The Week in Travel: June 4, 2010

We continue to have freakishly cold weather in Seattle, even though it usually warms up by this time of year. I see it as either a case of Mother Nature foresaking us altogether (because hey, if we chose to live in the Pacific Northwest, we kind of forfeit the right to complain), or a sign of the coming End of Days. In the likely event of the latter, I’ve been stalking up on non-perishable items and cigarettes (both of which will serve as currency for those of us left on the hellscape that will be Earth after the true believers are raptured.)

For those of you who don’t believe the world is coming to an end, I offer some more evidence that we’re doomed …

Comets are crashing into Jupiter. We must be next.

Photos of animals caught in the BP oil spill, which will horrify and depress you. Click on the link only if you have the means to buy an electric car … and also to erase your memory.

The only thing worse than helpless animals covered in oil? Helpless toddlers smoking cigarettes.

And yesterday, the dear, lovely, and forever sultry Rue McClanahan passed away. And while this past week also brought the deaths of Gary Coleman, Art Linkletter, and Dennis Hopper, this one stung a little bit more for me. Perhaps because now I’ll never get to thank her for being a friend.

Sigh …

And yet … what’s that in the sky? Is that a teeny patch of blue? Maybe? Perhaps things aren’t as bleak as they seem? Could it be the world isn’t actually ending?

After all, this just happened. “Sir Captain Jean-Luc Picard.” Yes, yes, I rather like the idea of that.

Though I’ve never flyed Virgin Airlines, I now kind of want to – if only to see their safety video.

And this image put a smile on my face. As does the knowledge that teeny tiny sea turtles harmed by the oil spill are being rescued.

Who knows … maybe with a little bit of help, we can fix this whole Gulf mess. We just need the right tools, and the right guy for the job.

I might not need all those cigarettes and non-perishables after all. Perhaps I should continue riding this sudden wave of good feeling, and donate them to an orphanage. Now, please excuse me. I’m going to go sing the theme song to The Golden Girls at the top of my lungs in the shower.