Seattle Day 1

So Wednesday at work went by fairly quickly. Just doing what I normally do. Finally work was over and I had to wait a few minutes for Dad to pick me up. Dad is a great chauffer. He drove me to work and was picking me up from work and going to airport.

I get off work at 4pm and my flight didn't leave it 730 so there was time to kill. We headed to Applebees for their half price appetizers and ended up using the 2 for $20 deal. I got their streakhouse burger with onion string and bbq sauce. It was not that good. Red Robin's Whickey River Burger is much MUCH better.

So after killing time, to the airport we went. Dad came with me while I checked my bags and walked me to secuirty. I nearly cried that morning as I was cuddling with TJ. It has been 6 months and we have never been apart. What can I say? I am a softy. So I of course cried when I was getting ready to go through secuirty. Dad just laughs.

No beeps when I went through so now time to kill. I got on the plane and because I was in the second loading group (Southwest doesn't have assigned seating but has three loading groups and you sit were you can). I ended up behind the engine but next to the window. I got some cool shots (PS all pictures will be in a different post with captions) off leaving Boise, clouds, and QWEST FIELD from the air!!

Flight was a quick hour and landing was smooth. My phone wasn't work (and didn't work the entire time I was there because roaming wasn't activated before I left the area) so I called Sam from a pay phone. Luckily my luggage was on the carousel really quick. I walk out the door and there is a GAINT blocking my way. It was actually Sam. He and Clint picked me up (Clint drove his car because Sam doesn't have one).

So it was giggles and OMGS!! as we caught up while driving to Sam's apartment. Sam lives downtown. Steve was there in the apartment waiting with delicious pizza. Unfortunately, Clint had to go home but Sam and I stayed up looking at his old yearbooks. OMG! The stuff inside those pages are priceless!! We laughed so hard!!

But the day was catching up and off to sleep we went. It was weird not to have TJ sleeping next to my legs but I eventually passed out. One bad thing about vacations-the body is still conditioned to get up early and sleeping in really doesn't happen. I was up around 645. Thankfully I was able to ready The Outlander. I have been working on this book for a month now.

Steven gets up and he and I have a good converation. We than get ready to go. Sam still had to work and Steven had meetings so I was by myself. Steven and I headed out first to go to Noah's Bagels. I had plain and strawberry cream cheese and it was REALLY yummy. Sam met up with us there for a few minutes.

After breakfast, I headed to the libaray. It is made of diamond shape glass panes. I usually do not like modern archiecture but this was really pretty. Inside it is made up of recycled material. After the Library, I head to Pike Place Market.

I meander through the market for a couple of hours. Then I head to Pioneer Square and go see Qwest Field. Too bad Seawaks were playing away (by the way we lost on Sunday). But it was still cool to see. While taking pictures of the field, a homeless man approached me. He gave a sob story about how he was in Seattle for cancer treatments but his ride home left him and he needed bus fare to go to Spokane. He lifted up his pant leg and had purple bruises all over. My reaction was I wonder if that is where he shots up heroine. But I just continued on without donating.

Now I made my way to Sam's work. I still had 45 minutes to kill and I wandered through Occidental Park. There was a violinist playing and it was beautiful. I sat down on a bench and started to read. After awhile, I went to pick up Sam for lunch. It was kinda creepy walking to Utilikilts is kinda creepy because you have to walk down an alley. I was walking to their manufacturing location. Their retail store is in Pioneer Square.

So after meeting Sam's coworker and taking a tour, we head to Guajillo's resturaunt for lunch. We get a Dr Pepper and they give us a CAN!! WEIRD!! I order chicken covered in tomato and onions. The soup that came with lunch was good but the chicken only tasted like tomatos.

After lunch, we go to Music Mouse Toy store and played around. I wanted to buy a few things but decided to wait and see what else is out there. One was a monkey that is motion activated. It stays on the ground and when you walk in front of it, it starts to laugh and uses it's tail to roll around. It makes me giggle. The other is a squiggle ball. There is a weight in the middle. The weight is powered by a battery. The weights swings around and moves the ball. I figure that might be a great way to entertain TJ.

It was time for Sam to go back to work but I couldn't go home. Steven works from home and he had a meeting that was supposed to last time 330pm. So I sat down and read some more.
Around 4pm, it starts to get chilly and a couple of drops of rain fall. So I make it home around 430pm. I head up to the apartment but when I get to the door, I hear multiple voices so I figure Steven is still in his meeting.

Not wanting to interupt, I head back downstairs to a Crepe cafe. The woman inside BARELY speaks English and the fruit smoothie wasn't any good. So I sat in the cafe and drank my smoothie and wrote about everything I had done that day.

I go back up to the apartment around 550pm. I figured that was a safe time becasue Sam got off work around 6pm. Before dinner, we go to this art walk exhibit. It starts in a shoe store call Jems and then proceeds into a delapidated old building that if full of studios. It was kinda weird. I felt out of place but that was ok. The art varied...some really good and others crap.

After the walk we go to dinner at New Orleans Creole Restaurant inPioneer Square. We were seated on the loft over looking the live band and dance floor. My BBQ chicken was good but Steven didnt like his jumbalaya. Sam's salad wasn't the greatest but Sam did order an appetzier called ANDOUILLE which is "Cajun seasoned sausage on cornbread triangles". Those were good.

Once dinner was finished, we go to Sam's work which was right around the corner. While there (someone had to use the restroom), Tomo & Hitome (friends of Sam & Steven) & Steven all tried on kilts. First time for all three to be wearing a kilt.

We finally make it home around 1030 & I fall into bed around 11.