July 2006 Archives
Last night I went to my first baseball game: the SF Giants vs. the SD Padres. I had amazing seats in the second row and directly behind home plate! I could see the sweat beads on Barry Bonds's face...literally. I got to see him hit #722, and then the next two batters after that hit home runs also. I ate a hot dog and garlic fries and sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the 7th inning stretch. I've never even watched an entire baseball game on TV, but its a whole different experience actually going to the game. For instance, on TV you can't tell that Noah Lowry is so hot!
I am not a sports fan at all, but for some reason I've managed to get great seats for every event I've been to. I went to a hockey game in Spokane for Valentine's Day a few years ago and we got to sit in the front row in some empty seats we spotted across the rink from the nosebleed section - luckily the security guard who asked us to quit pounding the glass didn't check our tickets. In January I watched a Dallas Mavericks game in a sky box with a private bar, and then last night I got to sit in the most amazing seats in the stadium to watch the #1 and #2 baseball teams in the west play each other. I almost feel guilty because there are so many actual sports fans who would be able to fully appreciate the experience... actually I don't. I've had a great time at every event I've been to and I'm not sorry. I am, however, done bragging about my awesome seats.
I'm going to another game tomorrow night, the Giants are playing the Padres again. I'm going to watch this one from the cheap seats - hopefully not too far away to check out Noah. I'm taking my "Little Sister" Natalie. I signed up to volunteer with the Big Brothers / Big Sisters program, and I just met her today. I'm so excited - she's 14 and we basically hang out once a week and do fun stuff together or work on her homework, etc. I think it will be awesome, I'll let you know how it goes!
Meet Gus, the cutest little dog ever! I know it's obnoxious, like when parents expect you to ooh and ahh over the newest pictures of their kids - but I'm doing it anyway. Gus lives with my grandmother right now, since I can't have him with me here in the city. I miss him SO much - he's the greatest little dog ever. And you have to admit he's cute! Most of these pictures were from when I first got him - he was a whole 3 pounds!
This is his first car trip - right after he pooped all over the back seat :)
This is where he would sleep when I got ready for work - or else he would cry uncontrollably!
This is his first car trip - right after he pooped all over the back seat :)
This is where he would sleep when I got ready for work - or else he would cry uncontrollably!
Continue reading Gus the Pug.
After all the build-up, my Montana vacation was just as great as I had anticipated. I got into town on Friday night and headed to the Bodega with Brad. It was SO exciting to see everyone all at once! It was also nice to see that absolutely nothing had changed :) $1 beers and free beef tips and tater tots are such a nice change from SF prices.
Here's a picture of us at the Bodega:
We went to Yvette's wedding on Saturday and had a blast. But then, how can you not have a great time at a wedding? Free food, free drinks, and everyone is in a great mood. I watched Brad and one of the bridesmaids in a competitive dance-off, it was priceless. We decided to get a Mystic Tan the morning of, so we were sweating nasty brown oil all night. Gross.
After spending the entire day Sunday recovering from the wedding festivities, we headed to Glacier National Park on Monday to Brad's family's cabin on Lake McDonald. In the 3.5 years I lived in Montana, I never got the chance to go to Glacier. I had no idea what I was missing - it was amazing! We took the Going to the Sun Road to the Two Sisters Cafe for dinner, and then went back to the cabin for a friendly game of scrabble.
For the 4th of July we went to Kolleen's cabin on Flathead Lake. We stocked up on some discount pyrotechnic entertainment at the roadside tent, stopped at the gas station for some cheap beer, and headed to the cabin. A few trips around the lake on the jet skis, some intense flip-cup competition, and a lovely bbq dinner: the day started as a pretty normal 4th of July celebration.
But when it got dark, things got interesting. [Insert scary music here] Ten (slightly tipsy) twenty-somethings piled onto a 15 year old pontoon boat and set out across Flathead Lake to get a better view of the fireworks show in Polson. A good show with good friends and good enough beer...a good night in general. [Scary music is now getting louder and faster] But then, as the fireworks ended and the 250 other people on the lake decided to head for the dock, things took a turn for the worse. [Yes, the melodramatic tone is necessary to convey the intensity of this story] The mass exodus of speedboats turned the lake into a giant washing machine and our little boat started bouncing around like a kangaroo on a pogo stick. One particularly impressive wave came up over the bow of the boat and soaked us to our knees. Some quick thinking on the part of our captain (Kolleen's brother, Casey) propelled the situation from 'kind of funny' to 'potentially life threatening' and the water level from our knees to our waists. Just as the wave rose over the edge of the boat, Casey slammed the throttle forward and ran to the back of the boat to keep from getting wet. Luckily, Tim had more presence of mind than our fearless leader and killed the engine. [This is where the music dies and everything happens in slow motion] Meanwhile, the rest of our crew frantically searched for the cameras and cigarettes while I stood by asking for a life jacket (because as you know, I am not a swimmer). The bow of the boat remained submerged for what seemed like eternity, and it was almost a minute before we could determine whether it was going to sink or float. More than half of the boat was still under water, and I still had no life jacket. Moreover, boats are still screaming by and creating even more chaos. Luckily, Kolleen remembered that I am aquatically challenged and handed me a seat cushion - yes, a seat cushion. "Here," she explained, "this will float." Casey must have sensed my skepticism because he comforted me with the observation that "its better than drowning." [Now the slow but dramatic music starts quietly and builds slowly] Obviously, I lived. After the boat was finally above the water we made what was perhaps the first good decision that night : to wait until the water was calm before heading back to the dock.
I apologize for the anticlimactic story, but trust me it was scary. Maybe you had to be there...
Anyway, the trip was great overall. I got to drink Big Sky Summer Honey and eat sweet potato fries at the Iron Horse. I saw Glacier Park for the first time, and I didn't die. I'm already looking forward to going back in October for UM Homecoming!
Here are a few more pictures...
Brad, Me, Ryan, & Brieana on Brad's front porch:
Me, Ryan, & Brieana - He apparently thinks something is hilarious!
Brieana and I earlier in the night:
Funny faces picture in the car on the way home:
Here's a picture of us at the Bodega:
We went to Yvette's wedding on Saturday and had a blast. But then, how can you not have a great time at a wedding? Free food, free drinks, and everyone is in a great mood. I watched Brad and one of the bridesmaids in a competitive dance-off, it was priceless. We decided to get a Mystic Tan the morning of, so we were sweating nasty brown oil all night. Gross.
After spending the entire day Sunday recovering from the wedding festivities, we headed to Glacier National Park on Monday to Brad's family's cabin on Lake McDonald. In the 3.5 years I lived in Montana, I never got the chance to go to Glacier. I had no idea what I was missing - it was amazing! We took the Going to the Sun Road to the Two Sisters Cafe for dinner, and then went back to the cabin for a friendly game of scrabble.
For the 4th of July we went to Kolleen's cabin on Flathead Lake. We stocked up on some discount pyrotechnic entertainment at the roadside tent, stopped at the gas station for some cheap beer, and headed to the cabin. A few trips around the lake on the jet skis, some intense flip-cup competition, and a lovely bbq dinner: the day started as a pretty normal 4th of July celebration.
But when it got dark, things got interesting. [Insert scary music here] Ten (slightly tipsy) twenty-somethings piled onto a 15 year old pontoon boat and set out across Flathead Lake to get a better view of the fireworks show in Polson. A good show with good friends and good enough beer...a good night in general. [Scary music is now getting louder and faster] But then, as the fireworks ended and the 250 other people on the lake decided to head for the dock, things took a turn for the worse. [Yes, the melodramatic tone is necessary to convey the intensity of this story] The mass exodus of speedboats turned the lake into a giant washing machine and our little boat started bouncing around like a kangaroo on a pogo stick. One particularly impressive wave came up over the bow of the boat and soaked us to our knees. Some quick thinking on the part of our captain (Kolleen's brother, Casey) propelled the situation from 'kind of funny' to 'potentially life threatening' and the water level from our knees to our waists. Just as the wave rose over the edge of the boat, Casey slammed the throttle forward and ran to the back of the boat to keep from getting wet. Luckily, Tim had more presence of mind than our fearless leader and killed the engine. [This is where the music dies and everything happens in slow motion] Meanwhile, the rest of our crew frantically searched for the cameras and cigarettes while I stood by asking for a life jacket (because as you know, I am not a swimmer). The bow of the boat remained submerged for what seemed like eternity, and it was almost a minute before we could determine whether it was going to sink or float. More than half of the boat was still under water, and I still had no life jacket. Moreover, boats are still screaming by and creating even more chaos. Luckily, Kolleen remembered that I am aquatically challenged and handed me a seat cushion - yes, a seat cushion. "Here," she explained, "this will float." Casey must have sensed my skepticism because he comforted me with the observation that "its better than drowning." [Now the slow but dramatic music starts quietly and builds slowly] Obviously, I lived. After the boat was finally above the water we made what was perhaps the first good decision that night : to wait until the water was calm before heading back to the dock.
I apologize for the anticlimactic story, but trust me it was scary. Maybe you had to be there...
Anyway, the trip was great overall. I got to drink Big Sky Summer Honey and eat sweet potato fries at the Iron Horse. I saw Glacier Park for the first time, and I didn't die. I'm already looking forward to going back in October for UM Homecoming!
Here are a few more pictures...
Brad, Me, Ryan, & Brieana on Brad's front porch:
Me, Ryan, & Brieana - He apparently thinks something is hilarious!
Brieana and I earlier in the night:
Funny faces picture in the car on the way home:
