1. As much as a Texan can justifiably mock Pacific Northwesterners for saying 80 degrees is "sooo warm, omg!" Seattle can be really hot. Like, nearly Texas hot, only sans AC. (No fair.)
2. I have the ability to move from one apartment to another all by myself. Heavy, craigslist-bought IKEA bed and all! (God bless freight elevators.)
3. Mixing double espresso drinks and wine does not bode well when attempting to assemble a very confusing craigslist-bought IKEA bed. With all the foreign hardware. And the heaviness. And, caffeinated drunkenness. No good. (But soo goood.)
4. Fuck bed assembly, I wanna jump around this new place. South Lake Union! No funky smell! Outta the ‘burbs! Weeeeee!
5. Decidedly, this apartment will one day be the ideal setting for a dance party, after single-handedly testing its viability as such. In my underwear. Under the influence of Vivace espresso and cheap red wine. Who wants to party?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
primitive therapy
I just went camping for the first time in two years, and a trip like that was about two years overdue. It was with an old friend, and all totally low-key and not overplanned. Because all you really need when camping is a little pop-tent, some matches, and a screw-top bottle of wine.
After going on a 2-hour hike through a beautiful gorge and seeing some spectacular views of mountains and rushing rivers, we gathered firewood, set up camp, made a rather kick-ass, blazing fire, and ate our pre-purchased Subway sandwich while we shared stories, had girl talk, and laughed about religious nuts. It wasn't a completely convenience-less, roughin-it situation, but time spent away from computers and running water was nice. And breaking branches for the fire was therapeutic, minor scrapes and scratches and all. Made me feel tough. I got the bloody scabs to prove it. Arrrgh.
I could have stayed another night or two. Let's face it, it wasn't exactly nice to come home to my crappy little abode. But I am thrilled to say that I only have two more nights in this place: I am getting ready to bid farewell to this ghetto 'burban hovel. But at least there's a working shower. It'll be good to wash away a day and a half's worth of dirt, campfire soot, and tree sap caked onto my filthy body.
Let's hear it for nature.
Monday, July 20, 2009
where the wind's brought me
I truly feel like I am living one day at a time. Sure, I get worried about money, and how hard the next several weeks will be. And of course, I’m looking forward to moving in just one week, and can’t wait to get out of this place. And it’s nothing if not keeping me on my toes, with the lack of funds (the first time in my life I cannot afford to buy gum) and crazy weekend adventures.
But this is good. I’m not dwelling on anything in the past. I honestly have no idea what the next month will bring, much less the rest of the year. New friends, or another period of healthy solitude? Singledom, or live-in boyfriend? Meager salary, or seeing several patients per day and raising that monthly check higher? I am experiencing everything as it comes, adapting quickly (I think), and enjoying most of it. I feel like I will look back on this summer like I have on so many other mini-eras in my life: with appreciation, and with a little awe at how I got through it.
Transitions are hard. The settling-in process takes time. I am still learning things at work, but getting more comfortable, with the people and the procedures. I’m getting good feedback. I’m having fun. I’m spending a lot of time alone, but I don’t necessarily feel lonely.
Things are still changing, still bearable, albeit a bit roller-coaster in their presentation.
Like I said, this whole thing is keeping me on my toes.
Maybe my love for Washington will continue to grow. Maybe I’ll start missing Texas/Quebec/some other place like crazy and want to move in a few months.
But for now, things are good.
But this is good. I’m not dwelling on anything in the past. I honestly have no idea what the next month will bring, much less the rest of the year. New friends, or another period of healthy solitude? Singledom, or live-in boyfriend? Meager salary, or seeing several patients per day and raising that monthly check higher? I am experiencing everything as it comes, adapting quickly (I think), and enjoying most of it. I feel like I will look back on this summer like I have on so many other mini-eras in my life: with appreciation, and with a little awe at how I got through it.
Transitions are hard. The settling-in process takes time. I am still learning things at work, but getting more comfortable, with the people and the procedures. I’m getting good feedback. I’m having fun. I’m spending a lot of time alone, but I don’t necessarily feel lonely.
Things are still changing, still bearable, albeit a bit roller-coaster in their presentation.
Like I said, this whole thing is keeping me on my toes.
Maybe my love for Washington will continue to grow. Maybe I’ll start missing Texas/Quebec/some other place like crazy and want to move in a few months.
But for now, things are good.
Monday, July 13, 2009
this weekend, i...
(in no particular order)
- picked fresh raspberries and cherries on Saturday, blueberries on Sunday
- played barefoot softball
- ripped a 6-inch tear in the crotch of my jeans
- retired a pair of shoes
- went on a hayride
- ran around the side of a mountain, barefoot, in chilly drizzles on a July afternoon
- had some whiskey and a burger in a portland establishment with a great view
- got a bunch of free stuff, including:
- a collander
- a toaster
- an end-table
- a half-dozen organic eggs, fresh outta the chicken
- 5 pounds of Alaskan salmon, caught last week
Plus, I got myself a couch and a bed. I lifted heavy things a lot. My quadriceps and calves feel like achy, burning fire. (But that may have been from the slide into first.)
It was a good two days.
- picked fresh raspberries and cherries on Saturday, blueberries on Sunday
- played barefoot softball
- ripped a 6-inch tear in the crotch of my jeans
- retired a pair of shoes
- went on a hayride
- ran around the side of a mountain, barefoot, in chilly drizzles on a July afternoon
- had some whiskey and a burger in a portland establishment with a great view
- got a bunch of free stuff, including:
- a collander
- a toaster
- an end-table
- a half-dozen organic eggs, fresh outta the chicken
- 5 pounds of Alaskan salmon, caught last week
Plus, I got myself a couch and a bed. I lifted heavy things a lot. My quadriceps and calves feel like achy, burning fire. (But that may have been from the slide into first.)
It was a good two days.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
today
9:00 Breakfast, shower, lounge in bathrobe.
10:00 Call 8,000 different numbers to inquire about 8,000 different student loans that I am either a) supposed to have started paying four months ago or b) supposed to start paying two months from now, when c) I don't even have enough money to buy food (where I'm distinguishing "buy" from "charge").
10:25 Still sorting out how I got transferred from one banking/loan entity, who knew what I was talking about, to another, who I apparently have no account with.
10:45 Still on hold with those bastards who want my money at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
11:25 Finally conclude that I am to complete economic hardship forms, since there is no way in hell I can afford to pay a total of four (FOUR!) loan entities a total of $1900 per month. (Hah!)
11:35 Succeed in warding off a massive debt-related panic attack.
12:15 BNI meeting. Don't ask.
2:00 Household chores. More phone calls. More feelings of overwhelm and loss of control about life. Wasting 3.5 hours waiting for the mail carrier to deliver an urgent package. Thanks, USPS, for the quality time I got to justify spending with Chuck Klosterman.
6:30 Trip into Seattle to fill up on lattes, do some paperwork, and continue to feel overwhelmed and helpless... but at least while in an urban setting.
9:15 Make one list entitled "Problems That Will Be Solved!" and another entitled "Things to Look Forward To." Take a deep breath.
10:30 Get home. Proceed listening to a continuous loop of a "song" by a "friend" that I am mentally and emotionally addicted to.
11:30 Feeling a little better. Trying to feel sleepy, post-latte. Recalling those "things to look forward to," to ensure that I have pleasant dreams, instead of ones featuring death of family members or overflowing toilets I've fallen into as of late.
11:35 As a result of my back telling me to go fuck myself because it's sick of the current sleeping situation, end my night by re-reading item #7 on aforementioned list: "acquire a real bed"... Good note to fall asleep on, even it's on a plastic-coated surface of air.
10:00 Call 8,000 different numbers to inquire about 8,000 different student loans that I am either a) supposed to have started paying four months ago or b) supposed to start paying two months from now, when c) I don't even have enough money to buy food (where I'm distinguishing "buy" from "charge").
10:25 Still sorting out how I got transferred from one banking/loan entity, who knew what I was talking about, to another, who I apparently have no account with.
10:45 Still on hold with those bastards who want my money at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
11:25 Finally conclude that I am to complete economic hardship forms, since there is no way in hell I can afford to pay a total of four (FOUR!) loan entities a total of $1900 per month. (Hah!)
11:35 Succeed in warding off a massive debt-related panic attack.
12:15 BNI meeting. Don't ask.
2:00 Household chores. More phone calls. More feelings of overwhelm and loss of control about life. Wasting 3.5 hours waiting for the mail carrier to deliver an urgent package. Thanks, USPS, for the quality time I got to justify spending with Chuck Klosterman.
6:30 Trip into Seattle to fill up on lattes, do some paperwork, and continue to feel overwhelmed and helpless... but at least while in an urban setting.
9:15 Make one list entitled "Problems That Will Be Solved!" and another entitled "Things to Look Forward To." Take a deep breath.
10:30 Get home. Proceed listening to a continuous loop of a "song" by a "friend" that I am mentally and emotionally addicted to.
11:30 Feeling a little better. Trying to feel sleepy, post-latte. Recalling those "things to look forward to," to ensure that I have pleasant dreams, instead of ones featuring death of family members or overflowing toilets I've fallen into as of late.
11:35 As a result of my back telling me to go fuck myself because it's sick of the current sleeping situation, end my night by re-reading item #7 on aforementioned list: "acquire a real bed"... Good note to fall asleep on, even it's on a plastic-coated surface of air.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
i almost forgot how awesome it is
... to live in a city, within walking distance to anything you could want or need. I signed the lease on my new apartment, which I can move into in 26 days. Countdown has commenced. I spent yesterday spelunking my soon-to-be new neighborhood, and timing the walks to the cafe (5 minutes), the Whole Foods (15 minutes), and Pike Place Market (21 minutes). I discovered a little pizza place right on my corner that sells fresh, made-to-order pies with organic, local ingredients, and stocks only local beers and wines. I walked all around downtown, enjoying the breezy, 80-degree summer afternoon. I met an old friend for happy hour (who I discovered lives so close I could probably wave to him from my patio). I was a very content little camper by the end of the day, for sure.
And then, I returned to my temporary hovel, with the rusty, rickety staircase leading down to my half-basement apartment, the light brown carpet with the questionable odor, the broken, undraining sink full of water I told maintenance about two days ago.
Siiiigh.
I'm normally not one to try and rush things along, but I really, really, REALLY hope July goes by quickly.
And since it's now all official and legal, I'm gonna change my Current City to Seattle, damnit. Because I am almost outta the 'burbs and into the Emerald City. So close, I can taste it. (And it tastes like Cafe Nico and fresh-caught salmon. Not mixed together.)
And then, I returned to my temporary hovel, with the rusty, rickety staircase leading down to my half-basement apartment, the light brown carpet with the questionable odor, the broken, undraining sink full of water I told maintenance about two days ago.
Siiiigh.
I'm normally not one to try and rush things along, but I really, really, REALLY hope July goes by quickly.
And since it's now all official and legal, I'm gonna change my Current City to Seattle, damnit. Because I am almost outta the 'burbs and into the Emerald City. So close, I can taste it. (And it tastes like Cafe Nico and fresh-caught salmon. Not mixed together.)
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