Memorable Seattle Museums

Overplanning can be a vacation killer. While a loose structure is beneficial, trying to plan it all to a tee destroys the discovery and adds stress and anxiety.

When we had a day of freedom in the beautiful city of Seattle, we opted for letting the adventure find us rather than go searching for it through planning. We certainly found adventure and more when we visited the EMP Museum and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum.  The EMP had many very intriguing and attractive displays and collections, many near and dear to my adolescence. The Chihuly Garden and Glass was an unexpected surprise. Not being the most avid art museum attendee, this one may have tweaked a new desire to visit more.

Rather then try to describe it all and destroy your discovery, enjoy the photographs and let the adventure find you.

The Experience Music Project, or EMP Museum

Fantasy Exhibit

Fantasy isn't my expertise, but I love The Princess Bride

My name is Inigo Montoya You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Video Game Exhibit

Guitar Exhibit

Jimi Hendrix Exhibit

Nirvana Exhibit

Horror Film Exhibit

Science Fiction Exhibit

I can;t believe I missed out ;)

Seahawks Exhibit

I plead the 5th.

The Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum

Moving on from the Mountains. . .

Ever heard of the Dargatz Dichotomy? Well, here it is. I absolutely love exploring the serenity of nature. I also crave for the hustle and bustle of downtown adventures. These two might seem like polar opposites and in some ways they are, but they also have a great deal in common. They both offer an array of amazing experiences. So down from the mountains we go, all the way to the Emerald City. (Those interested in reading up on our outdoor adventures, please check out http://talesfttrails.blogspot.com/)

We weren't in Kansas anymore, but Seattle. When I HEAR Seattle, I used to think of rain, the Space Needle, and Starbucks. I still sorta do, but now I can think of even more. Defining Seattle as rainy is a bit misnomer as a few people whom lived there made sure to mention it the 55th rainiest city in the United States, but probably in the top ten of cloud cover. The Space Needle was there but a bit off of the more impressive skyscrapers. Starbucks were everywhere. Literally. Even the first Starbucks was here. Luckily, I am not a coffee drinker because the line was absolutely ridiculous. What people will do for a hot cup of java!

After dropping off the rental car and getting checked in at the hotel, night had fallen. There was still time to explore so off to Pike Place Market we went. Was it a tourist trap? Yes. Was it a Seattle staple? Yes. Was it open? Nope. At least most of it. Nonetheless, walking through the market still aroused sights, smells, and sounds that intrigued us and encouraged a return trip during daylight hours.

After taking in one of the still open eating establishments, it was back to the hotel to gear up for a day of tantalizing tourism.

First stop, a return trip the market. After filling up on an absolutely delightful pastry from one of the many bakeries lining the streets near the market, we took in the market in its glory. Flowers, fruit, and fish. Trinkets galore. The market didn't drain my wallet, but it was a bit of sensory overload. We needed a break. A walk down the pier gave us needed relief.

The Seattle Aquarium was mediocre at best. I may be an aquarium snob as I have been fortunate enough to visit a variety of aquariums throughout the country. There were some cute otters, combined outdoor/indoor avian exhibits, and a giant pumpkin carving artist, but the overall experience was OK, less than OK when you factor in the price of admission.

I am a glutton for history. I just can't get enough, so when my wife offered a boat tour of the harbor, I knew I would learn some interesting historical information. Game on!

Seattle (small building just to the left of the front of the ship is Smith Tower)

The views of the skyline were gorgeous, despite the overcast skies. The facts were fast and furious. Here's what I remember. :)

•  The first Seattle skyscraper was the Smith Tower
• On the 35th floor is a lucky chair for single ladies. Sit in that chair and marriage isn't far away.
• The Maximum depth of Puget Sound is 600 feet. The Space Needles is 605 feet tall, meaning just the tiptop of the needle would be able the waterline.

One of many container ships

• Because of weather and planting factors, a Native American chief on the opposite side of Puget Sound gave the incoming settlers the idea of moving across the water into what is now called Seattle. That chief's name was "Americanized" to Chief Seattle.
• 28,000 rubber duckies once spilled into Puget Sound. Rather than clean them up, scientists convinced authorities to let them stay, creating the biggest known experiment for studying waves and currents. Rubber duckies from this spill were found all over the world.
• Container ships are scattered throughout the harbor carrying freight containers from all over the world. Over 10 million of these containers are dropped each year, though this only accounts for 0.001% of all containers transported throughout the year.

After getting back on land, we walked the Seattle waterfront and toured the Olympic Statue Park. We got caught by quite possibly the slowest train ever, though we were able to walk above it while the cars kept lining up and waiting, waiting, waiting.

Metal tree

Though we had a full day of experiences, our Emerald City adventures were just beginning. . .

It All Takes Time

I've been told I am high energy. I am not sure that is entirely true. I am busy.  .in a good way and being busy really has eliminated that "down time" many so desperately seek. I've been so accustomed to being busy, it's almost as if I have developed adult ADHD. . .checking my phone in a sick sort of ritual and moving on to one activity after another.

Like I said, it's a good busy, but it has changed my life.

I spent the last few days at a children's book writing retreat. I felt uncomfortable at first, not because of my surroundings or company, but because I have put my writing on the backburner as other interests have "taken over." I'm not complaining by any means. The beginning of the school year is always a huge time commitment. This year, the time crunch has been on steroids as I am creating and coordinating a forest kindergarten program. I absolutely love it, but it takes time.

Then there's the volunteering. Maybe I am a sucker. maybe I'm overly ambitious. But with my Ice Age Trail hiking volunteering somewhat slowing down with the seasonal changes and my Special Olympics basketball season not tipping off until December, I felt a volunteer void and reached out to a local nature center to start training to be a volunteer naturalist. There are benefits besides just filling in that need to volunteer. I can use my experiences and training in my tyke hike program and forest kindergarten, so to me it is a natural fit. However, it is also takes time.

Let's not forget about the writing and the reading. My literacy time hasn't really been cut. It has probably actually increased over the past few months. It is just that now, I don't read or write for pleasure like I had or like I should. I do it for my job. For my professional growth. I do sneak in an occasional blog entry at either DADventures or Tales From the Trails, but I can barely remember the last time I looked at one of my many picture book manuscripts. I need to, though as I mentioned earlier, that takes time.

Of course, I can't forget my familial responsibilities. Being a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have a lovely wife whose work schedule makes optimal family time tricky. I am the guardian to my sister. Each of these responsibilities has wonderful blessings, but as with everything else, they take time.

As I look back on my writing conference experience, I know that if I really want to take my writing to the next level (or any level really), I need to make it more of a priority. 10 minutes a day? 15? 30? That is to be determined, but that is where I need to start. I always spout to my students that "it's not always about getting it right, but doing it right."  I need to practice what I preach when it comes to my own work.

Many great writing colleagues and professionals provided oodles of great advice and ideas these lest few days. It'd be a shame to ignore them. So off I go, rejuvenated as an artist and working on my writing. Time to be a brave and tenacious writer and see where it takes me. :)

Weekends Need to Be Longer

After a weekend like this, I am thinking about getting back into politics. You see, I did launch an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004 with required no fee ATM's as a main issue. While I fell just short of getting on the ballot, I think my next stance might help my candidacy gain some traction: a federal law requiring longer weekends.

After this weekend, you'll know exactly why I am making this a prime part of my platform. 

It all started with the Brewers mini-marathon. While this was the 4th installment of this half-marathon and I have been fortunate to participate in all four, I had some major concerns about my ability to finish this time around. Maybe it was because of my lack of training. Maybe it was the early morning humidity. Maybe it was the pizza buffet carb loading the evening earlier. Either way, I was not at full strength. However, I did still break the 2 hour mark and was only about 90 seconds off my best time. I wonder how I'd do if I actually stuck to training and laid off the pizza and beer?

Do I always look this angry when I run?

After enjoying the bountiful post-race snacks and even swallowing down a few gulps of swill beer (we have become quite the beer snobs), it was time to head to Sturgeon Fest. Though this was our first time attending, this festival of nature and conservation is highlighted by being able to sponsor and release a sturgeon into Lake Michigan. Sponsored by a local nature center, we enjoyed the animal displays (lots of turtles) and the prairie walk through Lakeshore State Park before releasing three beautiful fish into the drink.

On top of that, we were also lucky enough to hear an inspiring message and watch a program led by Dr. Scott Sampson, renowned paleontologist and star of Dinosaur Train. While Embry has not fallen in love with this show yet, she certainly was entertained by the program. Ever since I read, Dr. Scott's book, How to Raise a Wild Child, I have become enamored with the thought of increasing and widening natural experience with my daughter and students. This book was crucial to my implementation of forest kindergarten. I am very indebted to Dr. Scott and many others like him.

After leaving the lake and dropping off the kid with Grandma, my wife and I headed to a night hike along one of our favorite spots: the Ice Age Trail. We decided to bring our dog along as he had been cooped up all day. Nugget certainly enjoyed acting as sweep for the hike and fraternizing with hikers at the post-hike bonfire.

Though Saturday was exhausting, Sunday Funday led us back downtown to explore some of Milwaukee's treasures. A last minute decision took us to Potawatomi Bingo for a brunch session. It turned out to be somewhat profitable as I won. . . . . .a door prize to come back and play again. While daubing colorful circles and unlimited carbonated beverages was wonderful, we decided to walk through the actual casino and recently added hotel before heading to the historic Third Ward for a late lunch. After settling on a lovely establishment that provided some delicious frites and an assortment of beers available in flights, we finally visited the Milwaukee Public Market. Hard to believe I am 34 and had never stepped in here before. What a cultural experience! 

Now, it's time for some yardwork, schoolwork and maybe another beer or two. 

Remember, Vote Dargatz in 2016!

Discovering Dargatz #153 - Ball Attendant

Known as a retired racing sausage, it is often forgotten that I had my fair share of other sweet gigs, including one of my personal favorites, the ball attendant. From the text message I received the day before my first ever time at that position stating "Bring your glove," I was hooked. The stories and memories could last way more than 200 words, so rather than tell them all, I'll throw a few teasers your way and if you want to learn more, just let me know.

-My first ever game included a come from behind victory and a mammoth Prince Fielder shot against the rival Cardinals

-Playing catch with Hunter Pence is an adventure. He guns it and has an unorthodox release

-Certain outfielders tend to pout when they end the previous inning 

-One particular outfielder in general has a "Rube Baker" complex

-George Kottaras nearly killed me (or at least my chance of having kids) with a line drive 

-Harassing the attendant for a ball does not help your chances

-I loved pitching changes in cooler weather because I got to run and get the reliever's warmup jackets. It's the little things that count.

-Chicks dig ball attendants

P.S. - All of the above are true, except for maybe that last one.

DADVentures #24 - Entertainment on Steroids

Wrestling is theater on steroids (literally and figuratively).

When people say professional wrestling is fake, I fight back the urge to remind than that being "scripted" does not equate to being fake. In the same way people watch soap operas and reality television, my family and I watch wresting. It's a release. It's engaging. It is a riot. And now, more than ever, it is entertaining.

I'm not referring to any innovative storylines or even one-of-a-kind characters. The latest and greatest entertainment aspect of watching wrestling comes from my daughter. The judgments and criticisms of my parenting may come flying as I admit that my daughter occasionally joins in on portions of our wrestling consumption. Bring it.

She has her favorites. She recognizes the music. She mimics the entrance gestures. Do we try and limit her exposure to violence? Of course. Are certain elements of the shows not necessarily toddler-friendly? Sure. Will we ever bring her to a show? You bet.

My wife and I both love it. The adrenaline. The excitement. The silliness. We grew up with it as an integral part of our own childhoods and I can't imagine wrestling not being a part of my family's future.

Clssroom Zoo #32 - NBCT

Always striving to push myself and having a knack for keeping busy, it made sense that once I achieved my Master's Degree and the 27 credits that were once part of my school district's salary table, I had to try something new. I wasn't interested in getting a doctorate and it wasn't financially sensical to continue coursework (though as a lifelong learner, I did anyways). I learned about a program that led to national certification, perfect for us struggling with the "hoop-jumping" professional development plan, or PDP, required by our state to remain licensed. A good friend and amazing teacher joined me on the journey to National Board Certification.

Lots of meetings. Playing e-mail tag. Long days. Longer nights. Annoying re-writes. I distinctly remember how my excitement was dashed and destroyed as my first videotaped lesson and my plan for my writeup was determined to be "way off." On the verge of quitting, I pressed on. I remember walking with my wife to the local FedEx to drop off my submission package, putting my fate in the hands of unknown reviewers from unknown places. Then, one November Saturday morning, I anxiously checked my e-mail at 6:00AM to see the word "Congratulations."

Discovering Dargatz #152 - The Winning Weiner

Winning would be sweet, but my real goal was to perform better than I did the first time around. To recap, being a racing sausage for the Brewers is legitimate. The running is real. The competition is fierce. A little too fierce for my taste at times. I didn't get into arguments over choosing which costume to don. I didn't bring extra running shoes in case I was racing that day. But others did. To each their own.

In my first attempt, I was the Polish. Not wanting to further the Polish stereotype but finding it useful in this moment, I lost a bit of my cleverness once the costume was on. Rather than run full speed, I schmoozed with the crowd. This led to an earful from my supervisor. Apparently, Major League Baseball hands out fines for between-inning entertainment that goes too long. So, running the race the right way isn't just requested, it is expected. 

When my name appeared on the schedule as a racer for the second time, the nerves were much more apparent. Regardless, they nurtured a new racing spirit. As the Italian, a dramatic comeback and last second lunge propelled me past my costumed competitors.

My last day as a sausage. Embry wasn't impressed.