Six Torrent players went to the Olympics. Four came back with gold. One scored the tying goal in the final game of her career and became the greatest American hockey player to ever live. They held a press conference at the Space Needle. Megan Rapinoe cried. 17,335 people showed up Friday to watch them play... the largest crowd for a women's hockey game in U.S. history. Seattle's women's sports scene is not having a moment. It's building a dynasty.

And then there's everything else. The House Majority Leader showed up drunk to a budget hearing Wednesday night - slurred speech, glassy eyes, fell asleep - while debating how to spend $79 billion of your money. A 16-year-old shot up a pizza shop on Capitol Hill at 1:40 AM after getting kicked out for drinking on a fake ID. The same Walgreens on Broadway got robbed twice in two days by the same guy. And the city's crisis response team - the one we're spending $6.5 million a year on - told the City Council this week that the police union contract won't actually let them respond to most crises.

The legislative session ends March 12. Daylight saving is Sunday. The rain comes back Tomorrow. This is March in Seattle: a month that shows up like a drunk lawmaker... sloppy, loud, and impossible to ignore.

Here's your Monday.

Climate Pledge Arena was packed Friday night. The Torrent welcomed home six Olympic players - four with gold for Team USA, Julia Gosling with silver for Canada, and Aneta Tejralová representing Czechia. Captain Hilary Knight didn't suit up but greeted the crowd from the bench. She scored the game-tying goal in the gold medal final in Milan, finished with 15 goals and 33 points in Olympic play - the most by any American hockey player, ever - and capped a five-Olympics career with her second gold. The team lost 5-2 to Toronto. Nobody cared. Rapinoe and Sue Bird watched from the crowd. Alex Carpenter told reporters that Flavor Flav is her most-texted contact right now. Trump made a joke about "having to" invite the women's team to the White House. Knight called it "distasteful and unfortunate." The crowd spoke louder than any of that.

Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-West Seattle) admitted Thursday to drinking before the House Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday night. The hearing started at 4 PM and ran past 10. TVW footage shows Fitzgibbon slurring words, eyes glassy, hair disheveled. Multiple Republican members said he fell asleep during the meeting. One told Seattle Red he was "obviously hammered." Fitzgibbon apologized, said it was a "painful and embarrassing lesson." No disciplinary action announced. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins said he "fell short of professionalism." The session ends March 12. They were voting on the operating budget. This is not a metaphor.

CARE Chief Amy Barden laid it out for the City Council this week: the SPOG contract limits crisis responders to people in public spaces with no evidence of substance use or encampment. Someone struggling in a QFC parking lot? CARE can't go. Only cops. The department costs $6.5 million a year and was dispatched about four times daily in the East Precinct this year. Barden pointed to Albuquerque, where a similar program - with actual police support - saw a 50% drop in property crime in a year. SPD Chief Shon Barnes says he backs CARE. His testimony this week didn't sell it. The program is growing to 48 responders this year. Whether they're allowed to do their jobs is a different question.

John Schneider said at the Combine that the sale won't change how he operates day-to-day. Fine. What will change: the roster. Kenneth Walker III (your Super Bowl MVP), Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe, Rashid Shaheed, Coby Bryant, and Josh Jobe are all hitting free agency. Seattle reportedly won't use the franchise tag on Walker. Meanwhile, Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are both due extensions that'll reset their respective position markets. Cap is $301.2 million. Space is $59 million. The math doesn't math unless somebody walks.

Early Wednesday morning. 11th Ave. A 16-year-old was kicked out of A Pizza Mart for drinking with friends on what police believe was a fake ID. He came back and fired a gun into the restaurant. Then tried to steal a rideshare vehicle at gunpoint. He was arrested. Separately: a man was shot and killed Friday night at Pine and Belmont. The suspect, 42-year-old Daniel Carlee, stayed at the scene and has been charged with first-degree murder. The victim, Solomon Thompson, was 38. Pike/Pine continues to be the corridor where SPD weekend briefings always include the phrase "emphasis patrols" and never include the phrase "problem solved."

Friday: suspect entered the Broadway and Pine Walgreens, brandished a knife, stole food, and caught a Metro bus out of there. Saturday: same suspect came back, showed a gun in his waistband, demanded prepaid credit cards be activated. Police fanned out around Broadway. Still at large at time of writing. If you're keeping score at home: the getaway vehicle for robbery number one was public transit.

Bush Garden 2.0 (Chinatown-International District) - OPENING THIS MONTH. The legendary CID karaoke bar returns after a two-year hiatus, this time on the ground floor of Uncle Bob's Place, an affordable housing development. Restaurant, bar, and most importantly... the singing. If you have opinions about this, they're probably emotional and you're not wrong.

Bok a Bok (Capitol Hill) - RETURNING THIS SPRING. The last remaining Bok a Bok has been closed since October after structural damage tore up the floors beneath the kitchen in their 110-year-old Pike/Pine building. Owner Brian O'Connor says they've ripped out concrete floors, plumbing drains, and walls to fix it. The city's fried chicken wars kept moving without them... Dave's Hot Chicken and Raising Cane's both opened while they were down. The double-fried comeback can't come soon enough.

Cafe Lolo (Capitol Hill) - OPENING SOON. Taking over the Loveless building space from the recently departed Cook Weaver. Local grain milling, fresh pasta, seasonal vegetables. They've been doing farmers markets and now they've got a permanent home. The Loveless space has history. This feels right.

Gordo Steak (Pioneer Square) - OPENING. From the team behind Asadero Ballard - a Mexican steakhouse with a domed oven, regional marinades, and a tequila bar. 58 seats. If Asadero is any indication, show up early or don't show up.

Merchant Cafe & Saloon (Pioneer Square) - REOPENED MAR 1. Seattle's oldest bar - open since the 1890s - is back after closing New Year's Eve for renovations. If you've never been: dim lighting, cold Rainier, and the general feeling that time doesn't apply. Some things shouldn't change.

U:Don Fresh (Capitol Hill) - CLOSED. The cafeteria-style noodle shop in the 12th Ave Arts building isn't renewing its lease. U-District location still open.

First Ave S Bridge still a mess Two right lanes remain closed on northbound SR 99 over the First Avenue South Bridge after a February 18 inspection found issues. Speed limit dropped to 25 mph until further notice. Add that to the ongoing northbound I-5 lane reductions from the Revive I-5 Ship Canal Bridge project and you've got a commute that tests your commitment to living here.

Daylight Saving Time hits Sunday, March 8 Spring forward. One hour gone. But 6 PM sunsets return, which means Seattle will briefly become a city of people who go outside after work instead of staring at a dark window wondering what they did to deserve this.

Ferries now charging 3% on card payments Washington State Ferries started adding a 3% surcharge on card payments this week. Cash still free. If you're on Vashon or Bainbridge, this is your monthly reminder that island life comes with a convenience fee... on top of the existing inconvenience.

Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool Socks Today was 58 and sunny. Wednesday's forecast: rain. That's March in Seattle. These are lifetime-guaranteed, made in Vermont, and they'll outlast whatever optimism you built up from today's weather. Don't get comfortable.

Stanley Quencher H2.0 Tumbler You probably already own one. You probably lost the lid. Buy a replacement before the World Cup tourists descend on the waterfront and every Stanley in the city ends up in a landfill near the stadiums. Also genuinely useful for hydrating at your desk while doomscrolling Seahawks free agency rumors.

That's Monday. The Torrent set a record. A lawmaker set a bad example. A teenager set off a gun in a pizza shop. And somewhere in Olympia, the state budget is being decided by people who may or may not be conscious. Ten days left in the session. Buckle up.

See you Thursday with weekend plans.

If this made your Monday slightly more tolerable, forward it to someone who needs it. We're trying to grow this thing and your word of mouth is the whole strategy.

If you need me, I'll be at Cafe Lolo the second it opens, pretending I'm the kind of person who mills their own grain.

- The Drizzle