Do you see that? That's the beach a few blocks from our house. That's what it looks like on a clear day. Go ahead, click on it. Make it bigger, enjoy the view. It's amazing.
Yep, the beach again. But that white stuff in the distance is the Olympic Mountains. My beloved Olympics. In just a few short weeks all tire restrictions will be lifted in the Olympics and we can travel at will to Hurricane Ridge and the other sights the Olympics hold. We can already tell that the mountains aren't quite as snow-covered as they've been. Truly, it's a sight to behold.
I keep thinking that maybe we should look at some of the other neighborhoods in Seattle and consider living there. For instance, Ballard, which is close to Lake Washington and houses the Locks where the boats come in from fishing in the Big Water. Also, Ballard is home to the Scandinavians. I do love Ballard. And then there's Magnolia and Queen Anne, both with amazing views, amazing homes, and also close to the water, but on the east side of the Sound, the downtown side. Fremont has the water of the Lake and also its own brand of funkiness that feels homey to me. There are also about 5 or 6 other neighborhoods with equally fantastic attributes and surroundings. But...I love the west side of West Seattle - I love that I am so close to the beach I smell the sea just about every morning. I also love that there is very little obstructing my view of the Olympics. Some mornings, when it's crystal clear, they are close enough to touch.
I seem to be hitting the beach lately when the tide is rolling in or rolling out - not sure which - and I get the loud waves. It's been really gorgeous. Check them out.
I guess that's probably enough about the whole "Seattle is so beautiful" thing. You get the point. But wow. When Spring arrives in Seattle it arrives with bells, whistles and a parade.
In other news, things are going well. I'm busy at work. So busy, in fact, that I'm headed to Palm Springs for a seminar or something in May. Looking at a map, Palm Springs is in southern California, in the mountains on the edge of the desert. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm interested to see what this new place is like. Otherwise, work is good. It's challenging, busy, crazy and never a dull moment. I'm happy to work with some really amazing people and I've begun to embrace Washington law and feel a part of it. It's good.
Shawn continues to catch the eye of his coworkers at Allrecipes.com - they are really accommodating about permitting him to shadow the web developers as he wants while he's in school. They are excited about having someone on board who is studying web development. They see bright things for him, and really, that's what it's all about. He landed a pretty good gig there.
Lorelei is doing well at school, though she still exists a bit apart from her classmates. No real friends, at least in her class. I fear this move has been hardest on her. She has more fun in her extra-curriculars with kids in different classes than among her actual classmates. Sometimes I think she would have been like this in C-bus, too. She approaches this world from a different perspective than a lot of kids her age. All in all, though, she seems to be having fun, and that's all that counts.
We are all feeling more a part of things here. It helps that the weather has turned, and the light! Well, and of course, Steve having layovers here has been nothing short of amazing. It's lovely having family on a regular basis here - more than I could have hoped for.
It's 8:49p as I write this and still not quite pitch dark yet. It will be in another 5 minutes, but wow. This is the payoff for the darkness in the winter. Also, Lorelei and I booked our tickets to come back to Ohio for a week in July. Very exciting times indeed!
Until next time - happy spring!
