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Regarding the Alaskan Way Geoduck... It closed in January 2019, and the tunnel opened in February. "Demolition work was completed on November 21, 2019, with 240 million pounds (110,000,000 kg) of concrete recycled and 15 million pounds (6,800,000 kg) of steel rebar reclaimed.[61] Some of the concrete from the demolition was pulverized and used to fill the Battery Street Tunnel.[62] New development along the waterfront in downtown Seattle, including a park promenade, is planned to be completed by 2021.[63][64]" Wikipedia.

I'd be interested in Rick's views (literally) of how it looks now, since his ferry ride lands down there. I haven't been down there (the waterfront) since COVID, although when son #2 was going to school there, we went regularly because he lived one block from Pike Place Market.

I remember the first time I saw one of those we were in the Pike Place Market, of all places. I thought to myself “my god what is that?” That’s a big boy they’re allrighty. Ahem… and as I am sure you are aware but others might not be the pronunciation is gooey duck. How in the heck do they get gooey out of Geo?

Inquiring minds need to know. Or want to anyway.

So we know how it got the pronunciation. What we don't know is how it got the stupid spelling.

This is an aquadog.

That’s a mighty fine looking pup. It’s also good you reattached his head. I can see he’s getting gray like all of us but hopefully has a few good years left in him.

That was my point about geoduck. I know it’s sometimes difficult to transliterate some languages into English but one would’ve thought that “they” would have made a better attempt to spell the word as it is pronounced. Such as guiduck?

Naw…..

Yes. Hwy 99 is now a double decker tunnel underground. The Alaskan Hwy is a wide-open modern highway with LOTs and LOTs of construction happening.

The entire waterfront is being redone. You can read about it here.

People are excited here in Seattle because the Mariners are heading to the play-offs.

Just lots of unfinished construction. Lots of temporary one-way streets. It seems they're about 30% completed with the project. Lots of temporary signals and light poles.

The first month with my work transportation money, I purchased a September ferry pass. It is a use it or lose it thing when you buy a monthly pass because the ferry fare is reduced.

Next month, for October, I am just going to let the funds sit in my ORCA card and pay a higher fare...whenever I am charged. The thing is, the ferry employees are so inconsistent...I am charged, I am not charged, the passengers are charged, the passengers are not charged. The vanpool gets waived through the toll booth, the vanpool gets scurintiezed. It's like every WSF employee just makes-up their own rules.

So the risk of just letting the funds sit in my account and pay when needed is a gamble. I think I will come out ahead though, more than I will be behind, based upon what has happened this month.

If I have extra monies on my ORCA card, I can then use those monies to go to Seattle in my personal car on the ferry when I am off from work. I plan on doing that this Saturday and next Wednesday - a week from now.

I'm taking Rocksus to a corn maze on Saturday night in Soquamish and next Wednesday, I'm taking a vaca day because my friend Crystal is coming to Seattle from the Bay Area and we're going to have dinner with her sister on Lake Union. I reserved an outdoor table because the restaurant is right in front of the marina there.

Not sure what you're talking about there.

In Portland there is a street called COUCH. The locals call it COOCH. They call their river WAH-LAM-IT, Us non-locals called WILLAM-ETTE.

Also in Portland, things are "spendy." In Cali and Washington, things are pricey.

aka Roscoe