Tag: living

Some thoughts on pho 

Carl Setzer

Over the past several days, I’ve had pho at least twice. Now, there aren’t as many pho places around here, yet, as there are teriyaki. But they’re making inroads. I can name 5 restaurants within a very short distance, and with great ease. Teriyaki, which should be the official foods of Seattle. It was a running joke, for awhile, that there was a stip mall, somewhere in Seattle, that didn’t have a teriyaki shop. Somewhere… So, as a comparison, I can think of 13 teriyaki shops in the same geographic area. 
For me, these foods, Vietnamese soup and Japanese chicken, were my comfort foods. When I’m sick, nothing nagging me feel better than pho ga, or chicken soup. With a fan of Siracha, and a dollop of hoison. Perfect! And if I’m stressed, or feeling sad, mad or bad, teriyaki picks up my mood. 

Now, there are variations. For teriyaki, I like it crisp, charred, solidly grilled. Others I know, prefer it cooked more gently. With pho, there’s pressed chicken vs shredded, with my preference being shredded. 

A few of the foods that make the Puget Sound basin a unique place culturally. So, Bon Appetite!

Man, What a Weekend

Carl Setzer

This one was pretty full. Graduation parties, that was both delightful and alarming. I’ve known these kids since they were quite small. And I know that the next few years will be filled with these moments. The main shift that’ll happen going forward, though: I’ll have known the kids since they were even younger. Pretty soon, they’ll be kids that I’ve known since babies. Which will be really cool, and a big honking clue that I’m getting older…or just old.

Father’s Day was fun. One nice thing about living this close to both halves of my family; we were able to visit both sets of dads. Or, in my son’s view, grandpas.

With both elements, both days laden with hyper-sweet stuff. This morning I really felt the effects. Almost hangover-esque. Fuzzy head, weirdly tired. I gotta cut back, way back on the sugar. And, yeah, thought I need to get out and exercise more, I did manage to get some walks in. So, I really shouldn’t get too cranky.

But, yeah, I need to eat better. Now that summer is starting, I’ll start planning out meals again. The end of the school year has been nuts. Hopefully, things will settle back down.

Next up: I have some ideas of things to get done this summer. I haven’t been to the San Juans, and I’d like to ride the Centennial Trail. And a bunch of hiking. Anyway, more on that soon. If you have any ideas, though, leave notes in the comments. I’d love to hear your ideas.