Winning Weekend

What a winning weekend it was!

Isaac's Wolverines won on Saturday, and Irene's soccer team, the Mud Dogs tied.  That was followed by a BBQ'd ribs dinner with ten family members around our dining room table after hors d' oeuvres outside on the sunny patio.

Sunday morning everyone was in recovery mode except Jake, who had a 9:30 match with his ECS soccer team.  another win!

I had birthday cake for breakfast, read the Sunday paper, went for a walk in the sunshine, and assembled all of my Sounders gear before settling in front of the TV to watch Seahawks football.

The Sounders were playing in the stadium at 6:00.  We knew parking would be an issue, so we left at halftime of the Seahawks game and went into the city early, since it was such a beautiful day, riding the light rail all the way to Westlake Center.  I had the football game on my iPod radio.

We stopped at the team shop downtown, and then worked our way slowly through the city back to Pioneer square.

We walked down 5th Ave for a while, then over to 4th Ave.

The Rem Koolhaas designed Seattle Public Library.

Henry Moore's Vertebrae across the street from the Library, in front of the Safeco tower.

Old and new mix at the Seattle Federal Building and Courthouse.

Over on 1st Ave, we stopped at this Starbucks for coffee, but it was small, crowded, and had Portscum ( our term of endearment for Portland fans), so we moved on toward Pioneer Square, to the next Starbucks.  There's not quite one on every corner, but close.  Here we bought our coffee drinks and sat under the pergola watching the street traffic. The city was filling up with Rave green.

Somewhere along this stroll, the Seahawks game ended in a victory over the Carolina Panthers.  Yes, an honest win, no help from the referees.  Although some of us still dispute that flack over us beating Green Bay.  Just sayin'.

We did the March to the match, near the front of the singing, chanting mass.  I guess it stretched on behind us forever, and was brought up by the Sound Wave band.  

In the stadium the Portland timbers army was in place, singing and chanting.  

The Cascadia Cup was on the line, and Seattle  who possesses it from last year, was not ready to give it up.  Tom and I helped out our supporter group, the North End Faithful, by distributing 100 blue and green flags in the north end.  Tom also helped unfurl a Sounders logo overhead.

We welcomed the players on to the field with most of the 66,452 clapping and shouting in unison.  It's impressive.

Bombs bursting in air, flags waving, streamers streaming, and fans cheering!

At the south end of the field, ECS unfurled another gigantic tifo, featuring Coach Sigi Schmid with a royal flush.  Jake helped make it and launch it, and Jill was somewhere under it.

The game was great, with the result most of that stadium full of Sounders fans loved, a 3-0 defeat of the Timbers.

Fans lingered in the summery evening, listening to the band play, and filtering out into the city.

We're moving slowly this morning.  It's another bright, sunny morning, but change is on the way.  Once we get going, we'll be working outside.  It's time to dismantle the playhouse, turn it back into a storage shed, and start putting yard art and furniture away.  

But what a great weekend!