The CSI: YEAAAHHH... (part 2)

I'm not one to make something out of nothing, but I'm really not quite sure why I was getting these looks.  It could have been because I was eating/drinking alone, or laughing at the video I had shot, or because I was wearing a college jacket over a different college shirt,  I like to think it was all of the above.  Anyway, it was interesting to note that I wasn't put off by some odd looks.  After eating, I was watching my fresh #OccupySeattle videos when the waiter asked what side I was on.  I told him that I was mostly an observer, since I have no idea what they want.  He put in his 2 cents, which I appreciated.  Something about Nike shoes and smoking name-brand cigarettes.  He could have told me about anything concerning my new home but he decided to update me on the latest info on medical marijuana.  Apparently Seattle beat out Amsterdam for the largest hempfest by about 3000 people last year.
"Welcome to Seattle!".
He gave me a copy of "The Stranger", a popular (and free) Seattle tabloid, and I went out to look for some coffee.

Something about the coffee: Even if Seattle wasn't the coffee capital of the world, even if all the coffee here was exactly the same as everywhere else, I'd still be drinking it in the same large quantity.  I'm glad to say that this place hasn't changed my relationship with my favorite drink, more like fostered it.  But I wont get ahead of myself.

I'm wandering around this place with total disregard for what "neighborhood" I'm in.  It's worked so far.  I walked down the street and passed a small-ish coffee shop called the Biscuit Bitch.  When I realized what the name was, I turned around and went in without flinching.  There's no way I can leave a place like that unchecked.  I walked in as they were closing, which I found out is normal for mid-afternoon.  The shops close and then the clubs and hang-outs open.  There are "farmer's hours" and a special time of morning when you can buy seafood.  Special attention must be paid to the time of day (plus, I'm still on East-Coast time).  My Americano was so hot that I designated it as a weapon for the first half hour.  I continued north-ish while it cooled down.
I walked to the corner and decided that the building I was looking at was the Olympic Sculpture Park.  I was standing at the corner waiting for the light when two guys wearing running shoes and matching shirts stopped next to me looking worriedly at their iPhone.  Joggers?  Techies?  Whatever.
While we waited for the light, two more similar people ran up.  When the light turned, they were off and this was too odd to let them out of my sight without knowing what they were up to, so I followed them.
They all went to the sculpture park and stopped at a large piece (as in piece of art) of curved metal and they gathered around its plaque.  I tried to read it but by that time there were a dozen people reading and checking their smartphones.  It looked like an awesome city-wide scavenger hunt.  Maybe I'll keep an eye out for things like that.  They got the info they needed and ran off, two at a time.  I walked around the park for a few minutes to look at the sculptures that represented things like indian tribes, local traditions, forests etc.  Very nice, but as I left and headed north again, the whole time I was noticing the two-man hunting groups all around.  A couple jogged by and I asked, completely assuming a scavenger hunt, what the prize was. 

"A car!"

Too bad I just moved here, maybe next year I'll have a friend to enter with and also be able to jog without stopping.

Enjoying my coffee, I found my way up to the Seattle Science Center.  I am a huge science museum nerd so it didn't really matter how much addmission was.  I got in line behind a family and waited for no more than 2 minutes.  The guy at the ticket counter waived me around to the side and mumbled something about how a family of 4 doesn't need to all line up at the window to buy tickets.  An odd remark, one that made me think he wasn't having the best day.  He was grumpy. 

"One for the exibits, please."
"Just you?"
"Yup"
"Tonight it's on me."  [CSI YEAH]

He stamped my hand and I went in, and I didn't bother to stop and question it.  Perhaps he was trying to bring some cosmic juju on himself by making my day a little better, maybe he wanted to go home early.  Either way, I sent out the vibes.
I usually try to go through museum exibits backward, if I can.  It's just way better.  There was all the usual stuff that a science museum is supposed to have, with a scale model of Pudget Sound with simulated tidal movement.  I know what you're thinking; Thrilling.  I spent 30 minutes studying the tide, and the 15 or so different diameter gears that simulated the movement and therefore, tidal influence of the Sun and Moon.  It was nerdy for sure, but let's get to the 50 foot Rubik's Cube.
In a large exhibition hall, there were many booths with interactive things to do, like, touch a human brain, or simulate how DNA is formed.  The centerpiece was a gigantic Rubik's Cube from floor to ceiling standing on one corner.  It was so hippie in nature that I joked to myself that it looks like something from Burning Man and then I read that it was made for Burning Man.  Some mysteries solve themselves.  You played it in teams of 3 at touchscreen kiosks.  It was a marvel of design, but that wasn't the best part.  I overheard this at another booth:

Partent: "Come ON, it's time to go."
Child: "But I dont WANT to go!"
Me: "Yay, science!"

A few hours budgeted for a museum is hardly ever enough, but I had Seattle-in-a-day to attempt so it was back out to the street for me.  That morning on the light rail into town, I read an advertisement about Top Pot Donuts, never heard of them, so that was next on the list.  I discovered that my phone has GPS and I followed it down a road below the monorail.  In an old-ish part of town is a two level donut and coffee shop with handmade donuts and baked goods.  I ordered another coffee, a donut and a fritter for breakfast tomorrow.  I would have walked away with two treats, but according to the donut-slinger, the fritters were "too small", so he gave me the last two.  He also gave me another "Welcome to Seattle", which I gladly accepted.

As night fell, I walked through downtown and I saw a crosswalk about 40 feet above me.  I wanted to walk across it, so I went into one of the buildings it was connected to (I'm a simple guy, I just do what I please).  Turns out it was Nordstrom, and this was a fairly epic Nordstrom.  On my way up the several escalators to the 4th floor some of the things I noticed were:
 - Black Friday-style shopping
 - a disk jockey
 - live mannequins
Needless to say, the crosswalk was overshadowed.  It did, however, lead to a huge 4 story mall with decent salmon chowder for dinner. 

The street lights were on and Pike Place was closed and it was time to wrap up this day, lest I do everything there is to do.  The last thing on my list was unexpected; an hour-long phone call with my best friend while sitting on top of the Space Needle watching airplanes takeoff and land.

Welcome to Seattle.