The Seattle Report

Seattle was lovely, but first the important news you're all waiting for: I gained three pounds. This may be primarily cosmo weight, but I'll take it.

I managed to squeeze in time for the Rhetoric Society of America conference, visiting with friends, and all-important family time--not bad for four and a half days! I also made it down to Richmond Beach to watch the water and soak up some sun (see evidence at right), and to the Ballard (aka Chittenden) Locks--and I hadn't been to the latter since I can't remember when. (It's always amazing the things you don't do when you're from a place.)

As always, there were lots of things I meant to do and didn't get to, but that's okay. Tomorrow, as Scarlett would say, is another day.

Breaking Up with Your City

John Moe published his break-up letter with Seattle today. As a Northwest ex-pat--and someone whose family wonders when I'm gonna move back--it says it all.

Message in a Bottle, Message in a Bottle

I love the way what wants to be a feel-good story just keeps undercutting itself.

But it's from my hometown, so that's cool.

Friendship City

Delicate Boy blogged this morning about friendship....and I have to agree that I'm often amazed by the long-term friendships I've maintained. I had a great dinner just before Thanksgiving with K, whom I've known since seventh grade. Even though we live on other sides of the country, even though our interests often diverge, we share a deep history--in part because we met at our church, surrounded by those good Scandinavian-American Lutheran women and men who had a huge part in shaping our psyches.

And staying with my friends from college--sorority sisters, at that--who are smart and well traveled and funny, who read lots of interesting things I haven't, who have a take on the world that complements and challenges my own. That was very nice. That's the kinds of friendship I haven't been able to develop where I am now--well, I *did* develop that with my grad school friends, but now we've all scattered and communicate through our blogs and email and occasional phone calls and cards. The kinds of friends who send you a cool present in the mail for no reason at all. Who give you fun nicknames. I like that.

I do wish I'd had more time to visit with folks while I was in Seattle--I feel rather guilty about it. These are people I may only see once every few years, and maybe part of why I want to spend time with them is nostalgia, as I miss the young (albeit often messed up and confused) people we were together. But I also love appreciating the cool middle-aged people we've become.