What a week we have had leading up to Christmas. We’ve had one thing after another each and every day this week but all/most festive and fun…just maybe not the best medicine for getting over a sickness.
Monday night I had a girls night scheduled and hosted by Deana in her super cozy apartment’s social room. We had the fire going, Christmas music on the Amazon Echo, Pagliacci’s pizza ordered, my salad, Anne’s mocktail (because she is expecting) and got ready to make gobs and gobs of chocolate dipped everything; pretzel rods, pretzel twists, popcorn and oreos. Deana had all sorts of supplies and I was impressed with her talent and know-how of the chocolate dipping process. Everything looked great and certainly tasted great. I didn’t get home until about 10:30 with an absolute sugar/chocolate high.
Tuesday night Bryan and I had plans to go to dinner at Harvest Vine to use one of our gift certificates for 2017. We got seated in a cute corner table in the taverna area downstairs, selected a Rioja wine and four tapas and took in the cute holiday decor and relaxing music. For dinner, we chose well, really well! We started with the roasted cauliflower with salsa verde that was crispy, soft, salty and tangy all at the same time. We also had the seared sea scallops with an almond and pepper romesco sauce which was as excellent with the scallops as it was with the side of warm and crusty baguette. Our second round were the meats; the always available but always delicious Iberico pork with panadera potatoes and cider sauce and the seasonal venison with oyster mushrooms and root liquorish sauce. Both were so amazing and cooked to perfection. We got a slice of the musicians five-nut caramel tart with whipped cream for dessert and didn’t get home from there until after 10 pm.
Wednesday night was the oddly timed FareStart Guest Chef Night Volunteer Appreciation Night. A good many were there despite being so close to the holidays and we were treated to wine and appetizers while we got to enjoy one another and provide any feedback we have on how GCNs are run. We stayed in the restaurant well past the end time of 8 pm so about seven of us walked over to Le Caviste for more wine and conversation. We didn’t leave on this night until nearly 11 pm.
Thursday was really a pretty quiet day for both of us at work with many people already beginning their travels. I also had scheduled a cleaning service to give me some help and feel like I have piece of mind knowing that the house is clean before we leave for a week. If only they would go through our clutter and stuff and do that for me too. We had plans to dine at Bin on the Lake for views over Lake Washington to take in the holiday boat parade. However, we didn’t realize until midway through dinner that the holiday boat parade was beginning from Kirkland Marina and not Carillon Point Marina in Kirkland, and was heading north not south. Oh well, we say a few boats lit up making their way north and we had a delicious dinner with the lake in the distance. We each got great salads to start and I had the Skuna Bay salmon dish and Bryan the seafood risotto and we both left quite stuffed and happy.
Last day at work for 2017 and that is exciting yet I’m also a bit reluctant for the work to come in 2018. This year has been all design; calculations, drawings and I honestly love it all. Next year is going to be a lot of reviewing submittals during construction and corralling other disciplines to get the building permit acquired for the Seattle Public Utilities ship canal project. That also means that part time I am going to be moving up to SPUs building a few days a week. Certainly a few mixed emotions for me on ending a good year of work and being a little apprehensive about the next years work but I am also ready to start 2018.
Home to pack all my cold weather gear and presents for the next week.
Merry Christmas!
Chelsea
Evolving in the Emerald City 