Yesterday we had a very. busy. day. It started early in the morning when I went for a job interview at an elementary school in our district and was hired to work as a one on one aide. I'm thrilled - it will be something completely new and challenging, and everyone I met at the school is so passionate about what they do. It's also the same hours as JH is in school, with the same holidays, so that's a huge bonus. I start next week, after I get fingerprinted and reference-checked.
After I got home, we hopped in the car for a three hour drive to Seattle to see some friends who were there visiting from LA. I took care of the little guy from the time he was three months until he was three years old, so he and Joe-Henry are like brothers.
They couldn't be more different - C. is in constant motion, a blurry blonde head running by, and JH is caution personified, but they love each other to bits and pieces. I feel so lucky we got to see them. We hit the Seattle Zoo, and had a great time, but the boys had a hard time saying goodbye.
After they left, I took JH to Ivar's Salmon House on Lake Union.
When Charley and I were dating, we used to ride over there on his motorcycle (oh, we were BAAAADASSES!), and down fish and chips and make googly eyes at each other. We were lovestruck, and Seattle will always mean romance to me.
It even felt that way with JH. Not in a sicko way, just... well, it just felt perfect. It was a gorgeous day, and there is nothing quite like sitting lakeside, watching the boats, and feeding the ducks. This one was so funny - it had a growth on the side of it's head and it limped and it was particularly adept at begging for fries.
When we finished our dinner, we headed home. The moon came out just about the time we reached home, so I drove in the dark of the car, not listening to anything but JH. His Daddy loaned him his iPod and headphones, and about every two minutes he would tunelessly belt out a snippet of "Burning Down The House" or "Old Joe's Place" from the soundtrack to "A Mighty Wind". As the moon rose, he shouted
"Watch out
You might get what youre after
Cool babies
Strange but not a stranger
Im an ordinary guy
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE!"
Perfect days don't happen that often. I'll tuck this one away for later.
8 comments:
First - CONGRATULATIONS.
Second - sigh. Oh AnnieMcQ, if you only knew how seriously Rich and I considered the Pacific Northwest in our relocation adventures. Looking at those pictures, I SO want to get there. I can promise you that at some point, even if it's 4 or 5 years from now, I will fly up there and meet you. I really, really want to get up there.
Ah, you make me instantly homesick for a place that hasn't been home since the sixties. The Pacific NW and particularly Portland, Salem, and Albany--that's my heart home, my birthplace and oddly, I remember it all so clearly.
Also, congratulations on the new job.
Oh Friends - thank you. I'm glad I brought to mind a beautiful place. It was breathtaking in Seattle yesterday. But the thing about Seattle is it's pretty expensive now, so Tracey, if you move to the NW, I'd seriously encourage you to try the Portland/Vancouver area. It's catching up to Seattle, but it's very progressive here: lots of bike-riding, recycling, truly nice people up here.
And i promise that at some point soon, I'm coming down to Austin. We've got some dear, dear friends there...including at least one that I've never met!
Purelight - a lot has changed up here since the sixties, but a lot has stayed the same. Portland has such a great vibe. You should definitely come for a visit - there's lots to see. In fact, there's a great article on living in Portland (and Austin, too) in the AARP magazine. My in-laws showed it to me when we were down in CA for a visit.
Yes, I read and enjoyed that AARP article too. Portland would be a lovely place for our retirement, except for the fact that all our kids and grandkids have chosen to live on the southern side of the country. Our last visit was in July 2001, and I always remember it as the peaceful time before 9/11, when the world changed.
Autumn, what's that? There are only Summer and Notsummer. It's still Summer.
beautiful.
congratulations on the new gig, sweetie.
Ivar's got me craving some fried clam strips. yum.
yay for the new job
and yay that you felt that with JH too (and not in that sicko way, but I see what you mean)
Congrats on the job, my fiends just went to WA for a vacation, after seeing her pics and yours we are definetly moving to WA!! Glad you guys are having so much fun, time fly's huh?!!
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