catching up

Here are the upcoming shows at Grounds for Thought:
Sat. April 19: Bucktown Kickback
Fri. May 30: Yellow Room Gang
Thurs. July 10: Mississippi Heat
Thurs. Oct. 16: Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Fri. Oct. 31 Mechanical Cat Halloween Party
Thurs. Nov. 13: Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band

Friday night we went to see The Odd Couple, starring Lane Hakel, at the FUM Black Swamp theater thing. Saturday, I didn't think I had a radio show but alas I did so I did that and about nothing else except clean my house. It was a beautiful sunny day but still pretty cold and windy.

Today, cooking, of course. Baked a potato and an acorn squash and have kielbasa and kraut in the crockpot. Also have a pasta sauce in mind with sausage and roasted grape tomatoes and whatever else is in the fridge that would go with that. And have a pound of asparagus to roast in the oven. Overcast, chilly today. Plus I have broccoli. Overbought, again.

wine-o-rama

Thursday, drinking night at 222 Curtis. Amy and I started in on a bottle of $6 Barefoot Cab and the Sherry got here with a bottle of Ron Hafner's Red, which was good, we decanted it, soft, merlot like, slightly oaky. Then we finished off an opened bottle of Pepperwood Grove Syrah. And then we opened but only drank about a half bottle of some French wine from my case which is nearly gone.

Lots of talk about visiting Amish country and Tipp City's Springhill Nurseries and Bench's Greenhouse.

And it's snowing again in Toledo, but not down here fortunately.

how can it only be Tuesday?

Apparently the longest week of spring is upon us. At least I can be buoyed by the fact that in April I won't have to work any 5-day weeks.

Tonight I ordered some natural species shrubs and wildflowers from a flyer I got at the Home Remodeling show. I got 5 spicebush for $5 and 5 sand cherries for $5 and they claim these are 12 to 18 inches tall. Plus a packet of wildflower seeds ($10) indigenous to the area which include bergamont and showy tick trefoil and prairie thimbleweed, among dozens of others. I hope they are indigenous near a black walnut tree. Plants an area 12 feet by 20 feet so I may be sharing. They also have a packet for you folks with sandy soil that has stuff like rough blazing star and little blue stem. You could still order some before April 4 here.

No radio show Saturday. Pretty soon I'll be saying, "I wish I could have a weekend of nothing." Then I'm sure I'll be preempted for baseball in April. But come May, the airwaves will be all mine.

Also my mom calls me Sunday to say she should have called me Saturday to see if I was coming down for Easter. Now why would I do this? Easter to her is a holiday where candy is given out. Although she does cling to that family on holidays thing. I'll have to go down there soon and on Mothers Day. I guess it will be April 13 because otherwise it will be April 27 and only two weeks until Mothers Day.

And the vet called last night to say Big's thyroid tests came back negative so she thinks I should start him on beta blockers and baby aspirin to treat his heart murmur so I need to stop out there and get these pills.

Drinking tomorrow night.

always something

So last month my phone bill was $211 and I find that my old total airtime minutes of whatever were not enough so I call and get my minutes upped to the next level and this month the bill again is $211. Fortunately, I call and they realize the error of their ways and reduce my bill by the $71 of over the limit minutes so my bill, for me and the kids, is $140. But I see it's still a deal for 3 phones with the unlimited text messaging which is so important to da utes. I'm sure some day all this money karma will come back to me. But now I'm wondering if they are applying my 20% Disney discount. Cripe. Always something.

Plus when I get home tonight, I feel that I am living in squalor so instead of going to Body Sculpt, I clean up around here and do a Pilates DVD. And pay some bills online and go through my email.com email and book that flight to Dallas. Leaving Friday morning, coming back Monday afternoon.

The movie at the Collingwood Arts Center was interesting. They showed us a cartoon and an episode of some wacky men on the moon serial where the costumes were hilariously bad and then the movie, for which the sound was not all that great plus it was real confusing and you couldn't tell who the bad guys were but Claire Trevor had some great outfits and several handbags and pairs of shoes. The theater is very small and old and the screen was just a big backdrop onto which a not so big movie was projected. Before the show, some guy played some music rolls into a player organ which was amusing but the whole thing took over 3 hours. I told Connie it was a good thing we were not in a hurry to be someplace. Then we went to eat at the Original Gino's.

Then I watched the final 4 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and called Miss Jenks for an hour and a half and it was bedtime.

march be gone

OMG we wake up again this morning to 3 or 4 inches of newfallen snow. It's so tiresome. I made a half-hearted attempt at graphing out my backyard for the day, which may never come, when I can plant stuff. I'd be happy if I could get out there and pick up those 800 pine cones in the back yard. But alas, they're always snow-covered.

I went in the basement to try and find my tape measure, which I cannot, but decide to sort through some crap and now have a bag going to the Goodwill and one to the trash and a box to take to my mom's someday. Where I found a Milky Way box from the 50s with all the cards my parents received upon the occasion of my birth. And some Mothers Club documents from the fifties that my mom was in. I also decided to make a list of Anne's detritus that's down there and email her this and see if I can pitch stuff like this little oven, toaster, coffeepot combo she had when she was at the acting school dorm and a huge number of shoes I'm sure she has no interest in and a bag of Justin Timberlake memorabilia which maybe I should try to sell on eBay.

So I went to Turbo Kick and then I remember I have again signed up to staff the phone for the radio station fund drive noon to 2 so I do that although I am preempted from my show by women's basketball. By 2 p.m., I am despondent. I drag around to the video store and the Happy Badger where I buy soap and incense. So far I had had egg sandwich, a bowl of granola with blueberries and some cheese and crackers.

Finally at 5:30 (thank god it's still light out in the evenings or I'd REALLY be crabby) I vacuum and sweep the kitchen and do 3 loads of laundry and clean out the fridge and put a potato in the oven to bake. I called Miss Jenks to see if she wanted to talk later while drinking but she's going to a concert where Leo Kottke opens for Leon Redbone. She says she's leaving after Leo Kottke but alas I may be drinking by then.

We were supposed to go to Kim and Jim's for cards tonight but we were able to convince ourselves that the roads would be icy on the way home if not before and called to decline. I feel bad but frankly, nobody wants to hear me whine about how SICK OF WINTER I am.

I had half the potato and a salad for dinner around 7 while listening to Prairie Home Companion.

I rented the second half of the last season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. And I hooked up that DVD player I got a month ago to the TV, which is a bonus. Brought the drill up from the basement pretending like I was going to put up the curtain rod for that valance but of course have not done it.

Tomorrow Connie and I are going to the Collingwood Arts Center for a movie in the afternoon. Maybe eating after.

Just talked to Karen Schaller in Dallas and I'm going down there around the weekend of April 19. Need to book a flight. She's getting tickets to see Will Kimbrough at the Bend Studio while I'm there. I would link to the Bend website but it has one of those annoying audio files that takes forever to download.

Allrightythen. Miss Jenks is flying into Cincinnati May 16 so we can attend the Ohio River Valley Folk Fest where I see Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band has been replaced by Otis Gibbs. But we'll still get to see Chris Smither and James McMurty, among others. Got the tickets in the mail today and have the Best Western booked for 2 nights. Miss Jenks emailed to say it should say in our biographies "Let it be known that on the last day of winter of the Year of the Great Depression, they planned another musical getaway."

tree news

The city came and did massive trimming on that giant maple tree out front. I can tell it’s been massively trimmed anyway. Mrs. Eilert next door came out when I got home from work and said they were there for a long time and a lot of wood fell out of the tree and she asked them if maybe they thought she needed her trees trimmed and I mistakenly pointed out that those trees of hers UP NEXT TO HER HOUSE were not on city property and those guys weren’t going to trim them but she comes out in the driveway anyway to say ‘These trees here, maybe they need to be trimmed.’ Which I don’t bother pointing out again THEY’RE NOT CITY TREES. No word from the street department on the broken concrete problem.

feeling lopsided

Last night, I took the cats to the vet. I pointed out how thin Big is and indeed he weighs the same as Kitty Witty who used to weight about 6 but now they both way just a little under 12. One time, Big weighed 18. So two feline luke shots and some blood drawn from the Big to test for hyperthyroidism, $148. And well worth it. I'm sure in some big city someplace, somebody is reading this and thinking they just paid $500 for the same thing for their two cats.

Then I did that bands Pilates DVD which always makes me think 'Why don't I do this more often?' It makes you feel like an upright human.

Then I finished watching 'True Romance.' Man, what a great movie if you can get past the torture and shooting and blood. And such a great cast: Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper and James Gandolfini and Val Kilmer (who I still can't figure out who he was). The ultimate love story.

So today, I'm talking to Becky Black across the hall at work and she points out that Disney has resorts at Hilton Head and at Vero Beach, Fla., where we also get the 50% off employee discount. They have these two bedroom villas and three bedroom ones that we could get for like $250 a night and they sleep 8 people. It's a 13-hour drive but if we left Thursday night and drove halfway and drove halfway Friday morning and stayed Friday and Saturday and Sunday night, we could get up Monday morning and drive all the way home. Kinda like Virginia Beach. So only two days off work for 3 days in resort-o-rama. I have to log in to some complicated employee website so I can show you the rates which I am not up to at this juncture. Stay tuned. May is a down time, rate speaking. Let's consider.

Also today I went to Beaner's in Cricket West to get a latte and the person in front of me had ordered a skinny skinny mocha. I had to ask. It means with skim milk and no sugar. I asked 'What's the point?' The barista said 'Exactly.'

I registered for the Egg Scramble on the way home tonight. I went to the Community Center and filled out a form and gave them my $8 and it took about 3 minutes. I exhort you to follow suit. March 28, 8-10 p.m.

Food journal: Egg sandwich, milk, 3 ounces pork tenderloin, hummus with celery, 1 oz. dried fruit and nut mix. An ounce of dark chocolate, of course. Drinking still that Perrin rose which I like. It's silky. Eating close to the bottom of the food chain.

Also, my porch project. I am thinking something like this for the steps. And then some flagstones in the yard to fashion a walk and possible chair sitting area with one of those umbrellas from Lowe's I saw at the Home Remodelers Show. Just for a kind of backdrop. You can tilt it around or put it overhead.



And some plantings of stuff and general expense. But hey, isn't that why the Dubya is sending me $600??

Note: today I am listening to one of my radio shows from April 23, 2005 and the weather forecast was for a high of 37 and low of 30 and 3-5 inches of snow which I believe we got. I was not blogging then so I would need other corroboration.

Eddie Shaw tomorrow night. Let's hope he shows up.

I have scheduled a haircut with Lucy's daughter Sheri for Thursday.

weekend

So Friday night on the way home from work, which I meant to leave early, but as usual did not, I stopped at Churchill's up off Dussel. I bought a case of wine. Today, I did the research on original prices and I maybe saved $30 total off original prices. We drank a bottle of Merlot at Amy's last night and it was pretty good. I am not much on judging so I won't be saying something like this:

Aromas and flavors of ripe red cherry, pomegranate and raspberry plus nutmeg, cocoa, coffee, tobacco and a little menthol; puckery tannins; grainy finish.

I fear the wine guy at Churchill's prefers wines with a little more earthiness to them than I like. We'll see in the tastings.

I also bought a red pesto pork tenderloin which I will cook today. I see that it is regular pesto but with sun-dried tomatoes for the red part. Sounds tasty.

Then Amy and I went out to Trotter's for steak and then we moseyed around downtown, in Ben Franklin where I bought a pair of bunny ears for $1.79. Never know when you're going to need a pair of bunny ears. And went into Grounds where I bought a half pound of coffee and then we played cribbage with Connie.

Saturday, I was on the phones for the radio station fund drive noon -2 and then did a show and then went to the Home Remodelers show in Toledo which was slightly amusing. Then we went to Herbie's Place, the restaurant that is now in Haskins which used to be the Mail Pouch, among other things. We waited over an hour to get a fairly good pizza. They said they had a big rush of diners they weren't expecting and their oven is not that big. Then we went to Amy's and played more cribbage.

Today, I watched Ratatouille which was pretty cute. Then I tried on some pants I bought last week at SteinMart which I thought would be too tight because I had bought them in a rush and convinced myself I would fit into. But they are good, brown silk and white summer dress slacks and a basic pair of black cotton/spandex which were only $6 so if I wear them twice they will have been a deal.

The weather is still pretty darn chilly but at least most of the snow is melted away. The back yard is littered with pine cones. It's only 1 p.m so maybe I can get some stuff picked up, all that crap on the patio put in the garage. I have NO ambition to do anything but suffer through until outdoor time comes. At least it is halfway through March.

We got a flyer at Grounds about an adult Easter egg hunt on March 28 at the Simpson park. It costs $8 and is limited to the first 350 participants and you hunt eggs that have candy or raffle tickets in them. This sounds like a plan. I doubt we'll look as crazy as this participant from last year.



Eddie Shaw Wednesday night. Cards at Kim and Jim's next Saturday. Rod's Collision at Howard's April 12.

Later Sunday-- Finally I got a grip, called Jenks for an hour and a half, went to Meijer, Home Depot where I got an under cabinet LED light (have not installed yet of course), library, Video Spectrum (rented True Romance), SS6 for hummous. Cooked that pork tenderloin, roasted asparagus, made this pasta casserole. Drinking just a little Reserve Perrin 2004. Lightly oaked.
Tasting Tags: cherry fruity oak spice tasty.

Compiled about 20 pages of work lists into one list that of course are very hard things to do. But at least it's just one list now.

musically involved

Listening to the soundtrack from I'm Not There. Man, it's great. Also I have sampled some of the other CDs I got recently. That Eric Sardinas is real good but in small doses. Johnny Winter like blues with screaming vocals. The Bonedaddys. Now there's a great CD, Waterslide is the name. Worldbeat which gets you some funk, some reggae, plenty o horns. All those daddies. The Doghouse Daddies and the Beat Daddies and Will Kimbrough's band Daddy and me, Daddy's Girl.

OK, a giant week. Last night, Body Sculpt (killing me) and a radio meeting. At which I was chastised for playing the Rolling Stones on my show. Andrew, or DJ HazMat, said it was diametrically opposed to the philosophy of the radio station, playing major label bands. I pointed out that I played obscure tracks, one per show, and preface each with "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones." The programming director agreed that it fit into the context of my show and the music director kid stammered in the presence of my greatness. So I can still play the Stones.

Plus I got 5 CDs there, the Bonedaddys, as already noted. Patty Larkin, too wispy. Jim Lauderdale, some great pedal steel (and you know how I am about the pedal steel) but kinda weak singing, sorry Jim. Cheating Heart, a compilation of bad love songs by bands from Tampa Bay area, some good tunes on there.

Have yet to listen to that Groove Hogs and I know that Louvin Bros. cover CD already.

Putting some thought into the redo of my front steps. All advice welcome. Probably not seriously considered, but accepted.

Tomorrow night I have to go to the Jefferson Awards dinner at the SeaGate Centre. Thursday night I say Gorgonzola-stuffed chicken and salad and bread. And wine, of course.

Signed up to answer the phones for the fund drive on the two upcoming Saturdays at wbgufm. There's no classes this weekend at the gym (instructor training) so I'm left to my own devices for exercise.

So the usual busy-ness. Vacuumed a bunch of stuff tonight. Laundry. Dishes. I don't know how it gets so messy in here with just one person.

OMG, this I'm Not There CD is so good.

enough already

I don't even know which snow is which anymore. The snow started falling Friday night and by the time it was done we had about 5 or 6 inches here in BG. It was worse southeast of here. Plus it snowed Tuesday so all the schools were closed Wednesday. I have refused to shovel my drive. Some kids stopped on Saturday to see if they could shovel for me but I declined. It'll all melt later this week. I think it was just last Sunday when it was relatively warm and all the snow from the previous week had melted and left our lawns all brown and mushy.

Last week was a lightly attended GNO, followed by chicken parm on Thursday night with several wines. Yesterday, I had a radio show as I will the rest of the Saturdays in March. Plus I did one today, all country. Bought four new CDs today: the Groove Hogs, an Eric Sardinas, that Livin Lovin Louvin CD and that 2 cd set from the movie I'm Not There, about Bob Dylan. I played a couple of tracks on Saturday from the cds they had in the studio and they were great. Plus I got two free compilation CDs from Yep Roc records with people like Chuck Prophet and Chatham County Line and a bunch of people I never heard of.

Plus I watched six episodes of the sixth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Holiday with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

This week, radio meeting Monday night after Body Sculpt at the gym. Tuesday, Toshi Reagon plays a free show at BGSU.

Also I bought myself a pair of cubic zirconia earrings on gold posts at Meijer that had been $50 but were on sale for $15. They're sparkly. And I bought food at Meijer, none of which I prepared because I was pooped today and just watched a lot of video.

Man, I cannot wait to get outdoors. Even just to walk around in the mud.

welders

Here's a picture of my house in that snow we had on Feb. 26. It was very fluffy and piled high on everything. My neighbor's drive that you see had been plowed about 7:30 a.m. and this photo was taken about 9 a.m. so you can see how much it just kept snowing.


Friday night, we did not go to see Nick Moss and the Flip Tops. The excuse we used was that the roads might get bad but actually we were just not up for it. So Amy and I went to Corner Grill for burgers and then to Beckett's for one beer and some lackluster pool and then although it was only 8:40 we tried to drink beer at my house and failed.

Many, many people came out for the Welders 30th anniversary concert. Fiely's daughter's Megan's band played during the Welders breaks and they were excellent. She plays bass.
So here are the pix. Men wearing Welders t-shirts. No shirts were available this year.


Rod talking to Doug. People are sick of being on my blog so most of these shots were taken surreptitiously.


The Relics.


Terry Klein talking to Vera.


Linda Kidd.


Crowd. John Doering's back.




Billy Hanway and his girlfriend and yet another blonde.


No pictures of the Welders but you've seen them before.

Earlier that day, I had gone to Turbo Kick at the gym and did a radio show and shopped at Elder Beerman for some pillows. Then I made green bean casserole and took it to Amy's, where she had baked a pork tenderloin and made scalloped potatoes and Connie brought sweet potato mash and a salad and peach pie. No wonder those 5 whiskeys didn't do much at Howard's. I drove home around 1:30.

Sunday, didn't do much. Cleaned, tidied, sorted, read. GNO Wednesday. Got my state tax refund deposited on Friday.

Yesterday it was purportedly 45 degrees but not that nice out, with a damp wind and no sun. Today it was 58, but cloudy and now it's supposed to be mid 30s the rest of the week. Soon, my pretty.

Called my mom today whom I have not talked to since Christmas Day. No news. And no news is good news, as it is said. Karen purportedly has got her job to hire her permanently and got a $2 an hour raise and her health insurance will finally kick in in April although she tells my mom she doesn't know how much of her massive drug ingestion it will cover. I figure she just tells my mom this so she can stash away cash and then bolt, leaving me to buy a house trailer in Delaware, OH. Their heat doesn't work well, their gas bill is high, the feral cats are peeing underneath their trailer.

Eddie Shaw March 19 at Grounds. Cards at the Butterfly Blues Farm March 22. Easter March 23.