| Seattle Christmas 2021 | |
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We flew out to Seattle with Lee, Ben, Jessica and Dave on Tuesday the 21st. It was especially pretty crossing the Rockies. Coming into Seattle, the fog was hanging just below the mountain tops looking just like water. |
| Wednesday, we visited Pike Place Market and the Aquarium. It turned into a very Seattle-in-December day by the time we were leaving the Aquarium. |
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| After getting back, drying off and relaxing a bit, we headed to a great show of the Blind Boys of Alabama. Just as with the Aquarium, we had to show proof of vaccination to get into Jazz Alley — a great venue for a great show. |
| The next day, we went to wander around Ballard, it's gotten a reputation as a cool shopping district. Then Robert, Sarah and I walked over to the Nordic Museum. It highlights a very interesting part of Pacific Northwest history. |
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| Christmas Eve day the initial dinner prep for Christmas started: rib roast, two geese and the deservedly famous Zapolsky chocolate mouse. While the chefs slaved, the rest of us enjoyed the time to visit and relax. |
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While the clouds rolled back in, the rain mostly held off that evening. David and Lynn had arranged tickets to see A Christmas Carol. It was a very fun show put on by the Act Theater. As with every public gathering in Seattle, vaccine cards were expected so we felt like we were as safe from Covid as possible while still able to enjoy the holiday and family. After the show, we walked over to a fabulous dinner at Wild Ginger. On the way, we went through this fun winter garden. Clearly damp, but not actively raining. (Thank you Ian for the photos.) In the group shot we have (almost) the whole bunch of us: me, Ian, Lee, Jessica, Dave, Robert, Sarah, Ben, David, Elle and Lynn (Sam was missing). I think we make a handsome bunch, Sam would have just made us more handsome. |
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| The big day was broken in manageable phases: we started with stockings. With no young kids, the unwrapping was in the leisurely late morning. After the stockings, there were presents. Not an overwhelming number as the main event was yet to come. |
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We took a break to resume some of the cooking activities (Sarah, testing the cooking wine). And to knosh on some cinnamon rolls. Then Ian clarified the Yankee Trader rules. Actually, Ben offered up the canonical rules and we all agreed on certain codicils, duly recorded by Ian. That involved some serious discussion, but also really helped the Trading: everyone was clear on who could steal, how many times items could be stolen and that the first to choose a gift would have a final chance to swap at the end. |
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| With the rules all straight, the game began. And proceeded well, with lots of smiles and laughter; we seemed to nail the intent: everyone ended up with something they really wanted, even after several "redistributions." |
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| While the final dinner preparations were underway (thank you David, Ian, Sarah and Lynn), there was some pool to be played. |
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The dinner was so fantastic and the conversation so engrossing that I neglected to pick up my camera. The snow came in late that night. It was a white Christmas by my book, even if the snow didn't really show up until about bedtime. The next day, Seattle was a winter wonderland. After some snow shoveling, the snow shoes (a present to Ian) came out for a test run. |
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| David offered Seahawks tickets to all interested for Sunday's game. Fortunately, we had warning about the snow coming in time to make up our minds. So while some of us opted for the game (a nice walk from their house), others enjoyed Seattle's shops and fireplaces. It was a fun game until the last few minutes when Chicago managed to steal the win out from under the Seahawks. |
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After the game, we had dinner at the Six Seven, the restaurant in the Edgewater Hotel, where Lee and Elle were staying. That avoided any extra travel on the snowy roads. Those of us not in the hotel, just walked back up the hill. Monday, the snow fun continued. The skies mostly cleared up and we had a great time enjoying the sledding. |
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| Sadly, after such a fun trip, we had to head back to Alexandria (and out of the winter wonderland). It really was a great trip, fantastic to see folks in person (safely, after all of us tested negative before heading to Seattle). We're looking forward to next gathering (perhaps without Covid tests). |
Vacation notes:
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