by Dave Markwell

Feel Good Friday is Buzzing!!!!

Last summer, my five year-old daughter, Helena, and I went for a walk with our dogs down to the Beach Park in Des Moines. It was a little misty and cool, a pretty standard late August morning. While walking through the park, we ran into my ten year-old son, Aden and his buddy, Elijah, riding their bikes. For the previous three days, the boys had been scouring the town with the fairly newfound freedom of being able to ride around un-chaperoned. I remember this time in my life very fondly.

Upon seeing me in the park, my son’s eyes lit up a little bit in excitement to see me. He was playing it pretty cool, but he was genuinely happy to see me or maybe more happy for me to see him being independent.

“What are you clowns up to?” I asked, casually.

“Not much. We were just throwing rocks at a beehive. Want to see?” Aden replied.

A tiny, but powerful electric impulse hit me.

“Do I want to see!!?!! Of course, I want to see!!” I thought, frantically. Beehives still excite me and it will be a sad day when I pass up an opportunity to check one out. As we headed to the back of the park, I felt the rare and beautiful anticipation of something cool about to happen. When we got to the beehive, I saw that it was a dandy! It was a big hive and the bees were thick and swarming pretty good. It hung about ten-feet high in a wide-open hole between the branches of a maple tree.

I gently questioned Aden if he remembered how it felt when he stepped on a honeybee in our yard a couple of weeks earlier. His scream had been heard for blocks. He responded with, “Oh, yeah!” Enough said. It was a subtle, yet effective warning, a father’s duty. Upon clearing my parental conscience, I picked up a good-sized rock and hucked it. I hit the hive hard and square, then scooped up my daughter and ran with a wild-eyed smile on my face. Just behind me, laughing the hysterical laugh of fear and fun, the boys peddled furiously. We were all laughing that laugh. We managed to outrun the bees and were unharmed. I suppose this story would not be told had we been stung, as I’m sure my wife would have made re-living this moment un-fun, probably forever. Nonetheless, we lived to tell the tale and though there are many things that I am eagerly waiting to outgrow, chucking rocks at beehives is not one of them. I have become convinced that a small fragment of youth resides, untarnished by work deadlines and house payments, in each hurled stone, waiting to make a man a boy again.

On a cool August morning in my son’s 10th year, I was able to surprise him by truly sharing his excitement and letting one fly!! From the moment the rock left my fingers, I had, in some small, though not insignificant way, changed, to him. I wasn’t just Dad, the rule-maker and fun-taker. He saw that I was capable of something else, something more. I had the potential to be more to him. He’s not sure what yet, but I got him thinking and that’s a start.

It was a good day.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:"Feel Good Friday" is a regular column written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: We'd like to officially introduce a new regular column, "Feel Good Friday," written by Des Moines resident Dave Markwell, who extols to all neighbors: "Enjoy where we live. Put your feet on the pavement and truly feel how great it is to live here!"]

by Dave Markwell

The other night my six year-old daughter and I attended a concert at Highline Community College. My ten year-old son was performing with the Parkside Elementary orchestra as they opened for a Des Moines Arts Commission Music Series show. He plays viola.

I have come to understand that the learning curve for instrument mastery is decidedly not steep. The slight twitch my dog, Diego, is now afflicted with, no doubt the result of the unnatural sounds piercing my son’s bedroom door, will testify to this. While the process is slow and sometimes painful, there is progress and as the group came together and played their pieces, it was actual music and it was great. Their focused and serious faces read their music as they played powerful works. Occasionally, a shrill missed note would find its way to my spinal cord, followed by an eye-raising wince from the assailant, but overall they sounded pretty good and I was proud.

As proud as I was of my son, my daughter, on the other hand, on several occasions, narrowly avoided a very public strangulation.

“Just sit still, PLEASE!” I loud-whispered and repeated as a mantra throughout the concert.

Now, I had no allusions that bringing a six year-old to a classical music show would be entirely trouble-free, but as the bouncing, talking, swinging, fiddling, fidgeting and kicking ramped up, I was considering very bad things.

Fortunately, as it sometimes will, fate intervened.

As my son’s performance wrapped up, the headline group, The Sirens, came out and began to play. They are a trio who play piano, flute and oboe. I don’t ever recall hearing an oboe before, certainly not like this. This woman played notes that I did not know existed. They touched me and gratefully must have touched my daughter as well. For three wonderful minutes, she sat on my lap and we listened to a song that we could feel. There is an emotion in the oboe that surprised me. The music swept over us and it was beautiful. I looked around the room and saw my son sitting next to his buddy several rows away from us, because if there is anything uncooler for a fifth-grader than a classical music concert, it is sitting with your dad and little sister at a classical music concert. I understood and was not hurt, too much. I enjoyed the true magic of the moment and was genuinely moved.

This was until my daughter woke up with a simultaneous flailing back head-butt to my face and swinging heel crotch-kick. The wonderful moment was over in an instant. It was just too good to last. As a stifled a yelp, I collected our things and knew it was time to go.

“Go get your brother.” I said as I made my way to the door and stepped out into the cool Des Moines rain.

I tipped my head to the sky and smiled and knew that the brief, pure moment was worth all of the hassle, struggle and even the crotch kick. The beauty of a single moment is worth all of it, every time.

Waterland Blog Sales Guy/Host Bart Bryan needs a Date for the Rotary Club of Burien/White Center’s Rockin’ Valentines Dinner and Dance, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 13th at South Seattle Community College.

Bart’s lucky date will enjoy cocktails, dinner, a live auction, raffle prizes and dancing to two different bands – all on the house!

To add to the romance, there will also be corsages, boutinnieres, and chocolates available for Bart to buy you (just make sure Bart gets a receipt so he can be reimbursed by the WLB!).

Here’s the dinner menu:

• Greek Salad
• Grilled All Natural Chicken with Sundried Tomato Tapenad
• Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic and Pesto
• Fresh Vegetable Medley

And if having a nice dinner out isn’t enough enticement to have a date with Bart, how’s about dancing to The West Coast Swing (crooning sounds of Frank Sinatra and fellow Rat-Packers) followed by local Jazz/Rock band Uncle Ernies?

Our single friend Bart is 50-years young, blue-eyed, still has most of his hair, with a sparkling personality and great sense of humor. He’s also pretty fit (fit enough to do a polar bear plunge – see the video below!). Bart confesses that he can also still “bust a move” on the dance floor, and is “looking for a fun date for a great romantic dinner dance for a great cause!”

If you’re interested in winning a free date night with this Bart-o-licious man at the Rotary’s Rockin’ Valentines Dinner and Dance, and you’re over 21 and not old enough to be Bart’s mother, email us with a recent picture, a short bio and why you want to be Bart’s date by 5pm Wed. Feb. 10th.

Our Readers will choose the winner via an online poll, so make sure your entry is good, and that you include an interesting photo and a fun, short bio.

In addition to a night of dining and dancing with Bart, the winner will receive another night out at at The Mark Restaurant courtesy of the Mark’s Debra George.

The entry deadline is Wed., Feb. 10th at 5pm, and the winner will be voted on and announced Friday, Feb. 12th at Noon right here on The B-Town Blog, so ladies…email your entries in ASAP!

Also, if you’re interested in attending this great, fun fundraiser event yourself (either to watch Bart’s date or have one of your own), you can still purchase tickets online by clicking here.

And now ladies, if you’ve ever fantasized about what Bart looks like with his shirt off whilst immersed in chilly 46-degree Puget Sound water, here’s a video of him doing the annual Polar Bear Plunge at Three Tree Point on Jan. 1st:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETiFeePKsLk[/youtube]

And if that wasn’t enough, here’s what Bart looks like without his pants. In public. On the Link light rail:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOlCJHIC4KE[/youtube]

Our intern, Bryan Charles, of Big Picture High School has created another cartoon in his “3 Frog Bros.” series.

Bryan is a budding young artist, and has a passion for comics, cartoons and even creating his own Flash animations.

He also has a twisted sense of humor and a sharp observational eye, and here’s this week’s “3 Frog Bros.,“:

To see more of Bryan’s work, click here.

We know there are no excuses for posting this video so late, as the event took place last Sunday (Jan. 10th), but, um…we left our Flip camera in our other pants, and since we weren’t wearing any to begin with…

Actually, we hate to just throw up lame raw video, and editing takes time, and um…there’s that whole “other pants” thing again.

But first, a little interesting behind-the-scenes backstory:

Two days before the pantsless prank, we received the following email from Emerald City Improv’s Kelsey Wildstone:

First, please remember that we’re trying to be inconspicuous here.

If you’d like to film the event with a motion camera, try to find a way to disguise your camera in a box or something to make it a sort of “hidden camera”.

Use some creativity here, but the point is that we’d like to avoid people seeing you openly point a camera around.

Considering that we respect the fine art of successful pranking, and that our Publisher used to work on a hidden camera TV show (“Totally Hidden Video,” Fox), we wanted to abide by this request (unlike some local TV news stations who just showed up and shot with their huge cameras and “Reporters”). The end result was that our shooter Mark Neuman went out of his way to “disguise” our Flip camera thusly:

Okay, so here it is (finally!)…with video shot by Neuman, featuring Bart Bryan, edited by Scott Schaefer and featuring the groovy public domain hit “Midnight Special” recorded by some long-dead dude named Bill Cox in 1933, ironically during the last Great Depression when not wearing pants wasn’t a prank, it was a way of life:

Also, we were very curious to find out what the MuckyMucks at SoundTransit thought of this pantsless prank, so we sent an email to Andrew Schmid, Sound Transit Media Relations director –here’s his response:

Q: Was ST aware beforehand that this was going to happen?
A: No, we were totally caught with our… (unless you lack internet access, it was almost impossible to not know about this event).

Q: Did ST security goes pantsless?
A: No.

Q: Was security worried about this prank at all?
A: Slightly – our security is worried about everything.

Q: Did this event increase ridership? if so, by how much? (have any estimate on the # of pantsless?)
A: Yes, but the infrared technology on Link’s Automatic Passenger Counting machines is not designed to distinguish between the pant-sed and the pants challenged.

Q: Will ST tolerate future events like this?
A: So long as folks follow our code of conduct (read it here).

Q: Will ST ever sponsor future events like this?
A: No.

Q: How about creating some ST underwear for folks to wear?
A: Sorta already been done – see this.

Q: Did you, or any other ST officials, attend?
A: NO COMMENT

And in case you haven’t seen the other videos, here they are:

by Gina Bourdage

Set in the familiar location of Snoqualmie Pass, an unlikely group of travelers find themselves trapped by the snow-closed passes in “Snowbound,” which opens Friday, Jan. 15th at WLB Advertiser E.B. Foote Winery.

In the solitude of a quaint local inn, each guest is faced with conflicting personal struggles, not only with themselves but with the other guests as well. Learning that the local sheriff (a guy reminiscent of Barney Fife, played by Scott Green) is looking for an escaped convict only adds to their heightened sense of self preservation and sends each person seeking answers about who they can trust and what they are really looking for.

The cast of this Breeders Theater production showcases an array of experienced talent, all of whom holds your attention and keeps you guessing. Each actor brings a unique perspective to their role, including:

• Binky (played by Brenan Grant) the “emo” young man who relishes in his own misery.
• Lovely (played by Teresa Widner) whose out of control hormones seem to be too much for even her to handle at times let alone her trail of conquests.
• Ike (played by Martin J. Mackenzie) the innkeeper who had such a convincing of role of the friendly small town fellow whose trustworthy and friendly nature draws people to him.
• Glenda (played by Kelly Johnson), Binky’s mother, shows hints of a 50s sitcom housewife whose traditional values are challenged by raising a rebellious young man.
• Hank Thompson (played by Andrew Smith) the seemingly sincere, reliable and at times dryly sarcastic chef finds himself thrown into uncomfortable positions of his fellow traveler’s dilemmas.
• The young couple “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (played by Stephen Scheide and Laura Smith) who find themselves in a suspicious bind that even they are unsure of how to resolve.

Each guest is presented with the overwhelming concern of not only wanting to avoid an encounter with the escaped convict, they have to question; could the convict be among them? Distracted by only their own egotistical veils, each person reveals humorous and deeper struggles among each other.

While I found each performance to be well played, I struggled with the level of general air-headedness that most of the women and at times the men possessed. Being confused is one thing, but as the script rolled along the naivety prevailed leaving me to question the characters’ intended intelligence.

The lack of an actual set was at first distracting for me; however the actors/characters got and kept my attention quickly enough for me to get past it. The theater in the round, or more like “audience as bookends,” might be new for some viewers, but brings a complete perspective to the show and allows you to see each scene as if you were actually there.

All in all this TM Sell play directed by Michael Brunk was humorous, charming and engaging while bringing a level of the traditional whodunnit to an unsuspecting ending that I can only say was jarringly layered and thought-provoking.

I would recommend not missing this performance of “Snowbound,” especially for Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone fans, as the references are abundant…just be sure to bring a coat.

No, seriously – it can get a little chilly at E.B. Foote Winery this time of year.

Tickets are $20, and include the play, hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting by E.B. Foote.

You can purchase them at the winery (127-B SW 153rd in Burien; 206-242-3582), at CorkyCellars here in Des Moines (206-824-9462) or online here.

by Mark Neuman

We had a regularly scheduled staff meeting at The Waterland Blog’s dorm room-like offices Wednesday morning, where a non-regularly scheduled question was asked.

“Hey Neuman. Can you do a review of the dress rehearsal of the comedy ‘Snowbound’ at E.B. Foote Winery (WLB Advertiser) tonight?”

“Well, uh, I’ve never actually reviewed an actual play before,” I stammered.

“Good,” said Blog Editor Scott Schaefer. “I’ll expect your review in the morning.”

Great. What do I do now?

Honesty is the best policy I reminded myself, so hours before I arrived at the winery, home of many Breeder Theater’s productions over the past several years, I “pre-wrote” my opening review paragraphs, which I now present, for the reader’s approval:

In the spirit of full disclosure it should be noted that, first of all, in addition to never having reviewed a play before, I met ‘Snowbound’s’ author, playwright T.M. Sell, almost a third of a century ago, while hanging out at the Highline Community College newsroom, where my pals would, late at night, put the school newspaper, The Thunderword, to bed, as they say in the biz.

Second, I intended the above paragraph to be as run-on-ish as it appears.

Third, I was lucky enough to have made the pleasant acquaintance of ‘Snowbound’s’ director, Michael Brunk, last year. He is a brilliant Photographer, and we work together with Schaefer on the blog.

Michael’s skill with the camera is amazing. He reaches the summit on his photographic mountain climbs so amazingly frequently that we blog staffers just stare skyward and declare: ‘Good Brunksmanship!’

And fourth, speaking of E.B. Foote Winery, I actually know THE E.B. Foote. The Footes were among my best friends growing up, going way back to first grade. Chris Foote and I visited his parents as they were just finishing building out their first winery, in South Park, also about a third of a century ago.

Okay. Full disclosure is out of the way.

At the winery Wednesday night, minutes before the house lights did what house lights do just before a play is about to start, I looked over and Thank Goodness there was my blog colleague Gina Bourdage, with her friend Jack, who reminds one of a quiet and calm Jack Black.

“I’ll be doing the review of the play tonight,” said Gina, confidently. Wisely, Schaefer had recalculated the assignment.

“And I’ll just tell the story of a Regular Joe such as myself who never sees theater,” I responded.

“Fine,” smiled Gina as she and Mr. Black moved on.

Relieved, to say the least, that Ms. Bourdage would handle the rough stuff, I felt free to muse over and note such things as the jar full of multicolored M&M’s at the table of hors d’oeuvres.

“M&M’s at the hors d’oeuvres table!” I said to myself, because, well, no one else was within earshot. “Clearly Sell’s and Brunk’s contracts demanded the confection. And just as clearly, the winery refused to be limited to just one color, Led Zeppelin style. Or was it The Who? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Well, anyway.”

Gina will provide details of the play under a different headline, but let me give you a thumbnail of “Snowbound”:

Dean Martin plays an airline pilot who has an affair with a beautiful flight attendant, played by Jacqueline Bisset…

Then…oops, sorry…those are my notes from the first film I reviewed, “Airport,” for the Lafayette Elementary School Gazette back in 1970.

Let’s see here. Lemme get a little better organized. Okay. Here we go:

“Snowbound” is a mirthful production that concerns a group of unique personalities stuck in a lodge near the pass, just off I-90, in a wicked snow storm. The roads are all closed for the foreseeable future. And wouldn’t you know it? An inmate has escaped from the state pen in Monroe. A killer, perhaps? Is he among those stuck in the lodge?

What will T.M Sell think of next? See the play (it starts this Friday, Jan. 15th), and find out. It’s terrific, especially for the $20 price, which includes wine tastings, hors d’ouevres and of course, a great and entertaining play chock full of lots of Sellishness and Brunksmanship (you can buy tickets online here).

Stage Manager, Andrew Pogue, when asked before the show what advice he gives to anyone about to stage manage their first play, said: “Don’t start out with ‘Annie.’ And use checklists. Lots and lots of checklists.”

When asked after the dress rehearsal by this reporter what advice he had for anyone wanting to write their first play, T.M. Sell said “Know what you want to write, and stick with it. The initial writing part is relatively easy. It’s the rewriting process that can be difficult.”

He then said “Now Neuman, please go away and don’t contact me again for another third of a century.” (Just kidding, folks.)

Nancy Warren arranged the music and sang beautifully. Word is that regular Breeder Theater goers complain if Nancy does not sing somewhere during a performance.

An audience member, who I will refer to as “Becky” because, well, her name IS Becky, said “Of the four Breeder Theater plays I’ve seen, ‘Snowbound’ is the funniest. I laughed repeatedly.”

Kelly Johnson, who plays Glenda, the mother of Binky, has been acting since childhood. She has advice for prospective actors about to read for their first part: “Go bravely,” said the auburn beauty.

Go, ready to enjoy yourself, to “Snowbound.” I heartily recommend it. It runs through January 31st.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of reports on Sunday's "No Pants! Link Light Rail Ride," where Reporter Gina Bourdage was brave (or foolish) enough to ride public transportation and drop trou. Look for more reports soon, including a video from Bart Bryan and Mark Neuman]

by Gina Bourdage

Most days being in your undies in public would be the nightmare we just woke up from.

Today is not that day.

After a frenzied Internet campaign via Facebook, the NYC group Improv Everywhere convinced people nationwide, myself included, to ride public transit today in their skivvies.

I have had that little voice in the back of my head ask me numerous times “What the heck are you thinking?!” and to be completely honest I have tried to talk myself out of participating.

In hindsight of the type of year 2009 turned out to be, most of us could use a little more light-hearted humor in 2010.

According to the Improv Everywhere website, “not taking life too seriously” is exactly the reason behind the nationwide “No Pants!” rides on buses, trains and subways all over the country today.

So relax, take a deep breath, drop trou and enjoy life…

Yep, actually getting out of the car and taking off the pants without the little voice telling me i am officially crazy was impossible. If it weren’t for the other twenty or so fellow pantsless participants I might turn and run. It is a little odd with children pointing “Hey mommy?!” but thank goodness everyone is “decent” and there’s nothing here you wouldn’t see on a beach.

After the first stop half the train is pants free. Who knew it was so easy to get people to rock their undies in public?

Oh boy this went to another level when i just saw a pantsless family.

I am impressed with the level that we, the pantsless mob, have pulled this off. Never have I seen so many strangers be so friendly with a smile and supportive silent acknowledgment that there really is something bigger going on here.

The confused and bewildered looks of the unsuspecting other riders is worth all the initial butterflies.

I encourage everyone to be a part of something that brings people together the way this has.

Here are some pics of the event (more to come so keep checking back, and if you participated and have some, please email us!):

Photo of pantsless women at Sea-Tac Airport courtesy Monica Guzman of SeattlePI.com.

Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

Coming soon to E.B. Foote Winery in Burien is Breeder Theater’s latest production: “Snowbound,” which opens Friday, Jan. 15th

Written by local playwright T.M. Sell, the story is set at a lodge in the Washington mountains. As winter snows block the passes stranding the guests, the local sheriff stops by with troubling news about an escaped convict:

• Could one of the guests be the suspected killer?
• Can any of them really be trusted?
• And just how many references to Alfred Hitchcock titles are in the show anyway?

The cast and crew have been hard at work since the end of November preparing the show for its debut on January 15th. The process includes extensive scene rehearsals as actors work with the director and stage manager to refine their movements on stage, their characterization and the all-import line memorization. In collaboration with the author, the script is also put through a final scrubbing as it is finalized for the show. The schedule for “Snowbound” was especially challenging logistically with interruptions for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

All of the hard work will soon pay off as the production concludes the final technical rehearsals this coming week and is finally performed in front of a live audience. This is the part that makes the effort worthwhile, as the audience feedback lets the cast know how well they’ve done their job.

“Snowbound” is directed by The B-Town Blog’s own Michael Brunk with music by Nancy Warren. The stage manager is Andrew Pogue. The cast includes Andrew Smith, Laura Smith, Teresa Widner, Steve Scheide, Kelly Johnson, Scott Green, Martin J. McKenzie and Brenan Grant.

The show will open on January 15th and run through January 31st with twelve performances. Show times are 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays. In addition there are 7pm performances on the 20th, 27th and 28th.

Here’s the schedule:

• Friday Jan. 15
• Saturday Jan. 16
• Sunday Jan. 17
• *Wed. Jan. 20 (benefits Highline College Foundation)
• Friday Jan. 22
• Saturday Jan. 23
• Sunday Jan. 24
• Wed. Jan. 27
• Thursday Jan. 28
• Friday Jan. 29
• Saturday Jan. 30
• Sunday Jan. 31

*Jan. 20 show benefits Highline College Foundation

Tickets are just $20, and include the play, hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting by E.B. Foote. You can purchase them at the winery (206-242-3582) and also at Corky Cellars in Des Moines (206-824-9462).

For more information please visit www.breederstheater.com.

For more info on E.B. Foote Winery, their website is here.

And of course, since “Snowbound” is Directed by Photographer Michael Brunk, you know we just have to include his Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Sometimes when we hear about a comedy idea that’s as brilliant and hi-flippin-larious as this, we just have to post it and encourage all our Readers (or at least the ones with an actual sense of humor) to participate – we’re talking of course about the first annual “No Pants! Link Light Rail Ride” which is coming to our area this Sunday, Jan. 10th from Noon – 3pm.

The “No Pants!” idea comes from a group in New York City called “Improv Everywhere,” which puts on a “No Pants! Subway Ride” there every January. And now it’s coming to the northwest.

Ironically, or perhaps by design, this first annual pantsless event will also serve as a Seattle Singles Meet-Up. What better way to meet someone new than whilst riding pantsless on our new transportation service?

To participate, it’s quite simple – just show up on Sound Transit’s new Link Light Rail system between Noon and 3pm on Sunday, Jan. 10th. Have your pants on if you’re there early, then simply take them off while you’re riding, all the while keeping a straight face and acting like nothing’s different.

Here are videos of the last two years of the “No Pants!” prank NYC that will give you a better idea of what to expect:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9La40WwO-lU[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXB_DcuMv_E[/youtube]

More details:

WHAT: Emerald City Improv invites you to participate in our first annual “No Pants Seattle! Light Rail Ride.”

WHEN: This SUNDAY, JANUARY 10th, from Noon – 3pm.

WHERE: Most participants will start in Downtown Seattle (most likely the Westlake Station), then ride Link Light Rail to SeaTac and back; we suggest that you board either at the Tukwila Station (which has parking) or the new SeaTac/Airport Station and ride roundtrip, thus boosting their original group.

COST: No fee other than a roundtrip ticket on Link Light Rail, which is $5.00; okay, the other cost may be your dignity, but it’s all in the name of senseless entertainment, which the world certainly needs more of…

INFO: From the Seattle Singles Meetup Group website:

Tell and invite your friends!! We want this to be epic!

Every January, Improv Everywhere in New York stages their annual “No Pants! Subway Ride.” Cities around the globe participate.

This year, Emerald City Improv in Seattle invites you to participate in our first annual “No Pants Seattle! Light Rail Ride.”

This event will occur SUNDAY, JANUARY 10th, from 12:00- 3:00.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION:

1. Willing to take pants off on light rail
2. Able to keep a straight face about it

WHERE TO MEET:
Meet at the plaza at 4th Ave and Pine St, across from Westlake Center, at noon.

Oh, and if you do participate, please take pics (and/or video) and email us about your experience!

Story and Video by Scott Schaefer

As if on cue, the sun made a brief appearance, the rain stopped, and during a nice lull on an otherwise typical, windy New Year’s Day, 29 people braved the chilly waters of Puget Sound and kicked off the new decade and year at the annual Three Tree Point Polar Bear Plunge in nearby Burien.

With air temps hovering around a mild 50 degrees, and the water temp not far below, this was the biggest turnout that we’ve ever seen for Burien’s annual festivity.

This event also served as a fundraiser for the Highline Food Bank, and according to co-organizer Bob Hubbs, netted 100 pounds of food donations and $50 in cash.

Carol O’Kennedy (along with her dog Kaya) was awarded the Polar Bear Plunge trophy, which consisted of a piece of driftwood, a small Polar Bear and a plaque. To see Carol and her dog, be sure to watch the video below.

Our own intrepid Sales Dude Bart Bryan also participated (after first getting some “fortification”), utilizing our exclusive, customized and waterproofed “Polar Bear Plunge POV” video camera, and here’s our video of the day’s event:

And here’s a Photo Slideshow of the wacky event, as shot by Photographer Michael Brunk:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

[NOTE: If you happen to see yourself in one of these pics and want to download it (for FREE of course, courtesy the BTB), just click here and you'll be taken to the Flickr page where the photos live. Once there, click through the shots, and when you see one you want, click on "All Sizes" above it, then download the "Large" or "Original" image, which are suitable for printing!]

Nothing says “Merry Christmas” than a Craigslist Ad from a man who needs “pretend parents” in order to seduce an innocent Christian girl right here in Des Moines.

So…any local actors want to take this gig on?

Looks like he’d reciprocate, so if you need a “fake son” or perhaps a “fake liar” this could be for you – here’s the text of the Craigslist Ad:

Need Pretend Parents (Des Moines)

---

Date: 2009-12-28, 10:52AM PST
Reply to: comm-ewruq-1527624312@craigslist.org

---

Let me begin by telling you my current situation. I’ve been going to this church for the past month with my best friend who recently moved to Reno. We’ve been going to pick up on women and so far it appears to be working. The Christian girl I have singled out is almost ready to go all the way with me, unfortunately, she wants to meet my parents. Seeing that I am not a Christian who has less than pure intentions here, I did not give her my real name, thus I can not introduce her to my real family.

What I need is for a married couple in the age range of 50-62, preferably with acting experience. If it all possible, it would be nice if the wife was a white South African(although just knowing how to do the accent in a realistic way would work just as well, this Christian girl obviously isn’t smart). Also, it would be nice if my potential fake father is a Christian who knows theology very well(seeing I told her my father has been a pastor for 28 year) .

If you are a couple that can help me out and meets all my needs, I wouldn’t mind throwing a favor in for you as well. I’ve taken a semester of acting classes, so I could play any situation you need me for as long as the suspension of disbelief does not cross the boundaries of believability.

Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon.

We’re proud of our latest Intern, Bryan Charles of Big Picture High School, who’s not only learning new things about storytelling, but has been teaching himself Flash and making numerous animations, all based around his original “3 Frog Bros” cartoon.

Here’s his latest creation, “3 Frog Bros Episode 5” in which the Frog Bros have a close encounter of the strange, and oftentimes funny, kind (keep in mind that he drew and animated this entire thing himself, with the only help coming from friends doing voices):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD_g6AkQNIw[/youtube]

Have a cartoon idea for Bryan? Email him here!

Our intern, Bryan Charles, of Big Picture High School has created a cartoon just for today – “Black Friday”!

Bryan is a budding young artist, and has a passion for comics, cartoons and even creating his own Flash animations (some of which you’ll be seeing here very soon).

He also has a twisted sense of humor and a sharp observational eye, and here’s this week’s “3 Frog Bros.,“:

Have a cartoon idea for Bryan? Email him here!

There’s less than a week to go until Olde Burien gets turned into “Von Boorianland Uber Alles” when SW 152nd will be transformed into a German village for the first-ever “Brat Trot” fundraiser race and pub crawl.

In case you haven’t heard about this fun fundraiser race in our neighbor city to the north, here are the basics:

The Brat Trot fundraiser race is being “braut” to you by The Tin Room and Dan the Sausageman with help from the good peeps who helped run the Cove to Clover Race back in March (which raised $12K), with proceeds benefiting:

• Safe Kids of South King County
• WestSide Baby

But this isn’t just another fun run fundraiser folks – no, this one has a full mythology, with characters, a bizarre backstory, talking sausages and all the plot elements of a compelling rags to riches and back to rags story that can only be understood by showing up at the event(s).

To register for the race, click here (deadline is Oct. 2nd, so act fast).

Also, on race day, a very special slate of entertainment will be performing near the Tin Room, featuring:

• The Oom Pa’s and Ma’s, rumored to be the only oom-pah band to be kicked out of an Oktoberfest at Leavenworth for public drunkenness will play at 1pm Sunday (see their MySpace page here).
• Tin Room Beer Garden
• Brat and Kraut Feed
• Pictures with Brats
• Root Beer Garden (free hotdogs and root beer for the kids)
• Special Guest MC Peter Fewing

Here are the details of the pre-function Pub Crawl the night before the race (Sat. Oct. 3rd):

• Starts at 6pm at The Tin Room, where you’ll pick up an official crawl bib # for just $10.
• You’ll then “crawl” to at least five of the official local stops (see list below) for “crawl drink and food specials.”
• At each you will gather visitation stickers to qualify for a fabulous door prize drawing to be held at The Tin Room at 11pm.
• Burien’s own “Yodeling Dominatrix” Manuela Horn, fresh from her stint on “America’s Got Talent” will serve as MC. Now if you missed Manuela’s family-friendly yodeling performance at Saturday’s Oktoberfest in Town Square, you’ll be happy to know that her busty, adult alter-ego will make a leather-clad and whip appearance Saturday night at 11pm at The Tin Room near the end of the Pub Crawl!
• Dress in traditional German costumes (not just a hat with feather) or come dressed as a beautiful Bratwurst (even better) and you crawl for free (well, actually you’ve paid with your self respect in the case of the brat suit).
• There will be numerous specials from area business worth crawling to, such as:
  • La Costa: House Margarita $4; La Costa Nachos $5.25
  • Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub: Alaskan Amber $2.50; Mini corned beef sandwiches $1
  • The Mark: German Beer specials; Brat & Kraut appetizers; Play “Find the Brat” (in the kraut bowl)
  • Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub: Happy Hour prices on beer and wine; Brat Sampler
  • Bison Creek Pizza & Pub: Bud Light $2; Breadsticks & Garlic Bread $2; Chrome Molly plays (AC/DC tribute band)
  • Burien Press: Free espresso shot; Art Open House
  • The Hobnobber(!): Budweiser $2; Bag of Chips $1
  • The House Collier Catering
  • 909 Coffee & Wine
• Door Prizes will be provided by BTB Advertiser Highline Athletic Club

This fine fundraising event is “braut” to you by the following local sponsors (including The B-Town Blog):

For more information, read our previous coverage here:

• Register For The Brat Trot Fundraiser Before Wed., Sept. 16th And Save $$$!
• EXCLUSIVE: A Q & A With “Bret The Brat” About The Oct. 4th Brat Trot & Oct. 3rd Pub Crawl
• Highline Schools Foundation Oktoberfest Dinner, Dance & Auction Is Saturday, Oct. 10th
• Prepare For The “Wurst”: First-Ever “Brat Trot” 5K Run Is Coming Sunday, Oct. 4th; Pub Crawl Sat., Oct. 3rd

A few Saturdays ago your intrepid Waterland Bloggers were innocently sitting in our booth at the Famers Market, when Debra Jackson, assistant market manager, dropped off THE CHALLENGE.

Da dum, da dum, da dum… (or for all you Swedish Chefs out there: Bor-bork, bor-bork, bor-bork…)

We’re talking of course about the dreaded Chili Challenge, the one that nobody can refuse, and the one that requires your team to actually cook Chili for the Farmers Market Chili Cook-Off coming Halloween day, Oct. 31st.

This past Saturday, The Waterland Blog not only accepted their challenge, but we were the first to actually pay the $30 entry fee!

We have it on good authority that there’s others in the Waterland Community that will be challenged. According to Wayne Corey, president of the DMFM board, there’s some teams from Rotary and others who’ve said they’re on, but nobody’s in until they pay. There’s only room for 10 teams,

Like a six-gilled shark swimming off the Marina, Debra has a bead on various Des Moines organizations and individuals to issue the cookoff challenge. Hide, we tell you hide. Especially if you’re with the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Lions, the Odd Fellows, the Yacht Club, or local churches.

She’ll find you.

Believe us, she’ll find you!

The Des Moines Food Bank needs your help. To sign up before you receive THE CHALLENGE click here for our previous coverage, or here to download the registration PDF.

DMFM has room for just 10 teams…so sign up now. Help the Food Bank, have some fun…and vote for The Waterland Blog team!

Bork Bork Bork!

Yes, we too troll Craigslist for those oh-so-weird yet compellingly-funny ads, and this week’s Des Moines-based Ad O’The Week is a killer…literally:

seattle-tacoma craigslist > seattle > community > pets

Convict Cichlid (Des Moines)

Date: 2009-08-01, 7:09PM PDT
Reply to: comm-5zdxz-1301212412@craigslist.org

Free Convict Cichlid.

He is an ornery and mean fish so if you want him he’s all yours.

He’s about 5 inches long and actually pretty good looking for a typical Convict but he is chewing up our other Pink Convict and he must go.

Please call Chris at 206-941-1409

So, if you want a FREE ornery and mean fish who’s actually pretty good looking…he’s all yours, so give Chris a call!

Click to View Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow

Story & Photos by Scott Schaefer

We were lucky enough to be accepted into Saturday’s 50th Birthday/Waterland Parade in Des Moines, where we rode on the back of a flatbed tow truck courtesy Airport Towing, and subsequently wore our collective arms (and voices) out waving (and yelling) to what must have been thousands of people.

If you’ve never been in an actual parade, below is a “live blog” you may find interesting (or not) that details what the day was like:

3:44pm: Drove the Waterland Blogmobile (a green Mini Cooper) to the wrong “staging area” – the north lot of Highline Community College, which was virtually empty. Felt like I was in a scene from “The Omega Man,” but couldn’t see Charlton Heston or any zombies anywhere.

3:50pm: Found correct staging area. Parked. Tried to check in, but discovered that the correct paperwork was with the guy from Airport Towing. Started taking photos of everyone getting their floats ready.

3:54pm: It’s really hot on the parking lot asphalt, at least 85 degrees. Santa walks by in full costume (sans hat), holding a cooler. This is starting to get weird.

3:59pm: Realized there was only one Porta-Potty at the location. Now I know what that really long line is for.

4:08pm: Get in line for Porta-Potty. Wait. Squirm. Give up.

4:14pm: Get back in line for Porta-Potty. Wait. Squirm. Squirm again. Cross legs. Give up. Start walking briskly.

4:17pm: After taking a quick “hike” through some bushes, I suddenly feel better.

4:35pm: Changed from long black jeans into shorts in the front seat of the Mini. Note to self: next time get a bigger car.

5:01pm: Airport Towing finally showed up. Moved car and met our Driver, Steve.

5:12pm: Watched as Steve lowered an antique tow truck off the flatbed carefully.

5:14pm: Watched as Steve hooked the Mini up and put it up onto the flatbed.

5:21pm: Two of my co-horts show up (Gina Bourdage & Janet Grella, along with Gina’s Dad) and we get busy decorating our “flatbed float” with cheap fringe stuff from Party City.

5:43pm: Rest of the crew wanders in (Mark and Bart) after having trouble driving to the staging area because of closed-off streets.

5:51pm: With everyone now aboard and the flatbed “decorated,” Steve drove us out of the parking lot and down near the start of the parade at Marine View Drive and S. 242nd. Glad I’m sitting inside the Mini as it’s a bumby road and Gina, Janet and Bart are holding on for dear life in the back.

6:01pm: Moved up to another waiting area at S. 240th & Marine View Drive. Lots of other participants waiting here, including Seafair Clowns and Hi-Yu Princesses. A clean “referee” starts using his material on us.

6:15pm: The parade has apparently started but we’re not moving yet. Two Des Moines cops come up and compliment The Waterland Blog by saying “good job.” I ask for a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card and get no response. Some clowns dressed as cops walk by. Now I’m confused.

6:20pm: We’re actually moving forward now!

6:21pm: Okay, now we’re stopped after moving just 20 feet.

6:33pm: Moving again, slowly now, and I ask a woman holding a bottle of beer if she has any extra. She pauses, then quickly opens a cooler, grabs something in plastic, runs up and hands it me. “Jello shot!” she yells. I take it and everyone laughs.

6:40pm: Arrive at the intersection of Marine View Drive and 8th Ave South, and suddenly there’s a LOT of people. Mark Neuman, riding shotgun, starts yelling silly things are people, like “the parade’s been cancelled…everyone go home now!” We’re all waving, almost full-time now. My arms already hurt.

7:04pm: The parade is over already? We snake up a hill with an even bumpier road, and I’m glad I’m still in the Mini. The gang in back yelps on every bump.

7:18pm: We’re back at the staging area, where we tear down our “float” and say goodbye to our driver, Steve, who did a great job, since everyone is still alive.

7:43pm: Mark, Bart and myself head on over to Butler Bar & Grill, since we know the Seafair Pirates will be “raiding” it around 8pm. The place is jammed and people are streaming in.

7:59pm: No Pirates yet, but whoever thought they’d be early to a “raid”? We scored seats at a table right near the front entrance!

8:07pm: Someone nearby is looking outside at something. I take a peek, and YES, the Pirates are here. Now the fun can begin.

8:10pm: The Pirates finally storm into Butlers, singing a silly and oftentimes inappropriate pirate shanty, like they always do. It’s weird because they’re all around us, so it’s basically a live surround-sound silly shanty. Usually I pay $13 to hear this at a movie theater but tonight it’s free!

8:11pm: The Pirates get their first round of drinks on the house, courtesy Proprietor Mike Colello.

8:14pm: Wow, a second round of drinks is served to these guys, and now they’re passing out personal trading cards! Maybe I should become a Pirate?

8:22pm: I get a trading card from a Pirate I know nicknamed “Diamond Jim.” Nothing about pillaging or plundering – we talk about our kids, who go to the same school. It’s weird talking parenting to a guy in full pirate regalia.

8:33pm: The Pirates are now flirting with every woman inside Butlers, putting stickers in the most logical spot – strategically placed on their shirts of course. Suddenly there are no Pirates to talk with, so I start talking to my trading cards. Nobody notices.

9pm: The Seafair Pirates are given another round of drinks on the house, then sing their final song, in surround-sound again (another $13 saved), then exit.

9:08pm: With no Pirates left, I’m outta here…

by Pat Nardo

Once upon a time, growing up in little Italy in Boston, there was a song that was so appropriate to the good humor of the Italian/American  community. You could hear it almost any day on the radio and it did not appear to be offensive, but amusing to those around us in the neighborhood of East Boston. The term, “politically correct” had not been coined yet and people were able to readily laugh at one another without analyzing or being critical. The song was about a little Italian grocer who was losing patience with a shopper, presumably a lady, because back then, mostly only the women went shopping while the men went off to whatever work they could find. Times were hard then and when you heard the song, it brought cheer into the living room. You could picture this finicky lady pinching and poking at the sensitive fruits and vegetables with not a real intention to make a purchase.

Here’s the audio of a recording of the song by Louis Prima, so click the “Play” button now and listen as you read on:

We made fun of the elders when we heard them say, “Hey whatsamattayou!”, hoping they would not hear us mocking them. Well, the years have passed and recently we came upon a gentleman, Bo Colello, who really personifies the Italian grocer in the song that still lingers in a corner of my heart. We came upon his vegetable and fruit stand along Des Moines Memorial Drive about two years ago, on the way to somewhere else; the same way that we “discovered” Des Moines back in 1960-something. Along the road, as you approached the fruit and vegetable stand a crude sign announces your destination is now! We were greeted with an array of agricultural jewelry like nothing we had seen in any grocery store; all hand picked, packed and arranged so that you had a feeling of being in a time warp.

This is where we met Bo, the proud proprietor of “Bo Colello’s Produce,” and we were immediately old friends! This was reminiscent of the Saturday farmer’s market in East Boston where you could buy a pair of shoes, a goat, some cheese or an arm-load of tomatoes all in the same open street market. “Here, try this!” could be heard from one peddler or another as a slice of fruit or watermelon was being hawked. There was even popcorn and cookies, sugar cookies that my grandfather’s two cents would buy and give to me. It was this friendly atmosphere that was being replicated as we visited with Bo.

As we were finished shopping and bagging for the journey home, we asked the price of all our hoard:

“Five dollars and twenty cents” he responded; then:

“Ah, what the heck! Gimme five-even!”

This is so typical of “The good old days” and Bo keeps the memory alive and vividly clear. Somehow I missed hearing the warning, as we were leaving, “Don’t take a short cut behind the horses!” Back then you did not go behind any horse in the market!

Bo Colello finally puts a face to the grocer in the old ballad and now that his stand has been re-built, having been flattened in a wintry windstorm, it will be on our regular shopping list.

A journey to this independent grocer, located at 19616 Des Moines Memorial Drive, is truly for the generation that we belong to and remember as an unequalled visit to a time long gone, and for many, forgotten. Easy going and friendly just about covers your experience with Bo, the green grocer who offers you a sun ripened, juicy watermelon, while you also taste a delicious slice of yesteryear, and as we drive away with our beans and sweet corn, we can hear the final words to the old song…

Please-AH IF-ah you must-ah squeez-ah; squeeze-ah da coconut!

Sadly, I have forgotten all the words in between.

Since today is “Feel Good Friday” what better way to end the week than by taking a gander at this rather unusual Craigslist Ad from a Des Moines resident named Jacob seeking help potty training his Mom’s poodle.

So if you’re a local dog pottyer/whisperer, feel free to email Jacob and give him a hand (er, make that a glove):

Can anyone potty train my Mom’s Poodle????? Please Help. (Des Moines, WA)

Reply to: comm-zxjgk-1116431995@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-04-10, 12:52PM PDT

Hello,

I am posting this ad because my Mom has a Mini Poodle that she loves dearly.

There is only one problem.

We got the poodle when he was only 4 months old and she has not had time to potty train him.

I would do it for her, but for some reason the dog doesn’t like me.

So here I am posting this as to see if anyone out there can take the dog for a while, house train him then give him back.

If you can do this, how much would you charge us to do it? Please get back to me and let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you.

- Jacob