Goodbye Seattle

Didn’t get much sleep last night – too much coffee and excitement. I did a really stupid thing when I got out of the shower. I absent-mindedly spread what I thought was moisturizer on my face before I got dressed and wondered why it felt so sticky. It didn’t dawn on me until we were having coffee at Starbucks that I had smeared liquid hand soap all over my cheeks and lips, resulting in red, dry skin that felt absolutely terrible. And the smell. I can’t believe I was so stupid, especially since I had been using that hand soap since Friday. I haven’t confessed this to Bob yet, as I just don’t have the energy.

We saw our ship at the dock before 8 AM, only a few blocks away from the condo. We decided to walk to the pier rather than take a cab, a great relief to me since I hate hoisting the suitcase into the trunk of a car. The boarding process was simple and efficient, and we were soon onboard with a flute of champagne, sitting in restaurant on Deck 12, in the bow of the ship. It was very hot, and the port of Seattle glittered under the unseasonably hot sun. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

We were in our stateroom before 2:00 PM, and our luggage arrived 30 minutes later. I enjoyed watching the containers of suitcases hoisted up to the right decks for delivery to passengers. All very systematic and fast. We left port right on time at 4:00 PM, and soon Seattle and Mount Rainier faded in the distance. After being too hot most of the weekend, we were suddenly cold, grateful for fleece. We’ve been inside now for 20 minutes or so, and have about half an hour to kill before dinner at Cagney’s – shrimp, steak, lobster …

We are moving steadily along the coast and twilight is starting to suggest its presence. It’s been a lovely day so far.