Monday, June 27, 2005
Feeling My Loss
Walking around the University of Washington campus in the morning, I saw lots of classic, brick buildings lining open plazas with beautiful landscaping. The architecture had a European flavor. Dropped into the East Asian Library to check it out and to ask whether they teach Cantonese (they don't). The main library, which has at least 3 stories, was especially impressive. One large reference room was loaded with wood carvings and stained-glass windows. It looked more like a cathedral than a library. After walking around an hour or so, had lunch at a Vietnamese pho restaurant. The rice noodles with beef hit the spot and were a great value.
Back at the hotel, I asked X for a recommendation on where to go to see a good beach along Puget Sound. Judging from X's appearance, she was Asian and in her early 20s. But what I also noticed was the tremendous cleavage that X was showing. For me, this was pure torture. Two years ago, my wife lost both her breasts to breast cancer surgery (double mastectomy). It saved her life but took away one of the greatest pleasures in my life. Now, whenever I see a woman with beautiful breasts, especially one who resembles my wife (from Hong Kong), it reminds me of my loss and the first time that I kissed a woman's breasts. Sometimes, I get depressed wondering when I will have that pleasure again.
I'm glad I told X that I was willing to travel some distance to see a really good beach. Having grown up in Tacoma, about 50 minutes south of Seattle, she recommended a beach near her home town. Following the directions that X printed up for me, I found myself cruising along the shoreline road by Tacoma and Rushton, stopping to buy smoked salmon and halibut and enjoying beautiful views of Puget Sound. My destination was Point Defiance, an historic area of beaches and forests. After watching the ferry "Rhododendron" cross to nearby Vashon Island covered with trees and houses, I started to walk along the beach at the water's edge. The beach was long and clean with lots of shells, seaweed, and sealife (clams and jellyfish). Varying from small rocks to gravel to sand, the beach stretched for miles and gave beautiful, peaceful views of the dark blue water, forested islands, and winding passages of Puget Sound. Nearing the end of my beach walk (about 2-3 miles one way), I noticed that the beach was bordered by a tall, vertical cliff that appeared to be hard clay. Many lovers had carved their names into the cliff, which was at a particularly secluded, romantic, and scenic section of the beach. I couldn't help but wonder whether X had guided me to a special place that had romantic memories for her!
On the way back, driving through Tacoma and Federal Way, I admired beautiful homes, historic buildings, sawmills, and more spectacular coastal views along the way. Later in the evening, I ended up at an Italian restaurant (Mamma Melina's) recommended by the hotel staff. The place was still crowded near 9:00 p.m. However, the meal turned out to be a complete dud--non-descript pasta with bland sauce and not enough at that. With the good reviews and the staff's recommendation, I was expecting something much better. Oh, well, you can't win them all. ¶ 10:00 PM
Back at the hotel, I asked X for a recommendation on where to go to see a good beach along Puget Sound. Judging from X's appearance, she was Asian and in her early 20s. But what I also noticed was the tremendous cleavage that X was showing. For me, this was pure torture. Two years ago, my wife lost both her breasts to breast cancer surgery (double mastectomy). It saved her life but took away one of the greatest pleasures in my life. Now, whenever I see a woman with beautiful breasts, especially one who resembles my wife (from Hong Kong), it reminds me of my loss and the first time that I kissed a woman's breasts. Sometimes, I get depressed wondering when I will have that pleasure again.
I'm glad I told X that I was willing to travel some distance to see a really good beach. Having grown up in Tacoma, about 50 minutes south of Seattle, she recommended a beach near her home town. Following the directions that X printed up for me, I found myself cruising along the shoreline road by Tacoma and Rushton, stopping to buy smoked salmon and halibut and enjoying beautiful views of Puget Sound. My destination was Point Defiance, an historic area of beaches and forests. After watching the ferry "Rhododendron" cross to nearby Vashon Island covered with trees and houses, I started to walk along the beach at the water's edge. The beach was long and clean with lots of shells, seaweed, and sealife (clams and jellyfish). Varying from small rocks to gravel to sand, the beach stretched for miles and gave beautiful, peaceful views of the dark blue water, forested islands, and winding passages of Puget Sound. Nearing the end of my beach walk (about 2-3 miles one way), I noticed that the beach was bordered by a tall, vertical cliff that appeared to be hard clay. Many lovers had carved their names into the cliff, which was at a particularly secluded, romantic, and scenic section of the beach. I couldn't help but wonder whether X had guided me to a special place that had romantic memories for her!
On the way back, driving through Tacoma and Federal Way, I admired beautiful homes, historic buildings, sawmills, and more spectacular coastal views along the way. Later in the evening, I ended up at an Italian restaurant (Mamma Melina's) recommended by the hotel staff. The place was still crowded near 9:00 p.m. However, the meal turned out to be a complete dud--non-descript pasta with bland sauce and not enough at that. With the good reviews and the staff's recommendation, I was expecting something much better. Oh, well, you can't win them all. ¶ 10:00 PM
