Madrona

Madrona is the Seattle neighborhood where Sara and I rent our mother-in-law apartment and it is a nice, quiet place to live. Since moving to Madrona in June 2009, we have taken time to explore the parks, stare at the beautiful (but very expensive) homes, and patronize the local businesses on 34th Avenue. For us, the location is perfect. A short bus ride on the #2 brings us to downtown Seattle and a 1/2 mile walk brings us to the shores of Lake Washington. In less than 10 minutes we can be on I-90 driving towards Mercer Island and our favorite dog park or towards Snoqualmie Pass to hike and ski. A few days per week we run from our front door along Lake Washington, to the Arboretum, or along the many quiet and friendly streets. Props for Madrona in maintaining a few trails in the Madrona Woods, a park sandwiched between Lake Washington and the residential portion of Madrona.

The Hi Spot Cafe quickly became our favorite breakfast restaurant in town. Sara likes the Sammy Sue egg sandwich and I always enjoy the omelets. For a great cup of coffee, I look no further than Verite Coffee, where the black coffee is dark and whose Baristas still know how to make a delicious latte (versus some of the big chains, who don't use whole milk and have turned making coffee into a production line). The Madrona Ale House serves up decent, and often local, beers.

Our New Year's Resolution

I recognize committing to, or beginning a New Year's resolution on the 22nd of January is sort of ironic. Despite the joy of the holidays, including my favorite holiday Thanksgiving, the anticipation of time away from everyday life in lieu of spending time with family, and the inevitable rejuvenation the New Year always provides, November, December, and January can be difficult months for me. November are December are so damn dark that I easily talk myself out of consistent exercise and social engagements. This year, I carried the added burden of remaining unemployed through the holidays and although this predicament allows for time to reflect, drink coffee and visit the dog park, it can be demoralizing and annoying.

February is always the month I wish January was. The re-birth of light certainly comes on stronger on 1 February over 1 January. Sara and I have a few adventures planned for February including a ski trip to Whistler, Valentines Day, and running after work without the aid of a headlamp.

Now, returning to how I began this posting in thinking about resolutions, we have decided to adjust the focus of our blog and include realistic posting goals. The truth of the matter is that we will not stick to having a new date adventure each and every week. Saying that, there are still many activities around Seattle in which we wish to partake and we will follow through, just not as often as we laid out in November. The new focus of the blog is twofold, but the primary goal is to record and share our new life together with friends and family. We are going to post pictures, identify fun activities, and hold ourselves to fully taking advantage this wonderful place we call home. By recording, journaling, and chronicling our life, we will better remember why we love one-another and will always recall our early days in Seattle.

The second focus in writing the blog is really a goal-orientated outcome. Although it took a lot of thinking in my many years of school, travel, and living in Montana, I have come to realize that writing well is a key component of life. This blog will serve as a notebook and tool for me as I seek to determine and juggle my everyday thoughts and goals. In addition, it will help me remember, with greater detail than my memory provides, Sara and my treasured moments.

Alas, back to the adventure portion of the blog and the very nature of what I am seeking to accomplish. I am going to record a few memorable events of the previous months in the immediate posts to follow. Stay tuned.

Welcome

New to Seattle, recently married, and ready to explore our community we (Tucker and Sara) have vowed to go on one date each week and document the experience. We love outdoor adventures, good food, new experiences, and each other so agreeing to go on a new date each week was simple. Documenting our dates through a blog encourages us to further explore Seattle and its surrounding area, informs our friends and families about our adventures, and gives readers motivation and ideas for inexpensive and creative dates that go way beyond dinner and a movie. Stay tuned and check back!