Texpat – A Texas Expat

A word about air conditioning to summer travelers headed to the PNW (Pacific NorthWest), there are a lot of places that don’t have it. If, while you are planning your trip, you were to look at the temps for Seattle on your weather app you would probably say, “no big deal”. Lows are in the low 60s, Highs in the high 70s to low 80s, sounds perfect for those of us from the south. But take a gander at the humidity of 60 to 70 percent and Seattle Summer Heat imagine windows that only open 3 inches.

I’m currently living in a brand new $5K per month condo in a fairly POSH area of Seattle. The windows are open as much as possible (3 inches) and there are box fans in those windows trying desperately to suck some of the 77 degree outside air into my workspace, which is currently 87 F. I’ve been to the jungle and its almost that hot in here. In addition to the fans in the windows I have two more pointed directly at me. Despite the hurricane of 87 degree atmosphere whirling around me, I am soaked in sweat.

Is it really necessary for me to sweat this much in order to save the planet? Oh well, its time to drink another gallon of Gatorade. I wonder if there is a coffee shop somewhere in this city where I could work?

Seattle is an great city, vibrant, friendly, and stunningly beautiful. It is amazingly under represented in popular culture and it has been a real adventure discovering the many things that make this a unique American city.

For instance, I’m sitting in my Westlake Ave N apartment on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon near the edge of downtown Seattle. Looking out the windows at South Lake Union I’m watching an unbelievable mixture of watercraft and amphibious airplanes crisscross in every direction on what is a relatively small body of water. Its so beautiful I’m tempted to call it a ballet except for the sheer madness and obvious danger of it all. I see million dollar yachts, a two masted schooner, a paddle wheeler, a pirate ship (I’m not kidding), a ridiculous cartoon-ish looking tug boat-like thing loaded with 40 or so camera snapping tourists, dozens and dozens of kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, ski boats, 10-person electric site-seeing boats piloted by the hapless site-seers themselves, motor yachts and sail boats of every size, and a single motorized floating hot-tub that is so low in the water it looks as if the alcohol swilling occupants are all sharing one very large life preserver.

The participants in this circus are all are motoring, drifting, sailing, puttering or anchored in the same strip of water that at any given moment 5 or 6 large float planes are using as their runway, landing and taking off in the midst of all the chaos. On approach and departure these lumbering aircraft literally dodge 400 foot tall building-covered hills, construction cranes and soaring skyscrapers.

Here is the remarkable thing, everyone, and I mean everyone seems to be having the time of their lives.

On reflection, I think I will just go with the happy thoughts and call it a marvelous ballet.