Harry Potter

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post. I recently became consumed by Harry Potter. I originally read the first book when it came out and didn't like it very much (I know, people told me I was crazy and had no taste). When I got around to seeing the first movie, I thought it was okay. I ended up seeing all the movies as they came out due to the excitement of my friends and they got better and better. I slowly became more and more of a fan with the release of each movie.

A couple of months ago, Matt decided he wanted to sit down and read all the books. I thought that sounded like fun, so I let him get started before I took the plunge. Seven books later I have to admit I am a huge fan. As good as the movies are, the books add so much more depth to the story as a whole. One of the things I love is how connected all of them are. Key parts of the seventh book, for example, draw from the earlier books (even going back to the first and second). We had a little marathon last weekend and watched movies 1-5, and I was left wanting to see the rest of the story and felt like I needed to read the last two books again. I've had dreams featuring all sorts of characters - from Harry, Ron and Hermione to Snape and Lord Voldemort...even Hagrid and Madame Maxine.

There is only one thing I don't like about the Harry Potter books: the way they are marketed. These are NOT children's stories. Maybe the first one would be okay for an older child to read, but from there they get scarier and darker. I see no harm in adults enjoying a brilliantly written story -- but the content is much too intense for children. Why are they sold in the children's section of all bookstores?? I know I'm not a parent yet, but I can't imagine giving this series to my child to read. J.K. Rowling wrote a fantastic story about good wizards and bad wizards that live in a world like ours outside of our realm of sight (we are muggles after all), but the reader needs to understand the distinction between a story and reality before letting this seven-book series consume their life.

If you haven't read the books or seen the movies, I would highly recommend it. For those of you with limited time, the movies are very true to the story and would be a good substitute if you don't have a couple of weeks to dedicate to reading the books, although the books are much better than the movies. Be warned - these books are very difficult to put down and highly addictive. I already want to read them again...

My Recent Travels: Portland

This past weekend Matt and I had the opportunity to visit Portland to see my sister-in-law (Cara), her husband (Dustin) and their son (Moses). Of course, the reason we went was because we wanted to see them, but the trip also gave us a great taste of Portland (literally) as we were shown around by locals. Now, I'd visited Portland before with a few friends when I was in college, and we had a great time, but I wasn't previously aware that this city is rumored to have the most restaurants per capita than any other city. Whether it's true or not, the fact they have that rumor makes it an even cooler destination for me. One of my all-time favorite activities is eating. As is hanging out with people. So a weekend full of hanging out with people while eating makes it a trip well-spent.

I'm a strong believer that hole-in-the-wall or family-owned restaurants taste better than giant chains. Don't get me wrong, I love the big guys, too, but when I'm traveling I like to try places I can't get at home. Although we were only there for a couple of days, we had the privilege of experiencing six different food businesses (not all of them were for full meals):

1. After trying to go to a couple of Ethiopian places that were closed, we decided to give Russell Street Bar-B-Que a try for lunch on Saturday. I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich which was quite tasty, and everyone else seemed to enjoy the Smoked Beef Brisket. I think what I liked best, though, was the decor. They had a lot of cute pigs all over, and there was a sign by the entrance that said abandon children would be given double espressos and...something else I can't remember right now, but remember thinking it was amusing.

2. I had read about Voodoo Donuts online a few days before our trip, so I was sure to request that as a location to stop by. The line was really long -- out the door and down the street -- but it also went quickly and was definitely worth the wait. My two favorites were the one that had oreos all over the top and the maple bar with bacon on top. I know this sounds a little odd, but the bacon combined with the maple flavor is quite tasty.

3. Something came up over the course of conversation about these Food Carts at SE 12th and Hawthorne that have fries, burritos, BBQ and crepes. As soon as I heard crepes, we had to go there. These sweet and savory crepes are made with all sorts of ingredients. The one part I didn't like was how long it took to get my crepe - Matt was able to think about getting a burrito, go over, get one, wait for it, come back, think about eating it, eat it, and still wait around...but my chocolate and pear crepe was still delicious and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

4. Cara happened to have a coupon for Cha Taqueria, so we decided to go there for lunch on Sunday. Now, Mexican food can sometimes be a bit tricky for me since I can't eat cheese, don't like tomatoes, and can't handle spicy food. I'm always able to find something I can eat, though, and I usually like it okay, but the "something" I found to eat at Cha Taqueria was amazing. Even without the cheese, the Alambre (Grilled steak, bacon, ham, peppers, and onions served on a sizzling skillet with handmade tortillas and all the fixings) was quite delectable. I was really sad when I realized we forgot our leftovers in the hotel fridge on the way back home...because it was GOOD. The restaurant overall was really nice. It had a chic feel, and you could tell from the decor that dinner/nightlife was where most of its business came in. Their prices on the lunch menu seemed quite reasonable, though, and the portions were large enough that I could've easily made at least two meals out of my entree.

5. Dustin happens to be a very talented musician, and he also happened to be playing at Mississippi Pizza Sunday evening, so we got to eat some good pizza while listening to some good music. Overall, I really liked the feel of Mississippi Pizza. It had a kind of eclectic feel, and had a separate room where they featured the musicians. While a lot of places with live music turn into people listening to the performers as background music (which doesn't make much sense because you have to yell at each other to hear the conversation and don't have a chance to appreciate those on stage), the way the room was set up made it easy for people to sit, listen, enjoy the music and socialize afterward. The pizza was good, too, which certainly gives additional motivation for people to come back.

6. The last food establishment we had time to visit was The Waffle Window, a window off the side of a restaurant that serves waffles topped with sweet or savory flavors. Sadly, Cara wasn't able to join us (although hopefully we'll be able to go again next time). I ordered the Berry Bliss which was quite good - I really liked the sweet taste of the batter with the fruity topping. Matt seemed to like the banana/nutella waffle he ordered, and Dustin tried the Farm Fusion which had more of the savory toppings. Although it wasn't a large piece of waffle, the amount was just enough to be filling.

Okay, now I'm really hungry again, thinking through all the delicious food places we visited this past weekend. We had a lot of fun doing things besides eating (i.e. bowling, walking around a street fair), but since food is my hobby and I love it even more with good company, I felt I had to share. Now I'll be on the lookout for more places to try next time we go back down to Portland, too =)

Friday's Excursion

I know it's been a few days, but I thought a couple of things from Friday would be interesting to share. After working in the morning, Matt and I took the ferry over to Seattle to meet up with a friend from California that's also moved to Washington, although she and her husband live on one of the islands further north.

The three of us had a late lunch that afternoon at the Museum of Flight at Boeing airfield. It was really fun to watch planes take off as we sat outside the cafe to eat. Someday, I'd love to go back and explore the Museum of Flight. Although it wasn't nearly as large as the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH that my family visited a couple of years ago, it still looked like they had some pretty neat attractions. Here's what I'd love to go back and see:

• The Airpark, which features one of the former Air Force Ones and the world's fastest jetliner, the Concorde.
• The Great Gallery, which includes Cockpits, Flight Simulators, the Museum of Flight Tower, and a lot of cool looking planes.
• The Lear Gallery, which is all about space exploration and includes a full size replica of the International Space Station’s Destiny Research Laboratory that guests can climb in.

After we finished up lunch, we went back to Seattle because Matt and I had tickets for the Mariner's game. We got there right when the gates opened, so we had a few hours to walk around and look at the park. Of course, I've always loved the roof at Safeco Field - I think it's so cool that it can open and close depending on the weather. It ended up raining during the game, so we got to watch the roof close that night! Yes, I know I get excited easily...

Anyway, another cool thing about Safeco Field is the "Hit it Here Café" in right field. Anyone can go eat there up to a half hour before the game starts, and then whoever bought those tickets for the game gets to eat there while they watch. Although the seats are $44 - $48, they come with an $18 food credit, so it feels like you're getting a discount. If money were no object and my stomach didn't have a limit for how much it could hold, this is what I would order:

• Beer Battered Onion Rings and Poblano Artichoke Dip
• Hummus, Sundried Black olives with Pita chips
• Ribeye Steak
• Mini Corndogs
• Cloverdale All-Beef Hot Dog
• Fish and Chips
• Chocolate Cake

We ended up sitting on the third deck because that's where are tickets were for, but it was a fun game. We also discovered that sitting in the front row up there = a great view of the game. Not only did the Mariner's win, but so did the Giants (although I didn't see that game beyond the score updates in the park). The game even got out early enough we were able to briskly walk (plus a slight run at the end) to the ferry terminal and hop on one that left almost an hour earlier than we had planned on leaving.