Sleepless in Seattle...HARDLY!!

Outside of Chateau St. Michelle Winery

There were Buckeye Fans everywhere! This decked out Escalade in the middle of Washington wasn't even our car, but the Buckeye faithful were out in droves.

I snapped this picture on my cell phone camera from inside our car...It's the Space Needle on a rainy night in Seattle

I don't know if it's the cool air or the gray skies in Seattle, but I've never slept so much in my life! My husband says that anti-depressants are the #1 prescribed type of drug in the U.S. What he didn't say is that over half of them are probably prescribed here!! Actually, it isn't that bad, but if I ever move to Seattle, I want my work hours to be 4am-12Noon. The clouds begin burning off around lunchtime leaving partly cloudy skies and glimpses of sunshine in the afternoon. There is so much to do in and around this city...We've done the obligatory wine tasting at famous wineries, eating our way through town, running and today we're visiting Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier before heading to Portland for the rest of the week. Yesterday, we hiked down and saw Snoqualmie Falls--taller than Niagra. We ignored the signs and climbed straight down and got as close to the falls as possible. The power and beauty of water is breathtaking and frightening all at the same time. Afterward, we did a 5 mile hike up Little Si Mountain. God, there is nothing more beautiful than climbing up hills through forests, trees, ferns and rocks. The climb up gained about 1200ft and the view from the summit was well worth the climb. I can't wait to see what else is in store this week.



We TOTALLY lucked out for the football game on Saturday. Not only did the Buckeyes crush the Huskies of Washington, but the weather was phenomenal. Partly cloudy and low 70's...perfect football weather! Our friends Bob and Tracy hooked us up with great 40 yard line game tickets, including a boat ride to and from the stadium (did I mention there was a fully stocked bar on board?!) Actually, it didn't make much difference for me because I don't like Bloody Marys or beer. I did manage to choke down a couple of glasses of wine before Noon! (Hey--it was 2pm Austin time!)



Needless to say, we've been having a blast and trying to balance relaxation with plenty of activity. My calorie burn has definitely NOT kept pace with my calorie consumption, but I'm doing my best. FYI--I haven't had one ounce of kashi since last Thursday and I miss it!!!! :-)



On to Portland where we'll be staying with friends Genny and Shane....