I love the monorail. It's so quick, but it makes the trip from Downtown to the Seattle Center a breeze and so much fun. Now that the EMP is there, its pretty cool to ride through that fantastic building. Heading downtown, it was full of visitors (you can tell) enjoying a beautiful day of blue sky and sunny warmth. I had packed my bag for the weekend before looking at the weather and had dressed for the cool temperature we'd had all week. My boots and sweater got hot real quick.
I thought I was running late. But as usual the Universe runs perfectly in sync and my friend texted they were running late. Chuckles. I was heading to Nordstrom to charge my phone at Concierge when they sent the new timeline for meeting up. Stuck in Nordstrom with nothing to do but wait? A wish come true. Browsing Nordstrom was on my list of things to do!
I decided to go find a top more appropriate for the warm weather. After recently watching What Not to Wear on Netflix, I quickly browsed the selection I could afford, no famous designers for me. And found a gorgeous top, I picked up two colors, a beige and a deep blood red and found a mirror. The red popped and coordinated well with my black velvet pants. As I looked in the mirror and loved what I saw, a customer service lady said, "The red looks great and goes with your lipstick." Nordstrom is fabulous. The blouse was far above what a I would normally pay for a top. But I knew the danger of shopping in Nordstrom and decided to splurge. I went to the back to try it on and it was so lovely I kept it on. The lady helped cut the tag off as I paid for the purchase and off I went to more browsing.
So I wandered through Accessories, I found some hair ties on the reduced table, I had not packed any and I wanted to tie up my hair. Next was handbags. Just wandering through beauty makes me feel better. Even if I know there is no way I can afford 95% of what I see, I don't mind. I have learned over the years to buy quality, the investment always pays off. So I buy good shoes and I recently started to buy good purses. A pair of $100 shoes way out last a cheap shoe and you can be so super comfy every step of the way, it's worth every single penny. Also if you are not familiar with Nordstrom, they are known for their amazing return policy. I choose to buy from Nordstrom when I can because I know if I have any problem they will help me with a return. Also use their e-receipt and you will never lose it.
Next was shoes and that's when my friend found me! Good save. Chuckles. After a quick consultation our directions changed and we headed for food and the MOHAI, Museum of History and Industry. I'd never heard of it. But I'm game. We rode the street car from near Westlake to South Lake Union. It was gorgeous. The blue sky with light shimmering off the lake. Float planes, fabulous yachts (one day I will vacation on one!), and people boating. We grabbed some food from the cafe and sat in the glorious sun. I sipped on my favorite blood orange San Pellegrino, kicked off my boots and tied up my long hair. This October day felt like summer. I was feeling so blessed.
The Museum of History and Industry was right up my alley. I love history, especially Native history. I was fascinated seeing an old map of Seattle when Indians out numbered immigrants. To look at old maps and try to find the streets I have become familiar with in my love affair with the City in the past year. The University used to be on University street! Angeline, the daughter of Chief Seattle used to live on Pike Street. I saw maps of the Klondike gold rush, pictures of HUGE trees being logged, mining in Seattle and the train arriving in Tacoma.
We walked through Seattle's history: the Depression, World War II, the Japanese Internment Camps, the building of the 50's homes, the Civil Rights Era, the American Indian Movement. Models of ships and airplanes. We talked about life before the telephone and when mail drove the use of airplanes! Can you remember when long distances calls were expensive? Chuckles.
I had a fabulous time. I can't wait to go back again and see my favorites again.
We said good bye and I headed back to my BFF and then hoped to get back to my room to watch the sunset. I was not disappointed. The sunset was phenomenal. A few clouds that looked like the Creator's brushstrokes were turning neon as the sun set. I filled the tub and ended up watching Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash and June Carter story. I have never liked that he left his wife and kids. But this time watching it I realized June had been divorced twice before. She was an amazing single mother. She also knew how to help him through his addictions. And they were able to walk the line together and build something beautiful. Hmmm....
