Happy Chinese New Year's Eve!

I first moved to Seattle in January of 1992. I moved into my condo and quickly learned to love the view out the terrace door. Back then, I had a pretty unobstructed view of the International District of Seattle which also, back then, was pretty much Chinatown. One of my first memories of Seattle is watching the New Year's celebrations in Chinatown. You could hear far more of the pop pop pops than you could see the fire crackers but you totally got the sense of merriment.

Then we had several years when my neighborhood decided to make a big fucking deal of Mardi Gras. Because we are so French??? Because we are so close to New Orleans??? Possibly whatever tenuous link that was followed should have been a portend to the end. Since the Seattle version of celebrating Mardis Gras means simply to drink in public until you are way past stupid, the tradition grew with abandon. In 2001, the stupid started rioting. For 4 straight nights. Why it took 4 nights to stop it, is still a bit of a mystery to me. But, finally on the 4th night, a guy got killed by the stupid drunken people.

The next morning, I remember walking to work and seeing all the windows in offices and stores broken and the mess left in the street. And at 11 that morning we had our nice, big earthquake. So whatever windows weren't broken by the riot, were broken by the earthquake.

It was 2001 - generally a year with lots of dates marked in stone anyway. It was, for sure, the last year for Mardi Gras in Seattle.

But, the celebrhation of Chinese New Year goes on and is wonderful fun. Tonight I am meeting my friend, Kenny Lu for dinner at Shangai Gardens. He is bringing his girlfriend - this is a very high complement to me that I am cool enough to meet his girlfriend and he trusts me enough not to embarrass him and he and his girlfriend want to spend at least some of their New Year's eve with an old white woman.

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve!

I first moved to Seattle in January of 1992. I moved into my condo and quickly learned to love the view out the terrace door. Back then, I had a pretty unobstructed view of the International District of Seattle which also, back then, was pretty much Chinatown. One of my first memories of Seattle is watching the New Year's celebrations in Chinatown. You could hear far more of the pop pop pops than you could see the fire crackers but you totally got the sense of merriment.

Then we had several years when my neighborhood decided to make a big fucking deal of Mardi Gras. Because we are so French??? Because we are so close to New Orleans??? Possibly whatever tenuous link that was followed should have been a portend to the end. Since the Seattle version of celebrating Mardis Gras means simply to drink in public until you are way past stupid, the tradition grew with abandon. In 2001, the stupid started rioting. For 4 straight nights. Why it took 4 nights to stop it, is still a bit of a mystery to me. But, finally on the 4th night, a guy got killed by the stupid drunken people.

The next morning, I remember walking to work and seeing all the windows in offices and stores broken and the mess left in the street. And at 11 that morning we had our nice, big earthquake. So whatever windows weren't broken by the riot, were broken by the earthquake.

It was 2001 - generally a year with lots of dates marked in stone anyway. It was, for sure, the last year for Mardi Gras in Seattle.

But, the celebrhation of Chinese New Year goes on and is wonderful fun. Tonight I am meeting my friend, Kenny Lu for dinner at Shangai Gardens. He is bringing his girlfriend - this is a very high complement to me that I am cool enough to meet his girlfriend and he trusts me enough not to embarrass him and he and his girlfriend want to spend at least some of their New Year's eve with an old white woman.

My *main* engagement today...

I just got a simple little note from Sheri - "are you are you ready? we have so many things to talk about! J I can’t wait to see you this afternoon! sheri"

Of course, I have thought of little else for days and days. But how much do I love that she sends me this note????

It has occurred to me a couple of times - what if I just hate what she has come up with? But, you know what? I cannot imagine that. I cannot imagine not loving whatever it is.

Stephen let me come in an hour early today so I can leave an hour early. Sheri will be at my house at 3 p.m.

My *main* engagement today...

I just got a simple little note from Sheri - "are you are you ready? we have so many things to talk about! J I can’t wait to see you this afternoon! sheri"

Of course, I have thought of little else for days and days. But how much do I love that she sends me this note????

It has occurred to me a couple of times - what if I just hate what she has come up with? But, you know what? I cannot imagine that. I cannot imagine not loving whatever it is.

Stephen let me come in an hour early today so I can leave an hour early. Sheri will be at my house at 3 p.m.

The report!

Kenny's girlfriend is cute and nice and from Hong Kong and speaks English with a Seattle accent and is a CPA. It was a great, fun and we had a very delicious dinner.

But before that... Sheri was here with carpet samples and paint chips and diagrams and plans and every a whole note book that was labeled "Dennis Loft". It was wonderful. Her ideas are just perfect plus she can make the happen. We looked at furniture and floor plans. And we may well have already found the perfect carpet. (And Betty was kind enough to test out all of the samples - with her claws...)

I have always wanted a window seat. A little nook to be cozy in. She plans to turn the closet in the front room into just that nook and it will double as a guest bed! I know it sounds strange, but believe me, it is PERFECT! It's brilliant, really.

We talked solidly for 3 hours and ran out of time because I had to go meet Kenny - I beat him to the restaurant by a full 72 seconds.

Anyway, I do know that my house is going to be wonderful. I'm so anxious to get going but we seem so far away from actually doing. She is going back to get big carpet samples of the ones we liked best, and fabric samples for the furniture and contact closet people to configure and build out the remaining two closets. Once again, I forgot to ask for a time line of when the next step might happen. But, I am really not worried that the project will lag. I get the distinct feeling from her that she understands my urgency and is moving as fast as possible.

I need to do some magazine/web shopping for beds. She found one very excellent one but she said that we could have one made and I'm thinking platform... maybe.

Oh and Sheri also offered to provide all of her stuff - floorplans and stuff - in electronic versions when we get decisions made so I can add them all in here. How cool is that???

I'm whipped right now. Just beat. But I am jazzed. henare got creeped out by the dancing hamster so how about this instead?

The report!

Kenny's girlfriend is cute and nice and from Hong Kong and speaks English with a Seattle accent and is a CPA. It was a great, fun and we had a very delicious dinner.

But before that... Sheri was here with carpet samples and paint chips and diagrams and plans and every a whole note book that was labeled "Dennis Loft". It was wonderful. Her ideas are just perfect plus she can make the happen. We looked at furniture and floor plans. And we may well have already found the perfect carpet. (And Betty was kind enough to test out all of the samples - with her claws...)

I have always wanted a window seat. A little nook to be cozy in. She plans to turn the closet in the front room into just that nook and it will double as a guest bed! I know it sounds strange, but believe me, it is PERFECT! It's brilliant, really.

We talked solidly for 3 hours and ran out of time because I had to go meet Kenny - I beat him to the restaurant by a full 72 seconds.

Anyway, I do know that my house is going to be wonderful. I'm so anxious to get going but we seem so far away from actually doing. She is going back to get big carpet samples of the ones we liked best, and fabric samples for the furniture and contact closet people to configure and build out the remaining two closets. Once again, I forgot to ask for a time line of when the next step might happen. But, I am really not worried that the project will lag. I get the distinct feeling from her that she understands my urgency and is moving as fast as possible.

I need to do some magazine/web shopping for beds. She found one very excellent one but she said that we could have one made and I'm thinking platform... maybe.

Oh and Sheri also offered to provide all of her stuff - floorplans and stuff - in electronic versions when we get decisions made so I can add them all in here. How cool is that???

I'm whipped right now. Just beat. But I am jazzed. henare got creeped out by the dancing hamster so how about this instead?