Monday, September 12, 2011

Long Live Film

I miss film cameras. Every shot matters when you only have 24 pictures in a roll. I miss the complexity involved in threading the film and the thrill of picking up the developed photos at the drug store. It was like opening up a present you made yourself, a surprise present none the less. You had no idea which shots would turn out and which wouldn’t, that made it fun, and sometimes disappointing.

These days I can cram a thousand crappy shots on my iPhone without missing a beat. The Cannon SLR can blow through 15 shots in a matter of seconds. I now have hard drives, online storage, multiple CDs and DVDs loaded with memories, but they don’t seem to mean as much. These days you take a picture and you store it. No one goes through a thousand pictures on a trip down memory lane. Isn’t that sad? When I only had 24 shots, I thought long and hard about each one before I clicked the shutter, I cared about every single picture in a way that is lost in this digital age ours.

Things change and I totally get that, but I think there should be room made for the things that require patience and forethought. Our children are growing up in a world on-demand; don’t you think that’s sort of sad?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Discovering Georgio's Subs in Tumwater

First full day in Tumwater Washington and we are hungry, not just for food, but for the sites and sounds of a new place. Everything feels fresh, as if we're on vacation. Mount Rainier rises up as we take a hill and we all stop to gawk at what everyone else seems to take for granted. It's good be new.

Slipping through the trees and buildings of Tumwater like hunters in search of prey, or at least a nice place to eat, we come upon a newer addition to the small town, a glorious hole-in-the-wall type sub sandwich place called Georgio's. My wife groans, she was hoping for Japanese, but we have no idea where to find a Japanese place, so Italian subs will have to do. Her feelings change instantly as we enter the small shop. The main wall is made of chalk board. Colored chalk art created by both customers and local artists scroll along its green veneer. Neil Gaiman's Coraline is playing on the television, and toys from the 80's line small shelves. My wife notices a 3" Skeksi from The Dark Crystal haunting the counter top and she is sold on this place without even trying the food. Anyone who has a Skeksi in their possession, let alone on display, is worthy of some consideration in her book.

The menu is not typical, as expected. The bread is made fresh daily *YAY*. There are a few standard items, but the twists are refreshing; sandwiches with horseradish mayo or BBQ sauce in place of the old mayo and mustard fare are just the tip of the iceberg. The master chef, a high energy sort of dude with heavy gauge rings stretching his earlobes and tattoos decorating his arms, suggests which subs are the best of the best along with their traditional preparations. He is passionate about what he does, and I immediately like this guy.  For something really different my wife jumps on the Mohawk sub. The Mohawk is a roast beef sub on sourdough bread topped with warm chicken salad and served with au jus. It sounds odd but tastes AWESOME! She also snags a bowl of clam chowder which is wonderful. My daughter chows down on ham turkey and cheese with BBQ sauce, and I get a simple steak and cheese. Everything is amazing, but the Mohawk wins the day; hands down it is one of the best subs I have tasted in years.

The menu at Georgio's is worthy of, at the very least, a monthly visit. I have so many more subs that I must try there. The vibe is perfect. All and all it's a good first day in Tumwater. My belly is full, my senses are on overload, and the weather is pristine. Let's hope everyday is this good.

If you would like to visit Georgio's, here is the address.

Georgio's Subs
 
5765 Littlerock Rd SW
Tumwater, WA 98512
(360) 350-0255