Summer has definitely arrived in Seattle and we've been taking advantage of it when we can. Once again, we are fully enjoying being right across the street from Magnuson park because there are so many free (or really cheap) events there. Two weeks ago marked the beginning of the weekly family concerts on Friday night. Everyone meets up at the ampitheater for music and good times. They even had $1 ice cream sundaes because it was the first one of the season. Who could say no to that?
We gathered around for folk-style music by a family of 4 (and their pooch) from Olympia, WA.
The sundaes came with hershey's chocolate syrup, whip cream and a cherry but I only took up the offer for the whip cream and we topped it off with some fruit we had brought over with our picnic dinner. So good!
When we're not enjoying the evenings in the park, there's a good chance I sneak away for an hour or two during my day to the water front to take in the views. And, it had been so hot--I actually got in the water! It was a record for me.
The last weekend of June we headed down to Tacoma for the annual "Taste of Tacoma" where food vendors, live music and local businesses take over Point Defiance Park for a weekend. We wandered around and got some delicious food and great music. We even met up with John, Diana and Katie but I totally spaced and didn't get any photos.
There was even a reptile petting zoo. I didn't wander close enough to notice that there were tables of snakes and things because I was so focused on this awesome old tortoise.
The roses in the park were also in full bloom so I made sure to take time to stop and smell them.
Tom generally thinks I'm crazy to smell them all because after all, they are just "fancy grass" but he tried to get in on the fun too. First he tried to graciously smell a dahlia and I told him it wasn't worth his effort:
This rose proved to be more fragrant :)
I got to enjoy one of my favorite things about the park -- the rose trellis that is only in bloom for a short time and it seems I almost always miss it. Well, not this year!
And of course, last week was the fourth of July so we headed down to Tacoma again for our annual festivities at the Ranck household. I didn't take too many photos this year, but it was lovely.
The boats were out in full force
We walked down to Point Ruston which has been off limits to Tacoma for decades (ask anyone from Tacoma about it...radioactive soil are the words you're most likely to hear). Now they've cleared out most of the old soil and have built up a new apartment complex and Tom and I went to check it out.
Then we hiked back up the hill for the fireworks show. Not as exciting as previous years because the barge was farther away from the house this year, but it was still nostalgically wonderful.
We also took the opportunity to use the "fill a seat" membership that Tom got me for Christmas where we can go to events that aren't sold out for free with will-call tickets. Our entertainment for the evening: Improvised Comedy at a local placed called "Unexpected Productions" located right next to the gum wall in Seattle. But, just because we're us, we had to have dinner our way first--picnic style.
But this time we had new scenery to look at instead of Magnuson Park.
And for dessert, we hit up the city Target once again and got single serve ice cream for $1. Well, and we also had to stock up on our favorite cereal that just happened to be on sale. All in all, we spent $2 for parking and $1 for dessert-- how about a night out on the town for $3 (well..and the membership fee Tom paid at Christmas...but we like saying it was only $3 for dinner and a show, wouldn't you?)
Mixed in between sunny days and good times, I'm carting equipment to and from the OR at children's hospital to test more subjects on the da Vinci. I bought a table with wheels so I could wheel everything around but as you might have gathered from the duct tape in this picture--it's cheap and not holding up too well. So, I'm the weird girl wandering around the hospital with an infant wheel chair loaded up with a plastic tote of all sorts of gizmos and a duct-taped wooden table.
I've got about 6 more people in each subject group to train on the robots so I'm a little over half way done with the data collection. If only that didn't mean that summer was basically half over too :( -- it just got started!
Oh and this past weekend we got to reunite with Kristi and Tyrell too! It was so great to see them again and wander around Alki beach, get ice cream and just relax. You'll have to check facebook for those photos though :).
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