Submittable says I’ve been in Queryland for 2 months and 14 days… but who is counting? Not me. Nope. Not with such things to distract me like spring break in Seattle, the #RevPit contest on Twitter and my 9 yo son informing me he needs AT LEAST seven hours notice for things like haircuts and trips to the grocery store.
Huh. Apparently, he’s not a fan of spontaneity. I suppose I respect that, since I think being put on spot is a drag. Good for you, kid, for setting those boundaries early.
So, yes, Seattle. It was awesome! We did the touristy things like attend a Sounders game, visit the Space Needle, the Fremont Troll and Pike Place Market. Bubble Gum Alley, yo, and the Starbucks that started it all. Pretty cool.
My brother, who we stayed with, also drove us out to Mt. Rainier one of the days, too. Beautiful. Those drop-offs, though. Scary. Good thing my brother drives like a maniac. Nothing makes you feel like a pearl-clutching old lady more than a nice drive on curvy-ass mountain roads in the misty fog. It simply invigorates the soul, you know?
One of the best parts, though? My book takes place in Belltown, Seattle… And I got to walk through Belltown. It was so exciting to actually be there, to see it with my own eyes and experience it like my characters would. To top it off, I had a coffee in the Starbucks where my jaded heroine, Liz, has a job interview that keeps her in Seattle… which eventually leads to a love/hate relationship with her co-worker and worst nightmare Leo.
“Liz tucked herself into the corner of the Starbucks on 1st Ave and waited for what she hoped would eventually be her new boss to arrive. She’d walked down to the coffee shop an hour before, to mentally prepare. She disliked interviews, but she hated being late even more.
The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans was divine, and the din of other people’s conversations was comforting. It meant they were talking to each other and not her. Liz shed her wet coat to hang it on a nearby hook and let it dry. Chucking her bag on the chair next her, she pulled out an old copy of Tales of Edgar Allen Poe. She liked her reading material grim.”
The trip was amazing all around. Well, except the part where our flight was delayed two hours on top of an hour layover in Salt Lake City. Oh, and when we hit several different Walgreens, spending nearly $100 for various children’s cold remedies (poor buddy was miserable), at the beginning of the trip. We managed to visit the farmer’s market and Sonic Boom Records in Ballard before I got sick, though. Prince was not impressed with my weak immune system and, clearly, Madonna didn’t care.
It took a full week to finally conquer the crud. I actually *just* stopped coughing all night a day or two ago…
But I digress. Seattle, you were a lovely host and, Washington, you’re beautiful. Thank you for taking my mind off being in Queryland.
