Wow. Lots to write about. Coverage of Pete and Melissa’s trip will switch to Educause only on Wednesday when MJ leaves, but day one was pretty fun. We started the day taking the monorail (think marge and monorail from the Simpsons) down to a navy pier like area for Seattle where the space needle is. It’s where we started the day.

The Space Needle is fun. It’s a lot shorter than what I had envisoned; all of the drawings of Seattle seem to have it being equal with the rest of the buildings – it’s not; there are several buildings it’s shorter than. Seattle was cold and rainy today and 600ish feet up, it is *really* cold and rainy and windy. Of course, they ‘proudly serve’ starbucks coffee. Even though Seattle is the hometown of Starbucks, it seems like going to New Orleans and eating at a McDonalds; it’s just not right.

Next up was the Experience Music Project (sponsored by Microsoft). On a whole, it seems, that whereever there is technology in the greater Seattle area, it’s been sponsored by Microsoft. We were on the top of the space needle and they had some interactive exhibits (that weren’t working) at the top. But the Experience Music Project was full of Microsoft; the ‘listen to the artists tell their stories’ kiosks are powered by the ‘ever popular’ Zune. Heck, Zunes were everywhere. The EMP was very cool, and entertaining and they didn’t allow pictures :( . It’s a shame because there are a ton of very cool picture opportunities.

There was a whole section on grunge music and how it developed and some really cool exhibits. As an aside, it’s really fun to see some older looking guys watching the grunge stuff. People age, eh? Even though I love the freedom and change that is going on in the music secene, it seems like we were the last generation to have a predominate music culture; the early nineties had grunge and alternative (before it lost its meaning).

We next walked about 3 miles (uphill) to an Ethiopian restaurant who, when we got there, proclaimed that they changed their hours to 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.; we wanted to eat there for lunch. Sadness prevailed.

We ambled down to what shall become labled as ‘Pete’s idea of heaven’ (my wife is wonderful). There is a district that is known for thrift stores, book stores and music stores. It was her idea. Well, we found this one particular CD store. It was amazing; there was everything that you could even dream of wanting in there. There used CD section was a dream; I found Deitiphobia’s ‘Fear of the Digital remix’.

Then tonight we topped it off with David Crowder at the Moore theater. Which, I recognized, but couldn’t remember from where. Crowder pointed it out, but it was the location of the video for ‘Even Flow‘. We watched The Myriad opened; they reminded me a lot of The Cinematics and/or MuteMath, which reminded me of Coldplay, which reminded me of U2. I gave them a good solid B. Phil Wickham was next and MJ loved him; I’ll let her mention him. :) . Finally Crowder was up. It’s amazing, overall, Crowder can go in a concert from leading in really good worship music to being entertaining to encapsulting all that I despise about Modern Worship (cliched lyrics, repetitive lines, and blurring the line between entertainment and worship). When he’s on, he’s really on and mixing in electronics is just awesome. When he’s not there, he’s painful to listen to. But, then again, aren’t we all?

Anyway, more tomorrow. We’re going to greenlake, PCA for church (now known as crosspointe), then onto a cruise and maybe a movie tonight.

Much love from way out west.