Sayonara Seattle

After one last night of carousing with Kevin and some of his seafaring friends at a Fremont area pub, I left Seattle for Portland. Kevin graciously took me to pick up my rental car, but we got all turned around because I didn't realize I actually had to go inside the Seattle-Tacoma Airport to retrieve it. The maze of corkscrew-shaped ramps leading into the airport only added to the confusion.

Instead of a boring Pontiac Grand Am, the car rental folks set me up with a brand new 2004 Ford Mustang. It's the kind of car I'd never consider buying, but it's a fine piece of machinery to travel in. I've actually had total strangers come up to me and say, "Hey, man. Nice car." That never happens with a Honda Civic. The retro styling of the dashboard and steering wheel reminds me of the 1966 'Stang my parents used to drive. Although I'm not a particularly aggressive driver, Northwest traffic moves at a sluggish pace relative to Texas, so it's nice to be in a car that has some get-up-and-go. I'm looking forward to getting out on the open road so's I can find out what the engine is capable of.