My blog has been suffering form a pathetic lack of updates, despite the fact that new and exciting things are happing in my life. My apologies. And I'll add to that by quickly adding a hasty apology for the lack of pictures. When I got my internet hooked up on Wednesday I brought my camera to work and everything, but when I whipped it out at the bus stop to take a picture, the camera was already blinking for lack of battery and somehow I haven't managed to get any new ones yet. But I'll try to entertain you with my settling in stories.
The move up here went very smoothly. Mom and Dad were the stars of the show: we got the truck and the Civic up here full of my stuff (sans furniture) and then promptly made a quickie trip to Ikea for the staples: a bed, some chairs, a table, and a bookshelf. I had to make rapid-fire decisions (QUICK! white or birch or whatever-other-color-under-the-sun. I like to second guess) and prioritize --steering
away from those pretty dishes, your five-dollar Wal*Mart bargain set from college will do for now.
Dad very nicely began putting everything all together before he and mom drove back to Salem that evening, so Mom could be satisfied that I had a bed to sleep on and food in the fridge before she left. The bookcase set was short three dowels, so I had to wait to be able to put my books away until I could make a run to the hardware store up the street the following Saturday. I had to make sure I put my kitchen in order that evening, though. I couldn't let myself go to bed until I had!
The next day I checked out services at
Grace and settled into my apartment a little more, wandered around the neighborhood on the very pretty day that it was.
It was very nice to have the Labor Day weekend to move in; it gave me an extra day to organize and clean up around the apartment. (My very generous closet was full of big brown boxes that I had to flatten and recycle!)
The first day of work I was prepared with the bus directions that I'd printed out beforehand . . . I've decided that rather than navigating through commuter traffic in Seattle I'll let someone else handle that and I take the bus in to work (paid for by work. Nice!). This gives me time to wake up in the morning, read a book, and brush shoulders with the locals. I ride down most of 3rd Ave in the morning; sitting on one side I can crane my neck and occasionally catch glimpses of the library and from the other side, views of Pike Place. I see the Space Needle all the time, no biggie. :) After work on Tuesday I went to buy my bus pass at the drugstore that's at the bottom of the hill. I figured I'd walk since it was so close, fully aware that the return trip up the hill wouldn't be as pleasant but figuring it was a rite of passage. So I did it! (This is one of the first things I tried to photograph for you . . . when you see it, you will find all the confirmation that you need to prove that I really am a little crazy!) It's really steep, and I was grinning most of the way up at the thought of most of the drivers who might be observing and shaking their heads.
I'm really liking work so far: the people are great, the office itself is so nice, and I feel productive again. Like a contributing member of society! My office is on the south side of downtown, so I pas a few missions on the way in as well as some designer showrooms. Makes for an interesting mix, I suppose. The days have been flying by, with very short lunch breaks, but I have managed to sneak into the bookstore in the corner and pick up some reading material for the bus (I don't have a library card yet, or a Washington driver's license, but those things will come). Most of all, it's good to be working and using my education --although, for all that time we spend in school there are so many things that you can only learn once you hit the ground running. In heels, no less. If you're wondering, I'm helping with a hotel project at the moment, and I've been pulling a few things together on presentations. This past week we had a photo shoot at the office (yes. Witness the panic on my face at the thought of having to pose for what feels like an eternity with a plastic smile on my face! I really don't like being photographed) that will serve to update the firm's website. So keep checking, and you may see my smiling/grimacing face up there along with my lovely coworkers' sometime soon!
Church has also been good . . . I'm looking forward to getting more involved here. It seems like there are a lot of other people in my age group there which is pretty cool. Although, apparently that's the thing with Seattle. People move to the 'burbs once they have kids because the schools aren't very good (and the expensive house prices). I got a call after the first time I visited from their pastoral intern --who apparently lives across the hall from me! Small world. I haven't actually bumped into him yet, but how crazy is that?!
Yesterday I spent most of my day in downtown Seattle meeting up with friends that I was in the dorms with my freshman year of university. Megumi was here for a visit and made a quick jaunt up here with Sachi when we realized how many of us were up in the Seattle area. I got to see Kin --my RA, whom I lived with my second year-- for the first time since she graduated. She's up here now, with her husband who works for Microsoft. Another friend is studying up here at UW and yet another is living in Tacoma. There was a lot of laughing going on! We roped strangers into taking our photos, and remembered all the crazy drama from living on campus. We made a requisite trip to the Mariners souvenir shop so the girls could look for Ichiro souvenirs to take back to Japan, as well as to the first Starbucks. And another Starbucks. And then Indian food. I don't think I've eaten so much in a long time!
(I promise, I really
was going to pictures for you, and even carried around a battery-less camera all day but that mission got a little lost in all the fun we were having. )
And today it's raining. I love fall! But it was a little scary when I tried to drive up THE HILL this morning after church. I might have pealed out a little in the Civic. Ouch. I guess this is part of the growing pains of getting used to a new environment!
So this is the office and some of my coworkers. And if you analyse this photograph very closely, you can understand where I sit. That lamp just behind my shoulder there? Well, I sit across from the woman who sits there. :) So, off the photo to your right.
I was pretty tired all week though! So busy. Robert and Ben visited last weekend, so we went to the Space Needle for dinner the night before they left. Also fancy, but very cool. The city looks very nice at night. Unfortunately, they were asking me what we were looking at and a lot of the time I had no idea! I think I might have to invest in a map and do some exploring.
