the olympic peninsula

From across the Sound we looked longingly toward the Olympic Peninsula. This would be a theme for the trip; wishing we could stay longer, see more.

gasworks park, seattle

Gasworks is an industrial site on Lake Union that was transformed into a park, complete with large rusted equipment, a beautiful view, and a kite hill.


We saw two men playing freestyle frisbee listening to reggae funk music, lots of people walking their dogs, some hooligans smoking dope on the overlook, and one brave kite flyer.


We rolled down the hill in the grass, walked barefoot on the sundial.

seattle waterways

I like how the city is surrounded by water and, though the water flows together, each body is distinct. Lakes, bays, channels, inlets, sounds. The geography of water.


I would like to live in a houseboat, like Anais Nin on the Seine. I wonder what one's address is on a houseboat.

sunshine loki

sledding

We had the second big snow of the winter this past weekend in Asheville. It wasn't quite as devastating as the first, which shut the city down for days and left us without power for almost a week. My roommates and I piled into the car with a flask of whisky and hats and gloves and went sledding.


We walked behind a friend's house, through some bramble bushes and over a hill into the most lovely clearing, a perfect sledding hill, and went to it.

wide open road: seattle

We began our journey from Portland, Oregon to Asheville, North Carolina by traveling in the wrong direction. First stop, Seattle. We stayed with lovely Julia first in Capitol Hill, and after going to a potluck at a communal house (12 people!) we went to a trivia night at a local bar, where we lost magnificently. After a cozy night we had some wonderful ham and cheese croissants at a local bakery and then caught the #11 bus down Pine into downtown Seattle.


The Public Market is a huge tourist attraction, and I was absolutely enthralled by the freshness and variety of beautiful produce, fresh fish, and flowers. A pomegranate broken heart.


Geometrically pleasing arrangements of fresh berries tempted us more than the souvenir stands or the ubiquitous buskers.


I love these eggplants wrapped up like babies in diapers. The careful arrangements of the fruit, fish, and vegetables made them infinitely more appealing, emphasizing their flawless perfection (or disguising the bruises and overripeness perhaps).


Drool-worthy king crab direct from Alaska. There were lots of references to the Great White North, and I fantasized further about that road trip fantasy; up the Alaskan highway, into the wild.


The endless flowers! So beautifully robust and fantastically arranged. As I took photographs one of the flower ladies said she had more celebrities for the paparazzo - and began singing RuPaul's "Supermodel" to my absolute delight.


Work it, girl.

loki in the snow

It snowed throughout the afternoon and night. Loki and I stayed inside drinking hot chocolate and eating homemade meatball sandwiches on garlic bread and reading Spider Robinson and chasing Mouse. This morning, however, it was time.


The harness was slipped on, the treat delivered, and we went into the snow.


Loki was less than impressed.

small things

I've been having trouble seeing them lately, the small things I like. It's time to slow down, take a breath, a bubble bath, a picture.


I made spinach artichoke hummus yesterday as the snow began to fall. I had previously soaked, cooked, and drained a large amount of chickpeas, and then I whirled them up in my food processor with lots of garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt, cumin, and lots and lots of lemon juice. Which I squeezed using my mama's antique juicer, a remarkably simple and satisfying device.

Loki

Loki is my kitten.


He makes me feel happy feels.