The Lynnwood Police are looking for a not-so-neighborly chap. If you know something…you know what to do!
Category: Seattle and Beyond
So, I’m Not A Fan Of The Bite Of Seattle, The Taste Of Edmonds, And Such
Ok, so I’m a killjoy: I’m not a fan of the Bite of Seattle nor the Taste Of Edmonds. So, I don’t truly hate them. They do create a nuisance to the neighbors, and add to the traffic misery that’s the Seattle region. But that’s really not the root of things.
I remember back in the stone age (so it seems) when the Bite was held at Greenlake. Much smaller, though traffic was still a pain. A key thing I remember (mis-remember?) was smaller portions. The purpose was to go and sample the wares from many different restaurants. Perhaps it was just the bottomless appetite of a teenaged cyclist (who would ride to the lake…a couple of times all the way from Lynnwood). But that’s my recollection. And, you know, if my memory is wrong, so be it. I still think that’s what the event should be about. Not a chance to drop $5 to then go and buy lunch from a vendor. I guess I’m greedy…I want to try everything Edmonds has to offer!
Now, let’s be clear, I’m sure I’ll be making my way down to the Taste of Edmonds this weekend. My friends with Steel Magic Northwest will be performing Saturday at 1:00 pm. Oh, and if you’re a fan of the Saturday Farmer’s Market, they’ll be on sabbatical this weekend.
A Haiku About The BC Fires
I guess I’m lucky. My major impact from these fires has been increased sneezing. It might also play a part in the migraines I’m fighting these past few days. There are many folks for whom this is seriously debilitating. I’m glad that’s not me.
Any way, as I’m want to do, here’s a haiku for you.
Seattle vs The HeatÂ
I’m not excited by the expected high temperatures over the next few days. Sure, for much of the world, these temperatures are not considered hot. In western Washington, though, this is near inferno.
This region is often described as “temperate”. Our relatively narrow band of temperatures makes those of us adapted to it very uncomfortable elsewhere.
My ideal band fluctuates between the upper 50s to mid 70s. Hence why it seems Seattleites are perpetually complaining about the weather.
Funny that we generally don’t bother with AC, considering this. It’s not hot enough to spend money, just enough to air grievances. And so we go. Fortunately, we tend to cool significantly overnight.
Stay comfortable my friends.
Through The Day Then Into The Night
A pretty standard day any more. Worked all day, mostly drafting a site plan, but some other work, too. The most amusing was driving to one of our new listings. The property has been framed, but is still under construction. As it’s listed, we wanted to hang a keybox on the property, so other agents can show. We’ll, got the keybox, inserted keys, drove it out to Snohomish from Marysville, and then noticed there are no doors on the property yet. Nothing to hang the keybox to. Sigh… Anyway, I also followed up with a few folks, sent a gob of emails. After dropping off some drawings, etc, at a client’s house, I zipped home.
Now, in a couple of minutes, I’m heading off to a board meeting for the Snohomish County Youth Chorus. As my son sings in it, and the director is a long-time friend of mine, I’m quite committed to the org. It’s a fun group, the parents enjoy each other’s company, and the kids have fun. Oh, they sing and stuff!
Anyway, off on to the next appointment!
Google, Music, Spotify and Being Behind Knowledge-Wise
So, my family watched quite a bit of YouTube. Everything from Rick Steves to vloggers to geek stuff. I’ve learned so much more about the extended Star Wars universe than I ever thought possible. I consider myself a great master of Jedi lore and wisdom, until YouTubers instilled great humility in me.
Seemed a good idea to pony up for YouTube Red: I hate commercials. HATE! Clearly I failed to read my terms clearly enough as, just today I discovered that I had full access to Google music. So my Spotify account was a bit redundant.
I spent today exploring it. Quite happy so far. I like the interface, and that it’s not a resource hog like Spotify. Plus I seem to have better access to artists like Peter Gabriel. Oh, they have podcasts in there (yeah, Spotify does, too) and my favorite podcast, Radio Free Burrito is in there, too. No sign of Design Matters with Debbie Millman, but I guess we can’t have everything. Hopefully we’ll get them in Google, too.
I’m leaning heavily towards dropping Spotify and getting a family plan for YouTube Red. I’ve not sure what my metrics are for making the shift. Music selection is a big one, and resource use. I’d like to see how they compare regarding artist compensation, too.
Now here’s my weird Seattle connection. Years ago, one of the first streaming services was Real Networks, headquartered in downtown Seattle. I explored them for awhile before launching into iTunes and streaming radio. And evolution has evolved us, so, here we are.
What are you using? I’d love to hear. Also, if you could give a “like”, share, it helps support the site. And follow us! We’d love to stay in touch.
Housing market concerns for greater SeattleÂ
I’ve read several articles the past few days that give me pause. The rise of housing prices is the center. And the fact they’re outpacing wage growth deeply concerns me.
There’s a significant population who’s losing their ability to afford basic subsistence in this region I love. Many friends of mine, who’ve lived here their whole lives, and some for generations, who are getting priced out.
I know the many see very few basic entitlements: life, liberty, and perpetual servitude.
In seriousness, I wonder what we can do. Market forces are hard to resist. We’ve tried things like rent control and minimum wage increases, to varying degrees of success. Our ability to game the system are limited. We tend to end up with unintended consequences countering our efforts.
I firmly believe there are solutions out there which will provide stability for the less highly compensated, without spiking home price inflation somewhere else.
I work to not be a cynical free market catalyst. Tis often a challenge. I shall grab a hold of hope and embrace optimism.
Some Recommended Regional Real Estate Reading
Here are few articles that feature important information about the greater Seattle area:
- Seattle home prices rise at more than twice national average, as U.S. tech hubs see biggest gainsI know most everyone is aware of the regions housing prices and the issues they’ve spawned. It is valuable to have quantitative info to support the feeling. 13.3% year over year is quite a statistically significant increase.
- Seattle’s software job openings outpace Silicon Valley’s: more jobs, more demand for housing, prices shall continue to rise. Positives and negatives, my friends
Larabee State Park: A HaikuÂ
As the cliff decays
Life will keep grasping skyward
Hope thrives in sunlight
Tide pools are a big deal for my family, so we trundled off to Bellingham’s Larabee State Park. This tree is just above the trail came down to the beach from. I’m always fascinated by the way trees adapt to their surroundings. Especially when their paths are inhibited. In this case by erosion.
Just Discovered The Fairhaven Steampunk Festival
I adore Bellingham, and come up often. Yet, I just noticed the Fairhaven Steampunk Festival. I noticed the folks walking around in costume before I saw the banner advertising the event.
Reading over their site, it’s clearly been an annual event for at least a few years. I’ll add it to my list of geek events. It looks like fun.