Road Trip and Driving in Seattle

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Road Trip

I’m sitting here on a Ferry heading to Bremerton Wa for a high school friends wedding.  In order for me to get this far I had to drive, by myself to Seattle.  Now the drive it’s self is easy but when you have to go through the City I don’t like it.  I’m a Sandpoint Navtive who lives in Coeur d alene, and hates driving in Spokane, because traffic sucks.  Now put me in downtown Seattle.  White knuckle, explicit words, and my GPS isn’t working.  Not good. 

It is illegal to drive and talk on your cell phone in Wa, but I figured that for the safety of all on the road I needed help with directions so I called my sister on speaker and had the phone in my lap.   Karen my sister, lived in Seattle 5 years ago and I was praying that she could remember the streets and how to get to where I needed to go ( I was staying at her in-laws for the night so I hoped that she remembered.)  The exit that I needed was closed for construction, so Karen had to think of an alternate route, fast.  I hit Seattle on a Friday, at 4:30 Rush hour. Perfect.

So, Karen is telling me directions on speaker, asking what exit I just passed.  I’m talking to her at the same time asking what lane I need to be in.  I’m going the speed limit which is 15 under the speed of traffic, and finally Karen tells me to get off  at this next exit.  So much better, right? Wrong.

The exit that she told me to get off at was the one that takes me trough down town Seattle.  There are no lines, just the little white bumps to distinguish that there is some sort of lane.  There are no cars in front of me to follow, they are all following me, and to top it off an Ambulance comes roaring down behind me.  Now like all good North Idaho people you pull over as far as you can when you see the crazy red lights.  Well Seattle people seem to think that turning their wheels the opposite direction is good enough.  I get over in the other lane and let the ambulance go,  but there are people following the ambulance to get to where they want to go, so getting back into the lane that I was in, was to say the least an adventure in it’s own.

This whole time Karen is still telling me what to do, and by now I’m yelling using explicit language, then telling her to take me off speaker so the little girls don’t hear me, as she is bribing them with cookies to be quite cause Aunt Katie is lost in the city.  Oh what an adventure.  To say the least I successfully got to the in-laws without hitting or getting hit by a car or pedestrian. 

Now that I was done driving I knew that I needed to get some homework done, so my goal was to go to a coffee shop and sit, and be a ‘good student’.  Well that didn’t happen either.

I realized that I had forgotten my strapless bra, which was imperative for the outfit that I had decided was worthy of a wedding.  Well Seattle here I come.  I went to Pikes Place, and just dinked around in the shops not buying but just looking and absorbing the smells, colors and sounds.   I found the Gum Wall which is amazing and disgusting all at the same time.  I listened to musicians on the street, and watched some  guy get his travel  purse snatched right in front of a cop so a chased ensued.  Finally I went to the Rack to try and find my Bra.  I was surprised at the slim selection and didn’t find any that would do the job, so I decided on a new dress!  I know, seems silly but hey I’m on Vacation, kinda.

Well I now have a new outfit, which I am excited to wear.  I'm also excited to see my friend get married, and maybe see some of my classmates.  I will write tomorrow about the wedding, and who knows, maybe put up pictures!!