Space Needle New Year

Me, shoulder leaning against wall, standing with empty beer glass (not mine, mind you) in one hand and bus tray in the other, bleary eyes peering through the window, over the lake and onto the Space Needle, fireworks issuing forth from its spindly top announcing to all that 2007 had finally arrived to our little piece of America. Where was I the first minute of the new year? The same place I had been the preceding minutes and hours before all eyes turned on the Space Needle, starting the 9th hour of an 11-hour shift at Ivars, the seafood restaurant I work at.

Finally, at a little after 2 a.m., I rode my bike home in the freezing cold. Attempting to heed the advice of one of the servers, I avoided the roads as much as possible for fear of being hit by some drunk driver. The climb up the hill to my residence was exhausting. But despite the exhaustion I rolled up my sleeves and breathed in the cool night air, letting its dew-laden tendrils grip the back of my throat as my lungs gasped for air. The climb up the hill has become the highlight of my journey home. It used to take me nearly 15 minutes to pedal from the base, which is located right in front of the Adobe software headquarters, to the Abbey. I can now do it in 7.

I have many more things I want to write you, many more things to say. But I am far too tired to share everything I have been thinking of over the last few days. I didn’t get much sleep last night and tomorrow morning school starts again, dark and early. I am going to attempt a sit-in in my own room for the rest of the evening. The lack of other voices helps me to recuperate much needed thought processing.

Happy New Year.