Seattle Monday

Today I was on my own - Paul left before I woke up. Took my time eating breakfast and showering, caught up on reading, then walked over to see the new Central Library building designed by Rem Koolhaas. I took lots of pictures -- it's quite a puzzle. Much easier getting to the top than going back down. Large number of homeless hanging out peacefully enjoying it. Vancouver and San Francisco have also done the big-name-architect, signature-building new library, and I'm not sure it makes any sense as any more than a monument to civic pride -- floors full of Internet carrels? Why not have small facilities all over the city for that, and leave the central library for paper?

Then I went back to the gym on Capital Hill (20-minute walk) and worked out. I realized that my time in San Francisco, with its very crowded gyms, streets, and sidewalks, makes Seattle seem empty. There was hardly anyone in the gym at 3 PM -- one person for every ten stations, perhaps, where on Market Street at that hour there would be one for every two. By the time I left at 4:30, it wasn't quite as much of a ghost town, but I kept wondering where everyone was....

Met up with tdjohnsn for some tea and conversation, then headed back early when it turned out Paul had arrived back at the hotel unexpectedly early. Then it was downstairs for drinks, off to Capital Hill (this time in the car) for dinner with bukephalus at a nice little restaurant with piano music.

Got home and went to bed early (or I will soon.)