So many darling little faces today at The Seattle Humane Society. I attended a meeting for potential volunteers, which I plan to become. I am convinced that dogs especially, are the sweetest souls on earth.
I was very impressed with the facility. Clean, clean, clean! Very nice staff and volunteers working at their various tasks. With King County getting out of the sheltering business soon, they expect to take in as many as 13,000 little orphans in the next year, up from about 7,000.
Clearly, they need all the help they can get.
Critters make the world so much better. I don't know what I'd do without my dear Abbey, or Abagail as I call her when she is in trouble!

It just can't get any better than this! I just scored tickets - well, I bought them - for U2, June 20, 2010 at Qwest Field. Color me happy! Can't wait!

I thought the discovery of the underwater billboards for Ivar's Clam Chowder was really cool. Turns out it was a well orchestrated hoax to sell chowder! Hey, it was a great marketing campaign. According to this morning's Seattle Times, Ivar's sold 83,000 cups of chowder in September 2009 compared to 19,000 cups in September 2008. That's a whole lot of chowder!! The whole thing started when a barnacle covered billboard was pulled out of the water near Alki Beach earlier this year. Apparently Ivar Haglund, who died 24 years ago was indeed quite a character and a great self-promoter. So the hoax was that he was so ahead of his time, that he predicted locals would be traveling by submarine around the Puget Sound area, thus the underwater billboards. Local historian, Paul Dorpat even got in on the fun, stating in The Times that he became part of the theatre in the spirit of Ivar Haglund.

I wish it had been real, or better yet, that I'd thought it up!

Culture - I love it!! It was hard to find inland!
Today I saw "Lord of the Dance" at the beautiful Paramount Theater. The creation of Michael Flatley, he is no longer in the show, but the new "Lord" was spectacular. How anyone can move their feet that fast is beyond me. I was totally captivated, leaning forward against the railing almost the entire show (2 hours including an intermission).

Mind you, this is not just dance. It is a story: "A new dark power had emerged to challenge the lord of the dance. The little spirit travels through time and space to help the lord of the dance protect his mythical people. On an incredible adventure the encounter love, desire and danger." The little spirit dancer was just adorable, and "The Duel" between the lord and his challenger at the end was breathtaking.

All the dancers were flawless. The costumes - and there were many of them - first class. All the women dancers always had on black tights no matter what, which made their already trim legs look willowy and weightless as they moved their feet and legs at God only knows how many beats a minute. The women danced either in quiet dance shoes, or taps.

But when the men came out, the show ramped up, because they always tapped. The speed and strength left me in awe. In fact the guy sitting next to me, who was great, asked if I was okay a few times!! It was funny - I imagine my mouth was hanging open!

If you ever get a chance, see this. I only wish I'd kept up with the tap classes I took in elementary school, oh, about a hundred years ago!

Microsoft, Boeing, Costco, Amazon, Nordstrom, Starbucks....just an example of some of the heavy hitters that were born here in the Puget Sound area. So why is King County so deep in debt?
I find it exciting to be in the birthplace of these giants. According to this morning's Seattle Times, Costco and Nordstrom have posted sales gains for October - perhaps a sign that folks are shopping again. However, Microsoft is laying people off, and the unemployment rate is expected to hit 9.9 percent. Yikes! Will this ever end?

The first post

I’ve been told it rains in Seattle, but every time I would visit, for the most part it was sunny and beautiful, green and glorious.
Originally from Anchorage, I’ve been an inlander for the past 13 years, and I’m happy to be back by the water. My 4-year-old King Charles Spaniel, Abbey, and I have been enjoying afternoon strolls along Alki beach, or Lincoln Park, watching the ferries come and go, enjoying the view, the people and yes - the sunshine!
I’m new in town, as a real live resident anyway. I moved here on a leap of faith, seeking out a fresh start and new opportunity. I chose Seattle because I am somewhat familiar with the city as a result of visiting often, and it’s an easy hop on a direct flight for my friends in Anchorage to come visit me, and vice-versa. Also, I’m not too far from my only son, who started college this fall.
So far I’ve spent more time than I’d like to taking the wrong exit and ending up taking twice as long as it should to get from point A to point B. However I look at these faux pas as a learning experience. The most “fun” was ending up in the port area, highly intimidated by the huge trucks on either side of me. Now, I have a GPS, and more faith, so I am doing much better!
One week into this new adventure, heading north on 99 attempting to get to Westlake, I realized I’d overshot it when I ended up in Green Lake. I pulled off by the park and lake, only to see one of Seattle’s finest sitting there in his cruiser in the parking lot. I’m thinking “He can give me directions!”
Pulling in with a big smile on my face, he crooks his finger for me to come over. Before I can inform him of my predicament and get directions on how to get back on 99 going south, he orders me to turn my car around and park in front of him. I comply, but I am clearly not understanding what is going on.
The officer tells me my plates expired in 2007. He didn’t know how to read Idaho stickers, so I asked if I may show him, and indeed they didn’t expire until 2010. I explained I just landed in Seattle a week ago, and I haven’t had time to get a Washington Driver’s license and plates yet. I have them now.
Embarrassed (I think), he asks for my license, registration and proof of insurance. Now I’m really in trouble. I sat in my car for a good 10 minutes eating a cupcake from the cupcake shop in West Seattle, waiting for the bad news, which I got. A $124 ticket for pulling in the parking lot the wrong way. Keep in mind, I was stressed out from moving and being lost. Fatigued and frustrated I started to cry. I do think he felt bad, but he didn’t back off on the ticket. He did tell me how to get back on 99 going south, and I did reach my destination, although a bit unraveled.
The upshot? I mitigated the ticket by mail, explaining the situation in detail. “Because of my good driving record,” this won’t go on that good record as long as I keep my nose clean for a year, but I still have to pay a $100 administrative fee. Welcome to Seattle I guess.
I’m still glad I’m here. The grocery stores and markets are absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen such beautiful flowers and produce! I even attended the Pearl Jam concert at the Key Arena, which was big fun. I’d seen them three times already, but this was their kick off of a new tour, and my first big night out as a resident.
Now I’ve discovered shortcuts to places I visit often, and I even made it to the airport and back to greet a friend with no catastrophes. Cheers to most of the drivers in Seattle, too. I find they are courteous and patient, except for one guy who blasted his horn behind me because I wanted to make a left turn into a drive-through espresso joint. He must have been in a big hurry, so I aborted the plan and drove around the block and still got my coffee!