Hold your breaths, folks: I've worked on my bucket list this weekend, in spite of the almost unbearable heat. Three friends and I started Saturday with brunch at cozy Cafe Flora—highly revered among the local vegetarian/vegan community, and well worth the generous praise. After initial conferring regarding which of the crowded parks we should head out to afterwards, followed by a wild-goose chase for an available, grill-friendly spot, we eventually found the perfect place in the shade under a tree in Carkeek Park.
Why 'grill-friendly' on such a hot day, you ask? Because we were making s'mores, of course! I'm well aware that s'more-making is a culinary art often practiced during colder, darker times, but if this girl was to try the tasty (?) treat before leaving its country of origin, then this was the time.
The Swedes out there may not be familiar with the recipe—I know I wasn't. You need: graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and a fire.
Traditionally, people use Hershey's rather than fancy chocolate, but we aimed a little higher. Also, we chose 'giant roasters'—not the most brilliant decision, perhaps, but it made eating the goodies way more fun (especially for the 25% of us with beards, and, in effect, even more so for the 75% without).
In short: marshmallows were put on sticks and roasted over the fire. As soon as the fluffy chunks got nice and golden they were transferred to a graham cracker that had been prepared with a respectably sized piece of chocolate; finally, a second cracker was placed on top.
Ta-daa!
Beautiful! Just beautiful. I feel like there has to be a pastry chef in me, just waiting to get out. It's nice to have a second career to fall back on, should this 'science' thing not work out.
Looks aside, the result was a success: the hot, gooey marshmallow melted the chocolate, and the whole thing was quickly eaten, accompanied by muffled expressions of general approval and mouthfuls of giggles.
I may have had two of these monsters. I may also have had three. (Go big or go home, folks!)
It took some concentration, and then... NOM!
This concludes the edible portion of my bucket list, which included a twinkie, banana cream pie, and s'mores. One of the items kind of pushed the definition of the word 'edible'—I leave it up to you to figure out which one I'm referring to.
As if this wasn't enough action for one weekend, I went to Portland on Sunday with Emerald City Supporters to cheer for Sounders as they took on Timbers at Providence Park. Beer, jello shots and chanting throughout the entire three-hour bus ride—a fun trip indeed, even if the game ended quite sadly with 4–1 to the hosting team. (The return trip was somewhat mopier.) My first away game, still! Big up to Isaac who made it happen.
Showing posts with label Sportsball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sportsball. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
The morning after the night before
I don't know what to say, except that Super Bowl XLIX ended in a very unfortunate and unforseen way, from the Seahawks fans' perspective. The overall feeling is described pretty accurately by this photo that I snapped on my way to work:
Deflated, to say the least.
Still, you don't hear a lot of angry voices; people in general seem to be blue, more than anything. For instance, the Seattle Times tweeted the following this morning:
Oh, this sweet, sweet city of mine... Together, we'll get over this heartbreak! And I must add that although the ending was a kick in the guts, my friends and I had a blast at 9 Mill. The game was a nail-biter from start to finish; just the way I like 'em.
And we'll be back next year, wiser from the experience... Go Hawks!
Deflated, to say the least.
Still, you don't hear a lot of angry voices; people in general seem to be blue, more than anything. For instance, the Seattle Times tweeted the following this morning:
No arrests, no major problems in Seattle after the #Seahawks lost the Super Bowl. "We're all sad," officer explained: http://t.co/GPu3J3dsLG
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) February 2, 2015
Oh, this sweet, sweet city of mine... Together, we'll get over this heartbreak! And I must add that although the ending was a kick in the guts, my friends and I had a blast at 9 Mill. The game was a nail-biter from start to finish; just the way I like 'em.
And we'll be back next year, wiser from the experience... Go Hawks!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Super pumped for Super Bowl
Someone asked me if Seattle is excited about Super Bowl coming up, you know, with Seahawks defending their title and all.
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAH!
It's kind of like this, all the time:
And like this:
And like this:
There are lots of 12th men and women out there, that's for sure!
Overall, Super Bowl is everywhere. For instance, Cake Wrecks is giving us Super Bowl Showdown, and Cute Overload lets Teddy Bear the Porcupine predict the winner (he/she/it better be right!).
Whatever happens, Sunday will be off the charts. Go Hawks!
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAH!
It's kind of like this, all the time:
And like this:
Celebrating @Seahawks on a beautiful #BlueFriday w/@SeattleCCA @project_violet @Obliteride @helpEndHIV #WeAre12 #SB49 pic.twitter.com/qj9lBOiQop
— Fred Hutch (@fredhutch) January 30, 2015
And like this:
Overall, Super Bowl is everywhere. For instance, Cake Wrecks is giving us Super Bowl Showdown, and Cute Overload lets Teddy Bear the Porcupine predict the winner (he/she/it better be right!).
Whatever happens, Sunday will be off the charts. Go Hawks!
Sunday, January 18, 2015
The miracle at CenturyLink Field
Seriously, there is no explaining that game.
It should've been impossible; Seahawks were playing so utterly bad for three quarters, with endless fumbles, false starts and bad calls. But somehow - somehow - they stepped up in the last trembling minutes and changed 19-7 for the Packers, with little more than two (!) minutes left to play, to 19-14, then 19-22. Yes, they scored two touchdowns in 44 seconds.
9 Mill, the bar next door where I was watching the game with newfound friends from last week, pretty much exploded. Like, yeah.
Still, it wasn't over; Packers kicked a field goal, made it to 22-22 and overtime. We were having multiple strokes all around, but there was no stopping the Hawks at that point; they scored a 35-yard touchdown on the first drive in overtime, effectively killing the game with 28 points against Green Bay's 22.
I just... I don't... There's no... Wow.
15 seconds into this clip you can see me being just a wee bit excited. (Just a tad.)
Although I can truthfully say that I never lost hope completely, I can't quite believe the way they miraculously turned that game around, securing the conference championship and a place in Super Bowl XLIX, Febuary 1st. Whatever happens then, they've already won everything as far as I'm concerned.
Well done, boys. Well done!
It should've been impossible; Seahawks were playing so utterly bad for three quarters, with endless fumbles, false starts and bad calls. But somehow - somehow - they stepped up in the last trembling minutes and changed 19-7 for the Packers, with little more than two (!) minutes left to play, to 19-14, then 19-22. Yes, they scored two touchdowns in 44 seconds.
9 Mill, the bar next door where I was watching the game with newfound friends from last week, pretty much exploded. Like, yeah.
Still, it wasn't over; Packers kicked a field goal, made it to 22-22 and overtime. We were having multiple strokes all around, but there was no stopping the Hawks at that point; they scored a 35-yard touchdown on the first drive in overtime, effectively killing the game with 28 points against Green Bay's 22.
I just... I don't... There's no... Wow.
15 seconds into this clip you can see me being just a wee bit excited. (Just a tad.)
Although I can truthfully say that I never lost hope completely, I can't quite believe the way they miraculously turned that game around, securing the conference championship and a place in Super Bowl XLIX, Febuary 1st. Whatever happens then, they've already won everything as far as I'm concerned.
Well done, boys. Well done!
Geared up!
January 18, 12:05 pm PST, CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA:
I'll be watching the playoff game at the bar next door, dressed up properly in my new favorite jersey. If they don't win this one, it sure enough ain't my fault!
Like last year, Fred Hutch showed its love and support with another Blue Friday shot. This time, I'm a little tricker to find but I can assure you that I'm there.
Enough chitchat, more cheering: Go Hawks! Also, YAY SPORTSBALL!
Green Bay Packers Vs. Seattle Seahawks.
I'll be watching the playoff game at the bar next door, dressed up properly in my new favorite jersey. If they don't win this one, it sure enough ain't my fault!
Like last year, Fred Hutch showed its love and support with another Blue Friday shot. This time, I'm a little tricker to find but I can assure you that I'm there.
.@Seahawks fans showed #BlueFriday spirit on the #FredHutch campus ahead of Sunday's #NFCChampionship pic.twitter.com/A7ot9ZAId9
— Fred Hutch (@fredhutch) January 16, 2015
Enough chitchat, more cheering: Go Hawks! Also, YAY SPORTSBALL!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Bittersweet memories and an American classic
The past week was... interesting. It's Sunday evening and I'm completely exhausted, physically as well as emotionally. High highs and low lows; I've had some amazingly good times and fun encounters, but they've been mixed with severe anxiousness, frantic frustration and plain ol' sadness.
Yeah. This lady is singin' the blues.
That being said, Friday was one of the most magical nights out I've had in this city (and that says a lot), although technically it was a farewell party. Without going into detail, there are certain memories that will be kept deep inside my heart for a long time to come; equal parts thorn and feather.
Saturday was spent recuperating at the Frayos, drinking glögg, decorating their tree, eating freshly made Christmas cookies, sipping on wine, nomming down dinner, watching Elf and snuggling with Cian.
One of the highlights was getting a very special Christmas present. I've started working on a bucket list with things I want to do, see and experience before I eventually leave this part of the world; even though it breaks my heart just thinking about saying goodbye to Seattle, I've got to be rational and make sure that I'm not missing out on unique experiences by being in denial. Therefore, the list includes activities ranging from seemingly trivial endeavors to more adventurous enterprises. The gift from the Frayos might perhaps land in the former category rather than the latter, but it doesn't make it less precious.
On my list was: eat a Twinkie. This super processed, nutritionally horrendous sponge cake with "creamy filling" is an American classic; an "an icon of junk-food snacks and guilty pleasures", and I had not yet had one. So, Shani made sure that I could cross that item off the list.
How it was? Well. Pretty terrible, I have to admit. Nonetheless, "Eat a Twinkie": check! (In case you were wondering, Shani's sweet cookies were several orders of magnitude better.)
Sunday started with work from 7 to 11, but things improved radically after that. Most importantly, Seahawks kicked some Californian butts, knocking the 49ers out of the playoffs. (Hah!) Had a fun time at 9 Mill watching the game, making friends and enjoying the overall holiday pleasantness.
Monday and Tuesday will be a ticking clock, counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until I get my behind in the airplane seat and head eastwards. I have a ton of things to wrap up at work (and at home) before I go, however, so there will be no downtime to talk of.
Better that way, says Melancholy Molly.
Yeah. This lady is singin' the blues.
That being said, Friday was one of the most magical nights out I've had in this city (and that says a lot), although technically it was a farewell party. Without going into detail, there are certain memories that will be kept deep inside my heart for a long time to come; equal parts thorn and feather.
Saturday was spent recuperating at the Frayos, drinking glögg, decorating their tree, eating freshly made Christmas cookies, sipping on wine, nomming down dinner, watching Elf and snuggling with Cian.
One of the highlights was getting a very special Christmas present. I've started working on a bucket list with things I want to do, see and experience before I eventually leave this part of the world; even though it breaks my heart just thinking about saying goodbye to Seattle, I've got to be rational and make sure that I'm not missing out on unique experiences by being in denial. Therefore, the list includes activities ranging from seemingly trivial endeavors to more adventurous enterprises. The gift from the Frayos might perhaps land in the former category rather than the latter, but it doesn't make it less precious.
On my list was: eat a Twinkie. This super processed, nutritionally horrendous sponge cake with "creamy filling" is an American classic; an "an icon of junk-food snacks and guilty pleasures", and I had not yet had one. So, Shani made sure that I could cross that item off the list.
How it was? Well. Pretty terrible, I have to admit. Nonetheless, "Eat a Twinkie": check! (In case you were wondering, Shani's sweet cookies were several orders of magnitude better.)
Sunday started with work from 7 to 11, but things improved radically after that. Most importantly, Seahawks kicked some Californian butts, knocking the 49ers out of the playoffs. (Hah!) Had a fun time at 9 Mill watching the game, making friends and enjoying the overall holiday pleasantness.
Monday and Tuesday will be a ticking clock, counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until I get my behind in the airplane seat and head eastwards. I have a ton of things to wrap up at work (and at home) before I go, however, so there will be no downtime to talk of.
Better that way, says Melancholy Molly.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
A Festivus for the rest of us
Here's a post that probably won't make much sense except for the Seinfeld nerds out there, unless you do some research. Ever heard of Festivus? If not, read up.
...done? Great.
Life in Fremont is the source of constant amusement, and I was honestly not the least bit surprised when I started seeing posters about Fremot Festivus taking place on December 5th. Somehow, I had managed to miss this tradition in 2012 and 2013, but luckily not this year. Besides the customary Festivus practices, the celebrations also included the annual Lenin lighting; or, as the organizers so nicely put it, a chance to "Celebrate the start of the Fremont holiday shopping season by helping light up a bronze statue of a dead dictator!" Eh, count me in.
The hour-long festivities included everything you would expect, such as Airing of Grievances, Feats of Strength (at least, a version of it) and a proper Festivus pole.
In addition, the celebrations included some things you might not expect, such as representation from the city in the form of Miss Seattle. Yes, seriously. (The one with the tiara, to the left.)
Shani and I decided to make this event into a proper girls' night out, and after the decorated dictator was lit up we spent the evening going from place to place, happily shopping, eating and drinking; basically enjoying everything that makes Fremont such a gem.
The rest of the weekend was equally lovely; on Saturday Amanda and I met up at the University Village outdoor mall for a Christmassy breakfast/shopping date, which turned out to be not only super fun but also super efficient. Sunday meant football at Eastlake Bar & Grill (go Hawks!), after finishing a few things at work and then crossing off the last items on my Christmas list. Finally, as I'm writing this, a batch of just-made glögg is cooling on the stove behind my back; one bottle will be brought to work on Wednesday, and the other to the Frayos next weekend. Good times they are a-comin'.
Happy second Advent, from me and Vladimir!
...done? Great.
Life in Fremont is the source of constant amusement, and I was honestly not the least bit surprised when I started seeing posters about Fremot Festivus taking place on December 5th. Somehow, I had managed to miss this tradition in 2012 and 2013, but luckily not this year. Besides the customary Festivus practices, the celebrations also included the annual Lenin lighting; or, as the organizers so nicely put it, a chance to "Celebrate the start of the Fremont holiday shopping season by helping light up a bronze statue of a dead dictator!" Eh, count me in.
The hour-long festivities included everything you would expect, such as Airing of Grievances, Feats of Strength (at least, a version of it) and a proper Festivus pole.
In addition, the celebrations included some things you might not expect, such as representation from the city in the form of Miss Seattle. Yes, seriously. (The one with the tiara, to the left.)
Shani and I decided to make this event into a proper girls' night out, and after the decorated dictator was lit up we spent the evening going from place to place, happily shopping, eating and drinking; basically enjoying everything that makes Fremont such a gem.
The rest of the weekend was equally lovely; on Saturday Amanda and I met up at the University Village outdoor mall for a Christmassy breakfast/shopping date, which turned out to be not only super fun but also super efficient. Sunday meant football at Eastlake Bar & Grill (go Hawks!), after finishing a few things at work and then crossing off the last items on my Christmas list. Finally, as I'm writing this, a batch of just-made glögg is cooling on the stove behind my back; one bottle will be brought to work on Wednesday, and the other to the Frayos next weekend. Good times they are a-comin'.
Happy second Advent, from me and Vladimir!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Fan-tastic!
My friend Isaac sent me a link to this video about the incredible supporter culture that thrives in Seattle; a fun little film that I recommend to anyone that's curious about the atmosphere at a Sounders game.
The coolest part is that it was filmed during the playoff game against FC Dallas on November 10; a game that we happened to be at. What's more, a lot of the footage was shot from the ECS (Emerald City Supporters) section at the arena; i.e. the section we were in. In fact, the reporter was standing just a couple of rows in front of us. Provided almost-x-ray vision and knowledge about our exact location, it's therefore possible to catch nanosecond-glimpses of us here and there during the clip, for instance around 2:28 and 11:58.
I might be hiding behind someone's armpit, but I'm there. (Wearing my Sounders scarf, of course.)
Have a look-see, why don't ya?
The coolest part is that it was filmed during the playoff game against FC Dallas on November 10; a game that we happened to be at. What's more, a lot of the footage was shot from the ECS (Emerald City Supporters) section at the arena; i.e. the section we were in. In fact, the reporter was standing just a couple of rows in front of us. Provided almost-x-ray vision and knowledge about our exact location, it's therefore possible to catch nanosecond-glimpses of us here and there during the clip, for instance around 2:28 and 11:58.
I might be hiding behind someone's armpit, but I'm there. (Wearing my Sounders scarf, of course.)
Have a look-see, why don't ya?
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Baseball for beginners
Instead of suffering from aftereffects of the previous night's spontaneous partying, Ralph and I woke up early and walked across the street from my apartment to the Barrel Thief for a decadent Sunday waffle breakfast. Well, to be honest they didn't open until 10 am, so I went out in the morning sun to fill yet another bucket with blackberries while Ralph slumbered a little longer. (Side note: I might have a bit of a problem with my compulsory blackberry picking, but the season is approaching its end so I'll hopefully be able to stay out of the brambles soon - until next year, that is...).
The main event of the day was a première for both of us: baseball! This all-American game really hasn't been on my radar until now, but as a Fred Hutch employee I was offered discounted tickets and thought that Ralph's visit might be the perfect excuse to give it a go. We quickly browsed through the main rules and extensive terminology whilst nomming on our waffle sandwiches, concluding that this was slightly (just slightly) more complicated than Swedish brännboll.
That Sunday, Seattle Mariners were taking on the The Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field; a game that they ended up winning, quite easily it seemed, with 4 points against 2. Coincidentally, Scott and Shani had also bought tickets to the game and happened to be sitting more or less directly behind us (!) with little Cian. This turned out to be extremely fortunate for Ralph and me, as we would have been scratching our heads wondering what in the world was going on quite a few times otherwise. The Frayos explained what was happening on the field, what the stats meant, when we should yell ”Charge!”, the reason behind people's apparent obsession with peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and why everyone seemed so excited when the closing pitcher entered the field. The game itself was fairly slow, allowing plenty of time for grade A people watching and general chitchatting.
Our verdict: a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon with good friends!
After that, we hopped on a bus to Ballard to engage in one of my favorite Sunday activities: fika and board gaming. We got a table at Café Mox and stayed until Ralph was tired of getting his butt kicked. A lovely day to be me.
The main event of the day was a première for both of us: baseball! This all-American game really hasn't been on my radar until now, but as a Fred Hutch employee I was offered discounted tickets and thought that Ralph's visit might be the perfect excuse to give it a go. We quickly browsed through the main rules and extensive terminology whilst nomming on our waffle sandwiches, concluding that this was slightly (just slightly) more complicated than Swedish brännboll.
That Sunday, Seattle Mariners were taking on the The Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field; a game that they ended up winning, quite easily it seemed, with 4 points against 2. Coincidentally, Scott and Shani had also bought tickets to the game and happened to be sitting more or less directly behind us (!) with little Cian. This turned out to be extremely fortunate for Ralph and me, as we would have been scratching our heads wondering what in the world was going on quite a few times otherwise. The Frayos explained what was happening on the field, what the stats meant, when we should yell ”Charge!”, the reason behind people's apparent obsession with peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and why everyone seemed so excited when the closing pitcher entered the field. The game itself was fairly slow, allowing plenty of time for grade A people watching and general chitchatting.
Our verdict: a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon with good friends!
After that, we hopped on a bus to Ballard to engage in one of my favorite Sunday activities: fika and board gaming. We got a table at Café Mox and stayed until Ralph was tired of getting his butt kicked. A lovely day to be me.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Summer fun and a new hangout
Patrik and I had a great time during his visit, watching World Cup soccer, going to the movies, running, eating lots ice cream/gelato/frozen custard, celebrating 4th of July, nomming on great food, shopping, exploring Capitol Hill and Ballard, playing boardgames, watching boats go by and just generally chitchatting about everything and nothing. A really, really fun week!
Patrik, David and Amelia rockin' the red, white and blue for 4th of July.
Ice cream! One of the many frozen treats this week.
Browsing in the blazing sun at Fremont Sunday Market. Too hot for shopping, though.
As I'm writing this I'm sitting at Yellow Dot Cafe in Fremont, watching the Brazil-Netherlands bronze game. This place has become a favorite during the World Cup, offering not only comfy seats, friendly staff/clientele and good coffee, but also a fabulous big screen tv on which I have watched seemingly countless games by now. Ok, I can probably count to <10 but you get the picture; in less than a month I've become a regular here, and I like it. However, there are many lovely cafés in the area so I'll probably branch out more again after the WC ends tomorrow. But first I have the exciting final between Germany (yaay!) and Argentina (booo!) to look forward to; a game I will watch with excellent long-distance company back in Sweden. I owe my friend Gäddan a lot for keeping me company through WhatsApp and providing live updates when I've been unable to watch games because of work or other colliding engagements. Thank you ever so much, Gäddan! It wouldn't have been the same without you.
Ahead of me now are a couple of more low-key weeks, until the end of July/beginning of August when I get two back-to-back visits from Swedish comrades. But first, a little bit of work perhaps?
Monday, February 3, 2014
Champions!
Surely, you already know by now but I nonetheless have to report that Seahawks claimed Seattle's first Vince Lombardi Trophy yesterday as they literally destroyed Denver Broncos at Super Bowl XLVIII. (After that, the city went mad.)
We were watching the game at David's house nomming on chips, dip, cookies and cake whilst cheering, high-fiving, and not quite believing our eyes as Manning and his fellow ponies were brutally defeated on the field. They didn't stand a chance! Although I left the dancing on the streets to others, I feel really lucky to have had the privilege to follow Seahawks this season, all the way to the top for the very first time. I'm not just lucky, I'm proud! Damn proud.
Wicked! Go Hawks! YAY SPORTSBALL!
As a side note, this was a pretty unusual afternoon given that the Swedes were in majority at the party, thanks to a couple of visiting gentlemen from my old hood. Perfect timing, lads!
We were watching the game at David's house nomming on chips, dip, cookies and cake whilst cheering, high-fiving, and not quite believing our eyes as Manning and his fellow ponies were brutally defeated on the field. They didn't stand a chance! Although I left the dancing on the streets to others, I feel really lucky to have had the privilege to follow Seahawks this season, all the way to the top for the very first time. I'm not just lucky, I'm proud! Damn proud.
Wicked! Go Hawks! YAY SPORTSBALL!
As a side note, this was a pretty unusual afternoon given that the Swedes were in majority at the party, thanks to a couple of visiting gentlemen from my old hood. Perfect timing, lads!
Monday, January 20, 2014
XLVIII*
Things are crazy in Seattle these days; google “12th man” and you'll understand what we're talking about. So much fun! The whole city is practically bursting in blue and green.
Yesterday, our Seahawks took on San Francisco 49ers in a nerve-wracking playoff game that seemed to last forever. After lots of cursing, sweating, shaking of heads, biting of nails, giving up and coming back, the boys made a crucial interception in the end zone on the 49ers' final possession, therby securing the National Football Conference championship and earning their place in the last game of the NFL season against the American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos.
...that's right: SUPER BOWL, BABY! Yeah! SPORTS!
I was watching the game with a big group of friends - all rooting for Seahawks except for one poor 49ers fan (who wasn't too disappointed by their defeat, to be honest).
Fans at Fred Hutch took a sweet 12th man photo before the previous playoff game against New Orleans Saints. Love the spirit!
On February 2nd we'll be cheering, chanting, and screaming once more... GO HAWKS! SPORTS!
*It's the 48th Super Bowl
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