Out and about in Bellevue

It was sunny in Bellevue all day, the kind of bright, crisp day that could make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.

Well, maybe not that crisp. Certainly less hot and sweaty than New York last week, although the downside was that the sun was so bright at lunchtime that I staggered like a blinded bug across the gleaming white concrete of the sidewalk. I was too blind to attempt the Potbelly Sandwich Shop (and also chary that it was named after a disfigurement brought on by too much eating) so I wandered in ever decreasing circles until I happened upon a bagel shop almost adjacent to the office.

There are lots of people in Bellevue with t-shirts with the Bing logo on them. There are fewer people with visible tattoos, fixed gear bicycles or cigarettes. From this I conclude Washington is healthier but possibly less exciting than New York State. If the most you can pledge allegiance to is a search engine, I don't think you're getting excited enough.

The beautiful day was wasted on me as I had to sit inside and work, but this evening I met with one of my oldest and dearest friends from Hong Kong, a lady responsible for launching me on my 'career' in comedy, as she was the one who went with me to the comedy club in Hong Kong back in the mists of 2008, before I'd ever stood on stage and tried to make people laugh. Before I'd ever gone to China and watched a misguided attempt to form a human pyramid as part of a team-bonding exercise too, but that's quite a different story.

It was great to catch up with her and meet her boyfriend, a robust and cheery type. I gabbled at them about Hong Kong and Canada and marriage, and then we went to eat pizza, possibly ill-advised pizza, as I don't think my body is yet prepared to consume vast quantities of cheese. I mean, I managed a large amount in a pizza shop frequented by Secret Servicemen last week, but no such luck tonight. I've spent the last two hours sitting discontentedly in my hotel room, rubbing my stomach and feeling rotten. Damn you, overly mushroomy pizza!

We hadn't seen each other since 2010, so there was a lot of catching up to do, what with changing countries, jobs, (in my case) marital status and whatnot. Then, too early it was time for them to head off, and for me to go to the hotel and delete emails. It's not all glamour in this job, you know.