Seattle: Visit to MoPOP! part four: Infinite Worlds

Perhaps spooky, supernaturally horrifying abstracts or creepy-crawlers aren't exactly your thing, and instead of shivering under the covers at night dreading a zombie hoard descending upon your quiet home and ripping you limb from limb into an unrecognizable spray of blood and viscera, you spent your nights worrying yourself with an ever-more imminent artificial intelligence induced apocalypse where cold, unfeeling robot overlords or inhuman alien beings from beyond the stars descend upon and obliterate our fragile, bipedal liquid-filled kind. After all, you've likely got a smartphone lounging around nearby, with audio, video and surveillance capabilities you might be unaware of as a consumer, and more smart devices enter our homes on the daily, whether it's your Google Home speaker or the smart fridge warning you via text message that you're low on milk... and who really knows when it comes to aliens? Space is a very big, very vast terrain, and inconceivable terrors could lurk in the outer reaches of the galaxy, or perhaps even in the shadows on nearby planets...

If the above all rings true with you, never fear my friend! The Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP for short, has got your back. Whether you're a die-hard Jedi, a whimsical Whovian with a tip of the bow-tie, rebel fighting against the threat of Skynet, or simply a curious observer stepping into uncharted waters,the Infinite Worlds exhibit offers a peek into the world of Science Fiction that is sure to whet the palate of anyone with half an imagination left rattling around inside their skull. Thankfully, all threats have been subdued, and we the visitors are able to enjoy the craftsmanship and design intricacies such up-close and personal observations allow. No Daleks will try to exterminate you here, though you may marvel in wonder at their plungers and whisk-like attachments, and wonder, as I did, what they ever hope to achieve with such things. I know, there's an episode of Dr. Who out there, somewhere, that demonstrates the precise purpose of the plunger, but it's more fun to wonder. Do the Daleks have terrible little pipes for plumbing on their home planet or do they encounter frequent clogs in their exoskeletal robo-suits? 

As science fiction does, frequently, tend to overlap itself with the horror genre, there are some creatures that could find themselves in either exhibit. I'm not going to question the logic behind why some displays wound up in one place and not another, as I think it's fair to assume the people running MoPOP have a measure of awareness when it comes to doing what they do. As a fan of the Alien franchise and the design of the Xenomorphs, in all their various stages of life and forms, it pleases me to see more of them lurking around regardless. As I mentioned before, there's a lot here to check out, and that goes for many different corners of the science fiction fandom. We were rapidly running out of time within which to enjoy our time at MoPOP on this particular visit, but we made the best of it within the time frame we had available and I hope these photos can give you a taste of what's in store should you decide to pop on down for your own visit. Trust me, it's worth it! But there are plenty more photos to come, so check 'em out and see what you're missing out on~

Seattle: Visit to MoPOP! part three: Scared to Death

Over the years I've had many different interests evolve, blooming into questionably obsessive territory before they eventually wane, like that time I really wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar but upon taking home an acoustic I realized my fingers were perhaps a bit short for the task and over time found my way to the ukelele instead...or the time I tried to learn Russian. One thing that has remained strong, consistent, and lurking in the background of my more pressing goals (tie-dye, candle making, travel, whatever thing I'm obsessing over at the moment) is a deep and lingering love for all things spooky, supernatural, or otherwise bone-chilling. Fortunately for me, I'm able to listen to headphones while I work, so I can satisfy my curiosity for the creepier side of things with endless hours of true crime or cryptid podcasts as I work, work, work away. If you're interested in some of those ear-filling goodies for yourself, some of my favorites include Small Town Murder,  And That's Why We Drink, Morbid Podcast, The Cryptid Keeper and of course, Mysterious Universe as always. I can absolutely credit Mysterious Universe for being the alpha and omega podcast to truly get me into podcasts, and I've been listening to MU for years and years.  

One of my first introductions to horror films was through an old Vegas local show, Saturday Night Fright At the Movies, a gloriously cheesy schtick involving an undead Elvis and a rotating cast of B-grade (or often much worse rated) films of a spooky or science-fiction bent. As a kid obsessed with spooky things, I absolutely loved the show and would make a point of trying to catch it every weekend after watching Ren & Stimpy. I'm really dating myself here with all this, but the point of all the backstory is to fully impress upon you, dear readers, that as a fan of horror I thoroughly enjoyed the Scared to Death exhibit at MoPOP!! I had seen advertisements for it during the Halloween season but had presumed it was a seasonal showcase and forgotten about it until the Marvel exhibit caught my eye and we found ourselves down at MoPOP to check it out. There are, as it turns out, many different exhibits that stay on for extended periods or permanently, but there's also many different rotating through, so if you're in the area it's worth considering a membership if you think you'd be going more than once. 

There's a lot to see, and we really could have spent longer wandering the halls and absorbing as many details as our eyes allowed. We'll be heading back again soon! For now, please enjoy these photos I captured and there's plenty more below the cut!

Seattle: Visit to MoPOP! part two: Marvel Exhibit

Marvel's extended Cinematic Universe is a wide, expansive thing, and there are a lot of moving parts and pieces involved that means a lot of things to a lot of different people across the globe. It's also a massive creative undertaking that has spanned multiple decades, from the original pencil sketches of an artist's desk to the multi-million (or is it billions now?) media darling it's become. Marvel is nothing to sniff at and has become one of the most influential movie series in recent years. Initially, I have to admit that I was hesitant to get too involved and didn't see many of the early films in the theater, as most of the early movies revolved around some stereotypical white male protagonist and didn't feel particularly exciting or original to me.  Spider-man always held a special place in my heart, since I grew up watching the animated series, but rich Tony Stark? Uninteresting. Of course, some rich tech guy can invent or invest his way out of his problems... It took a couple of movies for Thor to evolve into the loveable oaf that he's become, and as the movies have rolled out the universe has expanded and evolved, bringing a richer, more varied tapestry along with ample humor and a modicum of self-awareness to the table. I've gotten much more invested in recent years if you haven't noticed, and while Marvel still has some work to do if it truly intends to be inclusive, they've made some progress over their many years now. I'm not gonna lie, Thor: Ragnarok and the more recent Spider-Man movies have been a blast, so while it may have taken me a minute to get on board I'm definitely one of the fans lining theaters for the newest releases.  

At the time of viewing this exhibition at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, we were in the interim between Infinity War and the as-of-yet unnamed Endgame. Seeing some of our heroes (and anti-heroes) again, or at least their armor (or weaponry) was bittersweet. One thing I especially enjoyed, though, and consider to be of note is that they were kind enough to label the materials used in the various costumes on display, so the ardent at-home-cosplayer may better attempt their own recreations with a bit of knowledge. Knowledge is power, after all!

The entire exhibit itself was massive, with areas dedicated to each Avenger and their associates, and we could have spent even more time exploring all the different installations if we'd had the time available. As it were, we spent hours in the museum wandering around, looping back and trying to take in as much as we could in the time allotted. No easy task with so much to see! 

  

There are a whole lot of photos ahead, so prepare yourselves!

Seattle: the Fremont Troll

Every city will have its unique denizens, only to be found in the confines of their own unique area code, lurking among the shadows or crawling under bridges. In places with prominent sports teams, like Wisconsin's army of Cheeseheads or the Raider Army, it's easy to glom around the tulpa of a team, and while the Seahawk fans are certainly their own adamant group of super-followers, there's another archetypal figure to be found in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle that, perhaps, even better suits the city's unique vibe. Sculpted by local Seattle artist Steve Badanes, the Fremont bridge troll is an homage to Norwegian and Scandinavian lore of the old troll lurking under a bridge. He's pretty massive, weighing in at 6,000 kilograms (13,000 pounds), so no amount of bravery on the part of foolish young would-be-knights will be dislodging him from his perch any time soon. That seems to be quite alright, though, as the gentle giants prefers to relax, allowing throngs of excited visitors to take photos while climbing and clamoring over his massive form. If you're hoping to locate him, he can be found on the corner of 36th street, though you might see the crowds gathering before laying eyes on the troll proper. 

We were already out and about exploring the Fremont neighborhood, having rented some Lime Bikes to get around after ditching our vehicle back at the free parking lot of Discovery Park. We both highly recommend taking advantage of Lime Bikes should you find them in your area! You simply download the app, then scan the QR code on the bike and go on your way. When you're done, you select that option on the app to relock the bike and end your paid period of usage. It sounds way more complicated than it is! It was a great option for the warm, sunny fall day we'd opted to take our adventure on, and as #SeattleSnowaggedon2019 falls outside, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to revisit the day.  The Fremont Troll is quite conveniently located, too, to incorporate it into a full day of sightseeing! The Lenin statue is just down the road, after all, and Discovery Park is a short ride-share or bus ride away should you choose not to bike it. The Burke-Gilman interurban trail is close, too, for those who enjoy a good bit of exercise-powered sight-seeing! 

From here, we found our way to Gasworks park! Check back soon for that post!

💖

XOXO,

NAU

Seattle: AJ's Day out around Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is one of the trendier neighborhoods of Seattle, rife with hipsters, indie cafes, local coffee shops, tongue-in-cheek gay bars with outlandish names, a weekly farmer's market, and SO MUCH ART! There's a lot to do around the area, and parking isn't exactly the easiest thing to find, or cheapest if you end up having to opt for one of the long-term parking lots, but there is so much to see and do in the area that it ends up being almost kind of totally worth the exorbitant parking rates depending on what you do or the day you visit. I had a gig to attend to, so I was going to be busy for at least 3 hours, while Antho was free to roam around the area and partake of the local culture. He had a lot of fun and got a ton of awesome photos capturing the colorful vibe and ecclectic nature of the area. 

On our way to get there, we passed this friendly fellow who was happily feeding the gulls. He'd forged a sort of kinship with the birds, and was ensuring they got plenty of snacks on this awkward little bit of corner. We had a nice chat with him before we moved on with the flow of traffic, and I like to think he's carrying on a piece of Ivar's legacy, as the founder of Ivar's was a fan of seagulls, too. 

One of the first things to catch Antho's eye during his explorations were the streetlights and posts, which were predominantly wrapped up in deep layers of flyers. Each proceeding generation of flyer had seemingly just been stapled, spackled, or otherwise smashed on top of the previous generation, causing the heavily trafficked corners to have poles over-stuffed in decaying layers of flapping paper, advertising months, if not years, worth of local events and entertainment. There is no order to the chaos, other than the chronological necessity of the most recent things landing on top of the pile, only to be covered up by the next big thing. 

So it goes. 

Plenty of photos below!

Seattle: AJ's Day out in Green Lake

These days, my job has me scurrying all over the city of Seattle to attend gigs, so I've been getting a lot of time behind the wheel exploring quite a lot of the city's streets. One day I might be out in SoDo working at an LGBTQ+ automotive shop, the next I might be working in a small bungalow in the heart of the university district. I'm not complaining one bit, because what better way to get to know a new city than by traversing it on a day to day basis? Sometimes I even find myself way out in Kirkland or making a special trip into the heart of Occidental Square. Driving through the city has given me the opportunity to witness protests in action, sea-planes gliding into the city, countless squirrels scampering and given me a glimpse into the inner workings of businesses I might never have set foot in otherwise. It's absolutely fascinating, and while I can't divulge too much about any particular place I work in, the surrounding neighborhoods themselves have endless surprises to offer. Given the nature of my work, flexibility is a major plus, and thankfully I consider that to be one of my strengths. Antho, too, has needed to be quite flexible these past few months as we've been sharing the van due to my Volvo being in the shop. After the drive from Vegas, and years spent living in the dehydrated den of sin where temps above 110 degrees Fahrenheit are normal during the summers, and her only form of tending coming from drunk questionably qualified friends of the family, the old girl was in need of some serious TLC. In fact, after getting into her transmission my trusted mechanic informed me that my situation was primarily caused and then exacerbated by the misguided efforts of the drunken sailors who'd poked around the engine prior. The poor mechanic sprained his back and given that he's a one-man operation, that slowed his progress on repairing the old girl quite a bit... Thus, our shared vehicle situation has extended on and on, a fair bit longer than we'd initially intended or hoped, but being flexible is a strength in this life we live.  

When you're always on the go, days can rapidly bleed into each other, a procession of driving along seemingly countless winding little roads, navigating parking in new corners of the city, and cloudy sunrises and sunsets all melting together. Every so often, though, Antho's day off will align well with a gig of mine, allowing him to escort me to my work and then explore a new area. His work keeps him closer to home, after all, so I've seen much more of the city, and I like to try to re-balance the scales when the opportunity arises. I had to spend a few hours working in the Green Lake area, so he dropped me off and went exploring at the nearby parks. He found a Japanese confectionary, squirrels galore, fall foliage in fiery shades of red and orange, and so much more! We hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes of our adventures.