Science Center

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.
-- Jane Howard

Sunday, November 5, 2000
One year ago: Indicators
Two years ago: Leading
Three years ago: Opiates

I'd wanted to do an expedition with my sister M-----, her boys, and Jack and H---. My sister is going on a trip back east next week, and I hadn't seen her for a while. And I want to blend these families, make sure that Jack gets to know my nephews and her, and vice versa.

I came up with this idea: the Pacific Science Center, down at Seattle Center. M--- found it a good notion because she'd bought her family a gold membership, with lots of extra passes for friends. She would drive.

I packed some food items into a backpack. We waited. Jack went outside because he was bugged by a nickelodeon cartoon that H--- was watching. Of course, we followed him out there! M---- wasn't really late, just a bit later than I'd figured on, since I knew when they were done with Mass. They did arrive soon enough, though, and we all piled into her car.

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Seeing the science center was like herding cats, a bit, with the wide range of ages and varying interests in our group. I think Jack liked doing the science stuff with H---. They did get separated from the rest of us for a while.

After reuniting, we ate lunch in the covered outdoor picnic area in the central courtyard. We bought beverages from the vending machines. My older nephew J--- asked for Powerade, berry flavor but with a fancy name: Jagged Ice! A pigeon with one foot stumped around us, along with ducks and other birds. We lunched on carrots, Expresse no-spoon yogurt (which is really just Gogurt for adults, Kaukauna cream cheese and salsa dip and bite-size tostitos (tostitoes?) -- gala apples, too. I think everybody got something they liked.

We'd decided to see the Elephant Kingdom, an Imax movie, since it fit best with our group and our schedule. It was ok but a bit corny. (Good behind-the-scenes info on the Discovery.com site.) The film was especially appropriate because of the birth of a new Indian elephant at the Woodland park zoo a few days ago. There was one especially annoying small child behind us, which is to be expected, I guess. But the parent didn't make much effort to impress upon the boy the importance of not talking. This is a vital concept, the difference between watching a video in your living room (okay to talk) and seeing a movie in a theater with other people (not okay to talk).

We wandered through an exhibit on 3D technologies that was just beyond the "explore more" museum store. I spied Art Widner! (see this special fanzine from his 80th birthday in 1997) I had glimpsed him in the movie theater, but hadn't believed it could be him. It turned out he was in town for a family reunion. The exhibit was one of the best parts of the museum for me. J--- and I looked through a book that showed photos of classical "impossible objects," then demonstrated how they built the models. There was Viewmaster all over, and holograms, of course. Jack climbed into the same Gemini capsule replica that he'd stood in line for, for hours, when he was a child.

I think the popular favorite of the afternoon was the live butterfly exhibit. It was tropically warm and humid. They fluttered above us, below us, and all around, chasing each other. Gorgeous flashes of metallic blue! The huge insect models (on the order of twelve feet long) were better than the similar dino exhibit, I think.

On the way out of the building, I made kissing noises at Jack who was listening at the other end of the whisper dishes.

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After all that, we were back home at three! One of the advantages of getting an early start. We rested for a short while. But too soon it was time for H--- to go. Jack wanted to eat before taking H--- to the train station. We came up with the idea of Taco del Mar, again. It was nearby, on Broadway. I was a bit nervous about where we parked (without paying). Jack borrowed my copy of The Stranger to read about the demise of the Rocket. I wanted it for the election cheat sheet. After we ate, a few big hugs. If I walked home from there, Jack wouldn't have to double back to drop me off, but could leave straight from the train station. He needed to get home because there was a Monty python laugh-off scheduled at a friend's place. Which do you think is funnier, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, or Monty Python's Life of Brian?

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I went down to the Century Ballroom for a shag lesson (not the same as a shagging lesson!). I've had several beginning sessions on this thirties dance, at various workshops, but I haven't mastered it yet. I think I need a continuing series of classes to make progress in most dances. Adam Noble and Tammy were teaching. There was a wide range of skill levels in the class, which is always a good test of following skill. I smiled inwardly as Tammy emphasised the importance of dancing smoothly and not hopping (true), with her head bobbing up and down the while. Don't get me wrong, she looked good and had good style! We covered the basic, a slow turn, a quick turn, and the dramatic "slow breaks," which was plenty for an hour lesson.

I ate in the cafe in between the lesson and the dance. I ordered goat-cheese ravioli, which arrived in broth, which surprised me -- but it tasted fine. I'd just been expecting a plateful of pasta, not a bowl of soup. I talked with Gavin. He said he wants to get into other activities (besides dancing), but what?

The dance was fun, but I didn't stay too late. Too busy of a day!