Like most people, I look forward to Thanksgiving with a well-seasoned mixture of gluttony and guilt. I can’t help but look forward to that big, well-browned bird and its friends—the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, the gravy, the green beans with those crispy onion things. I’ve learned over the years, that I can enjoy the gluttony, with very little guilt, if I get out and burn off some calories before the feast is on the table.

And this year we can do it together. Come on down to the Centre at Norpoint on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, and join me in the Turkey Trot Fun Run. It’s only a 5-k run, or a 2-mile walk (with a special walk for the kids), but you’ll feel righteous for having done it. There are also prizes (Prizes? Who needs prizes with a 20-pound turkey at home in the oven?) and snacks (ditto). Then we gobble.

Bon appétit,
Dale

If you golf, you know that fall means the end of sunny days on the links. So, get it while the getting’s good. The Hotel Murano has a great hotel package right now, with a tee-time included to play on the course Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine named the best of 2007 and Golf Digest, in 2008, deemed the best new public course.

I guarantee that the Chambers Bay Golf Course is one of the most spectacular you will ever see. Right on the Puget Sound, you’ll enjoy magnificent views, grass-covered dunes, and not a golf cart in sight. That’s right, you duffers, it’s a walking course (with caddie-service available).

After a day on the greens, head back to the Murano for the night, $60 toward the Savi Day Spa (hey, I could use a massage these days after walking 18 holes), breakfast and parking. Fore!

See ya later,
Dale

Have I told you that Indian food is my absolute favorite? I haven’t? Well, it is. The spices, the sauces, the chutneys, oh my. So, I’m always on the lookout for a great place I haven’t tried. We’re lucky, here in Tacoma, to have the Bombay Bistro, and luckier still that they’re having a special event.

Tonight (Nov 6, 2009), head down to Sixth Avenue. The Bistro is hosting a limited seating dinner at a cost of only $30 per person. The night will feature a buffet of their specialties (which I really hope will include Ragani Ghost, a delicious lamb curry) and traditional Indian music by Pandit Debi Prasad Chatterjee and Ravi Albright. They also have a full bar and you’re crazy if you don’t try the mango martini; it’s just the best.

Oh, and by the way, Bombay Bistro was also voted best overall restaurant in Tacoma. That should sweeten the deal.

Ta ta,
Danielle

If you’ve ever been to Mexico in October, you know that the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is such a cool, colorful holiday. On November 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is a way for family and friends to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died.

This year, you can come check it out, too. On October 17, the Tacoma Art Museum began a two-week observance of the holiday, and is holding a community-wide celebration at the museum on Sunday, November 1. In the museum lobby, local artists will be creating a colorful tapete (sand painting). Everybody is also invited to join in on building a collaborative altar, or ofrenda.

If you’ve never seen the amazing folk art, altars, dance, and music associated with this holiday, here’s your chance. It really is a great, life-affirming experience. And don’t let the skeletons scare you!

Ta ta!
Danielle