Angels Vs M's: 8/27/7

My Hef at Sluggers was served warm so it went down a little slow causing me to miss the 1st inning and the game's high point: Lopez/Betancourt double play and the crucial moment: Ichiro's bum strikeout. Don't ask me about the 9th, I left early and got a cab, so from what I did see between the 2nd and 8th Batista and the Mariners didn't make a case for 1st place. Safeco Field felt cautiously optimistic throughout the game, rallying behind the team at key moments but not very rowdy. I didn't leave without having some fun: 1)The guy in front of me who wore a cheap braided gold chain, a Boeing 787 cap and a black Ted Nugent shirt provided PLENTY of entertainment trying to score the bar fly a seat away. 2)Garret Anderson's (Pictured above, near side) 2nd inning HR was tossed back onto the field. 3) Hat trick on the jumbotron was a special Xtreme edition, I got smoked bad. People need to observe Hat Trick time and not walk in the damn aisle, pretending it's not happening and making it even harder for me to guess the right hat.

Pacific Island Band: 8/17/7

Their was something more then the Pacific Island band's lazy vocals and cords that reminded me I was on the Mainland in downtown Seattle and very far from the Waikiki. Island music is a lot like it's poi, I have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. Maybe it was the Pidgin or the hula but by the time I left downtownsummer.com's Union Station concert I had daydreams of cheap airfare, a cheaper hostel and a few days on the beach.

LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends: 8/14/7

DowntownSummer.com is a an easy way for any Seattle urbanite to click their way to a summer of sun (maybe) and culture (music and art). I went to the site in an attempt to avoid my office's break room and the local restaurant's counters during the noon hour. I found the Out to Lunch Summer Concert Series, clocked out, left my Ipod in my desk then dodged and weaved between the city's slow moving wide eyed tourist to Pike Place Market. The stage was set at 1st and Pike, the entrance to the Market and its 100 years of unique sights, sounds and smells, lots of smells. Amongst the hustle and bustle LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends held an audience of a couple hundred, many were seated in black folding chairs and others were stacked on the sidewalks.

By the 3rd song I heard LeRoy picked up the tempo and started to make me forget about the hot sun and the office all together. I would pay up to $15 to see LeRoy which was the price I paid for his latest album, 'LeRoy Bell Live in 3D' recorded at The Triple Door. I haven't gotten the chance to listen but it'll probably be good, LeRoy has been making quality music for years; In 1979 LeRoy co-authored Elton John's Grammy nominated Top 10 hit, 'Mamma Can't Buy You Love'.

Seahawks Scrimmage: 8/4/7

The beloved Seachickens ran some drills and scrimmaged at the Seattle Center last weekend in front of thousands of fans; the price to get in was $12 and the profit went to charity. Finding parking was hard, my car wound up perched on Queen Anne's ridiculous incline. The post-game 30 minute autograph session lasted 45 minutes leaving many disappointed but Coach Holmgren had to go call Brett Favre to reminisce about their glory of yesteryear. The Hawks play at the Tomlinsons Sunday.