My ABC's - Astronauts, Butterflies/Burgers, and Chinese Food

We have had such a wonderful time here in Seattle this week. On Monday, Jim, Jeff, Carol and I went to the IMAX theater, to see Hubble 3D. The theater is located in the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.



We paid for our tickets, grabbed our 3D glasses, and headed into the theater. Jeff turned to me and said, "Where do you want to sit?"

I laughed and said, "Well, I have to sit in the exact center."

He said, "Me too." So he lead us to our appropriate seats.

I continued, "Yeah, Jim's used to me. He patiently waits while I count 1..2..3..4..etc. Isn't that funny that you and I are so much alike?"

Jeff said, ever the techno-geek (and I mean that in the nicest way) "Yeah, I have to sit in the center to get the optimum sound. Visually it's the best spot because it's straight on and it eliminates foreshortening."

Huh.

I just thought that I got headaches from eye strain if I didn't sit in the middle.

Here are two people with different IQ's, that reached the same conclusion.

Middle is best.

Back to the movie. It was spectacular. I was worried about seeing a 3D movie since I get nauseated very easily. But this movie was no problem. The views of the stars and nebulas are stunning and to see the work that our astronauts do with the Hubble is humbling.

After the movie we walked/ran through the bug exhibit (yuk!) so I could get to the butterfly exhibit.

And saw this beauty,



and that one,



and this one,



and can't forget this one!



And last but certainly not least, this one!



We spent some time in the Science Center, then headed out towards home. Our stomachs were growling and Jeff thought it was a great time to introduce us to Dick's Drive In.



They have been around a long time, are known for the cheap prices and good hamburgers and shakes. Hamburgers are the only thing on the menu - and ice cream. The cheeseburger was delish, as were the fries and chocolate shake.

We beat the rush hour traffic home. It was Jeff's birthday and he had his heart set on a particular restaurant for dinner, but they were closed on Mondays. So instead we went to the Mandarin Garden in Issaquah.

The men like hot things (thus why they are married to Carol and me!) So they ordered two hot dishes and Carol and I ordered a couple of dishes to share. She suggested walnut prawns. The prawns are deep fried, then gently mixed in a light mayonnaise dressing with honey in it. Now, you might be wrinkling up your nose at the mayonnaise part. Let me say this. Don't knock it till you tried it. It's a taste of heaven right there in your mouth. I am not kidding. The walnuts are just spread on the plate, so you can scoop up one in your mouth with the prawn. Yum! My mouth is watering just talking about them! There are many recipes available if you google "Honey Walnut Shrimp".

Some of Seattle's Finest

Although we haven't been to these spots on this trip to Seattle, here are some places worth mentioning that we've visited in the past.

If you ever have some time, you should really drop by the Fremont area, a quirky, touristy, artsy neighborhood of Seattle. They consider themselves the center of the universe. Throughout the several blocks you'll see odd signs like, "Set your watch ahead five minutes", "Set your watch back five minutes" and "Throw your watch away." (1)

This is the famous "Fremont Bridge Troll" (although the bridge he is under is really called the Aurora Bridge). This big guy is 18 feet tall and weighs 2 tons, made of concrete, back in 1989. He is clutching a Volkswagen Beetle in one hand.



Last year some idiots tagged Mr. Troll with graffiti. The paint didn't come off so more concrete was slathered over the statue to cover up the paint.


Photo courtesy of FremontUniverse.com

Here's a quirky statue called, "Waiting for the Interurban." They are six cast aluminum figures that include a dog that are waiting for a bus that never comes. So, you might think, "Oh, that's nice. Look at that statue/sculpture." Well, it's become a comedy relief icon. People come by and dress up the statues, put signs around their necks. "Happy Birthday, John!" or whatever! They may be wearing leis, or party hats or whatever.



They even have a 16-foot bronze statue of Lenin in the neighborhood, thanks to Lewis Carpenter. The statue was first erected in Slovakia in 1988, and torn down the following year at the end of the Soviet Empire. Lewis Carpenter was teaching in the area at the time, mortgaged his house to buy the statue and brought it back to Fremont.



Leaving the Fremont area, next is the Olympic Sculpture Garden, part of the Seattle Art Museum, which has wonderful, sometimes eclectic, sculptures. The garden is free to walk through. I recommend you take a gander.

How many of you can remember what this is? Before computers. I used a few of these in my time! "Typewriter Eraser" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen





Eyeball these "Eye Benches I" by Louise Bourgeois.



This is called "Wake" by Richard Serra.





I'm not sure what this sculpture was titled, so I'm just going with, "Rusty Tall Sculptures." It must have been part of a temporary exhibit because it is no longer there. Or, at least it's not listed as part of the park's exhisting permanent collection. These are very tall structures, maybe 12-15 feet. I'm taking the photo from up on the hill, looking down on the sculptures.



Walking down the street, I saw these garbage cans planted with tulips. Who knew garbage cans could be so pretty?



(1) Wikipedia - Fremont, Seattle

Twenty-six years ago today......

Love is patient, Love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, it is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

Lover never fails

(Corinthians 13:4-8)

Twenty-six years ago today I took a leap of faith and walked down that wedding aisle again. It was a scary decision, but I held my breath, closed my eyes, and grabbed on to Jim's hand, and jumped off the cliff. It has been an interesting 26 years to say the least.

Unfortunately our wedding pictures are packed away in storage or I'd post some of them. But I looked like this.



Except for the beads. Oh, and I wasn't wearing a bathing suit. No, I wasn't nekid, either. I wore a nice, respectable dress.

Jim looked like this.



Okay, so maybe I exaggerate. But he was quite hairy. He had a perm back then and he needed a haircut so it almost looked like a 'fro. AND he had a full beard, so yeah, I think I'm dead on with the werewolf photo.

I like to say we honeymooned on this lovely heart-shaped island.



Guess again. It was at the local hotel about 10 miles from home. My Mom took care of the kids. I remember feeling sick on my honeymoon night. (Did I mention that on my FIRST honeymoon with my FIRST husband that I was hospitalized for a week? NO? Another post, I guess.) Maybe I'm allergic to honeymoons?

I remember Jim brought a gym bag filled with magazine. ON.HIS.HONEYMOON. A sign of things to come.

"WHAT are you doing bringing magazines on your honeymoon?" I asked him incredulously.

"Well," he said, sounding quite reasonable, "we can't spend the whole time in bed."

Wait, WHAT? Why not?

We came home from our 2-day childless honeymoon (even though I called home everyday to talk to the kids) and got a reality check. It was a rainy Monday morning, and our garbage was ripped up with chicken bones spewed all over our lawn. THIS IS LIFE.

Starting out a new life with someone is hard enough, but throw in a toddler, (Jessica was 2 1/2), and a young child (Jason was 4 1/2), just adds to the interesting things that come up day-to-day in a marriage. I've said before that Jim adopted my kids, legally, so he took us in lock, stock and barrel. Jim's son, Jeff, was 16 at the time, and lived with Jim's ex-wife.

We were married only 4 months when Jim accepted a job in Washington, DC. We were living in Illinois at the time. I was devastated to leave my family. The Chicagoland area was all I knew. I had never lived anywhere else. I still remember to this day when we went over to my parents house to say goodbye. My Mom put her head down on the kitchen table and sobbed. It broke my heart. (I felt that same pain when my daughter went off to college AND when she decided to live about 2 hours away from us after she graduated college.)

It was hard for me to make the adjustment to living in Virginia. It was like living in a whole different country! But it was the best thing for us. We grew together as a family. We only had each other to rely on. After only about a month, the kids stopped calling Jim by his name, and started calling him, "Daddy". It was so nice to hear.

Every weekend we went into DC and did some sightseeing. Unfortunately, my kids don't remember any of this now! But when my daughter was three, she'd always build her blocks so tall and say, "This is the Washington Monument!" She even had a Southern accent for awhile!

I missed my family terribly and called home constantly. But as the days rolled by, I started to cry less and open my eyes more to the beautiful scenery around me. We rented a home for a year or so, then bought one further away from DC. I met a woman out there, Vicki, who became one of my best friends. And Kathy. I am still friends with both of these women to this day. I remember the advice a woman gave me from where I worked in Illinois. She said, "You never know. Your best friend could be waiting for you there in DC." And she was right.

After four years, Jim was transferred back to Illinois. Now I missed Virginia so much! But I was glad to be back with my family. Luckily we stayed put for 18 years in Illinois. The kids were able to establish friends, go to one elementary, middle and high school.

About seven years ago, we bought our first fifth wheel, and Big Blue, this honking truck to pull it. We took a few trips and went camping on the weekends. Jim talked about going "full-timing", selling everything, house included, and hitting the road. It took a couple of years to a)convince me and b)get everything set.

We've been on the road 5 years now. AND we are still married. I'd be lying if I said we don't get on each other's nerves. We do. Living in 400 square feet, you're bound to annoy the other person just by BREATHING. Or at least Jim's breathing annoys ME sometimes!

One thing I have to say about this man - hooking up with him has led me to see so many things and travel to so many places that I probably never would have seen. Little did I know that our last name translates to "gypsies" in German. (kidding)

Jim is a great guy, loyal to the end, smart as Wikipedia, and always has a pen when you need it! It's been a great journey, honey, and I love you! But are we getting off the road anytime soon? I'd like a home that doesn't move when we walk, a little more space, and maybe a washer and dryer that doesn't accept coins?

I can't say that I have improved with age. You be the judge.



Jim surprisingly has a lot less hair. He has me shave his head about once a month. As you can see by this photo, he's a keeper!

What a difference a day makes!

What's this? The sun was shining, the skies were blue, the clouds were white and puffy. It was a beautiful day. Jim had plans to go flying with our son, Jeff, who has his pilot's license. I gracefully declined. This meant I had most of the day to myself. Do you know how RARE this is? Although I didn't have any vehicle, I planned to take a nice walk and have my camera in hand.

First stop - this humongous tree right next to our trailer.



This is the base of the tree.



Don't think it looks that big? How about now with ME standing inside of it?



I began walking down the long road that led out of the campground.



You know that old saying that "moss only grows on the north side of the tree"? Well, that's baloney. At least in the damp Northwest area! There was moss growing on all sides of the trees.



In fact, moss grows on anything. Cement.



On a rock. I call this "Art on a Rock."



This tree has an unexpected garden on its trunk.



First I found these white little wildflowers.



Then I found what looks like a geranium.



Next I found these ferns.



And finally moss.



All of that growing on one tree trunk!

Everywhere I looked I saw signs of spring. These were hanging from the trees. Does anybody know what kind of trees produce this type of flower?



I saw this wildflower.



And this one.



and some wild daisies.



There is a golf course right next to the campground. I kept hearing "twack!" as the golfers hit the golf balls, and then they'd yell, "FORE!" I was worried that a wildly hit ball would conk me in the head and kill me, and Jim would find my dead on the road with my camera in my hand, like some road kill. Thankfully the balls just bounced off the nearby trees instead of MY noggin.



I've seen these striped reeds before.



When I zoomed in on the reeds, above, I found Mr. Sluggo here.



I was enjoying my walk. Even the dandelion seemed so pretty, whether it was in full bloom,



or gone to seed,



or a whole field of them.



This fallen tree caught my attention. I was tempted to walk across it!



Look at the markings on it. At first glance, it could be a pond with reeds sticking out and their reflections. Then it could be just the log with interesting markings on it. Kind of like an optical illusion where first you see one thing, then the other.



I made my way over to the river that runs along the campground. There are rocks all over the place - the parking area, along the bank, in the river.







Did I tell you how much I love rocks? I used to collect them when I was little, put them in a brown paper bag, and stuff them under my pillow and SLEEP ON THEM. Go figure. Well, I grew up, and STILL love rocks. I still collect them, but I DON'T sleep on them. I found this heart shaped rock.



I thought it was really neat. But it was heavy. I wasn't finished walking yet, so I decided to hide it in case somebody should come along, spy my perfect heart shaped rock and STEAL it. So I hid it behind a cement block, and picked it up on my way back!

I love the way these two tree trunks curve into each other.



I love the long white fence dividing the campground from the golf course.



This is the third time we've stayed at this campground, and I always thought it was funny how their electrical boxes were up on steps like this. It finally dawned on me that this was in case the river floods. Duh. My momma didn't raise no dummy. Just a slow, bottle-blond one.