Looking at the Tesla was only a small part of my Friday as my final destination was Qwest Field's exhibition hall for the Seattle Boat Show. But first I caught The Book of Eli at Pacific Place. The pre-5pm price for a movie was $8 f-wording 50. Evening shows are ten bucks and I'd be happy to wait a couple months on The Rusty Plan to just pay around six chips. Denzel was Denzel, and that's a good thing. Every now and then you got a little Training Day Washington.
Gook flick, read it was inspired by a Nine Inch Nails album and it shows. Filmed with the RED ONE camera as well.
I waited for 5pm for the Boat Show ticket to go down to $8 only to learn that deal was only for Sunday to Thursday and I'd have to shell out the whole $12 to look at schmidt nobody can afford anymore. Hell, can't afford to look even look at it but I'm on a five month vacation so whateva.
First thing that caught my baby browns was a paddle boat constructed out of aluminum that looked like it could fight the North Line at Egegik. Goes four knots and cost $3468.00.
Next was the Aquaglide sailboat that looked like a fun for The -Job-I-Used-To-Have (the salesman asked if I had any kids and I said not anymore and I think the thought I had kids and they died). And at $499 it may have been the best deal at the show.
The hall is maybe twice as big at Walmart ADQ and stuffed to the gills with mini yachts and water ski boats. I've grown up regarding boats as work tools, not sissy play things, but I was in the minority on this day.
I checked out a six foot inflatable that reminded me of my internship days on Afognak, crossing Danger Bay in a raft of similar specs and allowing that body of water to live up to its somewhat undeserved name. I weaved in and out, row after row of pricy white cruisers until I found the non-boat vendors in the part you never see on game day because it hides behind massive garage doors. Here were the harbor reps and communities in Puget Sound and Inside passage in BC plugging their ports of call. I found a book like Milepost but just for boating between Olympia and Haines. I want to do this before I die now. The Cruise Alaska booth had a big picture of Kodiak as its display and on the table was a fat stack of business cards for one Marty Owen who was nowhere to be seen. I returned a few times to see if anyone showed up to man the booth but all had abandoned their post. I thought about standing behind the table and answering questions and telling people Homer sucks but decided to keep moving. FYI: I can see the house I grew up in on the display so I threw up some Mission Road gang signs to the people at the Port of Everett. Not really.
There were a few people selling kayaks and one had on of those stand up paddle boards that are popular down here. I see people doing this in the canal near my place at the Center of the Universe. On September 12th there will be a race around Mercer Island on stand up paddle board. Might take a while to finish the 13 miles on one of those things. Maybe I can enter the women's race like I did in the Crab Fest kayak race a few years ago.
Paula representing the resort with boat stalls in Hawaii was adorable and was one of five spank bank quality show girls counted by El Sandinista. The one at the hydraulic ski boat lift got the sandinyerface purple ribbon.
The sodastream.com booth was selling a kit to make yer own soda but you have to buy their CO2 canisters and they said they can't ship them to Alaska. No soda for you.
I liked the Feathercraft minirafts. Tempted to get one when I have cashflow. I also liked the 13' Boston Whaler sport boat for $12K.
Near the end of the event I ended up talking with a guy who does a six-pac charter license class who may have become my Plan C, D, or E for the fall.
After 3.5 hours of walking around like Mr. Sea Ray I found a bus to get me back home, too tired to go out to the Dubliner.
