Solo Seattle Study Time

C was obliged to work this week and rather than burn both airline tickets, I am going it solo for some study time. I met some very interesting individuals on the plane, and had a couple of offers for dates, including one Omar who had once lived in my state, and assumed that fact alone was enough to go hang out together. I think Hafezi was the name of the Amazon employee I met whose job entails searching for and killing security breaches in their system. I met Amanda and Dawn on the plane, both visiting Seattle for the first time. I met Billy who took a 13 hour busride down to Vegas for work that didn't pan out, and who, stranded, hadn't eaten in three days. I gave him my one orchard apple, a bag of gourmet nuts, and a couple of dollars for a snack while waiting for his ride. I also met Ethiopian Adisu who just finished an International Law degree in Florida, and hopes to eventually get a job with the UN, and some day represent his country there, or to work with a human rights organization.

In addition to getting some work done today, I took a stroll down to the Pike Place Market, passing a clothing store that contained clothes that looked old, older, and oldest, tat, tattered, and tattest, and expensive, expensiver, and expensivest (don't wordsmiths make up new words?). Yep. The least expensive item I found was a $250.00 scarf, and the most expensive was a $1300.00 blazer, and I only looked at five pricetags. Yowzer. Well, nothing personal, but I would much rather buy a Mac than spend $1300.00 on a blazer. It wasn't even good looking.

At the market I picked up some nectarines, raspberries and plumcots, which are absolutely sweet and perfectly ripe. I also got hit on by two of the produce salesmen, likely just part of the job. One of them thought we didn't have grapes in my state. Odd. I also purchased pepper strawberry jam, croissants, orange glazed hazelnuts, pepper smoked salmon from the fish-throwing place, and an amazing (and messy) gyro for dinner.

On the way back to the hotel I spotted a couple looking at a map. I passed, then turned back to see if I could help with my limited Seattle knowledge. Where was the mall? I pulled out my Garmin, but the battery was dead, so I pulled out my iPhone and voila! Four blocks back that way, and one block up. They were delighted.

The people I have met so far have certainly made this trip colorful, and the food has been most flavorful. Speaking of food, I have much to do in the way of programming tomorrow, but hope to get in a trip to Steamers for a Colossal Cone and maybe some Ivars chowder.