A Day in the Park & Baby Sized Burritos

Yesterday I loaded up my car with friends and drove to the ferry. Our ultimate goal? An Improv Party that I saw an email about... We listened to a few new CDs (Needtobreathe, Group 1 Crew, Above the Golden State) as we made our way to Gas Works Park in Seattle. It took a long time, but it was sooo worth it. I have a new favorite place.

It was a beautiful day, and the park is so totally my speed. It's got a big mound where people were flying kites, there were two weddings going on, numerous photographers throughout, really cool pipes and industrial leftovers, and it didn't feel crowded at all!

We got straight to work exploring the park and found the "play barn" where a young man was having senior photos while mom and dad provided bits of encouragement. Seth nearly got blown away in a windstorm.Then, we ran into a person I know! We were in the right place for the Improv! :) As happens sometimes, there was a switching around of sunglasses/glasses. Turns out, I missed my decade:

I soooo should have been in the 50's.

After that bit of exploring and socializing, we got to enjoy the work of Clean Slate Improv. I laughed so hard I gave myself a headache.

I am very pleased to report that they used my suggestions several times.

When they were done, we all stood around talking until the sun was going down and a couple people were so hungry they actually ate the Clif Bars I brought with me. So, we caravanned to Gorditos, home of the infant sized burrito. I didn't have one, but what I did have was delicious. (A veggie taco.) This is half of the burrito that the guys across from me had:

Gives new meaning to "food baby".

By then it was getting late, so we headed back to the ferry, and hence home. Long day, but so wonderful.

Beautiful, but Disappointing...

I chopped. I diced. I peeled. I seeded. I made a thing of beauty, a chopped salad.

The disappointing part? The cucumber was the most bitter thing I have ever tasted. And I forgot to taste it before I mixed it thoroughly with the other veggies. Boo.

Garage Voice's Album: Let Us Reconcile

I know I've written about these guys a couple times before, but bear with me one more time: there's free music in it for me. :)

I've been thinking about the difference between experiencing a band live and listening to their recordings, especially after Creation, where I found out I don't like a band in person that I do like on CD. Some bands are better live, and others are great recording artists - the fun part about Garage Voice is that they're both. The thing is that their music really should be played in a place that you have the option of getting up and dancing because it really makes me want to move (and other people, I assume). Thus the benefit of the CD - you can listen to them anywhere!

Let Us Reconcile has all the things I liked about Garage Voice when I first heard them: Great lyrics, fun bass lines, intelligence, humor, and general "listenability" (did I just make that word up?). I think the album has broad appeal - a little bit of something for everyone.

Probably the thing I like the best (besides the pleasant eardrum tickling) is the lyrics. My favorite phrase comes on the third song, Repentance:
"Every time I hear the word of law
The love of God just blows my mind
Tells me I can be confident His love is really enough"

Another gem? In Tips of Your Hands, they say:
"Habits are structured by what often occupies the mind
It builds up a highway and keeps it prioritized"
which makes me wonder, "What often occupies my mind?".

My favorite song when I first got the CD was Mercy Came a Runnin' - it's got some great accapella bits and guitar... Then, it was Book It. Today? Maybe Cropper - I was groovin' whilst mixing up a blueberry lime desert and enjoyed the music as much as the sweetness. Or perhaps In My Iniquity - any song that can gracefully combine tuba, organ, and guitar is to be recognized!

Find Garage Voice online at garagevoice.com

Okay, thanks for reading - I know I don't have the encyclopedic knowledge required to write a proper review with allusions and comparisons, but the bottom line is: It's a great album from a really great band. Listen. Posthaste.

I went on vacay!

So, it was wonderful. First, I went to Las Vegas. Here's what you need to know about Vegas: It's soooo far to anywhere. I know I'd heard it before, but now I can attest from personal experience. It's crazy. Also, things are going on 24hrs. Here's what I did...

Arrived Saturday night (temperature: 103 F) and took a very long shuttle bus (which doubled as a very cheap tour) to downtown. It's not the strip, but it's very cool! The Fremont Street Experience is like a giant block party going on all the time...



The next morning I headed to the strip and checked into to my beautiful hotel, The Wynn Las Vegas.



They had a room available, so I settled in, then went shopping! (Really, I am so predictable.) I needed black sandals - and they have a FABULOUS Macy's. I also picked up the tickets for the night's show: O by Cirque du Soleil. After a bit, my friend Jim arrived and we had our first buffet experience! Delish! Although I did get distracted by the canteloupe, while Jim said I needed to focus on the "high ticket" items. Then we headed to the beautiful Bellagio for my first ever Cirque du Soleil experience. It was amazing. The show's main feature is a stage that moves up and down in a tank of water so people appear out of the water or dive from multiple stories above into it. My favorite part was these big swings that they got going really well and then dove from them into the water.

Afterward we watched the fountains at the Bellagio - Viva Las Vegas by Elvis.


The next day we tried to sit by the pool, but it rained! So, we were walking through a casino and saw that Wheel of Fortune was filming! After standing in line for a couple hours, we saw Pat Sajak and Vanna White! Crazy! Let me just tell you, the set looks much smaller in person. I thought it'd be huge, but really, it's not. The episode will air September 24 - and the final puzzle will blow you away!

The weather continued to get crazy - by the time I got back to my hotel room the words drowned rat applied to me.


The next day, Jim & I met for a tasty breakfast buffet, then he had to leave. I managed to get in some quality pool time before setting out on the trek of my life.


I walked more than 5 miles in one afternoon and I was pooped by the end! First, souvie shopping at Bonanza. They say it's the world's largest gift shop, but I don't think it's true. It is big, though! I got a couple fun things, then headed to the other end of the strip (remember, it's like 45 miles...) where I ate a SO GOOD veggie burger at Burger Bar then waddled to M&M World before picking up a crepe to-go in Paris. During all that walking (I wish I could describe how tired it made me) I bought a ticket for the late show of Blue Man Group. In one word: Bizarre. I enjoyed it even though I was wedged between two large guys that I didn't know and one had the leg-jiggle-thing, which means he burns more calories than me, but I thought I was going to have a blister on the side of my leg by the end from the constant motion. Grrr...

The next morning, I hauled my tired body to the airport, slept on the plane, then headed for Eastern/Central WA. Specifically, The Gorge Amphitheatre for Creation 09. I camped about as far as you could get from the stages, so the first day I only went over twice - too tired. (Man, I'm a wimp!) I had a pretty good time, although I learned something: This woman was not meant to camp alone. It's not nearly as fun if you don't have someone to share the experience of wrestling with the tent, swearing at the campstove when it blows out, and moving with the shade throughout the day.



I survived, although I left early - but not before hearing two really great concerts.

The first was Group 1 Crew. They've got a sort of Black Eyed Peas thing going on, but the part I was impressed with was that when they spoke it seemed fresh, and real. Like they meant what they were saying, and it wasn't just a memorized little blip between songs. It was almost like a mini-sermon, and I enjoyed it. Then, Newworldson. Let me tell you, those guys know how to do a good concert! They were one of the only groups that got enough applause to warrant an encore, although they weren't allowed because of "policy" or something silly. The drummer used a mic and mic stand as percussion instruments and it sounded really cool. They did a mixture of music - swing, reggae, rock. I loved it.

On that high note, I took my tired, sunburned body home. And when I went to work on Monday I felt like maybe the work problems weren't that bad, because there is life outside of my little tiny sphere. (Oh, and the sun still shines somewhere, if not in the Pacific Northwest - that was reassuring.)

Excuses, excuses...

Anything to keep from studying for the PE. I have gotten so much done domestically and craft-ily. I washed the hand washing that I've been putting off for I don't know how long. I've done the dishes and the laundry. Now I admit, I must get crackin'. So, my final(ish) fun stuff that I made:

First, the card I neglected to photo last time. I used Gamsol and a fun stamp set (called Sushi) to make this one.


Here's the inside. I had fun using the Stickles glitter to make everything a little bit sparkly.


Next, a quick card I made for someone who likes "swishies!" and glitter!


And finally, my Saturday afternoon project this week, a pincushion. It's kind of big for a pincushion, but it's just right for a slice of cake. It was fun to make. I had to rip one seam and I need a funnel for filling them if I ever make another, but all in all a success. I didn't put the little rose that the pattern called for because I like the sprinkles look of the fabric.

Mmm... Cake. Well, I guess that's it for this time. I'm going on vacation next week. Cannot wait. I will get a tan. I will sleep some. I will have some fun experiences. I will blog about it when I get back. I promise!

Three Movies, Three Cards...

Hi there. I have a bit of a headache, so this will be quick. I made a few more cards (four, to be exact, but I only have pictures of three because I left one at work - oops). For the first one, I used colored pencils and Gamsol to color the cute little bugs. That was fun while I watched Last Chance Harvey (cute movie, by the way).


This next one is my least favorite. You know how Chanel said to remove one thing before leaving the house? Well, I think this card may need to follow that advice. But, I'm not sure. It's just not quite as cool as I want it to be. Definitely not as good as the movie I watched during this card making - He's Just Not That Into You.


And finally, on this card I was trying for a little more manly. Or at least a little less girly. This one was difficult to stamp white on chocolate brown. I finally ended up using white embossing powder in addition to the white stamp pad. This one I made during Tale of Despereaux. Man, that is a cute mouse.

I made a card!

Well, you may have thought, "MH has forgotten all about her blog". But, it's not entirely true. I got a little bit over busy with work and Relay for Life, but now things are going better - so! This morning before work I made a card to congratulate a coworker on achieving that so-cool engineer status: The PE! (Professional Engineer - I take the test in October. I may whine about the studying required.) Here it is:


I was reading about inchies last night, so I decided to give them a try. My review? They're fun! I think I'll try them again sometime soon. I was in a big hurry, so this isn't anything too special, but it was fun to get back into making something. I plan to do some more soon. Here's the inside, with a fun stamp that was quite appropriate, I think. Also, I liked making it open like a book, even though it was a "landscape" card.

Well, that's it for now - it's been fun to be back!