Yesterday was my last in Seattle. It rained. However, given how much it rains there, I was lucky that I got the two beautiful days! Since Tamara let me take her car out again, I was able to avoid a lot of it, even though I was outside a lot.
Since I was leaving at 2:20 from the Amtrak station, I got up early so as to enjoy as much of the time which was left for me as possible. There was a big park a little less than a mile from Tamara's which I wanted to check out, so I jumped in the car just after 8 to check it out. It seems as though every city I have been in thus far has a Lincoln Park. This one would have to be my favorite so far. First off, it is huge. There must be at least several miles of trails for walking and running. It all winds through tall evergreens and other gnarled-looking trees.
Side note: I have come to realize that being able to recognize basic flora is something I would really enjoy.
All the paths seemed to lead down to the Sound, where there was a paved path which went down the water front as far as I could see in either direction. For a Tuesday morning, it seemed as though everyone and their dog (literally) was out. Seattle has a massive amount of dogs best as I can tell. They don't always get along, which makes for an interesting, and free, attraction. I walked along the berm laying on the beach as it started to drizzle again.
Thats one thing which I have noticed: it has never really rained, just drizzled off and on. I would hate to try to plan a picnic in this city. You better be flexible.
During my three days in the here, I picked up coffee every morning just a few blocks away from where I was staying. Originally, I wanted to try a few different places, but when you find a good cup, sometimes you just gotta stick with a it. It was an interesting place to me anyway. Really in a residential section, it was a converted house. Since everyone knew the barista by his first name, you could tell there was a faithful clientele. And like so many places, dogs were welcome as well.
Alki Beach is where I watched the volleyball game the night before, and I wanted to check out the area more, so drove down, parked the car, and just started walking. The architectural style which the houses are built in really intrigued me. Not that I know that much about architecture, but they were different than anything I see in S.F. Like a bunch of cubes just thrown together. It hit me that I had not gone running since Lake Shore Drive in Chicago about ten days prior. This would have been the perfect spot had time allowed.
Tamara and I met downtown for lunch, but also to type up a contract. During our last community event when we were about to leave Namibia, we were given blue bracelets to wear so that whenever we would look at them we would think of our trip. To our knowledge, two years later, we are the only ones left wearing them. So, it is a contest to see who can keep theirs on the longest. Should mine come off before hers, I have to buy her a round trip ticket for a vacation to Duluth, which she has never been to. If hers comes off before mine, she has to buy me a round trip ticket to Seattle. We wrote up an "official" document on her work computer outlining the rules and each signed a copy. I'm especially proud of the clause stating that upon the unfortunate case of death, our estates do not have to pay out the ticket price to the other, since the point is to get together again.
It was sad to leave Seattle. There was so much more I wanted to see. But, a reason to go back sooner than later.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY INTENSE VULGARITY, PLEASE DO NOT READ ON.
So my train story:
The train left on time at 2:20, headed south towards Portland with stops in Tacoma and a few other places before getting there. For the most part, the ride was going smoothly. I was enjoying getting some writing done in my journal. However, about 15 minutes out of Vancouver, OR and 40 minutes outside of Portland, the train comes to a complete stop. Nobody has any idea what is going on. So we sit about 20 minutes, and the conductor comes into our car and tells us that over the weekend there was a major train derailment and only one line is open. We were just sitting waiting our turn to go in. It should be about half an hour.
Half an hour goes by, and we are still there. The conductor comes over the intercom and says that there is no response from the person coordinating where we are going as to when we will be getting in. A thin brunette is sitting a couple rows ahead of me and is getting a bit impatient. When the conductor comes through our car again, she asks if she can step off because she is going to kill herself if she doesn't have a cigarette. The conductor tells her by law that she cannot let her get off the train. However, by law she also cannot keep her from getting off the train but will not be allowed back on. And for some dumb reason she mentions that this would be a good time to help her quit smoking, to which the girl responds "I don't want to quit smoking. I like smoking".
Well, we are then told that it will be at least another half hour. The same girl leaves for the dining car and returns with her second glass of gin. She is also talking on her cell phone, and things are starting to get a bit heated.
"I'm stuck on this damn train and I'm supposed to be in Portland for my job and no one is answering their fucking phone. What am I supposed to fucking do? This is bullshit!"
Well, after another glass of gin we hear that we will not have our turn for another hour because of problems with another car. It will be at least 8:30 by the time we get there, and we were supposed to be at the station by 5:50. At this point, the girl has been sobbing in her seat for about 20 minutes. You need to understand that she has already been putting on a real show, but things are just about to heat up. One man tries to comfort her by volunteering to seek out some Nicorette gum. She responds that she has just had a horrible couple of weeks and it isn't the cigarette. Another lady comes over and puts her hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. She pulls away and yells "Do not touch me!".
This is the breaking point. She gets out of her seat and begins pacing between cars, calling I assume anyone who will listen and just screaming into her phone. "I'm stuck on the fucking train, and the fucking cunt of a conductor won't get the thing moving. I just lost $8,000 dollars, my driver was arrested in Seattle and I am fucking penniless and have lost my job!" Everyone is looking at her at this point, because she is putting on one hell of a show. Little kids are having a real crash course in how to cuss out a situation and she is actually making a real ass of herself.
The vulgarity goes on for about 20 good minutes before some staff come and tell her she needs to shut up. It doesn't really do the trick though, because at this point she is way beyond reasoning with. Well, eventually we start moving, which gets her to be quiet. But this is why Amtrak needs better security. We don't even get our carry on bags checked. If this lady had a gun I don't even want to think about what could have happened.
I did meet some cool people on the train though. A girl from Vancouver, BC and another guy from Boston. He had just hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Mass. and was heading back to finish it up after house-sitting for his mom. She was going to Uganda after seeing friends in Portland. She also taught us how to play Cribbage.
I was happy to get to Portland and have a drink with Megan and Sarah.
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