Sunday August 5, 2012

As you know, Ariel and Hannah had plans to go to a farm five hours away.  The farm is located in Okanogan Washington, just an hour away from Canada.  They left Sunday, around 4:00. 

Tyler likes to buy Ariel shoes.  He bought her a great pair of Doc Marten's that were too big.  He bought her another pair that fits, but still had the first pair that are too big.  Guess who fits them.  No really, guess.  Yep, me.  I bought them from Tyler and wore them out for my Hannah/Mommy ritual.

We started the day at the coffee shop.  Hannah got her cinnamon roll and vanilla milk.  I just watched her eat.  She finished eating and we visited the Waterfall Garden.  She really likes this place.  It is pretty, but it's also really really loud.  The apartment we're staying in is directly above the waterfall.

 We hung out there for a few minutes before going back to the apartment.  We hung out for a while, I ate something boring and healthy while waiting for Ariel and Tyler to start their day.  They are on Seattle time, Hannah and I are still on Florida time.

We got some Indian food.  It was good.  I like the Taste of India restaurant on Hillview and this was similar.  I'm sure most of you are familiar with the book, The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.  This is almost as cool.  What do you think is behind this door?  If only.

Hannah fell asleep.

We returned to the apartment and the kids packed up for their trip.  We walked to the car to discover that some big soccer game was happening and thousands (literally, THOUSANDS) of people wearing lime green were walking to the stadium past the apartment.  This brought the homeless people out in droves.  I was approached by a pleasant homeless man asking for money to get to his last NA meeting.  The poor guy had no money, but he did have a beer in his hand, so it can't be all that bad.  I didn't give him money to get to his last meeting.  I said good-bye to the kids, hugged them, kissed them, and told them how much I love them.  Do you remember the Disney commercial where the parents sadly bid their child good-bye as he leaves for college, and as soon as he is out of eye shot they do the dance of joy?  That was me.  (Just kidding, Ariel, I cried all the way home)

I went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Shop and got myself a chocolate hazelnut truffle and a piece of chocolate covered marzipan.  Across the street was the "Bill Speidel's Underground Tour". This was on my list of things to do.  I went over and bought a ticket.   I had an hour and fifteen minutes so I ran back to the  apartment to charge my phone so I could take lots of pictures.  

There is a park right behind us named Occidental Park.  At night the homeless like to take over, but during the day it's a rather happening place with lots of activity.  Many of the lime greenies congregated there and were chanting something I couldn't understand.

Seattle was built on the ground.  Sounds kind of like a "Duh!" statement, but the high tide was so high that so much of the city would get flooded twice a day.  After a fire that burned down 33 blocks of the city, the powers that be decided that it would be built at least 15 feet higher upon the rebuild.  The original city is still there, it just isn't used.  It's been condemned.  The tour guide told us that nothing was staged underground.  Anything we saw there had been placed by someone other than the tour people.  There was so much debris, that I was having a hard time believing her.  How did all this stuff get there?  She said after the earthquake during the 1940's, the debris was tossed underground because there was no chance of anyone seeing it.  She tried to convince us it was haunted.  It was a fun tour, and well worth the $16 it cost.  If you get out here, take the tour.

 This was a real teller's window for a bank that was open 24 hours a day.  Shortly before the underground was condemned (because of rats and the plague had just arrived) a teller was shot.  

 This is a skylight.  Before the underground was condemned, business was still being conducted and these skylights were the only light that came in.  People were murdered and assaulted regularly once the sun went down.  The arches hold 4000 times their weight.  I included the picture of the ice skates because they made me think of my tall friend who likes to ice skate.  (Hi Darian)

On the way back I stopped at a Mexican restaurant.  After I ate I left to discover that thousands, (literally THOUSANDS) of people in lime green shirts were headed in the opposite direction, passing my apartment.  I got up to apartment around 8:30 and stayed in for the night.  Got to sleep early.

Today I plan on going back to Pike Place Market for a tour and getting some laundry done.  Sounds like a fun filled, exciting day, doesn't it?