Contreras Invasion: Puyallup

George and Laurie Contreras

On Friday we welcomed our great friends George and Laurie Contreras to the Northwest for a weekend full of fun, food, and of course, football. In what is quickly becoming an annual event, George's Huskies and my Arizona Wildcats were set to battle with bragging rights on the line. For anyone who has followed our European adventures, we spent an unforgettable season in Italy on the Catania Elephants together, and were so excited to spend some time catching up.

George was christened "St. Giorgio, the Patron Saint of Bloggers" during his second tour of duty in Italy, and keeps a fantastic blog about his own European coaching adventures at coachingforpizza.blogspot.com. Click the link to read his own account of this fun weekend!

First stop: Tacoma waterfront

Our first stop was a no-brainer for a beautiful Northwest fall day: The Ram Restaurant on the Tacoma Waterfront. Former Elephant teammate Brandon Bennett boasts of his membership to the "Mug Club" at this local brew pub, but it is the food that we were there for. The burgers were up to our standards, but my favorite is the Ram's best dessert in America -- Mile High Mud Pie.

Mile High Mud Pie - a heavenly blend of ice cream, Oreo cookie crust, Whip Cream, and Chocolate sauce

I knew that George - being the world traveler and purveyor of international interests that he is - would be interested in some cultural activities, and the best place to find that in my home town of Puyallup boils down to two simple words: The Fair. The grounds are home to the annual Western Washington State Fair, which happens to be the 5th largest in America. Today, it was playing host to a plethora of European activity -- the Scandinavian Heritage Festival and Oktoberfest! This was perfect, as George had recently signed up to coach next season in Sweden - perhaps he could get some insider knowledge!

The good ol' Puyallup Fair

'nuff said

Sweden is the flag with the cross.

Being Scandinavian myself, it was time to pay homage with a little 'uff da' action. George was slightly amused.

Lefse - a famous Norwegian dish and favorite of both my sister and grandmother

The heritage festival was comprised of ethnic foods, books, souvenirs, and artwork. It was noticeably absent of any comedic material, but was interesting to browse. I learned a few Norwegian words, and George picked up some Swedish Swag. However, in a nearby hall the noise of an Oompa band could be heard. Maybe it was time for...

Any excuse for a dirndl is a good thing!

OKTOBERFEST NORTHWEST

Yes, Oktober is here with a 'k' and that only means an excuse for a Bavarian bier festival! Having come recently from Munich and the real thing, I was curious to see how a U.S. version would measure up.

Positive Sign #1: Locals in Costumes

Positive Sign #2: Health Food (Cube of Fries)

Positive Sign #3: Beer Gloves?

Positive Sign #4: HAMMERSCHLAGEN!!!

Oktoberfest was making a valiant effort, serving Hofbrauhaus wheat beer and playing authentic German music. (Top Hit of the Night: "I'm Prosting.") However, it was Hammerschlagen that put it over the top as a real festival for me. For those of you not familiar with the game, it is a supreme test of skill and coordination, involving a heavy hammer and a nail that must be pounded into a wooden log. Players are to grasp the hammer below the official "red line" marked on its handle, and are given one motion at which to strike. First one to get it flush is the winner. GAME ON!

Christie in Action!

Laurie had to use two hands but had a great time.

LIVE GAME ACTION!

Christie with Colonel Sanders

It was a great evening of fun, and hopefully George and Laurie got a feeling for both what lies ahead in Sweden and what we experienced living near Bavaria. On a personal note, they are one of the many reasons why playing in Europe was so fun, and demonstrate the attitude for what it takes to succeed over there. We were so lucky to both meet them in Europe, and spend