Week Forty-Eight: Todd and Nicole w/Diesel

'Tis the season to be jolly. And in true dramatic fashion, the Holidays are usually the busiest time of year at work and with family. My schedule is literally jam packed with studio time, meetings, dinners, shows and all sorts of obligations. Could Erica and I manage to fit 5 dates into December? Only one way to find out... we dove right into it in Week 48, inviting over my good friend Todd, his girlfriend Nicole and his dog Diesel.



Todd is a Colorado-to-Seattle transplant who has been a mainstay in our crew for about eight years now. Oddly enough, Aaron (Week 4) and I met him when we were all living in Colorado, outside of a rap show at the Fox in Boulder. Todd started a label in Fort Collins called Voicebox and was working in the indie rap scene with promotion and production. When he moved to Seattle, he got involved with Obese and we ran into him yet again outside of a rap show.

Aside from the common interest of the music industry, Todd also really likes to party. A motto of my group of friends has always been "just have fun." Not verbatim, but in practice. We are pretty much a jovial hoard of idiots, and Todd could be lumped right in there with us. We just want to be partying and having a good time. Nothing wrong with that!



I hadn't seen Todd and Nicole for a little while, but they were living on the same grounds as Gomez (Week 6) when he would dog-sit Lola for us. So not only was I looking forward to seeing my old buddy, Lola was as well anticipating the visit from her boyfriend Diesel. The two pups get along classically and I think little Lo might just have a doggie crush on Diesel.

Erica requested champagne, so I got some sparkling rose to warm us up on the house tour. I wanted to go safe and easy for the meal, so I just did some baked salmon. It was in the oven waiting while we chatted away. I definitely realize, after preparing food for so many dinner parties, baking is THE WAY TO GO if you want food ready and hot at an unspecific time. On the side I had some rice pilaf steaming in a pot and tossed some french bread rolls in the oven right before we served the plates.



With Lola and Diesel running around and gnawing at each other, we sat at the table and enjoyed a basic and light meal. It was good, can't complain. We talked about what we've all been up to lately, both as couples and individuals. Griff (Week 28) came home and gave us all a preview of the music videos to come (one of his, one of mine and one from our friend Grynch).

With the Holidays upon us, Todd and Nicole were actually planning family visits and found themselves in need of a dog-sitter themselves. Since Diesel is a very well mannered, sweet dog, Erica and I couldn't help but volunteer Tune Castle up as a safe haven. Lola was apparently very excited about this, as she strutted up to Diesel, turned around and suggestively raised her backside up at Diesel. It was rather awkward to see our daughter just toss it out there like that. They grow up so fast!



In typical fashion, the group migrated to the coffee table for some games. We ended up busting out the Drinking Jenga tower and Todd toppled it and faced the tole of the beer bowl. A few nice conversations later and before we knew it, our company was gone.

Todd and Nicole are wonderful people and a cute couple. They socialize well and are clearly very caring to each other. We look forward to our time with Diesel and Erica and I cannot wait to reconnect with them.



It is been a long year and I've learned a lot. About cooking. About myself and my wife. I'm becoming more comfortable with my place in life and I think I am really starting to settle in. At the end of the year I will recap our thoughts on the dates and what's to come. What is to come immediately, however, is a sure-to-be-wild dinner with one of my favorite people, Rudy, and his rad lady friend Reagan. Down to 4...

Week Forty-Seven: Colum and Erin

Hosting a dinner party after both a double Thanksgiving (Wednesday with my parents and Thursday with Erica's Dad) and a raging show at Nectar on Friday proved to be a difficult task. Erica and I were already pretty drained from all the activities. THANKFULLY, we had over an extremely easy-going laid back couple for Week 47, Colum and Erin.



Colum is the head chef for the catering kitchen at Homegrown (the company I work for). He was one of the original hires, and, much like myself, has moved all the way up the ladder into a high position. I enjoyed working with him at the launch store in Fremont. He handles stress really well and is always in a good mood. He is very knowledable about Eastcoast rap music and is overall great company to keep.

Colum was always one of the better cooks in the store, so cooking for him was intimidating. I took on a little more than I could chew and tried to make Beef Bourguignon. There's a lot of irony in that statement because it came out too chewy. Erica and I do not have a crockpot and it really could have helped me out with the texture. The flavors were there, but the carrots were crunchy and the meat was tough. It will be the last time I try my own take on a dish. I am going to follow instructions to finish out the year for sure.



Erin has been with Colum for two years. We had met previously at some shows they attended; a lot of the Homegrown crew is really supportive about coming out and partying at my band's shows. She is a young, intellegent free-thinker with ambition and a positive attitude. She also showed up with three bottles of nice booze, so we liked her style.

Though the meal was tough and over-portioned, the bottles carried the conversation. Colum and I chopped it up over some company gossip. We shared our couples history and future goals. We did end up playing some Table Topics, however, the Drinking Jenga streak was broken (not a bad thing). We ended the night oddly civil, sharing a pot of tea before Erin and Colum parted ways. It was a very unique ending to a dinner date.

I feel awful about the food not being awesome and Erica and I were supremely tired. We did have a great time with Colum and Erin and I wish I was more of a host, cause they are amamzing to spend time with. As far as we are concerned, we owe them a real meal and possibly a game of Drinking Jenga. Maybe even Yen Wor, who knows? Either way, we are getting close to having an open schedule again. The schedule of weekly dinners is almost over!



It's beyond the 4th quarter of the double date challenge. We've basically reached overtime. It will now be the last month of the year with only five weeks left to go! December will open with my good friend Todd and his lovely girlfriend Nicole. As we get closer to the end, I wonder if the world is coming with us. I guess we will find out on the 21st. Until then, the only number that matters... 5...

Week Forty-Six: Clayton and Sydney

I figured by the end of the year, Erica and I would be entertaining some people we weren't too familiar with. Luckily that doesn't necessarily mean comfortable with. One my favorite young bucks (at this point younger than me, but now a vet) from the local rap scene was Clayton, or NOTION as he is called on stage. And with the big show coming up this Friday, he and Sydney got the call for Week #46.



Clayton is such a laid back, even keel guy, that I knew he would be dating a quality person. Without ever meeting Sydney, I told Erica "don't worry, you'll love these people. They are great!" I was only assuming Sydney would be awesome. But the date would be my introduction to her as well.

To her credit, and all the guests who came over for dinner thus far, it is an awkward situation to be tossed into. Like the reaction of many of our cancellations, Sydney was like "...so these strangers or going to be blogging about this??" I am constantly impressed by my friends who are willing to drag their loved ones into this escapade. And like excellent guests, Sydney and Clayton showed up early on our porch with flowers and a bottle of whiskey.



Having failed to cook Chicken MARSALA last week, I decided I needed to learn this week. My apologies to Eliza (Week 45) but Chicken Marsala was an even better choice than Chicken MASALA. The process wasn't too difficult, and much like the recent cooking adventures, I just gathered the ingredients and ventured off on my own for the preparation.

This was my take on Chicken Marsala: I took four chicken breasts and coated them in egg whites, flour and corn starch. I hit them in a hot skillet with sesame oil to sear the outsides, then tossed them in an oiled pan in the oven on low to keep them warm. I diced an onion, some garlic and chopped up some mushrooms then tossed the in the skillet. After frying up the contents for a little while, I added sweet Marsala wine and chicken stock, then I poured the mixture into the pan in the oven with the chicken, and baked it all at 450 for about an hour.



To serve with the chicken, I made some white rice, steamed broccoli and red and gold potatoes cooked in white wine and rice vinegar. The dish as a whole was way over-portioned but very delicious. This is definitely a meal I will cook again. I would venture to say, I pulled it off. And the potatoes cooked in wine is officially my favorite side now.

As we initially sat down to eat, the entire circus busted in! Our roommate Griff (Week 28) came home hauling camera gear and in tow was Ben (Week 1) and a few of his friends. They caught us listening to Counting Crows and mocked us efficiently. I felt a little bad for the unsuspecting Clayton and Sydney, who just had the house tour and a slight warning we had roommates. But the gang left shortly after and then began a very pleasant dinner conversation.



Sydney is as charming and open minded as they come. She works in real estate as well as non-profit. Kind, beautiful, and warm, my inclination she would be wonderful was correct. And together with Clayton, they make an awesome couple. As it turns out, they were a couple in high school, then split up briefly as they went to colleges in different states. They ultimately ended up back together, where they clearly belong.

The bizarre story of Erica and I was told, and we talked most of the night away before even moving over to the coffee table. After a brief game of Table Topics, which exposed we needed no cue cards to carry on a good group conversation, we switched gears to Drinking Jenga.



Jenga came and went, and Clayton was left with a bowl of booze to slug down after knocking over the tower. We chatted a little longer, then the pair took a cab back home. Erica is excited to have a new friend to mingle with at the rap shows, as the her and Sydney got along classically. We can put that theory to test THIS FRIDAY, as Clayton and I hit the stage at Nectar Lounge for my third annual Black Friday hip hop show in Fremont. Tickets will be available at the door, but arrive early because it always sells out. If you want to guarantee a spot, ORDER TICKETS NOW ONLINE.



Keeping it all in the fam next week. The Homegrown fam. One of the most likable people in the company, Colum, and his lovely girlfriend Erin will be coming over for dinner. I am very much looking forward to this one. As the clock ticks... 6...

Week Forty-Five: Eliza and Juan

This week's theme was cancellations. We had a cancellation on Saturday, followed by a fill-in cancellation and a backup cancellation! We had to move the dinner to Tuesday and set up a blind date between random friends. The day of, the guy got sick and backed out. So, at the buzzer, Week 45 ended up being my buddy Juan from work meeting my friend Eliza for the first time on a dinner date. Madness ensued!



Eliza is kind of like the Sweet Dee (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) of our crew. She is vibrant, hilarious and loves to party. I met her via Ian (Week 33) when they worked together at Jillian's and Ian and I were in The Let Go. She would come support us at the shows and ended up playing an extra in one of my music videos and later a lead role in another.

Juan was hired on at Homegrown before I was in control of the staff, earlier this year. The owner hired him and said "he's one of those guys you automatically know you like after two minutes." I was skeptical because I did not make the hire, but sure enough, two minutes after meeting Juan, I liked the guy. He is social, charming and extremely friendly. He likes a good film and a cold beer.



For dinner, Eliza said she wanted Chicken Marsala. Erica and I have been on an Indian food kick lately, so I read her text as Chicken MASALA. Rather than checking on it, I decided to go all in on the Indian dish because I have never cooked Indian food. The first step was choosing the style of Masala. Erica always orders Butter, so I was somewhat familiar with the flavor, and I wanted to get risky, so I looked up a recipe for Tikki, purchased the ingredients and discarded the instructions.

It was pretty easy to make. Essentially, I just made a marinade for the chicken with yogurt, lemon juice and several spices. I let the chicken sit in the marinade in the fridge for a little over an hour. I removed the chicken from the juices, cooked it in a skillet and keep it warm in the oven. Then I created a base with tomato sauce, heavy whipping cream, garlic, ginger and more spices. I added the chicken in, cooked it some more and served it over white rice. It was pretty awesome!



The nature of the date was pretty low-pressure and laid back, although Eliza did come through with a bottle of whiskey. Both roommates were looming around, so Griff (Week 28) and Aaron (Week 4) both ended up joining the action shortly after the meal. The action was a double header, game-wise: starting with Table Topics and leading to Drinking Jenga.

Of all the memorable silliness the occurs on 52 DD, Jenga provided us with an epic moment this time. Aaron pulled the ill fated "lap dance" piece, which forced him to give a participant a lap dance. That participant was Eliza. I am not sure how much SHE enjoyed the lap dance, but the rest of us loved it.



By some strange stroke of luck, I ended up knocking the tower down and drinking a bowl full of drinks. With the conclusion of the games, the crew packed up and hit the road for Yen Wor. Yen Wor, the best bar in Seattle. Yen Wor, the land of fun.



We entered Yen Wor ablaze. Juan and I hit the stage and murdered "Ebony and Ivory" which really set the tone. Eliza got the group a round of shots, we continued to sing, and before long, we were best friends with everybody in the bar. We met a lovely set of ladies (Allison, Caitlin and Teal) who actually knew both Sarah (Week 5) and Annie Bell (Week 15). You never know what will happen at Yen Wor, but rest assured it will be a great time!



Also up in the air is who is coming over next and when that will be! The only thing I know for certain is I will be headlining Nectar Lounge in a week on Friday, November 23rd, and I hope to see a large group of friends there partying. I have about 7 days to prepare for that, and I have the same number of dates left for the challenge. 7...

Week Forty-Four: Carl and Katie

My formula has been exposed. I basically have three different blog entry types: stories about the past, descriptions of the food, or rants on my current problems. I assume you are a casual reader, and haven't made it through all of the dates. For the sake of those visiting once, and my guests Carl and Katie who have read quite a few posts, I will attempt the trifecta.



Week 44 had it all: a little nostalgia, some good food and a couple mood swings. Recently engaged, Carl and Katie have been couple friends with us for quite sometime, and they are good friends with the Danny and Julie (Week 11) crowd. They were valued guests at our Wedding and always make for good company. Oddly enough, my most fond memory of Carl involves a moment he wasn't even in my presence for...

Carl is a professional poker player. In high school, while most of our friends were smoking and drinking our chances at developing tangible skills away, Carl was honing in on several unique passions. He was excellent at soccer, a talented guitarist, and becoming more and more of an outstanding card player. Founder of one the original shithole homie hangouts, the Bucket in Maple Leaf, I distinctly remember Carl being dedicated to the poker table at parties rather than about the house socializing. We all said he was wasting his time, until he used his winnings to buy a condo in Wallingford.

Some of those winnings, and my favorite Carl memory, occurred in a televised tournament on Fox Sports NW. Lounging on the couch of our shithole homie hangout at the time in Northgate, Sky (Week 25) and I came across a poker tournament on TV while drinking a few beers. We stayed on the channel long enough to notice our friend from high school Carl was IN the tournament! We were overjoyed and began rooting for Carl. Not having knowledge of how it ended, it was very exciting to watch. And unlike pulling for the traditional Seattle sports teams like the Sonics, Mariners or Seahawks... Sky and I were rooting for the eventual champion! Much to our shock, Carl pulled it out and was grinning with his arms around a giant check by the end. This a fantastic memory for me.



A champion and a true professional, Carl settles for nothing but the best. And his fiance Katie is THE BEST. A true lady, smart, forward-thinking and social, Katie is one of the prettiest, most caring people we know. She showed up to our porch with two bottles of wine and some homemade cookies. They were ready to eat food.

I decided to play it safe food-wise and just roast a chicken. It is hard to mess up and always pretty delicious. I simply rubbed the chicken in a little olive oil, sprinkled on some dried basil, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. On the side, I did some garlic potatoes and a vegetable medley. It was far from the best thing I have cooked, but simple and effective. The timing, however, was perfect for once!

They arrived and I had a green salad (of just mixed greens, sliced cucumbers and carrots with a vinaigrette) on the table, with waters filled and wine glasses ready. We poured a few glasses of wine and did a house tour, while the chicken continued to roast in the oven. We sat down to some hot rolls and salad to start, after one more glass of wine, the entrees were ready to be served. Smooth sailing.



Dinner conversation consisted of the big three: talking about Wedding memories (and the future plans for an important Wedding), discussing cooking methods and favorite meals, and sharing the high and lows of recent times. Whether high or low, Erica and I are always looking a good television series. So one of the most common, undocumented conversations that takes place continuously on 52 DD is going over the must-see shows. I won't leak the ones Erica and I lean on, but I will say we are desperately awaiting the new season of Arrested Development to be followed by a movie. We openly love that show.

As par to the new dating format, the party moved from the dinner table to the coffee table. And at the coffee table, we played college-style drinking Jenga. The game offered up a series of awkward truths, limited duration "hand jive" games, the King's Falls game of questions, and ultimately ended in Carl chugging a bowl of beer. And continuing the new par, Griff (Week 28) walked in on us all during the ending phase of the date. He told us about Hoarders and shared some videos with us from his computer.



As far as my mood goes, it is off with the depression beard! Work is eating me alive, but I've been saying that all year, so I know I will survive. The dates are cancelling at a dangerous rate, but we are so close to finishing the challenge, I will search for a couple on Craigslist if I have to! A good double date provides the inspiration to persevere. And this date was good, one of the top.

Which also inspired me, via a question from Carl... "what's next?" When I mentioned the Summer of 52 Floats, he did say he believed that was going to happen. But he knew there was more. He was right! At the conclusion of 52 DD, we will announce the Top 12 Dates of the Year, offering (once per month in 2013) an unblogged-about dinner party at Tune Castle to each couple once again. I will also say, it will take a few strong dates in the coming weeks to shake Carl and Katie out of the ranks!



As November begins, so does the countdown to my annual day-after-Thanksgiving show at Nectar Lounge in Fremont. You can and should order your tickets here now for just $5 because it always sells out! The other countdown on the clock is dates. And now it's down to 8...

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...