Voiceless in Seattle

Well, Lynnwood, actually. Just steps from the Alderwood Mall, which is where I spent much of my morning.

Trip report so far. At 9:15pm or so on the day before I flew out, I got a call from my sister Kathy telling me that the only night nephew David (who is getting married on Saturday and caused this whole mess therewith) is available for a family thing was last night. So I flew into YVR, picked up my rental car, and was at the border about 30 minutes later. And waited for 45 minutes to get through customs. Got searched. Well, the car did. And the suitcase. Oh well.

Drove straight down to Issaquah to see the relations (thanks for a whole 22 hours notice, by the way), had some nice dinner, and finally checked in at the hotel about 11pm. Embassy Suites. Gotta love suites. And it's a Hilton company, so I get more Hilton Hono(u)rs reward points.

Anyway, my throat felt sort of 'sour' yesterday getting off the plane, which I attributed to outrageously dry air in the cabin, followed by about 3.5 hours of air conditioning in the car. After a fitful sleep punctuated by dreams about staph infections and such, I woke up about 7am (waaaay too early) to get my free breakfast featuring cooked-to-order eggs (sausage, onion and cheese, accompanied by way too much bacon (yum), some potatoes (ditto), coffee and OJ), and then listed to a little NPR (I <heart> NPR) before heading off to the bank.

On the way back from the bank, I stopped at Alderwood Mall. I got caught in Sears during a sample-giveaway and 'free' bonus items with a purchase of a vaguely useful object (it would be more useful if I actually cleaned once in a while). Got some gift bags and such for gifties, and some sandals.

I got to the airport in Winnipeg yesterday at noon and discovered that I'd split the sole of my favo(u)rite sandals transversely (well, coronally, I guess), and they probably wouldn't stand up to the rest of the trip, so I had to buy new ones. I'll break them in later.

But anywa, I was telling the story of my broken sandal to the guy a The Walking Store and my already hoarse voice just about croaked away. Hopefully not for good. Someone (I forget exactly who) suggested it might be allergies, which I suffered from a lot as a kid growing up here, but very little in Winnipeg. It doesn't feel like a cold, but whatever it is it seems to have settled in my larynx.

Oh Joy.

So it's about 2:30, I'm going to have a bite to eat and then climb into bed for a nap. Gotta love suites. Hopefully my voice will be back, or all my hopes for scintillatng dinner conversation will go for naught.