We were going to go see the exhibit of "arts and crafts" style but at the 11th hour, we suddently realized that Saturday, the day of our outing was the day that 4,100 graduated from the University of Washington, which meant that 39,000 people were going to be heading to Husky Stadium exactly at the time that we wanted to go to the museum. Thirty-nine thousand people between US and the museum. Aieeeeee!

So we skewed and instead headed to Seattle Center, to the dreaded EMP (Experience Music project/Science fiction museum" which was hosting an appreciation of teh work of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and other cultural phenomena (do-DO-de do do)

Jim Henson was a gentle soul, a creative genius. From the earliest work we saw in the rooms of SFM (some of which were fuzzy. Stu drew on several of them. They came in green, pink and orange) he was funny, warm, silly and wise. We saw storyboards, some of his earliest work in advertising (the La Choy Dragon, knocking over all the cans in the supermarket) . There was stuff that reminded you of every aspect of his creative life from the Muppets to "Dark Crystal" and his work with the brilliant Brian Froud. You saw plans for tv shows that never took shape, but you also could participate in a short puppet rock band collaboration. (and no no one rocked out on "It's Not Easy Being Green")

There wasn't enough. Given the space, I expected less, actually, and hoped for more. I wanted to see, even if I have seen it before, the transformation of cloth to Muppet, where the inspiration's came from, how they'd changed. I appreciated the short films showing not just his puppet artistry but his ability to do abstract design.

Henson died way too young and I still hate the stupidity of it. When the Muppet stamps came out, I bought sheets and sheets - i have more of those even than the newest "civil rights" stamps. His family hasn't done badly but you can't guarantee the spark that created this silliness would be inherited. Henson and Frank Oz and Jerry Juhl worked together for a very long time, bringing us Grover and Animal, Fozzy Bear and Yoda, Janice and Dr. Teeth and Kermit. They never aren't lovable and sweet, caring and innocent and clever. Stu and I wondered about permissions because there weren't a lot of actual "Sesame Street" references. On the other hand, I was expecting half of the exhibit space. It was larger than I remembered, but it still wasn't room enough to show off this guy's utter genius and creative energy.

We hung out at SFM for a while too - i hadn't been since opening week and it had been ages for Stu as well. I just detest the layout. In order to get from floor to floor, you need to go alllllll the way through the exhibit to the only (not well-marked elevator. It's ridiculously dark. I do NOT understand it. Even when they tripped the lights for one case, it didn't really help. Way too hard to read things. Atmosphere schmatmosphere.

And then there's that creeping claustrophobic thing. I'm not claustrophobic. But eventually I need light and sun. and while SFM does not make me crazy, eventually I did start getting twitchy and compressed. It's way too dark, the ceilings are very VERY dark (twinkly but dark!) and not all that high. so it felt good to emerge into EMP, and the room with that giant mostly-guitar "art piece". And wander a bit in the body of the museum even if I didn't get it. I'm not wholly interested in the rock history of Seattle. (I wouldn't be all that interested in the rock history of Hartford if I still lived there). It was ok, and seeing a few cool guitars was ok, but once you look at them, what? Yeah, there were video clips but...

Gift shops at museums are usually fabulous and the SFM one is tiny, seemingly an afterthought (sort of like Seattle Art Museum where if you're a wheelchair user, you get to go outside to get in.). Much of the stuff is generic, sf stuff or souvenirs of SFM or the Hall [or as I call it the WALL of Fame, as there ain't no hall] of Fame induction with bobble heads or some videos of sf movies. Who BUYS for them? Bizarre. A few Henson items but very little considering that it's their current Big Deal Draw. But We did find a fabulous investment by the register. Minimites Star Trek figures, little plastic guys. I had to do it. They had one "Chekov & Swashbuckling Sulu!" left. Yes, yes naked torso, sword and all! Huzzah! (Chekov has a phaser and communicator, in case you worried.) Stu got one with Kirk in the inevitable torn shirt fighting a green monster - Gorn? Anyway, it's the one based on the Fred Brown story. On sale!

Then off to Sushiland, where conveyor belts send dozens, nay, hundreds of little plastic plates full of sushi past you and you decide. Lots of maki, lots of fishies. A little bowl full of freshly steamed edamame. More salmon. Oh, that was tasteless. Oooh, what's that? and then waddling all the way over there to the bus. Erp.

Swashbuckling Sulu! I bet you're jealous