Day 4: Seattle

Weather: Raining  

QOTD:  

The kingdoms of experience
In the precious wind they rot
While paupers change possessions
Each one wishing for what the other has got
And the princess and the prince
Discuss what's real and what is not
It doesn't matter inside the Gates of Eden

THB goes to the fitness center! Damn, it’s been a while.  Decide to listen to Neil while riding the elliptical, may as well start studying up on the next Nobel winner now. Breakfast is at Portage Bay Café (one of four PBC’s in the Seattle area). They are known for the “bar” of toppings and DB and THB oblige by ordering pancakes; THB has traditional and DB has buckwheat.

There's a theme to the restroom decorations

Many pictures of toilets; here are some of them:

The toppings are nice, and the pancakes are yuge! K&E have eggs and sausage and hash with eggs over easy. With coffees, $80.

Butterfield bronze

ALS runs in Nancy's family (she has the disease) and there is large piece in the show by her, focused on the medical industry and her family history

We’re meeting up with local jewelry artists Lori Talcott and Maria Phillips to do a walk-through of the new metal works show at the Bellevue Art Museum. Lori and Maria have fascinating work in the show and it enhances the depth and understanding and appreciation of the work to hear the artist interpret what we’re looking at.

Lori explains the piece and then we get a demo

Each necklace weighs 4 pounds in front and 4 in the back, and two people sit facing each other reading conjugations of "to be"

Maria explaining the steel implants in the wall (looks like the last of the plants peaking up from a long winter snowfall)

After the show, we head back to the hotel and turn in the car. K&E head up to rest, THB and DB go uptown to look at a Terry Turrell show (we own a number of pieces by Terry, including a huge head). Very comprehensive, we’re not tempted.

On to do a bit of cosmetics department shopping and a light lunch at Specialty’s. While we’re roaming downtown, a long motorcycle cavalcade is motoring up the street: it’s Hillary in town for a low-key fundraiser. She’s been on the west coast, and AB sent us a shot of her visiting the volunteers in San Francisco. This time next month there very well may be a lot of yuge celebrations on the left coast as The Hair, and his small hands and small ideas and small experience and his large anger and large resentment, is sent back to check on how his tax audit is going and wonder if he should have released those Apprentice outtakes after all.

Book Review: Exposure by Helen Dunmore. This is a chic lit semi-spy novel set in post WWII London. Not a lot of spying, it’s all about the relationship between a husband and wife, both working, with three kids, and the trauma they go through when the husband is accused of passing secrets from the Admiralty to the Soviet Union. THB considered stopping about 40% through, then made it to the end. All ends well. Neutral.

We leave a bit early for dinner at Staple & Fancy so we can walk in the Ballard district.

Ballard pics:

Maybe after they noticed the scotch drinkers were all passed out, serving food with the scotch seemed like a good idea

The Seattle crows are smart because they take night classes

Dinner is either a la carte or the entire table can have a four course sampler meal. Of course we opt for the way-too-much-food option, which while it is a lot of food, it is a lot of really good food. The meal is terrific with the exception of the two desserts, which is fine because it is easier to leave them partially eaten. With drinks and a few glasses of wine: $395.

Dinner pics: