Tag: writing

Pack Up and Go
Day 1: Sleepless in Seattle

After a solid two and a half hours of faulty air conditioning unit aided sleep at the Hilton Kansas City airport, we were off to the airport.

Tina and I checked our bags (thanks Delta Air Lines for not waving the fees for retired military) and headed to our departure gate. The flight was only half full so Delta kindly upgraded us to their comfort plus section. Worth the $44 in my opinion if you fly Delta. Once airborne, the stewardess made her way down the aisle and offered us all the KIND Bars and Cheez Its we could handle! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t grab a few extra just to annoy the peasants sitting in economy class. The flight was rather uneventful for the most part and we touched down on the rain soaked runway of Seattle-Tacoma.

Since we were staying downtown we decided to forgo the rental car and use our feet and Uber to make our way around the city. Thanks to the magic of the internet an Uber picked us up and we were on our way to The Paramount Hotel. A quaint boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Seattle. We arrived about 10AM and the staff was very accommodating. Our room was ready and they brought up a bottle of red wine and chocolate truffles which I felt added a personal touch.

Being that this is a surprise vacation, you don’t have any time to research the location. Pack Up and Go provides a very detailed itinerary of recommended places to go, eat, and fun activities.

Despite eating 11 Kind bars and 3 bags of Cheez Its on the flight, we were ready for breakfast. Biscuit Bitch was recommended and was only a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It was a very stereotypical Seattle morning of overcast skies and a light drizzle but it did not dampen our spirits in the slightest. This gave us a chance to stretch our legs while taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

The name Biscuit Bitch implies that the place has attitude. Upon entering, your eardrums are assaulted by the bass from hip hop played at a volume that would make me yell, “turn that sht down!” if it was coming from my kids bedroom. With “I’m Bossy” bumping in the background we perused the menu and made our choice of bitches. I chose the Gritty Scrambled Cheesy Bitch while Tina played it a little closer to the vest by going with the Easy Bitch. The food did not disappoint! If you are looking for a place that serves up great food and a zero fcks attitude then Biscuit Bitch is your place.

Biscuit Bitch

With our stomachs full and eardrums bleeding, we hit the streets and made our way to the Seattle Art Museum. The building itself is a work of art but I must not be cultured enough because some stuff just looked like paint sprayed on a canvas and called art. There was literally random tools on a board being displayed. Honestly, the picture of me taking a picture of the painting needs to be displayed. There were some very interesting pieces but overall kind of underwhelming. Save your money for a crumpet! (more to follow).

After an hour of criticizing world renowned artists it was off to the Public Market. This famous market is located on the waters of Elliot bay and is best known for fish throwing at Pike Place market. This was a cool open air market with many vendors and food choices.

While at the market we noticed a giant Ferris wheel and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take in the views of the city and water from the top of The Seattle Great Wheel. Being with a beautiful woman with an amazing view from high a top the Ferris wheel made me powerless against Tina‘s desire to kiss me.

By now it’s late afternoon and since we didn’t eat lunch we needed a little something to tide us over before our 7 PM dinner reservations. All I will say is that if you go to The Wing Dome, order the six boneless wings and not the 12. They were huge!

Thanks to Pack Up and Go we already had dinner reservations at Loulay Kitchen & Bar in downtown Seattle. Loulay is an urban contemporary French restaurant that features local seasonal fare. We started with the Crab Beignets and split a Cheese Burger with bacon-onion jam, comte cheese, and a side of fries. Loulay is a very nice but not over the top fancy and won’t break the bank.

With our day basically starting with a road trip to Kansas City the night prior, we chose to call it a night and head back the the hotel. Back in the room we did what most couples would do. A few episodes of Little House On the Prairie, read some bible verses, and got a good night’s sleep.

Next…. Day 2: The Maple Kind?

Road Trip to Wrigley: Found

Road Trip Part 6….Found

Upon hearing that the hotel didn’t have our reservation, we stood there and looked at each other in complete disbelief. We had just been through a day of hell, and now to top it all off, we didn’t even have a room to stay. After explaining our situation, I think the clerk felt sorry for us and we managed to get a room. With the room squared away, we were relieved that we didn’t have to pay a return visit to the YMCA, and our thoughts turned to finding our friends. We were all concerned for Todd, Tripp and Dilly, wondering where they were going to stay for the night, and generally worrying about their safety.

Eagle decided to use the pay phone to call his mother to let her know that we were ok and that we had checked into our hotel. He filled his mom in on the day’s events and told her that we had checked into the hotel, and that the other group of friends was still lost. Eagle’s mom was both elated and confused, as she had received a call from Brad Dilly’s Dad, letting her know that Todd, Dilly and Tripp had checked into the hotel and WE were still lost. We felt like we were in the Twilight Zone, but we were relieved at least to find out that the other group had made contact with folks back home.
How could it be that the others had found the hotel, if we were at the hotel and already checked in? After several phone calls back to Omaha to Eagle’s Mom, we confirmed that the others had checked into the Super 8 Hotel. We explained to Eagle’s mom that we had also checked into a Super 8 Hotel, but the others were nowhere to be found. After speaking with the desk clerk, we discovered that there was another Super 8 just a few blocks away. We took a walk outside the front entrance, and sure enough, like a beacon in the night, we see the sign for the other Super 8!

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Ed went inside to cancel the reservation he had just made, and we hopped in the car and drove over to the other Super 8, barely 2-3 blocks away. We were excited, but I remember being completely pissed that there were two Super 8’s within a few blocks of each other. We pulled into the parking lot and instantly saw the Tempo. Todd, Tripp and Dilly came out to greet us, and we all exchanged our stories of the day’s adventures. Our struggle was over! We couldn’t believe we had been trying to find each other for the better part of the entire day, and we ended up within 2 blocks of each other. I’ve often wondered if we had actually passed each other several times during the day, and if we were always just a few blocks apart. Looking back, I wonder why nobody had the bright idea to contact Eagle’s Mom sooner. We probably could have found each other hours earlier.

Completely exhausted, but relieved that things were back to normal, we settled into the hotel room. It was now nearing midnight, and we decided to take a late night tour of Chicago to do some sight seeing. After the day we had just been through, the six of us all piled into Todd’s Tempo – 3 in the front, 3 in the back. It was a tight squeeze, but nobody was complaining. Besides, now that we were all together again, what could possibly go wrong? As we left the parking lot and headed back out into the streets of Southside Chicago, we listened to the radio with barely an afterthought as it was announced that the Chicago Bulls had just won their first NBA Championship.

As we would soon find out, our adventures for the day were not over….

Stay tuned for Pt. 7………Da Bulls!

Coiled

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Growing up, I was quiet child. Tightly wound. A constant feeling of pressure in my chest from the coils of my feelings. Slowly tightening as the years passed.

Few truly knew me. My circle was small. I was an enigma wrapped in a mystery.

As I’ve gone through life, I have come to realize that my patience to open up is truly a virtue. I also learned that my silence was a detriment. My unwillingness often led to heartbreak.

I’m wiser now. I own the keys to my emotions. Not everyone deserves to be let in. I’ll speak the words I kept in my head and in my heart to those who are worthy.