Independence Day in Bellevue
I just got back from the Bellevue Family Fourth Celebration. (Don't believe the URL, it actually does have some 2004 info.)As is typical, I arrived just barely in time for the fireworks to start. Except that this time, rather than parking a bit south of the RadioShack on Bellevue Way like last year, or, even more sensibly, bicycling over, I parked in the most western stall of aisle 3P of the Bellevue Square Parking Garage. Parking was fairly plentiful. Last year, it looked like they had set off the fireworks at the north end of the park but inside the 3/4 circle promenade (map in PDF available). It seemed like the best vantage point would be at the south end of the parking garage, looking across the street. I headed there, but then the garage lights were shut off. I joked to one of the security guys "it's good to have a light stick, eh?", he said "yeah, well the fireworks are starting in about 15 minutes so you should head down". I continued toward the south end of the parking garage but didn't see a stairwell for a quick escape or any decent viewing spot or anyone else hanging out there. So I went downstairs to 100th Ave NE, crossed SE 4th St, went into the park, and settled down near the KISS 106.1 booth for the show.
Alas, the KISS 106.1 helium-filled latex balloons kept blowing around, partially obscuring the view. After a few minutes and a few swallows of a drink I'd (possibly illegally) snuck into the park, I walked up to the booth, pulled on the ribbon, and pulled the balloons slightly to the side. Then I noticed a couple of white-shirt-clad KISS people, one with microphone. I asked them if they minded. The guy said I couldn't take them down but the gal said it'd be okay if they were under/within the booth, so that's where they went. I went back to my blanket, and a couple of asian girls behind me thanked me. After the show, I walked back the short distance to the KISS booth. The balloons were gone! The female (Jenni?) told me they were promised to someone earlier and picked up. I silently wished that, whoever it was, had gotten them earlier rather than later. I walked toward where the fireworks were lit. They appeared to be coming from a big hotel-looking structure, which is apparently known as Blakemore House (assuming the address matches). But it wasn't where they were lit. I asked some standing-up guy where the fireworks were lit. He tried to be a BS me, but someone else told me it was the parking garage. I joined the crowd crossing SE 4th Street to the parking garage. On a whim, I went past the second floor to the third floor. There was a lot of fireworks litter: what looked like cardboard or mortar (I didn't pick any up) and foil, around the equivalent of 3W and 3X. But no launching points. So I headed up to the fourth floor on the West-most stairway. There they were, the launchers! Like eight rows of them, fully spanning a double set of parking stalls, at the equivalent of... well, I won't reveal it, but if you rack your brains you might figure it out. It seems like the next time I head out there, staying near Bellevue Square might afford the best view, although admittedly it wouldn't be at all social. I wanted a closer look, but a Security guy approached and persauded me to stay away, accompanying me back down to the third floor (he was departing too). Maybe some other year? Off to my Element. The parking garage was nearly full, so there was a long wait - if I'd known how long it'd be, I might've made other plans. I listened to the radio for a while, getting out a few times:
- once to tell one of the drivers in line that one of his headlights was out (which he at first misheard, but about 10 minutes later walked up to my window and thanked me for the notification -yes, it was that slow)
- once to ask the driver of the car next to me if I could take her picture (at first, due to the lack of earrings and darkness I couldn't tell if the driver was male or female, but when the door opened it was a pretty cute female who insisted that no pictures be taken). I wanted some visual memory of someone in the same predicament as me, waiting in a parking stall for traffic to move rather than polluting the garage while going nowhere. But she looked like she was in a bad mood, wanting to get the hell out of there, so no chance.
- once or twice to walk around and see what other people were doing (mainly just sitting inside their vehicles going nowhere or hanging out).
The trip home wasn't that eventful, but it was a bit more difficult to find home - the new complex they're building next door has progressed quite a bit, they actually have some skeletal structures above the foundations! The lit sign for my complex hadn't changed, so it wasn't that bad after all.
posted by Richard Finegold @ 00:12
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