Your Sunday Squirrel

After the condo gig, I went to Denny Park.  I found some very friendly squirrels there.

I Helped Sell Condos Today

OK, it was a temp job at a very large development in Belltown.  I just assisted with an open house and guided people to model units.  Yeah, they were very expensive.  The views were outstanding, but yeah, super-pricey.  People actually asked me whether I lived in the building.  That kind of made me snort initially.  I don't know how many of the folks who showed up could actually afford the asking price (in the millions) of these places, but I was pretty surprised at how poorly people were dressed.  OK, so it's Sunday and all, but honestly, most folks dressed badly.  And I just automatically assume that everyone is richer than I am, because they are.  I expect more from rich people.

Anyhow, I guided people and keyed them to other floors.  One thing that struck me is that most people seemed quite unprepared for any kind of life in Belltown.  Sure, if you've got that kind of money, you can live safely and quietly far from the rabble, but you occasionally have to go outside.  It's then that those poor folks have to deal with a neighborhood that might be a little more intense than they figured.  A condo in Belltown is different from a condo in Bellevue.  A lot of the people seemed to think it was the same thing.  I didn't issue dire predictions to the uninitiated; this is just an observation.  Anyhow, the more time I spent directing people, the more I appreciated my filthy, cluttered little ratbag of a place.

Uh-boy...

First of all, so long, Spur:

They had very good drinks, but now they're gone.  I have no idea what happened.  Maybe they were too small.  Maybe the owners were focused elsewhere.  Although their location on Blanchard wasn't ideal, they seemed to be doing all right.  But alas.

And right next door to former Spur will be a weed store.  In my building.  Yeah, I'm not happy about that.  Not at all.  I think it's a terrible idea, not because there are children in the building, etc., but simply because it's a very bad idea.  I'm not one of these NIMBY jackasses, but I don't want this in my building.  I'm not a fan of weed in the least.  I hate the smell and I hate its effects.  And I'm not looking forward to having a retail operation anywhere near me.

Your Sunday Squirrel

It was a slow week for temping, so I looked for squirrels instead.  I found some:

I also went to Mama's.  I'm gonna go there a second time before passing judgment.  

Your Sunday Squirrel

I didn't take one good picture this week.  I took three!

There are others, but these three are the best.  Enjoy.

Your Sunday Squirrel

OK, so there was another mini-hiatus.  But it was worth the wait.  I stumbled onto a squirrel and some favorable lighting, and this is the result.  Once again, a very skittish customer takes a really nice photo.  This is definitely a calendar candidate.

Belltown Casualties!

 

Like I've always said, this is not the place for breaking news.  And also, I'm not very observant.  But some things are impossible to overlook.  In the past few weeks, two fairly prominent places have closed: Branzino at 2nd & Wall and Spitfire Grill at 4th & Bell.  You'll recall that the Spitfire was in the old Sit and Spin location.  Ah yes, that was quite a venue, but it, too, went out of business - and rather quickly, too.  I think that the Spitfire lasted much longer, but does it really matter?  I never went there.  I really genuinely prefer Buckley's.  It's a sports bar where people who aren't the least bit interested in watching sports can go, except at certain days and times during football season, which is completely understandable.  So Branzino always had a good-looking menu, but I never went there either.  They were a bit out of my price range, meaning that if I had to save up to go to a place, it would generally turn out to be Shiro's.  So that's that.  The rising tide does not float all boats.  Sorry guys, I guess that's showbiz.