Annelise's Adventures on Earth: August 2006

In Patty and Conrad's living room, from right to left it is Emily, Jenn, Max, Chris, and Patty.

Conrad slicing his famous lasagne! It's so Yummy!

I was invited to Patty and Conrad's new house in Seattle for a lasagne dinner with some of my old friends from band! It was such a nice night and really good lasagne!

This is how paranoid America is about germs. In our local grocery store, they supply disinfecting wipes that customers can use to clean the handles of their shopping cart. Sure, I can understand the logic behind it, but how are we supposed to build up our immune systems if we are not exposed to any germs? Our bodies need to learn to fight them off. I say Yes! to germs! :) (some).

When I got home from Port Ludlow, there was a little tree frog that decided to spend a few days in our garbage disposal. Not a habitat that I would recommend for anything that is living. Chad had warned me a few days before, but I was surprised to see it still around. I helped it outside again, so it did not have to suffer death by garbage disposal.

After the bike ride, I was ready for a swim in the cool Puget Sound. While down at the beach, I came across a message in a bottle! I was so excited! The message inside had been sent 5 days before by a group of 4th of July partiers on Whidbey Island, not that far away. The message was difficult to read, but was legible enough to make out this not: "Send help! Need beer and pussy. July 4...." What a disappointing message.

I brought my bike with me and Mary and I biked around Ludlow Bay. They live right on the other side of the water, so we had a nice ride around the bay with skinny shoulders and road work.

Jens helping his neighbor put together their new barbeque.

Looking south on the ferry, Mt. Rainier is visible along with the skyline of downtown Seattle, including the Seattle Space Needle.

Looking north while on the ferry, Mt. Baker is visible along the north-eastern horizon.

A view of the Olympic Mountains through the main deck of the ferry as we sail towards Kingston. It's only about a 25 minute ferry ride. The weather was beautiful this day, so there were a lot of motorcyclists, which you can see standing there between the cars by their bikes.

Saturday, July 8th, I headed over to Port Ludlow to visit my friends Jens and Mary. I got a pretty late start in the morning and managed to have a little bit of luck by being the last car to drive onto this ferry! Here is a view of the butt of my car and the rear of the ferry as it leaves the terminal in Edmonds.

A view of the Olympic Mountains and the Puget Sound from my aunt and uncle's back deck.

When my parents were still at the Oregon Coast, my aunt and uncle invited me over for a belated Julefrokost with the Broback family. We enjoyed shrimp sandwiches, several types of herring, salmon, fruit salad and red pudding!

My mom and I were in Anacortes visiting some quilt shops and then we drove down Whidbey Island and stopped at Deception Pass where I am standing in the foreground. This was taken back in June.

Road Rage!!!

American drivers are really getting on my nerves!! I come in contact with so many slow drivers in the left lane!! What are they doing there and why don't they stay right when traffic signs say "SLOW TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT!" UGGGHHH!! It is so frustrating! It's not up to the slow drivers to monitor my speed! That is my responsibility! It is as if they do that purposely to annoy me and other drivers that respect the rules of the road by keeping right unless to pass. I miss driving the Autobahn where drivers follow the rules of the road!

Missing Denmark....

It has been so nice being home and doing things with the family and my friends again. It means a lot to be a part of activities that I have missed out on over the past couple years. But....I can tell you, when there is someone back in Denmark who I love and miss so much, I realize where I need and want to be and that (as I heard at a wedding I was just recently at) it is time to take flight from the roots that are planted in the USA and to spread them back to Denmark and to my wonderful boyfriend Jan and his sweet son, Michael.

Annelise & Jan, Easter 2006

Michael and Annelise, March 2006

Jan playing out in the Danish fields with his friend Kaare and their scooters. Look at the fun he is having without me! But when I get back to Denmark again, I have a scooter waiting for me to ride!! So very European, don't you think?!

The weather has been extremely HOT in Denmark. Michael was so sweet to suggest to his grandmother to pack a cooler with cold drinks for his Dad and Kaare and drive out on his little crosser out in the fields to where his dad was waiting.

Oregon Coast 4th of July!

4th of July fireworks.

Fireworks over the beach of Manzanita.

Elsa, Mom and Annelise on the beach to watch the 4th of July firework show.

After dinner on the 4th, we drove down to the beach to watch the firework show put on by the city of Manzanita. Many groups of people had lit fires in the sand and were lighting off their own fireworks. It was an awesome site to see the flying fire on the 4th of July.

Old Glory peaking above the trees at the Nehalem Bay campground. That is mom and dad's flag flying from their flag pole that they take with them camping and tailgating! :)

A view from the State Park looking south along the Oregon Coast where large sea stacks jut up along the coast.

Artistic grass shot on the Oregon Coast.

Dad, Elsa and Mom eating 4th of July hamburgers for dinner in the campground after the parade!

Our stinky dog Sofie camping on the Oregon Coast.

Seagull art on the tops of the garbage containers on the main street in Manzanita.

More vintage cars in the parade dressed patriotically!

Vintage American trucks decked in red, white, and blue for Independence Day!

The lifeguards for the Manzanita beach on the 4-wheelers and their jet skis behind them!

A dog dressed up for the 4th of July!

Presenting the National Colors during the start of the 4th of July parade in Manzanita, Oregon. I really felt a well of love and pride for being American when so many people saluted the flag. I love Denmark, but I am proud to be an American.