1/31/09

Reporting live from Seattle...ok well, now we are in Vancouver and it's actually 2/1. Anywhooo I gave Ms. Q the day off yesterday..poor thing..she's all blogged out! Hey, so let me jump in and give the gal a helping hand! I am a team player after all ! And, for those keeping track, I am also jumping ahead of our day/night in the Willamette Valley Vineyards. More on that later, right Q?

OK, so where was I?

We arrived in Seattle from McMinnville (Willamette Valley) on Thursday 1/29, and what a drive it was! Mt. Rainier was just waving to us from the East the last hour of our trek.  So crystal clear! Again, God is good! We spent the night w/Brooke, Jeff and little Paige Erbstein in the St. Anne neighborhood.  Brooke and Jeff used to live in Chicago and have been in Seattle for seven years. They have a lovely home w/lots of rooms for Hos like us (ok, but really, who is like us??).  We had a suite all to ourselves, w/kitchen included...so bummed Quigs didn't bring any of her chicken breast recipes!  Yesterday, we spent the day exploring .  We hooked up with an old friend of mine from St. Joe's College, Dr. Bill Hogan, who is the Athletic Director @ the Seattle University, a fine Jesuit school of 7800 students.  The Coach is responsible for re-introducing the University back into Division I sports. The goal is to win the NCAA Tournament in 2016. Quigs already asked him for tickets if they make it to the big dance in exchange for lodging in Chicago if "we" host the Olympics. (Ok, I'm chiming in...this in no way should be construed as a Blago deal...there was no discussion of money in exchange for tickets or lodging).  Doc Hogan entertained us in his office, gave us some t-shirts and hats (kindly asked what color shirts we wanted since he admittedly didn't know how to ask what SIZE we wanted). HOW did we end up with TWO X-Large shirts I asked!??  He gave us a tour of their infamous St. Ignatius Chapel which is a modern structure but architectural gem (think: windows strategically placed to reflect colored prisms on the walls of the Chapel). He then treated us to a fab lunch. He kindly picked up the tab and when he resisted our money he said are you kidding me? The chance to lunch w/two babes? How can I not pick up the bill? (I thought that would have been the perfect time to discuss the C he gave me in Production Management @ St. Joe's...yes, the only C I got in my major!) but, unlike my usual self, I let it go!   After 25 years..let it go for pete's sake!! After lunch we said our good-byes and he resisted all attempts by Quigs to attend and run his 2pm meeting...she said she really missed facilitating them! We headed to the Olympic Sculpture Park...fairly new, on the waterfront and compared to Chicago's Millennium Park. Right...nothing compares with "our" Park but it was a great stop and we enjoyed walking around and posing in front of the sculptures.  Then off to Pike's Place Market along the wharf where we ran into a Chicago friend, Bob McNamara (of Chancey Brother's fame) and his wife Jeannie, who were in town for a wedding.

So...we headed back to Queen Anne and Quigs, after pushing me out of the car to the curb, announced she had to get her car washed and never returned. I think I rec'd a text stating that she was spending the night in Newcastle w/a former Cornell college roommie, Julie, and her family. A ruse I say, it was a ruse! That car is still dirty! And I was left with no one to rub my feet at night! 

After an exhuberating walk with Brooke around the Queen Ann area (amazing view!) Saturday morning, I had coffee...ok...water (no Diet Coke was available) and a DONUT (my second on this trip) with John McDowell, brother of my good friend Carol aka Tinker Shaheen. John opened up a chic men's clothing store, Oslo's, on Queen Anne Ave.  three years ago...and is offering 75% winter stock for anyone mentioning my name (you did say that, right John?)