Ballardblog.com

I’ve been listening to a lot of new music lately, and few bands have caught my ear like Seattle-based Joy Wants Eternity. Their lush, evocative post-rock music has not left my CD changer in weeks. Though mainly instrumental, their music needs no words or voices to make it feel like a composed whole.

I’m looking forward to check out their live show – which includes a video backdrop – at the Sunset in Ballard on Sunday. The show starts at 9pm on July 19, 2009. Opening acts include Gifts from Enola and Misery Love Company.

Joy Wants Eternity Web Site

Joy Wants Eternity Myspace

The Sunset – 5433 Ballard Avenue NW
Seattle, Washington 98107
(206) 784-4880

On May 16, 2009, the Puppeteers of Puget Sound will be hosting a Day of Puppetry for Puppeteers in Ballard. The event will be held at Sunset Hill Community Club, 3003 NW 66th Street, Seattle, WA 

Schedule of Events:
11:30-12:15      Momotaro Elly Leaverton
12:15-12:45     Momotaro Q and A
1:00-1:45         lunch break or Optional viewing of The Goblin and the Poet
2:00-2:30         Mary Shaver Marionettes
2:30-2:45         Mary Shaver Q and A
3:00-3:45         The Goblin and the Poet - Thistle Theatre        
3:55-4:10         The Goblin and the Poet Q and A
4:15-5:30         Show and tell (bring your puppets) Social hour – drinks and potluck
5:30-6:00         Giraffe and Staff - Sharon Allbright and Steve Sweeney
6:00-6:15         Giraffe and Staff  Q and A
6:30-7:20         PPS meeting
7:30-7:50         My Dear Lewis - Kyle Loven
7:50-8:10         My Dear Lewis Q and A
8:15-8:45         wrap up and clean-up

Please RSVP by sending an email to the Puppeteers of Puget Sound webmaster. This event is free to Puppeteers of Puget Sound, their invited guests, and prospective members.

On May 8, 2009, drivers who are 55 or older can take a day-long classroom program to learn how to become a better driver, and possibly qualify for a discount on auto insurance.

The class runs from 8am to 5pm at the Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Ballard. The class fee is $16 for AAA members and $22 for non-members.

To register, send your name, class date, and a check or money order payable to American Driving Services to: American Driving Services, P.O. Box 66681, Seattle, WA 98166-0681. Then you will receive a confirmation letter with all the details.

Call 206-243-3564 if you have further questions.

If you dine out April 30 at a restaurant that is participating in “Dining Out For Life,” the restaurant will donate 30% of your bill to Lifelong AIDS Alliance “and the fight against HIV and AIDS in the Puget Sound region.”

Here are the Ballard restaurants that are participating:

Alexa’s Garden Café

Balmar

Hattie’s Hat

King’s Hardware

Pasta Bella Ristorante

Ray’s Boathouse

Ray’s Café

Volterra

Have you picked up a Chinook Book yet?

The Chinook Book is full of coupons and information, and quickly pays for itself. There are tickets for free rides on Metro and Amtrak, and tons of coupons for groceries, coffee, museum visits and more. When you buy one and use the coupons, you help support green and local businesses.

The Chinook book retails for $20 and are available at Ballard Market, Epilogue Books, PCC, Whole Foods, or one of the retailers listed here.

Turn to page 44 in the Chinook Book to see the map of Ballard/Phinney and the various businesses that have coupons in the Book:

Ballard Market

Balmar

Bartell Drugs

Bikesport

Clover

Enlighten

Goodwill Industries

Greener Lifestyles

Great Harvest Bread Co.

KAVU

Market Street Athlete

Market Street Shoes

Market Street Traders

Me ‘n Moms

Miller Paint Co.

RE Store

Second Ascent

Snoose Junction Pizzaria

Sonic Boom Records

Tall Grass Bakery

Verite Coffee/Cupcake Royale

On May 16, 2009, the Puppeteers of Puget Sound will be hosting a Day of Puppetry for Puppeteers in Ballard.

 This is a day dedicated to showcasing the work of local puppeteers.

If you are a puppeteer, or a wanna-be puppeteer, developing a show or wish to share a piece of your work not yet seen by your peers, please submit a proposal to committee chair Jean Enticknap at on or before April 24, 2009.  Showcase performers will be announced on the website May 1, 2009.



The event itself will occur at the Sunset Hill Community Club on May 16 with daytime showcase performance times to be announced. There will be a social hour to show off your favorite puppet, a short meeting of the Puppeteers of Puget Sound and a special evening preview of Kyle Loven’s Dear Lewis, recipient of a 2009 Jim Henson Foundation Seed Grant.

Please register at the website for the event, which is free to Puppeteers of Puget Sound and prospective members. Puppeteers of Puget Sound members who attend the Day of Puppetry will receive a free ticket to Thistle Theatre’s 3:00pm performance of the Goblin and the Poet on the day of Puppetry.

If you’ve got kids, and haven’t experienced the organized mayhem of a community Easter egg hunt, let this be your year to try it! Several nearby locations are offering egg hunts this year, and most of them are free.

At Ballard Community Center, Loyal Heights Community Center, and farther away Bitter Lake Community Center annex, kids ages 2 to 10 can join in the Spring Candy & Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 11, 2009.  The kids are separated by age group, so you don’t have the problem of the older kids grabbing everything while the little ones get knocked into the grass. Rain or shine, just show up at Ballard Community Center at 9am sharp, or to Loyal Heights Community Center or Bitter Lake Community Center Annex at 10am sharp. Trust me, you need to get there on time, ‘cause all the eggs are found in less than five minutes.

In addition, Salmon Bay Eagles are hosting an egg hunt at Salmon Bay Park on Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 1pm. Some eggs will have candy, some will have prizes, and the Easter Bunny will be there!

Ballard Community Center, 6020 28th Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA, 206-684-4093

Salmon Bay Park, 
2001 N.W. Canoe Place
, Seattle, WA

Loyal Heights Community Center, 2101 NW 77th St., Seattle, WA, 206-684-4052

Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle, WA, 206-684-7524

You might be jobless, or scrimping to pay bills, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying all the wonderful things our area has to offer.

Free:

Free fun can be had at Seattle’s parks.

Seattle Public libraries have more than just books. At the library, you can connect to the Internet for free, and listen to lectures and other events. For kids, there are storytimes and other events. In addition, there is a whole digital media section on the library web site. You can download music, video, audio books and more.

Cheap:

Here are special offers on art events from Take Part in Art.

Find bargain shops, restaurants, bars and attractions at Citysearch or check out yard sales.

It can be a real drag when you visit a park during the cool winter months and find the restroom locked up for the season.

Last month I contacted Seattle Parks and Recreation to find out when the restrooms will be open for the warmer months, and here is the reply I got from Laurie Dunlap at the Superintendent’s Office:

“Word from our Plumbing Shop is that they will try to have all our plumbing turned on and restrooms opened by April, with the most heavily used sites open as early as mid-March.”

I know that Carkeek Park’s restrooms are open (and have been). Does anyone know the restroom status of any of the other local parks, like Salmon Bay Park, Soundview Playfield or Golden Gardens?

I’ve walked by Moshi Moshi Sushi on Ballard Ave. many times while visiting the Sunday market, and wished they were open for lunch. Finally I broke down and visited this lovely new sushi restaurant for dinner, and I’m glad I did. Everything I tasted was divine.

Their cocktail menu is full of intriguing drinks, including ingredients like banana chip infused rum, absinthe and egg white. I eventually settled on a Swedish Punch (made with rum, cognac, batavia arrack, lemon, and orange), which was fruity and invigorating.

I spoke with Erik Carlson, who created Moshi Moshi’s bar program from scratch. After spending eleven years in San Francisco managing and tending bars, Carlson returned to his hometown Seattle.

“I was really excited to bring home all my ideas and create my dream cocktail menu,” said Carlson. “We currently have 25 drinks on the menu. We use all premium spirits and fresh squeeze all the citrus daily.”

The food arrived quickly. I sampled the California Roll, Ume Shiso Roll, Chicken Kara Age (fried chicken) and Saba Shio (grilled salted mackerel). The Saba was delicious and buttery, and the Chicken Kara Age was tasty with a bit of squeezed lemon. The sushi rice was just the right temperature and consistency, and the flavor of the rolls I tried was excellent.

According to Carlson, the sushi at Moshi Moshi is more traditional than you might find at some other area sushi restaurants, many of which take a “fusion” approach.

My nearly four-year old daughter came along to the restaurant and although this is not a typical kid-friendly restaurant (i.e. no kids’ menu, crayons or play zone), they did have booster seats and high chairs on offer. She enjoyed her Kappa Roll and ate nearly all of it, including the seaweed. (Though I have to admit my daughter has been eating kappa rolls in restaurants since before she could walk).

It was my husband’s birthday so for dessert we had a surprise green tea crème brûlée with a birthday candle in it, courtesy of the kitchen. Crispy on top, sweet and creamy underneath, it was a perfect finisher.

If you’re trying to save money (and who isn’t in this economy), you might consider visiting Moshi Moshi during one of its two daily happy hours, which feature food and drink specials. Happy hours are Monday through Thursday 4:30-6pm & 10-11:30pm, and Friday & Saturday 4:30-6pm & 11pm-1am.

Carlson points out, “Happy hours are allowing people to eat at their favorite restaurants several times a week.“

Moshi Moshi Sushi - 5324 Ballard Avenue, 
Seattle, WA 98107
 (206) 971-7424