Final Destination

[aggienaut]

   So we're standing on a dilapidated dock in the dilapidated town of Aberdeen (nicknamed by those who know it as "Methlaberdeen"), lugging debris around for reasons which aren't entirely clear to me.
   "There used to be a building here didn't there?" says someone, observing that the outline of a building foundation can be seen on the solid part of the dock.
   "Yes, the Lady Washington was built right here" says The Captain. We all look around. Trash floats slowly down the river. A freight train rumbles by in the opposite direction. Behind us a Wal Mart dominates the landscape. On the fourth side, the beautiful Lady Washington floats like an island of beauty amid a droll crappy landscape. It all began HERE?

   In googling public transit options just now I came across the following quote from an article that otherwise paints an idyllic picture of the REST of the Northwest:

"In the hopeless town of Aberdeen, Washington, where the downtown seemed to have completely given up and moved to California, I sped past a muffler shop advertising a concrete statue of local son Kurt Cobain, who got out of town as quickly as he could. I could have gotten off and checked it out for an hour, but I decided to follow the rock star's lead and stay on the road."

(I still like this place better than say anywhere in Southern California though)


   Shortly after arrival, several of us had been belowdecks watching Zombieland while sewing canvas, when a call came down for all hands to report to the dock. There we found that we were to help move a dilapidated rowboat from the dock to the shore. In order to do this without it sinking (it looked likely to) most of the crew went to the shore and a line was run from the boat to the shore. We all pulled it to shore as fast as we could (got it going pretty fast actually), and proceeded to pull it up an embankment, across a parking lot, and into the foundation of the former buildings.


   Wednesday night a bunch of the us ended up playing Apples to Apples for several hours. Hilarity, of course, ensued. "Lady Washington" and "Our Captain" were written on blank cards (the latter got used for the word "Pure," much to everyone's amusement)


   Thursday evening a bunch of us sat around in the hold practicing knots or teaching / learning knots. You know, typical sailor activities. Then we all sat around Daisy and she read Pippi Longstockings to us. Just typical sailor activities (:


   Yesterday it dawned on me that since Sage was leaving a day before me (today), I would actually get to move into the forecastle ... for about 24 hours!

   This morning moments after Sage had departed, down the ramp comes a new new-old crewmember, who apparently will be boatsitting the boat over winter break. I had sudden flashbacks to Jesse's arrival the day Daniel left and snatching up that bunk! ...fortunately she moved into the aft cabin, leaving me to move in to Sage's now-vacant bunk.

Welcome to Aberdeen, Washington


   Tomorrow (Sunday) I depart the boat. Public transit my way to Seattle, crash at my friend Janelle's place that evening and catch a flight back to Southern California Monday morning.
   In the mean time though I've got to hammer out some kind of LJ Idol entry on "reprobate" this evening when I SHOULD be spending one last evening with my crew. d:

Comments

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Aw! Post a bunch of dirty pictures and go have fun with your people!

Congrats on completing the journey!

[impoetry.livejournal.com]

Woo hoo for the forecastle!

[impoetry.livejournal.com]

...and safe journeys!

[beki.livejournal.com]

Any idea when you will hit Seattle? I start work at 5:30 am, and I am sure you will be pressed for time, but maybe we could do a quick lunch (I only get a half hour) I work downtown, so if you are going to take the 194 express to the airport, maybe we could arrange something? No big if you can't. I am sure there will be other opportunities.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

My flight leaves Seattle at 11:40am so probably no go on Monday. Maybe Sunday though, I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how to get there. Know anything about the bus lines from Aberdeen to Seattle?

[beki.livejournal.com]

The busses are kind of wonky out on the peninsula. You'd have to start with Grey's harbor transit ghtransit.com. Take that to the Olympia transit center and wait for a bus to take you to Tacoma on Pierce transit piercetransit.org then take that to the Tacoma dome where you can transfer to Sound Transit soundtransit.org to go to downtown Seattle. I think that will be an all day adventure just to get to downtown. Once you hit downtown, you need to go to the bus tunnel to catch a 194 express to the airport. You will want to look at the various sites I mentioned for times and all that. I am not sure where the various transfer points are or what the bus numbers are to look for, but that is the general gist of it.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm starting to think it'll be easier just to take it one leg at a time, hoping / assuming people at the respective transit centers will know how to get me one step closer to my destination.

See also the entry I just made about the bus schedules d:

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

YES... THIS.

You do NOT want to try to connect at the 512 Park & Ride, it's a very minor transfer area and is not a real transit center.

The Tacoma Dome transit center (which is near, not at the actual dome) is our biggest regional hub.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Thanks again! Very greatly appreciated.

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

It always makes me sad to drive through Aberdeen, seeing what it has turned in to.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Did it have better days?

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

back in the 1890s when it was a log town/port

Aberdeen

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

So it's glory days are in the fairly distant past I see. But yeah I was noticing all the old pilings on the waterfront and thinking "man, there used to be a LOT more built up on the waterfront here"

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

Methlaberdeen... LMAO!

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to ask you: how'd you end up taking this trip on the boat? Were you hired by them? Is it some sort of adventure excursion? It's been fascinating to read about.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Volunteer crew. I actually had to pay them to cover my training but that was a one time thing, and now whenever I feel like doing it for awhile I can join up and sail about with them. Doesn't pay but it's free room and board and awesomeness (:

[thethornbird.livejournal.com]

Apples to Apples is awesome as well as that boat

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Yeah I heart that game. Played it with my family yesterday.