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You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round Like A Record Baby...

My in-laws are planning a trip to see us at the end of summer and one of their requests is that we take them to downtown Seattle so we can eat atop the Space Needle. They are fascinated with the idea that the restaurant rotates.

*sigh*

The first time I ever dined at the Space Needle was back in the day when I worked retail and attended the clothing shows down on Elliot Avenue. My then boss thought we would enjoy a "..Fun and exciting night of spinning while dining."

Spinning while dining... that's just a recipe for a big ole' hurl, isn't it?

Upon entering the restaurant you can't help but be mesmerized by the incredible view high atop the cityscape. Seattle is a gorgeous city from street level. But when you are perched high atop it all, the beauty really comes alive.

Well, until you look down and realize that the floor is moving.

There is a visual dynamic that can be really alarming when entering a rotating restaurant. I mean, these things aren't spinning fast like a roulette wheel but they are moving fast enough that you're sort of overcome by the same anxiety you faced as a child when trying to maneuver your way onto the merry-go-round at the park. Should I step now? No... wait... now? Wait... no... ok go... wait... now? Ok, go. No. Now. SHIT!!!!!

I am all about the thrill of movement. Put me on a roller coaster and I am a happy girl. Get me on a boat in the rough seas and I can ride like the best of them. But force a klutzy girl to rely on personal timing and all bets are off.

Seriously, I'm the girl that didn't master the escalator until I was about 17. Quite frankly, I think "mastered" might be a strong word. Let's just say I haven't had a blood-producing accident on an escalator since I was 17. I remember being very young and seeing the look on my mother's face each time we approached the escalator in the old J.C. Penny Store. "Krissy honey, now, mom is right here. Just step when I step, ok? When mom steps, you step... there we go... that's it sweetie...you're almost... ohhhhh, honey. That's going to leave a bruise."

And don't even get me started on those massive people movers in airports. What's that all about? You're dragging a 100 lb. carry on bag and your purse and the recent In Style magazine, which weighs about 20 lbs. And then they expect you to have all your timing down to make that crucial step on to what amounts to nothing more than a giant rubber band on pulleys. It's a lot of stress.

Anyway... the Space Needle.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. The view.

The view was stunning but there was something oddly stomach-turning about sitting at a dining table while the wall next to you is moving. The kitchen is moving. Stare long enough out the window and the scenery is moving.

Everything is moving.

It took me a while to relax enough to actually decide it was safe to eat. I had these visions that I would become violently ill and projectile vomit like a scene from the Exorcist.

But it really got better.

Your mind adjusts and evens out your equilibrium and you forget that you're moving. I lost myself in the wonderful food and conversation. The martinis didn't hurt, but it really was a wonderful treat to be able to look out the window every so often and see something totally different than the moments before. The most incredible part was witnessing the sunset over Elliot Bay.

The downside was that I eventually had to use the restroom and there was a line and it took a while to get back to the table. And the table wasn't where it was when I went in. The table was on the other side and now I had to find my way back. Which seemed somewhat simple. I mean, this rotating thing was old hat, right? That is, until I looked down and realized that things were moving again and... Should I step now? No... wait... now? Wait... no... ok go... wait... now? Ok, go. No. Now. SHIT!!!!!

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Posted by Foodwhore at March 23, 2004 10:40 PM