Adventures of Katie

I'm SO tired right now after such a busy weekend, but I wanted to write about it before I lose my motivation.....

This weekend was perhaps the best weekend I've had since I've been in Washington. Saturday was a splendidly warm and sunny day. We did a little shopping and had lunch at the Sunlight Cafe in the University district area off Roosevelt (see my Yelp review on the right side of this page!). Great vegetarian restaurant with an earthy, alternative feel. It really reminded me of a place I'd find in Chicago, like Chicago Diner (a Chicago favorite). I must admit though, it made me a little sad and missing Chicago, as well as thinking how much my friend Melissa would love it. I told her I will have to take her to this place whenever she comes to visit Seattle from San Francisco.

Yesterday morning (Sunday) I woke up at the crack of dawn to go with my mom and our Sheltie dog Chloe to a Meetup.com Sheltie group in Bellevue. I was pretty stoked to finally be going to a meetup after hearing people rave about it, especially since my social life has taken a nosedive the past few months. I also got to see more of the Bellevue area, which reminded me of a cross between certain quaint areas of Kingwood and Austin, Texas. Very nice woodsy park area, Robinswood Dog Park or something like that. We had trouble finding the right dog corral at first because we were looking for the East corral, obscured by trees way in the back of the overall park area. Chloe FREAKED out by a big white dog that kept trying to chase and play with her in the other corral. Chloe is a 10 year old geriatric dog who can't take the anxiety of a dog who looks like the Marshmallow Man from her perspective. Poor Chloe.

Once we found the right corral, her neurotic behavior diminished...albeit she was still lazy and antisocial with the other Shelties. A small and friendly group. One lady with her dog Sasha, who actually looked like she could be Chloe's twin except Sasha was a bit longer and taller than Chloe. This other couple and their Sheltie, Charlie. And the meetup group leader and her Sheltie. I can't remember the name of that dog, but he was gorgeous; a paler looking Sheltie with blue eyes and mainly white fur. We played with them and talked about their funny quirks, like how Chloe likes to smear her scent all over our clothes and blankets when they are brand new/just washed. Or how the leader's dog barks every time he hears her phone ring and the shower water come on because he doesn't like the high pitch sounds. All in all, it was a beautiful morning. It was nice to do something different, meet and chat with new people.

A few hours later, my cousin Ladd came over to hang out with us for the remainder of the weekend. We ate 'summery food' (grilled veggies, fruit salad, potato salad, baked beans, pasta salad, etc) and talked about various things. I find it interesting that no matter how frequently I spend time with my family and/or listen to tons of family stories, I never cease to hear a new story. Of course there are ones that get repeated, but I enjoy hearing new funny or random stories. For some reason, it tends to be more fun when my cousin Ladd is part of the storytelling; it must be his animated style....I can't stop laughing. He's my favorite relative of the extended family. He fills more of an older sibling role, feeling more like an older brother I always wished I had. I'm glad I live near him now; more opportunities to hang out, talk, and go on adventurous excursions....like today.

Ladd crashed with us at my parent's place last night and then this morning we headed out a few hours away to the Washington coast, an area called Griffiths Priday State Park and Pacific Beach, which is along the Pacific Ocean. It was a fun 2 hour road trip, with us talking more, laughing (a given), and occasionally singing along to some old school 80's tunes Ladd had on his mp3. I can't remember the last time I went to the beach, probably when I was in Florida around this time last year. Even though it was in the 60's and overcast, it was incredibly relaxing and fun. I couldn't believe the volume of crabs, sand dollars, and colorful shells that were endlessly scattered on the sand! Took copious photos and meandered along the shore, taking in the salty ocean air, calm breeze and zen silence (there were hardly any people on the vast beach, an anomaly for a holiday). Pure bliss. Ate a picnic lunch and after walking (and my taking even MORE photos), headed home.

Outdoor adventures galore and always new places to explore here in Washington....