Seattle's Best

Aside from the dandruff ridden a-hole that I was sitting next to on the flight out, things have been running rather smoothly. The man seriously didn’t understand the concept of personal space, and several times I had to feign interest in something under my seat so I could whack his drifting head with my elbow to get him out of my space bubble. And on top of all this, he threw a fit when his laptop couldn't get wireless. True story. Needless to say, I called window seat on the return flight.

Once in Seattle we spent most of the time aimlessly walking around, which quickly made me realize that a) Seattle is not known for its hills and it should be b) things on the edge of the map can be several miles away, and c) I need to do some stair steppers. We stayed close to Pike’s Place Market, famous for being home to the original Starbucks and its local fruit and seafood vendors. Employees at a prime location booth will happily toss around fish, lobsters and giant crabs as if they were manning a Tom Cruise Cocktail bar if only someone in the crowd were actually there to buy a fish. There are also delicious Russian pastries in Pike’s Place along with a “Cat Whisperer” who disappointingly was asking for money without translating fortunes given by cats. I would have paid for a cat fortune.

After a stroll through the Fremont Flea Market I am officially ready to start attending some city council meetings to try to get something like this going in Minneapolis. Antiques, vintage ware, arts n’ crafts, food. And it happens every week! I would even be satisfied if such an event were only held monthly. Among random treasures I was able to find a giant (5 inch) safety pin to replace a friend’s who had one stolen and also had an enjoyable time sifting through a massive pile of name tags pulled from mechanic’s uniforms. Mostly the patches were for Roys and Steves, but I was able to find a “Rock,” which was close enough to my name that I felt obligated to buy it for a dollar.


I was also excited to get both Jess and Ray into a kayak, and though it was more of a lily-pad terrain than whitewater, I am a little amazed that everyone remained virtually dry. We even had such great form that other tourists were taking pictures of us, so look for Jess and I in an upcoming travel brochure. And I highly recommend the kayak rental place, Agua Verde, which also doubles as a delicious Mexican restaurant.



Other things I learned:

The flowers surrounding Mt. Rainier are in bloom, which is picturesque but will cause allergy suffers like myself to become sleepless in Seattle, without the Tom Hanks romance and comedy.

The Experiencing Music Project museum is interesting, but not nearly as fun as Rock Band.

Body paint can effectively imitate spandex on nude cyclists.

Giving homeless people your left-over Chinese food can be a somewhat terrifying experience.

Family photo by a waterfall on Mt. Rainier.

Seattle Library