On Finally Visiting “The Mountain”
September 2, 2022
I used to imagine myself sitting on my deck and taking in an amazing view of the “Rocky F$@%ing Mountains.”
It was just a joke. I had no intention of making it happen. Looking back, I did go to Denver for a job interview in my early days (“salad days???”), but that played no role in my imagination.
Fast forward many years, and we’ve moved to Tacoma, WA, for my new job with Tacoma Power. We’re house-hunting again. We made a last-minute offer for a house we liked but lost out to higher bidders. So now we had to get serious about this house-hunting thing.
We finally identified a house that worked for us (not too big, nice neighborhood, good value, etc., etc., etc., yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah). Before making an offer, I suggested we look at the other homes on our list, just in case.
I’m in the office when my iPhone buzzes. “Can you come right now to see this house?” “I’m working right now. Can I come later today or tomorrow?” There was a sense of urgency in her voice, so I said, “I’m on my way.”
GPS is fantastic, by the way, and I made it to the correct address. I drove up the driveway and parked. I went up the front stairs (which are actually in the back?), and my wife started showing me around. She took me out on the deck, and there it was. Mount Rainier was out, in all her splendor. We could see some other mountains in the Cascade range, but “The Mountain” was, well, splendiferous!
We weren’t looking for a “view home,” but the house was perfect for us in so many ways. We put in an offer, closed in a few weeks, and moved in after some renovations. It’s been a great place to live for the last 9+ years.
Fast forward to yesterday. We drove to The Mountain for the first time. Great seeing it up close and personal, not just through zooming in with my camera.
There it is. Not the “Rocky _F$@%ing Mountains,” but superb in other respects. My wife has always loved living near the water, at least within driving distance of an ocean. The Rockies wouldn’t have been suitable for us, but we have a view of Commencement Bay and can drive to the Pacific Ocean whenever we want. Maybe that’ll be our next day trip?
Takeaways
Sometimes what we imagine comes true in another form. It’s all good!
The Mountain is hiding behind the haze today, presenting perhaps the #1 lesson of living in the Great PNW: Take advantage of the excellent weather now because you never know when it’ll be good again!
The same idea applies in other realms. For example, go to that jam session because you never know when the next opportunity to play music with others will come around again. #lessonlearned and #workingonit!!!
Better late than never! I'll bet you go back!