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A Great Pet Store
You know, I don't have a great vet to recommend to you, but once you find one, I really encourage you to check out the friendly and knowledgeable folks at Mud Bay Granary (especially since you live...
You know, I don't have a great vet to recommend to you, but once you find one, I really encourage you to check out the friendly and knowledgeable folks at Mud Bay Granary (especially since you live so close to U Village--maybe you already shop there). They are typically really well-informed about foods and supplements that compliment what your vet is recommending for your animal, and will prolong the life and health of your cat for not unreasonable amounts of money. I've always been really impressed by their medical and social knowledge of animals. See what they say.
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A Toyota Fanatic
I've owned Toyotas all my life, and there is definitely a reason why. They almost always last consistently to between 150,000 and 200,000 miles--which is a LONG time for a car! They come with the...
I've owned Toyotas all my life, and there is definitely a reason why. They almost always last consistently to between 150,000 and 200,000 miles--which is a LONG time for a car! They come with the standard maintenence: regular check-ups, sometimes a faulty alternator or starter; but really they don't have any of the funny problems of other comprable brands (always breaking down, produce lots of lemons, etc). Overall they are a very consistent company with sturdy, reliable cars. (And now they've got that fancy hybrid...!)
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Cakes to Reminisce About
When I was a kid growing up in North Seattle, we used to make the 45 minute-trek down to the Rainier Valley just to visit Borracchini's Bakery for every birthday cake. Their bakery featured the...
When I was a kid growing up in North Seattle, we used to make the 45 minute-trek down to the Rainier Valley just to visit Borracchini's Bakery for every birthday cake. Their bakery featured the latest technology at the time: we could bring in a picture from anywhere, have them project it on the cake, and watch as their expert decorators transferred the image onto the frosting. We were mesmerized. My parents kept returning because of the fresh cakes and delicious whip-cream frosting. We just thought it was extremely cool.
Now that I'm older, I still visit for their gourmet cakes, and to support a local business. They are the last vestige of an all-Italian-farmland Rainier Valley that quickly changed due to white flight in the 60's and 70's. Remo didn't see any reason to leave, and so still runs his store featuring fresh homemade Italian foods, ice creams, an astounding variety of baked goods, and of course, their consistent cakes.
Their other food (besides the ice cream and pasta sauce) rarely lives up to the status of their cakes, but it's worth a try. The cakes are easy to order day-of or online, and it's such a pleasure to support a long-standing tradition in South Seattle.
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Like Butta!
Specialty's sandwiches are satisfying for a filling lunch, and their soups are homemade daily. But the real reason to visit are their fantastic cookies. They are handmade around the clock, often hot...
Specialty's sandwiches are satisfying for a filling lunch, and their soups are homemade daily. But the real reason to visit are their fantastic cookies. They are handmade around the clock, often hot and always soft and flavorful. Each one could be a meal, and is reminiscent of anything your momma made at home.
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A Piece of Seattle History
Panama Hotel is a beautiful, serene tea house in the historic International District. Like many buildings in the area, it was Japanese-owned before World War II, but after the internment, it was...
Panama Hotel is a beautiful, serene tea house in the historic International District. Like many buildings in the area, it was Japanese-owned before World War II, but after the internment, it was bought again by a Japanese owner. She turned it into a tea-house and museum, that today serves as sort of a community center / historical marker / coffee shop. If you're just looking for a great latte or some fresh tea, it's a perfect spot: quiet, beautiful, and tasteful, it's a great alternative to Starbucks. If you want a little more though, take a second look. You'll find a window in the floor reflecting down onto some old dusty trunks, left there by Japanese inhabitants when they left for camps and never returned. You'll see pictures on the walls of the businesses and architecture of the area throughout the past century; and you'll discover downstairs one of two remaining Japanese bathhouses in the country. And they have the coolest bathrooms arond.
Once or twice I've found their tea to be over-steeped. Other than that, there's really not much to complain about.
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Heavenly Meat...
And this is coming from a former Vegan. Jones' BBQ is perhaps the best place to eat BBQ in the city. At least, it's the most established, and the most well-known for authenticity and consistency. I...
And this is coming from a former Vegan. Jones' BBQ is perhaps the best place to eat BBQ in the city. At least, it's the most established, and the most well-known for authenticity and consistency. I myself love the beef brisket, the baked beans, and the cake, but I wouldn't turn down anything there.
The only think to complain about is the high prices (worth it, though), the richness and sweetness of the meat (but it slows you down so you don't eat too too fast), and that sometimes it's slow at lunchtime. But who's in a hurry? I need a whole afternoon to enjoy all that FOOD!
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Funky Fresh Haircuts!
I wanted a cheap, funky, consistently stylish barber, so I tried Rudy's: no go. I just can't handle the pornography in the bathrooms. Call me prudish, but in my quest for a moral hairstyle, I found...
I wanted a cheap, funky, consistently stylish barber, so I tried Rudy's: no go. I just can't handle the pornography in the bathrooms. Call me prudish, but in my quest for a moral hairstyle, I found my new friend Amanda at Lucky 7. She since moved to Acme Barbershop on Capitol Hill, and I happily followed her there. The benefits of Acme: fun atmosphere, including a pool table and crazy punk barbers; and free parking at the Starbucks (shhh...). You might find it a little overwhelming, but I find it to be a great mix of reasonable prices and consistent service. Plus there's never a wait.
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Gregg's Greenlake...A Little Sheepish
I hate to say it, because I love local businesses, especially those who are a little bit sassy. But I didn't have the best experience with Gregg's this time around. I thought I'd buy a bike from them...
I hate to say it, because I love local businesses, especially those who are a little bit sassy. But I didn't have the best experience with Gregg's this time around. I thought I'd buy a bike from them instead of one of the big superstores in the area, but now I sort of regret it. I felt like they were trying to sell me the bike THEY really wanted, not the one that was appropriate for my needs. Then they didn't do a great job installing my new handlebars; when I went in for a mini-tune-up right before my triathlon they did a half-baked job of looking over my bike (which the REI guys rectified jovially in minutes); and when I tried to redeem my included 90-day tune-up, they were extremely confusing about the process and ended up turning me away after assuring me that I could drop my bike off that day if I chose to drive all the way across the city. Overall: unsatisfactory. Sorry guys.
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9-11 Reflections
I've been so turned off by all of the 9-11 propaganda surrounding the five-year anniversary of the event. None of the movies, TV specials, or special web reports have helped me feel anything like how...
I've been so turned off by all of the 9-11 propaganda surrounding the five-year anniversary of the event. None of the movies, TV specials, or special web reports have helped me feel anything like how I felt on that day, or anything resembling healing--more like exploitation of my emotions.
That is why I so especially loved Jonathan Safran Foer's novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." This young author wrote the almost-perfect reflection on the tragic event of our generation. The book really isn't directly about |