My Blog Goes On Amber Alert
Just ended a week of business travel, dancing through snowstorms in both Milwaukee and Minneapolis to arrive in Seattle only an hour late (albeit at 1am Saturday morning). This time, I really did sort of go around the dark side of the moon, blog-wise. I felt very out of touch, cerebrally, for most of the week.
Here’s the scene of my last contact before disappearing. It’s the Northwest Airlines Worldclub in Detroit, where I alit between flights. It’s perched above the main corridor between the concourses, TSA and baggage claim, and it’s fun to watch the body language of both departures and arrivals through this river of humanity. Each has its qualities of jubilance and dread. There’s the business road warrior slumping either into or out of town with Monday on his mind; lovers ending a weekend that either succeeded wildly, or didn’t; arrivals from tropical climes, tans already cracking, boxed pineapple tucked under their arms as consolation prizes; student groups off on an adventure they’ve been saving for with car washes and bake sales, already forming their little alliances (Click photos to enlarge):
The work week was heavily involved in another variant of businesses trying to respond to the current financial crisis: excise muscle and amputate limbs in order to survive, and risk having no capacity to respond to an eventual upturn; or don’t act, and risk losing the entire business. We’re in unprecedented territory; you can’t Google the answer.
I awoke Saturday to a sweet sorta-spring day, and I did a walk around the extended neighborhood to run errands and expel the plane from my lungs. I stopped at a cafe for an espresso and bowl of delicious soup: a peanut-carrot-curry, with a stick of garlic bread.
There were some unusual things to photograph. Lawns in my neighborhood are often found-art canvases. Sometimes it’s intentional, sometimes not:
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That’s what I love about spending time in Seattle just walking around the neighborhoods.
Ms. Lea: thank you! Even though I’ve lived here nearly 35 years, it’s infinitely fascinating!
I know that house with the boat in front! Now I can stalk you! heeheeeheeeeheee.
Molly: catch me if you can!
Looks like a nice neighborhood, very colorful and artfully odd. Nice place to walk around and immerse yourself in your homey ambiance.
Welcome back Phil!
Nice description of your travel. As Terence McKenna said, the world doesn’t have to be turned into a gigantic airport arrival center. As for Wallingford, some might reminesce of dropping blotter acid around 11PM and walking around “artfully odd” Ballard in the middle of the night with a friend. Next time I’ll take a camera.
Robin - wish we could have hosted you guys more when you were relatively close. Our part of the city isn’t as imposing as it must have seemed from the gentle climes of Jefferson County.
Marc - Next time, take me, too. You know where to find me.
What a neat neighborhood for a strolling photographer! My favorite is the place with the boat
We just got home last night after our own sojourn through various airports. When my head’s not buried in a book, I relish the people-watching as well. It’s especially fun to watch people waiting for a plane, and then when they pair up with their loved ones — some pairings quite predictable, others, well, just plain odd!
Sure did hate to leave those tropical breezes and all the whales, but Spring is rapidly making an appearance in our neck of the woods so, once again, our winter sabbatical was well-timed.
Welcome home to both of us!
Carroll - I’m thinking it’s hard to badly time a trip to Maui. Unless you don’t go ;-(