Author Archives: JJD
Seattle Anniversary (and Housewarming!)
Can you believe it has been a year since I moved to Seattle? Exactly one year ago today, I set out from DC to drive across the country to my new home. I had never lived in Seattle, and I knew no one. I had accepted a job that I had hoped would give me back my evenings and weekends, and I was betting […]
Springtime in Seattle
What a great weekend in Seattle! Clear, sunny skies and warm temperatures — perfect weather for lunch after church on the roof. I can hardly wait for summertime! Fresh bagels and cream cheese with smoked salmon, tomatoes, red onions, and capersand a bowl of watermelon and cateloupe from Pike Place Market.
Boise weekend!
This time last week, I was on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Boise. I’d found a good promotion on Alaska Air a few months ago and decided to seize the opportunity to shore up my position as the Favorite Uncle and catch up with my awesome twin sister. How did […]
Easter Weekend: Tulips and concerts and General Conference and baskets of goodies
Did you know that the world’s largest producer of tulips, daffodils and irises is right here in the Pacific Northwest? Well, it’s true. Back in the mid-Twentieth Century, some tulip farmers from the Netherlands immigrated to Skagit Valley (just north of Seattle) and started growing their bulbs in the rich, wet earth. Now, sixty years later, thousands […]
Puerto Vallarta (Day 5) – Coming home
Oh, the last day of vacation! You wake up in the morning and even though you know your flight isn’t until 4pm, you know that basically everything is over — which of course means that every little decision takes on cosmic importance. Do I go running, or do I have a leisurely breakfast on the […]
Puerto Vallarta (Day 4) – Botanical Gardens and Ocean Grill
Saturday morning dawned bright and gloriously sunny. I went for a nice long run along the waterfront — the first half with Justin, then by myself to tackle some hills. When I got back, I discovered a condo full of people and terrific spread of delicious breakfast! It’s hard to beat fresh fruit and an […]
Puerto Vallarta (Day 3) – Marietas Islands
A couple weeks before this trip, Justin and I had the following conversation: JDK: How are you when you travel? JJD: Awesome. I’m awesome when I travel. JDK: Okay, so what does that mean? JJD: [gleefully] Well, for one thing, it means that I’m going to be okay with sitting on the beach for approximately one […]
Puerto Vallarta (Day 2) – Playa de los Muertos
First full day in Puerto Vallarta, and beach is the order of business. We could have stayed sand-free on our private roof deck, but then we would have missed out on the people watching and wave-surfing. So we walked down to the famous Blue Chairs section of the beach and staked out a spot near a […]
Puerto Vallarta (Day 1) – Vacation!
Okay, so you know how every place has its quirky cultures and traditions? Like, how Seattleites pretend never to use umbrellas and all have purple-dyed mohawks and electric cars? Well, one of the Seattle quirks that I’m definitely on board with is using the grey, wet winter as an excuse to take springtime vacations to tropical places […]
China!
It’s official. The destination for this year’s Big Trip (Part 1) is China! Amanda and I bought our plane tickets tonight for a weeklong trip in early June to Beijing, Shanghai and, well, wherever else we can get to before we have to fly home. We have done exactly zero research; the only things we […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 