Sharrows…share how?

August 11, 2007 by 3 Comments

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The official sharrows are showing up along Beach Drive with still no notice to the residents.   The only way to discover what the new paint or white-perma-whatever is along the road has been from either the West Seattle Blog or if you happened to attend the last Alki Community Council meeting.  No flyers…no nothing!   Or did the City of Seattle just miss our house? 

Let me begin by saying I have no issues with sharing the road with bicycles.  I ride a bike on the road to.   And, I would much rather see a bicyclist riding on the road instead of zooming down the sidewalks thru pedistrians.   

I’m just not sure what the sharrow is suppose to do?   Autos and bikes all ready share the road….we have been for years.    It’s not providing the bicyclist any more room or safety.   With most residents having to park on Beach Drive and people who are visiting the parks along our neighborhood having to do the same…there’s no additional room for designated bike lanes along our narrow pot-holed road.    How much did the City spend on sharrows instead of fixing Beach Drive so the people in cars (old and young…I’ve seen ya)  can speed faster on it?

If anything the sharrows will just help residents along Beach Drive with parking…the handy white lines will keep us closer to the curb and less in the street.   No real benefit for bikes IMHO.

What do you think?   

Update:  Here’s a link to an article just published from the Seattle PI stating "some wonder if they’re more than just goodwill gestures to cyclists. After all, critics say, what does it really change?"

Filed Under: Opinion, Safety

Friday Fun….Do’h! I’ve been Simpsonsized.

August 10, 2007 by 1 Comment

Your_image_2 It’s actually not a bad resemblance (sans the yellow skin).    Would you like to be Simpsonized?   Just click here.

I’d love to see it. 

Filed Under: Just for fun

The Mollydooker Shake

August 8, 2007 by 2 Comments

The other day, I told you about Mollydooker wines and apparently Sparky Marquis, CEO of Mollydooker and wine maker, reads my blogs!  (Since he’s in Australia, what is more likely is that he has a "Google search" created for his wines).   

Sparky sent me a very friendly email about Gary Vanderchuk and my post:

"Thanks very much for the great comments in your recent “The Mortgage Porter”….I was laughing at Gary’s videos when I saw them the other day.  Now he is extremely passionate. As he said when he was doing the videos he is a great friend of ours and has always been a huge supporter of our wines.  What I realised by the end of his video was that I had forgotten to teach him about the "Mollydooker Shake" which we found to be such a critical part of what we do that we have put it on our new website www.mollydookerwines.com .  Gary said that he would be reviewing The Boxer (as well as the fall release wines, Enchanted Path, Carnival of Love and Velvet Glove) using the Mollydooker Shake, so we will be interesting to see what he says.  All of the Lefty Series wines will also be reviewed in The Wine Advocate at the end of August so it is going to be awesome to see the comparison."

My husband and I gave the Dooky Shake a try.   Earlier this week, we opened a 2006 Two Left Feet.   Doing the Dooky Shake made a huge improvement on the wine.   It’s incredible.  Before we were unsure about the 2006 Two Left Feet (compared to 2005)…now we’re thrilled. 

I do recommend finding Mollydooker before the Wine Advocate review.   Wine Spectator has rated the 2006 Boxer at 90 points.   Wine Advocates rating last year created an absolute frenzy over Two Left Feet and Boxer (at the $20 price point).

If you love Aussie fruit bombs…

  1. Find Mollydooker
  2. Do the Dooky Shake.
  3. Cheers!

Since I recommended the wine last week…I wanted to share the inside scoop with you.

Filed Under: Wine and Cellars

Beach Drive’s Night Out

August 8, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Even though the SPD stood us up at our gathering, I’m going to call our Night Out a great success.   I’m estimating we had at least 50 neighbors from around the Beach Drive Neighborhood.    Lots of great food, conversation along with old and new friends. 

Allison was wonderful by allowing us to bombard her nice lawn.    And Angeline neighbors were terrific by bringing over tents, tables and chairs.    I enjoyed meeting folks that the blog has helped by finding missing pets or boats!

The next step is creating a Block Watch since there is obviously a lot interest in it.    I’m hoping that we can coordinate between other Block Watch groups within our area (Alki – Beach Drive – Fauntleroy).

This is such a great community!

Filed Under: Safety

One BIG Reason to Have a Block Watch

August 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment

This video was shot at Alki last night (I believe).  A group of people get into a brawl and then take off (looks like they headed towards the Beach Drive neighborhood (west of Alki).   

This is the time of year when we get an increased volume cruisers in "our hood".

The video is disturbing and you don’t need to watch it.   It concerns me that the folks who filmed this waited 5 minutes into filming before calling the police.   You have to wonder where their priorities are:  good YouTube video-content or protecting your neighborhood?   

I hope Seattle Night Out 2007 is a huge success tonight and that we have a lot of blocks participating. 

Hat Tip to West Seattle Blog.

Filed Under: Safety

Seattle Night Out is Tonight

August 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment

If your neighborhood is not celebrating a "night out", please turn your porch light on to show your support for Seattle Night Out against crime.

Filed Under: Safety

Question from a Reader regarding Beach Drive Blog’s Neighbor List

August 5, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I received this question via a comment earlier today…

" I see a spot on your site for Beach Drive Neighbors, what is in this section and can I access?"

Beach Drive Neighbors (located on the lower left side of this blog) is a secured site.  It has names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of neighbors who live along Beach Drive.    In order to have the login/password, your name and info must be posted on the site too.

I recently added information about the Block Watch Party for our section of Beach Drive the "secure" Neighbor List.  I decided to keep the details a little more private because I was contacted from people who wanted to attend the "block party" as well and that’s not what Seattle Night Out is about.   It’s about meeting  your neighbors in an attempt to reduce crime and to possibly start up a Block Watch.

So if you’re not on the Neighbor List and want to be added, or if you are on the list and have forgotten the login/password, please contact me.

Filed Under: Weblogs

Jelly Fish…just spotted this guy

August 1, 2007 by Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Puget Sound, Wildlife

It must be time for Seafair!

August 1, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I’m so glad that I subscribe to the West Seattle Blog…if I didn’t, I would have missed their alert to "Quick! Rush to the Beach!"

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Filed Under: Puget Sound

Wine Reviews

July 30, 2007 by Leave a Comment

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Gary Vay-Ner-Chuck of Wine Library TV is so funny, I just had to share this with you.   Even better, his wine reviews are straight on.    I know we’re not the only wine-o’s in the neighborhood…here is his review of 2006 Mollydooker.   2005 Mollydookers had an almost cult-like following with very high ratings from Robert Parker last year.

We have purchased some of the 2006 econ-line (around $20) and so far, we prefer The Boxer.   The 2006 Two Left Feet is not comparing to the 2005.   Unfortunately, this review does not cover Boxer.

The good news is that (the last time I checked) West Seattle Thriftway has some Mollydooker stored "in the back".   You need you need to request it if you’re interested.   Esquinn may have some dooky,  too.

I’ve added a link to Wine Library TV to the bottom left of this site.

Cheers!

Filed Under: Wine and Cellars
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