In fact, both halves of the HaalGaards are looking mighty fetching. I wish I could have them over for a lovely old timey dinner party, even though it seems like Peter might keep insisting on asking everyone about their childhoods and relationships with their mothers.
It’s a Seattle cliche to love dive bars. So much so that someone called Linda has made a career out of emulating them. But the Nite Lite is a true blue original dive. It’s mostly unencumbered by irony-seekers. Surprising considering its location: a block away from the Moore Theatre. It’s owned and operated by Seattle bartending veterans who understand enjoyable bar experience basics and deliver that and only that. An oasis from Belltown douchbaggery, the beer is cheap, the cocktails are lethal and the game is always on. The staff might seem grumpy at first but they’ll have a smile for you if you flash ’em one first. Same goes for the regulars. Wednesday through Saturday, the doors to the left lead to the poolroom with the classic rock juke box. Every day, the doors to the right lead to the main bar with darts, Christmas lights year-round and the awesome classic country juke box. The bar is cash only but there’s an ATM for your convenience. You won’t need to get much out. $4 buys a pitcher of PBR or double well. Sop up the booze with a bite from their bar menu laden with any greasy delight your heart desires from tacos and burritos to burgers and fries. If you don’t love the Nite Lite, you don’t really like dives.
1926 2nd Ave 98101
206-443-0899
X-posted from Not For Tourists.
Sunday the 9th of November (tomorrow morning!), there is a Seattle protest of Prop. 8 at the Christ of Latter Day Saints at 5701 8th Ave NE, Seattle, WA (University District). It starts at 8am. I will be there. You should be too. I’ll bring some coffee in a thermos and extra grumpiness for being up so early.
Feel my civil rights loving, not-a-morning-person wrath, Mormons.
Best use of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey EVER. Impromptu dance party on Broadway in Seattle on Tuesday night. Apparently, these things are still choking me up.
Believe it or not, this woman is a model. Models are usually good at “modeling through it”. That is to say that even if they’ve been puking their guts out five minutes prior, they can still look amazing on camera. Rebecca Romijn is beautiful and I’ve always liked her. But you can tell by her eyes that she’s made some mistakes. That look that she is giving the camera says “I still can’t believe I actually married that jerkface, Jerry O’Connell. He was just a REBOUND from Stamos, and I let him put TWO damn future douchebabies in my belly. I have regrets, people. Regrets”.
Virginia may have voted right, but they are still 47.25% racist dicks, apparently.
They will never ban smoking in public places and they will never let the Civil War go. And that’s why I moved away at 17 and will never look back.
We did it. We actually did it.
This is the first time in my entire life that I am proud to be an American and so proud of what the collective country accomplished together. When I was in high school, I read Jefferson’s original political essays which inspired the Declaration of Independence. I learned the principals by which this country was originally founded and I cried because we had not been upholding them for a long time. We strayed even further from those principals with the last 8 years. I had honestly begun to think that we would never take a step back toward that place.
Last night I cried again. But they were tears of joy. Things are looking up, my friends. Last night we forewent the overcrowded Stranger election party for the Nite Lite, which is one of my absolute favorite bars in Seattle. There was plenty of room, drinks are always cheap, the lighting is warm and inviting, and it was Tamale Tuesday (2 tamales plus beans, rice and a PBR for $6!)
I sat at a table with expats from red states. Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia (me). But last night those red states turned blue. (Well, at least North Carlina is getting there. We also had a California, a Vermont/New Hampshire and some native Washingtons but those guys are always blue.) And then Obama was declared the president elect and the entire bar cheered and clapped and then the crowd hushed and we watched McCain concede. There were some boos, especially when the camera cut to Palin, but for the most part we saw, not bitterness, but relief in the eyes of John McCain. He doesn’t want this mess. He has no idea where to begin. But Obama does. President Obama does.
When Obama delivered his victory speech, we all knew we were watching something iconic and historical. Not just because we were looking at the first black president, but because we were looking at a man who is completely right for the job and who wants to help everyone out of the blackness. His speech was amazing: humble, confident, funny, serious, inspirational, emotional and highly quotable.
“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.”
For the first time I understand why people have pictures of the president in their homes. I want a framed picture of President Obama on my wall. I want to listen to him address the nation as our president for as long as possible.
The Sound Transit expansion prop passed. The parks improvement prop passed. Death with Dignity passed. Tim Eyeman’s jerkface prop DIDN’T pass. Dino Rossi ISN’T our new governor. It’s getting better, man.
The one fly in the ointment is that California’s horribly backward Prop 8 passed. But surely that sort of bigotry can’t last, can it? (Clearly, I’m feeling a lot more optimistic all of a sudden.)
When we left the bar people we found people celebrating in the streets. Horns were honking. Our African cab driver talked excitedly to us and then to his friends on the phone. He honked his horn and shouted “YES WE CAN” out the window. None of us minded being stuck in traffic. We were just keeping the party going.
On Capitol Hill, the police closed off the streets and let people dance and hug and revel. I wanted to revel too and now kind of wish I had instead of going home. But we were tired. It’s been a long, dark journey to get here. And now that we’re here, it’s time for everyone to get some restful sleep. Especially President Obama. He’s gonna need it more than anybody.
Picture taken from a story about Joaquin’s announcement at a Paul Newman memorial that he is retiring from acting. I wonder if he said that he was pretty sure there is more to life than being a really really really ridiculously good actor and he plans on finding out what that is. I bet you didn’t even think he knew was a eugugolizer was.
Yesterday, while I waited in a growing line at a Renton Subway, I overheard an irate man talking to the cashier/only sandwich artist in the joint, about Obama’s nefarious plans to tax small businesses until they go under and then give the money to black people. BLACK PEOPLE! Of all the people to give money to! I can’t believe there isn’t more press about this.
The cashier asked the man where he read about this conspiracy. “The internet,” he explained. She asked him to specify which sites. “Several different ones,” he specified. It’s pretty hard to argue with such prestigious sources. He assured her that her job would be safe because Subway is not, as far as he knows, a small business. However, everyone else is SCREWED! Wow. I had no idea Barack Obama was so evil. Small businesses are the foundation of democracy and black people definitely don’t need any more of our hard earned money.
That settles it. I’m moving to Renton where the people make more sense.
It was a honeymoon of sorts as it was where the Mister and I had wanted to go in June, but that was peak season and so expensive. I did a little research and learned that everything we wanted to do would be half the price in October. So we went to Mexico then (Also off-season. I guess that’s our style.) and made plans to do the big trip in the fall.
It was the perfect idea. Not only is everything more affordable, but the weather is perfect. It was 75 degrees and sunny every day. It only rained the day we arrived and the day we left. There were still a lot of tourists in the bigger cities but it wasn’t overwhelming. We were still able to do everything we wanted to do. And we brought some friends with us. Continue reading
Effed by the Wind 
