We Salute You

~All those that have served our country to ensure freedom in the world. As noted from a soldier's mouth today, "If we were not here, who would be."

On with the story....okay....epic....

Day 2, Friday, May 16th: Up with intention of getting out to Pike's Market. A knock on the door. Jolene appears. White dots on her throat. So off we went to the local Urgent Care. Seattle is a mass of hills. Down up, up another. Three hours later we were hoofin' it to a Pharmacy. Note that was Pharmacy, not a drug store like Longs or Rite-Aid. Pennicillan. By the time we got back to hotel it was time to get our bags and ready our selves for....EMBARKATION. (I love that word.)

Me, Jolene, Phil, and Amelia in Seattle's oldest park. Take a guess at the name of it....I don't remember. : )

Transportation in Seattle had already become quite costly and that was only for the trip from the airport to the hotel. So, penny-pincher that I am [snicker] we cut a deal with a limo driver ~ two town cars for 40 bucks to the pier. Wayne and I rode with Hussen, a nice man who proceeded south to the docks. Somewhere along the line he either made the wrong turn or deliberately took a short cut that included a U-turn on a freeway / bridge route that brought a semi hauling cement to within 10 ft of our rear end as he gunned the town car back towards the pier. Remember the nerves I mentioned in the last post????? Well at about that time my guts were churnin'. We are at the terminal just long enough to wonder where the other three were when Jolene rings me. She informs me their driver has taken them to the otherside of the terminal and would not deliver them until they paid her. By agreement, we had already paid Hussen. So I give a call to a number listed on Hussen's card. No answer. A call to the second number connects me to Hussen's brother, maybe even an uncle, who ever it was could not or at least acted like he did not understand English. Infuriated, I hung up and as I was dialing 911 to get assistance with my "hostage crisis" the releasees come walking up; apparently the driver settled the issue with Hussen and let them go. [Yes an Email to both Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the hotel has already been sent.] Just thinking about it pisses me off. How dare they come to our country and treat us like that. Its bad enough they have ruined all the 7-Elevens and hotels in the country, now its the taxi services. GO HOME.


Through the terminal, baggage surrender, check in, up the ramp ~ I knew I should have bought those binoculars ~ and onto the boat. Rooms not ready, up to Deck 8 ~ The Lido Deck ~

Here is Wayne and I with Seattle in the background. Mind you, the city set a record at 85* that day. And the air was oh so clean!

We sailed out at 4:00 pm.

Sun setting during dinner at our window table was fantastico.

Wait 'til you hear what we did on Day 3!!!!!