Ride the Ducks!

Today we did a touristy thing called Ride the Ducks. This is a tour on an amphibious bus; a tour of downtown Seattle combined with a sea tour. Our tour guide was a wild whacky woman who went by the name Claire Boyant. She sang, she danced, she made us laugh.

We also made it to the Experience Music Project (EMP) museum, and the Science Fiction museum. I saw William Shatner's tunic, the one that he wore during the filming of Star Trek - The Original Series. I also saw scripts, with notes on them, handwritten by the cast; I saw the captain's chair, and helm console, as they were used in the filming of the series.

At the EMP, I saw Jimi Hendrix's handwritten diary, with some handwritten letters. Cool, cool. We also experienced an event called On The Stage, where we made our own rock video! It's too bad that cameras were not allowed in the two museums.

Although we were around the Space Needle, we didn't quite make it up. There were just too many things to see and do in a short period of time and going up to the top of the Needle just didn't make it on the list. Maybe next time.

Seattle

Today is the first day of my vacation time in Seattle, with J, having completed the 21st Century Leadership program. I could say (and will say) that today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I feel like I am having a functional, productive, above the line team experience with J.

J does what she does, which is doing the research - finding out what attractions are around, finding out what the possibilities are, and essentially outlining the agenda. I really appreciate this because I like knowing I have a structure in place and like knowing where I am in the context of my structure.

I know that once we have our agenda, I will do what I do, which is defender of the agenda, or executor of the agenda. It is being the Chief of Staff, being the guy who takes care of the details and makes sure the agenda is followed and executed.

Today is a day for taking care of business - taking care of laundry, checking emails, getting in touch with our people back home. I really want to have my laundry cleaned because I only brought enough essentials for one week away from home and am now on my second week. I have been recycling for a couple of days, so this is bordering on emergency.

I noticed that the people of Seattle are so friendly, so service oriented, so humble and willing to engage.

After dropping off my laundry we took a bus to Pike Place Market. We had lunch at the Sound View Cafe. After lunch we wandered around the market and met a man named Michael Yaeger. Michael is the self-titled honorary mayor of Pike Place Market. He delighted in showing me a video he produced about the market and in talking with us. Inside his shop I found a book - with his name on it. I was impressed. Clearly this is a multi-talented man.

21st Century Leadership

So it's been two and a half years since I became engaged to J (see "It's a nice box"). During these two and a half years, a lot has happened, and a lot has not happened. We have had a lot of fights, we have had a lot of arguments, we have had a lot of conflict. We have had a few short-lived breakups. That's all dirty laundry which I have generally kept out of this blog.

The six day workshop that I attended with J, 21st Century Leadership, was the laundromat. Can't quite call them the dry cleaners; there was rain, there were tears.

There was stubbornness, there was determination. There was intensity, there was tiredness, there was irritation, there was hurt; there was friendship, there was challenge, there was fun, there was laughter, there was learning. Extraordinary learning.

And so in the midst of this environment, I learned what I had forgotten. I learned the answer to a question that a mere week ago I could not answer: What is good about my relationship with J? I did not actually find an answer to the question What is *good* about it, but I found an answer to a better question, What is *great* about it. What is great is when I remember that J is gentle, sweet, caring. When I remember that, it is great. And that smells fresh and clean and warm like clothes that have just come out of the dryer.

Adventure in Capilano

Today was an adventure! We went for a walk this morning, got up early and walked around the harbour, then went for breakfast. J has discovered, or rather re-discovered, the world of journaling for herself.

After breakfast and a couple of hours changing our travel plans to Seattle, we finally got under way to Capilano. We took a bus across the Lions Gate Bridge to Capilano, paid the hefty admission price and went in. Now I remembered why I hadn't crossed the suspension bridge last time I was in Vancouver, which was about ten years ago - because of the admission price. But anyways, we were already there, what were we going to do, go back? Besides, it might be another ten years before I'm back this way again!

So we did the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I crossed it the first time, and I was pretty nervous. By the time I got across I was sweating! What made me nervous was not so much the swaying, because I usually enjoy that. It was that there were so many people on the bridge ahead of me and they kept on stopping. I was so nervous crossing that I didn't even want to use my camcorder; I was holding on to the railing the whole way across.

My return crossing was a different story. There were fewer people on the bridge so I could walk faster, in the centre, with a wide stance. I held the camcorder in front of me, waist level, for most of the way back, recording. At about the three quarters of the way point I noticed it wasn't recording anymore - the battery must have drained.

We also did the Treetop Adventure at Capilano. It was a series of walkways suspended from trees. Several hundred feet above the ground! It was fun, and we took lots of pictures, videos, and voice recordings, and J wrote more in her journal. So we have lots of material with which to produce a travel documentary!

When we came back from Capilano, we took the SeaBus across the bay. Then we decided to take the SkyTrain for a ride. When we returned to the hotel we were both tired but happy. It was a great day, and a great way to start off for the upcoming 21st Century Leadership program.

Morning in Vancouver

J got up this morning while I was still in bed. She looked out the window and said, Oh my God!. I thought that some disaster had befallen, but she was simply expressing her admiration for the view. She said, Let's get up and go for a walk. I could have used a couple more hours of sleep, but what the heck, I got up anyways. In a couple of days I will be at 21st Century Leadership, getting up for the morning ritual - The Mile.

While I was getting myself up and ready, she wrote in her journal, describing the view she was seeing. My goodness, she was actually writing! I have encouraged her many times to journal, and I was impressed that she was actually doing so.

We go for a walk. J puts her journal down on the sidewalk while she takes pictures with her cellphone. I offer to carry her journal in my camera bag and she declines. What if I need to write something down?. You see - she *is* a writer! Thinking like a writer. Always carry a book, always be ready to capture a moment of inspiration.

I wait patiently while she writes, just as she has waited so many times while I've been tapping away into my Palm Pilot. I think her creative spirit has woke up.

We walk around the Bayshore and make frequent stops so J can add to her journal. (Later, she would count that she had written six pages in her pocket journal). We walk along and stop again to look at the float planes. Two of them take off during the time that we watch them. I shoot some footage with my camcorder but by this time I need to go to the washroom badly and I cannot stand still enough to get those good long shots.

Finally we go to a hotel and I go in to use their washroom. Afterwards, we walk a few blocks more to a breakfast place called The White Spot. We each have Belgium waffles and fresh orange juice. We also read to each other from our respective journals, and thus a seed for a new bonding ritual is planted.

J is amazed with her own rediscovered writing abilities, and realizes that I saw the writer in her. It looks like J has finally started her journey, it looks like she has finally started her own 21st Century Leadership.

She beams when I read out my observations about her, and I take a moment of silent pleasure about something I've done for her that she doesn't know about yet. She didn't bring a CD for 21CL, so I have secretly picked one on her behalf. I will surprise her with it later. The CD I picked is by Louis Armstrong, and the song I picked for her is When You're Smiling. The line that speaks to me that I want to gift to her, is When you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you. I think of this as I look at her beaming face and I know I made absolutely the right choice.

Black silhouetted mountains

I do in fact enjoy travelling, once I actually get out. It's the preparation, the packing, that puts me off. The stress of getting all those things done that ought to be done before leaving on a trip. Knowing that I always pack too much and end up using only a fraction of what I bring with me on a trip. Playing the guessing game of what the weather will be like at my destination for the duration of the trip; playing the prediction game of deciding what clothing to bring and what not to bring so that I am prepared for all outcomes.



Once I'm at the airport, luggage checked in, security cleared, and I'm just waiting to hear the boarding call, I start to relax and get excited about going somewhere.

Saturday July 14 - I am in Vancouver with J. We are here for a couple of days, on a stopover on our way to Seattle. We have a room here at the The Westin Bayshore, overlooking a marina, black mountains silhouetted in the background - the view is gorgeous! This room was arranged for us by a friend with help from J's brother. Thank you both! I greatly appreciate it.