Big day deadlines

Oh how I wish I was there today! One more big day in Seattle coming up! One more important deadline to reach and keep. Over the years there are some big occasions in Seattle that I missed out on. The implosion of the Kingdome (the late baseball and football stadium) in 2000, yeah, that’s a big one. The demolition of the southern part of the Alaskan Way Viaduct 2011. Sounds like it’s a lot of going down in Seattle. Yes, but things are coming up too! I missed the opening of the Seattle Central Library 2004. But I was actually there for the opening of the new opera house, the McCaw Hall in 2003!

And I watched Bill Gates mythical building site for a lot of years in the mid nineties while driving east on the 520 Bridge crossing Lake Washington – there is a deadline that was postponed so many times that we stopped waiting for his new super digital home to ever get done. And yes, I missed the Light Rail finally starting to run after a century of discussions in 2009. On the other hand, I was in Seattle when Botniabanan, the new and very much looked forward too coastal railway in northern Sweden made its maiden voyage 2010.

Anyway, today it was. The Next 50’ World’s Fair Celebration Opening Day! While the space shuttles are now definitely retired and Space Age has come to an end, Seattle’s former future fair grounds are moving forward. The Jetson rocket Space Needle from 1962 isn’t a rusty and worn down embarrassing relic, but a still star-reaching object with its roof this week freshly painted in a “galaxy gold” retro color. And I can tell from the forecast that it is going to be a beautiful day; 67°F (19,5° C) and sun! What a party Seattle, what a party!

And you know what. I am not even gonna try to give Umeå any exclamation marks today. Today I am going to be exclusively biased when it comes to my two cities. Because… it’s snowing. Yes, your heard me right. It’s April 21 and it’s been snowing all day. Don’t laugh, because I am not. I am giggling though at the rumor telling the roof of the Space Needle only got half painted for the Opening Day. Isn’t that funny? No matter what the deadline is: a story, a party, a home, a building, there is always something that’s only half done when the big day comes!