FRODO SEVEN : The Finale

Monday morning, we woke to grey skies that threatened rain. Interestingly, as we were told by one Seattle native after another, it doesn't actually get around to raining very often. And it never did rain on Monday.
Chris had to work till mid afternoon so I had the first part of the day to myself. I went for a run along the water and unexpectedly stumbled upon one of my favorite parts of the trip. About a half mile to the right of our hotel was the most beautiful park with paths for biking and running. I watched the boats, enjoyed the views and listened to good music, a sample of The Head and the Heart, the band opening for Dave and Tim that night at the opera house and a song called "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars. Chris and I had heard it on the radio and he dedicated it to me. Cheesy but I love it. I expect all of my future sons-in-law to be able to sing it, or something like it, to our girls.
After my run, which was longer than planned because I got so caught up in the scenery, I cleaned up and headed to Pike Place Market again in search of a cheese sandwich. The last time we were in Seattle, Chris and I ate lunch at a place called Beecher's and I had such good memories of the sandwich I got that I had to go back. If you are ever in Seattle, I highly recommend a visit to Beecher's. If you are a mac and cheese lover, theirs is reputedly the best.
I wandered around a bit and ended up spending a good bit of my time in a bead shop. That's kind of a long story but I had to walk fast to get back to the hotel in time to meet Chris at 2:00 PM. We walked over to the science museum to see the Harry Potter Exhibit, the props and costumes from the film. We decided to go sort of last minute but were so glad we did. It was very well done. The exhibit was a simulation of Hogwarts and the fun began with a demonstration of the Sorting Hat. I tried to get Chris to volunteer but I think he was afraid he'd be sorted into Slitherin' :) For the most part, I am not a big fan of the HP movies because I like the books so much. I think JK Rowlings has an incredible imagination and it would be impossible for anyone to bring to life what she created to my satisfaction. Even so, I found the exhibit fascinating and could hardly believe the care that was given to details the audience barely notices if at all. For example, one stop on the audio tour had a prop designer talking about the search for just the right material for the curtains around one of the beds. Every character's wand is also different with designs appropriate for its owner. Again, the attention to detail really amazed me.
From the museum, we walked to McCaw Hall where the concert would be. We asked about restaurants and couldn't find anyone who knew anything about the area so I decided we should walk left and see what we could find. We found a lot--amazing because I am usually the last person who should decide which way to go. We chose an incredibly good Thai restaurant and had a fun and relaxing dinner. Then, we made our way back down to the Hall and eventually into our seats and enjoyed a concert that was off the charts amazing.
If I had to sum up our trip, I'd say it was the trip of the continual highlight. Everything about it was great. Especially the company. Chris and I had a chance to renew our relationship and I had the opportunity to get away and feel more like myself than I have in awhile.