Well, goodness. Haven’t I been the quiet one this week. I’ve been wobbling around adapting to my new job, which is much less stressful and therefore oddly challenging … I think I’d become a bit of a junky hitting my stress pipe. I get off one bus stop earlier, and my walk to work takes me past this Seattle jewel, which I’ve known since I was a child but had still managed to forget about. It’s going to be great for lunch dates with Mr. Bento.

I’m also observing that there are bits of spring already making themselves known. Our pussywillow is starting to get its little, uh, budding pussies on its branches. The tulip tree across the street has the beginnings of buds starting to show. Even the trash in the dealers’ yard next door is starting to look a little greener! These things will have to tide me over for a couple weeks until mid-February, when Andreas and I are taking a long-planned late-winter-blah-beating trip to San Francisco. We’ll be staying in my aunties’ loft, visiting with Angelenos who are coming up for the weekend, and hooping with the freaks in town. We may even rent a car and drive north for some merryment, and I have a meeting planned with my book editor.

Typically, late February is when all the little incubating ideas in my head start making themselves known. The first of March rolls around and I start getting VERY VERY EXCITED about everything. I look forward to seeing if this year is like that.