Apparently, if there’s a nationally broadcast NFL game in Seattle, Mother Nature must be announce itself with authority. We had a lovely snowstorm to make Brett Favre feel at home when Green Bay came to play on Monday night some weeks ago. Yesterday, we had a nasty wind storm that wrecked havoc on power lines throughout the region.

Locally, a branch from a tree two houses up came down on a rugged Alaskan Volvo. Everyone is fine, and the car actually looks reasonably OK (scratches on the roof probably give it more character!):

We’re all safe and sound here at the ranch. Phone is out but that’s because the repair guy is working on it; we have power & heat, so no worries.

Bella Rosa, one of my favorite restaurants as well as my wife’s, has apparently been sold! My wife was driving by and noticed the signage was down and the windows were covered with white paper. While we surmised that it could be a remodel during Thanksgiving restaurant dead-time, the lack of outside signage made us worried. So I called… and found out the horrible truth! Not sure on the details yet, but apparently Atouani and Ali Chalal, the owners, are moving out of state somewhere. At least that’s what the woman who answered the phone said.

No idea if they’ll still have fine Moroccan delicacies such as Cous Cous Merguez (one of my favorites) or Shrimp Pilpil, or even the Italian dishes like Vitello ala Dolce Vita.

Ah well… it was the restaurant at which I proposed to Mary Kaye and we’ll always have those memories. And we’ll see how things are when they reopen under new management in January… hopefully, they won’t be another clone of La Dolce Vita Salute La Piazza, which is the less good Italian place on the corner.