My Best of 2010....

I've decided to compile of a list of my favorites from 2010! This is in no way organized or methodical by any means, just some great things/places that made me happy in this past year...

Best T.V. Show:
Eastbound & Down: The Story of Kenny Powers - HBO
This show is absolutely inappropriate and hilarious. It ran its second season this year, and I have to admit I was ashamed I didn't know about it sooner! Funny good times with HBO!



Best Restaurant:
The Backdoor Kitchen, Friday Harbor San Juan Islands
http://www.backdoorkitchen.com/
This little restaurant is tucked behind an industrial building in Friday Harbor. It has a beautiful outdoor seating area as well as a romantic, rustic interior. Dim lights and delicious food! Enjoyed a bottle of good wine and a meal of natural, organic and sustainable food. We had Thai style lettuce wraps, Sea Scallops and Pork Chops that were from the farm down the road. So amazingly fresh, and the atmosphere is very subtle and perfectly romantic for two...


Best Sushi:
The Sushi Cafe, Renton Highlands
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-cafe-renton-2
This is a great neighborhood sushi joint close by my house. The sushi is amazing - fresh, delicious, and perfect! The family who runs it, even better! The Dad makes the sushi, and the kids wait the tables. The service is quick, and even better there is a great wine shop next door that does free wine tasting Friday evenings. If you bring in your own wine to the sushi cafe, there is no corkage fee! My favorites are always the Hamachi, the Sunset Roll (crab, carrot, tuna, hamachi and salmon wrapped in a cucumber), and a simple salmon avocado roll. Go there and find your happy place!


Best Album:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Okay, I think we can all agree that Kanye West can be or perhaps is a complete tool of a douche. With that said, he is a musical genius - and may actually be as good as he tells everyone. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is just plain good. It is one of the best rap albums to come out in a long time, and features tracks with Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Drake and tons of other incredible artists. I love hip hop, and have not been impressed with anything new that has come out in quite awhile. Kanye West makes damn good music, and luckily this one leaves out the cheesy auto tuned mess that was his last album.



Best Hair Stylist:
Rebecca Wellington, Wellington Loft Salon
http://www.wellingtonloftsalon.com/
Okay, I'm biased... this is a dear friend of mine who has been in the industry for the past 10 years. A couple of years ago she branched off of working for a salon to create her own space to do her craft. Wellington Loft Salon is located off the Mercer Street exit in Seattle, WA and has a cool trendy feel. She has converted this loft into her own hair extraordinaire space that you will totally love. Rebecca is a true artist, and will make you look beautiful!

Best Travel Gadget:
The Ipod Touch - Apple ($215 for 8gig $280 for 32gig)
For those of us who don't actually have an Iphone, the Ipod Touch is a great gadget. I've personally been really wanting to get an Iphone - but the budget conscious person inside me just can't imagine having over a $100 phone bill! So I bought the Ipod Touch after someone stole my old school Ipod. When I traveled to Europe this summer, the Ipod Touch was so handy! Of course it stores all of your music, and the new ones even capture HD video! I downloaded Skype for an app on mine and was able to call home for 2 cents a minute wherever Wifi was available. I also had downloaded a few travel apps that helped with language, maps, recommendations and transit schedules. Simply amazing!

Friends

As life flows through time and space, so do the friends and memories that you make along the way. The older I get, the more I realize how important friendship is - and how friendship changes just as life does. Relationships of all kinds evolve and change, even if you don't acknowledge it. Yesterday as I was telling Greg about how happy I was for one of my best friend's new job in Portland, he reminded me of all my close friends who are spread out all over the country. One of my best friends moved to the east coast 5 years ago, another close friend is in Hawaii, and more recently one of my best friends I made moving up to Seattle left for Texas. Now, the last two closest people in my life have moved (or are moving) to Portland.

I am excited for all the changes that occur in life, especially when they lead my friends towards their path of happiness. My friend on the east coast met her husband there, and now have a beautiful daughter with another on the way. The friend in Hawaii, well lets face it - he lives in Hawaii... what could be better? But, he is truly happy being able to live the beautiful island life, surfing and living with his lovely girlfriend. My friend who moved to Texas left with a broken heart, but is now happy with an amazing job and an amazing boyfriend. Now, two of my closest friends have gotten wonderful opportunities with their jobs in Portland - and have left the comfort zone of the "home town" (which I believe everyone should do at least once).

I realize that maintaining friendship is difficult as distance and busy lives interfere with what was once so easy and even taken for granted. I hope that all my friends know how much I love them, even though our friendships have changed. The only thing in life that we can depend on is change, and once we surrender to that idea - we acknowledge that we cannot hold onto the past. We can only embrace the present and enjoy our friends and moments as they happen. I love you all, and hold all of our memories and futures near and dear to my heart...