Sunset, June 21st

When you come to visit me we will walk to the solstice park, just a few blocks from my house. We will go at sundown and watch the ferries – or maybe a freighter or two – cross the water. Then we will go back to my house. If it’s summer and the weather is …


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Fish Wednesday, Hooray for Summer Edition

Marlin costs significantly less than swordfish or tuna at my local fish market. At 10 bucks a pound, it was hard to resist. (Compare that to 30/pound for Chilean Sea Bass.) Marlin is very similar in density and flavor to swordfish, a little lighter, maybe. I marinated the steak in chili oil and orange juice …


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Bad Boyfriends and Good Garlic Bread

My friend made the best damn garlic bread. She taught me how back when we were still friends. Once you know how, you realize it’s the only way to make garlic bread and it’s absolutely perfect. You mash a bunch of garlic into some butter or margarine. Then, you slice a loaf of good bread …


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Because I didn’t have my camera with me at the time.

A black dog with curly hair and no tail looks back over his shoulder and continues on his way. There are no humans to be seen. Containers are stacked on the back of the freighter, rusty red and blue and green, so many pieces of Lego. The wind flies in from the West bringing huge …


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Naan-n-Curry in Renton, that’s right, Renton

With my center of gravity shifted to the south, places that were heretofore unknown to me are no longer filed under “There be monsters here.” It’s not unusual to find me tucking into a bowl of pho in White Center or a plate of Chinese food in Burien. There’s a whole land of edibles towards …


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Sustainable Travel International

Another travel-related interview, reposted from BlogHer.

There’s lots of editorializing in the travelsphere around green travel, from the simple idea of reusing your towels in that motel to exotic travel to ecotourism destinations. Brian Mullis took time out of his busy schedule as the president of Sustainable Travel International to answer a few questions about green travel and STI, an organization that:

Promot(es) responsible travel and ecotourism, support(s) sustainable development, and help(s) travelers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit.

Sustainability is kind of a buzzword these days, along with “green”. Can you tell me what your definition of “sustainable” travel is?

Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that provides a net:

  • Improvement in conservation of the natural environment;
  • Social benefit for local communities;
  • Profit for business owners and shareholders; and
  • Gain for national and regional economies.


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