Testing out Christmas Gifts

Unexplainable Christmas Photo

Jessie and Jeff Opening Presents Circa 2035

Jessie DeFaria and Eduino Reliving Christmas 1977

Banya with Boss Lady

You have to try it PERIOD

Dinner at Purple in Seattle

Before I go any further, I feel that I must, based on all the other somewhat interesting but mostly uninspired reviews about Purple, mention that their chairs are heavy. I know it's weird, but apparently you have to say something about it, so there... the chairs are heavy.

Moving on...

Eric, our diligent server helped us along with wine pairings for each item (app, entree, dessert). I recommend you leave it in their hands to pair wine with food since at no point did Eric (1) make anything less than an exceptional pairing or (2) use the situation to get me into a $40 glass of wine or $150 bottle.

Here's what we all mowed down and thoughts:

• artichoke parmesan spread - good
• duck confit, lentil salad and pickled red onions - really good, even though I found a bone
• bruschetta (pomodoraccio tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and aged balsamic) - before you judge, this isn't Olive Garden Bruschetta.. it's real-deal exceptional bruschet.... and if you don't like, email me with your number and I'll talk you through it
• pan roasted steelhead (basil infused israeli cous cous and curried onion emulsion) - very good. I could eat mounds of this cous cous
• lobster baked mac and cheese (campanelle noodles and lobster baked in a creamy gruyere sauce) - this had meth in it. I've never had meth, but it feels like the right thing to say. Amazingly good.
• whiskey brined grilled pork tenderloin (caramelized cippolinis, fingerling potatoes and poached pears.) - good solid dish
• dessert.... just go truffles, caramels and some tawny and you'll be fine

Overall, I'm glad I came here again. I used to think of this place as a novelty.. seen, be seen, but in reality, they really do have some inspired, exceptional food and the perfect wine to go with everything. Purple is officially a Seattle staple.

Times Square on Election Night

Pretty cool but doesn't raise a candle to Grant Park I'm sure

How Fast Is GoGo Internet from American Airlines?

That's what I was asking myself when I found out my SFO-JFK flight had inflight internet. For 12.95 I thought the connection would be mediocre, but based on speedtest.net, this is a solid connection (with VPN access). Nice work AA. JetBlue... que pasa?

Ultimate test - Hulu.com. GoGo inflight works better than my Verizon card... go figure. Was able to watch It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia with only a couple buffering hiccups)

Update..... Honeymoon is over... GoGo has gone down and when it came back up it was slower:

Only the best bars...St. Anne Fraternity

Voting Early... Election Commish Even Had Free Candy

Baldwin and Castle almost got a vote just for being 1st on the list but I held it together. Amazing how this process started back on February 9th for me with my spiritual, political and financial advisor Nick.

Arnie Chapdelaine for Halloween

This is what happens when you're not looking on the first throw

Pops is either a ringer or a cheater. Will bet on the former

72 Percent of all Jet Blue customers watch presidential debates

Siena, ALCS, Columbus Day Feast, WaterFire

DougRod thought we should head out to Providence last night and post up at Siena to watch the ALCS HR Derby/Timlin-gate. Problem was, we didn't account for it being the last night of WaterFire (i.e. insane traffic) and once we got to Fed Hill - the annual St. Columbus Day Feast was in full swing.

Siena was solid, but not exceptional - need to give it another try... Torta Cioccolata was outrageous (best chocolate cake-esque dessert I've had in recent memory) while the Aragosta Ciopino and Scaloppine di Vitello Toscana were just ok (and it took about 60 minutes to get the food, but the ALCS was on, so time really didn't matter). Look forward to revisiting.

Overlake Country Club - Pristine & Brutal

Overlake Country Club is not normal. Course was in amazing condition considering it was October. And it was definitely a little windy - check out the pic coming back over 520.

Below is me trying to hit my 2nd shot (we never found) and then Jake hitting his 8th shot dead into a tree:

Tough life. O'Gil's for lunch. Mesa for dinner

Quote of the night: If I gave up drinking and meat, I'd live to be 200; problem is no one is gonna want to look at me after I'm 90...

BTW, Burn after Reading is going to be like the Big Lebowski for me, I'm going to have to watch it three times to begin fully appreciating it.

Doug at XO

XO in Providence was a sick call for steaks and great dessert... Learned about Mariza and taught Doug about Johnny Cash.

6 under after 16 at Swansea CC for Antioch best ball

L-R - Bobby Kennedy, Jessie DeFaria & Pops....

Ended up at 8 under with 2 bogies... Only I could pull off being in a group with 2 bogies, with one coming as the result of a 3-putt. Bobby threw down with some great putting and t-shirts while Jessie tried to hit the cover off the ball and won, "best use of a mulligan" on #2.

Played better than I did at Angel Park last week in Vegas which was good.

Who goes to Vegas and has 3 burgers and a steak for his 4 meals?

Same genius who parlays Eagles and the under

At Least Logan Offers Mice as Entertainment When Your Flight is Delayed

Just love my cousin Tony

Best part is that horrified look in the back ground

Could be Faial or Fall River

Seth got new shoes for his bday

18 Holes before 9am

It's become apparent to me that weekday evening golf is an impossibility. Therefore, I tried teeing off today before sunrise and wrapping up before 9am at Swansea CC (Jake - played the Golds).

Pros:

• Playing 2 balls about a 1/3 of the time, the round only took 2:20 (cart of course)
• Making a birdie before work is awesome
• New excuse for missed putts - groundkeeping crew stopping and watching every putt with equipment running
• Greens are covered in dew allowing you to see the exact line on the last person's putt
  

Cons:

• Stiff as a board first 4 holes (2 mulligans were allowed... )
• It's cold at at 6:30 (today happened to be the coldest morning of the summer according to the grounds-crew
• You need to be AWAKE to play golf... requires some focus
• No early bird price... are you kidding me?

Out 45, In41

Tourist in Boston. Charlestown to be exact.

Feels right

Met Larry Bird at Jake's

Toughest Course Ever - Tips at Newport National

http://www.newportnational.com/course/course.aspx

Humbling 96 - will take another crack at it in a month. Course is absolutely the most pristine public course in Rhode Island. Not sure if it was the 3 480-yard plus par 4's or the 250 yard par three, but after a while, it broke me. Easiest hole on the course was a 170 yard par 3 over water. Not normal.

Sun Setting at Hadley's Harbor

Bass and the city planner

Think about it...Why would we take this picture

Balance in Oak Bluff

Storage for luggage... Seriously

12 minutes to vineyard

Montaup Country Club - Massacre

Big Day of firsts at Montaup:

• First double birdie opening 9 (that I can remember)
• First time being even after 10 holes (36 out) - greatest 10 hole streak ever
  
• First time I managed three triples on the back en route to 14 over
• First time I shot an 85 in a long time (36/49)

Consistent golf is boring I guess...

Good pic of the 5th


Pic of 16th well into the massacre - good view of the Mt. Hope Bridge

Holy Ghost Feast 2008

Adam and Rita warmed up to the feast once they saw the crown.


The Cacoila was great... and I was pumped about the $2 beers until I found out they were O'Doul's. Right - alcohol.



Crowds were pretty intense at 9pm for the food.


Rounded out the night with quick runs to the Tipsy Seagull and Flaunt. Tipsy Seagull is a new bar in the Borden Light Marina opened by Councilor Michael Lund - solid spot and good summer addition for folks who need a good bar with temporary moorage.

Coyote Creek - Best Bet for SES SJ Golf

Coyote Creek was pretty dialed. Sean (vids of Sean's scratch golf swing below) got things going for a 6:50 tee time on the Jack Nicklaus designed tournament course. Crushed out a 4-over 39 on the front and began questioning whether I was really a 15.8. The back 9 of the tournament course provided clarity where I went 13 over with a strong triple-triple finish.


But get this - they have a replay rate of $30. After a 48 on the back, I thought about calling it a day... but then I thought about what BCollins would do - he'd rally and play the back... which is what I did (7 & 9 over). Best deal is Fridays $99 all you play and eat. Sean's clinic on 17 is below:

SES San Jose 2008 Food: La Victoria Taqueria - 1st Stop

So Nick Berliner - SEO guru at Marchex and in my mind what would be the product of a Seth Godin/Bobby Flay gene splicing project came up with the following list of Sips and Eats for SES San Jose.


View Larger Map

I immediately jumped on Mexican when I got here and hit up La Victoria Taqueria



"Hey, that photo sucks" Yup, I'm a terrible photographer, but it does capture the important parts of La Victoria (1) not a chain (2) decent sized burrito for 6 bones and (3) orange sauce that makes everything taste awesome. This place is key for when the road budget is running low.

How good is it? Well, it's not El Tarasco from my El Segundo days and it could be on par with Tacos Guaymas/Bluewater in Seattle. I can't make that call yet because the burrito was just above average. My sense is tacos are the way to go and sometime this week I'm crushing down chorizo and few more meats with orange sauce.

Sucks when you're in a car

Cool when you're in a boat

Seattle in August

Watch out for the seaplanes

Hopkins... It is amazing

Blowing Up on Bay Homer

Anthem at Fenway

Seems normal to run into people with 2

Tony gets it done from the backfield

Doyle's

Portuguese style lobster