The Return of The Blog

It has been well over a year since I posted in this blog. Lately I've had the itch to hone my writing a bit more, so I am going to continue it. I know most of my audience will be Facebook friends and Twitter followers, but I hope to reach out to others who find my walkable life in Seattle, Washington worth closer inspection.

In addition to topics covering walkability and transit, I'm going to veer a bit into politics and general thoughts. While a marketing professional would decry such thin spreading of content, I merely wish to explore some ideas banging around in my head. But for now, enjoy this tale of nightly hikes and meats for sale!

This evening, just after the sky became completely dark, I headed up Phinney Ridge for a walk. I live at the bottom of the hill, and it takes about 10 minutes to walk up the steep climb. Right now, it's a perfect time for an evening stroll because temperatures have been higher than normal and conditions unseasonably drier. This is that time of night when the darkness allows walkers-by to peer into businesses that, while already closed, still have their lights on, allowing pedestrians to see almost everything inside. People are enjoying dinner at the 74th Street Ale House and strolling around Greenwood Avenue. I hop into Ken's Market.



Publix, back in Florida, got me spoiled on wandering the aisles of supermarkets, taking joy in the brand diversity and array of fine meats and produce. Ken's Market excels at charging more that average store-wide, but not more than people are willing to pay. In a walkable neighborhood, people love the convenience of a smaller grocery store they can reach, and they'll pay extra to not drive and fight crowds. Plus their meat selection, in my opinion, surpasses quality at the major chains like Kroger's QFC and Fred Meyer and Safeway. Tomorrow I'll return for a pork shoulder that I'll braise in my cast-iron dutch oven for dinner.

As I walk home, down the ridge, I listen to my podcast, Peter Day's World of Business, a BBC production. Halfway, I spot a chimney that my neighbor has sawed off halfway. Why would someone do this? If anyone has any ideas, please respond in the comments.

Well, that's it for now, but I'll write some more tomorrow. Maybe something on the price of oil or how my pork shoulder turned out...

Ditching the Car for a Reusable Bag

I’ve lived in Washington State for the better part of my life, moving from the frozen tundra of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to beautiful Bainbridge Island at the tender age of 14.  I was so excited to live anywhere that didn’t have snow, and gladly traded it for the grey days of Seattle.  From there, I went on to Washington State University and, after graduation, to San Francisco.  It wasn’t long before I heard the Pacific Northwest calling my name and returned home to Seattle.

Until this time, I had been reliant on a vehicle.  You can’t get around a secluded island or ice covered town with ease by walking.  I even found myself relying on it in SF – crazy because BART is such a great public transit system.  My car, nicknamed “Lulu the Malibu”, had been with me through the college years and my brief stint in California.  It was shortly after my move home that I sold her.  I had money in my pocket and I felt liberated!  That is, until I realized that I had sold my car and was living back home on Bainbridge Island.  I was living a repeat of high school.

The only logical remedy to this problem was to move into the big city.  Since moving to Seattle, I have lived in both the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne areas.  Each place has provided me with close proximity to grocery stores, gyms, parks, bus routes, and nightlife.

Like Jimmy, the biggest changes for me all revolve around grocery shopping.  I routinely forget those re-useable bags in my kitchen drawers and end up paying for the paper bags that break half way home.  On the days I do remember them, I end up buying the heavy stuff – milk, flour, spaghetti squash – the stuff I seem to live without on regular weeks but find oh-so-necessary when I have the proper carrying vessels.  Either way, walking home from the store ends up being a bit of a battle. A battle I plan to win one day.

In the next few weeks, I’ll let you in on how I made the switch to a walkable lifestyle and how I’m still working on that transition.