…That is the number of days I actually spent in Seattle before I left again. This time just for the weekend and this time just a car ride away. I spent three quality days in Seattle. I had a catch-up dinner with Bryan that was absolutely delicious at 8oz. Burger Bar in Capitol Hill.
We each got a burger and him a salad and me some amazing brussel sprouts with pancetta. Heavenly and mouthwatering. Wednesday Bryan, Polly, and I met at Met Market for a quick bite to eat before heading to our third play at the Seattle Reperatory Theater. This play, Venus in Fur, was a lot more sensual and was about feminity and relationships and was another amazing show. I also attended a Lunch and Learn session held through SEAW about post earthquake retrofitting and rehab of buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was back at FareStart for a night featuring the brand new restaurant, Miller’s Guild.
A great group of volunteers that night and dinner with all of my friends there. I attended two separate retirement parties; one at the office and one at a German beerhouse, Von Trapp’s, for our Resident Engineer at Capitol Hill. And I presented our trip results to HR and Principals in the office with Paul. That was a great success and the words were actually uttered, “next year maybe we will send one of you to go again and attend with one from the Cleveland office”. Or, you know, Paul and I will just both go again. 🙂
Then I hightailed it with Polly to Portland, stopping for fries and milkshakes at her favorite Burgerville, to be her guest at her friend’s wedding. We got a hotel room at the Portland Vintage Plaza Hotel downtown for two nights which was also the location of the hotel. After checking into the hotel we used the $10 bar credit to first get a drink at the hotel’s bar with her friends (an amazing and strong Spanish Coffee) before hitting their favorite grungy college bar called The Shanghai where I had a really good Nitro Stout. Saturday morning we had a bachelorette brunch, set up by Polly at the Benson Hotel. After brunch we stopped at TJ Maxx (across the street from our hotel) for shopping, I worked out a bit in our hotel fitness center, got ready, watched the UM basketball game, and then set off for the wedding.
Polly was maid of honor so she was pretty busy most of the day and during the wedding. She looked beautiful in a red dress walking down the aisle. The wedding ceremony was held in the basement wine cellar which was pretty cool. The wedding party was no more than 50 and was definitely a mixed bunch with the bride’s family being Spanish speaking Mexican Catholics and the groom’s family being Arabic speaking French Moroccan Muslims. It was an education. The short service was beautiful and then all the guests had to do was walk upstairs to the reception area. There was an open bar and passed appetizers before the bride and groom entered and dinner was served. For dinner we had four courses; a great salad with pine nuts, currants, and sun dried tomatoes, a pesto bowtie pasta, our choice between filet and salmon with potato gratin and escarole (I chose the beef), and then a fabulously moist red velvet cake for dessert. Polly gave her speech, which was perfect, they cut the cake, and then the dancing began. And it was roaring. The party ended much after their cutoff time and we went to bed tired.
Sunday morning Polly and I slept in before checking out and then hitting Polly’s favorite spot in Portland, Powell’s, the largest bookstore in the world and the only thing people from Portland ever talk about. Somehow, despite my confusion with this obsession, I always end up buying at least three books. And I again bought three books. We hit up the great Lebanese restaurant, Nicholas, where we both ordered 2X more than what we could eat, which didn’t help when they brought that great pita bread to the table all warm and mouthwatering. The drive back to Seattle was painful as I fell sick and even took a day off of work, but it was still a great weekend away with my Polly.
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 