VACATION REPORT, PART TWO

THURSDAY, SEPT. 21^st

Oh, what a glorious day! It was packed full of fun activities. First we played with Molly’s super-cool dog, a part pit bull mix that may be the friendliest canine ever. Then we went to Pike’s Fish Market in Seattle, which not only features seafood, but produce, prints, magic goods, and comic books.

At Molly’s recommendation, we ate giant, meaty baos at the market. After that, we visited the main branch of the library, which is the most modern-looking knowledge center that I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. It has escalators between every floor, and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding city.

We followed up the library tour with fried salmon and chips down by the pier, then donuts from this hipster coffee shop. I have to tell you, I could definitely see myself living either in Seattle or one of its surrounding suburbs, even though I would probably have to get a car or moped. But it would be worth it. Compared to New York, it doesn’t seem nearly as overpriced, and both Molly and her dog by themselves make a strong argument for coast-to-coast relocation.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 22^nd

Having been dropped back at Bellevue on the previous night, we accompanied K.’s California sister to the airport the next morning. She was going back home, and it was sad to see her and her two kids leaving. I could be mistaken, but I felt that I had developed the beginnings of a bond with her oldest son, the aforementioned “berry masher.” Of course, they’re both great kids. I should probably add them to my list of people to buy Christmas presents for whenever I can afford to buy Christmas presents.

After seeing them all off, K. and I took her parents and her grandmother to lunch at this great Thai restaurant called Chantanee. It’s located in the heart of the Bellevue metropolitan area, where you can see the skyline being erected by tall cranes.

The food was uniformly excellent. We ordered red curries: one with salmon; another with prawns. The chicken pad thai was also very good. According to K.’s parents, the restaurant actually has a table and parking space reserved for the Ambassador of Thailand. I don’t know if he really drops in to eat there, but I remember thinking that he should, especially now that there’s a coup going on back home.

In the evening, we endured ugly gridlock on the highway to visit the Puyallup State Fair – the biggest one in all of Washington! I got to see cows and Clydesdales up-close for the first time in my life. Good lord, they’re huge animals! Then we visited the exhibition center to admire the homemade quilts, hand-fashioned works of art, and (my favorite) baked goods shielded behind glass.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23^rd

I made my family’s recipe for a chicken and mushroom dish, which K.’s dad used to get from the local restaurant. Supposedly, the eatery used to make a great one, but the cook retired. I think both he and K.’s mom enjoyed my family’s version.

After dinner, K. and I, along with her parents, walked down the block to the site of this theater/musical performance venue. It’s slowly being restored, but so far, it definitely looks like it’s being fixed up nicely. On this night, they showed the classic film “To Kill A Mockingbird,” starring the late, great Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Seeing it on the big screen for the first time, I was moved by its message of how human decency can still exist in a place where public customs make people into jerks.

K. and I capped off the night by driving into a dark spot for some stargazing. It’s funny, but until you get out of the ambient glare of a place like New York City, you don’t realize just how many stars are up there. Between the movie and the stargazing, it was a pretty inspiring night.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24^th

Our last full day in Washington featured K. adjusting some clothes for her mom, and the rest of the household watching football. I’ve never seen a football game on that early in the day. Then we drove the two hours back to Bellevue, where we stayed at K.’s grandma’s house again. We knew that we had to be up early the next morning, but the visit had been so great that we stayed up late one more time. At this point, why not throw caution to the wind? Anyway, I think we both figured that we could sleep on the plane.