Week Forty-Three: David and Shelley w/Cairo

Time is catapulting away from us. Our first year in Tune Castle is nearly complete, as is our Double Date challenge. I am beginning to develop an oddly optimistic view going into the Fall. Knowing the Winter is generally depressing, I'm thinking about all the positive things that it will bring: a break from having weekly social plans (thus freeing us up, finally, to revisit all the cool couples we had over so far), my first solo album since 2008 (A GOOD TATTOO, which can be pre-ordered now), a slew of new music videos, less debt and more financial freedom. I was looking forward to this week's date, as well, because it too offered new beginnings. Week 43 saw David and Shelley step up to the plate.



Unlike most of my previous guests, David and I met each other via the local rap scene. Strangely unique for my base of friends, right? The rarity of our relationship is actually that we weren't friends. I had known and respected David from as far back as the Rainbow Room hip hop showcase days (2004-2005). But I didn't even know him as "David" back then, rather as rapper Ricky Pharoe.

Ricky Pharoe had dropped a break-thru project in 2005 with producer Budo called Civilized. It was a strong debut and made him known around the city. It was at the album's release that our relationship transitioned from peers to artist/fan. I ordered the album and got to know him from an angle of admiration. It was a well put together piece of art by a talented artist.

As I progressed in chasing my dreams in the same field, I became mixed up in David's intentions and, more so, his "obligations" to consider me a peer (rather than be a fan, which more artists should be comfortable with than are). Make no mistake. NOBODY IS OBLIGATED TO RECOGNIZE YOU. Especially if you recognize them. I'm sure Larry Mizzel knows this better than anybody in the hip hop scene, as rappers from Shoreline all the way down to Tacoma catch feelings when he doesn't mention their show in the Stranger or spin their "new hot single" on KEXP. It is one of the shittiest fallacies of amateur art. JUST BECAUSE YOU PARTAKE, DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD BE NOTICED. By other artists, or any form of media.

To make a long story short, and not include other factors or participation of other paranoid parties, I made a mistake. I fired a few shots on wax (one was actually a "shout out" but my sense of humor is often too obscure) and distanced David from knowing Jeff, because Ricky Pharoe didn't know Type. Like a normal human, David called me up to ask if there was an issue he wasn't aware of. I naturally reacted defensively, because the issue was my insecurity.

I had to step back and reflect. Ponder the thought I roughly laid out above, about how an artist (in this case myself) can get a rude sense of entitlement. And 99% of the time, in cases such as Ricky Pharoe and Type, or Larry verses every rapper in with a NW zipcode, it is NOT that they are ignoring said party... often, there is so much going on, layered with the fact they too are just doing their own thing, it is not a diss coming from them.

Time passed and we repaired our relationship. Well, I should say, we developed a relationship between us as people. My artist persona might be crass, inappropriate and unwelcoming. But, honestly, as a person, I do get along with most people. And we found that to be the case. Over the course of a few e-mails, then a meeting in person and a show, David and I got back on track. And I wouldn't soon forget his openness to giving that a shot. Because he didn't have to.



Shelley is David's long time lovely and bad ass girlfriend. I met her at the show, and later Erica and I joined David and Shelley for some all-you-can-eat shrimp in Lynnhood. They also swung through a BBQ at our pad. As things became friendly, I decided the best form of apology is food. So Erica and I offered up a meal at our place, and David and Shelley accepted.

David had mentioned one of his favorite foods was orange chicken. I had never cooked orange chicken, so I was up for the challenge. On top of that, he has eliminated gluten from his diet for health reasons, so that added slightly to the task. Generally, the batter for the chicken would include flour (which usually contains gluten), so I was careful to find a flour that was gluten-free. I also picked up a six pack of gluten-free beer.

The cooking process was simple: some eggs, a spoonful of salt and some crushed red pepper flakes go into a bowl. Next, dice boneless skinless chicken breasts into cubes. Mix in a 1/4 cup of flour and a 1/2 cup of corn starch into the bowl, then add the chicken. In a pot of hot vegetable oil, deep fry the coated chicken for about three minutes. In a skillet, create a stir fry mix from soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. Add the chicken into the skillet with some chopped green onion, minced garlic and orange zest (broken up orange peel rinds). I squeezed the oranges over the mix and separated the chicken from the zest and served it on top of white rice (which is also gluten-free, sticky rice is not).



Fortunately, the food turned out excellent. It was a rather plan dish, essentially just chicken on rice, but very flavorful. Shelley was nice enough to make a delicious crumble for dessert and they accompanied it with ice cream. Ala mode is a must!

They also brought company: their dog Cairo. They rescued Cairo while living down in California together and she made the move back to Seattle with them. She is a very sweet dog and Lola was extremely excited to have another canine lady back in the mix on a the date.



We ate the food, as Lola danced around Cairo and we discussed music, our "meeting" stories as couples (which both involve rap shows) and future plans. The biggest of our future plans involve, guess what, a rap show! David and I will be tearing it down on stage Friday, November 23rd at my favorite venue Nectar Lounge in Fremont. This is the day after Thanksgiving, and the third year in a row I will be playing it. The first two shows sold out, so we highly suggest either ORDERING TICKETS ONLINE or meeting up with one of us in person to pick up some for just $5 a pop!



After dinner and dessert, we kicked it at the coffee table and busted out the old college Jenga, once again. It is quickly becoming the new Table Topics of 52DD, but also departs a bit from the classiness factor Erica normally strives for in a dinner party. I am okay with that, seeing as our schedule is slimming down.

David and Shelley were such good guests, it was a firm reminder there is never enough time in life for you to push someone away. I'm certainly glad I worked out my bullshit, as David has provided quite a few memorable party moments this year, including an epic float out on Green Lake with Aaron (Week 4) and Eliza (Tune Castle BFF).



Next week, a champion is in our midst. A poker champion! One of my favorite friends from high school Carl, and his gorgeous fiance Katie, will sit around at our table as we try to guess his tell. Keep a straight face! We shall see who comes out on top... 9...

Week Forty-Two: Katelyn and Kyle

The local weather continues its downturn, as all residents of Tune Castle fear the coming darkness. For some reason, the Fall brings a deep dark depression to Seattlites. All four humans have had an off and on cold, just lingering, hinting at a sickness but not growing to anything full blown. The gray misery. Yet, hope springs eternal! A date on the horizon. A date with friends. Katelyn and Kyle came over to be our company on the 42nd dinner party of 2012.



I met Katelyn working in Melrose Market. She is a former team member of a fantastic artisan cheese shop there called The Calf & Kid. If you love good cheese or are ever in a pinch for what makes a great appetizer at a double date, the owner Sheri is awesome and provides great service. Katelyn and her boyfriend Kyle are comfortable, cool people who know how to socialize well. And they also let Erica and I decide the menu!

Katelyn made an awesome peach cobbler for a BBQ we hosted earlier in the year. They wanted to handle the dessert but were open to any entree of our choice. Although I cooked lasagna for Aaron and Nell (Week 32), it was vegetarian WITH VEGGIE STOCK. I prefer lasagna that is basically a meat and cheese loaf, so this was my perfect chance to make it again.



That is pretty much what I delivered: cheese and meat. It was good too! A little side of garlic bread and steamed broccoli did the trick, and I am officially back on a roll for cooking well. Along with the season of darkness comes dark beers. We enjoyed various brown ales with dinner. This time for dessert, Katelyn made a fresh berry crumble.



After the lovely meal, and a lively conversation about work and travel, our roommate Griff (Week 28) emerged from his room and we sat around the coffee table. Also emerging for the second time on a DD was Jenga. In a search for Apples to Apples, which was also played, I found my old college-made "drinking" Jenga. The hi-jinx lead us to lots of laughs, an insanely stacked tower, and a giant salad bowl full of all our drinks combined being passed in a circle.



More exciting than my return to being a decade younger is this... and it also involves the same number.. TEN. Erica and I only have ten dates left to round out our double date challenge! Coming next week is my friend from the rap scene David and his lovely girlfriend Shelley. Let the countdown begin! 10...

Week Forty-One: Austin and Kristin

Having left Seattle to visit Minneapolis for our friends Mike and Claire's Wedding, Erica and I needed to squeeze in a date in the middle of the week. The Wedding was incredible and we had a great time. Both of us needed a vacation badly. We were coming back directly into a work week and it was date time already. Luckily it was a good friend from my past, Austin from my old crap crew, and his awesome lady Krisin.



I've been buddies with Austin since my senior year at Roosevelt. He was close with my bestfriend Aaron (Week 4) and he also lived with us in the infamous 8-1-9 in 2004. We would make beats, rap and record there. And we continued to do music together off and on until around 2006.

I remember being at the house party where Austin met Kristin. We all thought she was pretty cool. I think that was 2005ish. But for once, this date did not include the typical exchange of how we met each other, which was refreshing! Also refreshing: no Table Topics! Kristin even brought a game of her own for us to play.

Austin and Kristin are fun and comfortable people. I was excited to see my old friend and have over a couple Erica is familiar with (they were at our Wedding, Kristin gave Erica a memorable gift: a remote control spider). Nothing like good folks and, hopefully, good food.



After last week's disaster in the kitchen, I decided to play it safe with the food. I couldn't think of anything easier than sloppy joes! So I got some ground beef, an onion, a green pepper, seeded rolls and some red potatoes. I mixed the ground beef up in a bowl with garlic, salt and pepper, some olive oil, paprika, a little mustard and a lot of ketchup. Then I tossed the mix in a skillet to heat it up. I cut the red potatoes into homestyle fries and baked them in butter, lemon and garlic. It was all simple and straight forward.



The food was tasty, but I must admit, the sloppy joes turned out more like beef on a bun. Good beef on the bun, but it was NOT a traditional tasting "joe" by any means. The next date, I'm going to really have to come with it.

Speaking of coming with stuff, Austin and Kristin came with a cake. And it said "Happy Birthday Austin" on it, which is hilarious because his birthday is June 6th. It was good too! And after drinking the wine they brought us, we starting playing Kristin's game...



She brought along Truth or Dare Jenga, complete with blank blocks for us to write our own suggestions on. Aaron came up stairs to join the fun and we had a lively run before he eventually knocked the tower over. Highlights included Kristin singing R. Kelly, Erica pretending to take a dump and Aaron walking on a fake tightrope.



With early morning work for both Erica and Austin, Kristin and I decided to go to Yen Wor with Aaron and sing some karaoke. Yen Wor is by far my favorite bar in Seattle. I've been there at least 20 times, and at a 100% rate, I have the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. Yen Wor with Kristin and Aaron was business as usual. Good times and Kristin knocked it out of the park with her performance of a song from the musical Chicago.



I always dreamed every date we would have on 52DD would end at Yen Wor. This was the first! I almost would crown it champion, but the bobbled sloppy joes and the split couples to end the night put this right in the mix with the other good ones. The readers will just have to get through these next 11 to finally get the Top 12. I won't ruin it with any spoilers, but I will leak this: next week's couple to take a shot at the thrown is my friend from the cheese shop in Melrose Market Katelyn and her boyfriend Kyle. The race to the end begins!

Week Forty: Rob and Nicole w/Molly

Erica and I are officially headed into the last quarter of dates. The final three months of the year. It's been a grueling season of ups and downs. The hardest part was scheduling, fitting people in and what not, getting on the same page with four different agendas. Everybody asked if we knew enough people to fill 52 dates. The truth of the matter is, I don't think we have enough time or slots to get over all the people we would like to invite! The couple who came over for our 40th date definitely should have been invited much earlier in the year. So I was extremely pumped up to have over my good buddy Rob and his gorgeous wife Nicole.



I met Rob via the hip hop scene. He was a promoter at my current favorite venue Nectar Lounge and hooked Ben (Week 1)and I up with our first few decent gigs. It was Rob's introduction of me to the Nectar guys that started the foundation I have there now. I play there nearly once a month, and the shows are always fun and well attended. In fact, the next one coming up is the day after Thanksgiving, and tickets are on sale HERE for just $5. It will be a massive reunion of good friends, so order today!

Rob also helped to develope my other professional relationship: the one I have with Homegrown. Although I am branch manager of the Capitol Hill store now, but I was, at one point (three years ago), a newly hired, minimum wager with part-time hours. Rob was about to move up to head chef in the company, and he put in a good word for me. I was employed after a brief and honestly not-so-impressive (on my end) interview. So I owe this connection to Rob as well. Based on those two hookups alone, he has been a very solid friend.



Speaking of solid friends, Nicole and Rob both have one they decided to include on the date: their adorable little 2 year-old Boston Terrier Molly. Cola (Week 35) paved the way for a double doggie date. And Lola loved it. Naturally, our little runt was all fired up to see another canine on the spot. Molly was far more energetic and nimble than her, but the pair had a great time running around and nibbling at each other. It was pretty awesome.



The food terrified me. I must admit, I dropped the ball big time! I was so nervous about cooking for a great chef, that I crumbled under the pressure. I attempted to make shrimp tacos. I wanted a challenge, since I don't do shrimp and cooked it for the first time last week. That was a mistake, and I ended up preparing own of my least favorite meals to date.



Fortunately, the company was outstanding. I hadn't seen Rob in too long, and it was great catching up. Rob and Nicole described life in Columbia City, their Wedding and dog ownership. For a small time, Erica and I were freaking out that Lola might be lonely so we considered getting a second dog. It was nice to find out that is a common thought between folks with puppies. We also discovered a few more commonalities through a game of Table Topics.

Rob and Nicole are a super sweet couple and a very good match for one another. I'm sure we will cross paths again very soon, hopefully Rob will be cooking and not me! Just as he shares the same passion for hip hop, Rob also loves standup comedy. And I know for sure we will be hitting some stages up together and working on our material. I appreciate that guy and I look forward to that.

Next week I have someone coming over who is -surprise- connected to me via rap music. This time, however, it was one of my oldest crew members, Austin, and his longtime lady friend Kristin. Time to finish up this year of dates strong!

Week Thirty-Nine: Susan and Sano

It's been a minute since I've updated the blog, but 52 DD is still alive and well. Our most recent date really got us back on track and I think Erica and I are ready to finish the final run of 13 dates. Our 39th date was with my friend from Roosevelt High School, Susan, and her boyfriend Sano.



Rejuvenated and ready to play host again, I prepped the household for a proper dinner. Susan said she liked Italian food, and pasta is in my wheelhouse, but I decided to branch out a little and cook something with shrimp. I rarely eat shrimp, in fact, I tried it for the first time this summer, but I found a recipe for a New Orleans/Cajun style pasta with shrimp and andouille sausage that I had to try.



Directions for the dish are here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grants-special-mardi-gras-pasta/detail.aspx and I fully suggest checking it out and trying to make it yourself. It was easy and it turned out great. On the side I did a simple green salad and some fruit. Susan and Sano brought cookies for dessert and some wine and beers.



This wasn't only a special date because it got me back in the kitchen and ready to follow through with my plans, it was also particularly significant because Susan and Sano decided to date the night Erica and I were married, after she returned home from our Wedding. At the time, Sano was just a roommate. But they both had crushes and Susan spilled her guts after our emotionally charged reception, full of teary-eyed speeches. So in a small way, Erica and I are connected to the beginning of their relationship.



In High School, Susan was a good friend of mine during senior year. I was eager to meet Sano, because I hadn't seen or heard much from Susan essentially since the Wedding (04/18/2009). Susan is a busy woman, with a highly successful position at Microsoft. Now with her new Prince Charming around, I wanted to see the man who was taking up all her time.



Sano is freaking awesome. I was not let down. He met our group of friends while attending Western in Bellingham. He lived with Josh Callahan, who is a crew legend for being the nice guy blueprint. And Sano fits the bill: social, friendly, caring and comfortable. It made Erica and I very happy to see Susan with a man who clearly adores her and treats her well. I couldn't possibly approve more. He's great.



So we ate dinner, had drinks, did some Table Topics (of course) and then ate dessert. Susan mentioned that a co-worker was celebrating her birthday at King's Hardware in Ballard, a bar I used to work for. So we hopped in Erica's car and drove down there to check out the scene. It was crowded and loud, like usual, so we grabbed one drink and then made an exit. When we returned to the Castle, Susan and Sano parted ways with us.

It was a pleasant dinner and I think Susan was one of Erica's favorite guests. They have since made plans to go watch horror movies, an activity both Sano and I pass on and thus they are deprived of. Their company was awesome and this was definitely a top shelf date.

Next week, now that I am back in the right mindset and cooking again, I am having over the best chef I know, Rob Milliron, and his lovely wife Nicole. Rob and I have a deep history, as he is one of the city's only successful hip hop promoters. Not only did he give me a shot as a rapper early in my career, he also got me hired at Homegrown. So I owe him a lot, but I will start with my best effort at a home cooked meal. STAY TUNED.