Oh, the raindrops...

I've never been to the Pacific Northwest before, and I have really been looking forward to coming to Seattle. Seattle has always interested to me, having grown up in the grunge rock era, and also because I find that double t next to the l so appealing. Seattle. I could just spell it all day!

So far it's been alot like what I was expecting. When I arrived, Pearl Jam was playing on the radio, and it was...raining! I know, huge surprise, it's the rain forest. Driving in the rain is such a pain, because I can never get the windshield wiper speed just right. Too fast and it squeaks, too slow and you can't see. It completely distracts me. But residents say the beautiful mountains and the ocean make it worth the rainy climate, and I can see that.

Anyway, enough of this gripping weather report. On Thursday afternoon I drove from Missoula into Seattle, well actually Duvall, where my cousin Kristen and her husband Jim live with their four children. When I was 14, I was a junior bridesmaid in Kristen's wedding, and it's really cool to see her and Jim now almost 15 years later as parents. I'm blessed to come from a family of very competent women, and Kristen is no exception. She's totally on top of things, and Jim's no slouch, either! I know some readers of this blog will be happy to know that two of my young cousins are redheads :) As soon as I got here, I was pulled into a high-stakes game of hide and seek, and this afternoon we had a rousing game of "Katie Says." I'm hoping the novelty doesn't wear off on that one...for them!

Yesterday I had an interview in Everett with Bill O'Neil, a 1946 grad who was a track and field All-American and just recently returned from his 23rd trip to Ireland. He and his wife prepared a nice lunch for me, and she left us alone to talk Notre Dame. Bill had lived in my dorm (yea, BP!) for a year, so we had lots to talk about. Afterward I drove up to Vancouver to see Zack and Beatrice, friends from Portland and fellow Salties who moved out here for grad school. There was a LONG wait at the border, but it was definitely worth it! We went out to dinner at a hip little restaurant in their neighborhood, then went for a driving tour of the city. I heard on the radio that Vancouver is Canada's second most polite city (I saw a bus that said, "Sorry, out of service!" I mean, seriously, how often does public transportation apologize for letting you down?), and it is also home to a clock that runs off of the steam that in other cities just comes up through vents in the sidewalk. At one point we got stuck on what appeared to be an inescapable loop, but that was just an opportunity for Zack to solidify his status as my most patient friend. The thing is that in Canada, the signs are a little confusing, plus Bea and I were laughing too hard to be much help. This morning, we woke up and recited the Pledge of Allegiance—they like to keep it patriotic :)—then ate oatmeal for breakfast and talked politics, urban planning and documentaries. One of my newest paranoias (when do I not worry?) is that I'm not asking the right questions, and when I get to the end of all of this, I'll wish I had done all the interviews differently. But Bea very diplomatically pointed out that at the end of the day, I'll have what I have, and I'll make it work. That may sound obvious, but it's nice to hear. Despite the long drive, it was a very relaxing visit—thanks, guys!

Tonight, I'm doing laundry and indulging my inner old man...hoping to get to bed by 9! :)