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The Great Beer Experiment

2010-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Behold! Beer! And we made it! This is our first attempt and it turned out to be pretty tasty! Below is Matt pouring the beer into the carboy where it fermented for about ten days before being filtered and fermenting another couple of days. After that was bottling and (my favorite part) drinking!

YUM!

2010-04-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yumi and Adrienne were here in October (yes, I'm still catching up!) and we had a blast! Here are some highlights:

"Farewell to America Breakfast" at Patty's Eggnest in Mukilteo. This is the Elvis Special: Fried Peanut Butter Waffle with Bananas, Whipped Cream and a hunka hunka bacon. Yumi said halfway through "I think America is very dangerous for me," and put her fork down. Haha!
Vancouver, B.C. Graffiti

Growing up is overrated.

One of a dozen raw oyster experiences. This one at the Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive.

Seattle Waterfront.

Matt Hopping on Rocks

2010-04-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

See what a good wife I am? When I met this guy, it was "take footage of me skateboarding," and now it's "film me riding!" And I still do it. 'Cause I love him:)

The Little Sister

2010-04-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Cliche Market Sign.

The Needle. The Nerds.

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company

2010-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

One of Matt and my favorite things about living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest is that there are tons of microbrewies--TONS! Oregon is definitely the big cheese of craft or microbrew producers but Washington is certainly right behind them. Some of the nicest folks you'll ever meet own and operate Scuttlebutt Brewing Company in Everett. I met them on a brewery tour that I organized (I get paid for this?!?!) and had to go back on my own to drink my share:)

Phil, the owner, gives us a taste of a featured ale.

Pub located on the waterfront. If you go, have the Halibut and Chips with a pint of their Amber. You're welcome!

Penn Cove Mussel Fest

2010-04-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, the yearly Penn Cove Mussel Festival took place in the nearby town of Coupeville. Like a geek, I looked forward to this since we moved here just a week short of attending last year. Penn Cove is just South of the town we live in a google search will prove that these are some of the most famous mussels in the world. They're small and sweet and are dirt cheap around here.

Aboard the Mussel Farm Tour.
Mussels in the beer garden with a Port Townsend microbrew:)

Where your mussels come from!

What's For Dinner? Testicles of Course!

2010-04-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to try Rocky Mountain Oysters for at least ten years but I've never been somewhere that actually served them. On our visit to Couer d'Alene, Idaho to visit family, my cousin and his wife took us to the best places that only locals know about including this rad restaurant. If you're curious as to what they taste like, they have that organ meat flavor that you can almost choke down in tiny bites. It's dense, chewy and pretty darn gross.

I Have a Blog? I Have a Blog!

2010-04-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

In my attempt to reignite my blogging hobby, I'm going to try to catch up on the last few months. It's no coincidence that blogging stopped the month I got a job, we moved to a new town and we bought a home:)

Masumi and Tomo came to visit us last September and we jam-packed a ton of fun into their short week including:

State Fair Piggie

Nobody would go on barf rides with me. Am I the only person who trusts a carnie?

Ferry rides are a way of life around here. Thank god they serve beer and clam chowder. We took a ride to Friday Harbor for another excuse to consume a ton of raw oysters and microbrews.

"I'm Norwegian but I'm taking pills for it" Lots of characters on this island...

No visit from Japanese would be complete without an Ichiro sighting! (We won btw)

Anacortes Sunset

Deception Pass

View of Mt Baker from the top of Mt Erie

"It Was....the SALMON" Monty Python's Meaning of Life

2009-09-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

We've been fishing off the coast for wild salmon for the last month. Despite hooking several bigguns, we've never been able to bring them all the way to the beach--until tonight! Under a beautiful sky and lake-like calm waters, Matt snagged this 2.5 lb wild pink salmon (aka Bumpy) at sunset.

Goo had to give the salmon a sniff before kissing its lips!!! haha!

(Our House, Anacortes, Washington State)

2009-09-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Mt Erie Trials Biking

I love this photo--it looks like Matt's ready to ride off the cliff...

Eagle sculpture at summit

Mt Baker in the distance...

(Mt Erie; Anacortes, Washington State)

Easy Like Sunday Morning...

2009-09-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we took a ride through the country in the county that we live in. We stopped at a roadside stand/ice creamery/store called Snow Goose Farms and had some microbrewed rootbeer and gingerbeers plus some freshly baked bread, local blackberries and local landjaeger.

La Conner is another quaint little town on the mainland separated from our island by the Swinomish Channel.

From a park under the landmark bridge overlooking La Conner.

(La Conner, Washington State)

2009-08-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Whatcom Count(r)y

Super Americana views like this one made for a nice trip up to Ferndale, a small town surrounded by gorgeous rural landscapes sprinkled with farms selling fruits, vegetables, dairy and buffalo products. Our goal was to visit a small family-owned cheese farm followed by a bison ranch. Why dwell in the fact that we live in the middle of nowhere when we take advantage of the delicious and healthy goodies that are at our fingertips? We live in a bountiful area filled with fresh produce that, oh yeah--just happens to be one of Washington's wine regions. Available at The Market, Anacortes if you don't want to drive...
A stop off of Chuckanut Drive, a gorgeous, historical, sometimes white-knuckle ride on a century old road that at one time was part of PCH 101 stretching all the way from San Diego!

We stopped in Bellingham on the way back. This is quickly becoming one of our favorite cities in Washington. Awesome old buildings, plenty of funky shops, rad bars, indie movie theater and the occasional rock show. We checked out the Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen before heading home. Here's the review on Yelp. Eh. Beer was amazing, food was alright. Oh, and as for that bison? We did stop at the Twisted S Ranch but until we dig in to our meal tonight, I can't vouch for them:)

Whatcom County, WA

My First Real Fair!!!

2009-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Seeing how my friend Lisa had to explain what 4H was to me a few months ago, (she's from Missouri,) you can believe me when I say that I've never been to a true fair before. The Stanwood Camano Fair delivered! There were cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, sheep, cows--and real cowboys ready to talk beef and dairy!

The world-famous chihuahua!

Helles Belles-Seattle all female AC/DC tribute band and the reason we really came:)

This pretty much sums up where we moved to...

Stanwood/Camano Fair; Stanwood, Wa

Scottish Highland Games!

2009-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

This was the coolest! All of the groups got together for a grand finale, "Scotland the Brave." Awesome!

Andrew & Matt at the Scotch Whisky tent. We learned: All scotches are whiskys (no e) but not all whiskeys are scotches. We also learned: there are a lot of people that take their roles extremely seriously at these types of events...

Haggus-feared but fantastic!!!

Our First Ferry Ride: Anacortes to Guemes

2009-07-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

There's a ferry landing on the same street as our house that runs back and forth the channel to Guemes Island and Fidalgo Island (where we live.) We can see the beautiful channel and Guemes from our bedroom and neither of us have been on a ferry so we figured we'd give it a go...

There's a nice two mile or so road that has one lane designated for bikes and pedestrians only. It's a beautiful walk with the channel and Fidalgo island on your right and rural landscapes and beautiful homes on your left. If you walk it out and back, make sure you use the bathroom at the General Store by the ferry landing BEFORE you start--trust me!

Luci's first ferry ride. She looks excited, no?

Looking back at Anacortes from Guemes.

How do you think you correctly pronounce Guemes? Post a comment with your guess--no cheating!

a) Wee-Mes

b) Gwee-Mus

c) Wey-Mes

d) Gwey-Mus

Oh Dear!

2009-07-29T17:54:00.001-07:00

(I know these are crappy photos. I was in a rush and they were on the go and Matt's photo was on some weird setting.) Last night after dinner, we discovered two deer making their way down the alley behind our house. Luci was barking her head off at them but since she was fenced, they took their time nibbling on our plants before finally crossing the street and up the hill. Having lived in highly populated areas my whole life, I've never seen this sort of thing. I still get a kick out of how magical it was to have deer just a few feet from me and our house!

Perfecto Para una Dia Calor! (Perfect for a Hot Day!)

2009-07-29T17:16:00.001-07:00

Aye caramba it's a scorcher in Anacortes! So I decided to pop in to Agave Taqueria near our new house. I've been there once before and detested the chicken burrito but since the staff was so nice and proximity to home is awesome, I tried something new-their Ceviche Tostada. PERFECTO! It tasted as good as it looks. Plus, with the complimentary chips n' salsa (which are great!) I couldn't finish my food! I had no problem with the beer however, and with the food was about $8. Check them out:)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/agave-tacqueria-anacortes#hrid:ilcnx9hCEhG5Kq3Rzjxwkw

Pioneer Square Seattle

2009-07-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

With Matt trials biking with a buddy, I was left to explore Seattle by bike. I ended up in Pioneer Square checking out the old buildings and fell into an underground tour. The Seattle underground is a cool aspect of the city's history and it was money well spent. I had an hour to kill before my tour so I walked around the square and had a beer in a nearby bar, perhaps the oldest American bar in which I've ever had a drink.

Looking up in an alley off the square.
The Pergola was constructed a hundred years ago and was reconstructed once between now and then. Made of iron, it is a shelter for workers and commuters and on the day I visited, mentally and substance-challenged types that made me weary of locking up my bike nearby...

The Merchant's Cafe is where I had my pricey-but-worth-it beer. The decor inside is wonderfully antiquated and a plaque near the outside entrance gives you a historical rundown.

I felt like I was back in Europe!

More Photos from the Last Three Months

2009-07-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island, the island south of Fidalgo where we live. We've stopped by here twice and it's basically a tourist trap with overpriced food and a wine store that charges for tasting when you could simply hit the wineries and get free tastings instead. Live and learn;)

In April, it's tulip time in nearby La Conner and Mt Vernon with tons of people trekking to our region to see fields painted in bold strips of blooming tulips. Our family from San Diego and Idaho came to visit and luckily, we caught the last of the tulips in the nick of time!

This Should Sum Up the Last Three Months...

2009-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of places we've been and things we've seen since we moved here just over three months ago. It feels like we've been here for half a year, but no--I stopped and thought about it last week and was surprised to find that we'd only lived here for three months. Although I enjoy the fast pace, it's nice to know that for the next three years, I'll age sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly.

This is the welcome sign to Concrete, Washington. It's a very tiny town about an hour from our house that blossomed around the Portland Concrete Company, now closed. Behind this is the factory turned park with the old plant still standing. A must see for urban decay/ruins fans.

This was taken in Mt Vernon, a town on the mainland next to Fidalgo Island where we live. The Daffodils were in full blossom the week we arrived and were a welcome glimpse of color to an otherwise dreary week of rain, gray skies and "wtf are we doing here's?"

This was taken a few blocks from our house where there's a tiny bit of beach between the Fish Factory where I currently work on-call and a dock. Although we're on an island, there's not a whole lot of actual beach so it's nice to have these little patches where we can go and sit by the water and let Luci run around a bit. Every night boasts an amazing sunset and it feels like we're at the tip of the world, even if we're only in the tip of America.

Down the street from where we live, I was surprised to find dozen upon dozen of cherry blossoms. At the same time when I was missing the Japanese season, I started exploring our new neighborhood by foot. When I came upon this area, I actually teared up. I thought about all our our Japanese friends, about the approaching matsuri then mikoshi season and all of the special things we'd just left behind. This photo may look like just a stupid street photo to a lot of people, but it's always going to mean more to me. It's the first time I cried since we moved to the states from Japan.

Our friend Tal came to visit last month and it was a great excuse to check out Mt Erie, a large formation on our island. The views were fantastic and you can see how gorgeous this area truly is. There were people scaling the face (rock climbing) right in front of us.

Sad Sushi in Seattle

2009-07-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

~Half Japanese Girl in a Half Japanese Restaurant~

We hit a show in Seattle last night and with a recommendation from my Fodors Guidebook that called the Blue C Sushi restaurant both good and affordable, I dragged Matt to a kaiten sushi bar in Fremont, aka University of Washington area.

Now Seattle's got all the elements of having a place like this that kicks ass: proximity to seafood product, a seemingly adventurous culture and the population to pull off something like this.
Unfortunately, the place was terrible. The food was maamaa (so-so,) the service was the same and our dinner was almost $50 when we only had twelve plates of the medium grade, small portioned, sushi.

*Disclaimer* We lived in Japan the last three years and are used to better tasting stuff that cost half of this, even in the dumpiest of rotating sushi bars. That being said, the rice was TERRIBLE, the plates and the food were NOT CHILLED, and again, the price was disproportionate to the portions.

The only good thing about this place was the plates which were the symbols and names of the subway lines in Tokyo. There was also some great pieces of photographic art near the bathroom area but if that's the only great thing about a restaurant, well....'nuff said.

Bonus for our friends in Japan. Above is a "maki machine" (I made that up) that produces flat panels of rice so the staff can use them to build teka maki, kapa maki or one of the American sushi rolls that have rice on the outside with things like cream cheese, smoked salmon and other attrocities...

If I Saw a Shrink...

2009-06-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

...he or she would probably tell me that by not completing tasks like hanging up the framed pictures sitting on the hallway floor propped up against the walls that I'm in denial about this move. She might also say that opening and sorting the last box (that has been behind the couch in the living room since the move,) may help me face that denial and that because I haven't found a job or made any friends, I'm not willing to let go of Japan and focus on our future three years in Washington state.

Actually, I'm just lazy.

;)