Flamethrowers and Umbrellas

Ana and Dan'o left late Thursday evening and I have many pictures up on facebook proving that for a brief handful of days, they existed in this corner of the world. It was a good week, although I had to work for the last few days of it and thus missed out on much needed Ana-cuddles. We did manage to hit up a bunch of the good spots for them, like the UD and Discovery Park and Gas Works and downtown. There's just so much to do here and I think they really just wanted to relax. And work on thesis. Strangely responsible people they are. xp

It was good and there were many, many cupcakes and Vietnamese food and homemade food and Indian and sights seen and naps had. I was afraid it would be odd, having not seen them for well over nine months, but it was actually rather refreshing. Like being back in the dorms. Not like they were visiting, but like we were all on a vacation. Going back to work on Tuesday killed that illusion a little, though.

I have been taking many photographs lately. Ever since we came out here in the summer I've been on a bit of a binge and commandeering Lady's camera didn't subdue the sudden need to make concrete visuals of every moment. Her camera is amazingly better than mine and not only has reduced the number of photos that are useless due to people twitching and subsequently turning the whole photo into a horrible blur, but it also has fantastic close-up abilities and resolution. So I've been filling facebook with random photos as well. And it won't be subsiding any time soon. I would really love to eventually get an awesome photo which could be printed out large and used as wall decoration, since our walls are still so bare. But it might take a little more practice for that. Or dumb luck.

Work is pissing me off. I'm inundated up to my eyeballs and it's not going to get any better within the next month. I even tried to come in this weekend to catch up as well as help out for next week, when I'm going to be gone again, but they decided to work on the servers this weekend at the last minute, so no. Ugh. It's insane and I need to just not care, because they don't pay me enough to care, and they certainly don't pay me enough for the sheer amount of stuff they expect me to somehow do. Also I've finally realized why I hate it so much even though it is several steps beyond my last job and rather comfy and easy; it's too easy. Anything that seemed remotely challenging when I first started this new job are not even that now. Nothing is challenging, even though the other title people make it out to be. I know it sounds pretentious, but I'm wasting my potential and they could use my skills and brainz much more efficiently and to their advantage than they do now. x.x

IL next Thursday. I realized today that this will be the first time I've left Seattle since making it my home. Huh. Funny, 'cause I was just feeling the itch to leave and could've sworn I'd left before. Well, there'll be Illinois, then Florida come May. I'm looking forward to it - I love leaving and coming back. You always notice so much more about where you're living when you come back. And I need that now. Winter was long and dark and spring has arrived and the world is brightening and coloring and I need to see Seattle from an outsider's perspective once more while also noticing it from a resident's. Which I'm starting to do. Just now starting to feel comfortable here, really comfortable. Mum said once that it takes about 16 months before you can really call a place home. And today I went and drove somewhere by myself for the first time. It was... good.

Messing with the layout. The black and blue was getting a little boring, but this may be too much. I wanted something springy, since it's all exciting and about-to-be-springy up here. Bulbs are poking their way through the ground and the sun continues to inch further into the sky. Seen a few trees sprouting flowers, too.

I realized today that, while I've experienced much snowfall during various winter vacations and therefore am vaguely used to winter, I've really only experienced spring once. So to see all that sudden flourishing of life again is, well... I'm looking forward to it. Excited is another good word. I never liked the spring before, because spring heralded the end of the nice weather and the beginning of a long and horribly hot summer. There was no advent of flowers or birds because those were year round. Strawberry season is in February and oranges are good for picking come January, after the first cold snap. Nothing to look forward to except summer vacation, where you can only hope the a/c awaits. Here, however, I can feel why people get so excited - there will be berries!!1 and flowers! and more birds!!1 And hiking and other activities that had to be put on hold, and the mountains will be accessible by those of us less snow-inclined and there will be long days full of sunlight and when we get home from work we can still cavort about. Lavender festivals and trips up to Victoria on a boat and possibly even a weekend near the ocean... Yes, summer actually sounds fun.

That and I'm desperately looking forward to going back to FL in May. Oh, the irony. Of course, it's for visiting people and not the delightful 90-degree weather...

On a different note, today was good. This weekend was good. And what makes it better is I have tomorrow off. There have been cupcakes and pho and bubbletea and bread and olive oil and more Buffy and more X-Files and now more writing. As soon as I drag myself away from the lure of the internets, of course. Perhaps now would be a good time for that.