Thank you Starbucks

I checked out this press conference held near the original Starbuck's in Pike Place Market at Victor Steinbrueck Park. Just a handful of folks, including a number of police officers, and a whole lot of reporters/photographers to see the heads of Million Moms March, Washington Ceasefire and Brady Campaign announce their boycott of Starbuck's. And what do you know? I made it into a video on the PI Blog this week! click here to see me moving rather efficiently in the background starting at the 54-second mark.

Unlike Peet's Coffee and California Pizza Kitchen, Starbuck's has said that they will allow customers to openly carry firearms at their cafes. You have to pity the poor barista who doesn't get that coffee order just right. Why would anyone want to openly carry a gun into a restaurant or cafe? It makes no sense to me.


Thank you Starbucks

Waiting at the Espresso Stand in North Bend

A Few More Updates since last summer

New Lake Heights/Newport Hills entrance signs are up and running--ceremony this morning at 10:30 on 119th and 48th...and at Tuesday's NHCC meeting we'll celebrate with cake.



Mojo Espresso cart is now gone. Current whereabouts unknown.


Blue Bug and the Trailer of Mystery (along with the ladder) are also gone.


The Red Apple sign is down to it's last "e"




Some construction activity going on at Eastside Catholic--updated pictures to follow

The Place to Hang in North Bellevue

OK, so some might say the grocery store is butt-ugly. But hey, it's open. And there's actually a lot going on here. In the parking lot. Families from the surrounding neighborhoods pull up alongside one another and let the kids run around the playground. Guys listen to the game on the car radio. A couple of dogs frolic with their owners in the buffer behind the QFC. Bicyclists headed for Kirkland pull up for a hotdog.


The park
The buffer
The Chevron
The signboard
The coffeeshop

Mojo Espresso rises again?

How about this idea for a community fundraiser? We contact Mojo Expresso guy and re-open the coffee cart (which has been shuttered for over six months) as a community project to raise funds by selling lattes? I’m sure he’d rent it for next to nothing (as he’s making nothing on it as it is) and we could bank the proceeds to beautify our neighborhood center.

NH Drug Latest Victim

Newport Hills Drug has succumbed, according to sources at the NH Community Club meeting last night. Plunged back into mourning. Where will my daughter buy her webkins she wants to know? Where will the people who depend on George find him in the future? Very sad.

Along these lines why hasn't Mojo Espresso re-opened? Have they given up on us as well?

The Sunny Side of the Street

Gorgeous sunny weekend, clear air--recent highs of 64F. Beautiful weather for moving Mojo Espresso from its increasingly invisible spot beside the Red Apple. The place to be is now across the street with its southeastern exposure, Sahara Pizza and occasional picnic table-selling. Not to mention a nicer view of the wild side of Somerset. Come hang out this weekend--our first "third place" in Newport Hills! You can also let Tom the owner (pictured below) know where you think Mojo should ultimately be placed.

Parking Lot Repossession

Red Apple in the sunlight of a Sunday morning. Wide walkways, protected by generous overhangs. Existing vertical poles create bays for individual sellers at a swap meet or farmer's market.

Breakfast at the Mustard Seed: Eggs Benedict special for $7.50. We hang for an hour outside Mojo Espresso, sitting with the dog in the sun chatting with people as they drop by. It's like Italy but we're only minutes from home.

Kids flock together with their skateboards, happily whizzing around. Re-possessing the abandoned landscape.

No lessons today. Just being.