As I’m sitting here,
Awake foolishly early
Rain gently strikes
The ground, roof, windows,
Flowing through fir
For me, a soothing sound
Reaching deep
To my forgotten recesses
Memories of the
Heart
Tag: Seattle
A Seattle Haiku
Clouds and rain common
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>Clear skies bring frantic effort
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>Victims of sunlight
A Winter’s Day
Snow falling last night
Cold air clamored over us
Ice descends earthwards
God help me, a snowy day in Seattle
Today’s schedule had plenty of driving. As snow started falling, I felt the normal dread Seattlites feel regarding snow. This region is pretty daft when snow falls and I can’t figure it out.
Some elements make sense. We have significant sized hills, and lots of them. The weather patterns around here make the snow structurally different. I get it.
However, we get a light dusting of snow. Snow that flowed with the wind, not packing onto a slick bundle of icy nuisance.
And otherwise sane people become simply daft.
This afternoon had two particularly memorable moments. First I saw a car stop in the middle of a highway in order to turn right into a parking lot. This is middle lane of three lanes going south. With a long line of cars stopped behind, staring in bafflement. Then there was the car that, on a highway, pulled halfway onto a sidewalk/halfway in the right lane, while they stared at a cellphone. With other baffled drivers stuck behind this nonsense.
These were the most egregious ones today. It was nerve-wracking driving with the buffoonified masses. Some days male me understand the desire to be a snowbird.
A Comic Discovery: Underground Seattle
While cleaning up today, I found this well outside of where it’s supposed to be…far from it’s bookshelf. So, I was delighted to find this gem and, so much for the work I wanted to get done, I set myself down and re-read it. Behold: “Underground Seattle”!
I found this gem at the Edmonds Bookshop, one of my uber-favorite bookstores. I bought this early this year, and it was sold in support of Independent Bookstore Day (April 30, 2016). Definitely a worthy endeavor! This little book was a solidly delightful read. Reminds me of the art you find in such magazines as The Stranger, and the Zines of 90s. I think it does a fantastic job capturing pieces of Seattle’s underground culture.
Though I’ve poked around, I couldn’t find a place to see or even buy a copy of this little guy. I intend to keep looking, though it might have been too limited a run. If you know, let me know.
Here’s the list of contributors, along with web presence (websites, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages). They’re all interesting and do fascinating work. Check them out!
Seth Goodkind (this link takes you to a copy of his contribution for this book), David Lasky, Max Clotfelter, Joe Garber, John Ohannesian, Ben Horak, Kelly Froh, Peter Bagge, Marie Hausauer, Tatiana Gill, Colleen Frakes, Ellen Forney, Roberta Gregory, Pat Moriarity, Laura Knetzger, Robyn Jordan, Allen Gladfelter, Marc Palm, Tom Van Deusen, James Stanton, Brendan Kiefer, Ryan Thies & Eroyn Franklin.
Thoughts about Amazon and Seattle
Back in the mid-90s I worked a short project at Amazon. The gist of it: assembling work stations in a new call center.
It was a unique place to be. Most striking: this guy who had his corgi at the office. About once an hour, he would throw a ball down the hallway. The dog would tear down the hall, bring the ball back, rinsert & repeat. It was filled with great people and felt like a positive place to work.
It’s gratifying to see this icon of Seattle’s tech culture growing so boldly. They’ve no grown past the 150,000 eemoloyee mark, with 30,000 of them in Washington. Though fewer than number 1 with 75k at Boeing, and Microsoft’s 44k, they’re a solid player in Seattle’s business scene.
They’re also a player in our real estate market, with some 8.5 million square feet of office space. They’re the biggest player in South Lake Union. And their continued staffing growth will bring more home buyers, increasing the pressure on supply.
Delighted to see their continued success and look forward to seeing what the future brings
A Rainy Seattle Morning
Hear morning rain
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>I’m glad the gutters are clean
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>This feeling of peace
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>
<
p style=”font-family:’Helvetica Neue’, Arial, sans, sans-serif;”>
A haiku for a rainy night
Rain’s ferocity
Pummelling my garden
Peaceful sensation
A Seattle Weekend
Week’s end is coming
Sunshine will give way to rain
This is Seattle
Seattle and heat
Record setting heat
Seatlelites’ discomfort
Easily reached