First up today we went to The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. This has been on the Bears bucket list since puppy was a kitten and probably that of every Boeing pilot. This is place which currently houses the very first 727 off the production line, the first 747, a Concorde, one of the past Airforce One jets, just to mention a few. It has a collection of gorgeous war birds which would make even the most anti-aircraft women drool. Unfortunately we had to be there on the couple of days that the 747/Airforce One/Concorde etc could not be accessed to hop on board. The Bear had to settle for looking at them from a small distance, rather than get up close and personal with them. I felt for him as he was bitterly disappointed. We had come a very long way for him to visit the museum and it was bittersweet that we could not do completely what he had dreamed of doing. He sucked it up though and made the best of what he could. Interestingly when we paid for our entry, the cashier asked if we had a Boeing staff discount card. The Bear explained no, and that we were from Australia. The cashier then asked if we were a member of something like RACV, NRMA, RACQ. Well suck me sideways. I have never been asked in Australia whether we are members of RACQ let alone overseas. We couldn’t believe it! Producing an RACQ card, we received a discount.
Always the supportive wife, I decided to throw myself into things and get with the program. As hard as I have tried over the years to learn what I can about aviation and its industry, I apparently don’t absorb the information like a sponge. I can nod and smile about what the Bear is trying to teach me, and I try to retain it, but I have nothing to convert it into my own language. So when the opportunity arises where I can participate in something aviation….I am there with bells on!
Walking through the museum there were a couple of cockpits (soooo many lines here….but my Mother reads it) from old fighter jets on display with their canopies open, and an invitation to sit in them. This would entail stepping down onto their impossibly small seats, and slide ones legs through two holes in perspex underneath the dashboard. (Pardon my lack of technical jargon here. I seriously have no idea what I am talking about). I sidled up to the F18 Hornet cockpit and asked the Bear if he was going to hop in. Apparently it was too warm for hell to have frozen over. He felt he would not fit. I viewed the available space in the cockpit and did a bit of math in my head using height/width/depth/area/space and the answer = BIIKOWTH (Buggered If I Know Oh What The Hell). I climbed down into the cockpit….ok I slid…ok….I fell….and took up my position as a US Fighter Pilot.
Walking through the museum there were a couple of cockpits (soooo many lines here….but my Mother reads it) from old fighter jets on display with their canopies open, and an invitation to sit in them. This would entail stepping down onto their impossibly small seats, and slide ones legs through two holes in perspex underneath the dashboard. (Pardon my lack of technical jargon here. I seriously have no idea what I am talking about). I sidled up to the F18 Hornet cockpit and asked the Bear if he was going to hop in. Apparently it was too warm for hell to have frozen over. He felt he would not fit. I viewed the available space in the cockpit and did a bit of math in my head using height/width/depth/area/space and the answer = BIIKOWTH (Buggered If I Know Oh What The Hell). I climbed down into the cockpit….ok I slid…ok….I fell….and took up my position as a US Fighter Pilot.
Sitting there I could safely say “been there done that” and decided to hop out….or so I thought. Apparently I was fairly stuck. Ok…stuck fast. Ok….was fairly wedged up shit creek without a block and tackle. The Bear was looking at some nearby aeroplanes whilst a line of impatient children-come-wanna-be-pilots grew waiting for me to hop out. Even with the threat of a hundred international news headlines hanging over my head, I could not get up. I figured the only chance that I had to get out of this without shattering my pelvis was to recreate my own birth. I mean how hard could it be? I was there….I did it once….I could do it again! I would have liked a set of forceps to come down and assist with my rebirth, but that was never going to happen. Fortunately the Bear eventually saw my struggle and he reached down and helped me out. I was able to move aside to let the next budding pilot to take the chair....with my dignity in tact. Almost.
After the Bear had seen enough, it was time to head to Eddies house. I knew the address and I knew what it looked like. We had to leave it up to the GPS to get us there. I knew he lived at the end of a cul-de-sac however had no idea what the surrounding suburb or street looked like. I was THAT FREAKING EXCITED!!! What would I do if he was outside? Would I say hello? Would I throw myself at him? Would I propose? MY GOD!!!!!!!!! I should have started that diet a year ago. Heavens I didn’t even have make up on! As we were getting closer I noted that the area was very modest with unassuming homes. No arrogance or obvious wealth. I knew he had a big house however I felt that he bought it based on its location. He has no pretentiousness about him and it was clear that there was no “showing off” with where he had bought. Following the GPS we had to negotiate an “s-bend” that was almost a 180 degree tight turn and all of a sudden I was there. Angels sang and there was the end of the rainbow. His house lay before me at the end of the street. The reason he bought this home was for the privacy and the fact that it overlooked the waters of Puget Sound. No-one would find him here and disturb his peace. Well no-one other than myself and some whack-job who deliberately crashed their car into his fence a number of years ago. I wondered if our rental car had insurance?
We drove right up to his gate. I could see a vase that contained fresh flowers in a window on the second story. I recognised his circular windows that have been i the background when doing interviews in his home. There was a PIN pad and intercom on the door leading through the large brick fence. Both the fence and wrought iron electric gate had sharp objects on top to deter any other whack-jobs from jumping over the fence. I started mentally calculating the height versus my short stature and decided it had a small chance of failing so was overcome with an overwhelming urge to press the damned buzzer. I wasn’t out of the car yet, and nor was the Bear going to let me. He broke into a sweat concerned that the neighbourhood watch supporters would report us as being suspicious and that we would in fact be arrested. What a damned good idea…I hadn’t thought of that. If I were to be arrested out the front of Eddie’s house, I would be forever tied to him in some way. My poor suffering husband put his foot down and I was not allowed out of the car…and with that he turned the car around. Desperate......I begged to have my photo taken in front of Eddie’s house, even if it were further down the street. Something…..for me to hang onto and to show I had been there. He relented and told me to make it quick. I was out of that car before he could change his mind….and with both thumbs up; the Bear snapped a photo that I will treasure for always. With that……we left the street as quickly as we had arrived. *sigh* #lovemyeddiev #pjrockmyworld #imnostalkerimjustafan
Given that the rain earlier had cleared somewhat, we thought we might visit the Space Needle on the way back to the hotel. If you come to Seattle….you apparently must go to the Space Needle. It is an icon on the Seattle skyline and whilst I had no real concept of its purpose, was keen to go there. The Space Needle was not as tall as I had expected it to be and I still failed to learn of what its purpose was…but while we were there, we needed to go up it. 605 feet tall (with the observation deck being at 520 feet) its completion in 1962 made it the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. This feat took only 400 days and was constructed as part of the World Fair in 1962 when the theme was “Century 21”. This icon was built to withstand a 9.0 earthquake and to wind gusting at 200 miles per hour. There is two ways up to the observation deck – in a glass lift which takes 41 seconds to go to the top, or climb up the 848 steps. If it wasn’t for the limp I had gained since being stuck in the F18 I would have taken the stairs *rolls eyes* so had to settle for the lift. The Bear panicked.
My husband is the only pilot that I know (ok…I only know one) that is scared of heights. I have no issue with heights or flying, but he hates darned heights. While I eagerly looked through the glass doors whilst the lift shot skywards at 800 feet per minute, the Bear started praying to whoever would listen. I felt a sense of déjàvu remembering his antics when we went up the Empire State Building. The block and tackle I wished I had have had at the Flight Museum was required to pull him out of the lift. Hopping out onto the viewing platform at the top we had a 360 degree view of Seattle and Puget Sound which was just stunning. It was just about as cold as it was at the top of the Empire State Building but in my opinion was far more stunning. The Bear hung on to the edge of the wall with his knuckles turning white, and I thought it was time that I took the poor fellow down.
My husband is the only pilot that I know (ok…I only know one) that is scared of heights. I have no issue with heights or flying, but he hates darned heights. While I eagerly looked through the glass doors whilst the lift shot skywards at 800 feet per minute, the Bear started praying to whoever would listen. I felt a sense of déjàvu remembering his antics when we went up the Empire State Building. The block and tackle I wished I had have had at the Flight Museum was required to pull him out of the lift. Hopping out onto the viewing platform at the top we had a 360 degree view of Seattle and Puget Sound which was just stunning. It was just about as cold as it was at the top of the Empire State Building but in my opinion was far more stunning. The Bear hung on to the edge of the wall with his knuckles turning white, and I thought it was time that I took the poor fellow down.
Just as a footnote here: I have two things I would like to mention having come across today. Petrol here is around $2.11 a gallon which equates to approx 60 cents a litre. Also…on our way back to the hotel we stopped at a Safeway Supermarket where we were served by a young man named Forrest. Unbeknownst to each other, the Bear and I both had to bite our lips to prevent ourselves from saying “Run Forrest Run”. Of course the poor lad was probably sick of the “Life is like a box of chocolates” spiel. It was tempting though.
We had such a full day having achieved several things that we wanted to do. I could live in this city. It is just awesome. Tomorrow we are heading out of town a bit to visit Leavenworth – a German Town within the USA. Excited!
