Seattle Barista Academy

I spent a Saturday afternoon auditing a class at the Seattle Barista Academy — I was there to write a story for an inflight magazine. Alexa, the coffee goddess who runs the course was a patient and entertaining instructor, I was charmed. I was also worried that I was going to freak out when faced …


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Full Color

It freaked my eyes out to be standing in so much color. On prior visits to the Skagit Valley flower fields I’ve seen mostly tulips — the reddish flowers in stripey rows of green leaves seem to vibrate even on days when there’s not a breath of wind. It’s a complementary color thing — theorists …


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Skyway Luggage

Skyway started making luggage in 1910. The company still exists as a brand, owned by Ricardo Beverly Hills, though it looks like their luggage is made in China now, no surprises there.  The old Skyway building, which was once their headquarters, sold to a music company in 2012 but it’s still wearing a For Sale …


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Birds and Fog

I remembered to grab my camera because I thought that the fog would make for great photos. And it did, but also, because it’s so gray, the birds act like it’s still early morning. I stopped my bike, but the crunch of my wheels on the gravel made the great blue heron — perched on …


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Lessons from my School of Rock

I’m keenly aware of my own talents as a musician. I don’t always sing on key, I can’t always perform without a cheat sheet, and I get stage jitters. This isn’t false modestly, I’ve heard myself recorded without post processing.  I’m an okay musician. I have decent timing, I can deal with complicated chord progressions …


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New Story in the SF Chronicle

To convert the cargo pod – the penthouse – into a bedroom, you push a button. The lid tilts open like a giant clamshell. In the San Leandro lot, I eyed the ladder and the tent suspiciously, then crab-legged my way up. It was surprisingly comfortable and well ventilated, but the entry and exit scared me. …


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