A Year of Gratitude - Day Two Hundred Twenty-two

Day 222 - Relative Warmth

It was warmer this morning as I left Amy’s to catch the bus headed downtown.  I was a little nervous, though I honestly don’t know why; I knew the bus stop was one block down 36th Street; I knew that Bus 28 would take me to a stop at 3rd & Bell, and that continuing down Bell Street, I would come to a pedestrian walkway that would take me over the rail road tracks to Alaskan Way; the only concern was whether the elevator down to street level would be functioning at that hour; I knew I would be only three piers from my destination.  I know where I’m going and how I’m getting there.  Why would I be nervous?

I guess it is because I’m always nervous when traveling.  I wish it weren’t the case, but it’s something I’ve never been able to quash completely.

As I walked from Amy’s to the bus stop, I could tell the packed snow that covered the sidewalk was wetter than the night before.  Though sunrise was an hour or more away, the earth had already begun to thaw.  “Snomageddon” would soon be over.

It began to rain as I stood at the bus stop, wishing there were a shelter.  The businesses behind the four of us waiting had no awnings to provide any protection, and I was glad to have my fedora.  I didn’t want to get my umbrella out of my bag - it would be one more thing to carry once it was wet.  Eventually, the rain was heavy enough that I figured it would be better to deal with a wet umbrella than find out the hard way whether my suitcase was waterproof.

As I boarded the bus, I asked the driver to confirm that this bus stopped at 3rd & Bell.  “Uhhhh... yeah, I think so.  This isn’t my route - I’m subbing for another driver.  But... yeah,  we stop there.”  Great.  A few blocks later, he asked the passengers if a regular rider could confirm the name of the street we were approaching, as he would have to make a turn.  Hmmm...

Fortunately, that was the last clue we had that he wasn’t sure of his route.  We got to 3rd & Bell (the driver was kind enough to announce it, too), and I carried my bag most of the way through the ankle-high melting snow.  Seattle really got hit with this storm; I was surprised to see how few roads and sidewalks had even the slightest attention.  The pedestrian overpass was particularly snowy, and as I got to the other side, I noticed the stairs were closed because of it.  Fortunately the elevators were, in fact, running, and I made it over the snow to Pier 69 without additional effort.

The trip to Victoria was uneventful, and I walked up to Discovery Coffee to wait for Ignacio.  I ordered a nosh - a fried egg sandwich with tomato and spinach, and a coffee - and settled in for a couple hours dealing with email and the like.  Thank goodness for free WiFi.

The reunion with Ignacio delightful.  We picked up where we left off - easy and comfortable.  It was the happiest evening I’ve had in the nearly three weeks since he left Portland.