And just like that the week and weekend blew by.
Monday: Yelp event at the Olive Garden? But exceptional? Featuring Olive Garden’s new menu items that were surprisingly delicious and sort of healthy. I really enjoyed being cooked for and the free meal and glasses of wine and the dinner company of new acquaintances were some of the highlights for me.
Tuesday: FareStart volunteer appreciation party complete with more free wine and food. I got to spend an evening with my FareStart friends at the restaurant and eat the amazing buffet spread they had for us of grilled curry chicken skewers with apricot mustarda, lamb kebabs with pomegranate molasses, polenta cakes, bruschetta with goat cheese and sautéed mushrooms, a cheese platter, fruit platter, smoked salmon platter, and the best were the shrimp cake with homemade tartar sauce (OMG on these babies I think I had 10 with good-sized pieced of shrimp in each cake). Plus there was the coffee and dessert station which featured chocolate covered strawberries, creme puffs, and a variety of glorious pies, cakes and cheesecakes in mini portions that were soooooooooo delicous! After the party a few of us went to a free screening of “If I Stay”. Another somber chic flick and this one left me super teary eyed.
Wednesday: Lunch with my slacker boyfriend who didn’t go to work. Bryan took the day off to work on moving out of the Eastlake house and to take a load to the recycling dump. I was happy to have that out of the way and was happy to meet him at the Indian lunch buffet down the street where at which we stuffed ourselves silly. We also finished filling out the paperwork for our tickets to New Zealand!
Thursday: Finally another at-home dinner I got to make. I replicated the chicken and mushroom Dijon that we made in our French cooking class, along with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus and it was swell! We got the last of the things settled around the house (finished assembling our bed frame at 12:30 at night) and cleaned in anticipation of his parents arriving (actually this ended up being more of a Friday morning before work kind of activity).
Friday: I got my hair did, both highlights and a trim and I do like it A LOT. It is pretty dramatic and that was what I was going for. After work I met up with Bryan and his parents at the house for their grand tour and takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant (which is now no longer called Fishcake Factory but has changed its name to Ti22). They LOVE the house! Bryan’s dad especially enjoys the back deck.
Saturday: We had a very lazy morning around our house to begin the weekend. Around 11:30, Bryan and I finally got brunch on the table. Bryan took charge of making banana pancakes and our coffee and I set the table and made scrambled eggs, turkey sausage links, and cut ripe cantaloupe. After a long breakfast we got ready for the beach. I dragged the Miller family to my company BBQ/picnic at Golden Gardens…because they honestly were not coming up with anything else they wanted to do. They had never been to Golden Gardens and I think they were okay with just sitting in the shade and eating BBQ. Bryan’s dad took pictures of Bryan and I in action playing hardcore beach volleyball. We had a good turnout and we both enjoyed getting a little active on the beach. We mosied on back to the house to hang out on the deck before Bryan and I finally got groceries and made the chicken mushroom Dijon again, along with rice pilaf and sautéed zucchini and squash for his parents. Dinner was served promptly at 9:30pm as we settled into my recently purchased My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Sunday: We slept late again, as was needed. We packed the Jeep to drive the short distance to Bing’s for brunch. Bryan and I have now been here for dinner and brunch and like this place a lot. We all had good breakfasts; brisket migas, BLAT, biscuits and gravy, and I went with the breakfast skillet of pulled pork, homefries, roasted fennel and tomatoes, and topped with two sunnyside up eggs. After brunch we talked FOREVER in the shade on our deck. Bryan and I finally went for a run. We ran 2.8 miles together before we split ways and I finished at the house at 3.5 miles and he ran on for a total of 10.5 miles. Holy crap. And he was sore and tired. I need a new route too…way too hilly. Post run we picked up Ezell’s down the street per the parents request and intended on having a picnic at Greenlake while watching the outdoor play “Almost, Maine” with Polly until we arrived at Greenlake to realize that the play was indoors. So picnic by the lake it was. Polly did join and we had our fill of the amazing fried chicken, rolls, corn, beans, and mashed potatoes. I also made a fruit salad using some of the FRESH blackberries we picked outside our yard that we discovered growing and others picking. We concluded the weekend with more ice cream and watching the Redbox flick Blood Ties, very good!
Monday: While we had to work the Millers headed to Bainbridge to meet a friend for lunch. After work Bryan and I reunited for an amazing dinner at Palace Kitchen. Tom Douglas scored again with absolute perfection. I had the Neah Bay King Salmon with creamed leeks, green beans, fennel, and chanterelle and got to try some of Trish’s whole roasted Idaho trout. Trish and I also shared the warm brownie sundae with praline, hot fudge sauce, and walnuts and it was 1/2 priced bottled wine night ao we got a great bottle of Rioja for the table! It was our last night with the Millers and a nice night out, for the first time the whole weekend!
We had a busy week, an exhausting time finishing the move, but ended the week with a great visit and its nice knowing that we now are settled in! And, even better, our first visitors loved the house!
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 