So, you might have noticed that it’s been awhile since our last post.  Well, we’ve been a little busy and felt like a break might be in order.  A lot has happened with Savvy Tools over the past year, and we thought it might be time for a change.  We’re switching things up and moving to a new blog.  Check us out at Savvy Lifestyle!

Enjoy the time with family & friends!

We’ll talk to you again in the New Year.

Savvy

I’ve been working in Seattle for the past couple of weeks and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  It was my first time to visit, so I was anxious to explore all the city has to offer.  Alas, I couldn’t skip work during the day, so most of my site seeing was done in the dark or quickly over an hour lunch break, but I still managed fairly well.  It’s cold there and those that know me well, know I’m not a fan of that, but the temperature plus all the christmas lights helped get me in a much more festive mood. 

Here are just a couple of the highlights:

The Boat Street Cafe- my favorite restaurant that I visited, and I’ve been eating well, so that’s saying a lot.  It’s a little gem kind of tucked away off the beaten path.  The ambiance was amazing and the food was delicious! 

The Seattle Library:    

Obviously a must see in the city.  It’s by Rem Koolhaas and it opened in 2004.  Last year it was named one of the 150 best structures in the US by the AIA (American Institute of Architects). 

The Olympic Sculpture Park:

Unfortunately, I only saw this briefly in the rain & cold, so I don’t think I really got to experience how wonderful it is, but I’m definitely planning a trip back during the summer months and this will have to be my first stop.   It just opened last year.  It covers 9 acres and was a brownfield site occupied by oil and gas companies until the Seattle Art Museum had converted into a public park.

Tom Douglas restaurants:

I’d never heard of Tom Douglas before, but based on a recommendation, I tried one of his restaurants and afterwards made it a goal to try as many of the rest of them as I could during my stay.  I tried Lola, The Dahlia Lounge, and Serious Pie.  They were all amazing!!!   Potato Leek Ravioli with carmelized onions, truffle oil, and a little creme fraiche on top… Need I say more?

I’m obviously barely scratching the surface here.  There’s so much to do and many neighborhoods to explore.  If it weren’t for the weather, I’d seriously consider moving. 

Rebecca _SF

offices on the 2nd floor

Rebecca_SF

Do you have an idea that could change the world for the better and truly make a difference?  Google thinks with all the information out there that some of us must.  They created a whole project dedicated to that assumption called 10 to the 100th.  For their 10th anniversary they have committed to invest $10 million dollars in a winning idea(s).  The deadline to submit ideas on this one has passed (unfortunately, it was Oct. 20th), but you can still sign up to vote for the winners.  Voting starts Jan. 27th.  Google will post the top 100 ideas, the public will narrow it down to 20 projects, and then an advisory board will select up to 5 for funding.   

The intent of the project is to take advantage of “crowdsourcing”.  That’s the Internet-age idea that the collective wisdom of mass audiences can be leveraged to find solutions to design tasks.  Interesting thought… maybe one person can’t change the world, but together we all can.

Rebecca_ SF

It’s been crazy over the last few weeks with the news being filled with stories about how gas prices are actually declining.  This is a day we all probably thought we’d never see again, but here in KC, gas is down to about $1.63 in some parts.  With gas below $60 a barrel, we’re likely to see them drop again.  This is now my moment to be like Al Gore when he said he invented the Internet, but I really think that I have helped drive down the price.  Now, I know I am not alone in this effort and there are many factors that have led to this point, but sometimes I like to take the credit.  I can take this credit because I am an official carpooler!  I’m not talking just me and someone in shot gun, but a full car!  That’s right everyday I ride to work with 3 of my co-workers.  We are four proud everyday!  

Not only are we saving gas, but maintence costs on our cars as well.  I went from driving approximently 50 miles per day (about a thirty minute commute) to 6 miles a day total.  That reduces the number of oil changes and scheduled maintence.  We drive to a shopping parking lot everyday and one person is in charge of driving for the week.  That’s right I drive to work only one week a month.  One of my fellow ‘poolers (that’s what I call them) actually said she almost forgot how to get to work the other day because it felt like it had been so long since she had driven.  

Of course there are a few drawbacks and that’s convenience.  I do add about twenty minutes on my day driving to the meeting place and then home at the end of the day.  Also, it isn’t as easy to leave during the day to run errands or grab lunch, but we plan ahead and pack our lunch more.  You might also worry about emergencies and what you would do if you had to leave unexpedidly.  In KC there is a free service where once you register, you can call for a free taxi ride if your ride has to leave.  How cool is that?  Now you have no excuse.

All in all, it’s definetly been worth it to my sanity and my pocket book.  The drive goes by quicker on days where traffic is bad and I haven’t listened to annoying morning show DJ’s in months.  It does take a bit more planning, but I would recommend it to everyone.  We’ve been ‘pooling since June and you won’t find any compliants here.  Just because gas is cheaper doesn’t mean we have to use more!  My carpool has vowed to stick together even if gas continues to drop.  Go ‘poolers!!!

-Alison KC, MO

Congratulations to our new President-elect Barack Obama!

There was an amazing voter turn out today!  Let’s all take a moment to be thankful that we got to be a part of history.  I’m looking forward to the next 4 years.  Let’s hope we can get past the Republican and Democratic positions, come together as one, and create some positive change in our country.

Rebecca_SF

I’m about to start a new project designing a hostel/hotel in SF and to get some ideas forming, I started going through some of my favorite travel quotes that I’ve gathered over the years.  All of them had me dying to plan my next trip.  See what you think.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, & narrow-mindedness.”- Mark Twain

“The world is a book & those who do not travel read only one page. “- St. Augustine

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.” -Paulo Coelho

“Adventure is a path.  Real adventure- self-determined, self-motivated, often risky- forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world.  The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it.  Your body will collide with the Earth and you will bear witness.  In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness & bottomless cruelty of human kind- and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both.  This will change you.  Nothing will ever again be black and white.” – Mark Jennings

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do.  So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

“A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places.” – Isabelle Iberhardt

Rebecca_SF