I made it back in one piece last night, I do hate red-eye flights. The flight was delayed 1.5 hours in Seattle. Not really a problem since that meant that we left at 11:30 and got into Boston around 7 am. It fit my schedule better and learned how to play Slap, a mindless card game.
Before leaving I walked around the city a bit more, soaking things in since I was thinking that was a place that I could live for a few years. In someways Seattle feels like a more laid back Boston, though people look at you funny when you jaywalk. I walked over to the Space Needle, but decided not to go up since it cost $14. Instead I opted to visit the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, better use of $12.95 than just a view. I you are in the area and a SciFi fan I recommend it. Very extensive collection of artifacts, memorabilia, props, and books all arranged thematically.
After working on my dissertation a bit more up at the University of Washington I headed downtown in search of sushi. The place I was looking for was packed so I ate eating at a place back by my hostel. Still very good, better than the stuff we get in Boston.
The bus to the airport is $1.25, but it takes 45 minutes (if you take the express). There was a slow man who took an interest in me and kept commenting that I had a lot of luggage and how thin my watch was. We chatted possible (as much as was) on the way to the airport. While at the bus stop there was another mentally challenged person, a middle aged woman, just hanging about. For some reason, she was annoyed with one of the three Hispanic men leaning on the building behind the bus stop. They were just waiting for a bus, minding their own business, and she tried to pick a fight. Some black teenagers got involved and the whole situation turned into a heckling match at the expense of the handicapped woman. Finally, she was pissed enough that she just walked away, bitching. There were many people in Seattle that really didn’t seem to have a place, more than you find in Boston. Young to old and all mental capacities. Some were very creative. A personal favorite was the man with the “Hug from a dirty bum, 25 cents” sign. I gave him a quarter not to hug me.
I had a good time, but it is good to be back home. Well, home at least for the next few months. I posted my pictures if you’d enjoy a look.
