Category: Seattle and Beyond

Seattle Snow, Traffic Conditions and Proactivity

Carl Setzer

It’s been a rough couple of days around the greater Seattle area. Yesterday, I opted to work from home. Yes, I’m a classic Seattle weather-wimp.

When I look to make that decision, I opt for a few tools.

  • Local news:
    • Though I get a lot of my news via KNKX (NPR), I opt for video for these sorts of things. KING 5 is my personal favorite.
  • WSDOT’s traffic map is the first place you should go to see conditions.
  • I live in Lynnwood, so their network of traffic cameras is very helpful to see what’s happening nearby.

I try to keep the process simple, so I pretty much limit myself to the above, and not running down the rabbit hole that this can be. However, I expect I might be missing something. Let me know if you have a resource that I should recommend.

An Awesome Sunny Saturday At Greenlake

Carl Setzer

Well, we slept in, which was lovely all by itself. But then, on a whim, I convinced my family to head to Greenlake. A gorgeous day, I wanted to shoot some photos out in the sun. Well, it was a bit cooler than everyone expected. Otherwise, it was quite nice.

Our first stop was for lunch. My son was craving a burger. We’d been up Teddy’s Biggest Burger before. His elementary school did a fundraiser the several years ago. I enjoyed the crispy chicken burger, while my son enjoyed the Kilauea Fire burger. Not as spicy as you might expect from the name. A nice kick (he let me have a bite before he inhaled the rest). Anyway, I enjoyed it. (Side note: I’m thinking it’d be fun to do a regional burger tour. What do you think?)

Next, we walked the lake. I’ve always enjoyed that. Back when I was a boy, I’d blast through on my bike (it was far less crowded back then). As I got older, I enjoyed walking more. Gets a better look at the scenery.

We ended the day back up in Edmonds. The kids st Edmonds Heights finished up their run of Beauty and the Beast. A charming production. I’ve developed a deep fondness for community and student theater. The quality was great, and the commitment fun to see. (I didn’t get any photos, though).

I have some ideas for upcoming blog posts, which I’ll pull together over the next few days. It’s time to update my Geek Events list. I noticed another building that’s struggling (this one’s in Marysville), which I’ll write about very soon. I’m also exploring video ideas. Is that something that interests you? Anything you’d like to see? If you have anything you’d let me to cover, let me know!

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Memories of my Grandfather

Carl Setzer

Riding the ferry

From shore to shore for hours

Talking to strangers

I’ve been thinking a lot of my grandfather lately. He spent years driving trucks throughout the region. His gift for connecting with people his deep. He had friends all over Edmonds. I emulate him… in my own way.

Another Glimpse Into Old Lynnwood

Carl Setzer

The clever little bit of satire brought to you by legendary Seattle DJ Bob Rivers, part of his Twisted Tunes series. Another piece of “old Lynnwood”, and, I guess, continuing is this unintentional series (started yesterday).

So, any interest in pursuing this further? It’d be interesting to see what else I could dig up to add to this thread. Do you have any ideas? Requests? Let me know!

A Look At The Unique Culture Of Lynnwood

Carl Setzer

Well, the Lynnwood of the 1980s. The gentrification of the past several years has changed things quite a bit. However, this really captures an element of the town I did most of my growing up in.

 

This video comes from the legendary Seattle TV show, “Almost Live“. This TV show ran for around 15 years, and introduced the world to Bill Nye.

Enjoy this wee view to a Lynnwood that’s, for the most part, faded to memory.

Ring In The New Year! New Year’s Eve Activities Around The Area

Carl Setzer

It’s always great to get out and enjoy the New Year with friends and loved ones. So, I’m trying to give you a little guidance.

Last year, I posted about the different NYE events around Edmonds. However, we aren’t really bursting with New Year’s events this year. So far, I’ve only found a few.

Lynnwood’s Rec Room will be hosting their New Year’s Eve celebration with a “Reclaim The Rec Room” theme. In case you missed them hitting the news earlier this month, they had an incident with white supremacists. Hence why they’re “reclaiming” their space. I completely support that.

Just want to go out for dinner? Here’s a solid list of dining choices. Edmonds has something for every style and taste.

If none of these are appealing, Lynnwood Today has a list of other options to explore.

Outside of south county, in Everett, the Children’s Museum will have a Pajama Party.

Want to head into Seattle for a more urbane celebration? Here are some fun options for you (I’ve done the first one several times and recommend it at least once in your life).

If you know of something I’ve missed, please let me know either in the comments below, or via social media (Twitter, Facebook or Instagram)

And on New Year’s Day, come down to Brackett’s Landing and take part in the Polar Bear plunge. Or you could swing by Waterfront Coffee Company, grab a warm beverage, then walk down and enjoy the show.

As for me, I’ll be having dinner and ringing in the new year with dear friends. I’m playing with the notion of watching the plunge.

Wishing each of you a fun New Year’s Eve and a awesome 2019!

 

A YouTube Series Featuring An Old Dream Of Mine: Kombi Life 

Carl Setzer2 Comments

I discovers this YouTube series last year: Kombi Life. These folks, Ben and Leah,  spent several years driving a VW van (Kombi) from South America to Alaska. I had the reverse idea a couple of decades ago. I researched the logistics for some time,deciding that this would have been very un-fun, so to speak. My decision on that was impacted by a friend who was driving a Baja bug to South America. He was robbed of EVERYTHING down in Chiapas. The ordeal of getting back to the States was, shall we say, unpleasant.

Also, since this was pre-internet, with no YouTube or Patreon, funding this was going to be a monumental challenge. I worked out that it would take several years of aggressive savings to pull it off. Then there were the logistics of repair….well, it became over the top.

So, the idea of a global adventure in a VW van faded. I still think it would be fun to travel the US in a VW bus. As much as I love the old Kombis I think I’d be more inclined for modern comfort and look at a Vanagon. But, anyway, I think it’d be a delightful way to explore the US. Whether I’d stop it and do something like Kombi Life, or just do tours…I don’t know.

Anyway, check out Kombi Life. They’re currently launching an around the world tour, driving from Arizona to Australia. It’ll be a heck of an adventure.

Up To Whatcom For A Day

Carl Setzer

We spent the day in Bellingham. Our original plans went a bit awry, but not to worry. We opted to head out to the Nooksack (east of Bellingham near Deming, deep in Whatcom county) to check out the eagles. We saw about twenty or so birds, mostly bald eagles, but also some goodness, gobs of seagulls eating the eagle’s leftovers, plus a blue heron to round things out.

I talked to some of the other photographers out there. Man, I got some serious gear envy! I love those monster zoom lenses and definitely want to earn enough to get one. The guy with the best zoom also drove a Porsche, which tells you a story.

We had dinner at Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham (how’s that for alliteration?), which I’d been meaning to try. Had the French dip, which was quite lovely (I’m fond of that sandwich). I also want to try their Bahn Mi and a good ol’ fashioned cheeseburger, too. My wife had the fish tacos, which were excellent. My son had the mac and cheese, which is actually somewhat famous in those parts. He inhaled that, assuring me it was good.

You can see some pictures on my Instagram and Facebook pages. Take a look and let me know what you think. Are there other places I should check out? Let me know!