SLACKER GENIUS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

SEATTLE, Washington – Earlier this year, I wrote that the Emerald City's "600,000-odd inhabitants care more about snow-pack than stock options and society galas" in travelgirl magazine.

"Don't be fooled," I continued. "Seattleites are plenty smart (The United States Census Bureau crowned their city America's most educated). But they obey the call of the wild here in ecotopia. 'This may be the slacker-genius capital of the world,' a native once observed."

And, man, did we ever prove that theory with the last few snowdays. Socked with a rare storm, we sledded, skiied, snow-shoed and just plain wallowed in the white. Down at the Ballard Locks, some enterprising punk even built a snowboarding ramp and was trying to take timer jump shots. Naturally, all that cold-weather exertion required many to take shelter in pubs for a warming microbrew...

Good thing this city has brain cells to spare.