3rd Anniversary Recap {or to Salish or Not to Salish}

As I mentioned a while back, I was so excited to score a Costco deal on a night's stay at the locally famous Salish Lodge and Spa (more widely known as the real-life Great Northern from the cult classic Twin Peaks), which overlooks Snoqualmie Falls. Both Andy and I were really looking forward to having a relaxing getaway to celebrate three years of married life.

Source

So how did the experience measure up to our expectations? Read on, friend, read on.

We arrived early to the Lodge, so we could make full use of all of its amenities. In typical Seattle fashion in November, it was raining. We were greeted by the complimentary valet service, and I was spared raindrops by the courteous valet's handy use of an umbrella. Nice touch! We entered the lobby with its double-sided fireplace and friendly receptionists, and were given an itinerary for our stay. Fancy. Then we dropped off our bags and took in our new digs for the next sixteen hours.

A view of the Snoqualmie River that leads to the Falls.

Tell me the girl in the middle isn't texting.

Andy planned on us having three-and-a-half hours to swim and soak in the spa's hot tub before our scheduled massage later that evening. Well, it turns out that a soaking pool is just a fancy term for hot tub. No swimming, then. Darn! To ease our sorrows, we watched the conclusion of the Seahawks game. Fortunately, the team managed to pull off a win, just barely, for a final score of 13-12.

Will we win?!?

Cutting it reaaaallly close. 

Phew! Now we can get this vacation started.

The Spa

Included with our package was two hours to use the mineral soaking pools located in the Spa. We donned our swimsuits and the provided robes and one-size-fits-all slippers and prepared to soak all our cares away. After a brief mix-up, in which I wore the larger-sized robe, and Andy wore the smaller one, we were on our way.

Andy had never had a massage before, and my only experience was a massage at the Gene Juarez Salon for Mother's Day, so Andy's standards were average and mine were really high. Turns out the mineral soaking pools were two salt-water hot tubs with no jacuzzi jets. Oh, and did I mention that the Spa was co-ed? Andy and I were the only ones in the pool area for about five minutes. Then we were joined by two men. Then several sets of couples. I'm sure we all felt pretty awkward about sharing the space.

Not content to just sit in a pool of essentially still, hot water, we explored the other parts of the Spa: a steam room (Too much like a Missouri summer, I decided), a sauna (It burns when I breathe through my nose!), two showers, a unisex bathroom, and a lounge area with nuts and water/tea. I felt like we were playing a game with the other guests...Okay, we're going to hide, and you're not going to seek us, okay???

Finally it was our turn to get our individual massages. My massage was relaxing, and well-done. My massage therapist and I discussed her failed marriage, the joys and challenges of raising children, her theories about what causes infertility and PCOS, and how she decided at the age of 40 to go back to school and become a massage therapist. 18 years later and she still loves her job. Not everyone can say that.

The Attic

After our massages, we headed upstairs to The Attic, for a late dinner and drinks. The Attic has a trendy, loft vibe, and they make a killer wood-fired Bacon and Onion pizza. I had to try a Twin Peaks' themed cocktail, The Dale Cooper: cloves and honey mingled with gin. We were seated by the Falls, and marveled at their power. I had a funny thought of someone going out at night to turn off the Falls. Nope, it doesn't sleep. We ended up seeing the Royals beat the Mets in the final game of the World Series. Very impressed with relaxed atmosphere of The Attic, the excellent pizza and drinks, and the great view of the Falls. I would definitely come back again.

A Dale Cooper and a damn fine cup of coffee, naturally. 

No, that's not Santa's beard. It's a fuzzy picture of the Falls at night.

The Sleep

As we were settling down for a night of unbroken sleep, we heard some strange noises coming from upstairs. And then some more noises. What was going on up there? Obviously, we didn't really want to know. Let's just say we were really thankful that we packed earplugs.

The Dining Room

The next morning we awoke late (for parents, anyway), so we could make our 9 am reservation for breakfast at the Dining Room. We reluctantly removed ourselves from the comfortable and warm bed with visions of eggs, bacon, and biscuits dancing in our heads. The Dining Room is charming, but the main attraction is the stunning view of Snoqualmie Falls. Originally we were seated away from the window, but I boldly asked if we could move to a window table when it opened up about ten minutes into our meal. I never used to do things like that, but after having a baby, I'm a lot more fearless. I figured the worst thing that could happen was that the waitress would say no.

Once we moved to our new table by the window, we settled into our gourmet breakfasts: Andy ordered the Country Breakfast, a multi-course tour-de-breakfast, with scones, fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gourmet coffee. I opted for the Crab Eggs Benedict with fried potatoes. We split a Mimosa, because, you only have a third anniversary once. It was oh-so-delicious, and way more than we could eat. So we requested to-go boxes, and headed down to the Falls.

All that's missing from the Country Breakfast is a tweed coat. 

Crab Eggs Benedict

The Falls

The Falls were at near flood conditions, so it felt almost intimidating to stand near the railing. I was so nervous about accidentally dropping my phone camera to the surging water below that I took part of a video through the railing bars.

Twin Peaks used exterior shots of the Salish Lodge and the Snoqualmie Falls for its opening credits.

Fun fact: Snoqualmie Falls is 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls.

This was the only shot we managed to get before the downpour.

Just as we tried to get our picture taken by the Falls, it started to pour. And I mean, pour. Even with our rain jackets, we were not prepared for such a deluge, and so we headed back to the car, soaked and chilled. We had already checked out of the Lodge, and still had a few hours before we were expected back, so what should we do now?

The Chatty Docent

We decided to head to the quaint, sleepy town of Snoqualmie, in an effort to warm up a bit before the half hour drive back to Andy's parents' house. We were greeted by a very knowledgeable and chatty docent at the Northwest Railway Museum. She was more than happy to finally have visitors on a slow and rainy Monday morning. She regaled us with the local history, and suggested we come back for their yearly Santa Train.

Downtown Snoqualmie

The Brew

We finished our getaway with a stop at the Snoqualmie Brewing Company for their porter and stout (we be dark beer kind of people). Then we meandered our way back to reality, where a very well looked after Mr. D awaited us.

Andy wasn't sure what I was trying to do...a peace sign? No, three years, silly! 

Will we return to Salish Lodge? 

Probably not. We will definitely return to see the Falls, which is such a short drive from us anyway, and never fails to impress. We will probably also eat at the Dining Room again for their amazing breakfast and views. But, honestly, our experience staying there overnight was pretty average. The room was nice and all, but we've stayed at nicer places (here, for example, last year in Leavenworth) for a fraction of the price (even with the Costco deal!).

Now we know that Salish Lodge is like a lot of things here in the Northwest--way overpriced. So while the location is incredible, you can get the same experience by eating at the restaurant. And you definitely can find comfortable beds and jacuzzi tubs elsewhere for less.

The mystery is gone, Salish Lodge.

Fortunately, we still had a great time. Good food, good views, and best of all, the love of my life.

For all those married readers, how did you celebrate your last anniversary? And for those who have stayed at Salish Lodge, how was your experience? 

Christmas Traditions 2013

December proved to be even busier than November (I don't know how that is possible, but there you have it). No, we didn't move again, but we did have a lot of Christmas celebrations and get-togethers. Here are some fun Christmas traditions that we took part in this year:

Garden d'Lights

How does a botanical garden attract visitors during the winter months? By having a Christmas Light display, of course! Andy and I had a double date with Ron and Merrie to see this light-a-polooza. We had fun spotting animals and flowers--iguanas and dragons, turtles, and sunflowers.

I spy with my little eye...

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker Suite. 

I didn't realize this until I moved to Seattle last year, but they have their own version of The Nutcracker up here. Maurice Sendak (of Where the Wild Things Are fame) worked with the PNB to create a production of that is very delightful, if very stylized. It successfully pleases the children and the young at heart in the audience. Andy and I went last year, and this year Merrie accompanied us.

A scene stealer

Making a Snow...person...er...woman

December also surprised us with a bonafide snow storm. We got about two inches of snow overnight--enough to blanket the ground and provide the satisfying "crunch" when trampled. Andy and I took a nice walk around the neighborhood to admire the snow. Everything looks better with snow, wouldn't you agree? After our walk, we made a snowperson. I decided it was a snow-woman because she was decidedly too curvy to be a man. For some reason, when I refer to her, I start out by saying we made a snow-person. Very PC of me. ;) It was the kind of snow that you could roll up easily--to build up a ball, you just had to roll it along the grass, and it picked up all the snow, leaving only grass behind. 

In front of our house

Isn't she terrifyingly beautiful?

Christmas Smorgasbord

 Since we were going to St. Louis to spend Christmas with my side of the family, we decided to have a pre-Christmas celebration with Andy's family at our new house. That way we could still spend Christmas with them AND get to show off our new house. I honestly couldn't have done it without the help and wisdom of my mother-in-law Merrie. She came up with the idea of having a Smorgasbord, instead of having me do all the cooking by myself. So each of the guests brought something different, and everything was true to the Swedish Smorgasbord form. We had Swedish meatballs, Lefse (potato pancake), cheesy potato casserole, Lingonberry Sauce, my very first attempt at homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Rice Pudding for dessert. Afterwards we went to Andy's wind ensemble holiday concert. And when we came back, we didn't have any dishes to worry about, because the men in Andy's family (and women) had cleaned up before we left. Unfortunately, in all the excitement, I didn't take any pictures. Oops.

Seahawks Game

Okay, so maybe this isn't a Christmas tradition, but I wanted to include it on the December list. Andy has been a Seahawks fan for pretty much his whole life, and had never been to a professional football game. We decided that 2013 was the year that was going to change. It turns out that football games are ridiculously expensive (when your team is good). They are also ridiculously intense (especially when the home team loses to a lesser team, breaking a two year winning streak at home). It was one of those stereotypical days in Seattle (you know, the kind that people think Seattle has all the time). Misty/rainy, cold, bone-chilling. You would think that would give us an advantage, seeing as we were playing the Arizona Cardinals. But alas, our offense was sleeping the whole time. If it wasn't for our defense, we wouldn't have even scored a touchdown. Okay, enough sports talk (Are you impressed with my football know-how? You should be.) Fortunately, I do understand the game of football now. Also fortunately, I have not picked up some of the lingo of my fellow sportsfans (profanity, anyone?). In a stadium known for being loud, we made some make-shift earplugs out of Subway napkins, but that wasn't enough to drown out the raucous fans. 

So in sum: professional football games seem to be akin to the spectacles at the Circus Maximus: Profanity, drunkenness, inappropriate dancing, and, of course, special effects (see below). Will we go again? Perhaps. But next time we'll try to go to a Seahawks vs. Rams game...in September. 

We had a nice birds-eye view of the field.

Flames shot out as the Seahawks ran on the field.

Traveling on December 23

Traveling around Christmas is new to me. The lines were a lot longer (to be expected). People were a little more on edge (also to be expected). But what was unexpected was the Eve of Christmas Eve in the Seattle airport. As we were approaching our gate, a man on a tall unicycle (he was about 6 feet up in the air) shouted, "Tall latte for 39. Did you order a tall latte? I've been looking everywhere!" Then at the gate, Santa and an elf drove up, spreading Christmas cheer with a jovial, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" One of the ladies at the gate with us responded emphatically, "Thank you! And thank you for saying 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays.'" Santa greeted the lady warmly, and then passed out gifts to the children at the gate. Ten minutes later, a group of carolers, dressed in Victorian costume, began singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." I thought those were nice gestures to make the hectic holiday traveling experience a little more pleasant. 

Christmas in Missouri

We made it to Missouri with only a minor delay. My dad came to pick us up, and treated us to dinner at my favorite local Mexican restaurant. Christmas Eve was spent decorating the house, making cookies, and watching Christmas movies. Andy and I intended to go to the Midnight Mass, but by 10 we were exhausted. So we went to Mass the next day, with my sister Liz and her husband Jeremy and their children. It was nice to be able to spend a bit of time with my niece and nephew before everyone else came together. As can be expected, Christmas with 6 children, ages 3 and under is a very cute, but also very noisy experience. The first "generation" of nieces and nephews is growing up so fast...they seem to have boundless energy and enormous vocabularies.

Poinsettias or flames in the foreground? You decide.

Unfortunately, we spent about half of our Christmas holidays sick with the flu. Andy started feeling sick Christmas Day, and I came down with it a day later. We had to cancel and postpone plans with friends and family. But worst of all was that two of my sisters and their families got sick, too. By New Years' Eve we were feeling better, and got to spend the evening with our dear friends Jamie and Jarrod.

New Years Resolution #1: no more getting sick! We'll see how long that one lasts...

Life lately...

...has been crazy busy. Hence no blog posts for almost two months. Lest you believe I've fallen off the face of the earth, I will regale you with some glimpses into the past two months over here.

At the end of September, we moved. That's right. We bought a house. The whole process from start to finish took less than two months. So in Marie time, that's like two seconds passed between Andy and me casually agreeing one night, "Let's start to look for a house" and then being almost entirely moved in (thanks to the help of friends and family).

Flash forward a week later (that's right...A WEEK!), and I flew to Omaha to begin my training to become a FertilityCare Practitioner. I spent a grueling 8 days there, studying with people from all over the country, and the world (12 countries were represented). It was awesome, but exhausting, to be honest.

The day after I got back was Andy's birthday (yay, 27!). Sidenote: Before I left for Omaha, I joked with Andy that he'd have the whole house completely remodeled by the time I got back. Well, he may not have had it completely remodeled, but he did an incredible amount of work, anyway. He found two additional cabinets that look identical to the existing ones at Habitat for Humanity's warehouse and installed them in the kitchen. He moved the refrigerator from its awkward position in the corner to a place where you can actually open the doors all the way. He installed an additional cabinet in the bathroom. Plus, he got rid of these incredibly creepy black hand towel rack and toilet paper holders, and replaced them with normal metal ones. (Why the former owner would ever have installed these, I have no idea. The idea of hands coming out of the wall is just creepy.) He also got rid of some carpet in one of our upstairs closets that must have been original to the house in the 1960s. It reeked of smoke, and frankly made the whole room smell like an ashtray. Andy replaced it with some wood laminate. Since I've been home, he's done a lot more, but that's for another post.

Then we hosted a Halloween Party for some of our friends. We live in a neighborhood with lots of kids, so we figured we should be prepared for trick-or-treaters. Andy and I dressed up as the two main characters from the Dick van Dyke Show, Rob and Laura Petrie, respectively. I have played the part of a 50s housewife at Halloween before, so being a 60s housewife wasn't a huge stretch. Andy tried to comb over his hair to a side part, but his hair is just too short. But he definitely can pull off the tall and lanky look that Dick Van Dyke is known for. Our friends from church, Adam and Caitlin, dressed up as Charlie Brown and Lucy from the Peanuts cartoon, and brought their two little girls: Claire as Snoopy, and their 10-day-old baby Maggie, as Woodstock. One of our traditions is to watch the Peanuts holiday movies, and so it was perfect to watch "The Great Pumpkin" with the characters present! Claire particularly was entranced with the cartoon...and the candy corn on the coffee table. She also liked to go down the stairs, to check out the trick-or-treaters who came to the door.

Last weekend, Andy and I celebrated our first anniversary in Gig Harbor. Neither of us had been there before, so it was a real treat to be touristy together in the quaint fishing community. We stayed in an inn right on the water...our doors led out to a private dock. We ate dinner at the Anthony's there (of course!), which was just a block down from our hotel. The weather turned overnight, and Saturday was blustery and cold. That was our day out and about, but we made the best of it. While we were in the local history museum, the power went out. We were in the middle of watching footage of "Galloping Gertie," the first bridge across the Tacoma Narrows, as it twisted out of control and collapsed. Fortunately the electricity came on a few minutes later, and we were able to resume the film. Afterwards we went to the Heritage Distilling Company, where we tasted several different kinds of whiskey, and then got to take a tour and learn about the distilling process. That evening we ate sushi and drank sake at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that had been recommended on tripadvisor. It was delicious. :) It was a beautiful weekend, and it was so great to get away from the craziness of life lately.

This week I have been preparing for my first Introductory Session, which is scheduled for November 12 at our church. I will be providing an overview of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System to people interested in natural family planning methods. I have no idea how many people (if any) are coming. I just hope I will be able to say what I need to say...no more and no less!

Well, that's been life lately for us. How are things going for you?

My First Birthday as a Mrs.; My 26th as a Marie

It began with roses.

Twelve red ones the day before my birthday. Andy came home with them after work. “But my birthday isn’t until tomorrow!” I said. He grinned; he had surprised me by being early. The following morning, he let me sleep in (that’s not unusual, I often sleep longer than he does). I awoke to the smell of waffles baking and to the sound of classical music from the radio. {Andy is in charge of making breakfast on the weekends, and he is quite the breakfast chef—waffles, bacon, eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns (made from scratch!), French toast casserole, etc. But this was a weekday!}

Groggy and sleep-headed, I slowly made my way to the dining room. Waffles stacked high, freezer jam and butter to accompany them, tea, apple juice, a present near my plate, two slices of a pear in the shape of a heart on my plate, and the roses he had brought home the night before all awaited my enjoyment.

We savored our breakfast, taking a bit longer than we usually do on a weekday. Andy had given me a beautiful card and two items I had requested (the movie Casablanca and a salad dressing shaker) and one that he had selected (Sabrina, with Harrison Ford). “That’s the version I grew up with,” Andy explained. I had brought the original version of Sabrina (starring Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn) into our marriage. “I thought we could add it to our collection.” 

We got ready for Mass at our parish. Such a great way to start out any day, but especially important ones like birthdays. Afterwards, we stopped and talked with one of our friends. Andy brought me home, and then he went into his “office” and I started studying in my “office.” Andy had arranged to make dinner that night, and I had suggested a recipe that I love and Andy has made before: Kidney Cornbean Pie (thanks, Christina!). That would have been treat enough, but Andy also made Rice Pilaf (a family specialty) and a delicious Waldorf salad.

We then sat down to watch our new version of Sabrina. About halfway through the movie, Andy got up to get some dessert. We had Klondike bars in the freezer, so I assumed that was what he was getting. Well, from the rustling of a paper bag and the striking of a match, I started to wonder if Andy had something else in mind. He came out of the kitchen with a DQ ice cream cake (the “log” version) with one “candle” on top, and started singing Happy Birthday. I made a wish, and blew out the “candle,” which turned out to be a matchstick (Andy realized too late that we didn’t have any birthday candles).

The Birthday Celebrations Continue the Following Day...

The original plan was to celebrate my birthday as well as Andy's Grandpa Dick's birthday (which are both on September 17) at Andy’s family’s favorite restaurant, Anthony's Homeport. Anthony's is basically the best restaurant ever, as it has fresh, awesome seafood, and all of their locations provide stunning waterfront views (and if you're lucky, views of the mountains). We try to go on a weeknight, because before 6 they offer "sunset dinners," which include an appetizer, salad or chowder, a main course, and then dessert, all for about the same price as a normal entree. Delicious and economical? I'm there! 

Unfortunately, Grandpa Dick and his wife Mary couldn't come to dinner with us, as he was feeling under the weather. But very fortunately, our friends Adam and Caitlin and their adorable 18-month-old Claire were able to come instead (and of course Maggie was there too...we can't wait to meet her in the next month or so!). So a good time was had by all (although I'm not sure that Claire was impressed by the whole "gourmet mashed potatoes on a cracker" idea: it ended up on the floor.) 

My mother-in-law Merrie gave me my very own "Today's Your Special Day" plate, which is a tradition in Andy's family. Plus, as she pointed out, this plate can be used on any "special day," not just on birthdays. Oh, the great things you can find at Value Village and Goodwill!

We left the restaurant feeling very full (as usual) but very happy! 

Thank you to everyone who made my day(s) special! From phone calls, thoughtful cards, fun gifts, and quality time, I felt loved and cherished. Here's to another year full of exciting adventures! 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Take me out to the ballgame...

Andy is on a mission. A mission to 1. get me more interested in sports, and 2. go to professional sporting events with me so that he can 3. have fun and 4. get me more interested in sports. I mostly jest, but I would say that, while Andy is not a sports fanatic, he is a sports fan. He grew up playing soccer, and going to several baseball games each year. My family, on the other hand, had no interest in sports, except as a mere passing cultural interest. "Ah, yes, the baseball game...Americana at its best." So we were lucky if we went to one baseball game every couple years. I could be wrong (sisters, feel free to correct me on this one), but I think I was the most interested in sports of the four of us. As in, I played volleyball in middle school, and actually wanted to go to baseball games during the summer. So, Andy has his work cut out for him.

Take me out to the crowd...

Ready for some baseball!

"I'm really excited..." Andy grinned, a bit sheepishly, as we approached the Safeco Field Baseball Stadium. We joined a mini procession of people--families decked out in baseball caps and shirts with players' names boldly printed on the backs, young couples on a date, and soon-to-be-raucous groups of single thirty-somethings, eager to get inside so they could get some beer. That's one of the really cool things about baseball games--everyone comes. On the big screen, we were introduced to an African American woman who was celebrating her 102nd birthday. "She looks great for 102!" Andy exclaimed. "I hope I look that good when I'm 80" I thought.

We successfully navigated past a young man with a sign warning us to "Repent! and escape Hell-fire," an older veteran, shouting something unintelligible from a megaphone, and scalpers wanting our extra tickets. We sat in the outfield, and in just the right location so that we got the brunt of the setting sun (We shouldn't complain, though, because the days are coming when we will miss the sun!). 

Our actual view. Note the sunlight in the top right corner of the photo.

Zoomed in, and they still look like ants.

Something curious I've noticed about Seattle: during the singing of the national anthem, I saw only one or two people in the crowd placing a hand over their heart. And I think I was the only one singing. Growing up in the Midwest, I remember everyone always placed a hand over his/her heart, in addition to standing and removing one's hat. Is this a dying tradition?

Buy me some peanuts and cracker* jack...

We brought most of our food to the game, because the prices are just plain ridiculous at the stadium. Ten dollars for a cheap beer? You've got to be kidding me. But we did decide to splurge on sharing some funnel cake during the sixth inning. At six dollars, it was worth it!  *Incidentally, I kept on accidentally saying, "Apple Jacks" instead of cracker jacks. Oh well.

I don't care if I never get back...

Yep. We know we're cute.

Baseball games are loooooooong. I always forget this. Fortunately, we brought some cushions to sit on. And they do their best to keep you entertained with songs, and the "wave," and hat tricks. And if you really wanted to, you could just hang out in the beer garden the whole game. We didn't do that, though.

Let me root, root, root for the Mariners, if they don't win it's a shame...

Well, we did our best, really, to support the Mariners. But, c'mon, they only have one player with more than .300 batting average! Sheesh! (Andy tells me that if you have less than .300, you're not very good). I wasn't expecting that we'd win, since the Mariners are notorious right now for being awful. But it was really bad.

For it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game!

The Mariners were the last to bat, since we were the home team. The score was 1 to 5 at that point, and it was clear that the Mariners had given up. The last batter tried three times to hit a home run (couldn't he just have gotten on base?), and struck out. Those of us who were still left (people started heading out during the 8th inning, when it was clear we weren't going to win), left with heavy hearts.

On our way back to our car, a street performer was playing "Walking My Baby Back Home" on a saxophone. And as we walked, hand in hand, I reflected that a baseball game is more about the experience than winning or losing. And as cheesy as it sounds, making memories with the ones you love.
 

You are welcome!