Seattle

Last weekend we escaped ABQ and our children for a fun (and fast) getaway in Seattle. Our friends, Ian & Paige, flew in from Phoenix and met us for a weekend of cold but clear weather, drinking, seafood, shopping, drinking, eating and just the tiniest bit of wrestling. Our visit exceeded any expectations that I had for the weekend. Tony, Ian and I have known each other since junior college where they played football together until they both received scholarships to out of state schools. Ironically, their schools ended up being only 4 hours away from each other. The world can be a very small place. Ian introduced us to Paige after meeting her at Adams State and I remember thinking that she was a total bitch...which didn't last very long because she ended up becoming one of my very best friends and a bridesmaid in our wedding. After years of falling out of touch we reunited earlier this year and it did not take long to remember how awesome we both are. We instantly vowed that we would talk / hang out more often and this weekend was a great start to rekindling a friendship that I missed so much.

Reunited...And It Feels So Good!

We arrived Friday afternoon to brisk but clear weather. After dropping off our things, we began a walk down to the waterfront and our first stop of the night, Elliott's Oyster Bar. I enjoyed cocktails while the rest of the gang enjoyed oysters (and cocktails) and before long we were moseying along the streets of downtown Seattle, enjoying libations at each stop. We met nice people and strange people, stuffed ourselves with various seafood tidbits and failed to find an alcoholic beverage for less than $14. Seattle is not a place for those on a budget. After returning to our amazing crashpad for the weekend a wrestling match of sorts ensued...which ended in bite marks, slightly blackened eyes, bloody toenails, ripped shirts and undergarments and Paige doing her best impression of a spider monkey on Tony's back. How I managed to stay completely out of it (and therefore unscathed) I will never know, but I am pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that the room was on my credit card and I had signed my life away if any damage was discovered. Either way, all's well that ends well....there were no hard feelings come morning (but there was an awful lot of complaining!)

Us Before The Night of Debauchery

The next morning we began our day as tourists, heading down to see (and stand in line for WAY TOO long) the 1st Starbucks and Pike's Place Market. The market was my favorite. Local artists, local crafts, local food. Uh-Maze-Ing.

Get In My Belly!

After a little shopping we headed back to the room to begin preparations for dinner at the top of the Space Needle that night. We arrived just as the sun was setting and enjoyed a feast that included items like roasted marrow bones and crab cakes. Mental note: skip the roasted marrow bones. No matter how elitist they may be.

Our Unique Restaurant For The Evening

Although we talked about being in bed early Saturday night (Tony and I had to be up by 4am to catch our flight) we decided that sleep was overrated and time away from our kids was not, so we headed out for another night on the town. A much more mellow night on the town albeit but still out until midnight. Seattle was such a fun place to indulge on everything that we rarely get to do and most importantly hang out with great friends!