When I go to Seattle for work, this is usually what I see on my way in. Overcast skies, lots of tall buildings, and about 40 miles of treacherous traffic! This photo was taken in June when I went up to present a couple of Peer Review training sessions for our Seattle folks.
This morning the skies cleared up by the time I was nearing the city (8:15 or so), but a thick layer of fog remained on the west side of downtown, including around the Space Needle. I thought this was a pretty cool photo.
I went up today for an ALDP (Actuarial Leadership Development Program) session based on the book Execution. We've had a number of fascinating sessions and discussions about a series of leadership and soft skills books, but more on that another day. The other highlight of the day was that today was the Seattle and Burlington yearly 'team building' activity. This year's activity: a Mariners matinee!
I got a pretty cool fish-eye type shot from our seats in section 340 at Safeco field. I hadn't been to an MLB game before, so this was a really cool experience! The ambiance was very similar to those at the Broncos and 49ers games we went to in the last couple years. So were the concessions prices!
Anyway, despite being in the nosebleed seats, our view was unimpeded and really quite good. The Mariners took a quick two run lead in the first inning but then fell behind 5-2 after the Blue Jays had a great second inning. I stuck around long enough to see the Mariners explode for six runs in the fifth inning to take a two run lead, 9-7. After one more at-bat for the Blue Jays, I decided to make the two mile jog back to my car to get on the freeway and hopefully avoid the terrible rush hour traffic. There's a reason Seattle has the ninth worst traffic in the US, and I've been stuck in it before!
I listened to the end of the game as I drove out of town, back home to Vancouver. Final score: Mariners 9, Blue Jays 7. Looks like I didn't miss out on any great offense by taking off early!
Oh, one other interesting side note was that there may have almost been as many Blue Jays' fans there as Mariners' fans! Turns out all of Canada cheers for their lone MLB team, so the Canucks in Vancouver BC travel the 150 miles or so to Seattle very easily and en masse, apparently. Easier than driving 4,400 km to Toronto!
Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a ball game, and I'm glad it turned out well for the real home team. See photos below for evidence of the beautiful summer day in the Pac NW.
msh
