Out and about...
Yesterday, I left work just before 5 p.m. ending my first week of the new job. I was meeting Pyg and some other friends down at Pioneer Square Saloon first and then heading to the ever popular Belltown for drinks later. My bus crested the hill on Madison and started heading down (these are one of those hills that are VERY scary to drive down) when it stopped. We watched the light change from green to yellow to red through about 7 cycles before people started getting off the bus. I asked the woman next to me what was going on... she said it was a traffic jam, it always happened this time of year because people come into town for holiday shopping, etc. Many of these people had to catch the bus and so by the 10th cycle of not moving, I too got off the bus and walked 12 blocks to the bottom of the hill then over the Saloon. Note to self: Get boots with rubber sole so you don't fall.

We were barely at the Saloon when we decided to head over the Del Ray in Belltown. I wanted to try it out because it came up in some city guide as "the best singles scene" or something like that. So there were five of us gals - all young, funny (mostly married) laughing it up - drinking beers, telling stories of crazy family members, funny job stories, holiday plans. At one point we had a tongue curling contest (part of a chat about recessive genes), then we were trying to touch our noses, and our chins and laughing the whole time. A table full of guys were staring at us and all I could think was, YES, you have a table full of very talented women - all of whom but one were originally from the Great Lakes region.

We left there and headed to Belltown Pizza loosing one of the gals (who was tired and went home). Yum! Shel's friend came by to say hi and we thought he was a she - trying to pass off a "cool 80's hair cut" he ended up just looked very butch. Taxis and busses later we found ourselves at home, watching the last episode of the "L Word" before it had to be returned to Hollywood.

This was a nice way to end my first week in Seattle. I discovered as the week went by that my friends' lives in Cleveland were moving forward at amazing speed - more babies (twins infact!), another engagement and of course - snow! Made me a little home sick for just a moment... I didn't have any carrot sticks with me this time so I had another sip of my beer and got over it.