The GoinG up Cast blog

Written by Host Andrew Logan, this blog will go into greater depth into many topics discussed in the podcast and beyond! Any pictures, videos or text are all written, filmed or taken by Mr. Logan unless stated otherwise. Many of the images can also be found on Instagram @goingupcast! The 20 most recent pictures are displayed below!

Blog #53! Another fun video for you all! This week I went floating down one of the many PNW rivers we have! Hear the whole story on Episode 61 of The Goin’ Up Cast! Almost said Goin’ Up Cats. That’s a different show.

Blog #52! That’s right! I went skydiving! It was one hell of an experience and you can see the best bits here in this video! Hear more about it in episode 60 of The Goin’ Up Cast! Or should I say…the goin’ down cast! Get it? Cause of the skydiving?! Classic.

Blog #51 - Pike Place Sign from Behind!

The title says it all, really. Here is a picture of the back of the famous sign. I had never seen it from behind and simply had to snap a shot.

Blog #50 - Escape Room

Lost Games in Las Vegas on my third trip early in 2019. This place is dripping in atmosphere the moment you walk in. Super dark and mood music playing from hidden speakers. You escape from an asylum here and it was a total blast! This image is my Dad down at the end of the hallway, the only light in the joint. Yes, it was that dark.

Blog #49 - Percy & Co!

Percy & Co in Ballard WA is where I and my party play D&D every week! Delicious food, wonderful drinks and a fun place to roll some bones every week! Check it out next time your in town!

Blog #48: Snow Abound!

During the terrifying Snowmageddeon, or Snowpocalypse depending on who you talk to, I was snowed in for a while. Couple days, at least. The foreground is my Subaru totally submerged in snow. Couple of snow days and snow fun were pretty nice! :D

Blog #47: Black Dog Café

The Black Dog Café in Snoqualimie, WA. Back in High School, when I was a cool dude who was a drummer in a cool band that played cool music, we played here three times. It is home to many fond memories for me, and I can’t recommend it enough! Check it out if you’re in the area! One of my favorite spots ever :D

Blog #46: Waterfall!

Ah, the beautiful and majestic Snowqualime Falls! You can sort of kind of see them in the fog there. Trust me, this was the clearest it got that day, it was so foggy and cold! Most of the fog was spray off the falls, which was blisteringly chilly. Wear a jacket when visiting for sure! Quite a fun day!

Blog #45: Foot Bridge

This here is the pedestrian bridge from the free parking lot to the Salish Lodge in Snoqualime, WA. I love this sort of architecture! It is prime Pacific Northwest styling, and I adore it. In the background you can also see concrete covered in moss, which is super common around these parts and makes me super happy! It was a super foggy and chilly day as well, which you’ll seen in above pictures!

Blog #44: SBWM 2019!

Super Blood Wolf Moon in January of 2019. I took this through my telescope! This was as complete an eclipse as I saw that night. It was also the only image to have the moon centered. That took some doing :P

Blog #43: Neat House

Walking home late one night after D&D I saw this house, which was really cool! Reminded me of a classic English house, with the tiny window in the top floor, the beautiful hedge leading to the front door and a metal fence you can’t see. Wandering around your neighborhood at night reveals things you wouldn’t normally notice! Good times :D

Blog #42: College Tree

Now this set-up I’ve had since freshman year of College. This tiny tree and garland have been a tradition of mine since I first got them and for me, the lights of the trees are the best part of the holidays. The warm glow they cast is so comforting, especially when they are the only lights on. Here, they look sharp and cold, but in reality, they are soft and warm, like a blanket by the fire. Love it.

Blog #41: Gingerbread

First time I have ever decorated a Gingerbread house. Pretty proud of how this came out, but I’d be lying if I said it was all me. This was a family affair and my major contribution was the figure in green missing most of an arm. The gingerbread was not tasty, so fair warning! Looks very good though and it is still standing! Strong stuff.

Blog #40: Holiday Tree

My Christmas tree from 2018! We kept it simple with just some golden ribbon and baubles. The presents you see under the tree are mostly gifts from me to myself because that’s how I roll. About 90% of all the gifts under the tree now, a few days before Christmas, are from me to me, so I’m very much looking forward to it!

Blog #39: Enchant

The giant Christmas light maze and market of Enchant at Safeco field in Seattle. A grand ol’ time was had by all and look at how pretty it is! A magical night :D

Blog #38: Curvy Stairs

This could be old hat for you, but when I saw the curved escalators at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, it blew my mind. It was incredible. I love stuff like this! Reminds me of the time I saw those escalators at Target or whatever that have those side-escalators for your cart as you travel between floors! Oh, and the Macy’s escalators that are made of wood. Funky modes of transportation are awesome, like glass floored elevators, or these curved escalators! Love ‘em.

Blog #37: Folly Tower

The height of my hubris is apparently 4 stories. It was here, on 11/21/2018, where I in my infinite wisdom decided to go down a slide while moderately inebriated. You can’t see the slide in this picture, but you can see the stairs that go all the way to the top, so you know where it is. This is where I slammed into the side of that slide and sprained my ankle like a right idiot. Be careful on slides kids! Make sure they are curved correctly! Otherwise, you could get hurt pretty effin’ bad.

Blog #36: Venetian

Ah the wonderful theming of the Venetian hotel! I love this sort of stuff; the facades, the fake sky, the river in the shopping area with the gondolas all over it, it’s the best! In my second trip to Vegas in 2018, I saw a lot more of this sort of thing, which is way up my alley. The best!

20181031_062641(0)001_1540992494035.jpg — Blog #35: Gandalf

Behold! Tis I, the wizard Gandalf! Nah just kidding, it’s me Andrew! Fooled ya, huh? Well, no surprises there, given how amazing my “assembled from Value Village” costume went this past Halloween. Did an old man voice all day at work to! Took a lot out of me, but hey, that’s how I roll!

Blog #34 - Cookies!

Despite timeline irregularities, here is a picture of my batch of butter cookies from the Sizzle it up with Taako box I got a little while back. Made about 20 cookies I think, and boy are they good! Basically shortbread, which is a huge favorite of mine. The shapes, as you can see, represent the good good crew of Magnus (the one with the sideburns), Taako (the one in the hat), and Merle (the smallest one). Very tasty!

Blog #33 - Jaleo

Jaleo in the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. So this place was on my list purely because they are opening one in Disney Springs and I’m a sucker for ANYTHING related to Disney. So, I treated my dad to a lovely tapas meal here at Jaleo. It was superb. The wait was a bit, but boy was it worth it. Get reservations and show up early! Pictured here we have at the top Iberico ham, which was unreal in how good it tasted. The cheese closest to us on the cheese plate was Payoyo, a goat/sheep cheese that we got a second order of it was so good. The plate on the right was a mixture of thinly sliced jamon, some cured sausages and a few bread sticks. An incredible taste adventure. Truly a magical dining experience. A must eat!

Blog #32 - Pool

Another imaginative title for the history books on this one. The backyard of my dad’s place in Las Vegas! This pool was where I spent a lot of my daytime, just relaxing in the pool, in the rock-enclosed hot tub, or underneath the Tiki hut enjoying the warm air. What a backyard huh? I think it’s great :D And yes that is a stone water slide and no, it doesn’t work. The stone hasn’t been smoothed down to allow for it to actually act as a slide yet. It would grate your skin right off if you tried to use as it sits in this picture.

Blog #31 - Redder Rocks

I know “redder” isn’t a word but whatever, it’s late and I thought it was clever. HA! Rhymes. Anyway, this showcases the true hue of these rocks, which are actually red sandstone. At the base of these hills you can find red sands so fine, it’s like talcum powder. Also if you look in the bottom right of the hills, you’ll see some really stupid people climbing all over these rocks. I love rock climbing, but without the right gear and training, you can really get hurt and you can also damage the natural structure, so stick to the trail gang! It’s better for everyone involved!

Blog #30 - Red Rocks

Red Rocks Las Vegas. Now this shot doesn’t showcase the mountains well, but the sun was setting behind them, as you can see and I loved it. The National Park here has a 12-mile scenic drive trail that you can just see these amazing vistas from the comfort of your car as you putter around! One of my preferred ways of seeing nature for sure :D
As someone who is used to the verdant nature of mountains in the PNW, it was certainly a change to see big mountains completely void of trees. Very striking in their own way, however!

Blog #29 - Autumnal

So! This was at the conservatory in the Bellagio and the whole room was decked out in these incredible autumnal scenes depicting a giant woman asleep, two enormous tigers and this scene of dragonflies, foxes and peacocks. The animals also moved, waving their tails or rolling around. It was super cool and the best art instillation I saw in Las Vegas.

Blog #28 - The Fountain

The fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas! The song for this show was “Uptown Funk,” and it was mighty impressive. The water exploding up at least 5 stories was much louder than I would’ve thought. Fun times though! A bucket list item for sure.

Blog #27 - LV House

So in reality, this isn’t the house I stayed in while I was in Las Vegas. It’s actually the house across the street from where I was staying. See, in this complex, the houses all look so similar I figured it didn’t actually make a difference which house I took a picture of, hence this image. If you notice the angle of the shot, you can actually tell this was shot from the 2nd story of the house, showing I was in the house at the time. Still, love this picture! Look at that sky!

Blog #26 - Las Vegas!

Right off the plane and right into a rooftop Las Vegas pool party! Gotta say, felt pretty cool being here, even if the ticket said my name was Stefan. Glossing right over that, it was packed with people, booze and some of the loudest music I’ve ever heard outside of a concert. Quite the way to arrive at Sin City, let me tell you! And no, no one was in any of the pools. Ah well, maybe next time!

Blog #25: TAZ Live!

The good good McElroy’s in person! Granted, they were very far away from me in my lofty seats but still! The two figures in the bottom right are the signers, which I loved watching! Amazing evening! Thanks for all the laughs! :D

Blog #24: Enchilada

Boom! Homemade Enchiladas! 3 chicken breasts, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, a can of green enchilada sauce, some tortillas, zest of a lime and a LOT of cheese in a 400 degree oven till the cheese melts. Cook the chicken and veggies before assembly obviously. Enjoy! :D

Blog #23: Meet & Greet!

Unleash the Archers! Met this wonderful band of metalheads at El Corazon in September of 2018. Super nice and they put on one hell of a show! Check ‘em out if you haven’t already!

Blog #22: First Issue!

I saw this WITH MY OWN EYES at the Marvel Exhibit at the MoPop in Seattle. Issue #1! It’s amazing to me how they nailed his design right out of the gate ya know? Like, Batman has gone through a ton of costume alterations over the years, but Spidey here? Basically unchanged since day 1. Unless you count the multiverse of Spider-men, in which case, yeah I guess I see your point. Miss the under arm web wings though :/

Blog #21 - PAX Swag

My haul from PAX West 2018! 3 t-shirts, 4 mugs, a new plush from Shovel Knight and a few other bits and bobs. What a con! Looking forward to next year! :D

Blog #20- SMASH

PAX West 2018! Got my hands on Smash Ultimate, and boy is that a fun one :D Played Fox and Lucario, my main from back in the day. This is gonna be one hell of a game, just you wait and see!

Blog #19 - Brownie!

My Dalaran Brownies. Straight out of the World of Warcraft official cookbook, these dusty little brownies a very dense with chocolate flavor. Under the cocoa and cinnamon powder blend is a thick chocolate frosting, homemade, and then the brownie. Visually, they are very impressive, but the dust tied with the general dryness of the brownies makes for a rather dry, dusty eating experience. Ah well, least they look good!

Blog #18 - Salmon!

A lovely seared salmon with blackberries all over the place was a lovely meal over at....this place. Name escapes me...Doug's? Ah, whatever. It was delicious and salmon is my favorite fish, so wah-hoo!

Blog #17: WDF

WDF, or Wise Dragon Friend as I have christened him, came from the Renaissance Faire in 2018. Originally crafted by a 70-year old woman in a set of three, this little buddy was sold to me by another elderly woman who was moving and wanted to get rid of some of the stuff on their shelves. Well, it's not often I see some art I just love and HAVE to have, yet this was one of those times. I love the desk and the tiny glasses and I think he is just great. Plus, I have this thing on twitter where he will share wisdom with the world in a sassy, yet heartfelt manner that I simply love. WDF will be a centerpiece for my shelves for years to come!

Blog #16: The Ren Faire

Ah, time for nerds to gather and party it up old school style at the Renaissance faire! Lots of booths, brews, food and over-priced goods fashioned of leather and metal. Still, I cannot recommend going to one at least once in your life more. I think it is a singularly unique experience you should all try at least once! :D

Blog #15: Miso Soup

Dashi, Wakame Seaweed, Scallions and spice-crusted chicken with soft tofu! Super simple and delicious recipe. Took around 30 minutes from beginning to end. I would think this soup had a much stronger flavor than most found in resturants, where it is either based off Kombu Dashi (no bonito flakes) or comes from a packet. Ahh well, it's good stuff! Would recommend.

Blog #14: Concert!

In July of 2018 I saw Whitesnake, Foreigner and the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience at White River in Auburn, WA. Great show and look at that crowd! Wonderful time!

Blog #13: New Chair!

Here she is! The brand new office chair, a Vertagear SP-5000! Lumbar support pillow, headrest pillow, can lean back to 140 degrees, if my bed wasn't in the way. Overall, very pleased with this chair! Super comfy and I know it will last me a very long time :D Cost a pretty penny, so it effin' better, let me tell you! Also, big fan of the colors. My keyboard lights up black and blue, so I thought this would be a nice contrast to make my office just that much more colorful :D

Blog #12: Mini-Pies

The left pie is a Key Lime Pie, and the right is a lemon and raspberry custard pie. Overall, they were all right. Very sugary, with far too much filling and crust. Shallower, thinner crusted pies would have made a better eating experience. Cake is better any day of the week, 'nough said.

Blog #11: National Tequila Day!

Happy National Tequila Day, 7/24! For today, I wanted to share my favorite tequila cocktail and a recipe for your enjoyment!
Take a cocktail shaker, fill it with ice, then the juice of a whole lime, 3 shots of Grand Marnier (or similar liquor), 3 shots of Casa Dragones Tequila (or any blanco tequila) and a good squeeze of agave nectar. Shake vigorously and pour over ice in a pint glass. Enjoy but be warned, it's a strong one!
First time I had this drink was at Walt Disney World in the Epcot World Showcase in the Mexico pavilion at a place called La Cava del Tequila. Only difference between theirs and mine is a rim of black ant salt, which as far as I can tell, is propriatery and I can't find it outside the park. In any case, it's delicious and nostaligic as all hell for me, so drink responsibly and enjoy!

Blog #10: Nordic Room

This room, full of birch tree logs and wonderful air conditioning is found in the Nordic Museum in Ballard, WA. It shows a looping video of some beautiful landscape shots of the Nordic countries, which basically made me say two things. 1, I want to go there and 2, It looks a lot like Washington State. A lot of the museum actually said the two areas are remarkably similar, but the mistuique of the Nordic lands is far greater. I'll visit one day, I just know it!

Blog #9: Flan at Home!

One of my all-time favorite deserts, flan! Made my first ever batch and they mostly came out all right! The custard blend was a little over cooked, and went from a tasty dessert to a sweet egg dish which wasn't ideal, I'll be honest. The caramel could've been darker as well, but overall, I am very pleased with my efforts.