Friday, February 15, 2008

Upswing

I feel lighter today, even though I'm not technically. I've been eating lots of french fries and gulping down steins of delicous beer, but beyond that, I am on an upswing. It is Friday. Life is good. Things are not so bad.

Yesterday Jer came downtown and met me for lunch at the Steelhead Diner. We shared a plate of poutine and a sandwich, which was very nice and sweet since it required him waking up 2 hours earlier than normal. Then on the walk back to work, I saw a bookstore with a closing sign and dallied in the doorway. I love books, I frequently buy them, and here was a book buying opportunity but in someone else's misery... so I went inside.

Not only were their books on sale, but also their display items. I bought a nicely constructed wooden box to display my matted prints for $5 and a dozen book holders for $10, to also display my prints. As I was chatting with one of the owners about how they lost their lease after 18 years, I asked about the note card spinning racks they have out. Will you sell those too? He said, yes, $5. So I bought one and can pick it up next week. It was bittersweet, but I couldn't believe the serendipity.

Last night I enjoyed Happy Hour with Courtney and her husband and his coworkers, and then went home and shot the city skyline for awhile. One of those shots will be Monday's photo of the day at the photoblog. It features the word "LOVE" spelled out on the WaMu building out of strategically lit windows.

This morning I signed up to participate in the Henry Weinhard's St. Patrick's Day Dash, which is 3.5 miles through downtown Seattle. I have 1 month to train, and I'm going to use the event to get my motivation back. And maybe as a reason to stop eating so many deliciously seasoned fries.

Received another shipment of mats last night, about 110! Snow white alphamat with black core in 3 sizes! Very cool. My 3-day weekend will involve a lot of time at the kitchen table, matting and gluing, probably ordering another batch of prints, and getting my festival application schedule organized.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes. M Coy Books is no more. I find this sad even though I rarely went in there, and I'm not sure I ever bought anything when I did. I hate to see locally owned shops get crowded out in the name of "progress". I remember reading (in the Weekly maybe?) that their loss of lease had something to do with one of the mega luxury condo high rises that are sprouting up like funghi after a rainy Seattle weekend. (I'm not a writer, but hey, I try!)

Have you read Seattle and the Demons of Ambition by Fred Moody? It's about just this kind of thing. It's very entertaining even if you're not that into non-fiction, although I don't entirely agree with his premise that Seattle should have remained a backwater burg.

Anyway, enjoy your long weekend of matting. I imagine I'll be spending some quality time with Ashley watching DVDs (I watch, she sleeps on my lap).

Folly Blaine said...

I haven't read it, but I'll check it out. I'm in the middle of the Illuminatus Trilogy; only 500 more pages to go.

I just finished 20 greeting cards, w00t! I've got two cats asleep here myself and I'm semi-watching "House." Mira Sorvina just stabbed herself in the lung with a syringe, so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Enjoy your three day weekend!

Folly Blaine said...

Sorvino, I mean.

Lily said...

I'll be thinking of you and your St. Patrick's Day Dash while I'm drinking my green beer and eating my colcannon or corned beef and cabbage...or both.

Folly Blaine said...

The dash should be over by 10 or 11, depending on how slowly I "jog." I should still have plenty of time to enjoy the holiday properly. :)