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Happy Monday
posted on Jul 11 2010

  • Took a last minute trip to Safeco for the M’s-Yanks game, Friday.
  • Met the Yankees head security guard. He was big and had an even bigger championship ring on his hand.
  • Eclipse. My excuse for attending: like to see how “true” they keep it to the Northwest.
  • Saturday morning at Zoka, the afternoon at Gas Works, the evening at Cactus on Alki Beach.
  • Went to the Ballard Seafoodfest and found some non-seafood.
  • Found Dave Matthews’ Seattle home.





  • Happy Back-From-Vacation Monday
    posted on Jul 7 2010

    Yes, I know it’s Wednesday… but it’s our Monday.

  • 2 days of driving and picnicking in Glacier National Park. It’s just as good as everything we’ve heard.
  • Daily cups at Montana Coffee Traders.
  • Fireside chats with us and anyone who would listen.
  • The Kalispell Times gets all journalistic, not once but twice.
  • Truly great beer name.
  • Fireworks on the 18th green.
  • Fly fishin’.
  • Tastings at the Great Northern Brewing Company.





  • Happy Sad-We-Lost Monday
    posted on Jun 28 2010

  • Spent the evening with friends in Maple Valley, WA, which actually looks just like Anywhere, Alabama.
  • Witnessed the US’s demise with a packed house at Buckley’s.
  • Post-match crepes at Saley.
  • Saturday afternoon by Lake Washington.
  • Found the park where Kurt Cobain was last seen alive, sitting on the bench.





  • Happy Teary Eyed Monday
    posted on Jun 20 2010

    It should be a law that weekends should start with the items above.

  • Toy Story 3 was the best, and the saddest installment of Pixar’s epic trilogy
  • Stop the presses: the Mariners sweep one of the best teams in the National League, and the Reds scored a measly 1 run in 3 games.
  • An unhealthy breakfast at Victrola.
  • Buckwheat waffles with Nick & Amy at Chelsea’s old M Street stomping grounds.
  • After almost 4 years in Seattle, Orrapin Thai still has the best Thai food in Seattle, and the waitress still remembers our orders every time we visit.
  • Mars Hill’s Fathers Day service was on demonic possession. Hooray!





  • Happy 1-1 Monday
    posted on Jun 13 2010

    Somebody’s got to get the National Anthem started.

  • 2010 Seattle International Film Festival (at 400 films is the largest film festival in the world) wrapped up this weekend. We caught Cargo, a Swedish science fiction film with German language and English subtitles about a futuristic Earth. Wasn’t bad.
  • Arrived somewhat late (7:30 AM) at The George & Dragon Pub in Fremont. Watching matches on outdoor screens, we waited in line 3 1/2 hours to make it into the pub for the England-USA match. Hope you enjoyed this incredible match as much as we did.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Jun 6 2010

    Doing nothing over the weekend is highly underrated.

  • Finished Dexter, season 1 while relaxing with local (and a Hawaiian) brews.
  • Sounders WIN! Hooray!
  • Mariners SUCK! Hooray!





  • Happy Tuesday
    posted on Jun 1 2010

    It’s a 4-day work week, you know.

  • Watched UFC 114 amongst hundreds of strangers at BWW in Portland. I’ve never really gotten into UFC and had no idea there was a fight. I was educated by those surrounding me and honestly feel bad for never having fully opened my mind to what I considered the “NASCAR for yankees”.
  • Pool at Leny’s.
  • Dinner and drinks at Shelter Lounge.
  • Finally got to see Baksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop. Different than what I expected, but thoroughly entertaining.
  • Portland Saturday Market.
  • Tasting at Rogue Distillery & Public House.
  • Tasting at Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House.
  • Way too much time and not too much money at Powell’s.
  • Sunday morning at Stumptown in the lobby of the Ace Hotel is the most relaxing yet rowdy scene in Portland. A serene lobby backed sharing a space with Stump’s line-o-coffee-needers that is out the door. My new pride and joy, limited edition mug.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on May 24 2010

    Chelsea made Lost cupcakes for the finale.

  • Saw my wife for the first time in 7 days.
  • Ezell’s famous chicken.
  • Iron Man 2 was meh.
  • Sounders and Mariners are breaking my heart.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on May 17 2010

    …did I mention I was in Vegas through Thursday morning? Send me any tips/suggestions to me via Facebook.

  • Started Dexter, season 1.
  • O’Sheas, Bally’s, Paris
  • The Sounders win is nail-biting fashion.
  • The Mariners are breaking my heart.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on May 3 2010

    Tried to find our friends in the beer garden. Gave up after 4 seconds.

  • Cliff Lee debuts and is perfect. Too bad our offense sucks.
  • The Mariners lose 3 straight. We sit through 11 1/3 innings of bad-ending baseball only to watch us lose miserably.
  • Finished Weeds, season 4.
  • Visited the new Elliott Bay Book Company. It’s beautiful.
  • Sounders with a draw, though we miss the only goal because the bartender thought the game was blacked out.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Apr 19 2010

  • Baseball 1: King Felix pitched on Griffey Jr bobblehead night, Friday. I was there 2 hours before first pitch. Man crush is taking a toll.
  • Baseball 2: Company tickets for Saturday night. Some of the best seats I’ve ever had at Safeco.
  • Conan’s stop in Seattle on his tour. Incredibly incredible.
  • Mariners go 2-1, Sounders win in stoppage time.
  • Bonus week calls for blowing money at the Outlet Mall.





  • Happy Opening Day Monday
    posted on Apr 12 2010

  • Snoqualmie Falls for quick day trip, Sunday.
  • Ice cream from a shady truck.
  • So impressed by Gutierrez that I left home to buy a shirt.
  • Buckley’s to watch Euro soccer and an incredible but heartbreaking Sounders game.
  • Chelsea opened her Kindle DX.
  • Finished Indoor Soccer Season 5. We were 0-12.
  • REI for sunglasses I couldn’t find.
  • Banana Republic for pants that were too expensive.
  • Eats: Blue C Sushi, Red Mango, Chace’s Pancake Corral, Cactus
  • Coffee: Top Pot, Victrola Coffee





  • Happy post-Easter Monday
    posted on Apr 4 2010

    That’s not me moving the steering wheel… it’s the wind moving my car. It’s difficult to make out, but check out the waves on the left-hand side of the bridge. Near the end of the video, one of them actually jumps four lanes of traffic and lands on my windshield.

  • My Kindle DX has arrived and I’m dragging it into every room of the house to play like a 3-year-old would a new puppy.
  • Finished It’s Always Sunny, season 2. Started season 3. Highly recommend.
  • Attended one of Seattle’s first German beer pubs, Die Bierstube.
  • Celebratory dinner at McMenamins for the recently engaged Seattleites from Mississippi College & Michigan State.
  • Easter lunch at Beechers at Pike Place Market.
  • Played with the iPad. It’s interesting enough, but a giant iPod Touch nonetheless. I’ll buy the next generation.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Mar 29 2010

    An interesting site while eating ice cream.

  • Attended the NPR staple A Prairie Home Companion at the Paramount. The only radio show that is even better in person. Brandi Carlile was in-house — incredible.
  • Jasperian Natalie Breeden and her husband Brad and daughter Dakota swung through Seattle on a their spring road trip.
  • First ever trip to the Alibi Room.
  • Green Zone was meh.
  • Sushi Maru
  • Molly Moon’s
  • Chace’s Pankcakes
  • Top Pot





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Mar 14 2010

  • Cafe Presse
  • Stumptown
  • 1/3 the way through Weeds, season 3. Some folks tell me they don’t like this season, but I don’t see it yet.
  • I’m a 3-star Lieutenant I on MW2. I don’t even know what that means, but it makes me proud.
  • Zoka
  • Lost 14-4 in indoor soccer.
  • Blue C





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Mar 8 2010

    The weather was beautiful.

  • Thoroughly freaked out by Shutter Island at the Cinerama.
  • Tried to read the white boards at Google’s Seattle offices.
  • Cherry blossoms were out in full bloom at the University of Washington.





  • Happy Closing Ceremony Monday
    posted on Mar 1 2010

    It sucks that the Olympics are over. How am I supposed to hold ill feelings towards foreign countries, now?

  • Ate Chick-fil-A.
  • Saw a great documentary on The White Stripes. (Now playing at an indie movie house near a group of hipsters.) Features their famous “One Note Show”.
  • Had incredible Spanish tapas.
  • John Piper preached at Mars Hill on Sunday. Just as amazing as you think he’d be.
  • Saw a big flame.





  • Happy Team USA Monday
    posted on Feb 22 2010

    Amy will stab you with a marshmallow-tipped coat hanger. Wouldn’t be such a bad thing since I can die happy after 5 days of ~60 degrees and sunny.

  • Saturday morning walk around Green Lake with half of Seattle. Felt like the only people without a dog and/or a baby.
  • Red Hook for lunch.
  • Blue C for dinner.
  • Finished season 2 of Weeds.
  • Almost one disc through The Wire, season 4. Maybe my favorite season, yet.
  • Sunset with a bonfire and smores at the beaches of Golden Gardens Park.
  • Post-sunset giant mugs and beer battered zucchini at Leny’s.
  • Victrola





  • Happy Inappropriate Monday
    posted on Feb 15 2010

    Seriously, words escape me. Saw this parked at what is the city of Seattle’s most family friendly outdoor shopping center. As one friend noted, must be a huge Kill Bill fan.

  • I was quite jealous of the amount of snowfall in the South.
  • Crazy Heart. Crazy good movie.
  • The Pumphouse
  • Zoka
  • Mandarin Chef. It took me 3 1/2 years to find good Chinese food in Seattle.





  • Happy Monday
    posted on Feb 7 2010

  • Cactus and Molly’s and Outback (with the smallest bloomin’ onion, ever – we asked for/received a new one.)
  • Found out that a friend of mine at video game company named a character after me. I”m sure the character is a minor one, and most likely the town blacksmith who always has a corny joke for you once a level is beaten. Game set to be released in early 2011.
  • Started season one of Weeds. Netflix via XBOX 360 is beyond awesome.
  • Finally able to play against someone I knew on Modern Warfare 2. Jody Gambrell joined me in a late night session with 10 other strangers whose language and jokes would make a Chris Rock blush.