Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

When the sun sets over the Everett, Washington marina and the band strikes up a tropical beat, cocktail emboldened audience members hit the dance floor with salsa moves that range from “traditional” to a hip swaying version of the “chicken dance,” which I didn’t think was possible until I saw it. And, when the crowd… Continue reading How to Know When It’s Time to Take Salsa Dancing Lessons

After a rump-numbing, two-hour wait at the Washington/Canadian border, you’ll have plenty of time to avoid all of the traditional touristy things in Vancouver because they will all close in one hour and the line to see them will be at least two hours long. This situation eliminates the pressure of having to see the… Continue reading What to See When you Have 5 1/2 Hours in Vancouver, Canada

Those adrenalin-pumping, heart-stopping, hug-the-curves-with-the-car, hang-on-tight-to-the-door-handle days of motherhood are here and I think I need a rear-facing car seat. I thought morning sickness went away for good, but it comes back when a child gets a learner’s permit. Luckily, since I’ve done my part by giving birth, my husband Nate will take over the driver’s… Continue reading Jesus, Take the Wheel! My Son is Driving!

When the Wild, Wild West of Eastern Washington calls, we have no choice, but to hitch up the Subaru, throw a sitter at the cat, and see if we have what it takes to rough it at the Sun Mountain Lodge Resort and Spa—drawing on the history of sturdy pioneers who braved seaweed body treatments… Continue reading The Most Ambitious Sun Mountain Lodge Vacation Itinerary. Ever.

For a crippling case of “the willies,” order a frog in a box, and see what happens when it arrives on an otherwise perfectly pleasant Saturday afternoon. The box in question, which I actually ordered on purpose, comes complete with a preserved specimen lurking inside. Since my delicate sanity could instantly go wayward with the… Continue reading Biology Class Redemption Day

Throw down a steady, pulsing drum beat in a crowded street and I’ll take off running after it—like I escaped from the set of a spectacularly low-budget, low-expectations community theater rendition of Fame. “Could you take it down a notch? Maybe not end up in the parade this time?” Nate asks when we arrive at… Continue reading A Dragon Fest Celebration To-Do List: Make “Naked Rosemary Lemonade” and Join a Dragon Boat Racing Team

When the sky hits your eye—and hair and legs—with fiery pellets from the fallout of extremely enthusiastic fireworks displays, that’s “amore,” Fourth of July style in my neighborhood. The action starts off innocently enough around lunchtime with a few blasts, which really makes that boring peanut butter sandwich taste so much more—I don’t know? Dangerous?… Continue reading The Freedom Fountain and Other Things I’ll Make Next Year, July 4th