Seattle Unplugged

I am sitting at a cafe in downtown Seattle sipping on a tall espresso gourmet shake like a true Seattlite. Everyone walks around with some sort of java expression in their hands. Yesterday I went to the REI flagship store. LL Bean eat your heart out. The product line has a lot more variety but it is your basic outdoor superstore. Of course, you have to own a small country in order to afford anything. Last night I attended a tragic Red Sox game, at Safeco Stadium, where the only action was the drunk hecklers two row in front of me. Manny was suppose to hit his five hundredth home run but only walked to first. How could the Sox lose the series to the Mariners especially since I was 20 rows behind home plate? Like I said, tragic! I returned to the Green Turtle Hostel, conveniently located directly across from Pike Place Public Market, to the unexpected treat of Open Mic night. The local and traveling talent was surprisingly very entertaining. The closing act was a street performer who played his guitar behind his head while singing and simultaneously shaking his hips to hula hoop and ended with the hula hoop spinning and balancing the guitar on his chin. Go to YouTube and type in guitar and hula hoop and it's the first video choice. Today, I spent the morning walking around Pike Place Market. It is a wonderland of locally grown produce, fresh seafood and homemade crafts. I stood in front of a gourmet pasta kiosk for so long pondering the chocolate linguine that the young hottie behind the counter told me I looked upset. I responded that I was bewildered. He returned that my adjective was a good descriptive word. It was the truth. My senses were overwhelmed with the scent of fresh baked bread, recently caught salmon and sage insence. My ears popping from the mongers yelling, "Savour Seattle!", and the woman I bought my dried fruit from mocking them saying, she can't stand hearing them yell it anymore. The colors of red grape tomatoes, golden raspberries, blackberries, ripe peaches, purple potatoes and fresh garlic on one side of me. The bouquets of orange poppies, purple lupine, white daisies, pink peonies and green ferns line the other side of the market. God that was a great experience. Imagine living a couple blocks walk from this farmer's market. That would be divine. After my farmer's market extravaganza I walked to the Space Needle where I dined for lunch at the rotating Sky City restaurant on top of the Needle. I enjoyed a hazelnut breaded chicken, avocado and sprouts sandwich while the city rotated around me, giving a 360 view of Puget Sound and all the city districts. I finished my Seattle experience leisurely strolling through the shopping district until I found myself here at Tully's Coffee House. I have finished my java expression and will be heading back to the Pike Place Market to buy some asparagus and fresh made flavored pasta for dinner this week. Yum!