Really super-duper nice guy at All Seasons Cleaners

I ruled out going to All Seasons Cleaners the last time the front desk guy got mad at me for forgetting to tell him I had a coupon before they cleaned my 4 pairs of pants, instead of after as I was paying for them. It's unfounded, but it made me think that maybe they do a crappier job on orders with coupons, so they want to know beforehand. I started taking my business down the street, which was actually more convenient anyway and only slightly more expensive.

Well, I haven't been to a dry cleaner in months... I've been trying to cut down and save the enviro a bit. However, today I had 6 pairs of pants, two tops and a silk skirt that really needed to be cleaned by a pro. Knowing that the order was going to be pretty spendy, I dug up a 25% off coupon (you know they come every month in the ValPak mailers) and went back to All Seasons.

I'm not sure if they are under new management, or if the guy at the front desk was just new... but I was wowed. The service was quick and nice... somewhere between my house and the shop the coupon disappeared. He took it my word for it, and gave me the 25% off anyway. He noted how I hadn't been in in a while (from their computer records) and said he was new to town, from South Korea via Portland. Definitely a Cap-Hiller at heart. Super-duper nice and friendly.

Here's hoping they do a nice job on my stuff so I can continue using them.

When is this coming down?

Soon I hope.

Remodel happening at old Wing Dome location

I've seen crews demolishing the inside of the old Wing Dome the last couple of mornings on my way to work. That corner seems like a good location for a restaurant. Lots of foot traffic despite having zero parking. The Wing Dome wasn't enough of a draw for me. Looking forward to what comes next... anything is better than an empty building.

Things I should get around to doing...

I can't believe I've never done any of these things on Capitol Hill. They all seem like staples.

• Eat at the Byzantion greek restaurant
  
• Story Time @ Capitol Hill Library: Every Wednesday, 10:30am - 11am
• Go to the Le Faux Cabaret at Julia's
• Climb the watch tower at Volunteer Park
  

Hmm. Those middle two items are vastly different from one another.

Any other suggestions? What are some things that you have been neglecting to do on the hill?

p.s. Le Faux has a MySpace page.

Pedestrian news; New police beats

Some news from the SeattlePI over the last couple of days...


Tread carefully during dark days: Winter sees more traffic accidents
I take offense with this headline!! Shouldn't it read: "Drive carefully during dark days"? Why is the impetus on the pedestrian?

I'm glad to hear Seattle has a really tough law where drivers who hit pedestrians can be charged with assault. In the words of our City Attorney, "I would love to deter people from actions that injure other people, like careless and overly aggressive driving. They have to know it can have consequences. I would love this to be a deterrent to get people to slow down and obey the traffic laws. I hope it becomes the law statewide."

Our Pike/Broadway intersection is listed as one of the top 5 locations for traffic accidents.

Pine Street Zigzag could see changes
This would be nice... there are some unspecified changes that are going to be made to that stretch of Pine (just above Boren) where you have to walk on the South side of the street. I personally avoid this area for that reason, opting to shoot up Pike and through the dog park and instead on my walk home from work.

Seattle police working to a new set of beats
I noticed a police officer in the parking lot of Half Price Books last night and thought it was an odd place for him to be hanging out. I thought maybe it was just a general increase in patrols given the murder on 15th, but according to this article maybe it had something to do with the new beat zoning... Either way it was a welcome sight last night as that area can be really dark.

Elusive couch found down the street at City Home.

Great forward thinking from Pacific Interiors... they opened a satellite shop on Pike this Fall to serve the growing condo community on the hill. The store is called City Home. (Beware, their website is a little weird in Firefox.)

I made my way in there last weekend.

We've been looking for a couch for about 6 months now with no luck. Multiple trips to Southcenter (the mecca of home stores) came up short and I was somewhat resigned to (a) living with our back-up futon for a while and/or (b) settling for something so-so.

Who knew we'd end up finding the couch just down the street at City Home. I'm glad we held out. It has a great design with lots of movable parts... so it can lay out fully to become a bed. Or we can tip the back down to become a serving area or just more open seating. The seats can also slide out to make more of a chaise lounge.

I'd say a lot of their merchandise offers the same thing... creative, multi-purpose pieces with simple/classic lines and nice fabrics. Perfect for condo dwellers who have limited space. They also have some fun accessories.

Their website is not an online store, so it features just a limited number pieces. It gives you a general idea of their style though, like the ottoman seen above. This NW Source Review also has some photos. And there is another review you can read at One Rainy Day.

Running errands on foot.

I've been out of town this week, thus the lack of posting here. I was in LA of all places. The city where you have to have a car to survive...

So it was a great feeling today to run errands on Broadway on foot.

I hit Kinkos first, but only because I had a package that had to be shipped via FedEx. It was already to go and just needed to be dropped off, so I didn't have to deal with their employees there. Otherwise, I definitely prefer the Print & Copy at Broadway and John. Better service. Local.

I don't like that Kinkos so much so that I made a second stop at UPS to ship a second package.

The bank came next. Did you know the WaMu branch on Broadway has the most transactions of any other WaMu? That's what their manager told me anyway. Unfortunately, this visit wasn't as pleasant as others I've had. Chalk it up to someone not having their morning coffee.

Noahs next for my morning coffee (lest I get grouchy like the teller at WaMu) and a bagel.

Then the post office. You see it was a morning of getting things out the door that have been nagging me for weeks... I needed to send two letters to PO Boxes, which aren't serviced by UPS. I guess I could have consolidated everything into one, but it was a good excuse for a morning stroll down Broadway.

Kurrent Ice Bar = kold.

I hadn't realized the space formerly occupied by the Green Papaya (underneath the Press apartment building on the corner of Belmont and Pine) was filled by a new tenant. Kurrent opened way back in August... I'm behind the times, but I haven't been missing much in my opinion. (Sidenote: I also hadn't realized until last night that the Seahawks were in the playoffs.)

I made my way to Kurrent in the pouring rain last night, only to find a super cold, uninviting interior all the way down to the strip of ice down the bar and on the taps. Okay, okay, it's an "ice bar". "Kurrent"="modern", I get it. But the decor was a turn off. There has to be a way to do it in a more comfortable, inviting way. It felt sterile and boring.

We camped out on the high chairs and tables, both of which were wobbly. The seats near the fire looked more fulfilling, but were unfortunately already taken. I did peak my head in the back room as well, but found it stark and didn't want to get lost in its desolation. (We were the only customers in addition to those near the fireplace.)

I ordered a lemon drop... $7 on happy hour. It came in a tall, silver metal martini glass with about 2.5oz of liquid in it. It was tasty, but most of was spilled by the tipsy table before I had a chance to drink it.

I was prepared to try their food, but couldn't figure out how I was going to balance it with my drink and the table and my chair all moving in different directions. So I passed, and went to Mama's for a slice instead.

Thoughts on the NYE Murder

I haven't posted on the NYE murder of Shannon Harps on this blog yet, because, well, everyone else pretty much as it covered.

I'm obviously saddened by the events and I can't help but look at my neighbors a little differently now. At least until the suspect is taken into custody. (Note: Comments on the Capitol Hill Seattle blog indicate that this may have happened.)

There's a community meeting being set up if you want to talk about it and get more information. (Check the CHS blog for details.) I think it's a nice way for the community to come together, even if the suspect is taken into custody before it occurs. Unfortunately I will be out of town and cannot attend.

Reading about Shannon Harps' life reminds me of the great community we have here on Capitol Hill. We live among activists, creatives, families, students, professionals... We lost someone who was obviously a great addition to the neighborhood.

That said, I was really disappointed to hear some of the criticism of our homeless population when it was speculated that it was a random homeless person who committed the murder. We live in an urban environment where having homelessness is inevitable. There are lots of resources on the hill that help this population, which I welcome and wish I knew more about. (Here's a long list of them.)

So... I have an idea that I'm not sure if I'll be brave enough to carry out. I'd like do some random interviews on Broadway of the nice people who live in (or frequent) our neighborhood... Just grab people and ask them some questions, snap a photo and send them on their way. (I'll try not to turn into the Green Peace volunteers in front of QFC... hmm, they'd be fun to interview.)

Let me know if you have any ideas for questions to ask or interesting Broadway people (you know the ones that are always popping up) to interview.

I think it's very sad that we only heard about Shannon after her death. But I'm inspired to get out there and meet my neighbors...

Panache Sale

Panache is having a 50% off practically everything sale right now...

It seems like all I write about is shopping and eating. Hmm, I should break out of that rut.

But seriously, Panache is having a 50% off practically everything sale right now...

Here's to a great '08.

Happy New Year! Isn't the hill a great place for fireworks viewing? I was lucky enough to be in one of the three tallest buildings on Capitol Hill for the show. Too bad they were lame this year.

Even with the "glitch" delaying the start, I thought the whole show was pretty uninspired. There was lots of booing from our building. And the street.

It didn't ruin my New Year's though... think jello shots.

Choco-Cherry Jello Shots
Recipe makes about 27.

Two boxes cherry Jello
1 jar maraschino cherries (without stems)
Rum
Vodka
Creme de Cacao
Chocolate "Magic Shell" ice cream topping
Whipped cream
Plastic shot glasses with lids

• Soak cherries in rum for 24 hours
• Put one cherry in each shot glass
• Make jello with 2 cups boiling water, 1 cup vodka and 2/3 cup creme de cacao
• Pour into shot glasses and chill
• After they are solidified, top each shot with the Magic Shell topping. Put the lid on them and freeze for 10 minutes (or however long you need before serving, the jello won't freeze)
  
• Top with whip cream and serve

Note: This is a modified recipe from here.