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Sunday, March 7, 1999
One year ago: Breakup
Wow! A year ago I was so bummed. I'm glad I was able to make a quick recovery, though, and Jason and I were able to remain on good terms. He's just updated and found a job that starts Monday, by the way; good for him!
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Saturday I did laundry and household tasks, then got ready for Vanguard, the monthly fannish party I go to. It isn't really a dress-up party, but I do like to put on something a bit special for it, just for fun. Why have fancy clothes if I don't wear them? So I changed outfits a few times before settling on my brown crushed velvet princess-line jumper, with a short-sleeved beige knit top underneath. Bronze colored underwear and lace garterbelt, natch!
I was waiting for Jack and his friend Brett to come pick me up. They arrived just a bit after seven o'clock, which was well within the expected time frame, so I hadn't been concerned at all. But Jack told me that the 520 bridge had been closed down again -- while they were on it! They'd had to park on the bridge span for half an hour, which had delayed them. A strange experience for them, to be actually walking around on that bridge.
We had a good dinner at the Mandalay Café (formerly known as Janny's Curry House), where I've eaten a few times before. I enjoy the way Jack and Brett talk to each other, debating computer topics and so on, and Brett told us some tales of his family and early life. But when they started getting going with conspiracy theories -- ! That topic isn't a thrilling one for me, so I think I tried to change the subject.
This might have been one of the later arrival times for me at Vanguard, but that was OK, despite my normal obsessive promptness. The party was in full swing, with Jon Singer dispensing some strange Middle European liquer. I got a peek at a French magazine with pictures from the new live-action version of Astérix and Obélix. The pictures looked great (Gerard Depardieu was born to play Obélix), but Edd Vick told me that advance word on the movie isn't favorable. Too bad! I've always liked the comic books, and reading them used to help my French classes in high school!
The one thing that's bugging me about Vanguard these days: an open social event will always included people one likes, people one is neutral about, and people one doesn't like. Usually one can avoid the last category! But there's a new addition to the last several Vanguards, someone who really plucks my nerves! I know zie doesn't mean to; in fact, I'm sure zie isn't really aware of my existence! But the lack of social skills, constant interrupting (how dare anyone interrupt me!) and various other factors make this person hard to talk to. I'd just avoid zir (there are lots of people who come to Vanguard that I've never talked to much at all) but zie is a smoker, and the smokers' venue at Vanguard isn't that big, so we do cross paths down there. There are enough of the smoking contingent at Vanguard that I do want to talk to, that I'll continue making the effort, and just going away and coming back later if this person gets to be too much for me to take.
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Jack was determined to get some work done today, but the sunshine was so tempting that we decided to take a drive in the early part of the day. We cruised around the back roads of King County, heading towards Snoqualmie Falls. I think the last time I'd been out to the Falls was when my Cacophony friends and I did the "Last Bus to Snoqualmie" trip.
Jack enjoyed just being at the falls. The white noise from the water is soothing for him, despite the people who were there to also look at the falls. If you just stand in one place or sit on the bench for a few minutes, you'll usually find yourself mostly alone, since most people just walk up to the fence, look, snap a picture and leave. Like being at the zoo or museum; folks seem to rush through the experience. I proposed that we hike the trail down to the bottom of the falls, but at first Jack said my shoes weren't good enough. Later he admitted that it would have taken too long.
We walked the few feet to the Salish Lodge which overlooks the falls. I knew it was an expensive place to eat or stay, but I didn't know just how expensive, so Jack asked for a rate card. Helen and her husband stayed there last October, and her description sounded wonderful! But I don't know if we'd achieve the ecstasy every moment that would make that price worthwhile.
We drove through the suburban development at Snoqualmie Ridge (it's been the cause of a lot of controversy) and even visited one of the model homes. We'd driven in that direction because Jack wanted to get a view of the falls from the other side, but I was reluctant to walk down the railroad tracks into an area that seemed to be closed from public access, so we never did see that view. The house was very nice. The craftsman style seems to be popular now! But it was rather expensive.
We had a late lunch at a burger place in the town of Snoqualmie called Big Edd's. This was the place that had inspired Jack to propose the drive in the first place. I'd brought some marionberry muffins for Sunday breakfast. They weren't that good if I do say so myself, but he was reminded of the marionberry pie they served at this place, and it was indeed very tasty!
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Back at Jack's place, we were reading and resting (I neglected to mention the stop at a used bookstore in Duvall during our earlier wandering) when Jack asked me if I had the things I needed for work tomorrow. If I didn't need to get home, why not spend another night? He didn't have to drive to Olympia to pick up his daughter until Monday evening, so this way he'd get the pleasure of my company, and he wouldn't have to leave the house again. So he actually did get to do some work, and we watched the X-files, and so to bed.
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