I kept my watch on Central Time, but since my cell phone switched automatically, I used it as my primary time-keeping device while in Seattle/Issaquah. I got up and worked in my travel journal a little, then got ready and went down to the dining room to eat breakfast. After eating, I took my map and headed into Seattle. I had thought I would get on the GreyLine tour bus, but parking was the biggest deterrent to that plan. I drove through downtown Seattle, and even crossed the Magnolia Bridge into another section of town. I passed the Pike Street Market, the stadium, the Space Needle, and came within a half block or so of the waterfront area. I inherited my father's sense of direction (and love of following a map!), so I was able to maneuver through the maze of one-way streets. I found a parking lot in the Pioneer Square shopping area (and paid for my parking with my debit card...I felt so cosmopolitan!), and wandered around for about two hours.
I went to the Elliott Bay Book Company, and ate lunch at the coffee shop/cafe located in the basement. I had a "sunshine salad", and it was delicious. I carried my journal with me, and worked on it while eating my lunch. I walked around after lunch, and spotted a clog store across the street. I looked at the shoes, but decided that I didn't need any additional weight added to my luggage (and I think I still had those Privo shoes in my mind from Belk's, but that's a whole other story). I found a Starbucks (what a surprise) and had a Caramel Light and a pastry. I worked in my journal while I ate and drank, and then it was about time to get back to the parking lot.
I drove back to Issaquah without incident, and followed my directions out to the Moores' house. I then drove around town for a while, and found the Costco warehouse store. I'm not a member, and had no interest in shopping there, but since the headquarters is there, it was of moderate interest. I went back to the Holiday Inn and rested (and played in my journal) until it was time to leave for the workshop.
This time the house was marked with a sign, so I was sure of the location. The Moores' house is very unassuming; it is located in a "compound", with Tracy's parents living next door, and the family business (fire protection equipment and services) located in the same area. The house is probably smaller than my house (which is 1900 square feet or so), but the studio is huge. It is two stories, and resembles a garage apartment. There's a covered patio area in front, with a hot tub. There's a larger uncovered patio area, with a couple of tables (and a deck attached to the house). The top floor of the studio is more Teesha's area, and the first floor is Tracy's, and the inventory for their online business. There were tables and lights set up upstairs and downstairs; I chose to sit at the table nearest the outside area, so I got inside and outside light on my work.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Trip to Seattle: Day One, Part 2
We landed in Seattle without incident. I followed the signs to the baggage carousel, and got my bag off with the help of a fellow traveler. I dragged everything to the car rental counter, and picked up my car. When I handed my driver's license to the woman at the counter, she looked at my address and said that she understood why I had that lovely accent! She then asked if I ever watched that show on the Food Network. I knew that she probably meant the Paula Deen show, and I was right. She also said that she'd been to either Georgia or Alabama as a small child, and her strongest memory was of the fried chicken, biscuits, and gravy that she was served for breakfast. I laughed and told her it sounded like a Georgia breakfast to me. Her boss marked a map for me in addition to verbal directions, and even walked me to the car rental section of the parking garage (I think he was going that way anyway, but it made me feel better).
The car was a Hyundai Sonata, and it was great. I did have some trouble trying to unlock the trunk...I kept looking for a place to put the key, and couldn't find one. I then couldn't find a way to pop the trunk from the driver's side of the car, so I put my bags into the back seat and pulled out the car's manual. There's NOT a place for the key in the back, and the lever to pop the trunk is on the driver's side door!
I headed out of the terminal, and found my interstate. Between the Hertz directions and my own internet directions, I found Issaquah and the Holiday Inn without incident. The only glitch with the hotel is the fact that it had NO elevator! I lugged my two bags around the lobby until an employee spotted me and offered assistance. I declined the offer of help with the luggage and lugged them up the stairs on my own. I also made a mental note to either get help when I checked out or take them down one at a time. I freshened up and decided to eat dinner in the hotel dining room. The food and the service were both good, and the tea was especially good. I kept asking for unsweetened ice tea, but I think that's the way it's served in most places outside of the South...maybe that's why I kept getting odd looks.
The two-hour time difference was a little odd. I followed in my father's footsteps and read the telephone directory, discovering that Barnes & Noble was one street over from the hotel. I headed out around 6:30 p.m. PDST, which was 8:30 to my body. I bought a couple of magazines, and drove around a little before heading back to the hotel. I watched a little television, and headed to bed.
The car was a Hyundai Sonata, and it was great. I did have some trouble trying to unlock the trunk...I kept looking for a place to put the key, and couldn't find one. I then couldn't find a way to pop the trunk from the driver's side of the car, so I put my bags into the back seat and pulled out the car's manual. There's NOT a place for the key in the back, and the lever to pop the trunk is on the driver's side door!
I headed out of the terminal, and found my interstate. Between the Hertz directions and my own internet directions, I found Issaquah and the Holiday Inn without incident. The only glitch with the hotel is the fact that it had NO elevator! I lugged my two bags around the lobby until an employee spotted me and offered assistance. I declined the offer of help with the luggage and lugged them up the stairs on my own. I also made a mental note to either get help when I checked out or take them down one at a time. I freshened up and decided to eat dinner in the hotel dining room. The food and the service were both good, and the tea was especially good. I kept asking for unsweetened ice tea, but I think that's the way it's served in most places outside of the South...maybe that's why I kept getting odd looks.
The two-hour time difference was a little odd. I followed in my father's footsteps and read the telephone directory, discovering that Barnes & Noble was one street over from the hotel. I headed out around 6:30 p.m. PDST, which was 8:30 to my body. I bought a couple of magazines, and drove around a little before heading back to the hotel. I watched a little television, and headed to bed.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Trip to Seattle: Day One, Part 1
I left on Thursday, August 14, for a trip to Issaquah, Washington. I signed up for a journaling workshop--taught by Teesha and Tracy Moore at their home studio--and it started on Friday evening. I went a day early so I wouldn't be worn out from traveling, and so I had time to drive around and look at the scenery. I had not flown since November/December, 1997, so I was a little apprehensive about the security checks and the horror stories I've heard about delayed flights.
The nearest airport is in Birmingham, Alabama, and my flight was scheduled to leave at 10:40 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., I had parked in long-term parking, checked my bag, gone through security, and was sitting at my gate waiting to board. The security check went fine...even with the shoe check and the search of my purse because of the bottle of contact lense solution. Contact lense solution is exempt from the three-ounce rule, and my bottle was less than three-ounces anyway, but I understood--since you can't tell it's contact lense solution through the x-ray scanning machine. We boarded on time and took off a few minutes early. There were only two of us in the three-seat row, and I was eavesdropping on my seatmate's phone conversation. She was talking to someone about genealogy computer programs, and that gave me a opening for a conversation. She was a lovely woman, and we chatted about genealogy and crafts for most of the hour-long flight to Dallas.
I changed concourses and gates successfully in Dallas, and ate a sandwich from a restaurant near my gate. There was a couple waiting to board a plane, and the wife became very agitated when she learned that she was occupying the middle seat of a three-seat row. She was not a small woman, and she knew she'd be crowded. The more she talked, the more sure I became that we'd probably be in the same row...I'm not a small woman, either. Their group boarded before my group, and as I walked down the aisle toward my seat, I saw them...waiting in my row. I tried to be still and quiet for the entire four-hour flight, reading my magazines and listening to my MP-3 player!
The nearest airport is in Birmingham, Alabama, and my flight was scheduled to leave at 10:40 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., I had parked in long-term parking, checked my bag, gone through security, and was sitting at my gate waiting to board. The security check went fine...even with the shoe check and the search of my purse because of the bottle of contact lense solution. Contact lense solution is exempt from the three-ounce rule, and my bottle was less than three-ounces anyway, but I understood--since you can't tell it's contact lense solution through the x-ray scanning machine. We boarded on time and took off a few minutes early. There were only two of us in the three-seat row, and I was eavesdropping on my seatmate's phone conversation. She was talking to someone about genealogy computer programs, and that gave me a opening for a conversation. She was a lovely woman, and we chatted about genealogy and crafts for most of the hour-long flight to Dallas.
I changed concourses and gates successfully in Dallas, and ate a sandwich from a restaurant near my gate. There was a couple waiting to board a plane, and the wife became very agitated when she learned that she was occupying the middle seat of a three-seat row. She was not a small woman, and she knew she'd be crowded. The more she talked, the more sure I became that we'd probably be in the same row...I'm not a small woman, either. Their group boarded before my group, and as I walked down the aisle toward my seat, I saw them...waiting in my row. I tried to be still and quiet for the entire four-hour flight, reading my magazines and listening to my MP-3 player!
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