Monday, May 11, 2009

Kenny G-Spotting! :-)

No, seriously, I was walking to the ATM at the market and there he was
getting some bread at 3 Girls Bakery! Kenny G! My first star sighting.
This is his butt or lack thereof.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Old Naked Man Update

It's 10:52pm. I just came up for a smoke after having a few beers at the Nite Lite with the other half. Old Naked Man was just
pulling his red blanket over his naked self. His light is on. All is right with the
world! :-)
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Sent from my iPhone

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Michou- A Love Letter

My Darling Michou,

Thank you so much for lifting my spirits this afternoon with your delectable ham, raspberry and brie panini with a side of beluga lentil, corn and tomato salad. My heart is overflowing with love for you. I already miss you desperately.

Michou, I crave you with all my appetite and soul. I have cherished and adored your long glass case filled with gourmet delights since I moved into your hood. All that you have shared with me, the gentle caress of your market fresh fennel salad, the touch of goat cheese on your $3.99 ratatouille baked potato, your warm layer cake-sized slice of macaroni and cheese, your loving and sensual roasted brussel sprouts, the feel of your luscious hot soups on my tongue, the thrill of holding my sandwich in your gingham-checked paper container wrapped in plastic wrap. I am amazed at what you do to my taste buds.

Michou, I long for you. I long to understand what you really are. Are you a sandwich shop, a bakery, a cafeteria, a gourmet market? Yes, yes, you are all these and more. I beg of you, why do you give yourself so affordably to be devoured by the masses who adore you? Why do you suffer me to endure your long lines stretching to the sidewalk at lunchtime just to get a glimpse of your salmon with dilled mayonnaise? I long to feel the comfort and peace of your half sandwich and soup for $5.50. I long to feel the sensual passion of a 75-cent shrimp artichoke tart. I long to swim in the warm, gentle sea of your tomato bisque, to be surrounded by it, to be enveloped in it, to draw strength from it. I long to be lucky enough to score a seat at your intimate lunch counter overlooking your sexy storage area, but if not, I will happily carry your treasures across the street to Victor Steinbreuck Park for a romantic picnic with a glorious view of Elliot Bay and entrancing homeless people…if it’s not raining.



With all the love of a hungry heart,

Kimmie

Michou on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Old Naked Man, where are you tonight?

OK, when you're a smoker and you live in an apartment with no balcony you go up to the roof a lot. When you're on the roof smoking, there's nothing else to do but look around. When your building is sandwiched between 20 or so others, you look into the lit up apartments. That's how I discovered Old Naked Man.

Old Naked Man lives alone. He's pretty old, as evidenced by his hunched posture and hobbled walk. I can't see him clearly and, no, I'm not going to post any photos. His blinds are never closed. He has nothing to hide.

The first time I noticed Old Naked Man was one evening about 9:30pm. He was fully naked, facing away from me standing in front of his bedroom closet. He turned to face the window and his bed, slowly and carefully laid down, pulled his red blanket over himself, left the light on and went to sleep. Old Naked Man is ordinarily energy conscious, except for when he's sleeping. When he shuffles out of the kitchen, he turns out the light...same goes for when he shuffles from his bedroom.

His kitchen table is at the window. Last night he was up late. It was past 11:30pm and he was up making what I guessed was a cup of tea. He sat at the kitchen table with his cup for just a moment before retreating to the bedroom to sit on the edge of the bed facing away from me. Reading perhaps? Praying? Reflecting? Wishing he could get some sleep?

Tonight it's 11:30pm again and the bedroom light is on but Old Naked Man is nowhere to be seen. The kitchen light is off. Thankfully I can't see the bathroom and I'm not sure if he has any other rooms in his apartment. So where are you Old Naked Man? What's keeping you up so late these past few night?

Jimmy and I go for Coffee on Cinco de Mayo

Being on the 5th floor of an historic building that faces Elliot Bay, you expect a nice breeze most days. Today I woke up to whistling wind and rain battering the apartment windows. By 9am, Pike Place Market, usually bustling with vendors setting up their booths for the day, looked dead. I'm sure the inside booths will be in full swing by 10:30 or so as usual, jam packed with tourists- what better thing to do on a dreary day like this?

I spy on the market visitors to determine how I will dress for the day. Hmmmm, are most people wearing jackets and hats, jeans and t-shirts or shorts and tank tops? The weather varies like that on a daily basis and sometimes my "weather dude" who hangs in the kitchen gets it all wrong. Today he says it's 50 degrees, he is dressed in long pants and long-sleeved shirt...and his sun is shining. No umbrella. Does he somehow knows he's in Seattle? When I moved here people said locals didn't carry umbrellas but that's not entirely true. On days like this you definitely need one, but most Seattle rainy days are on and off spits and sputters between sun breaks. A hat is a better choice, especially downtown where an umbrella can be a nightmare to maneuver on the busy sidewalks.

I got another compliment on my Jimmy Carter coffee mug today (a gift from my brother who was going to sell it on craigslist until I saw it and HAD to have it) down at Caffe' Lieto. Everyone loves Jimmy with his peanutty patina and cheery smile! Got my cafe americano and stepped outside to people watch for just a few minutes before getting to work on my job search for the day and writing this post.

WAIT! Whaaat? Does that Asian woman walking toward me on the sidewalk in rolled-up designer skinny jeans, high heeled Jimmy Choo's, a Louis Vuitton on one arm and a Coach on the other have rabies? She's foaming at the mouth! Oh my God, this is weird and a little scary...ohhhh, OK, she's just brushing her teeth...and spitting the foam out on the sidewalk right in front of the entrance to my building. OK, that's all it was. Not weird at all.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

City Gardening

We planted some tomatoes and put them on the roof today!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Buskers at Starbucks

Seattle and Pike Place Market in general has some wicked talented buskers. The buskers at the market must purchase an annual permit and perform only in designated spots marked with red musical notes. My favorite is a group called A Moment in Time. They're usually in front of the original Starbucks singing a capella Gospel, R & B and your favorite Motown hits. Today they were letting people from the crowd join them for a song...as is the girl with the ice-cream cone in this clip. Enjoy!

Don't forget to tip the buskers, they're key to the vibrant atmosphere of the market.

Sidewalk Sighting- Lower Queen Anne