Too soon to be excited?

Nah!!!! Football season starts in 4 months.  The Seahawks Schedule was released yesterday!

A little odd that we play San Francisco twice in 3 weeks and not until the very end of the season.  Also odd that we only have 1 home prime time game aired nationally.  Lots of thoughts about that in the blogosphere today: NFL Punishes Seattle Seahawks for Being Too Good at Home?

The UW Husky Football schedule was released a few weeks ago as well.  5 home games in a row to start the season... oy vey! I'm looking forward to hosting the UCLA Bruins again in Seattle.  I've missed playing them since we went to North and South conferences.

 

Alas.... 4 more months... probably a little early to get excited just yet. It's the height of baseball season after all right?!?! How are those Mariners doing?  Oh wait, nevermind. 

Yard Work

The Hubs has been hard at work out in our backyard lately and its really starting to pay off. 

When we moved in, most of our big green yard was actually moss. The moss was slowly choking out what grass remained, and it made for a soggy and lumpy mess when it rained.  Molly also had a temporary behavior lapse during the winter and dug several holes around the yard.  Perhaps she thought she was helping Steve aerate the lawn?

In the last few months he's filled the Molly holes, leveled uneven patches, killed and removed the moss, seeded the whole yard and laid down grass sod over that ugly parking patch that used to be in the back right corner.  The previous owners had parked an RV out there and the grade was sunk so low that after one particularly rainy weekend, we found two ducks swimming in the pond that had resulted.  What is this, the Johnson wild life preserve? I think not. Not with Steve on the case! I'm really proud of all the time and effort he's put in. It's looking great dear. 

 

 
Don't worry. I'm pulling my weight too.  I've been tasked with the flower garden and roses. I'll report back when I'm sure I haven't actually killed them.

Side note.... Spring in Seattle is kind of awesome because you occasionally get to experience magical backyard moments like this:

Tiptoe through the Tulips

Spring has sprung in Seattle!  This will inevitably bring both rain and sunshine as we inch ourselves ever closer to the region's most coveted season, Summer.  Lucky for us, this last weekend was full of the latter; beautiful sunshine, with almost shorts-worthy temperatures.  This made for a gorgeous day at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival on Saturday, with my lovely ladies in tow.

This is the second time I've made the almost 60 mile journey north to the tulip fields and I have one tip for those who are going this year or plan to go in future years:  leave early in the day and be prepared for traffic!  We left mid-afternoon after a really nice brunch together, but paid for it sitting in traffic for what felt like an eternity.  We eventually got to the tulip fields around 6pm and the sun was just beginning to go down.  The good news is that it made for some unique photos and  we barely hit traffic going back to Seattle when we finally hit the road at 8pm. All in all, it was worth it to spend the day with my pretty ladies enjoying rows and rows of pretty flowers.

 

 

Is it just me, or does this song immediately pop into your head too?

Buongiorno!

Since the bulk of our European adventure this Spring is going to be spent in Italy, I thought I would be proactive and try to learn a little survival Italian. I've been told that, in Rome especially, a majority of Italians and other travelers do speak English.  Still, I'm trying to embrace the mantra of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do!" (literally).   Not only do I think this will likely be appreciated by locals, but I think it will help me get around a bit easier and avoid getting ripped off.  I also have this unreasonable fear of really needing to use the restroom and being unable to communicate that in any other way than clinching my legs together and pointing at my lower body like a five year old... no thank you!!

So while I drive to and from work, and around town the next several weeks I'll be listening to this:

I know, I know... Italian for Dummies isn't the most sophisticated of language tools but in terms of short-term survival prep vs. really trying to learn the language, it did have the best reviews.

So, if you happened to see me driving around talking to myself and making grandiose gestures (I'm not sure why I feel the need to say everything in Italian with such emotional emphasis and big hand movements, but I do)... fear not... I haven't gone crazy. I'm just practicing.

Grazie! Arrivederci!

Wine-O

Super Bowl Champs!

Way to go Seahawks!  You dominated Super Bowl XLVIII yesterday, beating the Broncos 43-8 and we had a BLAST watching you do it!! Of course I'm a little sad to see the Football season end, but that must mean Spring is around the corner.  Great season Hawks. You've made the Johnson household very happy!!! See you Wednesday at the Victory Parade!! (Hoping my Sherman shirt comes in time to wear!)

 

PS: Happy Birthday to this big guy this week!!

Europe this Spring!

The Johnsons are heading to Europe this Spring! This will be my very first trip to Europe and I couldn't be more excited.  With the holidays behind us, our plans are now really beginning to take shape.  The major milestone this week was the booking of all of our travel! It feels so much more real now that an itinerary has officially been set.  And here it is .....  we will leave Seattle, bound for Amsterdam.  We'll spend 5 days in Amsterdam and then make our way to Italy.  We'll enjoy the next 5 days on the Almafi Coast.  After that, we'll venture back to Rome for the final 5 days of our trip.

(A) First stop Amsterdam,  (B) then on to the Almafi Coast, and (C) Final days spent in Rome

With an itinerary and travel plans finally set, my energy is now fully focused on sculpting the experience and preparing for the trip.  Where to stay? What to do? What to pack!?!?  That last question is of high importance, as I'm going to attempt to pack only one carry-on bag, suitable to meet European carry-on requirements (i.e - basically a backpack) for a 15 day trip. Yikes!  I've been researching the best travel bags and tips for packing light (not my strong suit) and I would welcome any ideas from seasoned travelers!  This detail probably weighs most heavily on mind at the moment. The balance of the planning is very exciting to me. More details to come!