The news came a few weeks ago that I would have an excellent opportunity to see Horia after more than two years - he was about to come to Seattle to attend a conference organized by Microsoft and stay a couple of days longer. We have a relatively long history dating back in 1991, when he was my programming instructor in college. He became my boss for a while when I was hired at the Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation and we ended up as very close friends. Looking back, I couldn't help but think about Kenny Chesney's "Don't blink":

Don't blink
Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did turning into moms and dads
Next thing you know your "better half" of fifty years is there in bed and you're praying God takes you instead
Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think
So don't blink

Lida couldn't wait to meet Horia - she pushed the gas so hard that the police stopped her for speeding. After we picked him up at his hotel, we had lunch at Caspian Grill. I forgot (again) that he was vegetarian and persian restaurants don't accomodate such specimens very easily.

After lunch we went to Snoqualmie Falls, which is apparently taller than Niagara (less water going over though). We took the trail through the woods down to its base - the mosses on the trees reminded me of our trip to Olyimpic National Park. As most of the other visitors, we didn't stop at the observation deck, despite the sign warning about possible danger when getting close to the waterfall. The water was rushing down, more noticeable than the time that was flowing along.