The last Kentucky trip EVER

Making me a drink for the first and last time in their garage bar.

So I think I didn't make a big enough deal about it yet, but John is moving to California!! He got a great job and he's moving to California! We're going to be on the same coast!! Every visit to see him is going to be a vacation!!!! Honestly, I was anxious about it at first that it was not Washington, but it's grown on me so much more and now I can honestly say that I can't wait!! He accepted the offer earlier this month and will be in California within a month from now. I had already booked this past trip to Kentucky, so John stayed an extra week at his old work to accommodate this trip, but that meant this was my last trip to Kentucky ever!!! Woohoo!!  I have nothing against Kentucky. It's really a beautiful state, but it's become a symbol of $400 plane tickets and nothing to do... Really, I was never going to move there and John wasn't really planning on staying there permanently, so there was no future for us there, so this move has been a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Anyway, here are pictures from my last trip to Kentucky. EVER! That feels so good to say. Actually, John asked me if I'd come back in May for a wedding... but I'm thinking no.

This is at John's coworker's apartment's pool. He actually brought John the pool key when he heard I was coming to town.

John and I at a scenic viewpoint on the way to Virginia.

Picking John up from work. He didn't take any time off  while I was there, so I had a lot of time to pass by myself. I was planning to just study for the NCLEX, but then John was so thoughtful, he bought me Sims 4 so I wouldn't get bored. [insert heart eyes emoji here]

We drove to Cincinnati one day to go to the Gap Clearance Store (uhhhh omg we spent so much money. I love gap, but I don't like gap outlet, but this store is the most beautiful thing that was ever birthed from the 2) and then waited 40 minutes for Eli's BBQ. It was BOMB. We ate until we got so sleepy that it was dangerous to drive home.

We ate at Ramsey's for the last time for a quadruple celebration- my last meal in KY, John leaving Lexington, Seahawks win in overtime and the 49ers loss this week. I think people usually get their own plates, but we made it family style, and it was so much better that way. We actually weren't sure if we should go out to eat or make dinner, but one of John's roommates got really angry and was slamming doors after the girl he was watching the game with left before the game ended and the Seahawks won. It was scary at the time, but now it's funny. 

Anyway, that's all. It's over. No more Kentucky! It's not even bittersweet, it's just exciting :)

Seahawk Sighting

A little over a year ago, I told John I was concerned that if I ever ran into a Seahawk out of context, I disappointingly probably wouldn't be able to recognize them. I could probably recognize their name, but without their helmets and jerseys on, I would be at a lost! I jokingly told John I was going to start following them all on Instagram so I would actually know what they looked like. I also told John then that I should always wear make up because you never know the day that you will run into a Seahawk player.

Everyone, today was that day.

(NFL players, they're just like us! Waiting in line at TSA and waiting for the train!)

It was at the airport in a crazy long TSA line. I had just gotten my boarding pass and ID checked so I went to go wait in line to put my stuff through the x-ray machine, when I noticed a big tall black dude with a hoodie on getting his ID checked. Uh, he definitely looked familiar, and he definitely made eye contact, but looked away. He got in the line for the x-ray machine one machine over, so we were facing each other while we loaded our things onto our own conveyor belts. Yes, we made eye contact like 5 more times. I quickly google-imaged Kam Chancellor. Yes, it looked like him, but was this wishful thinking?! Finally, he took off his hoodie to go through security which exposed his big muscles. Okay, I was 90% sure this was Kam Chancellor! I was about to grab my stuff from the machine and go over to him to say hi or something, when a TSA guy grabbed my bag and told me I'd have to wait while he put it through again! I anxiously waited for my bag while I tapping my toe and watching possibly Kam Chancellor walk away and out of sight! Finally my bag came through and I booked it, almost running in the same direction I saw Mr. Chancellor go (uhh, I swear it also happened to be the direction my gate was), while simultaneously calling John to tell him what I thought was happening to me. John tried to look him up on twitter in case he'd posted anything about his whereabouts, but John came up empty. I saw Mr. Chancellor 100 yards in front of me, but I had to go to S gates which required taking the train. Do I run and catch up to him or wait to see if he was taking the train too?! I did the latter, and it turned out he was taking the train also!!! I boarded the train right after him, by this time I was seriously shaking. I knew he wasn't trying to make a scene, but I just had to say hi.

When the train finally stopped and everyone was heading for the escalators, I turned to him and asked, "Are you Kam Chancellor?". He smiled from under his hoodie and slightly nodded his head while saying "Yeah". I freaked out a little bit and we boarded a packed escalator so we were stuck right next to each other for 2 floors worth of escalator. I asked to discretely take a picture since I knew he wasn't trying to be seen. He very graciously complied and suggested it be a selfie. Then I told him I was eyeing him at TSA, and he said, "Yeah, I saw you. You can kind of tell when fans want to say hi". He also said he doesn't try to make a scene, so that's why he keeps his hoodie on all the time and keeps busy on his phone. I kind of just stared at him in awe, not saying anything else, until he said, "What's your name?". OMG I COULD HAVE DIED. "CHRISTINE," I said, sticking out my hand, "ITS SO NICE TO MEET YOU." He asked me where I was traveling, and I didn't want to intrude so I didn't ask where he was going, but he actually ended up on the same plane as me! Only he was in first class. Ugh, It was so exciting. I was so proud of myself for being able to identify him. I don't think anyone else at the airport realized! Or if they did, at least they didn't approach him. I was so high from it, I couldn't sleep on the plane at all.

Anyway, moral of the story: follow football players on instagram because it's hard to know what they look like under their helmets. Also, always wear makeup because who knows when you'll run into an NFL player.

Yeah, I was like 2 escalator steps above him which is why we are comparable heights.

P.S. You are one cool dude, Kam Chancellor. Thanks for not shutting me down.

Over the weekend...

As I mentioned previously, my good friend from high school visited over the weekend. Sooah is the only one of my girlfriends from high school who doesn't live in the area and there's a not-so-secret-love-octagon between us so all of us basically pushed aside all our work and life plans for an evening to go hang out with her. I'm pretty sure she is the most loved one and I am completely jealous.

All of us really grew up together through grade school and I really do think we are a special little bunch. Since high school, we've slowly become more independent from each other, but at the same time more dependent on each other in other ways. Does that even make sense? Whenever we see each other we always pick up right where we left off. Even if I don't talk to these girls in a while, I feel like they understand my soul. Like when they think of me, they think of the soul that makes up me, not my face or what I did last week. At least that's how I feel about them.

Pleased with myself cuz I got me a bowl of pho...

Also over the weekend, the Seahawks won their first Super Bowl championship! I was planning to watch it at my parents' house because it would have been calm and I would have gotten to study a little bit, but I was watching pregame coverage and got so excited that I ended up going to a Super Bowl party. No one expected it to be a blow out, but the Seahawks won 43-8! The city was basically rioting last night with people mobbing the streets and cars honking like mad men. There was so much traffic for 8 pm on a Sunday and I think the city was literally on fire.

Boyfriend was in New York for the weekend attending all the Seahawk festivities and he made it onto the Seahawks archive! Honestly, I think it's about time. He's been traveling to all the away games from Kentucky. That's one good thing about long distance. It's his tiny claim to fame and now he will forever be a part of the Seahawks franchise... Dream come true.

L O B

Youngest QB EVER to win the SB... love you Russell Wilson...

[Seahawk pictures courtesy of Google]

Super Bowl 48

Happy Super Bowl! Go Hawks!

I love this city

About once a month, I find some excuse to go downtown to explore. It's nice to get away from the hectic-ness that is my own life and disappear into the busy-ness that is downtown. There are just so many people: old, young, hipster, homeless, business, tourist. On a clear day, you can see across the water all the way to West Seattle. There are boats and ferries and every other person is holding a bouquet of Pike Place flowers. When I went this month, it was the day after the Seahawks won the NFC championship. The city was decked out in Hawkitecture and there were five 12th man flags on every block. I freaking love this city!

It's amazing how you can take things for granted because they're right outside your door. I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle and didn't really get to explore the city until I was 15 and bussing to downtown with a map in hand. I see the Space Needle nearly everyday now, but I've never been up it. I've never ridden the ducks and I've never been to the Ballard Locks (I think that is supposedly a hot romantic date spot). Anyway, from living in the city now for 4 years, I am completely in love with this city and it's culture. There are so many different neighborhoods within Seattle, each with it's own mini-culture that is distinctly unique. There's a place for everyone in Seattle- I just love this place and think everyone should move here (or don't, so housing costs don't rise)!!! Seattle is soo beautiful and I want to settle here when I'm old and married and have babies!!! Please let me not get old and move to the suburbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seahawks Super Bowl Bound!

Today, the Seahawks beat the 49ers for the NFC Championship title and earned themselves a ticket to the Super Bowl! I am so excited! I even looked at tickets to New York for February 2nd... Haha no, I have a test the next day.

Game-sealing tip

I'm probably what haters would call a band-wagoner which I'm a little sad about, but at the same time, what team doesn't want more fans?! This is the first season I actually watched most of games and it's probably a combination of my increasing interest since dating John and the hawks doing really well this season. John has had a big man crush on short little Russell Wilson since Russell's college days at North Carolina. When Russell Wilson was drafted at my birthday dinner on April 27th, 2012, John went bezerk and continues to fall more in love with him every passing day. John gets really offended when other Seattle people tell him that they liked Russell Wilson first, but John's best friend gets drunk and puts those haters in their place.

Anyway, so glad my blood pressure is at a safe level again... until February 2nd. Go Hawks!