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Last call for focuspoint shirts!

We're placing the order tomorrow. People who ordered shirts can pick them up at our High Dive show Jan. 3, or will receive them shortly thereafter. Get your order in today, or forever hold back your style.

To see further examples of what we can offer for American Apparel colors and styles, click here for men's shirts, and click here for women's shirts.

Tonight, we're playing at Fuel in Pioneer Square. The show starts at 9 p.m. and a portion of the $5 cover goes to Northwest Harvest.

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Tonight I saw Jen Wood and Rosie Thomas at the Triple Door.

Jen Wood is fantastic. She's a local artist, well-known internationally for collaborating with Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard on the Postal Service album. But really, she deserves all the credit for her solo work. It's brutally honest and painfully romantic. She's the kind of artist you just gush over when she's performing because she's that good. I've seen her at the best (Tractor Tavern, High Dive) and worst (Lock and Keel) venues this city has to offer, but she puts on a great show regardless.

Jen also works at Cafe Fiore with Katrine and Katrine gets hella jealous when I talk about Jen, mostly because Katrine is the Queen of Ballard and does not enjoy sharing the limelight in her kingdom. Katrine "coincidentally" scheduled the Cafe Fiore holiday party tonight, knowing that Jen was playing a significant show at the Triple Door at the same time. Coincidence? I think not. (For those who don't get it, this paragraph is intended to be a joke, although the Fiore party and Jen's show were conflicting.)

I hadn't heard Rosie Thomas before and even questioned her as a headliner, blinded by my admiration for Jen Wood, but she delivered. She and her brother are musical phenoms and Rosie is basically a stand-up comedian the way she can tell stories between songs. In addition to her originals, Rosie covered R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" and a few Christmas tunes, "Christmas Time Is Here," "Baby It's Cold Outside," and a crowd-joining acapella "Silent Night." Singing "Silent Night" reminded me of singing in my Catholic school Christmas programs, which is the reason I'm vocally-challenged.

Lastly, the Triple Door is my new favorite Seattle venue and an ideal date spot. (If you're reading this and I take you out on a date to the Triple Door in the future, it's your own fault for blog-stalking me in advance and ruining the surprise.) I'm constantly and pleasantly surprised by the spaces I find in this city. The acoustics are fantastic and the old-school set up of sitting at tables and watching shows over a meal is way underrated and needs to be brought out of antiquity.

Notes to self:

  • Find hot date to take to Triple Door
  • Set up acoustic focuspoint show at the Triple Door
  • Remind everyone that focuspoint plays tomorrow at Fuel (a less glamorous venue) in Pioneer Square at 9 p.m. A portion of the $5 cover goes to Northwest Harvest.

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Paolo Does Europe - Sept. 17

Ah!!! I leave for home tomorrow! I'm making the most of my last full day abroad here in Gimmelwald. It's "real" Switzerland up here , 4,500 above sea level in a town of just more than 120 people. Steep grassy hills encased by snowy mountains, peppered with small houses and the occasional skydiver flies overhead.

I had to take a train, bus and skylift to get here. Once I arrived, I spent most of the day hiking around and taking pictures. I stopped for lunch and ate what I bought back in Interlaken: pasta salad, grapes, orange juice and chocolate. I didn't notice the oil from the pasta salad dripping onto my shorts while I was eating, so now I have five lovely stains on my shorts. Eh, doesn't matter.

I hardly see anyone up here. So peaceful. I'll kick it up here for awhile before I head back down to Interlaken to grab my stuff. I figure they don't keep such good track of all their guests at Ballmers, so I left my stuff there and am going to get in a shower before I catch an evening train to Zurich. I'm delaying my arrival there so that I don't have to stay in a hotel for another night. I'll catch some shut eye at the airport. I've done it before. After this hike today and canyoning yesterday, sleep at random shouldn't be too difficult a task.

Holy shit, canyoning is amazing! I went out with 17 other cats for a full day! We all wore helmets that had nicknames. I was He-Man, fitting for my physique. Ha! Others included John Deere, Muff, Bush, Wonder Woman, etc. I was a little concerned about both my shoulder dislocating and my knee giving out, but I came back in one piece. We decended about 900 feet during the four hour excursion -- 30-40 foot jumps, repelling, 80-90 foot slides -- What a blast.The wet suits were stinky but kept us warm in some icy waters. After we got out of the canyon, everyone gorged on bread, cheese and beer -- the essentials. I would definitely do it again if I came back. Today I met a guy at breakfast who was desperate to get some other guys to go canyoning with him. It's late in the season now, so fewer people are doing the outdoor activities. Too cold. Plus, everyone I met yesterday was making their way up to Munich today for Oktoberfest. I'm bummed I can't go, but there's always a next time... if you're me.

OK. The altitude is making me delirious now. Better hit the road.

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Hi all,

We have more than 45 requests for focuspoint shirts. Yay! However, I only have details for shirt color and size for the following people (who contacted me through the blog or email):

  • Sergio
  • Nina
  • Dad
  • Wesley
  • Gramps & Grams
  • Scott
  • Anna

If your name is not listed and you would like a shirt, please contact me ASAP because I need to get shirts ordered on Friday to have them ready for the High Dive show Jan. 3.

Need more information about focuspoint American Apparel shirts? See below:

t-shirt ad_small

Click to enlarge shirt flyer.

To see further examples of what we can offer for American Apparel colors and styles, click here for men's shirts, and click here for women's shirts.

Thanks! Don't forget, we're playing Fuel in Pioneer Square this Friday.