Things appear to be stabilizing around here, at least in the denser parts of the city where people can walk or bike, or take the metro. I’ve always walked to my job anyway, so my commute and daily routine there, has changed very little compared to most people. My workplace is experiencing some interesting challenges, but that’s an entirely different topic.
My parents live in an inner-ring northern suburb, and they say their little corner of the world is alright at the moment- they have a large garden, can get to work without cars when they need to, and have known most of their neighbors for over a decade. The folks next door to them had been talking about selling their house and retiring to Arizona, but now they seem to be hitting the brakes on that idea in light of… recent events. My father is a school bus driver, so his job is secure; the kids still need to get to school, even though diesel fuel is taking an ever larger bite out of the school district’s budget. He says parents are still complaining about the program cuts that have gotten pushed through to help take the pressure off… field trips and far-flung sports events aren’t being subsidized anymore, since they’re scrambling to cover everyday costs. I imagine the less “essential” subjects and extracurricular things might get closer scrutiny as this continues.
My stepmother is a nurse at the University of Washington; she will never be unemployed, no matter how rocky things get. Health care always does business. It’s interesting to see how she’s adapted her commute though! She used to drive to the U District, then park and walk the Burke-Gilman a mile or so just for the exercise… now she’s using the excellent metro pass the University gives everyone and just taking the bus the whole way down.
They live at the opposite end of the Burke from me, so I can bike up to see them in about 45 minutes when the need arises. We’re exceedingly lucky compared to a lot of people.
