Favorite Christmas Carols at 123 "Sesame Street."

Me: Mine is definitely "all I want for Christmas is you" by Mariah Carey.
Julie: I like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra song. You know, the "Carol of the Bells" one.
Mike: What about Wham!?
*Mike sings a bit of it*
Julie: Oh yeah! That's my second favorite!
Dad: I like "If I were a boy" by Beyonce.

... me too?

Snow in Seattle

It's snowing a lot in Seattle, which is a big deal. News reporters cover all the buses that slip up and down hills. They show footage of their cameramen falling while taping a car slide into another. Allegedly, the Safeway truck driver is stuck in a few inches of snow. Foodless. Panic. The most pressing issue in the world right now is how we will rescue the guinea pigs from elementary school classrooms.

I've never known such a small amount of snow could be so dangerous. I've also never lived this far north in my life.

Corner of 41st and 9th in the U-district. It's a snowy sneaker corner!

Food that comes fast in Seattle

Dick's Drive In. Wallingford, Seattle. 7/10 on my bangin' scale.

Decent burgers, shakes for cheap. Open late, 50's drive-in, funny name.
-Oh man, I just tried dicks for the first time.
-Once you try dicks you never go back.
-I wanna go eat some dicks.
Etc.

Thai Tom. University District, Seattle. 8/10 on my bangin' scale.

You're hungry. You're cold. You're wet. You want Thai. You could try one of the other 8 Thai restaurants on the Ave, but you want it fast, and you want it delicious. Throw in some reggae and you've got it made. Your best bet is Thai Tom. They take your order as you wait in line outside the door (the restaurant is tiny; they only have seating for about 20 people), and it's ready once you get in.

Black puffy coat strikes again. And again.

Previously.

Now,

On Thursday, November 20, 2008, at approximately 2:40 p.m., a UW female student was the victim of a robbery .... Four suspects were involved in this incident, two males and two females. One suspect, a female wearing a black puffy jacket, blue jeans, and red shoes, took the victim's cell phone. After taking the cell phone, the female suspects left on foot, and the two male accomplices boarded a bus. The male suspects were later located on the bus and arrested by Seattle Police. The female suspects are both still at large. The victim was not injured.

AND

On November 21st, 2008 at approximately 3:58 p.m., Seattle Police Department officers responded to the report of a strong arm robbery .... The victim (a female) was walking eastbound on the north sidewalk of N.E. 50th Street when two males and one female emerged form the alley. One of the males wrapped his arm around the victim's throat and held her while the other male went through the pockets of her jeans .... The male who had his arm wrapped around the victim's neck is described as being about 5'8''tall, darker complexion, app. 150 lbs and wearing a black puffy jacket with gray fur around the hood, black baseball hat and jeans.

I know I should be more concerned about the hoodlums who wear puffy, furry-hooded jackets. But... FURRY. Is this Seattle's version of the Crips? This city is so fake sometimes.

Breakfast in the U-District according to a UW student

Portage Bay Cafe

(6/10 on my bangin' scale.)

The most popular place for breakfast in the U-District.

I've been to this restaurant a couple of times now, mostly because it is the closest restaurant to my house. Oh yeah, and I went because two of the times someone else was paying. Holler.

The good: Organic food, big servings, open toppings bar (mostly berries and fruit) for your pancakes.

The bad: The food is so-so. I mean, it's breakfast food. (Unless you get one of their specials like pumpkin pancakes). They're all fancy schmantzy about being special and organic and healthy. Also, it's kind of expensive. The wait is usually 1 hour or more on weekends.

I've tried: Omelette (with some kind of goat cheese. I like goat cheese a lot, but their method of serving it was not too exciting). Pumpkin pancakes (absolutely delicious. It's a seasonal thing, though). Migas (Eggs on a tortilla. Unremarkable).

 

Voula's Offshore Cafe

(8/10 on my bangin' scale)

Voula knows where the moolah's at. She's pimpin' it up.

The good: Greasy, disgusting. Cranky-looking older men (regulars) occupy the stools at the counter. Humongous portions. Original ideas for their breakfast dishes. 1/4 block away from my favorite view of the space needle (from under I-5).

The bad: Also very popular. Service is slower.

I tried: The Hobo. It's basically everything you'd want in breakfast food. Eggs, potatoes, toast with "greek sausage" (aka gyros meat). Smothered in melty feta. Cheese is delicious. They serve you about 3 pounds of greasy goodness.

The moral: Voula's is better. But don't take my word for it.

UW robbery: terrifying or hilarious?

from: UW Police Department
subject: Warning Notification of a Criminal Incident (November 14, 2008)

On Friday, November 14, 2008, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a UW student was the victim of an attempted robbery at the corner of N.E. 45th St. and 16th Ave N.E.. The suspect, a female with long straight blonde hair, approached the victim and attempted to steal her purse. The victim wrestled with the suspect, they separated, and the victim ran into a nearby house for safety. The suspect then took off running in a northbound direction. The suspect was wearing a black puffy jacket with fur around the hood. The victim was not injured.

TELEVISION!

oh my gosh.