Seattle Weekend

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Seattle was fantastic!!! Friday morning, we woke up at the break of dawn...actually a few hours before the break of dawn...hell, we were in the air before the sun thought about coming out...but the sun had risen by the time we landed in Seattle...and that's what was important. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Not a better way to celebrate George Washington's birthday...in the state of his namesake. Beautiful clear sunny skies without a drop of rain...the entire time we were there. After a 45 minute shuttle ride from the airport, we dropped our stuff at the hotel and checked out Pike Place Market as everything was opening up and the producers were setting up for the day. That place is awesome. There's fresh seafood, produce, preserves, souveniors, flowers, crafts, and other crap you can spend your money on...but have a good time doing it.

Bee's Wax - So many uses

Lots of flowers for sale

My personal favorite - Pussy Willows

"You want one order of the Chitty Fish?"

Seattle has a GREAT Healthcare system

Possibly being so close to Canada

The guy looked at me funny when

I told him to "Fill 'er up"

Earth, Wind, & Fire Rules!!!

Seattle's Shoe Museum, which doesn't really exist

Thank God!!!

Really, who doesn't like a Sister Sandwich?

I think Angelina likes me...

By the way, my birthday's coming up soon.

Anybody looking to get me the perfect gift,

she's on the right. I would still take Bettie Page

out to dinner...even if she's an 80+ Jesus Freak.

After walking around there for a few hours, Randy Randy had a lunch appointment, so we went back to the hotel to relax for a few. "Gremlins" was on TV, so we watched it...and I woke up about two hours later...as did everybody else. Then we decided to walk along the waterfront and to the Olympic Sculpture Garden.

Happy Birthday George!!!

Maritime Museum - Something to do next time

Hehe, Pier 69 - Port of Seattle

My mom tells me this is what an eraser

looked like when she was a kid. She's old.

Why are Washington Apples so good?

The trees are dipped in silver.

Ichiro is HUGE in Seattle

Space Needle - Something to do next time

We arrived at the Seattle Center...but just in time to not be able to do anything...because they closed in less than an hour. Oh well, it gave us something to do on Saturday...so we hopped onto the Monorail and took it into town to a restaurant that JL Clyde liked called Wild Ginger. It was a very classy establishment...and by that, I mean it was very expensive, well decorated, dimly lit, and the food is fantastic though in incredibly small quantities. We had crab cakes, baby bok choy (not a Klingon dish, I found out), some great shrimp with some kind of sauce on it. It was really good. But who can put on a price on making the world's most pretentious sandwich using roasted duck, some sauce, and a half-cooked roll...but was still really good? Don't worry, we paid the bill...and then got some gelato across the street afterwards.


After dinner, we walked around and went to the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) to see the special exhibit of Roman Art on loan from the Louvre, Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, and some of the most unremarkable modern art I have ever seen (and a really cool one with dog tags) but because they don't allow pictures inside the galleries...here's what I can share.

This is art showing how a car blows up

I'm proud to say that I don't get Modern Art

My sister Laura was playing at the Triple Door

I always wanna get Mee Sum Pastry

Sounds good. Is it like a Brazilian Snowcone?

After the museum, we returned home...and basically went to sleep for ten hours. Lame, I know...but we were really tired (and it didn't really help anyway because I love my mom...but she snores LOUDLY and talks in her sleep...unless she was coughing because she was a little ill). I eventually got well rested though. In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel...and I had another pretentious sandwich called a Dungeness Crab BLT. Crab, bacon, poached eggs, crisp green lettuce, baby tomatoes, oh yeah...really all I need is crab and bacon and that's a good breakfast. Complete with smashed potatoes...which are not mashed potatoes...but rather small cooked potatoes cut in half with a butterknife and placed under the sandwich.

Then we headed for an early start at the Seattle Center...starting with the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. The EMP was basically a Seattle Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (from the Kingsmen to Jimi Hendrix to Heart to Nirvana and more) with more interactivity than Rock Band. It's a definite must-see for the area...and the Sci-Fi Museum will certainly tickle the inner geek in any of us. Exhibits from over a hundred years of science-fiction novels, movies, TV shows, and anything else you could ever want to know or see. Cylon robots, damn dirty apes, weapons from all over the galaxy, Yoda, and so much more. Since you must see the EMP, check this out too...because they're at the same place. Again, not allowed to take pictures in the galleries...but here's what I got...

JL Clyde meditating at the EMP

"Ah-Louie Louie...oooh oh we got'go"

That's a LOT of guitars

Message Received

Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame

Gort, My Mommy, & Me

My mommy grabbing Gort

The Restaurant at EMP

We had lunch at the restaurant at the EMP and it was really good. Buffalo chicken wings, fish & chips, ahi tuna, salads, anything you could want...and that's just for appetizers. After that, we went to the Pacific Science Center to get our learn on...and be super junior geeks now. Dozens of interactive exhibits, water cannons, playlands, IMAX shows, and this one allowed lots of pictures...so here they are. Best Part: LASER BEATLES!!!

This is going to be awesome...

The Adventures of Owly

Special Guest: Frank the Bunny

Water Cannons are always cool

"Mmm braaaains..."

Where's the rest of the pine cone?

Fun for kids of all ages

My mom likes big nuts

Naked Mole Rats fighting

This thoroughly entertained me

for a good three minutes.

I heart Science too!!! We should hang out.

There was a Butterfly Exhibit

"JESUS!!! RUN!!!"

Then we took a waterfront streetcar over to Pioneer Square to see the Underground City...but the last tour left about an hour earlier...so we decided to wander around and get drunk at a fine establishment called Collins Pub. They made some great meatloaf with lamb, pork, and beef covered in gravy with ...followed with lots of beer and alcoholic apple cider. Good times...then we stumbled back to the hotel...and continued to drink for a few more hours in lobby bar listening to piano music & people watching (there was a dress-up karaoke jam downstairs).

Chief Seattle Memorial

Utilikilt - Check it out!!!

Sunday, we woke up early to get some things at Pike Place before flying back home. Not really much happened...except I got to the airport and they confiscated my rose petal jelly...because apparently they thought it was explosive. "Are you kidding me? It's jam. If you want some all you have to do is ask, man. I've got enough." "Sir, liquid containers cannot be more than three ounces. If you would like, you can take this back and check it in as luggage." "You know what. Please just take it home and enjoy it. Don't throw it away. It's too good for that. YOU and your family just enjoy it. It's from Pike Place. It's delicious." Interesting that they didn't give me any hassle about my large toothpaste, nail clippers, or Schick Quattro...but they got that jelly. Rabble rabble. I did get some damn fine strawberries though.

We returned home to rainy cold weather in Utah...and went home to unpack and do some laundry in preparation for the San Diego road trip next week. Good times. Apparently, Mr. & Mrs. Wingman are very excited for the trip...and even want me to go on a double date with somebody they ran into, so we'll see how that goes. Also, there may be at least two trips to Vegas in the near future. My brother & sister-in-law want to go, as does my dad, and Bubbles may be moving out there shortly...so I'll keep you posted on that too. In the meantime, I hope the pictures and stories were fun for you...because they were for me. Auf Wiedersehen!!!