downtown workshop
Not a huge amount to update you on today, which is just as well because I don't have a lot of time to write anyway! I was on a workshop Zoom call this morning for ninety minutes, hosted by Jordan in SE&R ("Social & Environmental Responsibility"), for people who have lived in or had extensive experience with downtown. That's me! I mean, sure, I haven't literally lived downtown—Belltown specifically—since ending my first six years in Seattle there in 2004, but Shobhit and I lived on First Hill from 2004 to 2006, which by some definitions is part of downtown; and we've lived in downtown-adjacent Capitol Hill for the past 13 years as of this month. And in all of that time, I have spent a lot of time downtown, not to mention how I have commuted through it back and forth to work between 2016 and now.
Anyway, it was sort of a brainstorming session in regards to the downtown PCC store set to open at the base of Rainier Square Tower—Seattle's second-tallest building!—sometime next year. It was actually pretty fun, especially when I got to spend some time expressing my fervent, passionate love of Seattle, which several of the other 11 or so people on the call clearly enjoyed. I can't say enough about my love of Seattle, although I have to concede a lot of the points made by Jessi, Store Director at Fremont, who apparently used to work at the IGA Kress grocery store on Third Avenue—which I did not even realize until being on this call actually closed just last month, actually citing a lot of challenges that predate the pandemic. Anyway, Jessi talked a lot about highly prevalent crime and safety issues that people who don't work downtown at late-night hours never quite have to think about.
As for last night, I just spent much of it watching TV. Shobhit and I watched the latest, third episode of We Are Who We Are on HBO, which contained far more actual plot than the previous two episodes, which were much more immersive in nature. Then we watched episode six of Raised by Wolves on HBO Max, which had a stunningly shot computer-simulator sex scene that I thought was amazing, followed by another fantastically shot scene involving a bunch of levitating rocks. It was easily my favorite episode of the series, which so far is very compelling but kind of a mixed bag if you think too deeply about it, so far.
Shobhit made macaroni and cheese with a bunch of stuff added, while I was working, and so I had that for dinner, and was able to fill three containers for lunch leftovers. I'll probably have that for lunch tomorrow, but today I still have the last of my own leftovers of stir fried rice with peanut sauce from a few nights ago. I ate that while sitting with Karen on FaceTime, which she asked to postpone from last week when her work schedule was too busy.
Not a whole lot of note was discussed, just a nice hour of chatting, pleasant as always. Oh, she did mention a grown child of a friend of hers who had gone off to be a Freshman in a college dorm in St. Paul, where the campus already has something like sixty cases of COVID. We talked a bit about undeveloped brains of anyone under 25 and how they just have a tendency to make foolish decisions at that age. Not the most ideal scenario for during a global pandemic.
Guru was very clingy the whole time, meowing and walking around my lap and only occasionally actually sitting down and sitting still. Karen found it very amusing. I keep forgetting that her cat, Nora, who had been pretty old as I recall, died last year. And I guess Anita now has a young cat of her own, who had a recent kidney infection that had it in a vet ER for like four days. All I could think about was the fortune that must have cost, and I bet Karen and Dave paid for it. But, I didn't ask about the cost. The cat is very much improved now, although apparently it needs medication three times daily.
I also just learned that Alexia's knee is in need of physical therapy, and although she'll still be up for shorter walks like to Volunteer Park, she won't be able to walk with me to the office and back "for at least a month." So, it'll be bike rides, and I suppose occasional drives like over the past few weeks, for the next few weeks at least. Alexia said if it's ever raining not to hesitate to ask her for a ride, which I appreciate, but still think that is best avoided whenever possible.
I guess I should get back to work now, so I can process the paperwork I want to run back to the office after work today. I want to do it before tomorrow, as I am set to meet Tracy from work in a socially distanced hangout at Volunteer Park after work. We postponed from last week when it was rainy, and I'm very much looking forward to it. Even though it looks like a bit of smoke has returned after all, and we're back to "moderate" air quality. After the time spent with it three times as bad as this, though, and with it not expected to get any worse over the weekend (and better by Saturday evening), it's nothing I can't handle. I'll still go to the park.
[posted 1:08 pm]