Apr 19, 2011

Since I have to use premium, I’ve been paying four bones for awhile. Now, however, even the cheap dinosaur juice at my “home gas station” is fetching four dollars and greater. Next stop, five bucks. Remember, you have control over...

Apr 19, 2011

Today, I rode my scooter up to Broadway in order to check out a couple of eateries, including our newest business, Yogurtland. After circling the block once, I found a parking space in front of one of the restaurants. I backed my scooter in so that my rear wheel was touching the curb (as is required by law), purchased my parking sticker, and hung it on my...

Apr 17, 2011

Yesterday, Mercer Street in the South Lake Union neighborhood was closed to traffic. Minor chaos ensued. To call it a mess would be an understatement. I got caught up in the gridlock on my way from Wales Park to Seattle Center, and thank god I was on a scooter or this short trip may have taken an hour. The closures are part of the $164 million first phase of...

Apr 15, 2011

This morning, I went down to the waterfront so that I could check out the first cruise ship of the season. It was cool and I enjoyed it. After getting a few shots, I hopped on my Vino and headed north on Alaskan Way. As I was riding in the right lane, a Volvo Station Wagon to my left suddenly switched lanes directly into me. I had to swerve and then grab both...

Apr 15, 2011

Today is “National Don’t Buy Gas Day”. The premise of the day is obvious. In order to show your outrage over high gasoline prices, the organizers of the event urge you not to buy gasoline today. While I vaguely support this endeavor, the problem with such a “protest” is obvious. Since most fuel companies account monthly or quarterly, it is of no...

Apr 12, 2011

As a former bicycle messenger, these stories are near and dear to my heart: Seattle Police are looking for the driver of a red minivan that slammed into a bicyclist in Belltown then drove off, leaving the biker critically injured. The crash happened around 7:00p.m. Monday on First Avenue between Bell and Blanchard streets. The bicyclist, a 30-year old man, was...

Apr 7, 2011

Speak of the devil. “Neighbors in Lake City are fighting back against the mayor’s plan to add bike lanes to a big North Seattle hill, eliminating two lanes for cars. This week, yellow-and-black signs questioning the change to Northeast 125th Street appeared on the hill with the main number for Mayor Mike McGinn’s office. The Seattle Department of...

Apr 6, 2011

When the King County Prosecutor refused to prosecute Ian Birk, I was pretty angry at Mayor Mike McGinn for not doing something tangible to make things right. I felt that his speeches after the fateful decision were long on words and short on substance. I thought then, and still do, that he should have fired the Seattle Police Chief. I also wretched several...

Apr 2, 2011

Forgive me if this is incoherent as all of this just happened minutes ago. I just got back from a ride through Fremont, Ballard, and back through Downtown. I stopped by Pike Place Market for a little while also. After leaving The Market, I rode north to Bell Street because it’s the first hill that does not have cobblestones. I took a right, then another...

Apr 1, 2011

For every time I saw a lady drive the wrong way up Pike Street, I would have about thirty cents. I concede that it’s not much money, but this is still a problem. I once witnessed it twice in one day. Remember, we’re supposed to spend billions of dollars to build a tunnel for these people. Another reason I hope I get the chance to vote...

Mar 30, 2011

Opponents of the deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct have managed to get a petition before a judge. The petition basically requests that, before a tunnel can be built, the people must first approve it in a referendum. The story and a video can be viewed...

Mar 28, 2011

I spend the better part of the day avoiding potholes on my scooter, and believe me when I tell you, there are a lot of them. There are many streets in and near Downtown Seattle that I would not even consider “paved”. Fear not, however, our local government is on the job, uh, enforcing the newly doubled parking increases in Pike/Pine. Thanks city...

Mar 27, 2011

Mar 24, 2011

Over the past few months, I have become intimately familiar with the South Lake Union Streetcar, or as it is lovingly known by many — the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley). I’ve taken it several times from the Pacific Transit Plaza to Lake Union Park, and as luck would have it, my scooter shop now sits directly on a station (I’ve gone twice by...

Mar 21, 2011

“Screeeeeeeech!” That was close. Damn close. While sitting at a stoplight on Saturday, I almost got nailed from behind by an SUV that was cruising inexplicably fast into a red light. To her credit, the very concerned lady got out of the car to explain herself to me. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see the light, the sun was in my eyes!” “I know,” I said...

Mar 17, 2011

Not the words I would use as the Mayor seems like a perfectly pleasant guy. This business owner in Pioneer Square, however, would appear to disagree. He’s very unhappy about the new parking rates ($3.50/hour), and I don’t suppose I can blame him. I think the parking rates are too high as well, and I think it is a matter of time before they are...

Mar 16, 2011

Wow, two hours after writing an article about wanting to get a scooter and … I bought a scooter. Say what you will about me, but when I make up my mind to do some thing, I don’t screw around. Without further ado, meet my new partner in crime: Every day from this point forward, I will have 125cc’s of Japanese steel shaking between my legs, and a...

Mar 16, 2011

Short hops to Ballard. Weekend runs to the Fremont Farmer’s Market. Lunch at Gas Works. A slice of Pizza in the U-District. Right now, these things are possible, but they aren’t what I would call “quick and snappy”. Living below the “knee joint” (which is what I call the waterway connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington since to me …...

Mar 3, 2011

This morning, after scoring a cup of liquid dope from my local caffeine dealer, I grabbed a copy of the Capitol Hill Times and retired upstairs to the porcelain reading room. I unfolded the paper, and immediately a quarter-inch thick layer of legal notices fell onto the floor. Seriously guys, what the hell is up with the legal notices? Nobody reads these...

Mar 2, 2011

Oh, depression … my Jesus, my lord, my omnipresent companion. For a long time, I’ve wanted to be normal.   More than anything, I would love to sit in front of my television on a Sunday, beer in hand, shouting for the home team to score a touchdown.   I want to experience euphoria when they win, and I want to high-five random strangers in joyful release...

Mar 1, 2011

Last week, after picking up a few things at the QFC on Broadway & Republican, I walked out to the bus stop for the quick ride home. While I was standing there, a man walked up to a fellow bus rider and asked “Has the 49 come yet?”. “No, it’s due in about 10 minutes”, replied the rider. “Thanks, I have time to run inside”, replied the...

Feb 22, 2011

The meter changes are almost complete, and the core is now sporting $4/hr meters. This means that it now officially costs $1.00 – $2.50 more per hour to park in Downtown Seattle than it does to park on the island of Manhattan. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, anything to discourage driving in Downtown is a positive thing. On the other...

Feb 16, 2011

After  trying for literally weeks to get a clear shot of the aircraft, I got a lucky break today. I was down at the waterfront about 3 hours ago, heard a rumble overhead, and looked up to see the plane flying straight down Elliott Bay toward Boeing Field. Unfortunately, I only had a small pocket camera with me, but the shot is good enough for web use. I hate...

Feb 15, 2011

Washington State is currently debating a law that would require people who are convicted of drunk driving to have the letter “Z” appended to their license plates. http://www.king5.com/news/local/WA-bill-would-identify-drunk-drivers-by-license-plates-116199249.html I would like to go on record as stating that not only do I support this law, but I am...

Feb 11, 2011

I just got back from Pioneer Square. After grabbing a sandwich at Jimmy John’s, I walked over to the I.D. where I picked up some groceries at Uma Jo Mamma, and then I hopped a bus home with my loot. How much did the trip cost me? Exactly nothing. You see, I live in the “Ride Free Zone”, an area encompassing most of Downtown Seattle where...