hi there, summer. i've been waiting for you.

I love Texas, don't get me wrong. The hospitality, the thunderstorms, the national beer. But it's hard to miss Austin and not adore the great state of Washington at times like these. Sure, summer took a while to get here, and I'm still getting used to wearing cardigans on cool June evenings (sweaters!! in the summertime! that shit's crazy!!!). But while my Texan friends and folks are sweating their tails off in 90-degree weather over the next couple of weeks, I'm enjoying some partly-cloudy, partly-sunny, temperate 60-to-70-something degree loveliness. And, along with it...

a gay pride parade

a block party

some rooftop BBQ's (wherein crowds can enjoy the sun instead of melting under it)

many hikes both in and out of the city

movies in parks

...and, I expect, so much more. And, what's this? It's JULY already! Oh, my. I must have been having fun lately.

monday night summary

[Lauri returns from work.]
Gail: I'm not wearing any pants!
Lauri: Where do you want to eat?
G: I'm planning my first tattoo!
L: Let's get food!
G: Oh shit, I lost my barnacle!
L: I'm so excited to get another tattoo with you! (When are we eating?)
G: I'm so nervous! What if the tattoo artist is mean to me?
L: Then I will punch him for you.
G: OMG, I love this backpack!
[They meet with Emily.]
G: Um, are you sure you can have a drink before getting a tattoo? [x7]
[One drink later:]
G: Shit, the tattoo place is closed.
L: Let's leave and get ice cream.
[Two blocks away:]
G: Oh no, where's my barnacle? I left it by the tattoo place!
L: Where's Emily's digital camera? [Gail smiles sheepishly.]
[Two scoops of salted caramel ice cream, and nine drinks later:]
Gail/Emily/Lauri: What's up with boys? They're stupid.
[Nine more drinks later, everyone heads home.]
L: I know it's already almost 3am, but we should put on Boyz II Men and sing along.
G: Great idea!
[They sing, then pass out.]

[scene]

good save

I purposely did not write anything about my Memorial Day weekend, due to the overall shittiness of the whole thing. May was mostly excellent, but I give its ending two big fat thumbs (way) down.

However, I can safely talk about life again, because of the incredibly amazing awesomeness that this past weekend has brought. I have friends visiting me from Chicago who in and of themselves make me happy. Compound their presence with a wildly entertaining karaoke session, a delightfully sunny day, a charming night of jazz bands, (slightly) drunken Scrabble, and speakeasies, and then a day spent in nature with friends: a hike on the Olympic peninsula, ending with a picnic in a big old steamy hot spring. I can't express how wonderful it is to live in the Pacific Northwest. The raw beauty is really more impressive than I could even try and articulate. The weekend thus ended rendering me a very exhausted and happy girl.

So if I thought May was going to be a magnificent month, I'm almost scared for how great June will be. With a beginning like this, there's no telling. Summer is here. Excellence continues. (And we'll just forget about that little blip on Memorial Day.)