Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : NNBM - SI Branch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: abuelita who wrote (51709)	5/13/2006 11:05:57 AM
From: altair19	Read Replies (8) \| Respond to of 104191

NNBM Barmates - Here's part II - part III's still in the shop. A19 Seattle Part II The Market - The Space Needle - Rock Museum – CTH Gala Fund Raiser I smelled coffee and toast - after the split second of “where the hell am I!?” I looked out over the lake; the water was flat and there were clear blue skies…it really was Seattle. After I swabbed down the A19 I went downstairs…there were Rose and Wharfy quietly cursing the coffee maker that wouldn’t work…too many smart people not to have it work. Improvising, they found another two-cupper and began high-speed production. A coffee and toast out on the floating dock with some good friends sitting around is a great way to begin a day. Some Canada Geese spotted the Canadian in our midst and paddled smoothly over in our direction – a duck with a psychedelic green head noticed Mike in his tie-dyed “Veterans Against the War” tee shirt and also made their move. Rose began feeding the birds – she even got the duck to trust her enough to come up and take some bread right out of her hand. Turns out later, Rose was mildly rebuked by a neighbor who asked “didn’t we know there was a Canada goose problem!” Ah screw’em…we even thought about throwing bread balls on his dock and sending the free loaders his way. Polvy and Kath made the scene and we began putting together our plan – it was a plan that had both focus and flexibility. We’d hit Pikes Market, then to the Space Needle (Kath was lobbying hard for it) and then the Rock and Roll Museum….AND then the big event that evening at the Triple Door. We walked down the long dock with floating houses on either side noticing more and more of the differences in the structures. The Beaver Tree was still felled in the parking lot – a few more caustic remarks were made about the sign attached to it. I was then given a major promotion (with Kath resigning her position) to navigator and allowed to sit in the front seat with Polvy! Polvy and I are both “general directional navigators”…street signs are mildly interesting, maps less so, the sun and major landmarks are more useful (like the 605 foot high Space Needle)….and of course…Broad Street which became the central point of the universe for that weekend….all roads lead to Broad Street and Broad Street leads to all venues. Pikes Market is situated along a street terraced high above the lake – I checked out the brochure as Polvy navigated down the switchback turn to the parking lot on the terrace below the market. “OK you phucking guys – we got 190 craftspeople, 120 farmers, 50 places to eat and dozens of street performers – over 10 million people visit this place a year..got it?!” Climbing up the stairs erected along the hillside that led up to the market, the view began to unfold – the lake and harbor below is, the snow capped mountains in the distance and the market at the top of stairs. At the top, the first thing you notice is a beautiful grassy common park overlooking the harbor and to the right is the market – it stretches quite a ways for blocks – there are thousands of people and the cars are creeping along and don’t seem to mind. The other thing you notice is how quiet it is with that many people checking out everything there is to see – we decided to split up for a couple of hours and check out the stuff we were interested in and meet back at the park – during that time, we would constantly run into one another. Lots of vendors selling flowers…the colors were absolutely stunning. If I had been stoned, I probably would still be there just staring at them. The colors put you in such a great frame of mind. And the fish market….these guys would throw fish to each other after you ordered it……tie-dye tee shirts, jewelry, paintings, clothing, veggies of all kinds, cheese, signs, all kinds of art work, hats, sandals, cd’s, musical instruments, pottery….most anything you can think of. And the musicians…there were old guys like me with much longer hair that look like they had been transported from the late sixties – their guitar cases were open in front of them for donations. I saw two bands that grabbed me…one jug band, and the other a fiddler. When I go to any large store after an hour, something happens to me…blood sugar must drop or something. So I stopped in at Seattle’s Best and ordered a coffee and a Sunday New York Times. I sat at an open air counter that was facing the street and looked out on the market and further out on the lake and snow covered mountains. It just doesn’t get better than that….time to read the paper and have some great coffee. The women watching was great from this vantage point too. Actually the people watching was half the show at this market – people seemed more mellow. I then headed back down the street towards the park. A crowd had gather around a street magician – I worked my way in to get close and watched his hands figuring I would figure out how he did his tricks. He then handed me a card and he told me to look at it but not show him. 6 of spades – I held it in my hand face down. He announced to the crowd that I was holding the ace of spades – I told him he was wrong, it was the 6 of spades. He told me to turn over the card….Ace of Spades….phucking guy. Back at the park we assembled, Rose with her Mulroney mushrooms (only keeding), Polvy with his tie-dye tee shirt. We lay on the grass in the warm sunshine watching the people go by….just a beautiful day. We arose from our state of mellowness and head down the stairs for the car. Off to the Space Needle! Following Broad Street and seeing the 605 foot structure in the distance, Polvy and I figured we had a decent shot at finding it! We did. As we came out of the parking garage, there it was……we began backing up so we could fit it in a picture…hard to do. There are beautiful lawns all around the needle and an amusement park with all kinds of wild rides. Wharfy decided not to take the ride to the top and to remain on the grassy knoll where we would meet him afterwards. Rose, Polvy, Kath and I headed towards the elevator. The elevator is unique in that it has glass on the side facing out over Seattle and solid walls on the inside. Rose informed us that she was not particularly keen on heights – I’ve not seen anyone stand that close to an inside wall of an elevator before! The trip only takes 45 seconds…..darkness in the elevator shaft for the first few seconds and then you are out there! What a view! Unique feeling…loved it. At the top, you can go down a few steps, through a door and you are out on the circular perimeter of the space needle. The vistas stretch for miles – it was clear so we could see Mt. Ranier to the south, more mountains plus the city and harbor to the west. Took lots of pics and was tempted (the nine-year-old in me) to flick a penny or spit over the railing…I didn’t. After being saturated with the views, we headed down and hooked up with Wharfy. The rock museum is right next door. We wandered in….you could hear Cross Town Traffic – all kinds of giant video projection. We checked out one of the theatres….Wild Blue Angels was playing – it was the last concert Hendrix ever played - on the Isle of White in August 1970. I noticed how big Hendrix’s hands were ….playing guitar lefty, he’d bar with his right thumb and set the chords with his fingers. His music was so startling different than anyone else’s at the time…or even today. It was getting late in the afternoon – what a great day so far getting to know our cyber buddies and seeing all the sites – the BIG EVENT was tonight so we decided to head back to the floating house. Broad Street….the harbor to our west – without a word, Polvy and I nodded to each other as pilot and navigator…we were headed in the right direction. THE BIG EVENT ….. moved to Part III