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I had such a lovely, pleasant evening last night—even after the definitive disappointment of discovering the waterfront swings, which had been very much the target location of our planned in-person, BYOB Happy Hour after work yesterday, were all taped off to disallow access. We shifted over to Pioneer Square Habitat Beach instead, and it proved to be a truly wonderful alternative location. At Laney's request, we stayed until the sun set. This means we were there from shortly after 5:00 until shortly after 7:30. A good two and a half hours, which worked out great.
Laney and I met down there, but we had taken different routes. She came from home on Capitol Hill; I walked down the waterfront from work, about a half-hour walk. She was using the bathroom at the ferry terminal, which is right next to these swings. I walked up to them and texted her that the swings were
fucking taped off.
I later posted to all my socials, with nine different photos, three of them of Laney and me sitting in the swings even with the tape on them. I got
a reply from Waterfront Park Seattle on Threads, having completely forgotten that I had gotten a reply from them to another post before, and had even been following them since—it should have occurred to me they might see what I posted last night, which ended with "Still, we stuck it to the man and took photos in the taped off swings anyway." And, of course, the three photos Shobhit took of us.
So, I replied with an apology—because, as soon as Laney and I were getting out of the swings for our photo op, this group of three much younger people were getting into other swings the very same way. Laney and Shobhit had to pee yet again when we left, which was why we all went up to the upper level of the ferry terminal again, and how we wound up with the vantage point from the pedestrian bridge across Alaskan Way at Marion Street. We saw from up there that some people—no idea if it was the young group we had already seen or someone else—had straight up torn all the tape right off all the swings.
And all that aside, that first reply from Waterfront Park Seattle on Threads had offered an explanation: they're fixing some of the bumpers on the swings. Well, okay, I guess I can accept that. I replied with my apology that we had been such bad influences and that the tape had been torn all the way down; the incredibly understanding person who runs that account just responded with "No worries!" and that they'd let their team know.
Anyway, all that is just about the access to the swings being blocked—and, as Laney noted whe we did take our photo op, the swings are a bit awkward in terms of actually being able to visit each other. They all face the northwest at an angle, and result in swings next to each other also being one slighty further back than the other. The person on the right would have to look both to the left and behind in order to see them. Honestly going over to Pioneer Square Habitat Beach was much more conducive to hanging out for two and a half hours.
Laney and I found a log to sit on, and eventually sat on the rocks leaning against said log. I had made my hot chocolate at work right before leaving, nuking a mug of milk in the microwave, pouring that into my insulated tumbler, and mixing the Equal Exchange cocoa powder into it. I was a little annoyed that the can did not bother with specifics in instructions: "Add to hot milk." Okay, but how much? I was afraid I might have added too much of the cocoa powder but in the end it was perfect.
I also poured my shot glass of Rumple Minze into it. I did that while sitting right at my desk, which gave me a minor thrill. I did not drink any of it until I was actually at that rocky beach, of course. Also, I lost some of it because at one point I knocked the tumbler over when I had it propped on the rocks without the lid on. What an amateur! At least not too much of it spilled out.
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Laney and I had lots to walk about, as always. We never lack for conversation subjects, which is kind of amazing considering how much time we spend together.
Shobhit actually joined us after a while. He arrived sometime around 6:30 probably, give or take, and stayed until we all went home. Social Review point for him, hooray! He had gone to a meeting with TPS at Seattle Center that had ended at 4:00 if I remember right. At first he had declined joining Laney and me for our Happy Hour: "I'll be in the way," he said, which was just insecure ridiculousness. He had wanted to get a beer flight at Old Stove Brewing at the Pike Place MarketFront, so at first he just went and did that instead. He later told us he had wound up sharing a table with a KIRO news person who appreciated advice Shobhit gave her about a gay son going to college in New York.
So, when he was done, and was also buzzed (or "BuzEd," as he adorably wrote it over text), he decided to walk and meet up with us after all. The group selfie Laney took of the three of us makes me smile every time I look at it.
It was an unseasonably warm day yesterday, a high of 71° apparently, after the forecast had it at like 63°. That may be the difference between the official high at SeaTac Airport and my Weather app forecast for Seattle proper, I'm not sure. Suffice it to say that it either way, it became the first "no jacket" day of the year—I did wear my jacked the whole walk down there after work, but for a good couple of hours while sitting on the beach, Laney and I both had our jackets off. I draped mine over the log next to me. We both only put layers back on during the last hour we were there, as the sun went down.
Laney had sat on the rocks next to me, so for much of the time we were both sitting on the rocks and leaning against the log, the water of Elliott Bay and the passenger ferries' Pier 50 stretched out in front of us; a
somewhat industrial view behind us but one which still included the top of the Smith Tower.
By the time the sun was behind the Olympic Mountains, and Laney and I had both gotten some very pretty photos, it was getty chilly even with my light jacket on. I was ready to go then, and so were they (Shobhit had been ready to go much earlier, but Laney wanted to stay until sunset—which I understood; as I noted, it may be a while before we get a day this nice again). That was when we went over to take the photos on the taped swings, and you know the rest.
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We then all went over to catch the RapidRide G bus back up to Capitol Hill via Madison Street. We all sat together in the back row of the bus. Laney got off at the 12th Avenue stop and walked home to Broadway from there. Shobhit and I got off at 17th and walked home to 15th from there.
Shobhit and I had a late dinner after that. I baked one of my sample boxes of vegan "seafood rings." Not terrible! I know veggie "seafood" never sells well, but I always like it because there's an element of eating things like breaded shrimp that I miss. The key factors here are the breading and the tartar sauce; the "meat" contained inside isn't long on flavor.
I suggested we check out
The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow on Max. It had two seasons, one in 2005 and one in 2014, so both are pretty old now. I understand it to have been a show with kind of a cult following, but did not know it was shot as though it was the raw footage of a reality show. I may continue watching as I expect it to get better, but I suspect Shobhit wont' be much interested. I think we need to check out
The Pitt.
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[posted 12:32pm]
