Washington Trip Part 2

Okay...so where were we again....right...

Tuesday (1/17) we were going to take the ferry across the peninsula and drive down 101 to Montesano but there was snow everywhere so we just headed home down I-5. Stopped by Monte and saw Kathryn and Drew and then headed out the Wynoochee. We just hung out with my Dad the next couple of days but did get a chance to go over and see Rebecca (Kathryn and Lindsay's mom) who was babysitting Kathryn's son Kellan. Kellan is such a cutie and I hadn't seen him since the week he was born in September of 2010. We took a little video of him playing with the kitty cat!

 The entire coast of WA was hammered with more snow than I’ve ever seen so we couldn’t really do anything or go anywhere. We watched a lot of movies and just hung out. Thursday we tried to go skiing at Crystal but the weather had transitioned into a massive ice storm and the roads were all closed. Friday we finally got my mom’s car out of the driveway and made our way to White Pass for the final days of our trip.

Skiing was sloppy Friday (1/20). It was only our second day out all season and the snow was more like glue than powder. It was nice to be able to ski with Dad all day though. Saturday was fun, the base had hardened up a little and there was just a little fresh powder over the top.

Tom and I spent the entire morning skiing the steeps until he ducked into some trees and found himself above a pretty decent cliff. I skied down and after realizing he was nowhere in sight went to the chair lift and waited another 15 minutes. He didn’t show up and it had been at least a half hour since I had seen him so I apprehensively went in to ski patrol, scared and a bit embarrassed. After giving them his last known location and full description, one of the patrollers and I headed out to check the lift line again. As luck would have it, there he was covered in snow but completely unharmed. I thanked the patroller and then went over to Tom and bust into tears. I was a mess, I hadn’t even realized how freaked out I was until I saw he was safe. I don’t think I would have been as worried if HE hadn’t had the “Don’t ski off without me, it freaks me out and makes me worry” talk with ME the day before. I figured there was no way he would go and do that after scolding me less than 24 hours prior. He was super cool about it though and didn’t make too much fun of me for going to the Patrollers… J

That evening I got to ski “Sweep” with my dad and the other Patrollers and Patroller Candidates after closing which was fun. I at least got a couple of runs in with Dad that way. Saturday evening was spent drinking beer and eating dinner in the bar at the lodge and then hanging out with everyone over at the Olympia Ski Club. I seriously love that place, even if some of the newer members are anal retentive yuppie types.

We got up Sunday morning to a foot of new snow and though we had intended to go to my Uncle Del’s surprise Birthday party, decided that wasn’t a smart idea in my mom’s little PT Cruiser and just headed home to Zoo town. So wish we could have made it! It would have been so nice to see everyone before we left on our PC adventure. It was kind of like the weather said, “Oh, you came to WA to ski? You want snow, do you? Well here’s your snow!”  and bitch slapped us with the worst winter weather the WA coast had seen in 10 years or more.

Oh well, we still had a great trip and got to see our closest friends and family, which was the number one goal!

Hope you are all enjoying reading this because I seriously feel weird writing it. I’m always wondering if anyone is reading it anyways…

Will post an updated time line soon! Laterz!

~Chelsea

Washington Trip Part 1

Hello again! Our timeline changed a little, we actually left for Wenatchee to visit my bestie Lindsay and her boyfriend David on Friday, January 13 after a trying day subbing in a high school Title 1 classroom. We went straight to Wenatchee that night and woke up early Saturday to a very quiet, crisp, blue bird sky, eastern WA morning. Tom and I snuck out for a run and came back to Lindsay and David making a batch of oatmeal waffles from Lindsay’s mom’s special recipe. They were fabulous, and sooo easy to make and even better with REAL maple syrup. Tom and David would argue that the ooey-gooey HFC laden “pancake syrup” is better. Blechk, those boys are crazy…



After breakfast, Lins and I played my guitar a little. I had just started taking lessons and was working on playing John Denver’s Country Roads. I think I spent most of the hour in awe of her awesomeness; I am a much slower learner and spent most of the time singing while she played.  Later that afternoon we went ice skating and had a beer at the local Columbia Valley Brewery. Tom and I had brought over some beef from a 4H steer that had been given to us so we made some fabulous burgers with all the fixin’s including caramelized onions and sweet potato fries for dinner and then just hung out and talked the rest of the night till like 1am.



Lindsay and I on the ride to the brewery.



Sunday was another slow day of just hanging out and talking…so much to catch up on. That afternoon we went to Leavenworth to see Carol and Matt (Tom’s aunt and uncle) and watch some fireworks. They served us a feast of white chili with all an array of delicious toppings and brownies! We then went down to town to see the fireworks, part of Leavenworth’s Icicle Festival. Lindsay and David were both recovering from a nasty head cold so we didn’t stay for the ski movie but headed back to Wenatchee for a round of this game called…_________(I currently can’t remember), which was by far one of the most fun games I have ever played.  

One of the Bavarian themed buildings in Leavenworth



Lights of the Icicle Festival.

 Monday (1/16) morning was a teary goodbye. After all of Lindsay’s traveling and now Tom and I heading overseas, it’s a miracle we ever see each other.  



After a rainy drive to Seattle, Tom and I finally found free parking and wandered around Pike Place until it was time for lunch with my auntie Anne and uncle Del at this cute little Mexican restaurant in Shoreline. We then all headed down to Green Lake for a very cold walk…fun but frigid! To warm up before we said goodbye we ducked into Duke’s Chowder House for a cup of hot cider and fireball! We then parted ways and made our way to Carol and Matt’s condo in SeaTac for the night.

Market sign...Tom likes the flag in the background...I like the fish!

Me with the first pig we saw, there are a few scattered around the market.

  

You can purchase a tile and have your name
and birthdate carved into it.



These are my two first cousins.
My aunt got them for them.

   

Slug Pop, in true WA fashion.



Seattle harbor on a very cold foggy day.



Another Pike Place Market Sign!



Part 2 swiftly on its way...

~ Chelsea