Thursday, March 24, 2011

Springtime in Rain City

Hi! Its been nearly a year since my last post. Emily let me know that the day she flew into Japan was one year from the day of the horribly destructive 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that has killed nearly 10,000 people to date. Over 17, 000 more are still missing. I have checked up on everyone I know there and I am pleased to announce that everyone is safe, though frightened and many without regular transportation or power. The impending nuclear disaster has many people leaving the country. I am glad to know that as of now, everyone is still safe. My heart goes out to them.
For life back in Kitsap county, I am doing just fine. About 6 months ago, I bought a beautiful condo in the tiny community of Manchester directly west of Seattle. It's a 1 bedroom 1.5 bath and about 1280 sq. feet. I have a nice view of Mount Rainier from my balcony. In front of the building, is a boat launch and the view is panoramic of the Seattle skyline across the water plus Vashon and Blake Islands and Mount Rainier. Stunning! Its been absolutely perfect for me. Because the kitchen is so massive and well-lit, I've even been trying to develop my cooking skills. They're minimal at best, but I am learning. Mom moved out here in July and we have had a great time exploring Seattle and Western Washington. We went to the rain forest and La Push beach, Friday Harbor, and Anacortes. She and I bought a joint membership to the Seattle Art Museum and have had fun going to plays, symphonies, and dance performances. STOMP! was an incredible percussive dance. We had so much fun watching the performers use garbage cans, brooms, and even lighters as musical instruments. If you've never seen this group, watch for them. So worth it!
Springtime is finally arriving here in the rain capital. It is gorgeous, sunny and warm outside. I'm hoping it'll stay that way. Last summer was cold and wet and the winter was quite the experience with power outages, snow and ice, rain, rain, and more rain. I'm ready for the sunshine.
I found this little bit of text saved but never posted from November 1st. I figured I would post it now. It's fairly descriptive of a typical morning in my life: "The rain was coming down again. It had broken for a beautiful Halloween day and begun again just after trick or treating. Impeccable timing. This wasn't the misty wetness characteristic of Seattle, but a cleansing rain, the persistent kind that lasts all day and leaves huge puddles everywhere. The precipitation splashed off my windshield and the hood of my car as my wipers worked to clear the glass. I was careful not to hydroplane, knowing that a wrong move could send my pretty car skipping like a rock into the Puget Sound. I reached the parking area and stepped out into a wide muddy puddle. It was going to be a chilly day.
As I walked to my morning ferry, I wished for the millionth time that I owned a rain coat. My cotton jacket was already half soaked and my jeans, well, I should know better now. I looked out over the water to the Shipyard. Work. It looked smaller than normal through the sheen of rain. The water would be absolutely placid, reflecting the industrial lights on a dry morning. Instead the tiny drops turned the surface of the Sinclair Inlet to a well-textured mass, the tips of tiny waves illuminated by the more powerful beams. The 6:05 Seattle ferry was coming in to dock, brightly lit against the dark sky and water. Ripples from the large watercraft began reaching the small dock as the Annapolis ferry neared the dock to pick us up.
As there was no fog, the sense of isolation was absent. Instead I noticed the puddles on the ground and the people standing uncomfortably around me while we waited for our ride. One gentleman was impatient, looking like he might bolt at any moment. Another was almost asleep on his feet waiting for our little boat to arrive. It came through the pre-dawn light with its single lamp, bobbing in the wake of the larger ferry. We boarded the boat, dodging umbrellas and the rivulets of water streaming off them. It's a short ride, only five minutes or so, but I had time to doze lightly, still mostly aware of the world around me. "
Anyway... that's my life: early mornings in the rain, all day at the shipyard, dinner and maybe a visit to the climbing gym, sleep, repeat.