After over three weeks, I am finally feeling almost normal (which truly happened three weeks to the day of me first getting sick). My gut is still messed up… I feel every movement in my GI tract… but otherwise I feel OK.
A few friends from Cornell were in town last week. DS and family were in town for a wedding (hadn’t seen them since their wedding 7? years ago), and JI and family had moved here from Knoxville a few weeks ago. Since DS was on a rare trip to the west coast, JL flew up from Oakland.
2011.08.02 TUESDAY
I spent time cleaning the house in case someone decided to drop in. DS was coming in around noon, but he and family were staying at JI’s place in North Capitol Hill. We had made plans previously to meet up for a Mariner’s game (DS is working on seeing a game in every stadium), so after some logistical calls, I hopped on the light rail and headed up to Safeco Field. While I was feeling better from my illness by this point, my energy levels were still very low, so I almost didn’t make it to the stadium as I was feeling very light-headed and almost passed out.
I met up with DS and EP (JI’s husband) outside the stadium. Everyone else stayed at home with various kiddies. Our plan was to get some inexpensive seats and then walk around. The game had already started when we finally got in, and while we were getting drinks, we missed a crazy triple by the Mariners where the Oakland A’s failed to cover second and third base on what should have been a single. Although DS said he saw it on one of the many monitors around.
Our seats were in the left field bleachers right by the big foul ball pole stadiums always have. We just gabbed a lot while watching the game. Which is probably what most people do. It was interesting as I had never been to a MLB game before. I had been to some Tidewater Tides (now Norfolk Tides) games as a kid, though.
Eventually we got up (maybe in the 5th inning?) and walked around. The stadium was pretty cool in the sense that one could see the field from practically anywhere in the stadium, including the main walkways with all the food vendors and whatnot. Quite unlike all the old-style concrete things that I remember (and still exist in upstate New York). The view of the field was actually much better than our seats; we did have to stand though.
The home team ended up winning 4-2. Woot.
On the way back, I caught a train on the opposite side of station it should have been on. I guess there was some logistical reason for it.
2011.08.03 WEDNESDAY
MK had to make an emergency flight out to see SK, but I was able to drop her off at the airport and then only wait few minutes to pick up JL from his flight from Oakland. JL had visited three years ago (just before the progeny arrived) but did not get much sightseeing done due to work and other things.
We went back to my house and dropped his stuff off. We left the car since Amanda would need it later to meet up with us for dinner. I called DS to find out what was going on, and he was already downtown with family, so we took the train in and met up with them at Pike Place Market. We were about to head out to Pioneer Square when TS realized her purse was missing. After retracing her steps, fortunately someone had turned it in to security and nothing at all was missing.
We walked to Pioneer Square, just because it is kinda touristy, but not really child friendly. We then walked down to the waterfront and got a snack at Ivar’s. Lily enjoyed feeding the seagulls french fries which is traditional at Ivar’s.
We also stopped by the arcade where DS and progeny took a ride on the carousel.
After walking back up through the market I went to Walgreen’s with TS for some supplies while DS and JL bought some wine for dinner. After they met up with us, we got a cab to JI’s house.
I had not seen JI since DS and TS’s wedding, too. And she only had one child who had just been born! Now she has three! JL was amazed JI still had a cat she had back in Ithaca; the cat was almost 20 years old! He was certainly very delicate and bony but still very friendly.
We basically talked and helped JI cook dinner, although she did most of it. I made the traditional Von Cramm dessert of “Banana Yuk” with JI’s older daughter (who is seven).
Amanda and the Kai arrived, and we had a great dinner.
Eventually, we took off for home with JL. JL and I were pretty exhausted, but with the setting of the sun we both regained energy and yakked until really late after Amanda and the Kai went to bed.
edit (2012 JAN 20): this draft was never finished