Sunday, August 12, 2007

fill up and you don't have to pay

My, this town is charming.

I've driven by no fewer than four car washes in the past couple of weeks, and not the cement-building-next-to-a-gas-station kind, but the kind with wholesome, all-American teenagers giddily waving handmade signs advertising the operation and the wholesome, all-American organization which will receive the proceeds. I've yet to stop at one -- I'm usually in a hurry and/or low on cash -- but if I ever run across a car wash/bake sale, this may change.

Seattle is small-towny in other ways, too. Even the drivers are courteous -- traffic can be rough on some of the more popular freeways (yes, "freeways," and just when I'd finally gotten the hang of calling them "highways"), but merging is never a problem and people rarely honk at each other, even when they make flagrantly stupid mistakes (I've tested this a couple of times). Cashiers seem genuinely happy to help, the managers at my apartment complex are downright cheery, my new co-workers will drop everything to chat and offer advice...and I haven't even mentioned the weather! So far, "summer" in Seattle has meant temperatures in the 70s, unnoticeable humidity and maybe three rainy days since I arrived. Plus gas is cheaper, Targets and California Pizza Kitchens abound and I've seen *maybe* two Bush-supporting bumper stickers. How is it possible that the rest of the country (or at least the rest of the liberal, global-warming-believing, over-educated yuppies) hasn't moved here already?

Sunday, August 5, 2007

now or never

Well, seeing as how work starts tomorrow(!) and odds are I'll be too exhausted, overwhelmed or generally computered out to do a real update for a while, here's the obligatory "what I did on my [very last] summer vacation" post. My apartment's not yet ready to be shown off (I'm waiting until I get my first paycheck to finish procuring furniture), but I suppose I can show you my already cluttered kitchen:


What's more interesting is the sightseeing I've done, both intentional (e.g. Alki Beach, which has an excellent view of the Seattle skyline) and unintentional (occasionally I'll turn down a street and have a distinct memory of passing through it on my way to a top-secret Committee meeting during YGC tour '03). You'd like to see pictures, wouldn't you? Of course you would:

view from Alki Beach

Mt Rainier

trying to take artsy photographs on the way back (not recommended while driving, btw)

But as pretty and green and leafy as everything is, it's been a little lonely sightseeing alone (cf the above comment about taking pictures while driving), and while the few friends I have here are great, I'm looking forward to assembling a solid crew similar to (but not nearly as awesome as) the people pictured:

(I miss you too, Dani -- I just wanted to make sure these guys saw their c-raaaaazy picture from GPSCY karaoke)

For now, though, I'll be at work, trying out this new Vista thing I keep hearing about and batting my eyelashes at the programmers in hopes that one of them will fix my laptop, which has taken an inexplicable-freezing turn for the worse. Looks like I'm starting just in time...