an Axe Murder" and drinking orange juice + pear vodka (surprisingly delicious) and just talking without having to deal with a bunch of other people. (Bailey's housemates are cool people, but I really like the few times we get when we're by ourselves, and neither of us is busy driving a car and we're not about to fall asleep.)
I didn't fall asleep until about 1:50, and Bailey not until after 2 am (we know this because I fell asleep on the couch during the Daily Show rerun, and Bailey fell asleep after), which was stupid of us because we had to be out the door by 7:15 the next morning. I had to catch the Greyhoudn, and Bailey had to get to DCCC training. My phone alarm started going off at 6:30, but because I'm a super nice girlfriend I let Bailey sleep in until 6:45. Between us getting out the door a little later than intended and the traffic thickening up near downtown, we got to the Greyhound station later than the print-out told me too. The line to the single counter-person was ridiculous. But she was super kind to me when I picked up my tickets, possibly because I looked ill (not enough sleep + plus not enough breakfast = sad looking me) and even without priority boarding I was the third person in line for the bus. The first person was a missionary who visits Vancouver BC every week to help take care of IV drug users in a really skeevy neighborhood that he says is the nearly official "if you're an IV drug addict, go here" section of the city. He knew when the bus would come and was sort of scary looking but really nice. The second person was a nice lady that he was talking too.
The bus ride up wasn't bad at all! We weren't late at all, and I realized halfway up that since I'd forgotten water, I could totally ask Adrianne to pick some up for me, so I did. I drink half of it as soon as I was done hugging her when I got into Fairhaven. We bussed up to campus and I talked more than is entirely healthy.
Now we abandon the near comprehensive narrative and go in for the highlights:
- Adrianne bought me lunch and there were gyros! Yum. Even better, the dining halls now have huge water things full of fruit that leach flavor off into your beverage- so I mango flavored water with my gyro.
- "You have a hunky mailman!" "Oh Anna, I've missed your lack of social filter!"
- Raspberry ginger ice cream for me, ginger ice cream for Sara, and honey-apricot for Adrianne at Mallard's!
- I met Sara's boyfriend and he seems pretty cool!
- I took an almost nap while both Adrianne and Sara were in their classes. Had the weather been better, I'd have gone out and taken comparison shots of all the flowers I photographed last year. But I needed fortification for the evening.
- When Adrianne and I went to meet up with Ellen and get dinner, there was a sun dog in the sky! I'll put up pictures later (accidentally left my camera with Bailey, again, this is my new forgetfulness.
- Further fortification: Amazingly delicious pho with fatty brisket AND tripe AND tendon. But, much as I loved getting tripe, I definitely missed the delicious meatball/sausage that I get in pho at the place down here that doesn't have tripe but is so close to the bus stop that I can't complain about its menu deficiencies.
- Cookies and Monster's Inc with Ellen, Adrianne, Sara, and her residents. (Sara is an RA. That's also why she wasn't at dinner with us- she was at an RA banquet.)
- Sara has kick-ass R2D2 lights. Pictures to follow when camera is retrieved.
- ChocoVine! Sara, Adrianne, and I had a fun night.
The bus, though? 30 minutes late in getting to Bellingham, and then, the driver had a legally-mandated coffee break of 15 minutes. While we were waiting, the bus going up to Canada arrived. The border patrol guy ended up, I think, taking away a lady with a heavy accent, lack of passport, and trouble understanding his questions.
Eventually, we were on the road! It was BORING. I nearly took another nap. But I realized as we were going along that the weather was amazing, and it held all day!
Bailey got me at the station, and we had the most fantastic touristy day I've ever had, anywhere. Ice cream at Pike Place, pictures at Kerry Park, saying hello to the Troll, and a spontaneous visit to Archie McPhee's. Then, shopping in the U-District. The Goodwill there is one of my favorite clothing stores of any sort, and I got one of my favorite Threadless shirts of all time (out of print on Threadless; with tax, about $3 at the Goodwill!) + skanky-going-out-clothes, while Bailey picked up shorts and two nice button up shirts. We nearly got some cool stuff at Red Light Clothing Exchange, but all the prices were just a bit too much to justify. We had sandwiches at the Jimmy John's, for Bailey's nostalgia, and mine was probably the best straight-from-the-menu sandwich I've had from a large chain of sub sandwich shops. I'm sure Bailey's sandwich was good too, but 1) I did not eat it and 2) I've always found that something you eat because you have been wanting it for months is never as good as your memory.
We had vague plans to go out that night after we returned to Frank's, but instead we stayed in and watched Moon, starring Sam Rockwell. I normally don't like sad movies, but I really enjoyed Moon. I think that's equal parts Mr Rockwell and the fact that, while it is a sad thinky drama, it was science-fictional sad thinky drama. I also made Bailey watch some Leverage (The Two Live Crew Job) and we rewatched the "Modern Warfare" episode of Community. Community is one of those shows that Bailey and I both love. We ordered pizza from Pagliacci and watched some of Kill Bill, and I wanted so much to stay awake for the Lucy Liu fight, but I zonked out super quickly. I know I went to the bathroom during the O-Ren Ishii backstory, and got back to the couch before it was live action again, but the last thing I really remember is The Bride up in the katana room looking at the blades.
This morning we watched The Mask (why? because it was on, I guess, and because Bailey was 10 when it came out and there is no movie as awesome as the movies that come out when you're about 10, no matter how your taste changes later) and got ready to go. Bailey had never gotten in touch with the two girls who had wanted to see him, but the guy he wanted to see was free for a quick coffee-shop meet-up, so we met up with him. Super nice guy, but definitely the kind that makes you feel like a total underachiever. I mean, he's about to go to Yale for his PhD in infectious diseases after working in research at UW for several years.
ETA this paragraph, but not the one below it : Then we hopped in the car and came back. On the way, Bailey and I saw a disproportionately high number of Priuses. I think we saw 6 between Frank's and the coffee shop (about 5 miles) and several more on the drive down. At one point there were two red Priuses, identical year and make, one next to us and one in front of us. Creepy. Going through the JBLM area I pointed out to Bailey how many more trucks and SUVs there were here than in Seattle, and claimed there were fewer Priuses, but it turns out I hadn't noticed we'd passed on just a bit back. It was weird.
So, in conclusion, Bailey and I got back today from a weekend of fantastic living, and I just wanted to brag a bit.