You heard me right...I love them (and my job).

Yesterday I started composing an unhappy account of my treatment from scheduling. Unfortunately, my internet connection kept cutting out (that's a whole different unhappy account), so I was unable to tell the world how badly I am abused and envoke sympathy from across the blogosphere.

The complaint was accurate, well-written and I'm sure will be quite appropriate in the future, but right now, I LOVE SCHEDULING!

My trip isn't too exotic, but remember, this is my job, and I have a near-perfect working trip with a special bonus....I get to go home!

They called me at a respectable 9am for a 1pm check-in, so I wasn't too rushed (which is good because I was on the phone with Verizon tech-support for an hour this morning). It's a four-day trip, so that means lots of tax free per diem (the real way to make money), and it's worth over 25 flight hours.

Tonight I'm in Seattle.

It's right by the airport, but let me just say that if it looked like this right by EWR there would be a lot fewer Jersey jokes.

I went for a nice long walk, though I looked a little silly in my little summer polo dress, white sneakers and my uniform sweater (perhaps I packed a little too lightly, anticipating my Baltimore/ANNAPOLIS! layover tommorrow).

The landscape has so much texture and color. The trees are a mix of pointy firs and shaggy pines in every shade of green then spotted with the brightest pinks and white from flowering fruit trees and shrubs. The cloudy gray sky seems to make all the colors a little more intense, and because it is so hilly the view changes with almost every step.

It's still very early spring here. In the cool evening, I could see and smell woodsmoke drift from quite a few chimneys. In Maryland and New Jersey the lusty lilacs have been wide open and fragrant for weeks already, but here they are still dense buds, waiting for the right moment to burst. I wish I could be here when they open.

I took a ridiculous amount of pictures for a walk through SeaTac suburbia, but I was just so happy to be out in the fresh air, I wanted to capture it all. I even picked up pine cones and interesting leaves to press. I don't know if they'll make it into any of my art projects, but I have them should inspiration strike.

Sadly, this ancient computer in the Marriott lobby doesn't have a slot for my camera's memory card, so I can't share any of those pictures now. You'll just have to use your imagination.

May I add that the computer may be ancient, but this hotel is spectacular. It has a modern/rustic Northwestern feel and a gorgeous atrium filled with plants and good lighting. In fact, this Marriott is so gorgeous that Best Western Hotel Group is holding a corperate event here. Imagine that.

I will end for now and head back to my room to read while sipping a cup of delicous in-room Starbucks coffee.

This is Seattle after all.