A Supreme Start to Summer Part II

June 9 through the 14, Brian and I spent a glorious time in Seattle. Another round of perfect weather accompanied us to a normally rainy place. Brian had CE and I played stowaway, just like the old days when I used to be a stay at home mom with no kids. While Brian was in class, I pounded the concrete to Pike’s Market, the Experience the Music Museum, the Olympia Sculpture Garden, the Seattle Aquarium, and some shops. We celebrated the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory with our newly adopted family of Hawk fans, and it was probably the most like-minded fans I was going to find outside of Chicago: three times as many fans as in Anchorage and six times as many as Ocean Springs (counting me as the fan base; Brian came along as cheer support and protection… from myself).
More pix: http://mmwbpicturepostcards.shutterfly.com/247

I ate some tasty doughnuts per Theresa’s suggestion at Top Pot. Sat behind a guy having a doughnut and a beer (sold by Top Pot). That's what I call, "having it your way." We had an AMAZING dinner per Jack Miniotis’ suggestion at Serafina. Now, I can finally join my sister in saying things like “This Barbera would be really good with rabbit and pork sausage atop risotto with fresh arugula and figs.” And smile, like I know what I’m talking about. My eyes turn in to the back of my head just thinking about that meal. But some of our best meals were the cheapest and impromptu al fresco. Our last night, Brian and I shared a pizza and a mini box of wine near Bell Pier after going up on the Space Needle to enjoy the pristine and cloudless view. After dinner, we went back to the Needle for the nighttime view. Yeah, I bought the two-fer. It was only a few dollars more. The daytime was my favorite because you could see the mountains including Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. At night, it looked like a big city at night, but instead of being surrounded by suburbs, it was surrounded by darkness.

Another good meal was at the Ipanema Brazilian Steak-house, kiddy corner from the SAM (Seattle Art Museum). When Brian got out of class, we cleaned up and checked out the SAM, taking advantage of the extended Thursday hours and the free military museum admission special this summer. Then, we discussed all the pieces that Brian said he could do just as well if not better over a bountiful salad bar and skewered meat, the pace of dinner dictated by the flipping of the classic coin: red on one side, green on the other. If only more activities were governed by such a coin. Yes, I’m in the mood to chit-chat. No, please go away.

One of my favorite Seattle moments was touring the Experience the Music and their latest exhibit, the Supreme’s gown collection provided by Mary Wilson. Wouldn’t you know it, while I was there the next day getting last minute souvenirs, an announcement was made that Mary Wilson would be giving an oral history starting at 2 p.m. Of course, I didn't have my camera, and my cell phone memory was full. I was in running clothes, and back in college, going to events in my work-out clothes and rollerblades, because I was a spaz. And how could I NOT go see Drew Barrymore speak. Well, I wasn’t about to miss Mary Wilson, only original Supreme member from the group’s beginning to end. She was so cute and classy, in her 60s and looking great. For two hours and in the format of an interview in front of a very intimate audience, she told stories about the group, sang a few ballads to show how her range has increased since The Supremes, and guided us through a few slides of the gowns and when they were worn. She clarified for us, “We didn’t get the sequins until we made some money.”

She told us how Mo’Town Records had its own finishing school led by Miss Powell, so they could be taught how to behave properly like ladies, such as how to get in and out of a limo. She commented how some young singers and actresses today might benefit from a little lesson from Miss Powell on how to get in and out of a limo. For the three young women from Detroit, though, their first thought was, “What’s a limo?” Mary Wilson along with Diane Ross (she later changed her name to Diana) and Florence Ballard first won attention and wooed hearts as the Primettes (all female bands had to end with a feminine –ettes or -ells) and it wasn’t until they signed with Mo’Town that they became The Supremes. She talked about Flo and how they both got the short end of the recording stick when the song writers had them only singing back-up on all their biggest hits, but there was never any animosity between the girls. The girls first all met at their school's talent show. Mary was singing a song by Frankie and the Teenagers. Flo belted Ave Maria. They knew Diane from their neighborhood and knew she could sing. "We were from the same project. We grew up together. We loved each other!" She shared her thoughts on the other girls "... We all knew Diane would go on and be successful... What happened to Flo was just tragic. Flo was abused when she was 13. She was always very strong, but she never trusted people. She couldn't deal with success and couldn't fight the pain so she drank it away and had to be put out of the group." I learned that during one of their tours in the South, shots were fired at their bus. During that tour, the Whites would be on one side and the Blacks would all have to stay on the other side. But once the music started, people started dancing, and moving around, and it didn't matter who you were or where you were standing. Everyone was just enjoying the music.

I learned that the girls made their own dresses in the beginning. They all bought their own pearls for $5 at Woolworth's and the little gloves, because they were always "girly girls" and liked all that stuff. She said about Dream Girls, the movie, that it was a good movie. "I guess it was loosely based on our story, but they never came to me. I never saw any money from it." Mary also explained how Mo'Town owned the name, The Supremes, and how much she's had to fight to get the rights to their own name. "We didn't know back then. We just wanted to make records with Mo'Town."

When Mary first greeted the crowd, she received a standing ovation. When no one would stop clapping, she sang out “Stop! In the name of love, before you break my heart, think it ohw-ohw-ver…” complete with the choreography and all. She also pointed out the “ohw-ohw-ver” part was hers and Flo’s.

I really could go on, but let’s just say it was as entertaining as it was inspiring. It was just great.oving on, Brian “graduated” from the CE program on Saturday, so Sunday we took off for the Mt. Rainier National Park. Great weather, but I’m glad I brought layers as the temperature dropped incrementally as our elevation increased. You could only drive so far into the park, and the town called Paradise was the farthest point at this time of the season. We stayed at this quaint lodge cleverly called “Almost Paradise.” As far as I was concerned, it was. Especially, since all the time leading up to our trip, Brian had repeatedly said we’d be staying at the Ho-Jo, which would have been fine… but it wouldn’t have been like this place! We had a super lunch and the best fries at the Copper Creek Inn.

Mt. Rainier wildlife spottings included 3 fox, 1 marmot which looks like a giant hamster with a fluffy tail, 2 deer, and a chipmunk! We drove around the park and toured the visitor’s center, even caught the last 20 minute documentary, which was very informative: “Mt. Rainier is but a single bead on the great necklace of volcanoes that mark the Pacific Ring of Fire.” I know, it was a really good movie. Included on this “necklace” is Mt. Redoubt which we saw two weeks before on our drive to Homer, AK. You can still see Redoubt smoking since its eruption in March of 2009, over a year and two months later. Mt. Rainier weighs in with 25 glaciers and at 14,000 feet or so. Mt. McKinley sort of kicks its butt being almost another 10,000 ft. higher and I had just seen 26 glaciers, so whatever. Interestingly, unlike Mt. McKinley, you saw a lot more people coming down and going up the mountain paths. This one weathered woman was coming down from somewhere, and impressed, I asked, “Did you summit?” “Noo, I only climbed such-and-such a peak, it’s only 7000 ft.” Oh, well if that’s all… I didn’t climb much more than the toilet seat that day, so she had me beat! And she must have been 80. No joke.

More Mt. Rainier pix: http://mmwbpicturepostcards.shutterfly.com/247

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Walking around Seattle reminded me how much I missed about my former city life in Chicago: having sidewalks, finding great happy hour specials like oysters in the half-shell for 50 cents each starting at 3 pm at Elliott's (but get there early, because the price per oyster goes up a quarter each half hour). I had 2 dozen oysters on Thursday from Puget Sound and another dozen that I shared with Jack the next day. I intentionally loaded up knowing my hook-up back home was gone. But I’m good on oysters now for at least the next 6 months.

It was great seeing wide-spread recycling and a mailbox on every other corner. A bounty of fresh fruit, vegetables, artisan olive oils and vinegars, orchestras, museums, and H & M and bookstores and countless other fun places to spend money. They don’t seem like big deal things, but I don’t have them now, and I miss them. But I have saved a lot of money.

However, I have yet to see a sunset or moonrise that’s prettier than the ones here. I came home refreshed and reflective, and ready to pay the price for procrastinating on a week’s worth of grad-school homework (really ought to start that paper now).