Day 22: Seattle, WA

Hello friends,

Today is another gorgeous day in Seattle. I don't know what all these people are talking about when they say it rains all the time here. It hardly rained at all! Yesterday I went over to the Experience Music Project. It was really awesome. If you like music and you've never been there, i highly recommend it. The building was designed by Frank Gehry. Let me take this opportunity to say that I don't really get him. His buildings are always so imposing. I do love the Simpsons episode when he designs the Springfield Opera House (inspired by a crumpled up piece of paper) and then no one goes to it and then it becomes the Springfield Jail.

If you haven't seen it, you're seriously missing out. Here's a little clip to whet your palette:

http://tu.tv/videos/simpson-gehry-con-sub

Here's the complete summary from The Simpsons episode guide:

The Seven-Beer Snitch
While on a family trip to Shelbyville, Marge is dismayed to see how Springfield residents are perceived as hicks in a production of "Song of Shelbyville." At the next Springfield Cultural Activities Board meeting, Marge convinces the townspeople to fund a Frank Gehry designed concert hall, which goes bankrupt opening night. The ever generous Mr. Burns assumes the debt of the hall and turns it into The Montgomery Burns State Prison. When Mr. Burns pressures Chief Wiggum to increase capacity from 99% to 100% Homer finds himself imprisoned for kicking a

can down the street 5 times in a row. Homer becomes a snitch after accidentally ratting on Snake during a breakout. Homer enjoys the benefits of snitch life until Fat Tony puts a mark on his head for selling out the mob. As president of the Activities Board, Marge uses her concert hall key to sneak into the prison and convince Homer that snitching is wrong. National Guardsman swoop in at the last moment to save the cornered couple and Homer decides to use his snitch powers for good by having the prison shutdown.

Anyway, back to the EMP - Here's a photo I took of Michael Jackson's famous sequined jacket and glove:

And here's a photo of Heart's instruments and outfits from their Dreamboat Annie tour:

I really took this one for my friend Michelle Rush, my rockstar friend and roommate/officemate from E.L. Haynes. She thinks Heart rules. After the EMP I went to the Seattle Art Museum. It was cool too.

John, Kelly, and I went out to dinner at one of the 5,000 Vietnamese restaurants in the U Distict. It was delish. Then we hung out on their roof deck. After that we watched a couple more episodes of This American Life. Why is season 2 so depressing?

By the way, here's a photo of the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile that I took the other day but forgot to post:

And here's a photo of a hilarious book cover:

I think that's actually Sarah Palin, not Tina Fey.

Then one more photo that I forgot to upload earlier - this one is of Lucia, Zoe, and Andre:

It was taken early in the morning, hence Lucia's crazy hair.

I'm going to head to Portland soon. It's nice to finally be going to a familiar place. I'm going to drive extra slowly so I don't get another ticket.

Later.