she's just saying...

Spoilers (baseball post)

The Mariners beat the Yankees 2 out of 3! Unfortunately for my sister and Derek Jeter, the M's basically ended New York's (extremely slim) chance of making the wild card. But it's good for the Mariners to believe that they can be a successful team again heading into the postseason.

We had a great time at both games, great seats, perfect weather. Susan kept score obsessively faithfully throughout. For my sports-deficient readers, that means marking down what happened at every at-bat with little symbols on a scorecard. You hardly see it much anymore, but there was a mom in the row ahead of us who was using an actual pad of paper printed with a scoring chart. Susan immediately had scorecard envy, so we'll have to track down that paper supply.

Lots of other silly and unique adventures here, but time to pack up and hit the long road home.

Fellow Travelers

My older sister and I are close, relative to the rest of our family. That means we make an effort to see each other once a year in addition to the July 4 family get-together. We've traveled together quite a few times without killing each other, so I consider that a success. But we do have very different travel styles that I've learned over the years.

I'm kind of a hang-out, mosey-around, soak up the atmosphere, take a nap, have a drink kind of traveler. She's all about getting out and about, seeing key attractions (most often architectural landmarks), taking photos, packing it all in. I like a big leisurely breakfast, then snacking on stuff during the day and often appetizers and drinks at cool spots at night. She basically doesn't eat all day, then likes a late big dinner at a nice place. I like to stay in fancy hotels, she'd rather save the money and use it for dining. No right or wrong here, just very different.

Traveling with another person can be tough -- there is always a point when you get on each other's nerves. Or maybe it's just me. But Susan and I do pretty well given our differences in style. We both like to shop in unusual stores, something my last boyfriend really chafed at. We always have a good, easy conversation. And she gets me to see/do things I'd otherwise miss, I know.

For example, she's been very focused on finding this Japanese 100 yen store. Packed with bizarre, clever little things, many of which we couldn't identify. Everything was $1.50, with a few exceptions. There are a lot of things I'll buy if they only cost $1.50. Even things I don't quite recognize.

We hit a vintage pottery store, something NO boyfriend would have been able to tolerate. Then a mystery bookstore - we were on a roll. I did my part in contributing to the retail economy in Seattle, as these are certainly things we don't have in Bend. I miss the quirkiness of city life and casually finding amazing discoveries around every corner. Oh well, my mantra: you can't have everything.

Off to the game...

Ultra red

OK, I said it wouldn't become a travelogue, but the Seattle Public Library is pretty cool. I'll let the shots speak for themselves.

The library's red corridor level (one of the Nine Circles Of Hell according to Dante)

Here are the escalators:

That's Joyce above me, our new library friend. We had all kinds of fun taking each other's photos throughout the place, running down the up escalator, passing off cameras, all that crazy tourist wackiness. Really, it was fun. She was visiting from SF - we liked her. Hi, Joyce! if she's reading this.

Obligatory artsy architecture shot:

We hit the Pike Place market and bought weird stuff, spent way too much time and money in So Much Yarn in Belltown (really fun staff and knitted samples for sale for $20!), spent the longest hour in my life behind the wheel in Friday afternoon rush hour in the middle of downtown (fun!) the reason for which I can't divulge or my sister will kill me, and picnicked in the ballroom hotel room with wine, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.  Now we're listening to the Mariners/Yankees - 3-nothing Seattle, no hitter, YES! Susan's irritated. I love it.

Lap of luxury in Seattle

Somehow we ended up in a luxury hotel right on 1st Avenue, in a room larger than my house in LA (700 sq. ft.). I had to confirm the price because we envisioned a final bill in the thousands. Yup, well under $200/night. Go Orbitz! Anyway, I'm content to simply go from the room to the baseball game to the sushi restaurant down the block all weekend, but my sister-the-architect has other ideas.

I'm not a fan of blogs that catalog people's trips with travel writing and photos, so you'll be spared. A few key highlights to come (A Rod's butt!).

OOO

(This is AT&T speak for out of the office.) I'm driving up to Seattle today to meet my big sister for a girls' weekend. We're going to catch some Mariners/Yankees games, which should be interesting as she's a die-hard Yankees fan and I cheer for the Mariners if they're not playing Boston. I'm looking for the Mariners to get it all together, be the team they should be and CRUSH NY. Or at least not embarrass themselves totally. Oh well. It'll be fun anyway.

More from the road...

First day photo

Fourth grade! How did that happen?

How soon can he start driving himself to school?

Lucinda show

Great show ultimately. The audience warmed up, she warmed up and got fired up eventually. It was probably a bit of an odd audience for her: the grass courtyard of an upscale athletic club, with fairly staid reserved seating up front, though she's been here in the same venue before.  Her band has broken out with their own identity and they opened the show with tight, infectious instrumental rock. They're now called Buick 6 and I'm definitely seeking out their CD.

At first we were told to move our dancing to the cheaper side of the fence, but toward the end they gave up and everyone came up front. There was even a chant started: "LU-CIN-DA!"

She was very Lucinda; vulnerable, prickly, insecure and defiant. She apologized for the "rocky start" at one point. (She was cranky that there was a section of empty reserved seats right up front and asked the venue to either fill them up or take them away, and surprisingly, they let a bunch of general admission folks in.) I loved that she confessed that she can't remember anything which is why she had to have the music stand. She said the really successful musicians had teleprompters, but she only had paper, and was kind of sheepish about the whole thing. Since I can't remember anything these days, I could relate.

Have I written about my memory problem? I can't recall. Anyway, another wonderful show.

Lucinda part 2

Alright, really unfortunate hair choice. Also she can't sing a line without looking at the lyrics on a music stand next to her. Security blanket? substance issues? I can sing these songs without looking at a cheat sheet - what's the deal?

Sharing Rod Stewart's hairdresser?

Lucinda!

My reg readers know I love love love Lucinda Williams. We're at her concert right now, 50 feet from her. She looks like she's had a couple of hard years, but haven't we all? Photos & more to come. I'm so happy, in the way only great music can bring.

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to School edition

For my four readers who don't live in Central Oregon, a weather update: we woke up to frost on the ground yesterday. I realize that Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer, but did we need such an obvious reminder?

I'm really not ready for fall and I resent it being thrust on us so quickly. But in an effort to get back to UPBEAT!, here are the top 10 reasons I welcome the end of summer:

1. Baseball playoffs (especially when the Bosox are involved)
2. Knitting in public doesn't seem as weird
3. No mosquitoes
4. Less temptation for the recovering tanaholic
5. Best tomatoes at the farmer's market
6. Foster kitten season is over til spring
7. Hot flashes are more tolerable (not that I'm having any)
8. Don't need to mow as often
9. I can wear the fingerless mitts I'm knitting
10. OK, scraping the barrel here: um, can't smell the compost bin from the hot tub?

Compost pile with Wonder Worman worms

What are yours? Give me something here, people!