I don’t know what I was thinking as I packed last Friday. I don’t know why I didn’t think I’d be gone for at least a couple of weeks. But it never occurred to me that I would be gone that long. I packed exactly two changes of clothes. Once here in Seattle, Stephanie’s mom bought a purple University of Washington Huskies t-shirt. And so I was wearing that today.

On the way out of the grocery store, a man stopped me to ask, “What was the score today?” When I told him I didn’t know, he looked at me like I had three heads. I tried to explain that I wasn’t from around here, but he was already trying to get away from me.

Walking through the parking lot, a man looked at me from about a hundred feet away, saw my purple shirt, pumped his fist in the air and hollered to me, “Go Huskies!” I raised my clenched fist aloft, smiled, and replied, “Go huskies.”

On the way back to the ICU, I was standing waiting for the elevator when a couple walked past. The guy saw my shirt, kinda shook his head, and said to me, “Tough game today, huh?” I just said, “Oh man,” and kinda rolled my eyes.

I guess the Huskies lost.