OK. It would be unfair to say our luck ran out in Seattle: we still got free lodging (for two whole nights) and were hosted by mostly entertaining folks (whom I'm pretty sure live on another planet, but that is neither here nor there at this juncture)...
Basically, Avaryl's cousin John (or is it Jawn? who knows...) graciously housed us during our time there (albeit, in a cold basement on couch cushions), and he is kind of like people I knew in high school, x10. He and his friend, Tom, make authentic (I think?) costumes ranging from Japanese samurai pants to leather battle hats to big-sleeved tunics that smell like chivalry from... Make Believe Land? They were preparing to sell their stuff at a Comicon-like event in Seattle, so stress was bouncing off the walls. Plus, loads of eccentricity and dorkiness and philosophizing about various video games. It was certainly an experience.[This picture is Marcus, Tom and John... in the sewing room... possibly unsure that Avaryl is carrying a picture-taking device.] Like I said: Dorks just like my friends, but multitudes stranger.
But then there was the issue of, well, Richard.
I won't go in to what was wrong with this Richard, but we'll just leave it at this: Creeper. Already awkward people just shouldn't be allowed to drink, especially when it's obvious they aren't around girls very often. It's like, "I'm fine without another hug, thanksamuch, and no, I don't want to take a shower in your shower with the broken door." I'm just glad that Av, Kim and I could all agree on him. By the time we did, and our nervousness at this man's presence (and bedroom not 25 feet from where our girl-bodies slept) had been established, we remained focused on the festive-attitude in the house. And John's effin-incredible lemon meringue pie.
We spent our entire one full day in Seattle downtown exploring. Mostly Pike Street Market, which was rockin' awesome. Too much shopping. Too much food. Too much standing around, looking at fish, which, I guess, is the entire point of the Market in general.I didn't know fish could have tongues the size of pillows. The world is full of surprises.
Not sure what to say about the Market... it involved walking, talking with the nicest vendors on earth (they don't hassle you or anything!), and looking at things we couldn't afford and buying things we didn't need. At one point Avaryl and I banned ourselves from entering anymore used bookstores. They're just unhealthy environments, is what it comes down to.
We had plans to go to the aquarium ('cause, octopuses yo!), but they charged $15. Who has $15 to spend on seeing animals when it can otherwise be spent on coffee? We used aquarium-time to sit around and soak up the rarely-seen-by-Seattle-folk sunlight. And to paint each other's nails.We knew we should have gone to actually do things in the city, but Tully's Coffee looked so inviting, and coffee sounded so good, and there was a fire inside, guys! So we relaxed and read instead.
The only regrettable part of the day was paying $21 for 6 hours of parking. It hurts just thinking about it, so I'm moving on...
Going to the big places as the last stop on a long trip usually results in driving by the various sights and refusing to get out and pay to experience them like normal tourists. So, with the help of our trusty TomTom, we navigated ourselves around the city, through Capitol Hill (the only place I can fathom living -- realistically -- in Seattle), then around the Space Needle, through Queen Anne and back to John's house. I'd like to think we saw all there was to see.Except for the bookstores. Oh I love books...
Seattle was nice, but given our lack of direction and the unfathomable size of the city in relation to our time there, we can't say it was worth leaving Forks for. I mean, it was, but Forks... well, we loved Forks. Unfortunately, most of our driving-around-Seattle consisted of us saying "I miss Forks"... though, that could have been as a result of the extreme shift in sleeping arrangements.Damn, I slept well in the Temperpedic bed in Forks... *sigh* How different it is in the freezing cold floor of a Seattle basement during the butt crack of early Spring.
Seattle is a great city, but it is, well... a city: good parts, bad parts, all that hoodlum, overpriced fun. I'm still considering moving there (I know I will someday), but for now I'm feeling certain a plan of some kind will be necessary before uprooting my poor, jobless ass two states north with no support group of any kind and an already health-threatening addiction to coffee and books.
And I'm too lazy and shy to live alone in a city. I'll become a hermit, despite all hopes to the contrary, and wind up like.... Lyssa! (Don't even ask -- we'll just say that she's the tenured professor of Depressing 101 that acts as the "mother" of John's house of men.)
Anyway. I'm fairly certain we were all looking forward to the long, loooong, looooooooong drive home that was set for the next day.
This is a road trip, after all.
"girl-bodies"
ReplyDeleteah hahahaha. i wish i were there to cringe with you. xxxx