We are having a gathering here at the house tomorrow to celebrate (approximately) the little one's birthday.  As such, we are having a "cookout."  This is different than a barbeque as any Southerner knows that this is something you eat not an event you have. 

Here in the Northwest a cookout is a barbeque even if you are eating salmon.

All very confusing and the "cookout" invites have generated questions like "does that mean I bring my own food?", "is it a competition?," or even better "what is that?"

Even Wikipedia will lead you astray.  Instapundit Glenn Reynolds just made the same point.

Just trying to bring a little culture to the Northwest.

Paid a visit to Carter Saab over in Ballard yesterday to keep the car going strong.  They are a great crew there – better than any of the other Saab dealerships I've experienced in Seattle metro or Atlanta for that matter.  Needed a bit of scheduled work so after arriving for an early morning appointment (7am), headed over to Caffe Fiore based on John's recommendation to pass the time.  Cool place and nice people.

As I've previously pointed out, Ballard is a great area of Seattle that is steeped in a bit of Scandinavian history/culture.  If you visit this city, put it on the agenda and if you are looking for a new/used car, give the folks over at Carter a shot.

Unlike the rest of the United States, I have learned that Summer arrives in Seattle somewhere around July 4th.  This is especially odd to someone who always looked forward to Memorial Day as the official start of Summer with increasingly warm days starting in April.  That is the South…not the Northwest.

That said, the past couple days have been phenomenal out here.  I started on Thursday meeting a good friend at a really cool place over on Mercer Island – the Roanoke Inn.  It is one of those classic gems that, in this case, traces it history back to when ferry service ran from Mercer Island.  Outdoor seating and a good beer selection make this place worth a visit.

Warm weather makes Kirkland come alive with folks strolling through town, hanging out down by the lake, and no shortage of sun worshipers come out of the woodwork and descend upon the handful of lake front parks. 

I’m flying solo this weekend with the little one and we had a great day yesterday with a couple trips down through town.  First a morning jaunt that took us to Caffe Ladro and then to the lake to watch the boats followed by a later (and much warmer) afternoon run down to Carillon Point and back.

Unfortunately, I think it is just a glimpse of what is to come as true "Summer" is still a ways off for us.

This is something that had never even occurred to me before moving here.  Like many of the unique aspects of the Northwest, killing the moss in your yard is part of the annual process here.  Now, I am not the most obsessed yard guy in the world and use yard work as a way to burn stress in most cases.  Although my neighbors may think this quaint, I am firmly in the camp that a long, hard day’s work outside is both truly satisfying and rewarding.  Must be that agricultural heritage.

It occurred to me last year that this was something that is done here when I walked into Lowe’s and saw the giant display of gear and products to address it.  As reluctant as I was to remove anything green from the yard, I bought in admittedly due in no small part to the marketing efforts of my nearby Lowe’s.

What is really interesting is that in the span of a few hours you can actually see this stuff work.  This is a function of 1) just how much moss is in my yard and 2) the iron component of the spread that immediatly attacks said moss.

Rest assured that any bare spots will be rapidly covered because there are very few things that won’t grow when they hit the ground out here.

There are many things you know Seattle for but one you may not – Filson.  You could call it the LL Bean of the Northwest but not sure that would do it justice.  First founded to support the Klondike Gold Rush, the clothes and gear have evolved over time but maintain their rustic charm. 

I traded in my disappointingly fragile Tumi briefcase that I basically shredded after a couple years of heavy travel for a Filson bag and have been duly impressed.  It’s not the cheapest stuff around but it is guaranteed. The folks at the store are always super nice and through the big windows in the store you can see the sewing room.  Check it out if you find yourself downtown around Safeco & Qwest fields.

Not everyone out here is a complete whack job burning down houses in the name of the environment.  This is disgraceful and certainly not the way to push a pro-environment agenda.

I thought this was worth sharing.  Follow this link for a pretty good list of top reasons for people to move to Seattle.  This comes to us via BINC Search an LA-based search firm that put this together to pitch folks on moving here.  It is also on the tails of a slap fest between Michael Arrington of Techcrunch and Glenn Kelman of Redfin on why Seattle is better than Silicon Valley.  I’m not so sure about that as the Valley is unique in a way that no other place can be and has a significant entrepreneurial "family tree" advantage on other cities.  Either way it worked out well for both generating some traffic and buzz for their respective enterprises.

I came across it via Seattle Tech Startups.  If you are in the Seattle area and interested in start-ups, you should sign up for the email distribution list. Over the past couple years I have seen some pretty interesting discussions from the basics of how to start a business to some really animated debates between members.  Check it out.

Had a nice weekend with some friends not too far from Seattle out on Camano Island.  Although it started with rain on Friday (imagine that), Sunday was one of those days out here when you are convinced there is not a more beautiful place in the world.  Stunning views of Mt. Baker and the Cascades from the deck with dogs and children playing on the beach.  Good times.

View Larger Map

Coming soon to Washington state – distilled spirits.   This story from the  Seattle Times lays out how upcoming legislative changes will start a new industry around distilled spirits in the state.  You know whiskey, gin, vodka, etc.  After seeing the remarkably simple process for making gin at Plymouth Gin in the UK, I have wanted to give it a shot.  Now I may have my chance…