12-15-08 Monday (Tray Tables Up Please)

For today, we have the Boeing tour at 11am. We rescheduled yesterday after we found leaving the campground to be too risky. Everything is still frozen out there, with the lowest temperature so far to be 19. I'm a bit annoyed that the campground hasn't salted or sanded especially with such a hilly terrain. The grounds are about 80% ice. Walking Dasher was hazardous. I took "baby steps" and hoped I wouldn't wipe out. All I need is to break something. We 38 year olds have fragile bones. Got milk?

If my comment responses are nil or short, it's because of the busy week we've finally had. It's been a lot of work on the video montages and I need to get less fancy on them. I enjoy making them but they're taking up a lot of time.

Thanks to Liz at Eternal Lizdom. She made my day today. Before we left the house (RV) today, I commented on her blog entry about some gingerbread houses. I said maybe I'll find a gingerbread RV. She made another entry today and decided to find one, and post it for our benefit. Love ya Liz! Click here for the entry.

Months ago, Glenn had emailed me a trailer ornament. I can't find the email but when I Google for it, I come up with tons of them. We don't have one, some day we will. For now, it's one more thing to carry.

Earlier this month, another friend, Ken @ RV Birds of a Feather, had posted an RV Christmas Light show. I've inserted here.

OK, now I have to tell you all about the Boeing tour. The entire parking lot was an ice rink. I'm amazed such a large company would leave their lot as such. We noticed a lot of businesses were the same. Solid ice. We heard from the boat tour guide yesterday that it only snows twice a year in Seattle. Now of course we weren't in Seattle, so I'm not sure how far that general statement goes. Maybe the businesses aren't prepared for it?

Jim had read that no photos were permitted and they stuck with their rules. We had to check in our phones and camera. Phones had to be checked in because fear of remote detonation devices. It really made no sense since there were no metal detectors or such. It seemed to be more on an honor system of checking in your stuff.

We (group of about 30) were ushered into an auditorium and watched a 6 minute video. Next, onto a bus outside that took us across their property to the factory/assembly lines. We went down some stairs and into a tunnel. The tunnel is very long and houses pipes and wiring. Employees use it to roller blade and jog! Yeah, 2 joggers passed us while we walked to a freight elevator. Up to an observation deck we went. Employees rode bikes through the massive factory. Some quick facts per the tour guide: One of the buildings is the largest in the world by volume. They have 19 cafeterias, and many Tully's coffee shops. She mentioned that before they installed climate control, they actually had clouds inside and it rained, producing it's own weather pattern. Of course that wasn't a good thing, so the ventilation system was installed. Equipped with its own security force and fire department, a fully equipped medical clinic, a childcare centre, a water treatment plant, and its own electrical sub-stations.

During a portion of the tour, we became friends with Gregg and Tim, from Arizona. Gregg is a pilot for a major airline! Gregg and Tim have been friends for years. After the tour we chit-chatted for a while and we decided to have lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. After lunch, the 4 of us returned to Boeing for their "Future of Flight" interactive displays. I had my camera back at this point and was able to snap some photos. Gregg was an awesome personal tourguide. As we said our goodbyes, they invited us to dinner with their long time local friend, Merry.

Returning to the RV, we let the dog out, called them back and accepted their invitation. They were staying in the heart of Seattle at the W. We met them at the hotel. Hotel W. Really modern, hip, preppy kinda place. Love it. Their room had a view of the Space Needle!

A glass of wine later, we went (a 7 block walk) to a Greek Restaurant, called Lolas. It's not your typical Greek Restaurant. You won't find Gyros here. Click here to see the menu. We met up with Merry and had a great time! The menu was very intimidating. If you were to look at the menu, you'd never believe what I ordered! I had the goat (Jim had the lamb)! I just spotted that the online menu is different than the actual menu. Mine was "young goat, horseradish, root vegetable stew". After I made many a bahhhhh sound, I dove in. I was torn by it's flavor. It was OK. A few spots had more horseradish than others, which appeased me.

I loved Merry. She is a sophisticated, tell it like it is nurse. She's lived in Seattle for 20 plus years and never leaves the city. She loves Seattle.

After a long dinner (we all talked and talked and talked), Merry went home (she had to work the next day), while the remaining 4 of us went back to the W hotel and camped out in their swanky lobby sipping hot chocolate and talking some more. The lobby is very "hip" and comfortable. It was after midnight, and we finally closed the evening. We had such an awesome time!