Take a Spin on the Blog-o-Whirl!

Two weeks, people. I suck. So this might be a longish guilt-driven exploration of the end of my summer vacation, if I'd actually had a summer vacation rather than a summer of procrastination and then feverish catch-up for deadlines. Potato, potatoe.

Let's start with Terri's visit.

For those who don't know, Terri is an awesome friend, I met through Dakota and Michele. She's helping me with the horrific and gargantuan task of reimagining my website (which will be happening soon and I'm intent on adding tons of fun content like Amanda's club reviews and a gossip vlog from Wendy--if it all works out right).

So Terri was travelling all over the place like a vagabond and ended up in Seattle, so I had to roll out the red carpet. She brought along her friend Tate (who's shown up in another Terri post, if you'll remember). Here's some of the stuff we did...

Sat in traffic. There's nothing quite as "Seattle" as sitting in traffic. It doesn't matter what time of day you visit, I'll always be able to arrange this particular memory. It's primarily because the geniuses at the Dept. of Transportation thought it'd be a good idea to take a four lane freeway and gradually decrease it to 2 lanes as you get closer in to the city. Insanity.

Our first real stop was Pike Place Market, which is always bustling and touristy and such. We tried to capture the Seattleness that is the fish throwing but people didn't understand that the mongers only throw fish that have been bought, so there were people standing around waiting and mongers standing around waiting and then...



This guy stalls out in front of us, because he couldn't get through on his Little Rascal (apparently that's the button that makes the magic happen). Um...I have to admit, I took like three shots of him, but now i can't think of anything funny about it. People may think that Pike Place is this open air extravaganza because that's what you see on TV, but primarily it's a rickety old mall that unveils itself down an array of staircases and ramps that lead further and further in to the bowels. Where you can smell pee and buy such sought after home decor items as...

...and Box-O-Knives...


Here's Terri and Tate standing out of the way of the herds...


Next stop--after a brief tour of the downtown area where we found a block full of day laborers, right after I told Terry I didn't think we had an area full of day laborers (I was woefully uninformed, though oddly pleased)--was the Ballard Locks and the hunt for Hershel the Hungry Sea Lion (seen here, yet again escaping my keen papparatic skill (yes, I know, I just invented the word)...


Every damn time. It was the seagulls fault though. Hershel couldn't eat his Salmon in peace, they kept dive bombing him. We decided ultimately that the Locks suck. Even with a full lock of boats, the water elevator is so anticlimactic that we could see ourselves aging. There's only one cure for boring tourism and that's chocolate. We hauled ass to Theo's an awesome artisanal organic chocolate factory in Fremont, where we took a tour in exchange for fee chocolate. Unfortunately, we were coaxed into tasting the cocoa nibs...



Dear God, "nibs" do not taste like chocolate anymore than coffee beans taste like coffee. And despite what you might think, we didn't get a ride down the fuckin' chocolate river. I wanted to bust up the place once I found that out.


Additionally, we were surrounded by tour-goers that were totally invested in the idea of cruelty-free chocolate. Now, I don't know about you, but I could really get behind some child-labor chocolates, particularly if that's what it said on the label. Embrace it!!! Anything for tasty sweets.

We picked up Synde and headed for our rendezvous with Ms. Richelle Mead...


...who showed up just in time for some cruelty-free mojitos...


And then all was right with the world. Had a great time with Ter and Tate and look forward to Tate showing up at some of our events, which she'll do, lest she be judged, viciously.

Had another author event last weekend, Lauren Dane (seen here ignoring the adorable Ciara) celebrated a year of caffeine-fueled productivity (though from the amount she wrote, I suspect someone was chasing the dragon).


You probably know Lauren from her dirty watching of the porno with fellow author Megan Hart at Bring Me My Hookah. We gorged ourselves on Eggplant Parmesan and an assortment of pastas, chianti and basil mojitos. Much gossiping ensued and I met up with a friend from High School, who I hadn't seen since graduation (Hey Christina!). Here's the big group shot of the people who survived until the end...

Caroline took the shot and noticed that Lauren's husband was watching us like we were insane. Like we were practicing for the papparazzi or something. Which, of course, we are.

I'll leave you with this obligatory Cherie-guilted animal image. I give you Linzey begging for food at dinner...


Do with it what you will.

Comments

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Anonymous said…
Sarcasm can be implied and not implimentet in text. Therefore ur comment bout supporting child-labour is beneath any human...

Suppose it was the fat speaking up for ur true agenda!

Fatties makes the world "rounder"