seattlejo.com

The problem with a new camera?

I take way too many pictures of my cats. Really.

I am a party planner. I enjoy planning parties that my friends like to come to. The main aspects of entertainment rarely change.  There is Karaoke, Gaming, and chatting. We’ve played party games like "Guess the cheap Booze" but these have always been secondary. There is usually a massive amount of  food as well. Not often a potluck, though White Trash Holidays was.

We’re planning our next party. This is the first time I’ve had Leah make me a costume, and I must say I’m delighted. There was fantastic swirly purple fabric  purchased. Then there was a muslin fitting. Now there are final product fittings as pockets are placed in. I’ll leave the final costume a suprise, and will share photos.

Party theming is straight Halloween. I’m going to have masses of candy and treat bags of non candy items purchased through Orient Trading Company.  I’m wondering if we can do bobbling for apples, and maybe a custom "Carmel Apple" bar for dessert. I’m thinking of what booze the bar needs to be refilled with and am planning what munchies might work as well.

I love party planning and say, bring on the festivities.

Dear Bulldog Coffee,

In 2004 when I started at the University as an employee I began looking for what would be my new coffee shop.  I tried all of the coffee shops in the area. Allegro Inn, Allegro, Roma, Starbucks, Solstice, and of course Bulldog.
Your establishment with its great coffee, friendly staff, and flexible space quickly became my favorite, and finally surpassed Solstice when I switched to drip. For some reason they cant make drip that doesnt have grounds in it.

That doesnt mean that my relationship with you has been an easy one. For a while you had an inconsistent morning shift that didnt always open on time, you change hours over the winter holidays making it impossible for me to pick up my coffee. This morning I even discovered you discontinued my favorite breakfast choice. I’ve never been able to tip my favorite barista because you insist the funds go for “volunteer” work. As a volunteer who works for  a handful of organizations each year I find it ludicrious that you encourage your employees to “volunteer” by making it paid work. If you want a staff who volunteers, perhaps thats what you should look for in the hiring proccess. Leave the decision up to your customer in regards to where they want their tips to go.

This morning though  I’d like to share a non cereal non tip related complaint. I came in and got my coffee as usual, chatted up the new girl and was going to settle in to work on my morning pages before I had to come into work. On the table in the center there is now a sign saying this is a “community table” and that laptops, cell phones , ipods and unpurchased magazines are unwelcome. I’ve no complaint about the unpurchased magazines. You arent a library.

However as an Ipod user I was insulted.  First off , Ipod is not the genaric for portable music listening system. Your singling out of Ipods is  uncalled for. Secondly, why would I go to a coffee shop that would dictate what I can do or can’t do over my morning coffee.   You may think this will encourage conversation amoungst your patrons, but instead it will lead people sitting slackjawed staring at your flat panel TV, one of the things I’ve hated since day one. (Particularly when you run NPR over the radio at the same time. Two news sources in one, it can be a little confusing if you are trying to focus)

Do you really think restricting what your customers can do will encourage conversation? Look at other “third places” and the things they offer and provide. It is a space for gathering, unobstructed to encourage conversation and encourage individuality, not to restict their individuality.

I’m just one regular customer. My drip coffee, double tall vanilla latte and my boyfriend’s  non fat no whip mocha won’t be missed.  

I wish you good luck in the future, and I’m continuing my search for the perfect coffee shop for my weekday mornings.

296 square feet.   Thats New York Style living according to  Moda Condos in Belltown. Some say  they are banking on being able to sell the janitors closet for 150,000 a year. Others think its genius and for those that want it, it will be a dream. Where do I fall?

First I’d call it Japanese style living, not New York. To call something New York style gives me this idea of a frenzied pace and no rest. Japanese style makes it more peaceful.

More seriously I can see the draw and the demand for this kind of space. At one time my spouse and I were considering buying a vacation home up  in the northern reaches of Snohomish county. At this price and space point we could have had both a space in the city (I worked in Belltown at the time) and a home with a little more space for vacations and weekends away.

Of course thats the wasteful way to do it. Think of the gas used in transit and the waste of having a completely empty home 90% of the time. (Seriously it was considered because I have the homeowner bug, just no money)

On the other hand, I could see myself scaling down to that small of a space if it was just me. As of late I’ve felt like I just have too much stuff.  and I would like to see things slim down. But when you have space you fill that space, so the things just keep appearing.

So yes, I think I could live in 296 square feet, and I’m sure someone will. I think I’d much rather see people living in 296 square feet then living in the 4,800 some odd square foot “Fit House” that Cooking Light built