8.16.2005
Impressions of Seattle
The airport here is lovely. Really. I don't usually think that about airports, but when I landed at Sea-Tac, it was so nice. There was a little atrium area, with tables and chairs and big boulders indoors, with huge windows and more big boulders outside. It did a good job of joining the indoor and outdoor space. (The flight itself went smoothly, also. I slept for three hours of the six, which was good, because I hadn't slept the night before.)
On my first day here, which was a welcome day of vacation from work, I ran a few errands with my aunt. We went to get vegetables at McPherson's vegetable stand and I was shocked at the low price of veggies. $15 bought more than enough fruits and vegetables to last awhile. Including pluots. Yummmm...
The weather here is great, too. On Friday, I took my aunt's dog, Calvin, for a walk in Seward Park, on the 2.5 mile loop that is surrounded on three sides (if circular loops had sides) by Lake Washington. It was absolutely wonderful. Sunny (but with enough shade), warm but not hot, not humid--basically, gorgeous. Enough to make me wonder why anyone lives in New York...
Shabbat was also very nice. We went to friends of my aunt's for both meals, I got a nice nap, and davened at the Klein-Galland Home. I met a nice woman whose name now escapes me, and helped her find the place. She noted (accurately) that the baal koreh was both too quick and not very good. Kiddush was, of course, herring and crackers. (Also, some sugar cookies 'n stuff, but there's no of course about that.)
Tisha B'Av was, well, the usual. My aunt, a nurse, knew all the right pre-fast tricks (salmon, a baked potato, salt earlier in the day to retain water, lots of water throughout the day--no amount is too much!), and the day was, I think, better because of it. It was also good not to have to go to work, and to get a lot of sleep. We went to The Summit, an assisted living facility, and visisted with Mrs. Etkin, with whom we discussed Tisha B'Av, and who told us some stories of finding hope in Auschwitz. I also saw a special "Tisha B'Av video" at shul after mincha about which it is best to say nothing at all. Sinat chinam and all that. Lashon hara is bad. I think we can all agree on that point.
Okay, I am handing the blog over to Sarah Autry, my co-worker, who promises to blog about !exciting things! which is much more than I can say for this sadly boring post... (This is my first guest-blogger ever. Let me know if you want to guest-blog... Don't know if that is hyphenated or not...)Labels: travel
