Seahawks Draft Day

The draft is upon us. Tomorrow, 32 NFL teams will start a weekend long process of drafting their players for next year. Many teams are hoping to land their next star that will bring their franchise the Lombardi trophy.  The Seattle Seahawks have eleven draft pics available in the 2015 draft.  This does not include any deals that are made to move positions or players.  Here are some possible scenarios for the Seahawks draft selection.

Linebacker

There is a prediction that the Seahawks will pick a linebacker in one of the first few rounds of the draft.  One player that may be a possibility is Shaq Johnson.  He is a linebacker from the Washington Huskies that shows versatility in the position.  This is something that Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is known to like.   Johnson’s ability to play multiple positions makes him a great candidate for this Seahawks team.

Secondary

Injuries and trades have led many experts to believe that the Seahawks will be focused on restocking their secondary this draft weekend. The aging secondary is something that the Seahawks need to worry about for the future.  They want many strong options for their secondary, not just one player to rely on.  Expect to see a few new faces in the secondary this season coming from the 2015 Draft.

Draft Day Deals

The Seahawks are expected to make a few draft day deals this weekend. They are equipped with eleven draft selections which is more than anyone in the NFL.  This gives them plenty of options for swaps or trades for draft positions. This team and staff is also known for finding their best players in the later rounds.  These include Russell Wilson (third round) and cornerback Richard Sherman (fifth round) in the past few years of the draft.   We will have to watch the draft to see what deals are acquired to help fill out their roster.

All of these options could be seen as the Seahawks try to make the next Super Bowl winning team. We will see how this plays out tomorrow for the 2015 NFL Draft. You can watch the draft at home at Aspira.

Weekend Events in Seattle

This weekend in Seattle you can choose to relax at beautiful Aspira or you can explore the city.  We live in a great area with many events happening throughout the week.  However, this weekend Seattle has an event for every person in your friend group.  

Wine and Chocolate in Tahoma

This Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm at the Marymount Event Center is the annual Wine and Chocolate Affair.   Guests will receive a complimentary wine glass and five wine tokens to try various wines throughout the event. This event has hand picked many chocolate and wine vendors that will be complimentary to each other.   You can buy tickets here. 

Cherry Blosson Festival

This festival is only one mile Northwest of Seattle.  The Cherry Blossom Festival explores Japan’s culture and influence through performances, art, and activities.  This festival also gives you the opportunity to explore and taste different types of Japanese food.  This festival was founded when 1,000 cherry blossom treats were gifted to Seattle by Prime Minister Takeo Miki on behalf of the Japanese government in commemoration of the nation’s bicentennial.  

Clean Comedy

Clean Comedy is performing at the Atlas Theater through July 18th.  This comedy show is an improv based show that is played like a sport.  Two teams compete against each other in various improv games until one team is declared the winner by audience reaction.  This event is great for all ages from children to business groups. You can purchase tickets here. 

All of these events will keep you busy this beautiful weekend in Seattle.  You can explore different cultures and places in the city while having fun with friends and family.  Do you want to know what other events are happening around Aspira?  You can check out this Seattle events page. 

Seattle Food Trucks

Food Trucks are becoming super popular across the United States.  Food truck days or gatherings are advertised across social media outlets for people to make their way during their lunch break to get their favorite meal.  Seattle is lucky to have many great food trucks all within a close distance of work and Aspira Apartments.  There are eleven new food trucks coming to Seattle, and we have previewed a few of them below. 

Bread and Circuses

This truck is a take on a gastropub.  They have menu items like beer can chicken and potato tornado.  Make sure to check out their website by clicking the link above.  Their locations tab shows where the truck will be and at what times. This means that you can plan your lunch break or weekend trip ahead of time. 

Luchador Taco Co.

Full Tilt Ice Cream is a huge company in Seattle.  This ice cream company is now setting up shop with a new business, a vegan taco truck.  This taco truck will be starting it’s first day tomorrow, April 16th.  You can learn more about the company and where the new truck will be located by visiting their website. 

Meat on a Mission

Carnitas or Pork Shoulder?  This is not your everyday food truck. Meat on a Mission gives you plenty of options with four homemade sauces. Do not forget about their veggie hash called What Food Eats. You can find out where they will be on any given day through their website calendar. Grab some friends and get some delicious food that is not your everyday hot dog or cheeseburger. 

There are eight more unique food trucks that are coming to Seattle.  SeattleMet has your complete list so you can start planning out next week’s lunches.  Get there early!  You do not want to miss your favorite food truck meal. 

Indulge That Sweet Tooth

We all have a sweet tooth.  You might have one all the time, or you might just have sweet tooth cravings.  No matter which category you fall under, Seattle is one of the best places to grab a sweet treat.   We searched for some of the best treats you can try in the Seattle area.  These places are all pretty close to Aspira Apartments so you do not need to go far. Chocolate, vanilla, pies, and ice cream are just ingredients that might sound good to you.  Keep reading to see where you can grab these sweet snacks.

Hello, Robin:  Hello, Robin is a bakery on E. Capital Hill.  This bakery specializes making incredible cookies that have the detail of a wedding cake or fancy dessert. There is everything from a Mexican flavor to different renditions of the traditional chocolate chip. Hello, Robin is open everyday from 9am to 10pm. They are a great bakery to remember if you or a loved one has a nut allergy. They are proud to be nut free everyday. 

Parfait: Every adult needs to feel like a kid once in a while. The ice cream is made right behind the counter.   The fresh ice cream is then made into fancy ice cream cakes or push-up pops that are for all ages.  They are open everyday from 12pm to 10pm.  Take a trip this weekend to NW 56th treat and pretend to be a kid again. 

Crumble and Flake Patisserie: This famous Seattle bakery sells out regularly, but it is still worth the wait.  This small bakery in Capital Hill sells small macaroons and shortbreads that are in high demand throughout the area.  This bakery is closed Monday and Tuesday, but they are open until 3pm Wed-Sunday unless they sell out. Get up early and make sure to try these delicious treats. 

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery: This bakery is perfect for the chocolate lovers in Seattle.  This delicious chocolate shop is on Ballard Avenue NW.  This place will crave every sweet tooth you have with their chocolate chips and caramel sauce made with rye whiskey.  Do not forget about their pastries and drinkable desserts that you must try to.  

Make sure to check out these delicious bakeries next time you have a craving for something sweet.  If you want to try a few more places, make sure to visit the SeattleMet. 

Easter Brunches In Seattle

One of our favorite activities during the weekend is brunch. This Easter weekend there are many brunches to pick from. This is the perfect time to try out something new or explore a recommendation from a friend. These brunches are being held this Sunday April 5th at various times through the morning and afternoon. You can learn more at SeattleMet.

Put on your pastel-colored pants for one of the most brunch-filled days of the year and head to any of these Easter midmorning meals Sunday, April 5. (And one Greek Easter meal April 12.)

AgrodolceSpicy salami scones, lamb sausage hash, bottomless mimosas ($25)

Barking FrogSpecial a la carte Easter brunch menu (prices vary)

Bell and WheteFig and chocolate hazelnut crepe, grilled lamb’s leg with roasted cipollini (prices vary)

Cafe FloraSpice-apple cornmeal waffle, strawberry rhubarb french toast (prices vary)

Chandler's Crabhouse
House corned beef hash with poached eggs, broiled King salmon filet ($35)

Copperleaf at Cedarbrooks LodgeBuffet of smoked salmon, snow crab, herb-roasted leg of lamb, and more ($59)

Daniel's Broiler
Prime steak with Gruyère quiche, Dungeness crab omelet with Gruyère cheese ($45)

EquesEggs benedict with shaved prosciutto, citrus-braised pork shoulder with grits ($45)

Golden BeetleScotch egg with potato latkes, braised pork shank hash, spiced donuts ($25)

Grim'sSwedish pancakes, Spanish omelet, chocolate Easter egg martini (prices vary)

Hot CakesHousemade buttery biscuit with bacon, egg, and cheese, carrot cake, rhubarb mimosa ($3–$8)

Local 360Goat’s milk yogurt with fruit and honey, rabbit sausage biscuit sandwich (prices vary)

Marc RestaurantFrosted Flakes french toast, red crab oscar benedict, hot chocolate bar ($30)

Metropolitan GrillChicken-fried Wagyu steak and eggs, brioche french toast with honey butter and Vermont maple syrup (prices vary)

Miller’s GuildButtermilk fried chicken and biscuits, steak and eggs with mustard greens, housemade maple-glazed doughnut (prices vary)

Portals Restaurant at SuncadiaLamb shepherd’s pie with rosemary potatoes, ricotta gnocchi with roasted butternut squash (prices vary)

Ray’s BoathouseFried oysters and hollandaise, challah french toast with cinnamon-vanilla custard (prices vary)

Ray’s CafeBuffet menu includes bay shrimp mac and cheese, spring lamb, eggs benedict (prices vary)

Sazerac
Grilled lamb shank with creamy grits, creole eggs benedict with smoked ham and corn cake (prices vary)

Sushi Kappo TamuraEaster brunch Japanese-style with braised Snake River Ranch wagyu skirt steak, sashimi, and udon (prices vary)

*TavolàtaSuckling pig roast, mixed salumi board, pappardelle with braised lamb ($65)

TilthCheddar biscuits with smoked chicken gravy, sourdough waffle with apple compote ($30)

Trellis
Classic brunch served from an extended 6am to 2pm; special afternoon tea, happy hour, and dinner also available (prices vary)

UrbaneOrange-Cointreau brioche French toast, grass-fed beef burger with tomato chutney, mimosas (prices vary)

VolterraDuck leg confit with potato hash and fried eggs, chestnut pancakes, chianti-braised rabbit (prices vary)

Volunteer Park Cafe
Banana brioche French toast, housemade quiche, carrot cake cupcakes; plus a family-style three-course Sunday supper at 6pm (prices vary; $45)

Willows LodgeBuffet with an omelet and crepe stations, anise-spiced cherry French toast bread pudding, and more ($60)

ADVANCE NOTICE for Greek Easter lunch at Vios on Sunday, April 12 from 2:30 to 5.
Whole rotisserie Anderson Ranch spring lamb, chicken souvlaki, and much more ($65)

*Not actually a brunch, this is part of Tavolàta's ongoing Sunday Feast dinner series and begins at 6pm on Easter Sunday.

Rain Makes Art in Seattle

Sidewalk art can be seen all over the United States. Everyone has witnessed the 3D sidewalk art that makes you think you are falling. However, there is a new kind of sidewalk art that can be seen in Seattle.  Seattle's rainy weather is perfect for the artist Peregrine Church to try his new Rainworks. You can learn more here.

Famous for its notoriously rainy weather, Seattle is the perfect home for this new series of water-activated interactive artworks, illustrations, and hidden messages that only appear when wet. Titled Rainworks, the invisible pieces by Seattle-based artist Peregrine Church started popping up last year. Each installation is made from an environmentally safe, water-repellant coating that lasts anywhere from 4 months to a year. You can see more here. (via Vandalog, Metafilter)

March Madness Seattle Moments

Do you have any luck with the NCAA Bracket? March Madness has many great memories in Seattle. These games changed the course of many brackets throughout the years. Learn about the top ten moments below and at the Seattle Times.



#10: 1987 region final
In the West Region final at the Kingdome, top-seeded UNLV rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Iowa, 84-81, and advance to its first Final Four in 10 years. "It was a miracle the way we came back," UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "I thought we were living on borrowed time. You just don't come back against a team like that."


#9: 1999 first round
An unheralded team from Ogden, Utah, pulled off a major upset at KeyArena, as Harold "The Show" Arceneaux led No. 14 seed Weber State to a 76-74 victory over No. 3 North Carolina in the West Region. It was the first time in 23 years that the Tar Heels had lost in the first round. "Ever since I got here, people have been asking me: 'Where is Weber State?'" Wildcat guard Eddie Gill said. "If you watch basketball, you're not going to ask where is Weber State anymore." Arceneaux scored 36 points on 14-of-26 shooting. "We probably messed up a lot of people's office pools, but so what?" Arceneaux said.

#8: 1956 first round
Seattle University, making its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, defeats Idaho State, 68-66, at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in the first round. (Tickets for the game were $1.) It was the final victory at Seattle U for coach Al Brightman, who in eight seasons compiled a 180-68 record for Seattle. He remains the winningest coach in program history. (Two years later, Elgin Baylor would lead Seattle U to the NCAA championship game against Kentucky.)


#7: 1989 NCAA title game
In an overtime thriller at the Kingdome, Michigan beat Seton Hall 80-79 to win the national title. Michigan sharpshooter Glen Rice had 31 points in the final and broke a handful of scoring records en route to being named the tournament's most outstanding player. "Almost indescribable," Michigan interim coach Steve Fisher said about Rice. "He has been as good as there is." Rumeal Robinson sank the winning free throws with three seconds left. Seton Hall, after two timeouts, got one last look after a full-court pass, but Daryll Walker's three-point attempt bounced off the backboard, then off the rim and into Rice's hands as time expired.
#6: 1949 NCAA title game
In the first NCAA championship game held in Seattle, Adolph Rupp coached Kentucky to its second consecutive title with a 46-36 victory over Oklahoma A&M at Hec Ed. Kentucky's 6-foot-7 All-American Alex Groza, "big, hulking bear of a man," as described by the Associated Press, scored 25 points, despite fouling out with five minutes left, and was named the tournament's most outstanding player for the second year in a row. "It was a tough game all the way," Rupp said afterward. "We had to play this one the hard way, almost to the finish. We beat a good team and we're mighty happy about it."


#5: 1952 NCAA title game
This was the first time the NCAA tournament had a true Final Four at the championship site, and it was held at Hec Ed on the UW campus. Kansas, led by 6-9 All-American Clyde Lovellette and coach Phog Allen, won its first NCAA title, knocking off St. John's 80-63 in the championship game. "I was the biggest baby ever born in Pike County (Indiana), and the record still stands," Lovellette told The Seattle Times' Georg N. Meyers on a walk in the University District the morning of the title game. "When visitors leaned over my crib, they didn't say, 'Oooh.' They said, 'Oh, no!'" Wrote Meyers: "More recently, the cries of 'Oh, no!' have been uttered by anguished opponents of the Kansas basketball team." Lovellette set a championship-game record with 33 points. Fun fact: The Jayhawks had a 5-foot-10 reserve guard named Dean Smith, who would go on to win two more national titles as the head coach at North Carolina.


#4: 2004 second round
For a day, Seattle was Upset City. On the same court where its magical march had started five years earlier, Midwest Region second seed Gonzaga was blown out in the second round by 10th-seeded Nevada, 91-72, at KeyArena. It was a shocking end for a Zags team many had pegged as a Final Four contender. "There's a cruelness to this tournament," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "You're never ready for a season to end and then, poof, it's over." Gonzaga star Blake Stepp, one of the Bulldogs' five seniors, shot just 5 of 29 in the two subregional games. "If I make it to the NBA, I'm not going to be looking forward to coming to KeyArena." Following Gonzaga's exit, Stanford, the top seed in the West, again bounced early from the tournament in a 70-67 loss to No. 8 Alabama. For the fifth time in six years, the Cardinal was ousted in the second round. Stanford had a 30-1 record entering the game, its only regular-season loss coming two weeks earlier just a few miles away on the UW campus.


#4: 2004 second round
For a day, Seattle was Upset City. On the same court where its magical march had started five years earlier, Midwest Region second seed Gonzaga was blown out in the second round by 10th-seeded Nevada, 91-72, at KeyArena. It was a shocking end for a Zags team many had pegged as a Final Four contender. "There's a cruelness to this tournament," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "You're never ready for a season to end and then, poof, it's over." Gonzaga star Blake Stepp, one of the Bulldogs' five seniors, shot just 5 of 29 in the two subregional games. "If I make it to the NBA, I'm not going to be looking forward to coming to KeyArena." Following Gonzaga's exit, Stanford, the top seed in the West, again bounced early from the tournament in a 70-67 loss to No. 8 Alabama. For the fifth time in six years, the Cardinal was ousted in the second round. Stanford had a 30-1 record entering the game, its only regular-season loss coming two weeks earlier just a few miles away on the UW campus.


#3: 1995 NCAA title game
With star Tyus Edney limited by a wrist injury, UCLA's backup point guard, Cameron Dollar, was thrust into the most important position on the floor in the national title game against defending national champion Arkansas and its relentless full-court press. Before a crowd of 38,504 at the Kingdome, Dollar filled in capably to help the Bruins to an 89-78 victory. "If we were going to win," Dollar said, "it was going to be with me at the helm. Tonight it was my night." Dollar and the Bruins weren't fazed by the Arkansas trap. All-American Ed O'Bannon had 30 points and 17 rebounds, and freshman guard Toby Bailey had 26 points and nine rebounds as UCLA won its first title in 20 years. As for Dollar, he played 36 minutes — 16 more than his season average — and had six points, eight assists and four steals. Dollar, recruited to UCLA by Lorenzo Romar, is now in his sixth season as the coach at Seattle U.


#2: 1999 first and second rounds
Gonzaga, in its introduction as a mid-major power, enthralled the country while Richie Frahm, Casey Calvary and Matt Santangelo became household names. The Bulldogs' first steps toward national consciousness came at KeyArena, where they toppled seventh-seeded Minnesota and second-seeded Stanford to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time. "The Slipper Fits!" read the headline in The Seattle Times after the 10th-seeded Zags upset Stanford, a Final Four team a year earlier. The Bulldogs would advance to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion UConn. Two weeks later, Gonzaga coach Dan Monson and athletic director Mike Roth wrote a letter to the editor, published by The Times. "It all started in KeyArena," they wrote, "and the support the Bulldogs received made it the next best thing to a home game."



#1: 1984 NCAA title game
Ewing vs. Olajuwon. Georgetown vs. Houston. A historic night in the Kingdome. In the premier matchup of big men in NCAA tournament history, and in the first of three Final Fours held at the Kingdome, Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas topped Akeem Olajuwon's "Phi Slama Jama" Cougars, 84-75, before a crowd of 38,471. Two years after losing to Michael Jordan and North Carolina in the 1982 title game, Georgetown finished the job and made John Thompson the first African-American coach to win the national championship. The battle of the 7-foot stars didn't quite live up to the billing — Ewing (10 points, nine rebounds) and Olajuwon (15 points, nine rebounds) were both limited by foul trouble — but the difference for the Hoyas was their bench, which outscored the Cougars 43-13.