Making Travel Drama Work For You, Part II
With significant peer pressure from my colleague Saskia, with MVP Gold status on Alaska Airlines (no ticket change fees!), and with nothing on my calendar on Friday in New York, I made the executive decision to change my flight from Thursday PM to Sunday PM! That’s right – I scored a weekend in Seattle! Of course, I also scored another four days with the same clothes, but I’ll take the trade anytime!
Friday night was dedicated to helping Saskia prepare for her first holiday party. I was able to spend the night meeting a cross section of Saskia’s friends as well as enjoy the company of several of my own who were there, including soon to-be-wedded Justin Bross & Gloria Lee, Lindsey & Matt Baker and Michael Johnson. Sadly I got no people pictures, but I was able to capture the holiday hosts exuding their Christmas Spirit! Cody and Wicket were voted “Best Christmas Spirit and Attire” for their dashing red holiday sweaters.
I crashed at Saskia’s Friday night, then walked to the Greenlake Starbucks to meet friend Stacey Dozono. There were a couple of things that stood out on my walk to Greenlake and early Saturday morning in Seattle: one, a $350K townhome for which I pulled a tear sheet in 1998 was again on the market with a “New Price” of $995,000; two, the world around Greenlake is very similar to that of the UES near Central Park… lots of early morning joggers (more running strollers in Seattle!); three, it seriously felt like home.
It felt even moreso when I got to enjoy breakfast with Stacey and Staci and Danelle before their volleyball tournament. What fun it was to surprise Danelle by being at Stacey’s apartment upon her arrival! Good times! A mushroom, spinach, potato frittata with cheese and tomatoes later, Stacey loaned me her car for the day while they trekked to play ball.
I rejoined Charles for brunch at Sunflour Cafe and an afternoon of errands, including a visit with Matt Allen & Claire Hebener who just returned from Ethiopia where they met and picked up their new adopted daughter, Tesfanesh! We were able to catch up, hear the powerful story of the trip and meeting Tess’ biological family, and watch a growing Boone throw every ball in the beautiful Allen home.
I then joined John, Amy and Dave (revisit the Rocky Mountain Adventure) at Seattle’s SPORT restaurant where we endured a horrible server and a four-game UW volleyball match in which the Huskies advanced to the Final Four for the third time in the past three years! I can’t lie, I love Husky sports and am a big fan of the Pac-10 – who secured 75% of the Final Four spots (Stanford and UCLA also advanced). I LOVE that and look forward to even more UW volleyball this coming weekend as the Huskies strive to repeat as National Champions. Go Dawgs!
Saturday night was friend Sally’s annual White Elephant Christmas party where I was able to reconnect with so many friends,
(all of whom said that enough is enough and it’s time to move back to Seattle. How good does that feel? I best start creating the soundtrack to Operation CHP – Coming Home Party – now!) It was great to see MariKate & Eric Adams again, along with the Bjorklunds, Wittrens, Patrick & Megan, the very pregnant Lundquists – and so many more! The Paulsons also made a surprise visit as did Matt & Janelle. JW was both perfectly drunken and silly (as was I!) and we had a BLAST, save John inadvertently trying to undo all the surgical repair to my shoulder with a hard grab, claw, and violent shake. The hilarity that prompted John’s attack was enough to overpower the pain, I have to admit! The party was a blast altogether – so good to see people. Well done yet again, SallyMae!
I met Amy at Stacey’s Sunday morning to drop off Stacey’s car and to trek south for bonus time with Amy. A Starbucks run and Party Analysis later, we caught Mike Walton, Jesse, Matt and John play a few games in a men’s fours tournament,
before leaving to take me to the airport. Just being in the gym with friends was more than encouraging and I was itching to be a part of the team again. Of course, I was also itching to be able to lift my right arm past 90 degrees, but that will come! What itches are cured overnight anyway?!
I’m actually blogging now from 37,000 feet as I fly from Seattle to Newark and return to a world I haven’t been a part of for 10 days now… I was also thinking about the last few weeks: Amy and I calculated that I’ve spent three (3) days in New York since 11/18. Crazy. With the trip for surgery, work in Boston, the Rocky Mountain Adventure, and the extended weekend in Seattle, I have spent 10% of the past three weeks at home. I’m excited for my own bed tonight and to continue to be a part of Christmas in Manhattan (it’s beautiful right now here, Avid Reader). Of course, I also fly home excited that I will be reunited with friends as many DRIVE colleagues are on the East Coast this week and the Paulsons join me for a week starting this coming Saturday! WOO HOO!
With that, I’m signing off for a bit… apologizing of course for the delayed blog posts, excited to have a few actual Manhattan adventures to post in my Manhattan blog, and pumped at the adventures to come in the coming weeks! All my best to you, Avid Reader!
Friday night was dedicated to helping Saskia prepare for her first holiday party. I was able to spend the night meeting a cross section of Saskia’s friends as well as enjoy the company of several of my own who were there, including soon to-be-wedded Justin Bross & Gloria Lee, Lindsey & Matt Baker and Michael Johnson. Sadly I got no people pictures, but I was able to capture the holiday hosts exuding their Christmas Spirit! Cody and Wicket were voted “Best Christmas Spirit and Attire” for their dashing red holiday sweaters.I crashed at Saskia’s Friday night, then walked to the Greenlake Starbucks to meet friend Stacey Dozono. There were a couple of things that stood out on my walk to Greenlake and early Saturday morning in Seattle: one, a $350K townhome for which I pulled a tear sheet in 1998 was again on the market with a “New Price” of $995,000; two, the world around Greenlake is very similar to that of the UES near Central Park… lots of early morning joggers (more running strollers in Seattle!); three, it seriously felt like home.
It felt even moreso when I got to enjoy breakfast with Stacey and Staci and Danelle before their volleyball tournament. What fun it was to surprise Danelle by being at Stacey’s apartment upon her arrival! Good times! A mushroom, spinach, potato frittata with cheese and tomatoes later, Stacey loaned me her car for the day while they trekked to play ball.
I rejoined Charles for brunch at Sunflour Cafe and an afternoon of errands, including a visit with Matt Allen & Claire Hebener who just returned from Ethiopia where they met and picked up their new adopted daughter, Tesfanesh! We were able to catch up, hear the powerful story of the trip and meeting Tess’ biological family, and watch a growing Boone throw every ball in the beautiful Allen home.I then joined John, Amy and Dave (revisit the Rocky Mountain Adventure) at Seattle’s SPORT restaurant where we endured a horrible server and a four-game UW volleyball match in which the Huskies advanced to the Final Four for the third time in the past three years! I can’t lie, I love Husky sports and am a big fan of the Pac-10 – who secured 75% of the Final Four spots (Stanford and UCLA also advanced). I LOVE that and look forward to even more UW volleyball this coming weekend as the Huskies strive to repeat as National Champions. Go Dawgs!
Saturday night was friend Sally’s annual White Elephant Christmas party where I was able to reconnect with so many friends,
(all of whom said that enough is enough and it’s time to move back to Seattle. How good does that feel? I best start creating the soundtrack to Operation CHP – Coming Home Party – now!) It was great to see MariKate & Eric Adams again, along with the Bjorklunds, Wittrens, Patrick & Megan, the very pregnant Lundquists – and so many more! The Paulsons also made a surprise visit as did Matt & Janelle. JW was both perfectly drunken and silly (as was I!) and we had a BLAST, save John inadvertently trying to undo all the surgical repair to my shoulder with a hard grab, claw, and violent shake. The hilarity that prompted John’s attack was enough to overpower the pain, I have to admit! The party was a blast altogether – so good to see people. Well done yet again, SallyMae!I met Amy at Stacey’s Sunday morning to drop off Stacey’s car and to trek south for bonus time with Amy. A Starbucks run and Party Analysis later, we caught Mike Walton, Jesse, Matt and John play a few games in a men’s fours tournament,
before leaving to take me to the airport. Just being in the gym with friends was more than encouraging and I was itching to be a part of the team again. Of course, I was also itching to be able to lift my right arm past 90 degrees, but that will come! What itches are cured overnight anyway?!I’m actually blogging now from 37,000 feet as I fly from Seattle to Newark and return to a world I haven’t been a part of for 10 days now… I was also thinking about the last few weeks: Amy and I calculated that I’ve spent three (3) days in New York since 11/18. Crazy. With the trip for surgery, work in Boston, the Rocky Mountain Adventure, and the extended weekend in Seattle, I have spent 10% of the past three weeks at home. I’m excited for my own bed tonight and to continue to be a part of Christmas in Manhattan (it’s beautiful right now here, Avid Reader). Of course, I also fly home excited that I will be reunited with friends as many DRIVE colleagues are on the East Coast this week and the Paulsons join me for a week starting this coming Saturday! WOO HOO!
With that, I’m signing off for a bit… apologizing of course for the delayed blog posts, excited to have a few actual Manhattan adventures to post in my Manhattan blog, and pumped at the adventures to come in the coming weeks! All my best to you, Avid Reader!
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