Try as I might, I still have a problem keeping a journal while on a trip (with exceptions, those being when I’m in Europe) and I have not yet resolved the issue of internet connectivity well enough to say I’m going to blog nightly. Which is a shame, because so much gets lost when you try to come back to the memories but have little to act as mnemonics. Of course, there’s the issue of actually experiencing the place you’re visiting, and in that regard I am golden.

I had tons of fun this time around in Seattle, even if this wasn’t a touristy trip per se. Experiencing the city as a temporary local, driving around its streets (sorry Seattle, you have yet to convince me that you truly experience traffic that’s worse than I-95 in Miami), shopping in the farmers market and cooking a meal for our friends, spending a Shabbat with a local family in the Jewish community we now know we’d like to move into, these were all amazing experiences that I treasure precisely because they were out of the ordinary fare for a visitor to the city. I simply cannot wait to go back and become a permanent resident.

While the blogging/journaling was scarce, I did a lot of Twitter updates, precisely as a way to remind myself of what we did when. As a bonus, they allow me to show you a quick overview of our time in Seattle. Enjoy.

A TWITTERIZED VERSION OF SEATTLE REDUX

On my way to the airport. 8:07 AM Nov 27th from txt 

At the gate already. Cleared security suprisingly fast. Don’t toy with me, fate. 9:55 AM Nov 27th from txt      

Boarding. 10:26 AM Nov 27th from txt           

You eat onions before going into a very packed plane? Seriously? 10:47 AM Nov 27th from txt       

Breathe normally. Ha! 11:03 AM Nov 27th from txt           

Arrived in Chicago. Hey @vandermoore I see you! 2:07 PM Nov 27th from txt  

Waiting at O’hare, which is suprisingly empty. 3:20 PM Nov 27th from txt  

Off to Seattle. 4:30 PM Nov 27th from txt  

Landed in Seattle. 8:39 PM Nov 27th from txt  

Renting the car now. 9:37 PM Nov 27th from txt  

Dude, Bamboo Garden is open. Yes! 10:53 PM Nov 27th from txt 

 

Having breakfast at Noah’s Bagels in the U district. 2:40 P Nov 28th from txt

Wow, so many kosher breads! 4:00 PM Nov 28th from txt

Shopping at Albertson’s on Mercer Island. 4:12 P Nov 28th from txt

At the REI store. 5:31 P Nov 28th from txt

Bikes, bikes, bikes! 5:46 PM Nov 28th from txt

Man, I so wanna move up here. 6:02 P Nov 28th from txt

For a brief moment the Space Needle looked gorgeous in the orange glow of the setting sun. 6:51 P Nov 28th from txt

 

Yo @jaydeflix and @patricia_eddy. 12:08 A Nov 30th from txt

At Pike Place Brewery. Mmm… Kilt-lifter on tap. 1:38 A Nov 30th from txt

http://twitpic.com/pakn – Mmm 4:06 PM Nov 30th from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/p6jx – The Space Needle got a hat! 2:45 A Nov 30th from TwitPic

Turning in for the night. 2:47 A Nov 30th from txt  

 

Up. Trying to make it to West Seattle. 11:45 A Nov 30th from txt               

At Sur le Table. 2:13 P Nov 30th from txt                 

The fog is rolling in from the sound onto the Pike Place Market. It’s absolutely gorgeous. 3:47 P Nov 30th from txt                 

Heading out to Ballard Farmer’s Market. 4:38 P Nov 30th from txt                 

Playing Monty Python Fluxx with wife, @jaydeflix and @patricia_eddy. 11:05 P Nov 30th from web                   

 

http://twitpic.com/ph6  – Cold and sunny morning in Seattle. 1:45 P Dec 1st from TwitPic

Riding with convertible hood down! 2:52 PM Dec 1st from txt

http://twitpic.com/pif8 – At the Magnuson Park Fin Project. 4:37 P Dec 1st from TwitPic

At Pabla Veggie Cuisine in Issaquah. Mmm… Kosher Indian food.  5:29 P Dec 1st from txt

$35 for two buffet and drinks? Hell yeah! 6:07 PM Dec 1st from txt

We just found the office of Dr. Tran! 6:30 P Dec 1st from txt

At Uwajimaya 7:15 P Dec 1st from txt

http://twitpic.com/pji2 – Cow bike. 7:17 P Dec 1st from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/pjsl – Engrish. 7:49 P Dec 1st from TwitPic

At REI. 8:50 P Dec 1st from txt

Hanging out with @patricia_eddy and @jaydeflix.   11:35 P Dec 1st from web

@ITPodcast I’m loving REI a lot, actually. 11:36 P Dec 1st from web in reply to ITPodcast

@chrishanrahan My goal this trip is to go all around Seattle, so yeah.  🙂 11:36 P Dec 1st from web in reply to chrishanrahan

Checking out Jewish areas in Seattle. 12:26 A Dec 2nd from twhirl

Wait, free internet at the hotel? Damn, they sure kept this a secret! 3:02 AM Dec 2nd from twhirl

Room extended till Sunday no problem. 2:22 A Dec 2nd from txt                  

Turning in for the night. 2:56 A Dec 2nd from txt                  

Wait, free internet at the hotel? Damn, they sure kept this a secret! 3:02 AM Dec 2nd from twhirl

 

 

Moved to a new room and now I have a lovely view of a Gentleman’s Club out the window. 2:01 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

Top Pot Donuts, why can’t you be kosher? :16 PM Dec 2nd from txt                

At Alki Beach. No orcas though. 3:04 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

West Seattle is beautiful. 3:07 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

Hey @patricia_eddy I can see your house from Alki. 3:22 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

Getting food at Bamboo Garden. 4:12 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

How fast is the service? Took 5 minutes for our food to be done. 4:16 P Dec 2nd from txt           

Doing laundry while looking out the window onto Elliot Bay. Not a bad afternoon. 6:57 P Dec 2nd from twhirl

Sunset over Puget Sound is glorious. 7:49 P Dec 2nd from txt                  

Heading out. 8:18 P Dec 2nd from twhirl

At Archie McPhee. 8:53 P Dec 2nd from txt

http://twitpic.com/przb – Fierce. 9:45 P Dec 2nd from TwitPic

At Island Crust pizza in Mercer Island. Kosher pizza! 10:36 P Dec 2nd from txt

We just got kosher candy corn, something we’ve never found in Miami. 10:46 P Dec 2nd from txt                      

http://twitpic.com/psnj – This was excellent pizza. 11:29 P Dec 2nd from TwitPic

Met a Jewish couple at Island Crust and now we have an invitation for Shabbat. 11:35 P Dec 2nd from txt                   

Hanging out at the hotel room, having a Pyramid Hefeweizen. 1:28 A Dec 3rd from txt

 

So this is what Seattle looks like at 6 am. 9:26 A Dec 3rd from txt                   

Heading over to Sharei Tefillah in Ravenna for morning prayers. 9:28 A Dec 3rd from txt                       

Heading back to the hotel. 10:48 A Dec 3rd from txt

Pit stop at Noah’s Bagels. 1:13 A Dec 3rd from txt

Ah so this is what you folks in Seattle call traffic. Cute. 11:29 A Dec 3rd from txt

I’m getting very adept at getting lost yet finding my way to where I’m going. 11:40 A Dec 3rd from txt

Back at the hotel. 11:44 A Dec 3rd from txt

@chrishanrahan When I travel, I travel.  🙂  12:36 PM Dec 3rd from twhirl in reply to chrishanrahan

Going to lunch with @Pramas in a few. 2:38 PM Dec 3rd from twhirl

Thanks @Pramas for joining my wife and I for a nice lunch. 4:39 P Dec 3rd from txt

http://twitpic.com/pxrf – 4:49 PM     Dec 3rd from TwitPic

http://twitpic.com/pynq – At the EMP. 6:41 P Dec 3rd from TwitPic

Gotta put more money in the meter. 6:38 P Dec 3rd from txt

Dammit got a parking ticket. 7:04 P Dec 3rd from txt

At the Sci-Fi Museum. 8:06 P Dec 3rd from txt

Hmm… What to do for dinner today? 8:29 P Dec 3rd from txt

At Island Crust again tonight. Soup and pasta for dinner. 9:47 P Dec 3rd from txt                   

At The Pike Brewery. Again. Yes we like this place. 12:38 A Dec 4th from txt

My wife says I’m the weirdest person she knows. 1:40 A Dec 4th from txt                   

http://twitpic.com/q19v – An hour later. 1:49 A Dec 4th from TwitPic                       

Last call. 1:58 A Dec 4th from txt                   

S#!t It’s cold! 2:23 AM Dec 4th from txt                

Back at the hotel. 2:43 A Dec 4th from txt

 

I am so late for prayers. 10:07 A Dec 4th from txt                 

At prayers. 10:27 A Dec 4th from txt                   

Heading back. 11:07 A Dec 4th from txt

Hey, you can kinda see Mt. Rainier through the morning fog! 11:18 A Dec 4th from txt

The honey Greek yogurt from The Greek Gods company is just perfect. 1:02 P Dec 4th from twhirl                

Must get coffee. Now. 2:16 P Dec 4th from twhirl              

Wow, it is an amazingly clear day! 2:22 PM Dec 4th from txt                 

The Ovaltine latte at Top Pot Doughnuts is just phenomenal. 2:52 P Dec 4th from txt

http://twitpic.com/q50c – There’s a seagull outside my window. 2:53 P Dec 4th from TwitPic

@grungydan You can haz Seattle too, but only if I haz as well. 3:45 P Dec 4th from twhirl in reply to grungydan             

Ok, finally heading out. Going to check out the neighborhood in Ravenna. 4:31 P Dec 4th from twhirl                

Having tea. 5:48 P Dec 4th from txt

At Gas Works Park. 6:34 P Dec 4th from txt

Mmm… Corn chowder. I’m addicted. 7:37 P Dec 4th from txt

Dinner at the hotel tonight. 7:54 P Dec 4th from txt

007 at The Big Picture. Movie and alcohol! 8:57 P Dec 4th from txt

At Volunteer Park. There’s a street fair. Oh, it’s the Art Walk! 11:23 PM Dec 4th from txt       

http://twitpic.com/q9fs – Steampunk jewelry. 12:01 AM Dec 5th from TwitPic

Turning in for the night. 2:08 AM Dec 5th from txt

 

At prayers. 10:13 AM Dec 5th from txt

Prayers done. Back to the hotel or bagel pit stop? 10:50 AM Dec 5th from txt

Bagels win. But just a quick stop as I’ll return later with my wife for proper breakfast. 11:00 AM Dec 5th from txt

Mt. Rainier looks unreal. So majestic. 11:19 AM Dec 5th from txt

@AtomicOvermind The mountain has been out for two days straight now. We’re on a roll, here! 11:46 AM Dec 5th from twhirl in reply to AtomicOvermind

Ok, heading out. Short day today! 1:28 PM Dec 5th from twhirl

The view from Kerry Park is amazing today. 2:35 PM Dec 5th from txt

Kosher sushi at the University Village QFC! This I didn’t know about. 3:17 PM Dec 5th from txt

They also have a big kosher section with pre-made sandwiches. I know where I’m getting food for the trip home. 3:22 PM Dec 5th from txt

Getting ready and heading out in a few. Shabbat in T minus 1 hour! 5:58 PM Dec 5th from twhirl

Shabbat Shalom. 6:44 PM Dec 5th from txt

 

Our last night in Seattle. 9:23 PM Dec 6th from txt

Checking out houses. 11:18 PM Dec 6th from txt

Going out for kosher Indian food. 12:00 AM Dec 7th from twhirl

http://twitpic.com/qvee – Mmm… Indian food. 1:00 AM Dec 7th from TwitPic

Dear lord, we are so full! The Indian food at Pabla Veggie Cuisine in Issaquah is just amazing. Can I take them with me to Miami? 2:26 AM Dec 7th from twhirl

Gotta pack, but all I wanna do is go to sleep. 2:39 AM Dec 7th from twhirl

There are 26 dudes from the east coast staying in various rooms around the hotel being pain in the asses at 1:30 am. 4:15 AM Dec 7th from twhirl

Going to (try to) sleep. 4:15 AM Dec 7th from twhirl

 

Up and about since 5 am. My bag has practically doubled in size as I try to pack all of Seattle in there. 8:39 AM Dec 7th from txt

Car returned. Waiting for the shuttle to SeaTac Airport. 10:19 AM Dec 7th from txt

At the gate already. I so hate the Shoe Carnival. 11:06 AM Dec 7th from txt

Just paid $5 for a small pack of Imodium. Totally worth it. 11:07 AM Dec 7th from txt

On our way to Chicago O’Hare. 11:32 AM Dec 7th from txt

http://twitpic.com/qy2f – Cramped inside the airplane. 11:32 AM Dec 7th from TwitPic

Bye Seattle. We miss you already. 11:36 AM Dec 7th from txt

Landed in Chicago. 3:01 PM Dec 7th from txt

Waiting at the gate. We are both feeling very much not well. 3:27 PM Dec 7th from txt

Need coffee. 3:46 PM Dec 7th from txt

Lots of Russians in Chicago? 4:17 PM Dec 7th from txt

Waiting to board. 4:27 PM Dec 7th from txt

Must find out how one gets AA Priority Access. 4:45 PM Dec 7th from txt

On the plus side, I’ve gotten a few ideas for more episodes of The Gamer Traveler. 4:53 PM Dec 7th from txt

In the plane, packed like a sardine. Next stop: Miami. 5:20 PM Dec 7th from txt

Hello Miami. 8:16 PM Dec 7th from txt

MIA, every time I leave and come back I realize what a crappy airport you are. 8:32 PM Dec 7th from txt

http://twitpic.com/r35x – That’s right, this doesn’t apply to you. 8:44 PM Dec 7th from TwitPic

Ok, picked up. 8:43 PM Dec 7th from txt

I’m sleepy. 10:44 PM Dec 7th from txt