Inside

Dear Diary,

Today's yet another day of no news.  In Burke-Gilman Playground Park everything worked, the restroom opened soon after 7:30 A.M.  In lower Ravenna Park the restroom was open, the water fountain not running; in upper Ravenna Park the restroom was locked, the water fountain running.  So no, I didn't look at any more.

Dear Diary, you aren't going to get much longer.  I'd love it if, when your last page was written, every restroom was unlocked and every water fountain worked, but I don't think that would be a smart way to bet any more.  There is, however, another possible happy ending.

In normal times, I spend most of my waking hours in Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington.  A librarian there once said to me, "You know, you get a lot of free stuff from this library."  She didn't sound like she believed what she was saying - that is, she sounded like she thought I didn't know.  Oh, but I did, and do now.  Let me count the ways...

Running water.  Your main topic, dear Diary.  I prefer being inside because of this above all.  All I have to do to appreciate what a great gift this is, is remember my first Christmas homeless, huddled in my sleeping bag, fasting, begging for a bar's restroom by evening's end anyway...

Protection from vermin.  This is one I tend to genuinely appreciate a little less than I should.  Every summer some house flies get into the buildings I frequent and I get cranky.  But outside?  The biggest rats I've ever seen are those I've seen these last weeks.  Many kinds of insects, and some birds, also pay attention to me and to my food.  It's nerve-racking.

Shelter.  It's much, much easier to avoid both sun and rain indoors.  Well, duh; that's what buildings are centrally for.  EDIT:  Oh, and this week of all weeks, how could I have forgotten about the wind?

Electricity.  Yes, some public buildings restrict use of their indoor electricity, but they all restrict their outdoor power.  I have to break the law every time I charge the phone I write you on, dear Diary.  And as a consequence of this one,

Computers.  This may sound library-specific, but no, the reason I'm not using a laptop right now is that I have no way to charge it.

Research materials.  OK, this one is library-specific.  How different would you be, dear Diary, if I could just look up the history of Magnuson Park?

Temperature control.  When I tell people that I prefer to stay inside, this is always their first thought.  Well, no, I was raised in Wisconsin by a dedicated Scout leader who believed in winter camping; I don't need buildings to stay warm.  They sure do help, though.

Books.  This is the first thought of everyone I tell that I spend most of my time in libraries.  No one library has everything I want to read, but several have enough I want to read.

Paper towels.  Now that I have both a cart and some cash, this seems silly and minor; but before the cart, I kept getting rolls of paper towels soaked and being unable to replace them.

Suzzallo won't re-open before late June, according to Governor Inslee, but Suzzallo isn't the only building I frequent on campus, and if any of the others re-opened, it would be a happy ending for me, though not for most of my peers.  We'll see, dear Diary.