A Trip to Seattle + A Little Thing Called Covid-19

GADS....where to start?

First, and most importantly, gotta copa de vino handy?

Yes, I contracted Covid 19.  But, I was lucky I never got #'s 1-18!!  hehe

Yes, I was vaccinated but it doesn't PREVENT you from getting CV.  But, if you do, it's less likely to be as serious than for those not vaccinated.

Hold that thought for now...let's start at the beginning.

Well, my Mom passed away earlier this year (2021).  She lived in our hometown Port Angeles, WA (USA) and I live in Spain and Covid-19 was in full swing.  There was no way I could travel home and the 'CV' situation was not conducive for a family gathering either.  So, we waited for a safer time to travel and gather.  Finally, we decided to have the graveside and memorial celebration on Mom/Dads anniversary, August 7th, which is usually a good weather time of year, too.

I already had a Home Exchange commitment for the end of July through August 5th in Barcelona.  I kept it, but decided to fly out a day early, on the 4th, so I'd be home in Port Angeles for at least 2 full days to assist with readying the events.

I flew 2 1/2 hours from Barcelona to Amsterdam.  A few hours layover, then a 9-hour flight to Seattle on Delta in Business Class.  

When I reserved a rental car, I chose downtown Seattle as the pickup location, versus the airport, because it was cheaper due to all the airport-related taxes.  And, the light rail ran from the airport to a stop just a few blocks from the rental (Enterprise) company location.  <play ominous warning sound 'Dum-Dee-Dum-Dum!!'>.

To reach the light rail airport station, you have to walk through the parking garage...and walk...and walk....and walk while dragging your luggage, kids in tow, and whatever else you might have.  For some idiotic reason, there are NO moving sidewalks to assist you in schepping the 4/10 of a mile (over 1,300 ft).  Exhausted, dripping in sweat, and pissed, I arrived and hopped aboard the train.  

I hadn't been in downtown Seattle in several years.  A LOT has changed.  Large retail stores went out of business and corporate offices took over their space.  What used to be a bustling retail shopping core was now deader than a doornail.  I was only 1 of 3 people traversing the beautiful underground Westlake Center stop.  At street level, the block surrounding the former Bon Marche parking garage, where Enterprise is located, was dotted with druggies and panhandlers.

At Enterprise, I was informed I was late (about an hour), therefore they had given my car away.  I had the 'option' of waiting (possibly a few hours) for a car to come in, or upgrade to an available Mercedes SUV for $10.99 more per day.  The car rental was already hugely expensive due to the impacts Covid has had on the industry.  There was NO WAY I was going to sit around in the garage for a few hours for my Chevy to show up, so I went with the MB.

The first thing I saw when I started the car was a flashing message on the dash 'Low Engine Coolant'.  Really?  The people who washed the car and (supposedly) checked all the fluids and the person who drove it to the pickup point never noticed that?  Hmmmm.  It took three of us, plus consulting the (600 page...all English) car manual, to figure out how to pop the hood!!!  The engine was coated in dirt and fall leaves were stuck in several crevices (in August).  After coolant was added and I had taken 10 minutes to familiarize myself with MB's array of buttons and gadgets, I headed for the ferry dock.

I already knew how to approach the entrance to the ferry dock, I would have to drive past it then circle back.  I followed the signs past the dock.  Then, there were no more signs.  Huh?  I was forced onto Hwy 99.  At that point, there was no turning back and I spotted the ferry pulling away from the dock anyway.  This meant I would be 'driving around (the long way)' which means going to Tacoma, crossing a bridge, then back up the other side on the Olympic Peninsula.  

In a few miles, I merged onto the I-5 freeway....which was crawling.  I crawled all the way to Tacoma.  No, it wasn't rush hour.  At Tacoma, they were STILL working on a massive interchange project that's been going on at least 15 YEARS!!!  After crossing the Tacoma Narrows bridge, traffic finally lightened up and I could 'cruise' at 55 mph for the next 90 miles.

It took me 6 1/2 hours from the light rail station to reach Port Angeles, normally a 2 1/2 - 3hr trip!!!!  

I was NOT having fun yet.

My hometown...Port Angeles...with the Olympic Mountains in the background

The view near my sister's home

The economy of Port Angeles relies heavily on logging.  Here, a ship in port is loaded to the gills (and higher!) with timber.

Works of art at the Marina.  I bet they have some stories to tell!!!

The memorial events went off without a hitch except for the fact it rained THAT ONE DAY and was a bit chilly.  In the last few days before leaving for Seattle I was able to reunite with high school friends I hadn't seen in 40-50 years as well as a high school best bud I've been able to see a few times in that period.  In each case, it seemed like we didn't miss a beat and simply picked up where we last left off.

The small town of Sequim, located a dozen miles from Port Angeles, is popular with retirees for it's sun, dry weather, quaint cafes, and drop dead views.  Lavender is everywhere from which a slew of products are made.  Not surprisingly, Sequims annual shebang is called the 'Lavender Festival'.

Stately farms dot the landscape around Sequim.

Cline Spit, a few miles outside Sequim.

Juan de Fuca rental cottages across the road from the waterfront and Cline Spit.

After spending a week in Port Angeles, it was time to head to my old stomping grounds....a week in Seattle.  Instead of 'driving around', I took the ferry from Bremerton to downtown Seattle...a 1 hour passage.  What used to be a $5.50 crossing is now over $20.  It was a GORGEOUS clear day!!

When I was a kid, the Smith Tower (far right with pointed top) was the tallest building in Seattle.

During the summer, it's always magical to see the 14,000 ft snow-covered Mt Rainier (volcano) looming in the distance, some 60+ miles away.

My 'Airbnb' apartment for the week located in Leschi, on the shores of Lake Washington, in the heart of Seattle.

The skyline you see on the other side of the lake is NOT Seattle....it's Bellevue.

I went to Safeway to stock up on groceries.  Seattle has become HORRIBLY expensive since I left 10 years ago.  There's no way I could afford to live there now.  I paid $5.63 for 6 pears, $6.94 for 4 tomatoes, and $4.99 for a dozen brown eggs (which are rare here...white eggs are the norm). 

I ordered DoorDash.  A Cobb salad and Taquitos came to $32.  But, the add-ons blew that out of the water.  $2 delivery fee, a 'Seattle Mandate' fee $2.50, taxes $9.00, and the good 'ol pre-determined tip (which is no longer about the service you get, but has now become required) $3.00 brought the $32 food order to $50.  Compared to Spain:  $32 for the food (but probably much cheaper), taxes are already included (the price you see is the price you pay), $2 delivery (sometimes free), and tipping is not common in most of Europe...but I usually give $2 cuz they have to climb steps to get to my apt.  $36 vs $50.  Just sayin.....

When I woke up the first morning at this location, I felt like I had been run over.

I parked the MB in a very skinny garage.  When backing out, I was paying so much attention to the busy street I was easing into, that I swiped the left front fender on the garage entrance!!!  UGHHHH....what next?

I'll tell ya what's NEXT!!!!  It was my BFF Brian's birthday.  We were slated to hop in his boat and motor to a restaurant.  Though I was feeling better as the day went on, I didn't feel up to the plans.  For some odd reason, I thought I should get tested for Covid.  There was a trailer setup nearby so I went there, swabbed my own nose and was told I would know the results via email the next day.  Next day?  I thought it would be 15 minutes like back in Spain.  I didn't realize I had submitted for a full PCR test, not the faster Antigen.

The next day I received the results in an email.  In red letters it said "detected".  OMG!!!

No, I don't know how, or where, or who, or when I got it.   It's virtually impossible to know.  In Port Angeles, when I went to the grocery store, I was surprised how many people were not wearing masks.  I asked a clerk what the local rules were.  She said, in general, if you were vaccinated you didn't have to wear a mask while indoors.  I found that odd since it depends on people being honest.  At first, I wore a mask while inside stores.  But over the ensuing days, I started being more lax at the grocery store, Starbucks, the ferry, etc.

In hindsight (which is always 20-20, right?) it doesn't make sense to stop wearing a mask simply because you're vaccinated if you can STILL GET Covid post vaccination!!

Back to Seattle...

For the next week, I stayed put in the apartment.  My symptoms were coughing and fatigue.  I didn't have a temperature and I could still smell/taste things.  I went from bed to couch to bed to couch all day long.  I didn't realize it at the time but my brain was in a fog.  Brian brought me food and snacks and vitamins as well as monitoring gadgets such as a thermometer and a finger thingy that measured my oxygen levels.  He informed me my oxygen level shouldn't be lower than 94.  I was ranging 86-88.  I had a hankerin for a Burger King Whopper which Roger brought over.  Visits and deliveries were well past the recommended 6ft separation.   If I walked two steps forward, Brian walked three steps back!  LOL

I was determined to fly home as planned on the 18th.  After all, if I stood still, I felt FINE and I would be masked at all times.  Brian's sister is a nurse and she informed him 'no way in hell' should I be flying given the aircrafts pressurization/oxygen levels something something could have dire impacts on me.  

I checked out of my lakeside Airbnb on the 18th, the day I was supposed to fly home, and moved to the Red Lion hotel near the airport.  

I contacted the people staying in/taking care of my apartment, plants, and Gracie (my dog) back in Spain, told them my story, and asked if they could stay on longer.  Yes.  Whew!  One item I could check off my 'stress list'.

I moved my flight out a few days.

Back to the car rental...

Next, I had to deal with the car.  It was supposed to be returned that same day.  But, there was no way I was physically up to doing that.  I called Enterprise and told them what was going on.  I asked if they could pick up my car.  'No, we don't do that'.  'But, it says here you deliver the car to a customer.'  'Yes, but we don't do pickups'.  They 'offered' me the option of having the car towed.  I had no other choice.  I instructed them to call me in my room so I could bring the tow operator the keys (fob).

Back to Covid...

The next day, the 19th, Brian convinced me (finally) to go to the ER of a nearby hospital.  I dreaded going as the thought of having Covid and going to the hospital conjured up a lot of scary thoughts, suffice to say.  I mean, who would take care of my plants?  And my daughter...errr....dogger....Gracie?

I was attended to within minutes.  They ran a bunch of tests....blood, EKG, MRI, I don't remember what else.  I was there 5 hours lying on a horribly uncomfortable ER bed, bored out of my mind.  I was amazed at the efforts they took to protect themselves and others.  Every time a person entered my room they had to don new gowns and masks so they didn't bring IN any bad cooties.  Then, before they exited the room, they had to take everything off and toss them in a bin so as not to carry OUT any cooties into the broader area.

After my consultation with the doc, he ordered meds and the hospital arranged a taxi to take me back to the hotel.  Brian picked up the meds and brought them to me.

I needed to do something with my re-arranged Delta flight.  I tried to change it online but it wouldn't allow me...it said I needed to cancel...no other choice.  After I did, I looked at one-way fares, Biz class, from SEA to BCN.  They ranged between $5,000 and $10,000!!!!   OMG!  Kill me now if I have to fly home in Economy!!!

Back to the rental car....

3 days had passed and the car was still in the parking lot.  I communicated with a Manager who told me he would stop all charges effective the 18th.  The next day, the car was towed, but they didn't contact me to give them the keys!!!  GRRRRRR!!!

I contacted the Enterprise manager again.  He instructed me, in email, to have the hotel overnight Fed-Ex the keys to a specific person at an address.....about a mile away!!!  WHY would anyone Fed-Ex something to an address down the street???

Back to Covid...

By the 23rd, I hadn't improved much.  I barely had enough energy to go to the bathroom and back to my bed where I would collapse and be out of breath.

Sooooo....back to the ER where I was promptly admitted to the hospital.  More tests including x-ray and ultrasound (no, I'm not pregnant), more/different meds, and countless visits from nurses at all hours to check my BP, take blood, give me inhaler blasts, check my oxygen levels, change IV's etc and a daily visit from the doc.  For the most part, I was very impressed with the staff and the hospital.  I don't think I've ever spent more than 1 day in a hospital in my life.

The food was GREAT!  I could order from a menu which included, among others, eggs/sausage/toast/potatoes/scone or breakfast burrito, grilled ham/cheese sandwich, meatloaf/mashed potatoes, salmon, mac-n-cheese, ice cream and a fabulous flourless chocolate torte.

Unfortunately, the first day, after eating an Asian stir-fry, I had to go potty.  I buzzed for a nurse.  By the time she arrived, the situation had become dire.  There was no stopping 'it' as I was escorted to the bathroom.  Once inside, 'Hurricane Poo' was unleashed.  I'll spare you the details...it wasn't pretty.  I never ordered the stir-fry again.

Back to the hotel...

My tab was still running at the Red Lion.  My sister, in Port Angeles, sort of took over the role of 'Communications Director' so I wouldn't be pummeled with relentless emails, texts, and Whatsap messages from friends and family asking me how I'm doing, what's my O2 level, etc etc.  My friend Roger volunteered to go to the hotel, (double masked and gloved) to gather up my stuff, and get me checked out to stop the monetary bleeding of an unoccupied hotel room!  AND, he personally delivered the rental car keys to the aforementioned person at the aforementioned address.

Back to the car rental...

Case closed?  HA!!!  A few days later I got an email from the Enterprise manager wondering where the keys were and informing me they would have to charge me $1,000 to have a new key fob made!!!!  All this while I'm in the freaking hospital with COVID!!  I responded, reiterating what Roger had done.  As of this writing, I never heard from the manager again...not even to acknowledge they found the keys, nor have I been charged $1,000.

Meanwhile, as if I wasn't dealing with enough sh_t already, my landlord back in Spain told me he hadn't received the August 1st rent!!  My Spain bank account had a block put on it!!  So, I wired him $$ from my Chase (USA) account.  Well, it didn't show up!  So, we needed to trace it.  I'll spare you the details.   Stress level?  14!!

On the 28th, after 6 nights in the hospital, oxygen levels and other tests looking good, I was informed I was going to be released.  FINALLY!!  I wanted to go home soooooooo bad!!!  I quickly scrambled and got online to find the next flight available.  There WAS one for the 29th with Condor Airlines, but it was now gone.  None for the 30th.  Next available was the 31st.  The good news was, instead of flying SEA to Amsterdam to Barcelona to Palma, I would fly from SEA to Frankfurt then directly to Palma...no switching airlines and handling my bags in BCN.  I was able to get a business class seat/bed for a more reasonable $1500.  But, BUMMER...3 more nights in an airport hotel!!!

Wait....hold on....'Houston, we have a problem'.  Seems the hospital couldn't find my wallet and passport which they took from me for 'safekeeping'!!!!   No wallet, no hotel.  No passport, no flight home.

To say I was livid is putting it mildly.  Hours went by while I waited to be released and NO ONE had talked to me to give me any kind of update and/or recap what steps they were taking to find my items.  I had had enough and called the nurse in.  I DEMANDED they get the supervisor in my room NOW to inform me who is doing what to find my stuff.  I assumed they must have a log of items received and entered into the 'safe' and if there isn't a log entry, then my stuff never arrived at the safe.  I told them to call the employee who filled out the tracking form and took my items....I didn't care if she was off work or in the middle of giving birth...get that person on the horn and find out what she did/didnt' do!!!!!    They couldn't recognize her signature so wasn't sure who it was.  Well, WHO was on duty at that time!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????   Later on, a person tapped on my window and motioned she would call my bedside phone.  It was the supervisor who said they 'were doing everything they can' to find my wallet and passport...but at that point in the evening she didn't have access to personnel files and wouldn't until the morning.  <enter explosive sounds like a volcano erupting>

I had to spend another night in the hospital.

Meanwhile, it was 8pm and the cafeteria was closed.  No food.  One of the nurses felt so bad, she offered to order Domino's pizza for me and she would pay for it personally.....and that's what we did.

I called my hotel and cancelled my booking.

The next morning, the supervisor tapped my window and held up a baggie with my wallet and passport in it!!!  She called and explained my items were accidentally filed under the wrong letter based on my middle name instead of my last name.

The original hotel I had booked no longer had rooms available so I booked 2 nights at a Ramada nearby.  A taxi was summoned and I was OUTA THERE!!!  

We had to stop off at a pharmacy along the way to pick up a prescription the doctor had ordered.  I arrived at the Ramada around noon, but no rooms were ready.  I had to sit in the lobby about a half hour until one had been cleaned and ready for check-in.

The next day, it dawned on me I had only picked up 1 of 2 prescriptions the day before.  Because my trip was now a dozen days beyond the original plan, I hadn't packed enough of my regular daily meds to cover that amount of additional time.  The doctor wrote a prescription to carry me through...but I forgot to pick it up!!

BACK in a taxi, back to the pharmacy, back to the hotel.  $46 later...including the 'obligatory' tip one has to pre-select from a list of pre-calculated choices when paying by card.

August 31st.  Time to exit this hell.  My flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6pm and the hotel wouldn't give me a late check-out beyond noon, so I was at the airport about 6 hours early.  Condor airlines has only 1 flight per day, therefore their check-in counter wouldn't be open to check in and check my bag until 3 hours before flight departure.   I couldn't proceed through security and to my gate until I could check in.  I had to wait 2 1/2 hours, sitting on the floor most of that time because of the 6 seats available in the entire area, they were occupied.

After I checked in, I was able to whiz through security and hopped on the tram to the international flights satellite.  I then went to the VIP club (since I was flying biz class) to enjoy some snacks and R&R before my flight.  The space was nice but all they were serving was gum drops and wasabi peas from cereal dispensers and little plates of cheese, crackers, and hummus.  WHOOP-TEE-DOO!!!

The flight to Frankfurt was great.  Condor served up an enormous amount of food in business class and it was excellent!  None of the in-flight entertainment appealed to me (usually doesn't) so I lowered the seat into a bed and snoozed.

The good part ended there.  Once in Frankfurt, I had to switch from the international concourse to the national side.  My departure gate was A22.  I followed the signs.  One turn after another revealed another lonnnnng stretch WITHOUT a moving sidewalk in sight!!  I was reduced to walking in baby (more like Betty White) steps...inching my way to somewhere in oblivion.  I asked someone about the electric carts.  She said I would have to go back to the check-in counter (where I never was since I was simply transfering) and make arrangements there.  She asked me what gate I needed to go to...I replied "A22"....to which she gasped "ohhhhhhh"...clearly knowing it was miles away and I was doomed.  Apparently, you can only make PRE-arrangements for those services...you can't hail or approach one sitting empty.  That seems dumb to me since 99.9% of passengers don't know ahead of time which gate they're going to come in on nor their departure gate, NOR how much or little effort it will take to get from one to the other!  

So, I trodded on.

I finally reached the security area where there was only 3 people ahead of me in line.  I loaded my stuff into two bins and placed my carry-on bag on the belt, then walked through the metal detector.  On the other side, I unloaded my 2 bins.  A gruff agent told me to gather the 6 empty bins.   I placed them into one another.  Then, he barked at me "one at a time!!"  He expected me to feed each one into the opening where a conveyor belt returns them to the front.  I looked around....every 'agent' was a gun-toting police officer standing at attention.   Did I accidentally land in Moscow?  Apparently, in Frankfurt, the 'TSA' is operated by the Police.

I waited for my bag.  And waited.  15 minutes later, I approached an officer holding a rifle.  I informed him I wasn't familiar with the process there and was concerned about my bag...maybe it had been taken by someone?  He simply replied 'maybe it's still in the machine'.  Really?  3 people ahead of me?  How long would this have been if there was a snaking line?  An older agent approached a window, holding my bag and looking inquisitively at those of us waiting...he didn't say a word.  I walked up to the window and he barked "German?  Spanish?  English?"   I responded "Swahili".

Ha!  No, I didn't.  My bag contained only memorabilia from my Mom's possessions...primarily a cookie jar, coffee cup, and Christmas ornaments.  He touched the cookie jar, then looked up at the overhead monitor, then he touched the box containing the coffee cup and looked at the monitor, then he touched the cookie jar again and looked at the monitor, then he touched the coffee cup box again and looked up at the monitor....you get the gist.  After this scrutiny, he only said 'OK' and I shuffled off, turned a corner, and faced another long corridor where I couldn't even detect where it ended....in Yugoslavia maybe?  

The entire distance was not covered with any moving sidewalks UNTIL I reached the last 150 feet or so!!!

I officially HATE the Frankfurt airport.  WORST airport EVER in my ENTIRE life!!!  Some time later, I checked online reviews of the airport.  Apparently I'm not alone with these thoughts.

The Palma airport HAS MOVING SIDEWALKS!!!  Thank GAWD!!  

Oh, but wait, they were all turned OFF so Covid personnel could corral passengers to control points and examine documentation.  It didn't make sense to me as they could've controlled everything and still use the moving sidewalks....but, they didn't ask me, did they?

By the time I got through that and collected my checked bag and dragged myself out to the taxi stand, I was was near collapse.

I WAS HOME!!!!!  

GRACIE WAS ECSTATIC TO SEE ME...AS I WAS HER!!

Two weeks later....

I went to a clinic here in Palma to follow up on my recovery.  My Covid test came back NEGATIVE!  I still showed a little pneumonia in my lungs but I was told it should clear up on its own.  Ultrasound of my heart looked good, blood tests AOK, ditto with the EKG.  Each day I felt a little better, poco a poco, naps became less frequent, and I ventured out to the grocery store a half block away.

Back to the Enterprise car rental:

A month later, the status is:

• I've never heard whether they 'found' the keys or not.
• My credit card was charged $2,036 but based on the receipt I got when I rented the car, the charge should have 'only' been around $1,350.  What accounts for the $700 difference?  Dunno.  Someone has some 'splainin to do!
• I've never received an electronic (via email) receipt of my rental showing the breakdown of the charges.
• I was told I would get an estimate for the repairs to the front fender (the date of the mail being AFTER the $2036 charge).  Still haven't got it.
• Wrote a letter to the manager, cc'ing everyone else on original communications, recapping the timeline of events and lack of documentation and requesting I be provided those things.  That was a week ago.  NO RESPONSE...NADA.
• Got an email bill for the tow.  $109.  I was surprised how reasonable it was.  It included a link to pay for it online.  I tried but kept getting an error message it couldn't find my record.  GADS....is there anyone that does things RIGHT these days???  I wrote about my quandry.  The next day, it finally worked and the bill was paid.

Meanwhile, the medical bills from the Seattle hospital spa are coming in.

Oh JOY....this will be FUN!!!

So, that's my story and I'm stickin to it!!!   

😴

Hey!!!   YOU!!!  WAKE UP!   

WAKE UP!!!!

😵

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

Dano

By the way, if you're interested in viewing any of my past entries about travelling around Europe and where I live in Mallorca, simply scroll down past my signature to the end.  There, you'll see 'Blog History'.  You can click on any Month/Year to see the titles I published at that time.  Simply click on the title you're interested in and it will take you to that page.