The Seattle Gordons

6/28,29 - Seattle (63 miles)
After all the ferry and island hopping, we welcomed an invitation to join the hospitable, eccentric, theatrical, lifestyle-inspiring Gordons in Seattle for a couple of days. David Gordon is famous... a living legend perhaps... at least to those folks interested in visualizing molecular genetics data and automated finishing software (which is most of us... right?). Everyone at our workplace (GSC) knew of him, but Rachel's position entitled her to the most DG contact. And now was our chance to shed the work talk and get personal.

The house rules were simple:
NO... shoes , meat, tv, cell phones, internet, home computing, machine dishwashing
YES... recycling, composting, commuting via bicycle or jogging or hybrid car, family book sharing and reading aloud, and eating dinner as a family

We loved it!

First order of business was scrubbing clothes and body and next we moved into the electrical wiring of the house (which entailed an unpaneled view of the circuit brakers-- all of which DG proudly installed himself). Dinner followed and we were treated to home-made sushi, a plethera of organic teas, decadent chocolate cake, and raspberries fresh from the bush. Nirvana dining compared to the usual fare of mac & cheese.

The next day we rode our bikes to the University of Washington with David and daughter Olivia on a tandem, and got to see the lair of a computer genuis. We were briefly introduced to two modern genetics research SUPERSTARS: Phil Green (barely acknowledged our existence) and Bob Waterston (engaged us w/ a friendly chat in the hall). It was real eerie to be back in a lab again and when the doors closed behind us, we hugged our bikes and thanked God for all that we have.

After a DG guided tour of down-town Seattle, Rachel and I returned home to plan and prepare a thank you dinner. Dinner discussions meandered from traveling and good books to music, theatre, and electrical wiring theory... all the stuff that Rachel and I always want to engage more of but so often get distracted from. The Gordons revealed the trick... remove the distractions and live simply. There was something very satiating about this simplicity, an uncluttered feeling, a sense of freedom from multi-dimensional noise. This feeling is exactly why we decided to quit everything and hit the road. This was a new found piece of our bigger life puzzle.

Thank you Gordons for sharing space, time, and love.