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?

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