July 27

So, four years ago today my dad died. I wasn't going to mention anything because I feel like enough time has past that I don't need to say anything on the anniversary. Not that I shouldn't acknowledge it or anything, but it's become part of my normal life.

During the six months after Dad died, I remember thinking that the weirdness and the emptiness I felt was the new normal. When this new normal became just plain normal, things were good. I think I felt the new normal became just normal a while ago, but for the first time I didn't feel like I got all weird as the anniversary approached.

I've done different things over the last few years. The first year I went to see The Simpsons Movie and raised a pint to him with some friends. The second year I had just moved and didn't do much of anything. Last year I took the day off for lots of reasons. But I found out that taking the day off and doing whatever it was I felt like doing that day was a great idea.

Seattle

This year, I went to Seattle. Like other times, I took the train. The train was weird. It was running late. It was booked solid. And I ended up on the same car on a guy with some sort of developmental disability. He got agitated easily. Sang -- loudly. And, well, it was just a bit stressful. But I got to Seattle.

I had a plan to go to this African restaurant I had read about, but I when I got off the light rail downtown, I saw the sign for Nordstrom's and got distracted. I didn't go on a massive shopping spree because I found some great sales. For the first time in a long time, I shopped. Just shopped. I got a fall/spring coat (nothing fancy, but something that is casual, waterproof, and nicer than a jean jacket*), stuff from Lush, some new PJs, some lovely yarn, and a circular needle case from Namaste (scroll down to Circular Case).

I hit up Piroshky Pirosky for an apple cinnamon piroshky (they told me they were vegan if I ate honey; I am not completely convinced, but I choose to believe them). And I grabbed a vegan snickerdoodle to have for desert on the train after I ate my Vietnamese noodle salad from Uwajimya.

Veggie Groundnut

I did make it to the Pan-African Market where I had the Veggie Groundnut. It was rich and good. Up until this point I hadn't really thought about why I took the day off. But sitting there, my mind began to wonder. I began to think back to when my brother called me. To when I called Frenchie and told her. She asked me what I wanted and I said comfort food and liquor. We ended up going to a local greasy Mexican restaurant where I drank a margarita the size of my head and picked up a six pack on the way home. After drinking my lunch I called my family, a couple of friends, and then crashed on the couch. So, as I was sitting at Pan Africa I began to think about what I as doing four years go, and I realized that I was probably sitting in a cheap Mexican restaurant getting drunk.

Anyway, it was a great day. I love these day trips. Seattle is so close yet such a world away. I was only gone for about ten hours, but as I was walking back to my car I felt like I was returning from a refreshing weekend away.

Setting sun and the Sound, taken from the train. 

*It's one of those jackets that screams, "I live in the Pacific Northwest." It isn't one of those fugly REI hooded jackets, but it is a Columbia jacket. And the first thing I thought when I saw it was, "Ooooooo.... Waterproof."