"I decided to bake brownie-bottom pumpkin bars and safely deliver them to 15 of my best friends the night before Thanksgiving. My delivery route slithered around Seattle from Mt. Baker to Fremont to Lynnwood to Issaquah, and the entire thing took five hours. What made it all worth it? The pit stop meal at Burgermaster in Bellevue, involving a tasty little cheeseburger, crunchy-crusted onion rings dunked in tangy housemade tartar, and a mint Oreo milkshake to wash it all down. Oh yeah, and reconnecting in person with loved ones for the first time in months, too. -AR" - carlo mantuano, aimee rizzo