Seattle is ... just different. I mean that in a good way.

The Seattle Times covered Earth Day aggressively on Thursday, writing about an 88-year-old woman, Doris Estabrooks of nearby San Juan Island, who relentlessly hounded local officials until they banned Styrofoam in the community and replaced it with biodegradable food containers. The ban took effect Thursday. On Saturday, the front page of the Times featured two stories above the fold -- one about the mayor vetoing a legislative bill on panhandling, the other headlined, "Barefoot Running Gains Traction,'' about a man trying to get joggers to eschew running shoes and run with naked feet.

And there's the Fuji apple the size of a basketball that I found at the Pike Place Market Friday and that served as a meal Sunday. And Safeco Field, which leads the major leagues (by a wide margin) in microbrews through all concourses (I'd highly recommend the Pyramid Curve Ball Blonde Ale).