Day 22, Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

In direct contrast to yesterday's lack of doin's a transpirin', Tuesday resounded with the bustle of activity. I met my SCCA-appointed dentist at eleven, one Dr. Schubert. Nice guy; goes dog-sledding in the Yukon for shits and/or giggles. We discussed the ins versus the outs of dental care as it applies to the highly likely side effects of transplant. Everyone getting a stem cell transplant gets some mucositis, that is, issues with their entire digestive system. Since everyone gets it, it is a fairly well understood aspect of the Experience (which is nothing like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, except that I will likely be on more drugs than Jimi), and as such, the management of it is also fairly standard. It should go away within about three weeks, which follows, since it is almost entirely a result of the high-dose chemo/radiation therapy that you get prior to the transplant.

This was at eleven, and took about an hour. We hit one of the SCCA cafe/bistro units up for lunch, then, after a brief stop at the SCCA House to lighten our loads, we actually made it to the aquarium. We'd had complimentary aquarium tickets for almost three weeks; every single time we planned to go, it ended up being too late in the day or eclipsed by something else. Today, we went to see the little fishies, the octopods, the otters, the seals, and so very many anemones and starfish. 

We arrived just in time to watch a dissection of a Humboldt Squid! It was aimed at little kids, but the lady scientist (scientista) that was doing the dissection was so good with the kids that I was spellbound, and wished that I was eight again so that I could have answered the questions she aimed at the childrens. When I told that to Ash, she informed me that she was quite happy with me at thirty-one, thank you very much. I relearned a lot about cephalopods.

For future reference:

- Otters are adorable.

- Seals are graceful underwater, ungainly on land.

- Jellyfish are fun. Julian Smith - Jellyfish 

- Little kids go mental around an octopus.

- Little kids go mental around starfish that they can touch.

- Little kids go.. You know what? They lose their tiny, unformed minds at an aquarium, in general, and it is the best part of being at one.

After the aquarium, we went on the Seattle Great Wheel, which is a large Ferris wheel with climate-controlled cabins, which you sit in, and then it revolves while you look at things. Mind. Blown.

No, seriously, it was cool. 

After the GREAT WHEEL (it's more fun when you say it like that), we went to a seafood restaurant. What? We were on the waterfront. The aquarium made me hungry. We went to Elliot's Oyster Bar, which was a lot classier than I was expecting, given the family restaurant nature of its surrounding contemporaries. It was also delicious. Get the oyster stew, I promise you that you will not regret it, unless you have a shellfish allergy, are lactose intolerant, or are trying to keep kosher, in which case: death, poops, broken covenant with the Lord. Our waiter had a surprisingly deep voice for his lanky heights, and he was a very charming fellow.

Stairs are hard when you are really full.

So many stairs.

In America, you find where is Waldo. In Soviet Russia, Waldo works for the KGB and he always knows where is you.