Montlake and Ballard

Summer's been rude to me most of the day. Plus, I nearly tripped on the ancient birkenstocks she left near my computer. Tripping could be a disaster since my left achille's is only partially healed. It's almost like she could tell my mood was too good.  Eric's trying to help too. If I was a flamenco dancer, he would tamp me into early retirement with his plain vanilla expectations.

But, I'm happy to report to my kind reader that nothing worked. My day was excellent.  After a quick swim at the Y, I surprised Eric, his mom, and her cousin (Joan)  by arriving home 10 minutes before our scheduled departure. I got to drink black coffee while  Joan drank her hot chocolate and chattered cheerfully about her excellent health. Then Eric and I dropped Joan and Carol on Fun Center Way (I'm not kidding) where they boarded a bus headed for Vancouver BC where they'll board a Holland America Cruise to Alaska. The two women are first cousins, best friends, and newly widowed.  I wanted to jump on the bus too but my vanilla husband is actually better than a cruise.

Rocking chairs on the driveway were the next stop. Eric and I planned our upcoming camping trip while we waited for Summer to wake up.  Then I biked to the Kirkland Park and Ride. Almost anything is exciting when you're waiting for a bus. I was very happy to see my beautiful 19 year old daughter ride up, smiling under her snow white helmet.

Almost as soon as you enter the University of Washington district, you join a stream of bikers that likely annoys cars and may even encourage them to drive elsewhere. We easily glided over the Montlake bridge and onto the Burke Gilman Trail. On our left, the medical school provided a massive and reassuring presence.  On our right, we caught  glimpses of the Gothic buildings and manicured lawns of campus. Peace Park, the industrial side of Lake Union and the edge of Gasworks park were stepping stones to my favorite part of the trail.  The huge metal trellis of the Aurora Bridge soars over the Washington Ship canal which connects Lake Union with Puget Sound. A tiny pocket of house boats is close enough to touch and a happy statue sits next to the water watching bikers, walkers and strollers. The trail curves to stay close to the water. I stopped to wait for Summer while the Fremont bridge was up to allow The Harmony and a few sailboats to pass.


"Did you see the yacht called Harmony?"  I yelled to Summer as she blew past me.
"I don't even know what a yacht looks like," was the reply I could barely hear. The next time she was unlucky  enough to be next to me, she asked where we were going.
"That's helpful," she said sarcastically before leaving in the dust. 
I told her everything I knew. We were headed to Ballard.

Six months ago, Lauren told me she wanted to live in a place with community. My cynical brain started wailing about how there used to be small towns where people knew and cared about each other. Well, there still are places like Clatskanie, Oregon but try getting a job in one of those. Luckily years of training from my husband taught me to keep those dark thoughts to myself.

And Voila!  Lauren went out into the neighborhoods and found Ballard!  Bright flags and the smell of hot dogs announced our arrival to the Ballard Farmer's market. Summer promptly disappeared amongst the stalls while my bike and I entered the lobby of the Ballard Inn through an open door. When an attendant caught me map reading  on a comfy black and white couch, she said I could stay all day. Happy with that, I left to explore the Olympic Athletic Club.

"Come explore with me!"  Summer called on my cell. I was so excited, I left my boot and bike and we found home made sodas (I chose cilantro, lime, and Jalepeno pepper flavor), soaps, men's and women's hats, and a vintage clothing store.  Eventually, the traffic released Lauren and Eric into our midst and we quickly bought fresh veggie quesadillas and magical ointment before the stalls closed at 3 PM and a convoy of vans chased the pedestrians to the sidewalks.   The farmer's market was so fun, I almost forgot the original mission:  see Lauren's new apartment.

We stuttered along on bike and feet passing ice cream shops, sushi joints, and pubs with microbrew. Lauren was irritated by our touristy over appreciation of her neighborhood and wanted us to hurry. I saw a big shiny apartment building.

"You can live there after you get a raise, Lauren!"
"Absolutely not."  She dismissed my silly idea. "I saw a bumper sticker that said Ballard welcomes the Condo Overlords. " She went on to explain that established Ballardites like herself (she hasn't moved in yet but she will on Saturday), don't want new people flooding in. 

We all poured into the library near her home. In spite of the soaring wood and metal construction, it was welcoming and filled to capacity. Summer plunked down in seats strictly reserved for teens and smiled smugly at her old sister and parents who had to stand.  Next we passed a community garden with a handwritten sign on a checkered background.  Neighborhood barbeque, EVERY Wednesday, 6:30 to dark, Everyone welcome. 
"Will you go?"  I asked Lauren.
"No." I could have predicted her answer. She's concise. She likes to write about people  but would rather not mingle with the general public.

I got way ahead of Summer while on the Burke Gilman trail headed back to the bus. But  a phone call from Emily stopped me. "Please come!  she said.  I cleaned up and the tea kettle is waiting for you."  Summer grunted her consent. We arrived at Emily and Lauren's apartment to find a vacuum cleaner exhausted after an unsuccessful attempt to clean up after Emmy's precious little dogs. But Emily's cheer and hot tea made it all worthwhile.  Lauren even came out of her bedroom retreat to join the party. Both girls would move out in six days and I savored one last time under their joint hospitality.

Summer can't wait to return to college in a few days. I loved having her home. She's the one member of my family that shares my love for bike trails. When she's 2,850 miles away, she'll have loving thoughts about me too. Summer and Eric's TV shows are nearly over now, so I'm going to sign off and act normal.