impending seattle jaunt

that's right, children. tomorrow evening kara and i will be looking at this handsome devil from the balcony of benaroya hall in seattle. paul auster. we're heading up there today, after we shuttle the dogs to the kennel. kara always worries when we kennel them, especially about max, because he's all but cachectic. but i'm sure they'll be fine. i hope they'll be fine. they'll probably be fine. anyway.

we're heading up there today, probably amid heinous traffic because apparently there's some massive football game in seattle today. go seahawks or whatever. so we'll get there when we get there.

two nights in the roosevelt! a little dinner, and maybe we'll catch a movie. and tomorrow, january 23, is kara's birthday. we'll do a little shopping. she wants to look for running shoes. i wouldn't mind stopping by elliott bay, one of the premier bookstores in all the land. browse a bit, look at books.

i was lucky enough to work in that store for a few months several years ago, but i got into a spot of emotional trouble and transferred to third place. i do feel a little foolish and fragile about what happened at elliott bay, but it was at third place that i met kara! i'm not one of those folks who say that everything happens for a reason or anything of the sort, though occasionally i do wonder what my life would be like now had i remained at elliott bay. different, that's sure. would i still be working there? would i have stumbled upon transcription? i wouldn't be with kara, and i couldn't be happier than i am with kara. there are no regrets. the sixth anniversary of our first date is coming up - february 1.

i do feel, however, that i have lost my thread. oh yes, seattle and paul auster. paul is speaking at 7:30 pm at benaroya. we've been to benaroya several times, seeing an assortment of folks including dwight yoakam, j m coetzee (i like his writing, though he was rather a poor speaker), david mamet (who was really good), and sweet honey in the rock. and tomorrow, mr auster. i'm so looking forward to it.

plus of course we just love seattle. tacoma's fine, you know, and i do like living here, but's it's no seattle. one day we'll be able to afford to buy a house in seattle. kara's got to get into school and get her masters degree going on and i have to work my current job (it's so cool that i like my job and don't pine for another) and get better and faster. maybe, then, a move to seattle.

but we're going, for a visit, today! coming back tuesday the 24th. a wee vacation.

we'll return to seattle in april to see david sedaris and again in may to see ira glass. those should be good shows too. ira came here to tacoma (!) a few months ago and we saw him and he was great. seattle's in our future!