WHERE’D EVERYBODY GO?

Week One, July, 2008






("Flipper", my company van)
A PLANT LADY'S LIFE IN GEEKATOPIA

Happy Independence Day!

POEM: Stormy July

Whirling wind twists
yesterday’s news end over end
toward the misty bay.

Bitter rain runs down
Summer’s green
canvas awning.

Umbrellas balloon down
the block to Starbucks -
oh, the skirt hems flashing!

The other morning I shared the eastbound I-90 Bridge with a motorcycle and a Raybanco garbage truck. Admittedly it was a few minutes shy of 6 a.m., rather early to expect gridlock, but the traffic was significantly sparser than usual. True, this is a shortened work week owing to the 4th of July holiday (Never fails, give people one day off and they extend it to a week of vacation!). Be that as it may, the traffic to the Eastside has been light for weeks. So, has the high price of gas forced Geekatopians to finally swear off Hummers in favor of bus and car pool? Could be.

But what explains the darkened, nearly empty office buildings? The truth is that many people aren’t bothering to go in to work at all any more! Used to be the phrase “working from home” referred to envelope stuffing scams - now it is the preferred option for any worker with a high speed internet connection. In many of the offices I visit the only live person still on site is the receptionist. I foresee that soon receptionists will be answering the phones from home and there won’t be any physical offices at all. When that happens what will become of the dozens of high rise buildings springing up on the Eastside? Perhaps they will be converted into luxury condos where people can work from home.

Another consequence of high gas prices is that car dealerships are not feeling the love right now, their sales people standing between SUVs in silent clumps like wildebeests around a dry water hole. If a person needed a new car this would be the time to pull the trigger! I drove into visitor parking at one of my dealership clients this week and was nearly mobbed by hungry sales dudes. For a second I felt like a super model on an aircraft carrier. “Sorry, boys, I’m just here to water the showroom palm trees,” I said, as the ear-to-ear grins faded to nothingness.

I got to thinking, though, that this might be the perfect time to retire Little Rusty, my 1984 Toyota Supra. There are four dealerships on my plant care route: Barrier Motors, Lexus of Bellevue (The second largest Lexus dealership in the country!), Toyota of Bellevue, and Bellevue Honda - the top 4 dealerships in Geekatopia - shouldn’t I give them the opportunity of working for ME for a change? That’s only fair, don’t you think? Not that we are talking a brand new vehicle. It may be news to you but plant lady’s don’t make the big bucks - we’re talking newer car (easy to be newer than 1984).

Here’s my idea: I send out a letter to my 4 dealerships spelling out what I want - best two door compact, automatic, pref. red that $5k can buy - and let them compete for my pittance! Okay, guys, scour the lot and show me what ya got.