Seattle!! (Oh, and Canada)

Two of my college buddies, D and A, live in Seattle. Another one, L, lives in Amarillo. I decided it was time for a mini-reunion in Seattle and, luckily, sweet L was eager to visit Seattle. M also wanted to go. So… I flew to Seattle with L and M on June 26.

We got there, rented a little car and drove straight to D’s house. I saw him last year in Texas but it was great to be on his turf…where he has been living for almost 9 years. That first night he took us to eat French fries with foie gras. Positively decadent!

Our friend, A, was nice enough to let us crash at her house on Alki Beach. She has lived in Seattle for about 10 years. Seeing her again was like a breath a fresh air. That leggy blonde is fun and is guaranteed to make you smile just by looking at her.

On June 27 we decided to drive into Canada and spend the night in Vancouver. I’m not sure what to say about Vancouver. I will only say this: If you are interested in the smell of piss baking in the sun, strung out bums smoking dope in a public park and paying $15 for a six pack, then Vancouver is your city! Also, if you like seeing police officers, beautiful landscapes and general cleanliness then go to Stanley Park or the Capilano Bridge – those are Vancouver’s best assets. One more thing – it took 2 hours to get across the border back into the U.S. because there are only a few lanes to pass through. Nightmare!

We drove back to Seattle and made a pit stop in Whidbey Island. We took the ferry over to the island and enjoyed a beautiful, relaxing day there. The quant little shops, the corner bar and the gorgeous ocean views were amazing. The only thing that looked better was L’s haircut! Her friend lives there and hooked L up with a great do!

Once we got back into Seattle, we had a few days to do all kinds of things. The Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the Freemont troll, the Olympic Sculpture Park, the piers, Archie McPhee’s Toy Store, Uwajimaya in the International District and a fun Mariners game at Safeco Field. We happened to be in Seattle during Gay Pride Week and we watched the Pride Parade. I’m still not sure how some of their floats were legal on the street.

We had a lot of fun but two things really stood out to me. One was the amazing food. D is a chef and knows where to go and what to order. We would have a fantastic dinner and believe that nothing could top it. Then D would take us to another restaurant and completely wow us again. It was worth the few extra pounds.

The second favorite was the night we hung out at A’s house. She got out her guitar and casually strummed. Then she started to sing in that same familiar voice that used to come through my dorm room walls. It was like hearing a lovely song that you hadn’t heard in years.

My unbelievable time in Seattle was just what I needed. It allowed us to have some hang out time with each other – which we have not done since college. My only regret is that we only had 5 days together. And we blew one in Canada. Oh well. Live and learn.

My Tennessee Waltz

My family can tell you stories about the many road trips we took over the years. In the early 80s, we got a white Suburban and that thing drove us all over the U.S. for almost 20 years. Denver to visit my brother who was hospitalized there in his teens, my grandmother’s funeral in south Texas in 1994, and a spring break vacation to Las Vegas were just a few of our many destinations. Regardless of our ages or our destination, the one thing that remained constant on our road trips was the music.

My dad has a full-blown passion for music. He’s almost like a teenager who sees life without an iPod as punishment. His musical taste is extremely diverse but Johnny Cash, George Jones, Conway Twitty and Elvis are just a few of his favorites. Because dad played and sang those songs repetitively on our vacations over the years, they are now a symbol of my childhood. So it was with great excitement that I was able to visit Nashville, TN.

It was 39 degrees when my sister, C, and I landed in Nashville. Luckily, we packed coats, scarves and gloves. We got to our hotel and immediately felt as if we were in that horrible movie Bio-Dome. The Gaylord Opryland is an inexplicably large hotel and it was probably the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at in my life. And that does include the hotel we stayed at in Santa Fe, NM in 1990, which is now condemned. The Opryland hotel is loud, over-priced and the employees are trained to respond, “I don’t know,” to any question. It’s pretty on the surface but really ugly deep inside, just like Jessica Alba.

C and I had plenty of time to explore the city. We walked through the famous Ryman Auditorium which was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 – 1974. We attended a concert at the The Grand Ole Opry House which was built in 1974. At the concert we saw Martina McBride and Lee Greenwood sang, "I'm Proud To Be An American!" (That's him in the picture below.) We had a beer at the honky tonk bars with my old college buddy who lives in Nashville, we bought Johnny Cash prints in Ernest Tubb’s and we even stood in front of the famous Sun Recording Studios.

I admit I am not a huge fan of country music. The only country music I listen to is the old stuff – my dad’s stuff. But I have an appreciation for all music and Nashville is overflowing with musicians. The street corners are filled with singers and open guitar cases waiting for your loose change. The streets also have a scattering of bums. Many were shirtless or in shorts – even on the day it snowed!

Towards the end of our stay, it got warmer and the sun came out. It was fun to explore the city and not fuss with gloves and scarves. We toured the President Andrew Jackson exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum and bought the best pralines at a downtown candy store.

Throughout our visit, those old songs were buzzing in the stores, museums and honky tonks. It was almost like having our dad with us. My only regret is that he wasn’t able to go with us to Nashville. So, instead, I sang to him.

I'm Alive!

Whew! It's been a while. Sorry about that. The last few months have been swamped with all kinds of things. Vacations, a funeral, grad school, a wedding and a little illness my doctor jokingly called an "airplane infection." Don't ask.

The good news is that things are finally starting to get into place. I've gotten into a rhythm with my grad school schedule. I only have one more vacation this year (San Francisco in September to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit). And just one more wedding in December that I happen to be officiating!

Hopefully I can get better with the whole blog thing. I have a couple of vacation stories to tell so I'll try to post those this week. I'm trying to decide which pics will accompany the blog...so many to choose from!

Anyhoo...I miss you. Call me soon!