Author Archives: JJD
Crossfit, Concertos and Acrobats
It’s Monday morning and so far every single person I’ve met has asked me, “Did you do anything fun last weekend?” Well, yes, I did. For one, I competed in the first round of the Crossfit Open, which is the qualifying competition for the Reebok Crossfit Games. I obviously have zero pretention to actually being competitive […]
The Ride: Chilly Hilly
The cycling season starts early in Seattle! Every year on the last Sunday in February, thousands of cyclists turn out for the Chilly Hilly on Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound. It’s a short (33 miles) ride and, as you might have guessed from the name, famous for it hills and chilly weather. I had […]
Playing in Portland: Gardens & Art
We got up early on Sunday morning and headed back out to the Division Street neighborhood where we’d been the day before. Vanessa had recommended Pine State Biscuits as a good place for lunch, so we thought we’d check it out. In what began to feel like deja vu, we stood in line for a […]
Playing in Portland: N Mississippi Ave & SE Division Street
Okay, so if it’s Presidents’ Day weekend and you don’t get the holiday off of work, it’s just a normal weekend, right? Wrong! It’s time for a road trip to Portland with Amanda! Amanda flew in from Denver on Friday night and I picked her up at the airport. We were both on THE VERGE OF […]
Utah!
Oh man. How can it already be February? This year is going by way to quickly. And of course I’ve written about basically nothing that’s happened so far. A lot of it’s just going to need to be water under the bridge, but I did want to capture a great little trip I took a […]
Hummingbirds!
As if lush, winter-flowering bushes weren’t enough to make me love where I live, a family of hummingbirds has moved in. I’ve counted at least three so far. They play in the fountains and hang out in the trees, and I feel as happy as a kid on Christmas every time I see them. Can you […]
Flowers in January
Last night when I got home from work, I smelled something lovely. A fresh, floral aroma floating around my front door. How nice, I thought, one of my neighbors must have walked by a few minutes earlier, leaving a trace of perfume. Tonight I came home and, as I fumbled with my keys in the […]
The House: Why does DIY keep happening to me?
Is anyone else out there convinced that bedside tables are out to give them gray hairs and lay them in an early grave? Because I swear that’s what’s happening. It’s like they’re my own version of crossing the plaines, only I don’t get to die of cholera before I need to ford the icy river. […]
The hills are alive…
What’s a super fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Singing along with Julie Andrews at the top of your lungs with a group of friends and a sold-out theatre full of grown-ups and children who are all doing the same. We were in the 5th Avenue theatre, an ornate old building downtownwhere the touring […]
Dad and Lady do Seattle
As you know, I’ve been looking forward to an inter-holiday visit from my parents for the past several months. Now that I live on this side of the Mississippi (and within driving distance of Reno), they wanted to come see my place, explore Seattle and spend time yours truly. This meant getting the house into […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 