May to Decemberists

The Decemberists came back to town last Friday and put on an AMAZING show. Those of you who know me are probably thinking that I was predisposed to think that, given my near-obsession with them, and that's true. But still. It was amazing!!! The show began with a darkened hall and a rousing Russian nationalist tune--perhaps in deference to the original Decembrists? In any event, it was a great way to start. I felt like I was listening to the overture at an opera.

As the band came onstage, another beautiful backdrop came down behind them, this time a night scene (I think it was depicting the same village as before) complete with full moon and butterflies. They started the set with The Crane Wife, Parts 1 & 2 and then went into Part 3. Although I love the way the album starts with Part 3 and goes straight into The Island, it was nice to hear the entire cycle in its original order. It seemed like from there they really followed the album for a while, playing The Island, Yankee Bayonet and O Valencia! (maybe not in that exact order, my memory fails me there). Later in the show came Shankill Butchers (with the stage appropriately bathed in blood-red light), The Perfect Crime No. 2 and the show closer When The War Came. In between there were old favorites like Leslie Ann Levine and unreleased gems like Cut 'Em Up, Boy (deemed "too violent" for the album, it featured Chris and Jenny pairing up on the keyboard while Colin put his theater major skills to work. He borrowed someone's cell phone to deliver the last verse that started with, "Listen up, boy..." and I'm still wondering if there was actually a person on the other end of the line.)

Near the end of the set Colin announced that it would be their last song, and the audience was treated to...the vocal stylings of Chris Funk! He launched into his falsetto rendition of The Outfield's Your Love and got the audience to sing along on the chorus: "I just wanna use your love tonight/I don't wanna lose your love tonight." A couple of people in front even whipped out their lighters. It was truly awesome. They ended with an extra-long version of When The War Came, but came out shortly after for an encore, of which the highlight was the crazy audience participation piece Mariners Revenge. I've never had so much fun pretending to be eaten by a whale. (If you're confused right now I recommend that you dash right out and pick up a copy of The Decemberists Handbook DVD from your local record store.)

In the middle of the set Colin took a moment to apologize for the show they gave in the fall, which they felt was "crappy" because he was so sick. Well, I loved that show even though he was sick--like I've said before, the whole beauty of seeing live music is that you never know what you'll get. You just have to go with an open mind and enjoy the moment. So I don't think they needed to apologize, but I wasn't complaining that they wanted to make up for it by playing an extra-long show. It was the perfect, the perfect, the perfect, the perfect, the perfect, the perfect, the perfect, the perfect night.

Everyone deserves a second chance...

That's why I'm rooting for Jeff Weaver to have a better game today. He gave a really candid interview to reporters in New York, chronicled by the Seattle Times here. Basically, he admitted that he's been too much in his head and just needs to get out on the pitcher's mound and follow his gut. You have to respect a guy who owns up to his shortcomings but is still trying. Hopefully things will go better today and he'll get to stay in the rotation.

In other news, today we went to the Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale. We brought home 10 different kinds of heirloom tomatoes, bok choy, Swiss chard, basil, thyme and sorrel. I'm going to keep a notebook on how the different varieties of tomatoes do and will post the results throughout the growing season for any other interested gardeners. We got almost all "odd-colored" tomatoes, like Green Zebra, Limmony and Black Plum to name a few. I can't wait to see what cool colors and crazy shapes they turn into.

I'll put up a separate post about the Decemberists show last night, but here's the short version: Best! Show! EVER!!!

Happy Decemberists Eve!

Tomorrow night we're going to see The Decemberists at the Paramount. We saw them back in the fall, but since I'm pretty much obsessed with them Larry got me tickets for Valentine's Day so we can see them again. I've been looking forward to this show for nearly 3 months and it's finally here! I have a feeling it will be the highlight of the weekend, though it has some stiff competition: we'll also be paying a late night visit to SAM's 35-hour marathon grand opening, and going to a discussion/book signing featuring Tim Gunn (eee!). So while I'm not sure what the very best moment will be, I believe I can safely say that this weekend is going to ROCK! Tune in for the full report on Monday...

Pushing pushmepullyou design

One of my favorite artists is Eleanor Grosch of pushmepullyou design. [Full disclosure: I was introduced to her work by Larry, who worked with her in 2005 to create a poster for a benefit show he organized. I loved the poster she did for the benefit, but she became one of my favorite artists all of her own accord--by which I mean her incredible talent, wit and design sensibility.] She is constantly creating new animal illustrations that are both modern and whimsical, like the city pigeon that I hope to add to our collection soon, along with the mourning dove. Her prints are affordable and way cooler than some tired "masterpiece" poster. Plus she silkscreens all of her work by hand, with an average print run of 50 (each piece is numbered), so you're getting a limited edition piece. But the best part is that you'll have her beautiful print on your wall and it will make you happy every time you look at it. Trust me!

If you're not ready to commit to a print, Eleanor also has a collection of greeting cards and post cards that are just as fun. We got a few cards last year at Bumbershoot and I love them--bright, colorful and A6-sized, which is larger than the average 4-bar note card and therefore quite handy when you want to write a little longer note. And at $10.00 for 6 cards, they're a downright steal. Right now I'm liking the mice a lot, but they're all pretty darn cool. There are lots of other fun things to buy on her site too, but since this blog is about paper I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to visit and see for yourself, but be warned, it's hard to resist.

What does $8.325 million buy?

Apparently, a head-case pitcher who gives up 6 runs in the first 1/3 of the first inning. That's right, at tonight's game Jeff Weaver pitched line drive after line drive, allowing nearly the entire Royals batting order to hit off of him. Now I know he has a history of pitching badly in April, but this has to be a new low. They should take him out of rotation for a while and get him to a good sports psychologist so he can get his confidence back. Because when I start feeling relieved that they put Mateo in, it is NOT a good sign.

So what do you do when it's the bottom of the first inning and you know your team is going to lose? You eat. Tonight was an unparalleled festival of gluttony. Major and minor league hotdogs, a cheeseburger and french fries, warm peanuts, disgusting yet delightful nachos with cheese and salsa, one desperate-attempt-to-warm-up coffee, a souvenir size Sierra Mist, and finally the really-cold-but-still-awesome-7th-inning Dr. Pepper. Mmm. We got to the ballpark early so we could watch batting practice, which was fun--we're usually the ones dashing in halfway through the first inning, so it was nice to be settled and watch all the pre-game rituals. It also meant we didn't have to stand in line as long for food...I think we'll have to remember that trick for next time.

The other highlight (besides watching my favorite player Yuni) was watching Raul Ibanez in left field. He made 3 really sweet catches tonight, one for a very exciting double play. Even on a bad night, it's still fun to be at the ballpark.

Oh for the life of a cat

Other than a brief period from 2:30-3:00 spent whining for their lunch and then eating it, this is what the boys have done today. I have to admit I'm a little jealous.

A few of my favorite things, weekend edition

homemade ice cream
cocktails at noon on a Saturday
The Namesake--go see it immediately, it is just soooo good. ps. Bring Kleenex.
Rex Lee as Lloyd on Entourage
lying on the couch all morning with the Sunday NY Times
springtime in Seattle

The joy of television

I love TV. At any moment of the day it's there, waiting to suck you in with a Lifetime movie, classic music video, or syndicated sitcom (of which the best by far is still Golden Girls, thank you very much). But I hate the end of the season, when you're never sure whether or not your new favorite shows will get picked up for another 18 or 24 episodes. Cases in point: Friday Night Lights and Veronica Mars. Now I know V Mars is actually in its 3rd season, but I just started watching it this year. I became obsessed so quickly that seasons 1 & 2 on DVD showed up in my Christmas stocking and were devoured in 2 sleepless, junk-food filled weekends (and a couple of very late weeknights). Sure, there are 5 more episodes to go (indicating that CW might order more for fall), but they are stand-alone mysteries that won't have the same emotional and dramatic arc of a season-long investigation. And there's no guarantee that it will be back in September. Then there's FNL, which I never thought I would be watching so religiously, but it's seriously one of the best shows on TV right now. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are so great as the football coach and his counselor wife. Add to that an adorable romance between the quarterback and the coach's daughter, a fabulous supporting cast that provides intriguing sub-plots every week, and the sheer adrenalin of watching the Dillon Panthers play, and I find myself glued to the couch. How could NBC even think of cancelling it? I just don't understand how TV execs make their decisions these days. Take a show like Studio 60: yes, it's true that despite having a gifted writer and stellar cast, the series had a very uneven season and has often come across as more preachy than funny. But should it really be cancelled to make room for another violent family drama like The Black Donnellys or, when NBC decides that's a dud too, another reality show? Um, NO. Studio 60 has the potential to turn into something great--even with its dull moments, there's still intelligent writing and genuine comedy. It deserves a second chance!

Just as the network season is coming to and end, Bravo is following its Wednesday cash cow slot (aka 10 pm) into the salon with Shear Genius, yet ANOTHER attempt to follow the Project Runway formula. Now I like Top Chef but just couldn't get into Top Design--Todd Oldham put me right to sleep. Shear Genius, however, is luring me back into the land of wooden hosts, celebrity guest judges and lots o'drama, which this time is all about the hair. With real people saying things like, "I AM success" and "If I had just had 20 more feathers it would have been explosive," how can you go wrong? It's so bad it's awesome. If you're looking for a new guilty pleasure, look no more. And even if you're not, you should prepare yourself to be sucked in, because it's only a matter of time before they air the Shear Genius marathon. You know you can't resist...

Tiptoe through the tulips with me...

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is in full bloom up at Mount Vernon through April 30th. Now I know you can't actually tiptoe through the tulips or they'd be ruined long before the end of the month, but it seems there is a shocking lack of songs written about tulips so it was the best I could come up with. Christine and I checked the festival out last Friday (more on her trip in my next post), and I think this weekend will be the best time to get out there before petals start dropping off.


This one's for you, Christine!



Tulip Town is totally worth the drive, and the 4 bucks admission. Just be sure to eat lunch before you go, or eat there--no outside food is allowed.



Tulip Town


And it was all yellow...

(I wanna) call it love

This will be my last post for a week or so, as Christine is coming to visit from LA and it looks like she's bringing the sun with her--hooray! But I have to write about the fabulous show we went to on Monday night. Sondre Lerche and The Faces Down played at the Crocodile Cafe, the first time he's headlined Seattle since 2004. (In between he opened for Elvis Costello at the Paramount, but it was just him and his guitar.) I have a soft spot for Sondre because Larry took me to that 2004 show on our first date. So of course I would love him just for being a part of our history, but in addition to that he is one of the best pop singers playing nowadays. His music is so catchy, the rhythm is tight, there are interesting little twists and turns in each song, and did I mention the brilliant lyrics? Like these: Just like in that old movie about Carlotta's spell /I feel obsessed like Scottie felt/ minus the drama and the fraud /I hope I got to get into her way /Out of my way. Truly, he's fantastic.

Now, Sondre's albums are great on their own, but nothing can really compare to seeing him live--especially when he plays with The Faces Down. Morten (bass), Kato (guitar) and Ole (drums) are the most entertaining band I've seen recently. Maybe those Norwegians know something the rest of us don't, because the 4 of them together had soooo much fun onstage Monday night that it was contagious. I found myself grinning like an idiot through most of the show because it was just so fun to watch their antics. They weren't even antics, really; you could just tell they were having a good time. It's refreshing to see a band so lacking in pretension. That's not to say they don't take their music seriously, because they're all obviously very accomplished on their respective instruments. During Monday's show we were treated to several mini jam sessions within individual songs, which is often the best part of going to see live music. You won't hear anything like that just by putting a CD in the stereo. It was especially fascinating to hear them, after having jammed for a few minutes, bring it back around and return to the song. Lots of bands do this, but few do it so well.

We missed the opening act, but I really liked the second singer Willy Mason. He's got a Johnny Cash, Mason Jennings kind of sound and his voice is really quite hypnotic. I felt bad for him because he was sick, but in my opinion it just added to his charm because it enhanced the bluesy, scratchy quality of his voice. I'm definitely going to be adding his album to our collection.

Interestingly enough given my last post, Sondre's playing The Waiting Room in Omaha tonight. Seriously, when did Omaha get so cool?

Update: The Omaha show has been cancelled because they're stuck in a snowstorm. See, this is why I live on the west coast.

Somewhere in middle America

Today's NY Times Travel magazine has an article about Omaha, where I spent many of my formative years. It's funny how it never felt like home when I lived there, but now the longer I'm gone the more nostalgic I become about it. I get especially nostalgic when Larry and I start looking at real estate and realize that for the price of a teeny-tiny home in Fremont we could practically have a mansion in Omaha. Then again, I always say that the catch is that we'd have to live there. This article, however, reminded me of all the wonderful things Omaha has to offer, and it's got me longing to go back...to visit. I just don't think I could live in the midwest again after living next to the ocean for so many years, and I'll take a rainy Seattle winter over a snowy Nebraska winter anyday. But for a long weekend in late spring or early fall, Omaha could be a great destination.

In case you're visiting anytime soon, here are a few of my favorite Omaha locales:

The Old Market in downtown Omaha--I could (and did) spend hours sifting through old sheet music at Antiquarium, which is still my favorite used book store anywhere. I also like Ted & Wally's, The Diner, The Underground, and Retro Recycle (although the incense can be a bit much). Christine and I used to eat at Spaghetti Works in the Old Market on a very regular basis. Mmm, spumoni!

Also in the Old Market: Delice European Bakery. I love their chocolate mousse in its own edible chocolate cup, and the fresh fruit tartlets. I also recommend any of their savory pastries for lunch. Yum!

Catch a movie at Dundee Theatre, the very last single-screen movie theater in Omaha. It really is the best.

I love thrift shopping on 24th Street, and at the 84th Street Goodwill. The thrift stores in both Omaha and Lincoln are awesome--not overshopped or overpriced, and you can find great vintage pieces. Although maybe I shouldn't be sharing this information...

See a show at Sokol Hall. Sadly, I wasn't cool enough to know about the great acts that come to Sokol when I was younger, but if I lived there now it would definitely be on my list of favorites. Just a few of their upcoming shows are (local talent) Tilly and the Wall, Aqueduct and Tapes 'N Tapes.

If I think of anything else, I'll add it. If there's anything you think I missed, let me know!

One of my least favorite things (canine edition)

I love dogs. I plan to have a dog or two someday. What I do not love is the person who, every week on trash day AFTER the trash has been picked up, leaves their stinky dog poo in our empty trash can. It's gotten to the point where I wait for the garbage truck to come, then go out immediately after the trash has been picked up to put the can away before they can strike again. But sometimes I forget, or have to be gone for a while, and then I come home to that stealthily dropped plastic bag in the bottom of my trash can and get angry all over again. I know I'm crossing the line into crotchety-old-man territory, and will soon be angrily waving my morning paper at the neighbor kids while wearing a bathrobe over my white t-shirt, plaid shorts and sandals with socks, but I can't help myself. Other people's dog poo is just gross.

You call this spring?!?

Sunday was the most perfect kind of spring day--sunny and beautiful, with just enough breeze that you're comfortable, but warm enough to drive with the windows down and wear shorts to play tennis at the park.

This morning it's sunny, but it's 33 degrees outside and there's frost on all of the cars.

Is the Fremont troll punishing us for Missy's impertinence last fall?

I still remember

Okay, it's a week late, but here's the Bloc Party review:

The evening kicked off with Seattle pop duo Smoosh, who were fabulous as always. Their music just makes me happy, and Chloe can really rock out on the drums. I was a little sad because we arrived in the middle of their set after dinner at Dahlia Lounge (we could have skipped dessert to make it on time, but how can you go to Dahlia and not have their doughnuts?) Fortunately we saw them last fall at the 826 benefit, and since we live here I'm sure we'll get to see them again before the year is over. Up next was Final Fantasy, the name Canadian singer Owen Pallett gives his solo project. He played violin (extremely well) and a little Casio keyboard and sang, while a cute girl made movies on an old-school overhead projector using different colored and cut-out transparencies (just like high school!). I loved it. My favorite movie started with a transparency that had a black and white drawing of a winding path that went over a lake; there was a giant tree that cut through the middle. As the song went on, she put different colors of perfectly cut-out transparency over each part of the drawing until it was all colored in. Then she had a transparency with a drawing of a little man that she floated over the original drawing so it looked like he was walking down the path. It probably doesn't sound as cool as it actually was, but the overall effect was incredibly charming. I should also mention that Owen has a lovely voice, and that his new album is called I Poo Clouds. I'd love to hear the back story behind that title...

Seattle was the first stop on Bloc Party's US tour to promote their new album, and they put on an amazing opening night show. If I were 10 years younger, I would have been down front dancing, but as it was we enjoyed watching the kiddies go crazy from our seats off to the side. (I know I'm still young, but since it was an all-ages show I felt really old next to all the little 15 year-olds...plus I just hate standing for 3-4 hours straight at shows nowadays, so I certainly feel old.) But I digress! Bloc Party's songs combine serious lyrics about modern day London with these incredibly catchy beats. The music was brilliant, their energy level was through the roof, and they looked good onstage.

About halfway through it became clear that the best part of the show for me was watching Russell, and of course Russell's hair. (see pictures below) I had just seen a similar haircut in a Prada ad earlier that day and was totally in love with it. It's the kind of cut that is soooo cool but looks good on noone but the model, you know? But! It looked completely natural on Russell. He was just adorable. I just wanted to give him a hug, he was so cute. I'll stop now since I'm starting to sound like a stalker, but seriously--the hair!!! Anyways, it was Russell's 26th birthday on Sunday, so at one point between songs Kele got the whole crowd to sing Happy Birthday to him; it was a sweet gesture and of course we all sang along. That kind of collective energy is what makes going to live shows so much fun--you just don't have experiences like that sitting at home on your couch! So if Bloc Party is coming to your town, get thee to the box office today and pick up your tickets. It's well worth it, plus you'll get to see Russell's hair for yourself. And you do not want to miss that.

Addendum to AFoMFT, late edition

Just got home from the Bloc Party show and my official new favorite thing is...

Russell's hair!





(photo by Jenna Decker; see more of her work here.)


(photo by Juliette Robert; see more of her work here.)

I'll post a full review of the show tomorrow, but in the meantime, how cute is Russell's hair???!!??!?

A few of my favorite things, early daylight savings time edition

NPR made a great point yesterday: if we now only have standard time 5 months out of the year, can it really be called "standard" time? Hm. But on with the list...

Swedish pop music
pink champagne
owls
pushmepullyou design
having Fridays off!

The extremely early bird does not get the worm.

We're having a yard sale tomorrow to raise money for my good friend Christine and have put out quite a bit of publicity in the papers and online. The sale will be from 9-4, and I specified no early birds, but another friend who is experienced in yard sales warned me that they would show up anyways. Well, I guess she was right. An elderly gentleman just rang our doorbell asking if he could come in and see the books that we would be selling tomorrow. When I said no, he asked if he could come back tonight. I said no again. Then he asked if he could come at 7 tomorrow morning and played the age card to gain sympathy (he's 75). I finally said he could come at 8 and hang around until I get the books set up. Which I know is unfair to the people who will come at 9, and I feel a little bad about that, but I just did't feel like arguing with him. On the bright side, it's nice to know that at least one person will be coming to the sale tomorrow!

Shameless plug for my fabulous mechanic

If you live in Seattle and are looking for a good mechanic, may I suggest Dr. Don's Automotive in Ballard? They are just awesome. Honest, helpful and downright friendly.

Eew.

This morning I dropped my car off for an oil change, then took the bus home. On the bus I witnessed something that nobody should ever have to see: public grooming. A man sitting nearby was using a fingernail clipper to trim his chin hairs. On the bus!!!

After a few seconds of appalled staring, I regained my sense of politeness and thereafter stuck to furtive glances in his direction to see if he could possibly be doing what I thought he was doing. (He was.) He appeared to be using the reflection from the bus window for a mirror, as he pulled his chin skin taut with one hand and clipped with the other. Blech. I mean, we all know that natural light is the best light for facial grooming, but come on! Doing it in public is just unnecessary and wrong. I've had this image seared into my corneas for the past hour, so hopefully posting this will clear my brain, much like passing along an earworm helps get it out of your head...

I can't believe it's going to be March next week, or the Andy Rooney post.

Seriously, this year is flying by at record speed. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

Last Monday we saw Camera Obscura at Neumo's and they were brilliant. I've missed them the last two times they came to town, so I was excited to finally hear them live. I was a teeny bit sad that they didn't play "Books Written for Girls," but it's pretty slow so maybe it would have been too much of a downer. They did play my favorite-est song of theirs, though, ("Suspended from Class") so I can't complain.

On Valentine's Day we went to the Triple Door for a special Jesse Sykes show. She played some old songs and of course, lots of stuff from the new album which came out last week. Get thee to Sonic Boom and check it out! One thing I love on this album, besides the music, is that in the liner notes where all the musicians are listed, there are hand-clap credits. Now my new goal is to be a hand-clapper for her next record. Jesse, if you're reading this, I'll do it for free as long as I get a credit....

Over the weekend I saw Music and Lyrics. It's worth seeing it for the music video alone, but I will definitely be adding the DVD to my collection when it comes out.

We also celebrated Chinese New Year Saturday, and spent lots of time shopping and cooking for our New Year feast. Saturday night our friends Rod and Shannon came over and we ate: dumplings; ma po doufu; beef with snow peas and oyster sauce; ants climbing trees (bean thread with pork); sweet and sour shrimp; chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, mu shu pork, and roast duck (we bought a whole one from Uwajimaya). For dessert we had ginger and green tea ice creams--yum. Sunday night Missy and Jessie came over and we ate: leftover chinese broccoli and sweet and sour shrimp; sole with mushrooms and rice wine; shrimp with ribbon noodles; vegetarian ma po doufu; vegetarian ants climbing trees; bok choy with garlic. For dessert Missy and Jessie brought puppy chow (I think it's rice chex with peanut butter, chocolate and confectioner's sugar, but I don't want to know the recipe or I'd make it all the time). We'll be eating leftovers all this week, but I don't mind because Larry is an awesome cook so it's all delicious. Plus it means we won't have to cook for a while!

You better not kill the groove...

Thanks to The Imaginary Socialite for reminding me how much I loooove this song and video! You can go to Sophie's website to hear a bit of her new single; the album comes out in a couple of weeks. You know it's going to be dance-tastic.

A sad day for the opera world

Composer Gian Carlo Menotti died today in Italy. He composed many wonderful operas of the 20th century, among them The Medium, one of my favorites. He is probably best known, however, for his sweet, classic Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. Amahl premiered on television in 1951 and is still shown at the holidays. You can read Menotti's obituary from the New York Times here; may he rest in peace.

I love that dirty water...

Larry's sister lives in Boston, so we got to stay there for a few days between Christmas and New Year's. The first day we drove up to Freeport, Maine to visit the gigantic L.L. Bean. Of course we had to take a picture by the giant boot.

On the way there we stopped at the DeLorme headquarters in Yarmouth to visit Eartha, the world's largest globe. I'm still partial to the world's largest buffalo, but we had fun checking Eartha out.

The next day Larry's parents drove up for some family sightseeing fun. [Sidenote--I need to mention that we got coffee the first two days at Diesel Cafe, which had the best coffee I drank on the east coast. If you live in Boston I highly recommend it.] We walked through the Public Garden, which I found out has a fascinating (and well-deserved) monument to ether. We also walked a good chunk of the Freedom Trail...

and visited the Paul Revere House. One thing about the house that I found really interesting was the discolored glass in the windows:

The guide told us that homeowners ordered their glass from England and had it shipped over. The mass-produced glass would often have particles of dust or other imperfections in it, so while the window arrived as clear glass, the individual panes would discolor over time. I think it would be cool to have that happen to your windows--it's like having your own custom stained glass.

The next day, the 30th, we took a tour of Fenway Park. It was exciting to be in the park, although it would be even more exciting if we were at a game. Or if Big Papi was our tour guide. Still, it was fun to learn Red Sox trivia, like that former owners Tom and Jean Yawkey's initials are written in Morse code on the manual scoreboard. Now I'm going to spend every home game looking for them.

By the way, those seats behind us go for $450 a pop, and that's only if your number is chosen after you enter the lottery for them. But the view is amazing...

We had purchased buttons for the First Night celebration, which gets you free admission into a ton of places. So on New Year's Eve we headed first to the New England aquarium, which had free admission till noon. The penguins there are seriously cute. Then it was on to the Old State House, Old Granary Burial Ground, and Otis House Museum (also old, but the word is not featured in the title). We had dinner at Whole Foods, where Larry got a slice of "Manny" pizza--they describe it as "pizza just being pizza." Love it!

Finally, for no other reason than that I think this is a really cute picture, here's one last shot of Boston:

Cheers!

New York classic

New York cute

New York Inspiration

The First Emperor

This is the first of what will probably be several posts on our trip back east...

Holiday Tree at Lincoln Center



After spending Christmas in Rhode Island and New Year's Eve in Boston, we went back to RI for New Year's dinner with Larry's family. We took the train from Providence to New York on January 2nd, got into Penn Station at 2:45, and were at the hotel by 3. It was fabulous--our hotel was 2 blocks south of Central Park and across the street from Carnegie Hall. We couldn't check in till 4, so we decided to stow our bags and walk to Lincoln Center, to see how far we'd have to travel for the opera that night. It was only 8 blocks away--woo hoo!

Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center




On the way back we saw Ethan Hawke and Martha Plimpton at Columbus Circle. They're both performing in The Coast of Utopia right now, so we guessed they were heading to Lincoln Center for call time. We had an early dinner at nearby Cafe Europa and went back to check in and get ready for the opera (!).

The New York Times didn't love The First Emperor, but I did. Here's what I think: the NYT critic is paid to go to operas. His job is to look for errors, missteps, things to criticize--and to commend where he sees fit. I, on the other hand, go to the opera a few times a year (and had never been to the Met before this). I'm going to the opera because I want to be told a story, hear beautiful singing, look at pretty costumes--in short, I want to be entertained. I'm predisposed to like what I see, because I've paid (okay, Larry paid) for the ticket, made an effort to get dressed up for a fun night out, and am excited to see the opera legend Placido Domingo create a role, watch Tan Dun conduct the score he composed, see Emi Wada's beautiful costumes and experience a story directed by the amazing Zhang Yimou. How could it have been anything but a fabulous time?

Granted, the first act was a little s l o w . . .but hey, there was a lot of exposition to get through. The second act moved much more swiftly, and the percussive score (assisted by a HUGE gong downstage left) kept things humming along. My favorite character was the Yin-Yang Master, performed by Wu Hsing-Kuo (who came over from Peking Opera for the occasion). His singing and incredible dance skills completely mesmerized me every time he came onstage. I also thought Michelle DeYoung was great as the shaman, often blurring the line between singing and shrieking. The freakishly long fingernails and crazy costume helped to make her a very scary shaman. Placido Domingo gave a convincing performance as the self-absorbed emperor who decides not to have Gao Jianli killed for deflowering his daughter, because he needs the musician to finish writing China's new national anthem (his obsession with the anthem was pretty funny at times). Of course, Domingo's voice was phenomenal. It was nice to see him tackling a new role and embracing a different style of music--at this point in his career he could easily coast on recordings of old standards. I think it speaks highly of his artistry that he's still challenging himself.

The sets were innovative--lots of brick-like blocks suspended from wire, that continually changed figurations and depicted (at various times) steps, an amphitheater, the Great Wall in progress, the emperor's castle/fortress, and the completed Great Wall. The costumes were just gorgeous--Princess Yueyang's dress at the beginning of Act 2 was probably the prettiest (long robes in two shades of pink), but the chorus costumes in Act 1 and the Yin-Yang Master were cool beyond imagination. They wore double-sided robes, with masks on the back of their heads, and when they turned around they would perform arm movements that made it look like the mask-creature was shimmying and dancing on its own. Seriously creepy, and so cool.

Musically, I think Tan Dun was trying to give the vocal melodies a similar feel to the zither that was often onstage--that would account for the soaring lines, strange leaps and chromaticism that I heard throughout the opera. I thought it worked in its way, and though it did make for some slow moments I didn't think it was painfully slow or boring. It just wasn't the traditional Western operatic style that we're used to, and rightfully so considering it's not a Western story. There was a lovely duet between Gao Jianli and Princess Yueyang, and the slave song/national anthem was quite moving. My favorite musical moment would have to be the Act 2 intro/overture. Tan Dun took one of the motifs (from the slave song, I believe, but I could be wrong) and started changing it up in the orchestra, tweaking intervals here and there for an awesomely strange theme & variation moment. Maybe it comes from singing with the Esos for so long, but I love that stuff! If I were in the orchestra that would definitely be my favorite section to play.

We pre-ordered champagne for intermission and had such a wonderful, decadent time drinking it on the Grand Tier and people-watching. The chandelier/light fixture in the center of the staircase was sooo pretty and sparkly, and around the lobby there were costumes on display (Marc Chagall's Queen of the Night costume for The Magic Flute was very cool). There was also an exhibit going on of modern paintings inspired by opera heroines. I really liked John Currin's Helena, which you can sort of see here (scroll to the bottom, the last thumbnail). All in all, our trip to the Met was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope I will get to have many, many more times.

Mocha due avec moi

Since I've been on the east coast this commercial has run on average 10 times a day. I love it more each time I see it!

Shake hands with Santa Claus

I urge you to visit Larry's blog and read the transcript of his IM interview with Santa. I think the North Pole elves would disagree that Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year."

A few of my favorite things, holiday edition

wrapping presents
fun winter coats
baking
over the top light displays
holiday specials on TV
jazz hands

Top Ten Albums of 2006

It's officially list-making time...to start things off, here are my ten favorite albums (plus a few more) of 2006.

1. The Crane Wife, The Decemberists
2. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko Case
3. Rabbit Fur Coat, Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
4. Duper Sessions, Sondre Lerche and The Faces Down Quartet
5. The Life Pursuit, Belle and Sebastian
6. Naturally, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings
7. Supply and Demand, Amos Lee
8. Math and Physics Club, Math and Physics Club
9. Robbers and Cowards, Cold War Kids
10. Begin to Hope, Regina Spektor

Honorable Mentions:
Let's Get Out Of This Country, Camera Obscura
Show Your Bones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Alright, Still, Lily Allen
Putting The Days To Bed, The Long Winters

Seems like it's rainin' all the time...

This year has definitely been the craziest, weather-wise, since I moved to Seattle 5 years ago. Last night our basement flooded from the torrential downpour of rain, and the lights flickered all night because it was so windy. Still, we were lucky: our cable and electricity stayed on all night. The biggest inconvenience (aside from icky muddy towels and sore backs from mopping) is that we didn't get our paper. Not because the carrier didn't deliver it, but because the power is out at the press, so they can't print. Crazy. Today the weather is so much calmer that it makes the storm seem like it was a bad dream. If things keep up, it will actually be warmer when we're on the east coast next week than it is here.

So I haven't written yet about the Decemberists' show, and now I also have to write about the KEXP benefit show we went to last Sunday. First, the Decemberists. I was so excited to see Colin and the gang that I was practically jumping up and down when they started to come onstage. There was a HUGE, beautiful backdrop with an illustration of a Japanese village, complete with a crane flying away (with a perfect blood spot on one wing, just like the album cover). In front of the backdrop were 8 very large red lanterns hanging over the band. It was one of the prettiest stage sets I've seen at the Paramount. They started the set with The Crane Wife, Pt. 3--the first song on the new album and my current favorite song. I was giddy. Colin had a cold which seemed to get worse as he went on, and they actually wound up cancelling their Vancouver shows to make sure he didn't damage his voice. But the show was fantastic nonetheless. You could tell that Colin was annoyed about his voice not doing what he wanted, but it didn't matter. If I want to hear the songs performed perfectly, I can listen to the album. The live concert is about what happens in the moment, so I was really pleased when he finally let loose on The Landlord's Daughter and just went with it. I know a lot of people were annoyed that the show was relatively short (because Colin's voice was shot), but I was just happy they didn't cancel altogether. I had been looking forward to the concert for 2 months, and it totally lived up to my expectations. I just can't say enough good things about The Decemberists, and I will most definitely be seeing them when they come to Seattle again.

Sunday we went to the KEXP benefit show at Neumo's. The line-up was:
Cold War Kids
The Junior Boys
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Juno
My favorite group by far was Cold War Kids. These guys are just fabulous--they are so much fun to watch and you can tell that they're having fun too. They use lots of complex rhythms and catchy melodies, but their presentation is so haphazard; it's almost as if they just woke up, hopped onstage and threw a song together. Love it! I highly recommend that you check out their album Robbers and Cowards. The Junior Boys were good, but the mixing was so out of balance that the bass was killing our ears. We had to move off to the side of the stage just to avoid being in pain from it. Ted Leo was lots of fun too; not totally my genre, but he can win anyone over with his energy (plus he's REALLY good at what he does, so just from that perspective you have to like him). By the time his set finished we were all pretty tired; we stuck around for the first 3 songs from Juno, then made it to the frites place right before they closed. Frites are truly the best ending for any evening, especially one spent with good friends and good music.

Who could say no to that face?

Yesterday Stuff On My Cat hosted one of the cutest wedding proposals ever. I also had fun skimming through the 700+(!) comments, including a few from folks who take complete strangers' love lives waaay too seriously. I mean, come on, if you're proposing on a well known web site, you're probably pretty sure she's going to say yes. For that matter, I would think most people wait to propose until they're sure the other person will say yes. But I digress. What I really should say is congratulations, Jeff and Heather (and Fredrique)!

Not including raked stages or Wagner

I read this interesting and excellently titled tidbit in today's New York Times, about the opera Larry and I will be seeing in January:

The Dangers of Opera

Company members of the Metropolitan Opera were sickened after being exposed to a shipment of costumes, including shoes, from China less than a month before the premiere of “The First Emperor,” a $3 million new production composed by Tan Dun and directed by Zhang Yimou. At least one backstage worker was hospitalized, apparently with an allergic reaction made worse by an existing ailment, said Elena Park, a Met spokeswoman. Ms. Park said other company members, costume shop workers and chorus members also had reactions, but she did not know how many people were stricken. The problematic costumes, confined to one of several shipments, were cleaned and the shoes replaced. “We don’t know the cause,” Ms. Park said. Samples of the costumes, elaborate designs created by Emi Wada, were sent to a laboratory for testing. The mysterious condition did not delay rehearsals, Ms. Park said, and the opera is scheduled to open as planned on Dec. 21. DANIEL J. WAKIN

Obviously, this could have been a serious problem and it's very fortunate that only one person became ill. But while I don't want to make light of the issue, I'm rather intrigued by the first sentence. Company members "were sickened after being exposed to a shipment of costumes, including shoes..." Is there some important chemical or toxin that would more likely be found in the shoes as opposed to the rest of the shipment? Was it necessary to include this extra detail so that the reader would be prepared to read later on that the shoes had been replaced? Was Mr. Wakin trying to fulfill a word count requirement? Or, and I think I may have something here, maybe he's on a personal mission to use the word "shoes" as much as possible in his writings. I'll have to investigate further--stay tuned!

The weather outside is frightful!

It's 4:03 am and I just got home from the airport, after being stuck in an icy traffic jam for over 3 hours. I would complain about how sucky it was, but I was lucky enough to be in the car with my friend Jenny, who I had picked up from her flight at around 11:30, and we kept ourselves pretty well entertained. Also, there are still people on the road who are trying to get home from their evening commute--as in, LAST evening. We heard people on the radio who had been stuck in traffic for 7 or 8 hours. So I feel grateful to have made it home in half the time. A huge thanks goes out to Missy, who was stuck in the traffic jam too, but was slightly ahead of us and warned us not to go on the I-5 North onramp from the airport--she had to go on it and said it was just a sheet of ice. We took her advice and got home safely. I can't believe the DOT didn't close the onramp, or at the very least sand it. It's pretty sad how unprepared Seattle is for snow, but hopefully this storm will change that. Although I have to say that I've never seen weather like this in the five years I've lived here--it's just bizarre. I've forbidden Larry to drive to work tomorrow (or I should say in a few hours, since that's when he would normally leave), and I recommend that anyone else reading this in Seattle do the same. It's downright dangerous out there.

Time waster for today...

Check out the Absolut 100 and vote for the "Absolute" item (blog, museum, sci-fi movie, etc.) in a whole bunch of categories. It's only up till tomorrow, so get a move on.

Let's go to the mall!

Last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother was even funnier than usual, thanks to this video, now up on Barney's blog. Check it out...

I don't understand...

Yesterday Larry came into the office to show me two letters--one from W, one from Vogue. He gave me subscriptions to both for my birthday, and I've received a couple of issues, although I'm still waiting on the Cate Blanchett Vogue. This is what both the letters said:

"Dear Subscriber:

We are having difficulty delivering copies of VOGUE/W to one of your gift recipients. That person's name and mailing address as supplied to us is shown below. The Post Office has informed us that this address is undeliverable.

Please verify this address and if it is not correct, make note of the correction on this letter and return it to us. We will then correct the address and make the necessary adjustments so service can be restored."

Since we live together, the "undeliverable" address with my name on it is the exact same address as the one with Larry's name on it, THE ADDRESS WHERE WE RECEIVED THIS LETTER. So if we can get the letter, why can't we get the magazines?

I went to the post office this morning, and they told me to talk to the magazine service department since the address is, in fact, deliverable. Larry called the magazine service department and they couldn't figure out why this would be happening. This afternoon, my W magazine arrived right on schedule.

Get thee to the kouch!

Tonight we went to our friend Dustin's film festival at Central Cinema in the central district. I've been wanting to check this theater out for a while, and of course we were super excited that they're hosting Kaspar's Kouch. Last year the festival was literally on Dustin's couch in his apartment, which was really fun (and Dustin made gourmet ice cream almost every night--you wouldn't think it, but avocado ice cream is surprisingly delicious). But the new space at Central Cinema has lots of couches, with tables at each couch and a menu full of pizzas, salads, calzones, and all kinds of other goodies plus a big screen. It feels so official now that it's at a theater, AND the festival even has its own trailer this year!

Dustin has to charge admission this year to pay for the theater and movie rights, but the tickets are super cheap--$7.00 for one movie, $10.00 for two (there are usually two movies shown each night). Tonight's Cubicle Challenges lineup was Fear and Trembling, a very cool French film about life in corporate Japan starring the awesome Sylvie Testud, and Office Space, which really needs no explanation. I love that movie, and I love the soundtrack even more (Kendra, if you're reading this, Damn it feels good to be a gangster!). Wednesday's films are being kept secret, but you know they're going to be good if Dustin's screening them. The rest of the schedule is below; if you're in Seattle this week you should definitely check it out.

November 15, 2006 SECRET SCREENING
um....it's a secret.......you'll just have to be curious enough to find out.
(first screening at 6:30, second screening at 8:45)

November 16, 2006 MISSING PERSONS
6:30 THE LADY VANISHES (1938) directed by Alfred Hitchcock (NR, 97 min.) Inspiring many films in its wake (Bunny Lake is Missing and 2005's Flightplan amongst the best known) this early Hitchcock confection pits feuding train passengers bound for romance against a mind-bending mystery. A passenger on the train (the lady of the title) is unable to be found the next morning. Young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) queries other passengers on the ladies disappearance and is met with the simple claim that they have never seen the person she is talking about. Alternating between light comedy and exciting tension, this is early Hitchcock at his finest.
8:50 THE THIRD MAN (1949) directed by Carol Reed (NR, 104 min.) THE THIRD MAN is considered by many filmmakers to be one of the greatest films of all time. An American, Holly Martens (Joseph Cotten) arrives in post-WWII Vienna to visit his friend, Harry Lime. He soon discovers his friend has been killed and finds himself being questioned by a police officer who claims Lime was involved in racketeering. Holly vows to clear his friend’s name, but soon becomes caught up in his friends' shady history. Don't forget this film also stars Orson Welles who, by the late time he appears onscreen, still gets one of the most famous entrances, speeches (the 'cuckoo clock' which he scripted himself) and climactic chases in the history of cinema.

November 17, 2006 CONTEMPORARY GERMAN MASTERPIECES
Both films are in German with English Subtitles
6:30 WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) directed by Wim Wenders (R, 127 min.) The sky over Wenders's war-scarred Berlin is full of gentle angels wearing trench coats who listen to the tortured thoughts of mortals and try to comfort them. One of the angels wishes to become mortal after falling in love with a beautiful trapeze artist. Peter Falk, as himself, assists in the transformation by explaining the simple joys of a human experience, such as the sublime combination of coffee and cigarettes. The result is a film that reaffirms the beauty of life and the absolute potential of cinema.
9:00 THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR (2000) directed by Tom Tykwer (R, 135 min.) After his breakout hit, RUN LOLA RUN, Tom Tykwer upped the ante with THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR. Sissi (LOLA's Franka Potente) is a nurse in a mental hospital. One day, she mistakenly walks in front of a semi and is saved by a mysterious young thief who caused the accident. Unable to get her savior out of her mind, she sets out to find him. Eventually the wheels of fate turn as she becomes involved in a transfixing bank robbery and the two embark on a personal odyssey toward their own destinies. Tykwer's use of floating camera, a hypnotic musical score, and an impeccable use of sound all work to created the films unique sensory experience.

November 18, 2006 NON-CONVENTIONAL MUSICALS
5:00 UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948) directed by Preston Sturges (NR, 105 min.) Rex Harrison stars as a symphony conductor in this super-black comedy from the brilliant Preston Sturges. Harrison believes his wife is cheating on him and while conducting a symphony uses the 3 pieces on the program (each by Rossini, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky) to imagine his homicidal revenge fantasies. But good imagining doesn't always work out as planned in this brilliantly performed mixture of razor sharp dialogue and uproarious slapstick.
7:30 32 SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD (1993) directed by Francois Girard (PG, 98 min.) Comprised of 32 shorts about Glenn Gould, Francois Girard (who would later create The Red Violin) helms what started as a biography of portraits and becomes a meditation on the loneliness of exceptional artists and their perception of music. Colm Feore stars as Gould in all 32 shorts, which range from narrative to experimental and contain some of the most marvelous depictions of experiencing music I have seen captured on celluloid.
10:00 THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) directed by Rob Reiner (R, 82 min.) Before BEST IN SHOW and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, there was SPINAL TAP. The grandfather of the mock-u-mentary is still the best of the bunch. The bands absurd behavior is offset by director Rob Reiner's adherance to a strict documentary treatment. You will never forget Harry Shearer's encounter at the metal detector, Christopher Guest's collection of guitars and amps, or Michael McKean leading the band in circles trying to reach the stage. I guarantee, this night we're going to turn the sound up to 11. It will be one louder.

November 19, 2006 KINGDOM FINALE
5:00 THE KINGDOM, PART I (1994) directed by Lars von Trier (NR, 271 min.) Seattle's own Sean Axmaker once described THE KINGDOM as "a nightmarish cross between Twin Peaks and Chicago Hope as directed by David Cronenberg, and even that hardly captures the giddy absurdity of Lars Von Trier's soap-opera-cum-horror-tale." A bizarre mixture of hospital politics, cult activities, ghosts, graveyards, and one amazing cliffhanger are capped with a greek chorus of dishwashers. It needs to be seen to be believed. Not to be missed.

Plans, plans, plans

Very excited to see this exhibit at the Met Museum on our trip...all those beautiful couture gowns up close!!!

Musical joy

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but we're going to the east coast for 2 weeks over Christmas to spend the holidays with Larry's family. We'll be in Boston, Rhode Island, and after New Year's, Manhattan. I'm super excited, because I've never been to the east coast (except airports, which don't count) and have wanted to visit for a long time. But when Larry got us tickets to The First Emperor, my excitement level went through the roof. It's a brand new opera--the world premiere is December 21st and we get to see it on January 2nd. Tan Dun is conducting, Zhang Yimou is head of production and Placido Domingo plays the emperor. Plus, hello, it's the Met! How could it not be fun?

In other exciting music news, only 11 days till the Decemberists show at the Paramount...I'm totally counting down.

Don't just stand there...

Last night we went to Sunset Bowl for our friend Missy's birthday party. I can't believe I never noticed till last night that Sunset is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. A 24 hour bowling alley. We're so going on Thanksgiving.
The party was awesome--we bowled, ate greasy bowling alley restaurant food, and at 9 pm headed to the lounge for karaoke. First up was the best rendition of Joey EVER. We also heard and sang along to such gems as Jack and Diane, Sister Christian, and Love is a Battlefield. My favorite part, though, was singing backup for Missy's classic version of Bust a Move. Yeah, we rocked the house. Seriously, she didn't even need the teleprompter. She knows ALL the words!

Confession: The summer after 6th grade I went EVERYWHERE with this album in my Walkman. On cassette tape. (I also wore oversized t-shirts over biker shorts, but that's a whole other post.) And yes, I had a huge crush on Young MC. So for old time's sake--and those of you who lack the mad rap skills of Missy--here are the complete lyrics to Bust a Move. Enjoy!

Bust A Move
This here's a tale for all the fellas
Try to do what those ladies tell us
Get shot down cause you're over zealous
Play hard to get and females get jealous
Ok smartie, go to a party
Girls are stancin the crowd is showin body
A chick walks by and you wish you could sex her
But you're standin on the wall like you was Poindexter
Next day's function, high class luncheon
Food is served and you're stone cold munchin'
Music comes on, people start to dance
But then you ate so much you nearly split your pants
A girl starts walkin, guys start gawkin'
Sits down next to you and starts talkin'
Says she wanna dance cus she likes the groove
So come on fatso and just bust a move
You're on a mission and you're wishin'
Someone could cure your lonely condition
You're lookin for love in all the wrong places
No fine girls just ugly faces
From frustration first inclination
Is to become a monk and leave the situation
But every dark tunnel has a lighter hope
So don't hang yourself with a celibate rope
New movie's showin... so you're goin'
Could care less about the five you're blowin'
Theatre gets dark just to start the show
When you spot a fine woman sittin' in the front row
She's dressed in yellow, she says "Hello,
Come sit next to me you fine fellow"
You run over there without a second to lose
And what comes next, hey bust a move
If you want it baby you've got it (repeat)
Just bust a move
In the city ladies look pretty
Guys tell jokes so they can seem witty
Tell a funny joke just to get some play
Then you try to make a move and she says "no way"
Girls a fakin' ... goodness sakin'
They want a man who brings home the bacon
Got no money and you got no car
Then you got no woman and there you are
Some girls are sophistic... materialistic
Looking for a man makes them opportunistic
They're lyin' on the beach perpetratin' a tan
So that a brother with money can be their man
So on the beach you're strollin'... real high-rollin'
Everything you have is yours and not stolen
A girl runs up with somethin to prove
So don't just stand there, bust a move(break down)
Your best friend Harry has a brother Larry
In five days from now he's gonna marry
He's hopin you can make it there if you can'
Cause in the ceremony you'll be the best man
You say "neato"... check your libido
And roll to the church in your new tuxedo
The bride walks down just to start the wedding
And there's one more girl you won't be getting
So you start thinkin', then you start blinkin'
A bridesmaid looks and thinks that you're winkin'
She thinks you're kinda cute so she winks back
And now you're feelin' really fine cus the girl is stacked
Reception's jumpin', bass is pumpin'
Look at the girl and your heart starts thumpin'
Says she wants to dance to a different groove
Now you know what to do g, bust a move

Tilth, take 2

Last night Larry and I went to Tilth so he could try it out too. Once again, the meal was fabulous. Super fresh ingredients, interesting (in the best sense of the word) flavor combinations, and beautiful presentation. And upon reflection (and a second visit), I don't think the noise level is that much louder than other restaurants with tile or wood floors. Plus, we called at 7 and were able to get a table for 7:15. You can't beat that!

What we ate:
K: Full Circle Farms Baby Lettuces--lemon vinaigrette, pistachio, parmesan crisp
Very tasty, but I think I'll order the pear salad next time (or as long as it's on the menu)
Balsamic Glazed Alaskan Sablefish--polenta cake, remoulade, parsley
I hadn't had sablefish before, but I would definitely have it again! The polenta cakes were super buttery and rich. A great dish.

L: Local Comice Pear Salad--arugula, walnut, ewe’s blue cheese
Grass Fed Seared Top Sirloin--fingerling potato, radicchio, béarnaise sauce
Again, such a well thought-out dish. The radicchio was a perfect foil for a medium-rare steak.

Dessert:Smoked Theo Chocolate Pudding--graham cracker, vanilla marshmallow
A no-brainer...it's Theo chocolate, so you know it was good.
Mini Caramel Heirloom Apples--hazelnut, hot apple cider shot
Still the cutest dessert EVER.

There is no good title for this post that doesn't include a bad gardening pun.

Thursday night I met a friend for dinner at Tilth, the new all-organic restaurant that went in where Mandalay Cafe used to be. We were super sad when Mandalay closed--it was one of Larry's favorite neighborhood restaurants--but we've been excited to check out Tilth, since it's one of only two certified organic restaurants in the country, and the chef (Maria Hines) is highly acclaimed. (I felt a little bad about going without Larry, but we'll go again soon--they have a great looking brunch in addition to dinner service.)

It's cliched but true nonetheless--the food at Tilth was amazing. Every dish was so well thought out, and presented beautifully. There was nothing on the plate that didn't need to be there--no extra garnishes that just get thrown in the trash, and even more importantly no superfluous ingredients. We both commented on how nice it was to eat food that wasn't over the top in presentation but still felt special. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, and the ambience was homey (fitting, since it's in a house). My only complaint was the noise level--at our small table for two, we both had to lean in and talk louder than normal to be heard, and even then at times I was straining to hear the conversation. So for a romantic dinner Tilth might not be my first choice, but I'd definitely go again for brunch or dinner with a group of friends.

The food:

Local Comice Pear Salad
arugula, walnut, ewe’s blue cheese
The cheese was sooo deliciously tangy...it was an excellent compliment to the bitter arugula, and the thin slices of pear and cracked walnut blended in perfectly. One of the best (and best-composed) salads I've had in a while.

Crispy Pork Belly
cranberry beans, scallion pesto, bacon vinaigrette
Really tasty, but I would order the small size next time, and share it. About 2/3 of the way through, I was horrified at the amount of fat I was consuming. But it tasted so good!

Local Mountain Huckleberry Tart
black pepper ice cream
YUM. The ice cream was different without being weird, and the tart crust was flaky beyond belief. Plus, the huckleberries were perfectly sweetened.

Mini Caramel Apples
Taffy, peanut, hot apple cider shot
Seriously, the cutest dessert I've ever eaten. Six teeny apple balls with peel on the top and speared with toothpicks shaped like blades of grass. Presented on a bed of peanuts with a little dish of caramel for dipping. We didn't want to eat it at first, it was so adorable. But we gave in to temptation pretty quickly, and it tasted as good as it looked. We both decided we might have to crib this idea for future dinner parties.


alternate titles for this post...
The Com-Post
I Dig Tilth

Coasters rule.

The good folks at Fametracker have completely outdone themselves this time. They have summed up the Pavlov-like urge to watch bad movies, the importance of picking the right theater (with the right candy) and confronted the difficult issue of Kirsten Dunst in one fell swoop. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I believe this may be the very best Celebrity vs. Thing EVER.

Now playing...

The Decemberists--The Crane Wife
Math and Physics Club--self-titled
Scissor Sisters--Ta-Dah
Yo la Tengo--I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Larry's inaugural podcast

Music makes everything better

It's been the craziest week ever. Work was insanely busy, plus there was: choir rehearsal on Tuesday followed by the Nada Surf/Guster show at the Moore; Larry's birthday dinner at Wild Ginger on Wednesday; dress rehearsal Friday night and our first concert tonight (with another one tomorrow night). I was also supposed to go to book club Thursday night but had to bail at the last minute because I wound up getting a cold, as if I have time for that. But I'm not writing this post to complain. No, I'm writing it to tell you that you should run, not walk, to buy the new Decemberists album, The Crane Wife. It is AMAZING--they just keep getting better and better. I'd even go so far as to call it my favorite album of the year. Buy it now!

Do you know the way to Santa Fe?

Last night we went for a long walk, through Woodland Park, up to Phinney Ridge and even down to Greenwood. It was really fun to just walk around in a different neighborhood, and Woodland Park always gives me the feeling that I'm not really in the city anymore--at least till I cross the foot bridge over roaring Aurora Avenue. Along the way we stopped for a while in the rose garden next to the zoo, where almost all the flowers were in full bloom. It was probably one of the last warm, sunny days we'll have for a while, so we had to take advantage of it.

We wound up stopping for dinner at The Santa Fe Cafe, a New Mexican restaurant on Phinney Ridge. Dinner was good--the portions were huge, and the flour tortillas served on the side were irresistibly fluffy and warm. But the best part was the awesome vision that came to me as we waited for our table. It all began normally--I asked Larry if he thought that the staff liked the song "Santa Fe" from Rent. He humored me and said maybe. Then I started to envision the staff gathering together before they open every day, singing "Santa Fe" together. They would sashay through the restaurant like Collins and Angel, swinging around corners. At the end, they could all join in a huddle, singing "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh..." with one hand in, and then on the last "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh..." they would slowly raise their arms, with jazz hands of course. Then they would shout, "Santa Fe!" and open for business. Come on--it would be a total morale booster! I think the next time we go back I may have to suggest it on their comment card.

more Alaska pics

First day of our cruise, from the top deck of the Mercury


Before our raft float excursion through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve--our life preservers all had fun names like "Salty Dog" and "Mad Hatter"

A few of my favorite things, volume 2

english toffee
Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother
lovely design
Sundays in fall
T-strap shoes
wrapping presents

Ain't no sunshine when he's gone...

Oh, Kayne, I'll miss you so. The back of that dress was a little scary, but the front was lovely. And at least it looked like a cocktail dress; Jeffrey's concoction looked like something a misguided college student would put together from thrift shop rags for a night of clubbing. But I digress. I look forward to seeing what Kayne puts out next, and I can even see a reality show in the future--Project Kayne, anyone? I'd watch an entire season of that, no question.

I'm starting to lose some love for PR in general--it feels like the producers are just yanking the audience around and trying to create "drama" instead of letting the natural drama of the competition carry the show. I understand making the challenges tougher, but bringing two auf'ed designers back (and the two most dramatic ones at that) just seems fake. Plus it undermines the work that the other designers have done to make it this far, especially when Angela wouldn't have won the Macy's challenge without Laura and Michael. It just felt like the producers made up a viable sounding reason for bringing those two back. Even Tim seemed a little annoyed to see Vincent and Angela again. Oh well, at least they got kicked off again. I suppose there's some amusement in that.

Since I didn't post last week, here's a quick recap of the couture challenge:

Jeffrey: don't like him, but the gown was great. Very punky and modern, but still pretty.
Kayne: I thought the judges were too harsh--his gown was beautiful. Plus it was really smart to use the corset top since he had to fit 2 different models. He should have gotten more credit for that.
Laura: the judges were right--it looked like old YSL. I'm so glad she changed it up a little this week; her cocktail dress was so cute and something I would definitely buy (okay, I'd buy it if I were taller and had model-thin legs...)
Michael: for being his first couture style gown, I admired his ambition. But it looked so much better when he folded the scallops in--I wish he would have done that from the start.
Uli: Pretty, but kind of like everything else she's made this season.
Vincent: I'm with Catherine Malandrino--No. No, No, NO.

Can't wait to check out Getty Images on Friday and see the runway show designs. Unless Michael has a meltdown, I don't see how he won't win the whole competition. I predict Michael, Laura and Jeffrey make it to the final 3, and Michael better win. He's clearly the most talented and versatile designer on the show. But I'll still always have a soft spot for Kayne, no matter what his taste level. Bye, Kayne--don't forget to write!

It's that time of year again...

Tonight I went out with my friends Jenny, Kristine and Bob to celebrate my birthday a day early. We went over to Bad Albert's in Ballard, a little neighborhood bar that also has great burgers. It was so fun to kick back with a couple of cocktails on a Thursday night, plus there were presents which made it that much better!

Jenny gave me a BEAUTIFUL pair of Nepalese moonstone dangly earrings set in sterling silver, plus some yummy truffles from Chocolati. On top of the pretty floral wrap was one of my favorite You Send Me cards--it has a little black kitty wearing a crown and playing with a hot pink ball of yarn, and it says, "Queen for a Day." So cute! Kristine and Bob gave me a "bee-day" present that was so cool, I wished I had brought my camera to take pictures as I unwrapped it. It was wrapped in my favorite black and white wrap from the shop with yellow ribbon, with a handmade card that said "Happy bee-day!" tied on top. Inside, there was yellow tissue with a copy of one of my favorite woodcut bee designs tipped on; then there were 4 presents, each wrapped in yellow tissue with a black band of ribbon and the same (but tiny) bee tip-on. This may be boring to some of you but for a wrap-oholic like me, it was heaven! The presents were totally themed, too: a tea-leaf scented candle whose black/white scroll label recalled the wrap; a box of matches with old-fashioned bee illustrations on both sides; beeswax lip balm; and a gorgeous glass bottle of honey. Seriously, it's not even officially my birthday yet and I have already had so much fun!

Later in the evening, the waitress brought over a piece of ice cream cake smothered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce for me. Kristine, Jenny and Bob started singing "Happy Birthday," and the bar was so small that almost everyone else joined in. What a great way to kick off my 29th year.

Since I didn't have my camera, we came up with a birthday haiku to commemmorate the occasion:

to bee or not to
be twenty-nine forever
that is the question

Bumbershoot madness

We have a 3 day pass to Bumbershoot, so I've been immersed in music the past 2 days and will be again today. Here's a short run-down of my favorite moments so far; I'll be putting up some more detailed posts in the near future.

Saturday--
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings--the tightest rhythm section I have seen in YEARS. And the trumpet and 2 saxes danced when they weren't playing. You know the dance--that Blues Brothers-esque side step back and forth. It looked amazing, the whole band moving like one organism. And on top of that, the music was sooooo good. Sharon Jones is a tiny woman, but she had more energy than any of us at the show. If you don't already have her latest album Naturally then you should get to the record store asap and pick it up.

Lady Sovereign--a 19 year-old British rapper. She has the mouth of a sailor but her raps are so energetic and "teenage" sounding that it's just pretty darn cute. My favorite was a rap about girls who use too much self-tanner, with the line, "Bitch, don't you know you're orange?" Classic.

Sunday--
The New Pornographers--they are easily one of my top 5 groups. Their music just makes you want to dance, and the harmonies are brilliant. I've now seen them 3 times and will definitely be seeing them each and every time they come through Seattle.
Spoon--obviously talented and quite popular, but not quite for me.
Jeremy Enigk--I hadn't heard him before but he was great. Thoughtful lyrics and music. So low key that Larry was falling asleep during his set, but I was pretty mesmerized.
Blue Scholars--gotta love the hometown rappers! It's nice to see them making it big.
Kanye West--he's a great performer, but he spent most of the set performing "greatest hits"--beats/raps he produced for other performers. But he also did some new stuff that will be on his next album, and he ended with "Touch the Sky" which is my favorite, so it was definitely worth sticking around for.

That's it--today we're off to see Sera Cahoone, Rocky Votolato, Bettye LaVette, Breakestra, Yerba Buena, and Feist, and probably more. It's a great lineup, and should be fun...

Hey! I'm walkin' heah!

So Friday I got hit by a car. No, a car didn't run into my car. A car ran into ME. I was waiting to cross the street to get to work, my purse and newspaper in one hand and my giant coffee in the other. (I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine intake, but Friday was not the day for that.) A car had pulled up too far into the intersection and was now blocking the crosswalk. That's fine; I mean, we've all done it before and sometimes you just can't help it or you misinterpret how the traffic flow is going. No big deal. An older man was on the other side of the street coming toward me, but now there wasn't enough room in the (blocked) crosswalk for both of us. Again, no big deal, this has happened before; I decided to leave the crosswalk for him and go around behind the car, a standard practice in this situation (at least where I live). What I wasn't prepared for was what came next: the driver started backing up to get out of the crosswalk, apparently without looking in his rear view mirror, and backed right up into me. I yelled, "Hey!" He kept coming. I yelled again, as my coffee started spilling all over the trunk. I finally got to the other side of the car, which was good because this guy STILL hadn't noticed that he was bumping into something, namely me. When I got past the car, I was so in shock that all I could think to say was, "I just spilled my coffee all over your trunk." What a zinger!

I'm fine, and the driver ultimately rolled down his window and apologized. But what a way to start the day, huh? Sadly, both Larry and my friend Stephanie have both been hit by cars in similar circumstances. Not to sound all preachy, but people really need to pay attention. Or at the very least, they should probably look for pedestrians at a CROSSWALK before hitting the gas...