Sleepless in Seattle

Happy Saturday! Lots to discuss.

About a month ago, I promised to write a weekly column, to be published on Saturday. Here’s the last one. I’d be happy to write more, if you, the reader, so wish.

First, more local political nonsense, in the California State Assembly race, between Giselle Hale, clearly not a favorite of the real estate lobby, and Diane Papan. Apparently, Big Tech employees have given to Hale to “protect their data selling, anti-privacy agenda in Sacramento.” This is the third anti-Hale mailer this week. One of them notes that Hale, a registered Democrat, auditioned for The Apprentice in 2005. Will the real Democrat please stand up? More to come, I am sure.

From ridiculous local political mailers, we travel 678 miles north, to Seattle, home to the famous Gum Wall, near Pike’s Place Market. Apparently, San Luis Obispo, in Central California, has one as well, so Seattle, for better or worse, is not alone. According to credible sources, the Seattle Gum Wall was power washed a few years ago. To my mind, another cleaning is long overdue. No, I did not add to the collection, although adding the above mailer to this wall could have been somewhat satisfying. A few did add gum to the wall, as I walked to lunch, remarkably with my appetite still intact. The sampler (4 5-ounce containers) at Pike Place Chowder was quite nice and generally reasonably priced ($18). The lobster roll ($34.95), not so much. Airport pricing. As mentioned, inflation is real, especially when it comes to crustaceans.

I had last visited Downtown Seattle in 2015. Plenty of construction back then, and plenty right now. I love the water, in all directions, and do not mind the low clouds, rain (really, drizzle) and gloom. California is parched, again, and any precipitation is welcomed. Anecdotally, the Pacific Northwest, while still green, is drier than usual. Perhaps Californians are bringing the drought with them to Washington state. Politically, Seattle is comparable to San Francisco (and Portland); each city has many of the same issues. This has not changed since my 2015 visit and likely will not change any time soon.

I titled this post Sleepless in Seattle for the simple reason that for the life of me I could not get a good night’s sleep there. No, this had nothing to do with Seattle or with my hotel room, which was comfortable enough and conveniently dark. No, I did not overdo it on coffee, to help overcome the gloom and somnolence of the Emerald City. In fact, the sun appeared on a few days, usually in the late afternoon, and it was glorious, Puget Sound, a giant bathtub, ferries to and from Bainbridge Island, jets and other planes on the glide path to Seatac or Boeing Field. On the subject of coffee, above is one option, at the Fairmont Olympic. Competent light roast and perfectly flaky croissant. Sure, I had more than my fair share of Starbucks, and any respite was welcomed, but that was not the reason. Simply put, I do not sleep well while traveling.

Freeway Park, Seattle

Exercising while traveling is always a challenge. This was my gym, perfect for my early morning self-guided yoga sessions. Not quite my weekly Integrated Flow session (sorry, Deeb), but good enough. Sure, I was the only one practicing my Warrior 3, followed by Half Moon, of course, but that was just as well. Time to focus on the demands of the day, to enjoy quiet and solitude, besides the hum of Highway 5 traffic below the park, fresh cut grass, a new day. Time as well to reflect on the present, on the importance of trust, on the satisfaction of earning trust, on trusting others and having others trust you. Lastly, time to appreciate that only you know (and could possibly know) your self worth and capabilities, that what others tell you about what you can and cannot do are opinions, to be considered (perhaps) and in most cases discarded.

Comments welcomed.