This is what SUCCESS looks like

It was finally here.  The day we’ve been waiting for.  What all the wind sprints, tuck and rolls, illegal u-turns, and Arby’s roast beef sandwiches prepared us for – dinner at Canlis!  The day was filled with anticipation and excitement as Team Menu Impossible prepared for their final prize. 

When the clock hit 4PM, Blake Light and I got ready in our little black dresses while Hot Sushi waited patiently in his dapper blue suit and in famous John Varvatos boots.  We headed down to the coffee shop/bar where our favorite barista popped open the celebratory bottle of champagne that Blake Light had generously provided for us.

 

Back in Blake Light’s car, the scene of so many Team MI fails, we could barely contain ourselves as she carefully drove the several miles to Canlis.

After finally arriving at Canlis and being greeted by an enthusiastic hostess, we were seated at Table 29 (the best one!) and immediately ordered our pre dinner martinis.

Our wonderful server, Joe, brought us our menu and began to explain the rules (what we could order, how much, and no, I couldn’t order one of everything and a very big To Go box).  Then began the appetizers.

Chestnut and Chocolate Soup with Foie Gras Creme Brulee

Steak Tartare

Canlis Salad

We had found out earlier in the day that Monday was B Canlis’ only night off!  What?!?!?  We had done this all for him!!!  We were disappointed, but figured this just gave us an excuse to go back again.  However, while devouring the third course, we saw him.  Coming down the stairs in a jacket and jeans (tisk tisk) was B Canlis himself!  He stopped by just to see us!!

We felt so happy that he took the time to come see us (and would like to send a note of gratitude to R Canlis for lending him to us for half an hour).  We were a bit saddened that M Canlis wasn’t there to see us as well, but don’t worry M – we’ll meet again.

After B sadly left, it was time for the main course.  Since the 1950s menu was technically just for two diners, Hot Sushi and I decided to take advantage of the deal and go with the Muscovy Duck (highly recommended by Joe) and Blake Light picked the Filet Mignon off of the regular menu.  The Duck was first presented to us as a whole duck, and then brought out to us a few minutes later cut in half.

The whole Muscovy Duck

The Duck Presenter

Half Muscovy Duck

Twice Baked Potato

Wagyu Filet Mignon

I must say – that duck may have been the best meal I’ve ever had.  Hot Sushi and I both went to sleep that night dreaming of ducks.  If I were to go back to Canlis, I would have a hard time ordering anything else (although one bite of Blake Light’s filet and I know that her meal came in a very close second).

About this time was when the piano man started playing some recognizable tunes.  Thinking there was no way he would know it, we sent Joe over with the request of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (a sort of anthem for Team Menu Impossible).  Not 5 minutes later, piano man began one of the best renditions of “Bad Romance” I’ve ever heard.  Blake Light and I just had to accompany him with the words.

Next up – after dinner drinks, compliments of B Canlis.  He ordered us a round of Café Diablo and told us to ask the waiter to get the flame above his head.  Instantly intrigued, we relayed this information to David, who wheeled out the cart of goodies for the drinks.  David did an amazing job getting the flame to go well over his head (while I’m sure losing several arm hairs).  We appreciated the show, as did all of the diners around us.

David preparing our drinks

The Flame going above David's head

Cafe Diablo

Cheers!

While David was preparing our drinks, out came our desserts. They were absolutely delicious.

Chocolate covered Chocolate

Creme Brulee

Earlier in the night, we had joked that we should ask piano man to play “Dynamite” (a favorite of the team), assuming that he wouldn’t know it.  Well, to our utter delight, he started playing our song!!!  Blake Light and I couldn’t resist throwin’ our hands up in the air.

The last surprise was a plate of mini peppermint cupcakes, courtesy of the restaurant (and the 9 different employees that came up to us throughout the night to tell us how happy they were that we found a menu and that they read our blog – we love you too!).  The cupcakes were the perfect final course to this fabulous meal.

Mini peppermint cupcakes and chocolates

Hot Sushi demonstrating how mini they really are

We couldn’t believe that our dinner that we had been anticipating for months was now (4 hours later) finally over.  It exceeded expectations in every way possible, and we all vowed to come back very very soon.  Thank you Canlis family for a truly unforgettable evening.  We appreciate it more than you know.

Until New Years Eve,

Hot Sushi, Blake Light, and Wink Wink ;)

Day 50: No More Menus To Go

Clue #50: May the past provide you (with clues to guide you) great pride for what’s ahead! 4:6:3, 1:3:2, 21:3:11, 45:9:2, 18:4:4 #canlismenus

As you may or may not have heard, Menu: Impossible found our meal ticket. That being said, we did not find it fair to attempt the final hunt (that and we were all tied up in other ways). Now with that being said, the real work was about to begin. We have two phases of training ahead of us.

Phase I: prepare for what is to be a fantastic evening. We have consulted with the best nutritionists out there on how to expand our stomachs so that there is no disparity between our eyes, appetite, and gastronomic capacity. Wink Wink has been put on a strict nuggie diet and is perfecting her "nuggarito" recipe as we speak; Blake Light is training with the master hot dog eating champion from Japan; and I get all the Arby's I can handle. This gluttonous free-for-all only lasts through our Canlis meal, and then it is on to the hard work.

Phase II: prepare for the final hunt. We have been tossing around costume ideas, and will be ready to work of Phase I's presumably massive impact. Emphasis on massive. Wink Wink will go back to her wind sprints and is challenged to get herself down to a 12.37 minute mile, tucking and rolling over and under hurdles at the track. Blake Light is taking a "crash" course driving tutorial - I recommend you all stay off the roads of West Seattle the next couple of weeks. I will be purchasing some state of the art running shoes so as to give my boots a rest. They were made for walking, yes, but not for running - in the rain - uphill.

We are proud of our success and look forward to the next leg of our journey. See you all soon.... watch your backs!

Best of luck,

Hot Sushi, Blake Light, and Wink Wink

Day 49: 1 Menu....no, wait!

Clue #49: Eagle red! As seats, eyes rest.

Well my friends, it looks like this is it! Menu: Impossible has finally realized our collective dreams of SUCCESS! To be honest, we really didn't know if this day would come true, and the fact that is was #49 only added to what was to be a dramatic hunt. This is our story.

It was the day of our organization's Holiday party. Wink Wink was at the party-planning helm and made for a beautiful event... not to mention the food. Way to go Wink Wink! We knew the clue was coming around 4:00 pm - smack dab in the middle of the celebration. Blake Light and I were armed and dangerous and out the door within seconds of the clue's release. We instantly figured it was the Olympic Sculpture Park and with stakes this high, had no time to second guess.

We parked and ran for it. And ran. And ran. I started at the eye benches. Blake Light made for the Calder statue. Was this too obvious? Those Canlis brothers have been mighty tricky as of late and we knew that it would not be so easy this close to the end. To make matters more intense, there was B. Canlis, circling the park waiting for that lucky person to make the discovery. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, Blake Light and I regrouped.

There is something else we are not seeing. We reviewed lessons learned from all those many past FAILS! and had an idea: word puzzle! These guys love those! First we saw "taste" from seats in the clue. Nope - not at the restaurant. Then it happened: as if the clouds parted and divine intervention pulled the letters of the phone in front of our eyes- DaVinci Code style. ERASER!!! The first letter from each word.

We ran for it - Blake Light to the path, me to the sculpture. After a tongue lashing from beyond, I was relegated to the path. It was there, but where??? B. Canlis yelled out that the menu was NOT out of bounds. I saw a small boundary fence and thought that this was the closest you could get to the sculpture while obeying park rules. I searched and there it was. WE FOUND THE MENU!!! A calm washed over me as I yelled to Blake Light that I had it. She started jumping for joy, yelling to B. Canlis that we found it.

It was a great way to end the first leg of the journey. Our only regret - and it is a big one - is that Wink Wink could not be there. We tried to have B. Canlis call her to tell her the news, but alas! there was the party. We could almost see her tuck and rolling between the sculptures. The upside is we three will be having a lovely meal together, as it was meant to be. Now the hardest part: What do I wear? Should I buy them wrist corsages? See you soon B. and M. Canlis!!

SUCCESS!!


 
Winning Team! (Wink Wink played by Mirabelle)
 

Day 48: 2 Menus To Go

Clue #48: Wake up and take your vitamins.

Vitamins? More like the hair of the dog for ol’ Hot Sushi! After a rousing two rounds of cocktails and eats for the full Menu: Impossible team, Blake Light and I thought it best to find a nice cozy spot to hunker down in and plan for the remaining three menus. Again – only three left – no room for error here. As we were in my neck of the woods, which just so happens to be Canlis’ neck of the woods, we thought, “What better spot to strategize in than the home base??”

So we went for it. We sauntered into the Canlis bar and found a nice spot in front of the piano man. We mulled things over, trying to draw inspiration from the point of inspiration. We were feeling good, but of course that could have been the cocktails talking. After a lovely drink, dessert, and a Kenny G sighting, we departed for the car and headed home; a sparkle in our eyes and a kick to our step. Again, the cocktails.

My 5:00 am wake up call was not a welcome sound, especially after tuck and rolling into bed around midnight. As has been customary, I quickly went to the Facebook page to my utter disappointment. The clue was released and found – all before 5:00 am? I thought I got up early, but I guess only the really early bird catches the worm. Or menu as it were.

So there it was: we would not meet our stretch goal, but still have two chances left. Things aren’t looking so good.

FAIL!

Day 46 & 47: 3 Menus To Go

Clue #46: Use an eclipse to make a period, but red, white and blue would be out of character for the first and last of its kind.

After wrapping up a few morning meetings, I was back at my desk, Google all ready to go, waiting for the clue that was to come around noon. As Blake Light and Wink Wink were out of commission due to a long meeting of their own, I was flying solo on this one. I was a mixture of fear and optimism. Fear because I was all alone to pull off the research, solve the clue, and get to the destination – all the while still being “at work.” Optimism because I thought, I am now the underdog and the underdog has to win. Too optimistic??

Luckily my meetings were done for the day, save a departmental potluck at 1.30. The clue came, but the answer did not, at least not to me. I searched and searched – ranging in ideas from old Seahawks uniforms (Qwest?) back to Sunset Park in West Seattle (ah, memories). I was feeling the sweat bead up on my brow from the panic that was starting to set in. Blake Light was messaging me left and right, but it was no use.

Then it came! A clue? That is what I first thought, but no! ANOTHER CLUE!!

Clue #47: Who’d have thought Gato would look so graceful, but Micah must have known.

I felt like a circus juggler who just had one more chainsaw thrown into my purveyance. What to do? Focus on the new clue or stick with the track I was on. Opting for the devil I knew, I continued on the history of Seattle eclipses. To add yet another bowling pin to the chaos at hand, a clue for #46. Again: I AM ONLY ONE MAN!

Hint: Bikes are best or bring a friend, there is no parking at the end.

That did it! I figured it out! Being a frequent guest of Discovery Park, this clue made it click for me. Also, it was on our list of perspective hotspots, which I was at that moment consulting for good measure. The bad news was 1) I had no way to get there, and 2) it had just been found. Meanwhile at a clue across town…

I was utterly stumped. I will be honest and tell you that I could not even adequately make any attempts to Google this one I was so stumped. I just wanted it to be over. Soon enough, I got my wish, the menus were found, and I could return to my optimistic state. Three more menus to go, after all. That was what we set out for those many weeks back. We’ve got to be spot on from here on out – a lofty task indeed, but not impossible for team Menu: Impossible.

FAIL!

FAIL!

Day 45: 5 Menus To Go

Clue: The organ stops, the circle drops, and captives cry in vain.

With Hot Sushi working late, Blake Light and I decided to co-locate for the evenings clue over a few glasses of wine.  As this has proved to not be our strong suit in the past, we limited our consumption.  After waiting around in Belltown and getting no hints, we decided to make our way closer to my home in Greenlake.  While on our way, we saw that the clue would be announced around 8PM.  This would be perfect (as long as it’s on the north side)!  We ordered a glass of wine at the wine bar and let the bartender know that we may have to suddenly run out of the bar at a moment’s notice.  After a little explaining, she understood.

When the clue dropped, we were confused (surprise!).  After a few Google searches for organs and circles in Seattle, we thought the Paramount seemed like a good idea.  I threw my credit card at the bartender, told her we’d be back, and away we flew in the pouring down rain towards downtown in Blake Light’s trusty wheels.

With Hot Sushi on speakerphone, we discussed the possibility of the Paramount, as well as St Mark’s Cathedral.  When I got a phone call from a fellow hunter/poker buddy saying that he was on his way to Benaroya Hall (where they have a huge organ and a circle in the middle) we decided to deviate from the original plan and head that way too. 

I did my now famous tuck and roll out of Blake Light’s car and ran as fast as my rain boots could take me to Benaroya.  I scoured the lobby and was even approached by someone to see if I was here for the “event”.  I quickly realized the event in question was not a menu hunt.  I updated Facebook again and found out that it was actually at Woodland Park.

Of course it would have to be right by where we were having our after work wine!  We drove right past Woodland Park on our way downtown.  Had we figured this one out, we easily could’ve been the first ones there.  We went back to the bar, cold and depressed.  The bartender couldn’t even hide her disappointment in us as she took our picture. 

FAIL!

A Letter to The Brothers Canlis

Dear Mark and Brian Canlis,

When I got home last night after an evening of holiday shopping with Blake Light, I was tired and ready for bed.  I washed my face, took out my contacts, and put on my cozy Christmas-themed pajamas (don’t judge).  I was just about to hop into bed when I got a text from a coworker reading “free drinks at Canlis?”  I was instantly intrigued.  After debating back and forth about whether we could make it on time, we decided to go for it.  I’ve never gotten ready so fast in my life (as you could probably tell at the first sight of me)!

You two were so gracious to invite all menu hunters to your restaurant for free drinks and truffle fries.  My drink was refreshing (just as the waiter suggested) and the truffle fries were gobbled up in a flash.  It’s not like me to get up and go out at 10PM on a Tuesday night on a whim, but I am so glad that I did.  Meeting you two was the highlight of my week, month, and year. I was so giddy after I got home I couldn’t fall asleep!

Mark – Thank you for making us feel famous.  It makes the whole team happy that you read this little blog and are rooting for us to find a menu.

Brian – Thank you for being so excited to meet the 3^rd member of the team.  Your face was priceless when I told you I was Wink Wink.

Thank you both for your words of encouragement as this epic journey comes to a close.  As you know, Menu:Impossible will be there til the end. 

Sinceerely,

Wink Wink  ;)

Day 44: 6 Menus To Go

Clue: Fit this shoe, have a clue, and come to where the sound debuted.

The title of this entry is "Same as it ever was"

With six menus to go, I'd like to take a moment to reflect – in song. In the words of David Byrne I can't help but wonder, how did we get here? This is not our house! We are smart people! We can spelunk, scuba dive, AND scale large buildings – three-legged race style with one hand behind our backs (with the exception of Wink Wink, of course). Yet here we are again...the feeling of failure haunting us like that Arby’s sandwich that Hot Sushi finally gave in to.

Same as it ever was today: FAIL!

While some of us fortunate folk have been partaking in the hunt since Day 1, most of us have FAIL!ed day after day. Facebook posts from co-hunters have ranged in emotion from elation to desperation, sadness to rage. Some have commented that they send their friends to potential locations hours in advance of the clue. Others have been CONVINCED of wrong locations. A selected few even post the right location – a controversial topic, indeed! One thing remains constant: Menu: Impossible’s dedication to the cause and focus to wade through the extraneous to keep our eye on the prize. The Brothers’ Canlis have been nothing short of generous and it has earned our deepest respect.

Canlis, we feel your pain. None of us have had to be in your position to formulate SUCCESSfully difficult clues for the past 44 days. None of us have had the city following our cars, our faces, and our place of business as you have done. So, hats off to you! Through and through, you have exemplified a level of class that is unparalleled with a spirit unbroken.

While we prepare for that fateful day of December 11^th, we aim to only do the best we can. We will continue our wind sprints and hill climbs! We will continue our brain-addling riddle drills. We refuse to FAIL! and will settle only for SUCCESS!  But alas, for today,

FAIL!

Day 43: 7 Menus To Go

Clue: 10 bucks South

While I will not bore you with the details of yet another search gone awry - sitting in Blake Light’s car, waiting for inspiration to hit, going nowhere - I will talk briefly about pressure. The pressure has hit. The pressure has hit us hard. Team Menu: Impossible, though a humble group by nature, cannot believe we are in this place. When we started this journey those 43 clues ago, we thought we’d have it in the bag by now. But facts are facts and FAIL! means FAIL!

Because the clues put us in a near-constant state of duress, we thought it would be fun to let B. Canlis and Co. experience the fun of the hunt! Solve the clue below, find team Menu: Impossible, and win a prize (or just deliver a menu??). Good luck, should you choose to accept.

Clue #1: WB WORJ FT SBFTTKB IEGKLRBN'S RBSBFRIE GNSTGTUTB FT 9TE FNL STBWFRT

As we’ve been saying, “Goonies never say die!” and neither does Menu: Impossible. We have our aspirational Success! cards in pocket and are ready to go. See you this weekend!

FAIL!

Another Letter to B. Canlis

Dear B. Canlis,

As you know, the holidays are quickly approaching and make for a good reminder for us all to get in the spirit and value the true meaning of Christmas. This Christmas season, we would like you to know that team Menu: Impossible is up for adoption if you are in the market. While we too are making charitable donations to a worthy cause of our respective choice, we would like to offer ourselves to be your worthy cause.

Wink Wink makes a great Tiny Tim.

All the best and happy holidays,

Hot Sushi, Blake Light, and Tiny Wink Wink

Day 41 & 42: 8 Menus To Go

Clue: Buy a vowel: Gr__c_ is to C_nl_s is to c_v__ r, as T_rk_y is to _m_n & C_lv_ is to s_lm_n. Find us.

It’s taken me this long to let the disappointment semi wear off so I can update you on Team MI’s adventures from this weekend.  In the words of B Canlis himself, it was a doozy.

With a plan to meet up at some point on Saturday to work the clue as a team, we all went to sleep with visions of blonde wigs dancing in our heads (thanks to Blake Light).  When it was revealed that the clue would be in the 2 o’clock hour, Blake Light, Hot Sushi, and myself made a date to rendezvous at our downtown work location (the most central place we could think of) at 1:30.

We sat anxiously in the lobby of our building, refreshing our phones every 2.5 seconds, waiting for the clue.  With our Blonde Wig premonition, we were almost positive that this menu was going to be at The Paramount Theater, that was currently home to the musical Hair.  Since this is mere blocks from our work, we were ready with our running shoes.  I even started to feel a bit nervous – was this really going to be our day??  What would I say when I met B Canlis for the first time?  Are my (almost) 13 minute miles going to cut it getting there?

When the clue finally dropped (after 3PM), we, like many other menu hunters, got several of the words in the first few seconds.  Greece, Canlis, Caviar, Turkey, and Salmon were easy, but the remaining two words had us stumped.  We Googled everything we could think of about Turkey and Seattle and kept coming up with Turkish Delight at Pike Place Market, so we decided to go for it, as it was our only lead.

Hot Sushi took the wheel (his first of the hunt!) and really surprised us while dodging holiday shoppers and Apple Cup watchers.  Blake Light and I did the now perfected tuck and roll out of the car at the market and started running down the hill to Turkish Delight (which we later had to walk back up – this did not make me happy).

 

Scouring the restaurant, looking under tables and around corners, we realized that this was the wrong location.  We left defeated and didn’t even bother to get a gyro (something we all regretted). 

Walking back to the car, we didn’t even think to look around the market a little more, as it is a historical site that has not been home to a menu yet.  While refreshing our phones on the way back to work to clue hunt some more, I saw that one menu had already been found.

We sat in the car, having no ideas as to where to take this search next.  Then, the all too familiar post from B Canlis that both menus had been found – at the market!  Silence overtook the car.  We could barely speak.  How could we have been right there, and not looked around a little more?  Blake Light and I slowly stumbled out of Hot Sushi’s car, feeling the agony of defeat yet again. 

After countless emails back and forth within the team that evening, the mood was definitely somber.  I was about to give up entirely when I got a message from Hot Sushi entitled “Goonies never say die!!!”  I instantly perked up and thought “He’s right.  We will never give up!  We will fight to the finish!  We will SUCCEED!! We are Team Menu:Impossible!!!”

FAIL!

Day 40: 10 Menus To Go

Clue: AQICTDIWDICTRWIHHOIIHACJAMMQCEKLQMOLMUAHIUO

It was a lovely winter’s day in Seattle. The Menu: Impossible team was feeling the spirit of SUCCESS! in our bones – especially Wink Wink, who knew today would be our day.

“Today's clue in the next thirty minutes” said the Canlis Facebook Page.

Blake Light was on her way to a work-sponsored luncheon, getting her excuses to leave early all ready and well-rehearsed. Wink Wink was at her desk, answering a phone call from me, Hot Sushi.

“Wink Wink! The clue drops in 30 minutes!” I said in anxious delight. “I am picking up food from Nordstrom and will be back in 10 – STAY ON THAT PAGE!”

“Roger that. Wink Wink out” replied an optimistic Wink Wink.

By the time I got back to the office, Blake Light had already excused herself from her previous engagement and was strappin’ on the Reeboks and heading to her car with Wink Wink to await our destiny. I quickly began to eat my delicious sandwich on the go and joined the ladies in the journey. We waited, and waited, and I ate.

The clue came: AQICTDIWDICTRWIHHOIIHACJAMMQCEKLQMOLMUAHIUO. Wink Wink took one look at that jumbled mess of letters and exclaimed: “EUREKA! I know it! Why it is Canlis Glass Gallery + Studio!” Blake Light, wanting to be sure, entered the letters into her decoder, with the obvious secret word, “Canlis” and confirmed Wink Wink’s eerie premonitions.

The Menu: Impossible team raced to the sight and rescued the menu from its resting place, enjoyed a lovely meal at Canlis, and lived happily ever after.

THE END.

Okay. I’ll level with you. That is not how it went, but it sure makes a nice story. It is definitely better than the reality that was me, shoved in the backseat, eating and decoding simultaneously while Blake Light and Wink Wink searched for a glimmer of hope for over 30 minutes. It was almost too sad to post. Our only real glimmer of hope now is that it's a two-fer and B. Canlis will be hiding a second menu in my bag later this afternoon. This was indeed a doozy for us.

FAIL!

A Letter to B. Canlis

Dear B. Canlis,

As we count down the final days and menus in this epic journey of adventure, hope and tragedy, the Menu: Impossible team is fully committed to our search. We are training ‘round the clock, outfitted in the proper attire for whatever situation we may face (fatigues, elbow pads, hard hats, etc) and Wink Wink is even getting close to making a 13 minute mile…a great feat in itself!

As there are only 11 menus left, we had a brief suggestion that we wanted to run by you. Because this is the 60^th Anniversary (congratulations once again!), wouldn’t it make sense to release 10 more menus to make it 60? OR! Since the Canlis enterprise originated in 1950, you could release 1,900 more menus to match that great year in history!! (Between you and me, I think it would be a lot easier to just release the 10 extra. Also, if you need more hiding places, my bag makes for an excellent option.)

We look forward to the coming days and have truly enjoyed the hunt. We’ll be making our reservation soon: table for three – you can put it under Menu: Impossible.

Best Regards,

Hot Sushi, Blake Light, and of course, Wink Wink

Day 39: 11 Menus To Go

Clue: Have no fear, Church is here. But how did she get from here to there?

Again, another clue after work hours while Team MI has split up and gone their separate ways. It’s been quite evident that we are much weaker as individuals than we are as a team. So at 7 o’clock when the clue was posted I was rapidly searching the net. As Seattle History Link has proven to be the location of numerous clue explanations I have begun to use this as one of my search engines. However, in this case, it FAIL!ed me yet again.

Each and every time I searched “Church from here to there”, “Church Boat”, and “no fear Church” the Nordic History Museum kept coming up. The only problem was the articles coming up as a result of the search were written dialogues of interviews with members of the Nordic society in Seattle. It was close to impossible to find any proof as to why this would be the answer! Yet, I was convinced that it must be there! Hot Sushi, enjoying his burger (yet again) in Ballard was dedicated to the team and ready to stretch his gazelle-like legs in search of our menu. Not convinced that this was the answer, I told him to wait a minute while I continued to search.

Meanwhile, Wink Wink, enjoying sushi in Belltown, texted me that she thought it may be the Museum of Flight. Given that the hint was the fear of flying, this confused me. Why fear flying if the clue is surrounded by planes? The final convincing clue was that one of the Canlis brothers revealed its location and Wink Wink was right! I was again cursed with the same feeling Hot Sushi had felt only days before – not trusting Wink Wink has clearly been a downfall of our team.

Regardless – the menu had yet to be found! Living in West Seattle gave us a bit of an edge to get to the Museum of Flight in time and we were ready to go (dog included)!

We hopped in the car and headed that way. I had recruited that special someone (no, not the dog) to be the runner if parking was a difficult task. But alas, when we were close to East Marginal Way, it was revealed that the menu had been found.

We are hoping that today’s clue will be during business hours, when Team MI is at their strongest!

FAIL!

Day 38: 12 Menus To Go

Clue: On his day, 1962: Seattle celebrates an icon in an icon. Both are gone, but not forgotten.

There I was, home sick, recovering from some awful illness picked up in either a Frat house in Utah (yes, I am too old for those) after the BYU – Utah football game or in flight. Most likely the former – and no, I did not pick it up like that. The place hadn’t been cleaned after wrapping up their initiation week and it was not a pleasant site. I would have never stepped foot in there if the special someone I was traveling with didn’t have bragging rights to do so.  

I waited all day. Hoping that if the clue came when I was feeling up for it, I might have a good chance at the hunt! After some inspirational TV of Top Chef All Stars the rejected clue had been posted. I had ZERO good guesses on this one. Although, I have to admit, it was quite entertaining to see everyone else’s responses: “A lady Canlis relative gravesite”? CREEPY. I’m not sure its appropriate to continue to hunt, Susan.

As for the real clue, I was waiting on pins and needles. It came early much to my surprise and there it was. What?? First, it took me some time (and help) to decipher the difference between “his” day and “this” day. With help from that same special someone, I had the information I needed and continued to search.

My first inclination was the Smith Tower! Now, this may or may not be attributed to that fact that Team MI has thought that it will be at the Smith Tower for approximately the past 20 clues. It also may or may not have anything to do with the fact that Team MI members have been responsible for researching historic sites in Seattle to help us improve on our process. I thought, it must have something to do with Lyman Cornelius Smith. He was smart enough to get a building named after him – he MUST have a day after him, right? Also, when the Worlds Fair arrived in 1962 the Space Needle became the new Seattle icon. So, in that respect, the Smith tower is kind of the icon in the icon, right?

Unsettled, I continued my search. I kept thinking who’s day was it? Why – its Christopher Columbus, right? He’s absolutely has a day named after him! And what happened on Christopher Columbus day, 1962 in Seattle? Well, a big storm actually. No luck there. 

But I did find that Elvis Presley was in town a month prior and had spent September 12 with Albert D. Rosselini. When in the moment of the hunt, I can forget numbers, names, and definitely when Christopher Columbus day was. So, I was off on the tangent of Albert D. Rosselini and Elvis. Definitely and icon in an icon. And what a day it was!

Amazingly – the clue did have to do with Albert D. Rosselini. However nothing to do with Elvis, or their memorable ride on the monorail that day. I didn’t figure this out until Rowland had found his (this?) menu again!

FAIL!

Day 37: 13 Menus To Go

Clue: Three days late: DDDBGF#A Where? Cu + Sn

I write this entry from my deathbed, where I pray that it will not be my last (COUGH COUGH). Hot Sushi ain't so hot right now. I am not sure of it is being sick with a cold, or heartsick with another FAIL!, but here is our day's story....

There we were, the Menu: Impossible team, hard at work once again. When the clue was released, Wink Wink was at her desk, stuck on research duty, while Blake Light and I were knee deep in a project, trying desperately to manage our work while googling the periodic table on our phones. Little did we know that was the easy part. We figured out that Cu (copper) + Sn (tin) = bronze.

Wink Wink was frantically searching for answers to the front end of the clue. She called me with a tip that it was the Jimi Hendrix statue on Capitol Hill, but there was not enough evidence yet to convince me to go running for it.

Seconds later, a second call: the tune was Happy Birthday and Jimi's birthday was three days ago. Being the leggiest member of the team, it was up to me to make a go of it.

With the speed and grace of a gazelle, I began the ascent from downtown to Capitol Hill on the cold, damp, traffic ridden last day of November. Dodging cars, pigeons, and more than one unseemly character, I was mere blocks away. Not having received a call from the team that it was already found, I felt hopeful, elated, that we might actually win this one!

I got to the NW corner of Pine and Broadway, just one crosswalk to go. Making leaps and bounds over traffic from both the left and the right, I saw him: B. Canlis - arms raised, signaling to me I was once again too late (I think he felt our defeat).

Just 30 seconds sooner and it would have been ours! This has taught me a valuable lesson in both trust and sacrifice. Trust, because if I would have gone with the spot-on instincts of Wink Wink, I would be making reservations by now. Sacrifice, because I now realize that though I am laid up in bed, drinking tea, and praying for salvation, the literal uphill battle I faced will lead to success soon.

(the real sacrifice - running in wet John Varvatos boots)

FAIL!