Blog Posts

Southern Barbeque in Puyallup

Southern barbeque is one of the few types of food that I always crave the moment someone mentions it. Doesnt matter what mood Im in, or if Ive been craving something else; once my thought are on Southern food, thats all I want. But there are precious few places to find really good barbeque if youre not in the South. Here are a few great barbeque restaurants in Puyallup: Po-Boy & Bar-B-Q Often, if youre trying to find good barbeque outside the south, youll run into too-high prices and mediocre food. At Po-Boy, however, youll find just the opposite. Their barbeque is prepared in a real wood smoker outside the restaurant and is served in generous portions. Sandwiches, salads, coleslaw, corn muffins, and other traditional Southern sides round out the meal, and all for a price that wont make your pocket feel much lighter. Famous Daves Although its a chain restaurant, Famous Daves in Puyallup is known for its local feel and great food. They pride themselves on picking choice cuts of meat, hand-rubbing them with the best spices, and slow-smoking them for hours over smoldering hickory logs. Famous Daves barbeque has won over seven hundred awards around the nationtheres a reason the chain does so well! Plus, they offer catering for events, so you can get great barbeque for any occasion. Bourbon Street Bar and Grill If you really want to dig into the food of the American South, however, Id recommend the Bourbon Street Bar and Grill. In addition to slow-smoked barbeque and delicious cornbread, youll find amazing gumbo, jambalaya, baked oysters, homemade beignets, and a wide variety of other Creole and Cajun dishes. In true Southern fashion, the restaurant is as unassuming as it gets, homey and simple and more focused on the food than the dÃ©cor. But the trade-off is a delicious variety of Southern food at good prices.

A Comedy Tonight Comedy Classics

Its been a long week, its Friday night and you have the evening free. What better to do than pop some popcorn, open a bottle of your favorite brew, and settle in to watch a comedy. The most difficult thing about the whole venture is choosing what to watch. Never out of style, and appealing to the funny bone in all of us, comedy classics are sure to please. So throw on your jammies, relax in your apartment, and get prepared to laugh away the evening. To help you out, we have compiled a list of classic comedies to work your way through. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Get ready for a throwback to the psychedelic sixties, via ancient Rome, in this classic comedy. An all-star cast, including the talents of Zero Mostel, and Phil Silvers shows us what happens when a hapless slave must unite his twitter-pated young master with a virgin courtesan before his mistress gets home. McClintock! A western comedy, McClintock! will have you laughing out loud. Watch the sparks fly as McClintock (John Wayne) and his estranged wife, (Maureen OHara) engage in a battle of wills, only coming to a temporary, short-lived truce for their daughters homecoming. Throw in the conflict between the settlers, the Indians, and the townfolk, and you have a recipe for mischief. Definitely and 1960s piece, McClintock! is never-the-less a lot of fun, indeed. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad World What do you get when you throw a dozen of Hollywoods leading comics together? What producer/director claimed would be the comedy that would end all comedies. And, his comedy certainly has endured. Released in 1963, this comedic race to find the fortune buried under the big W will have you giggling, turn-by-comedic turn. And for some of todays best comedies, check out this list . And next time, schedule the big screen in the clubhouse and invite our friends. Drop a line in comments and tell us what your favorite classic comedy is today.

Using the Fitness Center at Your Community

When was the last time you used the on-site fitness center at your community? If you are a regular user, kudos to you. If its been awhile, you may want to start using this great amenity. Granted, sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to start, or to keep going day after day, week after week, month after month. But, the payoff of looking and feeling better is worth the effort it takes. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the gymn: Tip #1 Set a regular time for exercise. Try several different time frames to figure out which one works best for you; then make a commitment to do it according to your schedule, and do your best to be consistent (and if you miss, just start again the next time). And if youve ever tried the form a habit in 21 days, you will want to read this article about how habits are actually formed. Tip #2 Create a routine that challenges you, but isnt too difficult. And it might be a good idea to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. This article at WebMD provides a good overview of appropriate questions to ask. Tip #3 Track your progress so you can see how often you are exercising, and the results of your hard work. Whether you use a Fitbit, or simply jot down every time you exercise in a notebook, simply keeping track can help you to maintain regular exercise. Tip #4 Set up a support group and/or find a buddy to exercise with. Someone, being accountable to someone else for showing up to exercise can be the perfect motivator. Reporting to a group can give us a place to share our exercise triumphs and tragedies. Find your own cheering team. Tip #5 Take the time to learn how all of the machines work. Using the exercise machines properly can make a huge difference in how effective the exercise you do actually is. After your workout, you will be ready to hit the pool and relax! Please share a comment about how starting a fitness program has impacted your life.

Hike-A-Thon for Washington Trails Association

When summer comes around it is hard to ignore the beauty that surrounds us here in Puyallup. Between the world famous Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, and the lesser known but equally beautiful Nisqually refuge, you dont have to go too far from Willow Hill to enjoy some world class hiking and exploration for next to nothing. As much as I would prefer otherwise, these extensive and well maintained trail networks do not simply appear and take care of themselves. As a matter of fact, they are cultivated and managed almost exclusively through the efforts of volunteers organizations comprised of outdoor enthusiasts just like yourself. The Washington Trails Association, known colloquially as WTA, is one of the main groups taking an active role in preserving our natural spaces for future generations. This includes a variety of efforts from trail building and maintenance, to environmental reconstruction projects. And, while much of the labor is happily provided at no charge by local citizens wanting to give back, they still need to raise quite a bit of capital to cover their fixed costs and the cost of materials that go into these projects. To help with these costs, WTA is hosting a hike-a-thon next month where they invite you to make the miles you are already hiking count for something more. All youve got to do is register on the WTA website before August 1, then get friends, family and coworkers to sponsor you. Keep track of your miles and you could win one of a variety of prizes from the events sponsors including Outdoor Research, Platypus, Oboz and more! So what are you waiting for? Go register for hike-a-thon and start gathering pledges today!

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Storage. No matter how much storage we have in our homes, we manage to fill it up. And then what? How about some tips for creating/maximizing your storage space. First, purge. Simply getting rid of extra things that you dont really need cuts down on the clutter. Consider donating your gently used clothing and household items to a womens shelter, a Goodwill, or a halfway house. Knowing that something that was just taking up space has found a new home and is being used, creates warm fuzzies inside. Do you actually need to keep every single paper that comes home from school? Or notebooks from college? Or ten-year old business reports? But what if you may actually need it, or what if you really love it? Take a picture that way you can keep the memory intact, without having to keep the stuff. After purging, look for furniture that can double as storage. For example,put your bed on risers, and then use the space underneath to store items that are rarely used, decorations come to mind. What about seating that doubles as a storage chest? Or use a loft bed, which leaves room underneath for a desk, toy box, or cubed storage. Go vertical. The back of the door is a great place to gain some storage. A shoe organizer can do duty as a holder for office supplies, or in the kitchen it can hold all of the random little things that currently clutter the drawers. Bookshelves and baskets are a pleasing combination that can keep game controllers out of the way, and off the floor, provide a place for random DVDs, and keep the books you are currently reading handy. If you have a balcony, outfit it with weatherproof boxes for additional storage. Or hang your kite collection on the wall there, adding a decorative touch. Is your closet overflowing? Rotate your clothes on a seasonal basis. Put the off season in totes (perhaps they can go under the bed) and keep what you are currently wearing on the shelves and hanging up. As you sort at the end of each season, cull old and worn out items before you put away them away in storage. At the end of the day (or week, or month) after you have created a place for everything, and everything is in its place, admiring your clutter free spaces will bring a smile of satisfaction to your lips. Please feel free to share your storage tips in the comments.

Charity Rides around Puyallup

So you finally caved and bought a motorcycle. I cant blame you; they make them look so cool on Sons of Anarchy and shows like that. But now that youve got the bike and the protective gear you probably find yourself looking for excuses to go out and ride. Well, what better excuse is there than a ride for charity? On Saturday, July 26 you will have your choice of two charity rides in the Puyallup area. Destination Harley-Davidson and BLACKSTAR PRODUCTIONS, proudly present the 3rd Annual Kids With Cancer Fundraiser . The event kicks off with breakfast at Destination Harley at 9:30. Then, at 11:00 its kickstands up the ride begins. Participants will travel together to The Royal Bear in Algona, making a few stops and events along the way. Events include a poker run, demonstrations and even a bikini bike wash! There will be live performances from six bands and two comedians scheduled throughout the day. Check out the events Facebook page for tickets and additional information. If you want to participate in a charity ride, but would prefer a slightly shorter ride, head to South Sound Motorcycles and sign up for their Ride to the Pig ! This event has no official starting point, but focuses instead on the destination; this ride concludes at the Minimus Maximus food truck. This ride encourages riders to form teams to support one common charity. The team with the most participants at the destination wins a $1000 donation to the charity of their choice!