So, I start my day at 11A.M. I think for a moment that I'm missing out on something, but then realize that this is my bloody vacation and I'll wake up whenever the hell I damn well please. I figure that I love sleep, I never get enough of it, so I'm going to get some while I'm in a state of not having a care in the world. That's a state I'm not in very often.
After a great deal of research and web surfing, I decide to spend my day exploring downtown. The heart of the city is less than five blocks from my hotel, so it's perfect. I don't know what it is about being in the heart of a large city, but every time I'm in one, I feel like Marlo Thomas in the opening sequence of That Girl. I feel like wearing a big poofy hat, pulling it off, and spinning in circles by some large flowing fountain. I could totally do it, and if I had the chance to do it anywhere, Seattle would be the place. If this city had a motto, it would be, "Do What You Want."
I've only been here two and half days so far, but I'd like to share some observations I've made. First off, this is definitely a pedestrian city. Seattle is a very "green" city, promoting all forms of environmentally-friendly habits and activities. Walking and cycling are the most prevalent forms of transportation. That's not to say that people don't drive - they totally do, but the city is rather compact (or it seems as if everything worth seeing or doing is within walking distance of everything else).
Plus, pedestrians rule! If you're a driver, you always yield to the pedestrian. If you're coming out of a parking lot or turning a corner and there's a pedestrian walking in front of you, you don't speed up and try to go around him. You stop. You let the pedestrian cross, then you may proceed. Of course, as a pedestrian, that doesn't mean you can jaywalk, cross against the light, or do whatever the heck you want. Au contraire, mon ami! As a pedestrian, you live by the rules. If you don't, you die.
The people of Seattle walk everywhere, and in keeping with their "Laissez-Faire" attitude, they walk in their own little worlds. I think that explains why street names and intersections are not only listed on the standard street signs, but also embedded in brass into the pavement at their feet. In fact, everywhere I roam in downtown, floor numbers, street names, even retail establishments are listed in stone or metal on the pavement or ground. It's rather difficult to get lost in downtown.
Here's another observation, Seattle is a dog city! Everybody who is anybody has a freaking dog or two or three. They're all on leashes, they're incredibly well-behaved and friendly, and they rarely, if ever, bark. In addition, your dog can go anywhere you do - into stores, into dry cleaners, into restaurants...anywhere. And if your dog can't go in, the establishment has a hitching post for your dog's leash outside, along with a doggy water bowl and food bowl. It's crazy! In fact, while out driving with Emily yesterday, we saw a couple take their dog into the Teriyaki restaurant on the corner with them. I know that sounds like a bad "Asians eat dog" joke, but I swear it's not. Or at least, I don't think it is - we didn't stick around long enough to see if they came out with an empty leash and handful of cash.
Now, let's talk cost of living! I mean, seriously. It's expensive as hell to live here. Prices for everything are high, except gas - it's the same price here as in South Bend. WTF is up with that? Anyway, while shopping today in Seattle's version of Watertower Place (called Pacific Place), I just about had a hundred different bowel accidents while looking at price tags. $250.00 for a pair of designer jeans - and every pair of jeans is a designer pair. Even their Levi's have designer-looking labels. Housing prices here are outrageous. To have even a sliver of lawn jacks the price of the house up by several hundred thousand dollars. The houses near Emily's neighborhood range from $1 million to double-digit millions in price. That's why so many houses are broken into apartments and why so many people live in apartments. No one can afford a house. Hell, even rent is crazy. Average monthly rent costs range from $1,250 to $3,000 a month. I know that with cost of living comes an increase in pay and higher average salaries, but still...I have gulped more times than I can count when I hear the figures.
And let's talk jeans for a minute, since I'm on the subject. I don't get the jeans in this town. Skinny jeans are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Sure, you can totally get your thighs and calves in shape just walking up the many hills in the city daily, but why accent your spindly little legs? I guess having been 6'3" for so long and having giraffe-like legs, I'm more than self-conscious of them and have spent my life trying to cover them and not draw attention to their freakishly-long nature. Here, in Seattle, if you're not wearing skinny jeans, it's a rarity. Skinny jeans are so absolutely popular that there are now jeans in the stores here called Matchstick Jeans. I've never seen those in the Midwest. I'm sure they probably exist, but this city has provided me with my first exposure to them. Who knew skinny could get skinnier? I half-expected each pair to come with a designer crowbar to get them off of you at the end of the day. No such luck. You're on your own to pry them off.
In my case, of course, I'm looking at all of this through Midwestern eyes. Seattle residents just don't care about what people are wearing. It's like Emily said on my first day here, "If you're working it, you're fine." But here's my realization - "Even if you're not working it, you're fine." Not more than an hour ago, I saw a guy who totally dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow. He was eating Clam Chowder on the sixth floor of the mall, complete with long, unwashed hair, cotton bandana, and silky sashes hanging from his belt. I thought for sure because he was only a few store fronts away from AMC Theatres, he was promoting the new Pirates movie, but I honestly don't think he was. I tried to go back to find him and take a snapshot, but he was gone. Imagine my disappointment.
That's it for random observations for now. I'm headed back out into the city to explore some more. I'm headed back to Pike's Market for a little shopping there, too. I know tonight is going to be wild and crazy, if Emily has her way. :) I need to walk off some calories in order to not become a super fat heifer after this trip. Daryn - out.
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