Life in Bum *&%$ Egypt

I was born and raised in Bellevue. I lived there for 39 years. I was used to all the affluence and slightly holier than thou attitude of the residents. Heck, I may have had a touch of it myself..... Totally unwarranted and misguided as I have never had any trace of the money most in Bellevue have but maybe I was a bit of an eastside snob.

I remember going to Seattle as a teenager with my best friend Beth and being good with it for about 3 hours but then needing my quiet eastside. There were no bums in Bellevue, no disaffected youth...that was allowed in public. The two places we went to gawk were Broadway and the Market. We tried to fit in and look unimpressed but eventually ran back to safe old Bellevue.

Well two years ago someone pulled me out of safe old Bellevue, Mark. I met him and he lived in Noth Bend...wha the f? No one lives in North Bend. It's so far...sigh. What's in North Bend? I resisted for months making him come to me. He finally put his foot down and made me start coming to him. It made sense. I had a roommate he didn't. At first I only would come out here on the weekend and then more and more.

It's different than Bellevue here. It's pretty strange actually. I was thinking about writing this blog while outside with Lola tonight having her last potty break of the day. In Bellevue when we would go out at night there were lights and sounds. Here it's absolutely silent and dark. If I shine my flashlight in any bush at any time I can see critter eyes shining back at me. They are there all the time. I don't know what they are but I learned to take Lola out on a leash at night otherwise she will take off running after noises.

In the morning we walk down the half mile road for Lola's first potty walk of the day.

This is what we usually see most winter mornings, Elk. They are HUGE! At first it was a little scary walking towards them....will they charge? Be angry? Lola was freaked! But we learned that if we keep walking they will politely step off the road into the bushes. You pass them by and can smell them and hear them waiting for you. If you look back you can see they will step back into the road after you pass. That never happened in Bellevue.

It's difficult to cook out here. I'm not all that adventurous but once in awhile I like to try something new. I made Beef Wellington for Mark but could I find Pate in North Bend? Nope. Veal for Jagerschnitzel? Nope. Agave nectar? Nah. Light and dark sesame oil? Uh uh. I could go on but you get the picture.

Which brings me to the other oddity. Everyone writes checks! Invariably I get behind someone in the grocery line who pulls out a checkbook and writes a check...huh? Hasn't the 21st century made it out here to the boonies?

So Lola and I aren't in Bellevue anymore but for as much as I never thought I'd leave I like it here.