Author: Rachel

Tonight, was the montly meeting of LUPEC at The Copper Gate in Ballard. We dined on new Scandinavian treats & Aquavit cocktails.

Today marked the end of an 8-year era. This badge’s superpowers are retired.

Prior to LUPEC, some friends joined me at The Ballroom to commemorate the retirement. After LUPEC, we hit up The Viking. Sometime, I’ll hit up the Viking again for their shuffleboard. I’ve got time.

Mr. T and I had a very busy evening. First, we caught up on my LUPEC June homework by visiting Sambar. The Basil Julep was my favorite, but Lucky Luke and Lantana held strong.


Then, we went to a friend’s art opening at The Burke. He went onto The Pig and Whistle for the arty after-party, while I caught up with my old trivia gang.

We were at Mr. T’s parents’ for a big family birthday BBQ today. The last time I ate that much was Thanksgiving, 2 years ago. I couldn’t pass up my father in law’s shrimp or King Crab or his goat cheese and bacon Jalapeno Poppers.

The picture above is by my talented niece, Ruby.

This was my laziest Sunday in months. We got it together to head to Geraldine’s & Rand’s for pulled pork and Caramel Apple cake and….FIREWORKS!

I love fireworks, but I love these people even more.

I got a few pictures thanks to my camera’s fireworks setting. Next time, I shall remember my mini-tripod. For some reason this image reminded me of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Or maybe Animal from The Muppets?


I loved the colors this year though my favorites were the white ones that exploded on a secondary time delay.

Mr T & I walked to Mr. Villa’s at Lake City/80th. There’s this new mural at The Sugar Shack that wasn’t there before! Also, how come I’ve never been to this place?

Afterward, I took The Baron on a stroll in the hood, after Twilight.

I’m babysitting my team’s iPad this evening*. I spent a surprising length of time playing with the Google map app. It’s not like I don’t have phones or laptops or other machines to do the same, the power was suddenly very engaging. It’s living in the future.

* I still like wheelson’s description: “Sorta like getting to take home the class hamster for the night like in 5th grade.” Yes! And Geraldine‘s reaction to my calling it babysitting: “Cripes – those things are sentient ALREADY?!”

Today I ran the Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon. It’s my second 13.1 mile race in Seattle — my first and the last time was 3.5 years ago. It snowed or rained the entire route that time. I’m happy to report the streets were dry today. The cloud cover kept us from getting too hot.

I can’t remember how far into the race we were, maybe 10 miles or so when I took this? It’s the only time I stopped to do so, unlike some other races. I seem to hit my cruising altitude and just kept going except for water stations.

If this were a video, you’d hear a bunch of adults acting like they just discovered echos for the first time, right there in the I-90 tunnel under Lake Washington.

on top of Queen Anne today

I spent the rest of the day working on a work project, which means no time for other pictures. Around 8:30, I realized I needed to head home from work because I had forgotten to carboload for the Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon. I remedied with a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese Dinner.

Book club talked of revisiting the Ramona series. I began investigations into the stories I’d read as a child and realized they might make for good audiobooks. I was right & rewarded to a delightful Ramona Forever adaptation, narrated by Stockard Channing. I finished it today. Up next, Ramona the Pest.

Yielded 0 pictures. But I had to mark it down here.

Yesterday was Vancouver (more on that later) and today was my last long run before the Seattle Half on Saturday.

I had to stop to snap a picture of the gray vista as I descended downhill to the Burke Gilman Trail along Lake Washington.

This was 4:30 in the afternoon, approximately 55 degrees. ON JUNE TWENTIETH. Hilarious.

I’m a loyal attendee of Brown Derby, though my interest waned after Mary Poppins and the Goonies last year — the last one I loved was Silence of the Lambs, where Nick Garrison played Clarice. Once I heard Garrison would appear to portray Apollonia in a Purple Rain spoof, I knew I’d return.

I haven’t laughed that hard for that long in months. I’ll be back to see Saturday Night Fever later this Summer.

I was returning something in a shop tonight and noticed a book of name fortunes. I flipped to mine. I’ll take it.

Also, someone got a new bike today, to replace one that vanished.

This is one of those months when even the natives are restless over the cool temps. Mr. T planted over the weekend anyway. Above image: the Thai Basil start. They are notoriously finicky below 65 degrees F. I hope they make it the month.

Over in my herbal garden row, my French Thyme is going on its 4th year. That is one of my hardy old faithfuls. The terra cotta’s crumbling around it, but here it grows.

I paid a visit to Mary Gates Hall on the UW campus tonight. When I got there, I realized/remembered a close friend of mine worked in this building for years.

And then it was time for dinner with the in-laws! Of course, Mr. T got us all to the Latona Pub.

This year’s canners met again tonight to discuss our Summertime plans for Canning Across America. Several exciting events on the agenda! I hadn’t seen a few of them since last year.

I drove through SLU on my way home and caught these scarecrows…

Tonight was book club — we read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Before, I ran tons of errands, which found me back at a very dangerous kitchen shop I’d only visited days before. I shy away from the carby breakfasts, but I was soooo tempted I needed this to make ebelskivers. I mean, come on. I don’t think I’ve ever even had one. I resisted & prevailed.

But I did score an awesome backyard patio umbrella to replace one killed by a windstorm last year. Let the summertime backyard entertaining resume!

Our sunniest day in weeks found me completing a training rain along my old path to the Burke Gilman, past Matthews Beach, and further. I stopped for ice cream at the beach on my way back, and to break a $20 so I could buy lemonade from a stand on the B-G. Except the young ladies running the stand packed up before I made it back.

Oh! And before I left for my run, the Roosevelt High Marching Band came waltzing up our street. The Baron was thrilled by the approaching cavalry.