In Seattle!

[luzula]

I'm here, safe and sound. The trip was long, obviously, but I got to see lots stuff from the plane: an erupting volcano on Iceland, lots of pack ice on the sea, the huge glaciers on Greenland, and bits of Nunavut and Hudson's bay. Very cool.

Also, more weird customs stuff: it was apparently not enough with that weird online form I had to fill in. No, I have to fill in the exact same form on paper on the plane, too. Plus another form that I had to turn in before I boarded, and yet another form that was about what I had to declare for Customs. About 80% of the information on these forms are the same, and the funny thing is that there are notices on them about the Paperwork Reduction Act. Hee. Maybe they should get on that.

Also, did you know that it's forbidden to bring "obscene articles" into the US? What does that even mean?

I actually checked the ticky box for "food", because I was bringing some presents for the people I'm staying with, and the Customs guy did a double-take that someone had actually checked "yes".

Customs guy: So, what food are you bringing?

Me: Two jars of cloudberry preserves, and...

Customs guy: Yeah, yeah, ok.

Me: And then I also have...

Customs guy: Sure, go on. *waves me on*

I felt kind of like Fraser.

Anyway, I'm here now. Tonight I'm going to a Jeffrey Foucault concert with keerawa and some other people. Tomorrow: lunch with more fangirls. Saturday: the people I'm staying with are celebrating Passover, and invited me to join them. Sunday: only vague plans as of yet. Monday-Thursday: possibly going out to the Olympic Peninsula and seeing the rainforest (yes, I'm aware that I'll probably get wet). And I'll go by public transport, so basically Monday and Thursday are for getting there and back.

I'll be checking email, so drop me a line if you're in Seattle and want to meet up!

Comments

[julia_here]

So glad to see you yesterday; wanted to show you my new icon which is snatched from one edge of a photo from the hill; decided I must go back there sometime around noon and see if the light is more favorable (and the wind less an issue).

Julia, enjoy the con, y'hear?

[luzula]

Oh, the dogwood tree! It really was lovely, and the icon is, too.

Yes, I will do my best to enjoy the con!

[andeincascade.livejournal.com]

Yay! You're in my hemisphere!

[luzula]

I am indeed! And the jetlag isn't as bad as I thought it would be. \o/

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Hey! You're in my biozone!

How rigid are your plans for next week? I'm stuck here until I'm not (and would like to take you out to Mima Mounds or some other local natural wonder of note) but if weather and transportation fall together are you available midweek on short notice?

Julia, not my most wonderfully fun spring

[luzula]

Well, my plans aren't rigid except that if I do go out to the Olympic Peninsula on Monday, then I can only get around by public transport and it might be hard to get anywhere else on short notice. Of course, if you wanted to pick me up, I would be up for anything. But I have no conception of the distances involved, so I would understand if that was not possible. Hmm. I guess the alternative would be not to head out to the Olympic Peninsula and instead do day trips from Seattle, but I would like to see the rain forest, and I don't know the area enough to make alternative plans.

*googles Mima Mounds* Ooh, I would love to see the prairie.

Anyway, I'm heading for the Burke Museum now! My dad used to work there, and I'm curious to see it again. And they have an ethnobotanical garden, which sounds fun.

[zabira.livejournal.com]

YAY, you MADE IT. \o/

[luzula]

Yes, I did! And soon I'll get to see you. \o/

[luzula]

I had a good time meeting fans yesterday! Fun, but kind of tiring, because of the jetlag thing.

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

Huzzah, you're HERE! I bet you'll love the Rainforest - I'm particularly fond of Crescent Lake, so peaceful.

it's forbidden to bring "obscene articles" into the US? What does that even mean?
*coughs* slash *coughs*

[luzula]

*waves*

Now I have a visual of you when I read your comment! It makes me read it differently, actually. And I mean, I've heard your voice before, but your podficcing voice is different from your voice when you talk. Huh, interesting.

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

your podficcing voice is different from your voice when you talk
That IS interesting! I seem to remember doing Con Job and another one when I was coming down off a nasty cold - dropped my voice a half octave or so. Also, I jabber less when pod-ficcing. Was great meeting you! *hugs*

[luzula]

Well, I had lunch with three other podficcers today, and the same was true of them! I think it's that you sound different because you're using your voice for a different purpose compared to when you're in a conversation.

[exeterlinden.livejournal.com]

I'm so envious! Travelling! Meeting fangirls!

If I had known about the Olympic Peninsula, and how to get there, I would have definitely gone, as well - looks stunning.

I don't really know if you're into sci-fi at all, but I had great fun at the Science Fiction Museum (http://maps.google.dk/maps?hl=da&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=seattle+science+fiction+museum&fb=1&gl=dk&hq=science+fiction+museum&hnear=seattle&cid=0,0,15125666784235608082&iwloc=lyrftr:transit,0x549015463e05c307:0x99cda11d4c895eb9&ei=whG1S-qxDov4-AblxvioCA&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=transit-link&resnum=1&ved=0CA4QsQUwAA). It's not all that big, but geeky and charming, and it even has a small showcase on queer sci-fi and fanfiction.

Have a great time - hope to hear much more about it :D

[luzula]

I am a bit tired, but definitely having fun!

Science fiction museum, huh. Yes, that looks interesting--although it seems to be as much about music as about science fiction. Thanks for the tip!

[vsee.livejournal.com]

I am so excited that you're here even though I won't get to see you. You don't seem all that much closer to me than when you're at home, but rough calculations show you're only half as far.

*squints to the West*

That checkbox about declaring food might actually be about agricultural pests, which is why he didn't care about your jam.

I'm jealous of that recipient. :D

I hope you have a great time doing touristy things till the con starts.

<3

[luzula]

We're on the same continent, at least!

Yeah, it is about agricultural pests, and I checked out the rules carefully before deciding what to bring. You can't bring meat products or fresh fruit, for example.

*ponders whether it would be possible to send you cloudberry jam in the mail*

[mizface.livejournal.com]

You're HERE!!!! Yay!!! And how goofy are the Customs people?

So glad you got here safely, and got to see cool stuff on the plane!

[luzula]

Yes, I'm here! And the jetlag isn't as bad as I expected, although I did kind of turn into a zombie at about 10 last night.

[innocentsmith.livejournal.com]

I find it exceedingly easy to imagine Fraser arriving at Customs with cloudberry preserves and some kind of obscene article. And then while he's helpfully explaining the jam and not explaining the giant dildo or whatever, and oh by the way I also have a wolf, well, half-wolf, don't worry, I have a license for him, the airport is overrun with terrorists in clown suits. Or something.

...I hope your travel experience wasn't as stressful as that, though.

And yay, you're in the same country and even time zone! \o/ Have fun this week!

[luzula]

That's...quite easy to picture, yes. &hearts

And no terrorists in clown suits, no. Just bored customs officers.

See you soon!