Category: Personal Thoughts

Saving the Wave: A New Wave Playlist On Spotify 

Carl Setzer

Inspired by C89‘s DJ Trent Von and his Save The Wave show, I crafted my own playlist in Spotify. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. What’s left out? What shouldn’t be on this one?

 

If you’re a fan of Trent, here are a few places to connect with him online:

And here are some sites to learn more about his style, background, and, well, listen to his playlists.

A Thursday Morning Opps

Carl Setzer

Currently I’m at the Snohomish County campus to do some research on one of my projects. Forgot that the Planning and Development Services department is closed until 10 on Thursdays (had it in my head that was Wednesdays). Opps! That worked out for the best, though. Got to talk with one of the staffers about a different project, which will move that forward quicker. And then ran into a friend at the cafe here. I haven’t talked with her in several months, so it was nice to catch up on stuff (mostly kids…you know how parents are).

The cafe here is actually pretty nice. Especially for a office cafeteria kind of place. I enjoy the food here, and they serve Cafe D’Arte coffee. Not a favorite, but I do enjoy it.

It’s a delightful spring morning. Glad I brought my fleece, but the sun is lovely. Listening to the weird combination of construction noise, people chatting, and the seagulls and crows getting worked up over the eagle perched atop the Angel of the Winda arena (formerly Comcast/Xfinity). The eagle quickly got annoyed with the crows dive-bombing it and took off.

So much construction going on. The courthouse upgrade a few feet behind me, and the Hopelink work a few blocks to the south on Broadway make for a vibrant area. And fir a bit of traffic noise. Everett is changing right around me. I don’t think I’d recognize the place if I’d been gone 10 years. An amazing time to be here, enjoying a random respite from the busyness of modern life.

I saw the weirdest thing on my walk this evening

Carl Setzer

Just out the south entrance to Meadowdale high school sits this dilapidated truck. I walk by this spot regularly and it wasn’t there last time. It couldn’t have more than two weeks since my last visit.

Oh, its important to note that there’s a locked gate between this area and the street. I have no idea how the truck got there or why. Was it abandoned? Some kind of joke? Eh, who knows?

Dinner got me thinking burgers

Carl Setzer

Our dinner plans this evening include going to Edmonds’ El Puerto. They’ve been a part of our lives for over a decade. And, now, the restaurant is at the end. The owners plan to retire after this weekend. We can hope it’s an April Fools prank, but I doubt it’ll do any good.

Anyway, the place was packed and we decided to head up the hill and half-block to another favorite eatery: Taki Tiki.

I had a BBQ Burger Dip; very yummy! My wife had the mahi mahi fish tacos and was quite happy. We’ve eaten there many times over the years, and tried many of their options. I’ve never been disappointed.

This got me thinking. I think it would be fun to explore different burger places in the region. In south Snohomish County, I’ve eaten at, besides Taki Tiki, Red Onion in Mountlake Terrace, Dick’s, Blazing Onion at Alderwood Mall, Hop Jack’s in Lynnwood (and up in Smokey Pointe), and Hamburger Harry’s (Edmonds). Heading north theres Bob’s Burgers and Brews, and also Ray’s in Everett, Marysville’s AJ’s, Burger Mill, Zeke’s in Gold Bat, Nutty’s Junkyard Grill in Arlington…these are what comes rolling out readily. I’m sure I’d think of others if I gave it time. This is just Snohomish County.

And I already have a bit of a list of places I want to try.

  • Country Burger by Lake Ki
  • Dave’s Burgers in Lynnwood
  • Charley’s in Snohomish

What’s your favorite that’s missing from this list? Tell me which of the above you love, or dislike. I am open to all kinds of ideas. I’d really love to hear your favorites.

A Few Random Thoughts This Saturday

Carl Setzer

It was a stunning day, one delightfully free of any hint of snow. After some morning meetings, we went to Alderwood Mall this evening for a few errands. A few observations: First, I like the renovated Apple Store. Doubling the space, as well as the high ceilings make the space feel huge. I got a reminder that I need to get my old Macbook Pro over there for the geniuses to commence voodoo. The poor thing failed to boot for several months. I’m pretty sure it’s simply a failed charger, but am not sure. Could be a failed battery, too.

Also, I noticed the increased presence of uniformed security officers in Nordstroms. I didn’t notice them that much at the mall before, but today they were very present, up front and obvious in Nordy’s. Makes me wonder why. Or if I was just remarkably unaware before.

Tomorrow we’re going to see Captain Marvel. Quite possibly at Alderwood Mall, but maybe we’ll make a bigger trip of it and head to Seattle. I do enjoy Cinerama, but it might also be fun to see it at the Pacific Science Center’s Imax theatre. I’ll post a review tomorrow. With that, I’ve been watching too many gents lamenting that Marvel hates men now, so I’m sure the internet dialog will be charming.

I had a couple of meetings this week that gave me pause about regional development. We have this intersection between the desire to maintain our pristine wild spaces, most powerfully manifested by the Growth Management Act, with the economic forces that bring 1,000s of people into our region every year. As we crash up against those barriers, I see growth getting vertical. Anyway, I will write  a bit more in depth about this soon.

How’s your weekend going? Did you get out and enjoy the gorgeous day here in Seattle? I certainly hope so.

 

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The Next Season Of Kombi Life Is On Youtube

Carl Setzer2 Comments

I’ve written about the Youtube series Kombi Life before. I’m fond of these folks, love the show’s concept and delight in the way Ben and Leah are using all the tools this internet age is giving them to live out a dream.

The first series took them from south America to the Arctic Ocean. Now they’re heading for a global tour. They just posted their first season on Youtube, which starts with a west coast search the right VW Kombi to loading it on a ship in New York (and them into an airplane).

Go watch their current series (below). If you’re as charmed and delighted as I am, consider joining the “Kombi Crew” on Patreon, as us supporters are called. I hope to see you there!