Day in a Bottle

"Future Blue Angel in Practice"

Gorgeous Day? Check. Blue Angels screaming at our treeline? check. Navy ships in the sound? Check. Traffic tied up on the floating bridge? check.

If I could bottle this day, I would save it and open it up on a dreary, winter, cold, and rainy day about 5 months from now (perhaps on a day when a wind storm blows out the electricity.) It's just a perfect day! I would also want to bottle the excitement of Seafair. People around town all seems so excited, and with good reason. The Blue Angels started practice today, and they zipped overhead so close to the ground that it literally sends chills through your whole body! Especially when you're in your own driveway! Colin was so super excited this morning to point out the "big blue birds." Just wait until he can see them closer! We had lunch in the yard, hoping for a closer flyover, but I'm sure tomorrow will be fantastic, as well.

For those of you non-PNW folks, this is the time of year that we wait for the 11 other months of the year. It's as exciting (almost) as Christmas. I was visiting a friend here in August of 2000, and I had heard about the hydroplane races and even saw a few practicing. Little did I know I would get pulled into the excitement many years later.

As a tradition in Matt's office, Friday is Pagliocci Pizza and Blue Angels day. Everyone gathers for lunch in the panoramic conference room and watches the Angels. Rumor and old office lore have it that in years past they would come screaming between the buildings downtown so that you could see the expression on the pilot's face. Maybe. But the thought of that close glimpse is indeed exciting.

Another exciting thing we have never done, but we hope to do someday, is go out on the water for Seafair. The big question around here seems to be, "What are you doing for Seafair?" Even my hair stylist was considering going out with friends on a boat and tying up to the logboom.

I'm going to go get that bottle ready just in case...