Kyle’s Blog

I’m almost nervous to start writing this, I hope I get carried away with it. So I’m not entirely sure where I left off, but I’ll start where it ended…

Speeding out of Seattle feeling for certain that I do not belong there, but fairly sure I’m a great visitor. Seattle and I parted ways last as enemies, but after the time spent there in the last 2 weeks it was a simple nod of recognition, a truce if you will.  I have such a unique and eclectic group of friends up there who somehow all get along from a Boeing electrical engineer to professional masseuse, I love all those Seattle kids to death.

And back to beginning I extended my time up there as some of you know for a birthday I helped planned for Amanda, my good friend David’s girlfriend who was just turning 21. So between me and 4 other people we planned pretty much the best birthday you could ever ask for. It started with a 1700 dollar Hugo Boss suit that I insisted internally that I needed to have. To hell with it, you only live once, and damnit I wanna look good while I’m livin’ it. We all got dressed up, about 15 or so in all with the intention of meeting up at the Can Can Cabaret in Pikes Place Market. Why I never discovered the absolute amazingness of this establishment while living up here is one of my greatest regrets. It’s only 5 bucks to get in, 10 bucks for preferred seating, and the drinks are reasonably priced. We all showed up to surprise Amanda who really had no idea what was going on, only to be met by some of the best dressed people in Seattle all screaming happy birthday. The show was amazing, with contortionists, silly sketches, acrobatics, and a great deal of crowd interaction all to amazing music which I can only describe as carnival/gypsyesque/rock which is an amazing combination by the way. Seriously if you’re ever in Seattle, you must visit the Can Can, one of the best 10 dollars I’ve ever spent in my life.

After the conclusion of the show we all headed outside and yet another surprise, “YOU’RE GOING TO PROM!”. Complete with a corsage and a limo awaiting the party. We took a bunch of pictures (of which I haven’t uploaded yet, sorry) and took a wild limo ride over to west Seattle, Alki Beach specifically for a great view of the city. By now the “prom goers” were encroaching upon the exact opposite of sober what with the champagne flowing in the limo. A quick drive back to the city and to our friend’s apartment that had been painstakingly decorated earlier in the day in white and blue streamers, balloons, and even a backdrop that had the Disneyland castle in the back with the prom dance title “Starlight Enchantment ‘09″… it was a perfect birthday. I made the punch which of course was spiked and threw a good amount of pineapple in there too. A whole lot of dancing, laughing, pictures, and all that happened. It was a blur to me that wasn’t alcohol induced at all. The thrill of making reservations, buying supplies, organizing people to get together, doing it all behind Amanda’s back, all while drinking every single night I was there…. I love when a plan comes together. I bounced around from person to person, conversation to dancing, and it was just a wonderful night and one hell of a party.

The rest of my time up there was spent seeing as many people as I could, and catching up. If I didn’t take as much pictures as I did I would have most certainly forgot just about everything. I visited a good many breweries on the way up and quite a few within the Seattle Area to include the Red Hook, Six Rivers, Pike Place, Mcmennamins, Hales Ale, and I’m sure a few others. The amount of alcohol I imbibed in the last few months has been… overzealous. This has prompted me to give myself a week of sobriety, where the only brewed thing I’ll be pouring down my throat will be cups of coffee.

The trip back down to California wasn’t all too eventful. I left Seattle around 9ish in the am and made it all the way to Crescent City just across the CA border on the 101. On my journey through Oregon I have came to the conclusion that I would like to own property on the Oregon Coast, you know, when I figure everything out and become ultra rich… sigh. After a wonderful sleep in a really comfy bed I got underway at 8am and drove the rest of the way. Tired of lolly-gagging on the 101, I shot east to the 5 in Oakland and continued on at about 85 mph on average back home getting in around 9:15 or so that night. I regret slightly not stopping at Anchor Steam Brewery, and I’m sure it isn’t as cool as I really imagine it. I picture a old building down by the docks (very appropriate right?) just to go with the whole nautical theme and along with the nature of the bottle design. Perhaps they have a surly bartender who is a not so retired tug boat captain named Thadius… but I think I’m letting my imagination run away with me here. Don’t spoil my fantasy people, I don’t want to know what the brewery really looks like. Again I did not stop due to my self induced misery… I mean sobriety.

So now what? I’m back home sweating my ass off in godforsaken Chino that’s what. I’m spending a day or so here, packing what stuff I have up here, to include my motorcycle, and moving down to San Diego. I’m sad that I’m going to be living out of a room, as opposed to my own place, but it only makes sense to do it this way financially. If I’m leaving for four months in October for dive school (which by the way my unit has mentioned I’m going to go) there’s no sense in paying rent in a place I ain’t livin. So I’m moving in with Matt and the family, which is also good because it’s a better environment to be in I think. I don’t want to start drinking like I did in Seattle a year ago, let alone a few days ago.

A new life, a new Kyle… happy Kyle!

I neglected to mention in the first edit of this blog that of the many things I was referred to in Seattle, these were my favorite:

An American golden god by a girl name Celine

Beowulf (not to be associated with the cgi movie, but the short story of a Nordic warrior)

Bastard by a girl named Ryan