Amazing 30 Rock Quote of the Week

"Good God, Lemon, your breath. When did you find time to eat a diaper that you found on the beach?"

-Jack

And, last week's (since, well, I didn't do one last week)...

"Yes and no. Yes, that did happen, and no that didn't not happen."

-Also, Jack

Sheer brilliance. Hilarious.

Duck Chronicles, Part I

It's a typical October day at the old non-profit...

Campaign season has hit hard once again, and the team is plum tuckered out from their hard work saving the lives of children and housing the homeless. It may be a Monday afternoon, but there's a unanimous agreement that a drink (or 5) are in order and the colleagues head out for their usual post-work shenanigans. Someone* orders a round of drinks; He'll have the vodka 7up, the other a vodka tonic, and the rest? Shots of tequilla. But wait! There's a pregnant coworker* in their midst! Not being the type of group to let something (let alone libations) go to waste, whatever will they do with this over-abundance of alcohol?

The Duck* decides to drink...

Upon finishing his beverage, the Duck* falls into a peaceful slumber.

Silly Duck*.

Fundraising is an arduous task, but someone's gotta do it.

*Names are excluded for purposes of confidentiality.

Credits:

Rubber-band

DeGoogs

Ballin' Balan

D.Dalle

and

Wally III

And, then we were robbed...

True story. Last week we woke up one morning, the front door was wide open, and one of my housemate's backpack, bags and what not (previously strewn about the living room) were gone. The only thing I lost was my sense of security and numerous nights of sleep. Alright, that might be a bit melodramatic but in all honesty there's nothing creepier than some fellow crawling through your bathroom window at around 5am (well, that's what the Seattle police seem to think happened) while you're sound asleep in the adjacent bedroom. Also, what kind of a self respecting crook leaves behind the TV? I'm just saying.

Tonight was the first night I had free since... Well, since last Thursday. The weekend was chock full of Chelsea, and it was pretty fabulous. It was nice to have some company post-break in, too. There was a Ballard bar crawl, lots of eating (gluten free, but of course), drinking (caffeinated beverages at a variety of ambiance inspired coffee shops) and general merriment. I miss her terribly. Please see below for further proof of weekend amazingness (and biking around my neighborhood).

Seattle's (not so) Subtleties

I can't claim to be an expert of all of Seattle's quirks and subtleties quite yet; however, I can point out a few of it's peculiarities that I've picked up on.

1. I've been to more than one bar where dogs are not only allowed in, they're welcomed and even sit in the booths. Norm's, right around the corner of my house. HOW fortuitous. It's bizarre, and coincidentally, isn't it also a health hazard?

2. Jaywalking is pretty much non-existent. Yes, some people do it, but the vast majority wait obediently for the go sign. Also, it seems that the city of Seattle took the extra care to place "crossing flags" in areas of high traffic where there are no crosswalks. At first I thought that I was being made the gullible butt of some not so clever joke, but, nope. You just pick up your little flag, wave it around a bit until the cars stop, then carry it with you across the street, and leave it in the receptacle for the next person.

3. Coffee shops are in abundance (which is awesome). This we know. All of them boast the same staples: a plethora of espresso beverages (mmm caffeine), plentiful outlets and students exploiting the wi-fi, and... Beer? Right next to the espresso machine more often than not there lies a tap or two, along with the PBR tall boys.

4. Public transportation is not all that bad. It's clean, it seems to run decently according to schedule, and the bus drivers are nice. No seriously, it seems like they actually care about you getting to where you need to be. And, they allow dogs also... And bikers. Many a bus have multiple bikes strapped to their front. Also, during rush hour, I've witnessed the "honor system" being utilized (more than once).

Yeah, so, that's it for now, but I'm pretty sure there will be plenty more to come.

Study Break

Alright, big surprise here, so get ready: Grad school is a ton of work. What I mean by "work" is an absolute boat load of reading. Yeah, yeah, everyone tells you that... Then you attend your first two classes only to find out that you have two papers and over 200 pages of reading to do, in less than a week. Granted, this will help fill the free time between classes (having lived here only about two weeks, I still lack "friends", not counting my roommates), as will my work-study.

I was fortuitous enough to land a Development position with the Henry Art Gallery, which will hopefully be a nice change of pace to class. I can also tip my cap to United Way, for providing me with ample experience to snag said job. Though the office is less than half the size, I can only hope that the employees there are half as fun and fabulous as my old co-workers.

Photo note: The above is a delicious soy chai latte, which quelled my thirst and caffeinated me in order to power through Part I of Ben Franklin's autobiography. Don't be jealous; it's scintillating. If you think you might have spotted a leaf in that foam, you'd be correct. It did have a nicely crafted rosetta leaf in it... Right before I drank it.