It's Friday again!

And thank goodness, I feel like I have finally turned a corner. Ok, so maybe, took a curve on a windy mountain road, is a more apt description. But either way, things are starting to develop a bit more in Seattle. Sure, I still get homesick for Portland, but I am no longer at that point where I can’t even help but wallow about my situation. Instead! I am at that point where I have identified all my sources of unease, admitted and dealt with the fact that I am sometimes less than happy about this situation, and have started looking for ways to make the most of it instead of focusing on the fact that it’s hard or not ideal, or whatever. Really, even though it’s hard, I know it’s right. And maybe I’d go so far to say I know it’s right because it’s hard.

What is no longer hard is finding new things to occupy my time with. Yesterday, Bernadette gave me 3 new books to read. All delightful summer reading: The Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton biography, Furious Love; Andre Agassi’s autobiography; and some other book about a Jewish family sitting Shiva after the death of their father/husband/brother/uncle/what-have-you.

I am also going to check out that ranch today – the one that leases horses. Whooo! I am not sure on the details, like, what leasing a horse for $40 a ride actually gets me, but I do know that I am crazy excited at the prospect of having my own horse to ride every week.

I also ran across an article in the Seattle Times today about a dance studio downtown that has reasonably priced drop-in dance classes available. I am so in. I’ve always wanted to take dance classes – so watch out world.

And of course to do all of these new things, I need money, which! Will happen on August 10. First paycheck. If that is not a morale boost, motivation, and incentive to keep on keepin on, than I don’t know what is. To have money after not having money for so long is pretty unfathomable. First order of business, taking my very patient and supportive boyfriend to a Mariner’s game. Then I take my ladies out to get cocktails and pedicures – drinks on me. Then I take the burden off of my overworked mother and for the first time in a long time, pay my bills and then some. Dim sum? Yes, I can buy that too.

So, fear not faithful readers. My temporary tryst in Seattle is burgeoning into a nice, little, happy space in my brain. It’s been a slow and demanding (sorry and thanks to those who consistently quell my anxiety!) road, but I am making the turns one by one, and I expect, at the end of it all, life will, for at least awhile, feel like the equivalent of cruising down a Montana freeway, complete with lovely scenery – curvy mountain roads far off in the distance.