Dating Seattle

No, that wasn't a misprinted title- not Dating IN Seattle, or Dating: Seattle, just dating Seattle, as in, my rekindled love for this awesome place.

 So about three weeks ago, I decided I wanted to go on some dates. Now, I'm a reasonably attractive woman with my own job, car and condo (albeit on the other coast), but I work in an ER. Which, for those of you familiar with Gray's Anatomy, bears very little, if any, resemblance to the TV show. Yes, there are adorable interns, but they are on average, 6 years younger than me, and in a very different "life place." And there are cute attendings, but by and large, the cute ones are married and unavailable. My patients are all, well, VERY SICK, and uniformly old. So, that leaves me NOT LIKELY to find love (or even a date!) at work.

 Therefore, I decided to join A Reputable Dating Website, because I'd had some friends and family members that have had luck with online dating, and I've met a few boyfriends that way. So I decided, well, I'm in a new city, I'm happy with where I am, so maybe I'll meet some guys, go on some dates, seems like a good idea!

 Basically, it has ended before it really begun. I'd met a very nice guy, an engineer (not really, but I'm changing his occupation for safety's sake, just in case there are people outside my family that ready this blog, which is unlikely, but still!), and made plans to meet up with him. But then last week, my roommate asked if I wanted to go to quiz nightr (which I did), so I canceled the date with the guy and rescheduled for this Friday. ....Buuut this Friday, it turns out there is a hash run, and I REALLY want to get into hashing here, and I wouldn't be able to both do the hash run and the date....so I canceled the date. Again. Obviously it wasn't him, it was me, especially as I haven't MET him.

 So I decided I'm going to just date Seattle for a while, and see what happens. I am still so excited to live here, and to meet people that also live here, and to have fun in this city. If I meet someone to hang out with while dating Seattle, great. And if not, I can always go online again. :)

Roommates

One of the nicest things about my new life in Seattle has been my roommates.

 I came here after having bought my own condo, and thinking that I wanted to live alone for the remainder of my single life (however long that may be!). After a long, tough look at my finances, which included needing to be responsible and able to pay for both my mortgage on my Maryland condo and rent in Seattle, I realized that it wasn't financially feasible to live alone.

 I had, of course, a few moments of sniveling  where I shook my fist at the gods and raged about how UNFAIR it was that I was on one income while most of my friends were finally getting ahead and moving forward and taking great vacations on TWO incomes- HALF my expenses.

 Then I remembered/realized that my life is my choice, and I have chosen the life I lead, and sniveling just makes you feel whiny and stupid and besides, it makes your nose red and raw. :) So I re-thought my plan and set about looking for a good house, that allowed dogs, with people that were live-with-able.

 I visited a few places, but fell in love with a house in the Ravenna neighborhood that allowed dogs and was less than two miles from work- totally commutable! Great neighborhood! Super cute AND within easy walking distance of the U Village and the Burke Gilman!!

 After interviews, applications, prayers and the kindness of some marvelous friends that let me live with them during a 2 week interim period, I moved into the Ravenna house.

 And it has been wonderful. The house was built in the 1920s, and is large and lived in and has a dignity that a suburban tract home will never have. Of course, it is also hard to heat and the high ceilings are a magnet for spiders' webs, but easy come, easy go!

 My roommates and their dogs have made this house my home. "Sean" is a former military special forces who was wounded, honorably discharged and completing a degree at a private university here in Seattle. His dog Charlie is a 1.5 year old border collie who is unbelievably hyper and sweet and also super cuddly, which is nice since The Dog isn't, really, you know, a cuddler. I take The Dog and Charlie running and they match colors, both being black and white, which makes people smile at them and me smile at people and them and run a little bit farther each day! Charlie has boundless energy and LOVES Sean. Sean has a very quick wit and the silver tongue of the Irish- loves telling stories and tells them well. We can sit and talk for an hour or two about nothing at all, or very serious topics and not know the time is gone. Additionally, he is very charismatic and appears to be quite lucky with the ladies!

"Paul" is a Julliard graduate who has lived in the house for quite a while and is the glue that keeps that house together. He's a hiker, plays soccer, and is a confirmed bachelor who spends time travelling internationally and domestically when he isn't working here in the Seattle area. He's unfailingly kind, thoughtful and fond of puns and political discussion. His dog, Pythias, is a husky/shepherd mix who is sweet and SO vocal- he howls in delight when one of the "pack" comes  home, delights in bones, and is strangely addicted to paper of any kind- paper towels, receipts, toilet paper rolls- he eats it like candy and appears devastated when some of his hard-earned treats are taken away!

 They've made me feel at home right away, and I'm so lucky to have become roommates and friends with such good people in such a short time. Thank goodness for Craigslist and serendipity!