Carrot Cake Cupcake c/o Cupcake Royale

After lunch, T. suggested that we go to Cupcake Royale to pick up, you guessed it, a cupcake or two. C. and I were a little ambivalent. My main thought, which I vocalized, was 'well, if they have a carrot cake cupcake I'll do it.' So off we went (it wasn't far) and lo and behold! A carrot cake cupcake! C. abstained, and T. ordered a classic cupcake. We then went back to their place and enjoyed our sweets. I should note that, though there is not a single shred of photographic evidence to support this, we played mad crazy amounts of Rock Band. I sang. I drummed. I guitar-ed my little heart out.

Oh, and Wii Mario Kart. OMG. It is such a good thing that I don't have any of these devices in my home. You know hoarders? I'd be like that, except instead of collecting stuff, I'd just---wait, I really didn't think through that thought...I mainly wanted to point out that I watch hoarders and it scares me.

The cupcake was good. Casper tried to eat it, but we didn't let him.

Chocolate Chili Stout and Chile Burger c/o Elysian Fields Brewery

For lunch on Monday we went to Elysian Fields Brewery. Or maybe not the brewery, but one of its brew pubs? Probably the one in Capitol Hill, as that is where C&T live. I ordered what I thought was a brewery beer, the chocolate chili stout, which I liked very much but can't find on their list of beers. It's a bystery.
C&T found the beer to be more spicy in character than I did. I did like the little smokiness that the chili engendered, and the chocolate notes weren't as sweet as your typical chocolate stout.
We continued the tutelage of how to take a flattering photograph. Did that sentence make sense?

Less of a perfect example, but there's something about the tone of T.'s point that amuses me.
The masters, demonstrating how it's done.
In terms of food, I ordered the chile burger. It was good, not all that chile-riffic, but it hit the spot. I'm thinking about a burger right now, actually.

Volunteer Park Walkabout

On Monday C., Casper and I walked to Volunteer Park. It was a nice day. Children were playing, dogs were dogging. The Seattle Asian Art Museum was opening a new exhibit later on in the week. Flowers were swaying in the wind. Etc.

Green Chili Chicken, Guacamole and Rice

The next night C. made guacamole, green chicken chili and rice with cilantro. It was de-licious.

Lake Washington and Eagles

After dim sum we went on a drive along Lake Washington. I love spring. I love trees. I love lakes.
After driving in one direction for a while, we turned around and on our way back we noticed a crowd of people looking out towards the lake. We slowed and saw what they were seeing: a bald eagle doing its thing. It was pretty awesome. C. just stopped the car while I snapped away. I regret not bringing my zooomy lens; I really could have gotten a few great close ups. But this is the best I could do.



They're better to view large.

Dim Sum c/o Jade Garden

On Sunday morning T&C and I went to the International District for dim sum. I think we went to Jade Garden, but maybe not? I have been eating dim sum for nearly ever, and I have long heard that west coast dim sum puts east and mid-west dim sum to shame, but I was skeptical of this truth.
Well, folks, it's actually pretty true. The dumplings were all plumper, the shrimp a little fresher, and the variety pretty good. I'd say this was some of the best dim sum of my life, though I'd say it with a little reservation. There weren't as many carts going around, which was a little sad. But I did try a crab topped dumpling, and consumed at least four shrimp dumplings with pleasure.
The Chinese broccoli was a marvelous little bit of green in a sea of dumplings.
This was a new dish I'd never seen before, and totally satisfying. Though I would have liked to get it when it was a little hotter.
And this was another great one. I can't remember what it was.

Karaoke c/o A Place, The Name of Which I Forget

For dinner C. made us a nice salad and pizza.
Casper liked it.
I did too.
After eating we headed out to a relatively faraway restaurant/bar for karaoke with C.'s brother, his girlfriend and some of their friends.
Many songs were sung.
And many photographs taken.

C. and I sang Sweet Caroline.
We rocked it. Even if I look fat, which I might be...whatever.
T. chose a song for himself to sing and C. joined him. I forget what the song was. If more time was had I would have sung Flowers on the Wall by the Statler Brothers.
T. gave me a few pointers on how to smile for a photograph while avoiding a double chin. Here are a few shots of us trying out his method.


Lesson learned. Also: I know I wore the same outfit for this outing as the night before...but C. and T. didn't.

Eggs and Bacon, Catan Whooping and Lunch c/o Cafe Press

My last day at M&A's got off to a slightly earlier start, as we wanted to get in a round of Scrabble and Catan before M&A handed me over to C&T. I scrambled the eggs and cooked the bacon, and then we went outside and ate it in their back yard.
M.'s and my game of Scrabble went quite well for me...I started with a bingo, which ended up not being a word...but poor M. didn't challenge me. Oh man. What was it? It was very close to a real word. Alas, I cannot remember. Then, after a slight regrouping, we went on to one final round of Catan. A. had had a rough time of it the night before, and fared better this time around.
But not well enough. I won.

We met up with T&C at Café Presse for lunch. I was still a bit woozy from the alcohol of the previous night so, while all others ordered grown up bloody marys, I went with the virgin variety. Very tasty. I forget that cocktail onions are more pleasing to eat than they look.

I ordered the 'soupe a l'oignion gratinee' and M. and I shared the charcuterie platter, which was infinitely better than the charcuterie of Pair and consisted of Country ham, sausage, terrine, rillette and tongue.


Oh god. It was so good. Why are cured meats and whatnot so damn tasty?
Then M&A drove us back to T&C's and we bid them adieu. What a great first half of my Seattle time (that's right, just the first half). I thank M&A (and Pandora) for all the great conversation, meals and outings!

Punchy Pictures, Cranberry Bliss and Champagne, Catan

I wasn't alone in a little punchiness by the end of our dinner. Or at least I don't think so. When we returned to M&A's I insisted that A. take a few photographs of M. and me. I'm not sure what this series is about. One part of me thinks that we're recreating our initial months of friendship, when we ran around our high school's central area punching the shit out of one another's arms for fun.
That, or we could have simply been doing a little dance.
Or pretending that we were zombies?
I then showed A. how to use the flash and we took slightly more serious photographs. Slightly.
Best of the bunch I think, in terms of traditionally smiley photographs in which people aren't all blurry and crazy.
This face I made on purpose. Really.
Then I took a few photos of M&A together, none of which turned out quite well due to my punchiness...but I like this one, even if they're off to the side with a picture hook by their heads.
Then A. decided to invite A. over to play Catan, which we thought was a good idea, so then Catan was played and Harbinger Winery's Cranberry Bliss wine was mixed with champagne. Necessary? Heck no.
Then M. made some sort of dessert treat and whipped cream, which I ate with quite the dainty little spoon. I love dainty little spoons and expressed, at the time, a desire to fill my kitchen's silverware drawer with them. M&A's friend A. said that he only ate with little spoons, which I didn't believe but eventually was convinced by. I thought that was cool.
Though definitely tippled, I still crushed everyone in Catan. Crushed, I tell you, crushed!