Seattle: October 2008

Well, I'm about set to leave Seattle, 8:15 AM flight tomorrow morning. This has been my fifth or sixth, maybe even my seventh time here. It's a good city, maybe even a great city, although I'm really not fond of the prevalence of precipitation that the Pacific Northwest gets. Still, Seattle has a lot going for it. Two things that make it a far more attractive place to me than some of the other places I've lived: first, the landscape has a lot of hills and trees, and second, it has character in its neighborhoods, its abundance of independent coffee shops, restaurants, and retailers. The people are rather progressive as well (yes, you can probably read that as "liberal"), or at my friend's friends are. It's got a lot to offer, including a lot of rain, but I do like the town...could even see moving here for a stint some time in the future.

Got in Sunday, tired, but the weather was sunny and clear and it was just a good day to be reunited with one of my oldest, best friends, Cat. I won't kill anyone with too many details (as I'm sure I've done in the past), but Cat did manage to take off some additional time from work (she just got back to work after having surgery for breast cancer). We hung out with her friends, went to a pumpkin carving party, walked around the Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park, had coffee and breakfast in eclectic, interesting joints. It was great. Great weather, great places, great sights, but most of all: great company.

Just for a little background: Cat has been my friend since our junior year of high school (graduated the same year, but from different high schools). We've kept in touch, but not well the last few years. The last time I saw her was probably 2002. A L-O-N-G time ago. Too long.





Earlier this evening, my last, we went over to one of her friend's homes for dinner. A very nice, very good, very simple dinner was made: salmon, salad, couscous, bread. Then, when dinner was finished, we watched Obama's 30 minute infomercial, which was surprisingly good, I thought, although the music was overdone. (I hope he wins. If he doesn't, I may never return from Japan.)

Tomorrow I head back to Hawaii. A week there, then back to the job. What a great job, that I can take time like this to hang out with old friends and family.

Aloha.