Festivities abound here in Seattle. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Wednesday afternoon than watching seven brilliant bands rock it out in Key Arena for the Deck the Hall Ball. The event ran so smoothly considering how many set changes took place and the lights and set crews did a phenomenal job. Each set had a slight holiday theme to their set without going overboard and the icing on the cake was the brilliantly strung lights that went from the stage and draped all the way to the back end and top of Key Arena for the final act making it feel like a backyard bluegrass party and were so pretty. My ranking of sets for the show goes as such:
-
1. Mumford and Sons (headliners and all-around phenomenal show…listen to their CD if you haven’t, a blend of old hymn and bluegrass according to Bryan and he is exactly right)
-
2. Foster the People (love these guys)
-
3. Death Cab for Cutie (Seattle born and raised and the most experienced and oldest band)
-
4. Group Love (great and the only girl in a group)
-
5. Young the Giant (a really good show and I can see these guys getting big)
-
6. Two Doors Cinema Club (did not know I knew a few of their songs already)
-
7. Cage the Elephant (surprisingly dissappointing…too much rage/crowd surfing)
Ivar’s fish and chips and a beer sealed the deal to an excellent night with the event letting out around 11:30. That’s a long concert!!!!
Friday was Mary’s (and I guess mine) cookie exchange and Secret Santa pantie exchange, girls only. I made chocolate peppermint cookies and got a wide assortment of cookies in exchange. I also got some cute, holiday-inspired panties. Wine and apps were plenty and our place was the perfect setting with all the holiday glam.
Saturday was the big office Christmas Party held at the Canal on the canal in Ballard. The venue was very classy with holiday music and Christmas-lit yachts floating by and the 100 some odd guests ate and drank very well all night. There was the Menke Award that was given to one employee and all of the new employees (like me) were brought forward and given a pin. It was great seeing all of my coworkers dressed up, meeting their spouses/significant others, and sitting at the “kids table”. We had a blast and Bryan totally understands now why I like my coworkers so much. He could not get over how social and fun they all were for being an engineering firm. He said it is the polar opposite at Boeing (who doesn’t even have a Christmas party) and he now gets why twice I have mistakenly said “my family” when I meant to say “my office/company”. They truly are like my family here in Seattle.
After such an eventful week it was nice to just make apple pancakes on Sunday after noon, learn how to drive stick shift out in Shoreline, watch the beautiful sunset from Richmond Beach park and then fill up on Amy’s spaghetti for one of the last SNF. And some of the best news I have heard is that this high of 40 weather we have been having with “freezing fog” in the morning is about the worst that it gets here. I can deal with that…I do not know how I will deal with Michigan weather when I am home in two weeks. I already feel like a wus when it comes to cold weather. And we still haven’t been getting the rain that is the usual here. We brought good weather to Seattle I think.
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 