Three Nights in Bangkok

Had we arrived in Bangkok first I’m sure we’d have found it overwhelming. It was hot and the streets were packed five lanes wide in each direction with jelly bean colored taxis, private cars, tuktuks, and scooters. But we’d been in Hanoi, and then Saigon, so Bangkok seemed, well, not exactly serene, but staid by …


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West Seattle Sunday

It will soon be one year since we left Capitol Hill for quieter, more affordable Gatewood. We still regret that our nearest walkable supermarket is the rather pricey Thriftway. We hope that some day, we’ll get the oft promised seldom delivered West Seattle Trader Joe’s. And most of all, we miss having our Capitol Hill …


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Siem Riep: The Puok Silk Farm

I pity the silkworm. He or she spins his little cocoon and settles in for a bit of a nap, not knowing that, oops, that’s it, it’s the big sleep, the permanent goodbye. The worm’s self made house is what gives you that elegant tie, that beautiful scarf, those gorgeous pajamas. And after visiting the …


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Fish Wednesday: Opah and Citrus Edition

It’s getting springy around here. I found a crocus in my backyard and asparagus is on sale in the supermarkets. I’m trying, in spite of the fact that I am a staunch non-gardener, to get some food and flowers planted out back. And the food, the food, the food, of spring is sunnier than that …


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About that Starbuck’s Training

It’s about 930. I’m at the Starbuck’s on Madison, the one on the ground floor of the 1101 Madison building. I’ve stopped in to pick up a cup of coffee for my friend L. She’s up on the 10th floor stuck on an IV drip for many hours; I’d promised to visit and bring the …


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