Space Needle Terror

The elevator seemed to take forever as it cruised above the foggy sidewalks of Seattle.  Suddenly, this confined quickly ascending glass room rose above the fog giving us a brief glimpse of the beautiful surroundings before docking at the observation platform of the Space Needle.  The elevator exacerbated a growing case of vertigo and made my legs shaky as we stepped onto the observation deck. 

A fake forced smile...I just couldn't bring myself to lean against the glass.

The view from the top...not too shabby..

Eye to eye with Mount Ranier. 

Rusty and I enjoying the beautiful sunshine above the clouds, as Yosiell takes the picture.  

I was clinging to the wall the whole time we walked around the open air viewing deck but managed to approach the glass several times to take a few pictures and remind myself that thousands of people every week survive this attraction. 

A quick trip down to the second floor of this precariously balancing space ship.  It took a good twenty minutes of walking next to the glass floor before rationalizing that no one has fallen through this man made torture and taking a leap of faith onto the slowly rotating glass. 

 

Standing on the slowly rotating glass floor...WTF...who devised this torture.  

After a good 45 minutes of facing my fear of heights (in a totally safe environment), it was time to head back down to the blessed ground below. My fear of heights once again were proven unfounded.  No one says that fears are rational.  So marks one of the many adventures we had during our week long stay in Seattle.  Despite the rainy and overcast weather, we enjoyed much that this city by the bay has to offer. 

Immediately following my time in the iconic torturous Seattle landmark, we went to the Museum of Pop.  Some amazing shows were happening in the museum.  Marvel had an incredible display of super heroes that was really well done.  After going through the exhibit, the point hit home as to what a true loss earlier this year at Stan Lee’s passing. 

Apparently a very valuable comic in the Marvel Universe...who knew? 

We breezed into the Indie Games exhibit featuring really great electronic games from Indie creators.  It was hard not to channel our inner gamer friends as we tried our hand at some games. (It’s amazing how many people associated with the electronic and board gaming industry we know considering I myself am not even remotely a gamer.) 
 

Channeling my inner Yon Hardisty, Matt Fantastic and Andrew Schneider...all in the gaming industry in one way or another, and all righteous people with strong integrity...I like my friends!  

This ain't your grandpas Pac Man!

Next we ventured into the exhibition entitled Scared to Death.  This is the kind of terror that I don’t mind.  A great exhibit featuring primarily movie memorabilia. It was fun to see costumes and video clips of some awesome scary movies.  One of my favorites was the stake that buffy the vampire slayer used in the movie (not exactly a terrifying movie, but it fits in the genre, and who doesn't love horror and camp). 

Yosiell definitely in his element...it's as if this whole bleepin' museum was made specifically for him!!!! 

Ugly screaming face!   

Creepy bodies hanging from chains...love this weird maze of death! 

Even the vampires in Seattle wear flannel a' la grunge style!

Rusty in an episode of who wore the coffin best...????

From there into the fantasy exhibit…(again I kept asking was this museum made for Yosiell…or what?).  The exhibit was exceptionally well done and really broke down everything from literature to Dungeons and Dragons role playing, not to mention the way cool displays (even a full sized sleeping dragon). 

Our final exhibit was the Science Fiction exhibit.  An odd assortment of memorabilia to be sure but worthy of a look.   

We spent New Year’s Eve in Seattle having dinner and a Cabaret/Drag show at Le Faux Julia’s.  The drinks are sweet, the dinner was adequate, and the show was spectacular.  My favorite was a lovely young male dancer doing a reverse  strip tease, very clever.  We met a lovely couple from the South who had recently moved to Seattle.  

They say the way you spend your New Year’s Eve is a harbinger for the next year.  Well I spent it with my two most favorite people, meeting new friends, and enjoying a wonderful show.  The new Year should be filled with delicious drinks (French 75’s, the least sweet thing on the Julia’s menu), beautiful drag queens and strip tease artists, and a few hugs and kisses from loved ones and new friends. 

Excited to be rid of 2018...let the festivities begin! 

The delightful Brandon and the beautiful, talented, and charming Natalie...wonderful to randomly meet such kindred southern spirits.  

Our hostesses for the evening.  The Cis Gen Woman on the left did an incredible strip tease during the course of the evening. 

Other adventures in Seattle included a rainy hike I did alone around Snoqualmie Falls, Beautiful but a bit touristy and not very secluded- some of Twin Peaks was filmed here, I believe Laura Palmer’s body was found at the falls, for those old timers that remember the show.  

Exhilarating...lots of over spray! 

Overcast and chilly but still an exciting falls to be sure.  

A quick hike to the base of the falls and a slightly different view.  

Waste from the old hydroelectric power station...turned into passable sculpture.  

The lodge...a Twin Peaks filming location.  

After getting thoroughly drenched, I went to Tiger Mountain for a few more hours of hiking.  Two trails diverged in these green woods, and I had to choose between the Difficult Trail and the Very Difficult Trail.  I spent a good minute having an internal monologue debating which trail to take when an elderly Chinese woman decided for me by breezing by without batting an eye and taking the Very Difficult Trail.  (We all know what trail my ego forced me to take so let’s not pretend I’m anything other than as transparent as an open book). 

On a Mount tiger trail...

An idyllic nature scene...

A random mountain scene from the town of Snoqualmie!   

Same mountain, different view.  

Certainly can't overlook the train museum in Snoqualmie.  Small and quaint.

Other great adventures included a quick trip to the Seattle Art Museum (an eclectic collection to be sure). 

Aboriginal Dreamtime Painting from a female artist...

Another Dreamtime painting!  

An African mask that should inspire some nightmares.  

I love the symmetry of this African mask.  

A few “Must Do’s” should you ever find yourself in Seattle…

Honest Biscuits – a place to get biscuits with country ham or fried Chicken.  Art, our good friend from our Raleigh Days, owns honest Biscuits and beside good biscuits, he serves up an authentic pimento cheese with a damn good view.

Pie Bar – They serve pie and pie like drinks…ummm, ‘nuff said.

Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop – Every manner of curiosity, some old, some new, but all fun stuff.

Push Pull - Gallery/Zine shop.  Great outsider art and lots of edgy Zines!

Georgetown Records and Fantagraphics - A record store and graphic novel emporium! 

Hula-Hula - A tiki bar with nightly Karaoke!  Soooooooo weird and cool!

Fogue Gallery – a gallery/artist collective featuring artists over fifty years old.  Some amazing stuff!  (Although we have more art than we know what to do with, we bought two pieces from an artist in this gallery).  

Archie McFee’s – of course.  Although Archie McFee’s has a pretty good on-line catalogue, it is so much better to see the weird and unusual wares all in one place.  Spend a few minutes of your time while you’re there, and browse the free rubber chicken museum.  I learned so much about this corny comedic trope. 

Rusty admiring the Rainbow Rubber Chicken decoration that at one time adorned the Archie MacFee Gay Pride float.  

Rusty in the VIP section of the Rubber Chicken Museum.  

Yosiell fondling the world's largest Rubber Chicken!  

Rusty contemplating choking the chicken...OK gentle readers, you knew I had to add a "Choking the Chicken" reference somewhere in this string of photos.  

It's as if this cut out was made for me! 

Flip, Flip, Ding, Ding – A pinball bar in Georgetown.  Pinball and electronic games with a side of nostalgia.  

One definite don’t do…Pike’s Market…rustic floor board to ceiling people.  Really not worth it just to see fish mongers flinging fish.   

And finally some random photos of our trip...

The Fremont troll! Lots of people climbing all over this Atlas Obscura favorite.  

An old gas plant next to an old landfill?  Let's build a park!   

Random creepiness highlighting the bleak and barren winter landscape...or just a crow in a tree.  

Walking around the Ballard Locks in the bone chilling rain and cold. 

Well, gentle reader I hope your New Year’s Eve was a harbinger of a great 2019.  I haven’t really made any resolutions…and really don’t intend to…instead, this is a good time to reflect on the many changes (and my personal choices) of the past year, a somewhat difficult year to be sure.  After a long session of smudging the entire house with white sage, I intend to focus on the positive.  Life seemed excessively complicated in 2018, so my word for 2019 is going to be “Simplify”.   So gentle reader, may your 2019 be filled with kindness, compassion and love.  

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Gratitude!

Thanksgiving Day, I’m sitting on an airplane and never fail to marvel at the miracle of flight.  I understand how flight works but never quite trust the Science.  Of course, just because I don’t trust this miracle means absolutely nothing as I fly quite a bit…I take that leap of faith in the higher power that is aerodynamics.

I guess it gives me just the tiniest bit of understanding into the psyche of our climate change deniers.   

We are seeing the wildly erratic weather patterns across our nation and in the greater world due to climate changes and especially here in California. November has been fraught with difficulties for California…despite a blue wave during the elections, the elation was short lived as the California wildfires have decimated many of our forests and towns.  My hope is that the fires are at an end and the air in the greater bay area remains at an acceptable levels.  The recent rain has helped our firefighters
.  

Despite the massively sobering realities in the world around us, the theme for today is not depressing news, rather this day is devoted to gratitude.   

As I fly back to California after visiting family, I am grateful that my 88 year old mother, despite every physical ailment possible, is still able to watch the Hallmark Channel Christmas Specials with relative gusto.  She is on the verge of having cataract laser surgery to get the full effect of her high definition television set.  Every time I visit I am reminded what a tough lady is packaged in Ms. Anna Elizabeth Lewis.  

Almost 88 and still going strong. A hell of a matriarch.  

My brother and his family are doing well.  I was happy to spend time with all for a few days before returning to my fast paced California lifestyle.  

A little back porchgoofiness.  Haven took many of these photos practicing with my camera! 

 A chip off the old Uncle block!

Nothing beats a tire swing! 

Alyssa, my niece, looking so incredibly mature.  Oh how they grow up!

A beautiful day roaming the UNC, Chapel Hill campus.  My brother and his wonderful hubby! 

Hopefully this handsome kid also one day be "Well" educated! 

Highlights to this trip included a few hours with a group of loved ones that truly bring laughter and joy into my life.  We enjoyed a relatively quiet night at the Flying Saucer, sitting just below Di and Rusty’s plates.  Both were spoken of often, and mostly with love, during the course of the evening.  

We sat under the watchful eye our party goddess..  

Rusty's plate also looked upon us...he was missed in this gathering.  

Three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  

Ahhhh, Julia's keeping the other horseman company.  

Young, bubbly miss Becca. 

Is there any more nurturing site than these two? 

There's a whole lotta love! 

Brandi and Scott dropped in as well.  So happy to see this soon to be wed couple.  

Another highlight was a quick trip to Wilson, NC to see Whirligig Park.  (https://www.wilsonwhirligigpark.org) These amazing wind-powered kinetic sculptures really bring a sense of whimsy and a lightness of being at one’s core.  The park has only recently opened, not even long enough to have a snackbar and/or gift shop installed (have no fear Disneyesque America, those things will come).  

Whirligigs!  Who doesn't love them.  I defy anyone to be in a bad mood after looking at these massive kinetic sculptures! 

Whirligig pandemonium.  

Family enjoying a day in the park.  

And what blogpost would be complete without pano trick photography.  

Odds and Ends Adventures

Gentle Readers, I have many skills…one skill that I have never possessed is a technical photographic expertise nor an eye for photos.  Next summer we will be going to New Zealand and Australia for a few weeks, and in preparation I’ve purchased a refurbished Nikon DSLR camera.  

My hope is that I can photograph the sweeping Lord of the Rings/Hobbiton vistas with a small degree of skill.  In order to practice my woefully inadequate skills and because we were really craving fall, we took a weekend trip to Placerville to view some apple farms.

This hill country area (Apple Hill) has a significant number of Apple Farms, both big and small.  We were looking forward to leisurely drives from one small farm to another, but it turns out we weren’t the only one’s searching for autumn.  The farms we found were pretty big and really crowded.  Despite the crowds and the limited amounts of fall foliage, we did manage to enjoy apple cider, apple donuts, and every other apple product available. 

Yosiell enjoying a hard cider to dull the pain of being around thousands of fall revelers.  

Monique and Lance joined us for our excursion, and recommended a small winery with beautiful views and few people, Lava Cap winery.  

Randomly, we ran across Kaitlyn and Rick, artist friends that live in Sacramento.  

My Birthday Scavenger Hunt (last August) in downtown Oakland.  Good times people.  

The idea was to bike to different landmarks in Oakland based on obscure clues and post a photo on instagram  (#oakscav if you want to see all of the photos).  

What a wacky group - and somewhat competitive...people really wanted the crappy plastic medals!!! 

...and finally, Thomas Lester’s 40^th Birthday Masquerade Party.  

A wonderful time at the Belle Vue club, next to lake Merritt,  Yes, that is a T-rex making an appearance! 

Since last we met on this blog, Gentle Readers, I started my newest gig as a principal.  This time, in a Title 1 Junior High.  So challenging... but very rewarding.  After three years in a district office job, my last few months have been mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging. This school is presenting a list of challenges but slowly and surely we are trying to change the culture.  In a few years, we will be going from 980 students to about 1600 and will be rebranded as a middle school (with 6^thgrade as well).  

Thanksgiving this year was spent at a restaurant. Flying in from RDU on the day and trying to have a Turkey feast at home just didn’t seem “doable”.  Dinner was at the Terrace room, around Lake Merritt in Oakland.  A great evening of food and drink without the mess was certainly a plus.  

As North Carolina fades in this Boeing 737’s rearview mirror, I’m reflecting on how filled with gratitude I truly am to have wonderfully quirky and exceptionally incredible people in my life.  My life-story is filled with adventures both near and far but none of it is worth a nickel without the people with whom it is shared. I hope everyone enjoys a Thanksgiving filled with love.