Future Starts Slow

Hello all! It's been awhile. This past couple of months has been full of so many changes, and I've been busy enjoying all of them. Most of you already know that I got engaged recently, and wedding planning is in full swing. Since Joe and I wanted a short engagement, everything is coming fast. My mom and I went dress shopping last week on my birthday, and when anyone at the bridal shops found out that the date was August 27, they looked at us like we were crazy! I managed to score an amazing dress for a great price at a consignment shop, and best of all it needs very little alteration. New dresses mostly come in size 8 or 10, and would have needed major alterations for size 0 me!

I also got a second job shortly after I started at the library, so going from five months of not working to working every day has been an adjustment. A good one, though. Most days I only work a few hours, so I'm still in part-time territory. My newer job is at a local gift and card store (we also make/sell fudge and have bulk candy...it's so hard not to eat sugar all day long when I'm there) and I love it! It's kind of my dream job, and the owners also run a conjoining independent book store which I will be eventually working in as well. The book store is pretty beloved, and I've wanted to work there since I first visited it years ago, so I'm still in a state of disbelief that this is actually happening! I probably won't train on bookstore side for awhile, so for now it's strictly cards and candy and giftwrapping and knickknacks, but that's pretty awesome in its own right. 

Enough news, how about some pictures? Last week was my birthday, and a few months ago Joe got tickets to see one of our favorite bands, The Kills. Since the concert was just a few days before my actual birthday, we made a celebration out of it. We hit Pike Place Market first thing, and Joe was convinced we would see Alison and Jamie (the band members) since the venue was less than a block away. No luck, but we snapped a few photos at Post Alley.

We continued to wander around Pike Place and downtown Seattle. I grabbed some pizza and we checked out Urban Outfitters where I scored a dress for 20 bucks. Finally, tired of walking around, we took a rest near the Showbox (the concert venue) and contemplated our next move. That's when it happened--Joe spotted the band members across the street! We hurried after them, getting stuck at the longest Don't Walk signal ever, and just managed to catch up before they stepped into a restaurant. They were extremely nice and were happy to take a couple of pictures as well.

After that, we were so excited we couldn't stand still for long, so we trekked over to the downtown branch of the Seattle Library and explored its weird and cool modern architecture for a bit. Then we headed back to the Showbox to wait for the bar to open so we could sit inside. We ended up meeting and hanging out with a guy who had flown up from San Francisco to see the show. No pictures allowed during the concert, so I don't have any proof of our great positions on barricade, less than an arm's length from the stage. But I had Joe take a shot of me in front of the marquee outside. That guy with the blond dreds and the murse is part of the band's crew...in fact, I think he might have been their manager.

A great day was had by all, especially when I managed to get right back onto the freeway from downtown Seattle, an accomplishment that is pretty rare.