Try Something New

Sometimes it's really easy to get into a routine with things, which isn't a problem of course. The problem only occurs when you can't break out of that routine. So this weekend my SO (significant other) and I made it a point to try new things for the weekend, which turned out great. It resulted in cool new experiences and gave me a chance to be more acquainted with Seattle.

On Friday I was able to get off an hour early from work which was great since it gave me a chance to run before the sun set.

(Something beautiful on my run)

The only bad thing was that I forgot my building key. Luckily someone exited the apartment building within fifteen minutes to let me in, because it was freezing! My SO, Michael, however, beat me home by a minute and surprised me with these!

I know, I'm a very, very, lucky gal!

That night we went to The Garage on Capitol Hill to play pool, one of Michael's favorite past times, though I totally kicked his butt so we are now tied (again).

Afterwards, we decided to try something new for dinner. Nearby we found Fogon, which served some pretty delicious and authentic Mexican food. The vibe was really cool with its neon green walls, and I especially loved the light above the entry way.

Since the night was still young we decided to go out to a bar we both haven't been to. With a quick search on yelp, I found Pie Bar. It was a very small and cozy bar that made homemade pies and even paired drinks with the pies. Michael and I split The Deserted Island Pie, which had a blend of strawberries, raspberries, and marionberries. I had the recommended Strawberrry Champagne pairing and Michael got the Water Lily.

Michael's favorite dessert is pie, and he said it was the best pie he's ever had, and I could only agree.

Though I do miss my sunny California, I have to admit that Seattle is very eclectic with so many great places to eat as well as drink. Transitioning to this point in my life and moving has not been an easy feat. If you're ever in a similar situation, I think it helps if you emerge yourself in it. Like they say, "Be where you are, not where you want to be." It's taken me awhile to realize that when the longing for home is constant.

Another thing that helps is setting goals for yourself. Working on the manuscript has kept me pretty productive over the past three weeks, and because it's set in the middle of Oregon and Washington, it gives me a reason to explore the area. For example, a scene I was writing this weekend involved the EMP museum. Since I had never been before, I decided to go to take in the scene and imagine my character being there.

Despite the fire alarm going off and the need to evacuate, we really enjoyed ourselves. Michael enjoyed the Nirvana exhibit, and I enjoyed the fantasy exhibit. Below are a few photos from it:

Upon exiting we stuck our ticket stickers on this.

Which is soooo Seattle right?

For dinner that night we headed to Ballard, another cool neighborhood that we enjoy. We went to the Walrus and the Carpenter. We had never been there before and Michael had been wanting to for sometime. The food was french inspired but had a relaxed vibe. All of the walls were white with mirrors behind the tables, and the bar held the fresh oysters in ice. Not to mention they had a wicked looking white chandelier made from the top of a tree.

And great thing we did because we had "the best oysters ever" (said Michael).

I usually don't like raw oysters, but I had to admit, they were delicious.

(Michael shucking an oyster)

(Look at that chandelier behind him!)

We also had a cool bartender named Craig who whipped up a Martini with St. Georges Gin, which has now become Michael's new favorite.

He also chose a really great French dessert wine for myself.

Earlier that day we had watched Shark Tank which featured a pitch about bread pudding. I had never tried it before and lo and behold it was on the dessert menu that night! It was absolutely delicious, though Michael told me that this was an extraordinarily different bread pudding he's ever had. It was both sweet and salty and was served with expresso and whipped cream.

I really liked the bar display there, so I couldn't help, but take a photo. While there, Michael and I met a couple sitting next to us who were from Canada. Randomly a conversation was struck and we ended up staying awhile after our meal to talk with them. 

Then we topped off with some wine at Portalis nearby (a lot of drinks were had this night :)).

On Sunday mornings I really enjoy going to the nearby coffee house. A new one, called Ada's, just opened up recently so I decided to go there and do some writing. The tables there were so cool and all different. I sat at the table with the compasses and enjoyed a nice soy latte and mushroom pot pie.

So the point of this post? Sometimes it's really cool to try new things and break routine because you just might find the best pie over, a favorite martini, experience the best oysters, learn about pop culture, and have a wicked awesome time doing it.

But of course, sometimes it's always nice to have a routine, because Sunday we went over to see Michael's family again, and as always we had the best spaghetti and meatballs ever!

It was such a great weekend, and I am so thankful that I am lucky enough to experience great things like this.

Even more so, I can't wait to be home with my family in less that two weeks!