An audio snapshot of a Seattle Starbucks.
Seattle (I-5) at noon.
A perfect spot for a lid park. The bus depot is already an ugly scar on the cityscape of downtown Seattle.
Seattle MT 124
Getting onto the the 124, that’s new. I almost accidentally paid the toll (even if it’s an Orca card) in the ride free area; something I haven’t done since my first months back in the rainy city.
Of course never more evident are a neighborhood quirks except at it’s casual community gatherings. The town squares of the day. In Belltown, it seems to be Bedlam and the city busses. Just after me today, a bum looking dude got on with plans only the driver could understand. “Can you take me past Virginia?” whispered the bum, starting off the convo. They had a thinly veiled discussion as we city-bound from 3rd and Bell, which amounted to “if you’re gonna not pay the fare then you’re gonna have to give something back”—(it seems they’ve met before). The bum just said, “yes sir” and we were off.
I didn’t got off before he did, so I don’t know how this continued, but by then, my day would be well underway…
Looks like the glorious summer wasn’t going to stay for too long; the sight of Seattleites silently wandering to work amongst a mixture of cloud/fog/”rain” was all too familiar. (Of course it’s not really “rain”, ask anyone who sees a real thunderstorm at least twice a year)
It hasn’t changed all too much; the wetness transforms what would otherwise be a brisk autumn breeze into a slight chill reminding you of winter. Surprisingly, I don’t resent it at all; in fact, it feels kind of nice! Too bad it’s not like this only once in a while. Still, this summer had been particularly insular for some folks, haven’t really nailed down why, but I suppose even life has seasonal changes. Transitions like today seem to breathe new life into peoples’ inspirations. Maybe it’s the rain, like the cornfields of Illinois that forces people to come together, and celebrate the sunny times, all the more. That much I’ve realized when you’re out here; even the most unlikely indoor types out here won’t fail at enjoying a sunny day activity.
And really, how many sunny days does one need? :)
Heather takes on the challenge of balancing! Sadly, I do not have a photo of the aftermath.
My love spent five minutes doing this; hehe, “It’s like a puzzle!” she exclaims.
Maple Leaf
A walk through Maple Leaf reveals a collection of oddities. Amongst the industrial power/water facilities that the city strategically placed in this economically minded block, lies (observed in no particular order while going down 5th) outdoor yoga studios, a one story gym’s tinny 80s boom-box, home painters, for sale signs, “Fine of $200 for throwing off bridge”. There really isn’t much else.
Oh, what about the houses? I hardly even noticed those drab things. On deceptively expensive plots of yellowed grass (a rarity for this self-proclaimed “Emerald City)” sit various homes in some state of decrepidity. A sad sight, but in this unusually placed plateau of Seattle, there never will be a place to be proud of.
Except perhaps… with the help of new zoning laws that literally raise the roofs on houses; for from higher above the miniature mushroom huts that the rest are, you do indeed realize that beyond the bounds of derelict ML, there indeed still is beauty in this world! The lakes, and mountains and skyscrapers and trees; blues and greens and silvers and golds not to be found here are abundant in the surrounds.
One could envision the gentrification that can occur over time; yuppies that are sold by realtors for “a view” but have no desire to pedal on over, and move themselves in, bringing wealth, youth, and enthusiasm. They’ll just see it as an investment, but the gains to the neighborhood are real and lasting. It kind of reminds me of SimCity 2000, oh that wonderful early 90s game. I remember pouring hours into that game at the age of 10; discovering that some wins do indeed take 3 release cycles (oops, I mean SimCity decades), and that success is often won, not guaranteed. But I digress; where was I?
Right, Maple Leaf. So land and home values rise as a bubble, bringing in wealth to people who don’t know wealth. But somewhere down the line, their kids may benefit from it, as they realize they they’re not quite middle class while earning $15/hour but sitting on a million dollar home, and retirement may come after all. Is that why they stay? Hmm.
Unless of course they’re renting. Because then, they’re just fucked. Home values go up, rent goes up. Someone else owns the home you’re living in, and they have someone new that’s willing to pay more than you can afford. Well off you go to somewhere else; to the CD, the UDistrict, central West Seattle, or even… gasp Renton??? Doesn’t matter point being, you’re really just riding the waves of the market, and the market and the neighborhood disfavors you, as their gains are no longer yours.
But then again… who would really want to live in in that neighborhood anyway?
C-Section
- MD: i particularly like c-sections
- MD: its just a bloody mess
- me: ...lol, id imagine...
- MD: so they make a quick incision under the belly
- MD: rip it open
- me: ...
- MD: make an incision on the uterus
- MD: u see the amniotic sac, you pop it
- MD: and then there is just this huge fountain of amniotic fluid and blood
- MD: you'll see the bowels and liver and all
- MD: but yeah, then the babys head pops out of the half split open stomach of the mother
- and then we pull it out and it starts to cry
- the mother is just like fountaining blood still
- its just bat shit crazy
- me: are they awake during this procedure?
- MD: yeah
- they can hear me suctioning their blood
- lol
- its like slurping bubble tea out of a big straw
- and they're talking to their husbands
- MD: sometimes they'll vomit from the anesthesia medicine and their we'll see their abdominal muscles contract hard
- me: jesus... dude, med school has clearly desensitized you
- me: now you're a freak in the mind, unable to relate to normal humans
- MD: LOL
- not true at all
- i made the best connection with my patients
- this couple came back to look for me on the floor today
- we bonded so well when this poor girl was having horrid pain and i came to talk and check on her every few hours
- MD: i am doing a case study on her wednesday
- she had very interesting pathology
- <web browser crashes; 3 minutes later>
- me: lol ok you crashed my browser
- MD: LOL
- MD: your browser got all freaked with the bloody story
- - in comparison, my life is officially boring
The Connector - Greenlake/Phinney Ridge - 9:24 Route
Such a nice day out; as much as I love green hill and appreciate the rain every now and then, there is nothing that can beat the low-eighties-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky look that we enjoy during most of the summer. And though this is only my second time on this bus, I can tell it’s a little different than the CapHill route. For one, there are more women; about 1 out of 3; and people look older and more married; probably just the demographic. (I’m beginning to wonder what the Belltown route will be like.)
I also wonder if these people are happier. They are roughly the same; checking their iPhones, reading their Kindles, listening to music on a 1:1 ratio of white to the black earbuds (iPods bs Zunes), and the rest are on their work laptops. Clearly the dude next to me isn’t entirely satisfied as he’s typing away at cover letters, but for the most part, people don’t have the look of dread, or worse, boredom as we head off to Redmond.
And how can you be? Life is awesome, and opportunities abound for fun and fulfillment. Speaking of which, what am I doing typing this on my phone? I’ve got a Words with Friends game to play!
