It would have been a great day for walking.
But it drizzled all day.
I started to hop the bus this morning, and was surprised when the bus driver told me my pass wasn't good enough. I needed a quarter more. OUCH!!! He let me on though. These bus drivers a pretty cool.
So, now, the problem was exchanging my pass
I had just purchased my pass Friday from Bartell's for $54. I guess they didn't know the rates had changed March 1st. hmmm.
I walked to Bartells.
They had to get the manager and I waited. She told me they don't do exchanges or refunds, and that I'd have to go to the Transit Station on University and 4th. Its in a mall.
I walked the Transit Station.
I went through a long line, but it moved quickly. They told me that they didn't do exchanges or refunds either! I'd have to go to the bus station on the other side of town. They could, however, sell me a booklet of 25 cent passes...hahahaha....The booklet was twice the size of a quarter! I'd bet it expires too!
I hopped a bus to the Bus Station at 201 Jackson Street off 2nd and Main.
The bus dropped me off at a 5 way intersection. There was a bus depot two blocks away, but it was vacant. What I was looking for was a building that wasn't even marked, at least, I didn't see a sign on the building.
So, I went inside and there was the line from hell.
It wound back and forth, ending up at three windows. I had plenty of time while standing in line, to contemplate what I may be doing wrong, (did theyt take Visa, did I need a receipt, did they do exchanges at this building).
I finally got to the window.
The clerk said she didn't do exchanges. She said I'd have to see the manager at another window. Wow. I did, and he had me fill out a form that I had to return to the first window.
Well, I finally got the pass for $63. Did I mention its only live 2.6 miles from my apartment to work? It costs about about 63 cents a mile to ride the bus. Toss in that it cost $150 a month to park my truck at the apartment and I'm paying a lot to get around here.
Leaving the bus station/whatever they call it, I couldn't find a bus back to work.
The street I came down (3rd Street) turns into a one way street, which means there was no bus stop on the other side from where the first bus dropped me off. Now, I'm thinking, I could gamble, and wait at any bus stop to ask the drivers if they came close to 3rd and Madison, or I could walk down 3rd street until it turned back into a two way street. I decided to walk.
On my walk back, I noticed there were two 2nd and Main Streets.
I'm serious!!! One is 2nd Avenue, the other is 2nd Street....I still don't know the technical difference.
I always thought that avenues were short and streets were long. Its reversed here. Maybe thats normal...hmmm.
The worse thing about this whole experience wasn't walking up the steep hills.
When I got up this morning, I got dressed in the dark and I put on a mismatched pair of shoes.

If anyone's interested...give me a ding dong.

Things change quickly around here. Dustin may be coming down to stay for 5 months.
But I'm not in a rush to find anything.
At least, I don't think I am. I made a lot of mistakes on this last move (I'm still a newbe at this wandering contractor thing). I rushed into it too fast. What's nice about where I'm at now is, I can take my time looking for only the best job opportunities. I've got 5 months to peruse the job opportunities. Eugene sounded pretty interesting.

They Skylark Cafe and Club. Its on 3803 Delridge Way SW, West Seattle, WA 98106.
The downside is, even though its only 4 miles away
Its a 40 minute ride on the bus. Its a 13 minute drive, if you can find a place to park.
-- REVIEWS --
According to the Stranger - It is Seattle's night life's saving grace.
Editorial Review for Skylark Cafe & Club – by Hannah Levin
West Seattle has long struggled to find a solid, attractive spot to function as a live music destination, and Skylark proprietress Jessie Summa-Kusiak has finally nailed it with this café's cozy, neighborhood vibe. The diner-style food is a top-notch combination of the comforting (homade meatloaf with all the trimmings) and the sophisticated (penne with vodka sauce), while the high quality, free-of-charge live music draws appreciate crowds with a mix of indie, rock, and alt-country acts, and the occasional singer-songwriter.

Now I'm reading about Belltown . Its on 4th and Bell. But wait...we've been around there at night. hmmm.
I've read and heard alot about Capitol Hill too. We've been by there though. Its on Mercer and 11th.
Its surprising to see you on SAE...its 4 am here. GMornin!!!

We went strolling down the waterfront walkway last night.
What can I say...most of it was closed at 7pm. Lots of piers. Little on them.
I keep expecting to see a little bit of San Francisco in Seattle, but its just not here.
Every town I've seen has a party district.
I'd describe a party district as a fun place to go at night after you get off of work. It has dance joints, bars, bands, street entertainment and shops. Most towns these days have place area where you can ride in a horse drawn buggy after dark. Its usually safe, with police walking the beat.
I think every major city in the US has a Hard Rock Hotel . Portland and Seattle don't.
Lets see:
Louisville had its Fourth Street Live  Orlando had its Universal City, and downtown area. San Francisco has its piers, downtown and China Town. San Diego has its Gas Light District. Los Angeles has Universal City, piers, marinas. Las Vegas has its Strip. Nashville has its Strip. Sacremento has Old Sac. Omaha has its Gas Light District.
Even Bowling Green has a Strip
Seattle has Pioneer Square, but its scary at night.
If you had a carton of cigarettes, you'd be a celebrity there for 5 minutes.
Seattle has its scattered party areas.
Pikes street is okay. Its got some cool malls and shops.
Fremont is okay. Its got quite a few restaurants lined up.
I think the most pressing problem this town has is, there is no place ot park.
You have to ride the bus or take a cab.
You can't say, hey, I have got $20. I'm going out to have some fun here.
You need that to get where ever you are going, and it is going to take awhile for you to get there, and you are going to do a lot of walking. You will run into some pretty strange people on your trip. Its just not worth going out.
There are no convenient places to go (that I've found).

Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear that.
Enrique is such a great guy too. I learned a lot from him while I was in Orlando.
Give him my condolences.

Java. Java. JAVA!!! I bleed coffee these days!
Its rare when I do want a beer, and actually I wouldn't mind it if no one sold beer anywhere.
The world would be better place without it.
However, beer does seem to go nicely with a live band and a dance floor..
It would be great to go out dancing somewhere.
We just haven't found any place that has a  band, or a dance floor.
There is a Hooters across the lake that we haven't tried yet.

Its early in the morning here.
I wasn't feeling very good.(its probably just a nasty leftover from that terrible flu/cold)
Anyway, I woke up swetting and feeling unconfortable, and yucky in an overall kind of way.
Somewhere along the line, I decided having a beer wouldn't hurt.
Why not ? I've been curious about SEATTLE'S WILD NIGHTLIFE.
I went out at 2:40 am, and discovered something quite interesting.
There's a law in the state of Washington, that after 2 am (even on a Friday), you can't order a beer anywhere.
I guess thats a good idea, sort of, if you don't mind the government dictating your business hours.
Maybe its because I'm still a Las Vegan.
I liked being able to go out at 3 am, play some quarters and say howdy to the neighbors.
Maybe I assumed Seattle would be a lot like Louisville or Memphis.
But Seattle doesn't seem to have a night life district, unless you consider eating to be nightlife.
There really aren't any dance joints here to speak of. 
I haven't found any real amusement parks either.
There are no Six Flags, Universal Studios, Planet Hollywoods or Hard Rock Cafe's.
I can see now why they sell coffee on every street corner. Its too keep you from falling asleep everywhere.
I know how a lake the size of Lake Union can have a glass like water suface.
There's nothing happening in this state after 2 am !
So after 2 am, in Seattle, its lights out.
ITS THE LAW!

I see its SNOWING in Louisville...
Yeah!
Its a beautiful 47 degrees outside in Seattle. 
That feels warm to me these days.
Las Vegas is enjoying a brisk 63 degrees.
Its hot chocolate time in the desert.
Orlando seems to have the best of it all.
Its 72 degrees there.

A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00 am by a loud pounding on the door. 
The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.
"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3:00 in the morning!"
He slams the door and returns to bed.

"Who was that?" asked his wife.
"Just some drunken guy asking for a push," he answers.
"Did you help him?" she asks.
"No, I did not, it is 3:00 in the morning and it is pouring rain out there!"

"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife.
"Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us?"
"I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!"

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain.
He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?" "Yes," comes back the answer.
"Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband. "Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.
"Where are you?" asks the husband.

"Over here on the swing," replied the drunk.

[Click here - Game of Love
Tell me Just what you want me to be
One kiss,  And boom you're the only one for me
So please tell me
Why don't you come around no more
Cause right now I'm crying
Outside the door of your candy store

[Chorus]
It just takes a little bit of this A little bit of that.
It started with a kiss Now we we're up to bat
A little bit of laughs A little bit of pain,
I'm telling you, my babe It's all in the game of love....

..Is whatever you make it to be. Sunshine, set on this cold lonely sea
So please baby try and use me, for what I'm good for
It ain't sayin' goodbye, it's knocking, down the door, of your candy store

[Chorus] It's all in this game of love
You roll me, Control me, Console me, Please hold me
You guide me, Divide me, Into two...
[Guitar solo]
So please tell me why don't you come around no more
Cause right now I'm dying outside the door of your loving store

[Repeat Chorus]
It's all in this game of love. It's all in the game of love,Yeah, in the game of love
Roll me, Control me, Please hold me (Make me feel good, yeah) I'm out here on my own, On my own...

[Click Here - For Emily, whereever I may find here
What a dream I had dressed in organdy, clothed in crinoline of smoky burgundy
Softer than the rain
I wandered empty streets down past the shop displays.
I heard cathedral bells dripping down the alley ways
.as I walked on
And when you ran to me, your cheeks flushed with the night
we walked on frosted fields of juniper and lamplight
I held your hand
and when I awoke and felt you warm and near.
I kissed your honey hair, with my grateful tears
Oh, I love you, oh, I love you...girl.

[Click Here - Kathy's Song]
I hear the drizzle of the rain, like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing, tapping on my roof and walls

And from the shelter of my mind, through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets, to England where my heart lies

My mind's distracted and diffused, my thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're alseep, and kiss you when you start your day

And a song I was writing is left undone, I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe, with words that tear and strain to rhyme

And so you see I have come to doubt, all that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs, the only truth I know is you

And as I watch the drops of rain, weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain, there but for the grace of you, go I

[Click here - Talk Talk - It's my life]
It's funny how I find myself in love with you
If I could buy my reasoning I'd pay to lose. One half won't do.

I've asked myself how much do you commit yourself?
It's my life. Don't you forget! It's my life. It never ends.

Funny how I blind myself.
I never knew if I was sometimes played upon
and afraid to lose
I'd tell myself, what good do you do.
Convince myself, it's my life. Don't you forget. It's my life
It never ends.

I've asked myself how much do you commit yourself?
It's my life
Don't you forget!
Caught in the crowd, it never ends.

[Click Here] Nina - Let me be your pirate
It's time to take you with me, on all the seven seas
We'll sail until the end of time. The moon will keep us company

It's time to make the flight now. The skies are clear for take off
This longing has me calling your name. All our money's just to play this game

For you I do those crazy things
And I'd lay the world down at your feet
And I'd catch the falling stars from heaven
All this only to kiss you just one time

It's time to take you with me, down all the endless highways
We'll run until the end of time. The moon will keep us company.

[Click me-As I lay me down to sleep]

It felt like springtime on this February morning, in the courtyard birds were singing your praise
I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel alright, I carried them with me today, Now

As I lay me down to sleep, this I pray, that you will hold me dear
Though I'm far away, I'll whisper, your name into the sky and I will wake up happy

I wonder why I feel so high, though I am not above the sorrow
Heavy hearted, till you call my name, and it sounds like church bells or the whistle of a train
on a summer evening I'll run to meet you, barefoot, barely breathing

It's not too near for me, like a flower I need the rain, though it's not clear to me
Every season has it's change and I will see you when the sun comes out again

I wonder why...

when the sun comes out again....
I will wake up happy....
This I pray....

Since none of us were human before we got here, who cares?
Maybe the next dominant species will be flying jellyfish.
Wouldn't that be cool ! I had some jellyfish here the other night and they were very tasty!!!
I'm afraid if we ate enough of those guys, they might just decide to get even! So watch what you eat. It may end up hunting you down with people nets haha.
Strange humor from the dark side.
--- bwahahaha.

An old high school buddy passed away last Thursday. We lived near each other in Burna, Kenucky. Allen lived with me in Colorado Springs.
We kept in touch throughout the years.
We shared many of the same friends (and girlfriends, but not in a kinky way). He was a really cool guy who never quite got past the wild partying teenager stage.
Allen finally realized his dream
He wanted to be a Montana mountain man. He lived in a log cabin on a mountainside for a while. He loved the Colorado mountains, and he finally got to live the dream.
He died in Iowa and went out in flames, 
just like he had always wanted. His death made the headlines. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know he was set up to be a target of a swat team. He didn't have a criminal record, but he liked weapons. He tried to contact me. I missed it.
Have a good one Allen.
You can have your own mountain now. A lot of people out here miss you.
Your buddy for 36 years - Jim

You area missed a lot buddy.
From Debby
. ijust want to put that with his bible
thankyou.
chelsrose@hotmail.com