Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

If you want to learn about a Seattle neighborhood, browse the shelves of its independent bookstores. Local bookstores succeed when they place the interests and aspirations of their neighbors over the fads and excesses of national bestseller lists. And every time we buy books from a neighborhood bookseller, we change the bookstore a little bit, too we shape it to more closely reflect ourselves.

So what better way to understand what 2019 has meant for Seattle than to ask local bookstores for their neighborhood bestsellers the books that havent necessarily dominated national or even Seattle-area bestseller lists, but which have captured the attention of their customers, their booksellers.

For dramatic evidence of how a bookstore reflects its neighborhood, look no further than Secret Garden Books. Suzanne Perry, the stores event manager, says this year has continued the sea change in the demographic shift of our Ballard neighborhood. As Ballard has gotten younger, Perry says, our sci-fi/fantasy section doubled in volume this year. The star of this newly enhanced section is Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. Perry says key staff members fell in love with the fantasy novel, which is heavily influenced by African history. Its continued to sell briskly through being shortlisted for a National Book Award in the fall, and were sure it will continue to lead the way during holiday shopping, Perry says.

Just across the Ballard Locks, Georgiana Blomberg, owner of Magnolias Bookstore, says a local birder has charmed the neighborhood. Molly Hashimoto is a Seattle author who has visited our store several times and is beloved by our customers, Blomberg says.HerBirds of the Westwas one of our top-selling books this year. Its an artists guide to the illustration of birds, with her own woodcuts and watercolors throughout.

North Fremonts Book Larder, the most delightfully food-obsessed bookstore in Seattle, is known for its slate of cooking classes and its walls of gorgeous cookbooks. But store manager Mira Courage says one of their favorite books of 2019 has more than just great recipes and pretty pictures though it has those, too, featuring dishes from Vietnam, Ethiopia, Syria and India. Courage calls Recipes for Refuge: Culinary Journeys to America a spectacular compilation of recipes and stories from local immigrants and refugees. Better still, Courage says, proceeds from book sales support Refugee Womens Alliance, a Seattle-area nonprofit that provides refugees and immigrants services such as ESL classes, vocational training and housing.

At Adas Technical Books, the science-minded bookstore, caf and meeting space on Capitol Hill, customers cant stop talking about Sandworm by Andy Greenberg. Manager John Sepulveda calls this nonfiction account of technological threats an engrossing page-turner that reads like a fictional thriller, which reminds readers of the importance of internet-security literacy for everyone in the 21st century.

Terry Tazioli, the publicist at University Book Store, says A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Seattle journalist Timothy Egan is one of our best sellers, and its a personal favorite of mine from 2019. In Pilgrimage, Egan documents his quest for religious faith as he walks an ancient pilgrims route that spans Europe, from Canterbury to Rome. Tazioli praises Egan for his enthusiasm, his mastery of history and his beautifully told stories. Its rare to find a memoir about religion capturing popular attention, but just about every time I wander the floor, I see someone with the book in hand, reading, Tazioli says. Warms the bookstore heart!

Our list veers from the sacred at University Book Store to the profane at Georgetowns Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery. Store manager Larry Reid says Bad Gateway, by Beacon Hill cartoonist Simon Hanselmann, is the shops bestselling title of the year. Reid has high praise for the wildly dysfunctional outcasts in Hanselmanns latest volume from the series featuring Megg and Mogg. Bad Gatewaymaintains the dark humor of previous installments while adding thinly fictionalized and revealing autobiographical elements, Reid says. Hanselmann has always been popular with Fantagraphics discerning customer base. But over the summer, Reid says, Hanselmann was the subject of a solo exhibition at Bellevue Art Museum, which greatly enhanced his profile.

And in Seattles newest bookstore, West Seattles Paper Boat Booksellers, co-owner Eric Judy says Matt Krachts satirical birding book, Field Guide to the Dumb Birds of North America, has been a surprise hit. Its a book that multiple times brought strangers together, Judy says. More than once, there were strangers congregating in a circle and laughing out loud together as they read it. Thats the sort of thing I really like to see in our store.

This is the thread that connects every one of these disparate neighborhood bestsellers: community. Reading gets a bad rap as a lonely way to spend time, but booksellers understand no great book is enjoyed alone. The books that made the biggest impression with Seattle readers this year are the ones that brought us together.

If youre a Seattle Public Library patron, odds are you checked out a copy of Michelle Obamas memoir, Becoming, this year. The former first ladys autobiography tops SPLs most-loaned lists for the majority of their 26 branches in 2019, followed closely by Delia Owenss debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing.

Broken out by location, SPLs most-loaned adult titles are similar everywhere. Seattle readers were intrigued by the low-tech promise of Cal Newports Digital Minimalism and the uplifting message of Educated, Tara Westovers account of leaving a survivalist community in search of enlightenment.

But look closely and a few neighborhood bestsellers will arise. Why, for instance, did Stephanie Lands memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mothers Will to Survive appeal more to readers in Beacon Hill than at any other branch? Hard to say perhaps a local book club drove the loans, or maybe one passionate librarian kept shoving the book into patrons hands.

The city is full of literary microclimates. South Park loved Mark Mansons Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope, which failed to crack other neighborhoods top-10 lists. Green Lake was particularly infatuated with Yuval Hararis brilliant anthropological study Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, and the tiny NewHolly branch loaned more copies of Thi Buis moving comic-book immigration memoir, The Best We Could Do, than libraries twice its size.

The juvenile most-loaned lists are much less homogenous. While Dav Pilkeys Dog Man series, Raina Telgemeier and Mo Willems are popular all over the city, kids at the Central Library in particular were eager to check out The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food. Queen Annes kids made the Guinness Book of World Records 2020 a chart-topper. And Fremonts children demonstrated remarkably good taste by checking out Andrea Beatys marvelous ode to scientific adventure, Ada Twist, Scientist, more than any other neighborhood. Still, the kids of Fremont dont have universally great taste: They were also the only neighborhood to elevate Jim Davis comic-strip collection, Garfield at Large, to their most-loaned list.

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Secret Garden Books:2214 N.W. Market St., Seattle;206-789-5006; secretgardenbooks.com

Magnolias Bookstore:3206 W. McGraw St., Seattle;206-283-1062;magnoliasbookstore.com

Book Larder:4252 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle;206-397-4271; booklarder.com

Adas Technical Books:425 15th Ave. E., Seattle;206-322-1058; adasbooks.com

University Book Store:4326 University Way, Seattle;206-634-3400; ubookstore.com

Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery:1201 S. Vale St., Seattle;206-557-4910; fantagraphics.com

Paper Boat Booksellers: 6040 California Ave., Seattle;206-743-8283; paperboatbooksellers.com

More here:
Niche picks: A handful of Seattle neighborhood bookstores name their bestselling titles of 2019 - Seattle Times

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand When a big earthquake strikes, the publics attention immediately goes to the physically injured, the dead, or to collapsed buildings. But something else also starts: the toll on mental health.

Traumatic stress rises in the aftermath of a disaster, researchers say. One study examining survivors of 10 disasters found that one-third of them suffered a post-disaster diagnosis with post-traumatic stress disorder being the most prevalent (20%), followed by major depression (16%) and alcohol use disorder (9%).

Worsening mental health has been documented in a number of recent disasters, including the aftermath of the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994 and the magnitude 6.2 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011.

Deteriorating mental health can sometimes be obscured by the phases of a disaster. Immediately after a disaster, researchers have documented that there can be a community emotional high as people enter into a heroic rescue mode, followed by a honeymoon period where a community bonds and there is unrealistic hope that everything can return to normal quickly. But then there can be a long phase downward, and it can be accompanied by stress, exhaustion and fatigue.

The disillusionment phase is a stark contrast to the honeymoon phase, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says. As optimism turns to discouragement and stress continues to take a toll, negative reactions, such as physical exhaustion or substance use, may begin to surface.

Experts say its important that officials recognize the looming public mental health crisis before a disaster strikes. After the Feb. 22, 2011, Christchurch earthquake, some say mental health services fell short and people suffered. Others say they got good care, and in subsequent years, public health officials embarked on an innovative public mental health campaign called All Right? that sought to improve the communitys mental health a tactic that came back to prominence after shootings at mosques this year led to the deaths of 51 people, New Zealands worst mass killing in its modern history.

Here are lessons officials in New Zealand learned:

Understanding the emotional trauma from the quake can take time

After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, there was a widespread worsening of mental health, experts say, with the worst effects found closest to the strongest shaking. Children showed greater signs of post-traumatic stress. Even medical students reported their own mental health deteriorating.

More brain-calming drugs a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines that includes Xanax and Valium were dispensed after the earthquake. Researchers found increasing rates of mood and anxiety disorders in the two years after the earthquake.

A 2016 review of studies of 76,000 victims of earthquakes calculated that roughly 1 in 4 survivors experienced PTSD making earthquakes more likely to cause PTSD than floods or strokes.

This was mainly because earthquakes were often much more devastating and destructive, and often happened unexpectedly without warning, the authors wrote.

When aftershocks wont quit, cake and kindness helps.

Part of what made the Christchurch earthquake difficult to recover from psychologically was the unusual length of the aftershock sequence.

Imagine you had a terrible earthquake, and in every 30 minutes, or hour, or two hours or five hours, you get a little shake that reminds you of how terrible that first shake was, said Sara McBride, a top public information officer for the emergency response effort in New Zealand. It happens all day and night theres no respite and you dont know if the next shake is going to be worse than the last.

Even officials were prone to distress. One solution? Constantly feed people cake, McBride said, who brought out slices after aftershocks turned her subordinates quiet, pale and upset. Little small moments of compassion and comfort, like really good cake, make a surprising difference.

A public mental health approach is essential

Experts say health officials worldwide should pay attention to Christchurchs mental health issues as a warning for what could come if a disaster strikes their region.

They should absolutely be concerned, said Dr. Ben Beaglehole, a psychiatrist who co-wrote many studies on Christchurchs mental health issues following the quakes.

For all its problems, Christchurchs mental health issues were partly alleviated, Beaglehole said, by the regions concerted campaign to improve mental health, and its near-universal rate of earthquake insurance among homeowners.

If you can do things in the post-disaster environment to make people feel secure and safe enough, with a sense of purpose and belonging, and a future pathway, then I think the adverse effects are going to be minimal, Beaglehole said. But if people continue to feel scared and unsafe and uncertain, thats when people are going to struggle.

Officials realized the focus on rebuilding the city must be about healthy people, not healthy buildings. A survey found that more than 75% of those surveyed said their home was damaged, and nearly 2 out of 3 grieved for the lost Christchurch. Among people who described what they felt when their efforts to hold things together failed, men talked about becoming angry; women described despair, depression and anxiety.

We will never, ever manage to actually deal with the fallout from a large-scale event one consultation at a time. No system in the world could possibly provide that, said Evon Currie, general manager of community and population health for the Canterbury District Health Board.

So public health officials conjured a public outreach campaign known as All Right? emphasizing that it was OK, and actually quite acceptable, to be concerned about ones mental health, and to move people out of thinking about issues beyond their control to a new mind-set where they are empowered.

Officials credit this public health approach with helping the community deal with the stresses of the quake. A poll of greater Christchurch residents found that the percentage of respondents saying their quality of life was good rose from 73% in 2013 to 81% by 2018.

A majority of studies found negative mental health effects resulting from the Christchurch earthquakes, Beaglehole said. One study of hundreds of Christchurch-born adults found a greater rate of mental health disorder among those who endured the quake than those who had moved away before the shaking began.

Earthquake survivors who suffered the most showed clear increases in mental health risk, that study showed.

In addition, Beaglehole said, those already receiving specialist mental health services before the big earthquake saw the severity of their mental health worsen considerably for a number of years.

Disasters can trigger an acute mental health crisis

Some people believe the earthquake triggered a spell of mental illness.

Eddy Snook took a deep interest in quakes when the Christchurch earthquake sequence began in the months before the deadliest tremor occurred.

It was a natural fit for him. He was an electrical engineer and loved to figure out how things worked. He drove out to the Canterbury Plains on the weekend and plotted fault lines.

But soon, life became difficult. Sam, his childhood best friend, died from cystic fibrosis. Then the February quake hit, and he was shaken. The quake seemed to coincide with major changes in mood and outlook, according to his father, John.

Snook demanded answers about whether the building he worked in was safe.

He became quite obsessed with it, his father said. It became almost a bit too consuming for him.

He soon quit his job and headed to London. But problems worsened; he stopped eating, and his friends called his parents to fetch him. He received medical help, but in hindsight it wasnt working.

In 2014, he took his life.

There are still tears every day, his father said.

His father said Snook didnt have the right medical help. We didnt anticipate what was going to happen. I think the help that he had wasnt really appropriate for his needs. The medical attention he received didnt address his problems, was confusing and not really caring, his father thought.

It takes work to stay mentally in check

Christchurchs 2011 earthquake forever changed Laylita Bonnie Singhs life.

When the shaking started, something hard smashed into her skull as the unretrofitted brick building she worked in as a tattoo artist apprentice and receptionist came tumbling down.

The blow broke two of her neck vertebrae and six in the middle of her back compression fractures from being slammed on the head, she said. She probably fractured her skull.

Her co-worker and friend didnt make it.

Unlike Singh, who was trying to grab her phone, Matti McEachen, 25, a fellow tattoo apprentice, had raced to the exit and got to the doorway and then disappeared as the walls began to fall.

Singh was able to crawl out of the rubble, digging herself out. She had to learn how to walk over again; she suffered from survivors guilt. The pain persisted; the fatigue constant; the back and neck pain, excruciating.

In spite of all that, Singh held on to a dream of becoming her own tattoo artist.

She now co-owns the areas only female-owned tattoo shop, Maid of Ink, in Christchurchs neighboring port community of Lyttelton, after becoming a master tattoo artist under the tutelage of her former female colleagues and then starting a business with them. Her tattoo skills have blossomed she can draw life-like portraits on calves using a technique called stippling; a single tattoo of angel-like wings on a back can be made of millions of dots.

It was my driving force in getting well and carrying on, Singh said.

She has been able to buy a home and raise her daughter as a single mom after she and her husband divorced. She says she makes enough to get by sometimes business is very OK, other times, slim.

But the earthquakes imprint lasts.

She hoped shed recover significantly from her head injury in a year. Then a couple of years. Then four years. While shes gotten much better, there are persisting effects. Sometimes, the back pain is so bad she cant work.

I get so tired. I get fatigued. Its constant, she says. Shell have to watch herself. Oh, if I do that and exert myself, Ive got a week that Ive got to pay for that, she said.

I just dont think anyone understands how head injuries affect you until theyve had one. Because its so invisible, Singh said. Having a head injury felt like living in a fog, where nothing was clear. Everything was exhausting.

It takes work to stay mentally in check.

Meditation helps, as does yoga. Regular exercise is a must when she can do it; its so important to do the things that make her feel good. She dances, she sings. Writing three things shes grateful for every day.

Anything that uplifts you is the key, she says. Im not saying I dont get depressed I do. Its something that comes with trauma. It affects you for life. So I imagine Im going to have to do this for the rest of my life. But I know the tools. As long as Ive got my tools, Im OK.

PHOTOS (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): NEWZEALAND-EARTHQUAKE

Read more:
When the Big One hits, emotional scars will last for years. Just ask New Zealand quake survivors - Herald-Mail Media

Welcome back to another day of Sudbury.coms 12 Days of Kindness supported by @homeEnergy.

In 2018, Ryan Proulx and Julie Gratto had to put their lives on hold because their youngest son Henry spent his first year of life undergoing chemotherapy due to a tumour on his optical nerve.

The family spent a lot of time travelling to SickKids Hospital in Toronto where Henry received his treatments.

There were many complications along the way which hospitalized Henry many times. Last December, Henry became septic and was hospitalized on Christmas Day.

But little Henry pulled through. He finished his chemotherapy treatments this past summer.

Now a healthy and very active two-year-old, Henry and his big brother Austin are keeping Ryan and Julie on their toes.

Today, we are bringing some special guests to meet the Proulx family in hopes of making up for lost family time and giving this busy family a little break at home.

Thank you to Science North for giving the family a gift they can use all year round.

And a very special thank you to BESTECH and Molly Maid for coming together to provide the family with a year's worth of house cleaning services so they can enjoy more time together.

Watch more of this year's 12 Days of Kindness here:

Day 1: We give a grieving family a helping hand this winter

Day 2: cole Ste-Marie students help us surprise their beloved teacher

Day 3: It's a double date surprise at the Inner City Home of Sudbury!

Day 4: Vickie gets a new 'do and fresh start

Day 5: Their son has a rare neurological condition, we surprise them with some financial relief

Day 6: She beat the odds with the help of her best friend and caregiver, we're surprising them bothDay 7: Local businesses shower this beloved Capreol matriarch with gifts

Day 8: Battling illness, Melanie still has a smile for everyone, so we try to make her smile even bigger

Link:
12 Days of Kindness: He spent his first year in and out of hospital, we give his parents a much-needed break - Sudbury.com

Maria and Michael Harris started Bry-Jo Roofing and Remodeling in Richardson two decades ago. (Olivia Lueckemeyer/Community Impact Newspaper)

I saw a deficit in our industry of quality contractors who were being honest, Michael said. I wanted to be somebody that people could trust, someone they knew was going to do the right thing.

Trustworthiness is valued by the Harrises in any business relationship, but especially when a client has been through a traumatic experience, such as the Oct. 20 tornado, Michael said.

In the days following the storm, it was all hands on deck at Bry-Jo, Michael said. Staff reached out to every former client living in the tornados path to offer help if needed, Michael said.

It is not uncommon for storm victims to be preyed upon by crooked contractors looking to profit off the wreckage, Michael said. So in addition to being hired for projects, the Bry-Jo team is often called in to repair damage left behind by unskilled workers.

But because major storms do not happen every day, the roofing side of the business is feast or famine, Maria said. To balance the equation, the company also offers home remodeling.

Our custom work really started as a result of the fire restoration work that we did, Maria said. Once people got past the trauma, they started to get excited about building back and upgrading things.

The companys remodeling projects include room additions; kitchen and bathroom remodels; and garage conversions. The Harrises pride themselves on maintaining hands-on relationships with clients and sticking to a set schedule.

We have a well-oiled machine, Maria said. We dont really have a history of jobs taking longer than we expect them to.

Bry-Jo has a steady foothold in the industry, but that reputation was hard-earned, Maria said. The construction business tends to attract workers who are not committed to the long haul, Maria said. But that was never the intention with Bry-Jo.

From the very beginning, we knew that this was a legacy. The intention was that we are going to be around for a while, Maria said. Thats who we are. We are not going anywhere.

Bry-Jo Roofing and Remodeling

681 N. Plano Road, Ste. 119, Richardson

972-669-7807 http://www.bryjo.com

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.

Read this article:
Richardson business Bry-Jo Roofing and Remodeling committed to 'doing it right the first time, every time' - Community Impact Newspaper

The 1099 miscellaneous is one of the most common tax forms. So who gets one? Typically, this form is issued to independent contractors, janitorial services, third-party accounts and other workers paid for services who are not on the payroll.

But like many IRS regulations, its not quite so simple. But there are some helpful guidelines to determine whether a 1099-MISC is needed.

Its a common belief that businesses dont need to send out 1099-MISC forms to corporations. And this is true sometimes.

In general, you dont have to issue 1099-MISC forms to C Corporations and S Corporations. But there are some exceptions, including:

You can read about other exceptions here.

If you contract with a business that is an LLC sole proprietorship, you will need to send out a 1099-MISCform. An easy way to tell is by looking at the Form W-9 your worker provided. If the W-9 indicates they are an LLC that is taxed as a sole proprietorship, you need to send a 1099. If their LLC is taxed as an S- or a C-Corp you do not (unless an exception applies as described above).

If youre unsure, its always best to file a 1099-MISC. Theres no penalty if you file one but you didnt need to. On the other hand, not filing one that is required can lead to hefty penalties.

And one more tip: Always get the W-9 before you issue payments to any vendor who may be required to get a 1099-MISC. Less-reputable vendors might not be around when you need their information at tax time.

The fastest, most efficient way to file your 1099s (and meet the January 31 deadline!) is with eFile4Biz.com. This one-stop shop allows you to easily enter your data online. Then eFile4Biz electronically files your forms with the IRS as well as prints and mails copies to your independent contractors and other recipients.

Image: Depositphotos.com

Read the original here:
Working with Independent Contractors? Learn Who Gets a 1099-MISC Form - Small Business Trends

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Morrisville, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/19/2019 -- For homeowners looking for some design inspiration for home improvement projects in the new year, Beco Designs are showcasing a range of kitchen and bathroom designs in their Morrisville-based showroom. As the most reputable provider of countertops, islands, and kitchen cabinets in Newtown, PA, Beco Designs have provided kitchen and bathroom remodeling services for over sixty years. Their showroom spans 3,000 square feet and is the perfect environment for homeowners and architects to pick up design inspirations for upcoming projects.

Renovating or redesigning a kitchen has several benefits, including an improvement in functionality. As a kitchen is renovated, homeowners can choose to make additions or reductions, with all renovations aimed at improving the overall functionality of the kitchen space. Kitchen redesigns can also reduce energy costs, improve sustainability, improve comfort and safety, and modernize the space.

There are also five significant benefits that a bathroom renovation can offer for homeowners. Minor bathroom remodels can give sellers a 102% return at resale, which is fantastic for people looking to put their property on the market in the new year. They also help to reduce clutter, can make bathrooms more eco-friendly, and can save money in the long run that would otherwise have been spent on ongoing maintenance.

For residents searching for kitchen ideas in Newtown, PA, or nearby regions, a complete makeover can offer them their dream space, while adding value to their home. Beco Designs cover Pennington, NJ, Newtown, PA, and anywhere else in Greater Delaware Valley, Their unique selection of colors and finishes can fully customize any kitchen or bathroom space.

For additional information, or to contact Beco Designs, visit https://www.beco-designs.com/ today.

About Beco Kitchens and BathroomsBeco Kitchens and Bathrooms provides kitchen and bathroom remodeling services in Bucks County, PA, Main Line, PA, and Mercer County, NJ. The company has been family owned and operated since its founding in 1956. Their 3,000 square foot showroom features top brands in cabinetry, countertops and sinks.

For more information, visit http://www.beco-designs.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/beco-designs-invites-southeast-pa-and-central-nj-residents-to-their-exclusive-kitchen-and-bathroom-showroom-1268867.htm

See the original post:
Beco Designs Invites Southeast PA and Central NJ Residents to Their Exclusive Kitchen and Bathroom Showroom - Press Release - Digital Journal

On Saturday, Muertos Kitchen & Lounge closes its doors as we know it. On Jan. 2, it will re-emerge as Two Goats & The Goose, a pub-style eatery that won't be a culture (or culinary) shock for loyal customers.

Owner Shawna Haddad Byers said she was inspired by the thought of a next chapter.

"I saw a brilliant post by a fantastic life coach, Kym Showers, that said, 'It's 70 days to a new decade, what do you want to do?' About day 60, I decided let's just embrace something new."

The restaurateur is comfortable with change and adapting to downtown dining needs, having done so for nearly 20 years. Operating Fishlips in the Padre Hotel, pre-remodel, she carried on when it moved to 18th and Eye and grew as a music venue. She consulted on Texas 28, the restaurant that took over that space when Fishlips closed. And she opened Muertos in 2012 in Wall Street alley in the space once home to Suds Tavern and Pacos Tacos. She also launched CraSh Lounge, an upscale bar that serves small plates, around the corner on Eye Street in 2014.

Haddad Byers' love of family continues in her work: While Muertos was designed in part to honor her late grandmother, Sittie, Haddad Byers said Two Goats & The Goose pays tribute to her Aries husband and son and her nickname from her dad.

"Goose is the nickname my father has called me since I was 2. I like to do a play on words."

She added, "My husband and son are both Aries, charming, hard-headed, stubborn goats."

(Even though Aries is often depicted as a ram, a goat is also acknowledged.)

Over the next week and a half, the restaurant will undergo a design refresh but no major remodeling, Haddad Byers said. Fresh paint and at least one mural, installing televisions inside and on the patio for game-watching and darts for that pub touch.

The menu will be mix of fan favorites, daily specials and new items.

Haddad Byers promises chile verde and fish and chips will be available daily and the specials will rotate rather than the same item offered on the same day of the week.

"We're not starting from scratch," she said. "We're not reinventing the wheel."

But she's revamping the hamburgers. While you'll be able to order versions of your favorites (Hudson, James, Homeboy, etc.), the focus will be on a build-your-own burger. Haddad Byers said regulars have always customized their orders but now it will be front and center on the menu. They'll be available with side options of french fries, salad or grilled green beans.

"We've always served them," she said of the beans grilled with mushrooms. "But we're going to highlight them."

Appetizers will still include popcorn pork, now called pork bites, and the fried mushrooms.

"I think if I took the mushrooms off the menu someone would take a pitchfork to me."

Hot dogs and tacos will remain as well with new additions such as beer-battered cauliflower tacos with sweet Thai chili sauce and ones with spicy chicken and jack cheese (which Fishlips diners might recall as Primus tacos).

There will be more entrees, developed with cooks Matthew Tidwell and Filadelfo "Homeboy" Vaquero. In addition to grilled salmon and seared ahi, Two Goats will have steaks and grilled pork loin.

If this sounds like a lot of meat, Haddad Byers also points out there will be more vegan and vegetarian options. Her son and husband's recent journey into veganism has sparked some new ideas, which she thinks will take off downtown, given the success of vegan spots Better Bowls and The Hen's Roost.

Two Goats will continue to offer beer and wine, along with beer- or wine-based drinks such as the sangria, micheladas and blood orange jalapeno margarita. Longtime serverSarah Kirchner, who developed the aforementioned beverage, will also come up with more, which may include spirits down the road.

Local beers will also be highlighted, with Kern River Brewing Co., Great Change Brewing andDionysus already on board.

For now, these are the only changes Haddad Byers has planned but she said that's she's always has a need to keep creating.

"In five years, if I'm feeling a different way ... I'm a Gemini. It's never it."

Two Goats & The Goose opens Jan. 2 at 1514 Wall St.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.

Go here to see the original:
THE DISH: Muertos closing, will become Two Goats & The Goose in 2020 - The Bakersfield Californian

For Sale/Rent

Say goodbye to below-zero weather and hello to these toasty and inviting homes for sale in and around Boston.

Photo via Compass

A Brick-and-Beam Duplex on the Waterfront112 Fulton St. #1A, BostonPrice: $1,569,000Size: 2,404 square feetBedrooms: 3Baths: 2.5Open house: Sunday, December 22, 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Photo via Santana Properties Team

A Brand New Townhouse in Somerville14R Glen St. #14R, SomervillePrice: $949,900Size: 1,762 square feetBedrooms: 3Baths: 3.5Open houses: Saturday, December 21, 1 2:30 p.m.Sunday, December 22, 1 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Julie Gaunt

A North Shore Single-Family77 Magnolia Road, SwampscottPrice: $574,900Size: 1,700 square feetBedrooms: 3Baths: 2Open house: Sunday, December 22, 2 3:30 p.m.

Photo via William Raveis R.E. & Home Services

An Open-Concept Condo in South Boston49 L St. #5, BostonPrice: $849,000Size: 1,126 square feetBedrooms: 2Baths: 2Open houses: Saturday, December 21, 11 a.m. 12 p.m.Sunday, December 22, 11 a.m. 12 p.m.

Photo via William Raveis R.E. & Home Services

A Colonial Manse in Milton321 Atherton St., MiltonPrice: $3,895,000Size: 7,970 square feetBedrooms: 7Baths: 4.5Open house: Sunday, December 22, 1 3 p.m.

The Boston Home team has curated a list of the best home design and home remodeling professionals in Boston, including architects, builders, kitchen and bath experts, lighting designers, and more. Get the help you need with FindIt/Boston's guide to home renovation pros.

Read more:
Five Open Houses with Fireplaces to Check Out This Weekend - Boston magazine

Good food is best enjoyed in good company, and the Taste Team has a great way to combine the two with a Middle Eastern appetizer feast for two from the new Medical Center restaurant Al-Amir Cafe & Grill. It leads Decembers list of five things to eat and drink in San Antonio bars and restaurants right now.

The month brings a solid mix of hot, cold and comforting options from the new Tlahco Mexican Kitchen on San Pedro Avenue by Oblate; tiny Thai Dee on Blanco Road near Hildebrand; the Barrios familys La Hacienda Scenic Loop on Boerne Stage Road; and the revamped Earl Abels near the Pearl.

Meze appetizer feast

Theres something for everyone in the Middle Eastern meze appetizer sampler for two at Al-Amir Cafe and Grill ($29.99). The 10-plate tasting incorporates familiar favorites such as hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel and tabbouleh, then branches out into the dried sausage called sujuk, the minced meat surprise of fried kibbeh and fattoush salad made with fried bread. Dont worry about the names. Just roll up some warm pita and eat. 8620 Fredericksburg Road, 210-281-8632, Facebook: Al-Amir Cafe & Grill

Chicken tortilla soup

In just a few short months, Tlahco Mexican Kitchen has become one of the citys best Mexican restaurants, in part because of chicken tortilla soup ($6.95) served in a thick terra-cotta bowl stocked with avocado, fried tortillas and dried chiles. Hot soup, warm tortillas. It doesnt get much more December-y than that. 6702 San Pedro Ave., 210-455-0135, Facebook: @tlahcoSA

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Tlahco Mexican Kitchen is one of San Antonios best Mexican restaurants

Chicken khao soi

Thai Dee has turned a tiny space next to a convenience store into a destination for solid Thai cooking, including a chicken khao soi curry ($13) that brings together soft and crunchy noodles for a filling journey of texture and flavor. Bring your own wine; theyll supply the long-stem glasses. 5307 Blanco Road, 210-342-3622, thaideesa.com

Margarita trio

The Barrios family added La Hacienda Scenic Loop to their stable of Mexican restaurants in 2017, and that means another chance to get the frozen margarita trio ($10.50). Three small glasses bring icy swirls of mango and strawberry, a tangy guava and lime mix, and a respectable house margarita. Dont roll your eyes. Sometimes all you need are a nice patio, cheesy nachos and something sweet with tequila in it. 25615 Boerne Stage Road, 210-687-1818, lahaciendascenicloop.com

Fried chicken

Earl Abels on Broadway near the Pearl reopened in November after the latest change of hands, a quick remodeling and menu revamp. Earls Famous Original Fried Chicken Dinner ($9.95 for two pieces and two sides) is the primary reason to take a seat. Its earned that famous tag, with a craggy and well-seasoned crust over perfectly cooked, juicy yardbird. 1639 Broadway, 210-444-9424, earlabelssa.com

Food writer Paul Stephen contributed to this report. Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking

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Middle Eastern appetizer feast from Medical Center restaurant Al-Amir Cafe & Grill the best thing to eat in San Antonio this month - San Antonio...

By Steve Gravelle, correspondent

It may be the early days of winter, but Tom Cannon knows what to expect come spring.

This year, the ground is saturated, Cannon said. Itll freeze, and itll stay there until the spring. Then we get the spring rains, and the grounds already saturated so then it puts more pressure on basements.

And that leads to business for Tomlinson Cannon, whose services prevent or correct structural damage due to too much water.

Cannon, 73, was a homebuilder in 1985 when he bought the company from Claude Tomlinson, whod started his gutter installation and repair business with his father in 1948.

He did my gutters, and he was getting pretty old, Cannon said. I thought, Hes probably going to retire one of these days, and that seamless gutter looks pretty neat.

Cannon didnt expect what started as a sideline to become his core business.

We had one crew that was just doing the gutters, and I thought it would be just part time, he said.

It ended up being very busy. Theres a lot of gutters out there. So I retired from building construction and just did that full time.

Tomlinson Cannon today has 30 employees. Cannon added an affiliate company, AeroSaw, in 1993.

I tend to be a risk-taker, and maybe a little naive back then, he said. I bought a concrete-cutting company. Didnt know anything about it, so we made all kinds of mistakes.

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Through the years weve learned how to do it, so its a viable company now.

As he became familiar with the gutter business, branching out came more or less naturally.

There are a lot of problems that are caused if you dont maintain your gutters, Cannon said. We had customers asking us for referrals to places that would fix wet basements. So we just decided to do these things. We do the gutters, the mud-jacking, basement waterproofing.

Mud-jacking is prescribed when a concrete patio, sidewalk or driveway subsides because of settling in the ground beneath.

We drill a series of holes and we pump a concrete solution into the void, Cannon said. When the void fills up, it has to go someplace. It raises the concrete up.

Cannon said basement waterproofing usually comes down to two basic techniques. A polyurethane sealant injected into vertical cracks repairs existing damage, followed by installation of a complete drainage system to prevent future problems.

For functioning drainage, a crew removes concrete around the perimeter of a basement and digs about a foot deep along the outside. The trench is filled with gravel and perforated plastic pipe similar to agricultural drainage tile.

We incorporate that with a sump pump, Cannon said. We repour the concrete, and then when the water goes under the footing or through the crack in the wall it goes into that tile and the tile directs it to the sump pump.

Most newer homes are built with this system, Cannon said.

Theres other methods of waterproofing, he said. Weve done this method since the 90s, and it is by far the best way to waterproof a basement.

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About 90 percent of Cannons business is from homeowners, many with houses of a certain age within about 30 miles of its Iowa City and Cedar Rapids offices.

A lot of them were built in the 50s, 60s and 70s, he said. They werent waterproofed properly.

Fixing customers water problems has proved to be more than a sideline.

Everything we do is really steady, and hasnt really changed a lot, Cannon said. When I started doing gutters, they had that seamless gutter machine.

Theres nothing that can replace that product. Weve tried a few things, but its just going to be around forever. With the waterproofing, the drain tile just makes sense. Theres not much you can do to improve that.

Know a business that could make for an interesting My Biz feature? Let us know via michaelchevy.castranova@thegazette.com.

Owner: Tom Cannon

Business: Tomlinson Cannon

Address: 3466 Dolphin Drive SE, Iowa City; 2351 Blairs Ferry Road, Cedar Rapids

Phone: 319-774-3422

Website: tomlinson-cannon.com

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For Tomlinson Cannon, solving water problems has been the business since 1948 in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids - The Gazette