My last Scone day

Today, as usual, I took the bus to work, walked from downtown Seattle up to Harborview Medical Center and, because it was Thursday, I went directly to the hospital cafeteria to get a scone.  Every Thursday morning they cook up scones fresh and hot.  My usual habit for the last almost three years is to stop in and get a fresh scone and take it back to my desk three blocks away.

The last scone.

And so this morning I found myself retracing those steps. Into the ER entrance then around the corner to the stairs to the basement, down the hospital hall and around the corner into the subterranean main cafeteria for the hospital.  Met a few people along the way and we said hello. Got the scone and the jam and paid my $2.24 to the cashier who I'm on first name basis with. Most places I go in the hospital are places I've worked, putting in a workstation or printer or helping out somebody or another.  I helped connect the menu screens near the food line in the cafeteria and set up all the registers for the cashiers.  Been there dozens and dozens of times and know almost everyone.

Walked through the tunnel and the automatic doors and used my card swipe to gain access to the hallway outside of the Maleng building surgery where I could glimpse briefly the electronic schedule board full of operations lined up for the day.  People in blue everywhere. Gurneys in the hallway and the small of antiseptic.  Elevator up to floor one and then exit through a back hallway that dumped me out on 10th st.  Walked the few blocks to my building, passing people walking their dogs or hurrying to work. Past the mental health folks loitering on the sidewalks, smoking and staring at the ground.  Then into my building and swiping the card again to access the fourth floor.  Walking into my office, saying hello to the gang I work with then settling down to open email and eat that still warm scone.  What a nice life.

I'm gonna miss that place, for sure.  And I'll miss the people I work with and work for.

Today at noon we went to a farewell lunch and stuffed ourselves with Mexican food.  As normal, the manager at Tacos Guaymas brought around a plate of fried jalapeno peppers and Jonathan, Bill, David, Francine, Kevin, and Brett displayed their machismo by sweating their way through the devil fruit. As we walked up Broadway I'm thinking this is the last time I'll have the chili colorado wet burrito there and the last time I'll walk up Broadway with those set of friends.