I got to go play in Seattle this weekend! All alone! Well, with friends- but as me, Tracy, not as a mama! It was marvelous. I’m tired, but it was soooo worth it.

Seattle is a spectacular city. I love it almost as much as I love San Francisco- and I didn’t realize it until I was driving downtown on Friday headed to my friend’s house in Magnolia. I’ve known for years that San Francisco was in my blood- but I hadn’t actually realized how much I have come to love Seattle in my nearly 9 years up here in the Pacific Northwest. When I’m done with grad school, Seattle is definitely on the short-list of places to consider moving.

Korean food rocks! My friends took me to a Korean joint they love, and I was introduced to bebimbap and kimchee- and fell squarely and immediately in love. I did have to wrestle my bowl of kimchee from Aaron Brown- if you know him, that makes sense- lest he snarf it all down, but other than having to growl at AB, it was a simply fantastic meal, and the company was stellar. Bebimbap may be one of my new most favorite foods on the planet.

I gave a talk and was on a panel on LDS families in Bellevue on Saturday.

Trader Joes! Oh yes, I did. You know I came home with several bags of awesomeness from TJ’s. How sad is it when your list of things to do in the city involve a grocery store? Pathetic, I know. But still, it was fun, and I took Mo. We cracked lame jokes and goofed off and had fun with the checkers. This is what happens with women with children get out alone after dark…

You ever have a friend who just gets you? Who can say things no one else could pull off, convey a million lines with a look, and love you completely? I’m really lucky that way… Speaking of Mo, I got to spend Saturday night at her new house in the Seattle suburbs. It was so good to see her- she told me I looked like a hippie chick, all blond and long-haired- I didn’t realize it had been so long since we’d seen each other- but I suppose it has. She, of course, looked spectacular. Her new house, neighborhood and job are suiting her and we stayed up waaaay too late talking and watching some dumb movie. And texting each other while sitting on the couch together. We rock.

Also speaking of Mo, she took me out and bought me a steak. My first steak. There will be a post.

When the Mo family headed off to church Sunday morning, I packed up my groceries and headed back home. I live a few hours away, but the weather was nice, and my iPod was now fully charged. I am not ashamed to admit that my playlist was Lady Gaga, The Steeldrivers, Jay Z and Soundgarden… Yeah, I know. Weird. But ever since Jon Stewart gave the shout out at his rally to Mormons who like Jay Z, I’ve decided to come out of the closet.

A mostly uneventful trip turned kind of panicky-exciting when I was almost home. Bopping along the freeway, all of the sudden my engine light came on, my battery light came on, and OH LOOK, my STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES are NOT WORKING!!! Not good in a 6300 pound Suburban.  Mercifully I saw the Mythbusters on this, and did not panic. Okay, maybe my heart fluttered a little bit- but I knew if I just coasted off the ramp- which was mercifully near, straight and long (thank you Lord!)- I could handle this. I careened into a service station and rolled to a stop. Popping the hood, it was immediately clear that OH CRAP that looks bad!! A long and winding strap thing was chewed up and all over my engine. (Here is where I missed having a husband to call.) Instead, a very kind man at the station offered to help me, and explained that it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and if he drove me down the street to the Schucks, we could buy a new belt thingy, and he would put it on for me. That’s exactly what he did, too. And I was only two hours late picking up my children. The kindness of strangers, sometimes, is the answer to a prayer.

My friend who watched my kids took seven kids to church today all by herself. I know. I have the best freaking friends on the planet.