Big Winner

I entered a contest at QFC, our local grocery store. It was sponsored by Celsius the energy drink, and the prize was an ebike.

I realize now that we were spoiled with beer contests in St. Louis. There aren't that many drawings here.

Well I entered the contest at the end of May and today I got an email that I won! It's a pretty good prize. Usually other people I send these contests to win the big stuff and I get the crap.

They initially said I was getting this fold up bike but changed their minds later.

Ernie had some good play time to keep his big ol head off the ground.

We got these wrist bands and socks that have rattles on them to entertain the big man.

Ernie insisted that we stop our sock rattling and mail in our election ballots. He is very civically conscious.

Sad Nerd Washington

Nothing groundbreaking happened today. We are taking it easy after our very first road trip this weekend was completed successfully.

Ernie really likes getting his diaper changed, not because he enjoys that process necessarily but because that's where his mobile is. He loves that thing to the point that if he's in a real bad mood we'll just change his diaper and he'll forget whatever it was that he was mad about.

The bottom is black and white spirals and then there's a colorful side for when his eyes start picking up more color.

Lydia takes him out for blissful laying around in the yard while I am indoors saving the world one data at a time.

One of Washington's trash alcohol laws, and there seems to be many, is that retailers can't sell alcohol for a loss. So when they have some crap that won't sell, they can't really discount it much in order to get rid of it. It results in the lamest sales you can imagine. Those red signs say "priced one penny above cost!!"

You know who isn't a sad nerd who never got invited to parties that grew up to be a Washington lawmaker? This beetle guy. He's cool.

Ernie's First Bar

Our philosophy with raising lil Ern Dawg is that we want to bring him along on our life journey, not completely change our lives for him. So we wanted to get him out and about as soon as possible.

Our big first step social outing was taking Ernie to check out the little bar in our local QFC grocery store. We introduced him to our friends Miriam and Michael.

He did very well.

Cherry Blossoms

I don't like to brag but I'm so fancy that there was a film crew at my local Kirkland Urban QFC grocery store today.

Today we took Zoe and Spencer to check out the blooming cherry blossom trees on the University of Washington campus.

I'm into cherry blossom watching from my Japan days but apparently the word is out. The place was packed.

Boba Noodle Pimp

Lydia was out of town who knows where, so I took the opportunity to live my best life.

Elysian is just the best. They have fun flavors and really good package artwork.

My local grocery store QFC is so fancy they have a little place inside that sells wood fired pizzas.

Lydia's always "cooking" and "eating healthy" and "not being fat", so I hit a bunch of good restaurants while she was off eating celery sticks someplace. Xi'an Noodles in the University District is what's up this time.

Our magical Eater list said: "This no-frills spot in the U District has been slinging some of the city's best biang biang noodles - made from scratch every day - since it opened five years ago. The simplicity of the hot chili oil showcases the best dish, though meat toppings are also available, with spicy cumin lamb is a notable option. Open only for takeout and delivery at the moment."

Well, say no more playboy. I devoured some of the notable option lamb cumin biang biang noodles like some sort of carb demon. Take that, Lydia!

I also had some wonton in chili sauce.

This other place I walked past was so Chinese it had some friggin terracotta warriors hanging out in the lobby.

I was now on a boba tea quest. This joint looked kind of cool but I'm not sure that I'm familiar enough with the art of boba to be trusted to construct my own. I would likely end up with some sort of half tapioca half brown sugar monstrocity and wake up in the hospital.

This place caught my eye for some reason. I mean, with a name like WOW I figured I was in for a treat.

It turned out the treat was Jesus. I had wandered into some sort of extremist camp. Why does this always happen to me?

I still bought a boba because I didn't want those people to put a spell on me.

This dude drove from New Hampshire to Seattle with that pimp pride in his heart, and I can definitely respect that.