Gemini Queen: Wine, Lakes & Love

So I know I've been ranting and raving about our Seattle trip lately, but I'm not finished yet and they get better, so keep on reading!! :)

After our Sunday baseball game, we realized our whole week was wide open with endless possibilities of things to do. We tried planning it out, but we ended up mixing in a lot of spontaneity. We decided a wine tour would be really fun and relaxing, since our most favorite Riesling is made in Washington, we were off to The Chateau St. Michele!

As soon as we drove through the gates and saw the vineyards, we knew this was going to be just lovely! The wine tour was absolutely free so we signed up and had a half hour to spare before it started. The grounds were amazingly gorgeous; I was loving all of the green trees with crazy huge trunks! It made me think back to tree climbing as a kid back in Connecticut. People were picnicking on the grass sipping their wine and reading their books and flipping through newspapers. No one seemed to have a care in the world... this was indeed a "Stress-Free Zone"!!

At the end of the tour they provided a free tasting of their three most favorite wines including a Merlot, Blush, and Dessert. I realized that Merlots were an acquired taste and I would have to work on liking it. I enjoyed the blush, and the dessert wine was almost too sweet for my liking. We ended up going home with my original favorite Chateau St. Michele Riesling. Mmmmmm!

The following day we went to Pikes Place Market which we were told was one of the most essential tourist destinations when visiting Seattle. It was a good thing Cindy lent us her GPS system since Seattle roads make absolutely NO sense!! We didn't see any fish throwing, but we got the gist of how great the market was. You could get a beautiful bouquet of gorgeous flowers for only $5.00! If I lived in downtown Seattle you could bet I would be shopping for their fresh veggies and fish on a weekly basis.

The market sits right on the coast of the Puget Sound and we stepped outside to take in the fantastic views. We dined on classic fish & chips at the Emmett Watson Oyster Bar, passed by the original Starbucks while listening to the famous Seattle Street Singers, sipped on Tulley's coffee in downtown Seattle's Harbor Steps, and observed amazing works of art in the Seattle Art Museum.

What a wonderful day this was! When we headed back home Cindy wanted to take us to Martha Lake, a small lake closeby where there is a swim area for kids and a dock with lots of open water to paddle on. We packed up a couple boats and paddled until sunset...

The next day was me and Josh's 3 year anniversary! We decided to go to Golden Gardens Park, which is a nice little beachy stretch of sand with picnic tables and bonfire pits. We brought a blanket, our books, some snacks and our Riesling, and just relaxed all afternoon in a cluster of shade trees. As I tucked my feet in the soft sand, rested on a tree, and tasted the delicious wine on my lips, a feeling of pure joy set in as I gazed out onto the water. I couldn't ask for a better way to spend time with the love of my life....

Now feeling a little happy buzz we headed to Ray's Boathouse down the street for a nice seafood dinner. We were seated on an outdoor table with views of the water, served wine and beer, and feasted on fresh halibut and calamari.

I'll be honest now... it sounds like a wonderful anniversary dinner, right? Well I'll be the first to admit that I had a little too much to drink and started to morph into my evil Gemini twin, becoming more and more obnoxious and belligerent. I felt myself becoming heated and angry for no reason... Josh pleaded to try and enjoy the moment, but I couldn't stop, all I could feel were the negative feelings: the sun was too hot, we were too crowded, and it was hardly the romantic dinner I had hoped for. There wasn't much love going on between us, only bickering and fighting, so we left quickly both feeling frustrated and hurt. We went home in silence and Josh left to cool off. I sat in the RV in a drunken state of mind, cried, and felt sorry for myself. It was pathetic.

So that's a heavy dose of reality, wouldn't you think so? Maybe you're wondering why I didn't keep on with the lovely stories and why I am now sharing these personal details? Well, being a blog reader I come across many that are sugar coated where their lives seem to be so perfect you can hardly stand it. On the other hand, there are a select few that spill out their honest feelings and I find myself more interested in the realness of them because I can actually relate.

So here it is, the real me, exposed and imperfect.

The truth is I was so backed up on Monday (yes... you know what I mean) that we almost didn't get to go on the wine tour. The truth is I complained a lot about the claustrophobic nature of the market and needed to leave after only 5 minutes. But Josh stood beside me, dealt with my moodiness, and tried to make the best out of each moment. He is a real trooper and I can't tell you how blessed I feel for having such a wonderful husband who bares through the negativity of my evil twin, and has the power to look into my eyes and bring out the real me. I feel safe and secure with him, and I sometimes wonder if he knows me more than I know myself.

Despite it all... we were together and we enjoyed our special moments, and at the end of the day we slept by each others side and woke up still happy and still in love. Good morning kisses seem to smooth over the rough times and leave them in the past...