Where the Heck Am I?

This thought pops up in my head rather frequently these days... I think it might have to do with the fact that we've stayed at least one night (usually many more) in 13 hotels this year.  That doesn't include any of the homes or the 5 more hotels we will add to the list before 2013 comes to a close. Needless to say, it is occasionally difficult for me to quickly remember that we are currently living in Augusta, Georgia.

We arrived less than a week ago for my husband to begin his general surgery rotation here at Eisenhower Medical Center on Fort Gordon.  It is very hot here. Our hotel room has many pros and cons... so far, the cons have the upper hand. However, the air conditioning is working beautifully! Hallelujah!

While my husband was busy settling in at the hospital, I went down to Florida for a couple of days to visit with my in-laws. I got my cooking, wine and yoga fixes before coming back north to GA.

Although there isn't much going on in this area (so it seems to me), I am trying out a new yoga studio this week and will keep you posted :)

Pike Place Market

On our very last day in the Pacific Northwest, we were able to actually spend some time in Seattle! 

We hung out at Pike Place Market and went to all of the quintessential places... I even tricked my husband into checking out the gum wall in Post Alley. In case you've never seen it, the gum wall is more disgusting than you'd expect.  My favorite memory from viewing this spectacle was a mom lecturing her child who was posing in front of the wall: "Stand away from the wall... NO! Don't touch it! Just stand still near the wall.... Don't lean on it!!" This seemed like a traumatic photo-op, so we just kept walking without documenting our disgust.

Obviously, watching the fish mongers throw around HUGE halibut and salmon was a must. What made it even better is that we had a pint of fresh raspberries from one of the farmer's market vendors to munch on while we took in the show. Yummy!

Those lobster tails were as big as my arm!!

I loved walking through all of the flower vendors. The dahlias, sunflowers and peonys were my favorites.

As we walked, we munched on a delicious amandine (the best almond croissant ever) from Le Painier. 

Holy cow... I could eat those every day and still marvel at how perfect they are.

Our view from a rooftop bar.

We also went to Beecher's for some of their "world's best" macaroni and cheese.  We took it to-go and ate outside in a park. We also shared a dungeness crab grilled cheese sandwich. Everything was superb! I only wish that we'd had room in our suitcases to take some of their homemade cheese with us.  Our favorite was the Raw Flagship cheese.

When we needed a break from walking around in the blazing summer heat (just kidding, it was in the 70s), we ducked into the Frontier Room for some local beer. We both had an IPA from Diamond Knot.

I guess we really ate and drank our way through Seattle!

One thing we did that didn't involve eating (or drinking) was our visit to Seattle Glassblowing Studio.  I imagine that I forgot to take a picture in the gallery because I was too busy trying to take it all in.  The vases, figurines, bowls, and sculptures were spectacular.  We bought a little evergreen tree to remember our foray in the Pacific Northwest :)

Last, but not least, we saw the first Starbucks shop. It was swarmed with people, of course, so we didn't stop in, but it was fun to see where the coffee magnate originated.

We Made It... Again!!

Y'all might have guessed by my absence from blogging for the past week or so that we've changed locales yet again! Two days ago we arrived in Bethesda, MD at a friend's condo... no hotel rooms for 6 whole weeks! Hallelujah!! 

This is Ron.  He comes with the condo for a week. We're bonded :)

He thinks this is his couch. I'm trying to convince him otherwise.

Our last week in the Pacific Northwest was so awesome, and I will be sharing everything very soon!

4th of July

 Just in case you were wondering, we had a perfect little 4th of July here in the northwest. Although my husband had to spend most of the day working at the hospital, we were able to spend a couple of hours together in the evening.

I spent most of the day in Silverdale, WA, with some family friends that I've known for over a decade. It was really lovely catching up with them, and we definitely had some good laughs. They were so thoughtful to pack up some of their cookout fare for me to bring back to Fort Lewis for Michael (whom they have yet to meet!) to enjoy.

Just as Michael and I were about to climb into bed, the base fireworks show began.  We watched the impressive half-hour show from our little hotel window. I can't remember a sweeter July 4th! Happy Birthday America!

Bermuda

Talking about our wedding has made me think about where we went after we celebrated with our family and friends: Bermuda!! Also known as one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, Bermuda was the PERFECT place to honeymoon!

We went on a Celebrity Cruise and spent three days in Bermuda (the other 3 days were spent at sea). I don't think I've ever been as relaxed as I was on that boat... Here are some photos of our fun!

We got a lot of use out of our balcony... drinks, breakfast, reading, champagne...

One of our favorite places to hang out on the ship was the Martini Bar... a frosted paradise with the friendliest bartenders (Igor from Ukraine was the best) and the yummiest martinis!

We made friends with the other couple at our table for dinner: Keith and Lauren! Can't wait to cruise with them again!

Most expensive wine I've ever tasted was at the wine bar on the ship.

The Summit! Oh yea... and the handsome guy in the helmet, too :)

The return of one of our favorite pastimes- scootering!

A few different views of Admiralty Cove. A local's hangout to jump off cliffs into the ocean!

A secluded beach we found when scootering around the island. Breathtaking when you're zipping around corners only to catch a glimpse of a place like this!

The Fourth of July, 2012!!

Taken when we were snorkeling... the water photographed this amazing turquoise color, but it was much prettier in person. Is that even possible?! Oh my, yes.

The happiest honeymooners there ever will be!

Rainier Inn

I've already mentioned various reasons why I like it here at Fort Lewis, but here are some specifics about our fabulous living conditions at Rainier Inn.

 My husband has a desk! This is where he spends most of his time if he isn't at the hospital or sleeping, so it's a luxury to have an actual desk (rather than a really grody armchair or nothing at all).

Do you see that blinding light?! Its natural because we have two windows (even if they don't open... what a fake out)! I won't speak about the situations in which we did not/barely had windows...

The kitchen!! Doesn't it look fancy?! There may or may not be a non-stick All Clad pan hiding in one of those cupboards... 

These two things are just icing on the cake of living on Fort Lewis.  1) The view (even though seldom because of the clouds and rain) of Mt. Rainier is spectacular! 2) The sweet black kitty living in one of the rooms on the first floor of Rainier Inn.  I talk to him when I see him sleeping in the window in the mornings and afternoons. You would too!

We Made It: Seattle Edition

We arrived on the west coast this past Sunday.  I realize that this means a major event occurred two whole days ago, and I am just now getting around to blogging about it.  I realize that this makes me a bad blogger.  I'm trying to live with myself.

Now that that's settled, I can tell you all the things I love about this area so far. 

This:

This is everything.  Beautiful, tall, dark green trees everywhere. It makes me want to go hiking. 

Again with the big gorgeous foliage! Good gracious!

So basically, I can confirm that the Northwest is as picturesque as the Twilight movies, Grey's Anatomy and Sleepless in Seattle led you to believe.  Oh, and the temperature has been hovering around 60-70 degrees.  In June.  This southern girl is having a tough time comprehending that part.

Onto other things I love about being at Fort Lewis!

Our rental car:

Long story short, the Enterprise rental place was running really low on compact cars, so they upgraded us to this 

Volvo XC60. It is super easy to drive and comfortable and has AWD just in case I decide to do something outdoorsy (unlikely, but you never know... I'm in the northwest now!).

The gym, Jensen Family Health and Fitness Center, has free yoga classes 4 days a week! They also have TRX at another gym on post that I am looking forward to trying out!

Einstein Brothers Bagels has two locations on post... this is a major upgrade from the usual restaurant options on military installations (read: McDonalds and Burger King).

Our hotel room at the Rainier Inn is the best we've had thus far, for several reasons.

          - The building was built in 2007

          - There is a kitchenette with two burners, which means I can cook! And I did:

We had seared U10 scallops, risotto, and peas for dinner tonight.  A little fancy for paper plates and no dinner table, but that almost made it taste better... almost :)  Last night we had this pasta dish.

            - The shower maintains a reliable, appropriate temperature.

          - There is free WIFI

          - There is free breakfast downstairs every morning

I am sure there are more things that I love about this area, but right now, I am falling asleep.  Either due to jet lag or the early mornings. Probably both... I can't decide right now.

The French Quarter

When my husband was assigned to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, for the month of April, he had every other Friday off. He was excited for an extra day of studying (woo hoo! right?), but I convinced him on one of those Fridays to go to New Orleans with me.  It's only an hour or so away from Biloxi, and I drove so he could study on the way there/back.  Have I mentioned lately that I am REALLY good at the whole medical-student's-wife thing ;)?

My first priority in NOLA was to go to Cafe Du Monde.  I don't care that it is always jam packed and touristy.  I could eat their beignets and drink their cafe au lait every day.  We grabbed ours to-go and sat overlooking the canal as we had the healthiest, most nutritious breakfast in the world.

Part of the joy of beignets is the powdered sugar that ends up everywhere- pants, shirts and hair included.

After getting loaded up on carbs and caffeine, we walked around the French Quarter shops. My favorite find was Santa's Quarters because I have an unhealthy obsession with rather expensive Christmas ornaments. Michael preferred the open air French Market where he purchased an actual alligator head. Yikes! His only reassurance to his freaked-out wife? "The eyes aren't real, they're black marbles." What a relief. 

These pictures were taken in Jackson Square Park which overlooks the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral. All of this is in stark contrast to the activities a few streets over on Bourbon. We walked through (briskly because of the smell) for the heck of it, but found to need to linger in a bar at 10 am to drink Hurricanes and Daiquiris.  We were saving our day drinking for lunch at Commander's Palace!

We also caught the St. Charles Streetcar to take us to lunch, and I don't think there is a better or more picturesque way to travel into the Garden District!

Our day in NOLA was absolutely lovely... everything from the weather (70's and sunny) to the food was perfection.  Except for the silver dollar sized blisters I got on the BOTTOM of my feet from all the walking. Worth it!