Nutty Bubble

The drink I mentioned yesterday was none other than the Nutty Bubble at O'Douls. I went out on a limb when I ordered it, but I'm sure glad I did because we went back the next night to get another.

Ingredients:
Champagne
Splash of Frangelico
Splash of White Creme de Cacao

Seriously try it.

pic via

When is my next vacation?

Vancouver was fantastic. Relaxing. Fun. Just good times exploring the city and chillin' with Joe. However, now the only thing on my mind is "when is my next vacation?" and "can it please be longer?"

My answers: Soon and fo shizzle. Like a full week long.

Vancouver decided that it wanted to welcome us with a heavy dose of rain. As Seattlites, we came prepared with raincoats and umbrellas. Therefore, many of our pictures are 1) in raincoats and 2) self portraits because very few people were around. But here's a sampling:

Stanley Park. Rain schmain.

Canadians sure like to carve wood, eh?

Olympic torches. (I should photoshop the flames in...)

We went to a nice Italian restaurant, then got fun cocktails at the hotel bar. (My drink recipe to follow - it was delish) I got to wear my fun dress, but this is the best picture I got of it. Yes, it's the same dress I wore on New Years, but worn in a different way. Best. dress. EVER.

If you squint, you can see the Olympic rings in the background. (Above and slightly to the right of my head.) If you squint a little more, you can see a lady tanning topless on her boat.

(just kidding, there's no topless lady, but I totally had you, eh?)

Eh?

via

The Joester and I are headed north to beautiful British Columbia for a long weekend. We figured that Vancouver is probably in its prime post-Olympics, so might as well take advantage of it, eh? We honestly have no plans whatsoever, but I think that'll make it even more relaxing. Maybe Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, Olympic Village? Any suggestions are welcome, eh?

Sarah McLachlan, you won me over in this ad - the way the wind blew in your hair. Kim Cattrall, you were a close second... the way you held that wine glass, I was sold. Sign me up for a vacay in Vancouver, eh? (I'm practicing my Canadian... eh?)

My new best friend

Meet my new best friend. I took her on my long run last weekend and she was by my side the whole time. I know she's called "Nathan Trail Mix", but I think she's more like a girl. Very dependable, fashionable (orange is the new black, don't you know?), practical, sensitive, adapts to new situations, etc.

She's almost like Mary Poppins' purse - everything you need can fit. Water, yes x2. Gu chomps, yes. Bandaids for blisters, yes. Kleenex for runny nose, yes. iPod, yes. Extra bobby pins for stray hairs that won't get out of your face, yes. Lip balm, yes. What else do you need?

Thanks for letting me borrow your best friend, Olita!

Guns not allowed

Last weekend, we went to Northwest Trek for a little birthday party. Why did I never think about going to a zoo-type place for my birthday? It's so cool!

As you can see, I thought it was REALLY cool and took like 57 pictures of animals and NO pictures of people. Well done, Erika - because you know that in like 10 years when you look back on these pictures, you're going to be... simply... amazed, right? Oh well, next time.

But here's a little of what we saw. First up, a limb-gnawing wolf. And I got so close. I should have been wearing my "No Fear" t-shirt. (Don't tell me you didn't have one of your own.)

Like two peas in a pod. But actually two owls in a tree. Hoot hoot.

He was thinking, "Damn Gina! Give me some cookies!" Or maybe, "I want to eat you."

I texted my dad a picture of these elk with a message, "I should have brought my gun!" And he responded, "At that distance, a rock would do!" Then I threw a rock and got kicked out. Thanks for the advice, Dad!

(ok, not really, but then I found $20.)

Moose crossing. She's thinking, "So your favorite ice cream is Moose Tracks? I bet I can change your mind."

Fainting Goat Gelato

Last Friday, Joe and I decided that we wanted to try this whole Molly Moon's craze. But then we saw a line that wrapped around the block and decided we should find a plan B.

I have to say, plan B was delicious! Fainting Goat Gelato in Wallingford. I don't think I could tell the difference between the real stuff in Italy! I got cinnamon and stracciatella. Joe got strawberry and super dark chocolate. All four were amazing. And we didn't have to wait in line. I think you should go, but please take me with you.

I don't know why they decided to name it Fainting Goat Gelato, but it inspired us to dink around on YouTube to see these goats we've heard so much about. Now I want one as a pet. But I would also invest in a set of drums to make these loud, sharp noises that make them "faint". Then PETA would probably start knocking on my door... you win some, you lose some.

It's official: Healthcare reform passes!

Congrats Obama and all the people that have worked for this for YEARS! This is going to change healthcare in America for the better.

(This is a GMMB Healthcare Reform ad that recently won an Addy... so did mine!)

Happy 1st Birthday, SeattlePI.com

Last night, Steph and I headed to the Crocodile to celebrate the 1st birthday (or anniversary, take your pic) of the SeattlePI.com. It was sad to see the print edition go, but I'm happy that they are thriving as a dot com! The first major daily to make the transition to online-only and I can only imagine they will be used as a model since daily newspapers are struggling to survive. Go PI!

As a reader blogger, I got some VIP (Very Intelligencer Person) perks. Free Via Tribunalli pizza. Free drinks. Free Cupcake Royale cupcakes. Free fun!

Not only that, I got CALLED OUT in the welcome speech by the executive producer. Of the 200 contributing reader bloggers, she called out 2 of us. Two! She thanked me for sharing the benefits of beer for runners. Now I will be known as the girl that drinks and runs. Hey, I guess it's better than being known as the girl that drinks and is a couch potato, right?

Here's Globie and me. From the lipstick stains, you can tell he was quite the ladies man last night.

P.S. Hi Kathi! I hear you're reading my blog these days :)

57th Place

March Madness has begun. I'm currently tied (with multiple people) for last in 57th place. But it's only the beginning and it can't get any worse, so I'm still crossing my fingers that I jump up in the ranks. I'm not super into it, but I like fun, friendly competitions, so I take part.

I usually choose teams for mascots, colors, cool team names and the sort. Because, let's be honest, I'm not really going to spend countless hours analyzing the team stats just for a slight chance of actually winning. Nope, not me.

Zeke likes to choose only the dog mascot teams. (Go Dawgs!) Smart dog.

I've always been a big fan of the underdog as well. So that's why this little moment, despite not aligning with my bracket, made me smile today. Go Murray State. (For the record, it's in Kentucky. I just Googled it.)

Two Irishmen walk into a bar.

...they're still there.

(hehe.)

Happy St. Patty's Day! This year I'll be celebrating with some Irish stew at Stephers and then out to the Kangaroo and Kiwi for the second year in a row. I know, I know, it's not an Irish bar. BUT, it's Australian and shows a lot of rugby games, they have accents and serve Guiness. Irish-feel without the St. Patty's Day crowds of an Irish bar. Perfect.

I plan to wear my awesome clover glasses again (They were a hit last year as you can see above). Every year, I plan to write which bar I went to on the inside. Kind of a fun tradition, if you ask me.

Craving

I have a craving. Not quite as much as when I was craving cupcakes for 4.5 months. Well, more like ALWAYS. But right now, nothing sounds better than some Peanut Butter M&Ms. They also remind me of Lizzie because she used to have a dish in her room filled with them at all times. I'm pretty sure that dish alone made my clothes fit a bit tighter. (Well, that or the QFC bulk candy runs we'd go on before movie marathons.)

If I had to chose three candies that I could have access to whenever I wanted, they would be: Peanut Butter M&Ms, Junior Mints and Cadbury Mini Eggs. Ok, a fourth option would be jelly bellies. Mmmmm....

pic source

Gettin' our dance on

On Saturday, we got our dance on at the Frontier Room in Belltown. I don't think I've gone out dancing since our trip to Vegas last March, so I was due for a little boogie.

Belltown sure knows how to attract some creepers. They all stand around the dance floor and quietly observe all the ladies dancing. Stephanie actually got the courage to ask one that was precariously perched right next to us, "do you enjoy just watching everyone?" He said, "yes." Creep factor: 8. Creep factor 10 was reached when one guy was wearing gloves because he said that people were "germy."

Nonetheless, it was a really fun girl's night out!

Steph must have been telling a great story here. I wish I remembered what we were talking about. Maybe about the guy wearing gloves?

As you can see, a lot of creepers.

The ladies of the night.

Kimber's new bangin' bangs. And Autumn's amazing red lipstick.

This guy was our favorite creeper of the night. He didn't leave our side. We were trying to be sneaky by taking this pic, but I'm sure he knew exactly what we were doing. Oops.

danananananana HEY!

Go Sounders!

GMMB par-tayed at the Sounders game last night.

It was fun. A little wet and cold, but fun.

Andy decided that a head scarf would look more attractive than the small, small bandaid that is on his forehead. I'm sure he's regretting that now :)

Long-term To-Buy List

1. New, fancier bike. Like this maybe. Or just steal Kathryn's.


2. SLR camera. Or just steal Kathryn's.


3. Garmin watch. Too bad Kathryn doesn't have one I can steal.


4. New snowboarding gear.


5. iPhone. Kathryn, you should buy one so I can steal it.


6. A house. A pretty one, too. Like the one below right up the road from my place.


7. My own getaway island.

That's all for now. It's just a glimpse, but makes me want to start chumming with this guy. Or maybe I should move on to mi amigo, Carlos.

Isn't this house adorable? They were working in their garage the other day when I was running by and I almost stopped by to tell them how much I wanted it. Maybe they'd cut me a deal. I'd offer everything in my savings account, plus some girl scout cookies. No one can refuse girl scout cookies.

Best Reader Comments

People who comment on the PI blog are funny. That, or well, creepy. Here's a few of my favorites with a little context of what my post was actually about...

Posted about how running in the dark scares me. Fave comment:
"Being a full time creeper I'm not in favor of publicly lit paths or streets. How am I supposed to stay hidden in the bushes with all this light."

Posted about signing up for the full marathon - I thought it was so sweet and weird at the same time:
"I salute you Erika. You're a true inspiration to men and women all over this beautiful land."

Posted about the Winter Pineapple Classic with a link to some photos from race day: (Holden, was this you? Mr. Unregistered User.)
"Nice work! Congrats on the quick time! Your friend is very attractive!!"

Posted about loving my sports bra (so I guess I like to talk about sports bras):
"I have switched my sports-bra allegiance to lululemon's "Ta-ta Tamer" (my husband cracks up whenever I say that)..."

and

"Halleluiah sister. I LOVE Title 9. I use to wear 2 sports bras on top of each other and had bruises on my chin before I found them. They also have a stellar customer service team."

Posted about fave pre-run snack. This person knows what they're talking about:
"Snickers!"

Posted about the hilly Leavenworth Oktoberfest half marathon:
"If there is beer, then the hills are far easier." True dat.

Ok, now all this running talk (A little excessive lately? I know) makes me want to go get some pizza. Like this. Yummm, pepperoni.

pic

A spring in my step

I am not a big fan of mornings.

I am a big fan of being social and hanging out with friends.

Add training for a marathon in the mix and it looks like I have a choice to make. Sleep an extra hour in the morning and bail on friends at night for my run? Or get my lazy butt out of bed in the morning so I can actually have time for the people in my life?

My choice: Run in the morning.

I won't say it was easy this morning. Definitely not. There was that moment when I laid in bed and thought to myself, 'do I really need to run today?' I didn't let the devil win. I threw on my running gear and headed out the door. After only 50 yards, I was feelin' good. I even picked up my normal pace. Good moooooorning, Seattle!

There were several runners on the trail and let me say – morning runners are a different breed. It's like they are more efficient. As if they are getting more bang for their buck in the day. I mean, yes, I do get in my runs according to schedule, but morning runners seem to be just a bit more hardcore. Adding a little spring in their step right from the get-go. I salute you, morning runners. And now, I would like to join you.

May this post be proof that I, Erika Peterson, will commit to running in the morning two days a week while training for this marathon.

Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted, unless I'm taking a nap…

(And yes, I repurposed this post from the PI blog. Creative juices to switch it up aren't really flowing, people... Maybe it was from the early morning?)

7 wonders, maybe 8

After a beautiful Saturday morning run, I decided I needed to bite the bullet and finally buy a new sports bra. Last year, I found a bra that completely changed my perspective on sports bras - who would have thought a bra can work magic?

So I ran by Title Nine to pick up my much-needed sports bra. It's amazing. They call is the 7 Wonders bra, but I'm thinking there has to be an eighth wonder in there. I swear this this picture should be added next to "support" in the dictionary.

TGIF

My dad reminded me that he and my mom are headed to HAWAII in three weeks, so he asked for a list of all of the "must" try drinks in alphabetical order. I like where his mind is at: Drinks. That's usually where my mind is on a Friday after a loooong week. TGIF.

Then I started craving my favorite Hawaiian cocktail: The Lava Flow.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum
• 2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 small banana
• 2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
• 2 oz. coconut cream

Preparation
Blend the 2 rums and the strawberries in a blender to form a smooth paste. Pour this mixture into a tall (Collins or Hurricane) glass. Rinse the blender. Blend the banana, the coconut cream, and the pineapple juice in blender with crushed ice until smooth. Pour this mixture into the glass with the rums very slowly and watch as the strawberry mixture oozes its way to the top along the sides of the glass creating the flowing lava effect. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and paper umbrella.

Add a little sunshine and sandy beach. It's like heaven on earth.

pic source

Seattle Morning

Someone just posted this picture on Twitter this morning. I really like it. It was taken in Green Lake and it makes me miss my old hood. Perhaps I should take a jaunt around the lake this evening? Yes, I think I will.

Tractor Tavern

My retinas are burned from what I witnessed last Saturday night at the Tractor Tavern: The OPSB Rugby Club fundraiser, the Full Monty.

Kathryn's hubby plays on the team and she twisted my arm to join her for this unpredictable evening. (Ok, I went freely, but would never have considered it if I wasn't going to support someone I actually knew! And for the record, Pat kept it classy.) Not only did we see scantily clad rugby players shining from baby oil, we also were immersed in an interesting crowd of, do I dare say, desperate women.

Here's a list of what we saw:
1. Crushed velvet tank top.
2. Mini-skirt (that just barely covered her butt) with a beer belly hanging out in front.
3. One lady apparently was too lazy to actually hold her beer in her hand, so she kept it in her cleavage. Classy.
4. Sequin dresses. Not just 1, but multiple. (Umm, ladies, we're at the Tractor! Not Belltown. Not Pioneer Square. Ballard.)
5. There were cougars galore. Like seriously, these rugby players are pretty young, but there were some cougar ladies nights out happening up in there.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. There was all sorts of awesomeness and inappropriateness going on.

Baking Day

To celebrate a successful 6-miler yesterday, I decided to celebrate by recreating Baking Day!

Awhile ago, Stephers and I had a little baking day where we chose two recipes and had at it. Last time we made coconut macaroons and s'more crisps - both were a hit in our respective offices! This time we opted for streusel cupcakes and heavenly hash.

Despite some uncertainties in the process (umm, this looks nothing like the photo - did we do something wrong?!), they actually turned out quite good. Results indicate another smash hit! I'm thinking there might be a second career here.

And yes, we staged the last two photos for my blog. It was fun. Don't judge us. (But if you do, I don't blame you) Photo credit goes out to Miss Stephanie.