Life of Dave

Life of Dave

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Belltown groove

We traveled to Seattle for our quasi-annual shopping trip this past weekend.

Considering the hoopla surrounding the current loonie/greenback parity, we planned our trip for Friday and Saturday to avoid excessive border line-ups. I have a thing about needlessly idling the car for hours; I always have, even before it became a “green” idea. Our forethought paid dividends; about 20 minutes wait Southbound and maybe 25 minutes North. Not bad at all. Like the old saying goes, “Timing is Everything.”

Shauna found us a really good on-line rate for a hotel. The last time we spent a weekend in Seattle we saw this place from across the street from where we had gotten a rather dumpy (but cheap!) room. That time we stayed 2 nights, both evenings of which were spent gazing longingly across the street, mentally kicking ourselves for not doing a bit more research before booking. The new place, which will remain un-named to ensure we get a booking next time, was a drastic improvement.

Another reason for staying in the Belltown neighbourhood again was to go to our new favourite Seattle restaurant, Amore. It’s located on the MonoRail line within sight of the Space Needle. We found it by chance a couple of years ago, and were very impressed. Again this year we were not disappointed.

Our late arrival, around 8:30, proved to be extremely timely as a blues quartet was just setting up for the evening lounge crowd. We were just starting our dessert course, after martinis and our dinner entrees, when the music began. I’m a blues fan, and I’m still amazed by what a sax, guitar, bass and drum kit can put out. Their focus was on long solos by sax and electric guitar. Fantastic music in a low-key, quiet lounge can’t be beat. Check out the links to Youtube I dug up to hear Lonnie Williams with Then And Now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4miZVKFb8vc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpfQCx9rHN4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQvsPbHmmKk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkyIK_qntzg&feature=channel

Thanks to phatfunkjazz for posting these videos on Youtube.

All 'round, an excellent evening of food and music at Amore in Seattle.

Monday, April 5, 2010

2010 Mazda 3 Sport

We've been toying with the idea of buying a new car lately, so I decided to practice my Picassa skills by assembling a collage of photos of my 3 current favourites; the 2010 Mazda 3 Sport, the 2007/08 Mazdaspeed 3, and the 2010 Golf GTI with phone dial wheels (at least that's what I call them). And I threw in the Subaru Impreza, too, mostly because it looks so much like the Mazda 3.

The perfect car (a.k.a. the Hot Wheels dream edition), in my humble opinion, would be a black 2010 Mazda 3 Sport fitted with the 18" wheels of a 2007/08/09 Mazdaspeed 3, and of course, tinted windows. I'm not proficient enough to photoshop that combination yet.

Our choice will almost certainly be a 2010 Mazda 3 Sport GS because the Mazdaspeed 3 is simply too powerful , not too mention beyond our budget. The only thing that bugs me about the GS is the wheel size. I want 17" wheels but the GS package only offers 16s. It's an additional $3,000 to bump up to the GT. The only item I want from the GT package is the 17" wheels, but I'm not willing to pay the big upcharge just for the wheels. Decisions, decisions...

As for the Mazdaspeed3, in 1992 I purchased a brand new Mustang 5.0 LX. At the time I thought it's 225 hp definitely placed it in muscle car territory. But the MS3 blows the doors off that aged Mustang. I don't have the exact numbers at my fingertips, but the 'speed 3's hp rating is somewhere around 300 this year. I can't deny that would be an awful lot of fun, but realistically, where can one really unleash that kind of power? And why tempt yourself that much? I would imagine more than a few drivers' licenses have been revoked due to the Mazdaspeed 3.

I'm really attracted to the Golf too. It's only drawback is price. The GTI is not worth the extra 7 grand or so to me, even though I have always been partial to Volkswagens.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Blue Herons

We stumbled upon an interesting site last Sunday, March 25 while taking our dog to a fenced off-leash area in Stanley Park.


At the East side of the park, bordering the highrises, beside the tennis courts, is a grove of trees full of large bird nests. At this time of year, before the leaves obscure them, the nests are easy to spot. These dark patches in the crooks of tree limbs are what attracted me to look up. Then I heard screeching and noticed very large birds swooping in and about the tree tops. As we walked a bit further I noticed a sign saying that in these trees was a nesting community of Blue Herons. It was certainly the last place I expected to see them, beside rows of urban highrises.


Incidentally, I had seen a Blue Heron the previous day at Fraser River Park in SW Vancouver when we took Tannah to a Spaniel Meet-up. As she is most certainly an avid birder, I'd have to say she didn't see it. If she had she'd have gone nuts on her leash. That bird stood completely motionless on a tree trunk.