Hi all: I've been on a bit of a hiatus for the past several months as I tried to take in all the changes in the mortgage landscape. After exiting the mortgage business this past summer, I finally took a friend of mine up and went to work for his business, Paratex Pest Control. My friend Jim's dad started Paratex in 1908. Needless to say the business does very well. Most of our business is commercial (80-20 split)) but we pride ourselves on our work whether it's a large account or a small one. For example, I was out with one of our technicians on a service call a couple of  weeks ago. We were checking bait stations when our customer asked if we could look at a hole in the automatic garage door. Fifteen minutes later we had a fix where nothing could get through. As they say, service befor... 11/03/2014

The Old Rainier Brewery, if you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for a few decades plus, is a Seattle landmark. That familiar “R” on top of it’s tower has been a Northwest icon since before I was a kid. Rainier Brewing Company has a long history dating back to 1884 and on this same site beer has been brewed since 1878. Rainier Beer went through several ownership changes since 1977 and was finally closed by Pabst Brewing Company in 1999. Tully’s Coffee made the building it’s headquarters and replaced the “R” with “T”, which was okay but it just wasn’t the same. They removed the “T” on September 30, 2013 and a replica of the old “R” after a 13 year absence returned to the top of the building on October 24, 2013. What I remember most is their quirky funny homespun marketing in the 1970’s ... 02/08/2014

On Nights Like This, I Miss the Kingdome On nights like this, I miss the Kingdome.  I purchased tickets for tonight’s Mariners game against the Texas Rangers a few weeks back for a fundraiser.  Normally, on 50 degree days and colder nights, if I’m going to watch my Mariners play, it’s from the comfort of my Lazy-Boy.  The drive in across I-90 was through several downpours of rain.  My wipers went from intermittent, to low to high to “where’s the road now” and back again.  We found reasonable parking not too far away and waited out a rain squall in the car.  I have an app on my droid called Raindar, which shows the storms over a map.  We waited until we saw it lighten up and made our dash to Safeco. Once inside, we were under the retractable roof, a compromise between the concrete lid of... 04/13/2013

I love fried chicken, I really really love fried chicken and for thosewho don't know me or just coming across my blog for the first time letme tell you something about my self....I love fried chicken! You might be thinking "southern style fried chicken in Seattle?" yes it'savailable and it's here in our neighborhood just south of the what was once known the kingdome which is now Safeco or for us real seattlelites "SODO"Drive about a couples of miles south of the dome and you'll see a divebar called "Marco polo" and you'll see a sign where they advertise "Worlds famous broasted chicken" at first you might think "yeah right"but trust me after trying their fried chicken you'll be saying"they're right!!" the reason why it's so good is because they pressure fry them so it leaves the chicken ... 11/17/2011

River living at it's Best Log Cabin look alike close to Seattle Park in Ride South Center RD HOUSE REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 206-728-6063 Location: D RIVERSIDE Live in Your Dream Log Cabin Near the River Contact Ricky D at rickyd@rd-house.com 206-728-6063 www.rd-house.com RD-House Real Estate & Property Management  Main Location: Tukwila, WA A great log-styled 2 bedroom/1 bathroom home that is off the beaten path to lead you to the Duwamish River. The Duwamish is a great location for catch-and-release, traditional, or novice fishermen looking for for crab, perch, flounder and English sole and river rockfish. The area gives the feeling of the great outdoors without sacrificing the convenience of the city. The home provides a secluded and fenced setting that is great for relaxing ... 10/04/2007