What do you keep on hand throughout the year? (Seattle: apartments, to rent)

[chrisstie]

In learning more about Seattle I'm curious about the day-to-day comings and goings of the people who live there.

I have lived in Florida all my life and am used to having flip flops on for most if not all year, shorts, canned food and water for hurricanes/bad storms, acting appropriately when lightning is around, having a first aid kit when fishing or outdoors for any insect or animal bite, etc.

I'm curious what the most valuable things are in your every day lives? Are there any natural disasters that are prevalent to stock up for? Do you wear special clothing for the rain or is it so misty a light jacket will do okay? Can you wear sandals throughout the year? Are there any specific animals to be weary of that wander into the suburbs?

I guess I'm trying to pan out what things you would take for granted that would be new experiences for me. For example if you had never been to the gulf coast, I could tell you when you go swimming you have to shuffle your feet when you go from the beach to the water to avoid getting stung by stingrays. It literally is called "the stingray shuffle." Its something I do without thinking. So what are the PNW and Seattle equivalents?

[seattlenextyear]

Speaking of which, I found a good Seattle coat, at long last: The REI Zephyr Parka. Oh yes, I love it and it loves me.

[allforcats]

Hi crisstie. How smart of you to ask such interesting, important questions! I'll hit your subjects in the order in which you asked about them.

No flip-flops here. This is not a southern beach town. Up here at the 47th Parallel no flip-flops except at beaches in July and August. The temps are usually too cool and your feet will get wet from the drizzle during the drizzly 8 months.

We always have the possibility of earthquakes, so wise people keep an earthquake emergency kit at home, one in the trunk of the car, and one in the office. You can Google earthquake emergency kit and get the long list of items.

We also have likely power outages in the windstorms and/or snowstorms of November and December, sometimes January. The earthquake emergency kit works for this too. You'll also need firewood if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, and other equipment. You can Google this.

Not much lightning here. Nor thunder.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the most valuable things...in your everyday lives". For me that would be joy, a sense of humor, love, Pepsi, seafood, and a bit of cash.

"Clothing for the rain": It rarely "rains" here. It drizzles, and mists, and mizzles, and sometimes showers. Some people carry a folding umbrella. Most don't even bother with an umbrella. A relatively small number of people wear hooded clothing. Most don't. The mist/mizzle/drizzle is hardly noticeable if you're not looking directly up to the sky. But folks can knock themselves out all they want with raincoats and whatnot. Just don't wear rainboots; even small children will point and giggle Closed shoes work well.

A "light jacket" might not be your choice during the rainy season, because that's winter. Something warmer (not hot, just warmer), plus jeans, plus closed shoes and socks. There you go!

Sandals in summer. Summer is July and August.

Animals: bears, cougars, coyotes, deer. Deer are most common and are vegitarians. If you live close to dense forests, you don't want your kittens, puppies and human toddlers cavorting in your back yard unsupervised. They might well become lunch. However, before you rent or buy a property, you will ask about bears, cougars and coyotes and learn that not many are seen. Be sure to ask. The closer you are to forests, the more you can be 100% certain that you will be living in what used to be their home...

Take for granted:
-- Slugs. The state animal. It's wet here. All that maritime air from the Pacific Ocean. In any gardeny spot, grassy place, forested area slugs abound. Walk looking down at where your feet will land. I have to tell you that in over 20 years of living in the Seattle area, I've seen only a couple of slugs. People who have active vegetable gardens and lots of brush see them all the time.
-- Seafood heaven. If you don't like seafood, and are determined not to like seafood, move somewhere else. This is seafood heaven, And the restaurants of all kinds here beat those in New York City by a mile.
-- Be reserved. Don't talk loudly in public. Forget about competitiveness, confrontation, intimidation, getting the last word, one-upmanship. Expect to give and receive politeness, kindness and relaxation among people including strangers, colleagues and bosses.
-- The culture blends every type of thinking you can imagine. This is a "live and let live" culture. Anger and hatred don't work here.
-- The coffee is to die for.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Speaking of which, I found a good Seattle coat, at long last: The REI Zephyr Parka. Oh yes, I love it and it loves me.

We are SO HAPPY for you!!! YAHOO!! Happy new year and happy new coat and may you both live gleefully forevermore!!

[seattlenextyear]

Cats, you forgot "Keens"

[motor80]

I own (at last count) 6 "hoodies" - you know, the hooded cotton sweatshirt. For me personally (and I would think a lot of others in the Pacific Northwest) it's all about layering: shirt, light sweater, hoody, and an outer jacket or coat. The hoody is for the mist/drizzle/rain and the outer layer to shield from the cold. This is of course for the winter months. (True Seattlites do not use umbrellas [unless there is a rare terrential downpore] - there is no better way to stand out as a tourist or newbie than to walk down the street with an umbrella when it's drizzling, IMO.) Forget about suede shoes or clothing in the winter. They will be destoyed before the spring comes. Personally, I am not a big fan of the REI/Northface/outdoorsy stuff - but there is definitely no shortage of these products walking through downtown.

Spring and fall can be extremely fickle throughout the day, which is why layering is key. Too warm? Peel off a layer. Too cold? Throw on another layer.

Summer however is another story, I am lucky and work for a laid back web design/development firm and can wear a t-shirt and flip-flops to work. And I do. I usually spend all week wearing said clothing. Although, even in the summer, some nights (not many) may require a hoody/light sweater (especially if you go to the beaches for bon fires.) Some nights are so damn hot, it requires sleeping in the nude with every window in the house open praying for the slightest of breezes (AC is not common in most homes and apartments in the PNW.)

As far as every day life - it's cliche, but, I always have several roasts of whole bean coffee in the cupboard and a french press. I keep a stock of teas (from Marketspice of course) at work as well. If I don't have time to make coffee in the morning before work, I must stop in and buy one from the coffee house down the street from my house.

Animals? Like squirels and neighborhood cats? I suppose if you lived near wooded areas or on the islands, there may be a threat of wild animals. In fact, I thought I remembered hearing that some coyotes were stealing away with cats in some neighborhoods. I spot bald eagles every now and then - especially during the summer. A friend of mine was bitten by a hobo-spider (similar venom to that of a brown-recluse) and his face swelled up like a balloon for a month. It was not pretty.

Natural disasters? Flooding however - is a real and very possible threat, especially if you live south and/or east of the city. The city itself is fairly safe from any real flooding danger. I suppose everyone in Seattle *should* have disaster supplies because of an earthquake threat. See Seattle quake of 2001. Mt. Rainer? Eh - it may let off steam, but I think it's not one of those explosive Mt. St. Helen type volcanoes (don't quote me on that though.)

On a related note, it seems like every season, someone gets lost or trapped in snow or an avalanche. Or some mountain climber gets lost or falls to their death. If you're not a serious outdoors person, this may not apply to you.

Just my 2-cents.

[tudorjason]

We have canned food, dried food, and high-calorie bars that the military uses. We also have tanks of purified water. We each have first-aid kits in our car, along with tents, extra clothing, and stuff. You know, just what you will need to survive for a few days if there is a natural disaster or a power outage both at home and when you're not.

[kengrubb]

Originally Posted by chrisstie

I'm curious what the most valuable things are in your every day lives?

Coffee. Without it, someone could loose an eye or a limb.

Cell phones. Lots of people here go without a land line, but cannot survive without their cells.

WiFi. On the Sounder Trains and in the coffee shops. Gotta have up to the minute YouTube access.

I'm only 1 for 3 with a serious caffeine habit.

Originally Posted by chrisstie

Are there any natural disasters that are prevalent to stock up for?

<sarcasm>Well, Mt. Rainier is due to blow any day--sometime in the next 200,000 years. Watch for it.

Rent the made for TV movie "10.5" that chronicles how "the big one" is gonna destroy Seattle. It's worth a chuckle. Try to convince a friend to rent it and watch it with them. When it's over, your friend will say, "Well that sucked", and you'll say, "Didn't cost me a thing".</sarcasm>

In some areas, suburbs or the city, during severe winter weather, people can loose their power for days at a time. Upwards of a week or more, but it's hardly an annual thing.

My apartment in Bellevue had a fireplace, and we lost power for a few days in 2006. It provided some warmth, but it was still quite chilly so we used sleeping bags and piled on the blankets.

Our house has a wood burning stove that will about cook us outta the family room. We can survive in there for an ice age.

Originally Posted by chrisstie

Do you wear special clothing for the rain or is it so misty a light jacket will do okay?

Soft shell jackets are very popular and will cover most of your needs. It can get brisk in winter, so you probably need a warm parka or go with layers of fleece and a Gore-Tex or similarly waterproof jacket. A Gore-Tex shell alone covers you in warmer, wet times.

Originally Posted by chrisstie

Can you wear sandals throughout the year?

Most of the time, I wear sandals. I can do sandals down to about the 40s, sometimes the 30s. Can't quite bring myself to wear socks with sandals, but many here do. If I could, I'd wear sandals year round.

Look into a pair of H2 Keens. When they get dirty, throw 'em in the washing machine.
KEEN Footwear

I wouldn't recommend flipflops.

Once you acclimate to the area you'll wear shorts and T-shirts when it's in the 70s. Even the 60s. You can spot a native Evergreen stater during a snowstorm by their shorts, sandals and socks.

Originally Posted by chrisstie

Are there any specific animals to be weary of that wander into the suburbs?

If 10 people have been killed by wild animals within a 100 miles of Seattle over the past 100 years, I'd be surprised the number was so high. To be sure, there is wildlife here. Bears, cougars and coyotes. Only fatalities I've read or heard about were livestock or pets. We have some snakes, but the only venomous ones are rattlers out east of the Cascades. Sharks aren't a problem here either.

Trees and rocks falling probably kill more people each year.

Originally Posted by chrisstie

if you had never been to the gulf coast, I could tell you when you go swimming you have to shuffle your feet when you go from the beach to the water to avoid getting stung by stingrays.

Out here, when you go to the beach, you do the "Northwest Shuffle". You have to keep moving to stay warm at the beach. The Pacific is one cold ocean. It definitely is not the Atlantic.

But, in the summer, you can drive out to Mt. Rainier, and stand on snow wearing shorts in almost 80 degree weather and be very comfy. At least once, you have to take off your sandals and go running barefoot across the snow.

[tada]

Keep a happy lamp on hand.

[secret_squirrel]

I have lived in Florida all my life and am used to having flip flops on for most if not all year, shorts, canned food and water for hurricanes/bad storms, acting appropriately when lightning is around, having a first aid kit when fishing or outdoors for any insect or animal bite, etc.

I'm curious what the most valuable things are in your every day lives? Are there any natural disasters that are prevalent to stock up for? Do you wear special clothing for the rain or is it so misty a light jacket will do okay? Can you wear sandals throughout the year? Are there any specific animals to be weary of that wander into the suburbs?

I imagine a hurricaine kit would be similar to an earthquake kit, although with an earthquake kit, you want to keep a small one in your car, too. Flashlights and candles should be on hand for wind-caused power outages, too.

Depending on your location in WA, a Mt. Rainier lahar (sudden mud flow from rapid glacial melting, a 100-500 year occurance) could be a concern. We passed on a house that was located in a lahar zone and flood plain - too many hazards.

Flip flops are very common during warmer times and I still see some insanly stubborn people wearing them recently. But it's too cold for me to bare my toes... we're not the land of socks with sandals for nuttin'. (I swear the only time I did that was because my then-boyfriend bought me Tevas with matching socks and I had to.)

A good hooded, waterproof jacket is usually all that is necessary, although I rarely wear one - I'm more of a wool jacket and hat kind of girl. Jackets with a removable lining are convienent since it's often not cold enough for a heavily lined coat. I fond of hats to keep the rain off, too. Umbrellas are for special occassions (like watching kids' soccer games and other extended standing outdoors in the rain occassions. Golf umbrellas aren't just for golfing).

You probably already have heard about winter days of perpetual dusk.

I hear most about slugs from newcommers. Except for your garden, they're harmeless but pesky and should be avoided at all costs, as their slime is very sticky and difficult to remove from clothing, skin or hair. Call it the "slug shuffle" as you tip-toe out to get your newspaper.

Encounters with black bears or cougars are rare, but they're there in the high country (and rarely wander down). To my knowledge, no one has been killed in a bear or cougar attack in eons (less than 100 bear-related deaths nationwide in 100 years). Coyotes are more common and a danger to small pets in wooded areas.

Insects here tend to be smaller and less prevalent than other areas of the country. Less toxic, too.

Oh. And be prepared for highway slowdowns for no compelling reason. You could be in a slow moving backup that is caused by nothing more than a non-moving crate resting on the shoulder, a car-length away from traffic lanes. Drivers here love to slow down and look.




I guess I'm trying to pan out what things you would take for granted that would be new experiences for me. For example if you had never been to the gulf coast, I could tell you when you go swimming you have to shuffle your feet when you go from the beach to the water to avoid getting stung by stingrays. It literally is called "the stingray shuffle." Its something I do without thinking. So what are the PNW and Seattle equivalents?