Every now and then, a day comes along that’s so special, you can’t wait to tell people about it. This is in no way an attempt to brag, but a way to inform about the wonderful adventures I had this past Sunday and definitely, something is in it for you.

For starters, a good friend of mine was given tickets to see the Russell Wilson-less Seattle Seahawks play at Lumen Field against an even worse team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.  OK, we might have a shot.

But this day was so much more than about a football game.

Both of us were excited to try out the new Seattle commuter train, that seems more like the shuttle they have installed at SeaTac. Automated announcements, telling you which side to exit and which stop is coming up next. It was amazing.

Now, I admit, I was a bit irritated by what I initially saw. Oh, you go over to what used to be the Northgate Mall and there were signs up in quite a few areas, where they charge $20 to park. I was thinking, “Wait—I have to pay to park AND pay to get down there?” This is breaking down quickly.

But while there ARE pay parking lots, there are still plenty of free spots and garages for you to choose from. OK, we’re over that hurdle. Now, what’s it going to cost to ride this train?

With two seniors trying to figure it out, we had to ask for the local King County cop for help, which he gladly provided. We had the right idea, we were just doing the steps in the wrong order. Got an Orca pass? You can use that to pay or plastic money. I had an Orca card I had loaded $20 on a couple of years ago, but just never got around to using. So, our transportation was paid for. What’s it cost for a senior citizen to take the train down to the International District for a short walk to Lumen Field?  $2, round trip.

How long did the trip take? (and you’ll notice, I haven’t even gotten to the game yet) 15 minutes, from leaving the Northgate platform, to getting out in the International District.  Return trip, same amount of time, although when you’re heading back, the trains are pretty packed. Something I can endure for 15 minutes.

It was the feeling of a big win as we walked to the stadium, passing lots that were charging $50 to park. And then you get to wait in all that traffic to get home.  Seriously, from the time our train started moving to the time I pulled in my driveway was less than 25 minutes.

Now, it’s time to talk about all the bonuses:

THE DAY—this was a picturesque, classic northwest fall day with the trees screaming with color, the sun-drenched blue skies, the crisp fall air and no rain.

THE GAME–No Russell Wilson, but even though there were a few missed opportunities along the way, the Seahawks pounded the Jaguars.  When the Jags actually scored with not very much time left, we decided that if snuck out now, we’d beat some of the train rush. Of course, while we were in the restroom, we heard on the radio broadcast that the Seahawks ran an onside kick back for a touchdown. I’ll swear ’til my dying day, I saw it.

THE TRAIN–We knew this was the way to go. The eastern U.S. and Europe have known this as long as there have been tracks. If you want to read the frustrating Seattle history of how we avoided doing this a half-decade ago, read this. If you didn’t know about it, it’ll blow your mind. (they said that a lot back in the 1960s)

THE COACH–Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren was inducted into the “Ring of Fire” and is now the 14th member of that special group of people. In his speech, he referred to the TWO championships we should have. I’m sure he was referring to the year he was cheated out of a championship by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the referees that were on their payroll.

                                             

HALLOWEEN–The icing on the cake: there were fun costumes and goofy people around during the game. It was a fun atmosphere and on top of that, the first home win of the season. It was numbing.

This Friday, I’m going to attempt talking my wife into taking the train down to the Eagles concert, getting off at Westlake and hopping on board the Monorail to the Seattle Center. Bet you didn’t know that all of your public transportation to any event at Climate Pledge Arena covers the cost of your public transportation ticket? We’ll see how that works.

It might be a future blog.

But nothing is going to tarnish the memories I have of last Sunday, my amazing day.

Tim Hunter