seattle, wa

thursday

• last person to get to pali like a pro, ran from car to band room to bus in matter of five seconds
• fresh frozen bbq chicken pizza = good bus aromas
• lax: expensive bottled water, burger king fat, tater tots
• rxn predict. on the flight, taking advantage of sitting next to nicky lue the chem genius
• touchdown in seatac, love the rain
• get to hotel, hungry
• dale/jaycros/i go on walk to supposed jack in the box "only four blocks away to the right" in pouring rain and wind and zooming cars
• no jack in the box, granola bar lunch from gas station
• turns out the jack in the box is to the left, by a lot more than four blocks (figured this out saturday afternoon)
• bus to space needle
• top: so pretty. chippy cold. wind. felt good. george kept holding his phone over edge, thinking about it makes me nervous.
• had a sourdough bowl of steamy clam chowder, sooo good.
• sun comes out over puget, prettiest thing i've seen
• bus to bucco di beppo
• copious laughter, great food, better friends, happy evening
• back to hotel, chill for a bit
• hot tub to digest exploding stomach
• hang in 406
• alex playing pokemon
• nearly overflow bathtub

friday

• breakfast buffet downstairs, bacon. so. much. bacon.
• bus to pike's
• pike = so much happy
• friendliest seattle-ites, chatted with one guy who made handmade journals (got one for myself, buffalo hide and handmade paper)
• also talked with acrylic artist about california's beautiful coast and how she does such incredible brushwork (emily's bday present!)
• samples of the best goat cheese/beef jerky/raw honey/chocolate truffle cherries/etc./etc.
• got a volcanic ash sculpture of turtles for my mom
• chewed and put gum (v.l.) on infamous gum wall
• killer mac n' cheese and mexican coke from food truck two blocks up
• chai latte from original starbucks with jaycros
• bought indie wool white cap, comfiest thing ever
• walking around aimlessly to burn time, still great times
• festival!
• entire band turning boys restroom into our mancave away from home for concert black changing
• great performance (couldn't help smiling in so many moments, especially the first low brass theme of chaconne in warmup)
• danny did incredible on the chaconne horn solo! hit that high g and i wanted to hug him right there and then on stage
• funny photo = serg from flask
• bus to mall for grub
• bj's with bret/mitchel/tara(fur)
• funny waiter, with tara asking him his preference on lakers..ahh i love her
• hotel again, don't actually remember where i spent this evening. all i know it was with good friends and i had a good time. very good times.
• fell asleep to writing a birthday note, slept with smile on face

saturday

• more breakfast buffet, mmm
• underground tour, dave is a funny man. "seattle was a town funded off sins: drinking, gambling, and sewing"
• exploring the area with jaycros and emily and melony
• go up to the top of a tower, incredible view
• room inside, "china room" had beautiful chinese antiques. just beautiful. hidden gem of seattle right there.
• open cart elevator and looking down into the elevator shaft, holy balls.
• philly cheesesteak place with aforementioned trio and dale/lizzie
• philly cheesesteak with whiz/onions/sweet peppers/fried peppers = satisfied victor
• walked down to waterfront, get freaked out by curiosity shop
• toy store! lost my group but taught ollie/warfel blockus, played a game with them and daniel (won by a piece!) fun stuff
• starbucks with tara (then like, half the band)
• watched a great chessmatch between young and old, stern faces broken by a smile when they came down to a pawn and king vs. a king. made me so happy
• bus back to hotel, spend the afternoon with tara watching espn then alex c./christina briefly
• ferry to tillicum village, beautiful trip through the sound, couldn't stop looking down at the ship breaking through the water and the damn beauty of everything.
• had a moment where it felt like '10 again. wanted to speak, could barely. but the few words sufficed. my mind was racing too much to be trusted then.
• landed, had incredible dinner (freshly roasted salmon, sooo good.)
• seconds. mmm.
• the tribe's presentation
• wren! be the wren. always gonna be that wren.
• ferry back
• blistering cold wind
• nighttime skyline of seattle, beaut
• sat out in the front almost the entire time despite the cold. wanted to feel alive again. only half accomplished. (blue nose, blue soul)
• sleep on bus back, midnight room check, one after turn in (sean is a hilariously bizarre kid after midnight)

sunday

• pack up, spend morning in 406, fun times
• quick breakfast, bus to airport
• pepperoni tomazzo, mmm.
• ciao, seattle
• funny moment of intense drooling as we were taxiing outta seattle. should've been embarrassed but i couldn't stop laughing
• ap chem princeton review crambook, calm nerves with ridiculous curve on the test
• touch down in city of angels
• try to comfort tara about lakers, fall asleep (i suck)
• but so tired.
• mr. noodle's chicken pad thai with chili oil and thai iced tea (the usual) for early dinner
• washup, reuinte with neighborhood boys for first time in months, perfect end to weekend.

all was a blur, all was so happy, all was unforgettable.

pali band, seattle wa, april '11