Jimmy and I go for Coffee on Cinco de Mayo

Being on the 5th floor of an historic building that faces Elliot Bay, you expect a nice breeze most days. Today I woke up to whistling wind and rain battering the apartment windows. By 9am, Pike Place Market, usually bustling with vendors setting up their booths for the day, looked dead. I'm sure the inside booths will be in full swing by 10:30 or so as usual, jam packed with tourists- what better thing to do on a dreary day like this?

I spy on the market visitors to determine how I will dress for the day. Hmmmm, are most people wearing jackets and hats, jeans and t-shirts or shorts and tank tops? The weather varies like that on a daily basis and sometimes my "weather dude" who hangs in the kitchen gets it all wrong. Today he says it's 50 degrees, he is dressed in long pants and long-sleeved shirt...and his sun is shining. No umbrella. Does he somehow knows he's in Seattle? When I moved here people said locals didn't carry umbrellas but that's not entirely true. On days like this you definitely need one, but most Seattle rainy days are on and off spits and sputters between sun breaks. A hat is a better choice, especially downtown where an umbrella can be a nightmare to maneuver on the busy sidewalks.

I got another compliment on my Jimmy Carter coffee mug today (a gift from my brother who was going to sell it on craigslist until I saw it and HAD to have it) down at Caffe' Lieto. Everyone loves Jimmy with his peanutty patina and cheery smile! Got my cafe americano and stepped outside to people watch for just a few minutes before getting to work on my job search for the day and writing this post.

WAIT! Whaaat? Does that Asian woman walking toward me on the sidewalk in rolled-up designer skinny jeans, high heeled Jimmy Choo's, a Louis Vuitton on one arm and a Coach on the other have rabies? She's foaming at the mouth! Oh my God, this is weird and a little scary...ohhhh, OK, she's just brushing her teeth...and spitting the foam out on the sidewalk right in front of the entrance to my building. OK, that's all it was. Not weird at all.

Permanent Vacation/ Caffe' Lieto

I haven't quite gotten over the feeling I'm on holiday since moving downtown. There are such a wide variety of things to do within a four block radius of my apartment that it is sometimes overwhelming! Today, I decided to create this blog and consolidate all my networking sites and links into my google account. No need to get showered or dressed up for that. I threw on some wrinkled pants, a shirt and scarf, smoothed down my bedhead and grabbed a clean coffee cup out of the cupboard. Took the stairs down to my favorite coffee shop, Caffe' Lieto*, ordered the best Cafe Americano in Seattle from the proprietess, Rena, and stepped outside to light up a smoke.

The sidewalk had a steady stream of commuters and my crazy appearance didn't rate a second look from any of them. Saw a guy with 1960's polyester Beatle's-style pants, a striped cable knit sweater and a hipster briefcase (a manpurse that holds your laptop); the homeless dude that stands in the phone booth across the street all day was at his post; a man was observing his unleashed pitbull pee on the corner of the building; a pair of tourists were looking confusedly at the "pay to park" machine. Good morning, Seattle.
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*Caffe' Lieto is near the corner of 1st and Stewart. Local art is displayed (and for sale) on the walls and there is a comfy sofa and window seats with pillows so you can sit and people watch onto 1st Avenue. Outdoor seating is available on the 1st Ave. sidewalk. There are several computers with internet access available for 15 minutes free with purchase and a small fee thereafter, or you can use the wi-fi. Espresso is the specialty, I don't believe I've ever seen a drip coffee sold here although I'm sure it's delicious also. Rena offers all the traditional espresso drinks at more affordable prices (12 oz Americano- $1.80) than the chain coffee shops and with a more personal touch. Introduce yourself and she'll greet you by name next time you stop in. Bakery items from a local bakery are delivered daily- try the humongous Banana Blueberry Vegan Cookie- a meal in itself that tastes like dense banana bread with fresh blueberries baked on top. Yummy! Rena offers a variety of ready-made sandwiches: Turkey, Tuna Melt, Club, Caprese, Reuben, etc.($6.90) that can be grilled on the panini press for a quick lunch option. Salads are a winner too; fresh, generously sized and priced right at $5 or less.