"Sleepless in Seattle"

I'm  in Seattle, not sleeping. I left work at noon and it took two flights to get to Seattle. I did have that delay at TSA security.  After they xrayed my backpack, "Do you have anything sharp or dangerous?"  I reply, "knitting needles."  While I put my boots back on, I see the dude frisk through my knitting, bag of almonds, reading glasses.  I told Judd I made a point of removing my 1.5 inch knife-- I call it my "Swiss Princess knife" because I don't like armies.  It's pink and comes with a plastic "ivory" toothpick, mini-tweezers and knife/scissors.  I'm confident my "Swiss Princess knife" is in my car.   The TSA dude rifles through the backpack and finds Judd's jackknife.  (Set up again!!!)   I ask the agent if I can mail it home and he says that I can go put it in my car.  Happily, I've allowed enough time, and the Medford airport is so small that I can walk to my car in  minutes.   SO, I return Judd's, did I say, engraved , pocket knife, to my car and get to do (boots off/xray etc) security clearance a second time and still make the flight on time. 

Our contingency got to the hotel at 6:00 pm and went out for dinner at 6:30. Fabulous Indian/Nepalese food at Kastoori Grill.  Most of us got 3 out of 6 spicy. One colleague got 6/6!  We didn't share that one. We walked back along the Public Market and very near crossing the road to our hotel, a very long train went by. We stood stamping our feet in the cold. I got myself all tucked into the hotel room: work clothes shaking out on hangars next to the luxurious robes, left-overs in the hotel fridge, phone and computer charging. And then I tried to start the fireplace (the room's source of heat.)  I ended up needing to have an engineer sent up.  I hear him say, "Oh, Sh...!"  So, my valve doesn't work and now, at 8 dark 30 bedtime, I'm being offered "a new room with heat."   SO, I repack all my crap which has exuded across the beautiful room; I schlepp my stuff, which now includes an already poured glass of wine, up and over a floor, and end up, EXACTLY over that train crossing........ but with a fabulous fireplace and ottoman-shaped-like-a-bear.   And a note from the hotel:  "Should the sounds of the passing trains disturb your sleep, please take a pair of earplugs , on the house."

Not sleeping yet......

Beecher's Handmade Cheese