I’m still finding sand in my shoes!

Sunday morning dawned gray and cloudy. Matt and I idly discussed going on a hike since we hadn’t been on one in a few weeks. (For all of you out there that know me well, DO NOT PASS OUT IN ASTONISHMENT. I do go outside every now and then. In fact, I think I kind of like the whole outdoorsy thing…most of the time.) But then we both got distracted, him with schoolwork and me with a nap. Finally we came to the conclusion that we didn’t have time for a hike since we were meeting up with my family in Tacoma for a late lunch.

We did go outside though. And apparently the heavens were supportive of my venture out into nature because it cleared up into a beautiful day. Matt suggested that we go trek through Discovery Park since I had never stepped foot in there even though I’ve lived here for over 15 years. *shrugs* There are a lot of parks here! You can’t expect me to have been to every single one!! In my opinion, the best part of the day was skidding down the hills to the beach. I don’t know what to call them, sandy bluffs? *snorts* That sounds like a character’s name from some raunchy soap opera. Anyway, it was sand and it made up the hillside that led down to the beach.

The sand was so soft that I sank in almost to my ankles. I was sliding one foot in front of the other just to keep going. It felt like I was skiing! By the time I reached the bottom, my shoes were completely sand-logged. (Is that a word?) Finally, we were on the beach! I loved looking at the water, hearing it break gently against the shoreline. It was so peaceful. I found a rock that was an interesting shade of green, a soft and nearly translucent shade of jade, so I picked it up to take with me. Truth be told, I actually had Matt hauling it around for the remainder of the morning because I didn’t have any pockets. It was a small rock, I promise, not the boulder I’m making it out to be. We walked along the beach for the while until it was time to go.

I was STARVING by then. Matt used an apple to bribe me into racing back part of the way to the car. I think I must have been a donkey in a past life. But I didn’t even get to eat the whole thing. I had to share it with him! *laughs* Then, we were off. You may be wondering, ‘Why in the world are they driving all the way to Tacoma for lunch?’ That’s when it becomes apparent you’ve never been to Manna Korean BBQ Buffet. If you ever want to try it, I will take you but I will issue you the same warning I gave Matt. You will REEK of meat for the remainder of the day. Or until you take a shower. Keep that in mind, you have been forewarned.

There were ten of us; Matt, Heather, Liz, Christina, Paige, Mom, both Korean grandparents, one of their friends and me. The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur. FEEDING FRENZY! There’s really no other way to describe it. We ate until we thought we were going to explode. And then we crammed in one more bite because it was just so yum. Normally, the feeling of imminent death caused by ingesting too much food would deter me. But not when it comes to Korean BBQ. Then I happily carted my butt home only to discover I had a sand dune in each shoe… Is that why it’s called Discovery Park?