After dispatching the last few emergencies of the week, I jumped in the Lavendar Fembot Mattmobile and ran down to the Seattle Sheraton to pick up AusTxHiker. I should have arrived by about 5:50 p.m, but as the luck of the traffic gods would have it, I spent about 16 minutes going around the block and wasn't able to get to the Sheraton front entrance until about 6:12 p.m. NO AusTxHiker. After a thorough 15 minutes search of the lobby, including a call to his room and lengthy and somewhat intense questioning (ala NYPD) of all the lobby personnel, I determined that AusTxHiker had either picked up a hot date, been kidnapped by Martians or decided to find other transportation to dinner.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I met MileageAddict, Joe, MWeiss (who is adorable), Shadow and his very fun wife Jackie, and my son Dominic at the front desk. Shortly after I arrived, AusTxHiker magically reappeared and we were seated at a window table for 11 with a lovely view. (Thank you MileageAddict again for all your planning and hard work.) Fortunately, we were all to busy talking FlyerTalk to pay much attention to this Rainy night in Seattle.
We were soon joined by newself, DTTB and our guest of (he travelled the farthest) honor, the one and only Catman. After DTTB picked up newself and Catman at the airport, they had lingered for a drink with Auh20 at the W. Auh20, did not join us for dinner because he either had a date or was looking for a date or was too embarrassed to admit he didn't have a date. A collection was taken at dinner to buy him a date--more on that later.
We had a wonderful dinner and in the true spirit of FlyerTalk shared many tales of our daring and dangerous travel adventures on land on sea and most of all in the air. In what is fast becoming FlyerTalk tradition, we presented our waitress with a stack of mileage earning credit cards to pay the tab.
Following dinner newself, DTTB, Catman and the truly charming AusTxHiker (where were all these adorable single young men when I was young) and I all went to visit the original Red Hook Brewery and, in a moment of abandon, decided to spend the Auh20 date fund on Red Hook Brew! (Actually John rather likes beer, so he'll understand.
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Catman, AusTxHiker and I had a close call with the Fremont Troll on the way home (watch for pics) and then stopped by Kerry Park near my home for a peek at Seattle's most amazing view. (The same one you saw Bokich.)
As we were driving back downtown, we received a phone call from Auh20 and hooked up with him in the W lobby bar for a quick nightcap. When we arrived he was in his own inimitable fashion entertaining the W guests with impossible (but nonetheless true) travel tales. After a quick visit, I took AusTxHiker back to the Sheraton for a (sad sad) early morning flight and went home to my potions, unguents and a little sleep. We last saw Catman and Auh20 together with beer in the W bar. I hope they are up this morning when I go to collect them for sailing.
Joe had wisely retired early to be in good shape for his Captain duties of the morning.
At 1:00 a.m. it was raining hard and blowing up a storm here in Seattle so I imposed upon those (frequently) in high places
to intercede for sun. Well I am glad to report that I awoke to sunshine streaming through my window.
I will now grab my slicker (just in case) and run downtown to collect the guys for a fun day on the hopefully not too high seas. More, Much More, to follow!
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