Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Seattle 2012 July

The great Seattle trip - the Woodstock School alumni reunion, Sunday evening cruise, Barb's brunch, Monday Pensione, Tues and Wed sailboat even over night, Wed's Needle and Chihuly glass museum, Thursdays' express clipper day trip up to Victoria's Butchart Gardens (in Canada) and back,  Friday's Public Library, and red-eye back home. 20-28 July 2012.

The reunion and the week in Seattle went well.

Got up at 3:45 AM (EST, but 12:45 AM West Coast time) and left Friday morning (20 July 2012), landing in Seattle around 11 am, meeting classmate Gail and taking a shuttle in to the Reunion site at the Seattle University.  No one was at the Emerson dorm, but Nathan Scott and Dan Lind helped me to get to the WOSA registration office about 3 blocks away up steep streets and got keys, etc. Back down Gail got into her dorm room, though Deej and I were at an apartment complex about 5 blocks away. We waited for her to get briefly settled, noticing that she was yelling from her 3rd floor - so I called her on my cell phone - she was locked into the stair well.  I was able to go up the elevator, find her stairwell, and open the door up. We went off to our apartment rooms (which had a kitchen, living room, 2 bathrooms, and 3 bedrooms!), and then to late lunch at a nice Thai place.

Oops - I need to get to an overview and away from these details.
This is a PDF of the reunion schedule http://wosana.org/r2/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WOSA-Schedule-FINAL.pdf

Friday evening was our first dinner at the cafeteria, then a welcome session with singing, and a movie of the Dan Terry (alumni dentist killed in Afghanistan) and discussion, and greeting classmates, etc

Saturday's general meeting wasn't bad, with a 4 minute video from the Principal, etc.

David Rugh gave a fascinating presentation of his 30 years work monitoring whales in the off shore Washington area. With an afternoon talk by Dorothy Riddle - interesting, ideas about non-person beings (plants, animals) and our relation with them. I went to the first choir rehearsal, then chai.  Never got to any of the Happy Hours and nearby bars (the campus is dry). But Deej and I took off walking with  Helen Arnott (class of 1960) to see the Fremont troll under the Fremont bridge, about a mile away, returning in time to dress for the Khana dinner, with Pete Wildeman singing some pretty interesting songs he's written.  The evening movie "Palayan - a Story of Exodus" was interesting - how Himalayan villagers are faced with the exodus of young people and the adjustments.  No Fremont Pub Crawl for us (or for anyone as far as I know)

Sunday was a second rehearsal, this time with Vance George, having just arrived from conducting choirs at the Bellingham (WA) annual festival.  I set up and taped the Sunday Service as the choir sang 4 songs, Jack Day gave a talk on Stewardship (the theme of the reunion), etc. You can see photos and watch some of the videos from links at this web page which I set up
http://people.virginia.edu/~pm9k/59/after/2012wosaReunion.html

Had a nice lunch with most of my classmates and with Vance.  The afternoon talks on women's health around the world and sustainable forest products was interesting - by two experienced and enthusiastic speakers. Had a quick supper and then walked down to the dock (about a 30 minute walk) and got on a small cruiser for our Wine and Desert Cruise around the lakes and back harbors of Seattle - seeing rich houses (but not Bill Gates') and watching the lights come on around the town of Seattle.

Monday morning quick packing and a ride with Jack and Fran to Barbara Judy Bowes' house in the far north woods of Seattle where she gave us a great brunch for a class and friends, and her brother Jerry and wife. Jack got us back into downtown near our bed and breakfast place - the Pensione.  A very pleasant place with a lounge overlooking the harbor - small bedroom (no TV) with 3 bathrooms down the hall. We went down to Pike Place Market and got some lychees, also down to the Waterfont and supper at the Pink Door (nice Italian place).

Tuesday going to go sailing on Lindsay and Dana's sailboat with classmates and overnight. Pack, grab our things and a little breakfast from 8-8:10, in order to jump on the 8:14 bus for an hour ride to the Vashon ferry docks in southern Seattle, getting there just in time for the 9:05 ferry, with Barb, her brother Jerry and wife, and Li waving at us as we walk to the ferry.  Hardly start eating our breakfast sandwich and drink coffee before the ferry seems to have arrived at Vashon Island already (15 minute trip?). Robert and Suzanne were to meet us as we called them on our cell phones.  They had spent the night on the Island at a Bit 'O Island cottages on the Island.  Ride with them to the harbor, down to the sail boat as Bonnie, Li, Barb, Jerry and wife join us on the sailboat.  And off we go, sailing or motoring around the south and then west side of the island most of the day - very pleasant, cool , sunny.  Good lunch.  Then dropping off Barb, Jerry and wife, as Lindsay rowed them ashore in a dingy to near the ferry dock. More sailing and a spaghetti super as we decided to return to dock for the night (no more dingy stuff). Pleasant rocking night on the  boat - the rocking stuck with us for 3 or 4 days.

Wednesday back to Seattle and the Needle and the Chihuly glass works. Packed and ate a nice berries breakfast, with Li giving us a ride to the ferry and then on the other side to the bus stop. Which had changed two blocks away up hill because of construction.  Caught the bus back and went to our other, less fancy (no morning breakfast) Moore hotel - but at least down town.  A touristy day - the monorail to the Needle, to the top and the 360 views; to the amazing and colorful glass works museum,
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018198306_chihuly13m.html
and delicious lunch, and back to our hotel, and a walk to Pioneer Square and a fascinating tour of the Seattle underground.
http://www.undergroundtour.com/

Thursday was our quick day trip to Victoria's Butchart Gardens. Rush over 10 blocks and and down to the Express Clipper docks, line up and load on to the boat with about 150 others.  2.5 hours up to Victoria, a 1/2 hour bus ride, 2.5 hours at the garden, 1/2 bus back, and 2.5 hour clipper back (going through US customs, of course)
http://www.butchartgardens.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Friday we walked to the lovely, new, 10-story modern public library (it has an amazing all red 6th floor)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Public_Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/major_clanger/959886/
did more walking, ate at the main chowder restaurant at Pike Place, and then went on frantic bus trip to U of Washington where I thought I'd try to make contact with a fellow South Asia librarian, but we got there about 4:15 on a Friday afternoon and she was already gone.  We did see much of north Seattle again.  Back for some more walking around the Waterfront and a supper at Ivar's Seafood Restaurant and Chowder
http://www.ivars.com/

The a rush to collect our luggage, walk to the light rail underground and catch the hour-long ride through far southern Seattle suburbs in the fade twilight to the airport.  We made it in fairly good time so that we were through security and waiting to board at 9 pm for our 10:10 pm flight.

The overnight flight seemed to be very short though it was over 4.5 hours long.  Arriving in Charlotte Saturday morning around 6 am east coast time and waiting 3 hours for the Charlottesville flight.  We were glad to fly into Charlottesville, fairly quickly get our bag, and to our car, parked near to the parking lot elevator, and on home. Went out to the overgrown garden, picked, especially okra, and made a great chicken and sausage gumbo for our first night home.

What a great trip - reunion, cruise, sailboat, Needle and glass art, another fast cruise to the fabulous Victoria gardens, public library, pretty good hotels, seeing and being with old friends again, seeing new sights and places, having new experiences, eating great seafood.

The Beach 2012 June

Back down to Nags Head south for a week - at a new place.  Sun, sand, surf - but fairly cool air and warmer water.  Nice relaxing week again.

Toronto AAS 2012 March

Traveled to Toronto for the Tibetan and South Asian librarian meetings and the Association of Asian Studies annual conference. And I actually was the chairman AND discussant for a panel.  Great fun.