The lentilito
I need to get my act together and move. Even in the best case scenarious, we're going to be in COVID status until mid-2021. I don't want to wait that long to see my family, and I can't think of a way to fly to Phoenix and then quarantine for two weeks before seeing them. I've been putting off the big decisions because planning a move during a pandemic is not a fun prospect.
Seattle is absolutely beautiful. I went on my second social-distanced walk today with my friend Aaron. In the top 5 of best people on the planet. Have to make it a top 5 scale to not Cortez my social network. We're both natural social-distancers and wore masks. If either of us gets COVID from that walk...damn COVID, you are ruthless AND crafty.
We headed north. Poor Aaron, I was all over the place. Squirrel! We went to the Volunteer Park Café. That place is pretty much perfect. Has that old-timey general store feel. I'm pretty sure if I'd asked nicely I could have acquired some hard tack, salt pork, and ammunition for a Winchester rifle.
Aaron's one of those people who is easy to listen to. My pandemic brain has me starting and stopping, interrupting (the worst trait), and going on tangents, but I quickly remembered that I wanted to hear what he was saying about meditation, focusing on health and nutrition, acknowledging that it was best for him to step back from aggressively pursuing freelance work (it still finds him), and considering dare-to-be-great job opportunities.
He ordered an ale with natural flavor(?). I had a San Pellegrino. Fancy. I want to go back and have one of their sandwiches. We sat at their tables outside. That was the first time since March that I have sat at a restaurant. There was no one else there, and I was still anxious. Restaurants are in a tough spot. It's heart-breaking.
We went on to Interlaken Park. I've walked the periphery but have never been in the park. Beautiful.
We headed south and admired the beautiful houses. Aaron subtly guided us to a house that is home to a dog named...Victor? The sign on the gate welcomes people to come into the yard and pet the dog. Very Seattle, very cool. Unfortunately, Victor wasn't there. I'm sure as shit going back.
South to Madison. It was getting time for me to get home. I needed to meet Valerie to give her a USB cord for recharging her Polaroid. Valerie and I have discussed that COVID fog. The malaise. But she looked liked she'd just come from an important work meeting. "...the makeup is out of habit, whenever I get the resolve to actually leave the house..." Disheveled me hopes some of that resolve (socially-distanced) rubbed off on me.
Texted a bit with my friend Troy, the one in the photos from Europe. We used Google maps to identify the bridges and scenes in my last post. That overhead shot of Lucerne had to have been taken from the guard towers. I don't remember visiting them. If they weren't my negatives, I'd be skeptical about having taken them.
Typical, I put off dinner and then scrambled (not literally this time) to throw something together. It was a lentilito. Heated up some lentils, threw in a fried egg, mixed it all up, and then chucked it into a tortilla. (Chez Hopper will be having a $500/plate popup soon. This cuisine's too good to eat it by myself...)