My house is a freaking mess. There are two empty cases of wine bottles in the kitchen, Way too much candy hanging around. And I should be at a new year's eve party.
This Christmas was a blast. The kids were home. I got some fine gifts including this iPad keyboard dock so I can blog mo better. And a beautiful silver bracelet from China.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Jing jing-a-ling
As usual, the spirit strikes me with only days left to go. So yesterday I went to Bass Pro and Kohl's. At Kohl's I decided to get all 5 of my Christmas Eve guests the same present. I spent $88 and saved $226! Also had to get myself a holiday necklace. Tried to assemble my old fake tree but alas it somehow would not connect together so I stopped at Lowe's and got a new one for $14!! That's right -- fourteen dollah. Assembled and lights on just a couple hours later.
Did a radio show yesterday that was heavily holiday tuneage. Next weekend, on the day itself, Connie and I are doing six hours of holiday music. Tune in! 88.1 or at www.wbgufm.com.
Last night, we went to hear Richard Barone at GFT. He kept saying how the songs he writes have such hard guitar chords. I could feel Joe Baker, just 2 seats away, rolling his eyes. Plus they weren't hard chords. He was certainly no Will Kimbrough, just let me say.
Friday night, Amy had a holiday party which turned into hard rockin' casino, with 3 separate tables of gaming. She prepared a meat buffet and many other snacks and cookies, all of which were delish. Around 11, her furnace ceased to function. She called Gearharts Sat. AM and they sent a boy who was unsuccessful at fixing it so Amy opted to wait for the big dog Gearhart on Mon. AM. Hope that works out OK. Not a good weekend to be trying to heat your house with space heaters.
Yesterday, I had bought Miss Jenks this Christmas ornament that I wish I had taken a picture of it, it was so bizarre. A rat/chihuahua/Yoda thing, holding a guitar emblazoned with the word Mexico, with a sombrero hanging down its back. Oh wait, I found a picture of it. You can see more views on eBay.
You can see how I would not notice the nose was chipped. Today I take it back to exchange it, but alas none remained so I sent it to her regardless, hopefully sufficiently packed to avoid further breakage. I had to send it, even chipped, as it was truly odd. Sent her some other stuff too. Hope it gets there by Thursday. SO I had bought it at Kohl's where they were having the sale of the season and I had a 30% off coupon so I get myself a couple long sleeved black tops and then decide to get my 5 Christmas Eve guests all another little something.
Wrapped all that stuff this afternoon, after having put all the hanging baubles on my tree earlier in the day. Way earlier, apparently, as I had done that AND gone to Kohl's and back before noon. Then went to Meijer for avocados for the guac for the work potluck tomorrow and ALAS they had a ton of them but all hard as rocks. So I got BOGO fresh salsa there and a gift card for my full-timer at work, then went to Kroger where they amazingly HAD good avocados and fancy chocolate bars were on sale.
Then I stopped into Barney's for the annual holiday scratch-offs. So I think I have all the stocking stuffers.
I was going to do some cooking and baking today but I did not. Don't have a lot to do this week at night so I should be able to fit that in.
Anne has been texting me, at my request, various foodstuffs I could lay in. Had them all covered, even Splenda and Brie.
Did a radio show yesterday that was heavily holiday tuneage. Next weekend, on the day itself, Connie and I are doing six hours of holiday music. Tune in! 88.1 or at www.wbgufm.com.
Last night, we went to hear Richard Barone at GFT. He kept saying how the songs he writes have such hard guitar chords. I could feel Joe Baker, just 2 seats away, rolling his eyes. Plus they weren't hard chords. He was certainly no Will Kimbrough, just let me say.
Friday night, Amy had a holiday party which turned into hard rockin' casino, with 3 separate tables of gaming. She prepared a meat buffet and many other snacks and cookies, all of which were delish. Around 11, her furnace ceased to function. She called Gearharts Sat. AM and they sent a boy who was unsuccessful at fixing it so Amy opted to wait for the big dog Gearhart on Mon. AM. Hope that works out OK. Not a good weekend to be trying to heat your house with space heaters.
Yesterday, I had bought Miss Jenks this Christmas ornament that I wish I had taken a picture of it, it was so bizarre. A rat/chihuahua/Yoda thing, holding a guitar emblazoned with the word Mexico, with a sombrero hanging down its back. Oh wait, I found a picture of it. You can see more views on eBay.
You can see how I would not notice the nose was chipped. Today I take it back to exchange it, but alas none remained so I sent it to her regardless, hopefully sufficiently packed to avoid further breakage. I had to send it, even chipped, as it was truly odd. Sent her some other stuff too. Hope it gets there by Thursday. SO I had bought it at Kohl's where they were having the sale of the season and I had a 30% off coupon so I get myself a couple long sleeved black tops and then decide to get my 5 Christmas Eve guests all another little something.
Wrapped all that stuff this afternoon, after having put all the hanging baubles on my tree earlier in the day. Way earlier, apparently, as I had done that AND gone to Kohl's and back before noon. Then went to Meijer for avocados for the guac for the work potluck tomorrow and ALAS they had a ton of them but all hard as rocks. So I got BOGO fresh salsa there and a gift card for my full-timer at work, then went to Kroger where they amazingly HAD good avocados and fancy chocolate bars were on sale.
Then I stopped into Barney's for the annual holiday scratch-offs. So I think I have all the stocking stuffers.
I was going to do some cooking and baking today but I did not. Don't have a lot to do this week at night so I should be able to fit that in.
Anne has been texting me, at my request, various foodstuffs I could lay in. Had them all covered, even Splenda and Brie.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Amy's holiday casino
Sherry and I smoked all others at euchre. I think her reindeer antennae were our secret weapon.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Holidays are upon us
Hmm, those first two weeks of December went right by.
Trying to move stuff around here to make room for that blow-up bed in the green room. Moved a small green chair to the bedroom to make room for the bookcase out of the green room. Moving that now-emptied CD cabinet thing to the basement. Ack, there's just stuff everywhere.
Snowing like crazy outside. Apparently the wind is supposed to pick up and make stuff a mess, plus be below zero wind chill. Went out and put my car in the garage.
I hosted poker Friday night. It was well attended and Amy lost some cash and Kim and Stubbs won it. I also had GNO on Dec. 1 which was very well attended. Plenty o snax (pic on Facebook). See, that's why I don't blog-- damn Facebook.
Holiday tips: Start making ice cubes now and bag them in the freezer. Also start buying odd ingredients-- maraschino cherries, powdered sugar, various cheeses, crescent rolls in the tube, Haagen-Dasz ice cream (some great flavors: banana split, butter pecan, white truffle raspberry). You never know what you might want to make suddenly.
Have no presents for anybody however. DO have however, tickets to Band of Heathens, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, and the Wailers over the next 3 months in Ann Arbor. It's all about meeeee!!!!
________________________
Trying to move stuff around here to make room for that blow-up bed in the green room. Moved a small green chair to the bedroom to make room for the bookcase out of the green room. Moving that now-emptied CD cabinet thing to the basement. Ack, there's just stuff everywhere.
Snowing like crazy outside. Apparently the wind is supposed to pick up and make stuff a mess, plus be below zero wind chill. Went out and put my car in the garage.
I hosted poker Friday night. It was well attended and Amy lost some cash and Kim and Stubbs won it. I also had GNO on Dec. 1 which was very well attended. Plenty o snax (pic on Facebook). See, that's why I don't blog-- damn Facebook.
Holiday tips: Start making ice cubes now and bag them in the freezer. Also start buying odd ingredients-- maraschino cherries, powdered sugar, various cheeses, crescent rolls in the tube, Haagen-Dasz ice cream (some great flavors: banana split, butter pecan, white truffle raspberry). You never know what you might want to make suddenly.
Have no presents for anybody however. DO have however, tickets to Band of Heathens, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, and the Wailers over the next 3 months in Ann Arbor. It's all about meeeee!!!!
________________________
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Last weekend of November
I continued on Friday being a slug so I made a fresh start Saturday. Sort of. I put up Christmas lights and brought up some Santas and did a radio show and ate some Hutchings leftover Thanksgiving meals on wheels and then drove Chip and Tim out to Kim n Jim's for cards. Ha ha. Getting both those boys in my small car was a challenge. But they were glad for the DD.
Big news: Kim's daughter Brittany is pregnant, due in July. So just barely but she looks healthy. Kim's already talking booties and onesies and other gear. We had fun playing poker and got home after midnight. I think I may have won $10.
Today I washed the windows on the east side of the house and did laundry and tidying and changed the bed, etc. Got Tom a birthday card at Calico Sage and my gifts to the ladies for GNO. Bought some goods at Meijer including a frou frou necklace.
Infuriating note: I'm painting my toenails in the bathroom and the little kitty darts in, just long enough to knock over the polish bottle and make it spin like a Spirograph, spewing a circular trail of poppy on the floor and the rug. Floor, not so bad; rug, ruined.
Overall, a relaxing weekend but I could have made better use of my time. Spent too much time on Facebook on the iPad.
This week: Tuesday pick Amy up at the airport late when it's supposed to be crappy weather; GNO here Weds. but I'm taking the day off so no big deal. Poker here Dec. 10. I thought I had a radio meeting, but the Atomic Mama points out it's still November.
Time to get ready for another imported meal.
___________________________
Big news: Kim's daughter Brittany is pregnant, due in July. So just barely but she looks healthy. Kim's already talking booties and onesies and other gear. We had fun playing poker and got home after midnight. I think I may have won $10.
Today I washed the windows on the east side of the house and did laundry and tidying and changed the bed, etc. Got Tom a birthday card at Calico Sage and my gifts to the ladies for GNO. Bought some goods at Meijer including a frou frou necklace.
Infuriating note: I'm painting my toenails in the bathroom and the little kitty darts in, just long enough to knock over the polish bottle and make it spin like a Spirograph, spewing a circular trail of poppy on the floor and the rug. Floor, not so bad; rug, ruined.
Overall, a relaxing weekend but I could have made better use of my time. Spent too much time on Facebook on the iPad.
This week: Tuesday pick Amy up at the airport late when it's supposed to be crappy weather; GNO here Weds. but I'm taking the day off so no big deal. Poker here Dec. 10. I thought I had a radio meeting, but the Atomic Mama points out it's still November.
Time to get ready for another imported meal.
___________________________
Friday, November 26, 2010
It's all so exciting!
We went to a wine dinner at SamB's last Tuesday night. The 16th. It was very good and if I hadn't had seconds on the port that was the dessert wine, I woulda been OK. That stuff has some high alcohol content. But I recovered. As always.
Then Friday we went to a TS4A fundraiser where the theme was trailer park trash and apparently I overdressed as the bartender girl pointed out I had on similar stockings to her and she was dressed up.
Saturday was the holiday parade in BG, preceded by breakfast at the Corner Grill, then we went to Ann Arbor and ate at Logan and saw Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. Then Sunday I had a small gathering for Karen and Wendell from Dallas.
Then I worked 2 and a half lackluster days and went to Delaware Wednesday night. My mom is not well. She's barely able to stay awake or walk. But I made the giant meal: fried chicken a la mom, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (fresh) with syrup and marshmallows, Stove Top Stuffing, crescent rolls, cole slaw (fresh made), deviled eggs, no actual vegetable, my mom's odd peach cake thing. There was a pumpkin pie which wasn't cut in my presence and sadly I took home the whipped cream, so if they had some later, it was plain.
Today, omg. I did put in my glass front door and do some laundry and buy some coffee at GFT and eat some but basically I watched video. Quite a few episodes of Modern Family which I have the entire first season DVD of and How to Tame Your Dragon, which taught me many things: children are our hope of salvation, dragons are our friends, make love not war, the big thing in control can be vanquished, women too can hunt dragons, and of course, love is a wonderful thing.
I vacillated between feeling guilty and feeling luxurious. I'm going with luxurious.
I apparently have successfully synched my iPod with my updated iTunes library. As you know, I have struggled with this recently. Getting the iTunes to ingest, etc.
I may or may not have a radio show tomorrow depending on whether the Falcon women lose or win tonight. Although at BGSUFalcons.com, it says they play at either 6 or 8 pm PST, so it seems like I'd be on. We'll see.
And Kim and Jim have cards Sat. night.
Next week is GNO at my house. I'm taking that day off because I can and I'm picking Amy up at the airport late Tuesday night. Although she had to go to work Weds.
Then Friday we went to a TS4A fundraiser where the theme was trailer park trash and apparently I overdressed as the bartender girl pointed out I had on similar stockings to her and she was dressed up.
Saturday was the holiday parade in BG, preceded by breakfast at the Corner Grill, then we went to Ann Arbor and ate at Logan and saw Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. Then Sunday I had a small gathering for Karen and Wendell from Dallas.
Then I worked 2 and a half lackluster days and went to Delaware Wednesday night. My mom is not well. She's barely able to stay awake or walk. But I made the giant meal: fried chicken a la mom, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (fresh) with syrup and marshmallows, Stove Top Stuffing, crescent rolls, cole slaw (fresh made), deviled eggs, no actual vegetable, my mom's odd peach cake thing. There was a pumpkin pie which wasn't cut in my presence and sadly I took home the whipped cream, so if they had some later, it was plain.
Today, omg. I did put in my glass front door and do some laundry and buy some coffee at GFT and eat some but basically I watched video. Quite a few episodes of Modern Family which I have the entire first season DVD of and How to Tame Your Dragon, which taught me many things: children are our hope of salvation, dragons are our friends, make love not war, the big thing in control can be vanquished, women too can hunt dragons, and of course, love is a wonderful thing.
I vacillated between feeling guilty and feeling luxurious. I'm going with luxurious.
I apparently have successfully synched my iPod with my updated iTunes library. As you know, I have struggled with this recently. Getting the iTunes to ingest, etc.
I may or may not have a radio show tomorrow depending on whether the Falcon women lose or win tonight. Although at BGSUFalcons.com, it says they play at either 6 or 8 pm PST, so it seems like I'd be on. We'll see.
And Kim and Jim have cards Sat. night.
Next week is GNO at my house. I'm taking that day off because I can and I'm picking Amy up at the airport late Tuesday night. Although she had to go to work Weds.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
My mom is making a peach cobbler but she doesn't like lumpy cobbler batter so shes making a Jiffy cake mix with peaches baked into the top. Hmmmm.
Monday, November 22, 2010
More holiday preps
I've been hitting LLBean.com to see what they've got on sale and today they had a queen size inflatable bed that has great reviews so it was on sale AND free shipping AND 10% more off if I'd open an LLBean Visa, which I did. No more visitor difficulty in the sleeping section.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Holiday madness approacheth
Next Sunday, I am hosting a party for Karen and Wendell from Dallas. A little evening massive drinking affair that you should feel free to attend. Particularly if you have a guitar Wendell can borrow and bring one for yourself.
Then Weds. I'm going to my mom's and making a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday: fried chicken, stove top, creamy mashed, vegetables (although not green line green beans, which I made last year and neither my mom nor sister would eat), cranberry in the can, rolls, etc.
The next week, it's GNO chez moi at which I am preparing all the snacks. Really. Don't bring any -- unless you want to bring homemade Christmas cookies that I can then freeze for when my kids arrive, 22 days later.
And there's second Friday poker chez moi on Dec.10 and Amy's having a holiday open house on Friday Dec. 17. And cards at Kim and Jim's the Friday after Thanksgiving.
At least I got all the leaves raked out of the far back of my yard. It could still stand a mowing. Hopefully I can rake out that slurry in the southeast corner of the fenced part of my yard the day after Thanksgiving, which I have off.
Today at Meijer I started the stockup: crackers on sale, creme fraiche, chocolate chips, raspberry jam for thumbprint cookies.
____________________________
Then Weds. I'm going to my mom's and making a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday: fried chicken, stove top, creamy mashed, vegetables (although not green line green beans, which I made last year and neither my mom nor sister would eat), cranberry in the can, rolls, etc.
The next week, it's GNO chez moi at which I am preparing all the snacks. Really. Don't bring any -- unless you want to bring homemade Christmas cookies that I can then freeze for when my kids arrive, 22 days later.
And there's second Friday poker chez moi on Dec.10 and Amy's having a holiday open house on Friday Dec. 17. And cards at Kim and Jim's the Friday after Thanksgiving.
At least I got all the leaves raked out of the far back of my yard. It could still stand a mowing. Hopefully I can rake out that slurry in the southeast corner of the fenced part of my yard the day after Thanksgiving, which I have off.
Today at Meijer I started the stockup: crackers on sale, creme fraiche, chocolate chips, raspberry jam for thumbprint cookies.
____________________________
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Fabulous weekend
Blue skies, moderately cool, plenty of lounging around, some drinking.
My daughter bought a 2008 Honda Civic Saturday. With 38,000 miles so practically brand new for a Honda. They let her drive it home from the deal. She's now working at both Levis fulltime and for Bradley Bayou parttime. Link is a Facebook so hope you're on.
Tom is back in the US with an apartment "an indefinite sublease in the Haight/Castro" and a job at Foreign Cinema. How he acquired either of these from Asia where a good part of the time he was unable to be on the Internet is beyond me.
Friday night I went out to the farm and had lamb chops and wine and Myles Baker St. desserts. Saturday I had a radio show. I musta done something else. Amy and Sherry came over and we had some drinks and gossip. Oh right, I cleaned on Saturday, like massive floor maintenance and tidying up.
Yesterday, a giant gang of teens tore down Curtis Ave., raking everybody's lawns! OMG can one even fathom!! I was prepared to go out and hand them some cash, but they just moved on. Maybe some community service requirement? Whatever: a miracle.
Today, I fertilized and watered my new rose bush. Bought some groceries. Made some squash soup with black beans and corn and red bell pepper. Made banana bread pudding with caramel sauce. Have some baking potatoes in and waiting for the main course-- lamb shanks-- to show up.
Reading Bucolic Plague about these 2 gay guys who buy and refurbish a working farm from 1802 in upstate New York. Although I thought it was one of those Live Your Best Life stories, mainly these guys had a boatload of cash from working in NYC plus one guy was a regular guest on Martha Stewart's TV show which enabled them to get free product placement and turn their farming op into a world wide enterprise.
That's what I need-- a world wide enterprise-- as our TV station was sold last week to a private investor so we are no longer part of the Disney/ABC family. We'll still be an ABC affiliate but not the same in many people's minds. I waffle between thinking I'll just wait and see how the new regime will be AND trying to plot out a new career(s). One FABULOUS perk from the deal is since I am 55 and have worked there 10 years, I'll get a Disney silver pass, every year FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Now there's a retirement plan, move to Florida, take people to the park for free. That's right-- I can take 3 people into any Disney park worldwide (except maybe that Tokyo one) every day forever. OR I could effect this scheme at Disney Land, which is in the state my children reside in. Hmm, $300 dollars a day.... ( a cut rate compared with the $200 a day for adults, $185 for kids) I could give people a real deal.
Also, I'm thinking about opening a food truck. And an asset management firm. Assets like your pictures are on your phone and you want them transferred to your computer and burned to a disk to print out. Or you have a local restaurant/venue website and it never gets updated. Or your old parent has a mountain of health care related paperwork that needs to be sorted and you don't live around here.
Whatever. The whole sale deal is a door opened to opportunity. I must enter.
Otherwise, just happy we've not had any bad weather yet in November and we're 1/3 the way through.
Going to the Ark to see Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams on Oct. 20, a day I have no radio show.
________________________________
My daughter bought a 2008 Honda Civic Saturday. With 38,000 miles so practically brand new for a Honda. They let her drive it home from the deal. She's now working at both Levis fulltime and for Bradley Bayou parttime. Link is a Facebook so hope you're on.
Tom is back in the US with an apartment "an indefinite sublease in the Haight/Castro" and a job at Foreign Cinema. How he acquired either of these from Asia where a good part of the time he was unable to be on the Internet is beyond me.
Friday night I went out to the farm and had lamb chops and wine and Myles Baker St. desserts. Saturday I had a radio show. I musta done something else. Amy and Sherry came over and we had some drinks and gossip. Oh right, I cleaned on Saturday, like massive floor maintenance and tidying up.
Yesterday, a giant gang of teens tore down Curtis Ave., raking everybody's lawns! OMG can one even fathom!! I was prepared to go out and hand them some cash, but they just moved on. Maybe some community service requirement? Whatever: a miracle.
Today, I fertilized and watered my new rose bush. Bought some groceries. Made some squash soup with black beans and corn and red bell pepper. Made banana bread pudding with caramel sauce. Have some baking potatoes in and waiting for the main course-- lamb shanks-- to show up.
Reading Bucolic Plague about these 2 gay guys who buy and refurbish a working farm from 1802 in upstate New York. Although I thought it was one of those Live Your Best Life stories, mainly these guys had a boatload of cash from working in NYC plus one guy was a regular guest on Martha Stewart's TV show which enabled them to get free product placement and turn their farming op into a world wide enterprise.
That's what I need-- a world wide enterprise-- as our TV station was sold last week to a private investor so we are no longer part of the Disney/ABC family. We'll still be an ABC affiliate but not the same in many people's minds. I waffle between thinking I'll just wait and see how the new regime will be AND trying to plot out a new career(s). One FABULOUS perk from the deal is since I am 55 and have worked there 10 years, I'll get a Disney silver pass, every year FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Now there's a retirement plan, move to Florida, take people to the park for free. That's right-- I can take 3 people into any Disney park worldwide (except maybe that Tokyo one) every day forever. OR I could effect this scheme at Disney Land, which is in the state my children reside in. Hmm, $300 dollars a day.... ( a cut rate compared with the $200 a day for adults, $185 for kids) I could give people a real deal.
Also, I'm thinking about opening a food truck. And an asset management firm. Assets like your pictures are on your phone and you want them transferred to your computer and burned to a disk to print out. Or you have a local restaurant/venue website and it never gets updated. Or your old parent has a mountain of health care related paperwork that needs to be sorted and you don't live around here.
Whatever. The whole sale deal is a door opened to opportunity. I must enter.
Otherwise, just happy we've not had any bad weather yet in November and we're 1/3 the way through.
Going to the Ark to see Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams on Oct. 20, a day I have no radio show.
________________________________
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Fabulous weekend excitement!
NOTE: Apparently Blogger has changed something about uploading photos from mobile devices and I am unaware. Check back after I figure out how to make the photos show up in the copy below.
Last week, I left work late 4 out of 5 days, one of which was Friday when there was some emergency conference call about 40 people all over the US about whether our livestreams are ready in case we release the iPad app. Man, I had a party to get to.
Chip and Tim went fishing last week.
Which was a GREAT party! The Atomic Mama was honored for several decades of earth residence and there was much music
and gifting and wearing of the kitty ears
and beveraging and dancing and stuff.
Saturday I did the usual cleaning up and am fixing breakfast when I hear that something is amiss on the Blues Breakfast, too many promos and dead air and continuous canned jazz. So the DJ calls me and I speed over but alas there's no parking and by now Muddy has figured out his problem and is broadcasting live. etc.
I finish with the breakfast and then go join the Community Center and sign up for two classes Tuesday and Thursday. Radio show and then Amy and I race to Fallen Timbers and see Hereafter. Which had some draggy parts but overall was a wonderful movie. And even though we had had movie snacks, we wanted a bite so we went to Swig's and split a smoked pork tenderloin sandwich and fries. Which was just enough. Then we had some wine.
Today my house painting got finished by Mr. Black. We have a potluck at work Monday so I went to Meijer and got avocados for my famous guacamole. Then I went to work for a few hours to get the election stuff ready for Tuesday night.
Then Amy and I went to the Atomic Mama's abode to deliver a birthday gift and when I got home, I planted that rosebush I got at the Denny Bene out front where that ancien rosebush was struggling. RIP. And moved a couple things and watered my pine tree. It was a beautiful afternoon. Again this weekend. Yay.
Then I went out to the farm for dinner where we had roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and mashed potatoes en croute and chicken soup with dumplings.
And pumpkin pie and a maple walnut torte. And wine. And stuff.
This week: radio meeting, election night during which I will come home for a couple hours to go to the class at the gym, Weds. GNO, Saturday Griswold birthday at Hines Farm.
Last week, I left work late 4 out of 5 days, one of which was Friday when there was some emergency conference call about 40 people all over the US about whether our livestreams are ready in case we release the iPad app. Man, I had a party to get to.
Chip and Tim went fishing last week.
Which was a GREAT party! The Atomic Mama was honored for several decades of earth residence and there was much music
and gifting and wearing of the kitty ears
and beveraging and dancing and stuff.
Saturday I did the usual cleaning up and am fixing breakfast when I hear that something is amiss on the Blues Breakfast, too many promos and dead air and continuous canned jazz. So the DJ calls me and I speed over but alas there's no parking and by now Muddy has figured out his problem and is broadcasting live. etc.
I finish with the breakfast and then go join the Community Center and sign up for two classes Tuesday and Thursday. Radio show and then Amy and I race to Fallen Timbers and see Hereafter. Which had some draggy parts but overall was a wonderful movie. And even though we had had movie snacks, we wanted a bite so we went to Swig's and split a smoked pork tenderloin sandwich and fries. Which was just enough. Then we had some wine.
Today my house painting got finished by Mr. Black. We have a potluck at work Monday so I went to Meijer and got avocados for my famous guacamole. Then I went to work for a few hours to get the election stuff ready for Tuesday night.
Then Amy and I went to the Atomic Mama's abode to deliver a birthday gift and when I got home, I planted that rosebush I got at the Denny Bene out front where that ancien rosebush was struggling. RIP. And moved a couple things and watered my pine tree. It was a beautiful afternoon. Again this weekend. Yay.
Then I went out to the farm for dinner where we had roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and mashed potatoes en croute and chicken soup with dumplings.
And pumpkin pie and a maple walnut torte. And wine. And stuff.
This week: radio meeting, election night during which I will come home for a couple hours to go to the class at the gym, Weds. GNO, Saturday Griswold birthday at Hines Farm.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Musings
I just walked downtown and back and I was thinking how it's been like summer most of October so only 4 bad months ahead, if you think how occasionally it's marginally ok in March sometimes. Although it can be a slog as well. What a Pollyanna!
Today I ripped out the tomato cages and potted the rosemary to take inside and planted daffodil bulbs out front and took down the bamboo fence. Have sheets on the line for like the 20th week in a row. Had a big breakfast and am just waiting to go to the Denny Graf benefit about 4 and get me some spaghetti dinner and buy some silent auction stuff. Blogging on my iPad. On the deck, where I ate my big breakfast. Drinking a beer. Aahhhhh.
Didn't say how fab the GNO was at my house. Highly attended and the weather was perfect. Also I offered to have the December one and everybody seemed good with that.
Amy and I decided we need to have a poker night on a monthly basis so we're starting in November. It's the second Friday of the month and all are welcome, mens and wimmens. But we're playing poker. So you're welcome to come and hang but we're playing poker.
So just now Anne calls to say that the fashion designer people just texted her to say they'd like her to come on part time until the first of the year when she could be full time. Right after her first day on the job as assistant manager of the Levis store in Santa Monica. Oh life. It's so wacky.
Rest up now because we'll all be having too much fun on Friday at GFT.
Today I ripped out the tomato cages and potted the rosemary to take inside and planted daffodil bulbs out front and took down the bamboo fence. Have sheets on the line for like the 20th week in a row. Had a big breakfast and am just waiting to go to the Denny Graf benefit about 4 and get me some spaghetti dinner and buy some silent auction stuff. Blogging on my iPad. On the deck, where I ate my big breakfast. Drinking a beer. Aahhhhh.
Didn't say how fab the GNO was at my house. Highly attended and the weather was perfect. Also I offered to have the December one and everybody seemed good with that.
Amy and I decided we need to have a poker night on a monthly basis so we're starting in November. It's the second Friday of the month and all are welcome, mens and wimmens. But we're playing poker. So you're welcome to come and hang but we're playing poker.
So just now Anne calls to say that the fashion designer people just texted her to say they'd like her to come on part time until the first of the year when she could be full time. Right after her first day on the job as assistant manager of the Levis store in Santa Monica. Oh life. It's so wacky.
Rest up now because we'll all be having too much fun on Friday at GFT.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The usual excitement
Today my daughter calls and wants $1800 for a security deposit on an apartment in Hollywood. So I go get it in crisp $100 bills and drive to Milan, MI because that's the closest Chase bank, where her account is. They're getting a 3-bedroom apartment which she described in glowing terms. Also she has been offered one job but is waiting til tomorrow to tell them yay or nay because she might be getting another job, both in retail management. The fashion assistant hasn't worked out. So far. Anyway, things are good with her. Thank heavens.
I had some FB chat with my son the other day. He's in Thailand. He says it's amazing and I must see it someday. Thailand. The airfare alone is astronomical but he says the cost of being there is very low. They have about 3 weeks left over there. He says they're looking for an apartment in San Francisco. On the internet. Watch, they'll come up with a great place mysteriously. And jobs.
Full moon Saturday. Be on guard.
Sunday is the Denny Graf benefit in Tontogany. I'm sure you'll be there. Bring plenty of cash for silent auction and raffling.
Amy and I saw The Social Network, the Facebook movie. It was really really good. We also saw about 10 previews, most of which sucked except for True Grit, the new Coen bros. flick starring Jeff Bridges.
Sunset on the farm
_______________________
I had some FB chat with my son the other day. He's in Thailand. He says it's amazing and I must see it someday. Thailand. The airfare alone is astronomical but he says the cost of being there is very low. They have about 3 weeks left over there. He says they're looking for an apartment in San Francisco. On the internet. Watch, they'll come up with a great place mysteriously. And jobs.
Full moon Saturday. Be on guard.
Sunday is the Denny Graf benefit in Tontogany. I'm sure you'll be there. Bring plenty of cash for silent auction and raffling.
Amy and I saw The Social Network, the Facebook movie. It was really really good. We also saw about 10 previews, most of which sucked except for True Grit, the new Coen bros. flick starring Jeff Bridges.
Sunset on the farm
_______________________
Sunday, October 03, 2010
One post in September
A testament to a busy life. And a malfunctioning computer. My home computer (which belongs to work) is so sluggish, it's a chore to just start it up, let alone blog. Let's remedy that right now!
September: Labor Day at the Sonnenbergs, GNO (which was supposed to be at my house but it was so HOT (remember hot?) that we had it at 149), the BSAF, Karen up from Dallas, my 40-year class reunion, and it was over. Plus I have to continue to hold down that damn job. October looks a little calmer--not.
Also I have spent too much time on that damn iPad, checking Facebook obsessively, watching video. I saw three movies a couple weeks ago in 2 days: K-PAX (pretty good), The Men Who Stare at Goats (great cast, great performances, quirky), and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which I HIGHLY recommend.
Friday night, Amy and I went to see Winter's Bone, which won the big prize at the Sundance Festival. Sometimes I think those Hollywood types are too taken with the portrayal of a strange culture, as if it could not possibly exist, like those Ozark meth-makers and their "families" and allegiances and secretiveness. Then some boys came over and we played some euchre.
Last night was the Harvest Party. A brisk wind blew from the northeast and despite 2 fires, I couldn't hold out past 8 p.m. The food was widely varied and fabulous. Many dishes employing butternut squash--very harvest-y. I took deviled eggs and started passing them out as I got out of the car so by the time I got to the house, there were 4 left.
Today I took my brush out to the curb and now, when I came home from Meijer, someone has taken the larger pieces of wood. Thank you. Also I brought in the jade plant and the hibiscus which was literally shivering.
I bought my kids plus one plane tickets home at Christmas. In a weird coincidence, they both fly to Phoenix and get on the same plane to get to Detroit and then they both fly out of Detroit on the same plane to Denver, where they diverge. This is of course assuming Jess and Tom are in the US when Christmas time comes. They have been in China since the beginning of September and on the 25th, Tom cautions on Facebook that now they will be out of range of internet use.
I also stained my deck which looks great! And I bought 3 cans of paint to paint my siding on the house. I need to take a day off pretty soon to accomplish that. Just need that one day more than a weekend.
Sunday, Oct. 24 is a benefit at the Tontogany American Legion for Amy's brother Denny Graf. Spaghetti dinner, silent auction. 3:30 to 7. Be there. Eat. Buy stuff. I hear a lovely Coach handbag has been donated along with some jewelry.
Now I'm making macaroni and cheese, which I have been craving and then a pear cobbler with crystallized ginger and chocolate chip topping. Plus I bought some chicken thighs to crockpot some day this week. A big week, with radio meeting Monday and GNO at my house (nice weather or not) and a party in Fremont on Saturday night.
So I have no bread crumbs and run to Kroger while the mac n cheese is in the oven. And then I start to make the cobbler and I have no baking soda. Who runs out of baking soda? You think you'd remember scraping the bottom of that cardboard box. But alas. So I'm in holding pattern on the cobbler but fortunately, I think I can pull it off with a quick trip to yet another store for some baking soda.
___________________________
September: Labor Day at the Sonnenbergs, GNO (which was supposed to be at my house but it was so HOT (remember hot?) that we had it at 149), the BSAF, Karen up from Dallas, my 40-year class reunion, and it was over. Plus I have to continue to hold down that damn job. October looks a little calmer--not.
Also I have spent too much time on that damn iPad, checking Facebook obsessively, watching video. I saw three movies a couple weeks ago in 2 days: K-PAX (pretty good), The Men Who Stare at Goats (great cast, great performances, quirky), and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which I HIGHLY recommend.
Friday night, Amy and I went to see Winter's Bone, which won the big prize at the Sundance Festival. Sometimes I think those Hollywood types are too taken with the portrayal of a strange culture, as if it could not possibly exist, like those Ozark meth-makers and their "families" and allegiances and secretiveness. Then some boys came over and we played some euchre.
Last night was the Harvest Party. A brisk wind blew from the northeast and despite 2 fires, I couldn't hold out past 8 p.m. The food was widely varied and fabulous. Many dishes employing butternut squash--very harvest-y. I took deviled eggs and started passing them out as I got out of the car so by the time I got to the house, there were 4 left.
Today I took my brush out to the curb and now, when I came home from Meijer, someone has taken the larger pieces of wood. Thank you. Also I brought in the jade plant and the hibiscus which was literally shivering.
I bought my kids plus one plane tickets home at Christmas. In a weird coincidence, they both fly to Phoenix and get on the same plane to get to Detroit and then they both fly out of Detroit on the same plane to Denver, where they diverge. This is of course assuming Jess and Tom are in the US when Christmas time comes. They have been in China since the beginning of September and on the 25th, Tom cautions on Facebook that now they will be out of range of internet use.
I also stained my deck which looks great! And I bought 3 cans of paint to paint my siding on the house. I need to take a day off pretty soon to accomplish that. Just need that one day more than a weekend.
Sunday, Oct. 24 is a benefit at the Tontogany American Legion for Amy's brother Denny Graf. Spaghetti dinner, silent auction. 3:30 to 7. Be there. Eat. Buy stuff. I hear a lovely Coach handbag has been donated along with some jewelry.
Now I'm making macaroni and cheese, which I have been craving and then a pear cobbler with crystallized ginger and chocolate chip topping. Plus I bought some chicken thighs to crockpot some day this week. A big week, with radio meeting Monday and GNO at my house (nice weather or not) and a party in Fremont on Saturday night.
So I have no bread crumbs and run to Kroger while the mac n cheese is in the oven. And then I start to make the cobbler and I have no baking soda. Who runs out of baking soda? You think you'd remember scraping the bottom of that cardboard box. But alas. So I'm in holding pattern on the cobbler but fortunately, I think I can pull it off with a quick trip to yet another store for some baking soda.
___________________________
Friday, September 10, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Last weekend of August
That produce stand on Wooster across from the hospital has some great stuff. Really good tomatoes (I didn't grow any red ones), various peppers, apricots, pears. It's that one in somebody's driveway where you just pay what you think is best. Plus it seems like I busted my ass before my radio show but now I can't remember what I did. Besides have a BLT with bacon from Belleville.
Later I went to Amy's and had steak and baked potatoes and grilled veggies and caprese salad and then I went out to the country to see the sun set.
Today I watered in the AM then went to visit my mom in the hospital who looked pretty good and is having some bowel scope tomorrow and thinks she will get to go home then. I told her I would come down next week and take her out to lunch.
Then I came home and washed and ironed and rehung all my curtains and my shower curtains and polished some hardwood and got some cobwebs down and ate a delicious grilled cheese/tomato/avocado and watered other stuff than I did this morning and now am watching the Emmys although I should be tidying up my bedroom.
Tomorrow night is the damn radio meeting and Wednesday GNO is chez moi and Thursday is Nick Moss at the Clazel and then it's Labor Day weekend. I was going to take the whole week off after Labor Day but now I think I'll just take Tuesday and Friday so I can take Sept. 16 off and pick up Karen Schaller from the airport.
This concert Sept. 4 at Promenade Park looks cool. As does this show at UT's Glass Bowl which is unfortunately the same night at Nick Moss.
Remember, it's Gus and Annette's on Labor Day, starts at 2, eat at 5:30. I'm taking deviled eggs. The first time I've made them all summer. Several years ago, I was making them about every weekend.
So anyway, guess I'll go to work tomorrow and see how things go.
_________________
Later I went to Amy's and had steak and baked potatoes and grilled veggies and caprese salad and then I went out to the country to see the sun set.
Today I watered in the AM then went to visit my mom in the hospital who looked pretty good and is having some bowel scope tomorrow and thinks she will get to go home then. I told her I would come down next week and take her out to lunch.
Then I came home and washed and ironed and rehung all my curtains and my shower curtains and polished some hardwood and got some cobwebs down and ate a delicious grilled cheese/tomato/avocado and watered other stuff than I did this morning and now am watching the Emmys although I should be tidying up my bedroom.
Tomorrow night is the damn radio meeting and Wednesday GNO is chez moi and Thursday is Nick Moss at the Clazel and then it's Labor Day weekend. I was going to take the whole week off after Labor Day but now I think I'll just take Tuesday and Friday so I can take Sept. 16 off and pick up Karen Schaller from the airport.
This concert Sept. 4 at Promenade Park looks cool. As does this show at UT's Glass Bowl which is unfortunately the same night at Nick Moss.
Remember, it's Gus and Annette's on Labor Day, starts at 2, eat at 5:30. I'm taking deviled eggs. The first time I've made them all summer. Several years ago, I was making them about every weekend.
So anyway, guess I'll go to work tomorrow and see how things go.
_________________
Friday, August 27, 2010
don't have to live like a refugee
Man, I am never home. And on the rare occasions, I am I don't know what to do with myself. I do housekeepery stuff like dishes and laundry and vacuuming. But otherwise I just pretty much float in and out of here, making an egg sandwich, packing a sensible lunch. You know my grocery list is pretty much kitty din, half and half, and chocolate.
And it's been another week of just that. Monday we went to see Todd Snider at the Ark in Ann Arbor. This after a weekend away in Madison, IN, at a blues fest but more about that later. So Todd. We went to the Clay Gallery on Main St. and I received this as a birthday present.
I'm sure my potter friend would have been passing it off as a second, but it caught my eye. Then we ate at the bar at Gratzi: calamari, pizza genovese with a great thin crust and good mozzarella and artichoke hearts and kalamata olives, and a smoked salmon carpaccio with crostini and mache. Yumba. With a bottle of Joel Gott cab.
Got in the Ark at 8, had to wait til 8:25 before Todd came out and he played til 9:10 and took a break. But he came back about 9:40 and played til 10:50. I thought he might not have been at the top of his game but I listened to the bootleg CD I have from when we saw him there last year and he was the same. So I get home about midnight. Yawn.
Tuesday I went out to the country and made about a gallon of fresh tomato sauce which we froze up in individual portions. Hope it's half as good thawed out as it was fresh. Yumba.
Wednesday night home, doing the housekeepery thing and I spoke with our northern correspondent for quite a while. Although I felt I was getting sick which is just this possibly allergy seasonal change thing that is laying many low at this time.
Last night, Amy came over and I fed her some sauce and pasta but she was not feeling good. So I watched some stupid TV and went to bed.
Tonight, although it would have been a beautiful night to just sit on my deck, I went to the Clazel to see Rod's Collision open for Levee Town. There were 15 people there when it started and you know 80 percent of them. Some more came in but when I left at 9:45, it was pretty sparse and us old guys were even filing out.
So the weekend in Madison was great although extremely HOT. Like 95. Good bands: Greg Filmore Band, Stacy Mitchhart, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps, Delbert McClinton who sang some duets with Teresa. Cryin' Time. Ate some barbecue and a banana split coz it was my birthday.
My friend from Texas called while I was in Indiana to say she had won a ticket on the radio to see Rod's tonight so that's how I got in tonight.
We toured the Lanier Mansion and went in one of the many wineries they have down there and had a sample but all that Midwest wine is too sweet for me.
We drove 75 to 275 to 50 to 421 there. Back we took 421 to I-71 to I-75 and through Cincinnati and home. Although the home trip was less time, it was pretty stressful driving, interstate at 80 mph and construction. I like that hour of wandering Indiana.
My mom is in the hospital. She went on her birthday Wednesday because her medications were out of whack, or so she says. I talked to her last night and she was disoriented, thinking it was 8 AM when it was 8 PM. So I didn't call today but I will tomorrow because I was going down there Sunday anyway.
I bought some new clothes this week: two belts--one sensible black braid, one silver chain, a yellow sleeveless blouse and matching sweater at Talbot's, a pair of low strappy grey boots.
Remind me later I own this stuff...
And it's been another week of just that. Monday we went to see Todd Snider at the Ark in Ann Arbor. This after a weekend away in Madison, IN, at a blues fest but more about that later. So Todd. We went to the Clay Gallery on Main St. and I received this as a birthday present.
I'm sure my potter friend would have been passing it off as a second, but it caught my eye. Then we ate at the bar at Gratzi: calamari, pizza genovese with a great thin crust and good mozzarella and artichoke hearts and kalamata olives, and a smoked salmon carpaccio with crostini and mache. Yumba. With a bottle of Joel Gott cab.
Got in the Ark at 8, had to wait til 8:25 before Todd came out and he played til 9:10 and took a break. But he came back about 9:40 and played til 10:50. I thought he might not have been at the top of his game but I listened to the bootleg CD I have from when we saw him there last year and he was the same. So I get home about midnight. Yawn.
Tuesday I went out to the country and made about a gallon of fresh tomato sauce which we froze up in individual portions. Hope it's half as good thawed out as it was fresh. Yumba.
Wednesday night home, doing the housekeepery thing and I spoke with our northern correspondent for quite a while. Although I felt I was getting sick which is just this possibly allergy seasonal change thing that is laying many low at this time.
Last night, Amy came over and I fed her some sauce and pasta but she was not feeling good. So I watched some stupid TV and went to bed.
Tonight, although it would have been a beautiful night to just sit on my deck, I went to the Clazel to see Rod's Collision open for Levee Town. There were 15 people there when it started and you know 80 percent of them. Some more came in but when I left at 9:45, it was pretty sparse and us old guys were even filing out.
So the weekend in Madison was great although extremely HOT. Like 95. Good bands: Greg Filmore Band, Stacy Mitchhart, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps, Delbert McClinton who sang some duets with Teresa. Cryin' Time. Ate some barbecue and a banana split coz it was my birthday.
My friend from Texas called while I was in Indiana to say she had won a ticket on the radio to see Rod's tonight so that's how I got in tonight.
We toured the Lanier Mansion and went in one of the many wineries they have down there and had a sample but all that Midwest wine is too sweet for me.
We drove 75 to 275 to 50 to 421 there. Back we took 421 to I-71 to I-75 and through Cincinnati and home. Although the home trip was less time, it was pretty stressful driving, interstate at 80 mph and construction. I like that hour of wandering Indiana.
My mom is in the hospital. She went on her birthday Wednesday because her medications were out of whack, or so she says. I talked to her last night and she was disoriented, thinking it was 8 AM when it was 8 PM. So I didn't call today but I will tomorrow because I was going down there Sunday anyway.
I bought some new clothes this week: two belts--one sensible black braid, one silver chain, a yellow sleeveless blouse and matching sweater at Talbot's, a pair of low strappy grey boots.
Remind me later I own this stuff...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Beating the heat
Today I made the corn soup which is beautiful and tasty -- with fresh thyme and rosemary and carrot/celery/onion and boiling the cobs in milk.
Also made pesto and peach cobbler and the puff pastry rounds for the tomato/mozzarella tartlets for which I have yet to make the tapenade from scratch, with black olives and capers and lemon juice and fresh thyme and olive oil.
Did dishes about 4 times. Paid some bills. Wishing for a big thunderstorm but alas not happening yet. The radar just shows things popping up sporadically.
Short week coming up. Off to Madison Friday then Todd Monday. No radio show all of October due to football. Sept. 4 and 25 and Oct. 30 are still TBA.
Also made pesto and peach cobbler and the puff pastry rounds for the tomato/mozzarella tartlets for which I have yet to make the tapenade from scratch, with black olives and capers and lemon juice and fresh thyme and olive oil.
Did dishes about 4 times. Paid some bills. Wishing for a big thunderstorm but alas not happening yet. The radar just shows things popping up sporadically.
Short week coming up. Off to Madison Friday then Todd Monday. No radio show all of October due to football. Sept. 4 and 25 and Oct. 30 are still TBA.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Computers sheesh
So I bring home 2 cds from the radio station to burn into my iTunes so I can resynch my iPod and that takes forever because for some reason they go into another music folder and it takes me a while to realize where they are and then I discover that some of my iTunes library seems to be missing, like all my Band of Heathens so I get those back in there and I should just resynch. But I want to get in some more Los Lobos and Subdudes before I do. Plus I lost 3 John Nemeth cds somewhere. They WERE on my iTunes but now they're not. How does this happen? Alas.
Today I went to the farmers market and all the eggs were gone so I bought some green beans so after my radio show, I made the green bean potato dish and boiled some eggs I got at Meijer and toyed with making corn soup and peach cobbler and pesto but now I think it'll be done Sunday.
Mowed the back today. Pulled out the Mexican sunflowers and these big things that just came up in the raised bed that I thought were volunteer cosmos but just turned out be giant weeds and took all that to the yard waste then vacuumed out my car at the car wash. This is the sort of time-consuming stuff that engulfs my weekends.
I have searched the internet on what's wrong with my hostas over by the fence but I can't find anything so it must just be dead dirt. I had a dead dirt patch over on Pearl St. that you couldn't get anything to grow in. Maybe I'll try to amend.
Amy went to see Eddie Shaw and George Thorogood at the riboff but I couldn't become interested. McKinley called near the end of my show to say that it was very good for making tuna salad during.
When I leave for the radio station, people at the house west of me are hauling out rubbermaid tubs of food stuffs. Which seems odd since the last 2 nights, no cars have been over there. When I come home from the radio station, there's a U-Haul backed up to the house east of me. And the boy at the house west of me is watering the weedy strip between our driveways while drinking a beer. I ask him how it's going and he says he's just trying to make the grass come back and drink a beer. I mention that's it's hot. He says he's trying to stay out of the house. Now, no one is over there. I decide that either the wife is moving out or they've bombed for some bugs.
Read most of Bret Easton Ellis's Imperial Bedrooms. I don't know why I read his books. They're all about self-absorbed people whose problems don't amount to a hill of beans, as they said in Casablanca.
I am tired of this heat. Everybody says Oh you'll just be bitching about the cold when it comes, but this is like the cold. You just want to stay inside.
_____________
Today I went to the farmers market and all the eggs were gone so I bought some green beans so after my radio show, I made the green bean potato dish and boiled some eggs I got at Meijer and toyed with making corn soup and peach cobbler and pesto but now I think it'll be done Sunday.
Mowed the back today. Pulled out the Mexican sunflowers and these big things that just came up in the raised bed that I thought were volunteer cosmos but just turned out be giant weeds and took all that to the yard waste then vacuumed out my car at the car wash. This is the sort of time-consuming stuff that engulfs my weekends.
I have searched the internet on what's wrong with my hostas over by the fence but I can't find anything so it must just be dead dirt. I had a dead dirt patch over on Pearl St. that you couldn't get anything to grow in. Maybe I'll try to amend.
Amy went to see Eddie Shaw and George Thorogood at the riboff but I couldn't become interested. McKinley called near the end of my show to say that it was very good for making tuna salad during.
When I leave for the radio station, people at the house west of me are hauling out rubbermaid tubs of food stuffs. Which seems odd since the last 2 nights, no cars have been over there. When I come home from the radio station, there's a U-Haul backed up to the house east of me. And the boy at the house west of me is watering the weedy strip between our driveways while drinking a beer. I ask him how it's going and he says he's just trying to make the grass come back and drink a beer. I mention that's it's hot. He says he's trying to stay out of the house. Now, no one is over there. I decide that either the wife is moving out or they've bombed for some bugs.
Read most of Bret Easton Ellis's Imperial Bedrooms. I don't know why I read his books. They're all about self-absorbed people whose problems don't amount to a hill of beans, as they said in Casablanca.
I am tired of this heat. Everybody says Oh you'll just be bitching about the cold when it comes, but this is like the cold. You just want to stay inside.
_____________
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Catching up somewhat
Anne sent me this picture from California where apparently this was spray painted onto a building
The dining table at the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Grand Rapids, MI.
Living room
Light in the living room
Dining room
Boat of glass blowings in the Meijer Garden Park Chihuly exhibit
Chihuly ball things in a waterfall at the garden park.
Well, so much for my infatuation with the iPad game Words with Friends. I get ahead by about 80 points and then 5 days later my opponent resigns.
The weekend in Grand Rapids was extra fun! We got there, checked into a lovely Country Inn and Suites, went to the Meijer Garden Park to see the Dale Chihuly installations,
ate at Panera, went back to the park, got my tickets at will call, got seats 6 rows from the stage and saw Lyle Lovett and his large band for almost 2.5 hours and then there were fireworks!
Went back to the hotel and drank a bottle of wine, decided we needed another and drove across the parking lot to the world's most giant Meijer store and got us one. Pretty much sleep after that.
Sunday we ate at a Perkins pancake house then saw the Meyer May house, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright and lovingly restored by the Steelcase company. Pictures above.
The weather was perfect.
Today my son called from the Portland OR airport, on his way to China for 3 months. I'm not clear on the deal here but I hope he has a good time. Hope he comes back.
Janiva Magness at the Clazel tomorrow. Deadstring Brothers at Village Idiot Friday. Blues at the RibFest at the Lucas Co. fairgrounds Sunday. We'll see which ones I attend.
__________________________
The dining table at the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Grand Rapids, MI.
Living room
Light in the living room
Dining room
Boat of glass blowings in the Meijer Garden Park Chihuly exhibit
Chihuly ball things in a waterfall at the garden park.
Well, so much for my infatuation with the iPad game Words with Friends. I get ahead by about 80 points and then 5 days later my opponent resigns.
The weekend in Grand Rapids was extra fun! We got there, checked into a lovely Country Inn and Suites, went to the Meijer Garden Park to see the Dale Chihuly installations,
ate at Panera, went back to the park, got my tickets at will call, got seats 6 rows from the stage and saw Lyle Lovett and his large band for almost 2.5 hours and then there were fireworks!
Went back to the hotel and drank a bottle of wine, decided we needed another and drove across the parking lot to the world's most giant Meijer store and got us one. Pretty much sleep after that.
Sunday we ate at a Perkins pancake house then saw the Meyer May house, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright and lovingly restored by the Steelcase company. Pictures above.
The weather was perfect.
Today my son called from the Portland OR airport, on his way to China for 3 months. I'm not clear on the deal here but I hope he has a good time. Hope he comes back.
Janiva Magness at the Clazel tomorrow. Deadstring Brothers at Village Idiot Friday. Blues at the RibFest at the Lucas Co. fairgrounds Sunday. We'll see which ones I attend.
__________________________
Monday, August 02, 2010
Brief Revolver review
Although fancily prepared, portions were huge. Usually this does not go together. I had chicken meatballs with a fried squash blossom and a light tomato sauce for my appetizer and if I hadn't been ready to eat big, I coulda stopped with that. Also I had the chicken which was a breast from a local chicken farm with lima beans and corn. He had duck (he almost always gets duck if it's on the menu) and it was pretty delish. I am not so keen on duck. Plus we had peach crisp for dessert that about made me fall off my chair, it was so delicious. Their menu changes all the time so I want to go back and see what else I can get. It's not that expensive either: $19 for my chicken. I think the duck was $24. appetizers were $5- $9.
more later....
_____________________
more later....
_____________________
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
yo ho ho
You know, I don't drink a lot of beer. And I had no intention of drinking any tonight but Sherry bagged on our small GNO so Amy and I went to the City Tap with all the boys who are the backstage committee for the Black Swamp Arts Festival. And Donna. Who is not a boy but probably wishes she was. We had an "official" meeting at GFT at 6 but that was done by 7 and the real work got done at the City Tap part.
I end up having 3 pints which is, do the math, 48 ounces of beer. And draft beer, which is more dizzying.
So my darling daughter has taken the plane to LA after a somewhat tearful drop off at her dad's last night about midnight. I am glad to have had her for the trip to my mom's and dinner with Frank's mom and the rock and roll hall of fame day and a couple of nights on my deck. It's a big step in her life but I know she will roll with it.
I had bought 6 ears of corn last night at that little market on South after work so tonight I stripped it off the cob and froze it before I lost it like I did those couple ears I had last weekend.
The northwest Ohio rib off website is unavailable. This after I email them last week that it was showing the 2009 schedule. Amy believes there is blues there Sunday but all I can find is Matt Schofield, like we know who that is.
Another week of no nights home alone. Monday dinner at Chip's with out of town guests. Tuesday Anne. Tonight the BSAF meeting. Tomorrow taken. Friday Chris Shutters and Polka Floyd at Promenade Park and Andrew Jr Boy Jones at the Clazel. Saturday dinner at Revolver.
Looking so forward to the Lyle Lovett weekend in GR, MI, where there is a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Got a lovely rain today. Needed it. Time for bed. That work every day is so tiresome.
_____________________________________
I end up having 3 pints which is, do the math, 48 ounces of beer. And draft beer, which is more dizzying.
So my darling daughter has taken the plane to LA after a somewhat tearful drop off at her dad's last night about midnight. I am glad to have had her for the trip to my mom's and dinner with Frank's mom and the rock and roll hall of fame day and a couple of nights on my deck. It's a big step in her life but I know she will roll with it.
I had bought 6 ears of corn last night at that little market on South after work so tonight I stripped it off the cob and froze it before I lost it like I did those couple ears I had last weekend.
The northwest Ohio rib off website is unavailable. This after I email them last week that it was showing the 2009 schedule. Amy believes there is blues there Sunday but all I can find is Matt Schofield, like we know who that is.
Another week of no nights home alone. Monday dinner at Chip's with out of town guests. Tuesday Anne. Tonight the BSAF meeting. Tomorrow taken. Friday Chris Shutters and Polka Floyd at Promenade Park and Andrew Jr Boy Jones at the Clazel. Saturday dinner at Revolver.
Looking so forward to the Lyle Lovett weekend in GR, MI, where there is a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Got a lovely rain today. Needed it. Time for bed. That work every day is so tiresome.
_____________________________________
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Another busy day
Gave my presentation at work and although I forgot a couple of points, it went over like gangbusters. The new president of the OTVs (Owned Television Stations) was wild for it. She said no other web managers had given a presentation.
We went to Georgio's for dinner. Gack. You could have chicken or salmon or beef or swordfish or scallops, which is what I got. They were nearly indiscernible one from the other and all came with 2 redskin taters and the motley undercooked vegetable melange. And a greek salad with bad lettuce. The creme brulee was delish however.
When I rose to go, the prez said again what a swell job I had done. Whatever. Not like it's going to get me a high paying job.
Back to the grinds in the AM.
+++++++++++++++++++++
We went to Georgio's for dinner. Gack. You could have chicken or salmon or beef or swordfish or scallops, which is what I got. They were nearly indiscernible one from the other and all came with 2 redskin taters and the motley undercooked vegetable melange. And a greek salad with bad lettuce. The creme brulee was delish however.
When I rose to go, the prez said again what a swell job I had done. Whatever. Not like it's going to get me a high paying job.
Back to the grinds in the AM.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day off
Today I took off work and took my daughter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I didn't pick her up til noon so I got a lot of stuff done first, some pilates, and watering and planting those new perennials I bought at Meijer, and paying bills. La ti da.
We were in the R&R HOF for almost 3 hours and pretty much covered it except for that Bruce Springsteen special exhibit since we are not such fans. We saw many costumes and merchandising items and guitars and were reminded that both Jim Morrison and Hendrix died at the ripe young age of 27. Can you believe the Doors only recorded for 4 years and left such a big mark? Saw a lot of video clips including one of Keith Moon drumming for the Who. Many of my band favorites turned out to be the dead ones, him and Brian Jones, for example. Some parts of the Elvis section seemed to be missing so Anne hopes they will be at Graceland for his 75th birth anniversary display, where she will be going this weekend. It was an amazing time.
Then we ate at Lola, where we had beef cheek pierogi and a charcuterie tray with prosciutto, and soprasetta and duck bacon and some terrine and duck sausage. She also had a salad. She had scallops with pork belly croutons and I had smoked pork chop with cheesy polenta and barbecue onions. Yumba. And for dessert, I had a light berry mousse with a pistachio crust and she had what is called the 6AM special with maple bacon ice cream on top of pound cake french toast.
So now I'm home and tomorrow is the big dog and pony show at work where we will sit in the freezing conference room for something like 6 or 7 hours going over our budget with the people from headquarters and then we have to go out after with them to eat at Georgio's. Where they have a lot of veal and chicken entrees. Another typical Toledo lackluster menu. They don't even have tablecloths for chrissake.
But at least it will be Wednesday and then almost the weekend. When there is Bryan Lee at the Clazel and TunaFest on Friday and the Dragon Boat races on Saturday.
__________________
We were in the R&R HOF for almost 3 hours and pretty much covered it except for that Bruce Springsteen special exhibit since we are not such fans. We saw many costumes and merchandising items and guitars and were reminded that both Jim Morrison and Hendrix died at the ripe young age of 27. Can you believe the Doors only recorded for 4 years and left such a big mark? Saw a lot of video clips including one of Keith Moon drumming for the Who. Many of my band favorites turned out to be the dead ones, him and Brian Jones, for example. Some parts of the Elvis section seemed to be missing so Anne hopes they will be at Graceland for his 75th birth anniversary display, where she will be going this weekend. It was an amazing time.
Then we ate at Lola, where we had beef cheek pierogi and a charcuterie tray with prosciutto, and soprasetta and duck bacon and some terrine and duck sausage. She also had a salad. She had scallops with pork belly croutons and I had smoked pork chop with cheesy polenta and barbecue onions. Yumba. And for dessert, I had a light berry mousse with a pistachio crust and she had what is called the 6AM special with maple bacon ice cream on top of pound cake french toast.
So now I'm home and tomorrow is the big dog and pony show at work where we will sit in the freezing conference room for something like 6 or 7 hours going over our budget with the people from headquarters and then we have to go out after with them to eat at Georgio's. Where they have a lot of veal and chicken entrees. Another typical Toledo lackluster menu. They don't even have tablecloths for chrissake.
But at least it will be Wednesday and then almost the weekend. When there is Bryan Lee at the Clazel and TunaFest on Friday and the Dragon Boat races on Saturday.
__________________
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Hot fun in the summertime
It seems I'm always charging a device. The iPod, the iPad, the phone. Tonight I pulled all my old music off this computer onto a hard drive, freeing up a bunch of space that was bogging down the operation of this computer. Too many computers. Too many passwords.
I forgot to pay my utilities this month because I threw away the bill along with my Lyle Lovett tickets which I still have not got squared away getting replacements for. Hope I didn't throw anything else of value away.
My mom called tonight to see if I would come down this Saturday to see my cousins from Michigan. So I guess I will.
Now I'm hooked on this iPad app called Words with Friends where you play Scrabble online with either someone you know or some random person the game assigns you. Todd from work is the only person I know but I've had some random games. It took me and Todd 6 days to play our last game. Tonight I somehow played join for 102 points what with the triple letter for the J and double points for the whole word.
Anne's cat is here visiting for July and after a couple dicey nights, they all seem to be getting along OK although the Big did hook Tink in the flank last night because she sniffed at his kitty din dish. Only the Big gets the kitty din. Others: kibble.
I went to the fireworks with Anne and my nieces Jessica and Elizabeth. That was swell. The program seemed a little short but it was paid for by a fund drive or we wouldn't have had any. Somehow the reverberations bounced off the building behind us and sounded like geese honking. We sat in the line to get out for about 20 minutes and then came back here and had black raspberry cobbler and then the nieces went home and I talked to Anne until 2 a.m. She has a line on an exciting job that I won't talk about here so as not to jinx it. Tonight she is out celebrating Jess's birthday which is tomorrow.
It's been almost unbearably hot, 95 and humid. I have both ACs running and it's still not all that cool in here. Tomorrow, a front is supposed to come in and produce rain and cooler temps. Like 85. Which it was last week and seemed fine because it got down to 60 at night. Instead of 84 like it is now at almost 11 p.m. Although those silly cats still stay out, lounging around on the deck.
The Fourth weekend was very eventless. Although we did go to the Art Museum Friday night and to a couple metroparks on Saturday. I got 3 new hosta and a couple daylilies at Home Depot on the cheap and planted them and am trying to keep stuff watered. The lawn is dormant. I made some iced tea and salad Nicoise and been taking salad and cottage cheese for lunch at work. So sensible. So unlike me.
Have hardly been drinking although last night I had a marg at dinner. Drank Perrier at GNO tonight at Ginger's where it was carb snack city plus ice cream. Ginger's gardens are fabulous and I can see they're a LOT of work. Amy says Ginger also has good hardscaping which apparently is a patio and a pond with fish and paths and stuff. Although it was hot, people sat out on the patio, some smoking, some just being hot.
My yard looks fairly fabulous, the lilies are blooming, the tomatoes are growing (slowly), herbs are holding up, plenty of jalapenos coming on if you need some. The stuff out front is almost overgrown, there's so much but it's beautiful.
The people who bought the house next door come almost every day and work on the inside but they still haven't moved in.
I have a bunch of pictures but of course that's step 2 of blogging.
A lot of craziness seems to be flying around the atmosphere. Remain calm.
_____________________
I forgot to pay my utilities this month because I threw away the bill along with my Lyle Lovett tickets which I still have not got squared away getting replacements for. Hope I didn't throw anything else of value away.
My mom called tonight to see if I would come down this Saturday to see my cousins from Michigan. So I guess I will.
Now I'm hooked on this iPad app called Words with Friends where you play Scrabble online with either someone you know or some random person the game assigns you. Todd from work is the only person I know but I've had some random games. It took me and Todd 6 days to play our last game. Tonight I somehow played join for 102 points what with the triple letter for the J and double points for the whole word.
Anne's cat is here visiting for July and after a couple dicey nights, they all seem to be getting along OK although the Big did hook Tink in the flank last night because she sniffed at his kitty din dish. Only the Big gets the kitty din. Others: kibble.
I went to the fireworks with Anne and my nieces Jessica and Elizabeth. That was swell. The program seemed a little short but it was paid for by a fund drive or we wouldn't have had any. Somehow the reverberations bounced off the building behind us and sounded like geese honking. We sat in the line to get out for about 20 minutes and then came back here and had black raspberry cobbler and then the nieces went home and I talked to Anne until 2 a.m. She has a line on an exciting job that I won't talk about here so as not to jinx it. Tonight she is out celebrating Jess's birthday which is tomorrow.
It's been almost unbearably hot, 95 and humid. I have both ACs running and it's still not all that cool in here. Tomorrow, a front is supposed to come in and produce rain and cooler temps. Like 85. Which it was last week and seemed fine because it got down to 60 at night. Instead of 84 like it is now at almost 11 p.m. Although those silly cats still stay out, lounging around on the deck.
The Fourth weekend was very eventless. Although we did go to the Art Museum Friday night and to a couple metroparks on Saturday. I got 3 new hosta and a couple daylilies at Home Depot on the cheap and planted them and am trying to keep stuff watered. The lawn is dormant. I made some iced tea and salad Nicoise and been taking salad and cottage cheese for lunch at work. So sensible. So unlike me.
Have hardly been drinking although last night I had a marg at dinner. Drank Perrier at GNO tonight at Ginger's where it was carb snack city plus ice cream. Ginger's gardens are fabulous and I can see they're a LOT of work. Amy says Ginger also has good hardscaping which apparently is a patio and a pond with fish and paths and stuff. Although it was hot, people sat out on the patio, some smoking, some just being hot.
My yard looks fairly fabulous, the lilies are blooming, the tomatoes are growing (slowly), herbs are holding up, plenty of jalapenos coming on if you need some. The stuff out front is almost overgrown, there's so much but it's beautiful.
The people who bought the house next door come almost every day and work on the inside but they still haven't moved in.
I have a bunch of pictures but of course that's step 2 of blogging.
A lot of craziness seems to be flying around the atmosphere. Remain calm.
_____________________
Friday, July 02, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The usual big life
My daughter is coming here Wednesday with her cat Tinkerbell to spend about a month. I amazingly have the green room all cleaned up for her arrival.
Wednesday is also Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat at GFT. 8 pm free show.
Last night, I went to the Crosby Festival gala preview. The food was tasty (and free), stuffed mushrooms, salmon, flank steak, various spreads for crackers and bread toasts, berry shortcakes for dessert. Then went to the Clazel to catch John Nemeth playing. Apparently, shoulda gone to the GFT roaster afterwards to party with the band. The father of my children was at the Clazel with a new woman.
Today, I have a radio show and then going to a party at Mark Trout's then going to Hines Farm to see Nora Jean Bruso.
Should be mowing, weeding, doing dishes. But if I get a shower and my show CDs in a bag in the next 2 hours, I'll be satisfied...
_________________
Wednesday is also Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat at GFT. 8 pm free show.
Last night, I went to the Crosby Festival gala preview. The food was tasty (and free), stuffed mushrooms, salmon, flank steak, various spreads for crackers and bread toasts, berry shortcakes for dessert. Then went to the Clazel to catch John Nemeth playing. Apparently, shoulda gone to the GFT roaster afterwards to party with the band. The father of my children was at the Clazel with a new woman.
Today, I have a radio show and then going to a party at Mark Trout's then going to Hines Farm to see Nora Jean Bruso.
Should be mowing, weeding, doing dishes. But if I get a shower and my show CDs in a bag in the next 2 hours, I'll be satisfied...
_________________
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Summery weekend
All righty then, two hot clear summer days. Got that fence up. Went to the Centennial terrace blues fest where Bernard allison was smokin'. It was a beautiful night, had a couple beers, ate some evil restaurant food at Applebee's, onion rings and fries and ribs and a sensible salad. Had a rough time sleeping as did other people. You? Not a big crowd at the blues fest.
Made black raspberry cobbler which is all gone now. And it was delish.
-----------------
Made black raspberry cobbler which is all gone now. And it was delish.
-----------------
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
No sense trying to catch up
Tonight, Amy came over to hold the ladder and the bucket while I cleaned out my gutters. Those ones up over the patio roof are impossible to reach. Need a monkey.
Last weekend, I dined out: Call of the Canyon, Corner Grill, Amy's, Chip's. Did a radio show and hit a bunch of yard sales where I got a cooler for a buck, a box of dishes for a buck (mostly junk except some gold plated dish that's worth about $10 and some plates I'm using a plant saucers), a skeleton that sings a ZZ Top song.
Went to my producer Erin's wedding shower Sunday afternoon. She got a set of pans which was what I was getting her for a wedding present so now I need to regroup or just write a check. Since I'm not attending the nuptials anyway.
Todd is coming to the Ark Aug. 23. Yay!
My new neighbors still haven't moved in and now the house to the east of me is for sale.
I don't know what else. Working daily. Cleaning up the green room for Anne's impending stay. Checking the Facebook on the iPad. Adding stuff to the iPad calendar.
My little garden is going well. All the tomatoes are in cages and there's a pepper larger than a golf ball on the red bell pepper plant. Still haven't got the fence up.
The big news today: touchdown Jesus (aka big butter Jesus) along I-75 down by Dayton burned up.
If I were more ambitious, I'd list my various crap on Craigslist. Alas.
Somebody has planned a 40-year high school class reunion for Sept. 25. Have to try and make that. Should be interesting.
Downloaded a couple free songs from Paul Thorn's new CD Pimps and Preachers.
___________________________
Last weekend, I dined out: Call of the Canyon, Corner Grill, Amy's, Chip's. Did a radio show and hit a bunch of yard sales where I got a cooler for a buck, a box of dishes for a buck (mostly junk except some gold plated dish that's worth about $10 and some plates I'm using a plant saucers), a skeleton that sings a ZZ Top song.
Went to my producer Erin's wedding shower Sunday afternoon. She got a set of pans which was what I was getting her for a wedding present so now I need to regroup or just write a check. Since I'm not attending the nuptials anyway.
Todd is coming to the Ark Aug. 23. Yay!
My new neighbors still haven't moved in and now the house to the east of me is for sale.
I don't know what else. Working daily. Cleaning up the green room for Anne's impending stay. Checking the Facebook on the iPad. Adding stuff to the iPad calendar.
My little garden is going well. All the tomatoes are in cages and there's a pepper larger than a golf ball on the red bell pepper plant. Still haven't got the fence up.
The big news today: touchdown Jesus (aka big butter Jesus) along I-75 down by Dayton burned up.
If I were more ambitious, I'd list my various crap on Craigslist. Alas.
Somebody has planned a 40-year high school class reunion for Sept. 25. Have to try and make that. Should be interesting.
Downloaded a couple free songs from Paul Thorn's new CD Pimps and Preachers.
___________________________
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Old west end fest
We did this in two half days which in retrospect was brilliant as all that walking in one day would have been a lot.
Saturday we saw 4 of the 6 homes on the house tour and saw some garage sales at one of which I bought this set of dishes. When I look them up on eBay, I find out they're worth about $240. I paid $15. So maybe I'll sell them to make up for all the stuff I bought today. Which was a pair of earrings and four votive candles and a cookbook and a cotton top and a lantern for a candle and two Xmas compilation CDs, one of which has Doris Day singing Toyland. Today we saw the other two houses.
Last night we were drinking some wine and I get a storm warning text and then until 3:30 a.m. I am posting to the 13abc Facebook updates which drew hundreds of comments from appreciative viewers who were apparently holed up in their basements with their laptops and no TV.
Also last night Amy and I bought tickets to see Lyle Lovett at meijer gardens in GR, Michigan on Aug. 7. Booked a room for one night.
Saturday we saw 4 of the 6 homes on the house tour and saw some garage sales at one of which I bought this set of dishes. When I look them up on eBay, I find out they're worth about $240. I paid $15. So maybe I'll sell them to make up for all the stuff I bought today. Which was a pair of earrings and four votive candles and a cookbook and a cotton top and a lantern for a candle and two Xmas compilation CDs, one of which has Doris Day singing Toyland. Today we saw the other two houses.
Last night we were drinking some wine and I get a storm warning text and then until 3:30 a.m. I am posting to the 13abc Facebook updates which drew hundreds of comments from appreciative viewers who were apparently holed up in their basements with their laptops and no TV.
Also last night Amy and I bought tickets to see Lyle Lovett at meijer gardens in GR, Michigan on Aug. 7. Booked a room for one night.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
The machines hate me
Today, I try to get my computer speakers to work and I see that they are unplugged so I plug them in and my whole computer powers down. Shhhzzzzzhhhhhewwwwwwaahhhh. So, incredibly long story short, later I replug everything and power up and viola, they all work. I had called Sherry to see if her internet was down because all afternoon when I called Time Warner it was Ring. All circuits busy.
So, first day off was goofy. Didn't get much done besides going to the library. Yesterday, I engendered many comments on the 13abc Facebook by commenting on the weather and then receiving posts back. Because, for the record here, it was one of the rainiest Memorial Days on record, I have no doubt. A giant rain before the guests arrived collapsed Amy's canopy although I tried to disassemble quickly but alas two struts are broken. Somebody apparently knows the Super Welder so maybe it can be fixed. If not, I'll buy a new one.
Then another giant storm tore through and then it let up enough so we could grill and then it started raining in earnest. But it was cozy and the house was set up to receive.
It was the meat and carb fest party. Potato salad macaroni salad pasta dish. With 4 cakes and ice cream for dessert. Thank you to all who braved the weather to hang out.
Tonight I made some appetizers of ground almonds, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon zest rolled in prosciutto. It was pretty good but the filling would make a better dip or cracker spread. Then I made a salad of green beans and potatoes and tomatoes and red onion and black olives and anchovies and hard boiled egg with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
And crab cakes. When a recipe says to make 16 little crab cakes, do not try to make 8 bigger ones. Although they were tasty. How could they not be with mayonnaise and eggs and spices and bread crumbs fried in butter and olive oi?
Tom calls today to find out if his renter's insurance which I pay for will cover anything on their moving but I think it does not.
Tonight's dinner
Sign at Nelsonville Fest.
Sign at New Orleans Jazz Fest
A big Andy Warhol head at the Brooklyn art museum.
Bought Ribberfest tix today. But it's WEEKS away. Aug. 20 and 21.
_______________________
So, first day off was goofy. Didn't get much done besides going to the library. Yesterday, I engendered many comments on the 13abc Facebook by commenting on the weather and then receiving posts back. Because, for the record here, it was one of the rainiest Memorial Days on record, I have no doubt. A giant rain before the guests arrived collapsed Amy's canopy although I tried to disassemble quickly but alas two struts are broken. Somebody apparently knows the Super Welder so maybe it can be fixed. If not, I'll buy a new one.
Then another giant storm tore through and then it let up enough so we could grill and then it started raining in earnest. But it was cozy and the house was set up to receive.
It was the meat and carb fest party. Potato salad macaroni salad pasta dish. With 4 cakes and ice cream for dessert. Thank you to all who braved the weather to hang out.
Tonight I made some appetizers of ground almonds, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon zest rolled in prosciutto. It was pretty good but the filling would make a better dip or cracker spread. Then I made a salad of green beans and potatoes and tomatoes and red onion and black olives and anchovies and hard boiled egg with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
And crab cakes. When a recipe says to make 16 little crab cakes, do not try to make 8 bigger ones. Although they were tasty. How could they not be with mayonnaise and eggs and spices and bread crumbs fried in butter and olive oi?
Tom calls today to find out if his renter's insurance which I pay for will cover anything on their moving but I think it does not.
Tonight's dinner
Sign at Nelsonville Fest.
Sign at New Orleans Jazz Fest
A big Andy Warhol head at the Brooklyn art museum.
Bought Ribberfest tix today. But it's WEEKS away. Aug. 20 and 21.
_______________________
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
My new iPad
First let me say I have received notice in my email that Sony has demanded that I remove that Johnny Winter video from Wheeling because of copyright infringement. Perhaps they have already removed it.
So about my iPad. It's a great vehicle for watching Modern Family on. Finding a good angle for holding it though can be a bit of a challenge so there's no glare and it does not slide down your lap or fall over when you try to prop it up with a fat book. There is occasionally some pixellating issues when watching streaming video but they quickly resolve. I thought this might be a function of proximity to my wireless but it happens in the house too.
It's also a great way to check my bank statement out on the deck.
I can see how it will be a great commerce driver as, once you have your passwords plugged Into half.com or whatever, you could just buy relentlessly, without a second thought! There you are on the deck or a poolside chair or at a bothersome family gathering and suddenly you see a video/cd/purse/cruise you'd like and bang! Order up!
The keyboard is great to use, almost like a real one and certainly bigger than a phone text one.
The face of it seems impermeable to at least butter and coffee (so far) but I think I'll need to plastic wrap it before I use that epicurious app in the kitchen. Cooking can be so messy.
I think I get about six to eight hours of use before I Need to recharge and that only takes about half an hour, I think.
Not finding too much work related use for it though. I mean I can post to the 13abc Facebook on the go. And there are apps for word processing and financial charting stuff and one for PowerPoint-like presentations. But I don't use that stuff in my job anyway. Possibly i can install my firewall leaping program and the content mgmt software for 13abc.com but I'd have to check how fat they are. 16gb hard drive and all.
Also, on Facebook, you can't chat. The window just doesn't show up. Need to google this.
--------------
So about my iPad. It's a great vehicle for watching Modern Family on. Finding a good angle for holding it though can be a bit of a challenge so there's no glare and it does not slide down your lap or fall over when you try to prop it up with a fat book. There is occasionally some pixellating issues when watching streaming video but they quickly resolve. I thought this might be a function of proximity to my wireless but it happens in the house too.
It's also a great way to check my bank statement out on the deck.
I can see how it will be a great commerce driver as, once you have your passwords plugged Into half.com or whatever, you could just buy relentlessly, without a second thought! There you are on the deck or a poolside chair or at a bothersome family gathering and suddenly you see a video/cd/purse/cruise you'd like and bang! Order up!
The keyboard is great to use, almost like a real one and certainly bigger than a phone text one.
The face of it seems impermeable to at least butter and coffee (so far) but I think I'll need to plastic wrap it before I use that epicurious app in the kitchen. Cooking can be so messy.
I think I get about six to eight hours of use before I Need to recharge and that only takes about half an hour, I think.
Not finding too much work related use for it though. I mean I can post to the 13abc Facebook on the go. And there are apps for word processing and financial charting stuff and one for PowerPoint-like presentations. But I don't use that stuff in my job anyway. Possibly i can install my firewall leaping program and the content mgmt software for 13abc.com but I'd have to check how fat they are. 16gb hard drive and all.
Also, on Facebook, you can't chat. The window just doesn't show up. Need to google this.
--------------
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mighty mighty me
Tonight I have installed a wireless network and a mini blind and planted a spruce tree and now I'm blogging on my new iPad! I think it's time for a glass of wine!!
Now my blog has an ad on it for me to download an iPad app for kindle reading. Nefarious!!!
Now my blog has an ad on it for me to download an iPad app for kindle reading. Nefarious!!!
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Brief down time
Well, New York City was fabulous. We ate at Ricardo Steakhouse on 2nd north of 103rd. I had great snapper and we downed a pitcher of mixed white and red sangria. Anne had a filet mignon. They had some birthdays while we there where the staff sang Happy Birthday and then the sound system played fitty cent's birthday song. Then we sacked out at Anne's.
Friday, we had breakfast at La Tropizienne, a bakery over by Anne's on 1st. Yum, we ate a croque monsieur and a salmon dill quiche and little pastries.
Then we went to the Museum of the City New York and the Museo del Barrio. The first had a display of Charles Addams (Addams Family) drawings and memorabilia and a cool film about the history of New York. The other had this big box you could sit in and watch some film about Latino club dj'ing.
We popped into the Conservatory Garden in Central Park which was right across the street and had many tulips and daffodils in bloom.
Then we went downtown to our hotel the New York Helmsley on 42nd and 2nd. That night we ate at Fabio Piccolo Fiore around the corner from the hotel. We had a delish antipasto plate and big salads and wine at the bar.
Then we went to see The Lion King on Broadway! OMG it was unbelievable, right from the chorus at the beginning. The costumes were so clever, all the animals, and the lighting was stunning, bright background colors you usually don't see on stage.
It was raining when we left. We were hungry and no place looked suitable so late so we went to what they call a deli up there and got a turkey sandwich with bacon and avocado and some hummus and chips and a six pack of Brooklyn Ale and watched some TV at the room.
Saturday we wandered out and for breakfast we had giant plates of eggs and stuff at The Press Box, before going on toward the Museum of Modern Art. But first, after discussing my dislike of shopping with Anne at breakfast, we went to Ann Taylor Loft and she had me try on about 35 things and I ended up buying two tops and three sweaters and pair of white capris and a black cotton pencil skirt and a black linen dress. Plus I bought her a sweatshirt jacket thing for a personal shopper fee.
More later.....
Friday, we had breakfast at La Tropizienne, a bakery over by Anne's on 1st. Yum, we ate a croque monsieur and a salmon dill quiche and little pastries.
Then we went to the Museum of the City New York and the Museo del Barrio. The first had a display of Charles Addams (Addams Family) drawings and memorabilia and a cool film about the history of New York. The other had this big box you could sit in and watch some film about Latino club dj'ing.
We popped into the Conservatory Garden in Central Park which was right across the street and had many tulips and daffodils in bloom.
Then we went downtown to our hotel the New York Helmsley on 42nd and 2nd. That night we ate at Fabio Piccolo Fiore around the corner from the hotel. We had a delish antipasto plate and big salads and wine at the bar.
Then we went to see The Lion King on Broadway! OMG it was unbelievable, right from the chorus at the beginning. The costumes were so clever, all the animals, and the lighting was stunning, bright background colors you usually don't see on stage.
It was raining when we left. We were hungry and no place looked suitable so late so we went to what they call a deli up there and got a turkey sandwich with bacon and avocado and some hummus and chips and a six pack of Brooklyn Ale and watched some TV at the room.
Saturday we wandered out and for breakfast we had giant plates of eggs and stuff at The Press Box, before going on toward the Museum of Modern Art. But first, after discussing my dislike of shopping with Anne at breakfast, we went to Ann Taylor Loft and she had me try on about 35 things and I ended up buying two tops and three sweaters and pair of white capris and a black cotton pencil skirt and a black linen dress. Plus I bought her a sweatshirt jacket thing for a personal shopper fee.
More later.....
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Wild weekend
Friday Amy picked me up after work and we ate at Call of the Canyon before standing in line at the Clazel, waiting for them to open the doors, which were to open at 6:30 but didn't until 7:10. Fred rushes to the floor and snags a table for 8. Luci and Dan got a table for 4 next to us but were suddenly upgraded to VIP status and a different table so we also got that four top which then we could accommodate everybody. The band came on around 8 and played for a solid 2 hours.
Some people were at the Toledo Museum of Art at a glass blowing fest where Joe Bob were playing.
Saturday, I was up at the crack of 9:40. I played around in the yard and ate a leftover crabcake from Thursday night and got a latte from GFT where I saw the father of my children who I asked if he was going to Tom's art show and he said No. And suddenly it was time for my radio show. After that was over, I talked to my friend Karen in Dallas on the phone for almost an hour and then took two space heaters over to Amy's because her furnace is not working. Boys think it's the thermostat, which would be a less expensive alternative to furnace replacement.
Amy and I ate at the downstairs of Grumpy Dave's where we had chicken breast rolled with bacon and Gouda and also some tomato bread. We then went up to Stefan's birthday fest and had some bevs and potato chips. There were many people there I know. And then we went to Howard's just before 9 although, as usual, Rod's Collision started about half an hour after their advertised time of 9. The crowd was OK for the first set and then the old folks cleared out and at one point, there were about 10 people in there and then the youth crowd picked up and when I left around 12:30, the band was playing to quite a few dancers. And the band was playing in a magnificent manner. OMG they were hot.
Sunday, I did my state taxes and then raked the back yard in preparation for my lawn guy who is supposed to come today. Then I went to Perrysburg and had lunch with Cheryl and Bonnie at Panera before the hypertufa class at the 577 Foundation. I think I will have to host a hypertufa GNO. And I want to go back and look around the grounds at the 577 some more.
In the evening, there was wine drinking and pasta cooking and eating and yard touring and suddenly, the alarm clock goes off and here I am at work. It's shocking.
_________________________
Some people were at the Toledo Museum of Art at a glass blowing fest where Joe Bob were playing.
Saturday, I was up at the crack of 9:40. I played around in the yard and ate a leftover crabcake from Thursday night and got a latte from GFT where I saw the father of my children who I asked if he was going to Tom's art show and he said No. And suddenly it was time for my radio show. After that was over, I talked to my friend Karen in Dallas on the phone for almost an hour and then took two space heaters over to Amy's because her furnace is not working. Boys think it's the thermostat, which would be a less expensive alternative to furnace replacement.
Amy and I ate at the downstairs of Grumpy Dave's where we had chicken breast rolled with bacon and Gouda and also some tomato bread. We then went up to Stefan's birthday fest and had some bevs and potato chips. There were many people there I know. And then we went to Howard's just before 9 although, as usual, Rod's Collision started about half an hour after their advertised time of 9. The crowd was OK for the first set and then the old folks cleared out and at one point, there were about 10 people in there and then the youth crowd picked up and when I left around 12:30, the band was playing to quite a few dancers. And the band was playing in a magnificent manner. OMG they were hot.
Sunday, I did my state taxes and then raked the back yard in preparation for my lawn guy who is supposed to come today. Then I went to Perrysburg and had lunch with Cheryl and Bonnie at Panera before the hypertufa class at the 577 Foundation. I think I will have to host a hypertufa GNO. And I want to go back and look around the grounds at the 577 some more.
In the evening, there was wine drinking and pasta cooking and eating and yard touring and suddenly, the alarm clock goes off and here I am at work. It's shocking.
_________________________
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Monday, April 05, 2010
Blogging
I read somewhere that blogs are taking a hit from Facebook. It's just so much easier to go on Facebook and click around to see if anybody's doing anything or there's any news from your kids than to type out a big post of all the excitement you've been experiencing personally.
Plus for me, it's the coming home and sitting down at a computer after I have been sitting at one all day at work.
I found this out about my son from Facebook. Although now he has taken down the link, Tom had a preview of his art show to be mounted at the Coup d'Oeil gallery in New Orleans that starts next weekend. You can read all about it here but you have to scroll to page 8. One of the most fascinating facts is that "the closing party is also McLaughlin's going away shindig as he is moving to San Francisco in mid-May." Mommy's always the last one to know. I wish I could attend but it'd be a whole lotta cash for a brief encounter.
I didn't even post about going to see Paul Thorn at the Ark. It was a Friday. We went to Gratzi and had some shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and some little pasta packets filled with mushrooms and with mushroom sauce and some calamari. When the waiter asked what order we wanted them in, we said alphabetical. They were delicious all, but no pictures.
We ate at the bar as we like to do as we can pretend the whole restaurant is not there behind us; it's just us, the food, the wine and a server. We feel we need to write a pamphlet on the eating at the bar.
Paul Thorn was very good. No Band of Heathens, but good. And as it was a Friday, it was an exhausting night, driving up and back and staying up past our bedtime. We had gotten into one of those good ruts-- Friday night at my house, cooking, drinking two bottles wine, etc. And I miss it. Maybe soon although this Friday is Stacy Mitchhart at the Clazel and next weekend I'll be in New York.
Amy says she talked to Kelly Wicks who says he is negotiating with Elvin Bishop for the Swamp. I thought the whole schedule was already online but apparently it's not complete.
Here's a picture of some fried oysters we had. They were delicious. Although we had some unfried prior to and they were also delicious.
Last weekend, Amy and I ate at Chowders n Moor in Waterville where the food is very filling. I had a cup of clam chowder and half a philly sandwich with cole slaw and red onion and banana pepper on grilled ciabatta. Stuffed.
Saturday it was beautiful before I went in to do my radio show, 75 degrees and mostly sunny although the wind picked up to blast speed and by the time my show was over, it had dropped 20 degrees. We went to Fred and Sherry's later and helped them fill 100 plastic Easter eggs for the grandkids.
Sunday, I went to see my mom for Easter. We were going to go out but when I got there, she had the table set and so I made sweet potatoes out of the can with marshmallows on top and some very lackluster stuffing and broccoli with cheese sauce out of the frozen packet and she deep fried skinless boneless chicken breasts which is not a good application for them. Also she had made a pineapple upside down cake, one of her specialties, which was pretty tasty but overkill for me in the sugar department.
My mom did not look well. Her legs are all swollen below the knee and she nearly nodded off after dinner so I did the dishes and left. Sadly a waste of a perfectly beautiful sunny day as we were inside all day. When I got ready to leave, I showed her my new car which she said was a bad color (white) and too small. This after she had said my new haircut was what the style is these days, she guessed. The usual ringing endorsement. It's a wonder I'm not totally screwed up.
I keep trying to take a picture of myself with the new haircut but it just doesn't come across in pictures.
Also, soon you will not recognize me as I have purchased a kit of creams that purport to eradicate all wrinkles.
Much yard puttering has been done. Tonight I planted some pansies in my window boxes. Have much of the yard raked up. Uncovered many little buds. Forsythia is in full bloom. The magnolia tree is heavily budded and just starting to bloom which may be clipped by this weekend's weather. Hope not. Planted some grass seed in the bare spots as I do every year. OMG mowing must be done soon. I got some guy's name off the wall at the Ace hardware who says he will mow. I need to give him a call. Also bought a giant pot to repot the hibiscus.
This week: big fun. Wednesday, GNO at 149. Friday, Clazel. Saturday, Stefan's birthday party at Grumpy Dave's and Rod's Collision at Howard's. Sunday, hypertufa at the 577 Foundation.
Tonight was the last radio meeting of the year, yay.
____________________
Plus for me, it's the coming home and sitting down at a computer after I have been sitting at one all day at work.
I found this out about my son from Facebook. Although now he has taken down the link, Tom had a preview of his art show to be mounted at the Coup d'Oeil gallery in New Orleans that starts next weekend. You can read all about it here but you have to scroll to page 8. One of the most fascinating facts is that "the closing party is also McLaughlin's going away shindig as he is moving to San Francisco in mid-May." Mommy's always the last one to know. I wish I could attend but it'd be a whole lotta cash for a brief encounter.
I didn't even post about going to see Paul Thorn at the Ark. It was a Friday. We went to Gratzi and had some shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and some little pasta packets filled with mushrooms and with mushroom sauce and some calamari. When the waiter asked what order we wanted them in, we said alphabetical. They were delicious all, but no pictures.
We ate at the bar as we like to do as we can pretend the whole restaurant is not there behind us; it's just us, the food, the wine and a server. We feel we need to write a pamphlet on the eating at the bar.
Paul Thorn was very good. No Band of Heathens, but good. And as it was a Friday, it was an exhausting night, driving up and back and staying up past our bedtime. We had gotten into one of those good ruts-- Friday night at my house, cooking, drinking two bottles wine, etc. And I miss it. Maybe soon although this Friday is Stacy Mitchhart at the Clazel and next weekend I'll be in New York.
Amy says she talked to Kelly Wicks who says he is negotiating with Elvin Bishop for the Swamp. I thought the whole schedule was already online but apparently it's not complete.
Here's a picture of some fried oysters we had. They were delicious. Although we had some unfried prior to and they were also delicious.
Last weekend, Amy and I ate at Chowders n Moor in Waterville where the food is very filling. I had a cup of clam chowder and half a philly sandwich with cole slaw and red onion and banana pepper on grilled ciabatta. Stuffed.
Saturday it was beautiful before I went in to do my radio show, 75 degrees and mostly sunny although the wind picked up to blast speed and by the time my show was over, it had dropped 20 degrees. We went to Fred and Sherry's later and helped them fill 100 plastic Easter eggs for the grandkids.
Sunday, I went to see my mom for Easter. We were going to go out but when I got there, she had the table set and so I made sweet potatoes out of the can with marshmallows on top and some very lackluster stuffing and broccoli with cheese sauce out of the frozen packet and she deep fried skinless boneless chicken breasts which is not a good application for them. Also she had made a pineapple upside down cake, one of her specialties, which was pretty tasty but overkill for me in the sugar department.
My mom did not look well. Her legs are all swollen below the knee and she nearly nodded off after dinner so I did the dishes and left. Sadly a waste of a perfectly beautiful sunny day as we were inside all day. When I got ready to leave, I showed her my new car which she said was a bad color (white) and too small. This after she had said my new haircut was what the style is these days, she guessed. The usual ringing endorsement. It's a wonder I'm not totally screwed up.
I keep trying to take a picture of myself with the new haircut but it just doesn't come across in pictures.
Also, soon you will not recognize me as I have purchased a kit of creams that purport to eradicate all wrinkles.
Much yard puttering has been done. Tonight I planted some pansies in my window boxes. Have much of the yard raked up. Uncovered many little buds. Forsythia is in full bloom. The magnolia tree is heavily budded and just starting to bloom which may be clipped by this weekend's weather. Hope not. Planted some grass seed in the bare spots as I do every year. OMG mowing must be done soon. I got some guy's name off the wall at the Ace hardware who says he will mow. I need to give him a call. Also bought a giant pot to repot the hibiscus.
This week: big fun. Wednesday, GNO at 149. Friday, Clazel. Saturday, Stefan's birthday party at Grumpy Dave's and Rod's Collision at Howard's. Sunday, hypertufa at the 577 Foundation.
Tonight was the last radio meeting of the year, yay.
____________________
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