Merry Christmas

We are in Seattle for Christmas.
I'm sure this will be, like most of them, one to remember.  Our daughter, Katie, and her family will join us at the hotel for the week and that will be the best present of all.  The original plan had been for them to be with us in Coeur D' Alene so that seven year-old Daniel could experience a Christmas with snow.  There is plenty of the white stuff in northern Idaho this season and I'm certain that he would have had plenty of opportunity to do what kids do in the snow.  Being a native San Diegan he knows little of life outside of the zone of 70 degrees featuring toasty sunshine and, unlike his grandparents, he is thrilled with the idea of a frozen outdoors.

This week Linda received the first of six infusions of Nivolumab, a form of immunotherapy designed to kick start cancer fighting T cells that we hope will finish off her lymphoma.  Cancer is a stubborn adversary that is adept at hiding and more than a little reluctant to die.  We fight on.

For obvious reasons this blog has lately fallen off my radar.  I will do my best to contribute on a more regular basis when we return home in a week or two.  It's therapy for me and, I hope, occasionally entertaining to readers.

Here is to a very Merry Christmas to each of you and a bright and shining brand new 2017.

Shut Up!

When did restaurants get so damn noisy?

Hotel living for a couple of months while my wife is treated at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance means lots of visits to local restaurants.  I'm seriously thinking of publishing a guide for joints all the way from Pike Place Market to as far north as University Village for anyone planning a trip to this seriously damp and cold corner of the country.  The food, especially the seafood, is excellent, the wait staff almost always friendly but the NOISE IS LOUD.  I know this phenomenon isn't exclusive to the Northwest; I've long noted it in Southern California and, of course, New York City.  What I can't figure out is why.  What memo went out to restaurateurs requiring that all ceilings be raised, beams and duct work exposed and music cranked up to "can you hear me now?"  It's nuts.

Think about it.  Can you name a single dining establishment in your neck of the woods that currently features low lights, a low ceiling and is quiet enough to allow for intimate non shouted conversation? If so, make sure you order something from the bar to insure they don't go out of business.   

I suppose, as so often is the case, this ambiance, like spiked hair, will be looked upon with laughter and derision in a few years. At least I hope so.  It's no fun to yell in order to rise above the din and the crappy music.  Isn't dining out supposed to be a relaxing break from the grind of the rest of the day, or am I mistaken?  I'm almost certain that any entrepreneur willing to open an eatery that is lit like a 1940's film noir feature and is as quiet as a library could make some serious bank from those of us seeking sustenance and a sea of calm.

In the meantime, check please.