My Oyster

Seattle - America's Most Literate City

SEAlibrary.jpg, originally uploaded by dcjay64.

That's the new Seattle Central Public Library.  Cool looking up close and apparently pretty heavily used.  It may be one reason why the city has been named the most literate city for a few years on the trot.

Yup.  Some professor in Connecticut has a formula to determine which city is the most readingest in the US of A.  He uses six key indicators of literacy, including newspaper circulation; number of bookstores; educational attainment; and library, periodical publishing, and Internet resources.  DC tied for 3rd.  Not bad.  The top ten are...

1. Seattle
2. Minneapolis
3. Washington, DC and Atlanta (tie)
5. St. Paul
6. Pittsburgh
7. Cincinnati
8. Denver
9. San Francisco
10. Portland, OR

By the way, the W - my home away from home here in Seattle, is that pointy-topped building next to the library.

Seattle - Coffee Capital of America

starbucks.jpg, originally uploaded by dcjay64.

Yes, that's it.  The ORIGINAL one.  Where it all began.  The first Starbucks.  Anywhere. 

The chain that has completely surrounded Dupont Circle and found its way into the Forbidden City opened its first store in 1971 in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  The Market is a historic district and so the store retains its original look.

I haven't made a pilgrimage yet.  This trip anyway.

Home again in Seattle...

I got in about an hour ago.  Watching Rome on HBO at the W hotel.  I am really into this show. 

Its always nice to be back here in Seattle.  I lived here for 4 years during grad school at the University of Washington.  I am lucky that the new gig gets me here on a regular basis.  And that I get to stay at the W.  It's a nice home away from home.

That's it for tonight.  I am wiped out.

Meet Atul...

Atul is my friend and agent.  Real estate agent - not entertainment.  Before signing the contract, we had a long and frank chat on my front porch about how demanding I am as a client/customer in general and how I am even more difficult when dealing with home buying and selling - cuz it stresses me out.  It basically consumes me.  Every moment focused on the details of the search and the negotiation.  I see the whole thing as some kinda game and I get very competitive.  Atul has been great at managing me.

Today Atul carted me around to look at some apartments.  I am still pretty focused on this one apartment up on Mount Pleasant Street.  Atul and I brought my two most trusted advisors, Suzanne and Daryl, over to see it this weekend.  Atul, the busy bee, also showed my house to another agent who might have a client with an interest. 

We are not listing my house right away.  I am still doing some renovations but honestly, I am not really thrilled with the idea of people traipsing through my house whenever they want while I am not there.  I am a control freak.  Also, I admit it, when I go house hunting - I peek EVERYWHERE trying to get a sense of who lives there by scanning all their possessions.  I assume others would do the same in my house.  Cretins. 

Once a Catholic...

...well, I am not sure if you really are destined to always remain a Catholic - at least a practicing one.

For me, an ex-alter boy and a current poster-boy (for the Vatican's belief in the immorality of homogenital acts v. homosexuality itself...i.e. hate the sin, love the sinner...), for me - there is still something soothing and comfortable about the Catholic mass, the Catholic culture, and the Catholic symbols. 

This symbol in particular grabs me.  I bought it and brought it home last weekend.  I was having brunch with Michael and Leo at Belga Cafe on Capitol Hill.  We stopped in a few shops to look around and I saw this crucifix.  It was in a shop, Alvear Studio, that specializes in handicrafts from Mexico.  The owners had picked this up in some small village.  I forget the name.  It's actually made from wood that has severe termite damage.  That's what gives it the very rustic look.  I like that look.  In case you are worried that I might be toting termites around, the wood is soaked in gasoline to get rid of the critters.  The representation of Jesus is made from a couple pieces of interestingly twisted metal.  Click on the pic to get a bigger view.

I think I really like the rustic look and the simplicity.  I like anything made of wood.  But the strong religious symbolism makes it attractive to me as well.  I guess some things just stick with you...

This is Mike - My date tonight...

He's cute.  He's smart.  He's funny.  We spent two hours tonight at a bar just chatting and laughing and telling stories. 

OK, so the bar was the Apple Store Genius Bar.  Mike was my Genius.  Our date was my weekly (seriously) visit to Clarendon to work on my sickly Crapple Craptop.  Our chatting was mostly about how the four Apple lemon logic boards that have paraded through my laptop(s) have completely whacked out all my pictures - thousands of them.  Our laughing was mostly over the random suggestive pics that would "pop" up as we were working on my iPhotos.  He's married.  To a woman.  Something tells me that these Geniuses see a lot of odd pics.

I am off to Seattle next week, but we already have another date set up for the week I return...

Is the word "FAGGOT"...

...good for a corporate image?  Does it sell more TVs and paper clips?  Is it acceptable to toss that vile word around on the airwaves? 

I don't get riled up by too much that happens on TV.  I don't pay a lot of attention to it.  However, this whole Isaiah Washington thing is really getting to me.  His idiocy is bad enough.  But his homophobia is made worse by this CNN personality, Glenn Beck, who repeats the word and brushes it off as just a naughty name.  Its not just that.  If you have been on the receiving end of hate language, you know its much more than naughty.   Words have power - particularly when they are used specifically to demean and diminish.  When CNN and its sponsors put their corporate oomph behind this guy, those words gain even more power.

BestBuy and Office Depot both support CNN host Glenn Beck.  Click these links to let BestBuy and Office Depot know that is wrong.

You can read more about this outrage at John & Joe's blog - Americablog.

Dinner in Eckington...

Tonight Sean invited me over to Eckington for dinner (and the President's State of the Union Address) at his place.  Yum for the food.  Not so Yum for the Address.  To the left you can see Sean proudly, and in a slightly faggy way, displaying his salad - complete with dressing of oil and vinegar direct from Firenze.  He also whipped up a lasagna (OK - from Vace in Cleveland Park), some garlic bread, and ginger snaps.  All very tasty - though I go to Sean's for the company and chat - not just the food.

Sean's corner of Washington is transitional and with great promise.  On the drive over, I was blocked and delayed just around the corner from his house by some kinda police sting operation going down on the corner of 4th & W, NE.  It was kinda like a TV show.  I just crouched behind the steering wheel and hoped for the best.

The official neighborhood blurb goes something like:

Located just north of Capitol Hill, the historic Eckington neighborhood is noted for its views of the Capitol Building, historic row house architecture, proximity to the downtown core and accessibility to the newest Metrorail station in the city - the New York Avenue/Florida Avenue/Gallaudet University station. These factors have combined to make it one of DC’s hottest "up and coming" neighborhoods as well as a location for high tech companies, new office buildings and retail opportunities.

Check it out sometime...

Home Shoppin' on the Pleasant Mountain

So today Atul, friend and real estate agent, picked me up downtown and took me to see a building currently being renovated and made into condos.  The cool thing about the building is that it's a beautiful old apartment building right on Mount Pleasant Avenue.  I liked it.  There were a few very nice apartments, still being renovated, that really got me excited.  I am definitely leaning toward selling the house and downsizing to an apartment today.  It would be great to stay here in Mount Pleasant though.  The pic in this post is of the "public square" of Mount Pleasant - the heart of the neighborhood.  It's where the farmers' market is every saturday morning and where the annual MtP Festival radiates out from every year.  One apartment we took a peek at actually looks down on the Arch.  I loved it.  Not sure where we go from here though...

Winter in Washington...Finally.

Its snowing today.  This is the view tonight from my front porch in Mount Pleasant.  My car is parked across the street.  All snowy.  Just last week, it was 66 degrees (19c) here and the flowers in my front yard were blooming.  I must admit, Washington is beautiful in fresh snow.

Looking up Kenyon Street...

The 42 buses navigating Mount Pleasant Avenue...