Ten Years

I left Denver 10 years ago. I miss it about as much as Tina misses Ike. If you are a fan of Denver's bone-snapping parched air and sludge-brown skies, all I can say is it's all yours. I may have complained about the heat, but in my two stints in Phoenix ('83 and '06), Arizona became part of my soul. South Florida too will always be part of my soul. I doubt I will ever live in either place again, but I will always be happy to visit.

I like Tacoma better than Seattle. It's got more character, it's more affordable, and I love being less than two miles from a stretch of waterfront that rivals anything in Seattle. I spent the better part of yesterday at said waterfront with a new friend. We had lunch on the patio of Katy Down's where we watched a seagull land on an abandoned plate, loop an onion ring around its beak and fly away (awesome!). We watched parasailers make their journey from boat to platform to sky. Parasailing is now on my list of things I want to do before I die.

As we walked along the waterfront, we came to a fishing pier. Three or four people were fishing, but one guy had the look and demeanor of a true fisherman (which I suppose is to say he looked like he wouldn't care about Nordstrom's semi-annual sale). When we first encountered him his fishing pole was arched in half like he was catching a small whale. A minute later he announced that whatever it was, it had stolen his hook. I asked him what kind of fish could be caught from this pier. As he cast out his line again he said "Everything". Within seconds I was finding his answer wholly unsatisfactory. "Everything?"
Everything?<em> What is that supposed to mean? Tuna? Turtles? Eels? Jars of Manischewitz gefilte fish? Daring to be annoying, I asked for a few examples. The payoff was better than I expected: snapper (ok, not that exciting) and squid. Squid. I had no idea people fished for such things. As gross as i think it would be, I'd love to see someone catch a squid- although my commentary would probably consist simply of "Ew!! Ew! Look at it! Ewwwwwwww!"

The weather this weekend has been that perfect sunny and 70s combination. I don't mind the rainy months here at all, but the Northwest on days like this is just extravagantly gorgeous. May I say again that I don't miss Denver at all?

I don't miss Denver at all.