It Means Umbrella, Actually.

I think I need three days of music, music, music.

And rain.

But mostly music, music, music.

And festival food.

But...music. And music. And music again.

Oh, could I have some Bob Dylan, too?

Think I could manage that?

Yep. I think so.

Good deal. See y'all later.

-The GLS

Be Vewwy Quiet...

(I went to a speakeasy last night.)

...SHHHHH!!...

(It was very secretive. No neon signs. Just a doorbell on a faceless building.)

I said SHHHHHH!!

(Had a Pimms & Pomegranate. Was served by a man in a waistcoat.)

(Have I mentioned I love waistcoats?)

Oh yeah. SHHHHH!!!

(There was a chandelier. And reservations are made by text message.)

Do I need to say it again?

(It was fun. I'll be back. But you didn't hear that from me.)

-The GLS

PS: This is a true story, by the way. There's a speakeasy on Capitol Hill, and it's awesome. But I ain't telling you where it is, because I like to think I'm in on some sort of top secret knowledge that few Seattlites know. Which is probably untrue. But it's my birthday tomorrow; don't burst my bubble.

Salmon Rillette: A Love Story.

I'm really full.

No, seriously.

My parents and I spent the day exploring an island north and across the channel from where we live. It was a beautiful day, and I may have fallen in love with the idea of living on an island (in dreamspeak, not necessarily in a practical sense). The water was gorgeous, the views spectacular, and there was enough antique architecture to keep me whipping my head back and forth, trying to catch every house as we drove past. Rolling hills and lush forests...gah! What a place.

But the FOOD. So much delicious FOOD. We stopped for lunch on the north-ish part of the island in an adorable little town (who am I kidding, the whole island is full of cute little towns...but I digress...) and went to lunch at a family-run bakery there. I ordered a turkey and cranberry cream cheese sandwich with lettuce on homemade whole wheat bread...with a side of African peanut soup.

Holy cow. African peanut soup is a revelation! The sandwich was almost forgettable next to a bowl of that luscious stuff! Sweet with curry-like spice and full of tomatoes, rice, peanuts (of course), and green peppers. Rawr...so good.

After driving around for a few more hours, we got hungry again, so we stopped at ANOTHER cute little town and realized that their bistro was in the middle of happy hour. So we ordered wine (I got rose...which was quite nice) and then proceeded to go crazy with the happy hour menu.

I need to get this off my chest. We ordered...

-Salmon rillette (a salmon spread with capers and served with crackers)
-Pork rillette (same diff...but with pork)
-Cashel blue cheese (Irish cheese, and it makes you want to cry...it's like butter)
-Burrata (Caprese salad, basically...tomato slices with basil, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil/vinegar)
-Green salad
-Warm marinated olives
-Bread and butter

Seriously. It was bad. There was THREE OF US AT THE TABLE. We left there feeling a bit...stuffed?

BUT, get this: Though I'm not a huge fan of olives, the BEST part about the olive plate was that the little things were served in the tiniest green Le Creuset I have ever seen! It was probably 3.5 inches in diameter! I squealed when it came to the table, I had never seen anything so wonderful! And now I need one.

Oh, I shouldn't even admit this. But we also ordered molten chocolate cake for dessert. What is our collective problem? And why do I not feel as guilty as I probably should?

Because it was delicious, that's why.

Off to research the prices for tiny Le Creuset. Excuse.

-The GLS

Wild, Wild Night.

(Joanna Newsom is crooning "Swansea" in the background.)

Ah, what a day!

First of all...Happy Mother's Day to all of you who happen to be mothers!

It was a fine day. We took a drive up to La Conner, which is an adorable town on a channel about an hour and a half north of home. Lots of antiquing ensued. And YES...there were more housewares than I thought humanly possible. But I spent NO MONEY at all today, which I am pretty proud of myself for.

We ate at a bistro called Seeds, which serves all organic (and freakishly delicious) fare. I had an avacado pepper burger and a cup of curried carrot soup, and I was so full afterward that I thought I wouldn't be able to move.

I also attempted to finish my mom's Mother's Day scarf in the backseat of the car without her noticing. She didn't notice, but I didn't finish. Poo. So, that'll be an ongoing project. It's almost done.

When we got home I was bitten by the cooking bug, so I made whole-wheat soda bread (according to Paul Hollywood's recipe, which I've never done before) and a veggie soup with whatever I could find in the pantry. Both turned out quite tasty, I might add. The veggie soup was basically carrots, onions, garlic, white kidney beans, and french-cut green beans. Before serving I pureed part of it to give it a little more thickness. Add some black pepper and Tobasco, and bam! Tasty.

La Conner kind of made me want to own an acreage. A small one. With a goat.

An early work day for me, tomorrow, so time to say goodnight.

-The GLS
PS: I found this fantastic book called The Country Cooking of Ireland at one of the little shops in La Conner. It was like an encyclopedia of delicious! But it was also $50, so I'm going to take it upon myself to find it cheaper somewhere else. Cross your fingers.

Supertramp, Anyone?

First, a quick deviation: Really? Child's Play 2010? With Brad Dourif as Chucky? How long does poor Brad have to play that particular role? It's been 22 years, people. 22 long years. Let him go. Just let him escape with a shred of dignity intact. Please. Go the way of all remakes and GIVE THE ROLE TO SOMEONE ELSE.

Or not.

For the record, I've never seen any of the Child's Play films. But I spent a great deal of time as a rabid fan of Brad Dourif back in high school, and I still feel a sense of loyalty to the man. It just makes me sad to see the same old films on his filmography. A little variety, maybe?

Anyway...

Took the long way home (hence the title...did anyone else listen to Supertramp a ton? I did...). Drove through some beautiful houses in a nicer area just outside my town that I never seem to explore. And I've determined a few things about the exterior of my dreamhouse.

Sunlight exposure (not TOO many trees), privacy (just ENOUGH trees), a crowded garden, and one of those farmhouse connectors between the house and the shed. You know, like the thing Lizzie swings from in Pride & Prejudice? During that lovely seasonal-change interlude thing? Yeah, one of those.

There will be cozy lighting, visible through the just-enough amount of windows. A covered porch for rocking chairs on rainy days and summer meals al fresco. A screendoor and painted shutters. Oh, and that reminds me: fun but not garish paint color. Depends on the area I live in, probably, but something fun. And a red or green door. After Ireland I need a red or green door.

Also, there will be no stucco. I'm not a fan. Nor will there be modernistic all-straight-lines business. Sloping roof, eyebrow windows, a plump chimney, and nooks and crannies.

I like looking at houses. It's one of those fun not-so-guilty pleasures. :)

-The GLS
(PS: To combat my Lord Dunsany malaise, I appeased myself by buying two of his collections from Amazon. Price for both? Under $30 including shipping. Take that, $300 rare edition of The Collected Jorkens Volume 1...)

Panda Cattle, Red Pandas...Forsooth!

If I had been Queen Elizabeth, I don't think William would have won the wager in "Shakespeare In Love." But this is only due to my bias AGAINST Romeo & Juliet, which I don't care to explain at this present time.

HOWEVER, having seen Shakespeare In Love fully for the first time this evening, I can safely say that it is a beautifully done film! Funny, romantic, and I had to put my eyes back into their sockets after seeing all of those costumes...those costumes!! My gosh.

In other news, I took Flora for her first drive to the zoo today! Woodland Park Zoo rocks my socks off, mainly because its URL is www.zoo.org...how awesome is that?

The bears were swimming, the siamangs were screaming, the gorillas were pooping in their hands (seriously), and in general all of the animals were quite frisky and happy and wandering about. It was refreshing to actually see them DOING stuff, as our animals tend to like to hide in their awesome habitats.

My only complaint (hence the title) is that we have no REAL pandas at the Woodland Park Zoo. Seriously, guys? We have an adorable red panda, and some rather unimpressed panda cattle, but no REAL pandas? Steal some from San Diego, if you must, but get us a panda!

All in all, a great day, if I do say so. :)

-The GLS

The Vancouver Gutsiness: Trains & Noodles

Well, here I am. In the middle of the largest city in British Columbia, blogging from a computer in the lobby of Hostelling International's Vancouver Central hostel.

And, I'm a little...out of it.

I know, I know. This happened once before, when I first landed in Galway. I felt homesick and sad and tired and lonely and confused. And then I met my roommate at the hostel and suddenly everything felt like it would be okay! And I ended up having a marvelous time!

Annoyingly, I won't have enough time to get used to Vancouver. Just two nights, and then I go home.

Two nights. So why am I whining?

Argh, well...I know I shouldn't. I'm gutsy, right? Yes. I enjoy stepping out into the unknown? Yes. I learn from everything I do? Yes.

Then why do I feel so down?

To be fair, I think I've determined that I'm not a big city person. This might be part of the problem. Or...most of the problem. Because Vancouver--while attractive--is QUITE large.

Could also be that, for some reason, I keep comparing this trip to Ireland, and that's a mistake. They are completely unrelated trips, in many many ways. And I'm putting way too much emphasis and analysis into this trip, in general. It's only two nights. Not two weeks.

So there.

Well, I'm going to sign off (even though my hour of Internet isn't up...oops...). The reason I'm signing off prematurely is that I'm HUNGRY. I haven't eaten since the train, and that was hours ago. Nearly eight hours ago, to be precise. Yeah. I'm hungry.

I will now go make my Canadian cup-o-noodle and smile like I mean it.

Don't worry about me. This too shall pass. Perhaps tomorrow will be so much fun I'll be kicking myself, wondering why I went to all the trouble of complaining. Perhaps tomorrow I'll wonder what ever came over me. Perhaps I'll come away from this trip with lovely thoughts, memories, and revelations to show for it.

Positive thinking. I shall employ it. Here we go...

Yay Vancouver!

-The GLS

Packing & Planning

Ha! So, it occurred to me that I'm leaving for Vancouver, BC in the morning. So maybe I ought to be a bit more prepared than I am.

I'm going through my usual trip-paranoia, even though this trip is going to be significantly shorter than my last one. Three days vs. two weeks? Doesn't quite compare, does it? Not really.

I'm digging through a Lonely Planet guide to the city of Vancouver, thinking over the things I'm going to do and building a rough itinerary. The funny thing is that I rarely (if ever) stick to the itineraries I create, but it's nice to have an outline all the same, right?

Other than that, the hostel bed is reserved, the train tickets are paid for, and the route from the train station to the hostel is planned and accounted for. What more do I need, really?

You know, sometimes I think it's easy to get gutsiness and stupidity confused with one another. I LOVE the questions people ask when you're planning a trip somewhere that requires a ticket (either train or plane). "Oh, where are you going? With whom? By yourself? Wow! What are you going to do there?"

And that's the hilarity of the whole thing: I don't KNOW what I'm going to do there. I felt the same way about Galway. I didn't KNOW what I was going to do, I only knew that I needed to go. To be somewhere else. To see the world from the vantage of a foreign coffeeshop. To hear unfamiliar voices and feel unfamiliar winds and taste unfamiliar foods.

I think I make a terrible tourist, because the "sights" don't interest me. I go places to watch people, write nonsense in a journal, and eat out. If I'm alone, that's fine. At least I know that I'm gutsy.

I just need a vacation away from the familiar.

Yes, there's a bit of terror in my heart, right now. Am I really prepared for this? Is this one trip too many? Have I planned enough? Have I planned too much? Should I have packed more? Should I have packed less? What if I'm alone? What if I hate it? What if I get bored?

Impossible. I'm the Gutsy Little Shit. I make my own fun. Hear me roar.

-The GLS

(Next you hear from me, I will likely be blogging from the Vancouver Public Library. I'm going to try VERY hard to blog from Vancouver these next two nights, but it may prove impossible. If you don't hear from me there, you'll hear from me here when I return. See you in Canada, eh?)

Vertigo & Vancouver

Classic movie night! This time one that I had seen before, but had NOT liked. Yes, Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo".

Now, I LOVE Hitch. I love "North By Northwest", and "Dial M For Murder". My affection truly lies in "Rear Window", however, because I honestly think that movie is a masterpiece of creativity, writing, pacing...everything. Grace Kelly, James Stewart...such a fantastic movie.

But when I saw Vertigo for the first time a few years ago I didn't like it. I thought it was odd, and unsatisfying, and less "Hitchy".

Well, my thoughts were confirmed after watching it again. I tried to keep an open mind this time around, but I have to say, I'm not a fan of Vertigo. I understand that it was a groundbreaking film in a technical sense, and that's fine. But don't expect me to love it the way I love Rear Window.

Could also be the fact that everyone praises Vertigo to the skies. Something about that bothers me. No one manages to explain why they think Vertigo is the best thing to hit the cinema since the first projector.

Anyway, in other news, classes are done and spring break is upon me. I was planning on going down to Portland to visit some friends, but money and other factors have curtailed those plans.

I was bummed, of course, because I want to see my Oregonian friends, but also because I wanted to get out of the house and have a proper vacation. I think Ireland has spoiled me.

So I sat in my room, thinking, "Well, darn. I really wish I could go visit somewhere for spring break. Somewhere foreign. Wouldn't that be great?"

Ho hum.

Oh wait...

Canada is three hours away.

So, I'm going to Vancouver for two nights over spring break! It's (surprisingly) less expensive than a trip down to Portland, but I still get the feeling of being away from home for a few days. It's been ages since I was in Vancouver. So long ago that I actually don't remember it well.

If you are a Portland friend: Take heart. I will see you soon, sometime this summer. I need to save a little money first so I can have a proper visit with you all. :)

Let the weekend begin!

-The GLS

Old Friends & Formulating...

This evening was way better than this afternoon. Or even this morning.

And I know why. It's because I re-attended a church I hadn't set foot in for a year or more: Mars Hill Ballard.

Not that this church and I had a falling out or anything. I just decided to give another church a try for awhile, having been part of MH for three or so years in high school.

But to return felt AMAZING. I realized how much I had missed the music and the messages and the amazing feeling of community...I had forgotten all about it. The downfall of a big church is that it's easy to fall through the cracks, but MH is very intentional about getting its members into smaller community groups so that no one feels on the outskirts of the church and its ministries.

Going to MH and hanging out with some very dear friends also started to put ideas in my head regarding something very, very gutsy. Hence the "formulating" part of this post's title.

But I won't reveal, yet. Because it's unwise to hastily reveal gutsy plans until one has a more gutsy grasp on them.

Anyway...

It's been a full evening, and I have some things to do yet for the final week of Poetry class proper. So I must take my leave of the Internet for now.

Goodnight, friends and well-wishers...

-The GLS

Imports & Exhales

When is a stoner really funny?

...when he's Mitch Hedberg. I wish he hadn't passed away, because I think he would be the best person EVER to be sitting next to on a plane, or to be stuck in an elevator with. I would just keep asking him to make observations and then get ready for my sides to split.

Okay, so, back before I went to Ireland I was made aware of an Irish imports store in Seattle between my school and work. I visited it once, but back then I was not very gutsy (nor well-educated in Irish imports) so I stayed for a grand-total of about ten minutes, bought an Irish whistle to add to my collection, and drove away embarassed because I didn't chat more with the shopkeeper lady (who, for the record, is German...figure that one out).

Today, as I was passing by, I felt a twang of regret at having not been there since I got back from Ireland, and so...without much fanfare...I zipped into the correct lane and parked on the street alongside the shop. (This, in itself, is pretty gutsy, as I HATE parking on the street.)

But I entered the shop and the same really sweet German lady was there and she and I chatted for a few minutes about Ireland and how I missed it and all, and then I went exploring.

The shop itself is in the downstairs of an old house, and it's PACKED full of stuff. Really fun stuff. And it was MORE fun this time around because I actually recognized a lot of the products. The smell of Irish wool and the CDs playing on the stereo. I even found a room where they sell certain Irish candy bars and nonperishables, and I found FLAKE BARS! To be honest, Flake bars really aren't that exciting. But they're kind of a novelty here, because we...don't...have them? So I bought one. And I ate it. All that was missing was some vanilla ice cream to crumble it on top of...

I also (yeah, so sue me) bought a skein of Irish wool, because darnit I forgot to buy myself some while I was over there. It was a bit pricey, but the homey, sheepy smell and hardy feel is totally worth it. Now I gotta think of something to use it for...

Anyway, it was a fun experience. Felt nice to let my guard down and enjoy the memories of Ireland by looking through all of the stuff. Even now I keep burying my nose in the skein of yarn I just bought and inhaling deeply, because I LOVE that distinctly Irish smell. So good. :)

The store's website can be found here. If you're in the Seattle area, go take a peek. It's a very fun shop.

-The GLS

Apples & Limes

Well, friends. It would appear that it is already Tomorrow by the time I write this post, but it was Yesterday when I embarked upon this gutsiness, so I think it still counts.

Note: This evening's gutsiness is alcohol-related, so be assured (for those who don't know) that I am at the legal age for drinking.

Also, know that I am a bit of a lightweight, and prone to fear of trying new things where the "social scene" of drinking is concerned.

So tonight, in the spirit of it being the first gutsy Friday, my friend Indefish took me out on the town. We ended up at a bar called Cha Cha in Capitol Hill, but there was a line to get in. We were nearly persuaded to move on to another bar when we met--by chance--a few friends of Indefish's and decided to wait in line.

What a fun and funky place! The lighting is all red, and the decor is very Dia Del Muerte with sombreros, Lucha Libre masks, and a wall of glass bottles. The crowd was mostly young college-agers, it seemed, and there was even an awesome photo booth in the corner near the restrooms (of which Indefish and I freely partook).

For those interested, I had a Washington red apple and a Soco lime, both of them quite good, but there lies my limit. Two drinks and I tap out.

All in all, good place, good drinks, and good company. And my first technical American "bar" experience (as I've only ever been to Irish pubs and sports bars).

And now, to sleep. Because despite my "partying" this evening, I can be quite old-fashioned about bed times. I tire easily. Stick-in-the-mud? Maybe.

Thanks for reading...

-The GLS