Friday night I called up my friend Johnny because I needed some Seattle time and Johnny knows the best places to hang. So we went around to a couple bars having a good old time. As we were walking back to his place later in the evening however, we stumbled upon a sight I’ve never seen.
Across the street from him in the Asian convenient store it appeared there was a robbery in progress. Two sets of males were violently fighting, and shit was strewn all over the floor. I grabbed my cell phone and quickly dialed 911. I gave the phone to Johnny since he knows the neighborhood more comprehensively than I do and we watched as two suspects escaped in a vehicle and sped away. We stayed on the streets til the police arrived which was rather quickly, then headed up to his window to watch the drama unfold from there. I’ll admit I was a little in shock, never having witnessed anything like this before. Continue Reading…
That is the name of an Alice Cooper album, for those of you out there who fear they may be terminally unhip. It is also captures my current feelings about Seattle. “Why?” you might ask, and add “Seattle is the best and coolest place to live. How can you say that?” Continue Reading…
Last December, everyone in Seattle had a snow story, how they could not leave Capital Hill for two days, how their bus did not come, how businesses, in an economically depressed year in the greatest shopping season, could not open. During and afterwards, Seattleites vociferously complained about the actions – or lack of – that the City of Seattle took. To salt or not to salt, that was a major question. Where were the snowplows? was another. And on the streets that the snowplows actually plowed, people had to dig their parked cars out of snow banks. Continue Reading…
As a recent and grateful resident of the Puget Sound region, I have come to pride myself on many of the redeeming aspects of Pacific Northwest culture: I love the plentiful and quality music, the countless outdoor opportunities, the fantastic and unique food available on any city street. More importantly though; I appreciate an overall more advanced perception of social and political issues. Seattle and the surrounding area prides itself on this point. Open minds, tolerance and equality are found in much greater density here, than in my former Texas home. This is evident and bears heraldry with Seattle’s recent acquisition of female professional sports. Progressive? You be the judge. Continue Reading…
Hey Liiiiiiiiz….Eat me. I’m delicious, minty, and chocolaty. You can’t ask for a better combo, and as an added bonus, I melt slowly in your mouth! No, Liz, DO NOT go eat that ice cream. You are supposed to be job searching, not eating crap to fill your job void. But don’t you love me? Aren’t I your favorite treat? Yes, mint chocolate chip ice cream, why yes you are. But you are not important right now, so shut up! Quit taking up my brain space! I am trying to find a freaking job… Continue Reading…
The recent necropsy of a Puget Sound resident orca would likely have Willie reevaluating his choice to be free. Sure, doing tricks for a bunch of sunburned tourists is degrading, but at least that chlorinated existence might have spared him from becoming one of the most toxic creatures on the planet. The list of chemicals that occur in Puget Sound’s charismatic megafauna would give a handful of Hanford soil a run for its money, and honestly, you’d probably be better off eating the dirt. Continue Reading…
I can remember a time when I was traveling or living out of state and hearing the cliches people would recite to me about the emerald city. It rains all the time. The people are cold computer internet entrepreneurs. It’s a central spot for coffee snobs. It’s dark. It’s cold. Blah blah blah. You get the picture. None of it was terribly positive. But this city is also know for some AMAZING things. The space needle, experience music project, beautiful green foliage, forests, beaches, and culture to name a few. Continue Reading…
Most of the the western world has adopted a common work schedule based around an early morning to early evening time frame: the so-called 9 to 5 workday. Resulting phenomena such as so-called rush hour traffic reflects this with people trying to arrive to and leave from their jobs around these times. Continue Reading…
The City of Seattle has begun installing on street bicycle parking in every neighborhood around town and the Hill formerly known as Broadway is one of the first to see the new change. Ours is parked in front of the Broadway Market and it replaces the space for one, new fangled, gas guzzling automobile, and the consumer who drove it there. Continue Reading…
Last week, when the sun made one of its ever so rare winter visits to our fair city, I decided to give a shot at bettering myself and headed down to Green Lake for a pleasant jog. It should have been no surprise, but when I arrived, already sweaty and winded from my half mile jaunt, I found a scene that could only be described as a chaotic parade. Packs of seasoned runners swarmed the path like hungry sharks over a reef. Oblivious children on all manner of wheeled vehicle swerved erratically like wounded fish with little regard for the dominant flow of traffic. An older gentleman wearing not-quite-enough shorts acrobatically roller-skated through the whole mess like some sort of showboating dolphin (damned dolphins think they’re so great). I reluctantly joined the pack (or if I insist on maintaining this whole fish metaphor, the school) and went on my merry way. Continue Reading…
Does anyone else miss the Kingdome? Remember that ugly gray mass that used to inhabit the area where Safeco field now stands? Though universally deplored, I really liked the Kingdome, and I had many good memories watching Mariners games there as a kid. There was something warm and likeable about that very cold concrete exterior. The Kingdome stood for the old Seattle, before the town was awash in high rise condos and upscale luxury boutiques. Continue Reading…
