Seattleista

A Fresh Start

2010-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by my short list of posts from 2009, I haven't been the most devoted blogger. I had so many things to write about, but I didn't make blogging a priority. I don't really believe in making New Year's resolutions; I always end up breaking them which makes me feel like I've failed miserably, but I do set New Year's goals and the one at the top of my list is to blog more frequently. I tend to think that all my posts have to be well planned and expertly written, but that takes a lot of time, so I'm going to try writing shorter more spur-of-the-moment posts. We'll see where that takes me.

Another goal of mine this year is to see more live musical performances. Something about me that isn't well-reflected in my previous postings is my deep love and appreciation for music. I like a lot of different kinds of music and my tastes fluctuate every couple of years, but if I had to name my favorite genre, I would say alternative. I just love the loud drums, heavy guitars, and, maybe most of all, the emotions; something about the combination of those sounds together just soothes my soul. A lot of artists fall under the category of "alternative". Weezer, one of my favorite bands of all time, is one of them. I don't consider their song lyrics life-changing, but I love their music just the same.

Another band that falls under the alternative category is Phoenix, a band that, until very recently, most people had never heard of. I didn't even realize they were considered alternative until they were nominated for a Grammy for best alternative music album. I first heard Phoenix on my favorite local radio station 107.7 The End a few months ago. They came to Seattle and played at 107.7's Deck the Hall Ball in December, which I didn't attend. I thought I had missed my only chance to see them, but fortunately for me, they scheduled another show at the ShowBox SoDo on January 23 and my brother, Akhil, the nicest brother anyone could ask for, bought me two tickets to the show for Christmas!

The show was freaking awesome. A band called The Soft Pack opened up for them. They played a pretty good set (they have a bit of a Social Distortion sound to them; you can hear their albums on lala.com). Phoenix kicked it off with Lisztomania and played a lot of songs from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. They also played quite a few from their past albums, including one of my new favorite songs, Napoleon Says. Akhil and I were standing off to the right side of the stage, so I didn't really get to experience the amazing light show that I'm told was going on, but that didn't detract at all from the performance. Besides, I had a great view of almost all the musicians. There is nothing cooler than watching a musical performer really get into the music and play his heart out.

The concert ended with a really impressive encore. Typically a band finishes, and then comes out and plays their hit single or one of their most popular songs. Phoenix came out and did two songs, and then their hit single. It was more than any fan could have asked for. For 1901 (the band's current hit) Thomas Mars (the band's front man) came out into the audience. I didn't see how he got down into the crowd, but he was lifted back up onto the stage by the audience and then proceeded to invite the fans to join him and the rest of the band onstage. I don't think anyone over the age of 19 was up there; it was pretty entertaining to watch.

If you've never been to a show at a smaller venue, you really have to do it at least once. You can really see the artists get into the music and the sound just engulfs you...it's an indescribable, incredible sensation. The only bad thing about going to see a show live is that almost immediately, the sensations you felt during the performance begin to slip away. You'll crave them and continue to chase them, but listening to the music on CD won't be enough anymore and you'll always be left missing that feeling that can only come from hearing a live performance.

Gone to the Dogs

2009-08-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how today was sunny and gorgeous and that I needed an excuse for putting off the laundry for a few more hours, T and I decided to go the beach. We hate leaving our dog, Red, behind, so we took her with us.

Taking Red anywhere is pretty amusing. If you even act like you're going to touch her leash, she starts squealing with delight. She prances around, wagging her tail, and if you're not quick enough in picking up the leash, she grabs it for you and starts tossing it about. As soon as you manage to get the collar around her neck (she has a special "power steering" collar permanently attached to her leash) she gathers the leash up in her mouth and bolts for the door.

After getting geared up, Red is ready to go, that minute. If she's forced to wait for any length of time, she isn't shy about expressing her displeasure. Today we were especially slow in getting ready, so there was Red, sitting by the door with her leash bunched up in her mouth whining and crying. When that didn't motivate us to move any faster she reverted to angry grunting noises. After ten agonizing minutes we were out the door.

Once we got outside, Red grabbed her leash and yanked T toward the car. I had to get in first and sit in the back because if left alone in the way back, Red would jump over the seat leaving claw marks and hair all over the place. After everyone was in his and her proper place we took off.

We decided to go to Edmonds beach. T's sister had recently gone there and highly recommended it, besides that, T thought dogs were allowed in the water and he wanted to give Red the chance to try swimming. When we got the beach we realized that dogs were only allowed on one side of the beach, in a fenced-off area. It took us a while to figure out that the area was an off-leash dog park.

Now, as a dog owner and lover, and I had heard of these "off-leash dog parks", but I'd never actually seen one. I've seen the occasional lone person with his dog and a tennis ball in an open field, but more than one dog, without a leash, in one place...together? Impossible. But alas, such a place does exist.

It was like unlike anything I had ever seen. It reminded me of the first day of Kindergarten; that time at the beginning of the day when the parents are still there, and the kids are running around getting to know each other. Packs of random dogs were running all over the beach, chasing one another and jumping around together. Some people were throwing sticks and balls into the water for their dogs. One person would throw a stick and five dogs would dive into the water after it. Some dog owners were sunbathing and would occasionally look up, call their dogs' names, see that they were safe, and lay back down.

T and I were in awe, totally shocked that this many people had dogs well-behaved enough that they could be let off their leashes and trusted to interact appropriately with other dogs. We were shocked because, well, because we have Red. Good ole' Red who, when going on a walk, will rip your arm out of the socket trying to start a fight with a dog twice her size (she's a 65 pound Golden Retriever, in case you're wondering). Red who goes outside to pee and ends up in a barking match the dog next door, causing her hair to rise up along her back and form a mohawk.

So, there we were, at the off-leash dog park with an un-socialized dog. We kept her leash on, and hugged the outer edge of the park, staying as close to the fence as possible, praying to God no other dogs would come up to say hello. We made in half way in before encountering our first friend. T pulled Red in and held her head close to his leg. The dog gave her a quick sniff and walked away. A little Whippet came over next and tried to get Red to play. She made a move toward the dog and it went running. People were starting to stare; it was getting embarrassing. I imagined them thinking, who brings an anti-social dog to a dog park?

But as I watched Red, I realized she was doing pretty well. She hadn't growled or barked at any of the other dogs. She was curious about them and afraid, I think. She's never been around that many dogs, ever, and she's used to being the big dog in her own back yard. Out there with all those others, she felt exposed and vulnerable. She was behaving really well though. So what if she had to stay on her leash? So what if she couldn't play with the other dogs? Suddenly I didn't care what my fellow dog-owners thought, we had a right to be there too!

We made our way down to the water where we found a piece of driftwood to sit on. Red hid between T's legs for a bit, but then was enticed to roll around in a big hole of cool sand. A few dogs came up to her, checked her out, but since was she attached to her leash and, for the most part, uninterested in them, they just went away. T took her into the water for the first time. She didn't really care for it, but he got her in up to her belly, and she stayed out there for a while. It wasn't until the waves started getting bigger that she decided it was time to call it a day.

We hosed her down and made our way back to the car. We were all feeling pretty proud of ourselves. Red had survived the dog packs and braved the water, and T and I had stood up for owners of unruly dogs everywhere. All in all, it was a day of great progress. Well, maybe it was just a day of great fun at the beach. Either way, we all went home happy.

Just Another Pleasant Seattle Sunday

2009-05-17T20:51:00.001-07:00

Unless you spent this last weekend with your head under a rock, or trapped inside a cube farm somewhere, you probably noticed that the weather was absolutely fantastic, especially on Sunday. When the first few days of glorious sunshine start to show themselves after a long, gray winter it’s hard not to over do it and go a little crazy with the weekend activities. More often than not I find myself so eager to embrace every minute of sunny weather that I cram my weekend full of appointments with the great outdoors, and by the time Monday rolls around I’m exhausted, having forgotten to pencil in some down time for relaxation. This weekend however, T, my hubby, and I found ourselves in a constant state of relaxation, one that I must admit, is only now starting to wear away.

This past Sunday we reinvented the meaning of lazy. We slept in until 10:00, I went to the farmers market and bought flowers, I might (or might not) have done some laundry, and then it was time to think about dinner. Now, being Seattleites, T and I are naturally very fond of seafood and we enjoy eating seafood at restaurants with a view of the water. There’s no better end to a lovely summer evening than a delicious seafood dinner while looking out over Puget Sound or Lake Washington. We tossed around a few ideas: Ray’s Boathouse, McCormicks, Spud in Kirkland. Then T mentioned he wanted crab cakes. My favorite food ever is Dungeness crab and I have tried crab cakes just about everywhere. The best crab cakes I have ever eaten are from Anthony’s Homeport in Edmonds. When you cut into the cakes, there are big pieces of fresh crab meat, and bread crumbs are only used to form a delicious, golden crust on the outside. They are literally heaven on a plate.

We arrived at Anthony’s around 4:30 and were seated right away at a table looking down on the marina. It was perfect. There were people out on sailboats with their dogs; one couple was having a romantic picnic at a table overlooking the marina. Outside Anthony’s Beach Café below there was a small sandbox where kids were playing while their parents sipped summer cocktails. We were all engulfed by the summerness of the evening and it was deliciously intoxicating.

I always forget that late spring and early summer is Sockeye salmon season, which is ironic because salmon is another one of my favorite foods. As much as I love it though, I never order it at a restaurant. They always want to cover it in some kind of rich sauce, and there’s nothing wrong with that, except that I love salmon best when it’s seasoned with a little salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sesame oil and cooked on the grill. When I eat salmon I really want to enjoy the flavor of the fish. If it’s served with too rich a sauce, the fish’s flavor is masked and it’s not as good.

T and I had our hearts set on crab cakes, so we didn’t really need time to look at the menu, but we had each ordered a drink (I went for the Rhuby Lemon Drop, which is a regular lemon drop with strawberry and rhubarb juices added. T went with his favorite, a Heineken) and wanted something to snack on while we waited for our food and enjoyed our drinks. On the seasonal menu, there was a seared salmon poky appetizer. We both love seared salmon, so we ordered it. Neither of us was prepared for what was to come.

The salmon was cut into small, bite-sized pieces and was served over a bed of fried wanton strips and shredded cabbage. There was light glaze over it that tasted like teriyaki sauce. I took my first bite of salmon and it was like butter, the salmon practically melted in my mouth. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The wanton strips and cabbage added a little crunch and the teriyaki glaze didn’t overpower any of the flavors. We cleaned the plate in less than five minutes. If you eat out only once this month, you should go to Anthony’s and order the seared salmon poky. It’s reasonably priced at $9.95 and there is enough served that it could actually make for a meal.

Our crab cakes quickly followed and were just as scrumptious as always. I had forgotten that they’re served over a plum or apricot and butter glaze which is totally unnecessary; the crab is delicious enough on its own. After finishing our meal we sat and gazed out the window at the setting sun and people below at the marina. It had been a perfect day and I was disappointed to see the weekend come to an end, but luckily for me, summer hasn’t even officially begun yet and there are going to be so many more enchanting weekends ahead.

Introduction

2009-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take the plunge and join the millions of other bloggers out there. I don't actually think many people will read my blog; I'm not even really sure what I'll talk about here. I guess I just like the idea of sitting down and accomplishing something entirely my own. No one dictates what goes here except me and I like that.

This isn't my first blog. When I travel I keep a private blog for my family and friends so they can sort of travel along with me. In the past I've considered making my travel blog available to everyone, but often when I'm traveling I spend time with people with whom I am very close and my postings get a little emotional and personal. I don't know, I guess I'd chalk it up to the fact that I am fiercely overprotective of the people I love and I would never want to be the cause of an invasion of their privacy.

Speaking of an invasion of privacy, I'll tell you a little bit about me now, and the meaning behind the title of my blog. I am a native Seattleite. I was born on the other side of the Cascades, but I was raised here and can't really imagine living anywhere else. I attended the UW, twice, and am a die hard Husky fan. I figure, no matter how much they suck at football, they're pretty good at education and therefore deserve my unwavering devotion. I have a job, which I will try hard not to discuss here. I may not know exactly what I want to talk about here, but I do know for certain that I don't want to talk about my job.

I am very happily married to the most awesome guy in the world. What luck I was denied in developing a good sense of direction I got double in finding a good husband, which in my opinion, is much more important. We live in a little shoebox house with our goofy dog and at this point couldn't be happier. It's pretty much rainbows and butterflies around here, just the way I like it!

So, my blog title. When I first thought about starting this blog, I wanted to devote my posts to discussions of Seattle-based fashion designers and beauty connoisseurs. But I realized I'm not a very good authority on either and there is no way I would be able to keep up a blog solely devoted to those two topics.

Originally Seattleista was my word for someone who likes "regular" fashion, but also likes pieces created by Seattle artisans. An example of one such piece is my Red Delicious Seattle chop-stick bag that my mom bought for me at the Phinney Ridge Winter Festival (see above). It's a beautiful, simple, hand-made brown fabric bag with a gorgeous piece of gold, green, and burgundy plaid fabric sewn on the front. It is unique; only a few other people in Seattle have one. And it was made here, in my city. Forget the mass-produced Coach handbags; these are the pieces I covet, making me a Seattleista.

The more I think about it though, the more I associate the word with things beyond fashion and beauty. It seems to me, someone who sells hand-carved wooden boxes in Pike Place Market is also a Seattleista. Or a person who knows where all the best hole-in-the-wall Seattle restaurants are is a Seattleista. Or the old guys who play chess every morning at the Pioneer Square Starbucks. I think this is what it comes down to: anyone who loves this city, who lives and breathes this city, and who appreciates the goods and services that come from this city is a Seattleista.

For the record, I don't intend to talk non-stop about handbags and make-up products. I enjoy those things, but I am also an avid reader, a bit of a foodie, a traveler, a gardener (a very, very green gardener who is known for killing plants as a result of neglect, but is trying to change all that), a quilter, and an entrepreneur, just to name a few. My hope is that this blog can become a forum where I can learn more about Seattle designers, restaurateurs, authors, artisans, and business owners. The truth is, I'd like to get to know my city better and I'm hoping you can help me do that.