Back on the west coast

As I sit here typing this, I am looking out my window at a perfect view of Mt. Ranier. Up until yesterday we didn't know we had such an incredible view but the weather has been such that all the beautiful views are beaming from the landscapes of the city. What a nice welcome back for me!
It's been a week of family and relaxing in Susquehanna. How nice it was to catch up and visit and give myself an opportunity to just relax. It's kind of ironic that I flee to the east coast to lay back and relax when that is the supposed motto of the west coast. I did get to venture into the hustle and bustle of NYC on Wednesday. We did lots of walking, saw Jersey Boys, and had a great meal at Tao restaurant. As far as cities go, New York is definitely high on my list and I never tire of visiting there. Seattle and New York are like night and day and one of the things that stuck out most to me was in the simple act of crossing the street. As you wait on the corner in New York, it's a lot of go with the flow of the crowd. You might glimpse at the street light to see if it's giving you the little white person to walk or the red hand to stop you but then you still can't help to look both ways and see if you can chance crossing before the yellow taxi speeds its way through the intersection. In Seattle, you quickly learn the rules of crossing the street. You look at the street light for a sign and if there is a red hand, you DO NOT move. You could be the only person on the corner with no cars coming in either direction but the minute you put one toe on the street someone will appear and yell at you for making such a foolish mistake. In New York, it's the hustle and bustle of get where you need to be going at a rabbits' pace. In Seattle, it's get where you're going as fast as the little white person on the street light will allow you.
I came back just in time to experience a beautiful and sunny weekend! Yesterday the sun was shining early (I should know as I was up at 7:30-thank you jet lag!) and daring you not to set foot outside. Joe and I decided to walk down to the Pike's Place Market for a little wandering and fresh air. I think every other person in Seattle had the same idea as it was soooo crowded down there! We stumbled upon a great place to get clam chowder and enjoyed lunch amongst all the hustle and bustle. That's the great thing about this city- you can stumble upon just about anything.
Despite my jet lag, I managed a night out last night complete with dinner, drinks, and my first gay bar experience. Guess the sign above the door that read "Purr" should have been an indication that we may have been in the wrong place but the art work on the wall was further affirmation that we stumbled into some unfamiliar territory. With that said, we enjoyed good drinks, a very friendly bartender, and no worries about skeavy guys getting too close to us. Maybe gay bars are the way to go!
Another gorgeous day today found me at a park soaking in some sun and taking in all the interesting people who had the same idea that I did. Sunny weather in Seattle means no holds back on attire and the shorts, tank tops, and sandals were out in full force. Also out were drum players, hula hoops, remote control airplanes, and adult men wading through fountain water. My afternoon was certainly not boring!
And so it is time to bid adieau to my break and get back to the reality that is the work world facing me tomorrow.