Sunday, May 30, 2010

Apartment Life; Spokane Style

I love spending time with my daughter; this time in Spokane, on her turf, in her new apartment. I am the visitor. But....I'm still her mother. Ha. Hmmm.

Her apartment is an extremely modest 2 bedroom in an old(er) development close to Gonzaga University where she graduated just three weeks ago today. Most of the tenants are students. She moved in after graduation and is sharing with a girlfriend, also a graduating senior. Laura has the apartment to herself for the summer because her roommate is spending these several months at home.

This afternoon and well into the evening I'll be on my own as Laura is babysitting; something I knew she had arranged before I decided to make the trip over for a visit. That's just fine with me. I'm always one to like a bit of "down time" when I can get on the computer, read a book, or just "be". So right now,I'm "being"and loving it. I've been out for a walk, had some snacks, drank a beer, and now am posting on the blog. Lovely.

Laura's apartment reminds me of my apartment in college; a bit worn down, sparsely furnished, with walls as thin as paper. I hear the tenants upstairs walking about with an irregularly irregular pattern; squeak, squeak, squeak. I also hear the bass on their music, "da dum, da dum da dum, dum". No dishwasher or disposal to be found here but well equipped with wireless internet, cable TV, and Tevo. Those last three must-haves hadn't even been invented when I lived in my dishwasher-less, disposal-less apartment decades ago.

The view out the living room and kitchen windows is dreary; the front parking lot and a gray wood paneled wall respectively. The view out the bedroom windows is even worse; another parking lot, carport style. The girls keep the blinds shut because there is literally nothing worth seeing. No green anywhere. I joked that she ought to purchase one of those huge Caribbean posters like this one and ask the manager if she could push pin it to the gray wall facing their kitchen window. That way, if the blinds were open they'd have a view of sorts.

Laura just called; her babysitting job is coming to a close and she'll be home soon. We might take in Sex and the City II or just hang out (although her roommate's TV gave out this weekend and that will limit options for entertainment). I'm more than happy to just read and be still but that's likely not going to fly with my daughter.

Till later!


Saturday, May 29, 2010

Memorial Weekend/Spokane Style

This past Friday I succumbed to a degree of impulsiveness, something probably quite good for me. I packed a carry-on bag Friday morning before heading to work and stowed it in the back of my car. Knowing that Laura would be alone and not on the job for the holiday weekend in Spokane and was begging for some company, I had told her Thursday night when we had our typical "text session" (no real words spoken by phone in this day in age) that I might either drive the 285 miles east or better yet, fly. By mid afternoon on Friday I still had no idea what I was going to do. Work was insane and there was no time for thought.

Long story short: at 4 PM I purchased a one way ticket (see how impulsive I am?) on a 7:30 PM flight to Spokane. By 8:45 PM, Laura had picked me up at the airport and we sped to Safeway to "buy food and snacks". Snacks would be a couple bottles of wine and a sampling of cheeses (the kind in the gourmet case). Laura has been saving her pennies; this feast was "on Mom". We headed back to her apartment (that's a separate post....great place because it reminds me of my first apartment....oh,what we put up with for the right price at the tender age of 22!).

Part of me wanted out of Seattle badly. Spokane sounded like a good place to be. I'm blessed to have my sister in town, holding down the "parental fort" (my Dad recently had day surgery and the general ongoing emotional needs of two nonagenarians remains significant). I was more than happy to surrender the "work" on to a sibling. Thanks, MM! I knew if hung out on Memorial Weekend in Sea-town, I'd be fretting and spinning about unable to read, garden, or pamper myself. I'd be cleaning the house. Sigh. No good. Much better to clean Laura's apartment in Spokane, I figured.

Laura and I had a fun first 24 hours together. Fodder for a followup post.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!