Scarlett Letters

Friday night, I couldn't sleep. Well, more precisely, I slept deep and then woke at 3:20 AM. I lay in bed for about a half hour, realized I was wide awake, got up, and never went back. This ended up giving me a little time to do more decluttering, tidying, and planning for the week.

The plan for the day was to meet the family, overratedomac, and his daughter S at the Space Needle at 10 AM. I picked up Cousin P and off we went. It was a beautiful day--we've been fortunate in having just wonderful weather, if occasionally a little chilly, so far since the family arrived. I couldn't have asked for better views from the top of the Space Needle. S and my niece V hit it off pretty well; by the end of the day, they were thick as thieves (which was part of the point of she and her dad joining us--giving Niece V a little age-appropriate companionship on what will otherwise be a relatively kid-free vacation). They also good-naturedly played tug of war with me in between. The second half of the day, I had an 8-year-old girl on either side of me, clinging fiercely to my arms, declaring, "Mine! Mine! Mine!" like the seagulls in Finding Nemo. It was both hilarious and pretty sweet.

After descending from the clear blue sky, we poked around Seattle Center a bit, visiting the International Fountain and letting the girls run around the Labyrinth that had been laid down out by EMP. We then went to Pacific Science Center specifically to visit the butterfly house. Cousin P had a wonderful time there--he's a butterfly enthusiast and his delight at being able to show off his knowledge and photograph the butterflies in practically ideal conditions was clear. Around 4:30, we all parted company to freshen up, and then met up again for dinner at Costas Opa in Fremont. The food was, as usual, very good, and we were surprised by a belly dancing performance in the restaurant. The dancer was quite good; with my tiny little bit of study, I understood more of what she was doing and how she did it than I ever have before.

We called it a day around 8ish, which was just as well. My sister-in-law was fighting a headache, and I was beginning to feel the effects of being awake for a ridiculously long time--also of being On and Playing Host and all the rest. I came home, did a little more planning for today, and then hit the sack around 9:30ish.

Today is supposed to be a little more low-key, but it will end with Niece V sleeping over--an event she absolutely insisted upon a couple of months ago. This will give the brother and sister-in-law a grown-up night on the town, since their first anniversary is just a few days from now.