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July 24, 2005
Nothing more than feelings
Boy am I glad last week is over. We sold the Seattle house and did some half-assed negotiating with the owners of the Rhode Island house that resulted in them selling it to us. All the real shit was going down simultaneously with offers and counter-offers etc., which meant that my husband and I did nothing at work Tuesday except call each other every five seconds to hyperventilate. This may sound sexy but it was not. Since Wednesday was the big day for decisions, we both took the day off from work, said "See ya" to the Bean at daycare and hung out doing things like normal people who weren't about to keel over from stress. It was a nice, nice day and I recommend to people everywhere to play hooky with yer honey on sunny days when you are feeling crazy.
Today I packed my first two boxes. I'm really going for the tough stuff: spices and small pictures. I wanted to pack the pictures so that the impending move will seem real. With the pictures gone, it really seems we are in transition. I've lived on the West coast for thirteen years and have wanted to move back East for the last five, but couldn't due to husbands and babies and jobs. Then somehow the stars aligned and now it is happening and it is a bit surreal. When I visit the East coast it feels like a foreign country to me, albeit one that I am swoony with love for. I've never been a grown-up there, so moving back to a beachy, sleepy town where people talk funny and loudly and there is snow in the winter and thunderstorms and FIREFLIES!!! at once scares and delights me.
Most of the people I love are there, in one state or another. But some of the people I love are here, and I will miss them much. I met my husband here, got married in the San Juans, had my baby here, all huge things. Seattle is a great city and I love everything about it. I've always said that it is just on the wrong coast.
The one thing I want to do before I leave Seattle is take pictures of the Bean in front of the Space Needle and on the monorail. It's odd and a little sad to me that he is going to be one of those people who were born one place and grew up somewhere else. I think he would like to have pictures as evidence when he is older. I don't really have any pictures from my childhood and sometimes it feels like it never really happened. I think that is why I write, or I used to at any rate. It anchors things.
It's a beautiful summer evening and soon it will be time to meet our friends with twins for cocktails and maybe oysters. As the philosopher Ren once said to his dear friend Stimpy, happy happy joy joy.
Posted by Max at July 24, 2005 12:45 AM
Comments
A recommendation for spices: give the saffron threads to someone you love dearly.
Posted by: Rocky at July 25, 2005 03:52 PM
Too bad you're moving from Seattle! I just found your "blog" and would have stalked you. In other words, I love your writing! Good luck with your move.
Posted by: Kat at July 26, 2005 11:27 PM
Rock, I was going to ask you about that. Why didn't you just PACK the saffron?!
And Kat, thanks for the kind words. Long-distance stalking is encouraged by the Management.
Posted by: Max at July 27, 2005 05:52 AM
We shall miss you! The country shall feel unbalanced with so much coolness on the east side.
While you're over there, could you start encouraging journalists to use "D.C." when they're talking about the Capitol, and "Washington state" when they're talking about Seattle's home? I don't even live in Seattle any more and it still confuses the heck out of me when people just assume that I know what they mean when they say "Washington". I mean, for all I know they're talking about the deceased President, right? Yeesh.
Posted by: ericedge at July 29, 2005 03:53 PM