just air-fived all the presidents — past AND present — as a solemn display of thanks for this gracious holiday they have bestowed upon all of us lucky enough to actually have it off from work.  As far as family-friendly events go, don’t expect a whole lot.  Despite schools indulging in further cost-cutting measures winter break next week, there’s not a whole hell of a lot going on Sunday and Monday.  And let’s face it, with the grim heart-shaped shadow of Valentine’s Day cast over Saturday, keeping the kids busy and happy will be back-burnered so Mommy and Daddy can actually enjoy a nice quiet meal in public without all the single people staring at their out of control children in disgusted confusion.

Family Fun for Five Green Screens
Family friendly environment-themed movies. Bring a blanket and pillow; pajamas are optional. Tonight: WALL-E.

Date: 02/13/2009
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Place: Northgate Community Center, 10510 Fifth Ave. N.E., Seattle
All ages, $5/family

Festival Sundiata
The 29th annual African and Black American festival features drumming and dance; music all day; art and other activities for kids and the UJAAMA cooperative marketplace.

Date: 02/14/2009 – 02/16/2009
Time: Saturday-Monday, 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Place: Seattle Center
All ages, Free

Parents’ Night Off
You sneak out for Valentine’s Day dinner while the kids are entertained with gymnastics, the trampoline, pizza and ice cream.

Date: 02/14/2009
Time: 6-10 p.m.
Place: Northwest Aerials, 12440 128th Lane N.E., Kirkland
Ages 3 and up, $30/child

Second Saturday Story Time
Puget Sound storytellers tell — they don’t read — tales for ages 3 and up. This month, Kathie Currie presents “Hatful of Heartfelt Stories.”

Date: 02/14/2009
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Island Books, Mercer Island
Ages 3 and up, Free

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* 5:30 PM: Huichun (Amy) Liang and Steven Schroeder read from their bilingual poetry anthology, Two Southwests, at Elliott Bay Book Co. Bill Porter will be talking about China later, so this is a pertinent preliminary. Presented in association with Monkey Paradox Productions.
[LINK]

* 7:00 PM: Meany Theatre hosts Byron Katie, author of several books about getting your life together, a process that she calls The Work. Her most recent book is Who Would You Be Without Your Story?: Dialogues with Byron Katie. I tend to be a little skeptical of self-help gurus, but while Katie’s husband, Stephen Mitchell, seems to pitching the guru thang, Katie herself is lively and grounded.
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* 7:30 PM: Bill Porter translates Chinese poetry. A lot of Chinese poetry. And some other Chinese stuff. Tonight, he’ll be at Elliott Bay Book Co. to promote Zen Baggage: A Pilgrimage to China, the story of his 2006 trip to visit (or revisit) historical sites important to Zen Buddhism.
[LINK]

MonsterFresh, friend to both Metblogs and humanity, announced this week that they will be giving away 2 free tickets to see Antony & The Johnsons at the Moore Theatre on Feb. 28th 2009.  And it only gets better from there:

Along with the tickets, winner will also receive a limited edition silkscreen poster commemorating the performance. In fact, the poster is more than just “limited edition” because only 150 of them have been printed and they are not available to the general public. That alone is a nice collectors item.

I for one would rather have a lock of Antony Hegarty’s flowing hair, but since it might sully his wonderfully cherubic face, a limited edition poster doesn’t sound half bad either.

As I mentioned earlier, a week of classic noir films begins at SIFF Cinema with their excellent “Noir City” series, this year focused on dark tales of the days of the old fourth estate. Friday’s opening night double feature, Deadline USA and Scandal Sheet are particularly exciting, but the whole series offers many fine options for fans of murder, mayhem, and gripping suspense.

At NWFF: The Model Shop is ostensibly a story about an aimless young architect who has a brief fling with a woman from a modeling agency but is really more French director Jacques Demy’s beautifully shot ode to Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Follow up The Model Shop by sticking around for Lion’s Love, directed by Demy’s wife Agnes Varda whose own LA-shot film is a more avante garde look at LA at the time, shot in mock documentary fashion and starring Viva, one of Andy Warhol’s “superstars”.

Wendy and Lucy, also at NWFF, stars Oscar nominated actor Michelle Williams as a woman struggling with her difficult life whose dog goes missing while she’s on the road in Oregon, forcing her on to a path that could change her fortunes and her life forever. Sympathetic without becoming sugary, Wendy and Lucy is a powerful look at the troubles we all face in trying times and the immense effort it requires to take control of our loives.

If you’ve ever wondered what Shakespeare as interpreted by Akira Kurosawa would look like, you won’t want to miss Throne of Blood at the Grand Illusion, the legendary Japanese film director’s take on “Macbeth”, set in feudal-era Japan.

Late night at the Grand Illusion: The Love Butcher, a mid-70s slasher film about murderous mirror image twins–crippled Caleb and lothario Lester out for bloody revenge on all the women who spurn Caleb’s affections.

Central Cinema presents the John Hughes teen comedy classic Sixteen Candles. The Egyptian screens The Big Lebowski at midnight.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Are you excited about this year’s Academy Awards but too busy (or broke) to make it down to Los Angeles for the ceremony? Join the good folks of Three Dollar Bill Cinema as they team up with Gay City Health Project for their fourth annual Academy Awards Party on Sunday, February 22 at SoDo Park (3200 First Ave S.) Join the fun at 4:30 or pony up for the VIP experience and get in an hour early for a special reception. Viewing options at the party include an eight foot inflatable screen and four big screen TVs; the party also features hor d’oeuvres, drinks, a Hollywood prop and wardrobe display, and fabulous door prizes, with all proceeds benefiting the programs and services of Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Gay City.

Haven’t seen all the Best Pictures nominees yet? You still have time to see them before the award is handed out–the AMC theater chain is once again offering their Best Picture Showcase deal in which $30 gets you a pass that allows you to come and go as their theaters screen all five Best Picture nominated films throughout the day, starting with Milk at 10:30 am and continuing with The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Bratton, Slumdog Millionaire, and concluding with Frost/Nixon at 9:45 pm. The package also includes a free large popcorn with unlimited refills throughout the day. Local screenings are at the Loews Woodinville 12 and the AMC Kent Station 14.

• Regardless of whether you scored tickets to tonight’s 21+ Murder City Devils show, you can pre-party with the band at Winner’s Circle, the clothing store neighboring Spencer Moody’s art gallery/curiosity closet. [capitolhillebs]
• Battle of the neighborhood art walks! In contrast to West Seattle’s Art Walk [wsb], Capitol Hill’s version features a free tasting at cute, newish, well-stocked wine shop, Vino Verite. [chs]
• The Capitol Hill version (here, my bias becomes even more apparent) also includes an opening of Lauren Klenow-curated “An Unfinished Edge” at the comfortable newish gallery/bar Vermillion with music by onetime animated eSurance salesman PWRFL POWER. [vermillion]

The Mariners and Ken Griffey Jr. (aka the man who built Safeco Field) are thinking about getting back together. Griffey is one of the most likeable players in the game and one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, but will Seattle’s love affair with him still be hot and heavy now that the 39-year-old ball player is returning after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee?

If the M’s are in a rebuilding mode, what does it say that they are investing in an aging and surgically-repaired player who is in the twilight of his career?

Seattle’s drinking club with a biking problem (.83) is hosting its 4th-annual “FUCKING HLLS RACE” Feb. 22  on Bainbridge Island.

This premier cycling event draws cyclists from all over the region to compete for cash and  liquid prizes as well as some decent biking gear donated by top-of-the line companies.

The course is a knee-crushing, 33-mile ride around Bainbridge Island, but there’s an all-you-can eat chili feed (vegan and meat) at the end so it’s totally worth it. The race is $7 and it will also cost you $8 to ride the ferry to the starting line. Meet at Alaskan and Washington under the Viaduct at 8:30 a.m. (look for riders sporting the home-made, Elvis-themed pirate bibs).

“It’s really about the spirit of cycling and promoting unity within the community,” lied an extremely belligerent and noticeably intoxicated Derrick Ito, FHR Organizer.

“The prize lists includes cash, booze and a ton of great bike schwag from our great sponsors,” Ito said, while trying hard to maintain his balance and hide the fact that he was slurring his words.

Ito has a an expanding prize list that includes a lap dance from a local stripper, liquid prizes from Cafe Metropolitan and a complete Hammerhead 7 bicycle from Dahon. The bicycle will be raffled off with proceeds to benefit a locally-owned bike company.

For more information, visit point83.com.

Fuck the Hills Race Flyer

Saturday is Public-Display-of-Affection Day, and Seattle restaurants have geared up with special prix fixe menus to lure couples into spending some money. Prix fixe dinners can be a great bargain, especially if you take it easy on the adult beverages. The list I came up with has something for a variety of tastes and budgets. (Prices listed are per person unless otherwise noted.)

• BOKA Kitchen & Bar: Valentine’s ala carte offerings begin today, 2/12 – $23-$40
• Brasserie Margaux: special “for lovers only” menu – $75
• Coastal Kitchen: 3 courses – $70 per Couple
• Crush: 5 courses, plus amuses and “sweet finales” – $125
• Dulces Latin Bistro: 4 courses, with a choice of five entrees – $60
• Il Bistro: 4 courses, with 3-5 choices per course – $95
• JUNO: 5 courses – $95
• Kasbah: 5 courses and BELLY DANCING! – $35
• La Dolce Vita: 5 courses – $75
• Maximilien in the Market: 5 courses and live classical guitar – $80
• Morton’s: 4 courses – $109 per Couple
• Nell’s: 4 courses, a glass of sparkling wine, and chocolates – $68
• Ponti: 6 courses – $70
• Red Fin: tasting menu – $100 per Couple
• Sonrisa: 3 courses – $75 per Couple
• Taberna del Alabardero: 4 courses (suckling pig!) – $45
• Taste: 4 courses – $98 per Couple
• The Melting Pot (Seattle): 4 courses – $78
• Union: 6 courses – $80

As usual, the Sympathetic Otter and I have reservations at an unlisted restaurant, which is already booked up anyway, so I’m just sparing you the pain of rejection by not disclosing the name.