Yesterday, for the first time, I saw a rat in South Lake Union. Oh, I'd seen plenty of rat traps carefully placed in alley corners but had never seen one of our rodent neighbors. And this rat was small and surprisingly handsome. His fur looked like he'd just had a shampoo and blow-dry.

I was overjoyed to see the rat because South Lake Union is becoming too clean and organized. It is, demolished building by demolished building, losing that dank Seattle history of drunk white fishermen and loggers killing other drunk white fishermen and loggers because of, well, fishing and logging disputes.

Has there yet been a street fight in South Lake Union? Have two intoxicated white computer geniuses flailed at each other while their computer genius friends filmed it for Vimeo? Have two guys torn their skinny girl jeans while wrestling in the rain?

There is no sense of violence or danger in South Lake Union. But there is at least one rat. I'm thinking of making that rodent my spirit animal.