You sick of these pics yet?!!!
Written by JKM on December 5th, 2008
Hey there everyone!!! Well, today is my mom’s birthday, and we were able to surprise her by having my dad show up today instead of tomorrow!!! Luckily, the SCCA was able to have a volunteer drive him here from the airport, so my mom didn’t have to know anything. He just knocked on the door (someone let him in downstairs…I guess he looks innocent enough). 
OK, now it’s the 4th, and we had another wonderful day. My mom and I awoke early (yah, our appointment was for 10:15 AM…that’s early for me!) and got our hair cut! My designer is a five-year cancer survivor, so we had a wonderful discussion about basically everything surrounding the illness: the fear; the way it alters your perspective; how once it touches you, you feel a responsibility to reach out to others in the same situation. When I left to thank her and pay, she reached out and hugged me and said “You know what, this is my gift to you. Merry Christmas!!” I was shocked and obviously very touched. I hope to stop by and see her again before we leave. By the way, I LOVE the way she did my hair!
After the haircut, I went across the street with my dad to see if they could fix one of the jackets I got not long after moving out here. At first they said, “Well, we’ll have to remove that whole panel and send it in to the company, assuming we can find a company close by that can fix it, but you might be without your coat for a couple weeks”….mmmm….I asked if I could simply exchange the jacket for another one they had there, and he asked if they had the right size…..waaallllaahh–they did, and off I went with a brand-new jacket…no waiting! I was certainly having a special morning.
My dad and I walked home (it was a gorgeous day) while my mom got her highlights, and I decided we would go to “Buca di Beppo’s” for lunch. Check out the website: http://www.bucadibeppo.com/ It’s not far from our apartment, and we constantly drive by it. It’s family style, like “Maggianno’s”, and it just looks like a lot of fun! Plus, the food was delicious, and I got my mozzarella sticks!! It has a lot of character…hope you enjoy the pictures. Our waiter gave us a couple recommendations for things to do around town, one of them being a Celtic Holiday Christmas Celebration. I’ll have to ask my docs if it’s OK to be in a church to listen to them come December 20th.
This evening we took a trip up to SCCA and took advantage of one of the many volunteer services activities. We went to the Boeing Museum of Flight. It’s open the first Thursday of every month from 5-9 (usually it’s not open at night), which is nice because not as many people (or children) are there at night, and that’s much better for patients. If you’re ever out here, you should visit it—here’s the website: http://www.museumofflight.org They even have overnight programs for children. Sounded cool to me!
Well, I’m feeling a little sleepy, which is a very good thing!! It was a full day, a special day, and I feel blessed.
Hope you’re not overwhelmed by the photos!! Enjoy them at your leisure.
Love ya,
Julie
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- This is from Monday. Laura looks much happier donating cells this time, don't you think?
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- These cells are for a fairly new research protocol that they might do if the leukemia were to ever come back.....which it WON'T!!!
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- I'm so glad this was a pleasant (well, as pleasant as it can be) experience, Laura!!!
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- Look who's here!!! (donning Mom's birthday hat and all!)
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- Carol said something to crack him up!!!! We're so glad you're here, Dad.
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- I wandered around University Village to get some Starbucks and some pictures while my padres went grocery shopping.
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- I love the black-eyed Susans smiling up at the beautiful white globes.
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- Just a reminder that there can always be a flower amid the weeds. :)
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- A beautiful little garden place
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- And a cyclamen decorates a rock---pretty, huh?
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- They did an amazing job decorating up University Village.
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- Nice tree, right?!
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- My mom loves this tree and the red globes---we've never seen these ornaments before!
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- A close-up for ya!
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- the concierge at the mall---they even provide cider! (not alcoholic though!) :)
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- Some trees waiting for their owners...wish I were allowed to have one!
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- Another parking lot shot...sorry, my padres were in the store for a while so you'll have to suffer through! :)
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- Look at me--I'm actually helping in the kitchen!
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- Our main ingredients for the evening...steak and cauliflower! I don't look so hot, but I wanted to prove that I'm helping! My mom didn't give me too many jobs, but it's a good first step, right?
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- Finally, we went to "Buca di Beppo's", a family-style Italian place near our apartment.
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- I told you this place looked like fun!!!!--and we picked the perfect time to come because no one's here!! My docs will love that.
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- Some shots of the restaurant...apparently there's one of these in Gaithersburg too...anyone up for a night out sometime--maybe at the kitchen table, like you suggested, Tim!
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- You can peer through there and see the kitchen table on your right.
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- WE LOVE BUCA DI BEPPO'S!!
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- Dad and I kind of match in our sweaters!
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- OK....I just had my hair cut, so my hair is clean....but it looks gross....sorry about that. Still, I had to include this picture because I FINALLY found some delicious mozzarella sticks or "pillows", if you will. Oh yah, I'm enjoying them!!!
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- Walking through the restaurant some more...btw, the food was really good too!!
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- This place goes on for forever!!
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- From now on, I think this is how I'll eat pasta. :)
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- A nice window booth.
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- The host got some nice pics of us, don't ya think?! (don't mind my puffy face!)
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- Don't we all look cool in our "typical" Seattle jackets?!
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- A pretty street shot--looking through to the water and the mountains.
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- A quick shot of the Seattle monorail---Lori and Tim rode this and found it very convenient...and scenic!
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- More Seattle streets
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- Good thing I always have my camera with me---check this out!!
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- Don't think you can see his copilot very well, but it happens to be a yellow lab. :)
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- You can kind of see the dog....what is that car anyway?
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- SCCA brought us out to the Boeing Museum of Flight for the one evening it opens at night...very cool!
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- Here we are!!
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- A car with wings!!! That sounds like fun to me...for just when the beltway gets a little too annoying!
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- Katie, this shot's for you....I think it's a missile under there and it's painted like a shark!
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- Dad prefers to read all about each plane, but Mom and I are happy to look and say "What a cute plane" and move on. :)
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- These are my favorite photos of the night!!!!! Dad (obviously)
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- me (trying to keep my face from touching where all the little kids and other dirty people were earlier) :)
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- ...and astronaut Carol....what do you think?!! We look good, right?
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- This picture cracks me up because of the model they put by the plane...looks like he's gonna fall over at any minute!--kind of like Tiso's straw/basketball people in the park.
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- This is a flight simulator and we watched and listened as a couple tried it out.
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- It's up and going!
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- Whoa!! Look at it now! There were lots of screams coming out of there.
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- We enjoyed watching them take the ride---and they were still speaking when they came out too!
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- Mom, you sure you don't want to try it out?!
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- A cute, apparently dangerous plane
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- The littlest helicopter there ever was..."The Hornet"
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- "Hey, you talkin' to me?!!!!"
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- At first Dad didn't want to get in, but then it was hard to make him leave!
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- You look good in there!!
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- OK, Dad, we're getting ready to leave!
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- OK, just a liiiiittle bit longer!!
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- Apparently someone used this to pedal over the English Channel....interesting.
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- Dad and friend :) Here we are in the "Red Barn" part of the Museum...apparently Boeing started in a red barn originally!
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- There are a lot of cool tools in here!
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- I thought this was a neat looking sign.
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- Qwest Field at Christmas time....course we were driving by at the time, so it's a bit blurry!!!
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- And a good shot of the Space Needle (Dad went up to the roof to take some shots tonight).
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Sounds like you all are having a great time! I’m so glad you enjoyed the museum and got your cheese sticks, too!!
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That restaurant looks great! I’d definitely be up for a trip to MD. :)…I love all of the photos! Especially you, Mom and Dad as astronauts.
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I like how Laura is wearing her awesome t-shirt from Katie
I love Buca di Beppo! There’s one in DC, too, straight up Connecticut Ave. I haven’t been there in years, but I remember it looks exactly like all your pictures — great atmosphere. And I also remember that the portions were crazy big (I mean like double the size of most restaurants which already give humungous portions). Yum! Can’t wait to get a big group together after you’re back and go out for dinner. I volunteer to organize it! (um hi, can you tell I haven’t eaten anything yet today and am salivating just thinking about it!?)
Also, a quick remark about those red globe ornaments: love ‘em! I’ve never seen them either. They’re a nice departure from the tiny white lights lots of towns put on the trees (like in Old Town Alex.). I love how they’re so big and visible and ornament-y and red
We gotta get some of those over here on the east coast!
So glad you and your mom had such a nice visit with your dad (and Lola and Tim and Lori before that). Happy belated birthday to your mom! xoxox
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Happy Birthday, Mrs. Matthews!!!!
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What great pictures. So glad your Dad was able to surprise your mom.
You look like you are having fun.
Well …..CAROL, A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Norma