year-end wrap-up

The monkey says, "Happy New Year. Take this ridiculous outsuit off me."



Here's my handsome boy. Sorry, no picture of the girlfriend.


So to recount....

Went to Mexico Jan. 23-30. Got back to find out I was going to NYC for work on Feb. 10 and when I flew back, it was into the Winter Blast so I had to stay at the Detroit Airport Westin and drive back on Valentine's Day on treacherous roads.

Then I was in a play that was on stage in May. "You Can't Take it with You" I can hardly remember it now. Probably will have very clear, fond memories in about 25 years.

Plus my mom broke her leg in March so I was down there every Sunday until the end of June. And although I had made a whole new future for my mom, my sister comes along and changes everything. Which is a good thing, as otherwise I would have spent A LOT of time taking care of my mom (like Amy does with hers). Plus, it made me hoard my vacation so that I was able to take off long periods later in the year.

And Frank's dad died in March so my kids were home the week my play opened while I'm still going to see my mom in the nursing home.

Then I was in Chicago in April for some work training.

May was a lot of shows and the Memorial Day party. Plus I leased a new car. There were parties every weekend in June and July so it seems like I made deviled eggs every Saturday morning for weeks.

August, I went to Los Angeles for training and so I worked one day and then was off the week of Labor Day --> Swamp.

And then I started in on that kitchen remodel. First appointment at Home Depot, and this is after a lot of agonizing about what exactly I would do (ask Amy about the agonizing), was Sept. 24. And tomorrow I have to paint the window frame and it should be done. Four months, not bad. But it looks lovely.

After the Swamp, I worked a week and then went to NYC for a week for the lavish annual meetings of ABC execs. Was on the Live with Regis and Kelly show.

September brought the Blues Competition. And suddenly it was October. Which as you know, has a party every weekend.

I meant to go see Tom but I was out of energy and nearly out of cash. Nearly. Sort of.

And then it was Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Oh, except first, we went to Mexico again in December because it was our last chance to go for a while, now that Miss Jenks is in the land of the ice and snow. And wind. But blue skies.

Here's my New Year's resolution: To spend next Christmas on a beach somewhere, after having visited my kids during the extended holiday season. Sure there was the kitchen remodel and the relaunch of the "new and improved" 13abc.com to add extra hecticness but hey. Maybe I'll take the kids to Disney World.

holiday madness

Well, we did launch the new 13abc.com on Dec. 2 after weeks of agonizing. And then there was the no show of Eddie Shaw at GFT and the Xmas GNO and then there was Mexico.

Got back from Mexico, got messages from the countertop people and they're coming tomorrow as Amy sits patiently waiting for them.

Sunday, I got my mom here. Tom and his girlfriend Jessica got here about 12:45 a.m. Monday. Anne was supposed to be on a 6 a.m. flight out of LaGuardia but missed it due to getting to the airport late so she ends up on the 6 p.m flight which meant she didn't have the Christmas eve dinner. She gets here around 9:15, we tear through presents, the kids leave for their dad's. Annie and I drank until 11 and she went home to leave Christmas morning for ND. She kept quite the stiff upper lip. I got teary on Saturday when she told me I was her favorite traveling companion.

Took my mom home yesterday and worked today. Working tomorrow and Friday but get off Monday around 2.

Did a Christmas radio show Saturday; have the end of the year concert roundup one this weekend.

Haven't painted the frame of the new window over the sink. Thank God, Fred called tonight reminding me that we had to take the sink out. Called Wayne who says he'll come reinstall the sink.

Anne leaves tomorrow night before I get home from work so if she doesn't stop by here pretty darn soon, I will have missed her except for that hour on Christmas Eve. I'll be in New York the first week of February so maybe I'll see her then.

Ola chicos

Well it is not blizzarding here in Playa. It did rain on Friday but fortunately, the bar at the hotel on the beach has a large palapa. Yesterday, we went up for the siesta after sunning and beveraging and alas, we woke up at 11:30 pm and had had no dinner. We feel slimmer today because of it. today it is fabulously sunny and warm and we are internetting at 8:30 am so we can get right on that beach laying.

Not much else to report. Had breakfast on the beach at our hotel this morning. Omelets, toast, frutas, cafe. $7 each. Can`t find any Mexican Christmas decorations.

Please do not shovel my driveway. My car will pull right up into it when we arrive home Tuesday evening around 8.

Hasta luego, muchachos.

who knows

Two weeks since my last post. Mostly I have been agonizing about the new 13abc.com which should launch this Saturday, barring a variety of things that could go wrong between now and then.

The kitchen remodel is slogging along. The cabinets are in, the painting is done, the microwave is installed over the stove, which is back in place. The guy comes tomorrow to measure for the countertop which I have no hope of getting before Christmas but c'est la vie (say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell).

Haven't had a radio show since Nov. 10 and don't have one until Dec. 8.

Mexico two weeks from today. Tanning, dries my skin out. Annie and I went to see Spamalot Tuesday at the Stranahan. It was hilarious. Great costumes, choreography. The old Monty Python jokes we love like catapulting the cow and the Black Knight ("It's only a flesh wound").

Went to see my mom Sunday. She says my sister hates Ohio blah blah. What did she think? She'd come back and suddenly the weather and scenery would be much nicer?

Had the turkey dinner at Annie's on Thanksgiving and played cards at the Butterfly Blues Ranch the next night. Next week, it's a radio meeting Monday, a haircut Tuesday, GNO and Eddie Shaw Wednesday.

I need to figure out how the shelves go into my pantry cabinet so I can put some of this stuff away that's sitting around in boxes and bags and I can clean and feel like I actually live here.

All in good time, my little pretty, all in good time. But now, I think I'll hit the sack after working a 12-hour day.

home remodeling

Today, Wayne Welling came and tore out my kitchen cabinets. Tomorrow, the new ones arrive. He still has some work to do, he says, with drywall mud etc. But I think he can start in ASAP. I need to buy a microwave. Timing will be tight to get that countertop in by Xmas.

All my kitchen stuff is stacked up in the green room with some less used items in the basement from which they may never emerge.

Kim called to say she is having cards at the Butterfly Blues Ranch or Farm on Nov. 23. Miss Jenks has invited me for turkey day or as it is at her house, capon day.

This weekend is the downtown holiday parade followed immediately by the Buckeyes game with Meeeesh-igan. Unfortunately, I signed up to answer the phones at the WBGU fund drive noon to 2. Duh. May have to skate early, although for me, it's all about the potluck, and the game, not so much.

Going to the gym religiously, Body Sculpt on Mondays, Turbo Kick on one week night and one weekend day. Starting to tone up but am still a ways from supermodel.

The web redesign launches Dec. 1 and so we're scurrying around at work, practicing with the new tools and objects. I will be SO ready for Mexico on Dec. 13 but alas no Xmas presents will have been obtained. May have to shop in Playa.

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles were really good at GFT last Friday. Bought their CD Diamonds in the Dark. Cards was a success, if smally attended and full of cheese. Went to Fred and Sherry's for the Browns game on Sunday because I had intended to do yard work but it was too damp. Now all the leaves are down (all the leaves are down, and the sky is gray) so maybe this Sunday I can finish the raking. Well, the magnolia or whatever is still leafy but I'm sure the rain between now and Sunday will finish it off.

Called my mom yesterday who sounds like she is doing OK although Karen has the usual story: she's been there more than 3 months and still no health insurance, no paid holidays, no sick time so when she called in sick 3 days last week, her pay was reduced accordingly. Whatever.

Now, besides Eddie Shaw at GFT on Dec. 5, they are having Melvin Taylor on Dec. 27.

Also, I bought Tom this slamming set of cookware for his 26th birthday. Now I just have to ship it but it was a great deal. And something he actually expressed an interest in. I could have bought it online but I wouldn't have been able to see how lovely it is. Plus I got some bonus covered pot thing that I'm keeping for myself. Because that's the kind of mom I am.

A grueling week

Monday, I did Body Sculpt at the gym and then drank a bottle of wine with Amy (Yellow Tail Shiraz-Cab) and went to the radio meeting where after the role was called, Don Smith asked if Dave Horger was not in attendance. Then he asked when we were going to see the financial benefit of Dave being on the morning show or when he was going to start mentoring students with his "years of experinence." We were told that we'd be getting a report on the financial part in January and that the working with students was not what had been expected.

Tuesday, home, high finance, Boston Legal. Wednesday, Turbo Kick at the gym before GNO at 149 North where the wine is $3 for the first glass and $1 each glass thereafter and ladies get buy one get one free appetizers. I think we may have found our new GNO location. Plus going out back to smoke is not as heinous as it is at Howard's. Although, you gotta watch that Woodbridge cab. Four glasses is about max or next day it's fog city.

On to the weekend. GFT Friday night and cards at my house on Saturday. Yard work with mild temps.

misinformation

Friday night, Amy and Connie and I went out to eat at Trotter's before we went to see Rod's Collision at Nate and Wally's but ALAS the band was not playing, upon calling Sherry we discover. We were misinformed. Gus had no further light to shine on this when I talked to him Saturday. Kim and Jim were on their way up from the hinterlands so they came on and we played 5-handed euchre at Amy's, a game I had never played and that I believe I may not play again. Too complicated, disagreement on rules, etc. Jim won and I came in second, so I don't know what I'm bitching about.

Then, I thought I had a radio show now til Christmas but ALAS, I was misinformed so I'm on next week and then not for the next 2. Although I will probably do a show on Friday of Thanksgiving weekend because the utes will be gone. I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, I took all the windows out of my living room and the green room and washed them inside out, after going to TurboKick at the gym. Man, the windows are stunning. Then I raked the front yard and cleaned my house, including bathtub tile grout and did 4 loads of laundry, which I hardly ever have that much, and had a couple whiskey drinks at Annie's on the porch where it was nice out of the little wind, and then slept like a rock in my clean flannel sheets. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Sunday, I mowed the front and put away a bunch of stuff for winter and picked up 100 lbs. of pinecones and emptied all my pots and planters and hauled all that stuff to the yard waste. Then cooking school commenced. I put a half a roast in the crockpot with carrots and onions and made chicken enchiladas and tuna salad and that pear dessert in the oven with crystallized ginger and biscuit top. Listened to the "I Love Being a Girl" show on WBGU and the world music show. Let me tell you this about cooking school: do not try to thaw a bag of frozen grated cheese by running hot water on it. It just starts to be grilled cheese in a bag.

This Friday, it's Sarah Borges at GFT. Kelly called my radio show the other day, which is good because it means he was listening when I played Terri Hendrix, to tell me the upcoming music schedule there: Dec. 5, Eddie Shaw; January something (TBD), Melvin Taylor; March, Jim Jorgensen who was Elton John's guitar player; and April, Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines.

I emailed Kelly today with info on booking the Doghouse Daddies and Twistin' Tarantulas and Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band. Just need to get him the CDs.

The cabinets are theoretically coming the Monday of Thanksgiving week so I should call Wayne and get him lined up. Those cabinets in the picture have the spice glaze which I not getting. I'm having natural which I can't find a link for. I'm excited.

road rage

Today, I get on I-475 at 25 and some guy in a Malibu is going 69 in the passing or "fast" lane in front of me. I stay behind him until it's clear he's not going to move into the slow lane so I whip into the slow lane and punch it to about 76 at which point HE punches it in the fast lane to about 83, just in time for us to come upon the statie that sits there right before the bridge over the Maumee. Not much traffic, so the statie has plenty o time to pull out and nail Mr. "I Can Go Faster Than You." I shouldn't gloat; it's bad karma. But hey, run with the big dogs, etc.

Had 98 trick or treaters. Took some pictures but didn't get them up yet although I had told two teen girls they would be on 13abc.com today in my Halloween slideshow. There were too many people pushing mere infants in strollers and then holding out the bag for treats these babies were frankly not going to be eating.

almost Halloween

Friday, Miss Jenks and I damaged a bottle of Jack Daniel's. Saturday, radio show and then to the Sockman party where I could not bring myself to wear the Batgirl costume and JUST AS WELL because nobody else was costumed. I wore the devil horns and tail with my regular clothes and guys were saying "Hey, I always wanted a piece of that tail." Ha ha.

Sunday I worked in the yard to exhaustion and cooked: chicken for chicken salad and enchiladas and a roast. And I put in most of the storm windows but I have still not put the heat on at night. Hmmm, winterishness.

So me and Annie are going to Mexico Dec. 13-18. Staying at the Colibri. We both had vacation left and it seemed like a good idea, without even a lot of alcohol.

Making sweet potato corn chowder now and drinking Yellow Tail. Tomorrow night, we are going to the Revolver in Findlay.

Rod's Collision at Nate and Wally's this Friday. Charlotte gets picked up Wednesday so maybe I can resume going to the gym.

watching charlotte

I am sitting Gus and Annette's dog while they are in Mexico for the Kern-Doster nuptials. Actually I heard the nuptials were already performed in the US for legal reasons and then there's this wedding thing in Mejico and then there's a party on Nov. 10.

Gus brought her and her luggage over Tuesday evening and there was some whimpering and general cat fear but we all got to sleep somewhere. Charlotte came in about 3 a.m. just to see if I was still there, I guess, and I gave her a pat on the head and told her to go back to bed and she did.


Wednesday, everything went smoothly in the morning and I fed Miss Jenks's cat. Wednesday evening, I walked Charlotte over to feed the Jenks cat. She was very good walking on the leash. Then there was some business with the squeaky dog toy she has when we got back. She just pokes its belly with her nose so it will squeak. No pulling, no biting.

Then I went over to Amy's for some health beverage. When I got back, everybody went out and when they came in, the cats decided they would sleep on the bed and everybody was cool. The Big slept on my head like I hope he will after I've been drinking wine.

Today, Thursday, everybody is passing each other warily in the upstairs rooms but overall, it's a giant success. She is the best pet guest one could hope for.

Here's a cartoon Connie Z sent in email:


I emailed Tom about whether he had experienced any flooding in the rains Tuesday but of course, we only get the exaggerated picture here and he had no pictures to send me.

Tomorrow night, Annie and I are going to drink whiskey after I go to the Home Depot and get my final estimate on the cabinets which I think I will have Wayne Welling install. Although I am not signing up for anything tomorrow night. Just getting the prices. Because I should get another price from Lowe's or someplace. This is the countertop I like.

Listening to the new Mark Knopfler CD, Kill to Get Crimson which is great. Radio show Saturday and I have some new stuff.

Friday, Joe Bob Duda at Cucina but I may have to pass. Saturday, three Halloween parties. We'll see which one(s) I get to. Kind of crappy weather coming but at least the wind will switch back around to the southwest.

here's what I think

Beer not only makes you fat, it makes you crabby. I haven't been drinking much beer and this weekend I did and today I am fat and crabby. Or it could be this weather thing moving in.

It was a big weekend. Friday night, was the Joe Bob Duda at GFT which was heavily attended. Then we went to Beckett's for a bev. Saturday I went to the gym and did a radio show and to the Halloween party from which I have no pictures. Please send me some to debweiser@email.com. I wore my Batgirl costume. Amy was a witch. Sherry was Charlie Chaplin, complete with cane and derby.

Then we went to the Welders in our costumes. Fred, who was dressed as a pirate (a very popular motif this year), said we should go to Howard's every Saturday night in costumes.

Sunday was beautiful, if a little windier than I thought it would be. I was going to wash house windows but the first one I started on needed to be caulked so that's all I got done but I had been meaning to do that for a long time.

Plus I cleaned out the garage. I just need to get that grapevine out of the driveway to see if my car will fit in there.

Tomorrow, Gus is bringing Charlotte over to stay with me for a week while they're in Mexico.

So, Friday, Joe Bob Duda at Cucina de Betta or whatever. Saturday, three Halloween parties. And my first of a long string of regular radio shows.

Annie and I want to go to this restaurant in Findlay, Revolver. It has great reviews. Scroll down on that page to see the comments.

Also I have been looking for a cross stitch that says God loveth a cheerful giver. But most of them are this Precious Moments crap.

ramblings

So it's 10:20 and I realize Boston Legal is on. Man, I am not the viewer advertisers are looking for.

I was telling Sherry or somebody that I don't blog as often because I get all angsted up that I have so much to recount and pictures to post and upcoming events to notify people of that I don't blog.

About this weekend, specifically Saturday, I'm going to the Halloween party about 9 so I can maintain for the Welders which might not start til 11. Plus in case you don't know, Saturday is Miss Jenks's birthday.

exciting updates!

The Chris Shutters Band won the BSBS Battle of the Bands and is going to Memphis. Rod's played their hearts out. The winning band plays at Mulvaney's Bunker on Dorr St. right down the road from my work. They're from Sylvania. The shindig at the Maumee Indoor was well attended including the BG contingent: Kim and Jim, Michelle and Don, Kay and Rick, Dylan, Doug and the usual band groopies.

Today, I went to the Pharm because they had these signs out: CHEAP! FINAL SALE! LIQUIDATION! So there's hardly anything left in there but vitamins and makeup. I bought some stuff that would have totaled about $35 for $12. These white trash people were at the register with a big wad of cash they were making change out of and just assigning prices as they saw fit. Somebody asked when they were closing their doors and some guy said "As soon as we can get all these people out of here." Someone else asked what was going in there and the register guy said Hooters.

Listening to No Song, No Supper.

This weekend, I tore that grapevine off the fence between my yard and Mrs. Eilert's. When I told her about this, several times, she was vague even though she had told me numerous times that the guy who mows her lawn told her that should be cut down. Sheesh. Then I weeded copiously, planted a bunch of perennials I got from the departing Miss Jenks, measured my yard for future bed planning. And took stuff to the yard waste and stuff to Goodwill and returned stuff I had had for two months from Elder Beerman where they had these nightgown robe sets on sale that my mom likes so I guess I've started Christmas shopping. I think now my immediate plans are a privacy fence along the back, new kitchen stuff and this partial landscape remodel.

Plus it's back to cooking school. Today, I made beef stew in the crockpot which I have not sampled yet and I have a quiche in the oven (broccoli, ham, onion, cheese).

Plus I've started keeping lists of stuff to do. And I do it! I think this going to the gym is fab for my energy. I went yesterday and did Turbo Kick which is kickboxing with these 90-second intervals of unbelievable hopping around toward the end.

Gotta watch last week's Desperate Housewives on the internet before tonight's show comes on at 9. Reading Blaze by Richard Bachman (who is really Stephen King). So so.

Better go try and figure out a Halloween costume.

how could I be so far behind???

Plus I have just been worthless for the pictures. Maybe now that it's cooler weather and I have pockets, I'll carry that camera around more.

Here are the few pictures from the Harvest Party. Chip caught this mouse at his house and felt compelled to carry it around in the back of his truck


Some shoes being tossed.

The fire which, although totally unnecessary, was nice.


It was a swell party. It was unbelievably warm. We had on tank tops.

So since my last post, Donna had a birthday party at Missy's. That is one beautiful porch. It was kind of an odd guest list: Norm Heineman and woman, Vic and woman, Nick Subic and woman, Gus, Chip later, Myles cooking his "famous" chicken, Sherry, Fred, Amy, Jenks and man, Jo Sears, Ontha and cleavage.

And then there was the second round of the BSBS blues finals at Mickey Finn's on Sept. 30 Wherein four bands advanced. The finals are tomorrow night at the Maumee Indoor. Rod's needs to zip it up, which was discussed with the band members later. Go boys.

Went to see my mom on Sept. 30 as well. Things are going OK down there. Marginally. But I cannot insert myself into this except to send them some money to buy Halloween candy as they apparently can expect hordes of trick or treaters.

I went to Home Depot and had them come measure my kitchen for new cabinets and have a price from them of around $4,500. I'm getting a couple more quotes before I jump into anything. Who knows who can put a privacy fence up along the back of my yard?

So really that's about it except of course continuous partying around.

After I got back from New York on Sept. 21, my daughter came to town Sept. 26-29 just to get out of the city, as she says. Coincidentally, my old boyfriend Barker was in town Sept. 22-30 and on Sat. night we were all in Nate and Wally's at the same time. "Uncle Steve," Anne said in her facetious way. Bad picture, cell phone, in the bar, but they look lovely. I also went out with Barker on Weds. night to 149 North where we took advantage of the dangerous Wine Night specials. First glass, $3, subsequent glasses $1. Too many subsequent glasses. I had to call in sick at work the next day, which I have done about 3 times in 7 years.



And here is a camel, which was in the parking lot of the small mall the other night when I came out of the gym. Oh right, I joined the gym at the mall.


So coming up we have the Doug and Connie party on Oct. 20 followed by the Welders that night at Howard's, the same day Miss Jenks turns 54, the last time she'll turn anything in Ohio as she is moving to North Dakota in January. Prior to that, there is Bucktown Kickback at Nate and Wally's on the 18th and JoeBobDuda at GFT on the 19th. And Kim Sockman has invited me (and other spirited partyers, she says) to her house on Oct. 27, the night of Kay and Jacqui's party.

And here is video on YouTube of Millie, the island deer up at Put-in-Bay.

time flies

I guess I'll go in reverse order since I may never get to that stuff that happened clear back around Sept. 12, the day after my last post, as I can't remember things. I should take more notes.

So I was off the week of Sept. 10 but I didn't do anything recognizable. It was just nice to be off, not to go in every day. I looked at cabinets at Home Depot. Made an appointment to have them come measure, which I blew off. Then I left for NYC on Sunday, the 16th. Had dinner with Anne that night and hung out. Monday, we went to see Regis and Kelly and then went shopping. Just went to regular stores we could have gone to here, except majorly larger versions of them-- Payless, H&M, Old Navy, Macy's. Also went to Filene's Basement on Broadway where I bought a pant suit to wear the first day of my meetings. Bought a bikini for Mexico at H&M, some underwear.

The meetings were good, they feed us continuously. Went to the Red Eye Grill Tuesday night and Del Frisco's Wednesday. The bill at Del Frisco's for 25 people was $4,000. Of course, Disney picked up the tab. Went out drinking after both nights although I was pretty pooped Wednesday. Rooftop terrace bars at fancy hotels, the Hudson and the Peninsula. One round of drinks at the Hudson was $250. Of course, Disney paid. Did a lot of walking but not enough to offset the massive food intake. Got home late Friday night.

Did a radio show Saturday. Mowed. Spent an hour Sunday ripping recipes out of Bon Appetit magazines. Went to see Fred Eaglesmith at the Ark Sunday night. Last night. Sheesh, it's tiring. In bed last night around 11:30 and my old boyfriend Barker calls to say he's in town and I thought we would have some cocktails tonight but alas I am blown off so now it's maybe Wednesday.

Click here for a picture of my daughter and her boyfriend.

I was going to go see Tom in New Orleans the weekend of Oct. 13 but he called me while I was shopping at Macy's in New York and said his good bicycle had been stolen after his beater bike was destroyed when he got hit by a car. No details on that hit by a car thing. Plus his girlfriend's Vespa was stolen. They're going to Austin the weekend of the Harvest party. But all reports are that the crime is so bad down there and I would have so little time to hang out with him, I think I will not go.

Now I'm not going to Put-in-Bay this weekend, opting to do my only radio show from now til Oct. 27 and go see my mom on Sunday. Also Sunday is Rod's Collision at Mickey Finn's in the second half of the first round of the Blues Battle for Memphis.

Listening to Shake Hands with Shorty by the North Mississippi Allstars.

OK on to the photos. They are in no particular order because it takes me a long time to put them in the photo software and sort through them and put them in Photoshop to resize them and post them and then to sort them by name, well, that ain't happening because I'm drinking Scotch. Bear with me. Remember, click on a photo to see a larger version.

At St. Mary's, they had this big stage and off to the side this ginormous Jumbotron on which they were showing the OSU game. I had never seen so much Buckeye paraphernalia in my life, shirts, chairs, etc. And when Michigan lost to Appalachian State on the TV in the vendor tent, the screaming was unbelievable. Doug and I were over looking at the canal at the time, and thought maybe something bad had happened.


OK, skip ahead. Here's Regis and Kelly.


Here's Anne and Kelly. She asked me not to put this photo on the internet because she has a goofy look on her face, but I did anyway.


Another picture of Kelly to show you how close we were. Like 4 feet away.


Here's Miss Annie warbling with Joe at the Huntington Courtyard at the Swamp.


Now, she has retired to the audience.


Here's what Anne and I ate at Cafe Matin in NYC. Crab remoulade and croque monsieur, which is basically an open face ham and grilled cheese. Had a bottle of Loire wine, white, crisp, delicious.


At the Swamp I got this shot of Esther.


Again, the Elderly Brothers with Miss Annie.


How's it goin'? Dave Scott, caught in a rare public appearance.


This is a funny picture, because when we were in L.A., we all put out our Disney corporate cards so the server would have to split up the bill 12 ways. Even though, in the end, they were all being paid out of the same budget and not ours. Hope you can't read the expiration dates on those.

Doug searches fruitlessly for his wife in the crowd at the Swamp.


Are these guys happy or what???


Blondes. Sheesh.


Two thirds of the Barker children. The other one is visiting BG this week and maybe we'll have some cocktails sometime. We were supposed to tonight but he called, jammed up, the usual. Oh, I remember now. Maybe Wednesday. Anne comes that day to stay until Saturday.


Thursday, Rod's practices at Fred's garage so maybe some women will have to have some beverages elsewhere.

Here a couple of pictures from music. This one is Fred at the Ark last night. Short show. Started at 7:30 and at 8:58, they're saying Good night but Fred comes back out for 15 minutes.


And here's a shot of Todd and Will in Tennessee. Cell phone.


And when does this craziness stop? No time soon. Because the holiday season is just around the corner.

well, damn

The Swamp was fabulous. Listening now to the Deadstring Brothers who played Friday before Bernard Allison, who was also fabulous. Millish was good. Alejandro Escovedo was pretty good. The Infamous Stringdusters were real good. The Silverbacks were outstanding. The Elderly Brothers with Miss Annie were fantabulous.

Bought almost nothing at the Swamp. One picture and some mittens. Some CDs. Saw many people. The weather could have been better as the audience cleared out right before Bernard because of impending bad stormishness which didn't occur. And Saturday night it rained all during the Sierra Leone's Allstar Refugees but many folks braved the elephants to see them. All in all, a delightful time that just capped my week off. I did a lot of brain relaxation.

Last night, went to see The Subdudes at the Ark. Man, those guys can play. They came into the audience and did Morning Glory about one inch from us a capella. They rocked out. Their harmonies and playing are so tight. When we left, the guitar player in the background was out back having a smoke and we said You were great and he said Come see us again.

GNO tomorrow. There's a fall food fest at the Farmer's Market on Pearl St. Saturday. Cooking Demonstrations: Sushi (Bg style!), sauerkraut balls, squash dishes. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I'll be there.

Then off to NYC. Could go see Robben Ford and Parliament Funkadelic. M. Ward, Eartha Kitt, Eric Bibb. We'll see. It costs $85 to see Eartha Kitt. I'll be in the audience of Regis and Kelly Live on Monday and I'll wave. As Sal would ask, What will I wear??

what i did on my summer vacation

The last day I actually worked was Aug. 24. I went to see my mom on Sunday the 26h. Don't want to get into that at this time.

Went to LA the next day and was sequestered in a conference room all day Tues., Weds., Thurs. morning. Went out all 3 nights, although the first one was just for dinner at Marie Callender's where we sat on the patio under the full moon and palm trees. Breakfast was outside in the hotel's courtyard Monday morning (but not the subsequent days), omelette station, women with pitchers of juice and carafes of coffee. Then we'd go into a room where there were snacks, yogurt, muffins, juice, granola bars. Like we'd not just eaten. And then there was lunch, also outside on the first day, some Chinese stuff, pretty good. After lunch, there were afternoon snacks. And on to dinner. I had some really good ahi tuna. Couple glasses of Seven Deadly Zins. Then we went back to the Elephant Bar next door to the hotel and drank and talked about the new web redesign.

Tuesday night was more of the same but we just started right out at the Elephant Bar. Dinner, drinks, cigarettes on the patio, even for people who said they didn't smoke. Much later, we are still drinking on the patio, the restaurant has closed, and a guy comes out to tell us that the hotel next door was complaining about us. I told him we were all guests of the hotel. He laughed. So we meander over to the hotel courtyard where a beefy security guy tells us we must all go IMMEDIATELY TO OUR INDIVIDUAL ROOMS. Four of us go into my room to finish our opened cans of Budweiser and the big guy lingers in the hallway until the other people leave. Plus I have to mention this so-called bar closed at 11:30! What were we to do?

The next morning, some of my colleagues looked a little rough. Not me, but then, they were up against a professional. So we do Day Three of Search Engine Optimization training and people get their individual rides to airports and I get home at 2 a.m. Friday morning. So I went into work around noon, intending to work til 8 but I had to do the football scores, so I was up til 2 a.m. AGAIN making football highlight video and posting scores. Also this day, Dewalt's put new gutters on my house. You know how long I've been angsting about those gutters.

Saturday (the next day) Amy and I leave for St. Marys about 10 a.m. for the Riverside Blues Festival. The Evening Leader has a big story about it. Scotty Bratcher, Doghouse Daddies, Cleveland Fats, Lonnie Brooks and Joe Bonamassa. Who Fred thought was a little "too heavy metal." I bought the Doghouse Daddies CD and one that's a compilation of 2004 Ohio blues entrants in the Memphis blues competition.

It was damn hot. We sat out in the sun in a crowd overflowing with Buckeyes chairs and shirts and tote bags. There was a jumbotron showing the OSU game. Under a tent, there was a TV showing the Michigan game where they got beat by Appalachian State. The crowd went wild. Doug, Kim, Jim, Amy, Fred, Sherry and me. It was Sherry's birthday. All the bands were very good in their own ways. I hope it was successful enough they can have it next year because it's only an hour away.

(Aside: Fat Fish Blue is opening in Levis Commons in March.)

Amy and I drove to her brother Denny's apartment in New Bremen afterward where he served us burgers and Natural Light in a can. I fell asleep on the sofa bed around 2 a.m. AGAIN, watching a Stevie Ray Vaughan concert tape. Earlier that night, Fred had told me a story about a woman he knew who dated SRV and had the photos to prove it, but she died and the photos are history. And then Denny tells us a story about snorting coke off a bar in Chicago with SRV. Pretty kosmik.

Denny's promise to make us scrambled eggs Sunday morning notwithstanding, Amy and I leave before he gets up and have breakfast at a truck stop in Beaverdam. We get home about 12:30 and it's time to get ready for party Monday. I mow, trim, edge, rake, tote, trim, water and drink some beers at Annie's. During the night, I flip over in bed and the BIG DIZZINESS comes over me which I am still feeling today although not so bad as I have been doing the Epley maneuvers. I called Dr. Wojo to see if he could do the professional version on me but the nurse said he would probably try to prescribe meds. But this is a mechanical problem, I tell her to no avail. So I call the Wood Co. ER to see if the Dr. Taylor is on duty who did it to me last time but he's not and they can't tell me his schedule. So tomorrow I have a physical scheduled with Dr. Wojo's son Dr. Ed but I doubt he will do it either. I shoulda had him look this up on the internet in advance.

Monday, Labor day party, to which I apparently forgot to invite a lot of people who fortunately heard about it through other people so there was a good turnout including Dr. Sue, and Jimmy Kiernan, and Mark Trout and Ginger and Bob. Way too much food, plenty o beverages, although I am dizzy and just flit about with a vague grin until the last person leaves around 10:30. Dr. Sue commandeered the grill, much to my delight. Donna sent a lovely plate of barbecued shrimp stuffed with hot peppers and wrapped in bacon. She couldn't make it. Thanks, Donna. Remember, GNO is at your house Sept. 12.

(Aside: Listening to Pressure Chief by Cake. The 6-8 DJ on Saturdays gave it to me.)

So Tuesday, I tidy up from the party and be dizzy and lounge around and watch Good Night and Good Luck. People stopped by to retrieve their stuff. I still have two insect repellants and a round blue nylon cooler thingy. Then Annie came over and we drank a couple beers and then I had a radio meeting after which I made an arrangement to make some promos Thursday at 4 p.m.

Today, I went to Meijer at 8 a.m. because I have had no food for about 3 or 4 weeks. At one point, I had eaten breakfast at the Corner Grill three days in a row. Then I took some leftover cookout food to Annie's and Russell was there so he gave me half a papaya which we ate on the porch. I came home and made an omelette and went back over and biked on the trail with him for 6 miles. Then I went to Ace Hardware to get some lawn treatment and some Miracle Gro and my storm window which they were supposed to be repairing but they can't find it. Then I went to the yard waste and to Home Depot to look at cabinets and countertops in a very preliminary way. I made a strawberry banana smoothie which took about one minute. I should make these more often.

I have pictures of various stuff above. Coming soon.

Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment and am making promos for my show, which I wrote today and picked out the music for. Friday, Brad Doyle is coming at noon to move my thermostat and take out the gas heater in the front room and fix my leaking kitchen sink. And I have an appointment with someone at Home Depot about cabinet pricing. Just in a very preliminary way. And then I will be down at the Swamp about 3 until who knows. Saturday, I will show up at the radio station when the BGSU game is over so we can do live remotes. Plus I have been invited to a Silverbacks after-party at the Peslikis's. And Rod's plays at Nate and Wally's Saturday night. And Annie sings with The Elderly Brothers on Saturday at 1 in the Huntington Bank courtyard.

Sunday, we have to switch to our new content management software for 13abc.com so I will have to pay close attention on Sunday afternoon after being all swamped out.

Then it's the Subdudes in Ann Arbor, GNO and I leave for NYC on Sept. 16. I don't have a radio show until Oct. 27. The only one I COULD have is Sept. 29 and I'm thinking about going to Put-in-Bay that day.

There is a blues concert benefit for the Findlay flooding people Sept. 22. More about that soon.

Doug and Connie's Halloween party is now scheduled for Oct. 20. NOTE DATE CHANGE. October looks a little calmer.

Eddie Shaw Dec. 5 at Grounds is what I hear.

outta here

Off to LA tomorrow until the buttcrack of dawn Friday morning. Last week was my birthday week. Had several fine meals with various wimmens. Received lovely presents and cards. Thank you.

Monday, Sept. 3, I am having a cookout. Come as early as 3 but the eating is 5 or thereabouts. Invite everybody you know.

Preliminary report

Went to the Madison Ribberfest this weekend. Great time. Best band was Elvin Bishop. Very hot most of the time. Sat in what shade we could get. Next year, taking a beach umbrella. Ate a ton of free barbecue, both Friday night at the Backyard BBQ Blast and Saturday around noon for the professional cookers. Drank a gallon of Coronas.

Here's a look at some of the tents of the participants in the professional BBQ contest.

Here's a picture of The Travelin' Mojos, a local band who was very good.

These ladies had on these great t-shirts prior to the judging.


The fest on Friday.


Elvin Bishop wanders into the audience RIGHT NEXT TO ME.



Almost blinded him with the flash on this one.


Some of the cookers of the people vying for qualifying for the Kansas City National BBQ Cook-off.








The balloon glow Friday night on the south bank of the Ohio River.

Candied bacon.




Charlie Musselwhite doing Blues from Brazil.

updates

The good thing about the next few weeks is I only have to work two out of five of them at actual work. The bad thing is it seems like a strenuous schedule. I Will Survive (as sung by Cake, not by Gloria Gaynor).

* To Madison for the Ribberfest
* My birthday (the 21st)
* My mom's birthday weekend
* To L.A. Monday til Thursday
* Labor Day weekend with Joe Bonamassa in St. Mary's 9/1 and party chez moi 9/3
* WEEK OFF
* the Swamp
* Subdudes at the Ark
* To New York Sunday to Friday 9/16-21
* Fred Eaglesmith at the Ark 9/23
* Put in Bay 9/29
* Harvest Party 10/6
* New Orleans Oct 13-15 (maybe)

Last weekend, I went to see Rod's Collision at Nate and Wally's. I need a t-shirt that says Remember: Whiskey Leads to Dancing. That back outside bar of theirs is slick. I tried to get a cheeseburger at the Grill before I went but I apparently showed up during the "makin' the bacon" interlude and no cheeseburger was to be had. Fortunately, the Voodoo Barbecue was open and I got a chicken burrito which I ate in Nate and Wally's as I had already had several beers on Annie's porch. Then came the whiskey and dancing. No photographic evidence. Of dirty dancing with Jason Peslikis, for example.

Saturday, I was on the radio from 12:15 to 4 and then I had to recuperate. Watched The Commitments, a pretty good movie. Sunday, I mowed and weeded.

SOLD MY CAR! At last, the blue Civic is gone, and while I did not make out like a bandit, I sold it for a tidy sum more than I owed on it. Some guy looked at it first who chided me about the corrosion on the aluminum wheels, as if I had driven through acid baths, and because I had not hosed down the engine! Kee-rist. But does not offer any hold money or other promise. So the eventual buyer comes Friday night and writes me a check on the spot. And then the first guy has the nerve to call me and leave a message that starts "I don't think you treated my daughter fair" at which point I hit the delete button on my phone. He could have said "fairly."

Also reading Chuck Palahniuk's Stranger Than Fiction, which is. Chuck has a new book out in May so I just ordered it on half.com. Also read Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother, which was as great as was his first book, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time."

crazy

Saturday morning, Miss Jenks and I got in the new car and drove to Maryville, Tennessee, to see Will Kimbrough and Todd Snider. It was a 7-hour drive and worth every minute. Unfortunately, I left my spare camera batteries at home so I have a couple of pictures of Will that I will post soon. But no video as I had hoped. I'm sure some will show up on Youtube pretty soon.

Will did Act Like Nothing's Wrong and Piece of Work and A New Song and many others, then Todd came out and they played for another hour and a half with Ted Cooper on bass and rocked the crowd of about 300 at Smoky Mtn. Harley Davidson in The Shed. We were drinking Tecate in a can with limes.

Todd did a new song, America's Favorite Pastime, about some MLB pitcher pitching a game on acid. He told a story about being on the high school football team in Beaverton, OR, and how some magic mushrooms turned him to the other side.

We got in the car at 8 a.m. after eating at the Corner Grill and drove to Lake City, TN, where we ate at La Fiesta (smoking or non-smoking?) and had a frosty Negra Modelo, some killer guac and excellent salsa on some burritos and enchiladas that all the had the same red sauce, but were tasty. On the way back we had breakfast Sunday morning at Cottage Restaurant, also in Lake City. And lunch at Tipp o' the Town in Tipp City. Not into the chain restaurants.

We tried to find Disney, TN, which was on Jenks's Wal-Mart road atlas but the locals where we stopped for gas said Disney might be a road, but it wasn't a town and when I told them we wanted to have our pictures taken in front of the city sign, you could tell they thought I was out of my mind. And from up NORTH. These 5 or 6 people were all in the gas station, where I bought gas, and most of them looked pointedly at the floor when the reason for this visit was presented.

The scenery was beautiful. Smoky Mtns. at 8 a.m. With actual smokiness.

Last Wednesday, we went to see Sonny Landreth at The Ark. He was pretty good but we have seen this show before.

Remember, Rod's Collision is at Nate and Wally's Friday night.

We got some big rain today. Now, it's time to mow for the first time in 2 months.

rigorous party schedule

Friday, Amy and Connie and I barged in on Fred and Sherry about 10 p.m. They were good with it. Saturday, made deviled eggs like it seems I do every Saturday, radio show, went to the Kling Riboff where I drank several beers and some Scotch and ate ribs and a ton of other stuff including desserts then went to Tunafest and partied on down with the Welders playing until I walked home with Sherry about 1:30 a.m. Connie Ziss introduced me to some people who wanted to know who Daddy's Girl was and the woman told me the man had to stop everything on Saturday at 2 to listen to my radio show. Plus Sam told me he loved my show.

The next day, Tunafest continued with the Elderly Bros. in the afternoon. Also watched Pulp Fiction off and on. What a great movie.

I had entertained briefly the idea of going to New Orleans the weekend of Aug. 11-12 but decided I would wait and go in October. I have some blog posts from last October that attest to the cold weather here then. Plus we're going to Madison the next weekend and then it's
* My mom's birthday weekend
* Labor Day weekend
* the Swamp
* To New York
* a weekend home
* Put in Bay
* the Harvest Party
* then New Orleans

My mom and sister have somehow purchased a mobile home together and are moving in there Thursday. Good luck to them.

Tomorrow night, Annie and I going to see Sonny Landreth at the Ark. Thursday will call for massive watering as the temps are in the low 90s for several days. There were maybe 3 days of rain last week.

where does the time go?

Look, it's almost two weeks since my last post.

Last weekend, we went to see the Twistin' Tarantulas at DeSimone's. Amy drove. Kudos on that. They rocked out and we must try to get them for the Swamp. Saturday, I did a radio show and we went to Kim and Jim's and partied on down, even after the bats came out. Sunday, I drank beer too early and then went to Jenks's for Crab legs and other items and then Monday, I was tuckered out. I watched Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

Tuesday, I had to go to the Mud Hens game with people from work which was a fine time but I am still not recovered from the weekend. And it's Thursday. And then there's my contention that the last week of July and the first week of August every year I get this funkiness/allergy thing that makes me .... something. Sluggish, contentious, restless.

I applied for a job in Broomfield, Colorado, doing a community website for a company called Gaiam. You can see that's in in beta which means it's not ready for full exposure and I love that part of web stuff, building from the ground up. Plus it pays $100,000 to $120,000. That's in my price range. Think good thoughts.

This weekend, there's the Kling riboff and the Welders at TunaFest, both on Saturday. It will take an extreme act of will to attend both. Amy will be out of town for this.

racing through summer

Last Thursday, we saw Bob Dylan at the Toledo Zoo. It was great. Lou Ann Barton and Jimmie Vaughan were just going through the motions, I thought. Dylan did some old favorites, like Like a Rolling Stone and Lay Lady Lay with new tempos. The band was tight. Took a couple of blurry pictures with my cell phone, which I will not post. Too blurry.

Wednesday was GNO where we swapped stuff and I brought home a straw hat and bottle of Murphy's oil soap and a Cleopatra necklace.

Friday, I was a good girl until about 10 p.m. when I went over to Annie's and drank beer and played the guitar and sang.

Saturday, Amy and I went to the car show downtown and ate at Call of the Canyon. Bought an Italian hand-painted pitcher at the trunk show where Mrs. Barker tried to sell me Mr. Wonderful, a doll that when you squeezed his hand, he said things like "Going shopping by yourself? Why don't you let me come and carry your bags?" and "Heavens, no those pants don't make you look fat." Then I did a radio show and then made some pasta with asparagus and onion and Portabellas and good cheese and cream and wine sauce. Losing some weight.

Sunday, I cleared out the rest of the back "garden" to be ready to plant something if we ever get any rain.

Jim and Kim's pond party this Saturday. Hope you can make it. Listening to Chet Atkins and Doc Watson's "Reflections." Got a couple of movies from the library, which I will watch one of now.

hot and sweaty

And not in a good way. Generally, the one room AC does a good job in my little house but right now I'm roasting, or poaching, or something because I decided to clean the floor and woodwork in my bedroom, the last remaining room to get hardwood care. Which you would know if you have been hanging on every blog entry. I put up new miniblinds which of course, one of them the bracket is one-zillionth of an inch too close to the other one so I have to take it down and make new screw holes but they are up and the curtains are washed. Now, if that bitch cat breaks off slats on the new miniblinds, the Humane Society will have a new guest.

I was going to put a burger on the grill but damn, it's hot so I'm having the three-beer dinner.

Last night, when I came home to water, I was accosted by the old lady next door who has a stuffed bear screwed securely to a plastic stand that has a Fourth of July outfit on. The bear, not the stand. Little red white and blue jacket, hat and bowtie. Plus she has a whole bag of other holiday outfits for it and she has chosen the Easter apron and head bow for me to affix. Apparently, the velcro fastenings are beyond her skills. I point out it's an Easter outfit but she doesn't care. I asked her how long the bear had been sporting the Independence Day ensemble and she says, "Since you have lived here". That's been 8 years. THEN she brings out twin baby dolls about 8 inches high, wearing little camisoles and diapers and has me check them out because they are anatomically correct. She has them sitting in a little white rocker in her house, she tells me. And today, when the dog warden came around checking for dogs without licenses, Mrs. CL retrieves a couple of stuffed pups and says these are all the pets she has. Ha Ha. I bet the warden found that to be scintillating.

My daughter called tonight, bemoaning all the vacation time she has to take before the end of '07. She's going to New Orleans with her gentleman friend, as she refers to him, in September, where his parents live. Plus she tells me Tom has decided long-distance love ain't gettin' it with Hidy and he has a 33-year-old scientist girlfriend now.

Now if I can just collect some treasures to take to GNO on Wednesday, I'll have put in a full week.

No wonder my house is such a mess

Thursday night, Amy and I had a little pre-birthday beveraging. Friday we took off for the big adventure around noon. Got to Schedel Gardens in Elmore where it was beautiful and hot. But not near as hot as it got Saturday and today. So in no particular order, here are the pictures. Some big damn lilies. (Remember, you can click on the pictures to see a larger version.)



The wimmen on a bench.

There was a wedding while we were there. At the altar.

The bride gliding into the wedding area.



Manny Enriquez's Bailadores Flamencos. Unfinished.

Note frog on lily pad.









After the gardens, we went to Genoa and had a beer and went to Packer Creek Pottery and then drove up to Point Place and had dinner at Webber's out on the patio and went to a biker bar in East Toledo to hear Tina Lee and Random Blues and then went back to Amy's and continued drinking until after midnight. The next day, I had a radio show and then we went to Lyle and Judy's pond party. Here are some revelers.






Here's a little video of Joe singing Blue Bayou.











So today, I went to Kay's pool because it was about 95 degrees. She has lovely plantings around because apparently they have got some rain in Toledo. Unlike here.