Day 4

By the time I left my house today, a belligerent, dark storm cloud had begun to harass the blue sky. 

On my swing around Greenlake, there is a group of geese marching across the street, and I have to swerve to avoid them. They weren't even in the crosswalk. The lead goose shoots me an indignant look as I zoom past. Hey, use the crosswalk next time, or better yet, just fly across the street; you're a bird! 

Just after 4 I am at Mighty O. The girl behind the counter recognizes me and says, "I'll see if they're done with it", meaning the donation of 2 dozen donuts. She goes into the back, then returns. "One of these days," she says. It's not quite ready. The sun is struggling to maintain a happy face as the big, angry cloud punches it in shoulder. The donuts are ready, and she says, "We ran out of lemon ones." That is perfectly okay. It's kind of like saying "For your sixteenth birthday, we got you a Lexus, but it's not blue." 

Top Pot is ready and I'm back at KEXP, a building that is now painted in just the faintest fresh coat of familiarity. I grab some pizza and a donut, but there's really no place to idly eat, save the front lobby. 

Last task of the day is to pick up dinner. The donation is coming from this place in downtown called Wild Ginger, which I have never been to; all I have is the intersection. It is getting dark and there is much traffic; many cars are executing the daily dusk ballet, slipping briskly out of subterranean parking garages. I circle the block several times looking for Wild Ginger, not finding it. Finally I park and search for the place on foot. Then it starts raining. I'm staring at the place where it should be, but I don't see it. I'm walking by a window when I look in and see a fancy restaurant. I look above me and there is a tiny, unilluminated sign that says 'Wild Ginger'. Very easy to miss. They have a giant box of dinner waiting and I put it in the van. 

Back at KEXP I grab some if the food I've just delivered. It is Chinese, sort of - it's spring rolls and rice and noodles - but it isn't quite right. It's not bad, it just tastes kind of antiseptic, like it was concocted by robots, without any human involvement. It lacks that human touch.