Back to Bellingham

Tonight, I am sitting alone in a living room of an apartment that is not mine, trying to knit a green jellyfish without using a pattern. So far, I have half a tentacle. I'm a bottle of sherry shy of retirement.

Lest you be afraid that I spend all my evenings surrounded by cats, furiously knitting & watching Jeopardy (okay, but that actually sounds kind of ideal, to be honest), let me assure you that no less recently than Saturday night I was out pretending I was 21 again. Although, if I'm being honest I spent most evenings knitting with a cat on my lap at age 21, too.

This weekend was "Back to Bellingham" weekend, Western's half-hearted--though pleasantly more alliterative--attempt at Alumni Weekend. Ari, Ardith & I drove up for Ardith's thesis adviser's retirement party, and also because we were in dire need of highlighter yellow sweatshirts:

Jealous?

Like most trips to Bellingham, this one revolved around walking through Western's campus, and food & drink. I believe the proper term to use here is "yolo," nolo?

Pamplona numero uno.

A sample. Elkhorn were our fave.

When Patrick and I went to Bellingham this past fall, it was rainy & cold & miserable & all my favorite bars were packed. Well, most of them, because I will never say no to a gin & tonic at the Shoe. This time around, we made it to Bayou on Bay for a little of this




Temple Bar has long been a favorite of mine (thanks to Chelsea, my saving grace when it comes to wine & cheese tips!) because the happy hour special is a bottle of wine and a cheese plate FOR FIFTEEN DOLLARS. We could have stayed all day, but the waitress brought our check. I think we were a little loud for the laid back ambiance. Weird. 

We stopped in at the Honeymoon for a glass of mead, but ended the night at the Beaver, where almost 5 years ago I ended my 21st birthday. It's moved to a new location, but the bartender--and the deep-fried macaroni & cheese triangles--are the same old same old.

It was exactly the way I needed to spend the penultimate weekend before my return to the East coast--because in a year where many things have gone terribly wrong, it was so lovely to have a reminder of why Seattle will always be home.

Also this happened:

I have the best friends in the world.