This week, the CHS crow memorialized a few things. You?
| SILVANA, 30 |
What are you up to today?
My friends are in from D.C., and they have a garden there, so I’m showing them my garden.
What are you planting this year?
Everything. Two of the cooler things we have is an artichoke plant and a kiwi.
This may be my gardening ignorance talking, but I always think of kiwi as a tropical thing.
It’s what I think of, too. These are a little different from the ones you see in the store, you just bite into them, and you don’t have to peel them. Ours are mate dyed, and I don’t know which ones we have, male or female.
Um, I hate to admit this, but I have no idea what “mate dyed” plants are. Could you explain that?
Well, you need male and female to produce fruit. Kind of like humans…
This is new to me. I went to a public schools in the South, so I think teachers were forbidden to talk about fruit & vegetable sex. Do you have to go down to Babeland to get stuff to help them out?
Hey, there’s an idea!
And you play some Barry White for the kiwi?
Yeah, they weren’t feeling it before that.
How long have you had this garden?
About three years. This space used to be a parking lot. I wasn’t the original planter, but I was involved early on.
Have you had other city gardens before this one?
No, it’s my first one.
What do you like best about gardening?
Getting to eat what I plant.
How long does it take from the time you plant, say, the chard over there, to the time it’s on your plate?
Oh, that’s a tough question. Maybe like 45 days? It’s really hard to say. If you plant a start, that’s really quick, but if you start with a seed, maybe 60 days?
Wow. I’ve spent too much time in cities, I guess, because I thought it took, like, five or six years, or something.
A lot of this stuff was planted recently—it grows really fast.
What line of work are you in?
I do business development and renewable energy.
Are you a Seattle native?
No, I grew up in Pennsylvania.
What brought you to this area?
I got sick of living in D.C.
Do you live on Capitol Hill?
I do.
Any favorite hangouts on the Hill?
Going to random parks and stuff. And my backyard is pretty great, because there’s a patio. I like to hang out there with friends.
| BRANDON, 24 |
Do you live on the Hill?
I do not, I live in Fremont.
What brings you out to this part of town tonight?
I want to live extraordinarily, like Capitol Hill people.
You don’t live extraordinarily in Fremont?
No, I do not.
Why is Capitol Hill inherently better than Fremont?
Because it’s a mecca of bad-assness. It’s pretty bad-ass.
What are some of your favorite hangouts on the Hill?
I love the Canterbury. And I like the place that has brioche with eggs and those really skinny fries.
Brioche and skinny fries? Where is this magical place you speak of?
I wanna say it’s called 23?
Oh, 21 Doors?
That’s it.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to ride my bicycle and play guitar.
Do you ride your bicycle naked, like everyone else in Fremont?
Always. You can get a ticket otherwise.
Are you in a band?
Currently, no.
What kind of music do you like to play?
Really bad music.
What are some of your musical influences?
Some of the worst bands I can think of, like Kids on Fire, Dreadful Children, and the Conniption Fits. They’re the worst bands on the planet.
Are those local bands?
Yeah, but they act like they’re big shots.
What line of work are you in?
I work in a warehouse.
Do you have any big plans for Memorial Day weekend?
I have no plans other than cooking a brisket.
Okay, could you please explain to me—what the f*%k is a brisket?
I don’t exactly know where it comes from in the cow, but it’s what’s in a brisket sandwich at a barbeque joint. I’m going to smoke it on my barbeque, and see what happens.
How did you get the idea to cook a brisket?
I’ve had brisket sandwiches many a time, and it’s the most mouth-watering thing ever. And on my most recent trip to Costco, I saw some brisket there for $24—a piece of meat the size of a car.
If you drive a VW van, that’s really saying something. Any last thoughts on life on the Hill, or life in general?
I love cats.
| LUIS, 28 |
What are you up to today?
Getting my tattoo touched up.
Tell me about the tattoo.
It’s a Day of the Dead tattoo. It’s a day in remembrance of people who have passed on. My mom isn’t around any more, so this is like my mom watching over my heart.
That’s a really beautiful thought.
When I put my arm down, it’s at the level of my heart, so it’s like she’s watching over me, constantly.
Are you a Seattle native?
Yes, born and raised here.
Do you live on the Hill?
No, I live in Ballard.
Do you come out to the Hill very often?
Only if I need to. I’ll go to Neumos, and the tattoo shop…
What line of work are you in?
Auto-body shop, and security, and promotions.
Sounds like you have a lot going on!
I work seven days a week.
That must be hard.
It’s hard, but you just have to get through it. A lot of people our age don’t have a good work ethic.
If you work seven days a week, I imagine you don’t have a lot of free time. That said, what do you like to do in your free time?
I like to go out, so I figure doing security is a good way to do it, because I get paid to go out and socialize. And I save money while everybody’s getting drunk.
Does it ever drive you crazy to be a sober person among drunk people?
No, not really.
Any big plans for the Memorial Day weekend?
Jus relaxing, since I don’t have to work on Monday.
Any other thoughts about life on the Hill, or life in general?
I think it’s a great place. It’s changed a lot over the years. It’s become a lot more diverse, and there’s a lot more culture up here. It’s a lot more lively than it used to be.
More CHS Crow:
You thought it took 5 years to grow vegetables? The Native Americans and the pilgrims would have died for sure! ;)
Confession: I don’ t *literally* think it takes 5 or 6 years to grow some rainbow chard. That was an exaggeration intended for humorous effect (the kids, I hear, call this “joking”). On a related note, I don’t actually think that the fine products at Babeland would be effective gardening tools. Unless, you know, that’s what your into. In which case, no judgements!*
Correction: what *you’re* into. Not “your” (shudder).
[…] Silvana, Brandon & Luis — ‘I work seven days a week’ […]
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