Sex and the City Cliche. But it's true.

About a month ago, I found myself driving back from a team retreat singing Lauryn Hill in an attempt to bond with my co-workers. Along that ride, I glanced out my driver's side window and found a cute little spider dangling from my side view mirror. As the car sped up, the spider soon took notice and huddled itself in between the mirror and the light blue plastic Pearl, my car, is named for. I found him once more today after my UU service, and I have to say I was impressed and really happy to see him!

However, the tiny red/brown flies that seem to have swarmed my kitchen are not so welcome. Despite the seeming lack of sustenance left out, they seem to multiply exponentially every time I enter the kitchen. I could hear Kerry swatting hopelessly at them, muttering angrily at them to get out of her homemade organic pumpkin scones (which, by the way, were delicious! We shared one after returning from a vegan pizza hole-in-the-wall named Pizza Pi in the U-District, the neighborhood just north across the water from mine (and where the University of Washington, or "U-Dub", lies.) Not only does every block have a bit of UW purple, but it's full of coffee shops, a second-hand bookstore, American Apparel, and many other random shops and such. Too lovely! But too bad I don't live there.

My house is actually quite lovely, if noisy. I live with three other girls -- one, Kerry, is a co-worker, and the other two, Cortney and Jaime, are UW med students. They are all mostly vegetarians who enjoy buying organic, which as you might imagine is a bit of a stretch for me. I wonder what they think of my cheap frozen waffles and hamburger meat in the freezer! Even though I don't really fit into their lifestyle, they are patient with me when I ask how to cook non-instant rice and what herbs would go well with my chicken. Kerry just graduated from UMass-Lowell and the other two are a bit older than us -- 26 and 30, respectively. It's really nice to have their perspective and influence in the house. Even though I feel like I've lived on my own for a few years, there is nothing like moving to a new city and feeling so lost that you don't even know where to buy socks. I also live with a large, but cute mutt named Kingston and am currently dogsitting a patchy brown lab named Moose. Moose also happens to be blind in one eye, which is also sunken in a bit and a bit...oozy. He means well, but he's a bit slow, and likes to follow Kingston's lead of barking at random noises outside in the middle of the night, which is incredibly annoying. Though I think he's adorable, I'll be happy when he's gone.

They're nice couch companions, though. As I type, Kingston's frigid nose is nuzzling my thigh in hopes of a belly rub. I cannot wait until I go to school again, where I will (hopefully) have a more flexible schedule and then can get a puppy. There is nothing like coming home to a harsh bark followed by a kiss on the palm! Then cooking a delicious dinner as he paces back and forth, claws tapping the wood floor, listening to NPR or whatever other podcast I have running, and then settling down to write, read, or mess around on my keyboard. That's what most of my nights consist of, and I have to say it's not a bad way to live. Work, however, could use lots of changes. I never wanted to be that person who just looks forward to getting home after work, or who dreamed of the weekend, but it seems that at least for the next nine months, I will be that person. While I hate admitting that, I don't really mind as much as I did when I first realized that fact. At the very least, it gives me the opportunity to explore Seattle and get to know others on my own terms. Plus, the main reason I came to Seattle was to find what it is I'm interested in and meant to do without the influences of others, and if I was too busy going out with work friends and making those close connections, I fear that my goal could be lost. Perhaps I'm just being selfish -- perhaps I need to be. But for now,

"...it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart, and if you're very lucky, just a plane ride away."