Greetings from Seattle!

My trip from Liberty International Airport to Sea-Tac confirmed for me once again how much I dislike air travel, but because I had earned a free ticket, I guess I should not complain too much. It was my first trip since United took over Continental and I must say. all the online arrangements went very smoothly as my account was intact except for the name change.

I saw the helicopter hovering over the East End while I was getting ready to leave and wondered whether police were dealing with one of the shootings Jackie noted on Facebook. Later I saw the news article.
The much-vaunted and long-anticipated ShotSpotter program is supposed to start June 1, assuming all sensors and cameras are in place and the monitoring facility is operational.

So initially everything went well when I got to the airport, but once my fellow travelers (so to speak) and I were all wedged into our seats, it became apparent something was wrong. Turns out a gash in one of the tires caused its removal and replacement, which took about 20 minutes. Then the pilot announced that the runways were being reassigned in a new pattern - another 20 minutes elapsed before we took off.

Amenities were sparse on the plane. Food for purchase and no movie. I had the new New Yorker with me and read a scary article about drones in the Innovators issue.

We landed in sunny Seattle, where even during the descent I could see masses bright yellow Scotch broom and the colorful rhododendrons for which the Northwest is famous. Audrey and Peter and I took the Light Rail to Columbia City, with me admiring the many public art pieces along the way (photos to follow). Lunch was a fabulous Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich from Seattle Deli in the International District. Peter, the family chef, made dinner after we took a walk at Lincoln Park, where underground creatures (clams? geoducks?) were spouting water out of the pebbly beach.

I only had time for passing thoughts of Plainfield and its many concerns. By now, people must be buzzing about the superintendent finalists and the "uptick" in crime. Now that the word about the parade is out, I hope plans are being made diligently and that all costs are being documented for later review. The plan as projected by various individuals, some with no official standing in municipal government, seem a bit open-ended and possibly subject to "mission creep."

More later and thanks to everyone who cheered me on my birthday trip!

--Bernice