Of course work has been brutal this week as I transitioned from a super fun weekend camping. I saw it coming from a mile away. The thing is the weeks are nearly as fun, or at least I try to make them be. It seems I have even more motivation to get out of the house when my roommate’s sister and brother-in-law are taking up space in the house for the entire week. I have to say that it was not my preference for them to be coming and staying the day after the camping trip nor was I happy to hear that FOUR of their friends were also going to be staying with us Thursday and Friday night and they are having a tailgate party at MY place on Saturday DURING the first game of the UM football season. But I bite my tongue and call up my friends and stay with them.
Tuesday was an impromptu happy hour to Owl N’Thistle for a goodbye for a coworker who will be going to West Virginia for the next three months. The reportedly “best” fish and chips were had (coworkers questioned how fish and chips could be bad and when I pointed out that they could still be cold in the middle if they were frozen they laughed in disbelief until the Yooper coworker sided with me in agreement because he knows exactly what I am talking about) and then I went to Ashley’s place to not go home help her cut and address invitations for her Grandma’s 80th birthday party while watching old Glee episodes. I am secretly very excited for the new seasons of shows to start.
Wednesday I was lucky enough to have lunch with my mentor from Ann Arbor who was swinging through town. She was working as a park ranger in Arizona this summer but has a brother who lives in Seattle and a friend who is working as a park ranger in the Olympic Penninsula and interviewing for a possible opportunity to live and work here next summer! Apparently she has lived in Seattle for two different summers before. It was great catching up with her over lunch of (again) fish and chips at Etta’s (my 2nd Tom Douglas restaurant experience) in Pikes Market. The fish and chips were probably the best I have ever gotten seriously and the company was fantastic. Both of us have experienced so much this summer and we were both congratulating each other on our personal growth and graduation into brighter pastures. She is truly inspirational and such a great mentor. She also gave me a small package of her handmade photography cards. It would be awesome if she were living nearby next summer!!! And after work Wednesday I visited the Tap House for a Kona Porter one of their 160 beers on tap and a played countless games of pool because I was only interested in that at the time and none of the other girls were stepping up to the plate.
I had volunteered to drive Ashley to the airport early Friday morning again so Thursday night was a sleepover. We finally made it to Old Spaghetti Factory to use our $10 off coupons from the 5k Shore Run from the beginning of the summer (though Ashley forgot hers and later gave it to me so I might be going again!). OSF is not the greatest Italian restaurant but I was perfectly content with the dish I selected their Spaghetti Vesuvius was actually scrumptious, minestrone soup, AND spumante ice cream all included in their “meal” for $14. Not bad at all. Friday was death driving Amy that early but her car is safe and will not be moved and I have keys to her place to sleep somewhere not overrun by complete strangers.
Another week bites the dust and another great weekend is presenting itself with a weekend full of music, football and a third day! GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 