Thanks to beard prevalence, SXSW 09 was much sexier than in past years. 2009 is definitely the Year of the Beard.
Not a full beard, but it has potential. And a rock star to boot!
Beard vs. beard.
And a snazzy dresser!
Hands off, ladies. This one’s all mine.
It was, as per usual, amazing. Though it has gotten a lot harder to get into the night shows without an exorbitantly priced pass or impossible to acquire wristband, we still saw a lot of great bands. Such as:
*The Shaky Hands
*The Paper Chase
*Hey Marseilles
*The Rosebuds
*Juliette and the New Romantiques
*Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head
*The Red Verse
We saw comedy! The likes of Eugene Mirman, Doug Benson, Todd Barry and Janeane Garofolo.
We hit karaoke at Ego’s, which is a bar inside a parking garage. I laid eyes on the most incredible book I’ve ever seen. They had EVERYTHING. It put the old Sunset Bowl system to shame.
We ate. A lot. Queso! Tacos! Vegan tamales! More queso! I can never tire of tex mex, apparently. The street food rocks. Serrano’s has the best happy hour and a lovely patio. Stubb’s Legendary BBQ is just OK.
We found ourselves at a house party in the suburbs and had quite the adventure getting back to our hotel.
Free beer was rampant. I drank my fill of Shiner Bock.
We saw a terrific movie (Grace) and an awful movie (My Suicide – reviews to come).
The weather was OUTSTANDING. My tan lines are back.
See it in pictures here.
Part one of the Battlestar Galactica series finale was gripping and ended with a cliffhanger. I couldn’t wait for part 2. Continue reading
I’ve been obsessed with China Harbor ever since I first drove past its majestic black exterior many years ago. The whole thing smacked of Chinese Mafia. The waterfront location, lack of front-facing windows and the fact that the restaurant only takes up a quarter of the massive building, abetted my suspicions. I’m happy to report that China Harbor did not disappoint. We shared the otherwise empty dining room with an elderly couple on a Sunday evening and had a terrific time eavesdropping on the dance classes taking place in the adjacent banquet room. We buzzed on complimentary tea and speculated about the people who lived in the houseboats we could see from our table. The food was outstanding. The menu is fairly typical but every dish is cooked to delicious perfection. For dessert we couldn’t resist the “8 Treasures Rice Pudding”: a mound of sticky rice filled with red bean paste, topped with orange sauce and a bevy of dried fruits. The waitress tried to talk us out of it, saying it was for Chinese people. But we assured her we knew what we were getting into, and earned brownie points for happily scarfing it down. Best of all, we left with a bag full of leftovers and all of our thumbs in tact.
2040 Westlake Ave N 98109
206-286-1688
www.chinaharborseattle.com
X-posted from Not For Tourists.
I know who Alpha is. Or rather, the actor who will be portraying him. And I’m very very happy about it. If you also want to know click here. If you care enough to have read this far, I’m sure you recognize the man in that picture. Perhaps my dreams are prophetic.
The show has been getting a little better each week. Every episode, no matter how silly the mission, has still had one or two REALLY good moments. The allegedly mind-blowing first great episode is next week. It’s directed by Joss and Patton Oswalt guest stars. The promise of that episode plus the identity of the man behind Alpha equals me having a hard time not being positively giddy about this whole shebang.
Yep, we’re in a depression. And I am freelancing so that means that while I am basically just making lunch money, I am making too much money to qualify for unemployment. So I keep the house clean and I cook dinner every night to try and earn my keep. I’ve always been a quasi-feminist so I never had designs to become a full time housewife. But my husband is the only person who will hire me right now so that is what I am. If we had children, I wouldn’t mind so much. I would feel like I was at least contributing to the development of the future of the human race. But we have only cats. I’m trying not to get too depressed about it.
I’m also trying to not be such a financial drain on my wonderful, patient, hard-working and fortunately still gainfully employed husband. So I’ve made a decision. It’s a small gesture in the grand scheme of things but a pretty huge one in my world. But I feel it’s an important one. I’ve decided to stop cranking up the thermostat. I will put on a damn sweater and socks. I may even invest in a snuggie. Energy isn’t cheap. And as long as I am barely contributing monetarily to the family pot, I should stop being so indulgent.
My dream last night was obviously influenced by what I was watching before bed.
In it, I was a P.A. on America’s Next Top Model. I’d just finished fetching a runaway raft, a prop in the photo shoot of the day, in a slimy body of water. When I got back, Tyra called a dinner break and everyone went off to eat.
She took me aside and said that, as a reward for my dedicated work, she was going to give me the chance of a lifetime. I was to give one of the models a haircut and make a set of cloth boots using some light pink plaid fabric (remarkably similar to the color of the tacky-ass limo the girls rode in on the actual show this week). If I did everything right, I would get a promotion. She didn’t say what would happen if I screwed up but I knew it meant I was canned.
I tried to calmly explain to my crazy, whimsical boss that I’d never cut anyone’s hair before and I’d only ever sewed buttons. These boots looked remarkably complicated. They had several seams and straps. Tyra said not to worry. She’d done the first boot for me. I just needed to copy the finished product. As for the haircut, she found a magazine picture for me to copy. NO PROBLEM! Any idiot could do this. Well, crap.
The model whose hair I was cutting and whose boots I was sewing had been on two other cycles. She was a very sweet girl so I was thankful it was her. But that was the very reason (besides getting the axe) that I didn’t want to screw up. I sat down to dinner with the models and contemplated my fate over pizza.
One of the other models, who also happened to be film and television actor Alan Tudyk, saw the worry in my face and asked me what the problem was. I told him my plight. He offered me some help. He also worked at Scarecrow Video. I should come to his store that evening and he would rent me a movie which would give me the knowledge I need to successfully complete the job.
Flash forward. I made my way through the store looking for Alan. On my way, I saw a copy of Trainspotting. I hadn’t seen it in a long time and felt it was time to give it another viewing. I saw Alan at the back of the store and approached. He told me to wait there. A few minuted later, he returned with an unlabeled VHS tape. Fortunately, I thought, I still have a VCR. (This is true). I paid the man for the two movies, thanked him, and was on my way.
It was then that I awoke, so I have no idea what was on the video tape or whether or not I completed the tasks to Tyra’s satisfaction. But I do know I felt pretty confident when I left the store.
I just learned that (Democratic) Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, along with the Republican house leaders, introduced a bill that would ban smoking in public bars and restaurants. Of course, California started this and the rest of the world has been following suit. Washington did so several years ago and even though I opposed it at the time, (based on the 30-foot doorway rule) I have come to like it. But I have often said that Virginia will be the last state to do something like this. They have tried this before and it hasn’t passed. It may not pass this time either. But I am happy to hear that it might. Still, a quote in this article explains, besides the fact that Virginia and Philip Morris are synonymous, the reason why this thing will not be easy to pass.
You’re going to tell a guy who fought in the Battle of the Bulge that he can’t have a cigarette with his coffee at the VFW? You can’t do that.
Ah, Dixie. Still, if France can do it, Virginia has a chance. Good luck to Kaine and this bill!
Two of my foodie friends had a simple request: A recommendation for a Belltown restaurant which serves quality food and isn’t touristy or owned by Tom Douglas. I’d just caught wind of Tilikum Place Cafe and was keen to try it. So we all went to dinner together to see if we had a match. Guess what, Chuck. We have a love connection! Their business model is simple, reasonably priced European food with quality ingredients and a dude who knows his wine. My French food enthusiast/cook friend loved his Duck Confit. This is quite an achievement in its own right. The Grilled Beef Tri-Tip also hit a home run. Vegetarians beware. Just like in Europe proper, they like to sneak meat in unsuspecting places. But if you ask nicely, they will be happy to accommodate you. Plus, with plenty of rock solid sides like mashed potatoes and the to-die-for Butternut Squash Tart, you won’t go home hungry. If you do dairy, you don’t want to miss their cheese plate. So dinner kicked ass. And since the Brunch menu includes sweet or savory Dutch Babies, I’m definitely itching for a second date.
407 Cedar St 98121
206-282-4830
X-posted from Not For Tourists.
Mee Sum Pastry is one of the only places worth braving Pike Place Market for even if it’s the height of tourist season. They make killer Hum Bow for under $3 each in BBQ Pork, Vegetarian, Chicken and Curry Beef flavors. Their fillings are sweet and savory and the buns are chewy and delightful. If you have a big appetite, add a Crab Rangoon or a couple of Sesame Balls to your order. Find a nice seat in the park and watch the Hobo Theatre while you munch. This is one of the most satisfying and cheap downtown lunches possible. Hum Buns are the cheeseburgers of China and you’ll want another one before you finish the last bite of the one you have. As a LOLCat might say, “Om nom nom nom.”
1526 Pike Pl 98101
206-682-6780
X-posted from Not For Tourists.
Effed by the Wind 
