Happy fall day
Autumn comes and goes quickly in Seattle. It's rough on me since fall is my favorite season--crisp-cool autumn air, brown/yellow/orange, pumpkins, football, light frost on the grass. This weekend may be the only real autumn weekend we get in Seattle all year.
But in the moment, all that matters is that it's here. Rich, Tom, Brian and I stole away today for some fall golf at a new course called Trilogy at Redmond Ridge. Within that distance from Seattle, it might be the best value golf course I've played. Only a half hour drive or so for me, public, not as spendy as Newcastle, not as far as Gold Mountain or Harbour Pointe or courses like that, and nicer than Jefferson or West Seattle. Fall golf is great.
I hadn't played in a while, but the swing felt decent, and even though I didn't play driver all day, and even though I missed a three foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th, I broke 90 for the first time all year with an 89. I think I swing better without any warm up. We got lost on the way over and so we had to go straight to the first tee, no practice swings or putts on a completely strange course, and I went par par the first two holes.
Todd and Juli and Audrey and I went to the Strokes concert tonight. But first, we had a birthday dinner at Il Terrazzo Carmine where Philippe works. Now, I'm no restaurant insider, but as far as I could tell, Philippe was running the show in the kitchen. I've heard a lot about the restaurant over the years but never been. What I've missed! The food was superb, eccellente. Italian food in the low and mid range doesn't excite me, but at the high end, it can be operatic. I think Audrey's duck with Italian cherries was singing to me. All compliments to the chef.
We got to the Strokes concert just as The Kings of Leon were finishing their last song. Then, while the roadies were setting up the stage for The Strokes, songs from the Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, one of my favorite albums of all time, played in the background, and it sent me back to happy times.
The Strokes sounded fantastic, despite having to play in what the lead singer accurately described as "one fugly arena" (The Seattle Exhibition Center looks exactly like what you'd imagine an Exhibition Center would look like inside, which I suppose is suited for showing curtains and bathroom sinks and whatever else they show at exhibitions but has absolutely no business hosting any musical acts; yet, in the last month, I've seen both The White Stripes and The Strokes there--why'd they get stuck with that sterile dump?!? Well, at least it's clean). Punk/garage bands always sound better live, the feedback from the guitars registering beautifully, especially as compared to the sanitized acoustics on the album. The Strokes' songs all make me happy, and while their new album Room on Fire may prove that they're not going to change the face of rock, it's hardly an indictment that couldn't be applied to just about every album that arrives each week.
[Room on Fire is also available from The Apple Music Store, whose selection grows a little more impressive every few weeks]
But in the moment, all that matters is that it's here. Rich, Tom, Brian and I stole away today for some fall golf at a new course called Trilogy at Redmond Ridge. Within that distance from Seattle, it might be the best value golf course I've played. Only a half hour drive or so for me, public, not as spendy as Newcastle, not as far as Gold Mountain or Harbour Pointe or courses like that, and nicer than Jefferson or West Seattle. Fall golf is great.
I hadn't played in a while, but the swing felt decent, and even though I didn't play driver all day, and even though I missed a three foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th, I broke 90 for the first time all year with an 89. I think I swing better without any warm up. We got lost on the way over and so we had to go straight to the first tee, no practice swings or putts on a completely strange course, and I went par par the first two holes.
Todd and Juli and Audrey and I went to the Strokes concert tonight. But first, we had a birthday dinner at Il Terrazzo Carmine where Philippe works. Now, I'm no restaurant insider, but as far as I could tell, Philippe was running the show in the kitchen. I've heard a lot about the restaurant over the years but never been. What I've missed! The food was superb, eccellente. Italian food in the low and mid range doesn't excite me, but at the high end, it can be operatic. I think Audrey's duck with Italian cherries was singing to me. All compliments to the chef.
We got to the Strokes concert just as The Kings of Leon were finishing their last song. Then, while the roadies were setting up the stage for The Strokes, songs from the Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, one of my favorite albums of all time, played in the background, and it sent me back to happy times.
The Strokes sounded fantastic, despite having to play in what the lead singer accurately described as "one fugly arena" (The Seattle Exhibition Center looks exactly like what you'd imagine an Exhibition Center would look like inside, which I suppose is suited for showing curtains and bathroom sinks and whatever else they show at exhibitions but has absolutely no business hosting any musical acts; yet, in the last month, I've seen both The White Stripes and The Strokes there--why'd they get stuck with that sterile dump?!? Well, at least it's clean). Punk/garage bands always sound better live, the feedback from the guitars registering beautifully, especially as compared to the sanitized acoustics on the album. The Strokes' songs all make me happy, and while their new album Room on Fire may prove that they're not going to change the face of rock, it's hardly an indictment that couldn't be applied to just about every album that arrives each week.
[Room on Fire is also available from The Apple Music Store, whose selection grows a little more impressive every few weeks]