Briefly

So far, so good on this holiday weekend relaxing thing. I made some broccoli/chicken/crouton casserole and corn casserole and deviled eggs for me and Connie Z on Thanksgiving and later we went over to Amy's and drank wine.

Money karma story: Amy won the raffle at the Alicia's Voice benefit and gave the money back and now her son Evan, after totaling his truck, has got a job and a vehicle courtesy of the Williams Bros., the band he works with in Colorado. Goes around, comes around.

Yesterday I watched The Hulk and The Shipping News. Hulk was really good, stars Ed Norton and Liv Tyler. Shipping News was OK for all its all-star cast of Kevin Spacey and Julianna Moore and Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Did not do any Black Friday shopping.

Went to the library and then raked most of the leaves but a pile remains in the backyard which must be laboriously dragged to the front. But it's a sunny day and when I get off the radio show at 2:30, it should be prime time for finishing that up. And then running my mower out of gas.

Tonight Eddie Shaw is at Lido Lanes in Toledo and John Primer is at Hines Farm but probably not attending either one of them.

More later....
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Must update

Tommy emails today to say that he got a job doing lunches because he didn't have enough time for his music. So he and Jessica are driving up because gas is cheap although I offered to fly them both here.

I realize last night that I have read both those books of short stories I took out of the library. Damn that Homeland Security! Otherwise I could ask the library if I already had had a book out. But my records are sealed.

Last night I ate a good meal of chicken and baked potato and squash but fell asleep on the couch with a New Yorker. Magazine, that is. I did get up in time to see Boston Legal.

Today my hip was killing me, I think from ladder fun on Sunday. But by the time I got home, it had worked its way down into my ankle so I did some stretches and it feels better. What a drag it is getting old.

Tommy's text response

To my text: Flight booked?

Driving. Not sure about new job when that'll be.

What does this mean? Apparently that Jessica is coming as Tom doesn't have a vehicle. And new job? Guess I'm out of the loop.

Holiday parade

Here's some Statue of Liberty thing.

Cla-Zel Entertainment

Here's a rug in the lobby. Sorry, it's sideways.

Crazy George

In the holiday parade, pretending to be Buddy Holly. This guy has to be 65 years old. I worked for him in 1970.

Another action-packed weekend

Even the staying in town weekends are exhausting. But in a good way. Friday night, some wimmens were doing some drinking and smoking chez moi. It was a horrible week at work, the stress is never ending and everybody hates the website and has since last December's redesign and I can't do anything about it plus they gave us this new page-counting software, so after 7 years of increasing page views, our traffic seems to be half of what it was. Oh that old software was faulty, they tell me. Grrrr.

Saturday morning Amy calls at 9 and we agree to go to the holiday parade. It's 18 degrees. I get dressed and start walking and she picks me up in front of the carryout and we circumvent the entire downtown to park at the courthouse and walk to the Grill for breakfast but alas it's packed and many tables don't have their food yet. So we walk down to Kermit's whose breakfasts aren't as good. Their potatoes are weird. Canned, I think. But fully fed, we hit the street and see the parade which is almost 2 hours long. I called Miss Annie while the BGHS band was passing by so she could feel some of the festivities. Sorry the pictures above of the parade are from my phone as I cannot remember to take my camera with me.

Then we meet up with Connie at Grounds and walk to the Cla-Zel for a non-alcoholic beverage as I am very thirsty. We don't mean to, but we end up staying for the whole Ohio State Michigan game and have a couple of beers. The staff orders pizza and passes it around gratis. There were maybe 35 or 40 people in there. The game was on the big movie screen and on the flat screens at the bar. One of Anne's friends from high school was in there and when she introduced me to her boyfriend, he says What's up with playing that Katy Perry song on your radio show? I had to admit that I had just pulled this CD out of the free box and since I am so unhip to current popular music, I just thought the song I Kissed a Girl would be cool to play, so I did. I'm always glad to hear people are listening to my show. Speaking of which, I'm on this week 10-2:30 doing the Blues Breakfast. Listen online at wbgufm.com.

Then Amy takes me home but I see Martha's party is still on so I go and have two beers with them drunks. About 6 we go to Beckett's to eat as we had had such a good experience there last week. This week, however, the barmaid is of the non-service mode so although the food was pretty good, we waited so long for it and got no drink refills and no dishes bussed after and Amy had to stand at the bar to get our bills. I came home and hit the couch with a book and that's all she wrote. At least I was well rested today. When I had to go work since now I cannot work from home as I have not figured out the remote access of the new video software. More grrrrr. But there's no news! Just crap I coulda got off some AP stories elsewhere on the web. But I did it. I am a good employee. I will not be laid off in these tough economic times.

When I got home, I took my 8-foot step ladder over to Amy's and we cleaned her eaves and then we came here and did mine. She very nicely took my 100 pounds of leaf offal to the yard waste. Then I went to Meijer because I have not bought food in 2 or 3 weeks and got a cooked chicken and disassembled it and made chicken enchiladas. And have the breast meat leftover for salads or whatever. Also have salad stuff as last week I ate lunch out most days which I do not like to do because of salt overload, mostly. Although eating at Organic Bliss makes me feel fine. I love that place. I think I say that every post. I had a piece of pizza and some spinach salad there the other day for $4 and it was delicious.

Just took those enchiladas out. MMM, they look fab.

Have Swimming Pool from Netflix. Have had since Wednesday but have had no time to watch it. I'd do it now, but I'd miss The Simpsons.

Went to the library today and got a book of short stories by T.C. Boyle and one by Sam Shepard which I may have read before but I can't remember. Also I bought 2 tickets for their basket raffle. They have about 10 baskets with themes, full of goodies. I of course put my tickets in for the coffee basket and the chocolate basket.

Yow, SO looking forward to the 2 and half day week this week with 4 days off although I have to go in Thursday morning briefly. Hope the weather is not bad. Looks like it will be nice enough to rake. Highs in the 30s lows in the 20s no snow. Could be worse.

I called my mom Friday and discussed Thanksgiving so I am leaving them to their own dewices. They are going out to eat. My mom says they had the kitchen carpet replaced with wood-like substance after their used washer overflowed. And they had somebody paint. So I guess they have enough money. But not enough to ever pay me back for that car of Karen's.

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Amy's cat

Javi lopez

Midweek hoop de doo

I was thinking I hope I have blogged plenty about your birthdays so that in subsequent years, we can look back to see what we did for them. It seems like I can't remember year to year what happened.

Anyway, last night was a Connie DiPuccio 60th birthday GNO at Deb H's. Plenty of good eats out in her three-season room or whatever it is. Connie brought these scrapbooks she had assembled of (1) her life and (2) recent (last 30 years) pictures from parties, mostly. How do people have time to do this stuff? Probably if I had the inclination, I would find the time. But alas, my leisure pursuits tend elsewhere.

I know it's really boring (it is said) to tell someone your dreams but last night I apparently dreamed my knee hurt again REALLY A LOT because it didn't hurt when I went to bed OR when I got up but during the night I thought, but musta dreamed, that it was just killing me. Like a couple of weeks ago, I dreamed I rolled my car on purpose to avoid a traffic accident in the road ahead of me. I just somehow tipped my car on the side and rolled it on over to the top and then drove away in the other lanes. I always take big stock of cars in dreams because they are a symbol for your life in general so if you dream somebody else is driving, for example, it means that person is controlling your life. So I'm pondering what this daredevil move means. I remember telling someone later in the dream, matter of factly, "had to roll my car."

So feel free to tell me your dreams because I like to hear them and do some psychoanalysis on them. Although I think I dream more than a lot of people or just remember them better. When I was taking that Soma when my jaw was clamped shut, it kept me from dreaming. I would just drop off to sleep and then, wake up, with no amusing nighttime life in between. I missed that. I count on it.

Today, I agreed in email to have dinner with my ex-mother-in-law on Sunday Dec. 14. She was delighted to hear the grandkids are coming back for Christmas. Which I am starting to angst about. Food collection and preparation. Gifts that can be taken back on the plane. Sleeping on the mattresses. I am taking Dec. 22, 23, 24 off for my last 3 days of vacation this year so I will be off Dec. 19-25, almost a week, then work a day and have a weekend off. Then work 2.5 days, day off, work one day, weekend off. I'll have plenty of time to relax.

Amy is having cards, she announced at GNO last night, Dec. 13. Polka Floyd Dec. 6, remember. December GNO is at Beckett's Dec. 3, Tommy's birthday. He'll be 27.

Possibly she meant "chillens"

A text from Anne: Looks like the chittlins are comin home for xmas... But next year were doin something awesome.. Me and tommie talked about it. Dec 23-26th okay?

How could it be a whole week since I posted??

This weekend was a big one. Like they all aren't. But this was supposed to be one of those fairly laid back ones.

Look, here's the unacommplishments list left over from last weekend:
Pulled annuals to garden waste
Affix light in closet--DONE
Clean out closet--DONE
Clean out dresser
Wash windows

All righty then, two more things down. Plus today was supposed to be eave-cleaning day but alas it's 32 and snowing and windy. Although I do need to take Ginger's fire pit and my drying rack into the garage regardless.

Friday night, Amy and I went to the soft opening of the fabulous new Cla-Zel Entertainment. We went about 7:30, after having had the steak special at Beckett's which for $9 you get a good piece of sirloin with steak fries and cole slaw. There were many people we knew and vaguely knew and anyway plenty of older folks. I heard there's going to be a dress code in the future, no jeans, men must have collars on their shirts. Unconfirmed. I had Stoly and tonics at $4.50 each and domestic beers were $2.50. Bob Manley played with Michael Peslikis and a bass player and then some four-piece jazz bunch of utes played. It's amazing how the ceiling is all patched and they left up the old chandeliers and maybe that fountain in the lobby is a little much but otherwise it's pretty cool. It's odd how the lighting was fairly bright but not bad. I was under-dressed.

We were going to go Saturday night but it was a good thing we didn't as shopping/4-hour radio show/GFT was enough for one day. Although I must say some unnamed trainee came in and did a really good job for an hour and a half of the blues breakfast. He knew a lot of stuff about blues, oddly enough. And was very smooth on the boards. Then when he left at 2, coincidentally, the transmitter froze up and the alarm went off in the station and our power was reduced to about a half-mile radius.

I am listening to my new Springer's Holiday Tuneage that I got on eBay for $10. The next day, I lost that second one to someone who bid $36. That was the one I had some of the tracks from anyway. The one I won is great. Including two New Year's songs. Speaking of which, anybody volunteering for New Year's Eve? I am willing. Talk amongst yourselves.

I noticed that people with popular/lucrative personal blogs are the kind of people you often try to avoid at parties. Going on and on, word after word, commas throughout their sentences, just, no doubt, trying to increase their word count because what would a blog be without a nearly daily entry of substantial length, even though, during that length hardly any information was imparted?

I was going to make a grocery list but I looked in the freezer and cupboards and decide I can go another week without going to the grocery AND donate $20 to the Cherry St. Mission for po' folks' Thanksgiving dinner. This is due in part to the good money karma theory because Friday I got a $20 check in the mail from some doctor I had overpaid in Sept. 2007. What are the odds the medical establishment is EVER going to refund you some money?? So give it away, I say.

So the cooking school today will involve a pork roast and a squash and some chicken broth and potatoes and I'm going to give fresh tomato soup a shot with my remaining tomatoes from the garden.

Plus I need to watch the cash flow after going to Elder Beerman yesterday for the Community Day sale where I bought a gray and black sweater dress, a pair of Ugg-like boots (grey), a black and white Jones New York party top, a basic black v-neck cotton pullover, a black "alligator" flat decorative wallet, a wacky multicolor sweater with a big button, a pair of Isotoner knit mittens with fake fur inside and suede on the palms, a pair of black pants with no belt loops for work, AND two necklaces. I, as did the salesclerk, thought it was one necklace although both had price tags but when I got home, they fell apart from each other and there they were: a black and red bead on wire and a red bead and silver ball on wire. They will look stunning together with the Jones New York top (see above).

Here they are separately.



And together (click picture to see larger version):



I just want to acknowledge here that letdown or whatever it is I know everybody is feeling. It's like you were wishing so hard before the election that the Republicans wouldn't win, thinking all the time (well, I was) that they'd somehow take the election, by hook or by crooked voting machines. And now we are thrust into what the media is telling us will be a joyless holiday season, when nobody has any money and stores are going bankrupt and way too many "How to Enjoy the Holidays on a Shoestring Budget" articles and commentaries are being produced. Plus the weather turned bad right after the election and suddenly many people have the bad cold thing. Remain calm. Listen to some music. (Although this study says prayer also lowers your blood pressure. I pray that Led Zeppelin will tour again so it's like prayer AND music.)

I don't know what I did last week at night. One night I called Miss Annie for 2.5 hours. Erin was out Weds. and Thurs. so I had to go to work extra early.

ALSO the Big developed this swelling on his neck so I call the vet and she says it's a cat fight injury so I am giving him antibiotics which he takes like a trooper once a day and I have to [GROSS OUT ALERT] squeeze this pus out of his neck which I have done twice now and he lets me clean it up with a washcloth and even put hydrogen peroxide on it, purring the whole time. He is the best cat ever. (Sorry, Pudge and Poot) He is sleeping a lot but is eating OK, even finishing off nearly a quarter slice of buttery toast this AM. One of the few human foods he likes.

And my Netflix movie this week is Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which Amy's son Evan had advocated be viewed and Wow, it's about Jim White, of Transnormal Skipperoo and Turquoise House and Crash into the Sun. Looks like it might be in the DVD player this afternoon.

OK, time to go out for the errands: library, stamps, maybe a coffee. Although I made a small pot this AM for the first time in a long time as I am out of Cool Brew.

I went to the library where both the books I reserved, the newer David Sedaris and the new Annie Proulx, were both in, got gas for $1.76, went to the Goodwill looking for a slip to wear under the new dress and a strainer, didn't have either one. Went to Kroger for a birthday card and a bottle of wine. Saw Michelle who said that the people who live in Annie's house think there's a ghost in there. Their dog won't go in the main bedroom and the woman feels she must avoid it sometimes. Hmmmmmm. Mailed some stuff.

Came home and watched that Wrong-Eyed Jesus movie which was excellent. Have a pork roast and a baker in the oven.

Heard some of Sarah Tabner's folk show in the car and that guy who did my show yesterday was doing her show and doing a helluva job.

weekend wrap-up

And some catching up of pictures. Here's the beautiful sky on election day.



Here are some cosmos I had a couple weeks ago.




Here is Mr. Handsome helping me with leaf raking last weekend.







Today I moved all the stuff from the backyard, except the grill, into the garage and put the wood table and two chairs on the patio and the other two wood chairs in the basement. Put away the hoses. No chance of parking in the garage this winter and just now when I took out the trash, there was wet snow on my car windshield.

Also Amy and I went to the Anderson's and I bought this rug. It's greener than it looks in this picture.



Also I went to Big Lots to get nonskid backing for the rug and got a fabulous Halloween witch thing for $3 and a Popeil nut chopper for $5 AS SEEN ON TV.

Friday we went to Findlay to see Stacy Mitchhart. What a cluster of dining. We went to Waldo Pepper's where they said there was an hour and a half wait. So we go to the Bistro on Main where it's a 25-minute wait so we go to Wilson's Hamburgs where we stand around for 10 minutes and never get near the ordering line and so we go back to Waldo Pepper's where now it's only a 5-minute wait so we eat there and it is lackluster. I need to Trip Advisor this. And several other places I've been lately. We shoulda coulda woulda eaten at Revolver. Damn.

Like last night we went to Trattoria Sofo where it's buy one get one free entree from a select list of entrees and Amy and I both get a veal dish and burp all night from the sauce which is very gravy like. The waitress didn't ask if we wanted dessert or coffee. Connie was well pleased with her selections.

Tonight I watched From Dusk til Dawn which is very wacky: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel, lots of shooting, gore, vampires, various undead.

Yesterday I did a radio show and washed the kitchen floor and finally got all the Halloween lights down and went to the library and reserved the next copy in of the new David Sedaris and the new Annie Proulx and I got a set of CDs to learn Spanish in my car. And I went to Meijer for the few groceries I buy: broccoli, Soft Scrub (because I had the Meijer knock-off brand of it which clean 50% as well), yogurt, wine, milk, cat litter. And I cleaned the bathroom and took the clothes out of one dresser drawer which I meant to continue Saturday night but we went out to eat and played cribbage instead.

So overall, it was a good weekend. Let's check the list:
Pulled annuals to garden waste
Order new bedroom throw rugs--DONE
Wash kitchen floor--DONE
Affix light in closet
Clean out closet
Clean out dresser
Wash windows
Watch From Dusk til Dawn that I have from Netflix--DONE

Well, some things remain but I hadn't counted on all that outside stuff today. Plus I paid bills. It's a nothing at night week this week so MAYBE I can get on that dresser/closet stuff.

Saturday is Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings at GFT. I say let's eat at Cucina beforehand.

Amy is toying with a Christmas season card party. Let's hold her to this. Dec. 13 and 20 are both open.

Plus I think I'll buy this cabinet from Penney's in black and putting it in the "dining room" for wine glasses and stuff.

Plus I found TWO Springer's Holiday Tuneage CDs on eBay and bid on them. I'm still the high bidder. One ends Tuesday and one Wednesday.

And I went to an estate sale in Old Orchard Friday and bought 2 GlasBake casseroles for 75 cents each which apparently are antiques and a microwave oven glass insert for Sherry which I hope fits.

Exercise tracker

You'll see this post now but I'm using it to keep track of exercising
Kind of like gold stars on the calendar but no messy gold stars

Nov. 8 - 20 min abs Pilates
Nov. 9 - 20 min. lifting weights
Nov. 11 - 20 min. abs Pilates
Nov. 16 - 45 min. Pilates band
Dec. 2 - 20 min. lifting weights
Dec. 11 - 45 min. Pilates band
Musta missed some here. Maybe not.
Dec. 30 - 45 min. Pilates
Jan. 3 - Lifted weights 20 min.
Jan. 5 - 20 min. Pilates

Fred!!!!!!!

These boys are the horn players for Stacy Mitchhart who we saw last night in Findlay. Fred had gone upstairs to get us some seats and of course, the people at the door thought he was with the band like they always do and apparently Fred talked to these boys because when we went in, they both stopped by our table and gave Fred the big music guy handshake. I sent this photo to my blog from my phone. It's so modern!

Freds boys

things i will do this weekend

We'll check back on this later:
Pulled annuals to garden waste
Order new bedroom throw rugs
Wash kitchen floor
Affix light in closet
Clean out closet
Clean out dresser
Wash windows
Watch From Dusk til Dawn that I have from Netflix

Plus do a radio show and go see Stacy Mitchhart in Findlay Friday night. Oh, I'm exhausted already. Although it is supposed to be one of those chilly damp weekends when it's nice to stay inside. And be motivated. Listen to yourself.

Tonight I came home and slung three inches of leaves off my lawn into a pile about 4 feet high and 30 feet long out front. In advance of them being dampened into a leaden slurry on my freshly mowed lawn.

Yesterday I went to that new Fresh Market in Westgate to get a bottle of wine and a cup of coffee where I find they do not sell you cups of coffee. You can have free samples of Christmas Dreams or Pumpkin Spice, but no 16 oz of java which I needed after being up so late Tuesday night after THE ELECTION ELATION. So I end up buying a bottle of wine Clos du Bois 2006 Cab for $12.99 and a Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix and a box of Good Earth Cocoa Chai Tea. That's the kind of stuff they have. That I need.

Yesterday I got a letter from Lifestyles for Ladies Only that they are closing and transferring my membership to the St. Julian one and not the one at Levis Commons. Not like I have been to the gym in 6 months. But I have another year to go on my current deal.

I went to the wine tasting at Stimmel's Monday night before the radio meeting. They had a sign up that it was the last Monday night tasting. They're starting back up the Saturday afternoon 4-7 tastings. Hmm. 4 Saturday. Right after my radio show.

Tuesday I worked til 10:30 and then came home and worked til 1:30. Last night was GNO which was heavily attended at 149 North. We have set up a birthday party for Connie D on Nov. 19 at Deb H's. Tonight I should be doing something but I'm watching the sitcom lineup on NBC which includes The Office and 30 Rock.

Plus there is holiday talk already. Who's doing what for Thanksgiving which I will attend in Delaware unless the weather is too bad to drive.

OK now I have just ordered 3 sage green rugs from JCPenney.com. Two for the bedroom and one for the bathroom. Uh oh, time to step away from the computer.

November

Can you believe it?

The Halloween party was a smashing success. Well, I thought so. Many people attended and there was massive card playing and hanging out by the fire and food and frivolity. So if you didn't come, you missed it. Thanks to everyone for everything they brought over and to Doug, I think, for tidying up at the end. While I was still sitting out by the fire in a prom dress drinking a beer.

Saturday I was rocky. The Corner Grill fed me and then I went to work for a couple hours to get a jump on the election web pages. When I came home, I continued on the tidy up stuff. Gus dropped by for the notebook Annette forgot. Amy came and took her stuff. I loaded all Connie's stuff, which thank heaven for all those chairs she brought for the outdoors, into my car and deposited that at her house today.

Last night I watched Juno which was really good. Tearing up at the end. The characters were great. People acted unexpectedly, so you changed your mind about their quality throughout the movie.

Then I stayed up and watched Saturday Night Live where John McCain made a last desperate plea to the youth audience. It was embarrassing. While Tina Fey stood right there beside him and mocked Caribou Barbie.

A guy from the Pew Institute on NPR tonight predicts Obama will win and pointed out that the predictions they've made in the last 5 or 6 elections were correct. So, fingers crossed. I still haven't voted although I am holding out for the last-minute experience as I will be at work for 17 hours Tuesday so if I'm not there at 8:30 a.m., oh well.

Plus there's a damn radio meeting tomorrow night and GNO Wednesday and Stacy Mitchhart Friday.

I notice Fat Fish Blues' music events calendar ends abruptly at Nov. 8. Wonder if they're gearing down?

We went there Wednesday night for Connie's birthday. It was a fun time. The band was supposed to start at 8 but didn't because there was a comedy show. Which I have two passes that each admit 2 for any non-national acts. So we'll have to check it out.

So it's 6:46 and it's been fully dark for half an hour. I'll have to start leaving lights on when I leave in the morning. Grrrr.

Miss Jenks called last night to see I wanted to go to San Antonio to see Todd on Dec. 20 and then Robert Earl Keen with Toni Price the next night at the same place. I'm checking airfare.