Off the deep end

So I bought the first red sofa. Man, it is nice. Flexsteel. I bought the 81" sofa instead of the 61" loveseat, which was one of the smallest loveseats we had seen.
It will be stunning. Heavy duty fabric, sez the saleslady. Washable. They want $60 to deliver it. I'll give you a little something if you can deliver it for me. It's really not as red as this picture. Go to the Flexsteel link above and see it.

Now maybe I will go to that antique furniture store in Stony Ridge and look for tablature.

Some closure

Wednesday night we looked at furniture in Findlay. Saturday we went to Grand Rapids and looked at furniture. Today we went back to Grand Rapids.

I bought this chair. Now I need to go back and look at the original red sofa one more time and decide between that and a red one I can get in GR. Like this one but in a redder fabric that is not all suede-y like this one.


The bonus about this one is I get four pillows, two of which I could have covered in the zebra fabric. How fabulous would that be? And then I find this table and chairs at Penney's online. It's $300 for the table and four chairs.
The table is 38" in diameter. What do you think? And maybe this little black chest.


Saturday night we went to Amy's and drank and ate and played games.

In this one, you hold onto this Jeopardy-like button mechanism and push a button on the game unit and then it makes a weird sound and when the light turns green, you have to push your button before everyone else. Last pusher gets a little electric shock. I think it's called Lightning.

Amy flies onto the couch after getting zapped.
Oh I forgot this part. On Friday, I bought some lottery tickets.

The guy who sold them to me asked if I would take HIS picture. He said he would stalk me if I won.

We agonize in email

-----Original Message-----
From: amy
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 9:00 AM
Subject: stayed up all night....

....thinking about your furniture (NOT REALLY).....but I WAS thinking
about
it a little bit.....here's what I think about that chair/ottoman:
It IS really cool and it IS really different, but to try & "make it
work"
with the red couch will require a lot of choosing the right paint color
and
the right window treatments, etc etc. to blend it all together. PLUS
I'm
thinking if you want a "crazy" fabric, make your crazy fabric be your
pillows and/or window treatments where you're not investing so much
$$....that way if you decide you want to go a different route in a
couple
years, you haven't invested that much. I'm still thinking the red couch
is
a great choice & a great buy....but maybe we should see what hours
Rettig is
open and check there one night this week.....'cuz it looked like from
their
website they had different manufacturers ....Samsen & Bennett's pretty
much
both carried the same manufacturers so maybe that's why we weren't
seeing
anything "different".....and then you'll probably still end up with the
red
couch, but at least you'll feel like you shopped around before you
committed.....
(feel free to disregard any of this advice.....)


-----Original Message-----
From: evilwebqueen
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 9:21 AM
Subject: RE: stayed up all night....


I love that couch more and more. In retrospect. And it DID seem like
such a great price, compared to other stuff. And in comparison, the
chair does not win. I didn't measure about the chaise in the LR (and I'm
telling you, it took the delivery guys a LOT OF WORK to get it where it
is now) but that might be great because then I could keep the big green
chair I have, in the computer room. Also, about that table, it would be
bad to play cards on because it is not smooth. But I still like the
table idea a lot. I might go over to Pier 1 today and view their tables
like that. and yes, we should run to the 2 findlay stores, if you are up
for it. Rettig's is open til 8 on weds. I'll call Decker's and see if
they are too (no website).


-----Original Message-----
From: amy
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:22 AM
Subject: RE: stayed up all night....

according to the MSN yellow pages there's another one in Findlay
...Ashley Furniture....open 'till 8...don't know anything about them but
they have several stores in Ohio besides the Findlay one although that's
the closest one....
I didn't give any thought to the card-playing problem - ya' know that
table would be GREAT if you had a sunroom or something...just not made
for our "cute little houses" unfortunately....
I'll talk to Adam tonight to firm up his birthday plan...and make sure
that he wants to spend Thus. with me, as opposed to Weds. or Fri......
...sounds like we're on the same page with the thinking about the couch
and chair.....


-----Original Message-----
From: evilwebqueen
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:50 AM
To: amy
Subject: RE: stayed up all night....


I suppose I should consider other fabrics for the sofa. Although this
just could complicate things....



-----Original Message-----
From: amy
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 11:18 AM
To: evilwebqueen
Subject: RE: stayed up all night....

I just think that was SUCH a great "feel good" fabric....and I love the
red..and I'm kinda hoping the chaise would work out there 'cuz that
would be COOL, MAN ! But if the chaise doesn't work out,and you end up
buying a chair too, I'd keep the chair low-key and have your window
treatments and pillows & accessories be your "pop"; that way if you get
tired of it, all you have to do is buy new curtains and pillows and you
have a whole new look for not that much money.....oooh - maybe you
should do a "summer" room & a "winter" room !!!!



-----Original Message-----
From: evilwebqueen
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 11:22 AM
To: amy
Subject: RE: stayed up all night....


Fercrisakes get a hold of yourself. LOL

Although I DID start thinking about putting a couple of comfy chairs and
a very small table in the 'breakfast nook' to remake that into a
semi-useful area. Which now it is NOT.

I think I'll just throw my sofa out tonight.

Home decor

No work on President's Day so Amy and I went furniture viewing. Before we left, she admonished me that I would only buy something I LOVED. I thought I loved this sofa. It's so red.

Then I REALLY liked this chair and ottoman which were BOTH TOGETHER $799. But upon further reflection maybe I just like it because it's $799.


Now we have done further reconnaissance and believe we need to think outside the box, maybe put a table in the living room, maybe the chaise from the green room, move the TV, ahhhhhhh.....

But that red sofa is really nice.

Sunday morning coming down

Not really. It's just a good song title. Like "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long." Went to see Pieta Brown and Bo Ramsey at Grounds for Thought. That guy could play a sweet slide guitar. Pieta Brown has a quirky but softly rough delivery. It was good. I bought Bo Ramsey's Back to Bastrop CD.

And it was double live music night as Rod's Collision played at Howard's.


Here Amy holds an audience enthralled while recounting her exploits, no doubt.


Eeeek! Is that a furry turkey on the bar? Nay, just a hat, which was a good idea on a night when it was 5 degrees.


A gallery of attendees:




Mrs. Rod's, Mrs. Rod's sister and some cool chicks I know.

Also, a rare sighting of the proprietors Nate and Wally. Of course, although it is the coldest night of the winter, Wally sports his trademark shorts.

Here's why I don't dance. See all these people? The tallest one is MAYBE 5'6". Maybe. It's hard to dance with short people.


But these two ALWAYS dance to "The Sky is Crying." They dance to most songs, but this is their favorite.

Look!! It's the mystical newlyweds seen through an ironic curtain of smoke.

Another weekend of rollicking fun

Last night we went to Beckett's about 7:30 and had a slice of pizza. And a beer. For some reason, we were already tanky. Hmmmm. A friend of ours came in, having just got off the phone with a woman who, three weeks ago, he had determined was the next big thing in his life. Now, it's over. So he has taken up smoking again, after quitting right after New Year's. This man admits freely he wants a wife. He is a Republican.

Plus I talked to that guy who is always reading a paperback in the dim light of the bar and drinking gin and tonics and smoking. He was very friendly and talked about his 58-year-old mom who cannot change a light bulb. Something about being oppressed by men for her whole life and thereby, not being allowed to learn how to do simple home maintenance.

I am putting off doing my taxes AND applying for that job. Procrastination. Or well-deserved relaxation. You decide.

Mid-week

Ok I don't have any photos for this period. Monday, I auditioned for the mother part in the Village Players production of "Barefoot in the Park" but I was dinged. A guy, who works where I do, got the lead. You go, Matt.

Holding on to the exercise regime. To avoid this. It's a hard row to hoe.

Three nights: Stayed home, saw Amy, saw Annie. Considering submitting my application for Executive Vice President for Digital Media for ABC Owned TV Stations. It is about the longest title I have ever seen in my life. Although it does not include the word "Queen," which I desire to have in my title.

My boy had a triumphant debut of his CD Good Guys. More about that here. Or maybe this is a better link. He's so cute. I wish I could see the movie 'Snoozer' that he did the sound for.

Reminder: This Saturday, two musical events. Pieta Brown at Grounds for Thought and Rod's Collision at Howard's (although their website does not reflect this). 8 and 10 so no conflict. I don't have a radio show this weekend (sports).

Going for the gold

Saturday, I did a radio show then I had a latte and screwed around. I didn't think I'd be able to pull myself together for the Blues Posse at Nate and Wally's but:the usual suspects attend.

Here is the band and Fred, my neighbor and bass player, for oh no, not ONE but two by god blues bands.
Furthermore, we were spying on this couple who is the ex-husband of one of our friends, pictured here with his new bimbo girlfriend. Her eyes doth glow with an unholy light. Or perhaps a Bud Light.
Several beers later, I became obsessed with this woman's helmet of hair. It was high, and stiff-looking. I hope it wasn't the best wig she could afford after a long bout with some disease that makes your hair fall out. Then I would feel like shit.
Not really.

Also some drunken guys got me to take their picture and I've promised to send it to them in the email one guy scrawled on the back of a business card. The guy on the right told me his email is mike@aol.com. I said It is not. He maintains that, verily, he was the first mike ever to get an aol account. Hmmmmmmmm....

Then they had their picture taken with this woman. I don't believe that hand is actually touching that breast.
Her theme song: Good girls don't, but I do.

Then we end up at the Corner Grill again.

Oh yeah, that's what 50-year-old women need: cheeseburgers and fries at 1 a.m.

Apparently in an effort to get into the Olympic swing of things, we agreed Saturday night that we would go sledding Sunday morning as soon as Amy ascertained there was sufficient snow on the hill across from her house. That call came about 11 a.m.

In our town, this IS a hill. I know, a lot of places, it would just be a rise or something. Amy races to be the first to break in our new sleds which were left on her front porch around Christmas with decorative bows and a card signed "Santa."

She does the very first run with her arms in the air. Slides all the way to the bottom of the hill without wiping out. What we call around here in August a "full pull."
An evil force field at the bottom of the hill drew us mysteriously eastward in a curve that often left Sherry facing back toward the hill after her descent.
It was big fun.

Get set, go!

The weekend opens with immediate friovlity. Amy and I went to Mancy's Bluewater Grille and we were not disappointed. I called for reservations and were told we could be seated at 4 or 9:30 pm. So we went anyway and took our chances which let us get seats at the lovely bar where "full menu service is available."

Amy got steak with asparagus and salad and onion rings and a baked potato the size of Texas. Not literally. I had this great maple bourbon salmon with butternut squash ravioli which was unbelievable but the picture I took of it makes it look like canned catfood so here's a picture of Amy's meal. She may have to become the official photographer of livethrume.

The we went to see Cats. Hmm, musicals. Amy and I both thought those people must wear out the knees in those leotards every night. Of course, no photography in the theatre so here is the swag booth. Then it was on to Howard's for the Letter to the Editor CD release party starring Nate Baker. This is the last good picture I got, of the band before L 2 the E, Black Coin. They played a very good version of The Lemon Song. This photo has been photoshopped for clarity. I feel I must make this statement so that Kodak doesn't sue me for taking crappy pictures.Oh yeah, this older guy was at the bar with these 2 chiquitas. He probably picked them up at myspace.I offered him $50 to keep this picture off the internet. He said he'd give me $100 if I got it on in an hour.

Some days

it's just better to go with it. You get in what you can, an exercise tape, a load of laundry, some dishes. You feed a friend. You look at furniture. You try to explain the difficulty of implementing a flash player on your website, when you're required to produce two video files, plug these into a proprietary web content mangement system, make a non-scalable jpg to fit the template and knowing that in a couple of weeks, a whole NEW system of flash video production will be available. But I digress.

In Mexico, they have little devil guys set into the wall on the street. This guy was guarding some pile of bones behind the pleixglass.

Man, I wish I was still in Mexico.

Devil Love

Here is a shrine I concocted that I have in my bedroom.

Below is a closer view. I got those cool devils in Ann Arbor but they were hecho in Mexico. They are covered in red glitter and their little heads are on springs. The shelf was made by my dad in shop in high school. The lovely paint job I did myself. And added that champagne bottle cap we got at breakfast in Puerto Moreles in 2005. For me, it sums up all that is good with the world.

In a town this size, there ain't nowhere to hide.

The agony and the ecstasy

The first Monday of the month, we have to go to staff meeting for the radio station for which I am a DJ. They are always very boring but you have to go unless you have a really good excuse. (Tonight we discussed the upcoming fund drive and signed up for times to do the phones.) It's in a big room.

Afterwards, we go to Beckett's and hope it's Gus's night to tend bar. We love Gus.
Here is a better picture of the bar, but unfortunately it doesn't include Gus (who we love).

Also let me say that they still make those banana rolling papers from the 70s. Far out, man.

Oh, yeah....

A weekend at home. How long has that been? Maybe around Thanksgiving. I DID manage to drink five different kinds of wine: a 2003 California Cab (can't remember name), Little Boomey (Australian, cheap, but good) cab, a lovely 2005 Beaujolais (Mommstein? Something like that?), The L wine (a cab, California, 2003), another bottle of Little Boomey. And eat plenty of 70% cocoa chocolate.

Plus I made a bunch of food. Cold. Must stock up in the event power goes out. Like in that big snowstorm we were supposed to get Saturday.

Go Steelers. The Rolling Stones still rock out according to my source in Brazil who said Mick was dancing around the stage "like a little girl." I'd do him.

Miscellany

My friend in Dallas is a big booster for the Kinky Friedman for Governor of Texas campaign. Here is a photo of her with His Kinkiness, presumably at some event.

Like it says on his website Why the Hell Not? My friend said in her email this picture came in: "I hear he's looking for a first lady."

Hey you should buy a t-shirt.

In other developments, Amy and I have decided to go to Wakarusa in June. Amy keeps calling it Wikky Wooky but, well, it's not. It's a music festival in Lawrence, KS, with an incredibly diverse line-up. Govt Mule, Todd Snider, Bela Fleck, Chubby Carrier, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and how could you not like a band called Backyard Tire Fire?

Mexico

We went to Playa del Carmen the last week of January. It's about 40 miles south of Cancun. It survived Hurricane Wilma MUCH better than Cancun did. The Friday night before we got there, there was a fire at the Blue Parrot beach bar (caused by firedancers under a grass palapa roof, go figure). The Blue Parrot was 2 hotels north of where we stayed. Right next to us was La Pirata beach bar, which was also pretty much gutted during the fire. But it's being rebuilt with zest.
We stayed at the Hotel Colibri which has an entrance on 1 bis which is a street parallel to 5th ave that only runs for a few blocks north of 10th St. The Colibri was really nice, the room was spacious, inexpensive, the desk help were pleasant and spoke English.



A lot of Mexico is all about the food. Here's a healthy breakfast at Cafe Tucan on 4th or 6th (can't remember), west of 10th. Mmmm, Nutella crepe with fruits with a smoothie of strawberry, kiwi, pineapple.

And the settings are so beautiful. Here is La Cueva de Chango on 38th (remember when you couldn't go north of about 24th?), between 5th and the beach. We had breakfast there one day. We had coffee and fruit with yogurt and granola and she had eggs and potatoes and i had cheese empanadas with avocado and black beans and the whole thing cost about $12. If that. I should have taken more notes in the field this year.

This is the view from our balcony at the hotel. Tough to take, huh.
One morning (I think it was Jan. 26 or 27), this guy gets down on bended knee on the deserted beach early in the morning and obviously asks his woman to marry him. I couldn't get my camera on it fast enough but the one above is a shot from seconds later. They hugged for a long time.
Here is a closer view of them. Mmmmm, love. If you know them, tell them I will send them a copy of this photo.

The aforementioned (earlier post) guy from NYC is pictured here as well as the Canadians we drank with daily.
The day the cruise ship was in was rainy and windy. The picture below is titled Bad Day at the Beach. The implication of course being Is Better than a Good Day at Work. Which is true.

One night we ate at La Chopiraza which is on 5th between maybe 14 and 16 (?) upstairs. We had nacional ribeyes and a Caesar salad prepared tableside that was delicioso. This picture is of Ula Gula which is directly across the street. We ate there the last night we were in Playa and it was muy fabuloso. We had the pear gorgonzola salad and mascarpone cheese ravioli with grilled mushrooms. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Some morning we ate the breakfast buffet at the Glass Bar on 5th. It was an Italian restaurant by night. They made us omelettes and we got our fruit servings in.

Plus the coffee was really good. Although, I don't think there IS any bad coffee in restaurants down there. Every morning we got a cup at Java Joe's on 10th St. west of 5th Ave. The last morning there, it was fruit, yogurt, granola with toast at 100% Natural, another beautiful garden setting, right on 5th (once again).

Lastly, the reasons to go to Mexico in January: