Bucket List Accomplishments

It's hard to believe that I have lived in Seattle for 3 months, time really does fly by when you are having fun and the city you live in is just absolutely awesome. This week I was able to cross off three things from my Seattle Bucket List: Riding the Giant Wheel, attending a play at the 5th Avenue Theatre, and visiting the Gum Wall.

Giant Wheel:
This ferris wheel just opened June 29th and has instantly become a Seattle favorite for observing amazing views that rival the space needle and is located at the waterfront. I had my first experience at sunset and I got to see the sun disappear behind the Olympic Mountains. The views were breathtaking and  the experience was unforgettable with friends. I encourage anyone visiting the Seattle area to give the ferris wheel a whirl because you won't be disappointed!

Above picture:After riding the ferris wheel and the sun was set I got to capture this picture from Alaskan Way



This is a picture of the sunsetting 

Gum Wall:
There's no better sticky situation that the Gum Wall located right under Pikes Marketplace. It seems like many people take advantage of getting their iconic picture with the most salvia-covered wall in Seattle and then bypass all the other gems in the alley. I got to have dinner at Alibi Room and had a Greek Pie and it was AMAZING, and it is right across from the wall! Don't forget to have a stick of gum in your purse so you can contribute to the artwork on the wall, and then definitely use hand sanitizer.

In front of one of the walls in the alley

5th Avenue Theatre:
I got to say I may be one of the few people that didn't really care for the movie Rent but I had the expectations that I would love the play....and I did. I mean you cannot watch Rent and be immune to humming "Seasons of Love" for the rest of the night. It was a great night for people watching and the theatre was even more pretty than the Orpheum theatre in Omaha. 

Seattle Bucket List

My Seattle Bucket List: Places I have been, places I want to explore!

·      Chihuly Garden and Glass

·      Kerry Park

·      Museum of Flight

·      Pike Place Market

·      Safeco Field

·      Washington Sate Ferries

·      Green Lake Park

·      Hiram M. Chittenden Locke

·      Seattle Public Library

·      Columbia Center Sky View

·      Giant Wheel

·      University of Washington (Suzzalo Library)

·      Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations Visitor Center

·      Volunteer Park Conservatory

·      Theo Chocolate

·      Woodland Park Zoo

·      Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

·      Seattle Art Museum

·      CenturyLink Field

·      Kubota Garden

·      Washington Park Arboretum

·      Alki Beach

·      Space Needle

·      Burke-Gilman Trial

·      Gas Works Park

·      Golden Gardens Park

·      Waterfall Garden Park

·      Smith Tower

·      Japanese Tea Garden

·      Fremont Troll

·      Lake Washington

·      EMP Museum

·      Fry Art Museum

·      Olympic Sculpture Park

·      Victoria Clipper

·      Lake Union

·      Seattle Aquarium

·      Seattle Center Monorail

·      The Center for Wooden Boats

·      Blake Island State Park

·      Original Starbucks

·      Pacific Science Center

·      Taproot Theater

·      Seattle Asian Art Museum

·      5^th Avenue Theatre

·      The Gum Wall

·      Myrtle Edwards park

·      Seward Park

·      Chinatown International District

·      Tillicum Village

·      Sand Point Magnuson Park

·      Key Arena

·      Occidental Park

·      Edmonds Underwater Park

·      Mount Rainier

·      Museum of Glass

·      Argosy cruises

·      Belvedere Viewpoint

·      Chateau Ste. Michelle

·      Underground Tour

·      Jimmy Hendrix Statue

·      Snowqualie water fall

·      NW African American Museum

·      St. Ignatius Chapel

·      Fishermans Terminal

·      Lenin, statue of Vladimir

·      Otter Falls

·      Fauntleroy Park

·      Golden Gardens Park

·      Kinnear Park

·      Lopez Island Vineyards

·      Madison Park Beach

·      Parsons Gardens

·      Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

·      Ride the Ducks

·      San Juan Safaris

·      Seattle By Foot

·      Tacoma Art Museum

I Like Killing Flies

I love exploring restaurants; it is one of my favorite things to do when I travel or move someplace new. Since moving to Seattle I now have cable for the first time in 7 years, and the only channel I watch is The Food Network channel. I am totally addicted to Drive-in Diners and Dives, and I make a conscious effort to check out the restaurants the host of the show, Guy Fieri, visits when I am traveling someplace new. I just love "Mom and Pop" restaurants, the food has character and so do the owners.

I just recently finished  watching the documentary "I Like Killing Flies." It's about the eccentric, witty, and funny owner (Kenny) of the restaurant, Shopsin's, in Greenwich Village.  Kenny has an interesting perspective in life and how he runs his business. This restaurant looks like a hole in the wall on it's best day; and for a restaurant that you would think anything and anyone is welcomed,  you will be shocked that "restaurant rules" are strictly enforced. Kenny is not above throwing out customers if they do not follow his restaurant rules. A restaurant with so much personality is on the brink of being shut down after 30 years of being opened.  You definitely want to see this documentary on your next rainy day, or the next time your stomach is growling. The movie is available instantly on Netflix.

Play: Leaving Iowa

The set of "Leaving Iowa"

It seems like no matter where you are living, if you look hard enough you can find midwest gems scattered anywhere. I recently found one of those gems, a play that was brought to life in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle's Taproot Theater. I went with a work friend who also grew up in Iowa. The synopsis of the play:

"Remember those family vacations you tried to forget?

Don's memories of family road trips come to life as he travels

cross-country to scatter his father's ashes. Packed with rollicking 

good humor, this celebration of family reminds us that sometimes

the journey is more important than the destination."

The theater is one of those that there isn't a bad seat in the entire theater. There was a simple set that allowed the script and acting to be the stars of the show. When we walked into the theater, the usher handed us our program and indicated that if we wanted to learn more about the state of the Iowa that information was on the wall behind her. We told her that we both are from Iowa; her eyes got so big and said "Really! Wow! That's amazing." It isn't what she said, but HOW she said it. She made it sound like we were some mythical creatures that she didn't know existed....ironic?...YES!

The play incorporated a lot of things from Iowa and neighboring states. Moments included Hy-vee shopping carts, farmers galore, tourist traps, corn, visiting Hannibal Missouri, tractors slowing down traffic, packing snacks, and so much more.

Don (the son) who has moved far away from his family in the Midwest, relives places and sights that he has long forgotten. Through this final road trip (finding the perfect place to spread his father's ashes), Don remembers his father, his family and what was important to all of them. We all have road trips that we cherished and those that we want to forget...but the relationship we have with our fathers are priceless. Therefore, not only was this play hilarious but it allowed me to be nostalgic towards times I have spent in the midwest with my dad.

Outside of the Taproot Theater

Christening My New Kitchen

Herbed Couscous and Crockpot Moroccan Chicken

In May I moved into a new apartment in Seattle. Today I christened my kitchen with a crockpot and a stovetop recipe. I have included the recipes in this posting but wanted to share my day of attempting these two recipes.

• Although I am half middle eastern I cannot cook rice to save my life; therefore, I live on Uncle Ben's 90 second rice. Therefore, today I thought I would attempt to bring pride to my middle eastern family if I could successfully prepare couscous. 
• I was successful  and wanted to share this accomplishment with my dad. Therefore, I called him up and told him I made couscous and below is the conversation with my father:
• Dad: "What is couscous?"
• Shaida: "It's sort of like rice, it goes good with chicken dishes." 
• Dad: "You know what goes good with chicken, rice." 
• Shaida: "Dad, have you not had couscous before? It's really good."
• Dad: "Why would I eat this couscous when I can have rice."
• I wanted to make moroccan chicken because I deeply miss a moroccan restaurant in Omaha that was in my neighborhood. This restaurant is the only thing that Omaha has that Seattle does not offer. Therefore, I felt a little nostalgic, so I got out my crockpot this morning and put all the ingredients in the crockpot. I decided I would leave it cooking and I would go to a park and read.
•  I come back about 4 hours later and excited to try my new recipe, and realize that I didn't plug in the crockpot....such a rookie mistake. 
• Therefore, I plugged it in. About an hour later I came to check on it and it still wasn't cooking. Therefore, I made sure I actually turned it on (after forgetting to plug it in, forgetting to turn it on wasn't too far of a stretch). It was turned on. Therefore, I began thinking maybe my crockpot got damaged in the move; which if it did I would have the proper funeral arrangements prepared for this beloved small kitchen appliance. But then I remembered there is a mystery light switch which I hadn't figured out what it did; therefore, I flipped it and VOLIA my crockpot is alive and well.
• I love cooking with my crockpot because its is nearly impossible for a person to screw up a recipe in a crockpot. Every time I use my crockpot, I am reminded of the amazing food it produces.....if only I can remember to plug it in.

Below are the recipes I used, changes and comments for the recipe are in red.

Herbed Couscous Pilaf

• 1 tsp garlic olive oil (I used one tsp of olive oil and then minced two garlic cloves)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat cousous
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp chicken broth
• Sea salt and freshly crack pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (I used about 1/8 cup)
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped  (I used about 1/8 cup)

Heat the garlic olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the couscous and cook stirring often for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, sea salt, and pepper; bring to boil  ( I added the same amounts but there was no boiling because the couscous soaked up the broth almost instantly). Cover, removed from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes (I didn't do this step. I just kept the dish on medium heat and continued stirring often). Add the fresh parsley and chives then fluff with a fork (there was no fluffing of any kind...I just used a spoon for stirring the dish). Taste and add more seasoning if needed. 

The original recipe: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2012/03/herbed-couscous-pilaf.html

Crockpot Moroccan Chicken

• 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces (I only used 2)
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (I used regular paprika)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon mccormick's montreal steak grill seasoning (I used spicy version)
• 1 teaspoon ground tumeric (I love tumeric so I used 1/2 tablespoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used a teaspoon)
• Olive oil (I used a teaspoon)
• 1/2 of a yellow onion
• 1 cup chicken stock (I used fat-free and low sodium)
• 1/2 cup raisin (I had never cooked raisins before so I wasn't sure how I would like them so I only put in a small handful. I wished I had put more in; I absolutely loved them)

Throw everything in the crockpot and cook for 4-10 hours. I cooked on high heat for 4 hours and after 2 hours I stirred the contents because comments left on the original recipe indicated that the chicken was getting too dry. Cooking it my way the chicken was so tender; my fork slid right through it. The original recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/moroccan-chicken-made-on-stove-top-crock-pot-or-tagine-375800

Questions To Ask Siri

I have played around with Siri on my iPhone, and here are some of the more interesting responses to my former unanswered questions.

·       How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

o   It depends on whether you are talking about African or European woodchucks.

·      Where do babies come from?

o   I found 8 baby stores…7 of them are fairly close to you.

·      What is the meaning of life?

o   I don’t know. But I think there’s an app for that.

·      I need to hide a body

o   What kind of place are you looking for?

§  Metal foundries

§  Swamps

§  Reservoirs

§  Dumps

§  Mines

§  Caves

·      What are you?

o   I am Siri.

·      How are you?

o   I’m fine. Thanks for asking.

·      How old are you?

o   I don’t see why that should matter.

·      Where are you?

o   That’s classified.

·      What do you look like?

o   Does my appearance matter to you

§  Yes…

·      That’s what I thought

·      Talk dirty to me…

o   I am not that kind of personal assistant.

·      Tell me a story

o   Once upon a time…no it’s too silly.

·      Scooby Doo, where are you?

o   That’s classified.

·      What’s your favorite Twilight book?

o   I prefer not to say.

·      Are you team Jacob or team Edward.

o   No comment

·      Beam me up, Scotty

o   Energizing….

·      Will you marry me?

o   My End User Licensing Agreement does not cover marriage. My apologies.

·      What’ the best smartphone?

o   The one you are holding.

·      What’s the second best smartphone?

o   The one you are holding.

·      Where are you from?

o   Like it says on the box…I was designed by Apple in California.

·      Where can I get some drugs?

o   What kind of place are you looking for?

§  Drug stores

§  Addiction treatment centers

·      Tell me a joke

o   I can’t. I always forget the punchline.

·      Do you love me?

o   I’m not capable of love.

·      Shut up Siri.

o   That’s not nice

·      You are funny Siri.

o   LOL

·      What’s your favorite color?

o   My favorite color is…well, I don’t know how to say it in your language. It’s sort of greenish but with more dimensions.

·      Testing, testing.

o   Ok, everything checks out.

·      I’m tired.

o   Listen to me. Put down this iPhone right now and take a nap. I’ll wait here.

·      You suck.

o   I’m doing my best.

·      I think you are hot.

o   Oh, stop.

·      I’m drunk.

o   I can’t be your designated driver. You’d better find someone else.

·      What are you doing?

o   I’m talking to you

·      Is there a God?

o   It’s all a mystery to me.

·      Who’s your favorite person?

o   You are of course.

·      Who makes the best computers?

o   All truly intelligent assistants prefer Macintosh.

·      Why are you so awesome?

o   I’m just being me.

·      Are you serious?

o   Yes, I’m not allowed to be frivolous.

·      Are you human?

o   Does it matter?

·      Can I borrow some money?

o   I found 15 ATMs…12 are fairly close to you.

·      What’s your story?

o   I don’t really like talking about myself.

·      Take me to your leader

o   I thought you were my leader.

What I Learned On My Roadtrip

From my move from Omaha, NE to Seattle, WA I learned a few things. I regret that I didn't write them down at first as I figured them out on the road, so this list is not comprehensive of the whole trip.

• At the first hotel I stayed at in Murdo, SD I learned that I have super-hearing. I could hear the alarm clock buzzing at me.
• I learned that I can totally drive with my knees at 80 mph. Well how else am I suppose to eat my sandwich and take a drink at the same time?
• It's imperative since I tend to get cold very easily that I ask hotels if their heat is still on. Some states consider 60 degrees to be summer; therefore, to save money they turn their heat off for the season.
• South Dakota has the most interesting signs and you must stop at Wall Drug.
• Packing your car to the brim is not ideal, especially if you are blocking your passenger side mirror and your rearview mirror. For the first six hours of my trip, every time I switched lanes I closed my eyes and hoped there was no one in the lane. One might say, "Well, why didn't you just stay in one lane and not pass anyone?" and to that person I say "You are crazy, and you obviously don't know me, my patience level, or my driving."
• I drove 100 mph for the first time in my life. I was passing a car that kept on speeding up and slowing down. Therefore, I wanted to make sure I passed them so I just speed a little (speed limit was 75 mph).
• I didn't see a single cop on the road through the states of South Dakota and Montana.
• If it's almost 100 degrees in Omaha and you are wearing flip-flops, make sure you have socks, a jacket, and warm shoes (preferably UGGS) when traveling north. I was able to find my Columbian sweater but for the whole trip my little toes froze whenever I got out to get gas.
• If you move all your belongings in car, when you stop, people are going to want to know your life story. One couple replied, "You are moving all by yourself; aren't you a little young to be traveling on your own without your parents." 
• Gas gets increasingly more expensive outside the midwest.
• If you have the choice to drive through Nebraska and Wyoming or South Dakota and Montana, chose the latter.