A Visit to the Seattle Public Library

I recently visited the Seattle Public Library for the first time.  The building has always intrigued me from the outside, and I wanted to get a chance to look around the inside.  I took a few photos with just my iPod, so the quality is not great, but it gives the general idea.

The Seattle Library has 10 public levels.  The ground level has a large selection of children's books.

One of the levels has a little cafe and gift shop.  There are several viewing areas in the library.

This (above) is the Red Level.  It reminds me of  an old classic movie, "The Andromeda Strain" which was based on a book by Michael Crichton. 

There are elevators, but there are some really steep escalators that will also take you to the next level.  It is not obvious how steep it is here, but my fear of heights kicked in a bit while riding this particular one in the library.

Overall, the library has a real industrial look, which looks quite interesting, visually.  However, it tends to lack the warmth and charm that many other libraries have, making them inviting to hang out, to read, or study.

I would have to say I really do enjoy the diamond-shaped windows that makes up most of the building, giving various views to the downtown area.  As for a nice, home-like hangout to read or concentrate in, I would probably chose another library.

Suddenly, Out of the Blue, an Underground Giant Plays Paddle-ball!

I was driving through Seattle, not long ago, in a place I drive by regularly, when something new caught my eye.  I saw the large, red ball at first.  It was attached to something, that turned out to be a string for a ginormous paddle-ball sculpture.  Under it was a giant-like hand!  

At first, I thought it was part of the Olympic Sculpture Park, since it is very close to it, and goes along with the interesting and over-sized items theme.  Instead, it is stuck in front of a building called "Big Fish," which appears to be a gaming company.  So, I guess the overly large paddle-ball is appropriate, and a very fun addition to the area.  

Things I Like Right Now

The beauty of the Japanese garden in North Seattle.  Complete with a Koi fish pond, that you can feed along with the ducks and the turtles.  We went on a rainy day (What?  Rain?  In Seattle?)  My dad was in town, so we went in together.  I brought my camera, only to find I left the media card at home, so I had my dad hold an umbrella over my head, as I took a few photos of the place with my iPod.  It cost some money to get into the garden, which was kind of disappointing, especially since the one in Spokane is just as pretty and is free.  The Seattle one is a tad larger though.

Breakfast at Patty's Eggnest.  I discovered one of the restaurants (it is part of a chain, I guess)  while driving my route.  When my family came in to town, I said, "Hey!  Let's try this place out!"  My dad asked how did I know if it was any good?  I said that it had a sign advertising that it was "Seattle's Best Breakfast!"  He told me that did not necessarily mean that it was.  Well, we tried it out, and found out that it was tremendously good!  Very busy, though.  The orange juice is fresh squeezed.  There is strawberry freezer jam on each table.  The biscuits & gravy breakfast is so good!  The portions are huge.  So go there hungry, but patient enough to wait awhile.

Pictured above Biscuits & Gravy along with fresh squeezed orange juice!  Yum...

Reading my friend's second book,  Eena, the Return of a Queen (The Harrowbethian Saga #2).  I am enjoying it even more than her first book, Eena, the Dawn and the Rescue (The Harrowbethian Saga #1).  My mom is reading the first one, she is really enjoying it.  She pointed out to me that I have been reading one of the main character's name wrong.  I thought she must have misunderstood, till she pointed it out on page 6 of the first book.  Now, I am having to correct in my head how it is said every time I read it in the second book.

Left:  My mom's Kindle Fire HD.  Right:  My Kindle 2nd Generation.

My mom's Kindle Fire.  I have a Kindle of my own, which I like very much.  I was comparing my text-to-speech feature with her text-to-speech feature.  The voice is slightly different, and seems to read a little more naturally.  It still pronounces some things wrong, but I can live with that.  I like how mine can start anywhere in the text.  My mom's always starts at the top of the page, even if you pause it for a second.  I noticed lately, though, my Kindle is skipping pages with this feature, which is a bit irritating.  I like how my screen is less harsh on the eyes, but I like how my mom's has color.  Obviously, the Kindle Fire has several more features available, but sometime it's nice to have less features on one device.

The sensation that is Downton Abbey.  I have to admit, I was skeptical in believing that I would like this show, despite the fact that numerous friends, relatives, and coworkers were recommending  this show to me.  I finally decided to watch some episodes, and now I understand.  I completed Season 3 just last week.

Counting Stars by OneRepublic.  Very catchy.  Fun to sing to, and dance along with.

My new vaccuum!  I asked some of you on Facebook for some suggestions on what to buy.  Most said Dyson.  After careful consideration, and a little research, I went for a Eureka!  It claims to work better than the Dyson, for half the price.  Costco had some Dyson vacuums out to test, so I tested them before deciding.

What I like about the Dyson was the ball at the bottom, it made it very easy to move around, it had nice suction, but I feel my vacuum gets just as much suction.  There are so many nice features on my new vacuum such as a washable filter, an easy to remove canister, a retractable cord, along with some other things, that I feel like I made the right decision.

Skyping with my sister and my little niece!  It seems like I actually get to chat with my sister more, now that she lives in Japan and has a little girl.  It is fun to see how my sister's daughter changes from week to week.  She is truly a great blessing.