Seattle, Day #1

Tuesday, October 9th

First, a message to hotel owners everywhere: Come into the 21st century - purchase fitted bottom sheets. Using a flat sheet isn't working. I wake up in the morning all tangled in a sheet that isn't secured to the mattress. No matter how nice your hotel is, I don't want to touch the mattress. Thank you, in advance.

Now that that's out of the way...

Yesterday afternoon I boarded a plane bound for Seattle. From the air I observed that there are a whole lot of mountains between Denver and Seattle. 3 hours of mountains. Wow. The show will open on Wednesday here in Seattle to give the trucks time to cross all those mountains, so I had the evening free last night. I walked and walked around downtown Seattle.

My first impression is entirely positive. The hotel (where I'm staying until my apartment becomes available) is around the corner from the theatre and the convention center, so there's plenty to do within an easy walk. I walked down Pike Street to the Public Market. I didn't explore it to thoroughly, but the guys throwing fish were readily apparent. I walked through the shopping districts (Sheila and I should have no problem spending my paycheck while she's here) and I ended up strolling along the water. So glad to be back in a town with lots of water. The view across the Puget Sound is amazing: there are even more mountains.

This afternoon I'll head to the theatre to observe the load-in. This is our last load-in with Ken for awhile (he heads to Australia near the end of our engagement in Seattle to help tech the Australian tour), so I had better have some idea what goes on at the load-in before I have to do one in Boise. Our first week in Seattle looks like it will be a busy one. Load-in Tuesday and Wednesday. Two shows on Thursday (to make up for the one we missed on Tuesday). A rehearsal with Ben Davis (our soon-to-be Galahad) Friday afternoon and show Friday night. Then the 4 shows on Saturday and Sunday. We'll also be rehearsing our new swing this week and for the coming two weeks. Not a lot of time for sightseeing, I'm afraid.

I stole a few pictures from Fran's blog of the week that was:

The October Baseball crew: Tony, Vera, Patrick, JV & Michael

The Rockies win!

Cuz & Maggie at home.

Cuz at his grill.

We named this guy "Big Daddy". Obviously the bull of the part of the Denver Bison Herd that we were able to see. Such crazy looking animals.

Last night I was also able to listen to the Yankees game in its sad entirety. (My hotel doesn't have TBS, so I was spared the visuals. Hooray, however, for XM!) I won't recount it here; suffice to say it made me both angry and sad - so many wasted opportunities. I'm not as sure as George Steinbrenner seems to be how to "fix" the team. Whatever they do, I hope the Yankees' Front Office doesn't lose Jorge Posada to free agency. I did get choked up at the thought that I may not ever see Joe Torre in a Yankees uniform again (as I did on Sunday at the thought that Roger Clemens' last appearance in any baseball uniform was such a sad disaster).

I will let this photo from the Times be the last word on the subject.

JV