16__A week with the old roomies!

John and Andy came to visit last week and stayed nearly a week! In a stroke of luck I was able to get most of the days off to take them around town. Since it was by far the most things we've ever fit into a week here's a laundry-list summary of what happened:

tuesday--
Linda's on Capitol Hill hosted a 15th anniversary night featuring a free shirt, 1994 beer prices and cheap food. 2+ hours of food and drinks for 3 people = $24.

wednesday--
Baby-sized burritos (literally an infant) were shared at Gorditos. Shock and awe crossed with pure culinary delight.

We won trivia night! Probably not much of a surprise considering our visiting ringers. Didn't hurt that one of the categories was the Inca Trail.

thursday--



We explored Seward Park and Columbia City. I made drinks for us as we soaked up the Seattle coffee shop vibes at my bakery.



Some things never change.



We later explored a new bar in Capitol Hill featuring a mural artist whose canvas was recycled wood strips - followed by word games at the Stumbling Monk with the best selection of Belgium ales in the northwest.

friday--
I finished the bookshelves to prepare for our housewarming party that night.



Nicole took the guys to the dive through the bins at the Goodwill Outlet - an adventure in itself and a guaranteed afternoon killer.

We then showed the guys the quirky Fremont and Ballard scenes. On Ian's recommendation we all tried the Cuban sandwich at Paseo, and it proved the best sandwich we have ever tasted.

In Ballard we played many many rounds of Skee-ball at King's Tavern and saw the largest record collection (possibly on Earth) at Bop Street Records. The owner talked our head off while giving us the tour of his 750,000+ collection.



Our party that night brought a fantastic group together. Nicole's and my coworkers, friends we've made through those coworkers, combined with the friends we had known before we moved here. I loved being able to show off all the projects I'd finished, too. While still a small gathering of 20 or so - everyone's reaction was "I had no idea you knew so many people."

saturday--



We used this gorgeous day to try and fit in everything outdoors. Andy and John tried scooting. We explored Discovery Park at the edge of Queen Anne.



Afterwards a wrong turn prompted an excursion to the Ballard Locks where (unlike DC) we got to see them in action!



With a stop at the fish fry and lots of Bananagrams later, we took off to explore the eclectic Georgetown neighborhood. It truly is the opposite of it's DC counterpart in all ways except it being the oldest part of the city. A community of artists, tradespeople, hipsters, and bikers - filled with 100-year old warehouses - it hosts some of the best nightlife in the city. Our destination featured pinball, shuffleboard, and peanut shells all over the floor while still maintaining a classy & casual atmosphere.



sunday--
The rest of the gang went to brunch while I worked the morning shift. We experienced the goodness that is Half Price Books, a used bookstore that pales in comparison to Portland's Powell's, but sparks your interest for hours with all the cheap entertainment you could have.

We then witnessed a competition that exposed a whole other side of Seattle to me. We went to an international break dance competition at the Experience Music Project. If we could have cut out the ridiculous commentary we probably would have lasted awhile longer, but the sheer talent and strength of these performers was remarkable.



What a good week! Now back to usual...