Yesterday = Capitol Hill Exploration.
Capitol Hill is a bit of a contradiction for yours truly. It is an area of Seattle I enjoy thoroughly, but feel the least "at home." Not exactly welcome. But also not entirely rejected. Limbo - which I suppose is saying quite a lot since Capitol Hill is also Seattle's unofficial gay district.
But, bethatasitmay, the Five Midwesterners (Seattlites Zach and myself - along with Iowan visitors Sarah, Brett, and Marie) ventured over there after sleeping in WAY too long to see what Mischief we could stir up:
--Shopshopshop: Yes, it was the day-after-Thanksgiving. Thus, I was drawn by sales at Panache and Rado (don't worry; I'd saved up). The purchases at Panache were unexpected - David and I frequented that shop last summer when we were mere interns, enjoying its atmosphere. But, this was a shock to me, I was too fat for most of their clothes. I eventually had dubbed Panache the Anorexic Shop. David, having the metabolism we all lust after, and the spritely will to be seen in tight-fitting, oh-my-God-that's-almost-see-through clothing, had a ball there. I merely came along for the ride. But yesterday, lo-and-behold, I walked out with a shirt and a pair of jeans. Go figure. No - not see-through. My will is still sub-spritely at best, puppets.
--We also dragged the Midwesterners to a more "mature" shop - the well-hidden Crypt. I was drawn by the Matrixesque full-body leather coat. I may be gay, but Carrie-Anne Moss looked hot in that get-up (despite the slicked back hair). Sarah also insisted on a return visit to Toys in Babeland. Another no-kids shop. Always more hilarious than The Crypt. No, I didn't get anything noteworthy at either locale.
--Dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant. I swear, I'm in love with that waiter (hewillbemine!). Dessert at Dilletante's.
--Barsbarsbars!: Of course, after all that adventure, we couldn't leave behind the bars. After all, Zach and I are on a mission to convince Sarah to move here! I added a fourth bar to my list-of-Seattle-gay-bars-James-has-ventured-to-so-far (Hey! So I'm the slow guy in the class! Sue me. I'll be satisfied when the number of gay bars I've been to corresponds to the number of months I've lived here... only two more to go!). Started out at the Rosebud ("Oh, James... Gin and tonic? You're not even a law student... yet!" - Don't worry; I switched to beer later.), and moved later to Manray and R Place. I thought we were done, but no! It was time to introduce me to Neighbours! I did not dance at Neighbours (hadn't had enough to drink, after all), but resolved to return and do just that quite soon!
--Despite the gaybarbashing I'm capable of (and, hell, famous for), I really did find myself having fun last night. Maybe I was just in good company. Or maybe I am lightening up. It was also quite an ego boost to catch a few guys staring at me. (Yes, damnit, that is a good thing.) Showed me that I'm not entirely past my prime as a dumpy, poorly-attired, over-read, 23-year-old Midwesterner-turned-Seattlite. Maybe I indeed CAN get along in this city and "be accepted by 'my own people' someday" - so to speak.
Boomboomboom. Today: downtown and stuff.
Posted by James at November 29, 2003 12:19 PM