In Other News...

I think sometimes during the school year, I get all up in my work and forget the world around me.
G is very patient about this.  He generously lets me do my thing in the evenings, a day on the weekends, and whenever I have some big grading project going on. So when I got the opportunity to show him how much I value his friendship, love, and understanding, I took it.

We went to Seattle last weekend.  I didn't tell him that's where we were headed; I just said that he should wear layers and sturdy shoes. He initially thought we were hiking in Wentachee.  I sort of blew it when I said we'd be going over Snoqualmie Pass. Ah well. He had no idea what we'd be doing.

First stop was brunch at the incredible Seattle restaurant The Dahlia Lounge. Great food, great service, great time. G loves a good restaurant and that set the mood for the whole day.  Then I gave him a choice: the Seattle Art Museum or the Seattle Aquarium. You can't do it all in one day, not with a two hour drive each way. The SAM has a pop departures exhibit right now, but we've already visited there a couple of times.  He opted for the aquarium, with their touchable sea animals exhibits and outdoor enclosures right on the city pier. The animals seem pretty happy there. They have plenty of room to roam (except for the river otters; they need miles and miles). There were divers, octopi, and an under the sea sort of dome with hundreds of salmon, halibut, sturgeon, and multitudes of others.  Lots of people too. It was amazing.

Our last stop- since we'd been walking most of the day- was my last surprise. A movie. This may not seem like a big deal.

However. G likes nothing more than a good movie and since we moved to a little town, the nearest art house theater is in Seattle.  We saw Birdman, with Michael Keaton, Ed Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts (among others).  G said it was the best movie he's seen this year.  I agree.

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It was a beautiful day

Look at his sweet face! Reminds me of the Neverending Story.

Puffin!

This Guy..

In other news, it finally froze last night. Hard freeze; got down to 17f.  The rest of the week is cold, with a chance of snow. Snow!  I am so excited. I busted out a warm scarf that my friend (and Oklaho-mom) Charlotte made for me. Before it froze, I gathered the last couple dozen tomatoes and cut back my little porch garden. We're ready for winter!

Finally, buried at the end of my post: in other news we are spending the holidays in London and Paris.  It's my first trip to Europe; I'm so excited! We booked plane tickets and hotel reservations and have created loose itineraries for our time.  For Christmas eve, we'll be at midnight mass in Notre Dame.

How.Cool.Is.That??!!?

Ok friends, stay warm. It's a polar vortex out there! And now I'm back to grading, practicing French phrases, and huddling happily by my space heater.

Seattle/Anniversary

I'm probably going to write two posts today; one about Seattle and one about my quick trip to the West side to see my family.

First, I love Seattle. So does G. I think... no. I'm SURE he would move there in a heartbeat. In face, Seattle is where I'm most heavily concentrating my job search.  Our second anniversary came up and we did a two-day trip.  One day was hiking up at Manastash Ridge in Ellensburg, and the other was in Seattle.
First, Manastash:

It was a little steep

The top was a memorial for people who have passed on

Ignore the scowl on my face

It was a long ways back down, too

Happy Anniversary!

So the climb was worth it just for the views.

The next weekend we went to Seattle, specifically to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). I was so impressed.  My favorite art isn't modern art or those beautiful Grecian urns. It's the paintings. I love them, especially impressionism.  I also really like Native American art.  In the NA art, we saw a lot of blending old and new, and taking traditional designs and putting them into new forms.  I see the wisdom in it- this is truly how culture is carried forward. 

This Guy!

Cheez!

Ok, she didn't go, but she wanted her picture in here anyway. Cheese!

I was fascinated by this indoor lodge pole with two figures. It had a twin on the other side. WOW

Oh Monet!

Angry white guy with bible

Considering the age of this piece- almost a thousand years, I'm blown away.

This cedar box is made from one piece- bent wood.  The top and bottom are separate but it's otherwise ONE piece!

This is The Triumph of Poseidon 

This is a close up of someone having to smell Poseidon's foot.

That's Zeus as a Swan, with Leda and their children, Helen of Troy, Castor and Pollux. Why are baby cherubs so terrifying?

This is a tapestry called "Oiling". Beautiful, no? Yes! I love the traditional/modern blend.

This guy is outside of the museum.  His hammer swings. 

We went by the Market afterwards. 

Apropos of nothing, this is a great phone background

We had lunch and then gelato at a place called "Gelatiamo".  "Yumm-o"!

This is a view from the water from a block outside of the museum.

I had so much fun on this trip.  No pressure, no real agenda.  Just relaxation. We ate lunch at a place called "Wild Ginger", where G said he had the best pad thai he's ever had.

And just because I love them, here are a few pictures from our wedding, two years ago. <3 br="" nbsp="">

If you look in my bodice, there's a small book of poetry in there. A gift from a lovely person.

This makes me smile!

We tried lots of cake before settling on the tres leches cake. 

We framed this one.

My sister Patti, me, G, and his brother, T. I love T's tie! My friend Cathy made the bouquets, and Charlotte lent me her pearls. They are the ones who made it happen. Well, the party part, anyway.

Just for the record, I never thought I'd get married again. I think that neither did G. But here we are. I wouldn't have it any other way.  These are the important things to us: spending time together, family, adventure, kindness, commitment.  It's not that we're constantly celebrating how awesome our marriage is. C'mon, I'm a human and sometimes a cranky, reclusive, selfish one. But even in those moments I know that I'm truly loved and that someone accepts my love in return.  

Happy Anniversary, G. Thanks for all that stuff ^^.