Weekend Scenes

CASTING ABOUT: Saturday I was up bright and early and piloted my car to the stadium district. How I wish I was headed to a game, but, no. It was for work.

Specifically, working for King County Elections at a vote center in the Exhibition Hall at Century Link Field.

Neat thing about Washington state: You can register to vote up until the day of the election. Also, we're an all mail in state, but people move, lose they ballots and stuff, but it's easy to get a replacement right up to election day.

For the past month I've been working the database, uploading voters' records. It has been so interesting learning about the checks and balances of the system. It's impressively secure, with multiple levels of authentication. 

My role on Saturday was as a greeter, welcoming voters and appropriately directing them.It was a very quiet day. But we did have one celebrity guest, Blitz, the Seahawks' mascot.

I appreciate the Seahawks helping get out the vote. They even brought us some cool stickers to share with voters!

We'll see what kind of traffic Monday brings. And Tuesday is election day, so that is almost certain to be super busy.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE STREET: On My lunch break, I decided to head across the street to check out one of my favorite places on the planet, the Seattle Mariners' stadium, T-Mobile park.

It was a bittersweet stroll.

Honestly, it was downright depressing seeing the stadium "boarded up." It was a ghost town on the sidewalks and concourses.

During my stroll, I couldn't help but notice how much more magenta the stadium is. 

Sigh. I saw that coming when T-Mobile bought the naming rights.

My main mission on the visit was to try to see some baseball. I knew the Mariners had a home game that day, and that they're should be some action at the ballpark.

So I walked along the outfield side of the stadium, trying to find an angle for a view of the field. I really didn't think there were any straight lines of vision, and all of the openings were almost entirely blocked, which was clearly purposeful. They don't want pathetic fans like me standing out in the sidewalk, trying to watch the game.

That said, where there's a will, there a way.

I found an opening when I could see the infield and home plate reflected in the glass of a concession stand! 

I could see the field crew at work, watering the grass and dragging the infield dirt.

After work, I went back across the street and watched some batting practice. I could hear the stadiums music - I was in heaven given that it was Lou Reed's "Take a Walk on the Wild Side." And I could hear the crack of the bat on the ball. So, so sweet. 

I long to sit in the stands and root, root, root for the home team.

Effing pandemic.