The Accidental Olympian

COASTAL BLISS

Right now, Adam and I are on the WA coast camping with friends. There is a 95% chance that right at this very moment I am hung over, smell like campfire, and have already used 700 baby wipes to clean my hands.

Having OCD is hard.

In honor of my vacation (whatever the hell that means), I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite pictures I've taken while on WA and OR coastal vacations in the past six or so years.

Manzanita, OR
2004, Freshman year spring break. My first ever encounter with a beach where you wear a rain jacket the entire time. And love it.





Manzanita, OR
2006, Junior Year spring break where apparently I thought I was God. And yes, I did have a friend in college who's parents had a beach house in Manzanita and it was fucking fantastic and made this poor girl very, very happy.


Ocean Shores, WA
December 2008, the weekend I was laid off and life as I knew it seemed to crumble around me this beach made me feel better. I didn't realize that in three months this beach and I would become pretty close neighbors, and end up seeing much more of one another.

Moclips, WA
Yes. That is an actual town on the WA coast. 2009 fishing trip with our brand new puppy. Bliss.




Willapa Bay, WA
Memorial Weekend 2009. First clamming experience, where it turned out in a surprising twist that I was the master clammer in our household.








Ocean Shores, WA
2009, camping with Adam's parents, and Adam's nieces and nephew. Watched as Adam's niece saw the ocean for the very first time.














Ocean Shores, WA
2010, unusually warm February weekend lead us to the beach for kite flying, reading, and puppy inspired manic hole digging.

I absolutely love Northwest coastal towns. Each time I visit a new one I envision my dream home, and my dream store. I'd open a seasonal bookstore/cafe even though no one buys books anymore. I wouldn't even care that it would have a high probability of failing, because I can already picture how deeply I'd love that little store. Maybe one day I'll actually make it happen.


You really must try this. I'll put a smore on for you if you promise you can make it here in the next couple hours.

Trust me, we've got plenty.

What are you doing this Memorial Weekend?

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian

IS IT 5 YET?

Adam, Oly and I are packing the car tonight after work and hitting the road. Through Memorial Weekend we'll be visiting the town of Long Beach, WA. A town I am sure to love seeing as the town blog is called, "Fun Beach Blog."

I was already excited to check out this WA coastal staple, but then I read about the World's Longest Beach Garage Sale happening this weekend and I was HOOKED. This garage sale is supposed to be upwards of 28 miles long. Can you imagine how many ratty Barbie dolls I could buy? I doubt we'll buy much of anything, but if nothing else I am sure the people watching is going to be absolutely spectacular!

As with all camping trips, the only sure things on our agenda are to eat, drink, find ourselves perpetually covered in a slight layer of grime, and spend a lot of time on the beach. The weather has done its usual Northwest dance of one day claiming we'll drown, and the next proclaiming that we'll be forced to break out the sunscreen, so in preparation I've packed everything from a poncho to a sun dress. It's going to be interesting.


I know I've posted this picture on my blog before, but it so perfectly displays the white trash variety of camping Adam and I partake in I felt I had to share it again. Something about a weekend of irregular showering seems to help us slip seamlessly into our filthy alter egos. 

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian

VACATION FROM MYSELF

Vacations are supposed to be restful, right? A time to step away from regular everyday life and relax.

The problem with this is that before you leave for a vacation you find yourself spinning around like a certifiable CRAZY person trying to get a million and a half things done, yet it seems that somehow the days suddenly became infinitely shorter, just to spite you. Your 'to-do' list becomes pages and pages long even when you tell yourself repeatedly that this time things will be different. This time you wont actually make your life harder. Yet no matter how you try, errands seem to be never ending and right when you think you've crossed something off your list, 20 more items suddenly arrive as if to say, "Haha fucker! You ain't done yet!" and for a moment you contemplate pulling out all your hair. 


Here I am, gearing up for a much needed 4 day Memorial Weekend of camping, relaxing, eating and drinking on the WA coast and I feel as if I need a vacation, before my vacation, just to be ready.

How can I be at work/sleeping/driving/breathing when there is a camp box to prepare? Food to premake? Items to buy? Replacements to find? Cars to pack? Things to sell? Dogs to walk? People to see? Arrangements to make? LIVES TO SAVE?????

OK, that last one isn't true. But damn if it doesn't feel like that's what is at stake sometimes.

And why is it that before a vacation things that you couldn't possibly be bothered with, things like, "clip the dogs toenails," suddenly become MONUMENTALLY important? Why does the idea of being unable to clip the dogs toenails before a trip suddenly feel as if it has the power to either make or break the vacation? Will we survive Memorial Weekend if Oly is sporting coke nails? If the lawn isn't mowed? If I forget to weed the garden? If I don't fertilize the roses? If I don't clean the fish-tank? If the sheets aren't washed? If the floors aren't cleaned? 

Umm, probably.

But that wont change the fact that I'll do all that, and 200 more things completely and utterly unrelated to camping before we take off Thursday.

Because I'm super woman.

And probably just a smidge totally insane. 

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian

 

PORTLAND

This weekend Adam and I had a few errands we needed to run that little o'l Olympia just couldn't assist us with. So we weighed our options. Seattle? Portland? Seattle? Or Portland? North an hour to run our errands in a marvelous city we know so well? Or head south an hour and a half and run the very same errands in a city that's all shiny and new?

After a healthy toss of the coin we decided we were feeling adventurous and headed south to Portland, OR. (By the way, can I mention how lucky we are to live in the middle of TWO fantastic cities? Gloriously lucky if I do say so myself.) You see, we needed a new tent, what with our plans to go camping over Memorial Weekend, and it so happened that the AMAZING wonder that is REI was having their anniversary sale. Us poor folks will go to great distances for a good deal. 

Having lived in Seattle for nearly 6 years, I thought I could forever proclaim that Seattle was the Northwest's grandest city. Yes, I just said grand. Move on. Then right as I was going to make it official between Seattle and I, I met Portland. And while I was weak with indecision, Portland introduced me to a wondrous place called Kenny & Zukes. And before I knew it I was all, "Seattle, who?"

 
Do you like reubens? THEN GO HERE. And get the potato salad. And then buy an extra one for me and ship it to Olympia. I promise to pay you back. And you know what makes Kenny & Zukes even more amazing than the killer reubens, game changing potato salad and amazing atmosphere?

Powell's Books, THE Powell's Books is a block and a half away. If you've never heard of Powell's Books before, then all I can say is it is basically every book lovers biggest wet dream. Times 40. We only had 45 minutes inside and I swear we barely explored the caverns within. There are so many floors of books that they had to color code the staircases and hallways so you know where the hell you are. People, I want to live here.

 

 

After indulging in mind altering sandwiches, and getting lost in rows and rows of books, I prompty put our house on the market and declared my love for Portland.

Ok, I wish that was the case.

Actually all we did after hitting up IKEA for some picture frames was come home and set our new tent up in our living room.

 
We're toying with the idea of leaving it here permanently. Think of it as a guest room if you will. Or Oly's new crate. We're still undecided. 

Portland I miss you.

What's your favorite city? And more importantly, can I come with you next time you visit?

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian
 

 

COMING OF AGE

Hey Adam, remember last summer when you went golfing with my dad, and the guy at the front desk took one look at the two of you and said, in all seriousness, “So that will be one senior, and one junior, right?” and you almost died at the prospect of being mistaken for being under 14?

I think this will be the year you can finally pay adult prices at the golf course.


 
Although really, you should have let the man under charge you. I mean what’s the point of having a baby face if you don’t work it to your advantage?




 

If it’s ANY consolation at all, when I met you I never once worried about the possibility of going to jail for statutory rape. I figured you at least had your drivers license, and therefore fell under the law as being capable of consenting. 

 

Happy Birthday Adam.

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian