A couple of days ago I had the chance to experience Seattle in the most classic sense. At least in the stereotypical image that I have in my mind. I had to get out of the apartment and be somewhere that didn't have boxes pilled up. My first thought, a coffee shop.
I found a local Starbucks - there were just a few to choose from - and headed out with my laptop. Did you know that I have only really known what I've ordered at a Starbucks about 10% of the time? It's hard to be surprised with black coffee. The rest of the time I look at the menu and say something to the teenager behind the counter. I'm meet with a blank look and then a question. I either agree with what they asked or answer the first thing that I can see on the menu and I'm rewarded with a surprise. This day was no different. I went in this cool, overcast day in April and ordered what I thought would be a hot drink with carmel flavoring. Sounds good, right. Somehow I ended up with an iced Frappuccino. I suppose it could be a great number of personal hangups that prevents me from yelling at the young person behind the counter, "NO! That is not what I wanted. I wanted something hot to drink." Whatever it is, I quietly said thanks and headed for the comfy chair in the corner.
I pulled out my laptop and connected to the wireless. I use to rest easy with the fact that the only wireless signals passing through my body on a daily basis were from my own network. I was able to blissfully ignore the superstitions in the back of my head that said all this "wireless stuff" causes cancer. I'm going to have to work harder to ignore that. I found 10 wireless networks showing up with most of them encrypted. Ten! I thought it was getting crowded back in Dodgeville when I saw three networks show up in my neighborhood. Even now I'm sitting in my apartment while "HonkerBurger10x" and seven other networks pass through my body carrying who knows what kind of data. Oh well, I know where I'm going. Connected to the Starbucks' wireless network I settled into my cozy chair with my jacket behind me and my ice cold carmel light Frappuccino.
One iced drink later I finally look up from my laptop to see the overcast skies had produced a steady rain. From where I was sitting I could see some of Yarrow Bay (for those of you not familiar with the area, like me, it's a body of water), boats in the distance, grey clouds, rain, and Starbucks. It dawned on me then just what a perfect Seattle day this was.
