Things to Do on the Eastside

Seattle has a lot to offer, and in comparison, the Eastside may seem a bit dull. Do not worry, however, if this is your destination for a day of fun! I have a list! Oh yes, a list. A list of things one can do to have hours of immense fun on this side of Lake Washington.

1. Start off an Almond Joy (it's a coffee drink) at Victor's in Redmond. If you feel up for it, play cards or a board game - they have them!

2. Stop to smell the roses - or whatever is in bloom - at Bellevue Botanical Gardens. While it isn't especially easy to find, it's gorgeous and perfect for picture days!

3. Take a stroll around Bellevue Downtown Park, located right next to Bellevue Square Mall. At the moment, they have an ice rink set up. Besides that, it's just a lovely little getaway in the heart of the city.

4. Speaking of Bellevue Square, if you have the urge to shop, be sure to hit up the Bellevue Collection, which includes Bellevue Square, Lincoln Center, and Bellevue Place.

5. If you're interested in learning a bit about your local history in a beautiful setting, stop by Clise Mansion inside Marymoor Park in Redmond. You'll learn about James Clise and his Willowmoor Farm.

6. Having a sweet tooth attack? Definitely check out Boehm's Candies in Issaquah. If possible, plan ahead of time to take a tour. They make their own chocolate in a little chalet, and have the cutest bavarian-style grounds.

7. Want the ultimate experience in move-going? Try Big Picture Cinema in Redmond Town Center. Order some drinks to have delivered to you while you watch your movie!

8. If the weather's nice, bring a ball and play volleyball at one of several beaches lining the Kirkland waterfront.

9. While in Kirkland, don't forget to grab a dozen or so delicious wheat-free creamsicle cupcakes from SweetCakes Bakery.

10. If you're ready to put your dancing shoes on, you've got a few options. My favorite on the Eastside is in..Kirkland again! Check out Lake Street Bar on a Saturday night and have the pleasure of shakin' that booty to the sounds of DJ Kazan.

Ten is typical for a list, but I have a bonus for you!

11. As my beloved readers know, I adore karaoke. Maple Leaf Chinese Restaurant in Bellevue has karaoke Wednesday-Saturday nights, and offers an enormous variety of songs.

Have fun!

~K

Doggie Rescue Mission #3

There were two occasions in Virginia in which I attempted to rescue dogs. Here is the account of the first one on October 18, 2006, taken from my xanga:

Oh...kinda random, but Meng and I saved a dog this weekend! We decided to take a random road trip to Appomattox, and stopped at a couple of the little sites before going to the Court House. One of these places was the North Carolina monument. We got out, and walked down the little trail that leads to the monument. There, on the trail coming toward us was a dog. She was extremely weak she just laid down along the side of the path. There weren't any other cars. There weren't any other people. Her collar bore the name and home phone number of her owner, one Marcus S. Somethingorrather. Meng called him and left a message. I called the visitor's center who said they couldn't do anything but would keep calling the owner. Then I called the Sheriff's department after being advised to do so by Animal Control. The Sheriff's department said that they couldn't do anything or send anyone out unless the dog actually bit someone, but that they'd keep calling the owner. So we were stuck. The poor doggie was exhausted, and had fleas and an eye infection. Finally, Meng and I realized that we couldn't do anything more so we went on to the cemetary and Court House. After a little time at the Court House, Meng received a call from the owner who said he'd meet us at the N.C. monument. So we drove back over there and went to check on the dog. Wait. Where'd she go? After walking around for a couple minutes, Marcus showed up. We informed him that we could no longer find the dog. He kept walking on the path, whistling. As he turned the corner toward the actual monument, he started yelling out. He'd found her. He informed us that his dog, Peppy, had been let out of the yard by some neighbor kids three days ago and that she'd managed to walk the 18 miles from his house. Wow.

Doggie Rescue Mission #2 on March 13, 2008, also taken from my xanga:

So about an hour and a half ago, I was sitting at my computer in my pajamas trying to figure out what to do with my day. Out in the living room, the phone began to ring. Thinking that it was another telemarketer, I was hesitant to answer, but eventually I stood up and ran to the other side of the apartment. It was Meng. She told me that while driving to school to take a test, she'd noticed a dog lying in the grass next to the on-ramp to 29N from Church street. She felt bad, since she couldn't stop, and the dog definitely had a collar. Well, Meng and I consider ourselves dog rescuers, as we have saved exactly one lost dog before. After about five minutes of trying to decide what to do, I put a bit of makeup on, changed into some real clothes, and rushed out the door. Upon reaching the ramp, I saw the puppy sitting contentedly in the grass, but there wasn't a shoulder on which to park. I ended up taking the first exit (Grace street) and following it all the way to Fifth street, and making a big circle. The second time I decided to park on Church street just below the YMCA. It was a bit of a walk, but hey, I needed the exercise! Upon reaching the grassy area, I started walking toward the dog. As soon as it saw me, however, it took off in the other direction. When it had gone a decent distance, it decided to sit down on the grass again. Slowly I began walking toward it again. When I was within about 100 yards, the dog decided that the grass was too limited an area, and ran across several lanes of 29 into oncoming traffic. There was now no way to get to him. And thus, my mission was a failure.

I consoled myself with a raspberry mocha frappuccino light. I just hope that the poor doggy wasn't killed due to his stubbornness and stupidity.

Doggie Rescue Mission #3 occurred today. While two of my co-workers and I were on our way to a coffee break in downtown Kirkland, we saw a golden lab walk through oncoming traffic down a sidestreet by us. As dogs do not run loose in downtown Kirkland, we knew that this pooch shouldn't be taking a stroll right now. We quickly parked the car down the corner, and I took off running in the direction that the dog had taken while Mariko and Lisa tried to catch up by walking. Silly girls. After running for what seemed like an eternity (maybe two blocks?), I was out of breath and wasn't sure which way the dog had gone. I asked some construction workers if they had seen a dog go by. One of them informed me that they had, but that dog hadn't had any identification and had ran down another street and disappeared into some bushes.

All in all, this is Doggie Rescue Mission Failure #2.