As expected, my coffee intake has increased at least three-fold since arriving in Seattle on Wednesday evening. I’m perpetually caffeinated now — not that my state of consciousness in NYC isn’t usually thrown off-kilter by the country’s most dangerous legal stimulant, but I’m just sayin’, out here, fresh espresso (for better or worse) is a way of life. (Ha! Get it?! Fresh Espresso/fresh espresso — a way of life for better or worse?!…Uhh yeah, so anyway, moving on…)

The weather, thus far, hasn’t exactly been conducive to summer riding. In fact, I don’t think I’ve rolled down the window once yet in my 1984 Toyota 4WD wagon (the whip that I’m currently pushing [actually more like gently coaxing] through the city — thanks to my Lady’s parents for providing me with yet another reason to be self-conscious as I drive through Downtown, Fremont, and New Ballard).

Anyway, all this to say, it’s good to be back in The Town! Good to be gorging myself at breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe, good to be eating a Dick’s Deluxe with Bill Gates at 10:00 at night (no joke, he was really there at 45th Street on Wednesday), good to be sinking my teeth into a Paseo grilled pork sandwich yesterday afternoon. (There seems to be a theme developing here.)

And good, of course, to be back in the city where the hip-hop movement is as fresh and optimistic as a box of newborn kittens.

So, if you see an idiot in the front row at Yirim Seck’s album release party who seems to be on some sort of bad drug trip, don’t worry. That’s just over-caffeinated me, enjoying the realness.