Tell, eat, give

(Note: This post is several days late due to a family emergency. Most of it was ready to go last week and I just had to add in some pictures).

See
Our neighborhood is starting to light up! We had to put more lights to keep up.



Last Wednesday we helped my mom get her tree up and decorated while my dad rested. I think it turned out well. I always hated decorating the tree when we were kids. I would put up one ornament and then spook off to write in my journal or something.
We then took pictures so my dad could see.


Eat

On Sunday we drove to Snohomish for the annual Garlington "Bridging the Holidays" party. Rather than get together for Thanksgiving or Hanukkah or Christmas, they decided many years ago to begin a tradition of combining all the festivities into one event.

This year it was hosted by Dan's Aunt Ellen and Uncle Jim, a delightful couple who raise Irish Wolfhounds. There are like 8 of them living in their house right now!

It was like Thanksgiving all over again, but somehow with even more food. In addition to the usual turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry, there were two types of stuffing (wild rice and cornbread), a green salad, rolls, a spinach-feta pie and a famous Garlington recipe, corn & oysters (made with saltine crackers, among other things).

Dan was in charge of desserts so of course they were amazing. He made three things.

My favorite: Okinawan sweet-potato-haupia pie with macademian-nut crust. So, so good! We had the cheesecake version of this when we were in Hilo, but this was much better. The haupia is a stiff, cocounut pudding - and is very good on its own, too.



He also made this marvelous French apple tart for something on the lighter side.



Finally, (and he did this all in what seemed to me like the blink of an eye) there was the pumpkin cheesecake. I did not try this, but it received high marks.



Drink

About a year ago I forsook microbrews. They were heavy, filled my sinuses and gave me headaches. I much preferred a light, Mexican beer like Corona or Pacifico or a Saporo with my sushi.

However, I did always have a yen for Fire Rock Pale Ale. This past October we went to the Kona Brewing Company where that and several other brews are made. I had three pints of my old favorite.



I was feeling pretty crummy that day - some weird stomach thing. But by the third pint I was ready for some pizza - what the place is famous for (after the beer, of course).



Delicious - even with horrible cramping!

I now am back to buying microbrews, but strictly Fire Rock. I just wish I could get the pizza in Seattle, too.

Read

I finally finished the book by Francine Prose on "reading like a writer." Parts of it were a bit dry for me, but all in all I gained quite a bit from it. I especially liked her revocation on some of the truisms that remain unchallenged in writing workshops like "show, don't tell." "Tell that to Jane Austen," she says. Which is nice to hear. I mean, sometimes you gotta tell, particularly in fiction.

Perhaps the most validating point for me came at the end of the book in an interview the author did with Atlantic Online:

For one thing, I think that the idea of writing by committee, or learning to write by committee is insanity. It's just simply insanity. I mean, writing is a very solitary process. It's all about being different from everything else--not the same. So when you're writing to satisfy the tastes of a group, and presumably you know those tastes after a while, that's actually quite dangerous.

I have always found writing to be something I need to do on my own, and have always tried to put a filter on peer critique. I think writing for television would be challenging, that way, because so many people put their hands on it. I did have a good experience the one time I wrote a script with assistance in the story development stages, but writing is ultimately a loner activity in my humble opinion.

Remember

Moving to Beacon Hill has brought me further away from Ballard and its fantastic spa, Habitude and a little further away from the massage therapist I was seeing on Eastlake.

So, I did some digging and found a spa and massage center closer to my new digs, in Little Ethiopia.

The spa, called Seattle Art of Wellness is run by a number of independent contractors who share the space and work together. They use all organic products and offer a number of services, including several different type of body wraps.



I had the 90-minute full-body massage and I was pretty impressed, though their web site/scheduling system is flawed. I made an appointment on Friday evening, paid via PayPal and received my confirmation. Saturday morning I had not received any confirmation from the Spa so I called to leave a message. I later received a call back saying the spa was closed, but fortunately the therapist was able to re-arrange his Sunday morning and get me in at 11.

So, they seem to be working out some organizational kinks. There was no music during my massage, which was a little awkward. The temperature was very comfortable, though, and they even provide a drawer to put your clothes so you don't have to drape everything over a chair. That's a nice touch.

It's no Habitude, but the prices are lower and conveniently services the South End. I'd definitely go back, but this time I'm calling my appointment in!

Worry

I've recently become aware of some scary news about a local man who is in dire need of a heart transplant. His name is Benny Lagmay and he runs the Hawaiian restaurant Lei's in Duvall with his wife. Several fundraising efforts are underway and I am directly posting the latest news below. I don't know Benny, but he sounds like a pretty amazing person. Equally amazing is the unwavering in his town and with the NW Hawaiian community at large. Wishing Benny a healthy heart for the holidays!




By now, you have likely heard Benny Lagmay's story – how his heart
problems have gotten worse recently, leading to staggeringly high
medical bills, and a need for a heart transplant, soon, in order to
survive --- and that it will come at a cost of over $250,000; a
massive expense for an independent businessman.

Remember the Western Washington windstorm of December 2006? Benny &
his wife, Tonya, opened up their Hawaiian restaurant, Lei's in Duvall,
to feed people who were without electricity. They did this without
charging them – a perfect example of what people from Hawai`i would
call "the aloha spirit."

Mayor Will Ibershof, has proclaimed this Saturday, December 15, 2007,
as Benny Lagmay Day in Duvall, and the Chamber of Commerce has rallied
members of the business community to support the Lagmay family at this
time of great need. Dozens of businesses are donating portions of
their proceeds from that day's business to the Benny Lagmay Donation
Account at US Bank, while others are making cash contributions,
putting donation buckets out, or provided items for the recent
fundraising auction.

If you can pay a visit to Duvall's businesses this Saturday to show
your support for Benny, or just to stop by and thank these businesses
– thank you! If you can't make it out that day, you can contribute at
any US Bank branch.

For more information on the Lagmay family and Benny's medical
situation, please see the November 22 edition of the River Current
News at www.rivercurrentnew s.com. For more information on Benny
Lagmay Day in Duvall, call Diane Baker at (425) 844-1621. For more
information on the Benny Lagmay Donation Account, send e-mail to
oohda@msn.com.

Participating businesses include: Duvall Flowers & Gifts; Serendipity
Photographers; ReMax/Cornerstone; Snoqualmie Valley Music;
Windermere/The Linnerooth Team; Duvall Auto Parts; The Quilter's
Garden; Duvall Paw Patch; The Healing Place; Cherry Valley Veterinary
Hospital; P+G Speakeasy Café; Main Street Insurance; River City Arcade
Café; Main Street Massage; Duvall Foundation for the Arts; Duvall
Variety; Wachovia; Duvall Performing Arts; Duvall Books; Duvall Barber
Shoppe; Quality Mortgage; The River Current News; Rocking "E" Feeds;
Naturescape Landscaping; Sacred Breath Therapeutic Massage; Teddy
Bear's BBQ; Valley Shell; Alpental Landscaping; BearzAbout; Duvall
Main Street Laundry; Think2A; Marty's Music; Countrywide Home Loans;
Towne Realty; Tuxedo's Antiques; DuVall's Dazzling Designs; The Bee's
Hive; Curves; Duvall Therapeutic Massage; Northwest Art Center;
Maily's CC Espresso; JP Landscaping; North Valley Excavating; Family
Childcare & Preschool; Duvall Grill --- and others are still signing up!

Pearl Harbor Day

See

On Wednesday night Dan & I went to the "Hawaiian Christmas Concert" at Town Hall, featuring Amy Hanaiali'i as headliner. Amy has become famous for bringing back the ha'i (falsetto) in Hawaiian music. She just released a Christmas album and her current tour is to celebrate and promote its success.



This was my first time in Town Hall. It's a very impressive space and made for a beautiful setting for the night's festivities. The edifice was constructed in two stages between 1916 and 1922, at the peak of the Christian Science movement. It remained in use by the 4th Church of Christ until it became Town Hall in 1998.

There were two opening acts, first Kalae Bobo Miles performed with his band.



They were very good, and it was really moving to hear the response from the crowd when a song from Hawaiian past began. It was instant recognition and praise and you could just feel the history in the room.

Then came John Peterson, a slack-key guitarist who also performed with Amy. He is an amazing guitarist and all-around sweet guy. He recorded Amy's Christmas album with her on Oahu.

After a brief intermission came the "the Island's top songstress" as she is commonly referred to in the media. Amy has garnered much praise, including multiple Grammy nominations. She will be performing at the Aloha Bowl this year and her album is currently #4 on the World Music charts.

I am not sure why, but I was expecting someone more demure, when in fact she is quite the Bette Midler!



One might even go as far as to say she's a bit of a gay icon! She performed many songs from her Christmas album as well as some old favorites and some jazz and latin stuff for variety. The range this woman has is phenomenal and her presence is grand.



You can learn more about Amy and her music/tour dates at her website.

Eat

Before the concert, I met Dan at McCormick & Schmick's down at the bottom of the Columbia Tower for dinner. Since Dan works in that building, it's a convenient place to meet up. This was only my second meal at the chain, after eating at the Lake Union restaurant a few years back.




Of course I had to start with a cup of their famous seafood-corn chowder. Very good, though a bit thin for my taste.

The menu is printed daily, to incorporate the freshest seafood and ingredients available. I decided to try the Arctic Char, grilled and topped with a sundried tomato-basil butter and served with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

From Wikipedia:

Arctic char or Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus(L.)) is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen. It is one of the rarest fish species in Britain, found only in deep, cold, glacial lakes, mostly in Scotland and is at risk from acidification. In other parts of its range, such as Scandinavia, it is much more common, and is fished extensively. In Siberia, it is known as golets (from the Russian голец).

The Arctic char is closely related to both salmon and trout and has many characteristics of both. Individual char fish can weigh 20 lb (9 kilograms) or more with record sized fish having been taken by angling in Northern Canada. Generally, whole market sized fish are between 2 and 5 lb in weight (900 g and 2.3 kilograms). The flesh colour of char varies; it can range from a bright red to a pale pink.




It did taste a lot like salmon, but maybe a little milder? Meltier? Anyway, it was excellent and I will definitely order it again. Incidentally, it also appears on Monterey Aquarium's list of fish to eat and not feel guilty about!

Drink

Last weekend as we were decorating and become all-around Christmas-fied, I went searching for hot buttered rum mix at QFC to kick-start the season's cheer. I searched and searched, and finally had to ask someone in the bakery section. They keep it in the freezer section with the ice cream cakes in case you shop at the one on Rainier and McClellan.

We are out of rum so I've been using equal parts Maker's Mark and Brandy.



I love the way a hot alcoholic beverage goes down and immediately begins to warm you up. Kind of like red wine on meth. Hard to stop at 1, but dangerous to keep going. All that sugar can lead to a nasty headache the next day.

Read

I get a lot of email. I'm on several yahoo groups, many having to do with Hawaii. I recently joined one for gay professionals in Hawaii. A few days later my inbox was full of forwards to incite action, concern or, in some cases, inspiration. I tend to not read these, and honestly I still have yet to read the whole story.

However, in skimming to the end I came to this old quote that the emailer put in with his salutation:


Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Since I recently moved away from the neighborhood where many of my friends live, and due to the course of life often don't see many of my closest friends more than a few times a year, this really spoke to me. A good reminder of the old cliche: quality, not quantity.

Remember

Today marks the 66-year anniversary of Pearl Harbor.



While it was an elegiac time for the country, perhaps nowhere was the fear more palpable than on the Islands of Hawaii. In this month's issue of the Northwest Hawaiian Times,
you can read an account of that fateful Sunday morning in December from Elliott Manning, whose parents passed down the story to him. He wrote the account as a letter to his kids Heather and Blake so that they, too, can keep the memories alive.

Worry

It being Pearl Harbor Day, I keep thinking about some of the recent history I've read surrounding WWII and the Hawaiian people. Taking a snip from our friends over at unconstitution.net:

Though not a state at the time, Hawaii was placed under martial law in 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Many of the residents of Hawaii were, and are, of Asian descent, and the loyalty of these people was called into question. After the war, the federal judge for the islands condemned the conduct of martial law, saying, "Gov. Poindexter declared lawfully martial law but the Army went beyond the governor and set up that which was lawful only in conquered enemy territory namely, military government which is not bound by the Constitution. And they ... threw the Constitution into the discard and set up a military dictatorship."

In fact, Martial Law was only supposed to remain while there was an imminent threat of land invasion by the Japanese. However, it did not go away for the duration of the war.

They say know your history or it will...that's right.

After 9/11, it seems that this same type of fear-play has been most dominant, allowing power to reign and individual liberties to be stricken for long past any sort of "imminent threat." Let's hope that we can look out for each other and not be taken advantage of in times of peril.

Columbia City & Decorating

See

This weekend we began our Christmas decorating. Saturday we began with the outdoor lights (still a work in progress):



The experience called for some very hot apple cider - and we even had real snow!

After buying up all the red and white lights at Lowe's yesterday we realized we really needed to go back for one item:



Because, really, who doesn't need a light-up palm tree!

Today we also put up the tree, which is a (surprise!) tropical/Hawaiian theme:



Eat

Friday I hardly ate anything all day because I knew we were going to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, El Sombrero, in Columbia City.



They serve up the best pollo in Seattle, the Pollo Asado dish: three small chicken breasts, pounded out flat and soaked in a spicy citrus marinade. Served with a healthy portion of rice & beans, guacamole and your choice of tortillas.



Yes,this is Mexican comfort food - as we whiteys know it - and done much better than your standard Azteca.

Dan had the seafood chimichanga, which I can also vouch for as delicious.



Drink

Yep, we are still in Columbia City for this section, and still at El Sombrero. If you are a lover of the margarita, you must have try the Margarita Grand, with a generous dose of Grand Marnier - and check out the size! Have two and you'll be loving the art next door at the very snazzy gallery (trust me).



Read

We have decided to go with 4 readings for our wedding, 1 from each of our siblings (who happen to all be sisters). Okay, that decision has been made. But wait! What do we have them read?

Some of my favorite books:





Time to keep looking, I think...but it will be fun to search for those perfect passages that speak to Dan, the reader and myself.


Remember

When we rented this house, we were most worried about one thing: no dishwasher. After going without for most of my years as a renter, the last place I lived was blessed with that wonderful instrument that swishes and sometimes clanks and ultimately makes our lives abundantly saner.

Living 6 blocks from Lowe's can be dangerous, and it wasn't long before we threw our wallets at this little guy, the portable dishwasher.



It's a very strange thing, and pretty clumsy. You wheel it over to the sink, plug one cord into an electrical socket and the hose clamps onto the faucet. You turn the hot water on, get your soap and settings ready and then you wait 2 hours for it to finish.

Seriously. It takes forever. So, we now have plan when we can run the dishwasher and we often end up doing dishes by hand in between the two or so times per week we have time to run it.

Still glad that we got it, sure, but something to consider if you're in the market for one.

Worry

The roads weren't too slick on Saturday night, as we made the drive down to Kent to retrieve more of my past to go through, burn, recycle, mock and blog about.

Dan made a snowman with the powder on the hood and it survived several miles.



I hope people are careful this season, and I hope people stop using their cell phones while driving. I hear that the State Patrol will be cracking down this season, giving out hefty fines to any drivers on the road with a phone in his/her hand. I'm still unclear as to what the law actually is on cell phone use in cars, though.