Seattle

September 16th, 2018

Today was  much better compared to yesterday.  I had left this day open to do anything we wanted.   We got up early and went around the corner to have breakfast at Biscuit Bitch.  What a fun place that was!  We got there right before they opened, a few minutes later the person who opened the door had a big smile on her face while she said, “Good Morning Bitches!”.  We went in ordered breakfast and really enjoyed it.

Lately, I have been paying attention to the customer experience and how the work environment is noticed and felt by the customer.   This place is an example as to what we want to see as customers; everyone appeared to be having fun, there were smiles, there were sincere thank you(s).  Their attitude was contagious and I cannot imagine going there and not leaving there in a better mood.  A little sunshine, what a way to start the day!

Sausage and Grits

Biscuit Bitch

Biscuit Sandwich

Although it was raining, I wanted to do the Space Needle, when we passed by the Space Needle the day before, there was a long line so we skipped it.  I decided that despite the rain we were going to at least try it again.  We ubered it over and there wasn’t anyone in line, we walked right up to the elevator and went up.  The clouds parted and it stopped raining.   I again wondered if the lines we had seen the day before weren’t due to the large cruise ship parked off the pier.

I had no idea that it was built in 1961 for a world’s fair which was during the race for space.  As a nation, we were obsessed with beating Russia into space and to the moon.   It was also a time where we had a very stylized futuristic vision.  They had a great exhibit about the history of the Space Needle and a great gift shop with many retro race for space items.

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September 15, 2018

It was one of those mornings where I kept wondering if It was me or was I really having a bad morning.   I kept thinking that it was me, all me, nothing was going wrong, it was how I was perceiving things.  When I finally decided that it had been a bad morning and it wasn’t me, the day got better.   It started with the hop-on hop-off tour, we went to the stop closest to us, there was no sign indicating the stop, from the map, I couldn’t tell where exactly the stop was supposed to be.   I finally called the company and the girl said that they no longer stop and King station and then gave me instructions to the closed cafe they do stop.  Was this a bad joke?  There were a dozen or so interesting characters (homeless) standing outside the closed cafe.   We waited up the street!

We headed to the Pike Place Market and when we arrived it was packed. I hadn’t been there in ages, but I never remembered it like this, there was a line of at least 50 people at Starbucks, Pike’s Chowder, Piroshky and longer lines for Beechers and other places.   It was wall to wall people!  I noticed that there was a huge cruise ship named the Norwegian Pearl parked at the pier.   That would explain the tour groups.  After I was rammed by a few mothers using their baby carts to clear their paths, I decided it was too crowded and time to go. Continue reading →

September 13th, 2018

Since I have heard about it, I have always wanted to take the Amtrak Starlight train from Los Angeles up the coast to Seattle, WA, a ride that takes close to a day and a half.  I have heard many great things about the views and how the Starlight train offers upgraded services including sleeper cars.  It sounded great but then again, Amtrak is no Orient Express and trains here in the states tend to be not as nice as they are in foreign countries.

Sophon and I purchased a Superliner Room which was a room with bunk beds that fold out and a bathroom.  We used Uber to get to Union and arrived with plenty of time to board our train.  It had been years since I had been to Union station and when I was there, I was there to catch a commuter train.  I wasn’t sure where to go and what to do.  I found the Amtrak desk and they were very nice in explaining where to go and how to check my bags.   By the time we were sitting in the lounge having coffee I was impressed as to how nice, friendly and helpful everyone had been.  I found myself comparing it to how the airlines make you feel when you fly. Continue reading →