Seattle, Washington - Does Anyone Know here There's a Starbucks?!? State #3

Seattle, Washington, I have been there a handful of times as it is always a great day trip if you find yourself in Portland or Vise Versa.  It is a great place to visit, but living there, not so much.  Though, I know many people who have and love it.  Anyway, Washington is technically my state #3 on the 50 State Project...

This is the Space Needle

Ah, Seattle, Washington.  The home of Grunge, Starbucks and butt cold rainy days!  I should know, I have been there many times and even lived there for a couple months while I was in a show before moving to NYC.  It rains a lot!  Mind you it doesn't just rain, oh no, that would be too easy.  Instead there is always a strong wind accompanying it so that the rain can hit you side ways.  You can't escape!  Yay!  I have no beef with Seattle, none, but I don't think I could live there.  Sorry Seattle, I would still recommend people visit you, I really would!

Pikes Place

I was heading up to Seattle to visit a couple friends who were living there at the time.  I hadn't seen them in a few months and felt that it was time.  My friend Angie would be coming as well, but we would be spending Saturday separately so she could hang out with her friend. 

Seattle isn't a long drive from Portland, it is about a four hour drive unless I am behind the wheel, then it is three to three and a half.  Angie would be driving, but she went to the same school of driving as I did and besides the traffic jam that always happens in the Tacoma area, we made it in record time.  She dropped me off at Capitol Hill in Seattle and she was on her way.

Brian and Dale were both home and had their friend Natalie staying with them for the summer.  She was very different from the rest of us.  She liked TV a lot!  Apparently, she was known to stay up until 5am watching it and then would get up around 2pm and start all over.  She also was known to eat food and kick the leftovers under the couch.  Very odd person ¦indeed!

Fun Center My Ass!

Dale had decided we would be going to the Space Needle, not a new idea, but why not?  It was right there!  That and Natalie hadn't seen it yet since she had been there, she was too busy viewing TV, so it was time!  There it was in all its glory; Built in 1962 for the World's Fair the Space Needle is 605 feet high and weighs a whopping 9550 tons.  It also has the Sky City restaurant on top, but it is way too expensive for our tastes.  That and we were going to see Dale's show that night. 

Once you see the Space Needle, there really isn't a lot to do unless you go up to the top, so we decided to go to the Fun Center which is right under the Space Needle.  The Fun Center is mainly for kids, but aren't we all kids at heart? 

Once there, everyone wanted to go on the roller coaster except for me.  Why?  I get motion sickness and roller coasters are not my friend; rides in general are not my friend.  They wouldn't let me off that easily and after being harassed for 20 minutes I gave in.  I was a guest in their home and it was time to be a giver; so I gave.

Shrimp Chips!

They put me in the back with Brian because Brian knows how I work; which means going into a comatose state with my eyes open staring straight ahead until I am out of danger.  Slowly the roller coaster started up a hill, not so bad I thought, mind you it was only 5 seconds into the ride.  Soon, we were taking a corner at a high speed; not good!  I don't know how this happened to this day, but as we took the corner I cracked my head on the pole of the cart we were in, making a huge thud.  Brian looked over at me in disbelief!  His eyes got wider as we went down the first hill at breakneck speed and I began to make a face as my stomach dropped.  I don't remember much of the ride after that.  All I remember is Brian putting my head between my knees and the rest is a mystery.  No, I did not get sick.   But I did end up with a huge knot on my head and a killer headache.

Not a lot happened for the rest of the night, though after Dale's show we did go back to the Space Needle after me and the rest of the group had had a few drinks back at the apartment.  At the time, the pictures seemed pretty darn good, but looking at them the next day, not so much.  One sober person (Dale) in the bunch cannot save bad pictures.  They were really stupid an inane.  

What is Worse, My Local Outfit or the Dude Ruining the Picture?

The next day I said goodbye to Capitol Hill and was picked up by Angie.  You can't go to Seattle without seeing Pike's Place, that would be wrong.  Where else can you see people throw fish to entertain the masses.  Yep, the workers toss fresh fish to each other all day long to the delight of the shoppers.  If you think about it, it's really kind of gross but for some reason amusing, though the smell can be a bit much at times.   Besides fish, you can pick up huge bouquets of flowers, local art, pastries and other assorted goods.  I picked up some freshly made Shrimp Chips! 

Shrimp Chips are a delicacy that you can pick up at almost any Asian Market.  They are a puffed up chips much like a Cheetos except flat and come in many colors.  Yum!  A lot of people are afraid of them, but there is nothing to fear but the overwhelming delight of the flavor.  I have been eating these things since I was kid; I was raised right!  Well, Angie was disgusted and could not be swayed to eat one.  She took one whiff and was done.  That was okay too, because that means more for me!   

So, after the snub of the chip we continued our walk through Pike's Place until we found the brass pig.  It's a custom of mine to this day that I have to either ride or rub the brass pig at Pike's Place anytime I am there.  If someone is with me, they must do the same or they are ostracized.  Okay, maybe that is going a bit too far, but you will indeed be hazed.  So, Angie and I conned someone to take a photo in front of the pig after I had hopped on its back.

Artistic Shot Starring Angie

Angie really wanted to see the Space Needle since she hadn't in a while.  I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it since I had met my nemesis the roller coaster there and was still suffering a dull pain from the day before.  She told me she had no interest in going on any rides so for the third time in 24 hours, I went to the Space Needle! 

It hadn't changed much, except that it was overcast.  That and I had a fabulous snack to keep me occupied.  Angie and I decided to take a few artistic shots which I am sure five thousand other people had done in that week alone.  After about ten minutes, Angie was confused as to what to do next. 

"Exactly, was my response, unless we wanted to eat on top."

"Why?"  Was her response.  "It is too expensive!" 

I guess word gets out quickly!

Though this trip was pretty quick and maybe a little anti climatic; during the two months I lived there I had many adventures!  Such times as the drunk stage hand trying to grab my goods while we were at a cast party, the hit and run cone incident (nothing illegal transpired, folks), the Walk Gently Man who tried to accost me for apparently walking on the street too hard in my heels and the Chinese food place that had glow in the dark bowling! 

Good times, Seattle, good times!