Seattle Update

Two friends from other parts of the country asked me today what is actually going on in Seattle right now. The following is an e-mail that I wrote to them, with my understanding of what is going on, as of June 16, 2020:

There's a lot going on right now, both good and bad. 

There were mostly peaceful marches for multiple days in a row. Violence did break out at times, and the blame is on both sides. Some of it was the police provoking the protesters. At times, protesters got violent. Police used tear gas, pepper spray (at times taking off people's COVID masks and spraying it directly in their face), flash bangs, and other weapons. Anarchists and white supremacists and various other groups also got in on the insanity. HOWEVER, the violence was the exception. Most of the time, the protests were peaceful. 

A group of protesters set up a part of downtown that they named the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). It has been going several days now. The police voluntarily (with encouragement from the mayor) closed their precinct office there. I believe that closure is temporary, but not sure. Initially, CHAZ was blocked off, but some of the blockades have been moved to allow access for businesses and people who live there. Some media falsely reported that it is a haven for terrorists and anarchists. Fox News photoshopped an armed man supposedly standing guard, but removed those pictures when they were called on it. They also posted a picture of a fire in the Minneapolis protests, falsely claiming it was in CHAZ. It is actually closer to a street fair and has been mostly peaceful.

* Protesters have made a large "Black Lives Matter" mural on the street, with a different artist decorating each letter

* There is also other art and graffiti there, mostly remembering the black people who have been killed by police and urging people to "say their names"

* Booths have been set up with free food and hand sanitizer and other items

* Some businesses have actually been able to operate their full hours because they are protected. (At the height of the marches, and also due to coronavirus, they had very limited hours for a while there.)

* The bad part is that 911 has been much less responsive in that area

Rumors were going around, partly due to the word "autonomous" in its name, that CHAZ had seceded from the nation and was selling itself as an anarchist utopia. To clear up confusion, they changed the name the other day to Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). 

Their aim is to work with police and others to make improvements to the way black lives are treated by the police. I've heard conflicting reports on how far they intend to go on "defunding" the police, but it is generally not a complete elimination like it sounds. They want to take some responsibilities away from the police because they feel we are asking too much of them. For example, the police are expected to do the job of social workers, medical personnel, and more. The police aren't equipped to do all that.  They would like that revamped so that actual social workers and others who are better equipped to help with those specific tasks can do them more effectively. They are also looking to change the way police respond to crises, depending more on de-escalation techniques rather than shooting first or using tear gas (which is actually illegal to use in war, so they understandably don't appreciate it used to quell protests).

There's a lot more to it, but that's the gist, and my understanding. 

I appreciate the prayers and concerns. Seattle needs prayer. The mayor (Jenny Durkan) and governor (Jay Inslee) are trying to figure out how to handle this, as CHOP is technically not permitted, but they also want to listen to the protesters' legitimate concerns. 

I hope that helps! 

Steven

Qdoba

It started several years ago when we found a new burrito restaurant in Seattle's Oak Tree complex, and it had a bit of a weird name. We decided to try it out with a few friends, and my first time in there, I remember jokingly commenting, "Yo quiero Taco Bell." One bite of Qdoba's burritos put to rest any desire of going to Taco Bell instead.

We then discovered there was a branch right near Lynnwood's Alderwood Mall, and we became regulars. The Oak Tree branch was fairly close to church, and the Lynnwood branch was pretty close to home. Especially at the Lynnwood branch, we were very impressed with the service. Pedro comes to mind as one manager who was particularly friendly. He got to know us well, knew what we liked, and sometimes even surprised us with special deals, or he would randomly bring chips and salsa we hadn't ordered to our table. One time we had a minor fire in our house (which was quickly put out), and somehow the subject came up the next time we went to Qdoba. Pedro, not knowing the extent of the damage, offered to come help clean up! One time my parents were visiting Colorado and went to a Qdoba there. They got talking to the manager, who was mopping the floor, and they mentioned Pedro and how amazing he was. When they got back home, they went to the Lynnwood Qdoba. When they mentioned to Pedro they had gone to Qdoba in Colorado, he said, "I know." That surprised them. It turned out that the manager they had talked to in Colorado (where the chain is based) was one of the company bigwigs. He had sent a message to the Lynnwood branch, commending Pedro for his amazing customer service, and calling him a legend. Sadly, Pedro eventually moved on, but others stood out for their legendary service.

Francisco was just as amazing as Pedro. He was very friendly, and had a remarkable memory. Eventually, he moved from the Lynnwood branch to the Oak Tree branch, where he still works. Since we don't go to the Oak Tree branch nearly as much as the Lynnwood branch, we don't see him nearly as much, but I have still been amazed at his memory. He has remembered what I like to get after a year of not going to that branch! Also, one time I went to the Oak Tree branch with a fractured arm, and for the next few times we went there (several months), he would ask about it. Since we didn't go to that branch all that often, it was all the more impressive. He recently told us he still remembers his childhood address in Mexico. He has an amazing gift of memory. I was also impressed on a recent visit to see Francisco come into the restaurants with treats (I think they were slushies) for the other employees. That's a mark of a great manager.

Since Francisco left the Lynnwood branch, it has had some great servers, and some not so great. By far, Pedro and Francisco were the best at that branch, but Juan, Olga, Rufino, and more recently Caleb, have been particularly outstanding.

I have also been very impressed with the corporate office. I like to commend servers who have been particularly amazing. On several occasions, I've done that for Francisco and Caleb (the others were before I started doing that). Allison in their corporate office has always responded with promises to pass on the good feedback to the branches in question. Whenever I've had a negative experience, I've sent a message to them, and they quickly responded with an apology and an assurance that they would pass on the feedback to the branch in an effort to improve. Recently, we went to the Oak Tree branch on a day when Francisco wasn't on duty, and I had to tell the servers four times what I wanted. I got the feeling they didn't even hear me the first three times, though I was speaking loudly. As with other times, when I sent a message on Facebook to the corporate office, Allison responded and gave me a free entree on my card, in addition to promising to pass that feedback on.

Just recently, Qdoba opened a brand new branch in Lynnwood. I got my aforementioned free entree there, and the service has been amazing. Everyone welcomed us in a friendly manner, and has gone out of their way to help. The second time we went to the new branch, earlier this week, they were having their grand opening celebration. I tried the new mango mojo burrito, which is amazing. Sarah checked with us several times to make sure we were doing all right. She cheerfully answered our questions, and even brought us some freebies, as it was their grand opening celebration. As we were about to leave, she brought us coupons for a free mango mojo entree. We went back for dinner today. I got my dinner for free, thanks to the coupon! Rahwa recognized us, since we'd been to that branch all of twice before that. I was impressed. Sarah arrived while we were in line, and she said, "You're back!" I was also impressed to observe that Jake, who rang us up, was still helping customers during his meal break. He was sitting at a table eating, and he asked a nearby customer if she was doing all right. Qdoba has lemons and limes in containers by their silverware, napkins and soda machine. I like to get some to put in my drink. When I opened the lemon container, I noticed they looked dirty and pointed that out to Sarah. She immediately emptied the container and went and got fresh clean lemons. Meanwhile, I put some limes in my cup and filled it with water. When she came back, she brought the lemon container to our table and offered some to me!

Needless to say, Qdoba is an amazing restaurant. Over the years, I've had positive and negative experiences with them, but their food is amazing, and their service is usually incredible, both on the local level and the corporate level.

Five stars.

Golden Gardens

On April 30, 2014, my gym closed. That evening, many of us who worked out there had a bonfire at Golden Gardens, a park and beach in North Seattle. It was a beautiful day. Unfortunately, I had to leave before the bonfire started due to evening plans, but I was able to enjoy the beach and friends for a few minutes, anyway! Following are some of the pictures I got.

I took these with my camera:

I took these with my cell phone and ran them through Instagram:

Incidentally, Golden Gardens was one of the locations where I filmed my epic short movie The Heirs of Djeek last year.

Christmas in the Northwest

Christmas in the Northwest is not as well-known of a song as most other Christmas carols, but it's one of my favorites. The following was the best YouTube video I could find of it. I find it somewhat ironic that the song is about how it doesn't necessarily snow, and yet the video is full of snow shots. It was done by someone in Gig Harbor, WA:

The lyrics are here.

According to the official Christmas in the Northwest website, the song was written in 1985 by Brenda White, who also recorded it, as a submission to a project for Seattle's Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. They proceeded to name the entire project "Christmas in the Northwest", and they have produced CDs every year since then, the proceeds of which benefit Children's Hospital. I think that's a very worthy cause. The CDs feature local Northwest musical artists, and all of them include Brenda White's heartwarming song.

As America gets farther and farther from its Christian roots, I find this song to be a breath of fresh air, as it celebrates Northwest culture, weather, and the true meaning of Christmas. Unlike many Christmas songs that celebrate snow falling, this one points out that the Northwest is not known for its snow, and because of all the rain that we get, "Christmas in the Northwest is a gift God wrapped in green." I also enjoy how, with the Northwest's fascination with small towns, it points out that Christmas began in a small town. It never mentions Jesus or Bethlehem by name, but it does tell that "in a small town, a child came down, the Father's gift of love and life."

I think it brilliantly captures the true spirit of Christmas. It's about celebrating the birth of the Savior, spending time with family, enjoying the weather (even if it's raining and not snowing). The recurring theme of loving and teaching children is a particularly cool part. This is undoubtedly because it was written to benefit Children's Hospital, but it isn't expressed in an advertisy (like the word I just made up?) or preachy manner.

Children have a way of dreaming that adults seem to forget. I think we have a lot to learn from the dreams of children, and I think we should never stop dreaming. We also need to learn to be content with what we have. If it's raining, we don't have to be grumpy because it isn't snowing. If it's snowing, we don't need to be grumpy because the roads are slick. We need to be willing to help and give and love...and dream!

Whether it rains or snows, it's Christmas. Whether or not anyone gets presents, we all have love to give. Christmas is about giving, not receiving. And the ultimate example of the Christmas spirit is the Child who came to earth about 2000 years ago to give us love and life. That is a greater gift than anyone could ever dream of giving.

Following is a short documentary on the song and the Children's Hospital project with the same name.