Day 1: Seattle

Day 1: E-ville to Seattle, Aug 3, Friday

The twins standing up and the crib mattress has to be lowered

Quote of the Day: How early should we leave for the airport?

Weather: Nice in E-ville, pleasant in Seattle

First a brief interlude to explain that THB and DB took a short trip to LA last week. So short there was no need to blog. So short that when Southwest cancelled our flight to LA we switched gears and drove down. And back less than 2 days later.

Post/Pre Book Review: During the drive to/from LA, we made it about 80% of the way through the audiobook of Graham Nash’s Wild Tales, as read by Nash. Not as written by Nash; clearly a ghostwriter did the “fill in the blanks” outline for Nash. And, the tales are wild! Lots of sex, drugs and rock and roll and more drugs, most interesting once Nash joins up with Crosby and Stills and shortly the 3 add Young, and then Graham gets dumped by Joni Mitchell. Outside of Nash’s activism and a bit about his early days in Salford, England, this book is solid sex, drugs and rock and roll. The first album with C&S  and the 2nd  with Y added are obviously two of the greats of the era. 

Now we’re doing a brief trip to the Northwest. We use Uber (to take advantage of the AMEX monthly rebate) and the guy speeds by, does a u-turn, and pulls up: his car is dirty, he doesn’t get out to help put our bags in the trunk (occupied by his open bag full of smelly gym clothes) and then goes the wrong way towards the Oakland airport. As we’re getting on the freeway at Powell a guy starts honking at us and pulls up and is screaming “…you’ve got a flat tire” as loud as he can. We get off at Grand and stop at corner of Mandela Parkway and Grand (10 minutes later and less than a ½ mile from the loft and right across the street from an old tire shop), empty out his trunk (no, THB did not take the smelly gym clothes) and call for another Uber. A car pulls up in less than a minute, car is clean, driver is competent, and we’re still at the gate with over an hour to go….and the flight is delayed by 20 minutes.

Travel karma? Then, somehow, the flight takes off on time and lands on time.

The lightbulb above THB’s seat is burned (burnt?) out.

It’s 12:45 when we deplane and so we eat in the airport at a vegetarian place, Floret (there’s a mother restaurant somewhere in Seattle). Pretty decent black bean sandwich and an excellent mushroom French dip with sweet potato fries. Along with a Tieton cider made by S&C, whom we’re spending most of the weekend with running around Seattle. Lunch: $60.

THB almost jumped off here, the Mariners are hosting the Blue Jays tonight

Take Link from airport to within 2 easy blocks of our hotel, $3pp (a real bargain). The room THB had booked is a suite without a bathtub so we end up switching to a room with a tub that isn’t a suite and yet is bigger and lighter than the original room.

Looks very familiar

It's a view room, and a ton of light

A rain shower bath tub!

Toilet and shower are behind glass doors

Plus, it turns out to be the exact same room we were in when we last stayed in Seattle (3 years ago?). Very nice…note that the tub is in the middle of the bathroom and the water comes from the ceiling (meaning you’re taking a rain shower bath. Mondo bizarre, no?

It's 4 hours until game time, the Blue Jay fans do not like to miss even batting practice

DB and S studying the big map

Olafur Eliasson, the Island Series

Kim Simonsson, Shaman Moss Girl With Birdhouse

Sigurdur Gudmundsson, Extension

S&C pick us up and we visit the Nordic Museum which focusses on the history of the 5 nordic countries and the emigration from them to the US: between 1840 and 1920 about 1/3 of the population of those countries left and came to the US! Lots of miscellany and one room of contemporary art. Guess which THB liked better.

An early dinner at Copine, a French spot in Ballard. We linger over a round of drinks (we’re very early) and then a round of starters (chilled soup, hearts of palm salad, a shared arugula salad) and four main courses: scallops, halibut, chicken and rack of lamb. THB and DB share the latter two; THB really like the lamb and the chicken was very moist. Two desserts: THB and DB have hit the wall and skip dessert) With a bottle of Sancerre and four drinks, $435 for the four of us.

Back to the hotel with plenty of time to blog.

Book Review: Furnishing Eternity, A Father, a Son, a Coffin and a Measure of Life, David Giffels. A memoir of Giffels family and his best friend who dies within the 5 years that most of the story occupies. The author is a professor at the University of Akron, a life-long resident of Akron as is his father. Giffels is a former journalist for the local paper, and an aficionado of new bands (now old bands), and enthralled with collecting “junk” (including his old 20 room house) with the idea that everything can be turned into something special. Good news: his dad is a retired civil engineer with a knack for fine woodworking skills among other talents. Highly Recommended, especially for those of us getting closer and closer to needing a coffin.