CHAPTER ONE
Getting There - (continued from previous page)

Airline bagels may get a bad wrap but how come a stale turkey sandwich with a packet of Hellmann’s Dijon mustard tastes so good, even when I’m not particularly fond of mustard? Maybe it’s sheer boredom of a long flight. Maybe it’s the element of surprise – you never know for sure what you’ll find in the mysterious sack lunch they offer you on a plane. In any case, I wolfed down my sandwich, apple and non-diet soda (oops!) with delight.

Eventually we landed in Seattle, a welcome relief despite the outstanding aerial views of trees and snow-capped mountains we’d seen in flight. The pressure in the cabin did not agree with my ears or my sinuses, and I was certain my eardrums were going to burst. A day later I would find myself walking around Seattle, still trying to regain my hearing and equilibrium.

I’d forgotten that the baggage claim area at SeaTac requires a ride in the subway train. Having been relaxed since losing my jitters at KCI, I suddenly felt a few insecurities. It was nothing to worry about however. The path was long but well-marked, and the subway easy to navigate. The worst difficulty I had was that every bag coming off the belt looked just like mine! That old Samsonite hard-sided luggage that my grandparents gave me for high school graduation back in 1976 may have been awkward, heavy and antiquated, but I never had to guess which bright red bag was mine!

Karyn and Craig arrived in no time at all, even after getting caught up in rush hour traffic and a backlog due an accident. We headed straight for the downtown area to check into the hotel, passing moss-covered rocks next to a retaining wall, going through several tunnels (Craig refused to honor my childhood memories of honking through tunnels!), crossing a floating bridge and seeing the yachts on Mercer Island, much to my delight! You know you’re on a vacation high when moss-covered rocks look like paradise! I was so happy to be in Seattle!

I checked into the hotel, the Summerfield Suites by Wyndham. The suite was hideously large with a spacious living room, small kitchen, separate bedroom with 2 double beds, and patio doors from both the bedroom and living room leading out to the courtyard. I liked it a lot, but you know how sometimes you get that niggling feeling that something isn’t as it should be? Yeah, I had that.

We left right away to head to a restaurant in Bellevue.

“Oh! Bellevue,” you say! This is where you become impressed because Bellevue is indeed a lovely part of the Seattle area.

There was no waiting a Z-Tejas, a fact I am grateful for as I was still in my sleeveless Kansas summer-wear, needing long-sleeved Washington autumn-wear! Trusting Craig’s judgment, but mostly his enthusiasm, and wanting to jump right into the fun, I ordered a jalapeno margarita. To my utmost surprise and delight, a jalapeno margarita is a tasty beverage! I liked it a lot.

Karyn ordered the appetizers based on past experience – grilled pesto shrimp on a pumpkin seed cracker on a bed of fresh guacamole. Excellent choice! Even the veggie garnishments in a vinegar/oil dressing were sensational!

Our entrees were not disappointing either. When I saw Craig’s pasta, I was sorry that I hadn’t ordered it, as it was in my top three menu choices. Then I saw Karyn’s pork tenderloin medallions stuffed with chorizo and peppers, and I kicked myself for not ordering that! It had also made the top three choices. Then my meal arrived and was placed before me. I wanted to jump up and give the chef a standing ovation! Right in front of me was the most beautiful meal of pork tenderloin medallions on a bed of wine sauce, encircling a mound of mashed potatoes topped with sweet potato hay! The presentation was fabulous and it tasted every bit as good as it looked!

In addition to a fantastic meal, the company was terrific! Craig and Karyn are such fun people to spend time with. We talked and laughed about a lot of different things, but the one that put me over the top was when we played with Karyn’s dilemma of possibly exploding if she ate one more bite. Eventually our laughter led to the compilation of a letter to the manager of the restaurant:

Dear Z-Tejas,

We were sitting there in your restaurant having a lovely meal when suddenly Karyn exploded. There were pieces of pork tenderloin medallions everywhere. As we feel this is an unacceptable dining experience, please give us a free jalapeno marguerita as compensation.

Sincerely,

Craig, Karyn and Becky

Maybe it’s only funny if you’d eaten at Z-Tejas and enjoyed a jalapeno margarita but to us it was fall-down funny.

Returning to the hotel, I slipped into bed and fell into a deep and restful sleep, vowing to come back to Seattle more often. I love this City.

More! More! Take me to Chapter Two, please!!