Starbucks..and more Seattle

More of the Market!!!!!


The first Starbucks. The original. The Pike's Place.

Oh, my love for this place runs so deep....and to be here....is just pure happiness. I almost didn't know if I should jump up in excitement, or kiss the walls.

It was so vintage. So nostalgic.

(happiness lives right here!!!!)

This guy was awesome! A harmonica-playing-hula-hooping-guitar-pickin-street performer! Fun times!
Then, just a little bit of walking around, enjoying the market, and a little bit of sight-seeing.




And, then, off to dinner.

At the Crab Pot. Another one of Mandy's recommendations.



Now, let me say, I was NOT a fan of the wait. LONG. LONG. wait. But, we knew with a wait like this, it was popular. And must be good.

And, indeed. It was.

First off, a little bit of paper, to prepare the table. And, some bibs for the mess.
And, the paper, well, not so clean after a few friendly (mom tries to win!) game of Tic Tac Toe!!!


Then, he dumped the food on the table. And we were ok with it.


Yum. Yum. Yum.

Ready for the mess.


My Crab Bisque. Absolutely Delicious!

And, he was LOVING the Clam Chowder. And, I must say, it was fantastic.


Mid-dinner, I looked outside. It was 8:45pm. And it looked like noon. WEIRD!


And, they began partaking.


And, this was the result.

Welcome to Seattle.......

What an exciting day! It seems like we booked this trip so long ago, and it is FINALLY here.

So, we start our journey in Seattle....well flying out of Birmingham, 7:30am, layover in Baltimore, and then finally in Seattle!

In an effort to be frugal, and also, to explore our options and see the city, we decided to take the train to our hotel. Well, I am not sure this was the BEST option, with luggage in hand, but honestly, it was a great way to see the city. Lots of stops on the train, and we saw some interesting sights, that we otherwise would not have seen.


One problem, well, we are not really good at reading signs :) oops!



We did, however, pass Safeco field, where Seattle was playing the Yankees. Dang it, why did I not look that up. How fun, to see a Yankess game?! Oh well...guess we will have to go to NYC :)


Is this Starbucks Headquarters, or do they just have this cute coffee lady on the top, just for kicks!!! Of course....we are in the Coffee Capitol of the world!!!!!!!!


First stop....Space Needle. We did not actually go up in there....YET......but we had to stop for photos!!!

And, of course, Mr. Personality!


So, I love a city that relies heavily on public transportation. I am not sure why I love it so. I love buses, and trains, and taxis. I love it. And, this place....has a monorail! LOVE!

And, then, off to the market. The infamous Pike's Place Market! I have always thought this place looked so cool! And, indeed, in real life, it does. It's dirty. And very public. And I LOVE it!


And, then, into the Market. My friend, Mandy, recommended Beechers. And.....can I just say.

BEST. IN. THE. WORLD.

Mac N Cheese. BRING IT ON!!!!!!!
Yes, friends! This is cheese. Just gads and gads of cheese!


We ordered the large. Um, I think we needed 2!

We loved it!
No really. We LOVED it.

No, really. WE LOVED IT!!!!! I love this shot of us...all digging into the same little cup. Good times. Together.

Facebook Saved my Life!

Wednesday, morning, April 27,2011.

It was a normal morning. Dark still at 5:50am and VERY muggy outside. Well, the muggy part is not normal for this week...that should've been my first sign.

But, it wasn't.

I put on my running clothes, to ready myself for a 5-miler to get the day going. I love these morning runs, so I was all stretched and ready, and off I go.

WAIT.

It's still a little dark outside. ( and it's not safe for me to run in the dark....) so I thought to myself, maybe I just need to give it about 5-10 minutes. Let it lighten up a little.

So, natural, the whole house is asleep, so I flip up the laptop, to check facebook :)

And, my friend Virginia 's status said :

And i'm up . Good morning, tornado sirens. It's gonna be a long day.

She had no idea.

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So, she lives about 15 minutes away.

How weird.

Why would her tornado sirens be going off?

hmmm..

weird.

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Then, I clicked on her wall, to see if it said anything else. Nope. Normal stuff.

Back to Facebook home.

Where 2 other people had mentioned the sirens.

WHAT?! VERY weird.

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So, I turn the news on, looking for my favorite weather man, James Spann. And, I always know if he is on, then it's for real.

So, he was NOT on. I sat there watching the weather, wondering if it was even close, or what.

Still stretching my legs. Running shoes on. Watching. Deciding.

Then, my status:

Where is James Spann....I need to be able to look at his tie/jacket/suspenders and see if this thing is for real?!

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It's almost as if God said "Hey, stubborn, it's legit"

Because within seconds, here comes James Spann, dashing in like a super hero, with his Mac Book Pro, ready to get this weather news out to the masses.

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Needless to say, I sat and watched. (and eventually, took my running shoes off)

The sky turned dark. The wind picked up. The leaves whistled as they flew across the yard.

The thunder boomed, and the next thing we knew....... (when I would have been at about mile 3....out where it was too far to get home)

Major devastation hit our city. Not my home. Not my family. We are all safe. Praise the Lord.


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The rest of the day would bring MORE storms. and More rain. And not just devastation, but just simple tragedy.

Thousands upon thousands of homes destroyed, and the death toll makes my stomach turn just to think about it.


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But, our sweet Sweet Home Alabama has already begun work relief efforts, and the communities are in full recovery & restoration mode.

I love the thought of people helping people. Not with an agenda, but honestly, with a thankful heart.

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I never did get my run in! And, I was totally ok with that.

"You're not a bad mom, Mom"......

So, my hubby and my boys went camping a few weekends ago, with some friends. The friends consisted of other couples...and their kids.....but, I was the only mom who opted out of the trip.

Now, let me say that there were other men...who were supposed to go solo, but they backed out...so, it left my hubby as the solo one of the bunch, which in turn, made me feel bad.

When they got home, the boys raved and raved about how much fun Mrs. So and so was...and how much Mrs. So and So was not scared...and she hiked, and blah blah blah.

So, I proclaimed to my family, "hey, I know. I am a terrible mom. I am sorry, I wish your wife and mom were way more cool and could EVEN STAND THE THOUGHT OF CAMPING AND PEEING IN A DUG HOLE" (are you kidding!)

Anyways, Chap then proceeded to say "You're not a bad mom, Mom....you just have way more fun in other ways".

So.....there!

I am feeling all mushy about it. I think I might just make a craft :)

And, speaking of a craft, have you seen the fun cards at Shutterfly?!





Look at these fun Notepads!

Are, if you are feeling extra mush...you can even make YOUR mom a THank you card!

Now let me go see what I can craft up :)


**Hey, by the way...if you have a blog, you can try for your chance at FREE cards, too :)