(no subject)
Yesterday, work was slow, so I took the afternoon off. Today, work was deader than dead. Silence. No customers, no machines running, not even my manager chattering about Islam with the bindery guys.
I was in a perky, restless mood, so I said "so long, suckers," and took off without bothering to clock in. It has been an amazingly long and pleasant day. I've been finding different comfy places to read Mira Grant's Blackout, and finding scenic coffee shops to write in. I've been in communication with a person selling a cheap macro lens in West Seattle, and even though we hadn't confirmed a meeting time, I figured, "what the hell?" and got on the water taxi. I've never taken the water taxi before, even though I've been meaning to for forever. And this is how I ended up doing something I've wanted for a long time, and may never get again: time in West Seattle on a sunny day without crowds. Yay for travel during the workday!
More time was spent sitting on a warm rock on the beach waiting for the water taxi back to downtown, with the sound of lapping waves and giggling children in the background. Back in downtown, I went to the Smith Tower, which I've also never visited, and which is only open when I'm at work. Holy smokes, that building is opulent. Also, empty.
Back in downtown, I got the message from the lens seller asking if we could meet at the Alki Starbucks at 7:30. I figured, "What the hell?" and went right back to the place I'd been just a few hours earlier. I'll have to take the bus back, but I've never done that either, and it should be interesting.
So here I am, at the Alki Starbucks, which arguably has the second best view in the city, after the Sky View Starbucks. I've discovered that cake pops (hey, it seems like a cake pops kind of day) are about as unexciting as I suspected. (Lowering the price by about two thirds would up the excitement factor.) I'm also starting to wear down, and there's still 45 minutes to our meeting. Not sure if I'll have more energy for writing, but even if I don't, I've got about a 1000 words of good material down.
Maybe I could have used the money from putzing around at work, but I'm glad I did this. I needed this shaking up of my routine.
I was in a perky, restless mood, so I said "so long, suckers," and took off without bothering to clock in. It has been an amazingly long and pleasant day. I've been finding different comfy places to read Mira Grant's Blackout, and finding scenic coffee shops to write in. I've been in communication with a person selling a cheap macro lens in West Seattle, and even though we hadn't confirmed a meeting time, I figured, "what the hell?" and got on the water taxi. I've never taken the water taxi before, even though I've been meaning to for forever. And this is how I ended up doing something I've wanted for a long time, and may never get again: time in West Seattle on a sunny day without crowds. Yay for travel during the workday!
More time was spent sitting on a warm rock on the beach waiting for the water taxi back to downtown, with the sound of lapping waves and giggling children in the background. Back in downtown, I went to the Smith Tower, which I've also never visited, and which is only open when I'm at work. Holy smokes, that building is opulent. Also, empty.
Back in downtown, I got the message from the lens seller asking if we could meet at the Alki Starbucks at 7:30. I figured, "What the hell?" and went right back to the place I'd been just a few hours earlier. I'll have to take the bus back, but I've never done that either, and it should be interesting.
So here I am, at the Alki Starbucks, which arguably has the second best view in the city, after the Sky View Starbucks. I've discovered that cake pops (hey, it seems like a cake pops kind of day) are about as unexciting as I suspected. (Lowering the price by about two thirds would up the excitement factor.) I'm also starting to wear down, and there's still 45 minutes to our meeting. Not sure if I'll have more energy for writing, but even if I don't, I've got about a 1000 words of good material down.
Maybe I could have used the money from putzing around at work, but I'm glad I did this. I needed this shaking up of my routine.