I have, much to Andy’s discomfiture, itchy feet.  I was not, at all, ever expecting we’d still be living in Seattle 10+ years after signing that 1st lease.  I thought maybe 5 years tops.  Occasionally we talk about possibly moving somewhere else — talk about where we’d be able to find jobs, where we might be happy, where we could find a decent saké bar.

But then we have a saturday of running errands, and i come home and think to myself, “Why the fuck would i ever want to move from this neighborhood??”  Because while i may not love Seattle, i adore the University District.

Today’s errands!   (My veg*n friends will want to scroll past University Seafood & Poultry wherein i talk about non-food.)

U-District Farmers’s Market

All i got here today was raw milk for making yogurt.  I’d been hoping the mushroom vendor would be there, because i want Andy to make that oyster mushroom foil pack thing again.  I also should have picked up a jar of honey, but i’d forgotten my jar to return.  Next week.

Scarecrow Video

Picked up “Princess Nine” so i could make an icon for littlebutfierce.

Seattle Public Library (University branch)

Andy had a hold to pick up.

Hardwick’s Hardware

This place is amazing, and is a rare, rare thing — a truly independent hardware store.  Still owned by the family that opened it.  Sells both new and used stuff.  Has a great side room full of furniture (all our bookcases came from here).  Today we picked up a new shovel and poker for our fireplace and a wee tiny funnel for my flasks.

University Seafood & Poultry

Again, a truly independent store run by the same family that opened it years ago.  Andy wanted to pick up some seafood for his cook-stravaganza this weekend: ahi tuna, crabmeat, and prawns.  He also got a bottle of red wine and 1 lemon.

This place has great seafood, but they also kind of specialize in rare meats.  Things i noticed on the list while Andy was placing his order: wild boar, venison, python.  Also, place your order now for your holiday turducken!

Woori Market

As we were leaving University Seafood & Poultry, i started going over the order of operations for the afternoon’s cooking.  When i got to, “And i’ll start some rice….”, Andy interrupted with, “Shit!  We’re out of sushi rice.”  “Oh,” i said casually, “Then i guess we’ll just go to Woori next.”

God/dess bless the person who put this Korean market just around the corner from us.  Today we picked up sushi rice, gyoza wrappers, tofu, scallions, and 2 kinds of saké.

Here’s a map!

All these errands took a little less than 2 hours total and most of them involved visiting independent businesses — Woori’s the only place we visited that’s part of a franchise.

If you scroll out a bit on this Google map, you can see how close together everything is.

View U-District errands, 2012/1/14 in a larger map.

And then we came home and i said to Andy, “Remind me of this the next time i talk about wanting to move.”