Friday, February 25, 2005

Flying blind

Vancouver was great, and customs was relatively uneventful. Coming back to the states the officer found Matt's bags of loose leaf tea rather interesting. Of course it didn't help that they were packed in perfect little paper-bag bricks. I guess it was a good thing we opted to skip on the Cuban cigars.

While up north I acquired a new found respect for ramen noodles. Yeah, you read right. Ramen, baby. There was a Japanese place right by our B&B that served sushi and noodles. We went there twice. Of all the wonderful food options within walking distance, we went out for noodle soup two times. The attraction might not have had anything to do with the food; maybe it was the service. One afternoon we decided that we wanted to try Korean food. Bust. We went to several restaurants and finally gave up on any hope of understanding what was going on with the menu. The ramen place was similar. Lots of Japanese characters which were interrupted periodically with English. The ratio of Japanese to English seemed a little skewed to me, though it was nice to see at least a little English, not like the Korean places. There were a few pictures on the menu, but again, not nearly as many pictures as there were Japanese descriptions. Well, we knew that we wanted soup, and that was good enough apparently. When the server came over and found out we wanted soup, not sushi, she immediately started asking questions. What type of noodle? Meat? Broth base? Somehow I ended up ordering teriyaki chicken with ramen noodles and miso broth. As the server walked away I looked at Matt and asked, "So, do you suppose she's going to bring us soup?" He shrugged.

We went to the aquarium one afternoon. I must go to an aquarium every time I leave town. I must go to the Seattle aquarium! The beluga whales were by far the coolest. They smile! They're so peaceful the way they just float around. They swim for a bit, and then they just stop moving and float up to the surface. Amazing. They induced entertaining conversation as we walked back to our room:

Matt: So, do you suppose they have to kill the whales to get the caviar?
Me: I would imagine they could just be sedated and someone reaches in.
Matt: Possibly.
Me: Wait, aren't whales mammals?
Matt: Yeah, they are.
Both: Huh!

Anyone know where beluga caviar comes from if not from beluga whales?

Saturday, February 12, 2005

You can never be too careful

Matt and I are leaving on Monday for a week-long trip up to Vancouver BC. Crossing the border can be pretty scary sometimes. Customs officers are intimidating. I always have this fear that they will send me to jail. I don't know if they have that authority, but the possibility always freaks me out. The last time I went up to Canada, the customs officer looked through my bag, asking if I had packed any food. Of course, not knowing any better at the time, I had a few pieces of fruit in my bag. I now understand that you really shouldn't bring fruit across borders. The customs officer found my apple and threw it across the room as if he were throwing the winning pitch at the championship game. He threw it back to the other side of the border. At the time it scared the hell out of me, but now I hope it happens again so I can find it amusing. I equate it to what I would expect out of skydiving. The first time you jump, the trip is a big fantastic rush, but you don't remember much when you reach the ground. But the second time you know what to expect, so you have time to enjoy the ride.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

I've missed you guys so much!

I've had a bad headcold. The other day, I actually became excited about my boogers.

You know the routine. You have a nasty cold for a week and have to call in sick for a few days. You realize that things are looking up when you're laying in bed at night and your nostrils start doing that popping thing, and you're suddenly able to breathe through your nose. A day or two later you perform your ritual of the morning nose blow, and boogers come out. Actual firm little boogers. What a relief!

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Just laugh it off!

Thank you, Matt, for making me laugh in the midst of a small crisis. An entry from his blog:

"...Kim grabbed a hold of the mattress and box spring, and heaved them up against the wall. Bluish fuzzies all over the bedframe. On the headboard against the wall, on the back of the bedside table. In the closet. On her formal gowns. Curious, I looked at the fuzzies under the microscope, and a chilling fear gripped me. They were in uniform. They had gotten themselves organized. They had declared war without telling us. The bedframe was our Pearl Harbor. Tuesday will live in infamy."