2023 USA – Seattle
As we wanted to go to Mexico this year, it was a good opportunity to stay with our son and his family in Seattle at Christmas.
Check-in went smoothly, and as always, the time went quickly before boarding the plane. It had been a while since we flew with British Airways, and whilst it was a new plane, the food had got worse. I didn’t normally mind aeroplane food, but on that flight, it was practically inedible. Wine made dinner slightly more palatable, but when Federika woke me from a deep sleep to have breakfast, I wished she hadn’t. Normally I can eat any old crap, but this was some kind of hot sandwich, which I had to spit out and make do with the glass of orange.
Our son met us at the airport, and as soon as we got to the car park, there was a blast of cold air, which came as a shock, as it had been a long time since I was in such temperatures. We had arrived in Seattle at around 7 p.m., so by the time we had something to eat and a chat, it was time to go to bed. I suppose it was due to the flight times, but neither of us suffered from jet lag. We expected it to catch up with us during the day, but both of us escaped it. 
Over the next few days, we went on the usual shopping trips and had a great dinner at the amazing Crab Factory, although there was a noticeable reduction in portion size since our last visit six years ago. Many of the houses in the area had elaborate lights which spread out onto the trees and shrubs, giving a warm Christmassy feel. One day, we went to the enormous Goodwill shop, which was the American version of a charity shop. Federika loved to potter around these places, but fafter ten minutes, I got bored. We agreed to meet in a coffee shop across the road, and after getting my coffee, I sat at a row of high tables. There was a high table on either side of me with two women sitting on each of them who were quite loud, so I could hear every word they said. That didn’t bother me, but although I could put up with the café being cold, the chairs being uncomfortable, and even the continual upspeak from my neighbours (turning every sentence into a question), I couldn’t handle the never-ending use of the word “like.”
“Yesterday I like went to a like restaurant with like, Jenny and I really like, liked the pasta.” It was unbearable, so I left the café screaming with my hands over my ears. I read somewhere that in one episode of Love Island, the word “like” was used 76 times in a five-minute conversation, and it got so bad that many people stopped watching it. Federika was far more tolerant than I and said it was just the modern way of talking, but I said it was a disease that had to be stamped out at all costs. Maybe develop a vaccine or enforce a 14-day self-isolation rule for anyone who says it in public.
The almost compulsory giving of a huge tip in America always amused me. I asked our daughter-in-law how much she usually gave as a tip.
“If the service is good, I give 20% but if it is bad, I only give 15%.” The idea of giving a tip for bad service seems weird to me, but “when in Rome” and all that. When paying the bill by phone, I would be presented with a card reader, which offered a choice of tips, but “No Tip” was not on the list. I liked that because it saved me from having to do any sums in my head, but I was even shown the tip option in self-service outlets. Fearing that a bolt of lightning might shoot from the card reader, I always tipped 10%. In some self-service places, the fries were salted by robotic arms, so was I really supposed to tip the robots?
Our granddaughter got us hooked on some songs while we were there, and it became impossible for me to clean my teeth without singing The Brushy Brush song. Then came the brilliant, Shake Your Sillies song just before bedtime. The whole family joined in, shaking small scarves, jumping and yawning and doing all the other things required for a good night’s sleep.
2023 Mexico
